The Junior High band as well as the High School band both competed in contests here in March. The Junior High band performed at the HTRS Junior High Music Contest and received an "excellent" rating. Four students played solos, and all received an "outstanding" rating. The High School band competed at the MUDECAS music contest held at Diller-Odell and received an "excellent" rating. Two students performed a flute solo and received an "excellent" rating.
English 8 students are reading the play version of "The Diary of Anne Frank." Each student has a character part in the play, and we sometimes act out a passage! The students are learning about the Holocaust, the Annex, and the legacy of Anne's Diary.
The high school wresting team ended with 1 state qualifier, Wyatt Forney at 106 pounds. The team worked really hard this season and showed a lot improvement.
This quarter math students had the opportunity to take math outside of the classroom. Calculus and Precalculus student participated in UNL Math Day. They took part in a math quiz bowl competition and activities involving critical thing. Geometry students also looked at math differently by assembling prisms from nets and decorating the prisms like items they see in their everyday lives.
Spring eSports is underway, with students participating in Rocket League and Fortnite. Students are working hard and making progress in developing their skills.
During the Month of March, the Social Committee along with all Southern Staff would like to thank our Maintenance Staff, Custodial Staff, Bus Drivers, and our Tech Personnel for all that they do for Southern Public Schools, all year long! All of their hard work is truly appreciated and help to make Southern a great place for both staff and students!
The 7th and 8th graders have been learning how to play Tchoukball. It is a game that originated in Switzerland. It is a 360 degree game in which you can score on either side by throwing the Tchoukball against a net and the opposing team not being able to catch the rebound. It is a fast pace game with many strategies to be successful.
Along with the many activities that are happening this month, February also means that it is time for our students to be deciding what their schedules will look like next year. Mrs. Trauernicht has been working with staff on updating the registration handbook and will soon be meeting with students, helping them decide what classes they will be taking in order to stay on track for graduation and meet state and local requirements. Please take the time to visit with your child about their class choices and what their plans . . .
Juniors attended a recent College Access Day at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The day's schedule included valuable information about UNL and what it has to offer, a campus tour, lunch at one of the dining halls, and a student panel who shared their experiences.
Members celebrated FBLA week February 12-17 by dressing up for themed days, gifting secret Valentine treats, and listening to guest speaker, alumnus Sydney Saathoff, speak on her path to success in the graphic design world. We ended the week with hosting our annual JH sweetheart dance.
Junior High Quiz Bowl had us hopping throughout the month of February! We've had eight meets so far, and we still have Pioneer Conference on March 18th at Diller-Odell and Mudecas on April 9th at Pawnee City. I couldn't be more proud of my team! We have 1 eighth grader and 12 seventh graders this year, and it's been fun getting to know each and every one of them; they definitely have more energy than I could ever dream to contain! :). Everyone has competed well, and they even placed (A team in 3rd in their division and B . . .
Students attended the MUDECAS speech meet on Saturday, January 27th in Humboldt. Kalyb Fortney and Alexis Huls performed poetry selections with the competition. The NSAA has teamed up with Special Olympics for promoting social inclusion within the fine arts activities. Speech teams across the state have students with intellectual disabilities on their rosters. They will shine a spotlight of inclusion on these students during the 2024 NSAA State Speech Championships. For each of the six classes, NSAA will create two additional sections . . .
This quarter ag students have been practicing new skills and learning lessons that will lead to potential careers in the ag industry. With practicing for district CDE events in floriculture, livestock management, and meats judging. To starting a new program of welding and having guests come and show us how to use our new welders and starting to practice the basics skills to land a career in the welding field. We have been busy with busier days ahead this school year!
Students in art have been throwing on the pottery wheel this quarter! The students enjoy creating something that they can take home and use daily.
Students completed a virtual tour of world war II and learned about the planes. They were able to tour the WWII museum and view pictures from the war.
Eighth-period English 8 is reading the classic play "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. The students each have a part to read and act out as in an OID performance. The story provides a wonderful example of British Literature in drama form. We are having a blast learning about the drama genre, working together, and using British dialect.
The junior high wrestling team featured four 8th graders and four 7th graders this year. We had a very exciting season with a combine team record of 71-34 through 6 tournaments that included 5 individual wrestlers winning multiple tournaments.
This quarter Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, and Calculus have all been very busy learning new skills and challenging themselves to work hard. Geometry learning how to find and solve congruent triangles and apply them to real-world problems. Algebra II has been working hard to master solving and graphing polynomials. Pre-Calculus and Calculus wrapped up their semester of a college-level math course with a finial; teaching them valuable study skills that will help them in future courses. We have also been having some . . .
In Mr. Tunink's Physics classroom, students were given an unusual FINAL at the end of the semester. There was no test or quiz over the most recent friction chapter. Instead, students had to prove their knowledge of the three types of friction(static, kinetic, and fluid). To do this, students had to build 2 planes that had better AND worse fluid friction than a standard plane. Students tested and retested their planes until they were able to beat the distance that Mr. Tunink's plane achieved. Second, students had to demonstrate . . .
Sophomores are reading Kite Runner in English classes. The novel includes the history of Afghanistan and information about refugees who were forced to flee their country for their safety. In one picture, Reegan Lauby, Jazlyn Schell, Jenna Forney, Taylor Watts, Amelia Hopkins, Blaze Barleen, Koltan Ideus, Jacob Ward, and Matt Volner pose for a quick picture after class. In the second picture, Chrystina McGowan, Logan Hopper, Noah Troxel, Torri Carbonneau, Ryan Boosinger, Carsen Goes, Damian Parrott, Josh Upton, Gwen Mendenhall, Aliveea . . .
The Jr High and High School have attended several choir events this semester. The high school attended the Pioneer Conference in Sterling and the Midland Honor Choir. Five junior high students attended the Crete Middle School Honor Choir as well!
Students in Music Technology are nearing the end of our Music Theory units. They have been working hard this first semester to learn fundamental concepts musicians use to understand, analyze, and create music. We are excited to move on to how to compose music next semester!
The winter season has begun for eSports which means new games. Mario Kart 8 and Overwatch 2 are the new set of games, and the season has started well for the Raiders, winning their first 4 matches across both games!
Students in psychology class chose a psychological disorder and prepared a 6-8 minute presentation. They were able to choose their disorder based on interest.
Before we start, it is important to note that Hispanic and Spanish people do not celebrate Thanksgiving as this is a strictly American holiday, but who doesn’t like a good excuse to bring and eat food during class! ☺ Students were first tasked with looking up and choosing an authentic Hispanic or Spanish food or drink. After choosing their recipe, they were then given the option to write a one-page paper on the culture and significance behind their food/drink...OR...they could make the food/drink and bring it to share with . . .
Ag classes have been busy learning and building skills this quarter. Animal science has learned about dairy and dairy products, making their butter. Advance animal science has taken on a whole new adventure by purchasing pigs to raise and take care of.
The Southern 7th-9th graders participated in a 4-day CPR training. Students were taught the proper techniques for CPR on adults, children, and infants. Other topics covered were AED use, how to help choking individuals and water safety
Congratulations to the winners of the "Clay-lympics", Jaylin Klover - Best Slab, Emma Eisenhower - Fastest Pinch Pot, and Hadlee Maxson - Longest Coil. These three competed and proved their skills against their classmates in the three clay hand-building techniques: pinch pot, coil, and slab. Great job, girls!
On December 7, a College Planning Specialist with EducationQuest presented to a group of 23 seniors and parents regarding financial aid opportunities.
The Junior High Girls' Basketball Team has had a successful season so far! The A-Team has a record of 5-1 going into their home Southern Invite on Saturday, December 9th. Both the A and B teams have learned a lot throughout the short season and have made a ton of improvements as a team, and as individual players. Keep up the great work, Raiders!
Tis' the season for giving and once again this year Southern’s FBLA The chapter has put together an activity that brings in donations for the Wymore food pantry. Every year Southern puts together a plan that will get the students and staff involved in a project that will be very beneficial to our community. This year each class competed against each other and the winners were the Junior class. The community should be very proud of all our students and staff for their support of this project. Things keep moving . . .
The 7th and 8th grade STEM class has been working with spheros and coding. One of our activities was chariot races.
The high school Digital Media students have been learning how to use Glowforge and 3d printers. 3rd grade students at the elementary had to build a catapult for a pumpkin catapult competition.
Mrs. McKinney's IAP students manage their academic responsibilities, completing assignments, fostering a sense of discipline, and time management. Valuable life skills for their future.
It’s hard to believe that we are finishing up or ninth wee of the school year. As I have been walking through the classes and attending activities, I am very proud of the hard work that our students at Southern have been putting in. If you have not had the opportunity to attend an activity, please find time to do so, as our students enjoy seeing our community members there to support them. If you have a child in school and have not visited with their teacher or teachers, I encourage you to take the time to talk with them about how . . .
8th Grade Spanish students are working on a unit on animals. They've been learning the names of various animals, their body parts, and their habitats in Spanish. In class they've been working on their speaking skills by describing animal pictures they see. Here they are working in pairs to ask and answer: ¿Qué color es el animal? = What color is the animal? / ¿Qué tiene el animal? = What (body part) does the animal have? / ¿Qué animal es? = What animal is it?. Based on the color(s) and . . .
English 7 students have been reading short stories and non-fiction writings, but not an actual novel; until now! We are reading 'Because of Winn-Dixie' by Kate DiCamillo. It is a fast read which allows us to work on character development and the plot line.
The High School Chorus has been working hard this quarter to get music ready for several upcoming events. Some of us will attend the Midland University Honor Choir in October, we will all attend our District Vocal Music Contest in early November, we will sing for the Veteran's Day program very soon, and on December 3rd we will have our Winter concert!
The Southern-Diller-Odell junior high football team just finished their second season playing together. We had a total of 28 boys playing this season. The boys showed a lot of improvement both in practice and playing in the games. As a team, the SDO Thunder finished 4-2.
I would not be able to discuss our accomplishments this quarter without first discussing the tremendous work of our Student Council members for our Atlantis Homecoming. I have shared a picture with almost all of our Seniors in our homemade shark. Our second photo demonstrates the rest of the decorations present in the High School Auditorium. This was the culmination of several weeks of planning and 4 evenings of busy decorating. It was a wonderful evening of football, food, and dancing. Our second accomplishment that stands out as an . . .
The art students showed their support for the Raiders homecoming football game by spray painting a hay bale provided by Mr. Meyer! The art students hope the helmet will continue to be a good luck charm for the remainder of Raider Friday night lights. Good work to the art students who helped with this display, and GO RAIDERS!
Southern Juniors and Seniors have had several opportunities to explore careers. Southeast Community College hosts various Career Days. Four students attended Careers in Construction Day at SCC-Milford, and 10 students attended Careers in Ag Day at SCC-Beatrice. N-Gage sponsored Manufacturing Day in Beatrice, where 13 students toured J&J Wire, Neapco, Landmark Snacks, and Rare Earth Salts.
In Mrs. Schluter’s career education class, the students have started off their year strong in their efforts toward becoming more college and career-ready. Students began the quarter by taking career interest and skills surveys to discover various jobs they might be interested in pursuing for their future careers. They then explored these careers further to find out what skills and abilities are necessary for the job, what education level and experience they will need, and what the projected salary and job outlook look like for . . .
Southern Ag students have been busy this quarter with a bunch of different activities. In September we went to Husker Harvest Days and for October students competed in their first Land Judging contest. The department is growing with the adding of the welding equipment coming in and being installed. The advanced animal and plant science class has been working hard on the farm learning important skills that will help them when going on to the work force or in their future education plans.
The 7th grade class has started learning how to play Volleyball. They started with learning skills such as passing and setting, followed by serving. The next step is to put these skills into practice as we start playing games.
8th grade Multi-Cultural class is completing a project on cultures around the world
eSports season has gotten underway with our fall season of games. Students from grades 7-12 can participate in cooperative multiplayer games against other schools online, and everyone can watch through the eSports tab on the home page when we go live with our competitions.
Eighth graders have been working on their force and motion unit. This experiment tested speed vs. mass.
Sophomores are preparing for the ice cream social next week. We will be making ice cream this Saturday at the school. The homemade ice cream will be sold for the class fundraiser next Tuesday, September 19th during the volleyball games with other sweet desserts. Please come and support the sophomore class!
The Southern - Diller - Odell Softball Team has had a great start to the 2023 season. The Thunder are 12-8 on the season, winning the Auburn Invitational, earning Runner-Up at the Fillmore Central Invitational, and placing 4th in the Falls City Invitational. The Thunder have just 5 games left to play in the regular season before heading into Sub-Districts on October 2nd. Best of Luck to the team as they finish the season strong!
Southern Yearbook took a trip to Mahoney State Park for a Yearbook Workshop, hosted by Walsworth.
