November 2015 Chirp - Harvard Public Schools

VOLUME 22 n ISSUE 2 n NOVEMBER 2015
Harvard Public School
www.harvard.esu9.org
Uniform Campaign Almost Complete as Season Ends
© Harvard Public School - Brizeth Medina
The Cardinal band stands at attention while waiting for further direction from Morgan Weston, one of two band majorettes this year. The group
brought home 1st place for best drum majorette, band, and flags at Melody Roundup in Hastings on Saturday, October 3.
by Delani Hult
If you haven’t donated to the band
uniform campaign, then do so now! The
Harvard Clef Club has raised over $28
thousand to purchase new band uniforms. December 1st is the date when
Mr. Blake Thompson, music instructor,
would like the campaign for donations
to be completed.
To date, $28,000 has been donated by
community members, local organizations and Harvard alumni. Only $2,000
is left to be raised by the deadline. Make
your donation by filling out the form included on the back of The Chirp.
“The old uniforms are 32 years
old and the new ones will last a long
time because they are good quality,”
said Thompson.
The Clef Club has partially funded the new uniforms. The group has
helped with funding other equipment, such as a piano and full length
mirrors in the music room.
When you see the marching Cardinal Band, you will first see the flag and
dance team. The flag and dance team is
instructed by Danelle Fields, elementary music and SPED teacher at Harvard.
Fields said the 10 members of the group
use flags when marching and pompoms for pep rallies and field shows.
Adi Ramirez and Godding are the
ones who have helped out so much
since they were in flags before. Hannah Fields does a lot of choreographing
during free time as well as looking up
routine videos on YouTube.
“The parade I was excited for was
Hastings Melody Roundup because
the flags have the potential to win
an award separate from the band,”
said Mrs. Fields.
Two other important leaders
in front of the marching band are
drum majorettes Cassie Roberts and
Morgan Weston.
“I have wanted to be a majorette
since I was in elementary school,” said
Roberts. She became one her sophomore year. Her inspiration was her older brother Quinton Roberts.
“The job entails being a leader overall and directing the band in parades,”
said Roberts.
Weston, another majorette, knew she
wanted to be a majorette since her first
year in 5th grade band.
“I have to focus on the spacing between rows, help members if they are
not understanding, know when to turn
during parades, cue songs, and to be a
good leader,” said Weston.
© Harvard Public School - Mrs. Reutzel
Homecoming Court 2015 includes: Elijah Sadd, Levi Bennett, Tristan Kalvoda (King), Kelsey Griess (Queen), Katelynn Piper, and McKenna
Schuck. These seniors were recognized following the home football game against Nebraska Lutheran on Friday, October 2.
Another Spirit Week Success
by Frederik Valbjørn
October is now over so that means
homecoming is over as well as spirit
week. This year’s spirit week focused
on the theme “Cardinal Combat: Battle
to Be the Best”
“Every year the students in the student council brainstorm their ideas for
spirit week,” said Mrs. Shelly Chloupek, student council sponsor.
Chloupek said that they tried to
involve the classes in this year’s spirit
week, and that resulted in each class
choosing their own theme for an army
on class competition day.
“That was a nice experience to see
something new. I liked the seniors’
theme with old people,” said Chloupek. The senior class dressed as an
army of senior citizens.
Mrs. Brandy Reutzel and Mrs. Mirinda Boyd have also become co-sponsors with Chloupek. “That was a great
help this year!” said Chloupek.
“It’s a very stressful week with a lot
of work, but I like the outcome, especially when the teachers dress up like
Mr. Conway did. He was a minion
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with the junior class. It was very creative and when the teachers look silly,
that is great too,” said Chloupek.
Chloupek admitted she is usually
glad when the week is over.
Another part of spirit week is the
pep rally. This year the pep rally was
outdoors on the football field and it included: the marching band leading the
6-12 students in a small parade around
the nursing home’s circle drive and
then to the football field, where the preschool and elementary students were
waiting to perform a cheer; a king and
queen candidate run; and the results of
the junior class’s teacher torture.
Boyd, who organized the pep rally said, “My goal for this year’s pep
rally was to start a new tradition. I
really wanted to include more community members that support our
school. So this made me think about
having it outside at the football field.
I also thought that it would be fun
to add a mini-parade to include the
nursing home. Members of the Committee also expressed these ideas of
trying to include more community
The Chirp November 2015
members. We also wanted something for the elementary to do so that
they felt involved. Mrs. Fields and
Mr. Baxter volunteered to teach the
elementary a Cardinal Cheer/Chant.
It was great!”
Boyd was most worried about the
weather this year because everything
was outside.
Katelynn Piper, who was nominated for Homecoming queen, is also
president of the student council. Her
opinion about the spirit week is that
it’s a fun week, where you can see how
much spirit the school has. She also
likes the teamwork and seeing everybody have fun.
The senior class moves slowly as senior citizens.
© Harvard Public School - Mrs. Reutzel
Math Club
Takes Doane
by Cassie Roberts
Middle school students gather in the hallway before entering the Homecoming dance. Student
Council oversees the planning and preparation of Spirit Week and Homecoming festivities.
How to Survive a High School Dance
by Kylie Doupnik
The big dance is coming, and you
have no clue what to do. You’ve found
the perfect outfit, you have a great
date (or at least a date), and everything that you need is accounted for,
but you have no clue what to do once
you’re there.
Here are three rules to make sure
you have a great time: 1.) Get involved. 2.) Don’t let your date bring
you down. 3.) The night can always
get better. If you remember these three
things, your night will be better than
you imagined.
RULE #1: Get involved. Sitting in
the corner all night is no fun. There’s
always that one person who decides
not to participate and spends the
whole night complaining. Don’t be
that person. Be the crazy dancer. Everyone knows the Macarena, so get
out there and dance.
This rule also can be turned around.
Get other people involved. Bring people into your group, make them feel
welcome. When you’re involved, and
other people are too, it makes everything more fun.
RULE #2: Don’t let your date bring
you down. You’re having a great time,
but your date is becoming a Debbie/
Danny Downer. Just because they’re
not having fun doesn’t mean you
can’t. If they don’t want to dance, they
don’t have to, but this takes us back
to Rule #1. You go do your thing and
bring them along. Make their night
great so that yours is too!
RULE #3: The night can always
get better. No matter what just went
down, you can still have a great time!
Your dress tore? Throw on some
sweatpants and keep dancing. The
guy you like came with a different
girl? Forget him and go dance with
your friends! There’s always a solution to a problem. If you look on the
bright side, things can be great, no
matter what happens.
So remember the three rules. 1.)
Get involved. 2.) Don’t let your date
bring you down. 3.) The night can always get better.
People seem to think that a high
school dance is either the highlight
of your life or the downfall of it. It
doesn’t have to be like that.
Sometimes a good night isn’t the
best and a bad night isn’t the worst.
Everything has good and bad and if
you can learn to just take what you get
and run with it, every dance can be a
good one.
The Chirp November 2015
Math club gets the W at Doane!
Harvard’s math club competed at
Doane College on Thursday, September 24th. The team beat Thayer
Central 4-2, Deshler 8-2, and Omaha
Brownell-Talbot 4-0.
The extreme team challenge was also
won by Harvard’s team of Julio Marquez, Hannah Fields, and Ray Nierman.
Some of the team competed individually on the written exams, where Marquez placed 7th and Nierman placed 3rd.
“We did awesome! We were
shocked because we have never won
overall,” said Fields.
Senior member Kelsey Griess first
joined math club her freshman year.
“ I enjoy being in math club with Mr.
Riley the most,” said Griess.
Griess says what she will miss about
math club are Mr. Riley’s jokes that he
thinks are hilarious. Griess was a part of
the team that won the second division.
Fields competed on the winning
Division ll team alongside Griess.
“The competitions are fun if you
make them fun by interacting with
other teams,” explained Fields.
“No, I don’t plan on joining next
year; (haha) that was for you Mr.
Riley!” Fields said jokingly. Fields
has been in Math Club for two years
now since transferring from Ord
High School.
Jokes of the Month
Chosen by Allie Portenier
Q: What do you call a sleeping
bull?
A: A bull-dozer.
Q: How does a pig go to the hospital?
A: In a hambulance.
Q. Why does a witch ride a broom?
A. Vacuum cleaners get stuck at the
end of the cord.
Q: What do you call a witch’s garage?
A; A broom closet.
Pg. 3
© Harvard Public School - Kassia Wells
TeamMates
of the Month
by Elijah Sadd
Fun Friday Fosters Learning
by Kassia Wells
Most elementary teachers in Harvard have some sort of class time
they use for fun games and learning
activities. Whether the activity is outside or inside coloring, the teachers
associate activities with learning and
educational growth.
Teachers take pride in developing
learning activities and helping students prepare for what’s to come.
Ms. Brooke Steinhauer, the second grade teacher has “Fun Friday.”
Steinhauer said, “I use computer
games, smartboard games, puzzles
and abstract games. Students’ favorite part of these activities is learning
the games.”
Second grader Brady Johnson
said, “My favorite game is putting
the state puzzle together and playing
with my friends.”
Steinhauer said, “It develops social skills and helps students learn to
share. Some get along some don’t.”
Mrs. Amanda Bartels, the fourth
grade teacher, does a “Mystery Skype.” Bartel’s said, “It has to do with
Social Studies. Students do Mystery
Skype a few times a year and each
Pg. 4
student is assigned to a group to find
the other school’s location. Students’
roles in their groups are greeter,
think tankers, questioner, note taker,
answerer, runners, Google mappers,
and reporters.”
“They think it’s a lot of fun. It’s
yes or no questions, so we came up
with questions that would be good to
ask. Students love this activity and it
causes them to use what they know
from social studies,“ said Bartels.
Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Shelley
Stone has been working on fine motor skills with her students. They also
have a “Fun Friday” activity time.
They sometimes use marker boards
or activities with cutting and tearing.
“Some students haven’t learned
to draw or use their hands very often. Fine motor skills help them use
their hand-eye coordination. We try
to build strength in their hands,”
said Stone.
One exercise was to have the kids
smear shaving cream on their desks
and the objective was to build strength
in their hands by having them draw
in the shaving cream; it also cleans
the tables. “Students love the smell of
the clean tables,” said Stone.
The Chirp November 2015
© Harvard Public School - Elijah Sadd
The Kindergarten and 5th grade classes await a group picture at the Scarecrow Patch in St. Libory.
This fall trip allowed different age groups to work and play together outside the traditional classroom setting and provided an experience students can later talk and write about in the classroom.
Natalee Lewellyn and Karen
Koehler are featured as our TeamMates of the month.
Lewellyn, a sixth grader, said,
“We do arts and crafts, and play
games and stuff! I have a lot of fun.”
Even though this may seem like
plenty of fun for the student, mentors often enjoy the experience just
as much.
Koehler, a second year mentor
and former Harvard elementary
school teacher, said, “I love the interaction with students. It is nice to
make a difference in a young person’s life.”
TeamMates is not only about having fun, but it also supports the mentee’s development and education.
Koehler plays fun yet stimulating games like Yahtzee and Pictionary, and occasionally takes Natalee
outdoors to get more active and enjoy the nice weather.
Perhaps the most important
quality of the TeamMates program
is the effect on the children. It provides them with a one-on-one fun,
learning experience.
Sixth grader Natalee Lewellyn stands with her
mentor Karen Koehler, a former HPS teacher.
REMINDER:
Daylight Savings Time ends
on Sunday, November 1st
Set your clocks back 1 hour!
Fowl Thoughts
for Thanksgiving
by Madelyn Anderson
Assistant Principal and teacher Mr. Neil Riley visited Brazil for the second year in a row. His
recent trip included teaching something beyond math: English.
Teacher Feature: Mr. Riley’s 2nd Trip
by Andres Comesaña
This past summer was the second
time that math instructor and Assistant Principal Mr. Neil Riley traveled to Brazil.
Riley went for a vacation and to
help at an English language institute. He landed in Brasilia and then
he went to Goiania.
Riley felt the trips were amazing
experiences because he could teach
and learn at the same time as well as
see a lot of new places.
In 2014 Riley visited there for two
weeks, but this time he was there
three weeks.
Riley didn’t plan anything for the
teaching he did. He only followed
the instructions he was given. He
didn’t have a big class, so he taught
the kids one-on-one. The kids could
communicate with him; they didn’t
have perfect English, but enough to
communicate with Riley.
On his second trip Riley didn’t do
anything special, but the first trip
he visited Rio. One famous sight he
saw was the Christ the Redeemer
statue. He stayed at Eco Park, and
the only way to go there was by
boat. He took a trip to the forest
with a guide that explained how to
survive there.
“I was surprised how wide the
Amazon was halfway into the country of Brazil. I had visualizations of
a narrow river this far into the continent, similar to what you would
see in the movies. However, the river is so wide the waves act similar
to those on a lake even though the
current of the water is flowing differently,” said Riley.
Riley made a friend named John,
who spoke English well and could
help Riley. “I had some problems
with my credit card and no one at
that company spoke English, so he
called and helped,” said Riley.
John worked in an Açai shop
that has a Brazilian dessert that Riley thought was good. According to
Riley, the Brazilians have good pizza and good cream cheese.
“I don’t have plans to go back but
maybe I will,” said Riley.
The Chirp November 2015
Are you kidding me? You think
your life is hard? Try living an entire
lifetime knowing that once November rolls around it’s possible you’ll
end up on a human’s dinner table.
Ever since I was a young turkey,
I’ve seen family members slaughtered for you and your human companions to give thanks.
This year, I have a plan. I will no
longer fear my life in the wild. I’m
wild! All of you hunters can kiss
my tail feathers! From this day forward, I will not be the meat source!
I mean, c’mon people, there’s so
many other better choices. Chicken
for example, is a great source of
protein, and who doesn’t love it!
There’s nuggets, chicken noodle
soup, chicken pot pies, chicken
fries, chicken beaks, and even the
whole bird! Chickens are so annoying, too! They’re simply wannabe
birds. All the more reason to dispose of them by consumption!
Another great option would be cows!
I know you humans eat beef all the time,
so why not eat it on Thanksgiving!
Obviously you’re thankful for
cows, so celebrate them this year,
by eating them! Cows are just plain
dumb. They don’t even get that humans eat their kind. The unintelligent
animals should be the first to go!
Clearly, my kind is not the kind
that should be eaten on Thanksgiving. We turkeys are just way too
smart to be a food source!
This year when your family asks
what meat to buy, tell them that
from now on chicken and beef are
what’s for thanksgiving dinner. I
hereby declare turkey off the menu!
Reminder:
NO SCHOOL
on Thursday, Nov. 26
and Friday, Nov. 27
Happy Thanksgiving!
Pg. 5
© Harvard Public School - Mai Hansen
High school show choir Cardinal and Black sticks the ending of their opening number. Both Cardinal and Black and Class Act, the two high school show choirs,
are made up of male and female students this year. They have a busy schedule with several upcoming performances and competitions.
Fall Extravaganza Continues
by Mai Hansen
The Extravaganza is an outdoor
festival held every year in the fall
to feature performances by the
middle school and high school music department.
“We started extravaganza a few
years ago to showcase each group
and build excitement for the music
program,” said Mr. Blake Thompson, the music instructor, “and it
has been really big.”
This year the Extravaganza was
held on October 6th.
“Our expectations were to perform well, do our best, and have fun
with it,” said junior Hannah Fields.
To give the fall event the fall
spirit it was held outside on the
football field.
“The reason why we have this
event outdoors,” Thompson said,
“is to feature the band, because they
can’t perform together and showcase their marching inside.”
Senior Elijah Sadd said, “I am
really excited. It has been a long
time since I have sung in front of
a crowd.”
Extravaganza started with the
Pg. 6
7-12 band field show, followed by
the 6th choir singing “Best Song
Ever,” and then the 7th-8th grade
choir performing a Glee Medley.
The 9th-12th grade choir sang “Fix
You,” “Pompeii,” and “Best Day of
My Life.”
After that the show choirs performed, beginning with the junior high, followed by the high
school’s Class Act and finally Cardinal and Black. The night ended
with music students participating
in a Flash Mob to “Fight Song”
and the much anticipated spring
musical announcement.
The 2016 musical will be Annie and features Bella (Maddy
Leichleiter’s dog) as Sandy.
Sophomore
students
Kylie
Doupnik and Lynnae Bennett both
said that the Extravaganza went really well, and they thought everybody did a good job.
Both girls performed in Cardinal
and Black and the 9-12 Choir, but as
Doupnik said, “It was nice to get the
first performance out of the way,
because it makes it feel easier after
you have done it once.”
The Chirp November 2015
New uniforms are scheduled to arrive by the end
of November. Donations are still being accepted.
The Cardinal
Whisperer
If you need advice pronto, send
a letter to The Chirp by dropping it off at the main office and
a response tailored to your needs
could be in the next edition!
God Bless One-Act
Scrooge Meets Seuss This Fall
by Maggie Rieckman
One-Act season is back in gear and
the Harvard Public School’s team is
preparing for the season with practices
every Sunday night.
The competitions that the team will
attend are TVC One-Act on November
17th, District One-Act on December
2nd (hosted in Harvard), and possibly
State One-Act on December 10th.
“Choosing the show and wondering if it will be well received
was the hardest part,” said Co-Director Deb Polacek.
“Mrs. Polacek and I wanted something light-hearted. It’s been successful
at State One-Act before and we like the
Dr. Seuss theme,” Co-Director Blake
Thompson said.
The show this year is called “A Seussified Christmas Carol.” It is the classic
story written by Charles Dickens, but
amped up a bit with the wit and charm
of Dr. Seuss’ style.
“Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a well-known piece of literature
that teaches us to be thankful for what
we have in life,” Polacek said.
“The play has a message of what
Christmas can do for people. It has
compassion,” Thompson said.
The play is narrated by two cast
members, senior Morgan Weston and
junior Maddie Anderson.
“Maddie and I are the narrators,
and our characters are really similar to
Thing 1 and Thing 2. We have to play
off of each other and be energetic,”
Weston said.
“I get to be really weird and come out
of my comfort zone,” Anderson said.
The infamous role of The Scrooge is
being taken on by freshman Cory Marshall, who will make his One-Act debut this season.
“My favorite part of One-Act is getting to act as a character that I’m nothing like, “ said Marshall. “I’m not used
to acting so grouchy,” added Marshall.
Brizeth Medina, an actress who is
new to One-Act, brings the character of
“Young Scrooge” and a Cratchit child
to life.
“The hardest part about being
‘Young Scrooge’ is probably trying to
act like Elvis. ‘Young Scrooge’ has long,
luscious hair. He’s tan, and he can
make the girls squeal,” Medina said.
“I like the part of my scene when I tell
Kylie Doupnik’s character, Belle, that
she’s smokin’,” Medina added.
The Scrooge is haunted by four
ghosts in the story. The first ghost,
Jake Marley, is played by senior Levi
Bennett. The Ghost of Christmas Past
is junior Hannah Fields’s role. Next,
senior Katelynn Piper acts as the
Ghost of Christmas Present. Finally,
the Ghost of Christmas Future, which
is a non-speaking role, is freshman
Breonna Julich.
“My character is supposed to be
wacky and outgoing, but I’m not really
there yet,” Fields said. Fields added,
“My personal goals are to really become my character and to help OneAct go to the state competition again
like last year,” she added.
Piper said, “The Ghost of Christmas
Present is 90% bubbly and 10% sass.
I use a British accent, a lot of overthe-top movements, and I will wear a
Christmas gift costume.”
The Cratchits are the poor family
members whose father is the clerk of
The Scrooge. Sophomore Ray Nierman plays the role of Bob Cratchit, senior Katie Harms acts as his wife Mrs.
Cratchit, sophomore Maggie Rieckman
portrays the crippled son Timmy Lou
Hoo, and junior Amanda Godding and
sophomore Brizeth Medina appear on
stage as the other Cratchit children.
“My character is not challenging because I’m normally a very cheerful person,” Nierman said.
“My character is the stereotypical housemom; she is super loving
and caring. But when it comes to her
husband’s boss, she’s not a big fan,”
Harms said. “It’s challenging because
I’m not a mean person, so I really
have to focus on what I’m doing and
try to put myself in that position,”
Harms added.
“I like the rotating set pieces this
year. Mr. Thompson and I have wanted
that effect before, but this was the first
year we had students capable of building it. It allows us to change scenes
The Chirp November 2015
very quickly,” said Polacek.
The students who built the set are
sophomores Auston Bell, Tyler Parrish,
and Cody DuBois.
Bell is also the stage manager, which
means he makes sure everyone is doing their jobs. This is his second year
helping with One-Act.
“My favorite thing about One-Act
is the competition and beating Deshler
every year. Deshler and Harvard have
a rivalry in music and drama competitions,” Bell said.
The returning person in charge of
lights, junior Tomy Alvarez, is helping
with One-Act for his third year.
“Tech crew has a lot of cool buttons that make lights turn different
colors: green green, red red, white,
blue blue, and some more green
green in the end,” Alvarez said. “I
look forward to state every year, because I have confidence in my team,”
Alvarez added.
Last year, the Harvard One-Act
Team qualified for the State competition after receiving first place at District One-Act, hosted by Harvard. The
group competed in division C-2 and
placed 4th at the State competition.
“When we compete, I want to see our
team shoot to the top,” Polacek said.
“I hope to get recognized at the
competitions and to do well as a team,”
Weston said.
“I want our One-Act cast to become
more of a team and family,” Nierman said.
“I’d like to see everybody grow:
from leads, to chorus members, to
crew,” Thompson said.
At this time next year, 5 members of
the One-Act team will have graduated
and moved on to the next stage in their
life. These individuals are Morgan
Weston, Levi Bennett, Katelynn Piper,
Katie Harms, and Mikaela Bushnell.
“I try to think of everything as a beginning and not an ending. One-Act
is the end of a chapter, but the beginning of a new chapter,” Piper said. “It’s
heart-breaking and heart-warming,”
Piper added.
Harms said, “It’s sad knowing that I
have one last chance to make it to State
in One-Act.”
Pg. 7
Bringing In the Grain
by Allie Portenier
The fields are officially filled
with combines, tractors, and semis.
Farmers busy themselves trying to
get the crops to the co-op before the
coming winter.
For some farmers, harvest started
on September 21st and for others it
began on October 1st. The crops really decide when you will start harvest. If the grain is not dry enough,
farmers will wait until it is. Also,
the weather plays an important role
in when they begin. If it rained in
the spring and crops weren’t able to
be planted right away, harvest will
be later. If it has rained lots over the
summer and into the fall that also
pushes harvest later.
John Williamson, a farmer from
north of Harvard began harvest on
September 21st. Williamson said, “
My favorite part of harvest is seeing
the end result and also the changing weather with the cooler days and
nights.” Williamson’s farm is a true
family farm, with his parents and
wife Sara.
For Max Keasling, harvest began on
October 1st. Keasling has been farming for 53 years. Keasling has one
helper during harvest, Darrel Adam.
Adam drives trucks for Keasling. The
trucks are used to haul the grain from
the field to the elevator.
Farming has always been a family affair at Portenier Land and Cattle. Harvest is done with only one
hired hand, Bob Yohe. Otherwise it
is just Kif, Sharon, their daughter
Jessie and her fiance Dylan bringing in the harvest.
Jessie, Dylan, and Bob all drive the
trucks hauling the grain to the elevator. Kif runs the combine picking the
corn and cutting the beans and Sharon runs the tractor and grain cart
hauling the grain from the combine
to the semi.
Most farmers enjoy seeing the
product of their summer work. The
crops many farmers raise around
this area are corn, soybeans, and
grain sorghum. The largest crop
grown here is corn. In 2012, 9.1
million acres were utilized for corn
production in Nebraska.
During harvest you will see many
combines, tractors, and semis moving
around. Farmers spend many hours
in the tractors, combines, and semis.
Sharon Portenier said, “On a daily basis I spend at least 10 hours running
the tractor and grain cart.”
Harvest can last for quite a while.
For some it will be over in three
weeks while harvest for others might
last for a month and a half. A lot of
it depends on how many acres the
farmer has to harvest.
Notice About
Special Education
Records
According to title 92, Nebraska Admin istrative Code 51,
schools are required to retain
special education records for
five years after the completion of the activities for which
special education funds were
used. The school shall inform
parents when personally identifiable information collected,
maintained, or used is no longer needed to provide educational services to the child.
Current special education
records dated before May 31,
2009, will be destroyed after
January 4, 2016, by Harvard
Public School unless interested
parents have notified the
school that they would like to
review the records.
If you have any questions
about special education records that may be destroyed,
contact Shelly Chloupek
at Harvard Public School,
(402)772-2171.
The Chirp Wants to Know
By Kassia Wells
Head Cook
Sophomore
Deb Keasling
Trevor Nutter
What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
“The turkey”
Pg. 8
The Chirp November 2015
“Mac & Cheese and ham”
© Harvard Public School - Elijah Sadd
High school cross country girls hold their first place plaque from the McCool Junction Invite
October 8. Hannah Fields finished 1st, Kelsey Griess 2nd, Brizeth Medina 4th, Mai Hansen 8th,
and Adi Ramirez 13th.
Cardinals Can Run
by Josiah Hiatt
Even though Harvard’s cross
country team has had some setbacks
and obstacles this season, such as
injuries that kept girls out of some
meets or prevented them from competing at all this year, the team won
both the TVC and McCool meets.
The team came within a single
point or two of qualifying for State.
Junior Hannah Fields qualified individually to compete at the State
meet held in Kearney on Friday,
October 23.
Several Lady Cards placed at
TVC, which was held at Lawrence/
Nelson October 1.
Fields earned 1st, sophomore
Brizeth Medina 3rd, senior Kelsey
Griess 4th, sophomore Carliegh
Novak 7th, senior Mai Hansen 10th,
and sophomore Adi Ramirez 13th.
“We are thankful to have a program
which allows our girls to compete,
and we appreciate all the support
from the community,” said Mr.Thad
Fields, the cross country coach.
Fields’ goals for the team included
“competing well, getting better each
week, and running to our potential.”
Fields said those goals could be
fulfilled by “each girl taking care
of her body by stretching, following training plan, eating well, and
getting proper rest.”
So far this season, “Most of the
girls have bettered their times each
week, and our team is growing
closer together,” Fields said.
Sophomore Brizeth Medina said,
“I don’t always like the weather.
Sometimes it’s too hot or too cold.
But I like how it is an individual
sport yet a team sport.”
She added, “Cross country is
fun and like a family. My friends
told me it would be so that’s why
I joined.”
The Chirp Wants to Know
By Kassia Wells
“Spaghetti my aunt makes”
Sophie Magana
“Vanilla cake”
The Chirp November 2015
Preschool
6th Grade
2nd Grade
Litzy Ledezma
Dayana Gonzalez
What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
“Soup, bananas, apples,
and peaches”
Pg. 9
© Harvard Public School - Josiah Hiatt
Breonna Julich, Giselle Marquez, and Jayleesa Wilkerson take their turns at the serving line. These three freshmen started varsity this season. Julich
has had 31 serving points and 12 aces throughout the season, Marquez 22 serving points with 2 aces, and Wilkerson 33 serving points and 12 aces.
Freshmen Take On Varsity
by Casey Sadd
The surplus of freshmen players
have been beneficial to the volleyball team by supplying it with new
players and a new skill set.
The freshmen have three players
starting on the varsity team. These
players are Jayleesa Wilkerson, Breonna Julich, and Giselle Marquez.
This year the Harvard volleyball
team has a total of 14 volleyball
players. Eight of whom are freshman, two are sophomores, two are
juniors, and two are seniors.
The freshmen who were used to
junior high volleyball are getting
acquainted with the high school
level of play.
Freshman volleyball player Jayleesa Wilkerson said, “High school
volleyball is a lot faster paced on
the court and when you’re on serve
receive, you take harder hits. Also
you have to know your rotations to
play on the court. Most important
you can not have any attitude.”
“High school ball is harder and
different because you have to have
better form and in high school you
must know your rotations which
are more challenging,” said freshman Delani Hult.
Pg. 10
Hult’s hopes for the team are to
at least win 1 game this season. “I
want to win a game this year as a
freshman, and I want to improve as
a new player and as a team.”
The freshmen have many hopes
and dreams for the volleyball team.
They wish to improve the team in
as many ways as possible. Wilkerson said, “I want us to achieve not
being able to just perform well in
the second set but to give it our all
in the first set too.”
The upperclassmen welcomed
the freshmen with open arms.
Freshman Jadyn Capps said, “The
team is supporting, encouraging,
and if our heads are in the dumps,
the other players lift our spirits up
and make it better. I hope to benefit
the team by supporting them and
cheering my teammates on when
we play.”
Wilkerson added, “I want to be
the best player I can be out there
with no attitude and be able to
get more hits, kills, digs, and ace
serves. I want to improve the team
the most I can.”
The volleyball team
has no
wins but that doesn’t drag them to
the dumps. Hult said, “Although
The Chirp November 2015
points-wise we are not performing
very well, we are improving our
skill set. Our whole team has improved so much and practiced so
hard; we have come a long way.”
Wilkerson said, “Besides the fact
we haven’t won a game, I think we
have come together as a team and
a family. Through practice and
games we have grown in skill and
as a team. We have bonded on the
court and outside the court.”
UCC
Turkey Supper
at the Harvard School
Carry Out Available
Sunday, Nov. 8
5:00
Raffle Drawing
© Harvard Public School - Ben. Reutzel
. . . 57 Years Later
by Brizeth Medina
Sophomore Justin Lewellyn carries the ball during the Homecoming game against Nebraska
Lutheran. Lewellyn had 21 catches and 46 yards this season.
Out With the Injured, In With the Well
by Brizeth Medina
The Harvard football team
kicked off their season with 21
players. The team started off
young, with 2 seniors, 2 juniors, 9
sophomores, and 8 freshman. This
year started off rough for the Cardinals, with 7 individuals getting
injured within the first 4 weeks of
the season and only 13 remaining
on the field.
Sophomore Ray Nierman said,
“Having 7 players injured is difficult because we don’t have as many
subs and we get tired a lot easier.”
Nierman is a running-back and
wide receiver on offense. On defense he has played inside linebacker, quarterback, and free safety this
season. Nierman hopes to become a
better player as the years pass and
be fit and stay healthy to fill in for
the injured players.
The Cardinals have team suppers
every Thursday night when there is
a varsity game on Friday. Assistant
Coach Jermaine Guinyard said, “I
think the team suppers bring the
team together. It also helps them
out on the field because they are
becoming family.”
Guinyard has been coaching
for 11 years. He says he has been
coaching since he got out of high
school. This is also Guinyard’s first
year teaching in Harvard.
Senior Frederick Valbjorn who is
an exchange student this year said,
“This is my first year playing football. My biggest challenge when
playing football is all of it because
it’s a whole new sport for me. The
running is not hard but the tackles,
blocks, and plays are the most difficult to understand.”
“My favorite part about playing
football is the team spirit and the
players on the team. They are kind
to let me play and they show me
the rules,” said Valbjorn.
Sophomore Auston Bell said, “I
will continue to play football in the
future and I hope to go to Hastings
College and play for them. My goal
this season is to make all-county
player on defense.”
Head Coach Scott Trimble has
been coaching at Harvard for four
years. Trimble coached at Arthur
for 16 years before joining the Cardinals. “Football is a tough sport
and anyone who wants to join is
welcomed but you might want
to spend some time in the weight
room and be prepared to play,”
said Trimble.
Senior Tristan Kalvoda has been
a part of football since his freshman
year. “Over the years I have gained
lots of experience,” said Kalvoda.
“My advice to anyone who would
like to join the team would be to
stay committed and don’t do anything to hurt yourself or the team.”
The Chirp November 2015
Junior high football ended their
season undefeated. It has been 57
years since the junior high Cardinals have been undefeated.
Head Coach Jermaine Guinyard
said, “Having a winning streak is
proving that there is hard work being done. It’s not just a talk; you
can actually see it happening.”
Guinyard has been a part of high
school football for 11 years. This is
his first year being a head coach.
“Next year will definitely be different because there are guys that
are bigger, stronger, and faster,”
said 8th grader David Reazola.
“I am proud of my team for putting in effort and fighting till the
end,” said Reazola.
Seventh grader Caleb King
plays guard and center and defensive end. “Winning is a great experience and will help me next year,”
said King.
The Cardinals pushed their way
to the end, finishing with a solid
5-0 record.
Their first game was against
Lawrence/Nelson with a score of
52-30, a game against Blue Hill followed with a score of 38-0, Shelton
put up a fight and finished 24-14,
Giltner was their fourth game with
a finish of 42-8, and then the Cardinals fought their hardest against
BDS and finished 12-6 after having
to go overtime.
Guinyard would like to thank
the administration, faculty, and everybody who is or was a Cardinal.
“They are a big part of this.
I also want to thank the fans for
supporting our games and cheering on our boys.”
© Harvard Public School - Dawn Piper
The junior high boys played in Shickley
against BDS, another team with a 4-0 record.
Pg. 11
The Chirp
PO Box 100
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Harvard, Nebraska
Permit #5
Harvard, NE 68944
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Thank you, parents and guardians, for attending
first semester Parent-Teacher Conferences.
We appreciate the interest and support
in your child’s education!
The Final Push
We are at our final push to finish the donations for the marching band
fund. We have raised thousands thanks to our generous donors! We are
closing the $30,000 campaign on December 1st. We would like any final
donations to be sent to the school by December 1, 2015. It’s not too late
to get your contribution in today! We are proud to march with pride and
represent Harvard Public School with respect and dignity. We thank you
for helping us march with pride by donating to our new uniforms!
Business/Company/Individual Name:_____________________
Amount of Donation:_________________
Address:_____________________________________
Please fill out this form and return it to:
Harvard Public School
ICO: Blake R. Thompson/Harvard Marching Band
PO Box 100
Harvard, NE 68944
Pg. 12
The Chirp November 2015