Page 3

On Tuesday, November 7th the PLC Young Adult Program students attended the Nebraska VR Job Expo. This event allowed the students the opportunity to try out a variety of job tasks in different career fields such as order filling, restaurant server, retail clerk, car detailer, and hardware specialist. Students also participated in mock interviews, and small group discussions about topics such self-advocacy, workplace accommodations, and work readiness.

Click HERE for the flyer and visit our website HERE for the registration form.

Please consider becoming a Mentor for the Fort Calhoun Chapter. Male Mentors are especially needed right now. Go to Teammates.org and fill out an application.

The Mission of TeamMates is to positively impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential through mentoring. Established in 1991 by Tom and Nancy Osborne, TeamMates was formed in an effort to provide support and encouragement to all school-aged youth. The goal is to see young people graduate from high school and pursue a post-secondary education. TeamMates has touched the lives of thousands of youth and mentors across the Midwest. Right now, more than 10,200 matches are meeting in schools across Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Wyoming, and South Dakota.

The impact of the TeamMates match on the mentee and mentor is profound.

Percentages for our Fort Calhoun Chapter:

 54% of mentees showed improved academic achievement after being matched with their mentor.

 85% of mentors report they feel more hopeful after meeting with their mentee.

 98% of mentees say they trust their mentor.

 More than 95% of mentees report that they are happy when they meet with their mentor, that their mentor talks to them about what they do well, they feel important when they are with their mentor and that they trust their mentor.

 Attendance amongst mentees has improved by 67%

 Reported Behavioral Problems with mentees has dropped 90%

TeamMates has been recognized as a “Best Practice” mentoring organization which means the structure, policy and procedures are in place for a safe and consistent program. TeamMates adheres to the Elements of Effective Practice which were developed by the National Mentoring Partnership as the national standards for running a quality mentoring program.

The National Mentoring Partnership reports 1 in 3 children will go through life without a mentor. TeamMates believes all children, no matter their life experience, can benefit from a relationship with a safe, caring adult. You don’t have to be an expert. You just have to be there.

It truly is a rewarding experience for both mentor and mentee. “I don’t do this for the accolades, but when my mentee says ‘thank you’ or ‘good to see you’, it touches me to my core,” Mentor Teri Zavadil said.

The Fort Calhoun Chapter currently has 29 matches and our goal is 45. There are children waiting to be matched within our school district, so mentors are in high demand right now. You need to meet with your mentee once a week during the school year for 20 minutes to an hour depending on their schedule. You have to be at least 18 years old and you will need to pass a background check.

Please consider becoming a Mentor for the Fort Calhoun Chapter. Go to Teammates.org and fill out an application.

If you have any questions, please call 877-531-8326 to speak to a member of the Teammates Team or 402-237-9558 to talk to the Fort Calhoun Coordinator, Teri.

Thank you!

 

A career fair was held in Herman at the Anbe Event Center and included area employers featuring entry-level skilled laborer/technician positions varying from surveying, roofing, car detailing, welding, electrical, and machine operation.

Mrs. Hernandez, the FCHS counselor, took ten pioneer students to the event.  Student Westin Buckley said he enjoyed it because it was an opportunity to learn about the businesses and ask them questions.

Students attending included

Seniors – Westin Buckley, Jacob Sundberg, Xander Bender, and John Reeh 

Juniors – Wes Short and Fred Altstadt

Sophomores – Mason Wright, Dylan Kruse, Matthew Smith, and Cooper Daude. 

On Friday, September 22nd, the Art Club hosted a face painting fundraiser during the home football game against Platteview. The Art Club had many members on hand to help make the event successful. There were many requests for flaming footballs and other designs for fans to show their Pioneer pride. Thank you to everyone who contributed to and supported the event.

Therapy dogs are trained to work with students in schools to promote social-emotional wellness, communication and interpersonal skills, and increase academic motivation and performance. Sarah Eades Hamilton is the part-time ESU #3 mental health therapist who serves FCCS students. Sarah and her four-legged partner, Shadow the Labradoodle, operate as a certified therapy dog team in the provision of services for students. Sarah’s and Shadow’s time will be dedicated to targeted groups of students, and these specific students’ families will be notified. There will be a sign posted to communicate whenever Shadow is in the building. Parents who have any concerns with their student(s) coming into contact with Shadow the therapy dog should contact the office.

Fort Calhoun Unified Athletes had the pleasure of attending Bennington’s Games on the Green on September 14th. Students from Fort Calhoun and surrounding areas came together to play games and get to know one another. Athletes played a variety of games and ended with a big game of freeze tag on the football field. Our students had so much fun! Thank you Bennington for hosting this event.

 

We’ve adopted a new program called Liveschool in the Elementary intermediate grade levels. Staff can electronically give students points when they are meeting our school-wide expectations. Each student also has their own account where they can view a timeline of their behavior. This portion is essential in providing students feedback on when/how they earned merits and demerits. Students can then save their points to buy items from our PBIS store that the PLC then fills.   There are some new, fun rewards this year. These new rewards include “Uber” requests, lunchroom table reservations, 1/2 homework passes, lunch fast passes, and lunch with Deputy Byelick or Mr. Wagner. These rewards have been extremely motivating for our students and it has created a sense of fun at school!

The deadline for Cheer Camp registration has been extended to Monday, September 11th. See the registration form HERE.