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Fort Calhoun 8th grade students recently took part in INVENTURE Day, a full-day, hands-on entrepreneurship experience hosted by the Washington County 4-H Extension team. During the event, students worked in teams to turn creative ideas into business concepts through collaboration, problem-solving, and innovation.

Developed by the Nebraska Extension Youth Entrepreneurship and Business Opportunities (YEBO) team, INVENTURE Day challenged students to design a product or service using a provided “widget.” Teams moved through interactive challenges that introduced key entrepreneurial skills, including product development, target markets, branding and marketing, and basic budgeting. Students also worked alongside student and adult mentors and concluded the day by pitching their ideas to judges.

 Overall Winners – Fish-able
The winning business concept, Fish-able, stood out for its creativity, problem-solving, and strong presentation. Congratulations to Lucy Billesbach, Alice Kubicek, Camden Dowling, Max Havlat, Jackson Smith, and Warren Prescher, with support from peer mentor Jo Jo Winterberg.

 Fan Favorite Award
The Fan Favorite was selected by student vote and was awarded to Blakely Aufenkamp, Dylan Brewer, Wyatt Mann, Tinsley Ross, and Jagger Smith, supported by peer mentors Chris Post Whiteowl and Adam Elofsen.

INVENTURE Day provided Fort Calhoun students with a meaningful, real-world learning experience while building confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills. Fort Calhoun Schools thanks the UNL Extension team for an inspiring and impactful day.

Winners 

Fan-Favorite

It’s time to order your high school 25-26 yearbook.

They can be ordered in the office for $45.00 or online through April 24, 2026, at Yearbookforever

This is only for the high school yearbook. Ordering information for the junior high and elementary yearbooks will be posted as soon as we have it.

Every year, we get to build a shed that is mostly funded by The Builder Foundation.  This year’s shed was actually donated, so we were able to build one for the Boy Scouts at no cost to them.  In a regular year, we would be able to build a high quality shed that is built with home building techniques, so the students learn many of the techniques used to build a home, but on a smaller scale.  The Building Construction class is able to then sell the shed to someone in the community at a discounted price, as opposed to what they would pay to buy the same shed built with the same materials.  It is a win-win situation, someone in the community gets a shed at a discounted price, and the Construction program benefits from the funds raised by being able to purchase new tools and equipment that would be used on the jobsite.  It’s a great program to potentially recruit young workers into the trades, it funds a scholarship program, and also the local school benefits by using the build as a fundraiser. If anyone wants more information about the Builder Foundation program, follow this LINK. They are always looking for supporters if anyone is interested. 

We have 4 mentees who have been patiently waiting for a mentor. For a small commitment of 30 minutes a week, you could make a huge difference for a young male in our community. Be the role model you once needed. TeamMates is calling on more men to make a lasting impact. Click this LINK to apply. Call Teri Zavadil to apply – 402-237-9558

Congratulations to our FCHS students who competed on Friday, January 23, at MCC in the Metro Omaha Trade Invitational(MOTI).  It features dozens of competitive events in skilled trades, technical sciences, and IT, allowing students to demonstrate skills for a chance to advance to the SkillsUSA Nebraska Championships. 

Special recognition for the following medalists:

Gold medal in Digital Cinema Production – Stella Wilmes
Silver medal in Cyber Security –  Jaxon Harrell Bruce
Bronze medal in Powersports – Matt Smith
Bronze medal in Computer Programming – Jason Jensen
Special recognition to our very own Mason Wright, who is a member of MCC’s Career Academy Leadership Team, the group that planned and organized the entire event.

Look for Kid’s Heart Challenge information coming home soon from Mrs. Rutledge!

Preschool registration is open from February 1, 2026, to March 1, 2026. It will open at 12:00 AM on February 1st, and the link to the registration form will not be open until then. Any form submitted before that time will not be accepted. Please see the flyer for more information. If you have any questions, contact the Elementary office at 402-468-5714. 

Preschool Registration Form – Click this link to register on Feb. 1st.

Preschool Registration Flyer

January 25-31, 2026, is School Board Member Week in Nebraska. We would like to take a moment to thank our School Board members, who are locally elected volunteers. We appreciate the time you spend on our school and students. To learn more about our Board, click this LINK.

Congratulations to our local Spelling Bee winners. At the Elementary, we had Collin Sundermeier in 1st place and Claire Heneger as our runner-up. At the Junior High, our winner was Gabby Muse, and our runner-up was Sam Richardson. Wish them luck in the County Spelling Bee hosted by Blair School this year.

Fort Calhoun High School welcomed back 12 graduates on January 9th, 2026, for an alumni panel to speak to current juniors about their post-secondary paths. Topics included the alumni’s current career paths (ranging from college to entering the workforce) and what advice they would give the current juniors.  Juniors received valuable information to help plan for life after high school. The event is just one example of how the school prepares its students for college, career, and life. This alumni panel is an event that the school has had the past 3 years and plans to continue to have on an annual basis.  If any alumni are interested in being part of the panel in future years, please contact Mr. Wemhoff, Mrs. Hernandez, or Mrs. Krambeck.