On Wednesday night, the GACC National Honor Society welcomed new members with an induction ceremony at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Seven more seniors and six juniors were inducted.

Julianne Ridder sang "Christ be Our Light," and Maverik Smith, Isaac Wooldrik, Adyson Luebbert and Kathryn Jansen sang "We are the Light of the World." A cake and punch reception was held afterward in the high school foyer.

The 2024-2025 GACC National Honor Society includes front, from left: Julianne Ridder, Josie Ritter, Grace Hunzeker, Joelle Peatrowsky, Rebecca Jansen, Mackenzie Schmid (inducted ‘23);

middle: Caleb Ridder (inducted ‘23), Dylan Schinstock, Isaac Guenther, Maverik Smith, Isaac Wooldrik, Kathryn Jansen (inducted ‘23);

back: Chase Smith (inducted ‘23), Diego Onate, Jordan Timmerman, Konnor Kralik, Cody Hass, Adyson Luebbert (inducted ‘23). Not pictured is Brooklyn Steffen (inducted ‘23).

Current NHS officers include, from left: Treasurer- Caleb Ridder, Vice-President - Kathryn Jansen, Secretary - Mackenzie Schmid, and President- Adyson Luebbert.

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Fourteen National Honor Society members got up bright and early last Saturday morning to help with food distribution at the Nielsen Center. The regular volunteers are mostly retired, so they really appreciated the extra muscle. "I'm always proud to teach at GACC, but some days I'm extra proud," said Mrs. Kreikemeier, NHS sponsor. Many hands definitely made for light work!

Thank you to (from left) Isaac Guenther, Dylan Schinstock, Cody Hass, Chase Smith, Diego Onate, Maverik Smith, Jordan Timmerman, Konnor Kralik, Adyson Luebbert, Brooklyn Steffen,

Grace Hunzeker (present, but not pictured, are Isaac Wooldrik, Mackenzie Schmid and Julianne Ridder).

May God bless the GACC football team and GACC volleyball team during their upcoming playoff games. The football team heads into the second round of State Football playoffs on Friday, November 1, and the volleyball team begins District play on Monday, October 28. Go Bluejays!

7th-12th grade students may wear their Halloween costumes on Thursday, October 31, if they choose. Anyone wearing a costume must donate $1.00 to our House program.

Costume Guidelines:

• All costumes must be in good taste and modest contemporary standards for a Catholic High School.
• Masks or costumes must not restrict vision.
• Costumes must not restrict movement to a degree that it prevents students from sitting at their desks or participating in PE.
• Costumes may not promote violence or include weapons as props.
• Make-up or face paints are permitted.
• No bare midriffs or revealing clothing (i.e. shorts of improper length).
• Shoes must be worn.
• Costumes may not promote use of alcohol or drugs.

The GACC Fine Arts Fundraising Festival of Virtual Games is back and LIVE on Facebook! Last year, the Festival of Virtual Games raised more than $4,000 for our Fine Arts programs, and our first four games this past week raised more than $700.

To get in on the fun, and play to win some great prizes, go to Facebook and search "GACC Fine Arts Fundraising," then click the button to "Join Group."

• Anyone age 18 and older in the United States can participate in the fundraiser. You can conveniently invite ALL your family and friends - no matter where they live in the U.S. - to play fun virtual games that benefit our school and give them a chance to win great prizes!

• Each virtual game offers a limited number of bids to win the specific prize for that game. The bid price is different for each game. Each virtual game is open until all the bids are purchased (details for each game are posted with that game).

• All proceeds benefit the GACC Fine Arts programs, including Band, Speech, One Act, Musical, and Art. If you have any questions, or want to donate a prize for the fundraiser, contact Charissa Steffensmeier at 402-380-9871.

Congratulations to this week's winners:

Members of the 2024 GACC Junior High Football team include: front row, from left, Karter Kampschneider, Taylor Schold, Owen Eby, Carter Gentrup, Tucker Steffen, Levi Strehle, Clayton Thiele, Lucas Ruskamp, Brooks Bramlet;

back: Coach Chris Strehle, Coach Dustin Wiechman, Rexton Stratman, Joe Eames, Mason Strehle, Kaidyn Strehle, Rowen Dinslage, Kutter Prinz, Keyden Throener, Hunter Steffen, Jonathon Karnopp, Coach Tyler Toline.

St. Mary's Family Fun Day will be held on Sunday, November 3. There is a sign-up sheet for Family Fun Day on the counter outside the office. Service hours will be given.

On Saturday, November 9, babysitters are needed at the Christian Women's Conference, held at the Nielsen Center. At least six helpers per shift are needed. Shifts are from 8:15-10:45 a.m., and 10:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m., but you can work the entire morning. Lunch is provided and service hours will be given. A sign-up sheet is on the counter by the office. Sign up by November 1.

The seniors have been reading essays, exploring colors and doing other activities to recall a memory that they can immortalize in a narrative essay. They used samples of scents such as onion, fabric softener, smoke, cologne and several more to trigger their memories and aid them in composing their essays.

October

29 PS - 12 Picture Retakes

30 Edge, 7-8:30 p.m.

November

1 Holy Day - NO SCHOOL

13 "Purified" and "Gender" Talks, 6 p.m. in the Activity Center

16 SPA Paper Trailer

20 Edge, 7-8:30 p.m.

27 Grandparents Mass, 10:30 a.m.

27 Noon Dismissal

28 Thanksgiving - NO SCHOOL

29 Thanksgiving Break - NO SCHOOL

The tickets are FREE. To reserve your ticket, use the QR code on the poster and it automatically does it. If you register through the GACC website, you will need to enter the code "westpoint".

On Wednesday, November 13, Guardian Angels Central Catholic will host a Double Feature Event with Jason Evert featuring two talks: "Purified" and "Gender & the Theology of Your Body." The presentations are FREE, but a ticket is required to attend. Scan the QR code in the poster above to receive your ticket.

This family-based event invites parents, teens, and all adults to learn about God’s plan for love, and to consider what is the meaning of sex, gender, and the human body? It combines two of Jason Evert’s presentations, "Purified" and "Gender & the Theology of Your Body," with a time of prayer and adoration for everyone, as well as with the sacrament of Reconciliation available.

Free resources will be distributed to every attendee, so that every member of the family can take items home to help them discover how their body as a man or woman reveals their identity and calling, and to live a life of purity.

The freshmen held their class retreat on Wednesday at St. Leo's in Snyder. Pictured, from left, front row: Jena Schlecht, Emma Cohee, Abby Kreikemeier, Emma Engelmeyer, Tia Strehle, Addison Kaup, Anna Meiergerd, Hannah Roede, Marie Wardyn;

back: Nick Cohee, Kara Ridder, Emerson Baumert, Bailey Gerths, Hailey Kreikemeier, Avery Kaup, Hudson Bramlet, Dylyn Gentrup, Landon Schuetze, Eli Rtter, Grady schmid and Thomas Toline.

Quest brings freshmen and sophomores together and invites them to "search for" and "seek out" a deeper understanding and appreciation of themselves, others and God. Quest is given by a team of youths and adults. It is an exciting mixture of fun and faith in a climate where they can learn and thrive in their Christian faith. Download the brochure below for more information.

Who: High School Freshmen and Sophomores

When: November 23-24, 2024

Where: Tintern Retreat & Resource Center, Oakdale, NE

Cost: $50 ($10 non-refundable fee)

To apply, download below the Application, Parental Consent, Medical Matters and Code of Behavior forms below. Send the completed forms and $50 fee to: Quest, c/o Chelsea Preister, 45349 Ann Street, Cornlea, NE 68642.

This week's cartoon was created by Dylyn Gentrup.

The Booster Club will have a sample of this backpack at home and conference games. You can order your Bluejay backpack by going to the website listed above.

It's “Apply to College” time. Pictured above, from left, are Trey Schlecht, Dominic Johnson, Hayden Throener and Thomas Karnopp, who all applied to Southeast Community College. Our seniors headed to a two-year school have all applied to college. In the mix, we've got future electricians, welders, diesel mechanics, auto mechanics and ladies starting nursing school. Next week, our four-year college-bound students will be applying to UNO, UNL, UNK, USD, and SDSU, while the application fees are still waived.

In addition, some of the juniors will be taking the PSAT on Tuesday to see if we have our next National Merit Scholar. We've had three in the past 15 years. Here's to another!

Lots of visitors have been in the building and more will be coming. This week, Staff Sergeant Keith Jorgensen came and interpreted a career interest survey and ASVAB results with the juniors. We had a recruiter from Briar Cliff College speak to the juniors, a representative and an instructor from Southeast stop by, as well as a recruiter and baseball coach from Nebraska Wesleyan, and staff member and GACC alumna Leah Jansen from the Newman Center at UNO.

This coming week, seniors will look into the first 10 scholarships that are available through our generous local community, and thank the staff for all they do to get them college ready. Seniors and staff are encouraged to wear college gear on Tuesday and juniors can wear Husker red on Tuesday, as a UNL recruiter is talking to them.

On Tuesday, Mrs. Kreikemeier will head to the courthouse to thank the Cuming County Board of Supervisors for their role in the Dinklage Scholarship. Every student at GACC who resides in Cuming County can receive $1,000 all four years of college. What a generous gift!

Is your child considering enrolling in the John Deere Technician Program at Southeast Community College, Milford, Nebraska OR Lake Area Technician College, Watertown, South Dakota, and seeking sponsorship from Platte Valley Equipment? If so, they should consider applying for the Sam Christensen Legacy Memorial Scholarship. Click the link below for more information and to apply by November 30, 2024.

These group visit days provide the opportunity to explore our health care programs through hands-on activities. Take a tour of campus and meet our faculty, staff and current students.

• November 8 - Lincloln - 1-4 p.m.

Find out what Northeast has to offer if you're looking to start your career or work toward an advanced degree. Visit with Joni Cassidy on Tuesday, November 12 at 12:45 p.m. in Mr. Lammli's room.

Dates for 9-12th Grade Students: Oct. 30, Nov. 13, Feb. 12, Apr. 23

Dates for 7-8th Grade Students: Nov. 20, Mar. 12, Apr. 16

Students are invited to join a camp at the University of Nebraska at Kearney from 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. to learn about health sciences, professions in healthcare, UNK scholarships, and other opportunities. There is no cost to attend. Students may come with their school or health science club. Camps will have no more than 50 students.

For questions, reach out to Sara Bruner at 308-865-8144 or bruners@unk.edu.

Is your junior or senior child considering UNK? Here are some visit days:

• Loper Preview Days - Nov. 15
• Pre-Law Day - Oct. 28
• Criminal Justice Day - Oct. 30
• UNK Science Day - Nov. 26

Share your idea for making a difference and earn a $1,000 scholarship. This is your chance to tackle a challenge and make your mark! Submit your 2-minute video to share your idea - big or small - and earn a $1,000 scholarship.

This competition is open to students in grades 6-11.

Eight winners will be selected to:

• Recieve a "Change Maker" $1,000 Scholarship to be applied when you come to UNL
• Personalized campus visit (in-person or remote)
• Lunch with the Dean of CASNR
• CASNR Team will visit your classroom (in-person or remote) to regonize the Change Maker Winner
• CASNR media feature of the Change Maker

The video needs to address one or more of the following Grand Challenges:

• Feeding the World
• Water for the Future
• New Energy
• Climate and the Future
• Biodiversity, Sustainability and Environment
• Health
• Engaging Diverse Communities
• Developing Tomorrow's Leaders

Contest opens December 1, 2024 -- Deadline is noon on February 1, 2025.

Application Fee Waiver Aug. 1–Nov.1

Our application for admission is open! First-year students from Nebraska can use the code "HUSKER" to apply for free through November 1. Students who apply for admission by Nov. 1 will be notified of their scholarship awards on Feb. 12. Seniors are encouraged to consider applying to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for Fall 2025!

Nebraska is test-optional for admission and test-preferred for full scholarship consideration. We encourage students to take the ACT/SAT and submit their test score to maximize their scholarship consideration. Click the link below to apply to UNL.

Expanded Student Visit Opportunities

The best way for students to get a preview of all they can accomplish at Nebraska is to experience it for themselves! During a visit, they will see the spots on campus where they'll spend time studying, living, collaborating, building friendships and making core memories. Plus, they'll learn more about student involvement opportunities and important admission, scholarship and financial aid information.

Husker Weekdays are available Monday-Friday. This option allows students to tour campus with a current Husker and meet with a representative from the college of their choice.

Red Letter Days allow students to tour campus with a current Husker, eat lunch in a dining center, learn about engagement opportunities and explore resources for success

• November 1
• November 15

Northeast Community College is hosting Hawk Visit Days once a month this year! This year's dates include morning sessions only (9:30 am - 11:15 am/11:45 am if eating in the cafeteria).

Each session will include a tour of campus and our residence halls, a student panel, a Next Steps presentation, and lunch in our Hawks Point dining hall!

Registration is limited to 150 students per day on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Walter Scott, Jr. Pathway Scholarship supports students pursuing up to a two-year degree in approved skilled and technical fields of study. This scholarship covers full tuition and fees, plus room and board for up to four consecutive semesters. Download the .pdf below for more information.

EducationQuest puts out very informative videos and webinars that can help you understand the process. Plus, lucky viewers will win scholarships for watching.

EducationQuest will host virtual events throughout the fall semester focused on financial aid and college planning. Financial Aid Program webinar attendees will have a chance to win one of six $500 scholarships!

Webinars require advance registration. All times are Central.

October

2 Webinar: Financial Aid Program at 6:30 p.m.

16 YouTube Livestream: Scholarships…How to Score Big! at 7 p.m.

Watch at this link: https://educationquest.org/events/?utm_source=Professionals&utm_campaign=ef71b45fce-counselor_bulletin&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-ef71b45fce-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=ef71b45fce&mc_eid=03d02f5b9f

Email: justin.wardyn@gaccbluejays.org
Website: www.gaccbluejays.org
Location: 419 East Decatur St., West Point, NE 68788