The 2024-2025 is off to a great start! Students and teachers are getting settled into their schedules, fall sports are in full swing and we are doing great across the board in all activities. We are excited about the direction of the school year. Our student-led BlueJay Leadership team has made a huge impact with their hard work and leadership of the student body, including developing a new opportunity for students to achieve academic recognition by earning an Academic Letter. We are proud of the students, they have been great in the classroom and we have had some awesome student sections at ball games. We hope they keep up the great work!

We will be hosting our first parent/teacher conferences on Wednesday, September 18th from 5:30-7:30 pm. We also have a Senior parent session taking place in the Theater at 5:45pm that is being led by our school counselors. We hope that all parents have a chance to attend these events. We are also starting the next five-year cycle of our school improvement plan. We would like to thank the students, staff, and parents that took part of the process of building this plan. We are excited to begin the journey as a staff as we work through the goals of this plan and continue to strive to move Seward High School forward.

We hope to see all of you this fall at an extracurricular event, or parent-teacher conferences.

We are here to help with any questions or support you might need. Please reach out to us at 402-643-2988 or scott.axt@sewardschools.org

Go Bluejays, Let's Fly!

Scott Axt

Building/District Website: www.sewardschools.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sewardpublicschools

Twitter Athletic Updates: #sewardjays #letsfly @SewardBlueJays

Activity Calendar: www.centralconference.org

Staff Email: firstname.lastname@sewardschools.org

Planning is underway for the fall Bluejay Way Service Day to be held on Sunday, October 20th from 1-3 PM. Students, mark your calendars! Each graduate at Seward High is required to complete 30 hours of community service as a qualification for graduation. This is a day of volunteer time that is sponsored and coordinated twice a year– and as a result, if a student completes these two days twice a year for the duration of their high school career, half of their community service requirement is fulfilled. Previous events have had around 55-60 students and staff working in the community. Let’s try to beat that number this year and make a difference!

This biannual event is an opportunity for SHS students to serve alongside community clubs and organizations in various locations across Seward County. Previous projects have included cleaning up the grounds area and buildings at the Goehner Museum, setting up Christmas decorations at the National Guard Museum, cleaning up the fairgrounds, completing yard work at the Olde Glory Theater, cleaning up area churches, and assisting Kiwanis members in replacing the flags at the Parade of Flags.

The SHS Key Club will be organizing the event this year. If a Seward County non-profit group has a project for student volunteers that day, please contact Key Club sponsors Ashlee Rickert or Ross Briggs or call the high school office and they will direct you to right person. We look forward to partnering with the community for this meaningful event!

JAG Nebraska is a graduation enhancement program focusing on personal and career development and future readiness. The class will participate in a variety of classroom activities, assignments, exploration, guest speakers, mentorships and guidance. Each member will become part of a student leadership organization and have several opportunities to further unlock and enhance their potential.

The objective of JAG Nebraska is for the students to master 37 core competencies. Mastery of these will give students the necessary knowledge and skills to graduate from high school, but also prepare them for college and career readiness.

One of the most important characteristics leading to success in high school, college, or the workplace is good attendance. Research indicates that excessive tardiness or absenteeism can lead to lower academic achievement and a reduced likelihood to graduate. It is important for you to visit with your son and/or daughter about the importance of regular school attendance. We have several interventions and support services available, so please contact the school at 402-643-2988 if you feel that this may become an issue for your student. Specific Seward Public Schools policies regarding student attendance can also be found in the SHS student handbook. These policies are consistent with Nebraska state statutes 79-201 and 79-209. Outlined are definitions of excused and unexcused absences, interventions, resources, and potential consequences for excessive absenteeism or tardiness. Please take some time to review these policies if you have not already done so this school year.

What is P.R.I.D.E.? (Preparation, Respect, Integrity, Dedication, Effort) P.R.I.D.E. is a school-wide reinforcement and acknowledgement system that provides immediate, intermittent, and long-term reinforcements, given by adults in the building to any students displaying desired school-wide expectations or behaviors. Using the scale below, staff members nominate students for BlueJay P.R.I.D.E. positive office referrals based upon behaviors they witness that go above and beyond with: 1) an exceptional act of behavior or character, 2) consistent positive behavior over time, or 3) significant improvement over time. Each term, positive behaviors are recognized during a P.R.I.D.E. Recognition Rally. These rallies feature alumni speakers, student performances, and special P.R.I.D.E. awards. P.R.I.D.E. aligns our Citizenship grading program with the elements of our PBIS (P.R.I.D.E.) program. Citizenship grades are given every term for each class. Teachers use the P.R.I.D.E. Scale shown above to assess student behavior. Citizenship grades are posted by midterm (minimally) and adjusted based on student behavior. Students who earn “Needs Support” or “Unsatisfactory” are encouraged by their teachers and principals to improve their behavior and raise their citizenship score before the end of the term. A student who has earned a “Needs Support” or “Unsatisfactory” citizenship grade at the end of the term is ineligible for Honor Roll.

October 29 is Post-Secondary Test Day! All freshmen and sophomores will take the Pre-ACT, while juniors will take an official ACT Test. Seniors may take the ASVAB or Accuplacer test. These assessments are excellent tools to help with the post-secondary planning process.

NWEA testing will occur on October 9th for students in grades 9-10. Students will be tested in reading, language usage, math and science. The results of these assessments will be used in two primary ways. The first is to help Seward High School staff understand the strengths and needs of individual students and groups of students within our school. This information will help guide instruction at the classroom level, more clearly define needs on a school-wide basis, and help the school identify which students might benefit from additional intervention and support. The second is to establish baseline student performance levels at the start of the school year. The baseline data will later be compared to spring NWEA performance to determine the effectiveness of our instructional efforts, interventions, and improvement initiatives throughout the year. In short, NWEA is an important tool in our plan to improve student learning at Seward High School. Please try to avoid scheduling appointments or other absences during the day of NWEA testing if possible.

All juniors will take an official ACT October 29. For many juniors, this will be the first time taking the ACT. This is an opportunity to see what the four sections of this test are like in a controlled-, timed-test session. The four sections of this test are English, math, reading, and science. Writing, a fifth section, will not be tested on this test day. This test will be scored by ACT and scores can be sent to colleges/universities. The counselors and administrators will meet with juniors to interpret scores. For those students who have taken the test already, this is another opportunity to reinforce or strengthen concepts for when all juniors take the test again April 8 as required by the State of Nebraska. This October test is part of the junior year preparation for the state ACT test. All juniors should report to the Concordia Campus by 8:05 a.m. - with two No. 2 pencils and a calculator (Students will be provided more specifics as we approach the test date).

Student/Parent NWEA and ACT Test Preparation Suggestions:

1. Charge the Chromebook – The Chromebook will be used by students to complete the NWEA test. Students will need a full charge on this day.

2. Dress comfortably - layers for temperature fluctuations.

3. Get a good night's sleep two days before the test. - During the exam schedule, sleep smart. A few days before an exam, get your seven-to-eight hours of sleep if you can. Sufficient sleep will help solidify memory for easy retrieval during the exam.

4. Eat a well-rounded breakfast.

5. Come to the test session with a positive attitude. This is your chance to show what you know and can do.

Students will have access to SHS Study Group on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each week from 3:45-4:45 p.m. in the Seward High School library. Students will have access to Seward High School staff members as well as Concordia University students studying to become teachers. Students needing computer access are also welcome to attend.

The first term of the 2024-2025 school year finishes Wednesday, October 16. Students who have attempted 10 or more academic credits and earned a 93% or better GPA, received no “C’s” or below in any class, had fewer than 5 absences, and have no “N’s” or “U’s” for Citizenship will be on the Term 1 honor roll. Students making the Honor Roll will receive a notification in the mailing that includes their report card and be invited to an ice cream social.

Student schedule change requests for Term 2 must occur by Friday, October 11. A signup sheet for students to request a change will be located outside of the counseling office doors. Counselors will meet with each of these students outside of instructional time prior to the start of the new term. The purpose of this process is to prevent interruption to classroom instruction that occurs when multiple schedule changes are made at the start of a new term.

Senior portraits for the yearbook are due no later than Friday, December 6. Portraits must be in full-color, vertical, cropped from the waist up or closer, and submitted as high-resolution JPEGs to Mrs. Christensen at julie.christensen@sewardschools.org. See Mrs. Christensen in the library if you have questions. Parent/Guardian Baby Ads - Yearbook Senior parent/ guardian baby ads are due no later than Friday, February 14. Ads may include up to three photos along with a message. Senior parent/guardian ads will be a 1/4 or 1/2 page. These ads cost $50 for a 1/4 page ad or $95 for a 1/2 page. These ads will be sold & submitted online directly through our Walsworth Yearbook site. Watch for links to submit those ads and purchase yearbooks soon!

Seward FFA would be a great opportunity for your student to grow and learn. FFA is an organization that welcomes everyone and allows for many new friendships. There are numerous contests and activities that FFA allows. Some contests are Livestock Judging, Floriculture, Land Evaluation, Welding, and Public Speaking. Activities that FFA participates in include Feed-A-Farmer, Fall Festival, Plant Sales, and the Kiwanis Ag Banquet. This year, Seward FFA has already helped with the Seward County Fair FFA Petting Zoo.

Our chapter also held the FFA Kick-Off Party which was an opportunity for the new or interested members to come and see what FFA is all about. If your student wasn’t able to attend our kick-off event, our membership is still open! Our membership process is completing the blue membership checklist, medical release form, the membership form outline, and $25 for dues. The member will get a t-shirt with the due fee. The membership information is due September 20th and all membership items can be picked up outside the ag rooms. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Eggerling (jessy.eggerling@sewardschools.org) or Mrs. Cast (krystin.cast@sewardschools.org).

Some of the our upcoming events include:

Aug. 30- Sept. 2 FFA Weekend @ State Fair

Sept. 3 Chapter Meeting in Access

Sept. 11 Husker Harvest Days

Sept. 13 Ag Appreciation Luncheon

Sept. 18 Elementary Ag Safety Day

Oct. 1 Ag Literacy Festival with the 4-H Extension Office

Oct. 1 Chapter Meeting in Accesses

Oct. 2 Regional Land Evaluation Contest

Oct. 4 Feed-A-Farmer

Oct. 12 Ducks Unlimited Banquet

Oct. 15 Fruit Sales Meeting in Access

Oct. 15- Nov. 8 Fruit Sales Fundraiser

Oct. 16 State Land Evaluation

Oct. 22-26 National FFA Convention Contest

Oct. 30 District Livestock Judging Contest

With the school year back in full gear, parents/guardians know back to school means a packed planner filled with everything from parent/teacher conferences to school activities. As time gets stretched, parents and students may talk less and fall back on timesavers, like notes or text messages. But when it comes to your child’s safety in the virtual world, parents should not rely on one strategy alone. Talk to your child. Parents ask their students where they are going and who they are going with whenever they leave the house. They should take the same approach when their children go on the internet – where are they going and who are they with? Develop rules. Together with your student, develop rules about acceptable and safe behaviors for all electronic media. Set and standby the rules set - for example, no gaming on school nights. Explore the internet. Visit the websites your child frequents and assess the pros and cons. Most websites and online activities are beneficial. They help young people learn new information and interact with people who have similar interests. Talk with others. Talk to other parents about how they have discussed technology use with their children. Connect with the school. At Seward High School, we use Go Guardian to monitor student use on the school issued chromebooks. We can provide parents information of all of the sites that their student is accessing at home or at school via their chromebooks. Please contact the school for more information. Educate yourself. Stay informed about new devices and websites your child is using. Continually talk with your child and explore the technology yourself.

Senior Banner Seniors may order a Senior Banner to be displayed in the main lobby throughout the school year at https://stores.sportsexpress.biz/sewardschools/. Banners are $35. Pictures must abide by SHS dress code to be displayed at school. Spirit apparel is also available online, visit the link above.

Fans! Let’s have another great year showing our positive support for all of our students who are involved in extracurricular activities. Cheer loud, proud, and positively for Seward High while allowing game officials to do their job. Please remember to stay off Concordia’s football field after the game. We need to honor this request from Concordia when using their facilities. Once the game is over, please disperse in a timely manner, and parents don’t forget to give your son/daughter some time and space before discussing their performance. Be a part of their positive experience with extracurricular activities.

Fans can download the Scorevision Fan App from the Google Play Store and stay up to date with live scores as they happen in the gym. This technology is available because of the new video boards that were installed in the high school gym this past winter. Fans can access the schedules, rosters, and stats for all games scored in the gym. It’s a great app to have for volleyball, wrestling, and basketball season!

Our instrumental music department has had a great start to the school year! The Pride of Seward High Bluejay Marching Band is finishing learning and polishing their competition show, In the Heights. Featuring music from the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical of the same name, this high energy show tells the story of the mostly Caribbean immigrants in New York's Washington Heights neighborhood. In addition to performing at all home football games, the marching band will have five competitions. We'd love to see lots of support at our Saturday performances!

Sept. 28 - Columbus parade and field competition

Oct. 5 - Harvest of Harmony parade and field competition (Grand Island)

Oct. 12 - Lincoln High field competition

Oct. 19 - LPS field competition (Seacrest field in Lincoln)

Oct. 26 - NSBA State competition (Seacrest field in Lincoln)

Please contact Mrs. Kenney for performance times and ticket information closer to the date of each competition. Although the most visible, marching band isn't the only place students are making music. The jazz band and wind ensemble have begun rehearsing in preparation for their opening concert on Nov. 4. This concert, held at 7:00 p.m. in the SHS theater, will feature a wide variety of great music by these advanced groups. In addition to all our ensembles, several students are busy preparing auditions for honor bands including All State, Concordia, Doane, and UNK. We have many talented musicians at SHS, and we love to share our music making with our school and community!

Phone: 402.643.2988

Email: A-K Kevin Fields kevin.fields@sewardschools.org

L-Z Noelle Baker noelle.baker@sewardschools.org

Website: Seward High School Website under Counselors

Junior and senior students and parents/guardians are encouraged to attend EducationQuest’s Financial Aid presentation at the high school on Monday, September 16, at 6:00 p.m. This presentation will be concerning the revised “Better” FAFSA (major changes!) and funding a post-secondary education. Parents/guardians/students can also sign up for their FSA ID number after the meeting.

Following the Financial Aid meeting, representatives from colleges will be in the Front Lobby at 6:30 to visit with 9-12 students and families - all are welcome to attend! Colleges represented (known at this time) include: Chadron State, Concordia, Doane, Hastings, Midland, NE Wesleyan, Northeast Community, Northwestern (IA,) Grand Canyon University, Peru State, Southeast Community, UNK, UNL, UNO, Wayne State.

We are excited to have College Week the week of October 28! During the week we will promote completing a college application. This can be a daunting task, but in an effort to ease this process, EducationQuest is sponsoring a statewide campaign in which high schools conduct college application events during the school day. Seward High School will be having its Apply2College Event which will coincide with Post-Secondary Testing Day October 29. College reps will be here in the morning to assist seniors with college applications. Seniors need to know their social security number. Some may need a form of payment for application fees. We will promote a post-secondary education atmosphere with fun and prizes, as well as information from colleges to universities to military to trade school. Keeping in mind the need for some training/education after high school, we want to encourage our students to explore the variety of options available to them.

Testing and College Application Fee Waivers - Students with economic need may qualify for fee waivers with the ACT, PSAT, AP exams, and college application fees if they meet one or more of the following criteria: Family receives public assistance; Student is a ward of the state; Student resides in a foster home; Student is homeless; Student participates in free or reduced-priced lunch program; Family income is at or below the 2010 Bureau of Labor Statistics; Low Standard Budget.

Students may use up to two ACT waivers total junior and/or senior year. Any student who qualifies for an ACT waiver also will qualify for application fee waivers when applying to college. Contact Mr. Fields or Ms. Baker for assistance.

Juniors – Fall College Preparation Recommendations from EducationQuest.org

1. Sign up for Countdown2College to get monthly tips.
2. Set up an Activities Resume to track your activities and honors
3. Use Seward High’s MobileServe to track community service hours.
4. Check out the Exploring Careers section.
5. Use Reality Check to find careers that will fit your desired lifestyle.
6. Use College Profiles to research schools you may want to attend.
7. Meet with college reps at a College Fair/Financial Aid Night Sept. 16
8. See Upcoming Events at EducationQuest.org for dates and locations.
9. Take the PSAT to prepare for the SAT college entrance. The PSAT will be offered at Seward High School for interested Sophomore and Junior students in October 22nd

Seniors – Fall College Preparation Recommendations from EducationQuest.org

1. Retake the ACT and/or SAT. Colleges use your best score for admission and scholarship purposes.
2. Narrow your list of colleges. Continue campus visits. Meet with college reps at the virtual College Fair,
3. Attend Financial Aid Night Sept. 16th.
4. See upcoming Events at EducationQuest.org.
5. Request letters of recommendation for scholarship and college applications.
6. Apply to 3-4 colleges. Application deadlines are typically in December-January.
7. Consistently update your resume from the Personal Finance class.
8. Apply for LOTS of scholarships.

• Where to search: ScholarshipQuest at EducationQuest.org and we also recommend you check the scholarship listing under scholarships/financial aid on the Seward High Counseling Center website. The college you plan to attend and FREE national search sites. Never pay for a scholarship search!

Sophomores and Freshmen – College Preparation Begins Now! College may seem far away for 9th and 10th-grade students, but it’s never too early to start preparing for that next step. Taking challenging academics and extracurricular opportunities are the best ways to work towards the college goal. The list below includes additional suggestions for parents and students as they think about this important transition.

1. Meet with your counselor to discuss your college plans.
2. Update your PLP (Personal Learning Plan) 5 Year Plan tab. Review your schedule to ensure you are enrolled in challenging classes that will help you prepare for college. Colleges prefer four years of English, social studies, math, science, and Spanish.
3. Start exploring to find out the required courses and tests of colleges that you may be interested in attending. Two helpful college search websites are: www.educationquest.org and www.collegeboard.com.
4. Start a calendar with important dates and deadlines.
5. Get more involved in activities inside and outside of school; there’s something out there for everyone! Be sure to record those on your PLP Resume and MobileServe volunteering.
6. Start documenting community service hours and experiences to include in future college and scholarship applications on Seward High’s MobileServe.
7. Put forth your best effort. These assessments help guide your next steps from an academic and career interest standpoint.
8. On Sept 16th, come to the high school Front Lobby at 6:30 after the junior/senior financial aid meeting, representatives from colleges will be in the Front Lobby at 6:30 to visit with students and families. Colleges represented (known at this time) include: Chadron State, Concordia, Doane, Hastings, Midland, NE Wesleyan, Northeast Community, Northwestern (IA,) Grand Canyon University, Peru State, Southeast Community, UNK, UNL, UNO, Wayne State.
9. It’s important to remember that there are a variety of post-secondary options: Some are four-year colleges, some two-year and even some one-year programs with a greater focus on a specific trade, others include military and vocational training. By starting the process of thinking about those next steps now, you increase your chances of finding the best fit for you and your personal goals.
   

• Make sure your student has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework. Avoid having your child do homework with the television on or in places with other distractions, such as people coming and going.
• Help your student with time management. Establish a set time each day for doing homework. Don't let your student leave homework until just before bedtime. Think about using a weekend morning or afternoon for working on big projects, especially if the project involves getting together with classmates.
• Be positive about homework. Tell your student how important school is. The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude your student acquires. your student asks for help, provides guidance, not answers. Giving answers means your student will not learn the material. Too much help teaches your student that when the going gets rough, someone will do the work for him or her.
• When the teacher asks that you play a role in homework, do it. Cooperate with the teacher. It shows your student that the school and home are a team. Follow the directions given by the teacher. If homework is meant to be done by your student alone, stay away. Too much parent involvement can prevent homework from having some positive effects. Homework is a great way for kids to develop independent, lifelong learning skills.
• Stay informed. Talk with your student's teacher. Make sure you know the purpose of homework and what your child's class rules are. Many staff at Seward High School have a classroom website, blog, or provide additional assignment information on PowerSchool. By accessing these resources you can provide an even greater level of support to your student.
• Help your student figure out what is hard homework and what is easy homework. Have your student do the hard work first. This will mean he will be most alert when facing the biggest challenges. Easy material will seem to go fast when fatigue begins to set in.
• Generally speaking, most students at Seward High School will have some homework or studying to do outside of school hours on a daily basis. The amount will vary depending upon the specific courses they are enrolled in that particular term, grade level, and their ability to utilize time efficiently during the regular school day. Homework provides important practice to reinforce newly learned concepts. By maximizing these experiences, student learning will improve positively impacting a variety of school outcomes.