Annual Report

Activities and More Activities!

December 13, 2004

Activities Director and Assistant High School Principal Mrs. Dana Schaefer is responsible for all activities, including clubs, organizations and the like.

A few highlights from the 2003-2004 school year...

Future Business Leaders of America (Sponsor Kathy McKown)

FBLA is a national career and technical student association for students in grades 7-12 who are interested in business or business education careers. Over 4,000 students in more than 100 high schools in Nebraska participate in the FBLA program. Benefits of FBLA membership are business proficiencies, community responsibility, leadership skills, and self-confidence.

FBLA provides business leaders of tomorrow with the necessary skills to successfully compete in the job market, pursue post secondary education, or manage personal skills. Members learn how to lead and participate in group discussion by engaging in practice problem solving and decision making activities. FBLA members learn the value of competition through directed competitive events.

Every year the Seward FBLA chapter participates in the community blood drive, community food drive, Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors, Cradick Christmas, Rotary Club light judging, Fall Leadership Conference, Economics Day-UNL, SCC business competition, Midland business competition, Path to Success Conference, March of Dimes, MADD, and State Leadership Conference in Omaha.

Seward FFA Chapter (Sponsor Jack Broderick)

The 2003-2004 school year was an exciting one for the Seward FFA Chapter. 93 members were active in many community service and leadership activities. Based on the members' involvement, the Chapter was selected as one of the top 13 chpaters in Nebraska and was recognized as one of the top 100 chapters in the United States (there are 7,500 chapters nationwide)! In addition to the national recognition, nine senior FFA members received their State FFA Degree, which is the highest degree that a member can earn on the state level. 75 members and parents traveled to Bowling Green, Kentucky to explore a different agricultural region.

Vocal Music Department (Director Leslie Stratton)

The Vocal Music Department presented the musical, "Godspell," to three nights of nearly sold out audiences.
Vocalists at the District Music Contest earned ten "superiors" and three "excellents."
Four vocalists were selected as All-State Choir members. They were Kate Washington, Amy Heidemann, Joey Steinauer, and Paul vonKampen.

FCCLA (Sponsor Linda Zimbelmann)

FCCLA is a nonprofit vocational student organization for males and females in Family and Consumer Sciences. Everyone is part of family, and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America is the only national career and technical student organization with the family as its central focus. The Seward High School chapter is made up of males/females in grades 9-12. There are 63 members of the Seward High chapter. They do many community service projects for the Seward community such as the annual food drive for the local food pantry, annual blood drive, various Christmas activities, babysitting for the PTO, and trash pick-up following home football games. They also conduct leadership development activities such as lunch buddies, where they adopt a 1st grade student and become a mentor to them throughout the school year. Other projects have focused on a health fair for the elementary students and activities related to careers for middle school and high school students, and activities related to the elderly. They also have competitive events where members prepare a speech and compete with other students in their FCCLA district. Opportunities for travel also are available through attendance at regional Cluster meetings.

SkillsUSA (Sponser Kurt Holliday)

Seward High School SkillsUSA students placed first in Post-Secondary Welding and 3rd in Secondary Medical Assisting.

One Act Play (Director Clark Kolterman)

Three one act plays were presented to the public in 2003. The competition piece for Seward High School was "Isle of Dogs", which was Central Conference runner-up and district winner, placing third at State. A Seward High student was selected Best Actress at State for Class B!

Speech Team (Coach Clark Kolterman)

The Seward High School Speech Team competed in six speech tournaments and was selected first runner-up overall at the Concordia Speech Invite. Seward placed six in the State Competition and had two entries in finals at the State Speech contest.

Academic Decathlon (Coach Clark Kolterman)

Seward High students competed in six events and a Super Quiz Bowl during the State Academic Decathlon in Omaha in the spring of 2004. Twelve students were honored in a variety of events.

Quiz Bowl (Sponsor Clark Kolterman)

Students from Seward High competed in seven Quiz Bowl competitions during the 2003-2004 school year.

State Fair Competition (Sponsor Clark Kolterman)

The SHS Quiz Bowl team was a finalist in the 2003-2004 State Fair Quiz Bowl, won the State Fair Improv Contest and had numerous winners in the State Fair High School Essay/Poetry writing contests.

Other activities at Seward High School include: