| 58° |
The two Seward High teams participated in the recent History Quiz Bowl in Seward did very well considering they were with many Class A Schools in the Large School Division of the contest. The Large School Division was won by Elkhorn High North. Seward had two teams in the contest… Team A: Amelia Juranek, Kennedy Duncan and Alex Pliefke and Team B: Izayah Lavicky, Landen Ford and Liam Krahulik. They were coached by SHS Educator Melissa Pohl-SHS Quiz Bowl Sponsor.
GFWC Nebraska Federation of Women’s Club’s hosted the State History Quiz Bowl in Seward at Living Water Lutheran Church on Wednesday, October 16th in an all-day Quiz Bowl event featuring questions based only on History and Geography. The Quiz Bowl hosted 50 teams of high school students from across Nebraska.
The event featured a “Round Robin” feature in the morning, where each team played three rounds in a warm-up for the afternoon’s single elimination tourney. The event was divided into three levels-Large, Medium and Small Schools. The teams competed in 15-minute rounds, generating points and wins to achieve the top seed bracket for the afternoon tournament.
Winners of the History Quiz Bowl included...
Small School-First: Exeter Milligan HS-Coach Jordan Marr, Second: Clarkson HS-Coach Sid Ready, Third: Heartland Lutheran/Grand Island HS-Coach Jackie Zehendner, Fourth: Wilber Clatonia HS-Coach Ellie Binder.
Medium School-First: Central City HS-Coach Brandon Wright, Second-Kearney Catholic HS-Coach Polla Renken, Third-Cross County HS at Stromsburg-Coach Johanna Nielsen, Fourth: Raymond Central HS-Coach Courtney Polak.
Large School: First: Elkhorn North HS-Coach Melissa Petersen, Second: Elkhorn HS-Coach Molly Erickson, Third: Elkhorn South HS-Coach Abby Cleary, Fourth: Gretna East HS-Coach Jami Adelman.
The winning school received a Championship Trophy, and each team member also was presented with a ribbon and medal by their coaches. The First Runner-up team also received a winner’s trophy-with the trophies and medals sponsored and donated by the GFWC NFWC. They were presented by GFWC NFWC representatives Diane Uher of Clarkson and Bernie Baumert of Howells.
Schools involved included Elkhorn, Elkhorn North, Elkhorn South, Gretna, Creighton Prep, Norris, Seward, Gretna East, York, Ralston, Central City, Fillmore Central, Cross County, Raymond Central, Milford, West Point, Oakland-Craig, Kearney Catholic, Heartland Lutheran of GI, Heartland-Henderson, Hampton, Shelby-Rising City, Exeter Milligan, Dorchester, Howells-Dodge, Clarkson, Fullerton, and Wilber Clatonia.
The volunteer readers/judges for the History Quiz Bowl were Sue Imig, Andy Jensen, Nancy Schulz, and Clark Kolterman -all from Seward, Kathy Wilcox from Crete, Nancy Meyer from Geneva, Ellie Janda from Beaver Crossing, Jenni Erhart from Osceola and Laura Sabata from Fullerton. There were nine rooms of competition going at one time all day long!
The GFWC Seward Woman’s Club hosted the pizza luncheon for the coaches and judges during the event-chaired by Ellen Chaffin. Riley Nuttleman of Seward was the Quiz Master for the event, with Clark Kolterman of Seward serving as the coordinator. Diane Uher of GFWC Clarkson Woman’s Club is the GFWC NFWC Quiz Bowl State Chair for 2024-2026 and she hosted the front-line registration table along with Bernie Baumert of the GFWC Howells Woman’s Club. Pastor Scott Krohn of Living Word Lutheran Church served as the local contact for the host church at the event.
It should be noted that many of the teams in this tourney were sponsored by their local GFWC Woman’s Club-who paid the entry fee for their school’s Quiz Bowl team for this GFWC NFWC tourney as a community service and youth program/project. Any extra profits generated from this History Quiz Bowl will be used for the GFWC NFWC “USA 250” projects and programs in 2026, when the US celebrates their 250th Birthday!
For more information on the various Quiz Bowl events, contact Diane Uher in Clarkson-the GFWC NFWC Quiz Bowl Chair at dluher72@gmail.com or call 401-469-5505.
Photo: Left to Right: … Team A: Amelia Juranek, Kennedy Duncan and Alex Pliefke and Team B: Izayah Lavicky, Landen Ford and Liam Krahulik. They were coached by SHS Educator Melissa Pohl-SHS Quiz Bowl Sponsor.
Five local Seward High juniors attended the recent Rotary Youth Leadership Award program during the three-day week-end of October 11-13th at Camp Sonshine near Roca, Nebraska sponsored by Rotary District 5650 of Rotary International and Launch Leadership.
Students who attended from Seward High included Lily Brashear, Alaina Bartlels, Cooper Hill, Avery Rodocker and Molly Marroquin.
RYLA is an intensive leadership experience, organized by Rotary Clubs and Rotary Club Districts worldwide, where the students develop their skills as a leader, while having fun and making connections. The 48-hour overnight event helped build critical leadership skills, like decision-making and understanding group dynamics, preparing you to be successful and impactful wherever the future takes you.
The program is offered to the students at no expense to the student, often funded by the local Rotary Clubs. The Seward Rotary funded the local students from Seward High. They were selected by a written application and judges interview process, right after school started this Fall.
Rotary International is a global network of 1.4 million members of people and clubs working together in “Service Above Self” on a worldwide basis. Launch Leadership is a local nonprofit organization that creates and facilitates transformational leadership development programs with trained facilitators that use hands-on skilled based curriculum to empower the students to become change-makers in the schools and communities. For more information visit rotary.org or launchleadership.org
Photo of RYLA Students
L-R Lily Brashear, Alaina Bartels, Cooper Hill, Asvery Rodecker, Molly Marroquin-RYLA Scholar Leader graduates-Rotary Youth Leadership Award recipients from Seward High
SHS Senior, Lawson Luebbe of rural Seward-near Goehner, was selected to be the October Seward Youth Rotarian and invited to the October 9th, 2024 Rotary Luncheon meeting at the Jones Bank in Seward. He is the oldest son of Melissa and Jeff Luebbe.
Lawson has been a member of the SHS Honor Roll for ten terms to date and participated in a host of dual credit/Career Academy classes through Southeast Nebraska Community College in Lincoln. He serves as an SHS Student “Bluejay Ambassador” and is the voice of SHS every morning for the welcome Public Address announcements from the Bulletin and Pledge of Allegiance to the US Flag.
He is a very busy, active young man outside of class as well, as his activities in school include being part of the SHS Baseball program 2021-2022, and a very loyal member of the SHS Basketball program from 2021 to present. He was selected to receive the Central Conference Academic All-Conference Award -May of 2024.
Lawson is a member of both of the Seward High choirs and a senior leader with the SHS Show Choir. He has been part of the vocal SHS music scene since 2021. He was awarded the Chorus Award –“Most Valuable Junior Singer” in May of 2024.
Lawson is considered on of the local leaders in the SHS Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) program-serving as the Board member -Historian and FBLA Treasurer. He has participated in a host of contests on the State Level for the SHS FBLA Chapter and was one of the “agents” to help his classmate Jena Eberspacher elected State FBLA President this year.
Lawson has been a member of the SHS FFA since 2021, as well as an active member of the local Fellowship of Christian Athletes Chapter. He has been a member of the SHS HOPE Squad since 2021 as well.
Lawson is a member of the Seward United Methodist Church in Seward. He attends a St. John Lutheran Church Godparent program and is active in the Seward United Methodist Youth Group and has volunteered at both churches for years. He is proud of serving as a representative to the Guatemala Summer Mission Trips the last two summers in 2023 and 2024.
He was one of three in his class selected to receive the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA). Also, related to the Seward Rotary, it should be noted that Lawson was the 2017 Rotary Club’s July 4 Royalty -named “Mr. Firecracker,” as he wrote the winning essay for the City and State Sesquicentennial Fourth of July Celebration! He has also been presented a host of P.R.I.D.E. awards by the SHS faculty based on Preparation, Respect, Integrity, Dedication, and Effort-(15 times).
In the summer his work experience includes being part of the Blue River Umpires Association of Seward and umpired for four summers-working over 80 games just last summer and the “13 and Under” State Championship Games in Council Bluffs. He has also refereed numerous Seward Youth Basketball games for Seward Schools and Concordia Youth Camps.
His” Service Above Self” community service hours revolve around the SHS FBLA and SHS FFA community service projects as well as his youth coaching at the SHS summer camps, and for announcing over 100+ Youth, Middle School, and High School athlete events at no charge! He is fast becoming “The Voice of SHS” and, recently started announcing the SHS Hudl Athletic online programs -calling the play by play for the live video presentation.
Lawson is still visiting colleges and has not decided on his university of choice as of yet, however it is “his hope to be part of a sports organization or work as a sports broadcaster or some part of the sports industry-with a Major in Sports Communication.”
He was introduced and welcomed to Rotary and presented with a bag of Rotary mementos and a $50 gift card to assist with college expenses. Lawson is a finalist for the Youth Rotarian of the Year, and he will be honored again in May at the SHS Honors Night, when they will announce the scholarship winner from the ten finalists.
One Youth Rotarian is selected each month of the school year and applications can be obtained at the SHS Counselor’s office.
The statewide, annual “Girl’s Only” Quiz Bowl was held in Seward at the Seward Living Word Lutheran Church at 1300 West Hillcrest on Wednesday, October 2nd in an all-day quiz bowl competition from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm. The event is annually sponsored by the GFWC Nebraska Federation of Women’s Club’s to showcase high school girls in a competitive academic “general knowledge” competition. High schools were invited statewide to share in this event and 49 teams entered this year’s contest.
The day began with a “Round Robin” tourney, where each team was guaranteed three rounds of quiz bowl contest competition to “warm the teams up” with practice rounds and determine the seeding placement for the afternoon’s single elimination tourney. The teams were divided into three divisions, based on school size by the NSAA numbers with small, medium and large schools in competition. The afternoon contest featured a bracketed contest, with teams seeded to play in a single elimination contest for first, second, third and fourth place. There were 49 teams and contests were held in nine rooms throughout the church. The first-place teams won a trophy and individual team medals and the runner-up team won a trophy-donated by the GFWC NFWC.
The winners of the contests included…
Large School Division: First Place-Seward High Team A-Coach Melissa Pohl, Second Place- Seward High Team B-Coach Melissa Pohl, Third Place-Elkhorn South-Coach Abigail Cleary, Fourth Place-York High Team A-Coach Sam Due.
Medium School Division: First Place-Fillmore Central-Geneva-Coach Ryan Komenda, Logan Magnolia-Iowa-Coach Kathy Foreman, Third Place-Kearney Catholic-Coach Polla Renken, Fourth Place-Raymond Central-Coach Courtney Polak.
Small School Division: First Place-Shelton High-Coach Shanna Held, Second Place-Nebraska Christian Team A-Coach Dee Flynn, Third Place-Howells/Dodge-Traci Sindelar, Fourth Place- Nebraska Christian-Team B-Dee Flynn.
Volunteers for the tourney included the reader/judges for each room-Sue Imig, Nancy Schulz, Ellie Janda, Bonnie Kruse, Andy Jensen, and Clark Kolterman-all from Seward, Melissa Pohl from Utica and Kathy Wilcox from Crete, Kathy Huggins from Papillion, and Laura Sabatka from Fullerton. Kathy Huggins, the State NFWC President from Papillion served as a host for the day, with Diane Uher from Clarkson the GFWC NFWC Chair and local GFWC coordinator of the tourney. Riley Nuttleman served as the Quiz Bowl Master and Clark Kolterman was the tourney manager. Pastor Scott Krohn coordinated the church’s facilities. GFWC NFWC members Brooke Chandler and Rene’ Chandler with the GFWC Seward Woman’s Club, coordinated the lunch for the coaches and judges over the noon hour.
The schools attending included Columbus Scotus, Cross County, Shelby/Rising City, McCool Junction, Falls City, Raymond Central, Crete, Exeter/Milligan, Central City, York, Seward, Howells/Dodge, Oakland/Craig, Sandy Creek, Tri-County, Heartland-Henderson, Logan Magnolia (Iowa), Norris, Fullerton, Fillmore Central, Gretna, Dorchester, Ralston, Elkhorn High, Elkhorn South, Elkhorn North, East Butler, Nebraska Christian, Humphrey, Cross County, Thayer Central, Bennington, West Point/Beemer, Fillmore Central, Dorchester, Humphrey, Shelton and Kearney Catholic.
SHS Senior, Jena Eberspacher of rural Seward was named the 2024 September Seward Rotary Club’s Youth Rotarian at the recent September 18th noon Rotary Club luncheon meeting held at the Jones Bank Auditorium. She is the daughter of Jon and Jill Eberspacher.
Jena places scholarship high in her values and enjoys as 3.93 GPA on a 4.0 scale. She is a longtime member of the SHS Honor Roll and has enjoyed dual credits in Human Geography, United States History, Environmental Science, Marketing, College Algebra, Education, Public Speaking and Ag Intro-all through SCC, Concordia University or Doane. She received the “All State” Academic Award and was a Ne Youth Salute Scholarship Winner. She has been the recipient of the P.R.I.D.E. Awards many times and the Intentionally Selected P.R.I.D.E. Award winner twice. She is a member of the SHS Quiz Bowl Team.
Jena is a very involved young woman at Seward High with many, varied interests. She was recently elected the State President of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and has been a member of FBLA for four years, serving as the Chapter President and Secretary and co-chair for many of the SHS Chapter Committees and Activities. She was named the FBLA All Sate Quality Member and qualified for nationals in the Social Media Strategies Competition -placing Third. She is a member of the FBLA National Board of Directors and travels the state and now even the nation to promote FBLA and Nebraska. Jena was selected the SHS FBLA Member of the Month
She also has a strong Ag tie and very involved with the local FFA Chapter. She served on the SHS FFA Board as the Chapter Reporter and won the FFA Greenhand Degree. She was an FFA District Runner-up and FFA District Champion in Extemporaneous Speaking and qualified as a State FFA Extemporaneous Speaker as well. She chaired many FFA local projects and served as a voice for FFA in the Bluejay Leadership Team (Student Council).
Jena has also been an involved and dedicated member of the SHS Skills USA Chapter, the SHS Family, Community, Career Leaders of America (SHS FCCLA), Key Club and the SHS Ambassadors, a member of the Mixed Choir at SHS, as well as the SHS Honor Choir.
She has participated in a variety of sporting activities over the years, involved in Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer (lettered twice) and Varsity Golf (lettered twice). She was named State Honorable Mention for Soccer Goalie in 2024.
In the community, Jena has a variety of activities she points to as assisting in her development, including membership in 4-H and 4-H Junior Leaders programs. She has a ten-year affiliation with her 4-H membership and been involved in a host of 4-H activities over the years at the County Fair and in the community. She was also very involved with Girl Scouts and served as a helper for the Summer Horizon’s Program at St. John Lutheran Church in Seward.
She is a youth leader and youth voice in her church, a member of their God Parent Program and taught Vacation Bible School and Sunday School and served as the Photographer and Videographer for the Seward United Methodist Summer Bible School for ages 5-6.
Jena has been employed and worked as a pollinator in the fields and served as a Nanny for three children. She has been employed as a Coffee Barista at the local Scooters Coffee shop and helps at the family farm when time permits.
Her community service includes membership in the “100 Club”-one hundred hours of documented community service (in fact Jena has logged 321.5 hours of community service in her high school career to date!).She is a volunteer coach for the Seward Lighting Volleyball team, a volunteer SMS Volleyball Coach, has participated as a volunteer coach in a host of girls’ sport camps and involved in numerous clean-up efforts with 4-H and FFA. In fact, many of her community service hours revolve around the local SHS FBLA, FFA, Skills USA, Key Club and Leadership Team community service activities, as well as her involvement with 4-H and her church and their outreach and educational efforts.
She plans to be involved in some type of Ag Business in the future and has left the specifics “wide open” and will decide once the time comes and she has not decided on a college or university to attend next fall to date.
Jena was recognized at the Rotary Club meeting and presented with a Rotary banner, a bag of Rotary and Seward Promotional material and a Seward Gift card to assist with her college expenses. She is a finalist for the Seward Youth Rotarian of the Year and will be honored again at the May SHS Honors Night. Youth Rotarians are selected each month of the school year at SHS and applications are available with the SHS Counselors.
If you are interested in online payments regarding school meal purchases, please see the message below. We will continue to accept check and cash payments in the school offices as usual.
School Payment Portal is being offered as a safe, secure and convenient way for parents/guardians to manage school lunch payments. You will have the opportunity to track purchases, create reminders and set up automatic payments. If you do not want to pay online and would like to continue sending in money with your student, you are still able to create a username and password to track your students’ purchases and see how much money is on the account.
Below is a guide to setting up your student’s account. Any questions or concerns with a student’s account should be directed to the office of your child’s school.
To set up your account you can visit https://www.
schoolpaymentportal.com • The first time that you visit the website, you will be directed to Click the green button marked CREATE ACCOUNT. Enter your First Name, Last Name, email address and a password. Then click the Create Account button located in the lower right corner. Once you have established an account, you will need to use the Parent Login button from the main site to access your account.
• You will see confirmation that your account has been created successfully. Next, click the Parent Login Page button, enter your login credentials and click Sign In
• Once you are logged in, click the Add Student button.
• Enter the School’s Zip Code, 68434, in the field for zip code, then click Continue
• Available schools will be displayed. Click on the blue Select to the left of the School name
• Enter the required information for the student that you wish to add to your account, then click Continue
• Verify the information and click on the blue Add Student to the left of the student’s name
• You will be returned to the Student Access page. Follow the above steps for each student you wish to add to the account
To make payments to lunch accounts:
• Click the blue button marked Make Cafeteria Deposit
• Enter the Deposit Amount for each Student listed and click the Continue button.
• Follow the screen prompts to set up your payment options.
Lunchtime also offers a Mobile App and this information can be found on the login screen.
Click on the following link to access the newsletter.
All Day
8:15am - 11:45am
4:30pm
Volleyball: 9th Dual vs Blair (Away)
Blair High School
6:00pm - 9:00pm
Show Choir Choreography Session
SHS New Theater
6:00pm
Volleyball: JV Dual vs Blair (Away)
Blair High School
6:00pm - 7:30pm
SMS Little Gym
7:00pm
Volleyball: Varsity Dual vs Blair (Away)
Blair High School
All Day
6:00pm - 7:30pm
SMS Little Gym
All Day
5:00pm
Volleyball: 9th Dual vs Ashland-Greenwood (Home)
Seward High School
6:00pm
Volleyball: JV Dual vs Ashland-Greenwood (Home)
Seward High School
6:00pm - 7:30pm
SMS Little Gym
7:00pm
Volleyball: Varsity Game vs Ashland-Greenwood (Home)
Seward High School
All Day
3:00pm
Cross Country: Girls Varsity State Meet vs University of NE-Kearney (Away)
Kearney Country Club
3:30pm
Cross Country: Boys Varsity State Meet vs University of NE-Kearney (Away)
Kearney Country Club
7:00pm
Football: Boys Varsity Game vs Crete Public Schools (Away)
Doane University
All Day
Lincoln
All Day
All Day
8:00am - 11:00am
Seward Basketball Academy Clinic/League
Multiple Locations
9:00am
Volleyball: 9th Tournament vs Multiple Schools (Home)
Seward High School
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Volleyball (Youth Girls 3rd-6th)
Multiple Locations
3:00pm - 5:30pm
Seward Basketball Academy Clinic/League
Multiple Locations
6:00pm - 7:30pm
SMS Little Gym
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Multiple Locations
All Day
SHS
All Day
8:00am
SHS