The GI Northwest Quiz Bowl Team captured the top place trophy at the recent Central Conference Quiz Bowl Competition held at the Seward Civic Center on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 in an all day, general knowledge quiz bowl competition.  

SHS’s Team A was named First Runner-up at the Quiz Bowl Contest.  The team members included Kayla Albright, Benjamin Nottingham, Liam Krahulik, Ainsley Hotovy, Maddelyn Larson.  

The teammates attending from Seward included Ainsley Hotovy, Maddelyn Larson, Kayla Albright, Emma Matulka, Addilyn Sugden, Lydia Lobmeyer, Ben Nottingham, Abigail Moore, and Brianna Potratz

GI Northwest placed first-coached by Katrina Rother, with Seward High Team A-Coached by Melissa Pohl placing second, placing Third and Fourth were the Adams Central Team A and Team B Coached by Jill Houghtelling.  Each winning team received an engraved trophy and the members of the First Place Team each received an official, engraved Central Conference medal.

The tourney was held at the Seward Civic Center, with five/six round robin contests in the morning, with the teams wins/loses, points generated and highest scores determined placement in the seeding and afternoon single elimination tourney. There were four rooms of contest going simultaneously, where teams competed in answering questions on History, Grammar, Literature, Math, Science, Economics and General Knowledge. During a round there could be up to four members on a team.

Readers/Judges for the tourney included Sue Imig and Pat Ohlmann of Seward, Jenni Erhart of Osceola and Kathy Wilcox of Crete.

Seward High’s Activities Director-John Moody coordinated the tourney, assisted by Melissa Pohl-and Clark Kolterman.  Riley Nuttleman served as the Quiz Master. The coaches and extra team members served as timers and score keepers for the individual rounds.

The tourney opened at 9:00 AM and continued through 3:00 PM.

There were 13 teams in the Central Conference 2022 Quiz Bowl Tourney, and included Seward High- Coached by Melissa Pohl, York High- Coached by Samantha Due, Adams Central High- Coached by Jill Houghtelling, Schuyler High- Coached by John Sayer, and Crete High- Coached by Codi Slama, Columbus Lakeview-Coached by Aaron Rudloff and GI Northwest-Coached by Katrina Rother.  Each school could bring up to two teams for the contest with up to six on a team, while only four members could compete at a time.

“The Central Conference is excited to sponsor this Central Conference Quiz Bowl tourney every year, as it is showcasing some of the best scholars in Nebraska, allowing these student scholars the recognition they deserve,” commented Seward AD John Moody.  “It is an educational opportunity for each of the participating Central Conference teams and also creates a team bonding as well.  Seward Schools is happy to be the host for this Central Conference event and thanks the Central Conference for their leadership in promoting this academic competition and the City of Seward-Seward Civic Center for the use of their facilities.  

Photo A: The SHS Team A First Runner-up Quiz Bowl Team L-R included Kayla Albright, Benjamin Nottingham, Liam Krahulik, Ainsley Hotovy, Maddelyn Larson.  

Photo B: The teammates attending from Seward included Front Row L-R Ainsley Hotovy, Maddelyn Larson, Kayla Albright, Emma Matulka, Addilyn Sugden, Back Row L-R Lydia Lobmeyer, Ben Nottingham, Abigail Moore, and Brianna Potratz.

SHS Senior, Madison Dominy was named Youth Rotarian of the Year for 2022/2023 as it was announced at the SHS Honors Night on Monday, May 8 and she was again recognized at Rotary on Wednesday, May 10^th at their weekly Rotary Club luncheon meeting at the Jones Bank in Seward.  She is the daughter of Dr. Matt and Jessica Dominy. With the honor, Madison receives a $350 scholarship from the Seward Rotary Club.  The criteria for the Youth Rotarian is based on “Service Above Self,” Leadership and Scholarship and the winner is selected from the ten Youth Rotarians of the Month.

All the ten Seward Youth Rotarians for the year were recognized as well and presented framed certificates of recognition and a book scholarship from the Seward Rotary.  The Youth Rotarians for the 2022-2023 school year include Rachel Runyan, Noah Fields, Grace Roberts, Karnie Gottschalk, Kalen Knott, Micah Hackbart, Austin Schroeder, Breanna McAdams and Natalie Axt, along with Madison Dominy.

First and important to Madison is her love of learning. She has been on the SHS Honor Roll for all 12 semesters so far and has a GPA of 4.1.  Her name is on the SHS Honor Wall in the high school lobby for her AP score and she continues to take AP, Dual Credit and SENCAP courses for college credit while in high school.  She is a leader in the SHS National Honor Society.  Her academic honors include First Place-Seward Optimist Club District Essay Contest, recipient of the Lincoln Elks Lodge #80 Leadership Award, represented the area youth at the RYLA conference to achieve the Rotary Youth Leadership Award, is an applicant for the CARSON Scholarship for SHS, received the Youth Salute Leadership Award and was Academic All State representative for the SHS Volleyball team.

Madison is also an athlete and involved in SHS Volleyball and SHS Basketball.  She is a three year letter recipient in SHS Basketball program and was named “most encouraging” by her basketball teammates.  In SHS Volleyball she has lettered for the last two years and was named “Athlete of the Week” by the Seward County Independent. 

Madison is a member of the SHS Bluejay Leadership Team (Student Council), the School District of Seward School Improvement Team-as a youth representative- and serves the Leadership Team President (President of the Student Body) and a member of the SHS Ambassadors Team.   She is also an active member of the SHS Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and the “Acts of Kindness” Club at SHS.  

Madison was first self employed as a child care provider and now works at the United Methodist Church’s Bright Beginnings Child Development Center in Seward.  

She is a member of the St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church and a voice of youth for her congregation.  She is a loyal member of their Godparent youth program and has served the church with a host of volunteer functions. 

Her community service “Service Above Self” involvement is extensive and she has been a leader in the many, various youth volleyball and basketball camps over the years. Is is often called upon to give tours and be an official host as an SHS Ambassador as well.  Madison has been very involved with Habitat for Humanity and has assisted the Seward Rotary Club with their annual “Stuff the Cruiser” campaign.  She was a leader in the “Caps for Chemo” community service project, collecting and donating caps for area cancer patients.  She also is one of the leaders of the Homecoming festivities and decorations, as well as the SHS Prom this last year.

Madison plans to attend school beyond Seward High have not been decided, however she has decided to major in Elementary Education. 

The Seward Rotary plans to continue the program for next year and will again work with the SHS Counseling office. 

SHS Senior, Noah Fields was recognized and honored as the winner of the GFWC NFWC State High School Poetry Contest. He was sponsored by the GFWC Seward Woman’s Club and invited to present his poetry at their recent GFWC Seward Woman’s Club meeting on Wednesday, May 10 at the Seward Civic Center.  His poetry is now entered into the National Competition.  

There were five of the GFWC Nebraska Federation of Women’s Club’s State Literature Champions from Seward this year and they were the featured guests and presenters at the recent GFWC Seward Woman’s Club May Meeting, Wednesday, May 10^th at the West Fireplace Room in the Seward Civic Center at 1;30 pm.  They were all invited and ask to present their winning writings to the club’s membership.  They were guests of the club, along with their parents and presented a special framed Championship Certificate and a GFWC NFWC Anthology that featured their writing and announced them to be the State Champion.  

Honored at the meeting was Sawyer Wollenburg – with her poem”Atticus Milo”-Gr. 5, St. John Lutheran School, she is the daughter of Dr. Ryan and Anita Foor of Seward, Noah Fields- with his poem“Arabica”-Gr. 12, he is the son of Kevin and Deidera Fields of Seward, Gwendalyn Janda- with her short story “Super Girl”-Gr. 5- at Seward Elementary - she is the daughter of Ellie and Adam Janda of Beaver Crossing, Mackenna Wollenburg-“Beyond the Truth”-Grade 7- St. John Lutheran-the daughter of Dr. Ryan and Anita Foor and in the adult division-Ellen Chaffin in Poetry, representing the GFWC Seward Woman’s Club.

Each student and parents were introduced,  read their winning selection and were presented their awards. The five have been entered in the General Federation of Women’s Club’s Literature Competition, to be announced in June.  Ellen Chaffin, with the GFWC Seward Woman’s Club presented the certificates. 

Natalie Axt is named the May Seward Youth Rotarian and was honored at the April 26^th noon luncheon of the Seward Rotary Club at the Jones Bank basement.  She is the daughter of Jen and Scott Axt of Seward. 

Natalie is a longtime member and leader in the Seward High National Honor Society and has been a member of the SHS Honor Roll every quarter of her high school career.  She has received numerous P.R.I.D.E. Awards through teacher nomination and has participated in the Quiz Bowl program for two years.  She serves as a SHS Student Ambassador, as is one of the “official” hosts of Seward High.

She is a leader on the SHS Women’s Cross Country Team and made the SHS Women’s Varsity Team for the last three years.  She was a Nebraska State Cross Country Meet Team Qualifier for both 2020 and 2021 and was a member of the Nebraska State Cross Country State Championship Team in 2020.

Natalie is also very involved in the local SHS FFA program and received her “Greenhand Degree” in 2021 and won First Place in the District Plant Identification Contest in 2021.  She has received Bronze, Silver and Gold FFA pins as well as numerous Gold and Bronze FFA medals.  She is also been an involved member of the SHS FCCLA.

Outside of SHS, Natalie has been a longtime leader in Seward County 4-H.  She is the current Vice President of the Seward County 4-H Council and loyal member of the 4-H Junior Leaders.  She has served as the Junior Leader Secretary, Community Service Chair and spearheaded many community service activities involving the local Seward County Junior Leaders-such as many local cemetery clean-up days and creating and sharing care packages for the First Responders.

Natalie attends The Rock Lutheran Church here in Seward.

Since 2021, Natalie has been employed by the City of Seward as a Certified Lifeguard, also teaching lessons and working at the pool both 2021 and 2022. 

Her “Service Above Self” Community Service hours center on her FFA and 4-H Junior Leader Community Service activities –fielding over 50 hours of community service with Junior Leaders alone!  

She plans to attend in South Dakota State and Major in Nursing and Minor in Spanish.  Her goal is to step and and become a leader for my coworkers!

She was introduced and recognized and presented with Rotary mementos and a Seward Rotary Banner, and will receive a book scholarship.  She will also be recognized as one of the ten Youth Rotarians for this school year at the local SHS Honors Night on May 8^th, where they will select and honor one student as the Seward Youth Rotarian of the Year. 

The Board of Education has set the calendar for the 2023-2024 school year.  To aid in your planning, click on the link below to view the calendar.

2023-2024 SPS School Calendar

Calling all future Bluejays!!! Seward Elementary is now enrolling students for our 2023-2024 school year! Children are eligible to begin kindergarten if they turn 5 years of age by July 31, 2023. Please call the SES office at (402) 643-2968 to give us your child's information so we can get him/her added to our list. Save the dates: Our 23-24 Kindergarten Parent Meeting is on Thursday, March 16th at 7:00 PM, and Kindergarten Round Up is on Friday, March 17th from 9:00 - 10:30 AM.

Click on the link below to access the .pdf

2022-2023 SPS Reopening Plan