The following are points of interest for the Bennet/Palmyra area.

School Events

Community Events

Business Information

School Events

Current School Activities

Read the Weekly Calendar and View the Monthly Calendar (Click OR1 Home Page to view Month) District OR1

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Long Distance Learning

After an erratic start the Long Distance Learning classroom is up and running. Eight students are enrolled in Physiology, which is a yearlong high school course taught by Mr. Ellison from Lewiston. Five students are enrolled in Psychology, which is a semester college credit class taught by Mr. Johnson from Southeast Community College at Beatrice. These classes are welcome additions to our curriculum. Students should be sure to consider long distance learning when planning their class schedules. These classes are listed in the registration booklet and are updated as necessary through special announcements.

Preparing for Graduation

Seniors should be completing their search for a college before Christmas. This process might include attending open houses and college fairs; studying college catalogs, view books, and websites; and visiting with college representatives, college students, and alumni. After narrowing the selection to approximately three colleges, the applications should be completed and mailed.

Meanwhile seniors should be seeking scholarship opportunities and meticulously completing the necessary paperwork. Seniors who have not prepared a resume should do so as soon as possible. A complete an up-to-date resume makes applications easier to complete. FASFA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) forms usually arrive in late November and cannot be submitted until after the first of the year.

EXPLORE TESTING

The eighth graders participated in a norming study for the ACT program entitled EXPLORE. This test is a comprehensive assessment program which will provide information about a student’s present level of preparation in English, math, reading, and science, plus details about interests, needs, and plans. Each student received a planning guide along with an EXPLORE student report. There was no charge for the EXPLORE testing through this study. The test was given on October 26-28.

Southeast Community College Offers Classes to Area High School Students

Southeast community college, Transportation Division, will be offering sections of Automotive Technology in January. These classes will begin January 10, 2000, at the Lincoln Campus. The time offerings for these classes are as follows: Orientation and Auto Shop Technology, 3.5 credit hours, 8:00-9:50 AM; and Engine Operation and Design, 3.5 credit hours, 10:00-11:50 AM (Both are offered Monday through Thursday with the first class as a prerequisite for the second.)

Prior to enrolling, students will need to contact the Assessment Center to schedule a time to take the COMPASS ENTRANCE EXAM. Any student who wishes to enroll in one of these classes must meet all requirements prior to the start of class. Requirements include meeting the minimum entrance exam requirements, completing a college application, and registering for the class. Contact Mrs. Hill for further information or for assistance with the registration process.

TESTS, TESTS, TESTS!

In OCTOBER the Sophomores had the opportunity to take the PLAN Assessment which predicts a student’s ACT score by measuring performance in the areas of English, math, reading, and science. It, also, provides the students with feedback from an interest inventory, which indicates how their interests match certain careers. We are waiting for the results.

Meanwhile, the Juniors had the opportunity to participate in the PSAT assessment, which predicts SAT scores and provides scholarship opportunities. We are waiting for the results. In November, the Juniors will take the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery). This is an excellent tool for career counseling and measures performance in areas that are not usually assessed, such as, auto and shop information, mechanical comprehension, and electronics information.

The Juniors and Seniors had the opportunity to register for the Act Test, which was given on Saturday the 23^rd of October. The next test date is December 11, and, with the registration deadline being November 5, the results of the October test may not arrive in time to assist with the decision concerning whether or not to retake the test in December. Juniors who plan to attend a four-year college should take the ACT this school year. Many students retake the test to improve their scholarship opportunities. We now have CD-ROMs entitled ACTive Prep, the official electronics guide to the ACT Assessments, which can be checked out for use in the computer labs. These practice exercises give the student confidence and improve their test taking skills. The ACT is given five times a year in October, December, February, April, and June. Contact the guidance office for registration packets and registration due dates.

Successful Food Drive

The members of the Student Council and the National Honor Society volunteered to assist with a community food drive in Bennet on Sunday, October 17. Twenty-six students arrived at one o’clock and were divided into groups headed by area residents. The groups were assigned certain sections and set out to canvass the town for food donations to the newly organized community food pantry located at the Community Church. The project was finished in time to be ready for the marching bands’ performances at Palmyra Public Schools football field beginning at three o’clock. The event was a great success. It evolved students ranging from grade 7 to grade 12. The sponsors, Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Peterson, were very pleased with the impressive turnout and the excellent display of community spirit.

Palmyra FFA Members

American Degree Recipients

Charlotte Brugman, Curt Dowding and Ben Wertman of the Palmyra FFA will receive the American Degree at the upcoming 72^nd National FFA Convention . The convention will take place in Louisville Kentucky October 28-30 for the first time with over 50,000 in attendance. This is the largest annual youth gathering in the world and an impressive educational experience.

The American Degree is the highest award the National Organization can bestow upon a member. FFA members earn the award by participating in the FFA for at least three years, conducting an approved Supervised Agricultural Experience program with records, participating in leadership activities, having a satisfactory scholarship record in school, receiving the State Degree and remaining a member at least one year after graduation from high school.

Charlotte earned her degree in production agriculture. Curt and Ben each earned their degree in agriculture placement. They will be honored in a ceremony Saturday the 30^th with a luncheon to follow the ceremony.

Palmyra Land Judging

The freshman team of Rachel Cheney, Steve Otradovec, Brad Cheney and Brad Ourada Participated in the State Land Evaluation Contest Wed Oct. 20th in Seward. They participated against 22 qualifying teams from across the state who participated in area contests.

They finished 18^th in the state in a contest where over 70 teams and 700 individuals started in their local contests. The team won the Southeast area at Beatrice to qualify for the State contest.

National Chorus participant

Jennie Parrish was chosen to be one of the 114 National chorus members at the National FFA Convention during the week of Oct. 26-30 in Louisville Kentucky.

Students fill out recommendations and send in audition tapes to be selected for this honor. Thousands of students apply for this mail order chorus. They practice early in the week and then perform at the Business sessions and special meetings during the week.

Mrs. Ternus

Spanish

WOW! It’s hard to believe the year has started, let alone we’re into November. As Spanish students, we have chosen authentic names and buried ourselves into the new curriculum. Spanish I has learned basic conversational pieces, such as: asking what someone’s name is, their age, how they are and where they are from. They have become talented singers, while learning their subject pronouns to a song.

Spanish II and III are taking a detailed look at clothing. They are able to describe clothes, buy and compare clothing in the Spanish language. The Spanish students were fortunate enough to take a look at National Hispanic Month, September 15- October 15. We investigated our own heritage, drew graphs representing the class’ heritage and used the computer lab to find out more information on influential Spanish individuals. We watched El Rey Leon (The Lion King, in Spanish) to demonstrate that there are many items in our community, which we have access to.

English

The seventh grade English classes have been working on Study Skills. We learned how to take organized notes and make them into visual guides, to assist their organization. We have completed a chapter of grammar in our new curriculum. We are continually reading a personal book. They are writing a sentence per chapter, summarizing the important events. They will make a collage, representing aspects of their book. Before October 15, 1999 they will present these in front of the class.

Drill Team

The Drill Team had an eventful summer. Several car washes, working the firework stand, and selling tupperware were just a few of the fundraising we did this summer. We attended a four day camp at the University of Ne-Lincoln, where we learned several new routines. We have performed at the football scrimmage and Homecoming Football. We will be having a parents meeting before the basketball season starts. Look for more information to come!

Be a SPORT

Mr. Brown...Flag football. The sound of this may bring visions of a lazy Sunday afternoon in a park where fun is to be had by all. NOT! When you put 30 duffers on a field with a football and two goals something happens. The brain seemingly takes frequent vacations and the mouth is in charge. It happened after the referee threw a flag on a teammate that set up a sure opponent score. It was clear to the entire world (at least my world) that this referee had been watching a different game, was related to the receiver in the play, or was just plain incompetent.

After a couple of minutes of letting him know his lack of judgement skills, I realized that I had three very special fans in attendance. They were watching me play football (actually they were playing in the dirt) and learning from my actions something quite contrary to the message I’ve been telling them about competition. Winning isn’t everything. As long as you try your best you’ll be the winner. I’ll be proud of you know matter the outcome. Sportsmanship is the most important part of playing sports. Although I didn’t call names or use bad language in my frustration, all of my positive messages could be seemingly shot down in an afternoon of watching dad play football.

In summary, we talked about this event after the game. I tried my best to explain why this happened, and they understood that I’m just a grownup. We tend to do stupid things without thinking. The following article was from Sports Illustrated for Kids and can be found on the web at http://www.sikids.com/ I hope you find it insightful or at least interesting. As our kids’ athletic seasons continue, I’m sure they will be looking to their most important models when identifying their own individual role.

FOUL PLAY! PARENTS AND COACHES CAN SAVE GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP FROM EXTINCTION by Mickey Rathbun

When a superstar athlete misbehaves, his antics make headlines and TV news everywhere including, most likely, in your house. Your child gets a lesson in sportsmanship, whether you like it or not. And it probably isn’t the kind of lesson you like.

What young athlete didn’t hear about the incident in which Baltimore Oriole second baseman Roberto Alomar spit at umpire John Hirschbeck after the ump had ejected him from a game? Or about Chicago Bull forward Dennis Rodman kicking a courtside cameraman? Or stories of the day-to-day trash talk and showboating that go on in many NBA games? Not surprisingly, as bad sportsmanship becomes more prevalent on the pro level, it seems to be more common on junior levels as well. "If the pros get away with trash talking and other bad behavior, who else do [kid athletes] have to emulate?" asks Linda Petlichkoff, a professor of sports psychology at Boise State University.

Two recent examples of this trickle-down trend:

• A high school football player in New Mexico charged into a ref, knocking him unconscious. Why? The ref had ejected the player for unsportsmanlike conduct.

• A Massachusetts hockey league for 10-year-olds banned postgame handshakes because of rough behavior between players during the handshake line.

WINNING IS EVERYTHING

Why can’t athletes behave? The prime obstacle, according to sports psychologists, is the win-at-all-cost attitude many parents and coaches—and our culture, in general—instill in kids. Even adults who try to teach kids that "It’s how you play the game that matters" are hard-pressed to compete with advertisements that tell youngsters winning is everything. Take the sneaker advertisement that ran during the Atlanta Olympics: "You Don’t Win Silver. You Lose Gold." Good sportsmanship—playing by the rules, respecting opponents and officials, and exalting hard work over outcome—is "one of the most important life lessons," says Judy Dixon, who teaches tennis at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and runs tennis camps for children. "Most of us go through life not being what society calls ‘winners.’ You need to teach kids that it’s okay to lose. Everyone has a place where they excel, and it isn’t necessarily sports."

What can parents and coaches do to instill notions of fair play and good sportsmanship in children? Plenty, say sports psychologists. Here’s some advice from four experts to whom we spoke.

SOUL-SEARCHING

Parents should start with some "personal introspection," says Karen Partlow, national director of the American Sport Education Program, in Champaign, Illinois. "Ask yourself what you want your child to learn through playing sports . Do you want your child to be rich and famous or a good person?"

Of course, those things aren’t mutually exclusive. But if Mom is pushing Junior to win, win, win so that he can get a college scholarship or break into the pro ranks (both extremely unlikely), chances are that some fair-play precepts may get lost along the way.

Partlow suggests parents embrace healthy and attainable goals for their children’s participation in sports, such as developing new skills, learning to get along with others, and dealing with the emotions that come with winning and losing. Once you have determined your goals, help your children set attainable goals, such as learning a new play, giving their all in practice and games, and controlling their anger after bad calls or mistakes.

START YOUNG

Experts agree that kids should be taught good sportsmanship as soon as they begin playing in a sports program. This way, being a good sport becomes a natural part of their behavior. "Even when children are toddlers, you can begin to talk about consideration, respect, and fairness," says Dr. Michael Simon, a sports psychology consultant in New York City. "As your kids become older and more observant, ask them to give examples of behavior that reflect these concepts. If they can’t, help them think of some." For instance, Simon adds, "when an opponent gets injured during a game, it’s a sign of respect and consideration to clap for him when he gets up to leave the game."

BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL

Children model the behavior of adults they admire, and parents are generally No. 1 on that list. So make sure your own sportsmanship is impeccable. Don’t just cheer for the home team. Show your appreciation when the opposing team makes a good play. After the game, whether your child’s team has won or lost, congratulate the opposing team for playing well, and shake hands with the coach. If a call goes in favor of your child’s team but you see the call was wrong, speak up. And never, ever say anything derogatory about a coach or player; kids learn to criticize from adults.

STANDARDS AND CONSEQUENCES

Set clear standards of behavior and enforce them with a system of consequences. "If your child misbehaves and the coach doesn’t acknowledge his behavior, talk to the coach in private later," says Alan Goldberg, a sports psychologist in Amherst, Massachusetts. "Let the coach know that your child’s behavior on the field is not acceptable."

Regardless of what the coach does, you are ultimately responsible for teaching your child good sportsmanship. After the game, talk to your child about his behavior and, if appropriate, punish him. If your child is really misbehaving on the field, perhaps you should bench him for a future game.

Dallas Cowboy star quarterback Troy Aikman was once given a not-so- private lecture by his mother after he yelled at his coach during a Little League game. Troy had objected to the coach putting in a player who Troy did not think was very good. "When I yelled at Troy, it definitely made an impression," recalls Charlyn Aikman. "I wanted him to consider the feelings of others. To this day, Troy respects other players, as long as they try their hardest."

IT’S HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME

Experts agree that parents , coaches, and kids should define success as trying your hardest, not by wins and losses. Indeed, "when a young athlete equates his self-worth with winning, it’s a losing proposition," says Partlow.

"A parent's reaction to winning or losing is really key," says Dixon. "When your child comes home after a game, don’t just ask, ‘Did you win?’ Instead, ask your child, ‘Did you have fun? What did you learn? How did you play? How did the team play? What did you do well? What could you have done better?’ "

TEACH YOUR CHILD TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY

When your child loses, don’t blame the officiating, the weather, faulty equipment, teammates, or some other factor. Parents should help children "accurately assess their performance, to acknowledge and take responsibility for it," says Partlow. It’s also important to acknowledge superior skill in other players.

Of course, there will be times when referees and officials miss a call. Remind your child that the officials are doing the best they can and that missed calls are just part of the game—and of life.

DISCUSS WHAT YOU SEE

When watching sports events with your children, take advantage of the opportunities to discuss what you see. "Whether a player is arguing a bad call, kicking dirt, or simply cursing another player, the parent has a wonderful opportunity to talk about the situation, who is right and wrong, and how the problem could have been resolved without the negative type of behavior," says Simon.

Likewise, there are a lot of good sports out there, so point out examples of good sportsmanship, such as the player who gives a helping hand to an opponent who has fallen down or a player cooling down a teammate who has lost his temper.

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

Above all, says Partlow, to build good sportsmanship " parents must demonstrate unconditional love for their children, and coaches must demonstrate unconditional respect for their athletes. They should say, ‘Regardless of how you played tonight, that doesn’t change how I feel about you as my son or daughter or my athlete.’ "

With proper nurturing by parents and coaches, good sportsmanship can be saved.

ACTIVE WATCHING: Use spectator sports to teach sportsmanship

Whether you’re watching a youth soccer game or viewing the world series on TV, you can use what you see to discuss appropriate behavior. Here are some ideas to get started:

• When a player loses his temper, ask your child how the player might have handled his anger differently.
• When a player misses an easy shot or loses a key point, discuss what she does to collect herself and get back into the game mentally.
• If an athlete disagrees with an official’s call, see if he lets his anger and disappointment throw off his game. Point out the consequences of moping over a call.
• When a player showboats after scoring, ask your child how she thinks that makes the opponent feel.
• If a player or coach is penalized for arguing with an official or fighting, discuss how the penalty hurts the entire team.
• Note examples of opponents acknowledging one another’s good plays.
• At the end of the game or match, watch to see whether the players shake hands and part amicably.

ARE YOU A GOOD SPORT?

A checklist for parents and kids:

• Always play by the rules.
• Don’t lose your temper.
• Cheer good plays made by either team.
• Don’t talk trash or tease or goad opponents.
• Win or lose, be sure to shake hands with opponents and officials after a game.
• Don’t yell at teammates for making a mistake. Never criticize teammates or coaches on the sideline.
• Admit your mistakes instead of making excuses or blaming others.
• Try your hardest on every play, even if your team is losing by a lot.
• Point out incorrect calls when they go in your favor.
• Don’t argue with calls that go against you.
• Don’t show off.
• Have fun!
• from Sports Parents magazine, June 1997

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Community Events

Palmyra Action Committe to Meet

Palmyra Action Committee (PAC) is a community based group to inform the public of issues that are of concern to the community.

Anyone interested in the betterment of their community is encouraged to attend. Tuesday, November 30 at 7:00 p.m. in the Activity Center, 425 C Street, Palmyra

 Bennet Builders

Bennet Builders recelty wrapped up a successful burger sale.

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Business Information

Bush Pines of Bennet

Bush Pines of Bennet is 13 minutes form lincoln, with minimal Subdivision covenants. There will be paved streets, water, sewer, gas, electric, cable, and phone. Trees and treeless lots are both available.Five hundred dollars will hold the lot for YOUR builder. Call 475-7755 for more information.

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