Author: Karen Dux

The Believers and Achievers program is sponsored by the Nebraska School Activities Association and U.S. Bank. This is a state-wide program that recognizes the future leaders in our communities.

There were three high school seniors from Fairbury Jr-Sr high school that were selected for this years Believers and Achievers program. Those students included Josh Robertson ’21, Brynn Novotny ’21, and Ellie Ohlde ’21. All three of these students display an excellence in academics and participation in NSAA activities. As well as show a commitment to citizenship, school involvement and community projects.

These three seniors applied for the Believers and Achievers program and were then judged on their scholastic achievement, NSAA activity participation, School involvement, Community Involvement, and a citizenship essay.

“There were a couple of reasons I wanted to apply, last year the ones that got [the Believers and Achievers award] were top notch leaders, so to be able to apply for the same thing they did gives me a good feeling,” Brynn Novotny said. “I always try to look for those leadership honors because it makes me feel like I’m doing the right thing.”

Robertson ’21, Novotny ’21, and Ohlde ’21 are the school honorees for the 2020-21 school year. There will be 48 outstanding students chosen by the NSAA from all of those who applied for the program where they will be recognized for their achievements at the half time of an NSAA state championship event.

While students got the day off of school, parents and teachers met on October 22 for parent teacher conferences.

The parents met with their children’s teachers to discuss and go over their child’s grades and how they have been performing in school.

“I think they’re a good way for teachers to talk to students’ parents,” Trayce Blas ‘23 said. “You would think that parents would want to hear how their children are doing in school and how they behave in school.”

This year’s parent teacher conferences had some differences like requiring parents to wear facemasks while in the school and also allowing for online meetings between parents and teachers.

“I feel like parent teacher conferences are not as necessary as they used to be especially when parents have access to powerschool everyday,” math teacher Julie Petersen said. “I also have 109 students so it is hard to meet with the parents of all my students.”