Building and Fandom

            The 2015-16 school year is in full swing.  The students and staff have done a great job of coming back and building on where we left off last year, which makes it an exciting time at Tekamah-Herman Schools.  Luckily, the weather has cooperated until this past week.  We had to dismiss early on two days because we had temperatures approaching 90 degrees in classrooms.  With limited circulation throughout the building and humidity rising, it doesn’t cool well overnight.  The conditions make it difficult on our students to learn and reaffirms the need to address building deficiencies sooner rather than later.

            Another exciting aspect of the beginning of a new school year is the activities.  With new faces in new places, it is always interesting to see how our students compete against others.  Specifically in athletics, I would like to pose a challenge to our fans and student body.  I want us to be the best, most positive fan base we can be.  When I travel for conference meetings or to away contests, a recurring theme from other schools is that they view us as one of the “worst” fan bases they encounter each year.  That is a little disheartening because I know we have great people and athletes who are passionate about their activities.  However, there seems to be too much emphasis on the negative aspects (a missed call by an official, a perceived poor decision by a coach, an inadvertent mistake by a player) instead of promoting the positives.  The NSAA awards fans of schools Sportsmanship Awards at each State Tournament.  I cannot wait for the Tekamah-Herman fans to be the recipient of such an award because of how we approach the game.  While no fan base is innocent of the occasional outburst, WE can directly control how WE conduct OURSELVES.  This means each individual conducting him/herself how they would want their child to act.  After all, our youngest fans are watching everyone else and taking a cue from them how to cheer for the Tigers.  I would love to be able to attend the next conference meeting to hear how “great” our fans are, because I know we are.  Have a great week and Go Tigers!!

Welcome Back!

            Welcome Back!!  The 2015-16 school year has begun with much excitement and anticipation.  With the new beginning, there have been a few changes that should be addressed.  The first is daily bus routes for out-of-town students in the district.  The Board of Education approved a policy change that eliminated daily routes, instead paying mileage to parents for transporting students.  There is a service available that runs between Tekamah and Herman schools for use, but no daily pick-ups at home sites.  Eligible families, under the new policy, should have been contacted.  If you believe you are eligible and have not been contacted, please get in touch with an administrative office at school.

            The second big change you may notice in Tekamah is upgraded safety and security measures.  There has been a concerted effort to bolster video camera presence in the building to cover each accessible portion of the school.  This video is archived, to be accessed later if necessary, and is a precautionary measure taken to keep the building safe.  Also, the entry doors have been made more secure.  There is now keyless entry with a functioning card at each major entry/exit point.  Additionally, the high school and elementary main entrances have been equipped with a buzzer system for entry.  Now during the school day, if a visitor wishes to enter the building, he/she must first push a button to be identified with audio and video before the door being unlocked for entry.  These safety features a preventative measures to keep the building safe and secure.

            Finally, the upgrades to the gymnasium have been completed.  The floor received a new paint job and resurfacing, the old bleachers have been replaced with updated seats that meat code requirements, and the lighting has been replaced.  With the lighting replacement, it is expected to use about 20% of the electricity that had been common in the past, creating an operational savings.  Also, there are rebates available on the lights that also allowed the Board to save money on the project.  The gym looks fantastic and these upgrades should improve the competition facility for both participants and fans.  Have a great school year and I look forward to anyone visiting our buildings!