Summer Wrap Up/ Back to School E-Update

Summer Wrap Up & Back to School Edition

WELCOME BACK!

On behalf of the Officer Team, we would like to welcome back all of our new and returning students! Advisors, as well as the officers are looking forward to the upcoming year, and we can't wait to get to know all of you. As much as we can't wait for the summer, we'd love to give you a brief summer recap so you can see what the Holton Ag Ed Program has been up to these past couple of months! It is going to be a great year. - Grace Utz, Holton FFA Reporter

FFA Alumni and Supporters is Firing Back Up!

After a few years being dormant our FFA Alumni chapter is getting started again. Erika Allen is leading the charge and is putting a board together to help get the organization going again. If you are interested in helping out please be on the lookout for more information soon. One note: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A FORMER MEMBER to be a part of FFA Alumni. Thank you Mrs. Allen and the other volunteers for getting this going again.

2019 State Proficiency Winners Get National Rankings

Our two State Proficiency Champions from 2019 have been evaluated at the National level. Kortnee VanDonge received a national Gold Ranking in Veterinary Science Placement for her work at Banner Creek Animal Hospital.  Bridget Kucan received a national Silver Ranking in Beef Production Placement for her experiences at T Bar T Angus in Effingham. Great Job Ladies. 

Holton Receives 3 Star National Ranking

Our chapter has once again received a 3 Star National Gold Ranking in the National Chapter Award Program. After finishing, 8th at the state level our application that contained our best 3 Growing Leaders, Strengthening Ag and Building Communities activities was evaluated at the National level.

4 Seniors Take Ag Internship Class

Four of our senior students are taking the Agriculture Internship Class this semester. These students supervised by Mr. Bartel are released from school for a block and go work every other day to gain some practice experience in an Agriculture Career Area of Interest. Bridget Kucan is placed at the Holton Recorder, Cailin Parks is working for the Jackson County Farm Bureau Association, Aidan Androes is interning at Riley Electric, and Chris Roush is at the Jackson Farmer’s INC Feed Mill. A big thanks to these local businesses for giving these students a tremendous learning opportunity.

Students Update Summer Experiences and Work on AET

Agriculture students are in the process of updating their summer work experiences and activities on our online recordbook system AET. AET stands for the Ag Experience Tracker. Students can not only keep track of their finances and records, but also generate resumes, upload action photos of their skills and generate FFA award applications. Good Luck to everyone updating summer records. Parents if you can help students capture some good action photos of their work and projects that would be outstanding.

Bartel Selected for National FFA Band
Congratulations to FFA Sophomore, Katina Bartel, for being selected to the National FFA Band. She plays the clarinet and is the first student from Holton to be selected to this group. She will join over 100 elite musicians from across the country to practice and perform the entire week of National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. Good luck Katina, we are proud of you.

Members Gain SAE Resources through Tractor Supply Gift
Thanks to a generous donation from Tractor Supply, students that came to the HHS/HMS open house on Monday, August 12 had the chance to get some free items to help grow their SAE programs at home and make them more efficient. Tractor Supply donated hinges, latches, hooks, hangers, brackets, and all kinds of hardware and equipment that students could use on the farm or in their shop/garage. We look forward to hearing how students used these items and seeing pictures of how they impacted their projects. Thank you Tractor Supply.

This event was open to current Ag Ed students plus 6 and 7th graders that are planning to be in FFA in the future. 

A lot of dollars worth of equipment were given away on August 12.

Officers Grow their Leadership Skills at SCCL

This summer, July 1st-3rd, the Holton FFA Officer Team attended Summer Camp for Chapter Leaders, SCCL. During the three day time period the officers had time to sharpen their leadership skills, learn the importance of each of their own office positions, team organization and event planning, along with a community service project. The officers are excited to bring back several ideas and events that they worked on and planned over the camp. For the community service project, the officers along with all the other officer teams prepared and packaged macaroni and cheese meals. Overall the officers had a great experience and benefited immensely
from the camp!

Signing Day - Ag Ed Open House was a Success

Thursday, August 22nd, marked the second Ag Ed Open House: Signing Day. We had a splendid turn out, there were 26 members in attendance and several had parents and siblings with them. The signing day was a success, after pledges were signed and pictures were taken, parents were dismissed to go with Mr. Larison & Bartel, while the members stayed with the officers. Members had a chance to ask the officers any questions that they had, and the parents also had a chance to ask the advisors questions. Once all the questions were asked by members the officers led them in a few small games. All in all the night was a success and everyone had a great time!

4 Year Member Bridget Kucan was one of 26 students to sign the "I believe Pledge..." on Thursday evening.

HMS offers Agriculture Class for 8th Graders

8th Graders Gavin, Carter, and Abbot conduct an experiment in Exploratory Agriculture class.

New this year, Mr. Larison is teaching an Exploratory Agriculture class for 8th graders. We have around 28 8th graders that are taking this class either first or second semester. Every blue day, the students come over to the high school first block to take the class in our agriculture department. Also, this year we will have some middle school FFA activities. Be on the look out for some of the cool things these students are doing. The first week we are learning about good scientific research through a tomato research lab in class.

Sign up for REMIND

Our FFA chapter will be using remind this year as an additional form of communications. If you have not signed up for the Holton Ag Program/FFA on remind you can add us by searching for @holtonag on the app.

Remember to Connect with us on Social Media.

Be sure you are friending us on facebook or following us on Twitter and Instagram. We will be posting numerous updates of happenings in the chapter and classroom this year.

Mr. Bartel completes Welding Training
In the beginning of June, Mr. Bartel attended the Airgas Level 100 - Welding and Cutting Training in Salina, KS.  At the two-day crash course, hosted at Salina Tech College, Mr. Bartel studied and tested over general safety, oxy-fuel cutting and welding, basic electricity, plasma arc cutting, shielded metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding and gas metal arc welding. The course included hands-on shop experiences that were located on Salina Tech College campus.  “It was great for me to realign with what is taught at the technical college level and what industry is wanting from welding students,''says Mr. Bartel. This training will help Mr. Bartel as he continues to teach Ag mechanics and welding students here at Holton.

Mr Larison begins term as District VP for KAAE

In July, Mr. Larison started his 2 year term as the District Vice President for the NE District Kansas Association of Agricultural Educators (KAAE). During this term of service he will attend state KAAE executive committee meetings, chair district business meetings, attend inservice and help guide the ag teachers from across the district as they serve Kansas FFA members.

UPCOMING EVENTS

-September 12 - Chapter Meeting

-September 18 - Greenhand Conference

-September 25 - NE District Land, Homesite, and Nursery/Landscape CDE’s