Verdigre Community Chorus presents "Tribute to Legends" on Thursday, June 7 and Friday, June 8 at 7 pm each evening at the handicapped accessible air conditioned school in Verdigre.
This show will feature musical legends and is sure to keep everyone entertained till the end. General admission tickets are available at the door $8 for adults and $4 for children under 12. To purchase a reserved seat for $12 contact Wilma Vakoc 402-358-0724. Verdigre Community Chorus is directed by Laurel Johnson and Nancy Pavelka is accompanist. Recital-Animato 2018 was a merry, musical afternoon at Alpine Village on Sunday, May 6. The multi-generational audience heard tunes from Beethoven to the Beatles. They saw snowmen being built, a submarine surfacing and Pacific Ocean Wayfinders from the Disney movie Moana. Of course, the punch fountain was as popular as ever. Alpine Activities provided cookies and superb hospitality. Entertainers were the music students of Katie and Leroy Hollmann: Brook Strom (guitar) from Lynch on guitar; Gannon (guitar), Grier and Tatum (piano) Edholm from Bloomfield; and from Verdigre Kasen Kazemba (guitar), Jaeli Miller (ukulele), Max (accordion & piano) Hollmann and Heidi (piano) Hollmann.
May 2 was the last day of class for Verdigre’s seniors. They showed off their graduation garb and colorful signs.
The 3rd annual STEM Night at Verdigre Public Schools took place Thursday, April 12. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. This event is a great way of making all of those subjects fun to learn about.
All ages took part in the event and partook in things like VPS's first Goosechase and the inaugural flight of the VPS drone. The night will included many breakout sessions such as 'Elephant Toothpaste' which the younger kids love. Other sessions included: Fubuki Fun, Kano You Do It, Dot N’ Dash Robots, 3D Printer, and Think Quick Glowstick. On Monday, April 2nd The Bohemian One Stop re-opened their doors after a fire that left the building destroyed. It’s been almost a year since the fire and owner, Ryan Zerbe, is happy to see it open.
Zerbe says the fire was started by a stove set to self clean mode, there is no way to know if the stove caused something to catch fire or if the stove itself malfunctioned. The only area left of the old building is a small area where the floors have black tiles adorned with the words “kus minulosti cast budoucnosti” which means “a piece of the past, a part of the future” in czech. Zerbe says he chose the name Bohemian One Stop because the Verdigre culture and heritage is Czech. The new building doesn’t just look better, but it is almost 3 times its previous size. The public is very excited about new additions, especially the beer cave. Zerbe also added new commercial cooking equipment. He continues to cook and has a weekly menu. The store is fully stocked with everything from candy to alcohol and even has a dining area with a tv so people can sit and enjoy their food. After such a tragic fire and a long wait, the public and Zerbe are more than thrilled to have the Bohemian One Stop open for business. A Verdigre student received the prestigious state degree on Friday, concluding the 90th annual Nebraska State FFA Convention at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.
Alexis Hrbek received the state degree. “It goes beyond playing an instrument or singing in the choir.” - Mr. Pete Pavlik
Music education is sometimes thought of as a course that isn’t essential to student enrichment. However, many students would disagree with that logic. March was Music In Our School Month, and most students recognize music class as one of the most enjoyable classes. Especially when they have a teacher like Mr. Pete Pavlik. Mr. Pavlik currently teaches music in Verdigre, which was originally his hometown. Music is in his blood, as he comes from a family of musicians and music teachers. He was inspired by his family to get involved with music from a young age. Pavlik took his own music education to the next level by attending multiple schools for music, including piano tuning school, USDS and finishing up at UNO. While searching for teaching jobs, he taught in bigger towns such as Omaha but always had the goal of getting back to Verdigre. Smaller communities are closely knit. Pavlik enjoys teaching in this community especially because he knows everyone and thinks he can make a bigger impact on the children. He believes the music program has been gaining momentum. Before Pavlik came to Verdigre, Mrs. Dinklage had built up the music program. He hopes to continue building momentum and progressing. Pavlik says he has been trying to get his students involved in many concerts, contests and clinics. “It is important to give them the opportunity to perform in front of parents and grandparents.” Verdigre student, Isaac Cook, doesn’t just see Pavlik as a music teacher. “Mr. Pavlik is one of two people on this earth to ever make me passionate about something. He taught and is still teaching me everything I know about music.” Cook goes on to explain how students often spend more time with their teachers than they spend with their own parents. Teachers have a great impact on kids. “If a teacher can instill passion and character like Mr. Pavlik does, then that teacher is a gem.” Pavlik doesn’t take all the credit for giving these kids a great experience with music education. He also says how vital the boosters are in ensuring music education in Verdigre is a great experience. The little music room is full to the brim with instruments, some were purchased by the school while others were donated by the community. Pavlik believes that music and art really help the kids get a well rounded education. “It’s not just learning notes and playing instruments, it’s working together, it’s learning to think logically, it’s good social skills, it’s commitment.” Cook, as a student, agrees that music is essential to education, saying “Music gives us a chance to be free. It gives us the chance to create something beautiful as a way of relieving stress.” He believes it has helped shape him as a person, not just as a musician. Pavlik teaches 7-12 graders and says music teaches them to help one another. With such a variety of skill, the kids need to learn to work together and help each other learn. The younger kids often look to the older students as role models. When asked about what schools would be like without music in them, Pavlik just stated “I can’t imagine being without it.” Not only did Megan and Isaac Cook help earn the state championship title for their team at State Speech but they each earned themselves a gold medal as well.
Megan Cook earned herself first place in the Entertainment category while her brother, Isaac Cook, won first place in the Humorous category. Stephanie Shakespaere took first in the two categories today at the 2018 Class D2 State Speech held at the University of Kearney. She placed first in both the Serious And Poetry.
Verdigre took the championship spot at the 2018 Class D2 State Speech held at the University of Kearney today.
Stephanie Shakespaere took the gold in both the Poetry and Serious category. She will be bringing home three gold medals including the team championship. Brother and sister Isaac and Megan Cook both took home golds as well. Isaac Cook takes first in Humorous while Megan Cook takes the gold in Entertainment. |