Sleepy Eye Elementary School March 2022 Students of the Month

Kdgn- Joey Seifert                    Kdgn- Lennon Braulick

1^st –    Bristol Nachreiner            1^st –   Ava Todd

2^nd–    Avery Steffl                      2^nd –  Kyson Christensen

3^rd –   Zoey Romberg                 3^rd –  Bella Eckstein

4^th –   Arianna Guerra                4^th –   Robert Ehlers

5^th –    Carsten Nienhaus             5^th –  Abigail Krzmarzick

6^th –    Madelyn Martinez             6^th –  Ava Sellner

From left: Brooke Arneson, Gunny Coulson, Alex Joramo, Mason Sellner and Adam Johnson.

by coach Alyssa Stevensen and Mindy Berkner

As things eased back to normal, the Sleepy Eye Public High School knowledge bowl team had big goals for the season. The team of juniors Brooke Arneson, Gunny Coulson, Adam Johnson, Alex Joramo and senior Mason Sellner made it a priority to make it to the state tournament this year.  Last year’s state appearance by this team (sans Sellner) was bittersweet as Covid precautions altered the experience (local tournament location and online).

This year things were back to normal and the stakes were higher.  Could they be two time state qualifiers? The start of the season brought them a few meet finishes just out of medal contention by mere points. As the season progressed, the team fell into a stride as they qualified through the subsection and section meet. Then regions came.  In each of the five rounds they climbed the rankings and by the end of the final round they claimed 2nd by two points to earn them a spot at state.

Coaches Mindy Berkner and Alyssa Stevensen are very proud of how hard they work to stay on top of their game, from weekly practices, to working on their own to gain knowledge in a wide array of topics.  One of the highlights of the season was the team vs the teachers mock meet.  The team won and earned the admiration of staff.

The state meet will once again be at Cragun’s resort on Gull lake in April. Everyone is very excited to take part to see how Sleepy Eye Public stacks up against the state’s best and brightest students.

By: Chapter Reporter, Brooke Arneson 

Member of the Month

Conor Strong is in 11th grade and has been in FFA for 2 years. He joined FFA so that he could participate in all of the fun activities that are offered. His overall favorite FFA activities include the volleyball tournaments and lock-ins. Conor is most looking forward to joining the trap-shooting team in the upcoming year. From FFA, he has learned that teamwork is everything, and farming is an important part of our lives. Conor is proud of earning multiple ribbons from the crop show.

Member of the Month

Jon Baures is in 12th grade and has been in FFA for 6 years. He joined FFA because he really likes agriculture and it has helped him learn more about livestock, which is something he wants to work with after he graduates. For Jon’s SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience), he raises beef cattle on his family farm and then sends them to Nebraska to a processing plant where they get butchered. One of Jon’s favorite FFA activities is the lock-in. He is most looking forward to the State FFA Convention. From being in an agriculture class, Jon has learned about numerous other animals besides beef cattle. An award that he is most proud of earning is the Greenhand and Chapter Degrees.

Member of the Month

Rylee Jennissen is in 8th grade and has been in FFA for 2 years. She joined FFA to learn more and explore the different parts of agriculture. Rylee is on the Milk Quality CDE (Career Development Event) Team. She likes her CDE because she gets to be part of a team and work together with others to help each other learn. Rylee’s favorite FFA activity is the Milk Quality Competition. She is looking forward to the state competition for Milk Quality in April. From being in an agriculture class and FFA, Rylee has learned how important agriculture is to our economy. Rylee is most proud of her Discovery Degree and this Member of the Month Award.

Officer of the Month

Leisha Martinez is in 11th grade and has been in FFA for 5 years. She joined FFA to be more involved in school activities. She also joined because her whole family was in FFA, which influenced her to get involved at a young age. Leisha has been serving as the Reporter for our FFA Officer Team. As the Reporter, she enjoys capturing moments in FFA activities so anyone can look back at the photographs and remember all of the fun memories that were made. She is on the Nursery and Landscape CDE Team. Leisha likes the challenges that her CDE brings, and likes to learn about cool plants, trees, insects, and tools. Her favorite FFA activity is to make holiday cards for the nursing home residents. Leisha is looking forward to her CDE competition the most this year. By being in FFA, she has learned how to speak in front of people. A fun fact she also learned from being in an agriculture class is that octopuses have three hearts. Leisha is most proud of earning the Phoenix Award.

                 February 2022 Students of the Month

Kdgn- Mavrik Saenz               Kdgn- Amilya Moldan

1^st – Samuel Petersen            1^st – Giovanni Marquez

2^nd– Noah Briones                  2^nd – Kaybree Haala

3^rd – Hudson Braulick             3^rd – Brayden Deibele

4^th –Kelly Rodriguez                 4^th – Briella Walser

5^th – Aaron Garcia                   5^th – Laylana Hoffmann

6^th – Kenley Jensen                 6^th – Karly Wendinger

Kiara Murphy

Kayden Klein

Kayden Klein (Sleepy Eye Public) qualified for the state MathCounts competition by placing 3rd out of 70 regional competitors on February 17th.

The Region VI FFA interviews were held on Wednesday, February 16 for Proficiency Award Applicants.

Agricultural Proficiency Awards honor FFA members who, through supervised agricultural experiences, have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers.

Nationally, students can compete for awards in nearly 50 areas ranging from agricultural communications to wildlife management. Proficiency awards are also recognized at local and state levels and provide recognition to members that are exploring and becoming established in agricultural career pathways.

Five Sleepy Eye members completed Proficiency Applications. The Region VI results were:

Morgan Hoffmann – 1^st place in Ag. Communications

Emma Fischer – 1^st place in Dairy Production Placement

Jake Price – 1st place in Landscape Management

Adam Johnson – 1st place in Poultry Production

Isaac Lendt – 1^st place in Swine Production Entrepreneurship

The Proficiency Applications will now go to the state level and the State Proficiency Judging will take place in March.

Sleepy Eye FFA Excels at Ag. Bowl Contest at SMSU. Front row (L to R): Chloe Howe, Daniel Armstrong, Paige Thoms, Rylee Jennisen, Nayzeth Luna, Brooke Arneson, Megan Sellner, Paige Haala, Nora Coulson, Maria Galaviz-Camacho, Hannah Meyer, Jace Schauman, Alex Confer, Mateo Hornsby. Second Row (L to R): Noemi Rodriguez, Izzy Kunkel, Katelyn Capacia, Presley Bauer, Miah Brown, Brissa Hernandez, Cadence Okerman, Yanellie Fernandez, Lily Kallevig, Maddison Helget, Sam Price, Taylor Berkner, Jaelynn Schauman, Yuri Fernandez. Back Row (L to R): Morgan Hoffmann, Jacob Schutz, Wyatt Barnes, Jake Price, Tim Fulton, Gavin Fischer, Nolan Weicherding, Nathan Rathman, Mackenna Fischer, Abi Hornsby, Manny Poplow, Adam Rodriguez.

By: Leisha Martinez
Chapter Reporter

40 Sleepy Eye FFA chapter members competed in several Career Development Events (CDE’s) at the SMSU Ag. Bowl on February 11th, in Marshall including: Small Animal Vet Science, Forestry, Floriculture, Milk Quality, Best Informed Greenhand, Soils, Meats, and Fish & Wildlife.

For Milk Quality, the Sleepy Eye Team placed 1^st out of 17 teams. Team members include:  Katelyn Capacia (1^st), Megan Sellner (3^rd), Rylee Jenissen (4^th), and Jace Schauman. In the MQ Contest, students identify cheese and their characteristics, identify off flavors in milk, and judging dairy vs. non-dairy products as well as identify their milk fat contents. They also take a knowledge test on dairy production, management, and marketing.

The BIG Team or Best Informed Greenhand Team took an exam on FFA including:  history, officers, facts, and parliamentary procedure. Team members include: Yanellie Fernandez (8^th), Adam Rodriguez, Chloe Howe, Manuelle Poplow, Lily Kallevig (6^th), Cadence Okerman, Izzy Kunkel, Noemi Rodriguez, Tim Fulton, and Nolan Weicherding. The team placed 2^nd in the contest.

For the Soils Contest, Maddison Helget (2^nd), Mackenna Fischer, and Nathan Rathman (7^th) competed for Sleepy Eye FFA. The team placed 2^nd out of 12 teams. In the soils contest, members judge different soil profiles, and identify soil characteristics, including texture, depths, and erosion potential.

The Floriculture teams earned 3^rd Place out of 27 teams for Ag. Bowl. Team members include: Brooke Arneson (3^rd), Morgan Hoffmann (10^th), Presley Bauer, and Nayzeth Luna. The Floriculture CDE tests student knowledge of flowers and plants, growing media, fertilizer, greenhouse management, design concepts, and the floriculture industry. They also are tested on their identification skills of annuals, cut flowers, greenhouse crops, and floriculture equipment and tools. The final part of the Floriculture CDE is problem solving dealing with pricing, calculating media and fertilizer, production schedules, floral design, and safety for chemical use.

Other members competed in Small Animal Vet Science and Fish & Wildlife. For Vet Science, Brissa Hernandez, Nora Coulson, Paige Haala, Paige Thoms, Taylor Berkner, and Miah Brown competed. Miah was the top scorer on the team. The Vet Science team members were tested on their knowledge of common pets, pet health, vet science terms & skills, and animal anatomy. An identification of different species including: dogs, cats, birds, fish, parasites, rabbits, and other animals kept as pets is also a large part of the contest. The team was 18^th out of 36 teams.

The Fish & Wildlife competitors included: Jake Price, Jacob Schultz, Abi Hornsby, Mateo Hornsby, and Wyatt Barnes. Jacob was the top scorer on the team. The Fish & Wildlife contest consists of three parts: identification (mammals, fish, birds, insects, reptiles/amphibians), a knowledge test, and a current events activity on lake quality. The team placed 11^th out of 32 teams.

The Forestry Team members included:  Hannah Meyer, Sam Price, Daniel Armstrong, and Jaelynn Schauman. Daniel earned top scorer on the Sleepy Eye team and the team was 4^th out of 9 teams. For the forestry contest, members identify trees, wood, and tools used in the forestry industry; measure trees; take a forestry exam; solve business management problems; and use a compass and pacing to figure out the bearing and distance.

For Meats, the team members identified the different cuts of beef, pork, and lamb.  Trevor Rathman, Maria Galaviz-Camacho, Gavin Fischer, Yuridia Fernandez, and Alex Confer. The team placed 15^th out of 23 teams. Maria was the top scorer on the team.

Sleepy Eye FFA is proud to have these students work hard and excel at an Invitational Contest. Congratulations to all of the team members!

Ten FFA members from Sleepy Eye were interviewed for their State FFA Degrees on Wednesday, February 9, 2022. Pictured left to right – top: Alexis Garza, Brennen Meyer, Carmen Lendt, Katelyn Capacia, Jacob Schultz. Bottom: Maddison Helget, Presley Bauer, Sophie Kyllonen, Taylor Lambrecht, and Wyatt Barnes.

Leisha Martinez (middle) was slated for the Region VI FFA Reporter position for 2022-23 at the Region Interviews in Westbrook. Grecia Navarro (left) and Sophie Gustafson (right) served as the Sleepy Eye voting delegates.

  The Region VI FFA interviews were held on Wednesday, Feb. 9 for Region Office, State Degrees, and Region Star Awards.

This year, ten Sleepy Eye FFA members applied for State FFA Degrees. The State FFA Degree is the second highest degree attainable in FFA, behind the American FFA Degree.

In order to receive a State FFA Degree, the following qualifications must be met. Having a Chapter FFA Degree, being an active FFA member, completing at least 2 years of agricultural classroom instruction, having earned and invested at least $2,000 or worked 300 hours through an SAE, as well as completing at least 25 hours of community service.

The members who applied for the State FFA Degree included: Alexis Garza, Brennen Meyer, Carmen Lendt, Katelyn Capacia, Jacob Schultz, Maddison Helget, Presley Bauer, Sophie Kyllonen, Taylor Lambrecht, and Wyatt Barnes.

Sophie Kyllonen was named the Region VI Star in Ag. Production Placement on Wednesday after she interviewed for this honor. Her SAE is in Dairy Production Placement as she has worked at three different dairy farms in the Sleepy Eye area. Kyllonen will now advance to state competition in this award area.

Region VI Officer Interviews were also held. Becoming a Region Officer helps FFA members be more active in FFA beyond the chapter level. Serving on an elite team of FFA Members simulates working with others in a professional work environment.

Sophie Gustafson and Grecia Navarro served as the Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter voting delegates for the Region Officer Interviews. They voted on the 2022-23 Region VI Officer Slate. Leisha Martinez was elected as the Region VI 2022-2023 Reporter.

FFA helps teach specialized skills in hundreds of agriculture career areas. Opportunities such as this can add up to big life achievements!

The FFA members will receive their State FFA Degrees at the State FFA Convention in April at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.