Several members of the Indian Lake/OHP FFA Chapter detailed their recent experience out west during February’s regular monthly board meeting.
In January, 21 members of their chapter, along with members of the Shelby High School FFA, went on an eight-day field trip to the National Western Stock Show and Sale in Denver, Colo.
Freshman Hunter Gross explained his favorite part of the stock show and sale was looking through the history museum dating back decades.
“We could see how genetics have changed and how cows looked back then versus how they look now,” he said.
Along the way to Denver, students also made stops at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the St. Louis Gateway Arch to learn about the settlement of the Louisiana Purchase, Kingman Ranch in Kansas to study breeding, and Lariate Feed Yard near Dodge City.
Senior Nikita Scheifele explained that just looking out the windows of the bus offered an educational experience.
“We got to see different landscapes and the geography of the west. We also observed different types of irrigation systems and how the four-lane highways were built with tunnels underneath to allow movement of the cattle on the plains.”
After visiting the National Stock Show and Sale, the group visited several other agricultural stops on the way back including Hawkeye Breeders in Iowa where they got to see breeds not found in Ohio, the Meat Animal Research Facility in Nebraska where they learned about farm animal breeding efficiency, and the John Deere Company in Illinois where they saw the construction of farm equipment. The final stop was the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
ILHS/OHP FFA Adviser Tanner Schoen said the trip was partially funded by the Indian Lake FFA Alumni, a local farming sponsor and the students themselves. He hopes to offer the opportunity to go on this trip every four years.
Also during the board meeting, district treasurer Coleen Reprogle reported that the annual audit will be complete this week and the final report will be issued at the end of March.
In other action, the board:
• accepted the Rotary Community Grant of $1,185.15 for the middle school garden project;
• accepted the donation of $170 to the high school art club, $130 to the high school vocal music, $130 to high school instrumental music from various donors in memory of Courtney Hubbard; accepted the $250 donation from Kevin & Melanie Barnes to the middle school student fund, accepted the book donation from Jane Austin in the value of $10, and accepted the donation of $750 to the Class of 2015 Memorial Scholarship Fund from the Cardinal Health Foundation;
• extended the following supplemental contracts: Megan Dudgeon, ninth-grade softball; Sarah Beres, assistant swim; Renee Metzger, volunteer track;
• approved assistant technology coordinator Carter Aten, starting March 2, 2020 for 70 days at a daily rate of $165.73; limited contract
• accepted the resignation of Holly Baker, high school science, effective at the end of the 2019-20 contract;
• approved 2020-21 membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association; and
• adopted a resolution in accordance with Senate Bill 216, permitting the district to administer the third-grade English Language Arts assessments in paper format for the 2020-21 school year.
The next board of education meeting is at 6:30 p.m. March 16, in the board of education office, located at 6210 N. State Route 235, Lewistown.