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Guest Speaker – Jenica Dietrich
In our 8th Grade Careers class, we have been learning about career clusters. This is to help us start thinking about our potential future career. We just recently had the opportunity for Jenica Dietrich to come talk to us about her career, an Insurance Agent with Cedar Valley Insurance Agency. She has been with CVIA for 9 years!
In college, she originally studied personal and athletic training and focused on sports, including softball in which she played. When asked the most difficult part of her education, she said it was test taking because she wasn’t the best at it, but later learned better test taking strategies to help. She earned a business minor, which Jenica said really helped her figure out how she could use that knowledge in other careers.
Jenica has been out of school since 2010. Right out of college, she lived in Norfolk, and started working at a daycare. Later, she opened up her own daycare after moving to Albion. With her business minor, she saw CVIA was hiring, so she decided to start looking into that.
To work in insurance you must complete tests online that are pass/fail, which took Jenica 3-4 months to study for. After passing, she was then hired at Cedar Valley. Jenica is certified in Property & Casualty, Crop Insurance, and Life & Health Insurance. To begin with, being an insurance agent is not a very profitable job, but that can be helped by working hard and advertising, meeting people, and recruiting customers to strengthen your business. Starting salary can be expected to be around $21,000-$24,000, but earned commissions on top of that.
An Insurance Agent covers anything where insurance is needed. A majority of Jenica’s time is handling car accidents and insuring new cars. Other things you’ll see in that career are covering businesses in case they would have to close or get struck by a natural disaster, getting newborn babies life insurance, and helping families through all the stages of life.
For work, Jenica gets to travel about two days a week. Clarkson is the furthest east site for CVIA offices, so Jenica covers a lot of the eastern part of the region, which includes northeast Nebraska and Iowa, and traveling to Omaha quite often. Jenica puts on about 3,800-4,200 miles a month traveling to meet customers.
Jenica says her favorite part of her job is meeting people and learning their stories. For example, when you insure a baby for life insurance, you get to follow that family through the good times and the bad. When asked her least favorite part, she said it had to be sitting at a desk and handling paperwork. Even though paperwork isn’t that bad, she would much rather be out traveling and meeting people.
Some advice Jenica left us with was to not limit ourselves in any aspect, and to do what we love, as for her this was playing softball, which she believes helped blend her interests into her current occupation. One big strength she mentioned was to be bilingual. The company is always on the lookout for bilingual employees, as CVIA has no bilingual employees and they want to be able to better communicate with all their customers.
Thank you Jenica Dietrich for taking the time to come educate us about this career! We as a class all enjoyed it and are curious to learn more about this area of careers! Thanks again!
By: Maizie Stoklasa
Bahns Automotive
By: Wyatt Langhorst
In Junior High Careers Class we have been learning about different careers. On Tuesday, February 28th, the class was lucky enough to hear from Michael Bahns from Bahns Automotive. We were glad he could make the time to teach us about his business, which he started in Clarkson about two years ago. Prior to owning his own shop, he got experience from other mechanic shops and dealerships he worked at.
He graduated from Milford with an Associate’s Degree in General Automotive Technology opposed to specializing in brands. He was third in his class and a dealership he worked at sent him to lots of trainings. He went to places like Texas and Kansas City and learned about new vehicles.
The best and most challenging part of this job is problem solving and diagnostics. There is a lot of gratification when you solve a problem. Having his own business, there are a lot of pluses like making your own schedule and good pay if you can establish your own business and customer base. Dealerships are also competitive and will pay for the skills of a valued employee.
While Mr. Bahns enjoys being self-employed it is also challenging because of taxes and keeping information for the state. He also has to balance the mass of customer’s big and small jobs with the workload necessary to get everything done. Although it can be chaotic, he enjoys the relationship he has with customers and his parts vendors.
Mr. Bahns recommended that getting into this field, you should work for someone first. This will let you learn from their experience and build your own. When he looks for an employee, he wants someone ambitious, willing to learn, punctual and someone able to develop a skill set. He wants someone who wants to learn and grow over the course of the job.
In high school Mr. Bahns was interested in computer programming and robotics, but he was also interested in the automotive industry. What really drove home to him that this was to be his career, was working on his own vehicle. This experience with his own vehicle showed him that one day he wanted to own his own shop.
His advice to the Careers Class was to plan ahead and figure out what it is you want. Owning his own business was a lot of work and he wouldn’t have been able to do it without proper planning but he believes it was a worthwhile investment.
Here are you 2023 State Speech Qualifiers.
Program of Oral Interpretation: Ashly Guillen
Humorous: Drew Beeson
Informative: Teagan Baumert
Poetry: Samuel Pocasangre
Duet Acting: Drew Beeson and Samuel Pocasangre
Oral Interpretation of Drama: Drew Beeson, Teagan Baumert, Korbin Lemburg, Alyssa Gurnsey
Fall High School softball signups for anyone interested in playing softball for the 2023-2024 school season will be in the Clarkson Gym lobby on 3/26/2023 at 6:30 pm. Contact Coach Dietrich with any questions.
The 4th graders are learning about the homesteaders of Nebraska. If you have family or know of members who settled in Nebraska in the late 1800s or early 1900s please share your story! We want to learn from local members of our community. Please contact Tami Sayers to share what you know or come present to the class! Email tsayers@clarkson.esu7.org or call the school at (402)892-3454.
Ella Kappel has earned her State Degree. Congratulations Ella on 3 years of recordkeeping and FFA participation!
Clarkson-Leigh Junior/Senior Prom will be held at the Clarkson Opera House. The Grand March will start at 7:30 pm with doors opening at 7:15 pm.
Football Banquet will be Sunday, March 12th at 5:00 pm at the Leigh High school gym.
District 5 STAR events in Humphrey on January 25th! A total of 6 members attended this event. Placing 1st and qualifying for state in Focus on Children in Level 2 was Teagan Baumert. Placing 2nd and qualifying for state in Chapter in Review: Display in Level 3 is Cadence Indra, Ella Kappel, and Alyssa Gurnsey. Placing 1st and qualifying for state in Chapter in Review: Portfolio in Level 1 was Chloe Indra and Ava Baumert. Amazing start for the chapter in bringing in some new hardware!
2021- 2022 yearbooks are available! Please see Miss Sedlacek before or after school to purchase or pick it up if you have already ordered one. The price is $47 through December 2021 ($52 after December 31).
Please click here to view the PDF version of the March 2023 newsletter.pdf
UPDATED 3/14/2023
Driver’s Education Class
Instructor: Thomas King
Phone: 402-750-8264 Email: King5bluejay69@gmail.com
Cost of class- $300 made out to Tom King and must be paid by the first class meeting. Includes $30 maintenance fee to high school, in-person classes, and due to high fuel cost is the reason for the price increase from last year.
Learner’s Permit or School permit if you’re 14 as of Friday, May 26- You must obtain a valid one before driving with me, please bring it with you at all times, and I’ll take a copy of it. The driver’s license office is open in Stanton every other Wednesday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 pm; Schuyler Thursdays 8:30-12 and 1-4:30: Madison Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30; and Columbus Monday-Wednesday and Friday 8:30-4:30. You have to be 14 before October 15th of this year to take Drivers Ed and then turn in your permit # to Amy Gurnsey ASAP.
There will be written assignments, videos, driving, guest speakers, and some significant interactions along the way. You are responsible for attending all class times, honoring your drive times, and turning in your book to get credit for the class.
CLASS DATES: (Tentative Dates and times) to be Taught at Clarkson High School.
Tuesday, May 23, 2023 Class 8-1 Group drives 1-8
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 Class 8-1 Group drives 1-8
Thursday, May 25, 2023 Class 8-1 Group drives 1-8
Friday, May 26, 2023 Class 8-1 Group drives 1-8
Once the driving schedule is set up, you’re expected to drive during your scheduled times. If an emergency comes up call me ASAP or try and switch with someone else and let me know. You have to do drive one before drive 2.
Snacks and drinks are allowed, and you must clean the classroom and the vehicle otherwise, no one will get the privilege. Cell phones aren’t allowed during class time or while the vehicle is moving.
The first drive will be 7 hours per group of 2 students. It will consist of 1 hour in Clarkson/Leigh and then switch drivers. Then we will drive country roads to Norfolk. We will drive roundabouts, the Walmart parking lot, one-way, railroad tracks, and going thru a drive-thru where you will need $ to order something. Then we will switch drivers each hour of the drive.
Day 2 of driving will consist of driving to Omaha and around, stopping for dinner your choice, so bring $. We will switch drivers and head back to our final drive destination, and you will also drive back to Clarkson/Leigh after the final test.
Clarkson Public School Plan for Safe Return 2021-22 (1).pdf CLARKSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS’S PLAN FOR USE OF ESSER III FUNDING.pdf
read morePhysical Forms will be available in the school office or on the website. Click here for a PDF version of the NSAA Sports Physical Form for grades 8th-12th PHYSICAL FORMS: Nebraska law requires children upon entry into Kindergarten, 7th grade, or transferring from an out-of-state school, to have a physical examination within 6 months prior to school entrance. Nebraska law requires children entering Kindergarten, 7th grade, or transferring from an out-of-state school to provide proof of vision evaluation within 6 months prior to school entrance. This evaluation is to include testing for ambylopia, strabismus, internal and external eye health, and visual acuity. This basically means: 1. Out of state transfer students, Kindergarteners, and 7th graders must get a physical and vision exam prior to the start of school. 2. Regarding the vision exam: The elements of this eye exam can be done by any health care provider (including MDs, ODs, PAs, APRNs) and DOES NOT require an eye specialist. Of course an exam by an eye specialist is also acceptable, but it is . . .
read moreFriday, March 17th - Breakfast - omelet & tritator Lunch - sub sandwiches, nachos & cheese, fresh veggies, fruit, salad bar, milk Monday, March 20th - Breakfast - empanada Lunch - hamburger, fries, fruit, salad bar, milk Tuesday, March 21st - Breakfast - waffles and ham Lunch - scalloped potatoes and ham casserole, cheese stick, garlic bread , fruit, salad bar, milk Wednesday, March 22nd - Breakfast - oatmeal Lunch - taco salad, corn, fruit, salad bar, milk Thursday, March 23rd - Breakfast - strawberry bagel pull-aparts Lunch - chicken nuggets, baked potato, pretzel, fruit, salad bar, milk Friday, March 24th - Breakfast - yogurt parfait Lunch - grilled cheese or tuna salad sandwich, green beans, soups, fruit, salad bar, milk (Chef Salad is available as a meal option for grades 7th-12th.) (Menus subject to change.) . . .
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