The 2023-24 school year was successful and we are already looking forward to next year. The 2024-25 school year will see many changes in our staff. We are losing some very important individuals; some who have served our school for many years. At the end-of-year faculty party, I likened it to a basketball coach losing his entire starting five. We lose some exceptional people. There is a severe teacher shortage in Nebraska and throughout the entire country. We are very, very fortunate to fill our positions. There is always a lot of praying at the end of the school year when it comes to hiring new staff. Our prayers were answered as we look to next year.

We see teachers retiring or moving on like Mrs.Pam

Smith – 5^th Grade, Mrs. Linda Kirkendall – Secondary English, Mrs. Erin Waller – Secondary English, Fr. Ken Hoesing – Religion, Mr. Sebastian Boelhower – K-12 Music, and Mrs. Judy Parrish – Lunchroom Manager. Wow! These people gave so much of themselves to our school, our students, and all our families. It is hard to express how thankful I am to have worked with these people. They were outstanding at their jobs. Some taught my own children. Mrs. Kirkendall even taught me in high school. Judy Parrish was our lunchroom manager, a position that my mom, Doris Goltz, worked for many years before. Mrs. Smith taught my son Matt twice; in Kindergarten and then again in 5^th grade. We will miss all of them! They touched so many lives.

We have new staff members that are very talented and will bring their talents to our school. Miss Katie Stoller will teach Secondary English. She comes to us from Lincoln where she taught at Cathedral Catholic School. Katie is from Falls City and previously student-taught at Falls City Sacred Heart. Mrs. Kylee Reschke will teach Secondary English/Technology. Kylee comes to us after teaching several years at Hiawatha High School. She is a veteran teacher and her children attend Sacred Heart School. Mr. Eric Stevenson returns after teaching this past year at Christ Lincoln School. Miss Mackensie Nelson will teach 5^th Grade. She will be a first-year teacher who student-taught at Mound City. She is a Sacred Heart graduate and knows us well. Fr. Anthony Bedient will teach Religion and be the Pastor at St. Anne, Shubert and St. Mary, Dawson. He taught this past year at Lourdes Central Catholic. Abbey Huntsman returns to work in our lunchroom and Lisa Dougherty will move to the position of Lunchroom Manager. We welcome all of them to the Sacred Heart family.

The fiscal year for our school ends on June 30. It’s important that all families have all their tuition bill paid by this date. Also, all Preschool tuition needs to be paid in full. Lunchroom bills need to be paid. Contact the office to make these payments. Our office staff is closing out this fiscal year so it’s important that these bills are paid by June 30. Families should contact me if there are extenuating circumstances and other plans need to be made.

Thank you to Sacred Heart Scrip for donating $7500 to our school. Kerry Tramp and Sue Bieker head up this program. Each year, Scrip makes a sizable donation to our school. Thank you for all who buy Scrip as this is an important fundraiser for our school. This year’s money will be used to help pay for the HVAC work done this year. The Siemens HVAC system and the McElroy’s new boiler have been integrated to work together. New controls were installed throughout the building. Work was done by McElroy’s. This should save us money over time as the system will be more efficient. The $14,000 from this year’s Shrimp Feed will also be used for this project. That money was originally designated for our new basketball shot-clocks but with Falls City Mercantile and Farm & City Supply sponsoring the shot-clocks, we were able to redirect the shrimp feed money to the HVAC project.

Finally, thank you to all who supported Sacred Heart this year. Thank you for your prayers and your financial support. We are fortunate to have so many people who love and support us.

Sacred Heart School – a family educating heart, mind, body and spirit for this life and the next.

Divinely Blessed: Here's to the Mighty Irish

While reflecting on the highlights of the past school year, one keeps coming to mind: the learning of the school song. During the past couple of years, I noticed that our students didn’t know the words to our school song. They could play it in the band or hum along to it in the stands, but they didn’t even know words to the song existed! In full transparency, I don’t remember when I learned the words during my education at Sacred Heart, but I found myself singing along at pep rallies and ball games. When I decided to teach the song to all our students, our first task was to find a copy of the words. Angela (Wolfe) Simon and I sat in my office and tried to write them from memory, but we were stuck on a couple spots. Luckily, I knew that Debbie (Marx) Lemerond would be able to help me out with an official copy. (Alumni: Before reading further, test yourself on the words!) Catholic Schools Week presented the perfect opportunity to teach the entire student body the words. In 20-minute sessions, groups of students filed into the RAC and jumped right in to the tutorial session. By the end of the day, nearly 200 students joined in the singing of the school song . . . without cheat sheets.

Since then, we have been singing it together at pep rallies, team sendoffs, and games. Every Friday morning, grades K-4 sing it to start the day. If older students happen to be in proximity when the first bell rings, they are called in to lead it for us, usually willingly. It is especially fun to “catch” them singing it on their own. Mrs. C, our 3rd grade teacher, captured a video of her girls singing it while swinging at recess. Students also request to sing it during guidance class where we also talk about the words. What does it mean to be “loyal, brave, and truthful?” What does our song say about sportsmanship whether the “score is low or high?” What does it mean to “reach up for the highest score of honor and virtue bright?” On our final day of school this year, we celebrated with games and a picnic on the playground, ending the day by singing the song before our final prayer to wrap up a great year of educating students for “this life and the next.” (I would love to know more about the history of the song. When was it written and by whom? I looked through the history book published in celebration of our first 100 years with no luck. If any alumni reading this have some insight, please share! Next year we will learn the Irish Fight Song, so if you know anything about its history, please share that as well.) SACRED HEART SCHOOL SONG “Here's to the mighty Irish, team the will do or die. To you we will be loyal, though the score be low or high. Here's to our lads and lassies fighting with their might and main. To reach up for the highest score of honor and virtue bright. Three loud cheers for dear ol’ Sacred Heart, swell our song. Rah, rah, rah, colors white and green they'll wave on. Loyal, brave and truth will ever stand, [dear ol’ Sacred Heart]. Although the team of opposition shows a mighty strong position we will fight, fight, fight for Sacred Heart.”

QR code for the Irish School Song video:

From Skepticism to Appreciation - Fr. Rynearson

I will be the first to admit that in May 2023 when I first heard that the graduation at Falls City Sacred Heart would take place in the Church with Eucharistic exposition and benediction to close out the ceremony, I was a bit skeptic. “What is this going to look like? What will the logistics be? Why?” These are but a few of the questions I had. However, when graduation time came around and I witnessed this long-time tradition at Falls City Sacred Heart, my skepticism turned to appreciation.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly communicates to us that the Eucharist is not only the real and true presence of Jesus Christ, dwelling among us, but it is also the source and summit of the Christian life. Also, the goal of any Catholic school is to, among other things, aid parents in the spiritual formation of their children. Therefore, concluding the final exercise our students go through at our school with the most important truth of what we believe is a wonderful expression of the faith our school has aimed to nurture.

Because of all these reasons, I do have an appreciation of this tradition at Falls City Sacred Heart. My prayer this summer is that our students and families continue to grow in the reality that is the Eucharist: our God is not distant, but he is close, and he cares about you! May we always be thankful for the gift of the Eucharist and strive to live in the community of Christ and our brothers and sisters.

K-6 students performed to a packed Roh Activity Center for their spring program. Songs were sung as a group and additional music was provided by the 4th grade and their recorders, the 5th grade band, the 6th grade band, and the 5th & 6th grade line dancing. Another amazing program!

May Crowning

Rainy skies dictated this year's May Crowning take place in the Church. Students brought their flowers forward and Kindergarten students, Mary Tedman, daughter or Matthew and Michelle Tedman and and Noah Kopf, son of Brandt and Kathy Kopf proceeded to the altar with the crown of flowers for Mary.

Gratitude - Pam Smith

Leaving the place where you have had the honor and privilege of working for forty-five years of your life involves a multitude of emotions. However, when I think of leaving teaching full-time at Sacred Heart the emotion that I feel that is the strongest; is gratitude.

I am grateful to Sister Joan who took a chance and hired a “yet to graduate” twenty-one year old to fill the third/fourth grade position that was opening up in January. I am grateful to all the Sisters of Charity with whom I taught. They taught me how to be firm but kind, strong but soft, and how to model Jesus in my classroom, especially Sister Mary Alma who was so kind and helpful during my first year and Sister Elizabeth who was a great principal.

I am grateful for Monsignor Roh who truly knew how to make a person feel like they made a difference. He expected a lot, but never more than he himself did. As a matter of fact, he did much more than he asked of anyone. It is Monsignor Roh who showed me the beauty of being Catholic and, though he never pushed, he nudged quite often and I am grateful for that. I am grateful for all the priests I have had the opportunity to work with. I am very blessed to have taught with every one of them and they all have a special place in my heart and prayers.

I am grateful for all the fantastic people I have worked with over the years When we say Sacred Heart is a family, we really mean it. I have been blessed to work with the hardest working, most dedicated, best faculty and staff anywhere. You all are one of the reasons it is so hard to leave, I have loved spending my days with you, it is going to be so different not seeing you each day. Thank you for your friendship and support. I would like to extend a special thank you to Doug and Jenny for your support. You are an amazing administrative team. Not many teachers can say they taught their principal in Kindergarten, but I can, and am very happy I got to teach her, teach with her and teach for her.

I am extremely grateful to the parents who have trusted me to educate their children to the best of my ability, thank you very much for sharing your children with me, it has been my pleasure to get to know them and watch them grow.

I am grateful to each and everyone of the students I have taught. From my first class to my last, you have blessed my life in so many ways, if not for you I would not be the person I am. So, thanks for spending a year (or two if I had you in Kindergarten and Fifth Grade) with me, it was awesome!

So, thank you Falls City Sacred Heart Catholic School Community. It has been so much fun! I am not going far, I will see you all at games, programs and performances as my grandchildren move through the grades. There is the old saying that the days may be long, but the years are short. It is so true, sometimes it is hard to believe forty-five years have passed, I am glad I got to spend them here.

HYGIENE DRIVE - Thank you to everyone in the school who contributed to Student Council’s Hygiene Drive! Some of the Student Council members are pictured below with all the items that were collected. Pictured are: Isabelle Nussbaum, Hayden Clow, Henry Rottinghaus, Saylor Hutfles, Kyler Sipple, Leila Frederick, Ethan Neddenriep, Brenden Lemerond, Lexi Brewer, Makinley Scholl, Vaughn Lenard, and Clayton Keithley.

Doug Goltz to be Inducted into Nebraska Coaches Hall of Fame

Sacred Heart Coach Doug Goltz will be inducted into the Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame on September 19th in Lincoln.

Doug is recognized as one of Nebraska's most successful and versatile coaches as he has led Sacred Heart to 30 state championships in football, boys basketball and boys an girls track since 1987. He continues to add to the record 700 plus wins in boys basketball where his teams have an 11-0 record in state championship games. He has 341 football wins and 8-0 in championship games.

Doug will be inducted into the National High School Coaching Hall of Fame during he National High School Coaches Assn. Hall of Fame Banquet on June 25, in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Doug also excels as our Chief Administrative Officer!

First Communion in our Parishes

2024 Seniors

Lexi Brewer, daughter of Becky and the late Mark Brewer, is the youngest of three children. “Angie Taft would be the teacher that influenced me the most because she always teaches and cares if her students understand their work,” Brewer said. After graduation she plans to take summer classes at Crowder College and major in the Vet Tech program. If money, talent and location, were no object, Lexi’s dream job would be getting to work with large animals and be outside.

Madison Dougherty, daughter of Mike and Lisa Dougherty, was born in Falls City and has three siblings. Her favorite high school course is advanced video production because she loves making videos for the school and the community. Madison plans on attending Southeast Community College in Lincoln to get her associate degree in nursing. “When I leave, I’m going to miss the family-like environment at Sacred Heart,” Dougherty said. Madison’s most embarrassing high school memory was when she fell over in her desk in Linda Kirkendall’s classroom on the first day of freshmen year. If Madison could choose one song to play every time, she walked into a room, she would choose “Fancy” by Charli XCX and Iggy Azalea.

Elle Falk, daughter of Alesia Coetzee and Andrew Falk, was born in Nebraska City. She is the oldest out of five half siblings. Her favorite school lunch is chicken noodle soup. “My favorite school course is math because it always came easy to me but still challenged me,” Falk said. After graduation, Elle plans on attending Southeast Community College to study radiology. She will miss the how small the school and classes are when she is gone. Her most embarrassing high school memory would be The Addam’s Family skit sophomore year.

Leila Frederick, daughter of Sean and Marsha Frederick, was born in Falls City and has two brothers. Her favorite high school course is art because it’s a class she can relax in and can depend on her creative ability. “My most embarrassing high school memory was when I was running backwards in track warmups, and I face planted in front of everyone,” Frederick said. Leila plans to attend Peru State College and eventually end up at the University of Nebraska Medical Center to become a nurse. If money, talent and location, etc. were no object, Leila’s dream job would be to be an anesthesiologist because she thinks it would be interesting and is a needed profession. Leila described her senior years as “stressful, bliss and bubble.”

James Froeschl, son of David and Kate Keithley and Eric Froeschl, was born in Falls City and has two sisters. His favorite school lunch is crispitos, and his favorite high school course is drama and film because he gets to watch fun movies with his friends. James isn’t sure what he is doing after high school but knows he is not going to a four-year college. “When I’m gone, I’m going to miss seeing my friends every day,” Froeschl said. If James could choose one song to play every time he walked into a room, he would choose “Un Poco Loco” from the movie “Coco.” The three words James would use to describe his senior year are, “It was fun.”

Saylor Hutfles, daughter of Julie Deckinger, was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and is the oldest of two. The Sacred Heart tradition Saylor is most proud of is open house because it brings everyone together to celebrate the start of a new year. Saylor plans to attend Southeast Community College in Lincoln for dental assisting and plans to work with an orthodontist. If Saylor was stuck on a deserted island she would bring a lighter, a battery pack charger and blueberries. If money, talent, location, etc. were no object, Saylor would be a stay-at-home mom. “I could always have my house clean and have my own chickens and cows,” Hutfles said.

Zach Kafer, son of Joy and Tedd Bebermeyer, is the oldest of five children. His favorite high school course would be teacher’s aide because he can help Mary Darveau, the school custodian, around the building. After graduation Zach plans to stay on the farm and help his dad. “Linda Kirkendall would be the teacher that most influenced me because she made sure I always had my assignments turned in on time,” Kafer said. Zach’s favorite school lunch is crispitos.

Vaughn Lenard, son of Danitra Dill and Jason Lenard, was born in Falls City and has four siblings. If he was stranded on an island he would bring a camper, a charger and his phone. After high school Vaughn plans to go to Southeast Community College in Lincoln to study in business. If money, talent and location were no object, he would own a billion-dollar company and hire people to do his work while he lives in Florida. “I’m going to miss not having adult responsibilities when I leave,” Lenard said. Vaughn’s favorite high school memory was the senior homecoming skit, and he described his senior year as “fun, stressful and easier.”

Makinley Scholl, daughter of Chad and Janelle Scholl, was born in Hiawatha, Kansas, and is the youngest of two. Her favorite high school course is anatomy, because she likes learning about the human body. Makinley is attending Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri to play volleyball and study radiology. “When I’m gone, I’m going to miss the school’s environment and the people,” Scholl said. Makinley’s most embarrassing high school memory was when she nailed her art project to the table. If Makinley was stuck on a deserted island she would bring a blanket, water and her phone.

Joe Simon, son of Steve and Angela Simon, was born in Falls City, Nebraska, and has two older siblings. His favorite school lunch is orange chicken, and a Sacred Heart tradition he’s most proud of is the taco feed during homecoming week. Joe plans to attend Southeast Community College in Milford for trade. If he could pick one song to play every time he walks into a room he would pick “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. If Joe was stuck on a deserted island, three items he would take would be water, food and knives.

Jack Stice, son of Julie and Donnie Stice, was born in Falls City, Nebraska and is the fourth child out of five. After graduation Jack plans to attend Southeast Community College but is unsure of what he wants to study. If money, talent, and location were no object, his dream job would be to compete as a pro athlete so he can be wealthy and stay in shape. “My most embarrassing memory would be freshman year summer weights when I fell over doing barbell lunges,” Stice said. If Jack could describe his senior year in three words it would be “fast, exciting and fun.”

Saylor Hutfles, Leila Frederick, Madison Dougherty, Makinley Scholl, Lexi Brewer, Elle Falk.

Zach Kafer, Joe Simon, Jack Stice, James Froeschl, and Vaughn Lenard.

THANK YOU TO FALLS CITY ELKS LODGE #963 FOR THE ICE CREAM SUNDAES!

Falls City Sacred Heart School Quarter 4 2023-2024 Honor Roll

Green (94-100%)

7th Grade

Carlee Bailey, Rachel Bauman, Ava Bletscher, Josie Bletscher, Payten Georges, Brynlie Jones, Kinley Lechtenberg, Bailey Lemerond, Aiden Scheitel, Kemper Sipple, Macy Taft ,CeeJay Tisdel, Andrea Volmer, Elin Vonderschmidt, Stella Waller, Kamrie Wilson, Cash Witt, Treydon Witt

8th Grade

Adrian Coetzee, Ryann Westengaard

9th Grade

Hayden Clow, Emersyn Courtney, Renee Drummond, Willa Fritz, Kayden Groth, Hallie Jones, Isabelle Nussbaum, Charlie Rottinghaus, Ellery Vonderschmidt

10th Grade

Mason Goltz, Parker Hoffman, Avery Santo, Kyler Sipple, Cole Taft, Daycee Witt

11th Grade

Evan Bailey, Adisen Fischer, Kyle Frederick, Patrick Froeschl, Destry Groth, Clayton Keithley, Addison Keller, Jentry Lechtenberg, Ethan Neddenriep, Connor Nelson, Jocelyn Olberding, Annika Reschke, Henry Rottinghaus, Cole Schawang, Connor Tubbs

12th Grade

Alexis Brewer, Madison Dougherty, Elle Falk, Leila Frederick ,James Froeschl, Saylor Hutfles, Vaughn Lenard

White (91-93%)

7th Grade

Lena Delaney, Jenna Geisendorf, Noah Howard

8th Grade

Austin Bangert, Milayna Crofford, Mya Dougherty

9th Grade

Alise Reschke, Allarie Wilson

10th Grade

Eli Geisendorf, Cooper Knobbe, Brenden Lemerond, Alex Madsen

11th Grade

Thomas Aitken, Tate Wilcox

12th Grade

Zachary Kafer, Makinley Scholl, Joe Simon, Jack Stice

Falls City Sacred Heart School Semester 2 2023-2024 Honor Roll

Green (94-100%)

7^th Grade

Carlee Bailey

Rachel Bauman

Ava Bletscher

Josie Bletscher

Jenna Geisendorf

Payten Georges

Brynlie Jones

Kinley Lechtenberg

Bailey Lemerond

Aiden Scheitel

Kemper Sipple

Macy Taft

CeeJay Tisdel

Andrea Volmer

Elin Vonderschmidt

Stella Waller

Kamrie Wilson

Cash Witt

Treydon Witt

8^th Grade

Adrian Coetzee

Ryann Westengaard

9^th Grade

Hayden Clow

Emersyn Courtney

Renee Drummond

Willa Fritz

Kayden Groth

Hallie Jones

Isabelle Nussbaum

Charlie Rottinghaus

Ellery Vonderschmidt

10th Grade

Eli Geisendorf

Mason Goltz

Parker Hoffman

Avery Santo

Kyler Sipple

Cole Taft

Daycee Witt

11th Grade

Thomas Aitken

Evan Bailey

Adisen Fischer

Kyle Frederick

Patrick Froeschl

Destry Groth

Clayton Keithley

Addison Keller

Jentry Lechtenberg

Ethan Neddenriep

Connor Nelson

Jocelyn Olberding

Annika Reschke

Henry Rottinghaus

Cole Schawang

Connor Tubbs

12th Grade

Alexis Brewer

Madison Dougherty

Elle Falk

Leila Frederick

James Froeschl

Vaughn Lenard

Makinley Scholl

 White (91-93%)

7th Grade

Lena Delaney

Noah Howard

8th Grade

Austin Bangert

Milayna Crofford

Mya Dougherty

9th Grade

Alise Reschke

Allarie Wilson

10th Grade

Cooper Knobbe

Brenden Lemerond

Alex Madsen

11th Grade

Tate Wilcox

12th Grade

Saylor Hutfles

Zachary Kafer

Joe Simon

Jack Stice

Sixth Grade Character Speeches

From alumnus Karey Buchholz Marrs ('64)

Here in Bolivar,MO we are so proud to have Fr. Scott as Pastor of our Parish. He is a leader of our youth not only in our Parish he also serves as the Vocation Director for the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese. In 2021, he was also was chosen to preside as Dean of Deanery 3.  On June 24th, 2022, he celebrated his 20th Ordination Anniversary.

A small part of the story is when this new young priest came to our parish as he introduced himself he was telling about his father who had his "Go Big Red" den in his basement. You could tell how proud he was of his parents, Kathy & Frank.  

So after mass I went up to him and introduced myself & asked if he knew a Frank Sunnenberg from Falls City NE. Yes, he said. That is my father. Then I told him that Frank, my sister Kathy & I had attended the same school in Falls City. We had all attended Sacred Heart. It has been a wonderful friendship & we are all so proud of our Catholic roots at Sacred Heart in Falls City.

Left to Right: Mrs. Kathy Sunnenberg, Kathy "Buchholz" Martin class of 1965, Karey "Buchholz" Marrs class of 1964, Fr. Scott Sunnenberg, Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Bolivar MO & Frank Sunnenberg class of 1965.

Farewell Letter - Linda Kirkendall

Dear All,

It is hard to believe that 46 years ago a good friend of mine at Peru State College dared me to apply for an English/coaching position at Falls City Sacred Heart. At that time in my life I accepted the dare and applied. A few short weeks later, I found myself in my dorm apartment signing my first teaching contract. Mike Hall (the person that had dared me and a graduate of Sacred Heart) later told me that he thought Sacred Heart would be a good fit for me for a couple years and I could then move on to another school. Little did either of us know at the time that I would meet a farmer (I knew Doug in college because he dated my roommate), marry him, and stay at Sacred Heart for 46 years.

Mike was right. Sacred Heart was a good fit for me. It was also a good fit for my sons and grandsons and now my daughter-in-law because she works in the office. I have grown so much over the years and have been very lucky to touch the lives of hundreds of students in some way or form. I have been blessed to be a part of one of the greatest faculties, gotten to teach and love many, many students, and all the while I was able to teach in a classroom where I could and did talk about God and His wonderful love for all of us. I didn’t know 46 years ago how lucky I was to be taken in by the wonderful Sacred Heart family and how much they would add to my life, but I soon learned that Sacred Heart is a family and we do take care of each other and will always be here when someone needs our help.

Parents are the solid backbone of the school. The parents of Sacred Heart get to pick if this is where they want their children to get an education. They know that the family is the true foundation of their children’s future and they send them here to get help in shaping their children into adults they will be proud of in the future. The parents also know that bringing their children up knowing and believing in the Lord will also be a gift to their children and that their faith is one of the anchors we all need in our lives. Our parents work so hard with the school, make donations, and volunteer many hours to help and support the school and this is a lesson that is not found in a book, but is one that will benefit their children for the rest of their lives.

Another blessing I have had over the years is the number of priests that became a part of our lives. We have been blessed to share our faith stories with each other and know that we are all working toward the same goal. I will never be able to repay them for the support and care I and my family received from so many of them when Doug passed away. Those special men helped us in so many ways in the days and weeks that followed his death and there is no way we can expressed what all of that meant to us.

I have also had the pleasure of working with a wonderful administration and staff for many years. It would be wrong of me to say it was all smooth sailing, but the beauty of Sacred Heart has always been how everyone digs in and works together to do what is best for the students and the school. I have taught many of the teachers that I now work with so what a blessing to see how they have developed into solid, faith-filled adults that work so hard to make the students of Sacred Heart the great young individuals that they become. The teachers at Sacred Heart are not just fellow teachers, but they are also some of my best friends—which is a true blessing.

Honestly, my greatest blessing has been the students I have been able to work with for many years. I have watched them clinging to their parents crying because they didn’t want to start school and all too quickly I have watched the same students sit in the pews before me and receive their high school diplomas. I tried to be a friendly ear for some of them when they just wanted someone to talk to and I have also been pretty mean to some that just needed a push in the right direction and some encouragement that they have the ability to be what they want to be if they decide they will put in the work. What I did some of the time was probably not in the curriculum given us by the state, but I know some of life’s greatest lessons are not in a book. Some of the classes I felt the most excited about were the ones we just talked about life and what we all need to do to make our life the best it can be. Those are the classes that I felt sometimes prepared them for life after Sacred Heart and were the lessons they would never forget and life would be testing them on for the rest of their lives. I am now fortunate enough to have some of the young people I have taught be my doctor, my mechanic, my fellow colleagues, and many have become a dear friend. I have been able to share in their successes as well as their failures. I have watched many of them walk down the aisle in church to begin a new life with the person they have fallen in love with and I have watched many become great parents that love their children with all their hearts.

I can truly say after 46 years that this has been a wonderful experience. I can say that I am a better person for being and teaching here for all those years. I am happy that Sacred Heart has been a part of my life for so long and it was just what I needed this passed year as I learned to navigate a different life. I have been blessed in so many ways and I will never be able to express to everyone what these passed 46 years and all my memories mean to me and my family. God Bless each and every one of you!!

Love, Mrs. K. 

Elks Lodge #963 Book Donation

Special shout-out to Ben Hullman and Becky Gilkerson from the Falls City Elks Lodge #963 for their generous donation of a new book for each student in grades 1-5. Such a great donation to our students.

State Track Qualifiers

Destry Groth, Alise Reschke, Jentry Lechtenberg, Daycee Witt, James Froeschl, Joe Simon, Rob Froeschl, and Alex Madsen.

Congratulations to Joe Simon who earned a GOLD medal in the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.96. We are so proud of you! Joe is the son of Steve and Angela Simon.

Mystery of the Lost Dinosaur

The fifth grade had a fantastic time solving the mystery of the lost dinosaur bones in our final CKLA unit in reading. This unit combined science and reading and along with the students leaning all about being a paleontologist they learned about the period table, atoms, molecules, compounds and solutions. The students followed the characters Amy and Matt as they solved the mystery using a chemical compound. To complete the unit the students made Evidence Boards, a couple of which are included, and accused one of the characters of the crime. As you can see, Julian was the prime suspect and they were correct! What a great way to combine reading and science and make learning enjoyable for all!

Father Kenneth Hoesing gets Harvard Priest Assignment

By Isabelle Nussbaum

Father Kenneth Hoesing will begin a new priest assignment In Harvard, Nebraska toward the end of the summer. At his new assignment, Father Hoesing will be participating in Hispanic ministry while also teaching at Hastings Catholic Schools.

“Spanish was my first major in in college; I’d always had it in the back of my mind that maybe someday I would do Hispanic ministry,” Father Hoesing said.

He will be traveling to Guatemala on June 1 to study Spanish Language immersion and one-on-one training and is set to return July 20. He is set to go on this retreat with two diocesan seminarians and two School Sisters of Christ the King. After his trip, he plans to go on a religious retreat, take a vacation and then move into his new residence in Harvard, Nebraska.

Father Hoesing was ordained a priest in 1997. He decided to become a priest during his college years; he felt like he was missing something when others were leaving for the seminary. He attended the seminary for one year in Toronto, Canada and four more years in Yonkers, New York.

Father joined the Sacred Heart community in 2011 when he moved to Dawson and preached at St. Mary's in Dawson and St. Anne's in Shubert, and was hired as a teacher. He has taught at Sacred Heart for thirteen years and his favorite part about it is the interaction within the school community, especially the staff. Father Hoesing has taught in four different schools including Pius X, St. Mary’s Elementary School in Fairbury and Aquinas High School in David City.

In his free time, Father Hoesing likes to spend time listening to music, cooking, running or reading a good book. His favorite Sacred Heart tradition is the Booster Club Auction Fun’d Night because it is fun to see the entire community come together and put on a big, festive event. Father Hoesing’s favorite thing about being a priest is that it is not very boring. He believes that there are always people to meet, things to learn and many, many reasons to pray and celebrate the sacraments.

Irish Bank Teller Tour - Our eleven Irish bank tellers took a tour of Frontier Bank led by Rachel Rankin and Jan O'Toole. Students learned about lock boxes, debit cards, loans, day to day banking, and the workings of the ATM. This is the second year for the Frontier Bank project where students are tellers and deposit money for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students starting savings accounts.

Principal for the Day - Terry and Deb Reschke purchased the Principal for a Day at the Booster Club auction so they chose their grandchildren to take turns being in charge of students. Terry also made some "decisions" ahead of time for the benefit of our students. What a fun day.

High school grandchildren had lunch off campus with Mrs. Dunn!

Terry Reschke and grandchildren Allarie, Alise, Landrie, Kamrie, Annika, Reid, and Rory.

Cadaver Lab Visit - Some members of the anatomy class spent the day visiting the University of Nebraska at Lincoln’s cadaver lab and the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Dentistry. The class finished the dissection of cats in April and had the opportunity to experience these colleges and their labs. Shown in the picture are Jocelyn Olberding, Addison Keller, and Sadie Tisdel.

Kindergarten Field Trip to Shatto Milk Farms

Save the Date for Totus Tuus (Vacation Bible Camp) this summer! Totus Tuus is a week-long camp led by excited college students who love their Christian Faith. Incoming 1st - 8th Grade will be July 15-19 from 9am-3pm. Cost is $15/child or $40/family. The high school group (incoming 9th through recent high school graduates) will meet July 14-18 in the evenings from 6:30-8:30pm

(dinner will be provided). There is no cost for the high school evenings. Feel free to invite family and friends to come!

Teacher Appreciation Week- Thank you to the businesses, individuals, and Booster Club that remembered our teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. Frontier Bank, W7, and F& M Bank - We appreciate YOU! Thank you for the delicious treats!

Fourth grade finished up their last reading unit about Treasure Island today. Throughout the unit they completed different writing activities that led them on a treasure hunt throughout the school. Today they finished their adventure stories and received their last clue to find the pirate treasure! Great job fourth grade!

St. John Cantius Award Winner - Linda Kirkendall

In 2022, the Diocese of Lincoln began to honor outstanding members of our schools, who are entrusted with the responsibility of helping to form our children in the faith. Each recipient shares in the profound mission of Catholic education: to form disciples of Christ who are equipped not only with academic knowledge but also with a deep-rooted faith and a passion for serving others. We are pleased to announce that Mrs. Linda Kirkendall has been honored with the St. John Cantius Award as the Secondary Educator of the Year. After serving Sacred Heart for 46 years, we cannot think of a more fitting way to celebrate the end of her tenure at Sacred Heart. Mrs. Kirkendall will be honored at the Saints and Scholars Dinner on Sunday, October 13th in Lincoln.

Congratulations to 7th grader, Stella Waller, on her third place finish in the Elks State Writing Contest! Pictured with Stella are Roger Lampe of the Elks Lodge and Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Linda Kirkendall. Stella is the daughter of Doug and Erin Waller.

Ashley Rippe of the NRD spoke to the 3rd grade about Arbor Day and the importance of trees. Each student was given a black cherry tree to take home and plant. In a couple of years, they will have some cherries to pick!

Preschool Field Trip to the Zoo!

See Ya Later Alligator - Last Day Fun

Last day is alway so much fun thanks to Principal Dunn. She plans fun themed games and parents and volunteers help to run them. Thanks to all of our parent volunteers, and our cooks (Cody Cochran and Glenda Taft), and table supervisor, Barb Kelly! Hot dogs, chips, drinks, and sno cones were served to the students.

Sacred Heart Catholic School | 402-245-4151 | renee-kopf@cdolinc.net | www.fcsacredheart.orgrg