Cardinal Community Newsletter

🎉Our Journalism students are back with the latest edition of The Cardinal Soar—a web series that highlights ⭐ exceptional students, 🌍 diverse perspectives, and the 💬 stories that make DT truly special.

🎥 This week, we’re excited to introduce two incredible exchange students: Sabrina from Brazil and Lynn from Germany! As they immerse themselves in life at DT, they’re embracing new experiences, getting involved in school activities, and discovering what it’s like to be a high school student in the U.S. Stay tuned to learn more about their journey, culture, and what they’ve loved most about their time here so far!

👉 Don’t miss the full article for a deeper dive into this episode’s feature!

📖 https://www.dtcardinals.org/article/2062479

🎬 https://youtu.be/7GOJ88t_zgw

We are pleased to announce that our school has established a SECOND Little Library and Food Cupboard near the old Trumbull School, accessible to all community members 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 🕰️. This is in addition to the Little Library and Food Cupboard located outside the warehouse in Doniphan.

📚 Little Library:

Take a book, love the book, and keep the book! Our Little Library is stocked with a variety of books for all ages, especially those students looking for a summer read or families hoping to boost their libraries at home. Feel free to borrow a book; keep it when you're done.

🥫 Food Cupboard:

No one should go hungry. Our Food Cupboard is filled with non-perishable food items, available to anyone in need. If you're struggling to make ends meet or need extra help this week, please help yourself.

For questions, please contact Nancy Niles via email at nniles@dtcardinals.org.

1. Elementary
   
2. Preschool Happenings
3. Special Education Update
4. Secondary News
5. Activities Celebrations

Principal Transition in Progress

Mr. Engel has begun the transition process with Mr. Mogilefsky, the incoming principal for next school year. They have already held several meetings and will continue to meet throughout the spring. To ensure a smooth handover, our principal is creating a comprehensive guide documenting annual tasks, timelines, and important procedures! On March 31st, they conducted classroom engagement walkthroughs together to review the teacher feedback process.

Kindergarten Enrollment Update

We're excited to report that 40 kindergarten students are already enrolled for the 2025-26 school year. This grade, as well as next years 2nd grade will only accept additional resident students for the the 2025-2026 school year. Kindergarten and 2nd grade classes for any additional option students are closed due to capacity. Students who have already optioned into D-T are included in the current number.

Important Dates:

Monday, May 19

• 9:00 AM Little Red Track Meet (3rd-6th)
• 1:15 PM Super Kids Day (K-2)

**6th Grade Promotion will be at 9 AM on the last day of school.**

Just a reminder if bus riders want to participate, they need a permission slip from their parents given to the bus driver.

Enrollment Update

We're thrilled to announce that acceptance letters have been sent to all preschool families for the upcoming year! Our 4-year-old class will welcome 24 children, while our 3-year-old class will have 19 little learners joining us.

Muffins with Moms
Our recent "Muffins with Moms" event was a wonderful success with excellent attendance. Thank you to all the mothers and mother figures who took time to share a special morning with their preschoolers!

Health & Movement Focus
The 4-5 year old class has been enjoying their Exercise Unit at the Field House. A special thank you goes to Mr. Pfeifer for visiting our class and sharing his expertise about Track & Field with our young athletes.

End-of-Year Activities
As we approach the end of the school year, we have several exciting events planned:

• May 15th: End of year program featuring our preschool class graduation ceremony
• May 16th: Field Day activities and the last day of school for our preschoolers

Our teachers are also busy coordinating Transition to Kindergarten activities to help our oldest preschoolers prepare for their next big educational adventure!

Our special education students have been busy with numerous enriching transition activities this spring, preparing them for future success beyond the classroom.

• Community Engagement
• On March 17th, students enjoyed a social outing to Spring City, funded by their own entrepreneurial efforts at the Warehouse. This experience helped them practice valuable social skills in a community setting.
• Culinary Skills Development
• Students had a unique opportunity to work alongside a professional chef at the Aurora Leadership Center on March 23rd, gaining hands-on experience in food preparation and kitchen operations.
• Leadership Development
• The Aurora Leadership Center hosted a Youth Leadership Conference on March 27th, which four of our students attended. We're especially proud to announce that one of our students was selected for the prestigious Nebraska Youth Leadership Council. Congratulations!
• Career Exploration
• April has been equally busy with career-focused activities. Students participated in Hastings Business Tours on April 2nd, exploring potential career paths and workplace environments.
• Project Search Success
• A special congratulations to two students who participated in Project Search Signing Day on April 17th! This accomplishment represents their commitment to this valuable transition program that will help them develop critical workplace skills.

Congrats to the Ag sales team at State FFA! Preston Sjuts placed second individually, including a perfect score of 150/150 on his individual sales call. Team members: Braydon Rader, Rylen Soundy, Preston Sjuts, and Jon Kovanda.

Congratulations to Avery Robb, Reba Watts, and Zak Kissinger for receiving their FFA State Degree, the highest degree Nebraska has to bestow upon Senior members.

Also, congratulations to Zak Kissinger for also earning a place in the Nebraska State FFA Chorus! Nice Work Zak!

• LPC ACT Team (26+)

• Miley Berlie

• Jett Hollister

• Brodey Eberle

• Ana Carson

• Erin Saathoff

• Seth Schwarz

• Tice Yost

• LPC GPA Team (3.5 or higher)

• Miley Berlie

• Jett Hollister

• Tycen Breckner

• Brody Eberle

• Anna Fitzgerald

• Tice Yost

• Avery Robb

• Lauren Pohlenz

• Seth Schwarz

• Erin Saathoff

• Ana Carson

• Chase Kaczor

Dakota Gibson, Brianna Dunning and Kim Olena were honored as March Students of the Month for the High School and Junior High.

Rylan Soundy and Riley Bishop were both chosen to attend a virtual town hall meeting with Governor

Pillen last week. They listened to State Senators talk about different issues, and then the Governor came on and answered pre-selected questions. One of those questions was Rylan’s, so he was given the opportunity to speak during the zoom directly to the Governor.

• Jack Poppe was named Captain of the All-Heartland Super Squad team

• All Conference team-

• First team- Jack Poppe, Parker Volk

• Second Team- Tycen Bennett

• Honorable Mention- Traegan Barnes

• All Conference Team

• Second team- Charlee Richter

• Honorable Mention- Logan Rainforth.

Our upcoming Volleyball Clinics are the perfect opportunity to improve your skills, learn from experienced players, and have a blast on the court.

• Track Meets

• Conference Track @ Central City on 5.2

• District Track @ Wood River on 5.15

• Golf

• Conference Golf- Centura Hosts @ Centura Hills- 5.8

• District Golf- 5.14 @ Indianhead- DT Host

1. Board of Education Community Facility Planning Meeting Recap
2. New Activities Director & Girl's Basketball Coach on board
3. New Vocal Music Teacher approved
4. Go Big Give Coming
5. 2025-26 Academic Calendar

The Board of Education hosted a 2nd Community Facility meeting on April 3rd. There were over 40 people in attendance, some new and some attendees that have been at previous meetings. The main purpose of the meeting was as follows:

1. Overview of the prior bond & results

2. Timeline of the BOE work and community engagement since failed bond attempt

3. Design Options

4. Measure Feedback

The survey results on the proposed solution showed strong overall support with 81.5% of respondents believing it meets district needs and 83% wanting to proceed with the project (45% as-is and 38% with minor modifications). The primary concerns of those opposing the project (17%) relate to cost rather than necessity.

Regarding the question, if not all of the project would proceed, what would your priority be?

1. Classroom Space and Expansion
   • "More classroom space"
   • "Space for classes"
   • "Classrooms to ensure we have space PK-12 for our growth"
   • "More classroom spaces"
   • "Room for expansion"
2. Upgraded Athletic Facilities
   • "Gym renovated to allow for large crowds and hosting events"
   • "More seating in gym"
   • "Competition gym that can host conference games"
   • "Hallway to locker room"
3. Technical/Specialized Spaces
   • "Better shop area"
   • "Kitchen & shop"
   • "Stage"
4. Cost Considerations
   • "Most cost effective solution over the long haul"
   • "Keep as much of existing building as possible to keep cost down"
   • "Can this be done in different phases"
5. Safety and Growth Planning
   • "Safety/security"
   • "Weather safety - underground/onsite options"
   • "Meet potential growth (students) down the road"

1. Location Issues:
   • Current site being "land locked"
   • Several suggestions for a new/different location
   • Need to acquire adjacent property
2. Cost Concerns:
   • Multiple mentions of the "price tag being too much"
   • Concerns about timing given economic conditions ("farmers operating at a loss")
   • Questions about phasing possibilities to manage costs
3. Growth Limitations of the current plan

The Board of Education will continue to examine the feedback from the community and seek additional information from the team of Architects and Construction Managers. This will occur in future board meetings.

Doniphan-Trumbull Public School is pleased to announce that Carrie (Larson) Kuhlmann has been appointed as the new Activities Director and Head Girls' Basketball Coach, effective this fall.

Kuhlmann, an accomplished educator with an extensive background in athletics and activities, will oversee the school's 17 activities and 12 athletic teams. She will also take the helm as Head Girls' Basketball Coach, building upon the foundation established by Coach Emma Thede, who stepped down to complete her school counseling degree. She will also teach dual credit education classes and officiating classes for students at D-T.

"We are thrilled to welcome Carrie and her family to our D-T Cardinal family," said Dr. Jeremy Braden, Superintendent. "Her exceptional leadership abilities, commitment to student success, and impressive background in activities make her the ideal candidate to lead our activities department and Girls Basketball Program."

Kuhlmann's journey began at Tipton High School, Iowa, where she participated in basketball, track, cross country, band, choir, speech, and National Honor Society. Her high school athletic achievements include qualifying for State Cross Country, being a 2004 State Champion Cross Country team member, and winning a state championship with the 4x800m relay team in 2005. During her high school basketball career, she amassed 1,248 total points.

Her basketball success continued at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, where she led her team to three conference and tournament championships, four NCAA tournament appearances, and two Sweet 16 appearances. Kuhlmann's collegiate accolades include All-American honors, All-West Selection, First Team All-Conference, and Conference Most Valuable Player. Under her leadership, her team achieved a remarkable 98-19 record over four years. She graduated in 2009 with a degree in Sports Administration and was subsequently inducted into the Simpson College Hall of Fame in 2019.

Her coaching experience includes positions as a graduate assistant at Hastings College, assistant varsity coach at Johnston (Iowa) HS, and basketball at Hastings MS.

D-T will welcome Ms. Jessie Steffen as our K-12 Vocal Music teacher for the next school year. She has been teaching K-12 vocal music at Twin River School for the past three years and was recently married. She and her spouse live in Wood River currently. She is excited to join our team and for a shorter commute. Mr. Hanshaw is resigning to pursue an instrumental music position.

#GoBigGIVE is almost here! Mark your calendars for May 1st — 24 hours dedicated to supporting local nonprofits and the D-T Education Foundation. Learn more: www.GoBigGIVE.org

The Board of Education approved the 2025-2026 Academic Calendar at their most recent board meeting. Dates of note are included below:

🚨Aug 14 - First Day of School

⛄Dec 22-Jan 5 - Winter Break

🎓May 9 - Senior Graduation

😎May 19 - Last Day of School

The full calendar is linked here: https://www.dtcardinals.org/page/calendar-year-at-a-glance

May 10th - 1:00 PM HS Graduation

May 16th - PK Last Day of School

May 20th - Last Day of School