East Atchison Jr. High Wrestlers – Include, from left to right: front row – Kayden Levendahl, Brianna Maxwell, Jesse Navin, and Lucas Joesting; and back row – Coach Kurt Sloop, Braiden Wennihan, Grant Turnbull, Jayden Umbarger, Aaron Schlueter, Cameron Nance, and Hunter Bennett. Not pictured are Kaylin Merriweather, Jaden Clark, and Bo Graves.

East Atchison Jr. High Wrestling Team preparing for season-  The East Atchison Jr. High Wrestling Team is gearing up for the start of the 2017 season, which begins February 21 at Sidney Iowa. This year’s team is coached by Kurt Sloop.
Wrestling for EA this season are: 8th Graders – Jayden Umbarger, Brianna Maxwell, Grant Turnbull, and Hunter Bennett; and 7th Graders – Kaylin Merriweather, Kayden Levendahl, Jaden Clark, Bo Graves, Aaron Schlueter, Braiden Wennihan, Jesse Navin, Cameron Nance, and Lucas Joesting. Coach Kurt Sloop said, “This year we have good numbers and are working on learning the basics. Our main focus is on technique and the learning of new moves. Although we have some wrestlers returning from last year, most of the wrestlers are new to the sport and have spent the last few weeks learning the basic fundamentals involved in wrestling. With weekend camps and after school practices, they have done well. We will open our schedule at Sidney on February 21 at 4 p.m. Schools participating will be Sidney (Southwest Iowa), Rock Port, Missouri, and Falls City, Nebraska.”
Other events for the jr. high wrestlers include:
2/23 – At Falls City (HS Gym), 4:30 p.m.
2/27 – At Rock Port Tournament, 4:30 p.m.
2/28 – At Tarkio Tournament, 5 p.m.
3/3 – At Stanberry Quad, 6 p.m.
3/6 – At Albany Tournament, 5:30 p.m.
3/13 – At Syracuse Tournament, 4:30 p.m.

Kid’s Korner Spotlight

Jenna Gebhards- Jenna, the daughter of Amy and Raymond Gebhards, Jr., is a 3 year old attending Kids’ Korner this year. Jenna’s favorite color is pink and her favorite food is bananas. She enjoys being read “Kate & Mim-Mim” books and also enjoys the show. Her favorite song is “Let It Go.” Her favorite thing about preschool is building with the magnetic blocks during center time with her friends. Jenna has two places she enjoys going. In Tarkio, she enjoys going to her church, First Baptist Church, where she enjoys playing. Another favorite place of hers is McDonald’s in Rock Port.

Lyla Walker- Lyla is a 4 year old attending Kids’ Korner this year. She is the daughter of Jessica and Scott Walker. Lyla’s favorite colors are pink and purple. Her favorite food, although a hard choice, is strawberries. She enjoys Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood books. Her favorite song is her bedtime song “Darling Go To Sleep.” Her favorite thing about preschool is snack time, which her favorite is grapes! When asked what her favorite part of Tarkio was she had two answers. She likes to go to her grandma and grandpa’s house and she also likes getting cream filled donuts from Casey’s.

Students have fun during literacy party- Tarkio Elementary students took part in the Jan Brett Literature Party Wednesday, February 8, 2017. The students read a variety of her favorite selections and had an activity to go with each one. The children frosted “mitten” cookies and drank orange soda to go along with the story “The Mitten.” They also read the selection “Honey, Honey, Lion” and played a game similar to Duck, Duck, Goose. For the story “The Three Snow Bears” children made igloos out of sugar cubes. The last story was “The Hat.” To go along with this story, the children made a Hedgie craft. The teachers of the classes have three literature parties a year to get children motivated and inspired to read more books and to instill a love of reading. Dr Taylor, the elementary principal, who also promotes early literacy skills, stopped by to encourage the children to have fun with reading. In today’s world where technology draws the children away from books, we are trying to focus on reading and building literacy skills. We will also be hosting a Dr. Seuss party in March.

Thursday, February 9, Kids’ Korner had a baking class. They used all five senses that they are learning about right now. First, their sense of hearing as Mrs. Courtney read “If You Give A Moose A Muffin.” Next, they got to use three more senses (sight, touch, smell) while measuring, passing the bowl, stirring, scooping, counting how many muffins the mix would make and finally smelling them bake. After cot time, they got to use their final sense and taste their muffins!

Brooklyn Wennihan is pictured delivering a valentine to Mary Lou Broermann.

Tarkio Elementary Student Council members include Keena Merriweather, Brooklyn Wennihan, Lizzie Schlueter, Tessa Rolf, Daniel Lesher, and Gabe Harms (not pictured).

Tarkio Elementary StuCo delivers valentines to Tarkio Rehab- Tarkio Elementary Student Council members delivered valentines to Tarkio Rehab residents on Friday, February 10, 2017. This was the council’s January/February service project. The valentines were made by Tarkio Elementary students. The focus of the student council is leadership and school spirit through citizenship and service.

THS senior parents raising funds for After Prom Bash- As early as the 1970’s, senior parents came up with the idea to plan activities for students and their dates after the last dance of the junior/senior prom. Their goal was to provide a safe and fun place for the students to hang out. After some research, some of the Tarkio High School alumni recalled their after prom activities. Judy Rail DeBuhr (’72) recalled that since the Tarkio Theater had burned down in 1971, the students went to the Mule Barn Theater to watch the horror film, Wolfman. Tammy Harris Grossman and Roberta Logan Crawford (’76) recall going to the Tarkio College campus and watching a movie in the library. Marla Riley Swaby (’85) shared that this year the official title “After Prom Bash” was given to the activities. Through the years, students have enjoyed the activities provided by the parents and generous donations from the community. The 2017 graduating class will continue the tradition. They will have their After Prom Bash at Worlds of Fun April 30. Fundraisers have been planned. T-shirts will be sold at the Tarkio Elementary Basketball Tournament on February 25. A Schwan’s fundraiser has also been organized. To order, go to www.schwans-cares.com/c/30716. Monetary donations are always welcomed and can be sent to Melody Barnett, 806 Walnut, Tarkio, MO 64491.

Students perform in MO Western Honor Choir- Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, hosted an honor choir performance, under the direction of Dr. Elise Hepworth, Monday, February 6, 2017. Area high school students are invited to the day-long event which helps enrich their vocal talent and lets it shine by having the students perform in a concert for family and friends. Tarkio High School students who participated include, from left to right: front row – Emily Vance, Gabby DeRosier, Grace Martin, Madison Ohrt, Hannah Blank, Jayden Viets, and Marina Sawyer; and back row – Colin Joesting, Troy Wennihan, Anna Klute, Anna Lester, and Jordan Heard. Tarkio students LOVE working with Dr. Hepworth. She is inspirational, motivational and an accomplished choral director. (Photo By Melody Barnett)