Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
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This week the Clay Central/Everly Mavericks are stepping out in style for Homecoming week. The week holds many fun events including poster contests, hallway decorating, flag football and an alumni-run cheer camp (pictured at bottom). Highlighting the schedule is the parade Thursday (today) at 1:30 p.m. on Royal's Main Street, and pep rally to follow. The week will end with awards for dress-up and poster contest winners and a teachers-versus-students kickball game. The public is welcome to...
There is only one thing that gets a Midwesterner out of school that's not a holiday, snow day or in-service day – the Clay County Fair. The World's Greatest County Fair has a reputation for inducing joy, excitement, the need to purchase a larger belt, and the enthusiasm of children and adults alike. The fact that we have such pure pleasure so close to home is not just luck, but a true blessing that we long for at the end of the summer and relish for the short nine days it is here. How many p...
From learning how to be respectful, ready and responsible to having fun with peers that were missed all summer, it's safe to say the Clay Central/Everly Mavericks' first day back at school was an exciting one. Opening Day for the Mavericks included a back-to-school flag raising ceremony at the front of the building in Royal on Aug. 24. Special guests included the Royal and Everly fire departments and Sheriff Chris Raveling, who stood alongside students for the duration of the ceremony to show...
Clay Central/Everly Mavericks came together for a free back-to-school grill-out game in Royal on Aug. 22 to usher in the new school year and thank the public for their support. The event was a "home run" with a lunchroom and gym full of families, community members and Maverick friends. The evening started in the lunchroom with everyone enjoying relief from the heat and a delicious meal of grilled hot dogs cooked by Royal Mayor Josh Toft. Children were given their gift from the CC/E Pop Can...
Royal's Fun Days kicked off last weekend with great participation and review. Friday night started the town's celebration weekend with a well-attended silent auction, bake sale and taco supper fundraiser for upcoming Fun Days events. Silent auction items ranged from weekend getaways to movie night bundles, children's activity baskets and more. Karaoke night was hosted at Haggy's to round off the first night of fun. Saturday's busy day of events began with perfect morning weather to run Clay...
Hope Lutheran Church, of Everly, and Bethlehem Lutheran Church, of Royal, last week joined forces with Ingham/Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp to host their annual summer Vacation Bible School Program at Bethlehem Lutheran. Children of all ages attended the fun filled week as they learned about God's unwavering and unending love for each of them. Throughout the week the day campers enjoyed crafts, outdoor play, delicious meals, praise and worship time, rotations learning different Bible lessons, and...
How blessed am I to get to mourn in this way, To grieve for the loss of a bright yesterday, To not have to wonder where he's gone or has been, To imagine his new form, running free once again, Sitting on the crick bank with his sisters and his friends, Holding his sweet grand babe, his deep joy shall not end, We don't know how to feel as we wipe away the tears, The Heavens rejoice as we reminisce our years, We think about our lifetime with such a wonderful man, And we rest assured in God's...
There are many amazing people that have been impacted by Clay Central/Everly as a school system over many years. Students, staff and community members from the entire district have proudly been a part of this school family for decades, and have cheered "Go Mavericks!" together in unity through the good times and the bad times. CC/E has had its fair share of struggles – you might even call some of the unfortunate events forest fires. Despite those struggles, patrons have rallied together to m...
Last week students at Clay Central/Everly Elementary were treated to a field trip to beautiful Orange City The Mavericks' first stop was Northwestern College for a campus tour. Students were split into groups, each with their very own admissions counselor, to get a tour of the entire spread. From the stadium to the classrooms to the stages and more, students were captivated by the beautiful campus charm. Next up was the Tulip Festival. Students were able to watch traditional Dutch street...
On Tuesday, Clay Central/Everly sixth graders were honored with a "graduation" ceremony on the Royal stage. Parents, guardians, family members, friends, staff and fellow schoolmates attended the festive event. Sixth grader Jada Carlson delighted the crowd with what she will miss about each student and their beloved sixth grade teacher, Gillian Hicks. The ceremony concluded with CC/E Director of Student Services Michelle Huntress handing out graduation certificates to all before photographs were...
Last week the sixth grade class of Clay Central/Everly was treated to a fun excursion in the big city as they attended a Minnesota Twins game in Minneapolis. The class was excited to partake in the outing with their teacher, Gillian Hicks, and school counselor, Marlana Tewes. The day was filled with fun and laughter as the class made more memories together before "graduating" from CC/E and furthering their educations elsewhere....
Clay Central/Everly Elementary's outdoor classroom day was a huge success and a whole lot of fun May 10. From hands-on learning to educational exploration, to peer leadership and teamwork, students and staff had the very best time making the most of a perfect day at Scharnberg Park east of Everly. Students were able to go netting, hiking, canoeing, fishing, have a picnic and enjoy all that the local park has to offer. The event was highlighted by Clay County Naturalist Bri Blom and her...
From start to finish, the Clay Central/Everly Spring Fling concert event was filled with sights and sounds to behold. CC/E music/band instructor Crystal Bunge led her musicians through a performance of entertaining, color-themed musical arrangements that captivated the crowd. The performance was held on the stage, which hasn't hosted a musical event in several years. The crowd enjoyed the acoustics and view offered by this location change, as previous performances had been hosted in the...
The Royal Lions Club last week gifted Clay Central/Everly Elementary a new crimson spire oak tree for the students and school. Children gathered around Royal mayor and Lions Club representative, Josh Toft, and Royal's Trees Forever expert, Sherman Nielsen, to get their hands dirty and assist in the tree planting. Nielsen and Toft let the children know about what trees need, what they need to do to help the tree survive after a proper planting, and how planting trees is crucial for the community...
An opportunity was brought to Clay Central/Everly's attention by state Rep. Megan Jones about the company Lettuce Grow giving away their Farmstands to K-12 schools. Jones partnered with CC/E's fifth grade teacher Joan Kimball and the Royal Lions Club to bring the Farmstand to the school via a special grant. This indoor growing station allows hydroponics to go to work in growing indoor plants. The fifth grade class at CC/E has been studying the ever-interesting topic of hydroponics this spring...
Royal Community Action's annual Easter egg hunt found new egg-hiding grounds in the Clay Central/Everly school building on Saturday thanks to overnight snow accumulation. Utilizing the gym, music room, hallways and lunchroom, participants were able to seek eggs indoors away from the cold and damp park area and smaller space of the community center. Despite the last-minute location change, the Easter Bunny still made a special appearance and helped egg hunters of all ages....
Clay Central/Everly hosted its inaugural Daddy/Daughter Dance last Sunday, which was themed "Under the Sea". The event was open to the public and hosted at Hap Ketelsen Community Center in Everly. Snacks, crafts, photo-ops and dance games made the evening a fun and entertaining one for all. A special guest also made an appearance mid-event – the Little Mermaid came to dance with the girls to her favorite song "Under the Sea." Ariel also led the children in a fun rendition of "The Chicken D...
Clay Central/Everly Elementary has been on its A-game recently hosting fun and entertaining events for students, their families and the public. Recently, the school held the Mother-Son Nerf Battle Extraordinaire. The event consisted of favor bags and Nerf bullets, glow-in-the-dark face paint for both moms and sons, and a fully decked out gym filled with barricades, targets and decor made by CC/E STEM students. To top it all off, the battleground was aglow with strobe lights and music to get...
From delicious hors d'oeuvres to engaging performances, the Everly Heritage Museum's Mardi Gras on Main fundraiser concert was a success on every level. Guests were treated to a variety of selections performed by local musicians during the event, which was held last Saturday in front of a packed crowd at the Hap Ketelsen Community Center. Following cocktail hour, the main event began with a full horns section, bassist, guitar and drums. Five vocalists lofted tunes to the rafters, backed by the...
Clay Central/Everly Elementary recently hosted the second round of Family Fun Nights. The evening consisted of a meal, a Leader in Me presentation by Director of Student Services Michelle Huntress, and STEM centers located throughout the school. The gymnasium was abuzz with hands-on materials ranging from building with cardboard, to trainsets and Legos. Other centers located in classrooms included microbots and coding projects for students to lead instruction and show their parent/guardians...
Lockers come to life at CC/E Elementary Hallways at Clay Central/Everly have been refreshed with the newest Leader in Me project – Living Lockers. Lockers are displaying an updated photo of each student and that student's self-chosen "Power Word," a word that they felt best described them. Soon to be added to these lockers will be students' new leadership role, as many are currently applying and obtaining leadership opportunities throughout the school. Through Living Lockers, children find e...
Clay Central/Everly Elementary had a few creepy crawly guests of honor visit on Monday. Librarian Iesha Toft invited Clay County Conservation's AmeriCorps aide Brooklynn Wille to join all library classes in highlighting their monthly library theme, "Animals Near and Far." Wille brought in some fantastic animals to view like the fox snake, which is indigenous to our local area and was surprisingly fun and docile. Students were able to pet the snake while learning about its diet, habitat and...
Class may have started late last Friday at Clay Central/Everly Elementary due to winter weather, but conditions were just right for an all-school assembly at the end of the day with some excitement. Students and staff were rounded up for "Price is Right" style assembly to introduce 12 new "Leader In Me Jobs," which are now open for application. The school's Leader In Me curriculum focuses on social emotional learning through setting and achieving positive goals, all while establishing positive...
Christmas break caused a bit of a hiccup in Clay Central/Everly's winter schedule. Unfortunately, that meant holding off on the annual holiday music program until classes resumed in January. Students must have been practicing over break, because K-6 graders filled the Royal gym with their beautiful voices as they sang winter- and snow-themed songs to the captive audience. The band also performed in front of a festive winterscape filled with snowmen and blue tinsel, which made a wonderful...
A once-defunct Clay Central/Everly Elementary tradition was brought back to life this month – the Maverick Winter Tea. Former CC/E teacher Lynn Cronk hosted this festive event for more than two decades before her retirement three years ago. Elementary aide Iesha Toft sought to restart the tradition by combining the table manners and etiquette taught in the late-Marilyn Meyer's classroom with Mrs. Cronk's formal Christmas Tea for third graders. Thus, the Winter Tea was reborn, this time s...
