Students honored and Madison Middle students showcase library makerspace and enrichment programs

The North Platte Public Schools board meeting April 14 opened with student recognitions and a student spotlight. Two North Platte High School seniors — one recognized for March and another recognized for April — were introduced as Bulldogs of the Month. Students briefly described their school activities and post‑graduation plans before receiving certificates and photos.

Board members then heard a Madison Middle School library presentation led by Amy Black, the school’s media specialist, and several students. The students described three library programs: - Lunch Bunch: a weekly Google Classroom sign-up program that offers activities during three lunch periods; student participation per lunch ranges from about five to 15 and, across the three periods, a given lunch-bunch session can serve as many as 45 students. - Makerspace: a class-based reward opportunity tied to classroom performance that includes technology and hands-on items (Wii, iPads, robots, basic coding) and crafts. - Enrichment: hour-long IE (intervention/enrichment) sessions tied to classroom subjects in which students apply subject skills to projects (examples cited included mapping cities for math and a rock-cycle activity for science).

Students told the board the programs helped them make friends, sparked interest in math and science and in some cases suggested college- or career-related ideas. Amy Black and the student participants answered board questions about sign-up procedures and frequency; Black said sign-ups are weekly through Google Classroom and many activities build on previous sessions. Participation, Black said, depends on the activity and week but can total roughly 45 students across three lunch periods for a single offering.

Board members praised the programs and the students’ presentations.