Board gets look at FFA team’s presentation headed to nationals

    It wasn’t all business at Tuesday’s meeting of the CCS board of education.
    Midway during the meeting, board members were treated to a presentation from the Imperial FFA’s marketing plan team.
    It’s one of two teams from the Imperial chapter who’ll be at the National FFA Convention later this month where they will vie for national titles.
    The other national-qualifying team is senior parli pro.
    The marketing plan team is made up of Nickolas Rau, Kambree Meeske and Morayah Cupp. Meeske and Cupp are college freshmen now, so participated via Zoom.
    Ag teacher Jeremy Vlasin, who coaches both teams, provided some insight.
    Vlasin said he and the team are looking forward to nationals when they’ll be able to give their formal presentation in person for the first time. With two in college, all their practices since summer have been virtual.
    During the marketing plan competition, the goal is to promote a product that will add value to a company.
    The team chose Wine Glass Ranch, north of Imperial, and is promoting a grass-fed boxed beef product.
    Vlasin said work for the marketing plan team starts in his ag business class at CCS, where the plan is written. From there, the team does a lot of research and polishes  their presentation.
    In effect, the team acts like a marketing firm, trying to get the customer, Vlasin said, like Wine Glass Ranch, to hire them to promote the new product.
    In their plan, they include an analysis of the market, survey demographics, their target market, product buying behaviors, prices and an action plan.
    After the presentation, limited to 15 minutes, a panel of judges will ask them questions.
    Board members and others at Tuesday’s meeting served that role, asking the team several questions.
    Vlasin said next to the parli pro competition, he really likes the marketing plan contest because it is so practical.
    “This is realistic with life skills” they will use the rest of their lives,” he said.
    The marketing plan team leaves Oct. 26. The convention is Oct. 27-30 in Indianapolis.
    Supt. Adam Lambert said the parli pro team would have been invited to give a presentation, too, but some of its members are on the volleyball team which had a match Tuesday night.
Other business
    Board members continued discussion on access to the auxiliary gym for students during non-school hours.
    Currently, CCS opens the weightroom and walking track to the public. The weightoom is available Monday-Friday from 4 to 8 p.m., while the indoor walking track is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. and 1 to 2:30 p.m.
    At last month’s meeting, administration was asked to come up with some guidelines on gym access for students. Board members and Lambert had been approached about additional gym access.
    Supt. Lambert said the administration is most comfortable with gym access for a set time such as two hours Sunday afternoons, and it would be only for students. No time has been set for sure or date set to start that, Lambert told board members Tuesday night.
    However, whatever time is set for opening the auxiliary gym, a certified teacher or school sponsor will be on site the entire time.
    In addition to reports from administrators, the board also discussed CCS’s five-year external visit on school improvement set for Oct. 26-27, state school board convention attendance and board retreat dates.
    The external team visit will bring in a group of educators for a two-day look at how CCS is meeting its school improvement goals. They will observe classes, talk with parents, visit with staff and board members and tour the school.
    Board members participating will be Jeff Olsen, Cindy Arterburn, Carrie Terryberry and Linsey Foote.
    Four to five board members and Supt. Lambert will be at the state school board convention next month in Omaha.
    A board retreat will be scheduled early next year, probably after January.