What’s recently happened?
Kouts High School (KHS) Student Council hosted its annual Trunk or Treat on Saturday, October 29 for the school and the community. The event was held in the school’s parking lot from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Any high school student was welcome to sign up and decorate the trunk of a car for the event, and candy was provided by the student council.
The event was a success, as there were many cars and even a go-kart at the event. Many themes also made an appearance from Hawaiian to superhero.
For the older students, this was a fun opportunity to donate their time as the younger students were out having fun celebrating the holiday.
What’s coming up?
Students at KHS are buzzing with excitement because this Saturday is KHS' Fall Formal. The event will be held in the high school cafeteria from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
This year’s theme is “Garden Lights, Homecoming Nights.” Over 200 students are expected to attend this night of fun, laughter, and dancing. Even other students from other schools in the area are expected to join in on the festivities as KHS students have invited people from neighboring schools like Morgan Township High School.
This season is a time of bringing people together as the weather turns colder and we remember what we are grateful for.
Staff spotlight:
Nathan Breininger teaches World History and Government and Economics at KHS. Breininger is the eldest in his family, and this influenced his decision to become a teacher.
“I enjoyed the role of having my younger siblings and cousins look up to me and see me as their role model. I liked being able to teach them certain things that I learned growing up,“ he said.
Growing up, one of Breininger's biggest inspirations was his grandmother, Maxine Featherson.
“She herself was a teacher, and she was one of those people that always made you feel like you were special and loved. I try to use her example when I interact with those around me. She was a very special person and everyone who knew her would say the same,” Breininger said.
To Breininger, the best thing about being a teacher is seeing the application of what he teaches.
“My favorite thing about being a teacher is being able to teach scholars lessons that can be applied immediately,” he said. “Scholars can take what they learn about our government and advocate for their rights or take lessons in economics and be more informed about the choices they make in life.”
KHS is a special place to teach for Breininger.
“I always thought Kouts felt kind of like a time capsule. Part of it has to do with the older parts of the building that still have some of the original architecture and details, and part of it being the encapsulation of the small school community,” said Breininger. “You don't see schools like Kouts that house K-12 all in the same building, schools that are small enough for everyone to know each other and assist in the education of students, or where I, as a high school teacher, can bring my first grade son with me to class in the morning and not have to worry about him getting to his classroom on his own when the bell rings,” he said.
Breininger, always a leader, is there for his students, and he always wants to see them succeed.
Student spotlight:
Lauren Maxwell, a senior at KHS, is president of the East Porter chapter of Future Farmers of America (FFA). The chapter includes Kouts, Morgan Township, and Washington Townships. Recently, from October 26 and 27, the team traveled to the 95th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis.
FFA is a yearly long extracurricular activity featuring soil judging in the fall, leadership development in the winter, and livestock in the spring.
The season for soil judging has just ended, and Maxwell is really happy with the outcome.
“We had a really great group and had two teams make it to state, one of them Morgan eighth graders, and the other of me, Jesslyn Gudeman, Madison Birky, and Abrey Gudeman. It was especially cool because the contest was in Porter County. We didn’t place very well at that contest, but it was a great experience,” said Maxwell.
The people she is surrounded by during these competitions and experiences are what makes FFA special for Maxwell.
Maxwell hasn’t been a part of the FFA for long, only beginning to attend in person last year, but she’s learned a lot of important lifelong lessons that she can take with her after high school.
“I’ve gotten better at public speaking and more comfortable speaking with people I don’t know. I have learned how important it is to make everyone feel included and welcome,” she said.