Cozad Community School

Cozad High School freshmen had an incredible experience at Mid-Plains Community College in North Platte on Wednesday, March 26th! They toured both the North and South campuses, engaged in self-discovery, and explored their career aspirations. Students spent time learning more about themselves and considering future possibilities. They also participated in the Holland Personality Game and discussed their career priorities. A big thank you to our sponsors for their time and to Mrs. Haarberg and Mrs. Rossell for securing the College Access Grant that made this opportunity possible.

We are excited to welcome Tessa Throckmorton (formerly Eldridge) back to CHS for the 2025-2026 school year! This past year, Tessa taught Elementary SPED in North Platte, and she will now be returning to Cozad as a High School SPED teacher this fall. Tessa loves reading, baking, and spending time with her husband, their dog, and their son. She is eager to return with more experience and looks forward to reconnecting with staff, students, and the community. “Cozad has always welcomed me with open arms, and I couldn’t be more grateful to come back to a community that has poured so much into me. You know what they say… Once a Haymaker, always a Haymaker!” Join us in welcoming Tessa back to the Haymaker family! #HaymakerWay

Welcome back to the Senior Podcast. Today we sit down with Mara Smith, Callie Kostrunek, and Mckenzie Munster about the highs and lows of their high school experience. https://youtu.be/aeIMlEhWwfE

Abby Negely, Elijah Graves and Morgan Mraz attended the Central Nebraska Science and Engineering Fair on Wednesday, March 26th 2025 at the University of Nebraska Kearney. Abby's project, The Effect Veterinary Exams Have on Animal’s Behavioral Stress, measured the cortisol and glucose levels of cats to determine that taking cats to the vet clinic was more stressful than at home vet visits. Morgan Mraz's project, Type of Mouthwash Effect on Staphylococcus Epidermidis and Streptococcus Mutans, determined hydrogen peroxide had the largest ring of inhibition and therefore killed the most bacteria. Elijah Graves project, The Effects of Thermal Paste on Central Processing Units, determined silicone thermal paste was superior at dissipating heat. Morgan Mraz's project was picked to move on to the final round of judging and earned a purple ribbon. Abby Negely won a certificate from the USDA for best agricultural project award. She also won the Dee and Jone Griffon award along with a $100 scholarship for best animal science project. Her project was given a blue ribbon. Elijah Graves project received a blue ribbon.

Help us welcome Brianna Ryan as she joins our Cozad Elementary staff as a Special Education Teacher for the 2025-2026 school year! Brianna graduated from UNK in December 2024 with a degree in K-12 Special Education. She has experience as a long-term substitute at Ansley Public Schools in a first-grade classroom and at Kearney Public Schools in a K-5 Life Skills classroom at Meadowlark Elementary. Brianna shared, “I am excited to join the Cozad community and am passionate about making education equitable for all students. Seeing students overcome challenges and succeed fuels my love for teaching.” In her free time, she enjoys going on walks to unwind and spending time with family. We are thrilled to have Brianna on our team. Welcome to Cozad! #HaymakerWay

Congratulations to the 2025-2026 CHS Dance Team! We are excited to introduce the talented dancers who will represent CHS next season. Senior: Camryn Yilk Sophomores: Macie Walker, Michaela Hardee, Brooklyne Wingrove, and Gracie Roberts Freshmen: Bristol Eldrige, Serenity Schram, and Angelica Granay Thank you to Coach Miss Tara Linn for leading the team. We look forward to an amazing season ahead. #HaymakerWay

We’re excited to welcome Ryan Zoucha as our new High School Industrial Technology Teacher at Cozad High School for the 2025-2026 school year. Ryan joins us from South Sioux City High School and brings a passion for hands-on learning in woods and metals projects. When he’s not in the shop, he enjoys spending time with his friends and family, including his three brothers.. Ryan shared, “Cozad seems to have a lot of what I’ve been looking for in a community. I am excited to get to know the staff, students, and community members.” Join us in welcoming Ryan to the Haymaker family. #HaymakerWay

Kindergarten Registration for the 2025-2026 School Year! Join us on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in the Cozad Elementary Gym to register your child for kindergarten! 📄 Registration packets are now available at Cozad Elementary and should be returned by March 28th. 📅 The first day of school for the 2025-2026 year is August 19th, 2025. We can't wait to welcome our newest Haymakers!

Best of luck to CHS’s Larkyn Malcom at the Class B State Speech competition tomorrow, Wednesday, March 26th, at Kearney High School! We are so proud of you and know you will represent Cozad with excellence. Let’s send Larkyn off with our best wishes and support as she takes the stage at state! Go shine, Larkyn! (Video credit to Libby Bennett and Mrs. Kostrunek.) Send Off Video: https://youtu.be/jRG7easdt9c

Welcome to Cozad High School, Grace Boller! We are excited to introduce Grace as our new high school math teacher for the 2025-2026 school year. She has spent the past three years teaching sixth grade at Maxwell Public Schools and is eager to bring her passion for math to CHS. Outside of the classroom, Grace enjoys reading and spending time with her husband, family, and her dog, Ivy. She is looking forward to working with great students and colleagues in Cozad. Join us in giving Grace a warm Haymaker welcome!

Join Us to Celebrate the Week of the Young Child! Come celebrate with us on Monday, April 7th, from 3:00 to 4:00 PM in the Cozad Elementary Gym! This special event is a great opportunity to recognize the importance of early childhood education and have some fun! A huge thank you to Early Development Network, Cozad Community Health System, Cozad Community Schools, Wilson Public Library, Learning Adventures Daycare, Little Disciples, and Cozad Childcare for sponsoring this event. We hope to see you there!

We are thrilled to introduce Erika Brown as our new Family & Consumer Science teacher at CMS! Erika comes to us from Gothenburg Public Schools, where she has been shaping young minds in the 6th-grade classroom. Outside of teaching, she enjoys riding horses and working cows with her family. She is eager to inspire students, collaborate with colleagues, and contribute to the Cozad community by teaching essential life skills that will benefit students for years to come. Join us in giving Erika a warm Haymaker welcome!

Episode 4 of Cozad's Senior Podcast is here! This episode features special guests Aaron Wilson, Lorenzo Levario, and Jaslyn Crites, sharing their experiences, memories, and future plans. You won’t want to miss it! Listen now and celebrate our seniors! https://youtu.be/fBxq_M-dTqg

Congratulations to CHS Senior Boston Irish on breaking the school pole vault record with an incredible 16' 0" jump at the UNK Indoor Invite today! Way to go, Boston!

Welcome to Cozad Elementary, Miss Osmera! We are excited to introduce Calleigh Osmera as a new 2nd-grade teacher for the 2025-2026 school year! Calleigh is graduating from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in May and is eager to begin her teaching journey. When she’s not in the classroom, she loves spending time with family, friends, and pets, as well as trying out new hobbies. Teaching has always been her passion, and she can’t wait to share it with her students! Join us in welcoming Miss Osmera to the #HaymakerWay family!

Exciting Staff Updates for 2025-2026! As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we have some movement within our district! These familiar faces are stepping into new roles, and we know they will do an amazing job. ➡️ High School: Mr. Shaffer – Science ➡️ Middle School: Mrs. Koch – Guidance Counselor ➡️ Middle School: Mr. Asche – Principal ➡️ Elementary: Mrs. Neujahr – 2nd Grade ➡️ Elementary: Mrs. Keith – 4th Grade ➡️ Elementary: Mrs. Savick – Kindergarten We are excited for these educators as they take on new challenges and continue making a positive impact at Cozad Schools!

Good luck to our talented CHS students heading to McCook this Saturday for the SWC Fine Arts Clinic! This event on Saturday, March 22nd, will feature 18 band, 21 choir, and 10 art students from Cozad collaborating with the other seven schools in the Southwest Conference. There will be a public performance and art show at 5:30 PM in the McCook HS gym. Admission is $5 for students/children and $6 for adults. Come support our incredible artists and musicians!

We are excited to welcome Lunden Groene to Cozad Elementary as a 1st-grade teacher for the 2025-2026 school year! Miss Groene is currently a senior at UNK, graduating in May, and is finishing her student teaching in 3rd grade at Sandoz Elementary in Lexington. She loves reading, spending time with family and friends, and traveling. She is excited to join the Cozad community and begin her teaching career! Help us give Miss Groene a warm #HaymakerWay welcome!

Congratulations, Erica Weatherly! Erica Weatherly has been selected to play in the SWC 2025 Senior All-Star Basketball Game! The game will take place on June 12, 2025, at Minden High School. Way to go, Erica! We are proud of you! #HaymakerWay

🏀 All-SWC Boys Basketball Teams – 2025 🏀 Congratulations to our Haymakers for earning All-SWC honors! ⭐ First Team: Noah Shoemaker & Olliver Davis ⭐ Second Team: Kellen Shoemaker ⭐ Third Team: Chayden Hoffmaster A special shoutout to Head Coach Nick Broz, who was named Coach of the Year! Way to represent, Haymakers!