Papillion La Vista Community Schools

09/23/2026

🏈 "The value of volunteering is giving back to the community and not expecting anything back in return, making sure everybody's cared for."

Papillion La Vista High School junior Connor McKelvey spent time over the summer volunteering with NeighborGood food pantry, which relies on volunteer support to help clients, sort donations, stock shelves, and bag groceries. As a member of the National Honor Society at PLHS, Connor is required to maintain a threshold of volunteer hours.

"It's important for students my age to engage with our communities because it's honestly a sort of life skill to be able to not only communicate with people, but help them out," he notes. "Especially when you're young, when you have a lot of time that you're able to give."

RJ Vitera, now a senior at PLHS, also dedicated part of his summer to volunteering. A member of the group Teen Faith at his church, RJ participates in activities to give back to his church and the community. The group regularly creates care bags for vulnerable groups like the unhoused or pregnant women, among other services opportunities. Over the summer, RJ volunteered at the church's fireworks tent.

The value of volunteering is being able to help others and hopefully make their lives better," RJ explains. "And it's not only rewarding for them, but it's also rewarding for me. Being able to see other people's lives hopefully improve makes me feel good."

Both Connor and RJ are on the Monarch football team. While sports participation has grown them in leadership skills and team building, both express the value in engaging in a variety of extracurricular activities, including community service.

Read the full article, "The Value of Giving Back," and view interviews with RJ and Connor at plcschools.org/magazine!

09/22/2026

🏈 The Papillion La Vista High School Monarchs had a great time at the Homecoming football game last Friday!

09/22/2026

📜 How do we learn from the past, and how will future civilizations study us? Ms. Hoch's seventh grade Social Studies class at Liberty Middle School considered these questions through a hands-on archaeology simulation. Students took the roles of archaeologists five hundred years from now, who have reason to believe they found remains of an artifact from the 2020s.

After carefully sifting their grains to find hidden fragments, students tried to piece the fragments together to answer key questions about the artifact and its source: What is the artifact? What do you think it was used for in the past? What does the artifact say about the people who used it?

09/21/2026

🏐🏆️ How does a championship team approach a new season?
"I talk about it being a blank slate," explains Papillion La Vista South High School volleyball coach Katie Tarman. "Truly, it is. It's a new season, and the kids in their roles are different - they've grown a little bit. So in my mind, it's like I'm starting as a brand new coach; they're starting as brand new players."

The team starts the season with a new motto, a new book to study together, and eyes fully forward. Though they know the competition is working hard to put a stop to their championship run, to the Titans a championship mindset is something you carry regardless of the previous year's results. Their theme this year, "Power With, Power To, Power Within," nods to the importance of strong relationships (with), physical training (to), and internal work (within).

"There's another whole element to sports, and that's our brains and how they function, and how they overcome adversity," Coach Tarman explains. It's the not-so-secret sauce of this third element that helps these student athletes become the best versions of themselves across all aspects of their lives and performance. This intentional psychological integration has shown clear results over the course of Tarman's tenure at Papillion La Vista South.

"We see our girls show leadership in a better way," Coach Tarman expands. "They bring others with them. They're more confident in themselves. They're more confident in their ability to overcome whatever is happening on the court, whatever is going on in their personal lives. They're stronger."

It's not just something she observes in the athletes; it's something the girls see in themselves as well, and the team's five seniors set the standard of vulnerability, hard work, and mental resilience for the rest of the team.

Read the full story, "The Power Within," and find digital bonus material at plcschools.org/magazine!

09/21/2026

Second graders at Ashbury Elementary School had a special visit from La Vista Mayor Kindig last week! The visit is part of their Civics unit on local government, where students have been learning about the roles of city leaders including the mayor, city council, city clerk, school board, and sheriff, along with how local laws move from idea to ordinance. Students even proposed their own laws to a mock "city council" for a vote!

Mayor Kindig stopped by to bring their learning to life, fielding student questions ranging from thoughtful to wonderfully unpredictable, as only second graders can ask. He also spoke with them about his role in city government, encouraging them to serve their community and work toward the changes they want to see.

09/21/2026

🎈 So many families came out to the PLCS Family Engagement Fair last week! We gave out prizes, books, and tons of educational resources for all grade levels. A special thanks to our community partners who provided resources for families, and to our own Education Academy students for leading math games! Don't miss our next family event, the PLCS Fit Fest health and wellness fair in January!

09/18/2026

09/18/2026

🧫 Health Academy students in the Biomedical track completed a bacterial conjugation lab! Conjugation is the process by which bacteria transfer genetic material — like antibiotic resistance genes — from one cell to another. It's one of the reasons antibiotic resistance can spread so quickly, and understanding it is key to tackling one of healthcare's biggest challenges.

Students began by working with two strains of E. coli, each resistant to a different antibiotic. They plated both strains onto four types of growth medium: one with no antibiotics, one with streptomycin, one with ampicillin, and one containing both, then predicted which plates each strain would survive on based on its resistance.

Once that growth was confirmed, students moved to the heart of the lab: mixing both strains together on a "mating" plate, giving the bacteria the chance to conjugate and exchange DNA overnight. The next day, students transferred cells from that mating plate onto three new antibiotic plates to test whether conjugation had actually occurred. If bacteria grew on plates they shouldn't have survived on based on their original resistance, it's evidence that antibiotic resistance genes were successfully passed between the two strains!

Throughout the process, students practiced sterile lab technique and careful, step-by-step procedures. This hands-on experience gives students a firsthand look at antibiotic resistance, a topic at the heart of biomedical research and public health today. 🔬

09/18/2026

🏈 From the parade and pep rally to the football game, Papillion La Vista South High School homecoming last week was a success!

09/17/2026

🍎 Papillion La Vista Community Schools is so thrilled to announce that Zac Konrad, band teacher at Papillion Middle School, has been named the 2027 Nebraska Teacher of the Year by the Nebraska Department of Education! Mr. Konrad was surprised with the award in his 7th grade band class this morning. He holds the honor of being the first music teacher to receive this recognition.

"I believe all students can learn and that music is for everyone,” Konrad wrote in his application. “When societal detractors say, ‘Kids these days aren’t like they used to be...’ I push back because I’ve seen firsthand their potential. We owe it to these future generations to set them up for the greatest amount of success possible. I want our students to know that, when they become young adults in the community, the impact of our culture-building is long-lasting. We are building future greatness in our schools and I am proud to see our students leading the way."

As the 2027 Teacher of the Year, Konrad wants to focus on the enduring value of relationships in education. He believes teachers are uniquely positioned to inspire, encourage and prepare students for life beyond the classroom. He seeks to elevate the teaching profession, foster strong school and community partnerships, and remind Nebraskans that educators remain essential to helping students thrive in a rapidly changing world.

"Teachers are the great unifiers in a world in need of harmony,” wrote Konrad. " As I watch our world change faster than I ever could have imagined, nothing has rung truer to me than this: Teachers are irreplaceable because we believe in what we do. We believe we make a difference."

Congratulations, Mr. Konrad!