A new Wauneta-Palisade Schools program aimed at strengthening school culture started last week with a scavenger hunt.
    Eight teams of students, and one team of teachers, were sent out into the community Tuesday with a list of items and tasks to be completed.
    The point, counselor Betsy Anderjaska said, is to promote cooperation and teamwork among  mixed-age groups of students—an effort that will continue all school year.
    “We will be tracking kids’ participation and involvement, some task completion things, but also hoping to work on teamwork and culture building, building some relationships throughout the school,” Anderjaska said.
    Each of the eight teams will consist of students in grades 6-12. Throughout the year, the teams will take part in various tasks and activities.
    Some of what school officials will track are a matter of numbers—attendance and disciplinary referrals each month, who makes the semester honor roll and growth on standardized tests.
    But the school also will track student growth on “this idea of working together and just building relationships across our whole school,” she said.

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