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A New Era of Learning: Eureka FACS and FCCLA Kick Off a Busy School Year
November 04, 2026
The Eureka Junior-Senior High School (EJSHS) Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) department has launched heads first and hands-on this 2026-2027 school year! We have quickly proved that modern FACS classes is far from the "Home Ec" of the past. Today’s FACS curriculum bridges the gap between foundational life skills, human development, and high-powered career readiness, preparing students to navigate the modern world with confidence and purpose.
Connecting Through "Body Biographies"
To kick off the school year, all FACS classes participated in a collaborative Body Biography Project. Students first completed a personal survey, reflecting on their individual goals, backgrounds, and unique traits. Using those insights, they drew and colored custom templates to visually represent their appearance and personalities. The creative project served as an excellent icebreaker, allowing classmates to share, connect, and build a strong sense of community from day one. All Body Biography Projects currently hang on the walls in Mrs. Perkins’ room! Great decoration and inspiration each day!
FCCLA Hits the Road for Leadership
The Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) chapter has already enjoyed a highly active and successful semester. FCCLA Officers traveled to Kansas State University in Manhattan to attend the Take Aim Conference, where they sharpened their leadership skills, networked and connected with peers from across the state. FCCLA officers learn what their “colors” are in regards to working with other people and how they may respond in given situations. They also enjoyed attending break out sessions and the high point was a guest speaker (former EJSHS alumni) Kate Coulter!
A cool October morning, the FCCLA officers found themselves on a short bus ride to the Black Gold Cattle Company (home of Jamie and Stephanie Nelson) for the annual Day on the Farm event. Their primary goal was to demonstrate to the 2nd graders of Greenwood County how they can make butter with a baby food jar and a little bit of heavy whipping cream. After many minutes of "shake, shake, shake" the water began to separate from the whipping cream and a small ball of butter began to form. The FCCLA officers had a supply of crackers and the butter that the 2nd graders made was spread onto the crackers for them to sample. The Eureka FCCLA also provided activity booklets for each 2nd grader to take home. The activity booklets showcased how cattle provide us with so much more than just meat and milk. It included recipes, kitchen activities, word search and crossword puzzles. Also there was a short summary on what exactly FCCLA is and leadership opportunities found within the organization.
In addition, the chapter participated in the Fall Leadership Conference in Ottawa, further empowering students to take on active, positive roles within their school and local community. Chapter members were encouraged through different color wrist bands to participate in groups of students from different high schools within District H. One of the magical moments of the day was our very own Cooper Bowlin being on stage and winning a challenge!!
Inside the Classroom: A Deep Dive into Development and Careers
FACS students are diving into specialized, real-world coursework and are experienced by by grades freshman through senior:
- Human Growth and Development: Students are currently tracing the fascinating journey of human life, studying physical, cognitive, and emotional development from conception all the way through to death. They also explored child development theorists and became familiar with the theories that they created regarding growth and development. Students in this class studied in depth career paths that pertain to children and working with children. Looking ahead, this particular class in the future will be preparing for their opportunity to “teach” during a Pre-School for children ages 3-5 that will begin after Spring Break 2027.
- Foundations of Early Childhood: This course focuses intensely on child development, analyzing the critical growth phases from conception through older adolescence. This particular course work breaks down the P.I.E.S. which means physical, intellectual, emotional , and social development stages each person experiences as they embark on their personal journey to adulthood. They have also assisted with a few special projects that the FACS courses are sponsoring as well as the CTE store in downtown Eureka called Twisters.
- Family Studies: Class discussions and assignments have centered on understanding diverse family structures, parenting styles, and process of conception and birth.
- Nutrition and Wellness: Students have been exploring the profound impact of nutrition on the human body, learning how proper food choices function as fuel to keep their minds and bodies operating at optimum levels. The students have had the opportunity to explore alternative protein options, sampling a variety of grains in the form of bread, and they are currently studying water. They are learning the importance of water containing minerals and how purification can decrease the health benefits of water. In the next week, this class will have the opportunity to tour the culinary school in Andover that is an extension of Butler County Community College.
- Career and Life Planning (8th Grade): EJSHS eighth graders are already getting a head start on their futures by learning to build life pathways, establish goals and mastering the essential soft skills—like communication, teamwork, and time management—needed to propel them to success beyond middle school.
Career Connections: Bridging Classroom and Community
Our Career Connections class is actively exploring future career paths by engaging directly with professionals in our community. The class has hosted a lineup of guest speakers/entrepreneurs. The students have also traveled to local businesses which provided invaluable insight into daily career responsibilities, manufacturing and design implementation.
Students had the opportunity to listen to Mayor Coulter speak about public service and the insurance industry. They also heard firsthand accounts of a day in the life of a first responder from retired Sedgwick County Fire Chief C.F. Cox. Local professionals Faren Watts (electrician), Cody West (property management maintenance and City of Eureka employee), and Ashleigh Casper (real estate agent) shared the unique rewards and skills required for their respective fields.
To round out their hands-on learning, the class took an immersive tour of Mid-West Mill, hosted by Eric Bitler, and visited Twisted Mud, a local business owned and operated by Taylor Dehlinger. At Mid-West Mill the students were able to view a plasma cutting machine cut several pieces of metal based on CAD information directing the cutter. They also were able to view the mill components and other parts in various stages of production.
Mid-West Mill specializes in creating custom fit parts for flour mills all over the United States. Many of the flour mills grind flour and the ingredients that are made into food products that end up on the grocery shelves, not only in Eureka but from coast to coast.
At Twisted Mud, the students were able to see first hand a business and occupation that Taylor Dehlinger built from the ground up. Taylor is truly a remarkable individual whose passion was found along the way working in the oil patch and honing a natural talent deep within him. Taylor also shared with the students how he has incorporated using CAD software to help design the items he and his crew fabricate. The students were able to view up close the oil rig Taylor is repairing on his property and bring full circle where items he is working on in the shop will be installed.
In regards to both businesses, the students commented that they had no idea that Eureka housed such Taylor impressed upon the students the importance of the trades and how fulfilling the trades can be. He also related that there is a great amount of hustle and drive in being an entrepreneur and you have to wear many hats. He encouraged the students to enroll in some business classes to help provide a great background for owning and operating a business.
Through this powerful blend of self-reflection, leadership conferences, academic depth, and community networking, the EJSHS FACS program is equipping students with the tools they need to thrive in both their personal lives and future careers.
What does the future look like for the FACS students?
The near future is very exciting and truly ground breaking!!! Through hard work and an alliance with the Greenwood Preservation Society, the CTE classes at Eureka Junior Senior High School have an opportunity to showcase their skills and talents. Over the course of the past 2-3 years, the Greenwood Preservation Society has painstakingly renovated the former Red Owl Building on Main Street in Eureka. Grant funds from the Heritage Trust Fund as well as the Patterson Family were secured for this massive project to take place. The intent for the space at the time of the grant application and funding was to provide a space for students who participate in skilled educational curriculum to be able to display their projects and have a set spot for those projects to be sold. The CTE store is appropriately named "Twisters"!
Featured in the space are works from our Twisted Design class which creates t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, Tornado gear, etc for not only our staff and students but for the public to purchase. We will also proudly display woodworking projects that are created in Mr. Denner's class. Photography projects captured by the lens of Mrs. Fansler's students are on display and available to purchase. There is also a small inventory of recent yearbooks that may be snagged as well. Mrs. Anderson's students have been working hard not only with the Twister Design portion of the shop but also with one of the kind art work as well as clay projects. Mrs. Perkins' students have created quick and easy mixes that can be purchased for gift giving or just to keep in your pantry for a go to when your got up and go has already went. Her students will also have a few items that tie into the textiles portion of FACS as well as household/interior design items that can be purchased. Check back often to see what has been added or changed within Twister's!
Plan to attend our grand opening during the Cattlemen's Day activities on Saturday, November 7th from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. We can't wait to see you there!
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