School has been in session for four weeks now at Hillsboro High School and the agricultural department has been busy with different activities for all the different classrooms, from eighth graders to seniors.
Many students are first-year members of the Hillsboro FFA Chapter, learning for the first time about plant and animal care as well as other aspects of agriculture.
Eighth graders who come to the high school side of the building for their classes are learning and practicing showmanship with sheep in the FFA barn. Freshmen classes are also practicing showmanship with pigs. The animal anatomy and physiology class is also spending much time in the FFA barn, learning proper animal care and management; showing sheep, pigs, and rabbits; ear notching; and weighing pigs.
Not all students spend their time in the barn, however. Elizabeth McNeal’s greenhouse class has begun planting poinsettias, which are sold annually by the FFA. The mechanical principles class has been lending a helping hand to other teachers and classes by building a shed for the drama department.
This is only the beginning of the year for the chapter and there will be many more activities for the students to participate in throughout the following months.
Submitted by Peyton Kidder, Hillsboro FFA chapter.
