WHS Families: Week of February 5th

Monday, February 5th

5:30pm: Music Parents Meeting

Tuesday, February 6th

7:30am: PLT meetings

Wednesday, February 7th

6:30pm: FFA monthly meeting

Saturday, February 10th

3:00pm: Band o Rama

WHS Student Council is proud to announce for January, Mr. John Lane has been selected as Whitewater High School's Staff Member of the Month!

Mr. Lane is a Science Teacher at WHS, who teaches most of the Physics classes. He was chosen because of his enthusiasm in class, the way he cares for the kids, and his interactive teaching. Be sure to congratulate him and offer a high five/fist bump.

Mr. Lane was treated to Sweet Spot treats of his choice- a chocolate donut and black coffee. Thank you and congrats, Mr. Lane!

The Whitewater High School Forensics Team kicked off the 2024 season on Saturday at the Polar Plunge Forensics Festival Hosted by Badger High School in Lake Geneva.

Five students competed and earned awards across four different categories:

Makayla Bazeley (11) - Prose Reading

Carley Boudreau (11) - Informative/Demonstration Speech

Emilia Houwers (12) - Expository Speech

Marina Linos (12) - Informative/Demonstration Speech

Lauren Rollette (12) - Solo Serious Acting

The event was a great warm-up before the team begins competition in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Speech and Dramatic Arts Association (WISDAA) State Series at their Subdistrict Tournament at Fort Atkinson High School on February 20th. Students earning a certain number of points on their performances there will qualify for the District Tournament at Stoughton High School in March and the State Tournament at UW-Madison in April. Everyone involved had a lot of fun, and is excited to build on our early success!

Congratulations to the following students for participating in the Rock Valley Conference Honors Band on Monday, January 29: Dante Baker, Payton Bunger, Myia Cobbs, Grace Coleman, Jay Downs, Haley Keltesch, Taiya Kolb, Izzy Lavertu, Kay Mikos, and Liz Ngabo.

These students were selected to be a part of this group due to their dedication, hard-work, and leadership in the band classroom. They spent the day working with renowned conductor Dr. Scott Teeple from The University of Wisconsin-Madison and performed a concert that same night.

Congratulations to the eleven WHS students who were selected for and performed with the 2024 Rock Valley Conference Honors Choir. The event was held at Big Foot High School in Walworth on January 31st. Students sang under the direction of Dr. Zachary Durlam, director of Choral Activities at University of Wisconsin -Milwaukee. Students prepared the music ahead of time, rehearsed with Dr. Durlam during the day, and then presented a concert in the afternoon.

The WHS students who performed were Payton Bunger, Meridyth Cashion, Alex Clarksen, David Enns, Jazmin Falcon, Nina Heim, Aidan Lefel, Marina Linos, Sam Nickelsburg, Harry Ritchie, and Lauren Rollette. Alex Clarksen was honored to be selected to sing one of the solos in "I'll Be On My Way". Congratulations to all!

Press Release:

To cultivate community engagement and fulfill graduation requirements, Whitewater High School students spent the afternoon of Monday, January 15, completing service projects in recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Staff and students collaborated on a list of meaningful service projects to make a positive impact on the community.

“The day of service on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was a great example of our students and staff stepping up to make a difference, right here in our community,” said Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty, Superintendent of the Whitewater Unified School District. “This was an outstanding way for our school community to honor Dr. King’s legacy. We are incredibly proud of our students for all their efforts on Monday.”

Projects ranged from environmental initiatives, like the Indian Mounds project and school campus clean up, to outreach programs such as art projects at the Memory Care House and collaborating on a dog treat making project with the residents at Fairhaven. Students had the opportunity to choose projects that interested them. The inaugural celebration of this new tradition is a great demonstration of the importance of not only academic excellence but also nurturing responsible, compassionate citizens who actively contribute to the wellbeing of their community.

The projects left a lasting impact on the community and gave students a sense of accomplishment and service.

Photos from the WHS MLK Day of Service can be found here.

Whitewater High School (WHS) Players will be presenting Thornton Wilder’s American Classic Our Town, February 29 - March 3, 2024 in the newly named James M. Stewart Auditorium. This timeless drama is about life in the small New Hampshire town of Grover’s Corners. This Pulitzer Prize-winning play is considered by many to be the greatest American play ever written. This show has something for all ages.

As a part of this event, the Whitewater Unified School District (WUSD) invites the community to the dedication of the high school’s auditorium to long-time WUSD school board member James (Jim) M. Stewart. The dedication will take place Saturday, March 2, at 5:30 p.m., before the performance.

Stewart was elected to the WUSD School Board in 1981 and served for nearly 27 years. He continued to serve until his passing in November 2021. During his tenure on the board, he served as board president for six years, vice president for two years, and treasurer for six years. Jim’s legacy extends far beyond the boardroom, as he impacted the lives of countless students, parents, and educators alike through his service.

“Jim left an indelible mark on our community and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of students and families,” said Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty, Superintendent. “Having the community come together in Jim’s honor is a great way to memorialize his legacy and celebrate the time, energy, and passion that he gave to the betterment of our students. It will surely be a special day for our school district community.”

The production of Our Town is being sponsored by a generous contribution from the Coburn family and is under the direction of Jim McCulloch and technical direction of Kat Dunham. Cast members include: Marina Linos, A’lani Ross, Brooke Mason, Payton Bunger, David Enns, Alex Clarksen, Taylor Speerbrecher, Haley Keltesch, Sam Nickelsburg, Hayleigh Pond, Deven Bawden, Chacha Binagi, Ava Van Daele, Ayden Clark, Grace Coleman, Esteban Diaz-Gallegos, Willow Vogelzang and Alex Sullivan.

Students working behind the scenes as stage managers, customers and set builders include: Kara Long, Gabi Kirley, Alexsa Cansino-Pena, Matt Zingsheim, Ace Hudec, Ava Nygren, Lucy Troxel, Miles Nickelsburg, Taiya Kolb, Rae Breisath, Kayla Mikos, Josh Nygren, Payton Peacock and Sami Van Daele.

In the true spirit of Our Town, WHS Players has partnered with the Whitewater Historical Society to present Streets of Whitewater. A detailed collection of historic photographs, rarely-seen artifacts, and stories of the early days of our own town will be on display before each performance. So, come early and experience a bit of our heritage.

Performances of Our Town will be held at Whitewater High School, in the James M. Stewart Auditorium, located at 534 S. Elizabeth Street, on February 29 - March 2 at 7:00 p.m. and March 3 at 2:00 p.m. General admission tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and can be purchased at the door or by calling the box office at 262-472-8178. The house will open one hour prior before performance.

The Whippet Cross Country Teams are not only fast on race day but also strong in the classroom as both the boys' and girls' cross country teams earned Academic All-State Honors this past fall! Criteria to earn this honor is that they need to be represented at the WIAA State Meet as a team and earn over a 3.5 GPA. The athletes are pictured below with their certificates signifying their success in the classroom as strong student athletes. Congratulations to both teams!

Boys left to right: Quincy Boudreau, Nate Holden, Jack Hefty, Miles Nickelsburg, Onyx Thompson (not pictured, Andrew O'Toole and Xavier Zei)

Girls left to right: Mady Hefty, Nola Coburn, Ema Aranda, Carley Boudreau, Bella Aranda, Silvia Harris, Athena Soto

Assistance is available for completing the FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Completing the FAFSA is one of the first steps in financing higher education.

Here’s a link to the homepage of the College Goal website: https://collegegoalwi.org/

For the virtual events parents/students need to register here (https://collegegoalwi.org/register/) to get a link sent to them for the webinar. (The in-person events don’t require registration ahead of time.)

FAFSA information and Gateway Technical College Scholarships are available below!

Gateway Scholarship Applications are due April 5!

Be sure to apply if interested!

College Goal Wisconsin FAFSA Workshop!

Please book an in-person or virtual appointment with Gateway's Student Finance Specialists to receive help with completing the FAFSA HERE

Gateway Scholarships Are Now Open!

• Speaking of FREE MONEY, Gateway's High School Scholarships are now accepting applications. Just know this is separate from the Gateway Promise Tuition-Free program. Scholarship Application Deadline: April 5, 2024
• Graduating high school students should apply for the High School Student Scholarships. To qualify, applicants must have a minimum 2.0 high school GPA. Don't miss out on potentially qualifying for Gateway scholarships ranging from $200-$1,000!
• Click here to apply: High School Students Scholarships

Whitewater High School is committed to providing a safe environment for students, staff and visitors in our building. This reminder is to communicate with you some of the measures we will be continuing for 2nd semester.

Emergency Drills: Throughout the year, we will conduct fire, tornado, and WAVE drills. The WAVE System is a wireless instant notification system that sounds a detailed alarm message throughout the building and sends an alert directly to law enforcement and first responders in the event of a critical incident. Some of the emergency drills will be “cognitive” drills in which the staff verbally talks with students about what to do and where to go in the event of an actual emergency. Other drills will be more realistic and require the building to go into a lockdown simulation. Families will be notified prior to an official lockdown WAVE drill.

Established procedures are in place in the event of an actual emergency. If a critical incident were to occur forcing a lockdown, no persons will be allowed in or out of our buildings until law enforcement has deemed it to be safe for all involved. In the event of an emergency requiring students to be picked up, the school will communicate with you the proper procedures to follow in order to safely retrieve your student.

Searches: WHS recognizes that a safe, drug-free environment for students and staff provides the best learning environment. Whenever school authorities suspect a person may be in possession of something that may be a danger to themselves or others, a search of the person or the person’s property will be conducted. This includes lockers and vehicles on school property. Searches under this policy may include the use of handheld metal detecting devices commonly known as “wands.” We will also conduct searches by law enforcement dogs trained to detect the presence of illegal substances. These searches may occur at any time and without prior notice during 2nd semester.

Raptor Visitor Management System: If you will be entering the building beyond the main office during the school day, you will be asked to present an ID such as a State Issued Driver's License, Military Issued ID, or Passport ID card, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. Please understand this is being done to keep our children safe.

WHS administration appreciates your partnership in your child’s education and safety. We encourage students, staff and parents to be vigilant and report information of any suspicious activity to school administration or law enforcement. Open lines of communication are the best approach to maintain a safe and positive learning environment for all.

The Back to School Safety letter can be viewed HERE.

The 2023-2024 Student Handbook can be viewed HERE.

The Athletic/Activity handbook can be reviewed HERE