October 15, 2009 | Posted by admin
This section of Support West Bend Schools will be used to highlight areas at which our School District excels and new key accomplishments. We want to celebrate those things that make our schools great! We will continue updating below with articles about positive happenings at all of the West Bend Schools.
The following are accomplishments listed on the School District website:
*Ranked in top 7% of districts for fiscal management.
*International Diploma Continue Reading »
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February 19, 2010 | Posted by admin
West Bend High School students have been busy with a service project with the Interact Club. Daily News coverage of the project here :
Members of the school’s Interact Club restored and hand-painted six wooden chairs for a silent auction/ fundraiser to help victims of natural disasters.
Bidding for the chairs, which are on display in pairs at the three West Bend M&I locations, opened earlier this week and will run through March 1.
But the artistic effort to spread awareness about global disasters by the students in Interact — a 30 member service club that’s an off-shoot of Rotary International — began last fall.
Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Interact Club, West Bend High School | No Comments »
February 19, 2010 | Posted by admin
The West Bend High Schools will present Seussical the Musical on February 25, 26 and 27 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 28 at 1 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
Tickets cost: Adults $8, Students $6, Seniors (62 and over) $4 and children under 5 are FREE. Tickets are available at Glacier Hills Credit Union, M & I Bank. Westbury Bank and the WBHS Bookkeeper.
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January 29, 2010 | Posted by admin
Area grade schools are working with other local organizations to purchase shelter boxes for Haiti. A complete shelter box costs $1000 per box and includes supplies for a family of 10 (large tent, water purification tablets, ponchos, shovel, cook stove, tools, etc). This article in the Daily News discusses Green Tree’s involvement. McLane students and families are helping with the effort as well as part of their year long service project theme at the school. Students are collecting extra change up until February 14.
At Green Tree Elementary School, students are stuffing containers with money in the Change Challenge. The funds will go through Rotary clubs to buy 110-pound ShelterBoxes that contain a tent, water purification items, shovel, cook stove and more to assist a family or extended family of 10.
“We were looking at different organizations and sometimes that connection in elementary school, that concept is kind of big: Where are they going?” said Anne Kieslich, school counselor.
A map of Haiti is behind the containers near the office.
Silverbrook Middle School, Slinger High School and other organizations are getting involved in the ShelterBox program as well.
Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Green Tree Elementary, Haiti donations, McLane Elementary, Silverbrook Middle School | No Comments »
January 22, 2010 | Posted by admin
The theater arts in West Bend are now more popular than every. Tonya Fordham, drama coach for West Bend High Schools and Middle Schools, stated that they have 60 cast members taking part in this year’s middle school production. Badger and Silverbrook students are combined for the play and they alternate each year between a play and a musical. This year’s theme for the combined middle school play is “The Canterbury Tales- Geoffrey Chaucer’s Flying Circus”. Fordham stated, “The kids really enjoy the theater arts. We provide them with a venue to be expressive and take a chance, even those kids who are shy. It really makes them stronger as individuals. Most of the kids have speaking parts, and each has their moment in the sun.”
The play is a parody of the original Canterbury Tales. Each scene is really separate parody, a play within a play. Forham said the production this year doesn’t feature elaborate set designs, but is “all about kids having fun on stage.” The plays are put on with a shoe string budget with virtually no money for costuming or set design. Costumes and sets are re-used, made or found and Fordham has quite a bit of parental involvement on both.
“The Canterbury Tales” will be on February 8-9 (Monday & Tuesday) at 7:00 at the Badger Middle School cafeteria. Cost is free.
Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Badger Middle School, Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer Flying Circus, Silverbrook Middle School, Tonya Forham, West Bend theater arts | No Comments »
January 16, 2010 | Posted by admin
As reported in the Daily News, West Bend East sophomore Tarryck Kalishek won the Philharmonia Concerto concert, and will be the featured soloist with the Milwaukee Philharmonia in May:
A West Bend High Schools student and musician has received a significant honor.
East High School sophomore Tarryck Kalishek was the winner of a Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra competition last weekend.
Kalishek competed against 23 of his musical peers in the Philharmonia’s Concerto contest Saturday and won the opportunity to perform as a featured soloist with the Philharmonia in May.
He is the first student from West Bend High Schools to achieve the honor, said West Bend High Schools Orchestra Director Chris Kraly.
“It’s really a huge accomplishment for students from West Bend,” Kraly said. “The students and the community should be very proud.”
The Philharmonia is the second of the two Milwaukee Youth Symphony orchestras.
Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Chris Kraly, Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, Tarryck Kalishek, West Bend High School orchestra | No Comments »
December 18, 2009 | Posted by admin
McLane 3rd, 4th and 5th graders performed their annual Christmas concert on Thursday December 18th, however this year’s theme was special. The students paid tribute to veterans, with their “Operation Care Package” theme. Performances included popular wartime songs such as the Caisson Song, Over There! and Please, Mr Mailman, Bring Me a Letter. Holiday songs included White Christmas, Chocolate in My Stocking and Peace, Peace. Local veterans from the VFW post presented the colors at the beginning of the program, and veterans in the audience were honored later in the performance. Students collected cash and stamp donations to be used for sending care packages to our soldiers overseas. From the article in the West Bend Daily News:
Students at McLane Elementary School celebrated the holiday season with a salute to soldiers Tuesday.
Wearing paper garrison caps, third, fourth and fifth grade students performed an eclectic blend of wartime music and holiday songs, woven together by the narrative of a soldier separated from his family during Christmas.
Local veterans, who presented the Colors at the beginning of the program, gave the students glowing praise.
“It gave me goose bumps,” said VFW Post 1393 Commander John Kleinmaus. “It was just heartwarming.”
In addition to parents and family, Kleinmaus estimated between 40 and 50 war veterans attended the two performances hosted by the third fourth and fifth grade students.
One of them was World War II Veteran Herb Strupp. Strupp attended the 2:15 p.m. program.
“It was wonderful,” he said.
The inspiration for the the program’s theme came from a service project the students are working on this year, said Darciann Ketter, the school’s music teacher.
Students in the third, fourth, and fifth grades have been collecting postage to send packages and letters to troops overseas.
Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Christmas concert 2009, Darciann Ketter, Honor Veterans, McLane Elementary, Operation Care Package, West Bend School District | No Comments »
December 11, 2009 | Posted by admin
West Bend High School’s Spanish Club members participated in a food drive which succeeded in collecting 2699 items:
Winning was second priority during a food drive that seemed to snowball for those in need as a 10-day contest challenged Spanish Club members and students at West Bend High Schools.
Students collected nonperishable food for Spanish classes, in hopes of earning a modest fiesta and bragging rights.
“In addition to being an opportunity to help others less fortunate than we are, it is also a competition between Spanish classes,” said West Bend High Schools Spanish teacher Barb Olsen. “The students’ attitude of helping out was heartwarming to see. It wasn’t just about bringing in a food item or two, but helping throughout the whole process with such a generous spirit.”
Stuart Karas of West Bend is one such generous spirit. Already a volunteer with the Civil Air Patrol, the opportunity to make his own firsttime charity grocery effort resulted in an 82-item donation with his own funds.
“I wasn’t sure what to buy at first because you really don’t know who you’re buying food for at all,” said Karas. “You just have to guess and that’s fine. I ended up getting vegetables, a lot of soups, Ramen noodles and other things. I can’t remember all of them. I like to hope there comes a time when families won’t need to go to pantries, but until then it’s nice to do what we can. There are opportunities out there if you choose a good organization to help so it doesn’t waste your time or effort.”
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November 23, 2009 | Posted by admin
The Badger Parent Group will be nationally recognized in the “PTO Today” magazine, receiving an honorable mention for the National Parent Group of the Year. There will be an article featured in the March issue highlighting the the group’s Co-Curricular Program.
The following was the letter Jackie Mages, Badger Parent Group President, wrote highlighting the achievements of the group and why they deserved the award:
Badger Middle School is located on Main Street in West Bend, Wisconsin. This school could be listed as a typical Middle School if you only judge it from the outside. Once you step through the doors, you will see the school, the kids, the staff and the parents are anything but typical.
Our school is comprised of 903 children from all walks of life, upper class status to children living in shelters. Despite all the diversity of incomes, race, language, etc. we have remained extremely successful academically. This year our Badger Parent group implemented several new programs to help our school families. Our group had unanimously voted to provide the Principal with $500.00 of gift cards to the local Wal-Mart and Kohl’s Department Store. We implemented this program for when one of our students comes to school and doesn’t have the appropriate school supplies or clothes, the principal can take him or her out to purchase what is needed. Now, to any upper or middle class family this may sound like no big deal, but to a kid who is coming from a shelter, it means just for a few hours a day that they are like their peers. We believe that school is not just about learning, it is also about teaching the kids about compassion and that we adults do care.
Our group has also implemented FREE Co-Curriculars to any student who is interested. This is the first year we were able to offer this type of program. When first discussed the school staff jumped in and offered suggestions for classes they could teach. The excitement from the staff could be felt miles away. The staff felt this was an opportunity to bond with the kids outside the classroom setting. This year we were able to provide Movie Making Club, Ping Pong Club, Game Club, Fitness Club, Cheerleading, Drama Club, Introduction to Fishing, Outdoor Recreation, Tennis, Soccer and Scrap Book Club. The Badger Parent Group set a side $6,000.00 to make these programs available to all kids no matter what their income status was. We as a group felt it was important for kids to be exposed to many different programs. This allows them to find other interests and allows them to view school not just as a place they have to be, but also as a place they want to be.
These programs could not be implemented without the generous support of our parents. Our single largest fund raiser happens in February. We call it Beach Blast-Family Fun Night. We encourage every member of the family to join us for our event which includes a silent auction, raffles, games, blow ups, food, music, etc. Not only is this a fund raiser, but a chance for the families to come together and have fun. This year in the midst of one of the most difficult economical times, we raised over $7,000.00.
As you can see we are not a typical school, not a typical staff, not a typical student body and definitely not a typical Parent Group.
For more information regarding the Badger Parent Group and their activities, please see their website here. A newletter is published every month on the website with up-to-date information.
Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Badger Middle School, Badger Middle School Co-Curriculars, Badger PTO, PTO Today, West Bend School District | No Comments »
November 14, 2009 | Posted by admin
Information submitted by Tonya Fordham:
The West Bend High School’s 2009 Drama Club is presenting The Hunchback of Notre Dame next weekend. The shows will be November 19-21 at 7:00 pm and November 21 at 1:00 pm. Tickets are available at the door, and at M&I South or the WBHS Bookkeeper for $5 students and seniors, $8 adults.
The Drama Club is putting on a Fundraiser Brunch with the cast on November 21 at 11:00 am to 12:00 pm at the West Bend East High School cafeteria. The brunch will be $5 per person with the following menu: french toast sticks, mini muffins, string cheese, egg and sausage souffle, fresh fruit and juice, milk & coffee. All proceeds will benefit Kara Nothem, a sixteen year old junior at West Bend East High School and student director for the Drama Club . For reservations, call Linda Liesener, the WBHS bookkeeper at 335-5539. Reservations will be taken through Tuesday, November 17, however tickets may be bought at the door if there is enough food.
Kara Nothem was born with a birth defect known as Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome, or KTS. KTS involves vascular malformations, which in Kara’s case causes her right leg to be much larger than her left. She has been admitted to Children’s Hospital over a hundred times and has had multiple surgeries including having her toes removed. Kara may be looking at an amputation in the near future, replacing her right leg with a state -of -the- art prosthetic. Kara has limited insurance coverage for the prosthetic, and her family’s future medical responsiblity is likely to be tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Kara shared her story in this letter. Kara’s friend Theresa Le approached Tonya Fordham (WBHS Drama Director) to ask how the Drama Club could help. The brunch fundraiser is the result of their efforts.
Tonya Fordham had the following to say about Kara:
Kara has served as a Student Director for our last two productions. She is a quiet example of strength, courage, and the power of a positive attitude. When other students were struggling in their personal lives, some new tragedy would befall Kara and she allowed me to share her struggles in order to inspire the group to see beyond their own situations. She reminds us all that regardless of the circumstances, we can face life with a positive attitude and that we can achieve anything we are willing to work at. Kara has shared with her fellow students something money cannot buy, and the positive effects should stay with them for the rest of their lives! We would like the opportunity to say thank you to her.
The process of finding a way to help Kara has now led to the newly formed WBHS Drama Club Foundation which was set up with the physical and financial support of Marjorie Vukelich. She has known and admired Kara for many years. In addition, she has become a staunch supporter of the Drama Club and its efforts to become an important program at the High School. The goal of the newly formed Foundation is to reach out to individual students within the Dramatic Arts who may be in need of assistance, including the addition of scholarships.
Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Brunch Fundraiser, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Kara Nothem, Marjorie Vukelich, Tonya Fordham, WBHS Drama Club Foundation, West Bend High School, West Bend High School Drama Club | No Comments »
October 27, 2009 | Posted by admin
Submitted By Mark Hoefert
I am the parent of a 4th grader at Green Tree school. I would like to report on our volunteer workshops that we started 2 years ago. In fall of 2007, our school was blessed with a new family that had moved to West Bend from Iowa in 2006. Phyllis A. had been involved in parent volunteer workshops in her prior community. The first year she was in West Bend, at a different school, the concept did not get a warm reception. Fortunately, at Green Tree our principal (Mr. Allen Fritschel) was very open to trying it. The group governs itself – that was necessary because we do not want our efforts to become a burden on administrative staff. It is set up for two Wednesday AMs a month, and people are free to drop in as their schedule permits. We assist in the office by making photocopies, collating, stapling, cutting, pasting, making booklets, etc. Oftentimes, staff has to do these tasks when they get a “hole” in their schedule, like the ½ hour that the students go to gym, art class, music, etc or during lunches & recesses. We hope this takes some of the load off of the teachers and their aides, freeing them to spend more time in the classroom on preparation, returning parent calls/emails, etc.
This fall, our intention was to continue to do two days a month. However, the backlog of tasks was such that we have conducted a session every Wednesday for the first 7 weeks. Our core group of volunteers has been about 6 parents, with an additional 6+ that come as their schedule allows. Of course, there are a lot of other volunteer initiatives going on at Green Tree, like mentored reading, laminating, in-class volunteers, etc.
If anyone from another school is interested in seeing us in action or would like some information, please feel free to email me (Mark Hoefert) at mhoefert@charter.net. And of course, any Green Tree parents reading this that wish to become involved, please let us know!!.
Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Green Tree Elementary, Parent volunteers, West Bend School District | No Comments »
