WHITNALL SCHOOL DISTRICT | ISSUE 1 | VOL 5|SUMMER 2015

The Viewpoint CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION SINCE 1960

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PAGE1 2 3 4 6 8New School

Year is NearSuperintendent’s Message

A Look Back at 2014-15

Graduation Photo Gallery

WMS Helps Make-A-Wish

Whitnall Block Party

Continued on page 2

PAGE 7 Alumni

Corner

Who, What Is New?Focus on 2015-16 School Year:

Lynn LeRoy, who has been with the Whitnall School District since 2006, is the new principal at Whitnall Middle School.

The start of the new school year often brings about exciting changes. This fall will be no different for Whitnall School District students and staff.

For the first time in nine years, Whitnall Middle School will have a new principal. Lynn LeRoy was hired to take over the helm of the school this summer. LeRoy, who has been with the District since 2006, has spent her entire Whitnall career at WMS, first as a band instructor and most recently as an instructional coach.

“The start of this school year will be unlike any other in my years in education,” LeRoy said. “I welcome this new and challenging opportunity, and look forward to working with the WMS community of students, staff and parents.”

Among LeRoy’s new staff members are Scott Siemers, who returns to teach math at WMS after one year at the high school, Madalynn Smith (special education) and Bonnita Ziegler-Davel (family and consumer education).

At the high school, Jim Krolikowski steps in as dean

of students. He started his career at Whitnall High School in 2008 as a math teacher, and has taught math, chemistry and learning strategies at Shorewood High School since 2009

“Mr. Krolikowski will be a great addition to the Whitnall High School team,” WHS principal Jackie Winter said. “As dean of students, he will work closely with students and teachers in order to promote positive student engagement.”

Additionally, the high school will have a host of new, talented teachers. Amanda Nothem (physics), Cody Smith (biology) and Nicole TenPas (chemistry) have joined the

As summer rolls on, it becomes easier and easier to get excited about the start of the 2015-16 school year. Sure, we’d all like a few more days relaxing on the patio with friends or more time to travel around the state on family vacations.

But, as I enter my sixth year as your superintendent, I have learned to look forward to the new year and what the extraordinary students and staff in this destination district will accomplish next. Each year seems better than the last, with our students and educators pushing themselves even more, both in and out of the classroom.

Topping the 2014-15 school year seems like a daunting task. Our high school students not only continued to outperform students in surrounding communities, but they measured up favorably against districts across the state and nation, and even around the world. Last spring, Whitnall students took the “Organization for EconomicCo-operation Test for Schools” and proved Whitnall schools compete with schools on a global level.

We have a theatre program that regularly performs amazing, award-winning productions; a school forest that provides unlimited, unique academic opportunities for our students; and a staffing system designed to get the very best out of both students and teachers alike. Last fall, we implemented instructional coaches to keep teachers’ eyes on self-improvement and K-12 coordinators to successfully align the District’s curriculum for its youngest learners to our nearly 200 seniors who walked across the stage at commencement ceremonies in June.

Where do we go from here? It’s kind of like asking, “How do you make a pizza that already tastes great, taste totally awesome?” As the cover story of The Viewpoint says, we are always “adding ingredients” and making changes. This summer is no different. We’re trying new approaches like PLEx, introducing new building leaders and teachers to our team, and giving our staff, students and the community more chances to recognize why this is a destination district.

A district you can count on to do big things in 2015-16.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lowell E. Holtz, Superintendent

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SUPERINTENDENT’S MESSAGEANOTHER GREAT YEAR

Dr. Lowell Holtz

NEW, from Page 1science department, Rebecca Maag is a new math teacher, Bonnita Ziegler-Davel will teach FACE and Rebekah Faas, Claira Himmel and Jared McGranahan have joined the special education department.

Our elementary schools will have a few new teachers, as well. At Hales Corners Elementary, Lynette Senger will teach third grade, Kellie Yust, kindergarten and Cameron Butler-Kuberka, special ed.

Adrianne Broeker, Erin Mitchell and Ashley Nechy are new fifth-grade teachers at Edgerton Elementary, and will be joined there by newcomers Megan Ashbaugh (kindergarten), Chad La Rosa (physical education), Lauren Roelke (special ed) and Katie O’Rourke (speech/language pathologist).

But the start of the new school year is not only about the new faces filling the hallways and classrooms. It’s also about the new experiences we’ll be providing our students. Perhaps no change will be bigger than the launch of the District’s Personalized Learning Experience, or PLEx.

A PLEx community, comprised of between 65 and 75 multi-age students and three teachers, spends the day in adjoining classrooms combined into one learning space. Whitnall’s PLEx classrooms will combine first, second, and third-graders who will learn at a pace determined individually, based upon students’ needs and preferences, and done in collaboration with classroom teachers.

In a PLEx classroom, space is allocated for teachers to meet with small groups, conference, or assess students working independently. In other words, PLEx does not look like a traditional classroom.

Other changes you might notice:

• Edgerton’s parking lot was resurfaced over the summer to allow for better traffic flow and create more parking stalls;• the high school is launching a robotics;• the old “nature pod” sign on 116th Street has been removed to make way for a “Whitnall School Forest” sign, the Class of 2015’s parting gift to the district;• the district and school websites are getting a facelift.

OPEN TRACK: The district is pleased to announce the high school track will be open to public walkers and runners starting this fall. See www.whitnall.com for more details.

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Name: Austin JenkElementary school: St. Mary Parish SchoolGPA: 4.756Favorite teachers: Mark Nowakowski and Laura Cerletty, WHSFavorite Whitnall memory: Winning conference championship in golf his senior year and being "on the wall”College: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Name: Reilly JohnsonElementary school: Hales Corners ElementaryGPA: 4.732Favorite teacher: Nancy Sarnow, WHSTop Whitnall memory: Involvement with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Tom Weissgerber's Whitnall Drama Club provided unforgettable friendships and expriencesCollege: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Whitnall High School’s 2015 valedictorian Austin Jenk (right) and salutatorian Reilly Johnson.

Heads of the Class

The Whitnall High School Class o f 2 0 1 5 o f n e a r l y 1 9 0 graduates included 45 National Honor Society members and 60 students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better. In addition, this year’s graduating class earned approximately $2 million in scholarships. Meet the students who finished at the top of the class:

Employee RecognitionBefore the conclusion of the 2014-15 school year, the Whitnall School District celebrated its 11 retirees and nearly 20 employees who reached 15- or 25-years-of-service marks. Congratulations to all, and thank you to all the retirees for their hard work and dedication to our schools and students over the years.

Many of Whitnall’s 2015 retirees participated in a special recognition event May 27.

The District highlighted the retirees on the I-43 billboard outside of Falcon Field.

2015 retirees 15 years of serviceJeffrey BenjaminMary EggertSusan FearsonJames GablemanJanice HahnBarbara McDonaldNancy Olson-LewisDaniel RamczykAlison SchmidtKevin SchmidtMarianne StreitMargaret TempleMike Seavert

Lumina BoyerLinda KulwickiMary MikichMark NowakowskiNancy Olson-LewisSteve PelkoferJean PriceDebra SipolaCheryl StaatsPam StarichVicky Stemwell25 years of serviceCynthia BrossartKimberly KenastonAmy KoenigsCheryl Staats

Class of 2015Commencement | June 7, 2015

Whitnall High School

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The Whitnall High School Class of 1965, the first- ever class to spend four years at Whitnall High School, is celebrating its 50th class reunion Sept. 12, 2015. Anyone in that class - students or faculty - are encouraged to contact reunion

committee member Tom Utech at a67man@aol.com to make a reservation or convey a message to the class.

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Work on the Edgerton Elementary School parking lot will be concluded prior to the start of the 2015-16 school year. Following a recent traffic study, the District made it a priority to improve traffic flow and safety during pick-up, drop-off and dismissal. In addition, more onsite parking stalls were added. Once school begins, Edgerton parents are reminded to follow all traffic patterns and safety precautions.

In a time- and cost-cutting measure, the Whitnall School District will email two letters it normally mails out via the United States Postal Service.

One letter contains general information about registration and important dates for RETURNING students. The other letter has information about lunch prices and how families can apply for free/reduced lunch. Families of all RETURNING students whose parents or guardians have an email on file will receive those letters electronically. Families without an email address will receive the letters through the USPS.

If you have questions about receiving either letter, please contact Kay Larson at klarson@whitnall.com.

Edgerton’s Parking Lot Improvements

Important Registration Info

Class of

1965

50th Reunion Set for Sept. 12

In May, Whitnall Middle School students and staff raised $13,048.52 for Make-A-Wish Wisconsin during the school’s annual Walk-A-Thon fundraiser to benefit a Whitnall family.

This year’s donation will benefit 2-year-old Joel Chmielewski, who has been battling Leukemia. Make-A-Wish Wisconsin will send the Chmielewski family — Joel, his two older brothers, and mom and dad — to Disney World at a date to be determined.

This was the middle school’s 10th annual Walk-A-Thon; the previous efforts resulted in more than $76,000 raised for various charities and non-profit organizations. During the 2014 event, the school raised $5,600 for Cancer Treatment Center of America, an organization chosen by WMS custodian and cancer survivor Joe Lassiter.

This year’s total included a donation from the WMS Student Senate and Yo Fresh Frozen Yogurt in Hales Corners, and set a new annual Walk-A-Thon record.

Middle School Raises

$13,000 for Local Family

School Starts Sept. 1 Register Today!

www.whitnall.com

WHO: Judge Kevin E. MartensTHEN: Graduated from Whitnall High School in 1986, before graduating from Marquette University in 1990 and Harvard Law School in 1993. He was then a law clerk for a federal judge, joined a large law firm and served as

Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.NOW: In June of 2001, Martens was appointed to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court by then-Gov. Scott McCallum. He won re-election in 2002, 2008 and 2014.WHAT DOES HE DO?: Milwaukee County Circuit Court judges preside over courts of general jurisdiction — a wide variety of civil and criminal cases governed by the laws of the State of Wisconsin. Martens has presided in children's court, misdemeanor court, felony court and civil court. He has heard cases involving juvenile delinquency, drunken driving and homicide, and everything in between.NO DAY THE SAME: Martens has presided over several high-profile cases, and while those get the most attention, they are not always the ones that are most personally impactful. “Every case, whether in the newspapers or not, is critically important to the parties involved. I make a point to never forget that. I am sworn to apply the law to the facts the best that I can. Our oath of office requires us to swear that we will act ‘without regard to persons.’ This means that a judge must fulfill his/her duty granting no favoritism to either side. Wealth, popularity, public sentiment, etc. must have no bearing on our decisions. When you become a judge, you promise to adhere to this ideal, even if the decision you must make will be unpopular or draw criticism. In a very real sense, the law itself must be your refuge. As a judge, you have to remember that you are not responsible for the actions (sometimes horrific) that brought the parties to court. Our responsibility is to apply the law fairly and evenhandedly, to treat parties respectfully and professionally, and to exercise good judgment. If people believe the procedures are fair, they will be much more likely to accept the outcome as fair, even if they disagree with the result.”STAR ATHLETE: Martens earned nine letters in three sports at WHS. He played on the 1986 basketball team that went to the state tournament; set a then-school record in the 1,600-meter relay; and rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the football team as a senior. “As far as special moments, there were so many. Most of all, I enjoyed the daily interactions and friendships with teammates, which made practices fun.”FAVORITE WHITNALL MEMORIES: “My wife (Karen, nee Mudlaff) and I started dating in high school. My senior year, I was lucky enough to be on the math team that won the State Class B championship (the trophy is in a case somewhere in the high school hallways). We had an Organ Piper pizza delivered to our chemistry class (I wouldn't recommend this to anyone). I was fortunate enough to give the valedictorian address at our graduation ceremony.  Even though I still don't dance, going to high school dances was still fun. I was blessed to have great friends, great teachers, and great coaches at Whitnall -- some with whom I am still in contact today.”

7Do you know a former Whitnall student, teacher or administrator who should be featured in the Alumni Corner? Email suggestions to dcotey@whitnall.com.

Want Whitnall High School sports schedules? Go to

whs.whitnallschools.com.

Congratulations• The Whitnall High School

dance team (top photo) earned first place in the “home routine” competition at summer dance camp at UW-Milwaukee.

• The Whitnall High School varsity girls basketball team (middle) earned Academic All-State recognition for the third consecutive year.

• The cast and crew of Once On This Island (bottom) earned the Outstanding Musical Tommy Award from the Overture Center for the Arts.

Alumni Corner

The ViewpointWhitnall School DistrictCommunity Newsletter

5000 S. 116th Street Greenfield, WI 53228 Ph. 414-525-8400

Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage

PAID Milwaukee, WI Permit No. 1

Newsletter feedback? Send to dcotey@whitnall.com. To reach a Board of Education member or the Superintendent call:LuAnn Bird....................................Quin Brunette................................Jonathan Cagle.............................Jon D. Jones ................................Stephanie Richter..........................Kevin Stachowiak..........................Nancy Zaborowski.........................Dr. Lowell Holtz, Superintendent...

414-235-8310414-550-5633773-756-8580414-651-1248262-844-2997414-704-9359414-427-9604414-525-8411

The Whitnall School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability or handicap as required by WI Statute 118.12.

AUGUST

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Aug. 10 School Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Aug. 24 School Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Aug. 24-25 New Staff Orientation

Aug. 26 Staff Work Day

Aug. 26 Edgerton Back-To-School Night, 4:30 p.m.

Aug. 27 Hales Corners Elem. Meet-My-Teacher Night, 5 p.m.

Aug. 27-28 Staff Development Day

Aug. 31 Staff Development Day

SEPTEMBERSept. 1 First Day of School

Sept. 7 Labor Day - no school

Sept. 11 WHS Homecoming Football Game

Sept. 12 WHS Homecoming Dance

Sept. 14 School Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 17 Whitnall Middle School Open House, 6 p.m.

Sept. 19 Whitnall Block Party, noon to 6 p.m.

Sept. 21 Staff Development Day - no school for students

Sept. 28 School Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m.

The Whitnall Block Party is set for Saturday, Sept. 19, from noon to 6 p.m. at Whitnall High School’s Falcon Field, 5000 S. 116th Street, Greenfield.

The Block Party committee is currently seeking business sponsorships for the event, as well as donations for the raffle. The committee is also seeking event entertainers.

Anyone interested in contributing as a sponsor or donor, or those who’d like to show off their skills on the entertainment stage, can contact Mike Seavert at mseavert@whitnall.com or Cheryl Baker at cherylbaker@wi.rr.com.

The Block Party is a free event open to the entire community. The event features games, food and inflatables, and is a showcase of Whitnall school groups and organizations. Proceeds benefit the Whitnall School District.

Whitnall Block Party is

Sept. 19 at Falcon Field