The WEA Trust recently announced it will award the Menominee Indian School District a $3,000 grant for the Maskihkiw Garden Project. The after-school program will teach Menominee Middle School students about the traditional planting and harvesting customs of the Menominee people.

The project will be led by Grace Kasper, a science teacher at the school.

“By introducing traditional values of the Menominee within my science curriculum, I find my students take on a vested interest in what is being taught,” Kasper said. “I believe this garden will be one more spoke in the educational wheel that will lead our students to an understanding of their own self worth and their abilities in sustaining a healthy lifestyle.”

Through the maintenance of the garden, students will learn about the importance of nutritious foods and be encouraged to make healthy choices throughout their lives.

“Hopefully, gardening using traditional and nontraditional methods, preparing their own healthy meals from foods they have grown, and obtaining of traditional medicines through gardening will filter out into the community,” Kasper said.

The Forward Together Award will provide materials for the garden, including traditional Menominee plants such as sage, sweetgrass and cedar.

WEA Trust created the Forward Together Award to recognize and reward innovation in Wisconsin’s schools. Over the past three years, WEA Trust has granted more than $25,000 to support individual educators’ school projects.

WEA Trust received a record 160 project proposals this year. Educators from the Slinger and Burlington school districts also won Forward Together Awards.

The project proposals were reviewed by a panel of judges made up of a past Forward Together Award winner and education experts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the state superintendent’s office and Wisconsin Association of Schools Boards.

“We were humbled by the vision, passion and drive of this year’s winners,” said Jon Klett, WEA Trust’s vice president of sales, marketing and product development. “The trust has long served Wisconsin educators, and the Forward Together Award allows us to support not just teachers’ health but also their love of teaching.”

“Where’s the magic book?”

That’s the question some children might be asking their grandfathers after seeing “Strange Creatures,” a two-act play being performed this weekend at Wolf River Lutheran High School.

“Strange Creatures” is a unique fairy tale that starts out in a castle. The late King Leonard was known throughout the land as an excellent storyteller; so good that many in the kingdom often wondered if his wild stories about strange creatures were true.

Only the king’s son, Percival, knew the truth — that his father’s book was a magic book, where anything he wrote came true. Now the ruler of the land many years later, Percival makes sure that no one occupies his throne, putting a big, heavy chest on top when he is not seated there.

His children, Prince Peter and Princess Elizabeth, set out to find why, along with their royal cousin, Stanley. It becomes all too clear why when Elizabeth is swallowed by the throne after being grabbed by a pair of furry hands. Eventually all the young royals vanish.

Ultimately, the magic book is rediscovered, along with all the strange creatures that came out of King Leonard’s mind.

The show, directed by Ralph Beversdorf, was ideal for a small school such as Wolf River Lutheran, which received some help from younger students from Lutheran schools in Shawano, Bonduel and Suring.

“To my knowledge, this is our first (play),” Beversdorf said. “It’s not easy when you have such small numbers, first of all, to find something interesting that doesn’t require a big cast. Then there was the matter of finding something appropriate.”

“Strange Creatures” will help audiences, especially young children, realize that people who seem strange are not necessarily people one should avoid, according to Beversdorf.

“Some of them turn out to be really friendly,” he said.

Beversdorf was able to find “Strange Creatures” from Green Room Press, a small company out of Iowa that provided the school with a play with low performance fees. He saw the opportunity to get the students interested in theater, knowing that many area theater companies, including the Box in the Wood Theatre Guild, are often looking for younger talent for certain shows.

“We’ve already gotten quite a bit of interest since they realized this is going to happen,” Beversdorf said. “It was a little difficult at first, but then you had the snowball effect — you finally get a few people interested, and the rest come in.”

Students, staff and parent volunteers have come together to put the fledgling show together, painting the flats and setting up a stage with curtains made out of bedsheets and tarps. Beversdorf is hoping to expand the theatrical productions to two next year and to possibly include a musical.

Rich Wieber will bring his bicycle stunt show to Sacred Heart Catholic School in Shawano on Wednesday.

After completing a survey distributed by East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission about the Safer Routes to School Program, Sacred Heart was entered in a random drawing to win a visit from Wieber — and won.

According to his website (www.richwieber.com), Wieber has performed over 3,000 shows in 46 states during 15 years of school assemblies. He balances bicycle stunts with entertainment, working in messages about anti-bullying, perseverance, peer pressure, achieving goals, dangers of drugs and alcohol, and safety.

Wieber is a flatland rider, which is a freestyle BMX riding style performed on smooth flat surfaces that do not include any ramps, jumps or grindrails.

Wieber will perform from 9:20-10 a.m. in the school gymnasium, 124 E. Center St.

Event details are available on the school’s Facebook page. For information, call the school office at 715-526-5328.

Shawano Community High School

Congratulations to the Shawano Community High School forensics team on a successful weekend at the Wisconsin High School Forensic Association State Speech Festival.

Gold (Critics Choice Award): Trinaty Caldwell, farrago category; Gabrielle Tuma, oratory; Georgi Ritter, solo acting humorous; Jamie Anderson, solo acting serious.

Silver (All State Award): Alexis Stephens, Hayleigh Kroll, Kristy Kurtz and Teagan Monfils, group interpretation; Mikaela Oss, poetry; Karelyn Malliet and Mikaela Rosenow, prose; and Kathryn Kugel, special occasion speech.

Bronze (Finalist Award): Katie West, oratory; Alma Oviedo, prose.

Bronze (Achievement Award): Jacob Schwitzer, Nicholas Schwitzer and Matthew Schwitzer, group interpretation.

Bowler High School

Behavior modification was discussed recently in the human behavior class shared through the Embarrass River Valley Instructional Network Group. Students from Bowler, Marion, Menominee Indian, Seneca and North Crawford participated in the class led by instructor Donna Lehman and were able to interact via the cameras and monitors.

The behavior modification discussion looked at behaviors one might want to modify, such as habits and addictions. Brock Schreiber, tobacco cessation specialist at the Stockbridge-Munsee Health and Wellness Center, spoke to the class. He shared with the class his knowledge of what is actually taking place inside a person’s brain and body when addicted to nicotine. He mentioned some of the techniques he has learned to use, such as motivational interviewing, when trying to help someone change their behavior. He told the students to go out and try it on their families, friends and teachers. He ended his presentation by challenging the students to not let life convince them they’re something they’re not.

Bowler Elementary School

Bowler Elementary School held its second annual Variety Show April 1 on the stage in the elementary gym. Twenty-eight acts performed in front of an overflow crowd, which included the entire elementary student body as well as an additional 80 family members, friends and community members. The event was coordinated by teachers Joe Ferrero, Amanda Hein and Nels Steffen, master of ceremonies.

Bobby socks, poodle skirts and luncheonettes with checkerboard motifs (and 35-cent hamburgers) are just a few indications that the Wolf River Homeschool program is going back in time with its annual musical.

More than 40 homeschooled students will perform “The Nifty Fifties” next week at Clintonville High School, giving audiences a nostalgic trip to a time when rock and roll was in its infancy. This is the 12th year that the homeschool group has presented a musical for local audiences.

“The Nifty Fifties” takes place in Louise’s Luncheonette, the happening place where all the cool kids hang out. Gracie Stanley is planning her high school’s next big dance, the Hippity Hop, but she inadvertently makes a promise she might not be able to fulfill — getting the famous performer Ziggy Springer to perform at the dance.

Gracie’s rival, Muffin Mansfield, is eager to see all the well-laid plans fall apart, but there is plenty of other drama to keep audiences’ attention, including the building owner planning to turn the luncheonette into a dry cleaner and Gracie’s brother living in terror after wrecking the Harley owned by bad boy Sinbad Galucci.

Sue Kluge, the show’s director, said the music is reminiscent of life in the 1950s, which should ring familiar to older audiences as well as younger people who’ve heard stories from family members about that era. One particular number called “The Blob” combines classic dancing with lyrics about a classic horror movie.

“This isn’t a show most people will know, but the ’50s were fun,” Kluge said. “The beginning of the rock and roll era stands out for me.”

The Wolf River Homeschool group has wanted to do 1950s-themed musical for a while now, Kluge said, and “The Nifty Fifties” gave the group a chance to make it happen. The costs for the show are lower because of the time period.

“A number of these (costumes) were passed down from older grandparents, but then there are jeans and T-shirts, which are very easy to come by,” Kluge said. “Some people made their own poodle skirts and a few other costumes.”

Raphael Cary, who plays Gracie’s love interest, George, was eager to sink his teeth into a 1950s show.

“We’ve done plays in different time eras, but this one is definitely the best,” said Cary, who is acting in his eighth show with the Wolf River Homeschool program. “The dances are ones that I’ve lived with my entire life.”

Kluge and other parents required students to have lines memorized prior to rehearsals. She said the only challenge for students was learning certain dances, including “The Blob.”

Marie Kluge, who plays Gracie, agreed that the dances were challenging. Despite the minor challenges, she is having a blast playing someone different.

“It’s like transporting yourself into a different world without watching a movie, and you get to be in that different world,” she said.

Cary agreed, noting that having the chance to break away from lessons at home and perform with other young people was a lot of fun.

“I think it’s a really great experience to be involved with. You get to meet new people and make new friends,” Cary said.

Sacred Heart Catholic School

Sacred Heart Catholic School welcomed bicycle stunt rider Rich Wieber to the school April 20. Wieber is a flatland rider, which means he performs on smooth surfaces that do not include ramps, jumps or rails. He is the owner and manager of BicycleStuntShows.com. The school was entered into a random drawing after completing a survey distributed by the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission regarding the Safer Routes to School program and recently received word it was the lucky winner of this amazing opportunity to host such a talented bicycle stuntman! Wieber’s bicycle stunt show was more than just bicycle riding demonstrations. He used some amazing bicycle stunts while also sharing very important bicycle safety tips and laws with the students. It was truly an unforgettable and memorable event, and Wieber even stunned the students by jumping over middle school teacher Scott Marohl and resident seminarian Ben Johnson! Students and staff are very appreciative to have won and to have experienced such a great show.

Bonduel Elementary School

The fourth-grade students at Bonduel Elementary School have been learning about growth mindset. What is growth mindset? It’s the belief that talents and abilities can be developed. If a person has a growth mindset, they have GRIT (Greatness Requires Internal Toughness). Students also learned the science behind growth mindset. They know that neurons are tiny cells that make electrical signals to send messages to other cells in your body telling them what to do. When you practice, they get stronger. If you give up, the connection can disconnect. Intelligence can grow like a muscle. We discussed how mistakes make us grow and believe that if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. The students understand the four things they need to do to take care of their brain: sleep, water, exercise, healthy foods.

Another awesome thing we have been focusing on is the Power of YET. For example, when beginning a new unit, the students will be greeted with one word on their desk — YET. They are immediately excited about what new skill they are going to learn and are ready for the challenge. As a review, when students were asked what the word YET means to them, one student said, “It means you have GRIT, you have patience to work at it because you don’t know it, but you keep working at it because you know you’re going to.”

So if you happen to see a fourth-grader, ask them if they have GRIT. They are proud to celebrate their growth mindset!

Shawano School District

Open enrollment ends Friday. New families in the district may apply online at http://dpi.wi.gov/open-enrollment.

Shawano schools will be celebrating Bike to School Day on May 4. Students and parents are encouraged to get outside and bike to school that morning. Incentives will be given to reward those students who participate.

Registration is now open for Shawano School District’s Project Inspire, an opportunity for educators to professionally develop skills over the summer. Project Inspire is held from Aug. 1-5. All area educators are invited. Visit www.shawanoschools.com/district/Project_Inspire.cfm for information.

Shawano Community High School

Shawano Community High School will host its annual Spring Plant Sale from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. May 4 in the agriculture department.

The award-winning Shawano Jazz 1 and Shawano Showstoppers will present “Last Dance” on May 13 and May 14. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting at 7 p.m. in the SCHS auditorium. Dessert is served during the performance. Limited seating is available, so reserve your tickets today. Tickets are $10 and are available at the SCHS office, Charlie’s County Market and BMO Harris Bank.

Shawano Community Middle School

Shawano Community Middle School will present its spring band concert at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Shawano Community High School auditorium.

Olga Brener Intermediate School

Olga Brener’s PTO-sponsored Spring Ice Cream Social will be from 3:30-6 p.m. May 17. All Brener families are invited to attend.

Hillcrest Primary/LEADS Charter

Hillcrest Primary School will have its Kindergarten Celebration at 6 p.m. May 5.

On May 6, the 4K classes will present their spring concerts at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Hillcrest.

Five Shawano schools will participate in Bike to School Day on May 4. They are Hillcrest Primary, Olga Brener Intermediate, St. James Lutheran, Sacred Heart Catholic and Shawano Community Middle School.

The schools will join others throughout the region in celebrating Bike Safety Month by bringing parents, children and community members together to experience the fun of biking to school together.

This is the third year the local schools have been involved in the national campaign, which started in 2012. All students who participate will receive an incentive.

Volunteers from Shawano Pathways will assist principals at the schools.

Not long ago, walking or biking to school was the norm. Over the last 30 years, however, the percentage of children biking and walking to school has declined from 50 percent or more to now closer to about 15 percent.

Today, parents drive as many as 50 percent of children traveling to school. School bus trips account for an increasing share of the rest. The purpose of Bike Safety Month is to start to reverse these trends.

Bike Safety Month also serves as an opportunity to focus on the importance of physical activity, safety, air quality and building bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods.

Bike Safety Month is just one part of a Safe Routes to School program, which is an international movement that promotes walking and biking to school in order to improve health, safety and the environment.

For information, call Nancy Schultz, Safe Routes to School coordinator, at 715-526-6136.

With May in full swing, that means one thing for the Shawano Community High School music department. It’s time for the “Last Dance” to commence.

The annual spring tradition gives the school’s jazz band and Showstoppers choir the opportunity to show their skills to the community in the atmosphere of a big city nightclub. It’s also the last dance of sorts for almost two dozen high school seniors in the group, as it’s their final performance before graduation.

“Last Dance” takes place on May 13 and 14 at the high school auditorium. The audience sits on the stage as the two groups perform. Fannita’s Bakery will provide desserts for the event.

Christopher Kent, jazz band director, is eager to show how well his group can switch to different jazz styles — swing, ballads, Latin.

“This band does the different styles very well. It goes to the nature of the kids,” Kent said. “This group is really good; they really are.”

The jazz band has awards from various music festivals to prove it. An eighth-consecutive first-place divisional win at Rolling Meadows Music Festival in February and a second-place finish at the Northshore Music Festival in Chicago in January are among the honors.

SCHS also finished second in the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Jazz Festival on April 23. In seven of the last eight years, Shawano has finished in the top three, Kent said.

“There is no one else even close to being that consistent,” he said. “That’s what separates us from the other schools.”

The competition pieces will be among the jazz band’s repertoire, but there will be plenty of other songs for audience members to get up and dance to.

“We’re playing crowd pleasers, too, some songs from the past,” Kent said. “We try to feature the seniors a little bit, play some of the songs they’ve enjoyed playing.”

Shawano School District

Mary Anderson, of Shawano, received the Shawano School District’s Hawk Way Award at the School Board meeting on Monday. Anderson was nominated by Olga Brener Intermediate School. She is the mother of Karen Smith, district director of pupil services. Her nomination read as follows: “Mary Anderson, otherwise known as ‘Grandma Mary’ to many within the Shawano School District, has been a valuable asset to our school community. For 20-plus years, Grandma Mary has been a visible proponent to the Olga Brener School. She has volunteered her efforts by being on Olga Brener’s PTA committee, operated and ran the school store, chaperoned many evening activities, and cooked and baked goodies for our staff and evening events. She has assisted and inspired many teachers, staff, and students on a daily basis. If you were in need of copying for your class, putting mail in the staff mailboxes, decorating the school throughout the year, or needed something picked up in an emergency, Grandma Mary was there with a smile on her face and a sweet comment to brighten your day. Grandma Mary’s volunteerism and leadership is based on a vision that is informed by personal experience and commitment to Shawano School District and clearly represents ‘The Hawk Way.’”

Registration is open for Shawano School District’s Project Inspire, an opportunity for educators to professionally develop skills over the summer. Project Inspire is held from Aug. 1-5, and all area educators are invited to attend. Visit www.shawanoschools.com/district/Project_Inspire.cfm for information.

Shawano Community High School

Congratulations to the following SCHS SkillsUSA students for their success at the State SkillsUSA contest last week: Alex Raeder, residential electricity, state champion; Kelsey Gast, diesel equipment repair, second place; Jason Heinz, auto collision repair, third place. Raeder has qualified for the national SkillsUSA contest in June in Louisville, Kentucky.

Shawano Community High School’s student newspaper, the Hawks Post, has just published its most recent issue. Go to shawanohawkspost.com or click on the link on the SCHS homepage to read all about spring sports, clubs and current events, and to watch footage of the pole vault record being broken.

The school started its annual Spring Plant Sale on Wednesday. Plants include a variety of hanging baskets, perennials, annuals, veggies and more, priced $1 to $20. The sale will continue from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the agriculture department until the plants are gone.

The award-winning Shawano Jazz 1 band and Shawano Showstoppers will present “Last Dance” on May 13 and May 14. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting at 7 p.m. in the SCHS auditorium. Dessert is served during the performance. Limited seating is available, so reserve your tickets today. Tickets are $10 and are available at the SCHS office, Charlie’s County Market, and BMO Harris Bank.

Shawano Community Middle School

The Shawano Community Middle School track team will host this season’s home meet against Oconto Falls starting at 4:15 p.m. Thursday.

Save the date for the Super Cool Middle School Fair on May 12, when SCMS students will showcase a variety of their talents through special projects, artwork and more.

Olga Brener Intermediate School

Olga Brener’s Scholastic Book Fair will be held from 7:40 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. May 16 through May 19. The PTO will be hosting this buy-one-book, get-one-free fair. Stock up for summer reading!

LEADS Charter School

LEADS Charter School is enrolling for the 2016-2017 school year. Register at the Hillcrest Primary/LEADS Charter School office, or find more information about new student registration at shawanoschools.com under the LEADS school tab.

Gresham Community School

Gresham Community School would like to recognize the following students and teacher for their recognition at the Wisconsin Indian Education Association banquet in April in Madison: Justice Paiser, honorable mention; Odessa Arce, honorable mention; Aurora Arce, student of the year; River Otradovec, honorable mention; and SoHappy Davids, honorable mention. Our students and staff were nominated by their teachers and peers for the following criteria: respect for self, others and the environment, personal growth, academics, sound judgment, creativity, appreciation for work done well by others, cultural knowledge and practice of traditional ways. The purpose of the WIEA is to promote and support education and educationally related opportunities for American Indian people of Wisconsin.

Shawano Community High School’s Class of 2016 was recognized for academic achievements at the annual Scholarship Night on April 25 at the school.

Students were awarded a number of local scholarships and were also recognized for receiving outside scholarships from colleges, universities and other organizations.

Scholarships were awarded to the following students:

• Ezekiel Gueths and Teagan Monfils, Academic Excellence

• Kristina Kurtz and Thomas Trinko, American Legion Auxiliary Scholarship

• Julia Beck, American Legion Award

• Alexis Dobberstein, American Legion Scholarship

• Addison Lewis and Kelsey Gast, Arnold R. Oseland Memorial Scholarship

• Kristina Kurtz and Sarah Dickman, American Veterans Post 10 Scholarship

• Zachary Fike and Kelly Mastey, The Bruce Wilber Sr. Memorial Scholarship

• Kathryn Kugel, Casey Grams and Bruce Wilber Scholarship

• Kyle Easter, Chester H. Wisnefske Memorial Scholarship

• Amber Wagner, Dodge Family Scholarship ­Medical Field

• Keaton Wegner, Edgar A. Zeitler Music Scholarship

• Kathryn Kugler, From the Pineries to the Present

• Meghan Hoffman, Jared Beyer and Adam Bartz, FFA Alumni Scholarship

• Addison Lewis, Fine Arts Scholarship Class of 1974

• Alexis Dobberstein and Kathryn Kugel, Future Business Leaders of America Scholarship

• Meghan Hoffman, J. Ainsworth Agricultural Scholarship

• Erika Dunnam, Kathryn Korting Noland Science Scholarship

• Emma Esch and Ryan Carriveau, The Katie Culhane Memorial Scholarship

• Erika Dunnam and Amber Wagner, Loretta Iwen Scholarship

• Rachel Schnell, Myron Spielvogel National Honor Society

• Kristina Kurtz, Milton Schmitt Memorial Scholarship

• Nathaniel Laude, Premier Community Bank Scholarship

• Gabriela Krueger, Papa Vern Memorial Scholarship

• Adam Bartz, Ralph and Edith Vandree Endowment Scholarship

• Allison Raddant, Shawano Rotary Emereth Brunner

• Kathryn Kugel, Student Council American Red Cross

• Teagan Monfils and Brandon Bolin, Student Council

• Brandon Bolin, Shawano Area Community Foundation Pearl Smith Future Teacher Scholarship

• Evan Siahaan, Shawano Area Community Foundation Weber/Tingley/Klein Scholarship/Technical

• Kristina Kurtz and Amber Wagner, Shawano Area Community Foundation Weber/Tingley/Klein Scholarship/Colleges

• Julia Beck, Shawano Area Community Foundation Elizabeth and Walter Hein Scholarship

• Kathryn Kugel, Shawano Area Community Foundation Donald Moede Memorial Scholarship

• Teagan Monfils, Shawano Area Community Foundation Northbranch Methodist Scholarship

• Kelsey Gast, Tom Trinko and Chloe Knope, Shawano High School SkillsUSA Scholarship

• Julia Beck and Evan Siahaan, Shawano Lake Lioness Club Scholarship

• Teagan Monfils, Shawano Lake Masonic Lodge Scholarship

• Allison Raddant, Kristina Kurtz, Morgan Klitzke, Margaret Jacoby and Megan Klitzke, Shawano Optimist Scholarship

• Kathryn Kugel, Shawano Women’s Club Scholarship

• Meghan Hoffman, Shawano Association Scholarship

• Sean Shively and Kelsey Gast, Technical Excellence Scholarship

• Chloe Knope, UW-­Green Bay John and Anne Rose Scholarship

• Amber Wagner, UW-­Green Bay Academic Achievement New Freshmen Scholarship

• Thomas Trinko, Wisconsin Deer Hunters Inc. Shawano Chapter Scholarship

• Lauren Roloff, William L. Goers Scholarship

• Jamie Anderson, Women of Today Scholarship

• Abigail Jones, Winton A. Schumaker Scholarship

• Lauren Roloff, The Yearbook Staff Scholarship

• Kira Corn, Carroll University Voorhees Academic Achievement Scholarship

• Alexis Dobberstein, Professional Insurance Agents of Wisconsin Young Professional’s Club Scholarship and St. Norbert’s College Trustee Distinguished Scholarship

• Ezekiel Gueths, Northern Illinois Huskies Football Full­-Ride Scholarship

• Jacob Schwitzer, UW-­Stout Kainski Freshmen Scholarship, John Carter Family Memorial Scholarship, Honors Scholarship, Multicultural Student Scholarship and Polytechnic Scholarship

• Nicholas Schwitzer, UW­-Stout’s Honors Scholarship, Multicultural Student Scholarship and Polytechnic Scholarship

• Amber Wagner, Bellin College of Nursing Achievement Award

• Allison Raddant, UW-­Oshkosh Chancellor’s Leadership Scholarship

• Madison Lemerond, The UW-­River Falls Academic Honors Scholarship

• Megan Klitzke, The UW-­La Crosse Soaring Eagle Scholarship

• Theodore Myers, The UW-­Stevens Point Soiree Musicale Scholarship, Department of Music Scholarship, and Riverfront Jazz Festival Scholarship

• Thomas Trinko, Wisconsin Professional Police Scholarship

Kids in Shawano pedaled to school Wednesday to celebrate National Bike to School Day.

Nancy Schultz, coordinator of the local Safe Routes to School program, said about 250 students from five schools participated in the event locally.

Schultz said she saw bike racks filled up at schools, and she was pleased that so many students participated.

Some schools gave participants ways to earn T-shirts and other prizes as incentives to participate.

Schultz hopes the day will persuade students to ride their bikes to school more often, as a healthy alternative to riding in cars or buses.

The event builds on the popularity of Walk to School Day, which is celebrated across the country each October.

A team of Bonduel High School students was among the consolation winners at Junior Achievement’s annual JA Business Challenge Championship last week in Milwaukee.

Over 60 of the best and brightest student “CEOs” in Wisconsin competed in the challenge sponsored by Acuity on April 28.

Teams from Kohler High School and Appleton East finished first and second, respectively, in the daylong competition. Both teams will advance to the JA Titan National Virtual Competition this month.

Sun Prairie finished third. The Bonduel team of Jaken Spreeman, Janel Wudtke and Scott Gunderson was one of three teams selected as consolation winners. Each team member received a $100 Kohls gift card.

Twenty-five teams from 23 Wisconsin high schools tested their knowledge at making a fictional product and running a virtual business through a hands-on computer simulated business strategy tournament using JA Titan. Each team made its own business decisions regarding price, production, marketing, capital investment, and research and development.

“The Junior Achievement Business Challenge provides a great opportunity for high school students to work as a team with their classmates, along with a local business professional volunteer, to gain the business acumen and leadership skills they will need to successfully participate in the global economy,” said Tim Greinert, president of Junior Achievement of Wisconsin.

hawano Dollars for Scholars recognized the Shawano Community High School Class of 2016 at the annual Academic Scholars Night on April 25 at Shawano Community High School.

The Dollars for Scholars scholarships were given in addition to the many other area scholarships from businesses and organizations that were presented at Academic Scholars Night.

The following scholarships were awarded:

• AMVETS Post 10 Scholarship, Jacob Schwitzer

• Associated Bank Scholarship, Namara Panzer

• Bert and Carol Huntington Scholarship, Austin Knaack

• Bleser Family Foundation Scholarship, Abigail Jones

• BMO Harris Bank of Shawano Scholarship, Gabriela Krueger

• Clarence Bleser Scholarship, Sydney Schreiber

• Cory and Erin Klement Scholarship, Madison Lemerond

• Dan K. Jacobson Memorial Scholarship, Kristina Kurtz

• Dr. Jeff and Holly Zander Scholarship, Hannah Neumann

• Edith Vandree ­ In Memory of Ralph Vandree Scholarship, Alexis Dobberstein

• Eponk Group Ltd. Scholarship, Morgan Klitzke

• Frontier Communications Scholarship, Tawny Casey

• Honorable Michael and Joanne Eberlein Scholarship, Jamie Anderson, Rachel Schnell, Ezekiel Gueths, Margaret Jacoby, Megan Klitzke, Teagan Monfils

• In Memory of Jessica R. Trevarthen Literacy Scholarship, Kyle Easter

• In Memory of John Granchay Scholarship, Kaitlyn West

• In Memory of Robert W. Gansen Scholarship, Sarah Dickmann

• In Memory of Rose Mary (Zdiarstek) Schlimgen Scholarship, Amber Wagner

• In Memory of Tom and Jane Montour Scholarship, Emilee Johnson

• Jeanne Parrette Donald Memorial Scholarship, Julia Beck

• Jerry and Nancy Hentges Scholarship, Keaton Wegner

• Kerber Rose and Associates Scholarship, Kathryn Kugel

• Larry and Donna Rae Klement Scholarship, Nicholas Bottois

• Little Rapids Corporation Scholarship, Shelby Figlinski, Samuel Schoenike

• Neil and Vera Hilgenberg Scholarship, Allison Raddant

• Pat and Ruth Crawford Scholarship, Miranda Friedrich

• Paul and Julie VanDyke Scholarship, Erika Dunnam

• SCHS Music Department Scholarship, Theodore Myers

• Shawano Equity Cooperative Scholarship, Hayleigh Maes­Kroll

• Shawano Kiwanis Club Scholarship, Kelly Mastey

• Torborg’s Lumber Scholarship, Chloe Knope

• Vietnam Veterans of America ­ Shawano County Chapter #206, Nicholas Schwitzer

• Weber Veneer & Plywood Scholarship, Samantha Heinz

The following students also received additional scholarships from Shawano Dollars for Scholars: Hannah Abel, Alyssa Anker, Adam Bartz, Brady Belongia, Jared Beyer, Brandon Bolin, Damon Braatz, Jewel Carey, Ryan Carriveau, Victoria Chevalier, Kira Corn, Nicole Edwards, Emma Esch, Drake Feriancek, Zachary Fike, Kelsey Gast, Alexis Hicks, Hunter Hoffman, Meghan Hoffman, Sara Hokenstad, Landan Holtz, Hanna Jessup, Cayman Kunschke, Nathaniel Laude, Addison Lewis, Jack Matson, Matisen Meyers, Simon Moesch, Taelynn O’Kimosh, Mikaela Oss, Ciara Powless, Alexander Raeder, Lauren Roloff, Joshua Schenk, Leanna Schmidt, Katelin Senzig, Evan Siahaan, Emily Smith, Alexis Stephens, Sienna Stevens, Meghan Tetting, Daisy Torres, Thomas Trinko, Meagan Ward, Ashley Waupoose, Kailee Wegner, Wyatt Welch, Bernard Wilber, Ra’el Wilber, Abri Williams, Annelies Young, Alexander Zimmerman and Hannah Zuiches.

Bonduel Elementary School

The fourth-graders spent Thursday in Madison. We toured the Henry Vilas Zoo, the Wisconsin Historical Museum and the Capitol. We were able to see many amazing creatures at the zoo, including the polar bear who put on a swimming show for us! At the museum we saw many exhibits from Wisconsin history including an Aztalan home, lead mine and trading post. Our tour guide at the state Capitol did a fabulous job informing the students about many of the beautiful paintings, skylights, etc. We toured many of the rooms, and we were even able to go out on the observation deck. We left at 8 a.m. and arrived back in Bonduel around 7 p.m. The students had a very active day! We’d like to thank our wonderful chaperones for volunteering to help. We’d also like to thank the PTO for helping fund a portion of the trip. It was an educationally exciting experience!

The first-grade classes at Bonduel Elementary School enjoyed a field trip to the Navarino Nature Center on Friday. Students participated in a pond study, habitat hike and forest floor study. During each of the three sections, students were actively engaged in learning experiences and given the opportunity to discover our local natural environment. During the habitat hike, students learned about the various plants and animals that live in the forest, swamp, bog and prairie habitats. The forest floor study allowed students to dig into leaf litter and fallen logs in search of pillbugs, sowbugs, termites, ants, spiders and other decomposers. The student’s favorite part of the day was the pond study. Students put on waders and immersed themselves into the pond habitat. Using nets, they were able to scoop and study the creatures living at the bottom of the pond. They caught and studied tadpoles, mosquito larvae, predaceous diving beetles, dragon fly nymphs and many other aquatic invertebrates. A special thanks to the amazing naturalists at the Navarino Nature Center for making our visit full of wonderful learning experiences. Their knowledge of our natural environment, wildlife and local habitats helped to bring learning alive and gave our students the chance to become naturalists themselves.

Shawano School District

Registration closes on May 15 for Shawano School District’s Project Inspire, an opportunity for educators to professionally develop skills over the summer. Project Inspire will be held from Aug. 1-5, and all area educators are invited to attend. Visit www.shawanoschools.com/district/Project_Inspire.cfm for information.

Shawano Community High School

The Shawano Community High School art show and orchestra concert will be held May 18. SCHS student art will be on display from 5-7 p.m. in the SCHS Commons. The concert will start at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.

The award-winning Shawano Jazz 1 and Shawano Showstoppers will present the annual “Last Dance” on Friday and Saturday. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting at 7 p.m. in the SCHS auditorium. Dessert is served during the performance. Limited seating is available, so reserve your tickets today. Tickets are $10 and are available at the SCHS office, Charlie’s County Market and BMO Harris Bank.

The SCHS Spring Choir Concert will be held May 25, starting at 7 p.m. in the SCHS auditorium.

The annual Spring Plant Sale continues from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the agriculture department until the plants are gone. Plants include a variety of hanging baskets, perennials, annuals, veggies, and more, priced $1 to $20.

Shawano Community Middle School

The Shawano Community Middle School Super Cool Middle School Fair will be held from 3:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday. SCMS students will feature a variety of their talents through special projects, artwork and more.

Olga Brener Intermediate School

Olga Brener’s Scholastic Book Fair will be held from 7:40 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. May 16 through May 19. The PTO will host the fair. Buy one book, get one free. Stock up for summer reading!

Olga Brener will host a Transition Night for future second-graders from 4:30-6:30 p.m. May 18. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to attend with their student. A building tour will be given at 5 p.m.

Hillcrest Primary/LEADS Charter

LEADS Charter School is still enrolling for the 2016-2017 school year. Register at the Hillcrest Primary/LEADS Charter School office, or find more information about new student registration at shawanoschools.com under the LEADS School tab.

There were tears, but no one was “sad, oh sad” at Rexford-Longfellow Elementary School on Friday as friends, students and former students, family, coworkers and others surprised Stannye Meads with a celebration honoring her 50th year in teaching.

Meads, known for the phrase above, has taught in Clintonville for 25 years. Prior to that, she taught in Illinois and Kentucky.

Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers was among those honoring Meads — Ms. Stannye to her students and others — at the celebration.

”I have been superintendent of public instruction for the past seven years, but I have never before recognized someone that has been teaching 50 years,” Evers said. He presented a plaque of appreciation to Meads on behalf of the DPI.

“Ms. Stannye knows all of the students and their families,” Superintendent Tom O’Toole said. “It is wonderful for a school district to have her in the district. Make no mistake; it is not a retirement celebration.”

Mayor Lois Bressette read a proclamation declaring Friday as Ms. Stannye Day in Clintonville and gave her a key to the city.

Meads’ husband, Roger, often referred to as Mr. Stannye, said he needed to organize something to acknowledge the milestone.

“It’s such a rare event: 50 years of teaching,” he said. “It doesn’t happen very often, and this is something I can do just to honor her.

“She is too modest, but this whole thing is about love for Stannye. Former students are always coming in to see her. She is a people person who will do anything for other people.”

Principal Tami Bagstad said she and others have been working on the surprise recognition for Meads since November. It was a well-kept secret. Students were told to dress up for a prom day.

“You really did surprise me,” Meads said. “There is an awesome staff here. I do not do this alone.”

Friday was Meads’ 9,000th day of teaching. She has taught about 1,000 students.

“It’s been such a rewarding thing,” Meads said. “It’s just given me back so much more than I’ve ever given to it. I can honestly say I have a real passion for it. It’s not a job. It’s a profession, and you have to have the passion for it.”

Several of Meads’ colleagues and friends shared stories at the celebration about her influence on them and others.

Dan Orman was in Meads’ first-grade class at St. Pius X School in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1966. He went on to become a teacher and administrator for more than 30 years. Looking back on his first grade, a class with 42 students and no paraprofessional, Orman realizes now how masterful Meads was in the classroom.

“Stannye mixed a brilliant blend of high expectations and compassion, and that is the art of teaching,” he said.

Deb Blechler taught with Meads for 20 years.

“In her eyes everyone was encouraged to hold their head high and do their best,” Blechler said. “There is one word for her and it is precious. In her eyes everyone was precious.”

Bonduel Elementary School

The Bonduel Elementary first-graders have been working on “Wizard of Oz” theme-based activities such as characters, setting, vocabulary, math word problems, compare/contrast, fairy tales and graphing. This is in preparation for their production of the mini musical, “The Wizard of Oz.” They have been practicing their songs and parts since the beginning of March and are very excited to show off their hard work. They will perform at 1:30 p.m. Friday in Sousa Hall at Bonduel High School. Community members are welcome to come and enjoy the presentation.

The children also made digital pictures of themselves in costume. The photos will be shown when the students are introduced at the conclusion of their presentation. Mark your calendars and make sure you come early to get a good seat; you won’t want to miss it! Refreshments will be served.

One of our favorite projects in 4K is our spring butterfly unit. In April our caterpillars arrived. Each student got to put one caterpillar and food into a jar. This is the caterpillars’ “temporary home” while we observed them. While we waited the two weeks for each caterpillar to spin a chrysalis, the students learned all about butterflies. Some of the topics we covered were the life cycle of a butterfly, differences between a butterfly and a moth, symmetry of the wings, parts of a butterfly and other butterfly facts. We had fun with butterfly art projects and songs.

After another two weeks each butterfly broke out of its chrysalis. Some students were there at the right time to observe this happening. After a couple of days when all of the butterflies emerged we took the butterflies outside to release them. Students were able to hold the new butterflies on their fingers as they were released. To the delight of the students we ended up with about 60 butterflies.

Shawano School District

There will be no school May 27 and May 30. The last day of school will be June 3, with an early release half-day dismissal.

Summer school kicks off June 13 for Shawano area students of all ages at Hillcrest Primary and Shawano Community High School. For information, call 715-526-3194.

Shawano Community High School

The annual Spring Plant Sale continues from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the agriculture department at SCHS until the plants are gone. Plants include a variety of hanging baskets, perennials, annuals, veggies and more, priced $1 to $20.

The SCHS Skills USA 2016 Car Show will be held Friday at Shawano Community High School starting with registration at 9 a.m. Prizes will be awarded at 12:30 p.m. to the top three entries in antique, muscles, late model/import (1990s and newer) and custom classes. Attendees are also welcome to bring their tractors, trucks and race cars for display only. Food, drink and live music will also be part of the event. For information, contact Jeremy Hodkiewicz at 715-526-2175, ext. 1211, or hodkiej@shawanoschools.com.

The Spring Choir Concert will be held at 7 p.m. May 25 in the SCHS auditorium.

The Class of 2016 will graduate on May 27. The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. in the SCHS gymnasium.

The SCHS Spring Sports Banquet will be held at 6 p.m. June 1 at The Gathering in Shawano.

Shawano Community Middle School

Shawano Community Middle School’s eighth-grade promotion is scheduled for June 2 at Shawano Community High School. The ceremony will be held from 4:30-6 p.m. in the auditorium, with a dance to follow.

Olga Brener Intermediate School

Olga Brener’s Scholastic Book Fair will be held from 7:40 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through Thursday. The PTO is hosting this buy-one-book, get-one-free fair. Stock up for summer reading!

Hillcrest Primary/LEADS Charter

LEADS Charter School is still enrolling for the 2016-2017 school year. Register at the Hillcrest Primary/LEADS Charter School office, or find more information about new student registration at shawanoschools.com under the LEADS School tab.

Gresham Community School

Last week’s event included an ecology field trip to Appleton and Green Bay, Grandparent’s Day for the little kids, choir concert and the cystic fibrosis walk. The walk raised over $1,000.

Seniors had a roadside clean-up Saturday morning.

There was an elementary school spring concert Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the culture club went on a field trip to Extreme Air and the mall.

There is a band trip to Mall of America on Friday, and the third-graders will have a wax museum in the gym.

Most people can only dream of having a motor vehicle that would get 765 mpg.

But two students at Bowler High School found a way to make that happen.

The school has been part of the Wisconsin Energy Efficient Vehicle Association for the last four years. This year nine students worked on experimental vehicles that could run on either fuel or electricity as part of the association’s Supermileage Challenge.

After researching vehicle designs, internal combustion engines and powertrain systems, the students designed four single-person vehicles that could travel several hundred miles on either electricity or a gallon of fuel.

A vehicle designed by seniors Jared Rickert and Jarred Boswell blew away the competition, improving the vehicle’s initial performance from 200 mpg to 765.

“I couldn’t believe it had jumped that high,” Rickert said. “Previously, we had practiced and we had been getting 200-some (miles per gallon). Then we started toying around with stuff, but I didn’t think we’d get that big a jump. The goal was to hit 300, but we blew past that.”

Bowler’s Supermileage program has earned about 30 awards in four years. However, most of the vehicles were only able to reach a maximum efficiency of 300 miles per gallon, so the red car reaching 765 miles per gallon is an “unbelievable” achievement, said Tim Ploeger, Bowler’s technical education teacher.

Rickert believes he and Boswell hit the sweet spot on aligning the car’s tires, noting that being off even an inch hurts the car’s ability to coast. The students also tweaked the clutch and used a smaller engine.

Rickert and Boswell studied what worked in vehicles at previous Supermileage Challenges to determine if those successes could be adapted to their design. The frame was made of PVC pipe, while the rest of the vehicle was built with steel, and the Honda stock engine used was similar to one that was in a vehicle that won in competitions last year.

The two spent close to 300 hours working on the vehicle.

“You just get to build it yourself and then run it yourself,” Boswell said. “It’s something you’re real proud of, and when you succeed, you’re elated about it. Everything you can do can either be crappy or really well made.”

Ploeger said Supermileage vehicles have to travel a minimum of 8 miles in competitions. Once the run is completed, the remaining fuel is checked to determine the efficiency rate.

When one of his students told him at a contest at Fox Valley Technical College in April that Rickert and Boswell’s red car had a peak rate of 765 mpg and an average of 717, Ploeger was skeptical. The same car was reported in the 600 mpg range at a previous competition, but was really hovering near 400 mpg after a miscalculation was discovered.

Later on, though, a judge informed Ploeger that the car had indeed reached the higher benchmark and was more than 200 mpg higher than the nearest competitor, a vehicle from Barneveld that averaged 526 mpg.

The Bowler Supermileage car also won in the open stock category at a competition held May 9-10 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, although the fuel efficiency in that contest was estimated to be 594 mpg.

Fuel efficiency is only one aspect of the competition. Ploeger said the vehicles must navigate around orange cones and are tested for braking efficiency. Students must also submit information that outlines how the teams designed and built their Supermileage vehicles.

Students also had to go out into the community and get sponsors to pay for the vehicle construction materials.

As for Rickert and Boswell, “I don’t think they could have done it much better than what they did,” Ploeger said.

Junior Achievement of the Wolf River District last week awarded Hillcrest Primary School teacher Lori Schwecke its 2015­16 Teacher of the Year award.

JA volunteers submitted nominations for the award through an online survey. Results were compiled and judged by members of the JA board and staff.

According to one nomination, Schwecke gives her students “hope for the future by teaching them that they can accomplish anything that they put their minds to.”

The award was presented May 12 by Principal Troy Edwards, JA district director Sandy Ebbinger and JA board secretary/treasurer Marty Monfils during a staff meeting. JA representatives thanked Schwecke for the difference she makes in her students’ lives.

Junior Achievement partners with educators to empower youth to achieve success through volunteer-­led courses promoting financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. The courses are available to students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

The Wolf River District serves students in Shawano and Menominee counties. In the 2014-­15 school year, 182 volunteers taught 160 classes to about nearly 3,000 students in 12 schools.

For information on how to volunteer for or contribute to JA, call Ebbinger at 715-­851­-0698.

Dr. Jeff Zander and his wife, Holly, have donated a high quality, hand-painted model of the lymphatic system to the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College’s general anatomy and physiology course at Shawano Community High School.

Zander, a dentist practicing in Shawano, was awarded the Bill Mielke Volunteer Educator Award in 2015, as part of the Celebration of Giving awards presented annually by the Shawano Area Community Foundation. He donated the $1,000 from the award to the SCHS science department, specifically benefiting the general anatomy and physiology curriculum.

Seeing a need for the lymphatic system model, the Zanders decided to donate over $500 of their own money in order to purchase the model and complete the representation of all systems for the course.

“The lymphatic system is probably one of the most poorly understood and overlooked systems in the body. People learn by visuals, so this is a great addition to the program,” Zander said. “This model is so valuable because it shows every connection between the body systems and the major areas of the lymphatic system. These are things I check every time I perform a dental exam.”

The NWTC general anatomy and physiology course has never had a three-dimensional model to represent the lymphatic system. This specific model came from Germany after being hand painted for great detail and clarity, taking a year to be constructed and delivered. The model will help students understand how all body systems are connected and dependent on the lymphatic system to keep foreign material and pathogens free from harming body tissues.

Angela Kowalewski, the anatomy and physiology instructor at SCHS, said Zander’s gift shows how he clearly values education.

“For over nine years, Dr. Zander has helped to maintain a high standard of learning by offering suggestions on how to help our students develop into quality medical professionals and by volunteering weekly in the NWTC General Anatomy and Physiology class,” Kowalewski said. “Because of his interaction with the students during laboratory experiments and classroom discussions, Dr. Zander has created a positive learning environment that nurtures student growth.”

The Shawano School District honored some of its longest-serving employees Friday and also bid farewell to retiring staff members who are stepping aside with a combined more than 150 years of experience.

More than 40 teachers and other district employees shared the spotlight during an end-of-school-year luncheon at Shawano Community High School.

Those being honored for longevity have served the school district for as long as four decades in some cases.

“They have done so much for our students here in Shawano,” School Superintendent Gary Cumberland said.

Those announcing their retirements are as follows, with years of service shown: Joe Black, Shawano Community Middle School custodian, 30 years; Mart Grams, Shawano Community High School social studies teacher, 29 years; Joan Flaherty, Olga Brener Intermediate School art teacher, 27 years; Teresa Nelson, Shawano Community High School library aide, 26 years; Pam Erickson, Shawano Community High School computer aide, 22 years; Bonnie Hilgenberg, Hillcrest Primary School kindergarten teacher, 20 years; and Kathryn Westfahl, pupil services secretary, 15 years.

Former School Board members Jay Jones and Bruce Milavitz both were recognized, too, after completing their terms on the board.

The following school district staff members were honored for reaching milestones of service:

10 years: Karen Brown-­Schaible, Emily Schwartz, Dawn Lorge, Naomi Bergner, Daniel Mead, Jason Kuehl, Cindy Ferch and Patti Meyers.

15 years: Robert Croschere, Chad Janowski, Jaimie Okusko, Scott Zwirschitz, Kathy Westfahl, Aaron Sischo, Karen Smith, Jenny Mailhan, Debbie DeFere, Rob Wolff, Kim Brown, Jane Krueger, Noelle Lammers, Lori Schwecke.

20 years: Caryn Krueger, Kathy Mailahn, Cheryl Thorson, Rose Duszynski, Wendy Retzlaff, Bonnie Hilgenberg, Gail Sweeny, Jane Williams, Keith Milner, Barb Berndt.

25 years: Wendy Esch, Stacey Lacy, Kris Tetting, Lori Sherman.

30 years: Sally Slezewski.

40 years: Jean Mueller.