Brenda Hansen, of Shawano, recently received the 2015-16 Educator of Excellence Award for the Gillett School District.

The award is sponsored by the Nicolet Oconto Retired Teachers Association. The recipient is selected by the Gillett School District faculty.

Hansen grew up in Rice Lake. She started her teaching career at Gillett Elementary School, where she teaches third grade, and has been with the district for 28 years.

Hansen said she has stayed in Gillett her entire teaching career because the staff that she works with is like a family to her.

Hansen has served on several school committees over the years. She is the chairperson of the writing and science committees, and serves on the wellness committee and the Pride Inside committee.

She is also involved with community projects such as the November food drive, Timber Rattlers reading program,and the Heavenly Hats foundation.

Brenda has two daughters, Taylor and Kasey, and lives in Shawano with her husband, Pete.

Shawano Community High School

Members of the Shawano FFA chapter have had a busy spring and start to the summer​.​

Local members were recognized at the end of the school year by the state FFA association for testing their skills and top placements at the district and state levels of the career development events.

Maya Ihrcke ​and​ Alex Hoffman placed fourth at the district competition in the landscape ​and​ nursery division at the career development events at Fox Valley Technical College.

The veterinary ​science team of Callie Boyles, Meghan Hoffman, Abby Jones and Emma Magee received second place at the state competition​.​ Abby Jones was recognized as a top ranking individual.

Matthew Peters ​and​ Shantel Schoepke participated in the district safe tractor operators contest at Fox Valley Technical College in early June. There were nearly 20 competitors​,​ and both did very well. Matthew placed fifth and earned the opportunity to participate in the state competition​,​ which will be held at Farm Technology Days in Walworth County on July 19​.​

Members also helped promote June Dairy Month by creating a display that can be seen near the front entrance to the ​high ​school grounds.

The state FFA Convention held in Madison in mid-June was a time for Shawano FFA members to celebrate their success from throughout the year. Jared Beyer received his State FFA Degree. Eli Magee ​and​ Emma Magee were recognized with a gold rating in each of their proficiencies. The chapter was also recognized for increasing their membership by at least 10 members since last year and received the PRIDE award.

And the summer has just started! We’re still looking forward to touring Wisconsin agriculture​ businesses and colleges as well as monthly meetings, SAE visits, officer retreat and training, and, of course, the Shawano County Fair!

Three area men are the first to receive commercial driver’s license certification through a new program offered this year at the College of Menominee Nation.

Graduating on June 30 were Weston Fredenberg, of Gresham, Adam Waukau Sr., of Keshena, and Shannon Tucker, of Middle Village.

The men earned the Class A CDL certification required for employment in over-the-road driving of semitractor-trailers for commercial use. The national requirement applies to drivers of any type of vehicle weighing 26,001 pounds, or 10,001 pounds with any type of trailer towed.

The training is a pilot series offered as a collaborative effort of the college, Menominee Job Center Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act program, Bay Area Workforce Development and Fox Valley Technical College.

Enrollment for the July CDL session at CMN has reached capacity, but a waiting list of eligible applicants is being developed. An August session is planned.

The four-week program offered at the college’s Keshena campus includes training with an instructor and truck from FVTC’s transportation program.

Pre-certification requires applicants to obtain a commercial learner’s permit, hold a driver’s license, be 18 or older, and be able to pass physical and drug tests.

The Job Center at CMN will work with individuals in obtaining the necessary certifications and determining eligibility Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act coverage of tuition and pre-certification costs. The WIOA program is funded by the Bay Area Workforce Development Board to assist in job searches and placement, to assess skills and barriers to employment, and to provide labor market and career skill enhancement.

Information on the WIOA eligibility is available by calling the Menominee Job Center at 715-799- 6226, ext. 3281. For questions about the college’s CDL program, contact Annette Miller, job-based training specialist, at amiller@menominee.edu or 715-799- 6226, ext. 3097.

Students returning from summer vacation will find significant improvements to athletic facilities at two parochial schools in Shawano.

St. James Lutheran School and Sacred Heart Catholic School both are investing heavily this summer in improvements to their gymnasiums.

Although school officials say educational quality in the classroom is foremost in maintaining quality institutions, facilities for physical activity and competition are also important.

“Athletics are a big deal to families,” said Danny Fosheim, athletic director at St. James.

St. James is installing a new hardwood floor in its gymnasium this summer, replacing an old vinyl floor that was worn and outdated.

Sacred Heart, meanwhile, is equipping its gymnasium with new basketball hoops, new volleyball nets, a new sound system and more.

Scott Marohl, athletic director for Sacred Heart, said parents want their children educated, but they also want athletic programs and other extracurriculars. Located near the school’s main entrance, the gymnasium is one of the first images that visitors see in the building.

“To be able to show off that part of our school is a big piece,” Marohl said.

Both parochial schools are located near downtown Shawano and serve students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Sacred Heart, 124 E. Center St., has an enrollment of about 100 students; St. James, 324 S. Andrews St., has about 170 students.

Both began improvements to their athletic facilities after classes were adjourned for the summer, and both look forward to unveiling the upgrades when students return for the fall.

For its new hardwood floor, St. James enlisted the services of Baseman Floors Inc., an Appleton-based firm that has performed work on many big-name basketball courts, including some in the NBA. The project cost about $60,000, which includes covers to protect the court during non-athletic uses.

Fosheim said the improvement will be eye-catching for students and staff accustomed to the old vinyl floor.

“It looks like a whole new place, really,” he said. “It’s made for athletics now.”

In addition to gym classes for students, both schools use their gymnasiums for basketball and volleyball teams in the Big Six Conference for private elementary schools.

No cost estimate was available for the Sacred Heart gymnasium project.

Sacred Heart’s improvements also include repainting the gym’s walls in the school’s colors of red, black and white. Although the floor is in good condition and will remain, Marohl said much of the equipment and furnishings were dated and tired.

“It needed to be updated and more modern,” Marohl said. “It’s amazing how it looks.”

After 40 years of teaching at St. Paul Lutheran School in Bonduel, Peggy Buchholz has retired.

Many things have changed over the years, from mimeograph machines to copiers, typewriters to computers, chalkboards to smartboards and much more.

But one thing has not changed: the school’s mission to teach a Christ-centered faith.

“It is especially rewarding to have been able to share my faith and pray with my students,” Buchholz said. “The most important thing that I want each one to do is share their faith with others in what they say and do.”

Over the years, Buchholz had around 800 students pass through her classrooms.

“I have taught sons and daughters of former students,” she said. “It’s fun when they ask ‘What was my dad/mom like when they were in your class?’”

Buchholz started her teaching career in the fall of 1975 with 31 fifth-graders. She was also called to coach girls basketball, which she did for five years. After her first year, she moved to teach fourth grade. In 2006 she was asked to move to seventh grade. Since the upper grades are departmentalized, she taught fifth-grade math, sixth-grade math and eighth-grade algebra, along with a variety of seventh-grade subjects.

During her teaching career, Buchholz was adviser to a variety of clubs, including Pep Club, Future Teachers and forensics.

“I am happy to see that some of my former students are now teachers or are studying to become teachers,” Buchholtz said. “It is a very rewarding job. I love it when you see that ‘I get it now!’ look on a child’s face.”

Buchholz said she plans to spend the summer fishing with her husband, Jerry. Her three grandchildren live close by, so she will spend more time with them, too.

To stay in touch with the students at St. Paul, she will help serve hot lunch occasionally, and continue to work with the Lutheran Church Extension Fund-Young Investors Club once a week.

Lorraine Doell, the music director at St. Paul, has requested that Buchholz continue to write musicals for Grandparents Day and Christmas services for the students to perform.

Buchholz said she has always been surrounded by good people at St. Paul’s.

“I really appreciate the strong, supportive staff and families that have been part of my years teaching here at St. Paul,” Buchholz said. “I thank them for making my job a joyful experience.”

Horton, the Whos and a colorful mix of characters will invade Bonduel next week as students perform “Seussical the Musical.”

“Seussical” will open Thursday at Sousa Hall at Bonduel High School and run through Saturday. All performances are at 7 p.m.

The main plot follows Horton and his discovery that a speck of dust is populated by Whos. While protecting the Whos from a group of folks who don’t believe anything living could exist on dust, Horton is left with an egg to watch over after the irresponsible Mayzie LaBird decides to take off and pursue other things.

The works of Dr. Seuss have attracted interest locally over the last two years, with the Box in the Wood Theatre Guild performing “Seussical” in 2014 and Gresham Community School performing the junior version of it earlier this year.

Kathy Brown, Bonduel middle and high school choir director, said she was eager to tackle the full musical because there were plenty of students interested and she has always loved the show.

“It’s family friendly, and the music is catchy,” Brown said. “It provides an opportunity for a lot of different ages to be involved.”

Moral lessons such as “A person’s a person, no matter how small” make the show very attractive to all audiences, Brown said, and provide an uplifting message.

“It’s very timely considering everything going on in the nation right now,” she said. “There’s something for everybody in it. There’s upbeat numbers, there’s slow numbers with a good message, and high-energy numbers.”

Doing a show during the summer has been particularly challenging, Brown said, due to families going on vacations, as well as work and summer sports schedules. She noted that it was still the easiest time of the year to do a show in Bonduel, as club and sporting events would have made executing the show difficult during the school year.

“You’re always going to run into difficulties,” Brown said. “There’s always going to be conflicts, especially in a small town, where kids are involved in everything.”

The Seuss books have been favorites of children for decades, but Brown made sure to sit down with cast members to flesh out the qualities that were important for their characters. She had them view other performances via YouTube as part of their preparation.

“That’s a resource that was never around at the beginning of my career in the ’90s,” said Brown, who is finishing her first year teaching Bonduel after previously working in the Pulaski and Gillett school districts.

For Brown, “Seussical” gives audiences a new glimpse into Seuss because it takes multiple books and puts them into a clearly flowing story.

“It’s ingenious how they put this show together with so many books. It’s relatable,” Brown said. “It’s similar to the movie for ‘Horton Hears a Who’ that came out recently, but there’s still books that are intertwined. It’s clever writing.”

Stacey Dickmann has joined the teaching staff at Sacred Heart Catholic School of Shawano and will oversee the 3-year-old preschool program, Little Blessings.

Little Blessings runs from 8:05-11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with an extended care option available until 3:10 p.m.

Miss Stacey, as the children will call her, is a graduate of Fox Valley Technical School with a degree in early childhood education. She has nearly 10 years of teaching experience at Shawano Preschool Center, where she taught over 120 3- and 4-year-old children from Shawano and the surrounding communities.

“I am excited to help children gain confidence, knowledge and discover a relationship with our Lord,” said Dickmann, who is a Sacred Heart alumni, school parent and parish member.

“Miss Stacey brings a professional, experienced and yet very fun dimension to our academically based preschool program,” said Autumne Gee, Sacred Heart’s director of admissions and development. “Her passion for children, learning, and the school is very evident. I am thrilled to work with her, have my youngest daughter in her class this year, and watch as the children in her class learn so much and feel so loved each year. We are truly blessed to have her as one of our teachers.”

Children in Little Blessings are taught the fundamentals of education, learn how to play cooperatively with other children, and get the individual attention needed to help them meet and exceed their goals. The class includes faith formation, circle time, art exposure, large motor skill development, as well as music and free play.

Students will develop pre-writing skills through playing with Play-Doh, using various art mediums, working with scissors and utilizing the preschool program “Handwriting Without Tears.” Students will also go on field trips and participate in service projects.

Preschool students also receive gym, music and library time every week.

“Our classroom will be where knowledge is gained, friends will be made, manners will be emphasized, forgiveness will be given and God will be present,” Dickmann said. “You will hear laughter and singing. You will see hugs and playing. You will feel the excitement and hope for the future and the presence of God within our students and faculty.”

Sacred Heart will offer a preschool open house from 5:30-7 p.m. Monday.

Sacred Heart Catholic School, 124 E. Center St. in Shawano, serves families with children entering 3-year-old preschool through eighth grade, and offers tuition assistance, grant opportunities, scholarships and parish subsidies to help offset the cost of tuition.

For information or to schedule a tour or classroom visit, contact Gee at agee@sacredheartshawano.org or 715-526-5328.

Lisa Sorlie, district library media specialist for the Bonduel School District, spent part of her summer investigating the key challenges of making sustainable biofuels.

Sorlie, of Green Valley, participated in the Research Experience for Teachers program hosted by the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and the Wisconsin Energy Institute.

Sorlie spent seven weeks at the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus working alongside GLBRC scientists. While immersing herself in biofuel research, she also developed instructional materials that will provide her students with the experience of investigating similar scientific questions in the classroom.

Sorlie scrutinized various yeast species for the Yeast Exploration and Analysis Science Team. Yeasts, which help convert plant sugar to fuel, are key to biofuel production.

She will return to Bonduel with a variety of instructional materials related to yeasts and advanced biofuels.

The materials are designed to reach different types of learners across different grades: an online picture book, a webcast, lesson plans rich with graphics, videos and hands-on experiments, and guidelines for advanced placement biology students to collaborate with UW-Madison scientists through the YEAST program.

“The world is big and Bonduel is small — we say that a lot,” Sorlie said, “but we’re a piece of the big world so we need to consider how we can make a real difference. I’m excited to introduce my students to real scientific challenges and problem-solving techniques related to biofuel production. I want to help them realize that they can be scientists, too!”

Of the RET, Sorlie said, “The scientists were genuinely welcoming and so good at teaching. The work is significant, the mission is admirable, and I was lucky to be there.”

GLBRC is one of three Department of Energy bioenergy research centers created to build the foundation of new cellulosic biofuels technology. For more information, visit www.glbrc.org.

A Youth Conservation Field Day for fifth-graders in Shawano County schools will be held Thursday at Navarino Nature Center.

The day’s educational activities will touch on topics such as wetlands and soils, ATV and boater safety, forestry and forest fire control, wildlife, fisheries, agriculture and alternative energy.

The day is designed to get students outside, introduce them to natural resources careers, help them understand conservation and preservation practices, and help them develop an appreciation for the outdoors.

Agencies and presenters cooperating in the field day, from 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., are the Shawano County Land Conservation Department and Land Conservation Committee, Navarino Nature Center, Shawano County University of Wisconsin-Extension, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Programming may be subject to change. In event of severe weather, the event will be postponed until Sept. 20. The nature center is located at W5646 Lindsten Road, Shiocton.

For information or registration, call 715-526-4627 or email scott.frank@co.shawano.wi.us or mary.george@co.shawano.wi.us.

Bonduel Elementary School

The school year in our building has started off on a positive and exciting note. We have kicked off our focus on creating a “growth mindset” climate in our building. We started with a short presentation to all of the staff in our district that introduced the concept of a growth mindset to those who weren’t familiar with it. Growth mindset is the belief that you can learn anything you want to; fixed mindset is the belief that you only know what you know and can’t learn anything else. In the elementary school, we had studied this concept last year so we were ready to implement. Bulletin boards and posters are up, and the language to encourage a growth mindset is being used. We have a link to a mindset website we’ve created on the Bonduel Elementary website. Please check it out. It has lots of resources for parents, students and teachers. Our website is http://bonduel.k12.wi.us.

Shawano Community High School

Homecoming is the week of Sept. 26 through Oct. 1. The community is invited to attend the week’s events, which include the homecoming parade at 6 p.m. Sept. 30 on Main Street, powder puff football at 7 p.m. Sept. 30 at the SCHS field, hall of fame induction at 12:15 p.m. Oct. 1 and the varsity football game at 1 p.m. Oct. 1 at the SCHS field.

New to this year’s homecoming schedule is the Shawano Hawk Homecoming 5K-NoK on Oct. 1. The 5K will begin at 9 a.m. The “NoK” allows people to register and not participate in the actual 5K run or walk. Proceeds from the race go to student scholarships for Shawano cross-country team members. The 5K will follow the school’s cross-country course, which consists mainly of grass areas with a wooded section layered with wood chips. There is also a section where participants could run on a sidewalk or along a street. It will be lined and marked with cross-country directional flags. Depending on weather conditions, there might be some wet or muddy areas, and the course might not be 100 percent stroller-friendly.

All sales are final. Event fees will not be reimbursed due to cancellation of the event or if the registrant cannot participate in the event. Registration must be received (online or via mail) no later than Sept. 24 for participants to receive the desired T-shirt size. If the registration is received after the deadline, the T-shirt and/or size will depend on availability.

Registration fees can be sent to Steve Stomberg, 220 County Road B, Shawano, WI 54166. Checks can be made out to Shawano Athletic Booster Club. For information, contact Steve Stomberg at stombergs@shawanoschools.com or 715-526-2175, ext. 1205.

Shawano School District

There will be no school for students on Friday.

The next Shawano Board of Education meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, in the District Board Room at Shawano Community High School.

During the week of Oct. 10, Dar and Dale Emme, founders of the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention program, will again share their story with Shawano School District students.

The program emphasizes caring adults and youth becoming a link to help for a suicidal or depressed person. The Emmes also presented to Shawano students in November 2004, 2008 and 2012.

These presentations for the students will be held at the following times:

- 9:30-10:30 a.m. Oct. 10 in the LGI room at Shawano Community Middle School. For Shawano Community Middle School eighth-graders, St. James Lutheran eighth-graders and Sacred Heart Catholic eighth-graders.

- 7:55-8:55 a.m. Oct. 11 in the Shawano Community High School auditorium. For ninth- and 10th-graders.

- 9:35-10:35 a.m. Oct. 11 in the Shawano Community High School auditorium. For 11th- and 12th-graders.

The Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program is an ongoing collaborative community suicide prevention effort involving Shawano-Menominee County ROADS (Reaching Out About Depression and Suicide) and the Shawano School District. ROADS provides the funding. For information, call Swedberg Funeral Home at 715-526-2631 or visit roadsonline.org or yellowribbon.org online.

Shawano Community High School

Shawano Community High School FAAR Club will hold a Safe Haven Food Drive at the varsity football game Friday. The wish list includes pudding mix, pie filling, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, jello, pie crust, canned veggies, canned sweet potato, stuffing mix, canned fruit, and cranberry sauce. FAAR Club is an organization of students at SCHS that educates their peers about the signs of abusive relationships and teaches how to create healthy relationships.

Parent-teacher conferences will be held from 3:15-7 p.m. Oct. 18. Teachers will be in their classrooms, with physical education teachers in the library. The senior financial aid meeting will be held from 6-7 p.m.

The Tri-M Music Honor Society induction will be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 19. Congratulations to all selected students.

Hillcrest Primary School

The second annual Fall Festival, sponsored by the Hillcrest PTO, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 15 at Hillcrest Primary School. Enjoy games, raffles, vendors and food in your costumes, and shop the Scholastic Book Fair for a fall read.

LEADS Charter School

LEADS Parent Education Night will be held from 5-6 p.m. Oct. 17 at LEADS Charter School.

Shawano School District

October’s The Hawk Way district newsletter will be released on Thursday. The digital newsletter will be available at www.shawanoschools.com. Call the district office at 715-526-3194 for a mailed copy, or stop by a school to pick one up.

The Title 7 Fall Meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 19 in the Shawano Community High School library. Snacks will be provided. For information, contact Kelley Strike at 715-526-3194, ext. 8006.

Eight students from Shawano Community High School joined community representatives recently in attending a two-day conference on economic issues.

The participating students were Laura Arens, Sam Boivin, Sadie Cummings, Hannah Hass, Emily Jones, Brinley Kowalkowski, Hannah Milavitz and Addie Shuler. They were joined by faculty member Mart Grams along with community representatives state Rep. Gary Tauchen, Pastor Susan Phillips, Jeff and Holly Zander, and Ed and Gloria Grys.

The event was the Nobel Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, where scientific researchers gather each year to present and discuss current issues.

The topic Sept. 27-28 was “In Search of Economic Balance,” and it focused on such issues as poverty, inequality and education.

The Shawano students were sponsored by the Mielke Family Foundation.

The foundation plans to sponsor another group of students to attend the Nobel Conference scheduled for Oct. 3-4, 2017. Any community members interested in attending at their own expense are welcome to contact Gloria Grys at email gloriagrys@gmail.com.

Gresham Community School

The seventh-grade students each did a project in social studies showing a scene of culture in the region before the Europeans came. They showed the geography, clothing, food sources and homes.

On Oct. 5, some students attended the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College open house to apply for next fall.

There is a blood drive in the library at Gresham School from 12-5 p.m. Friday. Appointments can be made by calling 715-787-3211, ext. 333, or by email at zobeckj@gresham.k12.wi.us.

UW-Green Bay

About 450 fifth-graders from Bonduel, Bowler, Suring, Menominee Nation, Abrams, Sturgeon Bay, Oconto and Oconto Falls will visit the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday as part of the Phuture Phoenix program’s Fall Tour Days.

The Phuture Phoenix program partners with schools with high percentages of students from low-income families and encourages students to graduate from high school and pursue a college education.

Over Thursday and Friday, UWGB will welcome a record 1,500 students from 27 elementary schools in 11 Northeastern Wisconsin school districts. They will visit classrooms, residence halls, the Cofrin Library and other parts of campus during the tour days.

Students are invited into dozens of classrooms and lab areas for various experiments and activities. Some may learn new phrases in foreign languages or hear music students perform. They’ll meet coaches and play with members of the Green Bay athletics teams in the Kress Events Center gymnasium, turf gym and aerobics rooms.

Pulaski School District

Pulaski Community School District Superintendent Bec Kurzynske will meet with area residents for Coffee and Conversation from 7-8:30 a.m. Tuesday at North Chase Citgo, 7786 County Road S, Sobieski.

District residents are invited to ask questions about the the school district, have a conversation about the schools, and learn about and share what is going on within the district.

Similar events are scheduled throughout the district during the 2016-17 school year.

Where does your food come from? If your children don’t know, they’ll get a chance to learn this month.

October is National Farm to School Month, with the theme “One Small Step” driving thousands of schools to step up efforts to buy food from local farms and show their students the origins of what they eat daily.

The Menominee Indian School District partnered with College of Menominee Nation to share that information with its students.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture grant made it possible for CMN to hire a Farm to School coordinator, Amanda Reiter, to show students how fruits and vegetables are grown and animals are raised to provide the food they consume.

“They’ll get knowledge of what we have locally, that much of our food comes from the earth, and we can eat it and utilize it in our everyday lives,” Reiter said. “They’ll be trying new things that are good for our bodies and our souls.”

Reiter hosted a gardening club from Menominee Indian Middle School at the college on Oct. 11 for a workshop about spinach. The students worked together to make a cranberry almond spinach salad that included pieces of chicken, and then they walked over to the community garden maintained by the college’s Sustainable Development Institute.

“You guys are going to be filled with energy now,” Reiter told the students as they were enjoying their salads, referring to how spinach is a good source for dietary magnesium, a necessary part of energy metabolism.

Other activities Reiter has planned for the month include learning about corn stalks and getting pumpkins from Porter’s Patch in Bonduel to provide the students with seeds to grow their own pumpkins.

The middle school has a greenhouse where the gardening club can raise plants during the winter, as well as a garden for outdoor growing next summer.

Having access to farm-raised food is important, especially in light of the high rate of diabetes for Native American tribes, Reiter said. If children are taught earlier to eat healthy, she said, it could stave off diabetes and other health risks.

“The teachers (in the school district) have so much on their plate right now, so it’s nice to have somebody else do the groundwork and taking the time to look for other resources (on healthy food),” Reiter said.

The Shawano School District is also participating in National Farm to School Month. On Thursday, all students received apples from Everflow Farms in Bonduel for Apple Crunch Day, with more than 6,200 students expected to participate in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois, according to the district’s food services director, Sarah Moesch.

In addition to the apples, the district will also be getting radishes, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes from A.J. Produce in Sheboygan every Thursday in October and possibly November.

“This will go on as long as they have produce available,” Moesch said.

Bowler School District also participated in the Apple Crunch Day. Wade Turner, Bowler Elementary School principal, said the students received their apples at the end of the school day, with a schoolwide countdown over the intercom before students bit into the fruit.

In addition to the apples, the Bowler School District food service program purchased honey from the Mountain Bay Aviary, maple syrup from Voelz’s Sugar Bush and lettuce from Valhalla Farms. The schools are highlighting the items on the lunch menus this month that were provided by local farmers.

The students enjoyed a Midwest menu on Oct. 6. “We had fresh baked chicken, mashed potatoes, cole slaw and harvest bars,” Turner said. “It’s nothing too extravagant.”

Turner noted that, although there are farms in the Bowler area, much of the industry is based on forestry, so it’s important for students to see where their food comes from.

“Parents and grandparents should buy locally to help the economy,” Turner said. “I think it’s much better, health wise, when you buy it locally.”

So what keeps school districts from buying all their food locally? Moesch noted that Shawano has more than 2,500 students in the public schools, and with Wisconsin’s growing season being shorter than sunnier southern locations, the district would not be able to provide the fresh fruit and vegetable bars it does year-round in every school.

“You also have to be able to accept (a local farm) as a vendor,” Moesch said. “I can’t have a farmer come in and say, ‘You have to give me $200 for these potatoes.’ They have to be set up as a vendor.”

The dates of the Shawano Community High School fall play coinciding with Halloween weekend gave the school’s theater program a variety of options for a frightening and terrifying show.

The ultimate choice was “Frankenstein,” the classic tale written by Mary Shelley but adapted by Austin Tichenor for the stage. “Frankenstein” comes to life Thursday at the SCHS auditorium and runs through next Saturday.

Alex Konen, director, said he picked Tichenor’s version of Shelley’s tale of a man who creates life in order to stave off death because the script was the closest to what Shelley wrote nearly 200 years ago.

“The challenge, for me, was finding the right script, because there are so many adaptations,” Konen said. “I think I read five different copies, and with two of them, I got through 10 pages and said, ‘No, not the right script for me.’”

“Frankenstein,” also known in earlier versions as the tale of “The Modern Prometheus,” tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a man who creates another man through metaphysical means. He does this after the sudden death of his father, who ends up brain dead from a freak accident. Victor shoves away his grief by immersing himself in experiments, hoping to replicate the spark of life in all beings, which eventually lead to him combining various body parts into a humanoid.

Konen said Tichenor’s adaptation of “Frankenstein” eliminated what he thought were the boring parts of the book, specifically where characters are just sitting and talking. Instead, the script shows everything that is happening.

“I really like the story. I like the questions it raises,” Konen said. “It is meant to be a scary story in that who are we as man to do the things that we do sometimes.”

Konen also liked how the script he chose does not follow the original Hollywood version in the 1930s, where Frankenstein’s creature had bolts in his neck. He noted the creature is not just a monster going on a rampage, that the story goes deeper.

The news of “Frankenstein” being Shawano’s fall production garnered quite a bit of attention by the students. Konen had offered copies of the script for checkout prior to auditions, and he said everyone who checked out a script came in to try for a part.

The challenge for Konen with selecting cast members was the majority of speaking parts being male. With 10 of the 16 parts geared toward men, Konen made one of Victor’s brothers a sister in order to fill the cast.

“I did have a large number of guys try out, which was good,” Konen said.

The show also gives the school the chance to use its image projectors to allow multiple scenes on the single stage. Although there are rooted areas for scenes in the Frankenstein family home and the loft by Victor and his best friend, Henry, there are a number of other vignettes, like the street where Henry encounters Victor sneaking around with a concealed body part.

“I really like the look it can give,” Konen said. “I want to paint a picture of them being in a particular location without having that actual location because we don’t have enough storage space to create every single location.”

Gresham Community School

Gresham students were busy last week.

On Tuesday they went to the Marion Banquet Hall to meet the other teachers and classmates participating in the Embarrass River Valley Instructional Network Group. The network includes the school districts of Bonduel, Bowler, Clintonville, Gresham, Marion, Menominee Indian, Rosholt, Tigerton and Wittenberg-Birnamwood.

On Thursday there was a Culture Club trip to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Students toured the campus and heard from Oshkosh students what it’s like living on campus and going to college. They listened to a motivational speaker talk about not giving up on their dreams and to take other paths to get there if necessary.

Also on Thursday in the 4K room, the kids who were in school every day that week got to wear Here-O capes that showed their perfect attendance.

On Monday the school held a Fall Fest. Families came and played multiple different fall-themed games and enjoyed many treats.

There will be a half day of school on Friday. School will start at the same time but will start with hours five through eight.

The FFA Haunted Forest will be open from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Saturday at the Gresham FFA-40. There is an entry fee of $2 or one nonperishable food item per person.

The Lions Club will hold a Halloween party from 6:30-8 p.m. Monday in the gymnasium. It is free, so come in your best Halloween costume!

Shawano Community High School

Shawano Community High School will present its fall play, “Frankenstein,” from Oct. 27-29 at Shawano Community High School Auditorium. Shows will be at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and at 2 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for students.

SCHS will host an American Red Cross blood drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday. To sign up, visit www.redcrossblood.org and search “shawanohs” or call Elizabeth Alexander at 715-526-2175, ext. 2111.

The Golden Strings Concert is scheduled for Nov. 4, from 7-10 p.m., in the auditorium.

The fall athletic banquet will be held at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at The Gathering in Shawano.

The annual Dinner Dance Review will be held Nov. 11 and 12 in the SCHS auditorium. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., with the performance starting at 6:30 p.m.

Shawano School District

There will be no school for students on Friday.

Olga Brener Intermediate School

Olga Brener will host Daybreak with Dad from 7:05-8:10 a.m. Nov. 10. The reservation form can be found on Olga Brener’s webpage.

Olga Brener has a large quantity of lost and found items. Parents and guardians, please help your students claim their items.

Shawano Community Middle School

Shawano Community Middle School Library Media Center is looking for volunteers for the Scholastic Book Fair in November. Volunteers are needed for Nov. 11 and Nov. 14 through Nov. 18. Families can sign up at https://volunteer.scholastic.com/#/chairperson/signup/4006. Call SCMS at 715-526-2192 for information.

Gresham Community School

On Oct. 31, Gresham Community School had a schoolwide Halloween dress-up day. There were many bright and colorful costumes worn by everyone from the preschoolers to the teachers. There were princesses, firefighters, puppies, vampires and much more.

For those who are interested in middle school and high school basketball, the first game for middle school boys is Monday and the high school junior varsity/varsity girls’ first game is Nov. 11. We can’t wait to see all the supporters at the games. Go Wildcats!

Shawano Community High School

The Golden Strings Concert is scheduled from 7-10 p.m. Friday in the Shawano Community High School auditorium.

The fall athletic banquet will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday at The Gathering in Shawano.

The Dinner Dance Revue will be held Nov. 11-12 in the auditorium. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., with the performance starting at 6:30 p.m.

Olga Brener Intermediate School

Olga Brener will host Daybreak with Dad from 7:05-8:10 a.m. Nov. 10. The reservation form can be found on Olga Brener’s webpage.

The Olga Brener PTO Book Fair will run from Nov. 7-11. Stop by and pick up some fall reads.

Olga Brener parent-teacher conferences are scheduled from 3:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday and Nov. 10.

Olga Brener’s annual Thanksgiving Feast and Game Night is slated for Nov. 17. The feast will be held from 5-6 p.m., with games following until 7 p.m.

Shawano Community Middle School

The Library Media Center is looking for volunteers for the Scholastic Book Fair in November. Volunteers are needed for Nov. 11 and Nov. 14 through Nov. 18. Families can sign up at https://volunteer.scholastic.com/#/chairperson/signup/4006. Call SCMS at 715-526-2192 for information.

The Shawano Community Middle School orchestra’s fall concert will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 in the Shawano Community High School auditorium.

The SCMS choir fall concert will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday in the SCHS auditorium.

Shawano School District

There will be no school for students on Nov. 18.

Broadway is coming to Shawano Community High School.

The school’s orchestras will come together to perform their annual Golden Strings concert Friday and Saturday, presenting 18 songs that include pieces from 10 Broadway shows.

The orchestra will re-create many of the songs loved and adored by young and old from shows such as “Phantom of the Opera,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Les Miserables,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and others.

The concert will also feature several singers from the high school and the community.

Students determine the theme and organize the show. Senior Mikaela Selle said the show will appeal to locals in their teens and 20s as much as it will older audiences who grew up with the original music.

“It’s really unique because there are a lot of accidentals in the pieces, and those come out when you play,” Selle said. Accidentals in the music world are emphasized sharps and flats.

The Broadway theme, with music from several shows based on Disney movies, will help appeal to some of the adults who feel like a child at heart, junior Elijah Albertson said.

“They’ll probably watch this and sing along to it,” he said.

The annual Golden Strings concert is a showcase concert, senior Sam Klein said. While most of the orchestra concerts during the school year are free to the public, Golden Strings is also a big fundraiser for the music program.

“It’s just flaunting all that we can possibly do,” Klein said. “It’s proving all we can do that other orchestras can’t do because they don’t choose the pieces we do.”

The orchestras overcame a couple of additional obstacles preparing for the show. Mold found in the music classrooms forced initial rehearsals to take place in the library, and several instruments were delayed in getting to the school.

“We managed to adapt to the situation,” Selle said.

Besides Broadway pieces, the orchestras will play their four signature pieces: “Blue Moon,” “Spanish Serenade,” “Helena Polka” and “Night Train.”

Junior Britney Bamke said those four selections help underclassmen get used to the demanding pieces that they will be asked to take up later.

Sacred Heart Catholic School

SHCS welcomed over 900 guests to the 33rd annual Community Halloween Party on Oct. 26. This free and fun event was open to all children through eighth grade. Guests had a boooo-tiful time filled with games, prizes, candy and a haunted house prepared by eighth-grade students and staff.

This year’s event had a fresh new look thanks to the use of new decorations from Kelly Baumann, of The Gathering and Farm Inn on Main; Cathy Besaw, grandmother of four Sacred Heart Catholic School students and mother of Autumne Gee, director of admissions and development; Chad Kary, school parent; Scott Marohl, middle school teacher; and Sue Simeons, art teacher, who made giant patterned spiders with her classes.

The guests enjoyed the newly made games Hole in One, Large Dice Roll, Candy Prize Wheel and Ring a Pop that were made and donated to Sacred Heart by Kevin Gee. A main attraction this year was face painting graciously run by Chris Marcks, preschool mother, Erica Krueger, school alumni, and Maureen Mukka, school parent and volunteer.

Guests also had the enjoyment of taking amusing photos with Halloween props in the Photo-boooot’. This year’s event also had two special guests, McGruff the Crime Dog and Shawano Police Chief Mark Kohl. Both the Shawano Police Department and the Shawano County

Sheriff’s Department donated trick-or-treat goody bags, and many safety tip items to be placed in the bags for guests to receive. A heart felt thank you to both departments for their event contributions and for their great service to our community.

The popular preschool corner, Pumpkin Patch for Preschoolers, was back again this year, and welcomed well over 150 children to age-appropriate activities. Children also had the opportunity to enjoy Halloween themed books in the Halloween Library.

All guests had several chances to win fun prize baskets by entering our door prize drawings, as well as satisfying a monstrous appetite with the ghoulishly delightful Trick-or-Treat Tacos.

A huge thank you to the parents, guardians, students and staff volunteers from school, parish and Faith Formation who ran the games/activities, and those who graciously stayed afterward to help clean up. It was truly appreciated.

A very special thank you to Jessica Moesch, Melanie Miller, John Abendroth and Kelly Baumann for assisting our event organizer, Autumne Gee, with decorating and setting up the gym for this event. We are blessed to have such amazing volunteers.

Thank you to all who joined Sacred Heart this year, and please mark your calendar and join Sacred Heart for their 34th annual Community Halloween Party on Oct. 25, 2017.