A paper written by a second-grade student from Hillcrest Primary School is advancing to a national PTA writing contest.

Baelyan Putz won the grand prize in the Wisconsin State PTA Reflections program for his essay about being an artist.

Three other Hillcrest students, all in second grade, also placed in the contest. Aidan Burr won the outstanding interpretation honor for his essay about flying chipmunk gear. Kiana Hilliker took the first award of excellence with her essay about playing college softball. Max Bechard won the third award of excellence for writing about his dream of being a geologist.

The theme of “Believe, Dream, Inspire” was designed to encourage students to consider what they want to do with their lives.

For Putz, his dream of being an artist is eagerly encouraged by his father, according to the essay. He said his father inspires him and helps with art lessons when he is available.

“I believe I can get about $2 million just by selling paintings and creations,” Putz wrote in his essay.

Putz’s essay describes a variety of resources he uses to be creative, including a Nintendo Wii art program and a drawing pad on his mother’s Nook tablet. He wrote of hopefully being an inspiration for adult and youth artists someday.

Putz’s teacher, Dan Everson, said he typically has students who place in the PTA writing contest, but this is the first time he has had a state grand prize winner.

“When I send these in, I have no idea what’s going to happen,” Everson said. “I was surprised to have four winners, because the most we’ve ever had is two.”

Everson noted that this year’s theme was particularly difficult, in his opinion, so he was pleased that so many of his students took on the challenge. He noted he first had to teach his students what the words “Believe, Dream, Inspire” meant and then let them develop their own ideas.

All of the students will be honored at the state PTA conference April 25-27 in Eau Claire.

When a moving truck from Madison pulled into Bowler School in early March, the sound of the school’s music program would be forever changed.

Bowler Superintendent Faith Gagnon was all smiles as a baby grand piano was wheeled into the school’s elementary music room.

“This is quite a day for Bowler,” she said. “This is such wonderful news and an honor that this family has decided to provide our school with such a precious gift from their family.”

The piano was donated by Vernon Reed, husband of the late RuthAnn (Steinberg) Reed, who had passed away about three years ago. The couple lived in Madison, where RuthAnn was a piano teacher.

After RuthAnn’s death, her younger sister, Marge, who lives in Iowa, and Vernon had contemplated what to do with the beautiful piano.

The two sisters grew up in the Tilleda area and graduated from Bowler School: RuthAnn in 1955, followed by Marge in 1963.

RuthAnn’s fondness for the school led Marge and Vernon to the conclusion there would be no better place for this piece of musical history to be housed than at her former school. Both Marge and Vernon wanted to see it go to someone or someplace where it would be played – and enjoyed, “not just a corner conversation piece,” Marge said.

In addition, Marge said, RuthAnn consistently tried to stay in touch with her Bowler classmates, giving even more credence to the decision of donating it to the school.

“I’m really glad to donate it,” said Marge, who made the trip to Bowler from Iowa. She took a plane to Stevens Point before driving the final hour to Bowler.

“I appreciate the enthusiasm with which it is received,” Marge said. “I wish it to be played and enjoyed and for people to have fun with it.

“My sister spent a lot of time giving piano lessons to small children. To have it located in the elementary music room just makes perfect sense. I couldn’t be happier. This was just an added touch that she would have been pleased with.”

School officials will place a plaque at the school recognizing and honoring RuthAnn for her special donation.

St. James Lutheran School

The sixth-grade earth science class is just completing a study of volcanoes. During the unit the students had to build a model volcano that could actually erupt. There were many concoctions and mixtures thought up to demonstrate a volcanic eruption, including smoke bombs, Mentos and Coke, and baking soda with vinegar. We even had a student build a wide and gently sloping shield volcano like the state of Hawaii. The students had a great time presenting their projects to their classmates and spending a day outside watching the eruptions.

Gresham Community School

Jump Rope for Heart was held March 6 at Gresham Community School for students in K-5. Sixty-one students raised money for the event. They combined to raise a total of $2,800.56. We doubled the amount raised during last year’s event. This year’s top fundraiser was kindergartner Cierra Ninham. We would like to thank all of the participants for their hard work, everyone who donated money, and the parents and staff for all the help they offered to make this event very successful. Since our school raised more than $1,500, our school will receive $100 to spend on equipment.

This week we also started Pennies for Patients. It is a fundraiser for blood cancer. The money benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The class that has the most change wins a pizza party.

Olga Brener Intermediate School in Shawano is participating in a nationwide wellness initiative.

Fuel Up to Play 60 is rallying schools and communities across the U.S. to support school wellness initiatives, good nutrition and physical activity, which help educate students and curb obesity. The program is sponsored by the National Dairy Council, National Football League and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Olga Brener Intermediate students are recruiting friends, parents, teachers and business and community leaders to join them in pledging to adopt healthier behaviors, such as choosing foods encouraged by the USDA and committing to 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

At Olga Brener, the fifth-grade class of Jenni Sperberg and third-grade class of Jenny Ballwahn have been selected for the Fuel Up to Play 60 school teams. The teams will lead the initiative in Olga Brener by creating classroom brain break videos, preparing classroom movement activity kits and sharing Monday Morning Movement announcements for the entire school.

The classes’ creations will be shared with the entire school and give all students a little boost to keep their brain going each day.

This initiative provides students with a unique opportunity to develop leadership skills and make positive changes in the school nutrition and fitness environment, according to school officials.

“Our school is in a unique position to influence the eating and physical activity habits of students,” said Jessica Schneider, physical education teacher at both Olga Brener and Hillcrest Primary School. “We need communitywide support to help our students build positive, lifelong habits, and Fuel Up to Play 60 provides the healthy messages, resources and activities we need to get started.”

Shawano Community Middle School

On Thursday, there will be a very important presentation on cyber bullying in the LGI. The first presentation will be at 1 p.m. and the second at 6:30 p.m. This is a must-see event if you have a child in the middle school. Handouts will also be provided for future reference, as there will be a great amount of material discussed. We hope to see you on Thursday, and thank you for being involved in the success of your student here at SCMS.

Menominee Tribal School

Spring is officially here, and March has been a very busy month. We ended February with parent-teacher conferences. Maec waewaenon to everyone who was able to attend. If you did not make it to conferences, please call your child’s teacher and you can do a conference over the telephone. Find out how your child is doing in school and how you can support him/her from home. Your involvement is very important to your child’s success.

March brought a fifth- and fourth-grade field trip to the Weidner Center to see “Freedom Train.” Students received a history lesson in the form of a play depicting the life of Harriet Tubman.

We also had an all-school assembly that celebrated nearly 20,000 blue bear “PAW” awards. PAW stands for Positive Attitude - Weskewat, and the awards are given to students “caught being good.” That means there are a lot of great things going on at Tribal School.

The Family Night event celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday was well attended by students and their families. More than 75 students showed up with their parents to read, color and eat an awesome meal. A special thanks to staff who stayed to help.

On Wednesday, our eighth-grade students traveled to Menominee Indian High School to take the Explore test. They also shadowed the ninth-grade classes as a transition to high school. Waewaenon, MIHS, for the invitation.

The MTS maple sugar camp is in full swing. Joey Awonhopay (Pakacekaew) is continuing to operate the camp, and MTS students are taking turns going to help set it up. They are also guided by Cheryl LaChapelle (Pitapanukiew) and our new language and culture teacher, Katinee Shawanokasic. We are very happy that Mr. Awonhopay is continuing his involvement with our language and culture program as well as mentoring Ms. Shawanokasic in his role as Menominee language and culture program director.

Sacred Heart Catholic School

After much discussion among the students and a presentation to the School Board, we are pleased to announce that we will be reinstating a Student Council here at Sacred Heart Catholic School. We will have “eating meetings” during lunch on Wednesdays. The council will consist of two representatives from each classroom in grades five through eight and one representative from fourth grade. Officers will be elected by the upper grades and will be seventh- and eighth-graders.

Students from both Sacred Heart Catholic School and St. James Lutheran School were able to meet Wisconsin author Marla McKenna during special presentations at school March 18. Families enjoyed meeting Marla and hearing her story that evening. Marla’s visit was funded by the Title I program, the Home and School Association and the St. James parent group. Learn more at www.marlamckenna.com.

Mark your calendars for Sacred Heart Catholic School’s Spring Showcase on May 22 from 4:30-8 p.m. The showcase is a new twist on an old event. Usually we have a concert and an eighth-grade play each spring. Now we’re combining and expanding those events to be a showcase that will also include writing, art and science exhibits. It’s going to be a great night for all of our families to come together and celebrate the many talents of our diverse student body. All community members are invited to attend and check out our school, too.

St. James Lutheran

Second grade has had a “dino-riffic” time in science. The students studied fossils, making and then excavating prints from found objects and Play Dough. They tried their hand at fashioning dinosaur skeletons from chenille stems, and agreed that it is really difficult to complete them with enough bones to stand. Finally, they spent some super teamwork time assembling T-Rex, our wooden 3-D puzzle, first laying out the excavation site with all the numbered bones, and then being paleontologists and putting them all together. After nearly two hours, their cheers announced success!

A Shawano Community Middle School student is Wisconsin’s new spelling bee champion.

Seventh-grader Karelyn Malliet beat out 47 other contenders Saturday at the Badger State Spelling Bee held in the Mitby Theatre at Madison Area Technical College. She won by correctly spelling the word “fulgent,” which means radiant or dazzingly bright.

“I don’t know why I knew it,” Malliet said.

Malliet will now advance to the 87th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee to be held May 27-29 in Washington, D.C.

When she spelled her winning word and found out it was correct, she was stunned.

“I didn’t know what to do, how to react or anything like that,” Malliet said. “I was shocked.”

Malliet has won the Shawano School District bee for the last three years and the regional spelling bee for the last two. She finished 11th at the 2013 Wisconsin spelling bee.

Craig Ferch, who coordinates the Shawano spelling bee, said the state bee differs from the local and regional bees in that the contestants received a list of 1,150 words to be used. However, additional words were used in the state bee, and Malliet’s winning word was one that contestants did not have on their lists.

“Some kids are better at memorizing than others,” Ferch said. “To me, that’s not a true spelling bee.”

Malliet said she has been using the state spelling bee lists as a guide since the fifth grade, and that while she didn’t know what words the school and district spelling bees would use each year, memorization of the tougher words was a factor in preparing for every bee.

“I still managed not to know one of the words last year,” Malliet said.

This will be Malliet’s first trip to the nation’s capital, and she will bring her parents along for the trip. She will be there for a week and will visit some of the monuments and other sights — when she’s not studying words for the bee.

“I like words. They’re fun,” Malliet said. “I tend to remember the cooler words better.”

Malliet is the first Shawano student to not only win but also qualify for the state spelling bee since Ferch revived the local bee nine years ago. Dave Stuewer won back-to-back state spelling bees in the 1980s.

“She takes this seriously,” Ferch said of Malliet. “Teachers say she spends all her spare time doing this.”

Rumor has it that Shawano Community High School will be performing its spring play this week.

Actually, it’s not a rumor when it’s the truth.

SCHS will perform “Rumors,” written by Neil Simon, Thursday through Saturday at the school’s auditorium, 220 County Road B, Shawano. The show focuses on some well-to-do people and the rumors they come up with after the deputy mayor of New York has been shot, his wife is missing and the entire kitchen staff has disappeared.

“Rumors” first hit Broadway in 1988. It contains some adult language that might not be suitable for younger children, according to Mark Otte, theater manager and the show’s director.

“I love Neil Simon. He has a certain sense of comedic timing,” Otte said. “I think this is a good educational thing for the students, having to deal with quick exits and quick entrance, the whole idea of farce where someone knows something and someone doesn’t know something.”

Otte likes the show because it shows how irrational adults can act when they’re under stress. In this case, they spread falsehoods that ultimately backfire.

Addison Lewis, who plays the role of Lenny Ganz, is a key perpetrator in the show’s rumor mill. Lenny shares rumors with the other guests about the deputy mayor and his wife each allegedly having affairs, and then he goes over the top when he concocts a made-up story when a policeman arrives to question him about a car accident he was in.

Lewis, a sophomore, was eager to portray a darker character.

“He’s kind of one of those people who like pointing the blame at others instead of himself when it comes to situations,” Lewis said. “It’s actually kind of fun. This kind of shows the mean attitude I can get out of my character.”

The show is a stark contrast to the school’s fall production, the tragedy “Romeo and Juliet.” It also has a smaller cast, with 10 students carrying the entire show.

“The kids are on stage a little bit more unlike a bigger show where there are a lot of small parts,” Otte said.

Otte praised the students for quickly getting the comedic timing down, which is a plus considering the amount of memorization, and understanding Simon’s unique wit. He noted that having fewer cast members has given him more opportunities to work with actors one-on-one and clear up any problems well in advance of opening night.

“They bond in a different way than they do with a big cast,” Otte said. “They all have to be here at the same time, whereas with a bigger show, I’m able to work with somebody who is in sports or has other commitments.”

“Rumors” is the second SCHS show this school year that is more suitable for ages 14 and up. Otte said that the annual musical done in the winter tends to be a good way to attract audiences of all ages, which allows him to pursue shows that focus on mature themes.

“I think, educationally speaking, they’re better served by doing material that is a little more reflective of where they’re heading in the world,” Otte said.

St. Paul Lutheran, Bonduel

St. Paul staff wish to thank Jodi Lindsey for organizing this year’s Jump Rope/Hoops for Heart activity. Students, parents and members of the community made it a huge success. We are pleased to announce that St. Paul raised a total of $4,020 for the American Heart Association. God has given us the blessing of modern medicine and technology, and we pray that our donation can help more people prevent and fight heart disease.

It doesn’t look like we should be thinking about planting flowers yet, but the PTL flower sale is under way. Vision your yard green and ready for color! St. Paul students can help you with locally grown, high-quality accent plants, four-pack annuals or 12-pack flats of flowers and vegetables in time for Mother’s Day weekend. Members of the congregation or community are encouraged to pick up order forms from the church/school office or church narthex until April 22. Proceeds support PTL projects, such as helping with field trip expenses and classroom needs.

The fourth quarter has begun, and we are pleased to congratulate 36 students in grades 5-8 for achieving high honors in academics for the third quarter. That’s over 50 percent of the students eligible. Keep it up, students!

This week we began our second year of participating in Prevea’s Luv2Run program. Students, parents and teachers can choose to “run for fun” and train for the Cellcom 5K in Green Bay on May 16. The program was begun by Prevea to encourage children via their participating schools with a reason to stay active and motivate them with a longterm goal. For six weeks, coaches teach students how to stretch, hydrate and gradually build stamina to be able to run for about 30 minutes. In addition to providing information on proper nutrition and proper running technique to avoid injury, the objective is to introduce children to what can become a healthy, enjoyable, lifelong activity.

Shawano Community Middle School

We would like to thank all who were interested and able to attend our bullying and electronics presentations here at the middle school. We thank you for your positive feedback and are so glad that you learned this great information.

Summer school registration ends Friday. If you have not yet registered your student for summer school, please make a point to meet this deadline. Remember, we now also have electronic registration, which we see many people are utilizing. We are excited for yet another successful summer school session.

Sixth-grade students this week were visited by two people from Kenya (one is a principal and one is a teacher). The students learned about the cultural differences and also about the villages that benefited from the donations of the soccer balls.

We have our last dance of the school year, sponsored by the Student Council, from 6:30-8:30 p.m Friday. All students who have fewer than three referrals to the office this month will be eligible to attend. Cost is $2. We are looking forward to a fun evening, and PTA will run concessions.

St. James Lutheran

The last two weeks Grade 4 has been studying the metric system in math class. They have been converting measurements in the metric system. The class measured objects in meters, decimeters and centimeters. The study of the metric system is part of the core curriculum for Grade 4. They were very proud to be catching on to the ease of using the metric system.

On March 29, 18 vocal and instrumental musicians from St. James participated in 15 events at the Wisconsin School Music Association District Music Festival at Peshtigo High School. Students were evaluated on their performances by nine judges from across the state. Performances were divided into classes A, B and C, according to the difficulty of the music. Events at the class A level are eligible to advance to state festivals on April 26 and May 3. Results for St. James students: Class B, first division awards, Nicole Hoefs, alto sax solo, Nicole Hoefs, vocal solo, Erin Cerveny, oboe solo, Christopher Parker, clarinet solo, Lindsey Roloff, flute solo, Grant Andrada, trumpet solo, and Christopher Parker, Sam Rusch, Erik Johnson, Will Hoefs and Kristopher Kraus, vocal ensemble; Class C, first division awards, Will Hoefs, snare drum solo. Performing for critique only were Sophia Horsens, flute solo, Abi Vomastic, trumpet solo, Lydia Dobberstein, solo, Kyra Klement, trumpet solo, Elija Etten, trombone solo, Emma Etten, french horn solo, and Kyra Klement and Abi Vomastic, trumpet duet.

Bonduel Elementary

Did you know that a raccoon is the smallest member of the bear family? That is one of the facts third-graders at Bonduel Elementary learned at school from naturalist Tim Ewing from the Navarino Nature Center. He came in to present facts about Wisconsin mammals. Students discussed with Tim what a mammal is. They also were tested on their recognition of certain mammal skins/furs and then given facts about those mammals. Examples of some of the animals were white-tailed deer, red fox and grey squirrel. Of course, Tim couldn’t forget the black bear (Bonduel Bears). In addition to the discussion, students made a plaster paw print of one of the animals they discussed. The third-grade teachers and students would like to thank Tim Ewing and his assistant, Jackie Wilber. And, a huge thank you to the Crawford Family Foundation, which provided the educational scholarship for this program.

Sacred Heart Catholic School

It is National Volunteers Week! We are grateful to the many people who volunteer at our school to make it run smoothly every day. Some go unmentioned, but we would like to recognize some of our star volunteers during this special week: Jeanne Boyd, Sue Dietz, Tanya Myerchin, Michelle Bunker and Mercedes Bayless. We are very appreciative of all you do for our school.

The second-grade students had their First Eucharist retreat Saturday. They came together to pray, reflect and focus on what it means to receive Christ fully into their bodies and their hearts. We continue to pray for the students preparing for First Eucharist, which will be celebrated at Sacred Heart Catholic Parish at the 10:45 a.m. Mass on April 27. Everyone is welcome to come celebrate with us.

All students and staff at Sacred Heart Catholic School have been taking time to reflect on the blessings we are fortunate to have during this season of Lent. While reflecting on what we have, we ask students and staff to give generously to those who are less fortunate. Our school participates in the rice bowl mission. The mission provides meals for families in less fortunate parts of the world. Students will turn in their rice bowls during Holy Week.

At 8:40 a.m. April 17, the second-fourth grade will perform Living Stations of the Cross. We have had many opportunities to reflect on the stations during this Lenten season. This is an opportunity for our students to really feel the stations and have them live in their hearts before celebrating Easter Sunday. Anyone from the community is welcome to join us.

We are still taking registrations for the 2014-2015 school year. We offer opportunities for students in 3K through grade 8. If you or someone you know would like more information about what we have to offer, please contact the school office at 715-526-5328 or email our admissions director at admissions@shcscardinals.org. We offer an education to students of all faiths, provide a quality education and are an affordable alternative to day care! Check us out on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/sacred-heart-catholic-school or on our school website at www.shcscardinals.org.

St. Martin Lutheran

The St. Martin Lutheran School upper grades will present their musical production of “The Music Man Jr.” at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday in the St. Martin School gym. The story follows fast-talking, traveling Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys band he vows to organize. The catch? He doesn’t know a trombone from a treble chef. He plans to skip town with the cash. The performance is based on the timeless Broadway classic. The public is invited. Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children 6 and older. The Friday musical will be preceded by a dinner, sponsored by the Board of Elders, served from 4:30-7:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. They will serve baked fish, broasted chicken strips, shrimp and cod. The cost is $9 for adults and $5 for children under 12. All-you-can-eat is $14. If you purchase a ticket for the musical, you get $1 off the dinner ticket. Proceeds go to the St. Martin kindergarten scholarship fund. Supplemental funds are provided in part by Thrivent Financial. Tickets for the dinner and play are available at the church office at 100 S. Clinton Ave. in Clintonville.

— Grace Kirchner, correspondent

Three Bowler High School students were honored at a ceremony called “Celebrating Success” at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus in late March.

Kanum Vele, Cody Montez and Trae Opper were among 49 students in the state chosen for the event, which is geared toward minority students who are going above and beyond in grades and community involvement.

Kanum, accompanied by his father, Jeff Vele, was the only student of the three who could make it to the awards ceremony and dinner.

All three students were nominated because they are academically the top three Native American students in the junior class at Bowler High. Cody ranks second in his class, with Kanum a close third. All students have at least a 3.0 GPA and are actively involved in both athletics and academic organizations.

“It was a genuine pleasure to witness Kanum being honored alongside of his peers from much bigger districts,” said Kelly Carlson, 7-12 guidance counselor. “ All three of our students nominated have the potential to go places in this world and represent our little community.”

Representing Bowler at the ceremony were Superintendent Faith Gagnon, Principal Kim Ninabuck and Carlson.

Olga Brener Intermediate School

Multiplication Madness hit the third-grade halls at Olga Brener. During the month of March, the third-graders were busy trying to get to the winners’ bracket for the Multiplication Madness. The third-grade classes went head to head, working hard to be the fastest with their multiplication facts. In the end, it was Ryan Stuber’s class that came away as the champs.

The entire school is finishing up spring MAPS testing. It’s been a long month, but students did a great job. Way to go!

The following students won the Hawk Way Trait award for doing a great job being responsible: Ethan DeMunck, Brady Glysch, Ania Hoffman, Kersten Goetsch, Mason Hamann, Jaida Koeller, Isaac Buettner, Noah Lyons, Stephanie Peppler, Jackson Sumnicht, Carly Knope, Dane Adams, Cole Grassman, Morgen Schultz, Elliot Lowney, Adeline Lyles, Perla Oviedo, DaShawn Williams, Kaylyn Perez, Noah Fike, Jackson Smits, Kersten Stueck, Emma Otto, Adrianna Pillsbury, Wyatt Brandt, Nolan Buck, Avery Dreier, Nate Neumann, Caprice Rush, Aiden Berry, Megan Herrmann, Kaleb Lowney, Kyana Frost, Payten Thompson, Draven DuChesne, Will Carl, Savannah Swartz, Tobias Wozniak and Macy Monfils.

Upcoming: Thursday, half day; Friday, no school; Monday, no school.

Hillcrest Primary School

The 4K students in Trisha Springborn’s class have been working on their songs for their concert on April 25. We have also been using the sounds of the letters we have been learning to help spell words. We can count and compare how many fish it takes to sink a boat, and manipulate pattern blocks to finish a picture. In the computer center the students are using the ABC mouse program to practice their skills. We are having fun learning in 4K.

The entire second-grade class at Hillcrest and LEADS enjoyed a fabulous production of “Charlotte’s Web” at the Weidner Center last month. Thank you to the PTA for your support with this activity, as well as the many other wonderful things you do to support student learning. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Sarah Radke and Becky Arens’ class are studying air and weather in science. They hosted WLUK Good Day Wisconsin meteorologist Pete Petoniak on April 8. He talked to the students about his job and the tools he uses to predict upcoming weather patterns. He answered many weather questions students were wondering about.

Jamie Kriewaldt’s class is learning how to use their addition and subtraction strategies to add two or more multidigit numbers. We are also studying the famous children’s author Ezra Jack Keats and learning how many of his stories have unique illustrations, as well as similar characters and settings.

The LEADS second grade is beginning to immerse themselves and investigate processes that shape the Earth.

Students in Dan Everson’s class were busy writing stories and poems for the Shawano/Menominee County writing contest.

Stacey Popp’s class would like to thank Sandi Kane from Cooperative Resources International for coming into the classroom as a Junior Achievement volunteer. We learned how a community works, production strategies, the role of government, decision making in businesses, and how money moves — all in a fun way.

Gresham School

Our Senior High student body voted for prom king and queen and class representatives. They are Heidi Anderson and James Kazik, queen and king; Kimmie Petrich and Scott Cerveny, senior representatives; Riley Tejeda and Kevin Ile, junior representatives; Ericka Jonsson and Beau Hoffman, sophomore representatives; Alyssa Roe and Arthur Boucher, freshmen representatives.

The Scholastic Book Fair was held in the IMC from 12-4:30 p.m. April 9-11.

We also had a team of four go to the Finance and Investment Challenge Bowl in Keshena at the College of Menominee Nation.

Shawano Community Middle School

The cyber bully presentation was so popular, and the word has spread, so we are looking at a second date to do the presentation again. Anyone who was unable to attend, make sure you are watching for information, as we are looking at the end of April or beginning of May.

The Safe Routes is sponsoring a “Park to Park Loops” for the community from 4-7 p.m. May 14. There will be music, surprises and fun. The walking club has been invited, and students have been turning in their permission slips. We are looking forward to this fun-filled afternoon and evening. Be ready to jam to the tunes when all is done, and also know that this is a tribute to Laura Dunnam as well. Arrive at Kuckuck Park to begin your evening of fun.

We just had our last dance of the year, and all went well. Many happy middle school students attended, and it was an evening of fun, socializing, dancing and snacking! Thank you to the PTA for providing concessions, and thank you to the Student Council for putting on this event.

Sacred Heart Catholic School

The school will be celebrating the Triduum this week. The Triduum is the three holy days surrounding Easter. On Holy Thursday, we will have Living Stations starting at 8:40 a.m. Community members are welcome to join us. The second through fourth grades will perform the Living Stations. The students will have Good Friday off and will be encouraged to attend services with their families, in preparation for Easter. Services will be begin at 12:30 p.m. Friday, and the Holy Saturday service will be at 8:15 p.m. Easter services will be at 7:30 and 10:45 a.m. We will have Monday off as well. Spending time reflecting on the goodness of the Lord throughout the Easter season is encouraged.

Congratulations to 55 percent of our first-graders and 42 percent of our seventh- and eighth-graders for completing and returning their fitness calendars.

A number of families recently participated in our Seroogy’s fundraiser. All proceeds from this sale benefit the tuition assistance fund. We were able to support 20 school families with tuition assistance this year. It is important that we keep this fund in place because many people are able to choose Catholic education because of it.

Recently the sixth to eighth grades went to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton to see the Step Afrika show. It was enjoyed by all.

Two Bonduel High School students will be traveling to the Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference in June.

Jared Letter received first place in Business Law and Josh Liesner received third in Word Processing. Students who place in the top three of each event earn the right to compete at the National Leadership Conference.

This year’s National Leadership Conference is being held in Nashville from June 29 to July 2.

Bonduel FBLA members traveled to Appleton to compete in the State Leadership Conference in April. The two-day conference had workshops and tours for members to attend to increase their business knowledge as well as compete in business events. While participating at the conference, students were able to tour businesses, earn recognition for their professional dress as well as network with chapters throughout the state.

The College of Menominee Nation’s 2014 faculty lecture series begins April 29 with a presentation by Professor Erik Lee at the college’s Keshena campus.

Lee, who holds a Master of Science degree in nursing, will discuss “a model for addressing culture issues in learning and work environments.” He said he will draw on his experience in nursing, military and tribal college settings to discuss concepts and approaches that can be applied to teaching and learning in almost any workplace or field of study.

The lecture series is free of charge and open to the public. Lee’s talk will be begin at noon in the mezzanine classroom of the S. Verna Fowler Academic Library on the campus at N172 State Highway 47/55.

His presentation will include a number of case studies that explore cultural conflicts from multiple points of view. These include ethnicity, gender, religious convictions and customs, generational norms, family, workplace conflict and resolution, acculturation and more.

“The settings of these case studies are within health care but could apply to a variety of business, industry or other settings simply by changing the location from a hospital to another specific place of work,” Lee said. “The model includes lists of questions for the students or workers to answer, and key points relevant to the particular case study being considered.”

Lee said CMN has always been ahead of the curve in regard to cultural competence.

“Many other colleges and universities have inserted cultural awareness into a curriculum, mainly in the form of a single course,” he said. “CMN, on the other hand, has taken culture into its very identity and has committed to including culture in every program and every course. It can be seen across the curriculum.”

For example, he said, CMN’s nursing department at its inception adopted the five clans of the Menominee Nation as its model.

“Other nursing programs start with a model and insert culture into it,” he said. “We started with a culture and built a nursing program around it.”

Lee earned his Bachelor Science degree in nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and certified respiratory therapist credentials from the U.S. Army Academy of Health Services.

The CMN lecture series will continue in early fall with an address by Professor Lisa Bosman on CMN’s solar energy initiative.

Bonduel Elementary School

Last year a set of laptops was shared by the three sections of fifth-graders. This year, each fifth-grade student has a laptop. The program has been a resounding success.

Students may take their laptops home each night. However, the laptops must be brought back the following morning to be checked in and inspected. Students have done a great job taking care of their laptops, as they know it is an essential part of their learning experience and is a privilege that can be lost.

Students take their laptop home for many reasons. For example, students can work on their math facts by using Reflex Math, a computer-based program. Additionally, since all writing assignments must be typed, they can get their assignment done at home.

Since all fifth-grade students have an email account, students can and sometimes are required to email their assignments to their teacher. Assignments can be graded by their teacher without printing them, thus saving paper.

We have received a lot of positive feedback from parents saying how much they like fifth-graders having their own laptops. It eases the congestion on the computer at home, plus printing can be done at school.

A huge thank you to the Bonduel School District taxpayers who supported this initiative. Lastly, an additional thank you to Mark Margelofsky, principal and director of technology, and David LaBerge, director of network operations, who have made all this happen with their expertise and dedication.

Sacred Heart Catholic School

The second- through fourth-grade classes did an excellent job with portraying the Living Stations on Holy Thursday. The students involved were Nicole Piantek, Dakota Miller, Awan Weso, Anisa Theis, Domenic Badalamenti, Brayden Waukau, Derrick Webster, Bode Frechette, Corina Ramirez, Jeffrey Lyons, Tristan Miller, Lilly Montour, Alexis Myerchin, Cristian Hernandez, Dugan Webster, Maddie Krueger, Antonio Garcia, Gaby Peralta, Andrew Mukka, Autumn Bunker and McKenzie Kaquatosh. They were directed by our own second- through fourth-grade teachers, Paula Kundiner and Holly Montoure.

The students also participated in an Easter Bunny raffle, which earned quarters for the Lenten Rice Bowls. The total earned from the raffle was over $125. It is great how the students give of their time, talent and treasures during Lent to improve the lives of others. What a blessing.

Mark your calendar for the Spring Showcase coming up May 22. The Home and School Association is providing a simple dinner for families as part of the Spring Showcase. Students need to be at the school by 5:45 p.m. for the concert, which will begin at 6 p.m. It will be followed by the seventh- and eighth-grade play. Student scientists will be available beforehand from 5:30-5:45 p.m. for questions regarding their science projects, which will be on display. The school will be open at 4:30 p.m. for guests.

Starting in May all students will be participating in swimming lessons at the Recreation Center as part of their physical education course. The lessons will be four weeks long, from April 30 to May 21.

There will be a CCW spring rummage sale beginning at 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday in the school gym.

Parents, remember that there is a tuition assistance program for those of you who qualify for free or reduced lunch. The application process is very simple and can be obtained in the school office.

Bowler School

For the sixth year in a row, a team from Bowler took home the title at the seventh annual Finance and Investment Challenge Bowl held April 9 at the College of Menominee Nation.

Members of the winning team were Kanum Vele, Craig Chroge, Walker Miller and Quentin Rondeau.

A team from Bowler also placed second. Team members were Blake Backes, Jay Onesti, Beau Brady and Aaron Bestul.

The contest tests students’ knowledge about personal finance, business, economics and the stock market. The competition included six teams from three area schools. Gresham and Menominee Indian competed with four teams from Bowler.

The third-place team was also from Bowler and consisted of Trace Miller, Blade Cameron and LaKeisha Williams. The Bowler team of Opal Sisk, Melanie Everson, Chelsea Shields and Amber Miller took sixth.

The top two teams will compete in Milwaukee on April 30 against 12 other teams, all from schools larger than Bowler.

The Bowler students are coached by Bill Hahn.

Pulaski School District

The Pulaski Community School District is excited to announce the launch of its newly designed website and promotional video.

The new website will showcase students and teachers in student and employee spotlights and includes a staff directory with professional biographies and photos of each staff member. It will also have specific pages for community members and future families that are looking to attend the Pulaski Community School District.

It will also include simple navigation to the most visited links by parents and students, such as bell schedules and lunch menus. Other features of the website are calendars with the ability to choose which schools the audience member would like to view, online capabilities to schedule a tour of any school, quick access to volunteer opportunities at the schools, and new school blogs. Parents will need to re-bookmark and re-subscribe so that they can get updates from the site.

Along with the new website, the school district worked with Creative Edge Productions of Green Bay to create a district promotional video.

To see the new website and promotional video, visit www.pulaskischools.org.

After winning honors for creativity, teamwork and problem solving in local, state and regional tournaments, two Destination Imagination teams from Shawano Community High School will travel to Tennessee next month to participate in DI’s Global Finals.

Members of McFly’s Divergent Thinkers and Above and Beyond are Hannah Busch, Quincy Burr, Holly Schwecke, Namara Panzer, Ailysh Tetting, Cassandra Whitehouse, Rachel Marquette, Caitlin Drews and Emily Jones.

They will compete in the Pandemonium and Project Outreach challenges, two of seven, open-ended challenges that require young people to apply skills in science, technology, engineering and math, in addition to improvisation, theater arts, writing, project management, communication, innovation, teamwork and community service.

“This is such a wonderful opportunity for these girls; they have been working on their project for this year since October.” said Emily Schwartz, one of the team managers. “Many of them have been in DI for seven and eight years trying to get to this point.”

These two teams are among more than 8,000 students representing more than 1,250 teams advancing to the Global Finals, which will be held at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville from May 21-24.

Destination Imagination has benefited more than 1.5 million young people, as well as adults, through its Challenge Program. This year, another 100,000 young people have competed in tournaments throughout the U.S. and in 30 countries.

About 60 children will showcase their talents in the Wolf River Home School - Performing Arts’ production of “Anne of Green Gables.”

The organization, which includes students from Shawano, Bonduel, Clintonville, Wittenberg, New London and Marion, will present three performances from May 2-4 at Clintonville High School.

“It’s a home school support group that involves parents, and it’s a way for children to get together,” said Lisa Bergman, publicity coordinator for Wolf River Home School - Performing Arts.

WRHS began the annual stage productions — all musicals — 10 years ago at Shawano’s Mielke Theatre before relocating to Clintonville High School three years ago due to space.

“We outgrew the theater and had to move to a larger location,” Bergmann said.

“Anne of Green Gables” is an adaptation, by Don Harron, of a 1908 novel written by Lucy Maud Montgomery, with music from Norman Campbell, Elaine Campbell and Mavor Moore.

“I have always wanted to do ‘Anne of Green Gables,’ ” said musical director Cheryl Jones-Ritter, of Tigerton, who has directed seven of the WRHS productions. “I have wanted to do it for many, many years.”

The plot centers around an imaginative orphan girl, Anne Shirley, mistakenly sent to a brother and sister, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, in Prince Edward Island. The Cuthberts had expected to adopt a boy to help them on their farm.

“The whole play revolves around her life and how she finds a family,” said Bethany Bergmann, 17, of Shawano, who plays Anne. “I always liked ‘Anne of Green Gables.’”

For Bergmann, appearing in her third musical, adapting her personality to the role was a challenge.

“It was really difficult because I am an introvert,” she said. “I am not very obnoxious or loud, so it was (difficult) for somebody like me.”

The musical promises to deliver laughter, according to Maddi Stuewer, 17, of Shawano. She plays the role of Marilla Cuthbert. Brandon Martin, 17, of Wittenberg, plays her brother.

“Not laughing during the program, because it is very funny, and keeping a straight face was a real challenge,” Stuewer said.

Angela Cary, 18, of Bonduel, had no problem identifying with the story, set at the turn of the century, and her role as Diana Barry.

“It was not hard at all,” she said. “I loved reading about this time period, and I loved the old-fashioned ideal about it. I have done research about it before so it wasn’t really hard relating to it.”

Jones-Ritter said the students, ranging in age from 5-18, have worked hard on the play and even were responsible for creating their own costumes.

The production, she said, will appeal to all ages.

“We want people to bring their kids,” Jones-Ritter said. “It’s a great family friendly show.”

Shawano Dollars for Scholars celebrated two records Friday at its annual gala held at The Gathering in Shawano.

The group’s endowment fund has increased to $11 million, thanks primarily to a $7.5 million donation from the Judge Michael and Joanne Eberlein estate announced at the 2011 gala, and the organization will provide a record $435,000 in scholarships, up from $410,000 last year.

“This year we have for scholarships a total of $435,000, which will be a combination of graduating seniors, also students who are currently in college for their later years and also for older students who are looking to get back into college,” said Amy te Plate-Church, Dollars for Scholars publicity chairperson.

Of the $435,000, $271,000 will be earmarked for graduating seniors at Shawano Community High School headed to college or technical schools, with the average scholarship totaling $2,500.

To be eligible for scholarships, students must complete a brief application and have applied to a post-secondary institution. All seniors who complete the process receive at least $1,000.

“The highest scholarship for a graduating senior will be for $7,500,” te Plate-Church said.

The scholarships will be awarded Monday during an awards program.

In addition to the SCHS scholarships, Dollars for Scholars also offers scholarships in the categories of Home/Private School, Continuing Education, Second Chance and New Vision.

“We would like to give more scholarships to those students who are home-schooled, private-schooled or are adults (older than 25) who are applying for college,” te Plate-Church said.

The continuing education scholarships are for students in an undergraduate program who might need a boost to continue their education. For students to qualify, they have to be a Shawano graduate or have resided in the boundaries of the district for the three years prior to college. Sixty-six people had applied as of Friday, according to Michael Sleeper, scholarship chairperson. Scholarship amounts vary from year to year.

Dollars for Scholars last year also began offering the Judge Eberlein Second Chance Scholarship, for up to $5,000, specifically in honor of the judge’s penchant for giving people second chances. The scholarship is specifically geared toward vocational, technical and two-year programs. Applicants must be at least 25 years old, and must have lived within the boundaries of the school district for at least three years.

“That is a new concept, we are still working very closely with NWTC (Northeast Wisconsin Technical College) on identifying potential students who would fit for it,” Sleeper said. “He was in the court for a number of years and he saw first hand on how people were on the right career path and never went back to court. It is designed for someone who did not have direction early on in their life.”

Dollars for Scholars this year also increased the number of New Vision scholarships, for up to $1,500 each to adults 25 or older who did not enter or complete a degree program after high school, from two to six.

This is the second year Dollars for Scholars offered scholarships to home school and private school students. Sleeper said the group has received just one application so far. Scholarships are based on merit only and merit/financial need.

The deadline for applicants not presently students at SCHS is May 1.

“We added three different type of scholarships because of the endowment,” te Plate-Church said. “Before the continuing education, we only offered the scholarship to graduating and this gives us an opportunity to help them out a lot longer.”

The gala is the group’s largest fundraiser of the year. About 200 people attended this year’s event, which included dinner, art displays, music by the SCHS symphony orchestra, raffles, and silent and live auctions.

Shawano Community Middle School

Shawano Community Middle School just had its last dance of the school year with hundreds of students showing up, and it was a fun event.

The school is in the final term of the school year and still waiting for spring to arrive.

The summer school registration deadline has passed, and we are now getting our master schedules put together for staff and students.

We had our fifth-grade transition day the week of April 23. The students experienced what the middle school classes and lunches are like. The students attended concerts by the bands, orchestras and choirs, and concluded the day by jamming out to the tunes at the student versus staff basketball game. The students did a wonderful job modeling respect, responsibility and safety.

Shawano Community High School

The SCHS Culture Club will have its Indian taco sale from 10:30 a.m. to noon Friday in the SCHS commons. The cost is still only $5 and comes in a convenient take-out box. All proceeds will go toward our field trip to the Shedd Aquarium on May 21. Any questions or concerns, please contact Melonie Dickie Reopelle at SCHS. As always, thank you for your support.

The FFA spring plant sale starts Wednesday and continues while supplies last. It will be held in the SCHS greenhouse.

The “Last Dance” performance will be held at 7 p.m. May 9 and 10 in the SCHS auditorium.

Sacred Heart Catholic School

Starting this week, first- through eighth-grade students will walk to the Recreation Center for swimming lessons as part of their physical education classes. They will have lessons once a week for four weeks. Grades 4K and 5K will attend once on May 23.

Students are busy preparing for their Spring Showcase on the evening of May 22. It will include art, science, music and theater. The Home and School Association will sponsor a light sandwich supper from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Our scientists will present from 5:30-5:45 p.m. All students need to be lined up for the concert at 5:45 p.m. The seventh- and eighth-grade play will begin immediately after the concert.

Grades 3 through 5 attended a production of “Laura Ingalls Wilder” at the PAC Center in Appleton on Wednesday.

On April 28, Sacred Heart School went to Camp Tekakwitha for the day. The children enjoyed outdoor activities and other activities while visiting the camp. Enjoying our faith in a camp situation shows how we can be involved in our faith outside of our school classrooms, learn and have fun.

School Spirit Day is Monday; remember to wear your favorite Sacred Heart clothes or clothes in the school colors of red and white on that day.

The George and Mary Kremer grant program is available for assistance for the 2014-2015 school year. If you qualify for free or reduced lunch, you may also qualify for the Kremer grant. The application process is very simple. If interested, please stop by the school office. Deadline is May 1.

We will participate in Bike to School Day on Wednesday. All members of our school are encouraged to bike to school. We hope to see you on your bike that day, dressed with a helmet for safety. Good exercise, good for the environment and fun all wrapped up in one.

Menominee Tribal School

Menominee Tribal School observed Earth Week with two engaging presentations. First was a display of raptors from REGI, the raptor rescue center of Antigo. Recycling with the turkey vulture and reminders of keeping the Earth clear of litter that hurts wildlife were the focus of the assembly.

The second assembly was with Wade Fernandez, who spent an artist in residence week at MTS. He urged students to remember every day is Earth Day on the Menominee Reservation as we honor our Grandmother Earth by respecting all nature, including humans, with kindness and no bullying. He showed a video, “What Will You Leave?” Wade had spent an hour each day of the week teaching the fifth grade to play the Indian flute, and they each had a turn for a small solo to demonstrate how well they had learned their lessons. Waewaenon to Gillett Schools and Ben Piaskowski for the use of the flutes. Wade also led the primary classes in a song they had learned about Earth.

Grades 1-3 traveled to the Weidner Center on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus to see the musical “Henry and Mudge.” They had been reading the Henry and Mudge stories by Cynthia Rylant the previous weeks. First- and second-graders also enjoyed the Children’s Museum in downtown Green Bay.

Spring sports began April 15 with golf, soccer, track and girls softball. The coaches are Brian Holt, Mike Clark, John Markowski and Sniller Grigno. Track is shared with MIMS personnel.

The eighth grade participated in a career fair at Clintonville on Wednesday. Counselor Ferial Deer Skye and Ged Wood, eighth-grade homeroom adviser, prepared the students for the experience.

Measures of Academic Progress testing will happen during the week of May 5-8.

The middle school JA class will visit Finance Park in Milwaukee on May 14.

Keshena Primary School

The students have been very busy at Keshena Primary. On April 11, Rich Ford had a talent show for the fourth- and fifth-grade classes, and the students were awesome. The first-place group in fourth grade was The Ladies, composed of students Alexis Wilber, Raven Soto, Aliza King, Piper Stoehr, Beverly Peters and Mahkanit Sanapaw. First place in fifth grade went to Dream Team, which included students Jaylyn Martin, Tristin James, Shyale Neaut, Josephine James and Taraya Soulier. The students entertained us by doing a routine of their favorite songs.

We just finished with Parent-Teacher Conferences and had a great turnout. Thanks to all the parents and family members who came.

We also had a book fair. There were a lot of great books to choose from. Students have been working hard on a new program we started this year called Fast Forward. It is a reading program that will help improve our reading skills.

On Friday, we are going to have Hawaiian Day, where students and staff will wear their favorite Hawaiian apparel and learn some Hawaiian traditions.

Starting this week, the whole school will be doing something special every day that begins with the featured letter of the alphabet. Tuesday was Animal Day. Every student was able to bring a stuffed animal to school. We will continue to do a letter until the last day of school.

We have many more exciting things coming up. We will have the end-of-the-year pow-wow and a day at Bay Beach, which the whole school will participate in. Our music department will do an ABC countdown until the end of the school year.

Gresham School

On Saturday, the Gresham Lady Lions put together their annual Easter carnival for children. It was very successful, and everyone who participated in the games had a lot of fun.

Wittenberg-Birnamwood School

A Herb Kohl Educational Foundation 2014 Excellence Scholarship was presented to Erin Wick, student at Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School, at a recognition luncheon hosted by former U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl on April 6.

The Herb Kohl Excellence Scholarship recognizes students who have demonstrated academic potential, outstanding leadership, citizenship, community service, integrity and other special talents.

Each year the Herb Kohl Foundation awards 100 students throughout Wisconsin with $1,000 Excellence Scholarships. Since it was established in 1990, the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation has awarded $8.6 million to Wisconsin students, teachers and schools.

Erin is the daughter of Kevin and Sue Wick, of Bowler.

Fifteen seniors will perform as Shawano Community High School students for the final time at “The Last Dance” May 9-10 at the school.

The 22nd annual program features the school’s acclaimed jazz band and the Showstoppers show choir. About 50 students will perform in the two shows, which give the seniors an opportunity to conclude their high school music careers with a bang.

“The biggest thing we try to do is bring a variety of music into the shows every year,” SCHS choir teacher Jonathan Kent said.

This year’s show will feature music ranging from Frank Sinatra to the contemporary pop of Taylor Swift, from legend Billy Joel to the most recent Grammy sensation, Idina Menzel; from Glenn Miller to Guns and Roses.

Kent said the Showstopper seniors selected their own solos for “The Last Dance” and began working on them two months ago.

“We have the hottest song on the planet,” Kent said. “From the movie ‘Frozen,’ there is a song called ‘Let It Go’ the girls are going to do, and they are also doing a Taylor Swift tune.”

Kent added the boys will perform songs from Sha Na Na.

Senior Will Johnston, who is a member of the jazz band and Showstoppers, has been a part of “The Last Dance” since he was a freshman. He will sing Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” along with songs by Canadian vocalist and songwriter Michael Buble.

Johnston, who plays tenor saxophone, said he has grown accustomed to being in the spotlight over the last few years. The band’s entire saxophone section graduated following his sophomore year, forcing him to shoulder more responsibility within the band and Showstoppers.

For senior Caitlin Raether, however, being a soloist is a relatively new experience; one that initially made her a little anxious.

“It was learning to solo and actually getting up there because I never sung by myself before and trying to memorize all of the notes were nerve-wracking,” Raether said.

Other featured performers will include Megan Beck, alto sax; Maris Braun, trombone; and Lindsey Schreiner, alto sax. They are members of the jazz band that this year added another jewel to its illustrious history, winning its sixth consecutive championship at the Rolling Meadows, Ill., jazz festival.

The students are confident the audience will be impressed and perhaps surprised by the quality of the performances.

“This is the best opportunity you have to see the best of the best of the high school because everyone needs to try out and be in these programs,” Raether said. “We are the best the school has to offer.”

“It is just wonderful entertainment. … It is a night of music, and all of the instrumentalists and musicians are amazing,” said Johnston, who added “the desserts we have there are delicious.”

Still, despite the celebratory atmosphere surrounding the show, it also tends to be somewhat bittersweet.

“It’s the last time the seniors are going to perform here,” Kent said.

Students from Shawano’s Sacred Heart Catholic School not only witnessed one of nature’s miracles during the sturgeon run at Sturgeon Park on Tuesday, but also utilized it as a learning experience.

The first- through third-grade students made the annual trip alongside two teachers from the school.

“We try to bring the kids every year that we can so they can experience looking at the sturgeon and get a chance to show off nature’s progress,” said Paul Kundinger, a second-grade teacher who has been with the school for 18 years.

As the students pointed at the fins of the large fish during a sunny day, the ancient sturgeon piqued their curiosity and sparked questions.

“They have learned the sturgeon are a very important part of our nature’s ecosystem and to respect nature,” Kundinger said. “With the trails and stuff, they like to read the boards and read the history of the sturgeon.”

Sturgeon Park has several exhibits sharing facts about the prehistoric fish.

Kundinger’s colleague, Elizabeth Sanders, is in her second year of teaching first grade at the school. She made her first trip to the park last year. Many of her students were seeing the fish for the first time Tuesday.

“They can get excited when they come for the first time and experience it,” Sanders said.

Sanders agreed with Kundinger regarding the educational value the sturgeon provide within their classroom.

“It pulls together with our science units, and seeing how they come up and come back down,” Sanders said. “It is fun for the kids to watch.”

Kundinger educated her students prior to arriving at the park about the history and unique aspects of the fish, which generated more enthusiasm from the second-graders.

“I think they enjoy looking at how big the fish are. They are prehistoric animals so they like them,” Kundinger said.

Kundinger still recalls her first time seeing the fish as a teacher 18 years ago.

“It was amazing,” she said. “I had never seen a sturgeon before. They are beautiful creatures.”

Olga Brener Intermediate School

Lynn Trochil, a fourth-grade teacher at Olga Brener, implemented the use of TenMarks in her classroom. TenMarks is a virtual teacher’s aid based on the Common Core State Standards, making the CCSS both accessible and engaging while improving student success.

Her students participated in a six-week math competition called Math Madness. The students answered a total of 76,983 questions in those six weeks, along with 12,000 other classes. Her students did great and ended up in 15th place! Way to go!

Fourth-grade students in Karen Braun’s class are studying early Wisconsin logging. To wrap up the unit, she held a lumberjack breakfast for her students and their families. They feasted on pancakes, sausage and pastries. A representative of TimberPro talked to the students about the logging industry.

Shawano Community Middle School

Shawano Community Middle School will be giving the cyber bullying presentation one last time for this school year. Many people who were not able to attend have been asking, so please mark your calendars for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 20. We will again be presenting in the middle school LGI. Plan on about an hour.

St. James Lutheran School

Last week teacher Tamara Frappy and Principal Susan Longmire attended a two-day training to become ALICE instructors. All of the schools in Shawano have committed to training our students and staff in ALICE, which is a new way for our students and staff to respond to an intruder alert. In the past, we have trained to go into lockdown and hide. Through ALICE, our students and staff will be empowered to do whatever it takes to survive. Some of the choices may include barricading, swarming, distracting, running—anything that is necessary get away from “the bad guy.” We are convinced that this is the best way for us to train our students. This is not just a plan for at school but a life skill for our children to learn if they find themselves in a dangerous situation. It teaches our children to be more aware of their surroundings and think ahead. We are looking forward to implementing this plan beginning with the 2014-15 school year.

Sacred Heart Catholic School

Monday was School Spirit Day at Sacred Heart Catholic School. The students showed their spirit by wearing the school colors red and white, or wearing their favorite school spirit shirt.

We’d like to thank our parent volunteer, Michelle Bunker, for filling in for our librarian, Sue Dietz, last week. We appreciate all the parents who regularly volunteer at our school, whether it is as chaperons, helpers in the classrooms or working one-on-one with students. Our volunteers are always appreciated.

May is National Bike Month, and Sacred Heart students, along with other schools in the community, celebrated by riding their bikes to school on Wednesday. Biking is a fun way to increase physical activity, help the environment and spend time with friends.

We continue to enjoy our swim classes at the Recreation Center. The classes have had their first two lessons and are looking forward to the remaining lessons. Don’t forget to also use the center during its free swim time to improve on what you have been taught during your lessons.

On April 29, the fourth- and fifth-grade students went to visit Heritage Hill. They enjoyed the great variety of interesting activities at each stop. They were involved in a historic school lesson, farm chores, seeing a print shop and many other activities. It was a busy and fun learning day.

Camp Tekakwitha was great fun for the entire school last week. We were blessed with only light sprinkles, so all students could enjoy the outdoor activities that were planned for each class. The older classes enjoyed exploring the water life in the pond and channel, while the younger students enjoyed their treasure hunt. We all enjoyed reflecting on the goodness of the Lord in the chapel both at the beginning of our stay and at the end of our stay.

Bonduel Elementary School

Bonduel Elementary first-graders will perform the mini-musical, “The Wizard of Oz,” at 1:30 p.m. May 16 at Bonduel High School. They have been practicing their songs and parts since the beginning of March and are very excited to show off their hard work. The children also make individual digital pictures of themselves in costume. The pictures are shown when the students are introduced at the show’s conclusion. 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.

Gresham Community School

Gresham Community School was recently recognized for our excellent WKCE testing. We placed second out of nine schools for math and reading. Our elementary school celebrated its fantastic results and went on an incentive trip to Shawano Cinema to see “Rio 2” and to play at the recreation center in Shawano.

Our junior and senior high students had their spring choir concert March 29. Our middle school students went to a career fair and visited a farm through their agricultural class last week. On Thursday, our elementary school had Grandparents Day, with more than 100 grandparents in attendance.

We are also celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week. Monday was wear your teacher’s favorite color. Tuesday was bring in a treat. Wednesday was flower power. Thursday is notes of appreciation. Friday is fantastic Friday with wear your Gresham colors. The support staff and POPS put on a lunch for the staff on Wednesday, and the School Board put on a lunch on Friday.

Friday is a half-day with a teacher in-service in the afternoon.

Bowler School District

Students in Patrick Curran’s social studies classes recently participated in the AmVets Americanism and drug/alcohol awareness essay contests. AmVets is an area veterans organization. The organization offers schools and youth organizations a resource for teaching children in kindergarten through 12th grade about their American heritage, civics and citizenship. The program includes drawing, poster and essay contests that are grade specific and age appropriate. The AmVets and AmVets Ladies Auxiliary sponsor a series of contests at the local and state level wherein children design flags or posters and write essays. The winners at the local level advance to the state contests; state winners are entered into the national competition.

Local first-place winners earned $100, second-place finishers earned $75, and third-place winners earned $50. Participants who did not place earned a gift card from Walmart for their efforts. In total, over $2,000 was awarded to students. Thank you, all of our veterans, for your service to our nation. Congratulations to all who participated.

The winners were Blade Cameron, first place, 12th-grade Americanism contest; Cody Jacobi, third place, 12th-grade drug and alcohol awareness contest winner; Liana Martz, first place, 11th-grade Americanism contest; Drew Payne, second place, 11th-grade Americanism contest; Kanum Vele, third place, 11th-grade Americanism contest; Lily Miller, first place, 11th-grade drug and alcohol awareness contest; Stevie Tousey, second place, 11th-grade drug and alcohol awareness contest; Trae Opper, third place, 11th-grade drug and alcohol awareness contest; Shayna Kitson, first place, 10th-grade Americanism contest; Lauren Putnam, second place, 10th-grade Americanism contest; Lyndsey Agar, third place, 10th-grade Americanism contest; Michelle Krueger, first place, 10th-grade drug and alcohol awareness contest; Chemon Rudesill, second place, 10th-grade drug and alcohol awareness contest; Brooke Breitrich, first place, ninth-grade Americanism contest; David Stemler and Erica Wolf, third place (tie), ninth-grade Americanism contest; Lily Miller, first place, ninth-grade drug and alcohol awareness contest; Stevie Tousey, second place, ninth-grade drug and alcohol awareness contest; Trae Opper, third place, ninth-grade drug and alcohol awareness contest; Shilo Kriefall, first place, eighth-grade Americanism contest; Isaiah Hynes, second place, eighth-grade Americanism contest; Mathew Olson, third place, eighth-grade Americanism contest; Dakota Malone, first place, eighth-grade drug and alcohol awareness contest; Claista Miller, second place, eighth-grade drug and alcohol awareness contest; Eddie Dispensa, first place, seventh-grade Americanism contest; Jazmyne Brown, second place, seventh-grade Americanism contest; Criztal Martinez, third place, seventh-grade Americanism contest; Jada Waters, first place, seventh-grade drug and alcohol awareness contest; Jazmyne Brown, second place, seventh-grade drug and alcohol awareness contest; Eddie Dispensa, third place, seventh-grade drug and alcohol awareness contest; and Isaac Curran, third place, first-grade Americanism contest.

Clintonville High School

Sophomore Jessie Barker was honored at the Central Wisconsin Mathematics League banquet Monday for her third-place finish in the algebra category for school size 2. CHS math students compete at the contest at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point three times per academic year. The CHS math team is advised by teacher Kevin W. Reese and included 24 participants this year.