By Megan Landvatter, Current Staff
Changes in Advanced Placement structure have shaken up a few classrooms at the West Bend High Schools. Continue reading
Holiday Community Blood Drive 2018
PHOTO ESSAY
The West Bend High Schools Student Council hosted a community blood drive today in the south gym by partnering with the Blood Center of Wisconsin. Many students, staff and members of the public donated their time and blood.
Filed under School News and Features
Spanish Club Sets Up Shop
Bracelets and purses made by Central American artists are for sale
By Ellie Scott, Current Staff
The West Bend High Schools Spanish Club is helping color the world, one pulsera at a time. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Dangerous Behavior Correlates With Transition to Junior Year
By Elise Marlett, Current Staff
It has been determined that sophomores and juniors take more risks than students in other grade levels.
According to the results of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey administered in April to Washington County students, there are aspects about the transition between sophomore and junior year that increase the likelihood that students will engage in dangerous activities. Several students at the West Bend High Schools have thoughts on why this is a trend in the data. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Catching Up With Zappia
By Caitlin Marsch, Current Staff
Over the years, many West Bend High Schools students and teachers alike have learned in Tony Zappia’s classroom. Now, a new generation of students in Madison are experiencing his teachings.
After teaching history, government, War and Peace, and global studies courses at West Bend West High School for 20 years, Tony Zappia moved to Madison, Wisc., and has been teaching at Madison West High School for the past 16 months. The Current caught up with him to have a discussion about his new experiences living and teaching in Madison. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
East Library Flags Wave Goodbye
WBHS flagged for fire code violation
By Rachel Gergetz, Current Staff
As soon as he stepped into the library, John Skidmore knew something was different. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Caring for Members of the High School Family
New campus pantry provides free food and clothing
By Ellie Scott, Current Staff
The West Bend High Schools have some new sets of helping hands. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Incentive Program Has a Bumpy Start
By Chloe Kreis, Current Staff
For a program called 5-Star, students at the West Bend High Schools would rate it much lower. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Most West Bend Students Opted Out of Behavior Survey
By Elise Marlett, Current Staff
The West Bend High Schools now have data about unsafe student behaviors, but only from 11% of the student body. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Keeping the Beat for the Packers and the Bucks
By Lily Mottet, Current Staff
Thomas Agre never thought he would cheer on the Milwaukee Bucks and Green Bay Packers from the band section of nearly every game. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Old Roots, New Beginnings
By Abby Gawrych, Current Staff
For choir teacher Tess Tranel, the West Bend theater stage is both a fresh and familiar experience. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
A Path for Political Discussions in the Classroom at West Bend
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
According to definitions in “The Political Classroom,” West Bend is a politically diverse community [1] (Hess, Mcavoy, 2014). What that means is there are different points of view of sufficient magnitude from the community and parents to detect political bias in schools and the political power to stop it. As you can imagine, “Like minded schools” had no trouble implementing politics in the classroom as only one point of view was allowed, and parents who do see bias do not have the political power to allow different points of view. So, the nice thing with being in a politically diverse community is multiple points of view are available, the challenging part is dealing with political bias. Continue reading
Filed under Community, School News and Features, Viewpoint
WBHS Presents First Children’s Play in 11 Years
By Rachel Gergetz, Current Staff
The upcoming play “Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook” is a novelty for the West Bend High Schools. Continue reading
Filed under Entertainment, School News and Features
Prizewinner Crashes Into Irony
By Ashley Jankowski, Current Staff
Sometimes even a raffle prize can contain the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
Last week Paige Devenport was the announced winner of a parking pass for November, thanks to the Compass program at the West Bend High Schools. Unfortunately, her car was wrecked the previous day, which meant she couldn’t use the free parking pass. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Student Club Wants Martin Luther King Jr. Day Recognized
By Samantha Dietel, Editor in Chief
For Jhalia Evans, acknowledging Martin Luther King Jr. Day would mean that she matters. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
School Is the Perfect Setting for Political Discussions
VIEWPOINT
By Caitlin Marsch, Current Staff
“As long as there weren’t any politics involved, I support you. Politics don’t belong in school.”
These were the words my father said to me after I participated in the National School Walkout last year, and, like many concerned parents, he was averse to political ideologies being exposed to young minds in a school setting. Continue reading
Filed under Viewpoint
The Purr-fect Crime
By Kael Beltmann, Current Staff
There’s a reason why Jack Steele’s backpack has smelled like burned toast for the last three weeks. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Swillinger Composition Will Premiere at MYSO’s Spring Concert
By Caitlin Marsch, Current Staff
For one local student, being involved in band doesn’t just mean performing pieces. It also means creating them.
John Swillinger, a senior at West Bend East High School, has been chosen to be a fellow for the John Downey Creation Project, where he will work alongside music professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to compose a piece for the prestigious Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. His composition will receive its world premiere in April at the group’s spring concert. He has participated in the ensemble for two years. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
‘They Took My Plane Ticket’: French Exchange Students Surprised by Security Checks
By Samantha Dietel, Editor in Chief
Entering the United States was quite stressful for French student Noémie Bontron. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
MFF Reviews: “High Fantasy” and “My Name is Myeisha” Will Challenge Teen Viewers
Milwaukee Film Festival has new program just for young adults
By Grace Peplinski, Current Staff
There are not many things teenagers enjoy more than sitting down in front of the television and watching a movie.
Those who run the Milwaukee Film Festival surely know that, so this year, to mark the festival’s 10th anniversary, they have decided to add a brand new category. This category, called Teen Screen, focuses on movies for young adults around the world. I watched two of the four films featured in this category, one called “High Fantasy” and the other “My Name is Myeisha.” Continue reading
Filed under Entertainment
Welcome to the Dollhouse
WBHS graduate designed the artwork for this year’s Milwaukee Film Festival
By Samantha Dietel, Editor in Chief
For Melissa Johnson, working with the Milwaukee Film Festival meant designing a dollhouse. Continue reading
Filed under Community, Entertainment
Hallway Abuses Have Really Gotta Go
How often do students use bathroom passes to skip class?
By Samantha Dietel, Editor in Chief
Fewer students have been vanishing from Seth Matuszak’s classroom.
Both students and staff at the West Bend High Schools believe that the abuse of bathroom privileges during class time has been an issue in recent years, but some claim to have seen improvement so far this year. In the past, students have misused bathroom passes to skip large portions of class. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Why Wasn’t 9/11 Memorialized This Year?
By Elise Marlett and Lauren Oppermann, Current Staff
September 11, 2018 seemed just like any other day for students at West Bend High Schools.
Many students and teachers were surprised when 9/11 was not given a schoolwide memorial last Tuesday. In previous years, an announcement was read over the PA system or articles retelling the devastating story were handed out to students. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Professor Plum with the Candlestick
PHOTO ESSAY
Last week students in Principles of Biomedical Science investigated a mock crime scene erected in the gallery of the Silver Lining Arts Center. To uncover the cause and manner of the death of the fictitious Anna Garcia, students documented clues from her apartment and enlisted the help of West Bend Police Department officers. “I like it a lot because it’s very hands-on,” West sophomore Quynh Dang said. “You basically get a taste of what a crime scene investigator might do, so it’s very interesting and I definitely enjoy it.”
Filed under School News and Features
Museum Brings Artifacts to World History Students
By Samantha Dietel, Editor in Chief
A visit from the Milwaukee Public Museum allowed some students at the West Bend High Schools to temporarily become archaeologists. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
West Bend Welcomes Don Kirkegaard
WBSD has new superintendent after seven months without a top administrator
By Samantha Dietel, Editor in Chief
Don Kirkegaard now fills a position that has been vacant in the West Bend School District since December.
Kirkegaard officially became the district superintendent July 9. His assumption of the role thus concluded the search initiated by the school board after Erik Olson, Kirkegaard’s predecessor, resigned. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Welcome to the 2018-19 School Year
By Samantha Dietel, Editor in Chief
Unique and valuable stories can be found in nearly every hallway of the West Bend High Schools. Will you take part in sharing them to keep the district community informed?
To those intrigued, the Current would like to offer an invitation to join our award-winning staff of student journalists. Consider serving as a reporter, columnist, photographer or entertainment reviewer. Please remember that it is our mission to consistently present fair and accurate information as we aim to establish a strong foundation in journalism.
For more details, see adviser Mr. Beltmann in room S95.
Filed under School News and Features
Game Review: This is the Police II
A cold case reopened
By Robert Pulford, Current Staff
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: “An upstanding cast of police officers find out that there’s someone in the force who’s corrupt, but as they dig deeper into the case, they find that the corruption goes a lot further up the chain than they bargained for.” Continue reading
Filed under Entertainment
The Student Becomes the Teacher
By Samantha Dietel, Editor in Chief
It’s all coming full circle for Danielle Schumacher.
Schumacher, an English teacher at West Bend West High School, has agreed to take on the Honors English II course for the upcoming school year beginning Sept. 4. She replaces Tiffany Gitter, who left for another district opportunity, and thus will now partner with East English teacher Eric Beltmann, who was her own teacher for the very same course over a decade ago. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
The World Needs Responsible Journalists
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Dear Readers,
When I joined the West Bend Current’s staff of student reporters in December, I was not fully aware of how significant my choice had been. I had thought only of utilizing my passion for writing to see what doors journalism might open for me.
However, I soon realized that I was learning much more than just the structure and mechanics of reporting. I became truly conscious of bias and began to understand why it is so important that I strive to keep my writing as balanced as possible—since, unfortunately, the world is swamped with partiality. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features, Viewpoint
West Bend Students and Staff Honor Fallen Classmate
By Jessica Steger, Editor in Chief
The memory of Christopher Dietel will be forever etched into the Silver Lining Arts Center.
The teachers and classmates of Christopher Dietel, a West Bend West High School sophomore who died by suicide last August, have raised funds to purchase a memorial seat in the auditorium. The plaque on seat L118 will read, “In Loving Memory of Christopher R. Dietel,” and will be installed Thursday. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Virtual Reality Helps Students Learn
Three class sets of VR goggles are available to teachers
By Grace Peplinski, Current Staff
Some students at West Bend High Schools have gotten a taste of reality, virtual reality that is.
The West Bend School District has been trying out different virtual reality, or VR, programs that will assist with students’ learning and understanding on a variety of different topics. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Video Announcements 6/1/18
(Video created by students in West Bend High Schools’ advanced video production class, under the supervision of Michael Bentdahl, East High technology teacher.)
Filed under School News and Features
Engineering? Try Men-gineering
By Rachel Gergetz, Current Staff
When Mattie Zautner enrolled in engineering, she decided to prove she belonged.
The significant ratio of girls to boys in technology fields is an issue that is present all over the country, and this evidently does not exclude the West Bend High Schools. There is a significantly smaller number of females than males enrolled in WBHS technology classes, with the exceptions of digital media and graphic communications. One notably divided class is engineering. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Sweatin’ to the Oldies
Proposed renovations will help control WBHS temperatures
By Jessica Steger, Editor in Chief
As summer draws nearer students seem to be sweating to get out of school, literally.
The West Bend High Schools air conditioning system needed repair during the week of April 30. Officials advised teachers to bring fans from home. The air conditioning was turned on May 23, but many students report that some classrooms remain too warm.
Filed under Community, School News and Features
