Survey results may lead to changes in required health class
By Elise Marlett, Current Staff
More than half of the high school students in Washington County have struggled with their mental health. Continue reading
Many Students Struggle with Mental Health
Filed under School News and Features
Breaking the News: Why the Shakeup at the Local Paper Matters
VIEWPOINT
By Samantha Dietel, Editor in Chief
After what happened at the Daily News, I am concerned for the future of local journalism in West Bend. Continue reading
WBHS Athletic Directors are Pioneers
By Samantha Dietel, Editor in Chief
The West Bend High Schools are home to two of Wisconsin’s few female athletic directors.
Erin Felber and Molly Hengst have both recently joined WBHS to head the athletic programs. Felber took on the role of West athletic director at the start of the school year, while Hengst began serving as East High’s interim athletic director in December. The two women have entered positions that are typically held by men in Wisconsin. Continue reading
Filed under Sports
East Dance Program Recognized with National Award
Team also heads to state this weekend
By Kael Beltmann, Current Staff
When the West Bend East High School dance team found out they had won a national award, they had no idea they were even in the running. Continue reading
County Health Officer ‘Floored’ by High Vaping Percentage Among Students
WBHS will use education and law enforcement to combat vaping increase
By Elise Marlett, Current Staff
Many teens at the West Bend High Schools appear to be part of what the Food and Drug Administration describes as a nationwide epidemic. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
‘Roswell, New Mexico’ Hits a Wall
Sci-fi show wastes its potential for political allegory
The CW’s “Roswell, New Mexico” is another attempt to keep the “The Vampire Diaries” magic going. Now that that’s out of the way, we can talk about the series’ political message. Continue reading
Filed under Entertainment, Viewpoint
Taking a Different Approach
Social studies teacher uses a “flipped classroom”
By Alissa Ihlenfeld, Current Staff
There are few traditional things about Dave Talma’s classroom. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
‘Did You Hear Anything?’: Shutdown Keeps Area Family in Limbo
By Samantha Dietel, Editor in Chief
The ongoing U.S. government shutdown has led a woman with local ties to worry about her husband’s travel visa application. Continue reading
Filed under Community
Music Department Surprised by Budget Changes
Officials say teachers should continue their programs as planned
By Samantha Dietel, Editor in Chief
By the time orchestra director Seth Matuszak learned what his budget was for the year, it was nearly spent. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
No Changes Planned for WBHS Cell Phone Policy
All students will eventually have a Chromebook
By Justin Scherzer, Current Staff
Area schools are implementing cell phone bans, but the West Bend High Schools will not follow suit. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Revising the Social Studies Advanced Placement Courses
By Megan Landvatter, Current Staff
Changes in Advanced Placement structure have shaken up a few classrooms at the West Bend High Schools. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
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
