By Hannah Bensen, Editor in Chief
Like many other West Bend dads, Erik Olson took some pictures, socialized with other parents, and then walked his two youngest kids to school for their first day. Then, he went to work as the new superintendent of the West Bend School District. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
By Anthony Schlass, Current Staff
The WBHS orchestra is teaming up with the Well Pennies to put on a concert Friday in the West Bend Silver Lining Arts Center.
The Well Pennies are a husband and wife folk pop group based out of Boston, Massachusetts. The acclaimed group consists of four members from all over the United States, from the Seattle area all the way to the East Coast. Continue reading
Filed under Entertainment, School News and Features
By Hannah Bensen, Current Staff
According to WBHS tradition, this time of year means milk cartons being dropped 50 feet from the roof of the auditorium.
This tradition was a project done for physics class. Students were required to construct a protective system in a milk carton that would keep an egg, which was placed inside, from breaking. They could use whatever materials they wanted, but many students opted to use packaging materials, such as Styrofoam peanuts. Other students got more creative, using jell-o, shampoo, or even tomato sauce.
But now, for the first time in over 30 years, the egg drop has been canceled. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
What’s the origin and meaning of the new sculpture?
By Hannah Bensen, Current Staff
When a new 20-foot tall sculpture appeared outside of the West Bend High Schools auditorium last spring, students were left wondering how the creation got there and what it meant. Continue reading
Filed under Community, Entertainment, School News and Features
Galileo replaces Gains and EOCA assessments
By Lauren Sorensen, Editor in Chief
This year students found themselves on a computer as they began the process of assessing their skills at the beginning of a new school year.
The new testing format is called Galileo, and it is done on a computer. At the high schools, Galileo replaced last year’s Gains and End-of-Course Assessment (EOCA) tests to measure pre, mid, and post skill level. Galileo is also being used at the elementary and middle schools. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Assistant principals Dave Uelmen (right) and Ralph Schlass work together in the main office on Wednesday morning.
By Shelbie Proudfoot, Current Staff
Assistant principal Dave Uelmen is no longer leaving the West Bend School District. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Local parents explain their decision to pull their children from testing
By Lauren Sorensen, Current Staff
Reflecting a national trend of parents opting students out of standardized testing, some West Bend parents followed suit during the recent Badger and Aspire tests given in the West Bend School District. Continue reading
Filed under Community, School News and Features
By Beth Williams, Current Staff
If you were to go looking for the East 2014 graduation mural, all you would find is a blank white wall.
This past summer, the recently created mural was painted over. The mural, which was located in the K hallway on the east side of the school, was hand-painted by graduating seniors in accordance with a longtime school tradition. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
The rumor mill was in full force following last week’s student-led protest march. The Current staff writers Kara Conley, Miranda Paikowski, and Mike Smale separate fact from fiction.
Rumor: The march was a success, as it led to the school returning to seniors the right to create a wall mural and attend the Every 15 Minutes program in spring.
Fact: The riot did not result in these decisions. The official decision to once again make both juniors and seniors the attending classes for the Every 15 Minutes program was made prior to the hall pass uproar. “I had been thinking of changing the participating grades from juniors and seniors to juniors and sophomores. This was simply a proposal, and I was already leaning towards keeping it the way it has been,” said Ralph Schlass, assistant principal, in an interview with Miranda Paikowski. According to Schlass, he had decided a few days before the riot to have seniors participate once again. This announcement, although made on Thursday, was not related to the march whatsoever. Continue reading
Filed under Community, School News and Features
The West Bend twin high schools will not merge
By Alyssa Birkeland, Current Staff
On Monday, the school board unanimously voted to have East and West remain as two separate schools. Continue reading
Filed under Community, School News and Features
More than 75 people attended the first listening session about combining the high schools
By Miranda Paikowski, Current Staff
For Kelly Luce, merging East and West will damage West Bend’s character.
“Why would we want to take what is unique, what is special, away?,” asked Luce, a community member, while attending a forum on the proposed plan to combine the twin high schools.
Superintendent Ted Neitzke led a discussion at Silverbrook Intermediate School Tuesday night, during which a number of community members voiced their opinions on the merger. He began by stating the main purpose for the session. “This is an opportunity for the school board to look for what is needed to improve,” Neitzke said. Continue reading
Filed under Community, School News and Features
A few weeks ago, I volunteered at Regner Park for the West Bend Public Schools Foundation Concert Series and throughout the evening, parents jokingly thanked me that the school year was starting. They’d joke that they couldn’t wait for the kids to get out of the house, how their grocery budgets would be reduced because no one would be around to eat all the snacks and my favorite was one parent who said, they came to the rock concert for some “peace and quiet.”
Back-to-school is my favorite season. Nervous, young, first-time parents entrusting the kindergarten teacher with the family’s precious five-year-old child. New and veteran teachers both excited and nervous to meet their new students. Freshmen, walking down the hallway as if they own the school, confident on the outside and scared to death on the inside. The excited fifth grader going to the new Silverbrook. Everyone has a different feeling on the first day of school and it is the most energetic day of the year. Continue reading
Filed under Viewpoint
Recent Adderall bust raises questions about school climate
By Miranda Paikowski, Current Staff
Sometimes it’s tough to look in the mirror. When students choose to make poor decisions, it serves as an opportunity for the school district to reflect on its own culpability.
According to Superintendent Ted Neitzke, over 12 students at the West Bend High Schools have been part of an investigation dealing with self-medicating with Adderall. Some of these students illegally took the drug because they had heard about it from an older sibling, or had knowledge that one of their friends had access to Adderall. Many students who were involved, however, chose to engage in the activity as a way to deal with stress or to acquire an academic gain. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features, Viewpoint
State lawmakers deserve praise for allowing advanced middle schoolers to earn high school credit
By Alyssa Birkeland, Current Staff
We are taught from a young age to do our best in school and try to excel above the crowd. This is hard for some, but it comes naturally for others. It would seem to be common sense that those who are ahead of the pace get an equitable reward for their efforts or talents.
That reward was finally recognized by the state legislature last month. Governor Scott Walker signed a bill March 14 at Badger Middle School that grants seventh and eighth graders high school credit for high school courses that they take. The signing was attended by lawmakers, the school board, teachers, and about 40 students that will benefit from this.
Since numerous middle school students already take such classes, this new law serves a valuable purpose. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features, Viewpoint
New TV commercial will feature many district students
By Beth Williams, Current Staff
As this year’s NFL season draws to a close, the most anticipated game, the Super Bowl, is still coming up. Even people who do not like football will still gather around their televisions to watch the big game. Why do they do this? For one reason only: the commercials.
This year, the West Bend School District is creating its own commercials that will air during the district’s open enrollment period, which runs between January 3 and April 30. By the time this project is finished, over 100 students district-wide will have participated in the filming of the commercial. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
Each morning, 7,000 students go to one of the 12 public schools in the West Bend School District. Once inside, they begin their learning day and are supported by the most dedicated and hardworking staff around. This year, teachers in West Bend and around the state are working harder than ever to meet the new expectations of education. Our teachers and staff are answering the call and are delivering the highest levels of instruction for your children and grandchildren. Continue reading
Filed under Viewpoint
By Mike Smale, Current Staff
In November, the days get shorter, but in West Bend, the beards get longer. “No-Shave November” is happening.
At the high school level, there seems to be little reason behind letting beards grow besides just for fun. However, No-Shave November has a merit. The idea, set forth by the American Cancer Society, is to have folks let their hair grow in order to raise awareness for prostate cancer. The participants embrace their hair, something that cancer patients can lose. Then the money not spent on shaving or grooming, or money raised by general donations, is donated to the Cancer Society for awareness and research purposes. Continue reading
Filed under School News and Features
The West Bend Current 