Heather Roesch joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Originally from Hazel Green, but Platteville has been my home for the past 10 years

High School: Southwestern High School

College: Undergraduate: Clarke University, Graduate School: Loras College, masters in School Counseling

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Winskill Elementary SEL Interventionist

Previous employment: Most recently I worked as a special education paraprofessional at Winskill Elementary and at Midwest Girl throughout the last two years of graduate school

What inspired you to become an educator? To make a difference and do something that I was passionate about. During 2020 I realized I wanted to do more to make a positive impact and made the decision to pursue my masters in School Counseling.

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? I worked as a special education paraprofessional when I was going to school and most recently had my School Counseling internship at Lancaster Middle School and Lancaster High School. I loved both experiences and the relationships I developed in the district.

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? I love spending time with my family, playing tennis, spending time outdoors, gardening and cooking/baking sourdough bread!

Krysthol Davis joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Lancaster, Wis.

High School: Lancaster High School

College: Northern Michigan University

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: English instructor

Previous employment: Krysthol Davis Photography

What inspired you to become an educator? I love teaching, and I love kids. I hope to be to my students what my own teachers were to me.

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? Lancaster is my hometown. I care deeply about my community and all of the people who live here.

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? I like to read, listen to music, and spend time outside with my family. I especially love fishing and being on the water. And, of course, photography!

Deanna Needham joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Fennimore, Wis.

High School: Iowa-Grant High School

College: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Fielding Graduate University and Viterbo University

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Second grade special education teacher

Previous employment: Special education teacher and Math interventionist/Title at Fennimore Community Schools

What inspired you to become an educator? I had a teacher who was amazing and could teach anyone anything! I’ve always wanted to be as amazing as she was. She always thought outside the box and building relationships was her strength. You always knew she cared!

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? When a position opened up and a handful of staff members reached out, I knew it was a sign to continue to get to do what I love! I’m very excited to get to be part of your district!

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? I love to spend time with my family, watch my kids do what they love, read, and learn new things.

Jordon Rolland joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Lancaster, Wis.

High School: Lancaster High School 

College: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Third grade special education co-teacher

Previous employment: Substitute teacher for Lancaster Community Schools

What inspired you to become an educator? My parents both taught in the school district for more than 30 years.

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? I grew up here and have always enjoyed it. I enjoyed my time subbing in the school district and thought it would be a great opportunity to have a more permanent position in the district.

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? Coach, golf and watch sports.

Rachele Breuer joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Cassville, Wis.

High School: Cassville High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Viterbo University

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Third grade special education co-teacher

Previous employment: First grade teacher at St. Clement School, Early Childhood Special Education and four-year-old kindergarten teacher at River Ridge, Early Childhood Special Education teacher at Platteville, Elementary Teacher of Students with Disabilities and Director of Student Services at Cassville.

What inspired you to become an educator? I was inspired to become an educator always knowing that education was my calling for service. I love finding strengths in each individual student and capitalizing on what he or she can do. Throughout my own education, I had wonderful teachers, mentors and leaders guiding the way.

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? I love co-teaching and the focus on inclusion for all students here in Lancaster. I’m looking forward to meeting all students and their families and being part of their team!

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? Outside of the classroom, I’m usually found hanging out with my family supporting Tyler, Meghyn and Sawyer. I enjoy reading and typically have two or three books going at once. I love swimming and being on the river. If a friend asks me to go thrifting or to coffee, it’s always a YES!

Madison Wagner joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Lancaster, Wis.

High School: Lancaster High School

College: Ashford University, Milwaukee School of Engineering

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Third grade math teacher

Previous employment: Kindergarten teacher, Prairie du Chien Area School District

What inspired you to become an educator? My inspiration came from a few different experiences. It started when I would assist our head coaches run camps in high school. I decided to tutor in four-year-old kindergarten my senior year of high school to see if it was something I wanted to pursue. Then, I went on to run camps for basketball in college and would still find my way back to Lancaster to help with camps at the high school. I also volunteered for an after school program in the Clinton, Iowa Community School District to support the school. I tutored a few students, played games and encouraged those students to attend our college basketball games. All of these experiences helped inspire me to become an educator because working with kids was something I really enjoyed!

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? It has always been my dream to teach third grade math after student teaching in this grade level. When I saw this position open, I had to apply immediately. I also have family and friends within the Lancaster community, so it made this decision a lot easier!

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? I like to play all sports, go to sporting events, work out, go boating, hiking, bike riding, shopping, travel, and enjoy time with friends and family.

Kaylee Hanke joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Blue River, Wis.

High School: Riverdale High School, Muscoda, Wis.

College: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (Bachelors and Masters)

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Speech and Language Pathologist 

Previous employment: Prairie du Chien Area School District

What inspired you to become an educator? My mixed interest in science, arts and learning! As well as my passion for working with kiddos!

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? School culture, community, and the prioritized professional development.

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? Be outside (kayak!), spend time with friends and family, and play board games.

Jalen Schmitz joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Livingston, Wis.

High School: Lancaster High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Lancaster High School agriculture/technical education teacher

Previous employment: N/A

What inspired you to become an educator? My passion for helping others, as well as my great interests in agriculture and technology.

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? The great community and family feel is what made me want to come back and teach in Lancaster.

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? I enjoy hunting, fishing, golfing, tractor pulls, and spending time with my family.

Doug Bradley joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Mount Hope, Wis.

High School: River Ridge High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville (Bachelors) and University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Winskill Elementary physical education and health teacher

Previous employment: Richland Center Primary School

What inspired you to become an educator? My former teachers, a desire to help others, and wanting a fun and rewarding job!

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? Lancaster is close to home, and the school district has an outstanding reputation for staff treatment.

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? Sports, fishing, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.

Carli Jerrett joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Lancaster, Wis.

High School: Lancaster High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Lancaster High School math teacher

Previous employment: Math tutor at UW-Platteville

What inspired you to become an educator? I loved helping others learn as a kid and knew from a young age I could be a teacher. I had some teachers that really made me who I am today and I want to be that teacher for my students. I also really enjoyed math and knew I wanted to teach high schoolers.

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? I graduated from Lancaster and know most of the teachers there. I had some great teachers who impacted me, and I am excited to be working alongside them.

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? I love to read and watch movies outside of school. I also enjoy going on walks with my dog, and spending time with my family and friends.

Jessica Lindholm joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Salem, Virginia 

High School: Salem High School

College: Hollins University, University of Phoenix 

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: First grade teacher

Previous employment: Third grade teacher at Greenwood Elementary School in North Carolina

What inspired you to become an educator? My fifth grade teacher, she was very caring and inspiring!

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? I had heard amazing things about the schools from many people and after reading more about them and meeting staff, I know it’s where I want to be!

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? I love to cook! Our family loves to hike too, take family rides in our Ranger, and walk our two mini-dachshunds.

Winskill Elementary School initiatives receive grant funding

Lancaster Community Schools recently announced Winskill Elementary School has received two grants from the Winskill School Scholastic Fund 2021 grant cycle of the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, Inc. to support literacy initiatives. Decoding Reading Success, submitted by Brenda Mezera, and Funding a New Chapter, submitted by Jim Addison, were the two literacy projects funded.

Decoding Reading Success will provide decodable books for Winskill’s kindergarten through second grade readers. The Winskill staff began a journey last year to research the “Science of Reading” and support its young readers with quality reading instruction. A major factor in this process is their development with a systematic phonics approach. Extra practice for fluency and automaticity will be supported by providing decodable readers for student practice. This project will also receive funds from Friends of Winskill, Winskill’s parent organization.  

Funding a New Chapter helps support a new initiative, Arrow Books, which began in the 2021-2022 school year to provide funding for classroom teachers to purchase new books for their classroom libraries. With the help of the Lancaster Community Fund, this grant will allow this initiative to grow. Adding books during the school year allows students to be a part of the process in new books that are added to their classroom. Upgrading, updating, and expanding classroom libraries is a costly and ongoing expense, so having this funding will give students and teachers a pathway to new books.

For more information about these programs, please contact Winskill Elementary School.

These grants are made available from the Lancaster Community Funds’ Winskill School Scholastic Endowment Fund. The Lancaster Community Fund is an arm of the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, which is a resource for area nonprofit organizations whose programs and services are working for the betterment of our communities.

For more information on how you can support your community through the Lancaster Community Fund, contact Dave Murphy at 608-758-0883, ext. 7010, e-mail Dave@cfsw.org, or visit their website at www.cfsw.org.

Lancaster Community Schools 'exceeds expectations,' per DPI report card

Winskill Elementary School 'significiantly exceeds expectations'

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) released its state report cards last week. The report cards are based on 2020-2021 school data.

Lancaster Community Schools earned an overall score of 76.2, a four-star rating classified as “exceeds expectations”.

Building scores

Report card scores by building were as follows:

(click school name to view report card)

Winskill Elementary: 84.9, five stars, significantly exceeds expectations

Lancaster Middle School: 82.7, four stars, exceeds expectations

Lancaster High School: 64.6, three stars, meets expectations

Scoring categories are: significantly exceeds expectations, five stars, 83-100; exceeds expectations, four stars, 70-82.9; meets expectations, three stars, 58-69.9; meets few expectations, two stars, 48-57.9; fails to meet expectations, one star, 0-47.9.

Misconceptions of Organic Farming 

Editor's note: 2020 Lancaster High School graduate Jeremiah Ihm was named the state winner of the 2021 Prepared Public Speaking Leadership Development Event at the Wisconsin State FFA Convention in July. His speech later earned a bronze rating at the National Prepared Public Speaking Leadership Development Event. Jeremiah received his American FFA Degree at the National FFA Convention last month. Less than percent of FFA members receive this Degree. Jeremiah's award-winning speech follows.

By Jeremiah Ihm 

Wisconsin | 2021

Have you ever heard someone say they don’t want to farm organically? Maybe they have  questioned if vaccines or antibiotics can be used with livestock implying that these animals will suffer. Have you heard someone say organic farmers do nothing with their crops because they  hear of lower crop yields or see more weeds? Well, my family has heard those same things while  going about our daily lives as organic farmers. 

My family runs a 700-acre, certified, organic dairy farm. We have 100 milking Holsteins  and 3,500 organic laying hens. We have been certified organic for 15 years. Today, I would like  to discuss some of the misconceptions of organic farming. 

First, it is important to understand what organic is and how it is defined. According to the  United States Department of Agriculture National Organic Program, or the USDA NOP,  “organic” is a term used to describe production practices that combine “cultural, biological, and  mechanical practices that help build up the soil and interrupt the cycling of plants, pests and  diseases”. “Certified organic” means we follow regulations, set by the USDA, which establishes  and enforces organic standards printed in the NOP handbook. As certified organic farmers, my  family is required to recertify annually to ensure compliance with the set rules and regulations. With this new knowledge I would like to begin discussing some misconceptions. 

The first misconception of organic farming is the use of vaccines. Often, it is assumed  that organic farmers cannot vaccinate their livestock. The truth is, we are actually encouraged to  vaccinate our animals. The purpose of vaccines is to build antibodies and immunity to prevent  the animal from getting sick. This is a management technique important on any farm to avoid  widespread disease. Some examples include Calf Guard for Rota - coronavirus scour protection and J-Vac for mastitis protection. Each farm determines its own vaccination schedule that  includes giving vaccines to young calves, heifers, and adult cows. 

Myth number two: organic animals suffer because of the lack of antibiotic use on sick  livestock. This, however, is not true. Organic farmers have access to many antibiotics that are  approved by the NOP. Antibiotics are a treatment that helps kill off any bacterial or viral  infections that may be inside the animal’s body. Types of antibiotics include synthetic or non synthetic. Non-synthetic antibiotics are made from plant roots, like garlic, and most are allowed  under the NOP regulations. Synthetic antibiotics, like penicillin and amoxicillin, are man-made  in a lab, and are not allowed by the NOP for organic use 

Antibiotics allowed under the NOP include different tinctures and homeopathies. A  tincture is an alcohol or glycerin-based extract from plants or minerals. Some examples include  garlic and CEG. A garlic tincture is a highly concentrated non-synthetic antibiotic of garlic root  and alcohol that helps to eliminate infections, like mastitis. One of the strongest tinctures, CEG,  consists of Cayenne, Echinacea, and Garlic. This also helps to kill off bacteria. 

Homeopathy is the second tool that organic farmers use for treatment. What makes this  so effective is the act of “likes treating likes.” This means that the treatment substance is the  same substance that causes the ailment. For example, Apis mel is a treatment that helps with  swelling; it is made of bee venom and bee antigen which cause swelling. 

Now, organic farmers are not supposed to use synthetic, or man-made, antibiotics to treat  their livestock. However, according to the Guidebook of Organic Certification, produced by the  Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, it is mandatory that no animal goes  neglected or untreated in order to preserve organic status. If any synthetic antibiotics or other  prohibited medications are needed to save an animal’s life, they must be given. If this is the case,  then that animal must be removed from the group and sold conventionally after the withholding  time, as they are no longer considered organic.

Myth number three: organic crop yields are 50% lower than conventional crop yields. According to Nature International Journal of Science, organic crops will yield, on average,  about 34% lower than conventional systems. A 2020 FINBIN report from the University of  Minnesota, shows the average conventional corn yield in the Midwest being 171 bushels per acre and the average organic corn yields being 131 bushels per acre, which is 23% lower. My family’s average corn yield in 2020 was 139 bushels per acre, which is only 19% lower.  

Now, you may be wondering, why are we satisfied with lower crop yields? Well, USDA  organic surveys report lower yields in organic production due to weed management challenges  and a lack of seed variety availability to organic farmers. However, this lower yield is balanced  with knowing that the true value of our organic crops is raising feed for livestock rather than selling as a cash crop. My family recognizes that our farm profitability is obtained primarily by  selling milk and not crops. We believe in the organic principles and understand that organic is a  niche market which allows us to stay smaller in size and still remain profitable. 

Myth number four: organic farmers do nothing with their crops. We, as organic farmers, have to break the cycling of weeds, pests, and diseases by different management methods instead  of using pesticides and herbicides. Some of these methods include increased soil health and  diverse crop rotations. 

Referring again to the Guidebook for Organic Certification, organic farming depends on  crop rotations that provide carbon, nitrogen, and other organic nutrients from the decomposition  of different plants to build soil health. A good, healthy soil has biodiversity meaning it has life  within it such as earthworms, insects, and other microorganisms that help break down the  organic matter for fertility. In addition, different root types and root depths help spread those  nutrients throughout the soil. The crop rotation on our farm is corn, winter wheat, and two years of alfalfa. We have a short rotation and never plant corn on corn, which helps decrease weeds  and pests. When growing corn, we do not plant until mid-May to be sure the soil temperature is  at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. That is the temperature at which a corn seed will immediately  germinate, and it is important that our organic corn seed beats the weeds out of the ground. Then,  over the next two weeks, we will harrow and cultivate two to three times to prevent weed  growth. 

Organic farming is a justifiable way of farming that I am proud to be a part of. Our  management practices are different but regulated by the USDA National Organic Program. Our  animals are well cared for and our crops are healthy. As an FFA member pursuing a degree in  agriculture education, it is now my job to take what I have learned in FFA and throughout my  daily life as an organic farmer and educate others about this viable option in production  agriculture. 

Reference List 

Behar, H., Langworthy, L., & Nelson, J. (2016) Guidebook for Organic Certification (7th ed.). MOSES. 

FINBIN. (2021). Farm Financial Management Database, center for Farm Financial Management.  http://finbin.umn.edu 

Introduction | Agricultural Marketing Service. (n.d.). USDA. Retrieved August 2, 2021, from  https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic/handbook/introduction Mohler, C. L., & Johnson, S. E. (2009). Crop Rotation on Organic Farms A Planning Manual.  NRAES. 

Organic Production | Alternative Farming Systems Information Center | NAL | USDA. (n.d.).  USDA. Retrieved August 2, 2021, from https://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/organic production 

Organic Regulations | Agricultural Marketing Service. (n.d.). USDA. Retrieved August 2, 2021,  from https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic 

Padgham, J. (Ed.). (2006). Organic Dairy Farming: A Resource for Farmers. Gays  Mills, WI: Orang-utan Press. 

Padgham, J. (2014, August 27). Organic Broadcaster. MOSES.  

https://mosesorganic.org/farming/farmingtopics/livestock/tinctures/#:%7E:text=The%20tincture%20Mark%20uses%20most,the%2 0cow’s%20system%E2%80%9D%20he%20said.

Seufert, V. (2012, April 25). Comparing the yields of organic and conventional agriculture.  Nature International Journal of Science.  

https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11069?error=cookies_not_supported&code=b587 9a1e-3cfb-4a56-9af3-0097063215f9

Makenna Gabel joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Buffalo City, Wis.

High School: Cochrane-Fountain City

College: Western Technical College

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Occupational Therapy assistant

Previous employment: MJ Care, Conley Construction

What inspired you to become an educator? My passion to learn and desire to make a positive impact.

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? I have always heard Lancaster was a beautiful area with a welcoming community, and after I met a couple co-workers over Zoom, I knew it was the place for me!

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? I enjoy golf, hiking, playing cards, and spending time with friends and family.

C.A.S.H. garbage bag sales are Nov. 3-4

C.A.S.H. garbage bags are coming! C.A.S.H. garbage bags are coming!

Garbage bags will be available to purchase on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 5-6:30 p.m.; and Thursday, Nov. 4, 4:30-6 p.m. at the Lancaster Middle School circle drive. Sales are open to the public and CASH students are encouraged to spread the word. All bags are heavy-duty and clear.

A 100-quantity box of 30-gallon bags (30” x 36”) is $27

A 90-quantity box of 40-gallon bags (33” x 45”) is $30

Please have payment ready as you arrive. Please make checks payable to Lancaster Middle School. If you plan to pay with cash, please have the exact amount.

When you arrive, please pull into circle drive and let an attendant know how many boxes of each size bags you would like. Attendants will load your vehicle and collect payment. Please remain in your vehicle.

Money raised will fund events and trips for C.A.S.H. students.

Thank you for your support!

Emily Powers joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: East Dubuque, Ill.

High School: East Dubuque High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Fifth grade special education co-teacher

Previous employment: Prior to joining Lancaster Community Schools, I worked in Darlington and Southwestern school districts during summer school, and also Timmerman’s Supper Club in East Dubuque.

What inspired you to become an educator? What inspired me most to become a teacher is knowing how much teachers make an impact on students for the rest of their lives. I have always wanted to be that person who helps students gain the confidence they need to succeed and thrive in life.

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? I was originally interested in Lancaster because I wanted to teach in a smaller town, but from the first time I walked into Winskill Elementary, everyone was so kind, positive and inviting. I learned quickly this is a great place to teach.

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? Outside of the classroom, I enjoy doing anything outdoors, especially camping, watching baseball, playing with my two cats, reading, and spending time with my family and friends.

Hannah Digman Fox joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Platteville, Wis.

High School: Platteville High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Middle School English teacher (7th and 8th grade)

Previous employment: Before coming to Lancaster, I was a teacher intern at the Southwestern School District in both the middle and high schools

What inspired you to become an educator? All of the fabulous educators in my life inspired me to become a teacher. And, of course, the daily opportunity to make a positive impact!

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? I spent a lot of time in Lancaster schools growing up, whether it was for sports, choir, FFA, etc., and I was always impressed by the positive environment and standard of excellence throughout the district. I am now proud to help uphold those standards and continue providing a positive environment for my own students.

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? Outside of school, I enjoy spending time outdoors with my husband, Austin, and our two dogs, Oliver and Ella. I can often be found burying my nose in a book or trying to keep my house plants alive. And, most importantly, I’m a self-proclaimed dessert connoisseur!

Brooke Marcue joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Lancaster, Wis.

High School: Lancaster High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Second grade teacher

Previous employment: I began my career in education as a babysitter. I took care of children within the Lancaster community for various families with children of differing ages. Throughout college I had other opportunities to help develop my teaching abilities. I completed my first field study placement in a seventh grade math classroom in Milwaukee. My second field study placement was teaching virtually in a sixth grade classroom in Janesville. I was hired as a paraprofessional at Winskill Elementary School in 2020. Finally, I began my student teaching at Winskill in a first grade classroom at the end of January 2021. During the summer months I work at Lancaster’s golf course. I returned to the course for myself seventh year this summer.

What inspired you to become an educator? For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to become a teacher. I can thank the inspiration of countless teachers and professors that have helped me succeed. However, one experience stands out. My senior year of high school I tutored in Emily Langkamp’s first grade classroom. It was inspiring watching her teach and work with the students. Having the opportunity to work with her and the students confirmed my dream of becoming an educator.

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? I believe in teamwork, growth, dedication and hard work. These are all attributes that the Lancaster Community Schools team possesses. Student teaching in the Lancaster school district has been one of the most impactful experiences in my career. This school district isn’t just a group of teachers and their students—it’s a family.

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? Outside of the classroom I enjoy playing golf, playing with my dog, and spending time with family and friends. I love being outside and finding ways to stay active.

Grant Reynolds joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Boscobel, Wis.

High School: Boscobel High School

College: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Middle School Math teacher

Previous employment: Boscobel Elementary School teacher

What inspired you to become an educator? My experiences coaching basketball and cross country in college inspired me to become an educator.

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? I have lived in Lancaster for the last five years and I have admired the sense of school pride in the community.

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? When I am not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my fiancé, Haley, as well as golfing and running.

Nicholas Horner joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Potosi, Wis.

High School: Potosi High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Math teacher (third grade)

Previous employment: Potosi Brewery Company (seven years)

What inspired you to become an educator? I wanted the chance to make a difference in someone’s life.

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? I was interested in joining Lancaster’s school district because of the small-town feeling.

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? My hobbies include listening to music, kayaking, and visiting with friends and family.

Kristin Rolland joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Lancaster, Wis.

High School: Lancaster High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Middle School Social Studies teacher

Previous employment: Social Studies teacher at Pecatonica High School

What inspired you to become an educator? Teachers were a huge influence in my life and gave me a love for learning, which I now want to pass onto my students.

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? Lancaster is my hometown and the schools provided me with an education that could take me anywhere, and I guess that “anywhere” is here.

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? Spend time with my family, traveling to historic places, watching sporting events (Go Arrows, Badgers, and Packers!), reading and watching movies (especially Marvel, Star Wars and Disney), and I am a huge Hamilton fan!

Lancaster Community Schools partners with Hudl

Lancaster Community Schools has partnered with Hudl to livestream Flying Arrow athletics. Lancaster football, volleyball, boys and girls basketball, and wrestling will be broadcast on the Lancaster Community Schools YouTube channel. Lancaster Middle School athletics held in the high school gymnasium will be livestreamed as well.

Have friends and family who need help finding the school district's YouTube channel? Point them in the direction of the YouTube button on the top of this webpage, as seen in the screenshot above.

Maria Bast joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Platteville, Wis.

High School: Platteville High School

College: Kirkwood Community College, University of Wisconsin-Platteville

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Kindergarten teacher

Previous employment: Intern kindergarten teacher at Highland Community Schools

What inspired you to become an educator? I am a fourth-generation educator, so I’ve grown up seeing how impactful—and rewarding—this field is. Children bring me so much joy, and I couldn’t dream of a career (for me) any better than this.

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? When I decided to become a teacher, I knew I wanted to teach in a smaller district. Here I could give back to a community that did a lot for me, and my education. When I walked in for my interview, everyone felt like family and the school already felt like home. I am so excited to be joining the Winskill team and and couldn’t be more thankful for this opportunity!

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? I love to hike, camp, kayak, be with my dog (fiancé too), bike, and anything else outdoors. I spend a lot of time at Pizzeria Unos, where I am the manager. I love to stay busy and be around other people.

Voters will elect three to Board in Spring Election

Voters will elect three people to the Lancaster Community Schools Board of Education in the 2021 Spring Election. Election day is Tuesday, April 6.

Nate Gallagher and Mindy E. Johnson will vie for an at-large seat. The at-large seat, which consists of the entire school district, has been held by Denise LaBudda since 2012.

Heidi Nelson and Michael Steffel will vie for a seat in Area 1. Area 1 consists of the City of Lancaster. Steffel has served on the Board of Education since 2015.

Bill Haskins will run unopposed in Area 2. Area 2 consists of Little Grant and North Lancaster townships. He has served on the Board of Education since 1997.

Five students selected for WSMA State Honors Project

Lancaster Middle/High School is represented by five students in the Wisconsin School Music Association’s State Honors Project.

Anna Murphy was chosen to sing soprano in the High School Treble Honors Mixed Choir and Rianna Straka was chosen to sing alto in the Honors Treble Choir. Both were part of a virtual choir performance that is scheduled to be published Thursday, Oct. 29.

Abigail Hartline was selected to play Eb, alto saxophone in the High School Honors Band. She was also part of a virtual performance that is scheduled to be published Thursday, Oct. 29.

Murphy and Straka, both juniors, and Hartline, a senior, are making their second consecutive appearances in the high school ensembles.

Brady Sperle and Ariana Hauck, both freshmen, auditioned virtually earlier this year and were selected to perform with the Middle-Level State Honors Choir. Both will take part in an at-home “couch concert,” in which students will perform live in their homes with the accompaniment online.

CASH program prepares annual trash bag sale

11/2/2020 Update: The online order form has been updated and now allows multiple orders. Orders made last week remain valid.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lancaster Community Schools administration, along with the CASH Parent Board, are not allowing door to door sales or delivery for our annual CASH trash bag sale.  However, we will be continuing to do the sale with this online order form. Please use one form for each sale. You can take orders for family and friends, or send them the link directly. Picking up the bags will be the responsibility of the purchaser. 

Sales will also be counted a little differently this year. Each box of trash bags sold will equal one student in grades 5-8 having their sales quota met. This means that if at any point we can do a SAFE event for CASH kids, all of the fees would be paid in full.

Using the online order form, you will find the two different trash bag sizes that we have always offered.  There will be a limit of five boxes per size per order at this time. We may have a second sale if need be.

Once the trash bags arrive, we will let everyone know via social media, radio, the school district website, and Lancaster Community Schools app. We will take measures in order to assure a safe delivery and pick up.  

Payment is due at time of pick up. We will accept cash or checks made out to CASH or LMS. Please have exact payments if using cash. 

Thank you for supporting our CASH program.

Lancaster FFA Chapter begins fall fundraiser

The Lancaster FFA Chapter is selling fruit boxes, in addition to nut, meat and cheese items for its fall fundraiser. To place an order, please contact a member of the Lancaster FFA Chapter, or submit an online order.

The sale will continue through Oct. 28. Please note that the fruit will be delivered to Lancaster High School during the week of Dec. 7. More information will be posted at a later date regarding scheduled pickup dates.

Online fruit sale orders may be placed with this link:

Thank you for your support of the Lancaster FFA Chapter. 

Lancaster Community Fund supports Winskill Elementary

Winskill Elementary School students are laying the groundwork of good fitness thanks to the Lancaster Community Fund.

Physical Education teacher Zach Chambers applied for and received a $1,716 grant late last year, which allowed for the purchase of 24 Jungle Gym systems from Foundational Fitness, Inc.

“Mineral Point has them in their high school. I had asked my former phy ed teacher where he had gotten them because I wanted to start implementing some flexibility and strength training that is adapted or simplified,” Chambers explained. “A lot of kids can’t do a pull-up. A lot of kids can’t do a push-up. By having an adaptive way for them to do it, it can help build strength without that visual worry, like, ‘I can’t do a push-up.’

“Well, on the Jungle Gym trainer, you can do a push-up. I often hear, ‘I can’t do a pull-up.’ Well, most kids can’t, but if you work on the trainer, then you can slowly work up to being able to do an actual pull-up. That was kind of my philosophy.”

Chambers shared his interest in the Jungle Gym systems was twofold.

“With our students with special needs, their strength is priority two to help them with their coordination and their balance,” he said. “By doing it this way, teaching them how to use this equipment, it helps them. It was two-sided. I wanted to help all students. This helps all students and not just an individual student.”

While his physical education colleague Sarah Williams has been awarded Lancaster Community Fund grants previously, this was Chambers’ first time submitting a grant proposal.

Was the grant writing process difficult?

“Not too much,” Chambers said. “You have to sell it. How is this going to support all students? You need to make sure that it does. Because if it just helps some of the students, in my opinion, it is not as justifiable.”

Students began using the Jungle Gym systems in February. The Jungle Gym attaches or removes from wall-mounted brackets in each gymnasium. The unstable environment challenges students to adapt and stabilize themselves.

“It is providing all students with some success. I keep going back to, there are a lot of kids that cannot do a push-up or cannot do a pull-up. But then they learn how to adapt to the system and adjust the system to where they need it, and now they are able to do pull ups,” Chambers said. “Now they are like, ‘Well, this is super easy!’ Well, then make it a little harder. Create different angles. Figure out how to make it more difficult. As we evolve in the process, we can show them the different adaptations. 

“There are hundreds of different things that they are going to be able to do. It is going to take time—it will probably take a couple years before we are at that point—but if we focus on our base strength now, we can evolve as we move on.”

Students utilized the Jungle Gym as part of their daily warm-up in February.

“It will be slightly different this year with COVID-19,” Chambers said. “I don’t want to have to over-clean them so they wear too fast, so it will be once a week or every six days we will use it for our strength and conditioning day. Then when we get into our flexibility units and strength units, we will use it again.”

The assistance of the Community Fund was invaluable, Chambers said.

“Without the help of the Community Fund, I wouldn’t have been able to do this,” he said. “We would have had to buy maybe two systems a year based on all the other needs in our budget.

“If we wouldn’t have had the Community Fund’s backing on this, it would have probably just been a pipe dream of the next 10 years to have the amount of systems and the amount of abilities we have. With their generosity we were able to provide 12 systems in each gym with all the bells and whistles, and the cards and the program. We can only move up from here now.”

Bendorf joins Lancaster Community Schools

Name: Rob Bendorf

Hometown: Lancaster, Wis.

High School: Boscobel High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Middle School special education teacher

Previous employment: Elementary special education teacher at School District of Shullsburg

What inspired you to become an educator? “I was inspired by my daughter, who was born with a rare condition. I found that I wanted to help students with special challenges achieve their goals!”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “I was born in Lancaster and I have family in the area. I wanted to join a district that cares and puts their students first.”

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “My wife and I love to cook, bake and make costumes for our three girls. We recently started making our own soap as well!”

Auditions for One Act Festival are Sept. 8-10

Lancaster High School will present a One Act Festival this fall, featuring "One Lane Bridge," "Twitch," and "Why Do We Laugh" by Stephen Gregg.

"This is how I can keep everyone the safest and still have theater in school," explained Director Torie Leslie.

Auditions will be held Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 3:30 p.m.; and Thursday, Sept. 10 at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Students are asked to pick one audition time and are to please bring a pen or pencil with them.

All three shows will be cast on Thursday, Sept. 10 following auditions. Roles will be given on Friday morning, Sept. 11 and and the first rehearsal will be Sunday evening, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. This is a mandatory meeting.

Students who are unavailable during audition times and who would still like to audition are asked to contact Ms. Leslie. All auditions must be completed by Sept. 10.

Regular season play practices are held Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Any student interested in serving on the crew is asked to sign up outside of Ms. Leslie's classroom door.

To read the descriptions of "One Lane Bridge," "Twitch," and "Why Do We Laugh?" please click here.

Rebecca Bailie joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Plover, Wis.

High School: Stevens Point Area Senior High (SPASH)

College: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, University of Wisconsin-Platteville

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: First grade teacher

Previous employment: Third grade teacher at Fennimore Elementary School, substitute teacher at Lancaster Community Schools

What inspired you to become an educator? “I had amazing elementary school teachers and they really inspired me to become a teacher. I can still remember what it was like to be in their classrooms, and I hope to leave a lasting impression on my students as well!”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “I had the opportunity to a long-term substitute teacher at Winskill and the welcoming environment is amazing. Everyone treats you like family, and I’m excited to be part of the team!”

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, watching my boys’ sporting events, and reading.”

Mari Schneider to teach LMS/LHS art

Hometown: Mineral Point, Wis.

High School: Mineral Point High School

College: University of Wisconsin-River Falls

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Middle/High School art teacher

Previous employment: Paraprofessional, Lancaster Community Schools

What inspired you to become an educator? “My students and the relationships developed through the schools. I wanted to do more.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “This is home. My husband graduated from Lancaster High School, our farm is here, and all of our children are Flying Arrows! Plus, I love blue (past Pointer).”

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “Outside of the classroom I enjoy watching my children in their sports, riding horses and enjoying our farm with many animals. I also enjoy working on my many art projects, house DIYs, and decor business.”

Brianne Boughton joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Lancaster, Wis.

High School: Lancaster High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Four-year-old kindergarten teacher

Previous employment: Giggles and Wiggles Daycare, UW-Platteville Childcare Center, teacher assistant and music teacher at St. Mary’s Catholic School for 3K and 4K, kindergarten student intern at Potosi Elementary

What inspired you to become an educator? “I was inspired to become a teacher after tutoring at Winskill Elementary my senior year of high school. I learned that becoming a teacher would allow me to not only be an educator but also a role model, personal cheerleader, mentor, coach and a parent-figure for so many children.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “Lancaster is home! Nothing beats working with staff that inspired me to become a teacher and educating my hometown’s youth. I also love knowing that all the staff will support me with anything I may need.”

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “Outside of school I enjoy spending time outside, especially walking with family, hiking and kayaking. I also love country music concerts and I recently started learning how to line dance.”

Maggie Colvin joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Cuba City, Wis.

High School: Cuba City High School

College: Loras College, University of Wisconsin-Madison, St. Ambrose

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Speech-language pathologist

Previous employment: Unified Therapy-Outpatient Pediatric Clinic

What inspired you to become an educator? “I’ve always loved kids and want to be that positive influence in their life.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “My dream was to work in a school. I love the small-town community and I heard good things about working here.”

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “Outside of school I enjoy spending time with family, watch and play sports, be outside, puzzles and reading.”

Kennedy Mezera joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Lancaster, Wis.

High School: Lancaster High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Second grade teacher

Previous employment: College student

What inspired you to become an educator? “I have always had a heart for educating children. Becoming a teacher has been a dream of mine since I was a young girl helping out in my mom’s classroom. I have had many amazing role models through the years that inspired me to become who I am today.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “I am so excited to be joining the team here at Lancaster Community Schools. It feels amazing to be returning to my hometown to teach in the close-knit community that I love. It’s like a dream to be walking the same halls I walked years ago as a student at Winskill. I am thrilled to give back to a community that has given me so much! I can’t want to inspire students as my Lancaster teachers have inspired me!”

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “Outside of the classroom, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I specifically enjoy our time spent exploring the outdoors by hiking, kayaking, and camping. I also enjoy playing board games, reading and crafting.”

What might the 2020-2021 school year look like?

Update: A revised document has been created and is available for review, including new information concerning school-to-home communication, Gov. Evers' July 30 order regarding face coverings and other changes.

The Lancaster Community Schools administrative team has created this document with input from our stakeholders. A survey was sent to all Lancaster Community Schools staff and families to learn their input regarding different instructional models and their opinions on students wearing masks in school. You can see those results on pages 5-12. The administrative team has also been meeting regularly with the Board of Education to keep them updated, and an advisory committee has been formed to provide additional input.

As you can see from the document, we are looking at being able to move fluidly between two different instructional models at the elementary school level and three different models at the middle school/high school level. See pages 3 and 4 for those visuals, and pages 14-16 for explanations of those models.

We are excited to let you know that even if we are in a traditional instructional model, in which students are taught in school, we are prepared to also offer a virtual learning experience for families who would prefer that model, fitting our vision of personalized success for all.

As an administrative team, we hope to be in the traditional instructional model when school resumes on Sept. 1, pending Board of Education approval and the impact of COVID-19. We suggest you prepare for that and understand that virtual learning will be an option as well. We also suggest that you prepare as a family to move between models. We don’t know for sure what Sept. 1 will bring, and plans may change at any time as circumstances present themselves in regards to COVID-19.

Thank you all for your continued flexibility and understanding. We all recognize this is uncharted and challenging territory. We must be supportive of one another and help each other get through this. We will be a stronger community as we all work through this together.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact a member of the administrative team: Mr. Wagner, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Uppena, Mr. Reynolds or Mr. Sturmer. Thank you.

Erin Walker named an Excellence Scholar

Chosen by Herb Kohl Educational Foundation

The selection committee for the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Student Scholarship, Teacher Fellowship and Principal Leadership program has announced recipients of the 312 Herb Kohl Foundation awards for Wisconsin students, teachers and principals. Awards in the amount of $6,000 are being made to 100 teachers, 16 principals, and their schools, and $10,000 scholarships will be given to 193 graduating high school students.

Lancaster High School senior Erin Walker has been selected a 2020 Herb Kohl Foundation Excellence Scholar. She will receive a $10,000 scholarship that may be used at any postsecondary institution and is not limited to Wisconsin. Erin is the daughter of Laurie and Steve Walker of Lancaster.

Excellence Scholarship recipients have demonstrated excellence in the academic arena and high motivation to achieve, have displayed a broad range of activity and leadership outside the academic setting, and have shown strong promise for succeeding in college and beyond. 

Fellowship recipients are educators who have been chosen for their superior ability to inspire a love of learning in their students, their ability to motivate others, and their leadership and service within and outside the classroom.

Leadership Award recipients are school principals who are being recognized for setting high standards for instruction, achievement and character, and creating a climate to best serve students, families, staff and community.

Excellence Scholarship, Fellowship and Leadership Award recipients are selected by a statewide committee composed of civic leaders, and representatives of education-related associations and the program’s co-sponsors: The Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools (WCRIS), regional Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESA), the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, and the Wisconsin Parents Association.

“I think it is significant that Wisconsin’s students, teachers, principals and schools are recognized for their devotion to education and learning”, said Dr. Chris Cody,  WCRIS board president. 

The Kohl Foundation Scholarship and Fellowship program was established by Herb Kohl, philanthropist and businessman, in 1990. Currently in its 30th year of recognizing educational excellence, the foundation has awarded $20.9 million to Wisconsin educators, principals, students and schools.

“Education is the key to the future of Wisconsin and our nation. I am very proud of the accomplishments of these students, teachers, and principals and look forward to the great contributions they will make in the future”, Kohl said. 

Regional recognition luncheons honoring the recipients will be held in spring, 2020. Kohl will attend all luncheons and present awards to recipients. 

Eye In The Sky Sports now free

If you can't make it to your favorite sporting event at Lancaster High School this winter sports season, you can follow all the action with Eye In The Sky Sports.

Thanks to a generous donation by the Lancaster Flying Arrow Sports Boosters, Eye In The Sky Sports is now free all season long. Don't miss a minute of each home boys and girls basketball game, and each home wrestling match.

LHS to present 'One Wife Too Many' this weekend

By Robert Callahan

Lancaster High School will present Tony Howell’s “One Wife Too Many” Nov. 8-10 at Lancaster High School’s Hillery Auditorium. The curtain will open at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8-9, and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 10. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students.

“Tech Weekend” is a two-day event the final weekend prior to the show. An opportunity to perfect an actor’s makeup and costume, finish the set and so much more, Tech Weekend is not for the faint of heart.

Several actors shared their thoughts concerning “One Wife Too Many,” during last weekend’s Tech Weekend.

What can you tell me about this year’s production, “One Wife Too Many”?

Kieran Jahnke: Well, it is hopefully going to be a pretty funny play. There is a lot of drama involved. We have put a lot of work into it.

Zach Mendis: It is pretty funny. There are some funny parts in it. Hopefully people will get involved with all the different roles in it and hopefully enjoy it.

Tron Covington: Pretty funny. It is going to be pretty funny this year. It is going to be a good one.

Abby Hardline: A disaster. 

Natalie Moore: It is like a train wreck and a half.

Abby: Yeah, the chaotic factors that keep playing in.

Madison Tracy: There are a lot of things you just wouldn’t expect to happen.

Natalie: It starts bad and you think it can’t get worse, but surprise, it does!

Acting is far from easy. Why do you choose to do it?

Kieran: I just enjoy spending time with the cast, being with everybody, getting to know each other, working as a team to make this production happen.

Zach: When you get involved in your role and you really embrace it, it is pretty fun to know what is going on and have fun with it, really.

Tron: I enjoy working with everyone, getting to know each other a little better. That is the best part about it, making new friends and stuff.

Abby: I think the constantly changing cast always adds a new environment. It is always fun to see where it is going to take you. We always make really nice underclassmen friends also. That is why I keep coming back, it is a really fun environment.

Gabi Dressler: Yeah, you make all these new friends. As we are getting ready, we have guys coming and asking for help, and the girls are like, ‘Yeah, we got this!’ and everyone interacts so well with one another.

Madison: It is definitely going to help us later in life with being able to take corrections from people. We form bonds with people you wouldn’t expect to form bonds with, and it is forever.

Natalie: It is really fun getting to be a new person, stepping away from your normal routine and be someone new.

You can do that? You step into the different shoes every afternoon?

Abby: It is challenging. You have to find your character and see how they would react. It is difficult, but it is fun.

Gabi: You have to find different people and step into their shoes and really think about it. It is exhausting.

Madison: Just having to develop and think about details about their life, and thinking into their past, it is like having a second persona without getting rid of your own.

Why should someone choose to attend to play?

Kieran: I would say because it is funny, and it deals with drama. It is almost like you are watching a sitcom or some reality-drama show.

Zach: We have been putting a lot of work in to make the production great, and I feel like when people come to watch it is going to be a fun time for them and for us too.

Tron: I felt like our set was kind of big this year. It was kind of a challenge to build, but we had a lot of help with that. I think this is different than any other play we have done because it was a huge challenge building the set. All the doors, entrances we have to learn. Cues and stuff.

Abby: I would say the funny, comedic purposes of this play will be unforgettable.

Gabi: You are in for a little bit of a train wreck. It is something to look forward to. It is funny.

Madison: If you like drama and being on the edge of your seat, I would definitely recommend it.

Natalie: The same thing with the other personality, it is fun seeing your friends and how they are in school and everyday life, and then seeing them on stage and they are mean or very different, and that is very fun to watch.

What do you enjoy most about Tech Weekend?

Kieran: I enjoy when we have our breaks and our free time—we get decent-size breaks for lunch—and we get to spend time with each other all weekend and get to know each other better.

Zach: Also, after this weekend the play is going to be pretty much perfected, so to see it all come together is great to see.

Tron: It might be tough, going hours and hours, but it is the outcome and results that matter, seeing it all come together.

Abby: I think when we all get to our breaking point and we surpass it and we realize, ‘This is going to work. We are actually going to put on a show.’ I think that is the best part of it.

Gabi: I think it is the realization that the play is in six days and it is a waking moment for everyone. We realize we have to step it up now and it all comes together.

Madison: We are not that far in…

Natalie: …but it seems great.

Seven chosen for WSMA State Honors Project

Lancaster Middle/High School will be represented by seven students this week at the Wisconsin School Music Association’s State Honors Project. These students traveled to Sun Prairie and Middleton to perform a live audition for a judge to earn the honor.

Abby Hartline is set to play Eb, alto saxophone in the High School Honors Band, Anna Murphy will sing soprano in the High School Treble Honors Choir and Rianna Straka will sing alto in the Mixed Honors Choir. The students were notified in April, attended three, 1/2 day camps at UW-Green Bay in June, and will perform a concert in Madison’s Overture Center Thursday, Oct. 24th. The band/orchestra concert is at 4:30 p.m., and the treble/mixed choir concert is at 8 p.m.

Evy Dhyanchand, Ayden Ingebritsen and Maddy Tracy auditioned last April and were selected to perform with the Middle-Level State Honors Choir this fall. Natalie Moore also auditioned in April and was selected to play clarinet in the Middle-Level State Honors Orchestra.

Being chosen for one of these coveted positions is truly an honor worthy of applause. The WSMA Middle-Level State Honors Concerts will take place at Waunakee High School this Saturday afternoon. The orchestra will perform at 2 p.m. and the choir at 3 p.m.  

Winskill celebrates new playground storage shed

Thanks to the generosity of the Lancaster Community Fund and Friends of Winskill, Winskill Elementary School is home to a new shed to store playground equipment.

Winskill's kindergarten students took part in a special ribbon cutting ceremony for the school's new shed on Friday morning, Sept. 27.

Thank you to the Lancaster Community Fund and Friends of Winskill for their support!

Haylee Rognholt joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Muscoda, Wis.

High School: Riverdale High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (Bachelor of Arts, Studio Art and Spanish), and University of Wisconsin-Stout (Bachelor of Science, Art Education)

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Winskill Elementary art teacher

Previous employment: Teaching assistant at UW-Whitewater Children’s Center, After-school art teacher at Boys and Girls Club and ABA behavior technician for students with autism

What inspired you to become an educator? “My love of school and lifelong learning, and my passion for working with children.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “Growing up in a small town, I was very interested in teaching in a small community where I could make a big impact on children. I also loved the vision the school has and was interested in pursuing that vision in the art room.”

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “I enjoy playing volleyball, traveling, being outdoors, and spending time with friends and family.”

Laura Hartline joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Turtle Lake, Wis. 

High School: Turtle Lake High School 

College: University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: High School Spanish teacher

Previous employment: Spanish teacher at Potosi Schools

What inspired you to become an educator? “Like many others, my inspiration came from my own teachers growing up. Now, there’s nothing better than watching a student have a ‘I get it!’ moment.” 

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “My family lives in Lancaster, and I’m excited to join a growing foreign language program here!” 

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “Outside of the classroom, I enjoy being creative, reading, traveling, and making memories with my friends and family.” 

Lancaster Middle School volleyball to host Kabuki syndrome Awareness Night on Oct. 17

T-Shirts available for purchase; order deadine is Oct. 1

By Robert Callahan

The Lancaster Middle School volleyball teams will be hosting a Kabuki syndrome Awareness Night on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 4 p.m. in the Lancaster High School gymnasium.

Volleyball players will be wearing green Kabuki T-shirts. T-shirts are available for purchase as well. T-shirt order forms are available here, and also at Winskill Elementary School, Lancaster Middle School and Lancaster High School. Order forms are due to Lancaster Middle School by Oct. 1.

Kabuki syndrome is a rare, multi-system disorder characterized by multiple abnormalities including distinctive facial features, growth delays, varying degrees of intellectual disability, skeletal abnormalities, and short stature, explains the National Organization for Rare Disorders. A wide variety of additional symptoms affecting multiple different organ systems can potentially occur. The specific symptoms associated with Kabuki syndrome can vary greatly from one person to another.

Winskill Elementary School student Blake Roesch is a “Kabuki kid.” Blake is the daughter of Flow and Austin Roesch.

“Winskill has been an amazing home for Blake,” Flow said. “Everybody supports her, everybody wants to learn about Kabuki syndrome, everybody asks me ‘How can I teach her better? What should I do? What should I not do? How can make her day a better place?’”

What makes events like next month’s Kabuki syndrome Awareness Night important?

“With Kabuki syndrome being so rare—one in 32,000 affected worldwide—not many people know about it. If we as parents don’t advocate and raise awareness, nobody will ever know about it,” Flow explained. “Kabuki syndrome is known as an orphan disease. An orphan disease means that physicians tend to neglect the symptoms because they don’t know what the full condition is.

“If I can raise awareness through parents who talk about it with their physicians for their kids, I am spreading awareness through many different spider webs. If I do that, maybe one day it won’t be an orphan disease and everybody will know about it and we can treat them properly from day one.”

We invite you to learn more about Blake here and attend Lancaster Middle School volleyball’s Kabuki Syndrome Awareness Night on Oct. 17.

Morgan Hoehne joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Lancaster, Wis.

High School: Lancaster High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Fourth grade special education teacher

Previous employment: This is Morgan’s rookie debut in education

What inspired you to become an educator? “I always had a passion to teach children and watch them grow.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “I have lived in this community since I was in sixth grade and have always thought this was a district in which I wanted to teach. I hold the school district near and dear to my heart after graduating from Lancaster High School.”

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “I enjoy hunting and fishing! I also love to play indoor volleyball and sand volleyball, as well as spending time with my family.”

Dominuque Carlson joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: “I don’t really have a hometown. I’ve moved a lot throughout my life.”

High School: Cedarburg High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, University of Wisconsin-Stout, St. Mary’s University (Minn.)

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: English Language Learners teacher and Spanish teacher

Previous employment: French teacher, Spanish teacher, Art teacher

What inspired you to become an educator? “I sometimes struggled in school and had difficulty with concepts, so I want to be there for the children like my teachers were there for me. I want to help others discover the wonders I have been shown. I find joy in guiding children in the acquisition of knowledge and skills and take pride in their success. The way their eyes light up in response to understanding ignites my excitement for teaching. Knowing that I make an impact beyond that of academics is a critical part of my joy in this profession.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “My husband and I moved here two years ago when David became the city administrator. I was very sad to leave my school family in Eau Claire and am so very happy to have found a new school family to join.”

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “I love to visit my four children and three grandchildren, who live on both coasts. I enjoy many forms of fine arts and crafts. I enjoy sewing and gardening and hanging out with my husband and our pets.”

Jonell Klopf joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Plymouth, Wis. 

High School: Plymouth Comprehensive High School 

College: Concordia University, Wis.

New position at Lancaster Community Schools: Middle School High School art teacher 

Previous employment: Bethesda College student instructor, and Lawn and Garden associate, Plymouth Walmart 

What inspired you to become an educator? “My high school chemistry teacher, my passion for the arts and working with kids.” 

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “I loved the idea of working in a small town where everyone works together to help one another out.” 

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “I enjoy baking, painting, and spending time exploring the outdoors.” 

Jennifer Gallagher joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Lancaster, Wis.

High School: Lancaster High School (1997)

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville (Bachelor of Arts, Music Education) (Master of Science, Educational Leadership), Concordia University, Viterbo University

Previous employment: Wauzeka-Steuben Schools

What inspired you to become an educator? “Teaching swimming at the Lancaster swimming pool in high school and coaching the swim team.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “Being a part of and giving back to my hometown community.”

What do you like to do outside of the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “Spend time with friends and family, and teach piano.”

Students' talents shine in Poster Contest

The talents of four Lancaster Middle School students were celebrated in a recent Conservation Awareness Poster Contest.

The Grant County Conservation, Sanitation, and Zoning Committee (CSZC) along with the Southern Area Association (SAA), and the Wisconsin Land+Water Conservation Association (WLWCA) hosts a Conservation Awareness Poster Contes for students in kindergarten through 12th grade each year.

“Life in the Soil: Dig Deeper,” was the theme of this year’s contest. The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) provides the stewardship theme. The theme is required to be on all posters.

Evy Dhyanchand earned third place at the local level (grades 7-9). Bexsy Navarro Gutierrez earned second place at the local level (grades 4-6). Clara Kindrai earned second place at the local level (grades 7-9). Paige Lolwing earned first at the local level and first in the area level (grades 7-9).

Lydia Murphy named WIAA Scholar Athlete

Eighth Lancaster athlete to earn the honor

Sixteen senior girls and 16 senior boys from Brule to Janesville have been selected as finalists to receive the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association’s (WIAA) prestigious 2019 WIAA Statewide Scholar Athlete Award underwritten by Marshfield Children’s Hospital.  More than 1,000 Scholar Athlete finalists have been recognized since the program began in 1984.

Lydia Murphy is the eighth WIAA Scholar Athlete Finalist from Lancaster High School. In addition to her 3.99 GPA, she has earned 11 varsity letters in cross country, basketball, soccer, and track and field. A member of Lancaster's 2018 state champion cross country team, Murphy was an all-conference first team selection in cross country four years and soccer the last three years. She was also named team MVP in cross country four years and soccer one year. Murphy is also an all-state musician.

To determine the top 32 finalists, four boys and four girls were selected (based on both athletic and academic achievement) from each of four WIAA divisions. “These extraordinary student athletes excel in both academics and athletics,” said Tom Shafranski, Assistant Director of the WIAA. “Seventeen of this year’s 32 WIAA Scholar Athlete finalists have a grade point average of 4.0 to date, while the average GPA is an amazing 3.95. All 32 scholar athlete finalists have already earned a total of 295 varsity letters during their first 3-1/2 years of high school. That’s an average of 9 letters per athlete, and we have not yet completed our spring sports season.”

This year 823 seniors were nominated for the 2019 WIAA Scholar Athlete Award by 417 high schools throughout the state.

The 2019 WIAA Scholar Athlete Finalists, as well as their families and school representatives, were recognized at an awards ceremony Sunday, May 5 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Wausau.

Each 2019 WIAA Scholar Athlete Finalist received a medallion and certificate, and took with them a special plaque for display in their school’s trophy case. Keynote speaker was Lance Allan, main sports anchor at Milwaukee’s WTMJ-TV and co-host of Packers Live.

All student athletes nominated for the award by their high school athletic directors will be presented with a medal at their school in a manner to be determined by the school administration recognizing them as their school’s top male or female scholar athlete.

For more information, visit www.wiaawi.org

2019 Scholar Athlete Finalists      

DIVISION 1 – BOYS

Ryan Krueger, Marshfield, Marshfield High School

Kevin Meicher, Middleton, Middleton High School

Austin Thyes, Sheboygan Falls, Sheboygan North High School

Malik Tiedt, Burlington, Burlington High School

DIVISION 1 – GIRLS

Chloe Buescher, Janesville, Milton High School

Zoe Goodmanson, Pewaukee, Pewaukee High School

Reagan Hoopes, Waunakee, Waunakee High School

Kate Jochims, Muskego, Muskego High School

DIVISION 2 – BOYS

Owen Jelinek, Lodi, Lodi High School

Shane Liegel, Spring Green, River Valley High School

Andrew Pahnke, McFarland, McFarland High School

Gervase Thompson IV, Brule, Northwestern High School

DIVISION 2 – GIRLS

Dana Feyen, Trempealeau, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School

Madelyn Granica, Amery, Amery High School

Emily Neff, Hayward, Hayward High School

Cassie Schiltz, Luxemburg, Luxemburg-Casco High School

DIVISION 3 – BOYS

Cade Christensen, Campbellsport, Saint Mary’s Springs High School

Dylan Schoenherr, Stratford, Stratford High School

Grayson Vandenbush, Belgium, Random Lake High School

David Vannucchi, Onalaska, Luther High School*

DIVISION 3 – GIRLS

Tori Gerber, Cameron, Cameron High School

Lydia Murphy, Lancaster, Lancaster High School

Alexis Rolph, Winneconne, Lourdes Academy

Megan Scheidt, La Crosse, Aquinas High School

DIVISION 4 – BOYS

Lucas Bukowski, Green Bay, Green Bay NEW Lutheran High School*

Ty Guden, Edgar, Edgar High School

Noah Kollock, Bancroft, Almond-Bancroft High School*

Jared Payne, Eastman, Seneca High School

DIVISION 4 – GIRLS

Kenadi Diedrich, Athens, Athens High School

Kiana Fall, Clayton, Clayton High School

Makaylee Kuhn, Hilbert, Hilbert High School

Ashlie Lockington, Bangor, Bangor High School

*indicates that the student is that school’s first statewide winner.

Summer School registration now open

Registration for Winskill Elementary School's 2019 Summer School program is now open. 

If your child is planning to attend Session 1 (June 17-July 3) of summer school, please use this link to sign them up for the enrichment choices. If your child is planning to attend Session 2 (July 29-August 15) of summer school, please use this link to sign them up for the enrichment choices.

Summer School will be held 7:45 a.m. until 2 p.m., Monday-Thursday, during Session 1 and Session 2. Breakfast will be served beginning at 7:30 a.m. We welcome students to attend for as much of each day they can.  Please let us know what days or part of days that they will be unable to attend and we will plan accordingly.

 Also, please return the Emergency Health Form (previously mailed to you) to your child’s classroom teacher.

If you did not receive summer school information in the mail please let your classroom teacher know and they can send a packet home with your child.

LHS shines at State Speech Festival

Lancaster High School’s forensics team placed in the top 10 percent of teams at the Wisconsin High School Forensic Association State Speech Festival earlier this month.

Eighteen entries represented LHS at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on April 12. Approximately 4,200 students from 340 high schools across the state participated.

Students who competed individually or in a group and earned a perfect score (25 of 25) were: Dawson Bowen, Erin Walker, Mason Crooks, Isaac Oyen, Kiernan Jahnke, Isaac Farrey, Abby Hartline, Owen Wolf, Kylie Larson, Gabi Dressler, Payton Lolwing, Kaden Crapp, Aaron Murphy, Isaiah Place, Mya Ploessel, Claudia Ingebritsen, Zack Mendis, Katie Martin, Gracie Schaffer, Lydia Murphy, Isabelle Schindler, Latronis Covington and Madalyn McWilliams

Students who earned 23 or 24 points and a silver All-State medal were Alexandria Stone, Ross Howard, Ben Withey, Haley Timmerman, Bridee Burks, Everett LaBudda and Jared Beesecker.

Students who earned a 20-22 and received the bronze finalist award were Jenna Raisbeck, Nolan LaMantia, Meg Walker, Skyler Burkholder, Avery Crooks, Rianna Straka, Anna Murphy and Jackson Uppena.

The Lancaster High School forensics team is coached by Pam Curry, Sam Jonas, Torie Leslie and Wesley Wingert.

LMS students attend Project Lead The Way Day at the Capitol

Ten talented Lancaster Middle School students visited the Capitol in Madison on Tuesday, April 16 through Project Lead The Way Day at the Capitol.

Some students showcased their Computer Science projects for state senators and representatives, while others displayed a Mars mini rover they created.

Instructors Andy Richard and Brian Knapp accompanied the students.

Lancaster High School earns national recognition for commitment to empowering students

Named a distinguished school for STEM and career learning program

Lancaster High School announced today that it has been recognized as a Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished School for providing broad access to transformative learning opportunities for students through PLTW Computer Science and Engineering. It is one of just 64 high schools across the U.S. to receive this honor. PLTW is a nonprofit organization that serves millions of PreK-12 students and teachers in schools across the U.S.

The PLTW Distinguished School recognition honors schools committed to increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in their PLTW programs. To be eligible for the designation, Lancaster High School had to meet the following criteria during the 2017-18 school year:

• Offer at least three PLTW courses;
• Have 25 percent of students or more participate in PLTW courses, or of those who participated in PLTW, at least 33 percent took two or more PLTW courses during their high school tenure;
• Have 70 percent of students or more earn a Proficient or higher on PLTW End-of-Course Assessments, or 10 percent of students earn the AP + PLTW Student Achievement.

Through PLTW programs, students develop STEM knowledge as well as in-demand, transportable skills that they will use both in school and for the rest of their lives, on any career path they take.

PLTW Engineering empowers high school students to step into the role of an engineer and adopt a problem-solving mindset. Students engage in collaborative, real-life activities like working with a client to design a home, programming electronic devices or robotic arms, and exploring algae as a biofuel source.

The PLTW Computer Science interdisciplinary courses engage students in compelling, real-world computer science challenges. As students work together to design solutions, they learn more than just how to code, developing computational thinking and communication skills for our increasingly technology-based economy.

“It is a great honor to recognize Lancaster High School for their commitment to students,” said Vince Bertram, President and CEO of PLTW. “They are a model for what school should look like, and they should be very proud of ensuring students have the knowledge and skills to be career ready and successful on any career path they choose.”

Lancaster High School is part of a community of PreK-12 schools, colleges and universities, and corporate and philanthropic partners across the country united around a passion for providing students with inspiring, engaging, and empowering learning opportunities. For more information about PLTW’s recognition program, visit pltw.org/our-programs/program-recognition.

For more information on Lancaster High School’s PLTW program or to set up a school visit, contact Eric Mumm at (608) 732-2864 ext.323.

Fifth annual Career Exploration Day is March 12

The Lancaster Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department will holdGratn  its fifth annual Career Exploration Day at the Grant County Fairgrounds on Tuesday, March 12.

Career Exploration Day is scheduled for 8 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. Kurt Kravchuk, Vice President of Operations for Lands’ End, will be the 2019 keynote speaker. Rep. Travis Tranel of southwest Wisocnsin’s 49th Assembly District will provide a brief welcome prior to Kravchuk’s keynote address. Students will have the opportunity to speak with local businesses and organizations about future careers and opportunities in a career fair-style format.

More than 30 vendors are anticipated to attend Career Exploration Day.

“We try to keep our vendors pretty local because we want our students to know what is available around here,” Lancaster High School Technical Education teacher Eric Mumm said. “But we do welcome tri-state area businesses as well.”

“I love it. It is more related to our area,” Lancaster High School Technical Education teacher Duane Leeser added. “It is more like work-related stuff.

“We have tried to build on it every year and make it better every year.”

In his role, Kravchuk is responsible for globally leading all of Lands’ End’s distribution fulfillment and outbound transportation operations. Prior to joining Lands’ End, he was responsible for leading a Cabela’s distribution center and was involved with their distribution center expansion projects. 

Prior to his work at Cabela’s, Kravchuk spent 11 years with the Limited Brands at MAST Global Logistics, where he held progressive leadership roles, and served as Associate Vice President. He also spent more than 13 years with UPS in a variety of expanding Operations, Customer Service and National Account Management leadership roles.

Kravchuk received his BSBA Management degree from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and served our Country as a United States Marine from 1982-1988. 

Tranel, a fifth generation dairy farmer, grew up on his family’s dairy farm near Cuba City. He was first elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2010. His upbringing instilled Tranel with an entrepreneurial spirit. While in grade school he started his first business, T&T Labradors. For his efforts he was recognized by the Entrepreneur Institute, of Milwaukee, as the Youth Entrepreneur of the Year.

While a freshman in high school, Tranel became a certified WIAA basketball referee and traveled the southwest Wisconsin area officiating local middle school and high school basketball games, refereeing more than 500 contests.

Today, in addition to serving his constituents in the 49th Assembly District, Tranel maintains his passion for farming and production through his dairy farm, Tranel Family Farms. The farm milks approximately 300 cows. 

The goal of Lancaster Community Schools’ CTE Department and the Career Exploration Day is to ensure that Lancaster High School students are well-prepared for life after high school. The annual event provides students the opportunity to make connections with local job creators and to learn about career options available to them in southwest Wisconsin.

The Lancaster CTE staff is always looking for new ideas and concepts to teach students, preparing them for the next chapter of their life: the professional world. With the professional world changing so fast, it is hard to keep up with technology and trends. The CTE staff works diligently to ensure students are receiving the most currently technology possible and are keeping up-to-date with modern trends in the workplace. It is important for students to hear ideas and tap into knowledge and expertise from potential employees and local businesses.

For more information about the event or to participate as a vendor, contact Mumm at mumme@lancastersd.k12.wi.us or (608) 723-2173, ext. 323.

Carrie Ingebristen joins Early Childhood team

Name: Carolyn Ingebristen

Hometown: Delhi, New York

High School: Delaware Academy

College: Nazareth College of Rochester

Previous employment: Carrie previously worked at Winskill Elementary School as a paraprofessional. Prior to that she worked as a music therapist.

What inspired you to become an educator? “I love kids and I love helping them make new discoveries. I especially love helping kids who feel marginalized or who need just a little extra to succeed.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “I have always been welcomed by the staff at Winskill and among the Lancaster school community. I love the energy and excitement present in the school and wanted to be an active part of the team.”

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “I love to read and to garden. I enjoy most outdoor activities, whether it be as simple as walking or hiking, or as exciting as snow tubing or rafting. I’m always up for adventure!”

Lancaster partners with Eye in the Sky Sports

Can't catch your favorite Flying Arrows in-person? You are in luck. Lancaster Community Schools has partnered with Eye in the Sky Sports, meaning all home sporting events will be live streamed and recorded.

Pre-purchase tickets or by season passes now here.

Winskill Elementary staff enjoys new document cameras

Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin funds purchase

By Robert Callahan

Winskill Elementary School is home to 15 new document cameras thanks to the hard work of a new staff member and the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin.

Title 1 Reading Teacher Josh McLimans joined Lancaster Community Schools this summer. He previously taught at Fennimore Elementary School, where he used document cameras regularly. 

“I used document cameras in first and second grade, every single day,” he said. “If students had their own math workbooks, I had a blank one [on the document camera] and we would work through it together. It is kind of the old transparency thing that we had when we were in elementary school, just more interactive and user friendly.”

When he joined Lancaster Community Schools, he asked new Winskill principal Brad Sturmer if purchasing document cameras was possible.

“When I hired Josh, I knew that we had scored a wonderful teacher. He has proven it over and over,” Sturmer said. “I didn’t need proof, but when two days after Josh was hired he was asking if he can write a grant to get document cameras for our classrooms, I thought, ‘Yes, this is great.’”

McLimans was thankful for the opportunity.

“What I am really excited about is being able to work with the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, being part of Lancaster Community Schools now,” he said. “I knew that the document cameras would be something I could ask about. I was happy to write a grant and see if we could get some for Winskill.”

The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin includes the Lancaster Community Fund. The Morse Family Fund awarded McLimans and Winskill Elementary $4,900.

“We have 15 document cameras right now, in third grade, fourth grade and fifth grade,” McLimans said. “We also purchased them for both of the Title classrooms, music, art and the library, to kind of get started.”

Winskill Elementary fourth grade teacher Jim Addison utilizes his document camera on a regular basis.

“I am extremely thankful we received the grant from the Lancaster Community Fund and commend Mr. McLimans in his work to make it happen,” he said. “Although we are only a few weeks into school, our document camera is a tool consistently and frequently used in our classroom. To be able to project virtually anything on a whim gives me great flexibility when I'm teaching.”

Addison believes the best use of the document cameras comes when students are using them.

“Students love to share their work, answer questions, or read passages under the camera,” he explained. “At the end of each day, a student leader uses the camera to share what assignments to jot down in our assignment notebooks. 

“I look forward to learn even more uses for our document cameras, but I am glad to say they are already making an impact!”

McLimans shares Addison’s sentiment.

“Document cameras are very user-friendly. The kids love it. It is a motivator, it is engaging,” he said. “That is the biggest part of it for me, it motivates kids, it is engaging to kids. We have to keep up with all the other technology that is coming out. These are definitely right there.”

LHS to present 'Father of the Bride'

It will be worth the wait.

Lancaster High School presents “Father of the Bride” on Friday, Nov. 16 and Saturday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. A 4:30 p.m. show will follow on Nov. 18. All three shows will be held in the high school’s Hillery Auditorium.

“Father of the Bride” was rescheduled earlier this month when the Lancaster football team advanced to Level 4 of the WIAA playoffs and later postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.

“The movie version of ‘Father of the Bride,’ from 1991 (the one with Steve Martin and Martin Short), is one of the movies I grew up with,” explained director Torie Leslie. “I have probably seen it over 50 times and can never seem to scroll past it when it’s playing on TV. It’s a feel-good movie—it makes us laugh it touches our hearts, and it’s relatable.

“So, when it came time to pick this year’s production, the decision wasn’t so difficult when this script literally fell off my shelf and into my hands. I knew my students wanted to do a comedy after ‘Here & Now,’ and this story of family, love, and the typical road bumps of life seemed to be perfect, but we did have a few bumps of our own while trying to put it all together.”

Senior Payton Lolwing plays the role of Mr. Banks, while fellow senior Madelyn McWilliams plays the role of Mrs. Banks. Kay Banks is played by sophomore Abby Hartline, Collin Lull plays opposite as her fiancé, Buckley Dunstan. Senior Isaac Farrey will take the stage as Ben Banks and sophomore Keiran Jahnke is Tommy Banks.

Rounding out the cast are junior Aaron Murphy (Buzz Taylor), senior Abby Whitford (Peggy Swift), freshman Anna Murphy (Delilah), senior Lydia Murphy (Miss Bellamy), senior Owen Wolf (Mr. Massoula), freshman Gracie Schaffer (Joann), freshman Gabi Dressler (Mrs. Pulitzki), senior Ben Withey (Red), junior Latronis Covington (Pete) and freshmen Kylie Larson and Mackenzie Morgan (flower shop ladies).

“I hope you enjoy the show you are about to see; we have put a lot of time and effort into it,” Leslie said. “My favorite part of this show is that it’s about a family who makes a lot of mistakes in trying to plan the perfect event in order to see their daughter happy. Mr. Banks is overbearing because he is sad to ‘lose’ his daughter. Mrs. Banks is a worrier because she cares. The siblings argue because that’s how siblings show they love each other (at least in my experience). Buckley is totally clueless, but he tries so hard to prove that he’s worthy of Kay’s affections.

“This is a show about people who mess up, encounter every problem imaginable, and feel tremendous amounts of stress all for the sake of putting on the perfect wedding—to prove that they love one another. To me, that’s exactly what we do as a theater family. We mess up, encounter every problem imaginable, and feel tremendous amounts of stress to put on the perfect show in order to prove that it’s worth it.

“And, by the end, we’re a family who loves each other too.”

Elizabeth Dressler joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Lancaster, Wisconsin

High School: Lancaster High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Previous employment: Elizabeth was previously an in-home autism technician at Mercy Hospital in Janesville.

What inspired you to become an educator? “While going to high school I was able to sign up for Specially Designed Physical Education Swim. I worked with the same little boy who had autism for all four years of high school and I saw how much he grew and the impact that I had on him.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “I always wanted to come back to Lancaster, as I love the sense of community that this school has.”

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “Outside of school I love to do anything with art, whether it is drawing, painting, or wood burning. I also have a three month old daughter, two golden retrievers and a husband, so most of my free time is spent with them.”

Joe Carl joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Fennimore, Wisconsin

High School: Fennimore High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Previous employment: Cassville High/Middle School Special Education Teacher

What inspired you to become an educator? “I enjoy working with kids and helping them grow into young adults. I also enjoy the look on a student's face when the ‘light bulb’ goes on when they understand a topic or concept.” 

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “I have heard many good things about the district. Also, I had worked with some of the administrators prior to applying for my current position and had good experiences with them. This helped me in making my decision because working with them went so well.”    

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)?  “I enjoy the outdoors. I like to hunt, both bow and gun. I coach high school football and grade school basketball. In the summer, I play as many holes of golf as I can. Also, my wife and I have a camper that we enjoy spending time at on the weekends.” 

Emily Simons joins Lancaster Community Schools

Name: Emily Simons

Hometown: Oshkosh, Wisconsin

High School: Oshkosh West High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville (Elementary Education major, Special Ed/Inclusion minor and Early Childhood minor) 

Previous employment: Emily is a first-year teacher. She was a substitute teacher in Lancaster Community Schools last year and also works at Park Place Assisted Living in Platteville.

What inspired you to become an educator? “It started when I was in first grade and wanted to be just like my teacher, Mrs. Hanson. Since I have grown up I knew that there was no other option for me. I always say, I was born to be a teacher!”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “I really enjoyed my time as a substitute teacher in the district. The district has such a welcoming feel and everyone I met was kind to me. I like the administrators and teachers, as well as the students!” 

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “I love to go on walks, hang out with dogs, cook and bake, laugh, smile, spend time with my family and friends, and I love to go see movies. My favorite TV show is ‘The Office’ (some might even call me a super fan), so when I want to relax I like to watch the show on Netflix!”

Nicholas Hicks joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Cuba City, Wisconsin

High School: Cuba City High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Previous employment: Menards

What inspired you to become an educator? “I was inspired to become an educator by my mom and my previous educators.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “I have heard a lot of positivity about the students and staff members [in Lancaster], which was a big positive for me. I am excited to be joining this community!”

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “Outside of the classroom I enjoy hanging out with my friends, playing golf, and watching sports.”

Brad Sturmer becomes Winskill Elementary principal

Hometown: Lancaster, Wisconsin

High School: Lancaster High School (Class of 1997)

College: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (Bachelor of Science, Mathematics), St. Mary’s University, Winona (Masters in Education)

Previous employment: Lancaster Middle/High School Assistant Principal, math teacher

What inspired you to become an educator? “I loved the subject of mathematics and I have always had the desire to help others, so I followed a path that led me to become a high school math teacher.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “When John Hopkins retired (2002), it was perfect timing for me, as I just graduated with my Math Teaching degree. I have always loved Lancaster and I have a strong desire to give back to my community.”

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “I spend most of my free time with my family. I also like to hunt and golf when I have time. I also enjoy reading books that help me become better in everything that I do. I enjoy listening to old country music; Waylon Jennings is my favorite. All that being said, my primary focus after family is leadership, hard work, loyalty, and making a positive difference for the students in our district and adults that I am blessed to work with.”

Lindsey Ariss joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin

High School: Prairie du Chien High School

College: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Previous employment: After graduating in December 2017, Lindsey worked as a long-term substitute teacher at Sparta High School, where she taught Spanish 1, Spanish 3, and Spanish 4.

What inspired you to become an educator? “I have always loved working with youth, but it wasn’t until last year when I helped coach basketball at the high school level that I found out just how enthusiastic I am about working specifically with high school students. As far as Spanish goes, I have always loved learning a second language, along with the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries, and I wanted to share that passion with others.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “Being that I am from Prairie du Chien, I was always accustomed to growing up and going to school in a small town. Once I moved to La Crosse, I had the opportunity to work in larger school districts such as La Crosse and Holmen. However, I found that I loved the sense of community and ‘small town’ feel that you have working in a smaller school district.”

What do you like to do outside of the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “Aside from teaching, I love just about anything outdoors! I enjoy hiking, going on the river, camping, playing sports, and fishing. I spend a lot of time with my family, especially my two nieces!”

Teresa Muldoon joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Lancaster, Wisconsin

High School: Lancaster High School

College: Undergraduate and Graduate degrees earned at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Previous employment: Second grade teacher at Fennimore Elementary School

What inspired you to become an educator? “I was inspired to be a teacher after experiencing many educators who demonstrated compassion and a continued desire of learning. I love children and enjoy seeing their excitement and determination when learning new things.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “Blue and Gold are my colors! I am a lifelong resident of Lancaster and I am invested in the future of this fabulous community. I see so many positive things happening within our school system and I am excited to be a part of it.”

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “Outside of the classroom I enjoy reading, running, and spending time with my family.”

Carrie Post joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Green Bay, Wisconsin

High School: Green Bay West High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Viterbo University, University of Wisconsin-Superior, and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Previous employment: Middle School Reading/Language Arts, 7th grade, 5-8th grades all subject areas. Carrie taught second grade this past year as a long-term sub for several months and “loved the experience.”

What inspired you to become an educator? “I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know I wanted to be an educator. I loved school and when I was young, I was fortunate enough to have wonderful teachers and many positive experiences at school.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “I’ve had the opportunity to meet some of the extraordinary staff members here. I am looking forward to collaborating with them to create amazing learning experiences for our students.”

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “I love to spend time with my family playing games, and watching them participate in a variety of athletic events. I enjoy running, reading, and organic farming whenever I can squeeze them into our hectic schedule!”

Megan Hammond joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Rosendale, Wisconsin

High School: Laconia High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Previous employment: Megan served as a long-term substitute kindergarten teacher at Boscobel Elementary School earlier this year.

What inspired you to become an educator? “I have always enjoyed school, and when I was given the chance to tutor during my eighth grade school year, it clicked into place that this was something I enjoyed. I continued to tutor, assist as an aide during summer school and work as a classroom helper for the primary school through high school. Going into college there was never any question that elementary education was the path for me, and it has continued, unwaveringly, to be my passion.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “I had the chance to do a special education practicum at Winskill Elementary during my junior year of college. The very first day I knew this was a special place! I was able to student teach second grade at Winskill and I knew that this was a place I never wanted to leave. The staff, the families, the kids and the environment were irreplaceable. I am overjoyed to be on the Winskill staff and cannot wait for the adventure to begin!”

What do you like to do outside of the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “I enjoy spending time with my friends and family as much as possible. I am a very active person and enjoy fitness and sports. I love to travel, read, and am a lover of all craft-related things.”

Josh McLimans joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Lancaster, Wisconsin

High School: Lancaster High School (Class of 2005)

College: Undergraduate: Winona State University, Graduate: Viterbo

Previous Employment: Fennimore Elementary School, where Josh taught for nine years (both first and second grade).

What inspired you to become an educator? “I love being around kids and making a difference in their lives. I’ve had many incredible teachers who have made lasting impressions on my life, and I hope to make the same difference in the lives of the students I come in contact with.”

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “I live in the community and have laid deep roots here. I am involved in various activities in the community, such as the Public Library Board and Foundation. Being a teacher in this school district lends itself to not only increased opportunities of becoming even more involved in the community and the incredible opportunities Lancaster provides, but also gains me the benefit of joining a tremendously talented team of leaders, educators and community members who have had such a legacy of making a difference in our community. I look forward to learning and growing with them, and I am thrilled to be a part of such a dedicated team!”

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “I love to spend time with my wife, Danielle, who is a 4K teacher for Winskill, and our three children. I also enjoy spending time reading, working in my yard, and refinishing antique furniture!”

Bridget Udelhofen joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Potosi, Wisconsin

High School: Potosi High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Previous employment: Throughout college I enjoyed coaching youth sports, working as a daycare teacher, and being the Assistant Director of Little Saints After School Care Program in Potosi.

What inspired you to become an educator? “I was inspired to become a teacher by my high school history teacher. He shared with me that his goal every year was to make a difference in one student’s life and if he did, then he had done his job. Those words stuck with me and are the reason why I became a teacher."

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? “I had the opportunity to complete my 4K, second grade and fourth grade student teaching at Winskill Elementary School. Throughout my student teaching, I grew to love the community, the school, the teachers, the parents, and the students. I could not have imagined leaving Winskill and I am so happy and excited to be a part of the Winskill team!”

What do you like to do outside of the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? “I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, traveling, spending time outdoors, and reading. I also love baking and decorating cakes and cupcakes for friends and family.”

Wesley Wingert joins Lancaster Community Schools

Hometown: Mukwonago, Wisconsin

High School: Mukwonago High School

College: University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Previous employment: Student / Menard’s employee

What inspired you to become an educator? "All of the wonderful teachers I had inspired me to become an educator. Those teachers and professors who made me care about subjects that I had never previously given the time of day proved to me that teachers make a difference. I hope to share my passion for literature and writing in the same way that other teachers have shared their passions with me."

What interested you in joining the Lancaster Community Schools team? "I student taught in both the middle and high school, and I feel comfortable with the faculty and staff. I also grew very fond of all of my students. It’s wonderful that I’ll be able to teach them all again (especially considering that I never thought I’d see any of them again until I was hired!)."

What do you like to do outside the classroom (hobbies, interests, etc.)? "To be perfectly frank, I have come to accept that I am a nerd by most definitions of the word. I love playing video games, and use them as a means to talk with my friends who live on the other side of the state. I also LOVE Batman and collect/read graphic novels, movies, memorabilia, and any other Batman merchandise I can get my hands on. Lastly, my fiance and I adore going to the movies. Since September alone, we have seen over 55 movies in theaters!"

Lancaster Community Schools awarded grant

School district will receive $61,966 for safety improvements

Attorney General Brad Schimel announced on June 28 a list of 147 schools and school districts that have been awarded the next round of grants through the Wisconsin Department of Justice School Safety Grant program, administered by DOJ’s Office of School Safety. Combined, the 147 schools and school districts will receive $10,253,487 which will be spent on building safety improvements, as well as training for faculty and staff. More grants will be awarded soon.

Lancaster Community Schools was among the 147 schools and school districts to be awarded funds. The school district will receive $61,966.

“The DOJ Office of School Safety is moving fast to award school safety grants,” Schimel said. “The nearly $10 million grants being awarded to large and small schools across the state, incentivizes school officials and law enforcement to make meaningful improvements to Wisconsin school safety through physical improvements and a focus on mental health training for school faculty.”

Grant dollars are divided into two categories: the Primary School Safety Grant and Advanced School Safety Grant. DOJ’s Primary School Safety Grants focus on baseline improvements to schools, including door locks and hardening school entryways. The Advanced School Safety Grants are awarded to schools that have met minimum security thresholds.

In addition to making upgrades to school buildings, one of the School Safety Grant prerequisites is providing all full-time teachers, aides, counselors, and administrators with a minimum of three hours combined training in Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and Trauma Informed Care/Trauma Sensitive Schools (TIC/TSS) before the end of the 2018-2019 school year; or demonstrate that staff has already received such training. 

Over the past three months, since 2017 Wisconsin Act 143 was signed into law, the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) has consulted with numerous stakeholders in the fields of education, security, law enforcement, and mental health. These specialists, listed at the end of this press release, worked with DOJ’s own security experts to develop how the School Safety Grant Initiative will create sustainable improvements in Wisconsin schools. 

“Wisconsin schools need to be safe for everyone from students, to parents and teachers,” said Gov. Scott Walker. “Our $100 million School Safety Plan is helping bring together schools and law enforcement to ensure our kids have a safe learning environment because no one should feel unsafe in a school.”

Grant applicants are required to partner with law enforcement agencies to ensure that proposed expenditures, visitor protocols, and school safety plans will be effective and provide students with the safest learning environment possible.

In addition to helping keep schools safe from violent attacks, DOJ will be closely monitoring for behavior that could affect a school’s ability to pay market rates for products like door locks and shatter-resistant film for glass. DOJ will review and investigate any instances of inappropriate pricing behavior so the benefits of the program are not reduced. 

The following is a list of organizations who have met with DOJ staff, and consulted on the creation of the Office of School Safety and the grant process and criteria: 

Association of Wisconsin School Administrators
Badger State Sheriffs Association
CESA 4, 7, 10
Federal Bureau of Investigation
NAMI-WI
Wisconsin Association of School Boards
Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials
Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators
Wisconsin Association of School Nurses
Wisconsin Catholic Conference
Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association
Wisconsin Council of Administrators of Special Services
Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools
Wisconsin Department of Administration
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Wisconsin Education Association Council
Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association
Wisconsin Juvenile Officers Association
Wisconsin Professional Police Association
Wisconsin Retired Educators’ Association
Wisconsin Safe and Healthy Schools Training & Technical Assistance Center
Wisconsin School Music Association/Wisconsin Music Educators Association
Wisconsin School Psychologists Association
Wisconsin School Public Relations Association
Wisconsin School Safety Coordinators Association
Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association

A list of all 735 schools and school districts that have requested grant funds is available on the DOJ website.

LHS students begin planning for Laude System

Initiative encourages enorllment in upper-level courses

By Robert Callahan

With the ink recently dried on the diplomas for Lancaster High School’s 2018 graduating class, some students are looking ahead to 2020.

Lancaster High School’s 2020 graduating class will be the first to recognize seniors through the Laude System, approved by the Board of Education in August 2016. The Laude System is a point-based system which combines honors points with a student’s grade point average. A valedictorian and salutatorian will be a thing of the past.

“After having staff review the Laude System and going through the process, it was determined by staff that the ultimate goal of the Laude System is to recognize more students for their hard work and encourage students to take upper-level, challenging courses to better themselves and better their chances to be successful,” explained Lancaster Middle/High School Principal Mark Uppena.

The Laude System will reward students for enrolling in and successfully completing designated Laude honors courses. Students will earn one honor point per semester for each advanced placement, transcripted or Project Lead The Way (PLTW) course completed. Students will earn half an honor point per semester for completing advanced standing or department-designated honors courses.

Courses newly designated as honors courses include:

Foreign Language—Spanish 3, 4, 5; French 3, 4, 5

Math—Pre-Calculus, Algebra 2

Science—Physics, Biology II, Chemistry 2

Music—Honors Band, Honors Choir

Art—Honors Studio Art, Advanced Ceramics Sculpture

Agriculture—Advanced Welding/Vet Science

Advanced Placement (AP) courses include U.S. History, English Literature, Biology, Calculus, and Psychology. Project Lead The Way offerings include Introduction to Engineering Design (IED), Principles of Engineering (POE), Engineering Design and Development (EDD), Civil Engineering and Architecture (CEA), and Computer Science and Software Engineering (CSE). Transcripted classes include Accounting I, Intro to Economics, College Composition, Speech, and Human Social Behavior.

“We had all the departments come up with Laude classes that would be acceptable,” Uppena said.

Students earning 50 Laude points or more will be awarded Summa Cum Laude status and will wear gold cords at graduation. Students earning 32-49.9 Laude points will be awarded Magna Cum Laude status and will wear silver cords at graduation. Students earning 16-31.9 Laude points will be awarded Cum Laude status and will wear white cords at graduation. Minimum qualifications for Cum Laude status are a 3.2 cumulative grade point average and 16 Laude points.

“The whole goal of the Laude System is to hopefully challenge students to push themselves and take rigorous courses in all areas to improve themselves. We are trying to get kids to challenge themselves academically,” Uppena said. “Even in the areas they enjoy, like art and music, we have opportunities for kids to earn Laude points if they meet the criteria. It is about students challenging themselves to explore opportunities, work hard and prepare themselves for the workplace or prepare themselves for the next step in their lives, whether that be college, technical school, the workforce, military, or whatever it might be.”

Uppena pointed out the Academic Excellence Scholarship will continue to be issued to a Lancaster High School senior.

“There is a specific set of criteria for that scholarship,” he advised. “That is based on grade point average, it is based on ACT tiebreakers and stuff like that, that is different—it is state set—versus what we are doing to recognize our students for academics through the Laude System.

“The state’s Academic Excellence Scholarship is different and has different criteria than how we will honor our students academically when they graduate.”

Brad Sturmer, a 1997 graduate of Lancaster High School, teaches AP Calculus. He is a proponent of the new Laude System.

“I like how it encourages students to take upper-level courses and not have that fear of, ‘If I get a B-plus because I took AP Calculus, that is going to affect my GPA to the point where I might not be valedictorian or salutatorian,’” he said. “Now students can change their thought process to ‘It is two laude points, and if I do get a B-plus my GPA might go to a 3.9875 or whatever, but because I get to multiply it by more Laude points, I will still be near the top.’ The best part about it is it encourages kids to take those upper-level courses and for those that do, it rewards them for it.

“Three or four years down the road when kids go to graduation ceremonies and they see Laude students being honored instead of the traditional valedictorian and salutatorian, I think it is something that will grow. As it becomes more of a tradition here I think we will see more kids really getting after it.”

Sturmer encourages students to begin planning their academic future as soon as possible, even as freshmen.

“If I could offer any advice, it would be to make sure students are getting their schedules designed their freshman year that will allow them to take those Laude courses later on. There are some opportunities for freshmen to earn Laude points,” he said. “Maybe not many, but there are some. Mainly we see kids in PLTW classes or the music classes at that freshman age.

“But also, getting that grade point average as high as you possibly can—the GPA is not year-to-year, it is cumulative—so if you can get it as high as you can your freshman year and keep it that way, that multiplier is going to pay off later on when you earn some points.

“And really the laude system fits nice into our vision statement as far as striving to create high levels of learning. If you look at high levels of learning and if we can get more kids to take those high-level courses in all subject matter, it is going to be overall better for our kids.”

Winskill student wins Elks Lodge essay contest

Christina Buttles also won second at a local contest

Lancaster's Christina Buttles was a big winner in a recent Elks Lodge essay contest.

"Christina's topic was our veterans and her essay was exceptional and heartwarming," said fifth grade teacher Abby Price.

Christina placed second at the local level and first at the state level. She received $20 for her efforts at the local competition and $100 for her win at the state competition.  Christina also received a medal and certificate.

Christina read her essay at an Elks Lodge awards banquet earlier this month.

"Christina did a wonderful job," Price said. "Im sure she would be happy to share her essay with you if you would like to read it."

Miller recognized by WMEA

LMS band director a rising star in music education

Lancaster Community Schools instrumental music teacher and Middle School band director Ashley Miller is being recognized by the Wisconsin Music Educators Association.

Miller has been nominated as a young music educator who will make a lifelong impact on music education.

“The nomination was a huge surprise,” Miller said. “[The Association] said my name has been brought up as being a music educator that is blossoming as a leader in music education.”

Miller will attend a leadership conference at the Wisconsin State Music Association headquarters in Waunakee in mid-July.

“Fifty other educators from around the state will be joining me as we share ideas about band retention, recruitment, repertoire and rapport,” Miller said. It should be really fun!”

Winskill's Kindergarten Circus a big hit

Annual event thriving after move to Hillery Auditorium

The annual Winskill Elementary Kindergarten Circus was held on Friday, May 4. Seventy five- and six-year-olds dressed in beautiful costumes entertained family and friends in Lancaster High School’s Hillery Auditorium.

“We are trilled to continue this long-standing tradition in our community,” said kindergarten teacher Brenda Mezera.

The first Winskill Kindergarten Circus was organized by Mrs. Joan Wilcox in the mid-1960s. She directed the event in her classroom for other students. The circus has transformed, with many new and exciting changes throughout the years.

The circus was held in kindergarten classrooms for several years before it was moved to the Winskill presentation room to allow attendees to enjoy a larger space. When each kindergarten classroom combined for the circus it left too little space to fit both performers, props and guests in the presentation room.

A move to the Hillery Auditorium in 2016 marked a new era for the Kindergarten Circus. The new venue not only improved space and mobility problems, students’ grandparents and the very young were more comfortable.

A dress rehearsal practice is held a day prior to the Circus, and is attended by 4K students and residence area care seniors.

“Having this auditorium available for our Winskill events has opened up more opportunities to serve our Lancaster parents,” Mezera said. “Adults still reminisce about their roles as Circus performers.”

The Winskill kindergarten staff gives a huge thanks to those who have donated dance costumes and to Walker’s Clothing and Shoes for tuxedo rental for the ringmasters. Friends of Winskill also offers support to replace some costumes and props. The kindergarten staff also offers its gratitude to everyone for their continued support.

The show must go on!

Winskill Elementary offers Summer School

Several courses available to students

Winskill Elementary School has announced its 2018 Summer School offerings. Summer School will be held July 30-Aug. 2, Aug. 6-9 and Aug. 13-16 from 7:45 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. each day.

Winskill Summer School includes 10 courses for students in first grade through third grade, and 11 courses for students in fourth grade through sixth grade.

The 2018 Winskill Elementary Summer School course catalog can be viewed here.

Donkey Basketball fundraiser to support FBLA

New Lancaster rodeo stars will be born

New Lancaster rodeo stars will be born during the wild and crazy “Dairyland Donkey Basketball Show” at Lancaster High School on Monday, April 23. The excitement begins at 7 p.m. 

What is Donkey Basketball? It is basketball played on real, live donkeys and it will be wilder than a rodeo and funnier than a circus. All local players will be riding, so come out and see someone you know try to ride a donkey and play basketball at the same time. It’s a thrill a minute and a spill a minute.  Laugh as you’ve never laughed before at the Donkey Basketball show.

This fun-filled show is sponsored by Lancaster High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).  All of the proceeds will be to support student attendance at competitive events at the Regional, State and National levels as well as team field trips. Advance tickets can be purchased from FBLA members, at the High School office or at Walkers Clothing and Shoes (on the square in Lancaster).  Tickets may also be available at the gate if there is space available. Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at the gate. Children four and younger are admitted free.

Three Lancaster FBLA students advance to Nationals

Baltimore to host Nationals later this year

Lancaster High School students attended the Wisconsin State Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Leadership Conference in La Crosse April 9-10.

Seven Lancaster students attended the Conference to participate in competitive events, workshops and leadership training. Lancaster’s Ross Howard and Sydney Kwallek elevated their leadership skills and graduated from the Legacy Academy Leadership Training, while Jacob Kindrai and Mason Crooks competed in computer technology skill events and learned some new tricks.

Lancaster senior Kyla Vaughan learned some new Sales Presentation skills and brought home the first place trophy. Liz Walker and Aubrie Weydert tested their planning skills and earned a fourth place trophy in Hospitality Management.

By virtue of their first place and fourth place finishes, Kyla, Liz and Aubrie are now qualified to attend Nationals in Baltimore, Maryland June 28 - July 1. 

FBLA inspires and prepares students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences, and offers a setting where members compete at regional, state and national levels in business and technology curriculum.

LHS shines at annual STEMposium

Matt Vesperman among first place finishers

Southwest Wisconsin Project Lead The Way (PLTW) schools held their annual STEMposium at the University of Wisconsin Platteville on Monday, April 16.

Lancaster High School was among area schools that participated and several of the school’s finest fared very well.

Matt Vesperman earned first place in the Floatation Challenge and Ryan Gallinger finished third.

Dalton Gardner earned third place in the Crumple Zone Challenge.

Gallinger, Dylan Tydrich and Hayden Knapp earned second place in the Team Problem Solving competition, while Gardner and Tyler Graney finished third.

LHS students take part in Youth Government Day

By David Timmerman

Students from across Grant County convened on the centers of county government on April 11 for the third annual Youth Government Day.

Youth Government Day gives high school students an opportunity to experience how local government offices operate. Students were split up in the morning and rotated tours of the county jail, administration building and Grant County Courthouse.

Students heard presentations in each of those locations. Sharing their time and talents with students were the county sheriff, coroner, county board chair, clerk of circuit courts, both judges, district attorney, county clerk, treasurer and register of deeds.

“We look at it as a field experience today,” said Mike Lieurance, a member of the Grant County Board and American Legion. Lieurance participated in the 1965 edition of Youth Government Day as a student.

Youth Government Day ceased in 1993 but was revived in 2016.

“As we look to them, they will be voting age on their next birthday,” Lieurance said, nothing they want to get them, as the next generation involved in both voting, and running for offices. “You see a lot of us old grey hairs involved.”

David Timmerman is editor of the Grant County Herald Independent.

SLAM comes to LHS on April 30

Annual event is an evening for the arts

Lancaster High School welcomes the public to SLAM on Monday, April 30. The Lancaster Middle/High School commons will host an evening of technology, theater, art, music, writing and more from 5-8 p.m.

Admission to the event is free. Refreshments will be sold by the LHS Spanish Club and LHS French Club.

LHS Career Exploration Day a hit

Nearly 40 businesses participate in annual event

By Robert Callahan

The Lancaster High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department held its fourth annual Career Exploration Day at the Grant County Fairgrounds on Feb. 27.

Leslie Kruempel, Mission Executive for CROPP Cooperative/Organic Valley, served as the 2018 keynote speaker. Brent Kindred of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) provided a brief welcome prior to Kruempel’s keynote address.

Kindred told his captive audience he failed English as a high school freshman and “wasn’t breaking any records,” his sophomore year of high school either.

“What career and technical education helped me to do was it helped me to dream,” he said. “It helped me to figure out, what do I want to do? So while I was junior and I was a senior taking our career and technical education classes at my high school, I had a dream.”

Kindred dreamt of attending a technical college. He did so, and dreamt again. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Kindred taught technical education for several years before joining the Department of Public Instruction.

“You have a fantastic opportunity here. You really do. I really haven’t seen many opportunities like this for students in high schools around the state of Wisconsin,” he told the students gathered. “I don’t want you to take this for granted. You have an opportunity to dream big. I want you to dream about what you want to do for a career. Whatever you choose, career and technical education is a powerful, powerful tool for you to be able to dream.”

Kruempel shared the value of soft skills and specific soft skills she looks for as she hires new employees: an ability to collaborate, learning from those that come before you, an ability to adapt and flex, an ability to challenge the status quo and practicing being a good communicator.

A Minnesota native, Kruempel recalls taking a career aptitude test as a high school student.

“I don’t even remember what I got but I remember not liking it and not agreeing what it said would be the right career for me,” she said. “I love the fact that they are thinking about a lot of career paths today, which I think is really cool too. I think this is a really, really cool experience for them.”

A total of 38 area businesses attended Career Exploration Day. State Representative Travis Tranel (R-Cuba City) attended as well. Students had the opportunity to speak with local businesses and organizations about future careers and opportunities in a career fair-style format in the Fairgrounds’ Eckstein Building.

Nicole (Olmstead) Laufenberg of Smile Out Loud Daycare was one of the vendors in attendance. Laufenberg is a 1995 graduate of Lancaster High School. She pursued a career in nursing after graduating from high school, but opened her daycare 14 years ago.

“I absolutely love this,” she said. “It is so rewarding.”

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Marketing Manager and Public Information Officer Katie (Friar) Glass graduated from Lancaster High School in 2003.

“I think it is awesome what they are doing now,” she said. “It took me three years of college to decide and explore career opportunities. An atmosphere like this where you can actually talk to the employers, it shines in a different light. I think it would have been really helpful to me as a high school student.”

Aaron Peterson, Bard Materials Central Batch Manager, attended Career Exploration Day as well. He is a Fennimore High School graduate.

“Me growing up, I was a smart kid, I was an intelligent kid, but four-year college was never going to be my thing. It just wasn’t what I wanted to do,” he said. “I wanted to be outside, I wanted to be hands-on. I have been very fortunate that I got in with a company and a career where I could work my butt off and achieve the things I have achieved to where I am now.

“I would have definitely taken advantage of something like this. And I honestly believe — and this is just me and I don’t want to take anything away from a formal four-year education because that is great and I encourage it — however, I think that is starting to turn again. I really think trades and industry are coming back around because of the simple economics of it all. There are a lot of unemployed people out there with hundreds of thousands of dollars of school debt. We are always looking for those kids that want to work, they want to stay local, and they want to earn a good living and want to hit the ground running.”

Lancaster High School senior Tyler Graney attended his final Career Exploration Day.

“I thought it was really helpful. I learned quite a bit from it. I learned more this year than other years because I have more of an idea what I want to do. I had more questions this time,” he said. “Right now I am going into mechanical engineering at Platteville. I want to be a mechanical engineer. I have looked at working, trying to get a job at Lancaster Machine and Tool. That is what I want to do.”

Lancaster Machine and Tool was a vendor at Career Exploration Day and brought with a block sorter.

“I thought it was pretty cool. It was good to show what they do,” Graney said of the block sorter. “It was cool to talk to the guy that made it.

“I thought [Career Exploration Day] was a lot better than just having no school. If I had no school, I am not doing anything all day.”

Lancaster High School senior Tamara Dilley also attended Career Exploration Day.

“I think I got more out of it as I got older. When I was younger I don’t really think I paid attention, but now that I am getting older, going to college, going to have to get a job that is my career, I pay more attention to it and get more advice from the vendors,” she said.

Dilley, who aspires to be an OB nurse or neonatal nurse, visited with representatives of Grant Regional Health Center.

“It was really good talking to them and seeing what they suggest,” she said.

Lancaster High School Technical Education teacher Duane Leeser believes each Career Exploration Day is a learning experience.

“I thought it went well. We have received pretty good responses so far from everybody,” he said. “Every year we learn. Every year we learn something we can do differently. We have received good responses from our vendors and pretty good responses from our kids.”

Lancaster High School Technical Education teacher Eric Mumm noted the 2018 Career Exploration Day was the largest yet. He greeted vendors when they arrived at the Eckstein Building.

“It was really cool to see how the vendors utilize that time to talk to each other and just the connection they had with each other,” he said. “To be a part of that, to bring those business people together, that was neat. Obviously, to see them interact with the students is always really cool to see. They are giving up their morning from their business to come in and talk with our students, I think that is invaluable.”

GOAL! Hockey Club brings students, staff, community together

Dubuque Fighting Saints provide memorable experience

By Robert Callahan

More than a dozen students gather at Lancaster High School on Fridays during the school year at 7 a.m. What brings them together at such an early hour?

A love of hockey. Lancaster Community Schools’ Hockey Club was formed 12 years ago.

“Those 12 calendar years have put about 24 years on my body,” said Club founder and Lancaster High School Guidance Counselor Tom Hughey.

While the Club typically plays on Fridays, members also enjoy “specials.” Examples of specials are when staff play against students on Wednesdays. Lancaster Police Department members join the fray once a month for a “special.”

“The Fighting Saints were certainly a special,” Hughey said.

Members of the United States Hockey League’s Dubuque Fighting Saints joined the action on a Friday in December. When the owner of the Fighting Saints saw news of the Club in a Telegraph Herald story, the team reached out to the school district. Head coach Oliver David, players and team staff experienced Hockey Club for a day.

“We marvel at the skill level of the Fighting Saints. As their coach pointed out, they are recruited worldwide,” Hughey said. “One of the players who came was from Sweden, another from Germany, we had a Canadian, one from Pennsylvania, one Indiana, all the best in their age group.

“When they go to Dubuque they are living with host families and they are working real hard at their hockey craft, but also continuing their education on the side because their goal is to get a Division One hockey scholarship and then maybe to aspire to play professional hockey.”

Adam Tisdale, a Fighting Saints forward, played with Club members. A native of Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, Tisdale has recorded a pair of hat tricks this season. He has committed to Clarkson University in New York.

“It amazes me every day to see how hockey plays such an important role in our friendship and passions,” he said. “Playing hockey with the Lancaster Hockey Club was such an amazing experience, to see their love and passion for the game of hockey. I had a great time, and as always, loads of fun.”

Scott Corbett, a native of Carmel, Indiana, is also a Fighting Saints forward. He also enjoyed his interaction with the Hockey Club.

“It was truly an eye-opening experience to see how hockey plays such big role in everyone’s lives,” he said. “It brings you new friendships, teaches life lessons, and most importantly is extremely fun.”

Rachel Pfantz, a Lancaster High School special education teacher, serves as co-advisor of the Hockey Club.

“I came the first time on a staff game day, but I had never played hockey before. Ever,” she said. “I had a lot of fun. I wasn’t sure if I should play again on Friday because I didn’t want to intrude on the students’ fun, but Tom invited me back and so I started attending regularly and have continued.”

Both Hughey and Pfantz were wowed by the Fighting Saints’ visit.

“I thought it was absolutely awesome, for a couple of reasons. One is, again, you can see the skill level they have. You take our best players and they look like they are one-armed, one-legged amateurs compared to them,” Hughey said. “Secondly, and more importantly, was the excitement of our high school kids. They were bouncing off the walls for about two weeks before. ‘The Saints are coming. The Saints are coming.’ Afterward, that day [of the visit] I had teachers coming to me saying, the kids were buzzing, they were saying the Saints were here today and talking about how awesome of an experience it was.

“Part of what made it awesome was the fact that those athletes bent over backwards to reach out personally to the kids. The coach explained a bit about the background. He is kind of like Rachel and I in that you take your job seriously, but as kids at heart, we have fun when we play. And you could tell he was having fun that morning. Their players were talking to our kids and interacting and complimenting them, and vice-versa. They just kind of blended in seamlessly.”

“I thought it was awesome for them to come in. I had a lot of fun,” Pfantz said. “I think it was really good for the Fighting Saints to come in and be role models for our students because there is not very much of an age difference between them, and to see how good the Fighting Saints were and be able to have that interaction with hockey players who are so close in age, I thought that was really cool for them.”

Lancaster’s Hockey Club began as a student outreach effort.

“We had a couple kids about 12 years ago who were just not coming to school. We couldn’t get them here in the morning. When we got them here, they would be asleep or totally unengaged,” Hughey recalled. “They were just sitting in here and I said, ‘What makes you guys tick? What do you like about school? Any one thing.’ And they said, ‘phy ed, if we play hockey.’

“I said, ‘I am kind of a hockey buff. I will tell you what. You talk to some people, I will talk to some. Let’s see if we can have a pick-up game Friday morning at seven.’ We started out with enough to have a good, solid game that morning and it just took off. I was expecting it to be an every once in a while kind of thing and it became every week. And those two kids, their attendance turned way around. Their grades didn’t get into them into Harvard, but they graduated, and that was ahead of where they would be. It really took off from there.”

In the Hockey Club’s heyday, there were as many as 18 members. For many of its members, the Club is their niche.

“They don’t do a lot of other things outside of this. They get very excited for it,” he said. “We came up with a logo. We buy them all T-shirts with their name and number on the back. That is our gift to kids who play. We want them to be excited for it.

“You have your hardcore, the kids who never miss. Then you have some that are in and out. And some of them, if they are involved in other activities, we see them when they aren’t as busy. We welcome anybody who wants to come. No experience necessary. Just a lot of fun.”

Brendan Turben, a Lancaster High School senior, has been a member of the Hockey Club since he was an eighth grader.

“I enjoy the competitiveness of it,” he said. “It is not like a normal hockey game. It is more of a fun relief, in a sense, of stress.”

Hughey and Pfantz hit the road before sunrise on Friday mornings to pick up the student-athletes and still make it to the high school when the puck drops at 7 a.m.

Floor hockey is played the length of the high school basketball court and the width of the gymnasium.

“You get a lot of running. If we have 16 people on a regular Friday, we will just play everybody,” Hughey said. “If it is more of a special game we might go 7-on-7 and have substitutes or something. But you get a workout, no doubt about it.”

Lancaster High School physical education/health teacher Kyle Stiklestad takes part in the staff versus students games.

“It is really nice to interact with the kids in a different way,” he said. “You kind of get to be competitive, and at the same time be kind of silly and goofy with them.

“Being a phy ed teacher it is really fun watching the kids do stuff when it is not required of them. They show up and have fun and do it on their own, which I like as the phy ed guy.”

Hughey once entertained the notion of shuttering the Hockey Club. He was persuaded not to.

“Not only did I have kids rebel, politely, they just let me know how disappointed they were. I had parents contact me and I had the police department contact me,” he said. “Sergeant McLimans came in my office about five at night and I was in here working. He said, ‘I know you are stressed, but find something else. Hockey club means so much to us because a lot of the kids in the program are kids that we have some contact with. It just changes the whole dynamic, when they see you more friendly, you interact, and now all of a sudden it is more of a friendly conversation and not adversarial.’ They, as a police department, have an agenda to be in the school and promote those positive relationships and they see Hockey Club as being a big part of that.”

While his body has aged 24 years in the last 12 through Hockey Club, Hughey would have it no other way.

“Honest to goodness, it gives me a legitimate reason not to act my age once a week,” he said. “The other times I don’t act my age are not quite so legitimate.”

LHS schedules Junior Prom

Enjoy "Footloose" on April 21

Lancaster High School will host its 2018 Junior Prom on Saturday, April 21.

The 2018 Junior Prom theme is "Footloose." Prom is scheduled for 8 p.m. until midnight, with post prom to follow. The Grand March will be held at 10 p.m. 

Tickets prices are: single prom only( $7), couple prom only ($12), single prom and post prom ($10), couple prom and post prom ($15), single post prom only ($10), couple post prom only ($15).

Evan Straka honored by Herb Kohl Educational Foundation

Lancaster High School senior named Excellence Scholar

The selection committee for the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Scholarship, Fellowship, and Leadership Program has announced recipients of the 2018 Herb Kohl Foundation awards for students, teachers, and principals. Awards in the amount of $6,000 are being made to 100 teachers, 16 principals, and their schools, and $10,000 scholarships will be given to 191 graduating high school students.

Lancaster High School senior Evan Straka has been named a 2018 Herb Kohl Foundation Excellence Scholar. Straka was one of two students in CESA 3 selected, joining Fennimore High School’s Adam Riley. There are 31 school districts in CESA 3.

Excellence Scholarship recipients have demonstrated excellence in the academic arena and high motivation to achieve, have displayed a broad range of activity and leadership outside the academic setting, and have shown strong promise for succeeding in college and beyond.

Fellowship recipients are educators who have been chosen for their superior ability to inspire a love of learning in their students, their ability to motivate others, and their leadership and service within and outside the classroom.

Leadership Award recipients are school principals who are being recognized for setting high standards for instruction, achievement, and character, and creating a climate to best serve students, families, staff, and community.

Excellence Scholarship, Fellowship, and Leadership Award recipients are selected by a statewide committee composed of civic leaders, and representatives of education-related associations and the program’s co-sponsors: The Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools (WCRIS), regional Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESAs), the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, and the Wisconsin Parents Association.

Initiative Scholarship recipients, chosen by their schools, have demonstrated exceptional initiative in the classroom and have shown strong promise for succeeding in college and beyond, but have not yet received other academic-based scholarships.

“I think it is significant that Wisconsin’s students, teachers, principals, and schools are recognized for their devotion to education and learning,” said Dr. Chris Cody, WCRIS board president.

“Herb Kohl, through his philanthropy on behalf of our educators and students, has provided opportunity and access to a better future for countless Wisconsinites,” said State Superintendent Tony Evers.

Lancaster students' artwork on display during 'Youth Art Month'

Schreiner Memorial Library, Lancaster Post Office host artistic creations

March is national “Youth Art Month.” To celebrate, art projects created by Lancaster Community Schools students will be displayed this month throughout the community.

Schreiner Memorial Library, 113 West Elm Street, Lancaster, will host artwork. The Lancaster Post Office, 236 West Maple Street, Lancaster, will display student artwork as well. In addition, artwork can be found in hallways at Winskill Elementary School, Lancaster Middle School art showcases, Lancaster High School commons art showcases, and Lancaster Community Schools Central Office.

The time and talents of Lancaster students will also be on display at the UW-Richland Regional Art Exhibit next month and the UW-Madison State Art Exhibit in May.

Art activities advance all education. Art enlists the imagination of a child. It impels them to become more aware, use his imagination, and judge things from their own experience. Art stimulates the child’s spiritual and emotional responses to his environment. It develops creativity, perception and imagination. Art is for all youth, not just the specially gifted. Art experiences stimulate creativity, imagination, perception and selectivity, which are attributes necessary for our future careers, business people, teachers, engineers and scientists.

Girls cross country team earns Academic All-State honors

Four also earn individual accolades 

The Lancaster girls cross country team has earned Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association Academic All-State honors for the 2017 season.

To earn team Academic All-State honors, the top five cumulative grade point averages on the team must average 3.4 or higher. Lancaster’s cumulative GPA was 3.79.

Lancaster’s Maddie Hampton, Megan Volkmann, Kristin Muench and Lydia Murphy also earned individual All-State honors. 

A runner must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher to earn individual Academic All-State honors.

'Makin' Magic' at LHS this weekend

Lancaster High School will present its annual Cabaret on Feb. 17-18.

Cabaret 2018, “Makin’ Magic,” takes the Hillery Auditorium stage at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 18.

Among the many performers will be Lancaster High School’s Song Spinners, Chamber Singers, Men’s and Women’s Choirs, a cappella groups, “The Magic Drum Set,” dancers, cheerleaders, solos and duets, and skits. The Jazz Band will add to the magic at intermission.

Approximately 170 students will take part in Cabaret 2018.

“It is a pretty impressive thing,” Lancaster Middle and High School Principal Mark Uppena said. “I am excited to take it in myself. It is a big undertaking. The first time I went, I was in awe. Each year, I never am disappointed.”

LMS will host National History Day event

Judges sought for projects

Lancaster Middle School will host a National History Day event on Monday, Feb. 26 from 1-3 p.m.

Parents/guardians and community members are welcome to attend the event, which will be held in the Middle School commons.

Anyone interested in judging projects is encouraged to contact Andy Haas at haasa@lancastersd.k12.wi.us or 723-6425 ext 233.

Lancaster graduate gives back

Zenz shares knowledge with Middle School art students

By Patty Francis

Lancaster Middle School students enrolled in art class this second quarter were greeted with a guest speaker in on Friday, Jan. 12. Katelyn Zenz, a 2016 graduate of Lancaster High School and art student at UW-Stout, majoring in Game Design, visited with students in Patty Francis’ art room.

Katelyn introduced herself and shared work she had done in middle school, high school and college. She shared the many sketchbooks she filled with drawings over the years and gave reasons why it is important to save past work, as she showed ways she took former drawings and former ideas, and made them into new works of art.

One college drawing assignment which intrigued many of the young learners was the “Endless Pen Project,” which was a multi-layered composition she shared with the class. Katelyn received a normal ball point pen from her professor and a large piece of drawing paper. The task was to do a drawing in perspective of any of the hallways in the two art buildings, until the pen ran out of ink.

Katelyn also shared her crow/raven sculpture aptly named, “Edgar Allen Crow.” Her passion and her love for the work she does came through in her words and actions as she shared with three classes and grade levels of students.

Two additional highlights were the video games Katelyn created and shared. Over a 48-hour time frame, she and another art student, along with two programmers, “jammed” to create each game. Students were anxious to try and play the games, and they were also inspired to know of an art career they might be interested in striving toward.

Patty Francis is a Lancaster Community Schools' art teacher.

Awarding-winning journalist shares story at LHS

Erin Alberty spoke with Intro to Law students

By Robert Callahan

One of the first semester highlights of Amy Flynn’s Intro to Law class was a visit by journalist Erin Alberty. Alberty was the lead reporter on The Salt Lake Tribune’s 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of campus sexual assault.

A 2001 graduate of Luther College, Alberty was college roommates with Lancaster High School band director Rebekah Vogelsberg. Alberty visited Lancaster High School while in the area to speak at her alma mater, located in Decorah, Iowa.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to have Erin speak to my Intro to Law students. She provided great insight on what it is like to investigate a very emotionally-charged crime all while fighting the road blocks put up by powerful leaders and institutions within a community,” Flynn said. “As consumers of information we all want to have the most up-to-date and accurate information possible on current issues and topics. What we don't know is the ways news reporters go about gathering that information. Erin was able to provide for the students a look into the world of a ‘crime beat’ reporter and how they identify, gather and finally present to readers their stories!”

Alberty admitted she had “nosed around” the story of sexual assaults at Brigham Young University (BYU) for a while, “but really struggled to find sources that had personal experience with being an assault victim and then dealing with the Honor Code, either not reporting because they were afraid of getting in trouble, or reporting and getting in trouble.”

That changed in spring of 2016, when a BYU student spoke out during a campus forum regarding sexual assault.

“[The student] went and publicly confronted the Title IX coordinator and was like, I was sexually assaulted and now I am being kicked out of school, what do you have to say to that? And the Title IX coordinator gets up and says, we have a Honor Code and we know it may have a chilling effect on reporting, but we don’t apologize for our Honor Code, and that was it,” Alberty recalled. “After that woman got up in that forum, I had found one person that I thought might have been central to the story but I couldn’t tell when she had gone to school, and it was important to me to find more recent students and current students. If these were students from 20 years ago, their stories are still important, but it doesn’t show me that is what is going on now. We wanted to know what was going on now.

“I didn’t know how systemically supported this practice would be. I thought maybe it would turn out to be one or two very zealous personalities in the Honor Code office responsible for this. I kind of assumed after that first story that we wrote that BYU’s reaction would automatically be, OK, we are ceasing all Honor Code investigations until we find out how this relates to our sex assault reporting protocols. And when then that didn’t happen, I was like, OK, I don’t think this is about just one or two people.”

In the days following the forum, victims began sharing their stories.

“On social media after the forum, there was a lot more conversation and it became much easier to find people. We began tracking some of these conversations and then very immediately reaching out, as they were all kind of realizing that what happened to them wasn’t a one-off, that it was a pattern,” Alberty said. “And for the first time for a lot of people I talked to, it was occurring to them that maybe it wasn’t right. They had just internalized the self-blame at that point and the messaging from the school was consistent with that, so they hadn’t really questioned it, initially.

“In that first weekend after that forum I interviewed 12 people who said they were assaulted at BYU. I worked constantly. We identified four cases where there were police records of the complaint in addition to school records, so we could have a better corroborated story. We didn’t want to start off with people if we didn’t have the chance to do solid due-diligence.”

Alberty had no idea she and her colleagues might win a Pulitzer Prize.

“My editor thought we might win a finalist mention. My co-worker and I were kind of embarrassed that we had even entered the stories. The Salt Lake Tribune is not a big paper. We think of Pulitzers as being for the New York Times and the Washington Post and the L.A. Times and the Chicago Tribune and the Boston Globe and all that,” she said. “On the day they made the announcement everybody was watching the live feed of the announcement in the news room and I wasn’t. I was kind of glowering at my desk. Everybody is watching this and we’ve done all this work and I think that we have made a difference in our community and now it is going to be all about how we didn’t win a Pulitzer.

“And instead, people started yelping. The Academy Awards had just happened, where they gave the wrong name, so I was like, this is going to be a “La La Land” situation, I am not going to start celebrating just yet.”

Alberty later watched the presentation and learned firsthand it was not “La La Land” redux.

“It was very surreal. And I did not expect it. As much of an honor as it is, I think to me that is secondary to whether we were able to make a difference in our community,” she said. “I knew it was likely on that first day that we put these stories out there that there would be a reader somewhere that was assaulted and tried to tell somebody and the person they told, told them it was their fault, and told them what they shouldn’t have done, and that they had internalized that and were carrying that around. A reader that would look at these stories of people even willing to use their names and get their picture taken, objecting to that reaction, and feel that maybe it was OK to reopen that and scoop out that guilt and not have to carry that around.

“And just knowing that there would probably be some readers out there that would have that experience reading it, I was like, I think we can make a difference. And I think culturally, where you have some religious ideas and ideologies that are very widespread and not often questioned, that it could turn into sort of change how people see sexual assault on a cultural level too in Utah. And the fact that BYU did end up making those changes and making those statements in their advisory report about what had been done was wrong, that it would be, it would give weight to those changes.”

Significant changes to BYU policies were made following the Tribune’s reporting.

“The advisory committee for sexual assault responses put out a report about a year ago and we weren’t sure what they were going to say. We actually wrote three different ledes: one for if they really didn’t change anything, one for if they changed kind of everything that people were complaining about and one if they made some kind of superficial changes but in the wording still left an opportunity to do everything as they had been doing,” Alberty said. “I wasn’t sure which lede we were going to be most likely to get, but I didn’t think we were going to get the lede where they changed everything. They changed everything.

“Their recommendation was to change lots and lots and lots. There is amnesty now, officially, for sexual assault reporters from honor code discipline. The Title IX office, which had been funneling these reports to the honor code office to investigate potential victims, there is now a firewall between them, they are completely distinct. There is a victim advocate position. Trainings were recommended for students and faculty. They did all this stuff.”

Alberty was home sick the day BYU announced the changes.

“My phone just started going ‘beep beep beep’ and I was in a fever haze. My phone started ringing and it was my co-worker calling, asking if I had seen the report,” she said. “Then I looked at my phone and all these messages were coming up and they were all from the various victims that had spoken with me over the year. They felt that them coming forward had produced some kind of action that they were pleased with. I totally started crying. That was a better day for me than winning the Pulitzer.”

 Lancaster senior Kyla Vaughan learned much from Alberty’s visit.

“I thought that Ms. Alberty's visit to our class was incredibly educational and interesting. The reality of the prominence of sexual assault at college campuses is one that I am going to have to face next year,” she said. “As someone who is LGBT, her comments on the honor code outlawing gay actions really hit me. She was a great speaker and had so much experience. After the class was over I got to talk more with her, and I really value that time. It was great to learn more about her and what she does.”

Lancaster senior Sydney Kwallek was inspired by the visit.

“The opportunity to meet Erin Alberty was very inspiring to me personally because I currently hope to major in journalism when I attend Edgewood College,” she said. “Not only did I enjoy learning about the criminal case she covered, but I loved hearing about the steps she took to get the award and all the options when it comes to journalism.

“Ms. Alberty’s visit opened a whole new door for me as to what I would like to do after high school and I hope her visit interested the other students in the class as well. I think it’s important for students to meet people like Erin Alberty because they gain real-life knowledge about the career instead of just reading about it. It was definitely a positive experience and I hope Lancaster continues to provide more opportunities like this one in the future!” 

LMS students organize Holiday Penny War

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation will benefit

Lancaster Middle School Student Council and Fuel Up to Play 60 members helped organize a Holiday Penny War.

The winning class (6th grade) was awarded the opportunity to choose the organization they would like to donate the proceeds to.

A total of $200.35 was raised and will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Ubersox's work shines at Driftless Area Art Festival

Winskill fourth grader wins first place prize

Winskill Elementary School student Vincent Ubersox, a fourth grader, won first place in the K-3rd grade category at the Driftless Area Art Festival in Soldiers Grove this fall.

Vincent's winning artwork was an abstract portrait drawn with chalk, made when he was in third grade. His artwork will be auctioned off at the Driftless Area Art Festival's reception next year and the proceeds made will be given back to the Winskill Elementary School art department.

M'Lou Wilkie visited Winskill Elementary School earlier this month to present Vincent with a? framed reproduction of his artwork and a $30 prize.

Winskill Sing-Along is Thursday

This year's Winskill Elementary School Winter Sing-Along is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 21 at 8:30 a.m. in the Lancaster High School gymnasium.

The Sing-Along will feature many different Christmas and Winter songs. Each grade level from Kindergarten through 5th grade will perform two songs as a class.

Lancaster earns high marks on DPI Report Card

One of nine school districts in CESA 3 to "Exceed Expectations"

By Robert Callahan

The Lancaster Community School District is exceeding expectations, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction School District Report Card released last month.

Lancaster’s District Report Card overall score of 75.8 earned an “Exceeds Expectations” designation. Lancaster was one of nine school districts in CESA 3 to score greater than 72.9, or “Meets Expectations.” There are 31 school districts in CESA 3.

“We are excited where we are with our score, but always want to improve,” District Administrator Rob Wagner said. “We are one of nine schools in our CESA who scored higher than meeting expectations. We are proud of that and want to make sure we are celebrating that success.”

Schools and school districts in Wisconsin receive one of five ratings based on its score: Significantly Exceeds Expectations (83-100), Exceeds Expectations (73-82.9), Meets Expectations (63-72.9), Meets Few Expectations (53-62.9) and Fails to Meet Expectations (0-52.9).

Winskill Elementary School earned an Exceeds Expectations rating with its score of 75.9. Lancaster Middle School (78.1) Exceeds Expectations as well. Lancaster High School earned a Meets Expectations rating (66.8).

Accountability ratings are calculated on four priority areas: student achievement in English language arts and mathematics, school growth, closing gaps between student groups, and measures of postsecondary readiness, which includes graduation and attendance rates, third-grade English language arts achievement, and eighth-grade mathematics achievement. Additionally, schools and districts could have point deductions for missing targets for student engagement: absenteeism must be less than 13 percent and dropout rates must be less than 6 percent.

Student achievement measures the level of knowledge and skills among students in the district, compared to state and national standards. It includes a composite of English language arts (ELA) and mathematics performance by the “all students” group in the Wisconsin Student Assessment System (WSAS) for all tested grades in the district.

District Growth describes how much student knowledge of ELA and mathematics in the district changes from year to year. It uses a value-added score that compares the change in a student's scores to those of observationally similar students. 

Closing Gaps provides a measure that reflects the statewide goal of having all students improve, while narrowing the achievement and graduation gaps between groups of students. This measure acknowledges districts that raise the performance of traditionally lagging student groups, contributing to the closure of statewide gaps. 

On-Track and Postsecondary Readiness indicates the success of students in the district in achieving educational milestones that predict postsecondary success. It includes the graduation rate and the attendance rate as applicable to the district. It also includes measures of third-grade ELA and eighth- grade mathematics achievement as applicable to the district. 

“Our student growth district-wide was improved, showing that overall, all of our kids as a district had shown some good growth from last year’s results to this year’s results,” Wagner said. “That was extremely positive.”

What can Lancaster schools do to improve their scores?

“If we can maintain what we did from last year to this year with our growth and our achievement gaps, and focus on our achievement scores, we hopefully will score even higher next year,” Wagner said. “Although as a district we are still scoring above the state average, that is the one area that kind of stands out that we could make the most growth in.”

Lancaster Community Schools was one of 190 school districts in Wisconsin to earn an Exceed Expectations rating. Overall, 361 public and private school report cards earned a five-star rating (Significantly Exceeds Expectations), 719 had four stars (Exceeds Expectations), 643 had three stars (Meets Expectations), 261 had two stars (Meets Few Expectations), and 117 schools earned one star (Fails to Meet Expectations).

“We know there are still areas with the district report card that we can do better. We are collaborating on that now in our Professional Learning Community,” Wagner said. “We are discussing how kids are tested not only on the state test and ACT test, but how are we questioning and analyzing understanding in our own assessments. We are incorporating the style of questioning used on the standardized test and ACT test within our own assessments so our students are more prepared and have a higher comfort level when testing on state exams. 

“We are feeling like we are on the right track to continue to improve. But, we are pleased with the 2016-2017 Report Card and just hope we can build off of that for next year.”

'Here and Now' performances come from the heart

By Robert Callahan

Lancaster High School students presented David Rogers’ “Here and Now” last month. It wasn’t always easy, but it was worth it. 

Rogers’ “Here and Now” has been called a modern day “Breakfast Club.” The play takes place in a high school auditorium and tells the story of a human relations group consisting of parents, teachers and students. Suicide, substance abuse and body image — all very real to teenagers and to the characters in the play — are among the topics discussed.

“When I first picked the play, it was kind of frightening. I read it and I really liked the message it was sending, but it also talks about some issues that are pretty controversial and some things that might make people uncomfortable,” Director Torie Leslie said. “So I kind of went back and forth. I thought the message was really important, but I didn’t want anybody to get offended. And I didn’t know if I wanted to my kids in those uncomfortable situations, even though they would just be acting. I felt like it was super-relatable, so I didn’t want to hurt anybody.”

Leslie spoke to the theater club at the conclusion of the 2016-2017 school year and mentioned she was considering “Here and Now.” The response was overwhelming.

“They pretty much said, we have to do this. This is something our community needs to see. This is a message we need to get across to our friends and our family and our community members because this is what it is really like, and we need to tell them what it is really like,” Leslie recalled. “So they were the ones that convinced me that this was the play that we needed to do.

“We have had a lot of fun, but we have had nights where there have been tears if a scene hit somebody a little too hard, or if something happens that is a little too close to what is going on in the play. It has been an emotional roller coaster. But I think they really understand it. It speaks to them. So I hope that they can make it speak to our audience.”

Nearly 40 students were involved in the production, as actors and actresses or crew members. “Here and Now” was the second largest production Leslie has directed.

What goes into choosing a play?

“I have to take into account how many actors I think that I am going to get and then what genders they are, that is a lot of it,” Leslie explained. “Then I try to find a play that has a cast that is a little bit bigger, so that I can get more kids involved. That is important to me. I want the theater department to grow.”

Preparations for “Here and Now” began the first week after students returned from summer vacation.

Sydney Kwallek, a senior, was a member of the cast. She also participated in the play as a junior, and was a part of the Middle School play as a seventh and eighth grader.

“I like the relationships we build with each other and how you get to be somebody else for once. This year it is a little different because everybody in the play is somebody out there, so you kind of can relate,” she said. “I just like that you get to be somebody else for once and you can try so many new things, and theater takes you so many different ways.”

Kwallek also serves as Lancaster High School’s Student Council President and was a member of Lancaster’s girls golf team.

“I am involved in a lot, but the play is one of my main priorities when it is play season, so I like to prioritize that,” she said. “I make sure I get everything done during the school day or before school or right after, since we have practice from 7 until 9. I get stuff done on the weekends, so I have time for the play too.”

Collin Lull, a junior, took on a role two weeks prior to performances when a cast member was forced to withdraw. Lull was part of the light booth crew prior to that.

“Ms. Leslie asked me to come early one night. I figured I knew what it was,” Lull said. “She pulled me aside and asked if I would [join the cast]. There is really no option. You kind of have to do it so the play can go on.”

“Collin helped us out on crew. Whenever someone was gone, Collin would read the lines,” Leslie said. “So he knew the play, but I don’t think his intention going into this was that he wanted to be an actor.”

How did Lull feel as an actor?

“It is pretty cool,” he said. “You get to be on stage with the people and you are not just watching it and doing the lights for them, you are actually part of it. You get to feel what it is like to be out in front of people.”

Owen Wolf, a junior, was a part of the Middle School play as a seventh and eighth grader, and the high school play as a sophomore.

“In Middle School I tried to do as much as I could and that is what I did,” he said. “So I tried out for the play — something different and new — and it was really fun. We met and we did the play, and we had a lot of fun in the back. I personally still have pictures of us messing around.”

What is Wolf’s favorite part of the creative process?

“Probably in the very beginning when you are just learning the parts because we just — we mess up but we act crazy and it is fine, it is fine for the first couple practices — then we have to get down to business,” he said.

Wolf also enjoys the opportunity to step into someone else’s shoes.

“I enjoy being the other person. Because you are taking yourself and then you are trying to be someone else,” he said. “So you have to look at how they feel, how they see things, then what you would see things. I am a quiet, shy person, and the person I am playing, he is a comedy person. He jokes, does bits. Someone who I am not. It is really fun.”

Carli Jerrett, a senior, was a part of the play for the second time.

“Ms. Leslie is one of my favorite teachers and she needed a lot of people to try out because it was a big cast last year. She convinced me to try out and I fell in love and thought I would do it again,” she said. “I fell in love with acting and being someone else and in front of people. I did forensics, so I don’t mind speaking in front of people. Just everything about it is great.”

One of Jerrett’s favorite parts of the experience is “tech weekend.”

“Tech weekend is the weekend before the play. Saturday and Sunday we have a 12-hour play practice both days,” she explained. “That is when we get all the technical stuff done like lights and if there is sound, and then we make sure that everyone is memorized, hair and makeup and outfits are good to go. It is a long day and you start to hate everyone, but it is really fun and definitely a highlight of the play.”

Jerrett is thankful for the opportunity to perform in the Hillery Auditorium.

“Our auditorium is great. It is really big, so lots of people can come and watch,” she said. “And the backstage area, everything about it is great. The crew is great. The auditorium is really nice. We are blessed to have this nice of an auditorium.”

Jon Farrey, a senior, was involved in his second production.

“I just started doing the play last year and it is kind of something that came pretty easy to me,” he said. “I have just always been really loud and I like reading. I always read a lot as a kid and stuff like that. It just kind of came naturally to me.”

Farrey admits memorizing his lines did not come easy.

“That is probably the one thing that I have the most trouble with, is memorizing my lines. I am pretty irresponsible when it comes to doing things I am supposed to do,” he said. “Memorizing, I wasn’t memorized until maybe a week and a half [prior to performances]. I kind of procrastinated on that a little bit.”

As Tony Baldwin, Farrey endured some emotionally draining days on set.

“There were a couple tougher days where a scene just got to me. It is always a challenge to kind of find the happy middle,” he said. “You don’t want to go overboard with some of the scenes and you don’t want to put too little into it. It is really hard to find that happy middle and if you can’t, it can be frustrating.”

Throughout the production, Leslie watches her cast and crew become a theater family.

“They become so close and they look out for each other. They take care of each other. They go out of their way to help each other,” she said. “We just kind of become a little family. That is probably my favorite part.”

LHS is home to new Little Free Library

By Robert Callahan

Lancaster High School held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the school’s new Little Free Library on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Library Media Specialist Michelle Uppena and Lancaster High School English teacher Jason Smith visited Books4School in Madison earlier this year and returned with approximately 600 books.

“During the first or second week of school we laid all the books out in the library and brought the students in one class after another and they picked whatever book they wanted,” Smith said.

“We really felt a need to push out our project at the beginning of the year, with the 1:1 Chromebook rollout,” Uppena added. “Literacies of all types need to promoted and accessible. As the students were getting their Chromebooks, they also visited the library to choose their first book to build their library at home; 1:1 Chromebooks and 1:1 books.”

A 20-year international study published in Research in Social Stratification and Mobility revealed regardless of nationality, level of education or their parent’s economic status, children who grew up with books in their homes reached a higher level of education than those who do not. 

The purchase of the books was made possible thanks to a donation by Lancaster High School’s 2017 graduating class. The Little Free Library is the class’ legacy project.

“We tried to get grant funding but were unsuccessful. We had to think of a different way to develop this process that we were so passionate about,” Uppena said. “Mr. Smith connected with the senior class of 2017 because he was their class advisor. They had extra funding and he pleaded the case for this project. Mr. Smith came to me for support in finding books and promoting our project.” 

The search for books led Smith and Uppena to Books4School and the rest, as they say, is history. Of the approximately 600 books brought back to Lancaster, any not chosen by a student at the start of the school year will be placed in the Little Free Library.

“The kids will be able to take the book they picked at the start of the school year and swap it out for another one or if they love that book, the book is theirs to keep,” Smith said. “Part of our goal is to just help kids build their own personal home libraries. We think that is such an important thing. So many kids have homes where reading is not valued in the same way. This is an opportunity for them to have a book of their own, of their own choosing, that becomes their book. They can choose to keep it, or switch it out for another book.”

The Little Free Library was built by three students in Lancaster High School Technology Education teacher Eric Mumm’s Building Trades class: Tyler Hale, Ethan Klar and John Wagner.

“I think they are beautiful,” Smith said of the bookcases. “I found the design online and the students built the six that make up the Little Free Library and four more that are throughout the school in different classrooms.”

Lancaster High School’s Little Free Library is charter number 60434 and can be found on the world map: https://littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap/.

“I check the library weekly to straighten [the books] and to add new reading material,” Uppena said. “I have noticed that other students and staff are adding books to share.”

Smith and Uppena welcome supporters to donate books or funding to purchase books.

“We hope that this is something we can continue in future years in pretty much the same fashion,” Smith said.

See 'Here and Now' this weekend at LHS

By Torie Leslie

Lancaster High School presents its fall play, “Here and Now” by David Rogers, this weekend. Show times are 7 p.m. on Nov. 10 and Nov. 11, and 2 p.m. on Nov. 12 at the Hillery Auditorium at Lancaster High School.  

Think of “Here and Now” as a modern-day “Breakfast Club.” It takes place in a high school auditorium and is about a human relations group consisting of parents, teachers, and students. It deals with difficult subjects like suicide, substance abuse, body image, etc. - all very real to teenagers and to the characters in this play.  Below is a plot description provided by the publisher:

This play is unusual in every way—in subject matter, manner of presentation, and the way in which it seems to move from "performance to reality." It takes place on the bare stage of a high school auditorium. In Scene 1, a group of actors begin rehearsing the play. The play they are presenting is loosely based on actual experiments in a Connecticut high school in which students, teachers and parents met for sessions in a human relations group called a "Here and Now" meeting. As the actors work on the play, their identification with the characters becomes stronger, and as the confusions and tensions of their parts surface, their own hang-ups emerge, too. Finally, the characters, the actors and the audience will learn that they are not alone with the pressures and confusions young adults, teachers and parents face today.

The point of the play is to prove that no one deals with these issues alone, and no one should have to feel that that is the case. The characters morph, as the show goes on, into the characters they are playing; that is, they heavily identify with the same issues.

Torie Leslie is an English teacher at Lancaster High School. She is also the director of the school’s performance of “Here and Now”.  

Craft Sale has been 'a joy'

Lancaster High School will host Sale on Nov. 4

By Robert Callahan

The 27th annual — and possibly last — Holiday Craft Sale at Lancaster High School is planned for Saturday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

More than 115 talented vendors from Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota will attend the Craft Sale. One vendor lives in Massachusetts but will be represented at the Sale by family that live in Wisconsin.

“I am excited, because on my last year I have the farthest person we had ever had,” organizer Gloria Fuller said.

Admission to the Craft Sale and parking are free.  A professional cartoonist will be on hand to draw caricatures during the Craft Sale. Door prizes also add to the fun.

Breakfast will be sold all day and a full luncheon menu will be sold by the Lancaster High School Art Club as well. All proceeds support the Lancaster High School Art Club and allow students the opportunity to attend summer art camp, and provide for scholarships, field trips and the purchase of art supplies.

Fuller is an art teacher at Lancaster High School. The Craft Sale began under her watchful eye when she was a new teacher in Lancaster 27 years ago.

“As an art teacher I wanted art students and an Art Club to experience the professional life and meet professional artists and crafters and watch demos of what they did and just be connected. That was my inspiration,” Fuller said. “I started an Art Club and we had no funds, so fundraising to go on field trips, have a movie night, pretty much do whatever they were interested in, came from the Sale.”

Throughout the years the Art Club made treks to Great America, as well as Walt Disney World and MGM Studio. More recently, the Club has visited pottery shops in Madison and Rio.

“The Craft Sale has never caused me to go into debt,” Fuller said. “It has always provided a great opportunity for students.”

Lancaster Community Schools’ administration has supported the Craft Sale from its infancy.

“[District Administrator] Rob Wagner and [High School Principal] Mark Uppena have always been supportive, and Gary Swanstrom before Mark,” Fuller said. “They have always been my cheerleaders.

“I have really appreciated the support of administration, staff, custodians and students. Sometimes I grab students out of study hall to help out. It is a whole community. They say that you can’t do it alone. It is everyone. Everywhere I turn. I never could have done it this long without everyone’s help.”

Not only has Fuller developed a bond with those that have assisted with the Craft Sale, but the vendors as well.

“The crafters become a family over the years. You love seeing them come back,” Fuller said. “They are just a second family. I would say at least 50 percent return each year. I would say on the day of the Craft Sale I usually have 50 to 60 percent booked for the next year.”

Students have always had the opportunity to take part in the Craft Sale at no charge, and all profits were theirs to keep. Staff have also participated, at a discounted rate.

“In the early days I literally had to worry it wouldn’t get full,” Fuller said. “Over the 27 years, I would say probably half of that I have had a waiting list and the other half I have had to recruit people, personally go up and talk to the artists and crafters at different shows, and try to convince them to attend and that our community supports it.”

Fuller recalls one year in which the Lancaster football team was competing in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association playoffs on the Saturday of the Craft Sale.

“One year I was worried and I got extra grey hairs because the Flying Arrow football team was heading out of town, far away, and the whole community was leaving about five in the morning to get out of town and I knew Lancaster would be deserted,” she said. “So I stood at the front door, praying, that somebody would show up because I had all the crafters here. At 9 a.m. I was standing there and I saw cars pulling in. I was so relieved.

“I had to back out of the front door because the crowd was so large. That year I counted 54 cities in Wisconsin in the door prize contest and four or five in Illinois. Ever since then, I don’t worry anymore. But that one was a nail-biter.”

Fuller mulled the idea of ending the Craft Sale last year, but did not, at the urging of her husband, Roger.

“He told me last November, ‘Do what you want, but I think you should do it one more year.’ And I don’t know why he said that, but I am glad he did,” she said.

Roger passed away unexpectedly in August.

“Planning this year has helped me focus and be busy,” Fuller said. “Otherwise, if I would have gave it up last year I think I would have been lost this year. I think down deep he must have known that I needed it.”

Fuller expects a few tears will be shed on Saturday.

“It is a good decision for me, but bittersweet,” she said. “I am glad I am doing it one more year, that there is time to say goodbye. I have a feeling there will be some tears, especially hugging some of the people that have been with me 25 years. I think one or two crafters have been here all 27 years.”

To date, none of Fuller’s Lancaster Community Schools colleagues have come forward to express interest in organizing the Craft Sale.

“I guess I say it this way, I don’t think anybody is that crazy to do it,” she said. “If somebody is, I would be willing to train and give them everything I know because I do want it to be a success. I don’t want it to fall apart.”

As the season changes from summer to fall, Fuller feels the Craft Sale preparations in her bones. That should come as no surprise, after nearly three decades.

“It has been a joy. It is actually a dream that is bigger than me,” she said. “I think it went beyond what I ever dreamt. And that was nice to see.”

Flying Arrows claim sectional title

Girls cross country team tops competition at Fennimore

By Robert Callahan

The Lancaster girls cross country team punched its ticket to today’s Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association cross country championships by winning the Division 3 sectional at Fennimore on Oct. 21.

Lancaster junior Lydia Murphy led the way for the Flying Arrows, crossing the finish line second (20:51). Murphy will be making her third trek to Wisconsin Rapids and the championships.

Lancaster freshman Kristin Muench continued her strong freshman campaign with a fifth place finish (21:08). Lancaster junior Hanna Cohen was not far behind, finishing 10th (22:14).

Lancaster senior Maddie Hampton finished just outside the top-10 (22:25) and junior Crystalyn Miss crossed the finish line in 23:21.

The sectional title was just the second for Lancaster’s girls cross country program. The Flying Arrows previously won a sectional crown in 1993.

“Success is knowing you gave your very best effort. That's been the main theme of this season,” Lancaster coach Taylor Reynolds said. “Not every day is a race going to go great. Not every practice is going to be easy. If you just give it your all, you can walk away happy at the end of the day.

“I reminded the girls of these points in our final team huddle before the sectional race. The athletes, the fans, the community and our coaching staff were thrilled when we found out that we had won the sectional meet and earned a trip to state.”

What makes Reynolds most proud?

“What I am most proud of is the effort that all our girls gave during the race,” he said. “They pushed themselves to run their very best and the desired outcome followed. Last Saturday was unforgettable. I was blown away by all the Lancaster fans in attendance, and their support and cheering was awesome.

“I am extremely proud of our girls and very happy that they brought a sectional title home to Lancaster!”

Holiday Craft Sale is Nov. 4

Mark your calendar now for the 27th annual Holiday Craft Sale at Lancaster High School, planned for Saturday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

More than 115 crafters from Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota plan to attend the Craft Sale, which will be last sale after nearly three decades. Admission and parking are free. Free entertainment will be provided throughout the day as well. A professional cartoonist will be on hand to draw caricatures during the Craft Sale. Door prizes also add to the fun.

Breakfast will be sold all day and a full luncheon menu will be sold by the Lancaster High School Art Club as well. All proceeds support the Lancaster High School Art Club and allow students the opportunity to attend summer art camp, and provide for scholarships, field trips and the purchase of art supplies.

For more information, contact Gloria Fuller at Lancaster High School (608-723-2173, ext. 354).

Former NBA player to share story at LHS

Chris Herren, a former NBA player for the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics, has a harrowing story to tell of drug abuse and his life-changing efforts to recovery.

He brings his story to Lancaster High School on Wednesday, Oct. 25, where at 6:30 p.m. he will speak at the Hillary Auditorium, which is open and free for the public to attend.

You may have seen Herren’s story on ESPN Film’s documentary “Unguarded,” which was nominated for an Emmy.

He was also the focus of an acclaimed book titled, “Fall River Dreams,” and has shared his harrowing story of abuse and recovery in his memoir, “Basketball Junkie.”

Herren was a high school basketball legend from Fall River, Massachusetts, who scored over 2,000 career points while at Durfee High School and was named to the 1994 McDonald’s All-American team.

After playing college basketball at Fresno State, Herren was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 1999 and then was traded to his hometown team, the Boston Celtics in 2000.

After suffering a season-ending injury as a Celtic, Herren went on to play in five countries including Italy, Poland, Turkey, China and Iran.

Herren struggled with substance abuse for much of his basketball career. Alcohol and drug-free since Aug. 1, 2008, he has refocused his life to put his sobriety and family above all else. 

He now tours the country as a motivational speaker, author and sobriety advocate, sharing his story with audiences in the hopes of reaching just one person and making a difference in his or her life.

In inspiring presentations, he draws on his own history to convince audiences that it is never too late to follow your dreams and urges audience members to overcome their setbacks and start making the right choices.

To support this vision, he founded the Herren Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing treatment navigation, educational and mentoring programs to those touched by addiction and to educate people of all ages on the dangers of substance abuse.

In 2012 the Herren Project launched a national anti-substance abuse campaign, Project Purple, to encourage people of all ages to stand up to substance abuse. Since 2012, it is estimated that over 300,000 teens nationwide have taken the pledge to make good choices. 

With the generous support of the Lancaster C.A.S.H. program (Chemical Abuse Stops Here) and a number of Lancaster area Chamber members, bringing Herren and his inspiring message to Lancaster was made possible.

Donations will continue to be collected from anyone wishing to contribute to this event though, or to the C.A.S.H. program.

The Lancaster C.A.S.H. program is a school run organization with the help of volunteer parents, which plans events each month for kids in fifth through eighth grade that are drug and alcohol free.

The idea is to expose the kids to activities and events that don’t involve drugs and alcohol that they can do when they get older.

“It takes a community to help raise our children to be good citizens and keep them on the right path,” said Vicki Lucey,  “With our community investing in our children and keeping them on the right path, we can hope that they will continue to grow and learn, and return one day to give back and become leaders in the community they were once raised in.”

During the day of Wednesday, Oct. 25, Herren will be speaking to the Lancaster students in grades fifth to twelfth. That night beginning at 6:30 he will be speaking at the Hillary Auditorium at the Lancaster High School, which is open and free to the public.

For more information, contact Mark Uppena at the Lancaster High School or the Lancaster Middle School at (608) 723-4066.

This article is reprinted with permission from the Grant County Herald Independent.

MNC of Wisconsin makes donation

The Lancaster Community Schools Board of Education approved a $950 donation from the Morris Newspaper Corporation of Wisconsin during its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 11.

When the University of Wisconsin Marching Band performed in the Lancaster High School gymnasium in April, it was a first performance from the Badger band in southwestern Wisconsin in the last 30 years. Morris Newspaper Corporation of Wisconsin Sponsored the band, paid all the costs associated with it from transportation to food to marketing.

“The first hurdle was finding a venue large enough to host the band and with enough seating to help pay the costs involved,” wrote Morris Newspaper Corporation of Wisconsin Publisher John Ingebritsen in a letter to the Board. “Thankfully, Lancaster Community Schools provided us with the location and assisted with staging, seating, set-up and tear-down. During the process, I had indicated that Morris Newspaper Corporation of Wisconsin would provide back to the school the net of the proceeds. We were not keeping a penny of the profits.”

Morris Newspaper Corporation of Wisconsin did not charge for marketing in its products for the event and after expenses there was a net return of $1,400. Ticket selling was shared with Platteville, as a mother of a band student had asked to provide assistance. Two-thirds of tickets were sold in Lancaster, with a third sold in Platteville. As a result, the Lancaster High School music department was presented with a check for $950, with Platteville receiving $450.

“More than 700 people attended the event and another 500 tickets sold would have allowed for even more money for the school. One criteria for landing the Badger band in a community is having a student from the area in the band,” Ingebritsen wrote. “My son, Ryan, is a junior and will have this season and next to perform, and so the window is open for a future appearance in Lancaster.

“Since there is a student from Platteville in the band as well, I agreed to let the parent of that student reach out to the university for this coming year, but there is an opportunity in 2018-2019 to bring the band back to Lancaster and hopefully to a full house this next time.”

Platteville has been approved for a UW Marching Band Concert and is considering a date next February.

Ingebritsen also expressed his appreciation for several Lancaster Community Schools’ staff members.

“We appreciated the assistance from David Murphy in working with us to come up with and then build the stage, and the staff who helped set up chairs, provide music stands, as well as time from Mr. Uppena as we coordinated the location for day of ticket sales and use of the commons area for the pre-concert catered meal,” he wrote. “It was a really terrific event for the community and I received comments for weeks following the performance thanking me for bringing the band to Lancaster. Hopefully we can do this one more time at least, and more if other Lancaster students decide to join the UW Marching Band.”

Winskill's inclusive playground dedicated

By Robert Callahan

Lancaster Community Schools celebrated the addition of inclusive playground equipment when the 2017-2018 school year began.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held near Winskill Elementary School’s Kids Courtyard on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 5. Winskill Elementary School students and staff attended, joining members of the Lancaster Community Fund Advisory Board and Lancaster Mayor David Varnam.

Joe Krantz is a member of the Advisory Board. The night before the ribbon cutting, his son asked him what “united” meant.

“When everyone comes together as one,” Krantz told Winskill students prior to the ribbon cutting. “A perfect example is today, when all of you are united as one. We have the inclusivity with this playground and together all of you will be able to play together now.”

Winskill Elementary second grade teacher Melissa Sperle explained to students what a ribbon cutting ceremony was.

“It symbolizes that this playground is now ours,” she said. “It is a playground for all, for everybody to play side-by-side together, which is what it should be all about.”

Discussion of an inclusive playground began a few years ago.

“We had talked about just making the playground more inclusive for a while. We do a 5K every year, so I think it was three years ago we talked with the kids about trying to raise money to make our playground more inclusive,” Sperle said. “That is kind of how it started. We ended up raising I think it was about $5,000 or so.”

The Lancaster Community Fund supported the playground effort through grants. Approximately $60,000 was raised through grants, the 5K fundraiser and pizza sales.

“It was between the Friends of Winskill and the Community Fund and basically our kids. Our kids are the ones that sell the pizzas,” Sperle said. “Our kids really had a huge part and they are the ones that raise the money for the 5K. It really was a combination effort of our kids and the Lancaster Community Fund. It was awesome.

“When the Community Fund agreed to the grant I remember I am pretty sure I cried.”

Sperle credited Lancaster Community Schools Maintenance Supervisor Dan Yoose for his assistance on the project.

“Dan Yoose was a huge help. Dan Yoose was the one that knew what we needed to do to prepare the site, what we needed to tell the people when they come to set it up, etcetera,” she said. “Without Dan Yoose, there is no way the project would have happened.”

Sperle said the playground has earned rave reviews to date.

“The kids love it. It is really cool to see all of the kids playing together,” she said. “You don’t have to be in a wheelchair to enjoy it, but you could be in a wheelchair and enjoy it. It is not just a playground for our kids with special needs, it is for everybody. That is the one area of our playground every kid can enjoy.”

It only makes sense an inclusive playground was truly a community effort.

“Everybody that I ever talked to made it work. Everybody believed it was something not just our school, but our community, needed,” Sperle said. “We look around our school and community, and there are a lot of kids with special needs in our community. You take for granted being able to push your children on a swing. What parents shouldn’t get to push their child on a swing or play with them in a park? That is something so many of us take for granted until you have a child that can’t do that.”

Art students utilize STEAM

By Robert Callahan

Lancaster Middle School Students in Patty Francis’ art classes have participated in STEAM projects this school year.

“STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math,” Francis explained. “STEAM integrates art and design to the equation to drive innovation into the future.”

STEAM is a way to take the benefits of STEM and complete the package by integrating these principles in and through the arts.  STEAM takes STEM to the next level: it allows students to connect their learning in these critical areas together with arts practices, elements, design principles and standards to provide the whole pallet of learning at their disposal.  STEAM removes limitations and replaces them with wonder, critique, inquiry and innovation.

Students recently used nails for a STEAM assignment.

“Students were asked to use one of the elements of art, balance, in a scientific way to problem-solve as to how many nails could be balanced upon one nail,” Francis said. “The highest amount we accomplished was 78!”

Lancaster High School earns silver medal

By Robert Callahan

Lancaster High School earned a silver medal in the U.S. News & World Report 2017 Best High Schools rankings.

“U.S. News and World Report is one avenue of sharing information about our school,” said Lancaster Middle and High School Principal Mark Uppena. “It means we do well on our graduation rates, it means we do OK on our proficiencies in math and reading, and we do well on our AP tests.”

Lancaster ranked 55th in Wisconsin and 2,043 in the U.S. In the 31-school CESA 3 district, of which Lancaster is a part, Prairie du Chien (21), Fennimore (32), North Crawford (46) and Dodgeville (54) finished higher.

Per the U.S. News & World Report scorecard, Lancaster High School’s college readiness index is 27.6. Thirty-three percent of its students took AP exams and 79 percent passed those exams. The school’s mathematics proficiency is 47 percent and its English proficiency is 52 percent. Data was based on the 2014-2015 school year.

“It is a good indicator that we are doing some good things at Lancaster schools,” Uppena said. “And if you take a look at what we are offering and the amount of AP courses we have, our success rate is fairly solid.

“We want to celebrate our successes, but in any given year, things change. If you celebrate too long, someone else will pass you up. We have to roll up the sleeves and get ready for the next year.”

District Administrator Rob Wagner is hopeful future rankings will reflect additional students taking AP exams.

“To have nearly 80 percent of our students pass an AP exam is outstanding, but we need to do a better job to have more kids taking AP courses,” he said. “I think part of that is the laude system that we put in.

“The other thing is to try to expand the AP courses we are offering, to try to get more. We are actually looking at SRNTC for next year to try to pick up some of that, if we can. Some of the schools do that now and they share classes. Maybe somebody out there is offering other AP courses that we just not able to at this time that we can try to pick up.”

U.S. News & World Report collaborated with North Carolina-based RTI International to produce the 2017 Best High Schools rankings. Nearly 20,500 schools were eligible for the rankings.

Lancaster staff attends Reading Summit

By Robert Callahan

CESA 3, in collaboration with Scholastic, held a Wisconsin Reading Summit at Lancaster High School on Friday, Aug. 18.

CESA 3 Regional Service Network (RSN) Director and Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Trainer Jim Nelson explained the Summit was made possible in part due to an RSN grant.

“Our job is to work around that RDA thought — Results Driven Accountability — around the idea of improving reading,” he said. “We also like to look at RDA as Reading Drives Achievement. So I was basically following the protocol, which is part of that grant, to help improve the reading process in CESA 3.

“With that in mind, Scholastic does wonderful things with literacy, not just offering books to kids, but they also have staff development, they have a number of speakers that are available, and they have a number of resources besides books for teachers to improve reading.”

Ernest Morrell and Lester Laminack provided keynote addresses at the Summit. Morrell is the author of eight books, including “Every Child a Super Reader: 7 Strengths to Open a World of Possible.” Laminack is a full-time writer and consultant working with schools throughout the U.S.

The Summit also included three breakout sessions. Sherri Wilson, Director of Consultative Services at Scholastic and founding partner of the Center for Active Family Engagement, shared her expertise in the realm of community engagement. Mollie Henderson, a Literacy Consultant for Scholastic Education, shared her insight in the form of a “Guided Reading Boot Camp.”

Nearly 100 area educators participated in the Summit.

“We wanted to break down the silos, so to speak,” Nelson said. “Our special education kids are everybody’s kids and they are in the regular education classroom pretty regularly nowadays. They are not isolated like they used to be.

“The Summit was open to all teachers, regular and special education, around the idea of improving reading. We wanted them to take advantage of the opportunity before school started with great speakers, a great meal, and an opportunity to network with their colleagues.”

Winskill Elementary School Principal Leah Whitford was among the attendees.

“To have the opportunity to attend a professional development opportunity with such incredible authors was a no-brainer,” she said. “I don’t go to a professional development opportunity so I can bring things back and tell my staff, ‘here is one more thing I want everybody to do.’ I want to make sure when I am supporting teachers I am staying current. It is not to add one more thing, it is to polish and refine the things that we are already doing. As good as we are, we can always do things even better.

“Watching Lester Laminack in action, I was like, ‘holy smokes.’ There are things I can take back from him and use in some of the things I do here as an administrator with kids.”

Staff at Winskill Elementary School wrote a school improvement plan last year.

“We tend to think of all the things we need to do and it becomes overwhelming. You can’t do them all. You can’t tackle everything at once. So we are really trying to narrow that focus,” Whitford said. “What we really keyed on was our literacy instruction, making sure that the instruction is true and that our definitions are the same. One piece that we use is guided reading. It is a teacher working with a small group of students.

“One of the sessions was a ‘Guided Reading Boot Camp.’ It was great to hear, ‘You are doing guided reading if these five things are happening.’ Because you could say you are doing guided reading and I could say I am doing guided reading but they may not be the same.

“Sometimes you go to these opportunities and what you know or believe or what you have been practicing has been affirmed. Sometimes it is just that little bit of polishing. To have that, I think that was a huge piece. I heard a lot of conservation about that.”

Lancaster Community Schools Library Media Specialist Michelle Uppena attended the Aug. 18 Summit. She also attended a Scholastic Reading Summit in Chicago this summer.

“The Scholastic Reading Summit is a really big deal! The professional development offered by Scholastic is second to none,” she said. “Jim Nelson has done a great job supporting the Lancaster Middle School reading program the last few years. I am so grateful that he was able to organize this event for area teachers.

“We were treated to the same amazing speakers that Scholastic sends around the U.S. It was such an honor to host them at Lancaster High School while collaborating with teachers from other districts.”

Uppena and Whitford were two of 15 Lancaster educators to attend the Summit.

“Each summer I look for professional development opportunities that will fuel my passion for literacy, allow me to connect with teams of educators, and challenge my thinking,” Uppena said. “This is the best way that I know to prepare myself for the upcoming school year.”

Whitford was thrilled to have nine Winskill educators attend the Summit.

“I am constantly talking about the staff here and their dedication. It is not because we have to say good things, it is genuine,” she said. “I worked with a really incredible district in Illinois, but the people here are just different, the time that they put in.”

Fennimore Elementary School kindergarten teacher Brenda Bunn was excited for the opportunity to attend the Summit.

“The Summit seemed like a great opportunity so close to home. I was not disappointed,” she said. “The energy at the summit was amazing! The most thought-provoking parts of the day to me were the discussions about read alouds, super readers, and great book titles.

“Also, I always enjoy networking with teachers from other districts. All around, it was a well-organized, wonderful day and well-worth my time.”

Planning for the Summit began in February. Nelson said the feedback he has received has been nothing but positive.

“It was a win-win,” he said. “Scholastic has great products, and why not team up and bring the information to our teachers and make it available to them?”

Online English curriculum approved

By Robert Callahan

The Lancaster Community School District Board of Education approved an online high school English curriculum during its meeting Wednesday, Aug. 9.

McGraw Hill Education will provide StudentSync, which will be utilized by Lancaster High School’s 9th, 10th and 11th graders. The school district’s $21,705.74 investment results in a six-year bundle.

“This one kind of caught the eye of our high school staff. It is an online version — we are doing the 1:1 roll out — so it is an online version with a soft handbook to go with it,” high school principal Mark Uppena told the Board. “There is enough in the handbook to offer a really significant portion of the material and the stories that they need to have to go through it. The nice thing about the handbook is it has a nice writing component in it. It is kind of guided writing. With the guided writing we are hoping that it will improve their writing scores and lead to some better writing samples from our students.”

Lancaster High School English Language Arts (ELA) Chairperson Pamela Curry believes online textbooks are the future.

“I am excited that our ELA program Studysync comes with a consumable print source. We will have print copies of the major pieces of literature. McGraw-Hill will send us new books for six years,” she explained. “This means our students can mark their pages for textual evidence, predictions, questions, etc. The online program offers literature, grammar practice, and writing prompts that are not in the print version. Studysync is designed to give teachers lots of resources and flexibility for planning their lessons.”

The Board also invested $6,190.35 in “The Art of Public Speaking.” Each student will receive an online book, study aids and practice quizzes. “The Art of Public Speaking” is also utilized by Southwest Tech’s public speaking class.