Whitewater Middle School students recently took part in a day of exploration as the school launched a new STEAM Lab, which opened at the beginning of the semester.
The lab, focused on science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math, will serve as a collaborative space for innovative, hands-on learning. The space has already supported the school’s FIRST Robotics and FIRST LEGO League teams and will now become a resource for all WMS students.
On March 19, 6th graders had the opportunity to participate in a hands-on lab experience led by District Technology Integrator Ashley Deininger and Teacher Natalie Germundson. Using LEGO Essentials kits, students were challenged to design an accessible bus and program it to stop at a designated location, allowing for wheelchair access.
“It was wonderful to see students engaged in a hands-on activity, working collaboratively and excited about their learning,” said Deininger. “I am looking forward to watching this space continue to grow and inspire students to explore and discover new skills using technology.”
Through the STEAM Lab, WMS will provide students with opportunities to learn new skills while building their critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork abilities. It’s one way to prepare students for the opportunities and challenges of the future, including in high school, college, and careers.
2025 Traffic Box Public Art Project CALL for ARTISTS!!! The City of Whitewater is calling on artists to help transform everyday infrastructure into vibrant works of public art through the 2025 Traffic Box Public Art Project, Artful Transformation. This exciting initiative will enhance the city’s Main Street from the Whitewater St. to Elizabeth St. intersections by turning eight traffic signal control boxes into unique, community-inspired pieces.
The goal of Artful Transformation is to celebrate Whitewater’s identity, creativity, and community spirit while providing local and regional artists with a platform to showcase their talents. Through this project, the city aims to enrich public spaces with artwork that reflects Whitewater’s rich heritage, diverse culture, and bright vision for the future.
Call for Artists: The City of Whitewater invites artists to submit proposals for original artwork to be displayed on traffic boxes throughout the downtown area. Selected artists will receive a stipend of up to $3,000 per box to cover materials and labor.
Eligibility: The opportunity is open to individual artists or artist teams, with preference given to those with a strong connection to Whitewater. All selected artists must sign an artist agreement and a hold harmless release.
Submission Requirements: Proposal Description: A concept statement outlining the vision, themes, and preferred traffic box locations. Visuals: Sketches or mock-ups of original artwork designed for all four sides and the top of the traffic box. Budget: An itemized breakdown of costs, including materials, labor, and contingency planning (up to $3,000 per traffic box). Resume or Bio: Information about the artist or team’s background and artistic experience. Portfolio: Up to three examples of past work.
A Public Art Committee, composed of representatives from the Whitewater Arts Alliance, City Council, local artists, and other community leaders, will review all submissions. The selected designs will become part of the City of Whitewater’s public art collection, with credit given to the artists.
Key Dates: Applications Open: February 12, 2025 Submission Deadline: April 16, 2025 Artist Selection Announced: May 7, 2025 (Notifications of winners will be announced on the City of Whitewater web site, via press release and sent to all local publications, and in an email to the selected artists.) Painting Period: June – August 2025 Celebration Ceremony: September 13, 2025, at 10 AM at the Bridge Fountain/Traffic Box area Please note that on September 13th the City will also be hosting Food Truck Festival at the Cravath Lakefront Park. Further, the Whitewater Arts Alliance will be hosting the Fabrics of our Community exhibit at the White Building at 11 AM.
The City of Whitewater looks forward to seeing the community’s creative talents on display and invites artists to help turn the city’s traffic boxes into engaging, meaningful works of art.
U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
Permanent resident card
Border crossing card
An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs).
HSPD-12 PIV card
Foreign government-issued passport
Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
Transportation worker identification credential
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
A weapon permit is not an acceptable form of identification. A temporary driver’s license is not an acceptable form of identification.
Expired ID
TSA currently accepts expired ID up to a year after expiration, for the above listed forms of identification. DHS has extended the REAL ID enforcement deadline to May 7, 2025. Learn more about REAL ID on TSA’s REAL ID webpage.
Children
TSA does not require children under 18 to provide identification when traveling within the United States. Contact the airline for questions regarding specific ID requirements for travelers under 18.
Don’t Have Your Acceptable ID?
In the event you arrive at the airport without acceptable identification (whether lost, stolen, or otherwise), you may still be allowed to fly.
The TSA officer may ask you to complete an identity verification process which includes collecting information such as your name and current address to confirm your identity. If your identity is confirmed, you will be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint, where you may be subject to additional screening.
You will not be allowed to enter the security checkpoint if you choose to not provide acceptable identification, you decline to cooperate with the identity verification process, or your identity cannot be confirmed.
TSA recommends individuals without acceptable identification arrive at least three hours in advance of their flight time.
Names With Suffixes
TSA accepts variations on suffixes on boarding passes and ID. Suffixes are not required on boarding passes. If there is a suffix on the boarding pass, and there is not one on the ID or vice versa, that is considered an acceptable variation.
If your identity cannot be verified, you will not be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint.
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, or CALEA, has officially recognized the UW-Whitewater Police Department with its accreditation. It is one of only four departments in Wisconsin to hold the accreditation, and one of just two within the Universities of Wisconsin — the other being UW-Madison.
Assistant Chief of Police Kelsey Servi speaks at a celebration to open the new academic year for staff and students on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024.
While law enforcement agencies have a number of different accreditation options available, UW-Whitewater Police Chief Matt Kiederlen said CALEA is considered the gold standard because of the depths involved in achieving such a certification, which included putting the campus’ law enforcement officers through a battery of tests to ensure policies and procedures are being followed.
Kiederlen said the quest for CALEA accreditation has been years in the making and that credit goes to the department’s small but dedicated command staff who roll up their sleeves each day to ensure UW-Whitewater’s campus is safe, secure and a welcoming place for people from all backgrounds to grow personally and academically.
“Accreditation, in my opinion, sets the department up for success,” Kiederlen said. “It gives us a nationally recognized set of standards that we can comply with and we will strive to uphold. It’s a way for us to test what we’re doing against what is considered the gold standards are, in terms of how you do things. It sets me — or any chief or executive, however you want to look at it — up for success.”
In the world of academia, Kiederlen said accreditation is a concept that is easily understood. The processes and standards the UW-Whitewater Police Department went through are similar to those a college or university undergoes for its academic programs.
“In a higher education environment, every college, everything that is done from setting up the classes to teaching, are evaluated by an outside organization that says, ‘You’re doing this right.’” Kiederlen said. “It’s the same thing for us.”
Matt Kiederlen, center, chief of the UW-Whitewater Police Department, and Dan Meyer, Chief of Police for the City of Whitewater, judge Polar Plunge participants to benefit Special Olympics Wisconsin at Cravath Lakefront Park on March 18, 2023. (UW-Whitewater/Craig Schreiner)
“The intensive nature of CALEA’s accreditation process is one reason it is considered such a high-caliber standard within law enforcement.
CALEA’s 21-member Board of Commissioners tests command staff on the policies and procedures on the agency’s books and conducts interviews with a sampling of university staff and students, as well as community members, to gauge the department’s effectiveness. Input from other nearby law enforcement agencies also is a part of the review process.
“Each community with CALEA-accredited agencies should feel confident that their public safety organization is going above and beyond and operating under the highest standards in public safety,” CALEA President Marlon Lynch said.
Kiederlen considers achieving the CALEA accreditation to be a professional milestone.
“This is a career goal, and the fact that we achieved this is outstanding,” Kiederlen said. “For me, as the chief, I take a huge amount of pride that we have achieved this, knowing that this little department of 16 sworn officers has put itself in a place where it can deliver the best quality of service that we possibly can.”
“Achieving the accreditation is a worthy moment of celebration for the members of the UW-Whitewater Police Department, but the process of maintaining the designation will be continuous.
“It’s not just, ‘Once, and you’re done.’ They’re looking at those policies, and they’re looking for what are called ‘proofs,’” Kiederlen said. “They want to know that we are abiding by those policies. It’s a complete upgrade. It literally affects the daily processes of the department to ensure that you’re doing it as best as you possibly can.”
UW-Whitewater Police Officer Dan Kuehl, left, demonstrates roadside testing of drivers who are suspected of operating while intoxicated. Students in Criminal Justice 325 (forensic documentation) with Lecturer Pete Killoran began in the classroom on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, with instruction from Kuehl and then went outdoors to analyze a simulated drunken driving crash scene organized by Killoran
Kiederlen said he takes pride in knowing the police department has a strong foundation, heading into the future.
“I wanted to set up the department for continued success.”
UW-Whitewater Police Detective Cal Servi, left, and Officer Nic Thompson, right, guide Walworth County Sheriff’s Deputy Jocelyn Lawson in a step-climbing exercise at Cravath Lakefront Park in Whitewater on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, during an International Police Mountain Bike Association training course taught by Servi, Thompson and City of Whitewater officer Lt. David Gempler.
City of Whitewater Plan & Architectural Review – Monday @ 6:00 p.m. Agenda includes addition of definition for family daycare home and addition to that use in most districts, and Discussion and possible recommendation to Common Council update of the Landscaping Guidelines. 312 West Whitewater St. *In Person and Virtual Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone. Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods. Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://meet.goto.com/568749461 You can also dial in using your phone. Access Code: 568-749-461 United States: +1 (646) 749-3122 Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://meet.goto.com/install
City of Whitewater Common Council – Tuesday @ 6:30 p.m. UW Whitewater, University Center, 190 Hamilton Green Way, 2nd Floor, RM 259 Agenda includes Swearing In of Newly Elected Council Members. Aldermanic District 1 Michael Smith; Aldermanic District 3, Steven Sahyun; Aldermanic District 5, Neil Hicks; Councilmember At Large- Patrick Singer; Presentation by Josh Schoemann, Washington County Executive, about Next Generation Housing in Washington County, Professor Kurt Paulsen, Professor at UW- Madison, responses to questions during the housing presentation.; Greg Johnson, Municipal Advisor at Elhers, response to questions had on housing presentation; first reading of Ordinance 2025-O-11 An Ordinance creating section 2.62.060 Public Comment during Common Council and Committee Meetings; Discussion and Possible Action regarding Whitewater Solar’s Joint Development Agreement- City and Townships *In Person and Virtual Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone. Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods. Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87340133072?pwd=4ZtuqDaebM80Sz976LBWtC9BH59iLP.1 Telephone: +1 (312) 626-6799 Webinar ID: 873 4013 3072 Passcode:878627
City of Whitewater Parks and Recreation Board – Wednesday @ 5:30 p.m. Agenda includes Discussion and Possible Action to approve SEWRPC Aquatic Plant Management Plan for Cravath and Trippe Lakes; Discussion re: parks and open space plan. Cravath Lakefront room 2nd floor 312 West Whitewater St *In Person and Virtual Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone. Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82926194352?pwd=FIFh0KXzqzrvJtHx1qd9mLPZwN0Khb.1 Meeting ID: 829 2619 4352 Passcode: 313703 Dial 1 312 626 6799 US
City of Whitewater Community Development Authority – Thursday @ 5:30 p.m. The agenda has not yet been posted as of 4/13/25.
The Whitewater Unified School District has been selected for a statewide case study on mentorship programs.
WUSD is one of only eight districts across the state chosen for the initiative, which seeks to explore best practices, successes, and challenges in educator mentorship programs. The district’s team mentorship model will be highlighted as an example of leadership and forward-thinking approaches in professional development.
Dr. Terilyn Robles, Director of Teaching & Learning, and Ashley Deininger, Mentor Lead, are leading the effort, along with the WUSD Mentor Team. The Mentor Team consists of 19 members districtwide who provide mentorship to new staff.
The study is being conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Education Research in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Instruction.
“This is an incredible opportunity for our district to share the progress we have made in mentoring and supporting educators,” said Superintendent Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty. “Our team mentorship model fosters collaboration, professional growth, and a strong sense of community among educators, and we are honored to contribute to this important study.”
The research aims to inform future mentorship initiatives across Wisconsin, strengthening educator support networks and improving student outcomes while also guiding the application and use of the state’s Peer Review and Mentoring Grant. WUSD’s teachers and staff will engage with researchers and their peers statewide to advance mentorship practices in Wisconsin.
Earlier this year, the robotics team competed at the Lake Superior Regional in Duluth, Minnesota, where the students won the event and received the Team Sustainability Award. Competing against 754 teams in the first two weeks of regional events, Ferradermis ranked 78th globally. The team’s success earned it valuable points in the global regional rankings, leading to an invitation as one of the top teams in the world.
“We are incredibly proud of our students for their hard work, dedication, and teamwork both on and off the field,” said Laura Masbruch, the team’s advisor. “Earning a spot at the FIRST Championships is a testament to their passion for STEM and commitment to excellence. We are grateful for the support of our mentors, families, and community, and we are excited for the opportunity to compete on the world’s stage.”
Ferradermis aims to raise $30,000 to fund the Houston trip. For more information about how to donate to the cause and the team’s journey to the FIRST Championship, visit www.ferradermis.org or mail a check made out to WHS to Laura Masbruch at Whitewater High School, 534 S Elizabeth Street, Whitewater, WI 53190.
Editor’s note: A previous article that includes further information regarding the upcoming Ferradermis competition may be found here.
The National Honor Society will be hosting its annual Spring Silent Auction April 9 – 25, 2025!
Projects up for bid this year include babysitting, yardwork (“Weed Be Glad to Help”), manual labor, personal training, an outdoor field trip for kids (“Fantastic Field Day”), childcare with Spanish lessons, singing telegram (Life Without You Would B Flat”), self-care basket, beautiful handmade items (“Crafting a Smile for You”), a reading night basket, S’mores basket, swimming field trip with certified lifeguards (“Splash-tastic!”), savory baked goods, painting project – to help you get it done, summer fruit basket, cat sitting, dog walking (“Pawsome Walks”), movie night basket, flowers galore basket, and a youth basketball lesson with a high school superstar! Funds raised will be used for scholarships and other worthwhile projects! Simply complete the Bid Project Form below on the NHS website before 3:30 pm on April 25.
Track the bidding process on the spreadsheet located on the NHS Silent Auction 2025 site too!
National Honor Society members will complete their projects between April 28 and May 16. Email NHS Advisor Pam Sonmor-Wintz (psonmorwintz@wwusd.org) if you have any questions! A great time will be had by all!
