News

Whitewater HS Junior Morgan Radaj Chosen to Speak to Girl Scouts

WHS Junior Morgan Radaj with State Senator Jennifer Shilling

On March 7, 2018, Scouts gathered in Madison for Wisconsin Girl Scout Advocacy Day at the State Capitol. Whitewater HS Junior Morgan Radaj was one of four chosen out of 66,000+ Girl Scouts in Wisconsin to speak about the impact that GS has had on her life.

Seated next to Marci Henderson, CEO, Representative Joan Ballweg, and Senator Jennifer Shilling, Morgan spoke primarily about her GS Gold Award Project, called Sharing is Caring. She completed this project her freshman year of high school and is focused on helping with hunger both locally and internationally. Morgan’s goal was to find ways to share extra food with those who need it instead of letting food go to waste. Hoping to inspire younger girls, Morgan also talked about her latest mission trip to Haiti.
For her Gold Award project two years ago, on April 2, 2016, Morgan coordinated an international dry food packing event at the Whitewater HS, where nearly 500 volunteers packed 108,564 meals that were later sent to Kenya, Africa. It took almost one year to unite different civic, faith, school and community groups to fundraise for the $24,500 needed to bring that event to Whitewater. Locally, Morgan collected additional fresh produce for the Whitewater Food Pantry during the summer of 2016 by encouraging local backyard gardeners to share their extra produce and she built a drop box that was located at the weekly Tuesday City Market.
Following the introductions and speeches, the girl scouts in attendance were able to spend the day visiting some of the senators and getting a tour of the capitol.

Whippet Pride Heading to State Academic Competitions

Congratulations to Sophie Walton, 8th grader, daughter of Russ and Kim Walton of Whitewater, for winning the CESA 2 Regional Scripps Spelling Bee on February 28 at Whitewater High School. Her final winning word was claustrophobic.  She now advances to the 2018 Badger State Spelling Bee on Saturday, April 24 at Madison College.

Congratulations also to Andrew Rollette, 8th grader, son of Jeannine Volbright of Whitewater and Jeffrey Rollette of Chicago, as he was recently chosen as a qualifier for the State National Geographic Bee. Andrew will now travel to Madison on April 6 to compete with other top qualifiers from around our state.

We wish both of these students the best of luck as they take on these new challenges and are very proud to have them representing Whitewater!

 

Whitewater High School Students Advance to State National History Day Competition

Twenty-three students participated in the National History Day regional competition, which took place at UW-Madison on Saturday, February 24, 2018. Whitewater advanced nine students to the state competition in three categories: Senior Paper, Individual Exhibit, Individual Website, and Group Website. The NHD Regional had schools from across South Central Wisconsin. Whitewater High School also had five students who were listed as alternates to the State competition in their respective categories.

National History Day is an academic enrichment program for students in grades 6-12. Students select topics connected to an annual theme and complete their own in-depth research on the topic. This year, the annual theme is “Conflict and Compromise”. Students present their conclusions by creating museum-style exhibits, media documentaries, research papers, interactive websites, and dramatic performances.

The school event is the first step in a competition cycle that can take students from school level to the regional, state, and national competitions. At each level of competition, students share their work with their peers, historians, educators, and professionals in related fields as they compete for special awards and the opportunity to advance to the next level of competition.

Participation continues to grow with more than 500,000 students participating annually across the nation. The National History Day program in Wisconsin is coordinated by the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Whitewater High Students Receive Aspirations in Computing Award

Gwynne Sahyun (L) and Marina Cano (R)

The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) sponsors an annual award called Aspirations in Computing. This award honors young women in grades 9-12 active and interested in computing and encourages them to pursue their passion for technology. This year, we have two Whitewater High School students who will be recognized at the banquet at Alverno College on Sunday, April 22.

Gwynne Sahyun has been named a Wisconsin Winner, and Marina Cano has earned a Wisconsin Honorable Mention. Marina also received an Honorable Mention last year. Both girls are members of Ferradermis, the WHS FIRST Robotics team, as well as the high school computer programming team. Marina recently started a girls’ coding group at Washington Elementary as well. The Wisconsin NCWIT affiliate recognizes around 40-50 girls total statewide each year. Awardees will get cool prizes, gadgets, and can apply for scholarships to several Wisconsin university programs. The Wisconsin award winners and honorable mentions will receive an engraved award for both the awardee and her school.

For more information on the award, you can visit https://www.aspirations.org/aspirations-community/wisconsin

Marina Cano at Washington Elementary with her girls’ coding group.

UW-Whitewater Human Resource Management Program Honored with Prestigious Award

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics was recognized for the excellence of its Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management at the 36th annual LEAD Awards on February 8, 2018. In the category of Degree Program with Emphasis on HR, 150 programs were nominated and the top 15 were ranked. UW-Whitewater’s BBA in human resource management placed third in this elite group.

The LEAD Awards program is an exciting part of HR.com’s annual conference. Each year this conference draws esteemed executives and experts from around the country, and the awards celebrate exceptional leadership and innovations in developmental programs by organizations, education programs, and individuals.

UW-Whitewater’s award-winning Human Resource Management major features core credits from the College of Business and Economics’ respected BBA and 24 credits of courses that align with the standards of the Society for Human Resource Management. All students must complete a capstone course that integrates the HRM content from previous courses and builds critical thinking skills.

Program Coordinator and Associate Professor Kelly Delaney-Klinger explained, “The SHRM Competency Model has been very helpful for identifying learning objectives, both for individual courses and the overall major. Having students participate in hands-on activities, research and client-sponsored projects greatly improve learning in the courses. These activities also boost students’ confidence in their ability to perform as an HR professional.”

A relatively new addition to the program is a required e-Portfolio. HRM students all must create an electronic portfolio, which is intended to collect and demonstrate what students learned throughout their HR courses. Students must present their e-Portfolios to HR professionals during the capstone class.

Regarding the e-Portfolio component of the HRM program, Management Department Chair and Professor Jon Werner shared, “This has been an important tool for helping students integrate their knowledge and experiences. It is evident the competency-based curriculum, capstone course and e-Portfolio prepare students to effectively present themselves as HR professionals when they graduate.”

Werner adds, “In the marketplace, the program’s success is ultimately measured in terms of job placement and career advancement. We have seen, on average, that 94% of the graduates of the BBA in HRM are working in their field of study within six months of graduation.”

Dean John Chenoweth was pleased with the LEAD award distinction, which helps highlight the competencies-based model and e-Portfolio component.

Chenoweth explains, “The UW-Whitewater College of Business and Economics places great emphasis on assurance of learning goals. We want to ensure our graduates are prepared to transition successfully from college to career, and that they have acquired the skills and business knowledge they need to succeed. The SHRM Competency Model used in the human resource management program allows faculty to map student outcomes onto the expected learning outcomes of the college.”

Human resource management is one of 14 undergraduate majors available from the AACSB-accredited UW-Whitewater College of Business and Economics.

Regional champion UW-Whitewater economics team meets with UW Regents

An elite team of economics students from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater joined Chancellor Beverly Kopper at the UW System Board of Regents meeting in Madison on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018, following their national finish in the College Fed Challenge.

The students are members of the team that competed against some of the world’s most prestigious universities at the 14th Annual College Federal Reserve Challenge in Washington, D.C., in December. UW-Whitewater is the first-ever Wisconsin university to advance to this national event after defeating Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and Marquette University at the competition held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in order to become regional champions.

Advancing to the national event, the UW-Whitewater team competed in finals held at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C. This event served as the capstone to five district competitions held around the country, and UW-Whitewater competed against regional winners Harvard University, Pace University, Princeton University and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Pace University took first place in the national competition, which encourages students to learn about the U.S. economy, monetary policymaking, and the role of the Federal Reserve System. Harvard University took second place, and UW-Whitewater joined Princeton University and Virginia Commonwealth University in receiving honorable mentions.

The team is comprised of the following students; Alejandro Esquirel (left), Alexandre Vieira, Mark Ellis, Ronald Tittle, Taylor Griffith (center). (UW-Whitewater photo/Heather Browning)

Managed by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the College Fed Challenge is an academic competition designed to bring real-world economics into the classroom. Teams analyze economic and financial conditions and make a recommendation for monetary policy. They are scored based on a 15-minute presentation and a 15-minute question-and-answer session with judges.

 

The UW-Whitewater Fed Challenge team met with the Research, Economic Development, and Innovation Committee on the UW-Madison campus as part of the Board of Regents February meeting. Attending were Fed Challenge team members Mark Ellis of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, Alejandro Esquivel of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Taylor Griffith of Lake Elsinore, California, Ronald Tittle of Crystal Lake, Illinois, and Alexandre Vieira of Brookfield, Wisconsin, along with non-presenting team members Casey Russell of Belleville, Wisconsin, Alujjage Pasan Samaranayake of Gonapola Junction, Sri Lanka, Sean Spangard of Crystal Lake, Illinois, and faculty members Yamin Ahmad, Stuart Glosser (emeritus), Nick Guo, and Eylem Ersal, who serve as team coaches.

Middle School Art Room Ready for Students

Last week, middle school art students moved into their new art room. The project is part of the capital referendum passed in November 2016. The next middle school classroom to be renovated will be the future band room. Other current construction projects occurring this school year are the Lincoln Elementary gym and 3rd-grade classroom wing and the high school weight room and flex space.

 

Whitewater High School Students Participate in Model United Nations

Story by Greg Stewart, Social Studies Teacher at Whitewater High School; Pictures by Alyssa Nelson.

Whitewater High School students, along with thousands of students from nearly 100 schools across the country and the world gathered at the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago to debate issues ranging from the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons to rethinking aid in Sub-Saharan Africa. Now in its 30th year, the Model United Nations of the University of Chicago, staffed entirely by students and alumni from the University of Chicago, is one of the largest high school conferences in the country and is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious.

Ms. Kilby addressing Model United Nations students at the conference

From Thursday, February 1 through Sunday, February 4, more than 2,700 high school students, representing the member states of the United Nations, discussed the merits and complications of nuclear non-proliferation and passed resolutions concerning the economic development of indigenous communities. MUNUC XXX, as the conference is known, holds simulations involving delegations of students who work with one another in their respective committees to produce mock resolutions on global issues.

The MUNUC XXX keynote address was given by Ms. Melissa Kilby, the executive director of Girl Up. As the United Nations Foundation’s adolescent girl campaign, Girl Up engages girls to take action. Led by a community of nearly half a million passionate advocates raising awareness and funds, our efforts help the hardest to reach girls living in places where it is hardest to be a girl.

 

MUNUC students were treated to a final meal at Gino’s East in Chicago. Pictured from (L-R) are senior students who participated in their last MUNUC conference: Ipek Goktepe, Clarice Bergman, Maribel Alvarez, Alex Vidales, Thais Padeia.

No One Hurt in Three-Alarm Fire in Whitewater.

Officials with the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office said a home in Whitewater appears to be a total loss after a three-alarm fire Wednesday, Jan. 31. It happened around 9 am at a two-story home on Grand View Dr. near Kettle Moraine Dr.

No one was in the home at the time. No one was hurt.

For complete story from Fox6now.com, 

Regional Southern Lakes Anthology Winners Announced

(L-R) Zuri Goldsmith, Caleigh Yang, Blake Wegner, Silas Baker, Andrew Rollette, Anna Ejnik, and Reese Brantmeier

The Regional Judging for Southern Lakes Anthology was completed on January 24th in Elkhorn.  Again this year, Whitewater Middle School was very well represented at this event having seven of our submitted middle school entries chosen for publication.

The following Middle School students had their entries selected and were identified as Regional Winners: Zuri Goldsmith, Caleigh Yang, Blake Wegner, Silas Baker, Andrew Rollette, Anna Ejnik, and Reese Brantmeier.

These students will have their entries published in the 2018 edition of the Southern Lakes Anthology and will be publicly recognized at a special reception that will be held on May 23rd  at the Young Auditorium here in Whitewater.

Great job and congratulations to all of the students whose work was selected.  You make us very proud!