News

Whitewater High School International Student Exchange Weekend November 8 – 10, 2019

The National Honor Society hosted the 8th Annual International Student Exchange Weekend at Whitewater High School November 8 – 10! The festivities began with introductions, pizza party & pictures on Friday night, baking, shopping, movies, supper & Cosmic bowling in Fort Atkinson Saturday night, and a trip to Madison Sunday morning before the students had to leave Sunday afternoon. This year, the international students were from Peru, Brazil, Japan, Hungary, Sweden, Croatia, Ecuador, Thailand & Turkey. Thank you to Jim & Julie Caldwell (Jenna), John & Shannon Frye (Broderick), Alex & Holly Crowley (Caroline) and Brad & Patty Ceranske (Allison) for hosting the students in their homes! Another special thank you to Jim & Julie Caldwell for sponsoring supper on Saturday night, to the Whitewater Rotary Club for sponsoring the pizza party & bowling activities, and to Ron Binning for being the guest speaker when the students arrived!

Participating National Honor Society members were Broderick Frye, Caroline Crowley, Allison Ceranske, Jenna Caldwell, Abby Grosinske, Gwynne Sahyun, Madalynn Arnett, Colin Chenoweth, Jenna Lee, Hailey Murphy, Alyssa Schumacher, Mina Truesdale, Andy Vo, Cooper Pease and Bryce Hibbs.

The international students shared the following reflections about the weekend:

Laura Samardzija from Croatia said, “This was the best weekend yet. I saw more things in three days here than three months in Racine. Met people that I feel like they’re my best friends. Had an awesome time!”

Lisa Gornert from Sweden shared, “I had an awesome weekend with Maddie, Caroline, Abby & Alyssa. Thank you for taking us everywhere and thank you for being so welcoming!”

Alejandra Quecedo Cepeda from Ecuador said, “It was a good experience. The best part of the weekend was that I met wonderful people, especially Allison.”

Flora Banki from Hungary reflected, “Jenna & Caroline are definitely the best people I’ve ever met. Of course with everyone else from their school, including Ms. Sonmor-Wintz, the National Honor Society Advisor, who did an amazing job to organize this weekend for us. We participated in fun programs like bowling together, and I felt like I met new friends forever! Thank you so much for everything!”

Bartu Karabulut from Turkey shared, “This weekend was really fun. Everybody was nice to us. We had really good time on both Friday & Saturday. The pizza party was really good. We had the chance to meet everybody. After that we had really good time playing bowling.”

Pun Workakulpisut from Thailand said, “Thank you for making this an awesome weekend! I really enjoyed spending time with all the students from WHS. They are all nice & friendly.”

Fuka Sunagawa from Japan shared, “I had a good time! Thank you so much!”

Natalia Salinas from Peru said, “Thank you for spending your weekend with us. We had fun sharing our cultures and laughing!”

Marina Rangel from Brazil shared, “Thank you for this awesome weekend! It was really nice to meet new people and learn more about America’s culture. P.S. I had no idea I was good at bowling!”

NHS members shared the following reflections about the weekend:

Jenna Caldwell said, “Meeting & talking with all of the Foreign-Exchange students was a truly unforgettable experience. Combining all of our cultures together made for a great time. Through our conversations, I learned so much about the different countries that the students were from. This instilled so much knowledge into myself and my peers. I cannot wait for next year’s exchange and everything it has to hold.”

Broderick Frye shared, “It was great to get to know the people from Turkey & Thailand. Hearing about their culture back in their home country was interesting. Even just hearing about the place they are staying here in the United States was incredible too. Some people have stereotypes about people from different cultures and I believe the only way to diminish that is to get to know the people. I was able to get to know them and it was a great experience.”

Madalynn Arnett shared, “It was fun to show the two girls different parts of Wisconsin. They enjoyed shopping, going to Culver’s to eat cheese curds, and even stopping at Dunkin’ Donuts twice. Instantly on Friday night, all of our personalities clicked and saying goodbye on Sunday was very hard. We all are already planning on when to meet next and are so grateful that this weekend brought us all two new best friends.”

Abby Grosinske said, “I loved this past weekend and everything we did. From meeting everyone on Friday night to watching the sectional meet with our students Saturday, it was truly a great time. I made life-long friends with the two girls I spent the weekend with and I hope more students are encouraged to participate in this weekend next year. All the students were so respectful when they met new people and loved sharing some of their favorite things from the exchange so far!”

Alyssa Schumacher reflected, “I absolutely loved getting to know all of the foreign exchange students. They were very talkative and were willing to answer all of our questions about their home countries. It was really cool to be able to learn about their cultures and the biggest differences between here and there. I have definitely made some great new friendships and will have some great travel buddies when I travel to different countries!!!”

Submitted by:
Pamela Sonmor-Wintz, School Counselor (M-Z)
Coordinator of School Counseling Services/National Honor Society Advisor/International Student Exchange Advisor/Scholarship Coordinator

WHS Players production of “The Little Mermaid” Nov. 21-24

By Tom Ganser

Need a break – already? – from the quick return of bone-chilling winter weather? The perfect solution is taking in a performance (or two) of the Whitewater High School Players production of “The Little Mermaid” at the WHS auditorium on Nov. 21-23 at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee performance at 2:00 p.m. on Nov. 24.

Your time in a tropical blue lagoon with Ariel the mermaid and her colorful friends Flounder the fish and Sebastian the crab will soon bring back your memories of perfect summer days in June and July.

Consider treating the youngins in your neighborhood to see this show.

Reserved seat tickets for the performance are $9 for adults and $5 for students, available one hour before the performance or by calling the WHS Box Office at 262-472-8178.

More than 60 cast, technical crew, and pit band members will take to the stage for this Disney classic based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories.

“The Little Mermaid” is a hauntingly beautiful love story never out of date and will capture your heart with its irresistible songs, including “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl,” and “Part of Your World.”

The memorable cast includes Gio Anello, Gracia Boley, Henry Bresser, Keith Cameron, Jazmin Cederberg, Emma Clarksen, Olive Coburn, Sarah Felland, Sierra Gonzales, Jullian Harkness, Lauren Harkness, Maggie Jay, Josh Kirley, Ilana Lothes, Audrey Mayer, Sophie Mayer, Ben McCulloch, Stephanie Ordaz, Betzy Palomec, Chris Porcaro, Aldo Rodriguez, Lucas Scherer, Arianna Schroeder, Skylar Staebler, Haley Street, Madison Strickler, Evie Troxel, Anderson Waelchli, Carter Waelchli, Marco Wence, Ella Willman, and Matt Zingheim.

Putting their technical skills to the test are backstage crew members Payton Bunger, Emerson Dunham, Josie Hintz, Bailee Korf, Jordan Korf, Hailey Long, Abby Olson, Cole Schlicher, Lucy Troxel, Emma VanDaele, Sami VanDaele, and Emma Weigel.

Adding to the fun of a LIVE production are pit band musicians including Maddy Blain, Colin Chenoweth, Anne Coburn, Caroline Crowley, Colin Dugan, Liz Elliott, David Flemming, Zuri Goldsmith, Justin Kamp, Jimmy Karolek, Alex Martin, Jack Mayer, Sophie Mayer, Sophie Walton, and Caryl Whiteman.

Jim McCulloch directs this production, with musical direction by Liz Elliott, choreography by Lynn Lema, set design by Kat Dunham, sound design by Tony Hansen, and costume design by Karen McCulloch. Frankie Heurtz serves as conductor for the pit band.

Jim Shaw, Whitewater Unified School District Administrator, said, “Thanks to Whitewater High School’s staff and students for their wonderful production of ‘The Little Mermaid.’ The arts are a critical part of our students’ education. More than 80% of WHS students are engaged in the arts, music, athletics, or other extracurricular activities.”

“I am proud to be part of school district and community that values and encourages the arts and student engagement,” Shaw added. “Congratulations to students and staff for another great production.”

All WUSD Schools Meet or Exceed Expectations on State Report Cards; High School Improves Significantly

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction released its annual report cards on all the districts and schools in the state on Tuesday, 11/13. The ratings are based on test scores, student growth, absenteeism, the district’s ability to close gaps among disparate groups of students, being on-track for graduation, and post-high school readiness. The Whitewater Unified School District as a whole achieved a score of 73, which was exactly the minimum score required in order to be considered to “exceed expectations.”

The scores assign the performance of a district/school into one of five categories:

83-100, significantly exceeds expectations.

73-82.9, exceeds expectations.

63-72.9, meets expectations

53-62.9, meets few expectations.

0-52.9, fails to meet expectations.

The schools achieved the following scores and recognitions in 2018-19, compared with 2017-18

Lakeview Elementary – Exceeds expectations – 80.6 (Last year, Significantly exceeds expectations – 89.1)

Lincoln Elementary – Exceeds expectations – 76 (Last year, Exceeds Expectations – 82.2)

Washington Elementary – Significantly exceeds expectations – 84 (Last year – Significantly exceeds – 91.2)

High School – Exceeds expectations – 74.6 (Last year – Meets expectations – 66.8)

Middle School – Meets expectations – 66.1 (Last year – Meets expectations – 65.4)

Other districts in the area achieved the following overall scores:

Delavan-Darien: 76.8

East Troy: 76.2

Edgerton: 76.5

Elkhorn: 78.8

Janesville: 64.2

Milton: 78.7

Scores in the Palmyra-Eagle School District, currently under consideration for closure:

Eagle Elementary 77.3

High School 77.2

Middle School 60.7

Palmyra Elementary 71.8

WHS Choir Expresses Gratitude for Community Baby Shower Support

The Whitewater High School Choirs held a Community Baby Shower to benefit The Community Space and the people they serve. Students, families, district staff members, and community members donated hundreds of items to make this event a success. In all, the donations included sixty two packages of wipes, seventeen packages of diapers, a selection of feminine products, baby items, nearly 60 pounds of food as well as two very large bags of baby clothes. Thank you to all who made this Baby Shower a great success!

Community Space volunteers with baby shower donations

City of Whitewater Invites Community Members to Serve on Boards

The City of Whitewater invites community members to continue to make Whitewater an exceptional community in which to live, work and play.  There are Board member openings/renewals  on:

BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS – Hear requests from property owners for variance to the Zoning Code.  Alternate and regular positions open.  Meet 3rd Thursday of a month if there is a case.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY – Promotes economic development within the City.

DISABILITY RIGHTS COMMITTEE – Hear complaints filed by those believing disability rights have been compromised.  Meet as needed.

ETHICS COMMITTEE – Meet to hear and make recommendation regarding local government ethics complaints.  Meet as needed. 

PLAN AND ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION –   Reviews plans for development in City and hear requests for conditional use permits.    Meets 2nd Monday evening of each month.

PUBLIC ARTS COMMITTEE.  Oversees public arts projects.  Meets as needed.

URBAN FORESTRY COMMISSION.  Provides input relating to Urban Forestry matters and oversees Bird City USA designation.  Meets  monthly.

Interested citizens are asked to complete a Citizen Interest form, which can be obtained from the City Clerk or from the City’s website under Clerk’s Department; click here

Interest forms must be returned to:  City Clerk, P.O. Box 178, Whitewater, Wisconsin 53190 by November 26, 2019. For further information, please contact City Clerk Michele Smith at (262) 473-0102 or msmith@whitewater-wi.gov.

“Despite risks, Wisconsin hemp industry taking root:” Newly Arrived Rural Whitewater Farmer Has 27 Acres

From a Janesville Gazette article picked up by the Bradenton (FL) Herald, 11/9/19

You’d think Jonathan Baker would have been California dreaming on a late October day.

After all, several acres of Baker’s hemp crop on a rural Whitewater hillside were in limbo. Baker was awaiting testing to learn whether a late October snowfall had damaged or destroyed hemp still in a field just east of the Koshkonong hills.

Baker, 29, moved back to Fort Atkinson this year after spending a decade in northern California, where he’d built a life as a cannabis activist and small-scale grower of legal cannabis strains for therapeutic use. Last week, Baker’s hemp near Whitewater was harvest ready. Then came the first breath of Wisconsin winter, about a month earlier than usual.

For the full article, click here: https://www.bradenton.com/news/business/article237002414.html

Upcoming City & Community Meetings: Week of November 11 – 17

City of Whitewater Plan & Architectural Review Commission - Monday at 6:00 PM
Whitewater Municipal Building - More information 
Whitewater Unified School District Policy Review Committee- Tuesday at 8:00 AM
Central Office of Whitewater Unified School District - More Information
City of Whitewater Public Works Committee - Tuesday at 6:00 PM
Whitewater Municipal Building - More information 
City of Whitewater Police & Fire Commission - Wednesday at 6:00 PM
Whitewater Municipal Building - More information

Historical Society Presents “Whitewater Recollects: Grocery Stores,” Sun., 11/17

Did you know that Whitewater once had multiple grocery stores? Did you know that Whitewater
residents used to do their grocery shopping downtown? The Whitewater Historical Society is
hosting a panel-led discussion about Whitewater’s grocery stores back in the “good old days.”
Attendees will hear reminiscences from a panel of long-time Whitewater residents, but everyone
will be able to share their stories and memories of Whitewater grocery stores from the 1930s to
the ‘70s. And those of us whose memories aren’t so long will have a chance to learn about the
days when Whitewater wasn’t a one-grocery town.


The program will be held on Sunday, November 17, 2019 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm at the Cravath
Lakefront Community Center at 341 S. Fremont Street, Whitewater, WI. Come reminisce with us – or learn what you missed! Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.


For more information, contact Linda Robinson (262) 473-3298, or email us at
linrob73@gmail.com or whitewaterwihistoricalsociety@gmail.com

Whitewater Arts Alliance Annual Meeting Results for 2019

The Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA) Board of Directors welcomed new board members Kristen Burton, Alfonso Cervera, Art Thompson and Rachel Wood, bid farewell to Mike Dugan and Audra Lange, and shared the successes in 2019.

Megan Matthews remains as President, and Bob Mertens as Vice President.  Rachel Wood was voted in as the Secretary, and Art Thompson as Treasurer.  Sylvia Linton will continue to serve as the Membership Secretary.

Matthews said, “We have had a wonderful year, with high-quality shows and record-breaking attendance for our Savory Sounds concert series.  We have our 2020 season booked, and will look forward to working with our members to celebrate arts and culture in our community!”

The WAA announced that the 2020 Public Art Project is being planned.   Sponsorships of the artwork again this year will make it possible for artists to participate without any cost to them.

During 2019, there was an exhibit in the gallery for every month that the CAC was open. These exhibits drew artists from a broad area of southeast Wisconsin, as well as a few from other states:

February – The Art of the Quilt

March – Janet Nelson Exhibit

April – Whitewater Unified School District Exhibit

May – Karolyn Alexander Exhibit and Workshop

June – Wisconsin Regional Arts Program Exhibit and Workshop

July – 10th Annual Fran Achen Photo Contest

August – Mixed Media – Part Two!

September – “The Road Less Traveled”

October – Cambridge Artists Society

November/December – Annual WAA Members’ Exhibit

Five Savory Sounds concerts created the biggest season ever.  The City provided picnic tables and took care of the grounds, and Whitewater Community Television helped with audio.  Savory Sounds sponsors were Fairhaven Senior Services, First Citizens State Bank, Olm & Associates, Fort Community Credit Union, and PremierBank.

Savory Sounds concerts included:

            June     Mike Hackett Jazz Quartet with vendor Casual Joe’s had over 95 attendees             VooDooHoney Brass Band with vendor Rocky Rococo had over 100 attendees             Tapestry with vendor Subway had over 110 attendees

            July      Amanecer Y Mas (Marco Wence Trio) with vendor La Preferida had over 140 attendees The Brothers Quinn with vendor The Sweet Spot had over 60 attendees despite the rain!

Other events included:  A dance performance put on by UW-Whitewater students and UW-W Inclusive Excellence Dance Faculty; Two major workshops by and for watercolor artists; Three technique demonstrations during the Mixed Media exhibit; A photography workshop by Jeff McDonald and Everett Long; A summer popup show with the Whitewater Historical Society’s Heritage Days event – 100 artists and visitors participated and came through the Cultural Arts Center during the House Tour;  and a collaboration with the UW-W Roberta’s Art Gallery for an additional WAA Members’ show.

In 2019 alone, the WAA hosted more than 1,246 individuals at the CAC for exhibits, Savory Sounds, workshops, and other programs.  Volunteers donated 715 hours as docents, and these hours do not include other volunteers – cleaning, setting up Savory Sounds, installing exhibits, publicity, etc.  

The public art project was a wonderful success this year with the theme of “Portals to the Past, Portals to the Future” with about 30 participants.  The WAA also partnered with the Tourism Council and Strive On to put the information about each entry on an app for phones.

The Fran Achen Photography Contest was held again and was most successful.  The show continues to entice photographers from other communities to exhibit their work as well.

The WAA continues to appreciate the support of the City of Whitewater and local businesses for recognizing the importance of the arts in the community.   

The mission of the Whitewater Arts Alliance is to promote the visual and performing arts through an alliance of artists, individuals, educational resources, and organizations to promote creativity and diversity that will serve to educate and enrich the lives of the residents of the Whitewater community and surrounding areas.