News & Events

Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center to Host Aquatic Easter Egg Hunt on March 28

Families in the Whitewater community are invited to celebrate the season at the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center’s Aquatic Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the facility located at 508 S. Elizabeth Street.

This family-friendly event will feature egg hunts, prizes, and opportunities for photos with the Easter Bunny, creating a fun and memorable experience for children of all ages.

Each participant will receive a gift bag, and those who find a special golden egg will receive Aquatic and Fitness Center membership prizes.

Participants will be grouped by age to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone:
 Ages 2–5: 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM
 Ages 5–8: 10:45 AM – 11:15 AM
 Ages 8–12: 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM

The cost to participate is $5 per child, which also includes open swim admission after 12:00 PM, allowing families to extend their day of fun at the Aquatic Center. In addition, $5 day passes will be available for all attendees, making it easy for families and spectators to enjoy the facility throughout the day.

Advance registration is preferred, though participants may also pay at the door on the day of the event.
To register online, visit www.wwparks.org or contact the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center at (262) 473-4900.

“This event is a great way for families to come together, celebrate spring, and enjoy everything our Aquatic and Fitness Center has to offer,” said Kevin Boehm, Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities. “We look forward to welcoming the community for a morning full of fun and excitement.”

For additional information, please contact the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center at (262) 473-4900
or visit the City of Whitewater Parks and Recreation Department online.

The Ferradermis Robotics Open House on February 14 at the high school enjoyed a great turnout as Ferradermis members gave personal tours of their space and projects. The students spoke enthusiastically about the upcoming renovation/expansion project which will provide them with more space, including a full-size field as is used in their competitions. Photos courtesy of Tom Ganser.

Sheriff Fell is pleased to announce that the Rock County Sheriff’s Office will offer our next 2026 Hunter Safety Education Course on May 2, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., and May 3, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., at the Edgerton Conservation Club, 900 Stoughton Road, Edgerton, WI 53534. There will be an in-person introductory session on April 22, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., at the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, 200 East U.S. Highway 14, Janesville, WI 53545. Students need to attend all sessions to graduate. Anyone born on or after January 1, 1973, is required to complete a Hunter Safety Education Course to legally hunt in Wisconsin. Students must be at least 12 years of age.

Hunter Safety Education Course

Session 1: April 22, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. @ Rock County Sheriff’s Office
Session 2: May 2, from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. @ Edgerton Conservation Club
Session 3: May 3, from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. @ Edgerton Conservation Club

Registration is now open. Complete the online enrollment form to reserve a seat.
https://www.co.rock.wi.us/departments/sheriff-s-office/recreational-patrol/hunter-education

Class size is limited to thirty (30) students. Upon submission of the registration form, the submitter will see an onscreen confirmation message with course information. The course fee of $10 per student will be collected at the first session. If the student is under 18 years old, a parent/guardian will need to attend the first session with the student. Students will receive course materials at the first session. Please direct any questions to Deputy Michael Borgwardt at michael.borgwardt@co.rock.wi.us.

Editor’s note: It is not necessary to be a Rock County resident in order to participate in these classes.

City of Whitewater Launches New Website and Mobile App Platform

The City of Whitewater is proud to announce the launch of its new official website and digital platform, designed to provide a more modern, accessible, and connected experience for residents, businesses, and visitors. While the City’s web address remains the same, the platform itself is entirely new featuring an updated design, improved functionality, and expanded access to city services and information.

In addition to the new website, the city is introducing a mobile app that can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The app allows users to stay informed with city news, receive notifications, and easily access services directly from their smartphones.

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/city -of-whitewater/id6760208273
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apptegy.cityofwhitewater

Residents are encouraged to explore the new platform and experience its features firsthand. Visit theCity of Whitewater website as usual or search for “City of Whitewater” in your app store to download the mobile app.

High schoolers from across the region to perform in Jerry Ensemble Cabaret

Get ready for a dazzling night of song and storytelling! The Southern Wisconsin Jerry Ensemble takes the stage with two performances at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Monday, March 30 in Promenade Hall. The Jerry Ensemble Cabaret will feature everything from beloved musical theater classics to the latest Broadway hits. Tickets ($30) are available at overture.org.

Overture’s Southern Wisconsin Jerry Ensemble is made up of accomplished high school singers from 11 Wisconsin schools. They will wow you with solos, duets, trios and more. Sing along with familiar favorites and discover new showstoppers while enjoying an evening of pure musical magic. With their incredible talent and infectious energy, these performers are sure to leave you humming long after the final note.  

2025/26 Southern Wisconsin Jerry Ensemble

• Gigi Christensen, Adams-Friendship High School 
• Coen Faber, Mount Horeb High School 
• Matias Finley, Abundant Life Christian 
• Isaac Freiberg, Middleton High School 
• Elleigh Harter, Sauk Prairie High School 
• Beau Jacobs, Oregon High School 
• Alexandra (Allie) Jonas, Parker High School 
• Isabel Killian, Middleton High School 
• Callie Lederer, Verona Area High School 
• Madison Melrose, Sun Prairie East High School 
• Leena Rathgeber, Monona Grove High School 
• Kimball Richards, Sun Prairie East High School 
• Samuel Roberts, Sauk Prairie High School 
• Ava Van Daele, Whitewater High School 
• Connor Wilkinson, Sun Prairie East High School 
• Aurelia (Lia) Wochenske, Oregon High School 
• Payton Sarbacker, Verona Area High School 

ABOUT THE JERRYS

The Jerrys, one of Wisconsin’s High School Musical Awards Programs, encourages, recognizes and honors excellence in high school musical theater. The program began in the 2009/10 school year as the Tommy Awards and was renamed in 2017/18 season to The Jerrys after philanthropist and arts supporter W. Jerome Frautschi. Educators and industry professionals attend productions at nearly 115 high schools in 30 counties around the state, providing valuable feedback. The program elevates the importance of musical theater within high schools. 

The Jerry Ensembles are the premier performance groups representing the Jerry Awards in Southern and Central Wisconsin featuring select vocal performers from schools participating in the Jerry Awards program. Students are selected through auditions each year. The Southern Wisconsin Jerry Ensemble is directed by Gail Becker and the Central Wisconsin Jerry Ensemble is directed by Marshall DeLonay. 

OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS in Madison, Wis. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and five galleries where national and international touring artists, nine resident companies and hundreds of local artists engage people in more than 500,000 educational and artistic experiences each year. Overture’s mission is to support and elevate our community’s creative culture, economy and quality of life through the arts. overture.org

Editor’s note: This press release was provided by the Overture Center.

Exploring Lines Drawing
Workshop with Caryl Yasko

Monday, March 30, 5:30 pm-8:30 pm

The Whitewater Arts Alliance warmly invites community members and artists of all experience levels to join Exploring Lines, a drawing workshop led by renowned muralist and educator Caryl Yasko.

The workshop will take place on Monday, March 30, 2026, from 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm at the Cultural Arts Center, 402 W. Main Street in Whitewater. Exploring the power of gestural lines in drawing, this workshop invites artists to loosen up, observe deeply, and express form through movement while creating one shared, collaborative drawing together.

Yasko brings decades of experience to the workshop as a nationally recognized artist, sculptor, muralist and pioneer of community‑based public art. Raised in Racine and shaped by artistic training in both the Midwest and Japan, she developed a distinctive approach rooted in movement, brushwork, and the belief that art should be accessible to everyone.

As one of the founding members of the Chicago Mural Group—now the Chicago Public Art Group—she helped lead a national shift toward collaborative, community‑centered mural making, including her iconic Under City Stone mural in Chicago.

Now living in Whitewater, she continues to mentor artists and share her generous, joyful approach to drawing. With a maximum class size of 15, Yasko will personally engage with artists to open up and freely express form through line.  

The cost is $10, and registration is available in person at the Cultural Arts Center, located on the second floor at 402 W. Main Street in Whitewater during regular gallery hours, which are Thursday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

In-school partnership benefits UW-W students, Fort Atkinson community

Written by Abigail Dotzler | Photos by Craig Schreiner, submitted

The best way to learn how to change lives is to start doing it now. For a future speech-language pathologist, there’s a monumental difference between reading about textbook “intervention strategies” and actually helping a child master reading and math. 

At Purdy Elementary in Fort Atkinson, college students like Lillian Groblewski are earning real-world experience long before graduation through a unique collaboration between the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Flourishing Next Steps. They’re bridging the gap between theory and practice and building their professional confidence one after-school session at a time. 

As part of the Communication Sciences and Disorders (COMDIS) program’s emphasis on hands-on learning, students take two credits of an experiential learning requirement, which can manifest as an internship, an independent study, a travel study, or a field study. 

While university-facilitated field studies are common in the graduate program, the department is proud to offer a field study for undergraduate students as well. By collaborating with Flourishing Next Steps at Purdy Elementary School, the program is supporting students’ professional development, or “scaffolding student success,” according to Lynn Gilbertson, COMDIS department chair and professor of communicative disorders.  

As schools are the top employment setting for speech-language pathologists, Flourishing Next Steps is an ideal fit to introduce students to their most likely professional environment.

The after-school program is for children between kindergarten and second grade in the Fort Atkinson school district, less than 10 miles from campus. The program uses interactive activities and play to promote learning and social and emotional development. 

“Students participate in hands-on, applied experiences that are relevant to the field, by working with different kinds of client populations or other professionals that they’ll be collaborating with and teaming with when they are speech-language pathologists or audiologists in the future,” said Gilbertson.

In December 2025, Lillian Groblewski completed her second semester volunteering at Flourishing Next Steps. She assisted interventionalists in developing reading, writing, and math skills in the students.

While weighing the career options of teaching or pediatrics, Groblewski, a junior and a first-generation college student from Lake Villa, Illinois, stumbled upon UW-Whitewater’s COMDIS program, which she sees as the perfect blend between the two.

“It also was really important for me that [I would be] able to give back or have more sense of purpose in my job,” she said, “and I found it with the major.”

She and other “bigs” — as Flourishing Next Steps terms those who work with the children — from the COMDIS department volunteer twice a week at Purdy Elementary School, earning 45 hours of experience per semester. 

During twice-daily debriefs, the Flourishing Next Steps coordinators offer feedback and strategies for implementing new tools. They provide the volunteers with learning targets to work toward with the children, and guide the volunteers through the hands-on activities.

Groblewski loves seeing behind the scenes of how a program like Flourishing Next Steps is run, and this real-world experience has given her a new perspective on her coursework. 

“I’m not just going to class. I’m going to get something out of this,” she said. 

Groblewski sees the strategies she learns in the classroom play out in real life at Flourishing Next Steps as the children’s performance improves. The strategies and techniques students are learning aren’t limited to their field studies — they can apply them in their careers as well. 

Gilbertson highlighted the behavior management skills, intervention strategies, and professional connections that students develop through the field study and stressed that each student chooses their own goals for their field study. By collaborating with their supervisors and with Gilbertson and her team, students can individualize their experience and learning. 

Beyond the classroom, COMDIS students gain confidence and a sense of community. Groblewski stressed the greater purpose she feels on campus, too, as a result of her field study. Because of the opportunities afforded by their field study, students are able to branch out, get involved, and make a difference in the community beyond the university.

In the spring 2026 semester, COMDIS students continue to work with Flourishing Next Steps, through both the field study and independent studies. The program has become an invaluable partner for the COMDIS department. 

Gilbertson and the COMDIS department are open to expanding their undergraduate field studies and encourage those with ideas to reach out. 

“We are really excited to work with our communities surrounding us to facilitate career readiness and student learning.”