Schools

Bonduel Middle School Principal Mark Margelofsky told students that if they raised enough money in donations to help needy families this holiday season, he would wear a banana costume and let students duct-tape him to a wall inside the school.

The students did their part by raising $1,500 to help 17 families in the school district.

Margelofsky made good on his promise Thursday and was taped to a wall inside the school cafeteria while wearing a bright yellow banana costume.

Gresham Community School

There was a two-hour delay on Dec. 14 due to heating issues.

Gresham Community School participated in Christmas Is for Caring. Mittens marked with items needed were placed on the school Christmas tree. Anyone willing to donate was encouraged to take a mitten off the tree and donate the item listed. Nonperishable food donations were also collected by the Gresham FFA chapter during the FFA Haunted Forest.

There will be a nine-day vacation for students due to winter break. School will resume Jan. 3.

Bowler School District

Shawano Community High School

The Finale Combined Concert will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 19 in the SCHS auditorium, 220 County Road B, Shawano.

Come join Shawano Community High School for the annual poinsettia sale. SCHS will be selling weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. until sold out, so hurry down for best selection! Please enter through Entrance I in the back of the building by the greenhouse. All plants were grown this semester by Melissa Braun’s horticulture students. Plants are $10 each and include the following color varieties: pink, red, white, jingle bells and pink/white marble.

Add some color to your Christmas with these cheerful poinsettias. Thanks in advance for your support of ag education.

Bonduel Elementary School

Recently, the state Department of Public Instruction issued report cards for schools and districts in Wisconsin. Bonduel Elementary School received a five-star rating of 86.5, which falls in the “significantly exceeds expectations” category.

That means our school greatly exceeds state expectations for student achievement, student growth, educational equity and preparing students for educational milestones, including college and career readiness. Students in third, fourth and fifth grades take the state assessment in the areas of reading/language arts and mathematics. Fourth-grade students are also assessed in the areas of science and social studies.

To celebrate this awesome report card, a pep rally was held on Nov. 30. Students and staff were given a pom-pom and learned a cheer that was written by Melanie Mursau. Here are the words to the cheer:

We worked hard, it shows!

Our mindsets help us grow!

Auto shop at Shawano Community High School is not just for Shawano students any more.

Endowed with perhaps the only such program in the county, administrators have invited students from neighboring school districts to enroll and learn auto shop on the Shawano campus.

Students from Bonduel, Wittenberg and Marion are among the first to get a chance at hands-on instruction inside Shawano Community High School’s full-size auto repair facility.

The students all travel to Shawano twice a week from their home high schools, none of which offers the same classroom experience for young people eager to learn automobile repair.

“It’s really cool,” said Josh Duhm, a senior at Bonduel High School. “I’ve learned a lot compared with what I would’ve learned in Bonduel.”

Bonduel Elementary School

The fifth-graders at Bonduel Elementary got a taste of college in October when they visited the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay for the Phuture Phoenix program. We trekked the campus, getting a glimpse of the Weidner Center, Kress athletic facility, classrooms, library and dorms. It was amazing to hear so many of the students excited about the university with claims that they would like to pursue a degree there. The value in educating our youth about options after high school is as important as ever. Go, Phoenix!

Gresham Community School

On Nov. 11, all the kids met in the gym for our Veterans Day assembly. Newell Haffner and Ray Rigsby spoke, and the band played.

Parent-teacher conferences were held Tuesday and Thursday. While they were going on, the library opened its book fair.

Gresham Community School

The parenting class at Gresham Community School received lifelike baby dolls, courtesy of Shawano County Child Support Agency, on Nov. 2. Students took care of the RealCare babies until Monday.

Citizens of the month for the month of October are John Brady, Mikol Meyer, Mahwaeseh Peters, Landon Roe, Robert Kaquatosh, Janay Kirkland, and Jocelyn Cerveny.

Bonduel Elementary School

In social studies, first-graders at Bonduel Elementary School have been studying a unit called Where People Live. This important topic helps us to identify our city, state, country, neighboring countries and continent. Perhaps the most important lesson we will learn is how to give our exact location in case of an emergency.

Sacred Heart Catholic School

SHCS welcomed over 900 guests to the 33rd annual Community Halloween Party on Oct. 26. This free and fun event was open to all children through eighth grade. Guests had a boooo-tiful time filled with games, prizes, candy and a haunted house prepared by eighth-grade students and staff.

This year’s event had a fresh new look thanks to the use of new decorations from Kelly Baumann, of The Gathering and Farm Inn on Main; Cathy Besaw, grandmother of four Sacred Heart Catholic School students and mother of Autumne Gee, director of admissions and development; Chad Kary, school parent; Scott Marohl, middle school teacher; and Sue Simeons, art teacher, who made giant patterned spiders with her classes.

Broadway is coming to Shawano Community High School.

The school’s orchestras will come together to perform their annual Golden Strings concert Friday and Saturday, presenting 18 songs that include pieces from 10 Broadway shows.

The orchestra will re-create many of the songs loved and adored by young and old from shows such as “Phantom of the Opera,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Les Miserables,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and others.

The concert will also feature several singers from the high school and the community.

Students determine the theme and organize the show. Senior Mikaela Selle said the show will appeal to locals in their teens and 20s as much as it will older audiences who grew up with the original music.

“It’s really unique because there are a lot of accidentals in the pieces, and those come out when you play,” Selle said. Accidentals in the music world are emphasized sharps and flats.

Gresham Community School

On Oct. 31, Gresham Community School had a schoolwide Halloween dress-up day. There were many bright and colorful costumes worn by everyone from the preschoolers to the teachers. There were princesses, firefighters, puppies, vampires and much more.

For those who are interested in middle school and high school basketball, the first game for middle school boys is Monday and the high school junior varsity/varsity girls’ first game is Nov. 11. We can’t wait to see all the supporters at the games. Go Wildcats!

Shawano Community High School

The Golden Strings Concert is scheduled from 7-10 p.m. Friday in the Shawano Community High School auditorium.

The fall athletic banquet will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday at The Gathering in Shawano.

The Dinner Dance Revue will be held Nov. 11-12 in the auditorium. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., with the performance starting at 6:30 p.m.