Schools

Wisconsin is known as America’s Dairyland, but much more than milk and cheese is produced here.

Fourth-grade classrooms across Shawano County received a lesson this week on the foods that Wisconsin is famous for growing and producing. Ann O’Leary, the state’s 69th Alice in Dairyland, told students about the variety of crops — as varied as green beans, cherries, trout, wild rice and more — and where those crops thrive.

“It’s a lot of fun,” O’Leary said after visiting with several classes at Gresham Community School. “I love coming to the schools and talking with them. Each classroom is different and seems to have its own knowledge of food and where it comes from.”

One day, you’re sitting in second grade getting ready to work on an assignment for your teacher.

The next day, life happens.

That’s the plot in a nutshell for “Among Friends and Clutter,” a one-act play that will hit the stage at Shawano Community High School this week.

The play, written by Lindsay Price, follows seven students in a second-grade classroom. It is a drama-comedy that shifts from childhood scenes to moments from their adult lives, both real and imagined.

The setup for the show is a little different than what has previously been done. Instead of the audience sitting in the auditorium, ticket holders will be on the stage.

The show has two young directors, including a recent SCHS alum. Addison Lewis, who graduated in 2016, helped out as a director’s assistant with “Mary Poppins” and “Frankenstein.”

Gracie Hensel looked at the pictures of stray dogs and cats in an animal shelter, and she knew she could not turn away and do nothing.

So she thought up a plan to raise funds to help stray animals by rallying support from the people she knows best: her fellow students at Olga Brener Intermediate School in Shawano.

The fourth-grader has joined with classmates in a fundraising drive to support the Shawano County Humane Society so that dogs and cats there are as happy and comfortable as possible.

“I’ve always loved animals,” Gracie said. “It makes me excited just to know that something me and my friends did succeeded.”

Offering a bake sale in the Olga Brener cafeteria, the students raised nearly $200 in the first few days selling cookies and muffins and other treats. They are continuing their drive this week in hopes of delivering a generous show of support to animals at the humane society.

It’s tough enough to be a teenager, even in the 1960s, but when the fate of the world rests on your shoulders, suddenly term papers and algebraic equations seem small in comparison.

Everyday teen girl Jane Doe finds herself drafted into the CIA in the comedy “Spy School,” which Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School is performing next week for its spring production.

The show takes place in 1961, when Jane must infiltrate an American high school to locate a Russian spy who is about to send classified information about the United States’ space program to the Soviet Union. Part of her undercover family are a femme fatale mom, a 40-year-old “younger” brother, and a father who takes narcissism to a whole new level.

Jane finds it difficult to succeed in a time when women were seen as housewives and secretaries and not as intelligent equals, as seen by the sexist curriculum in the high school. Obnoxious students and a prom scene like no other round out the show.

Karen Petermann, of Clintonville, was recently named the National Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year by SHAPE America.

Petermann teaches at Rexford-Longfellow Elementary School in Clintonville.

The award from the Society of Health and Physical Educators was presented at its 132nd national convention in Boston earlier this month.

The award is given in recognition of outstanding teaching performance at the elementary school level and the ability to motivate today’s youth to participate in a lifetime of physical activity.

Petermann, a physical education teacher in the Clintonville School District for more than 29 years, vied with five other district winners for the 28th annual award.

In all, six national Teachers of the Year were selected in the areas of adapted physical education, dance education, school health, elementary physical education, middle school physical education and high school physical education.

Gresham Community School

We raised $708.72 last week for Pennies for Patients.

On Friday, the culture club had a lock-in at the school from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. The students and teachers who chaperoned had a fun time.

On March 23, the second- and third-grade classes went to the Milwaukee Public Museum.

The Gnome Games family night is from 5-7 p.m. Thursday. Dinner is from 5-5:30 p.m., and games will be played in the library after dinner.

Shawano County’s reigning two-time spelling bee champion turned in another stellar performance this weekend at the Badger State Spelling Bee.

Erin Timler, an eighth-grader from Bonduel, finished in eighth place out of 46 competitors at the statewide event held at Madison Area Technical College.

It was the second consecutive year that Timler advanced to the state competition after winning the Shawano County regional spelling bee. She finished in 20th place statewide last year.

Timler correctly spelled “diorama,” “détente,” “roodebok,” “jnana” and other words this year before being eliminated for misspelling “colchicum” in the 15th round of competition.

Her younger sister, Abby, now in sixth grade, won the regional spelling bee and competed at state two years ago.

Gresham Community School

Last week was pretty exciting. We started our annual Pennies for Patients fundraiser. All grades participate, and the class that raises the most money gets a pizza party.

We also had a talent show on Friday. Arthur Boucher, first-place winner for the junior and senior high, sang and played the piano and the cajon. Weston Roe, second-place winner, did magic tricks.

Brett Schreiber, first-place winner for elementary, did gymnastics. Cami Gourley and Olivia Roe, second-place winners, sang to the song “Party in the U.S.A.”

The second- and third-grade classes are going to the Milwaukee Public Museum.

Gnome Games will host family night from 5-7 p.m. March 30.

Clintonville resident Karen Petermann of Rexford-Longfellow Elementary School will be honored as the Midwest District Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the Society of Health and Physical Educators at its 132nd National Convention and Expo in Boston this week.

SHAPE America’s Midwest District represents six states from West Virginia to Wisconsin. The award is given in recognition of outstanding teaching performance at the elementary school level and the ability to motivate today’s youth to participate in a lifetime of physical activity.

Petermann, a physical education teacher in the Clintonville School District for more than 29 years, will vie with five other district winners for the distinguished honor of National Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year.

The National Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year award recipient will be announced on Friday at the SHAPE America Hall of Fame Banquet.

Bonduel Elementary School

The kindergartners at Bonduel Elementary had quite a surprise on their 100th day of school. They had a visit from Zero the Hero, who came to hear them count to 100. The kindergartners counted by ones, by twos, by fives, by 10s and by 20s for him. Zero the Hero read them stories about the 100th day of school. He ended his visit with each student telling their name and then he gave them a 100th Day of School sticker.