SPRING/SUMMER - 2015
THE END OF ANOTHER YEAR 2________________________ Thoughts on Attendance - Mr. Zanotelli
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3_______________________ Celebrate The Year with Mrs. Schulz
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RRCC & 4k News PAGE 5______________________ Kindergarten & 1st Grade News
6_____________________ 2nd, 3rd & 4th Grade News
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PAGE 7____________________ 5th & 6th Grade News PAGE
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Elementary Counselor’s Corner
9__________________ Mind Trekkers
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PAGE 10_________________ Middle School News PAGE
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It is exciting to put the finishing touches on another school year. I am proud of the work our students and staff have done to make this a very successful year. I am amazed by all the accomplishments of our kids as scholars, musicians, artists, athletes and all the other activities our school has to offer. It is enjoyable to watch them grow not only physically but mentally. I am proud of the well rounded citizens we are producing. I would like to wish the best of luck to the 62 students of the Spencer High School graduating class of 2015. I feel as a whole they are ready for the challenges that lie ahead. I am excited for them as they face a new adventure in their life. I would also like to wish two outstanding educators the best of luck in their new careers. Ruby Thomas K-12 Art, and Pam Hayry Middle School Reading/Language Arts are retiring at the end of this school year. They not only have been outstanding staff members but, just as important, outstanding people. Our kids are lucky to have been able to learn and interact with them over the years. Their work and efforts will leave a hole in our school system. Their presence will definitely be missed. Lastly, I would like to thank the community of Spencer for your never ending support of our School District. I want you to know in light of the current Governor’s budget I am going to work hard to advocate for our kids and public education as a whole. The School District of Spencer has always prided ourselves on doing more with less. Through local decision making we have provided outstanding opportunities for our kids despite reductions in funding. The current budget projections will once again put us to the test. I fear that you can only cut so much before you start to bleed. Please be active in promoting public education in our community. Excellence for every student, every day, the Rocket Way!
Family Fun Fest, Phy-Ed News PAGE 12________________ Ecology Club & More
SUMMER OFFICE HOURS
PAGE 13________________ District Spelling Bee
Student Services Hours
June 5th - August 21st 7:00am - 3:00pm
PAGE 14-15_____________
High School News PAGE 16_________________
Spencer Youth Recreations FBLA takes trip to NYC PAGE 17__________________
Post Prom Well Attended PAGE 19___________________ Musicians Place at State S.O.E. PAGE 20____________________ Winter Sports Schedules
Mike Endreas, - Superintendent
The Elementary Office will be closed from July 3rd through August 2nd and the High School Office will be closed from June 26th through August 3rd.
ATTENDANCE: KEY FACTOR TO SUCCESS The information below was taking from the National Center for Education Statistics. Attendance is important to give students the best opportunity to be successful and it has been shown that the more days a student is absent, tardy, or truant the greater the chance that a student will not graduate high school. A missed school day is a lost opportunity for students to learn. In this era of increased accountability for states, districts, and schools, the connection between student attendance and learning is being studied more than ever before. As a result, education agencies are asked with increasing frequency to report attendance data in a standard manner to allow comparisons across organizations and jurisdictions. The primary rationale for high-quality attendance data is the relationship between student attendance and student achievement. Teacher effectiveness is the strongest schoolrelated determinant of student success,1 but chronic student absence reduces even the best teacher’s ability to provide learning opportunities. Students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance. This relationship between attendance and achievement may appear early in a child’s school career. A recent study looking at young children found that absenteeism in kindergarten was associated with negative first grade outcomes such as greater absenteeism in subsequent years and lower achievement in reading, math, and general knowledge. Poor attendance has serious implications for later outcomes as well. High school dropouts have been found to exhibit a history of negative behaviors, including high levels of absenteeism throughout their childhood, at higher rates than high school graduates.3 These differences in absentee rates were observed as early as kindergarten, and students who eventually dropped out of high school missed significantly more days of school in first grade than their peers who graduated from high school. In eighth grade, this pattern was even more apparent and, by ninth grade, attendance was shown to be a key indicator significantly correlated with high school graduation.
foundation for post-secondary education or moving into the work force.
What Are We Doing To Fight Attendance Issues We know that attendance can be a key indicator of the success or potential problems for children starting all the way back in Kindergarten. With this mind we have been trying to find a way to better communicate how your child’s attendance is doing in the high school. With our Infinite Campus Management Software we started an automatic notification when your child is unexcused. We wanted to make sure that you as a parents are kept up to date on your child’s attendance because as parents we cannot be with them 24/7. Next year we are expanding this to also include unexcused tardiness, an accumulation of unexcused absence, and an accumulation of excused absence. Utilizing the guidelines with state statutes for compulsory attendance we are looking at generating an automatic letter system that will notify parents when students are approaching 5 unexcused absence (the threshold from state statute for habitual truancy), or 10 excused absence. With these changes it is the hope of the middle/high school that brining attention to days that are not attended will help to increase the awareness for parents and stir additional conversation with their child. It is a goal of the Spencer High/Middle School to give every student the best opportunity to be successful both at school and for all of their future endeavors.
Jerry Zanotelli - MS/HS Principal
The effects of lost school days build up one absence at a time on individual students. As the effects of those absences accumulate students begin to fall farther and farther behind creating a cycle of frustration and diminished abilities. It is important to understand that all absences, not just truancy can be detrimental to a student’s ability to create a strong intellectual
The deadline to submit items for the next issue is tentatively September 14, 2015. You may drop off items in newsletter mailbox in the Elementary Office, or you may e-mail them to newsletter@spencer.k12.wi.us. It will then take 2-3 weeks to get it put together and mailed out. If you have any questions, you may e-mail that same address or leave a message by calling school and asking for extension 100.
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Thank you!!
Advisors, coaches, faculty, and staff of the Spencer Public Schools have submitted the articles printed in this Publication. Announcements are a community service. Mike Endreas, Editor in Chief
The School District of Spencer shall not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, political affiliation, sex or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, color, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, physical, mental, emotional or learning disability. To report an alleged violation regarding discrimination, contact Mike Endreas, District Administrator, Spencer School District, 715-659-5347
SPRING/SUMMER - 2015
THIS YEAR HAS BEEN ONE TO CELEBRATE! We should be proud of all our students and staff of Spencer Elementary have accomplished this school year! Some of this year’s highlights include: • Our “cookie” jars are full (our reading incentive for the year.) The success of our students was recognized during a milk and cookie “read-a-thon” in April. Each year our reading incentive program is coordinated by Emily Bissonette and Connie Schroedel. • The annual food drive was a huge success. Our elementary school brought in over 3,200 items for the Spencer Food Pantry. Our school community continues to do their part to give back. • We also participated in the first ever “Kindness in Chalk” event. This anti-bullying event was held at the beginning of October and was organized by a young mom from the Minneapolis area. All of our K-5 students went outside on a beautiful fall morning to write encouraging messages on our sidewalks. Channel 9 news even covered this event. Thank you to Brenda Anderson for bringing this great event to our attention. • We have learned the ins-and-outs of Badger, PALS, Aspire, ACT, and WorkKeys state assessments. This was a year of many new assessments for our district. As our districts assessment coordinator I worked with all of the assessments and the staff that would deliver these assessments to our students. I want to take a minute to recognize the hard work of Katrina Eisfeldt who organizes all of the high school testing, Rob Toepel who assures that all of the students have the accommodations necessary for them to find success, and Sue Harn and Scott Johnson who have our computers up and running for every test. The students were also troopers and gave their best at every turn and, finally, the teachers who did their best to ease anxiety and build the students computer skills so they would not get bogged down by the format of these tests. Job Well Done to all involved!! • Janet Wolf and Ruby Thomas were named as Marshfield Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MACCI) Teachers of Distinction. Janet and Ruby are very deserving of this recognition and we are very proud of the effort they put forth each and every day for our students. • Over 300 people participated in our Family Fun Fest in May. Connie Schroedel and Janet Wolf organize this event each school year. This year students and their families enjoyed games, prizes, and supper during this event. The teachers of the elementary also create and run games for all of the students to participate in.
pleasure of welcoming 17 new students to Spencer Elementary this school year. • Nutrition on Weekends (NOW) is a program that provides a bag of food for our students on weekends. Joann Roehl headed up our efforts to get this program running in Spencer. Land O’ Lakes, the United Way, and Burnstad’s Market also helped sponsor this program that provides food for our students over the weekend. Distribution of these bags is done very discreetly. Please contact Joann Roehl is you would like more information about this program. At the writing of this article we are looking forward to our annual spring music concert. Mr. Andrew Dillenburg and the students have been busy practicing and are always so proud to perform for in the Lucille Tack Center for the Arts that is filled to capacity. We are also in the process or organizing the first ever Color Walk fundraiser for the elementary students. Joann Roehl, Helen Szymanski, and Denise Bodendorfer organized this event for June 1st. Students, teachers, parents, community members were all welcomed to join in the fun as we raised funds to provide children in Africa school supplies and to support Spencer Kids Group. All Spencer Elementary students walked together to support local and international children. Students collected pledges if they wished, however they did not need pledges in order to be in the walk. The walk ended with a shower of colored powder! Reminder: As we move toward summer we look forward to the learning to continue through our summer school offerings. Summer is a time to relax and have fun and we want to keep learning alive in the summer too. We hope to avoid the summer “slide” that often happens with skills that the students have built throughout the school year. On average students can lose up to 2.6 months of grade level math skills if they don’t continue to practice over the summer. Simple activities like reading recipes and helping make meals, counting money, using clock skills to tell time and figure out how long an activity will take, or doing 3-4 math problems a day can help combat this loss. Reading skills can also take a huge dip in the summer. Try to engage your child in books that peak their interest and are at their level. Reading just 15- 30 minutes a day will help your child not only maintain their current skills but actually grow as a reader over the summer.
• New students and staff (Ms. Sauer and Mrs. Fischer) became part of our Rocket family. Mrs. Fischer was hired to teach fourth grade and Ms. Sauer teaches our 5th and 6th graders. These two have been a welcome addition and have provided an education for our students that is both engaging and challenging. We also had the
I hope you all have a great summer and we look forward to seeing all of our students and parents for the 2015-2016 school year in just a couple of months!
Jill Schulz - Elementary Principal/Curriculum and Assessment Coordinator
SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS Everyone is welcome to attend the Spencer School Board meetings. They are held the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the HS Library. If there is a change in the date or time it will be posted on the doors outside the HS Office, at the Heritage Bank and at the Village Hall. Information regarding the meetings is also printed in the TRG Newspaper and archived meetings are available for viewing at www.spencer.k12.wi.us under the District links tab. Dawn Reckner, President • Jim Krasselt, Vice President Jerry Wienke, Clerk • Eric Zenner, Treasurer • Dave Post, Director Check out the school website (www.spencer.k12.wi.us) for school contact information.
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ROOKIE ROCKET CHILD CARE The Rookie Rocket Child Care had a great school year and our 1st year of having 3 year olds here was wonderful. We had fun getting our hands full of finger paint doing a project that we put on our wall to brighten our room. The children have had a fun time learning many things during their days here, like writing their names, sharing and taking their turn. We are excited about the future as we continue to grow and learn. Are you looking for a child care that is here for you and your children? Then look no further than the RRCC. We are open Mondays through Fridays 6:30am-6:00pm all year long, except for holidays. During the school year we offer homework help and in the summer we continue to keep children up with their skills by having a daily reading time and doing activities that work on their thinking skills, along with having the everyday fun a child should have. During the summer we attend the Public Library Events, have bike days, water fun days, picnics and many other activities to keep the children entertained and having fun. Join the fun and be a Rookie Rocket. If you are interested in learning more about our child care program please contact Sheri at 715-659-2409 ext. 156 or sschuh@spencer. k12.wi.us
THANK YOU SPENCER PTA! The Rookie Rocket Child Care would like to thank the Spencer PTA for their donation towards the purchase of rest cots being used in our 3 & 4 year old day program. The children love resting on them with their own sheet cover and blanket. Your generosity is greatly appreciated by all of us. Thank you!!!
WE ARE HARD AT WORK IN 4K! It’s hard to believe that our time together in 4K is coming to a close. We have had a terrific year and made so many new friends and learned so much! We have raced through the alphabet, duct taped our principal to the wall with our reading challenge, sang plenty of silly songs, and played hard! Both of the 4K groups have done an excellent job working toward their goals and are ready to move on to kindergarten. Thank you to all of my wonderful parents for their dedication in their child’s education. Have a wonderful summer! - Submitted by 4 Year-old Kindergarten Teacher: Janet Wolf
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SPRING/SUMMER - 2015
KINDERGARTEN NEWS Looking at our students now, it is amazing to see how their skills have developed and grown since the beginning of school. It is hard to believe we are close to the end of the school year. March blew in as we learned the order of the colors of the rainbow and what happens in the water cycle. April showered in with snow instead of rain; however we had lots of achievement since fall. During the month we had the opportunity to visit the Zuelke Sugar Shack and watch maple syrup being made. We helped to gather the bags of sap and managed to get most of the bags back on the trees. We learned it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. We got to sample some of the fresh maple syrup over a scoop of ice cream. In between our adventures we are reading more words and sounding out words to write sentences and stories as we learn about syllables and sound segmentation. We have been counting to higher numbers and learning about time and money. We did our final Dibels assessment in reading and math. The children are growing by leaps and bounds as we head into the final weeks of school. It is feeling like spring as we learn about the seasons and planting seeds. We are finding out what we need to make things grow and exploring how plants develop from a tiny seed. We celebrated Earth Day by making special shirts to remind us of how special trees and plants are to our environment. As we marched into May, we did our final PALS assessment. We are planning a trip to the school forest to discover animal tracks, hold a few toads, and look at the flowers and plants. We are hoping to take a wonderful hike through the forest without getting stuck in the mud. A busy end to the school year is planned with a visit to the Spencer Public Library and to learn about the great ways to
help keep us reading all summer. We will be learning about bicycle safety so we can ride our bikes safely. We are practicing songs for our spring music concert and a few special ones for our last days of kindergarten. We are also preparing for our end of the year trip to the Rose Bowl Lanes for some bowling on June 4. We may practice our addition and subtraction skills while trying to improve our bowling scores. As the days wind down we will continue to learn more words and practice all our newly developed skills. Before we know it, we will be off on summer vacation and preparing to enter the first grade! - Submitted by the Kindergarten teachers: Mrs. Bezlyk, Mrs. Tomke, Mrs. Zuelke
FIRST GRADE NEWS First graders have made amazing progress since the beginning of the school year. We have learned to add and subtract. We have learned to use many reading strategies to help us read words we do not know. We have practiced the “Rocket Way.� We know how to be safe, responsible, and respectful. We finished the school year with some fun! At the school forest we checked out some signs of spring and learned the names of some of the wildflowers that grow in the forest. On our trip to the airport in Mosinee, we learned about all of the different activities that go on. There sure are a lot of big trucks! We spent that afternoon at the Wildwood Park/Zoo in Marshfield. In the last week of school we walked to the Spencer Public Library. We learned about all of the special programs we may attend during the summer. Now we are ready for second grade. Please help your child maintain all they have learned this school year. The most important thing you can do is listen to your child READ----every day! Enjoy your summer break! - Submitted by the First Grade teachers: Mrs. Pankratz, Mrs. Aerts, Mrs. Kolstad
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SECOND GRADE NEWS Wow! Where did the year go! We have a very busy month of May to finish out the school year. We had a great time at Nasonville Dairy, Wildwood Park and the school forest. We worked hard to finish up all of our MAP testing and PALS testing. We have the Elementary Spring Concert, Rocket Olympics, a visit to the bank, city library, and park to finish up the school year. The second grade classes and the fifth grade classes will enjoy a cookout together on the last day of school. They have enjoyed reading together this year with our reading buddy program. This leads us into the summer break so please keep a routine of reading and math activities throughout the summer to keep their skills sharp for third grade. Take advantage of the summer school program which runs from June 8-July 3. Also the jump start program in August10-14. Have a great summer and keep reading. - Submitted by the Second Grade teachers: Mrs. Bissonette, Mrs. Guenther, Mrs. Anderson
THIRD GRADE NEWS Where did the time go? It’s difficult to believe that the school year is coming to an end and summer is fast approaching. This year, we participated in the Badger Exam which was designed to assess reading, language arts and math skills. It was a new experience for us, and we worked hard preparing for it. We also took the MAP reading, language arts, and math tests three times this year, and we’re proud to say that our students made significant gains over the course of the year. Students have learned to read and write in cursive, and it is no longer a mysterious code. In math, we learned new methods for solving 2-digit multiplication problems and will be working again on measurement and analyzing and comparing data. Students have been participating in the online version of the Accelerated Reader Program, and have made great strides toward meeting their reading goals. In science class, we recently studied the various ways that plants and animals interact, which included how food energy moves through an ecosystem, and what a healthy environment is. In social studies, we are learning about different cultures, communities, and holidays. In May, we took a field trip to the Rose Bowl and to the Marshfield Zoo where we watched a special animal program. It’s been a great year and our wish is for continued success! - Submitted by the Third Grade teachers: Mrs. Farrell, Mrs. Reckner, Mrs. Payant
FOURTH GRADE NEWS The fourth grade is winding down a busy, but wonderful year. We’ve been Badger State Testing, MAP testing, and fitting in a bit of learning too! We visited Madison, our Wisconsin capitol, on May 7th and had a beautiful day. We toured the State Historical Museum in the morning, the Henry Villas Zoo over lunchtime, and then the amazing capitol building in the afternoon. It was a fun, educational, and long day! We have a YMCA water safety trip planned for Friday afternoon, May 15, and a morning at the farm through FFA on Wednesday, May
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27th. These are wonderful experiences for our students to learn outside the classroom and celebrate a year of working hard. They are ready to move on to 5th grade; well, AFTER a nice long summer break! Remember to use sunscreen, keep reading lots, and studying those math facts all summer long! Have a safe and blessed summer. - Submitted by the Fourth Grade teachers: Mrs. Fischer, Mrs. Szymanski, Mrs. Miller
SPRING/SUMMER - 2015
FIFTH GRADE NEWS had some remarkable growth on our MAP scores. In April we finished up reading about Greek mythology and enjoyed our annual toga party. The “brain” Jell-O was a hit! We are wrapping up this year by reading Holes, which many students are enjoying so far. I encourage students to enjoy some favorite books this summer, I know I will!!!
• Math class has been very challenging. The kids have done an excellent job and we have shown tremendous growth on our MAP assessment scores. Lately, we have been working with adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers, order of operations, and the world of fractions. Many of the kids are excited to have mastered the online basic fact program called Xtramath. We encourage the kids to continue to practice over the summer so they will be all set for the fall and its new challenges. They are very excited about two other online resources as well. They learn so much by engaging in Prodigy and IXL. All links can be found on my webpage! • We have had lots of fun in Media class as we produced mini video projects using the Animoto Program. It was a great way to share our pictures from the annual Toga Party held in April. We also look forward to the remaining weeks of class as we will be frantically producing a memory slide show utilizing the Movie Maker Program. Each child will bring home a keepsake with pictures of our events from the whole year. We hope they enjoy it with their families. Those pictures will probably surface again in their senior slide show too!! • Science class has been interesting learning about how H2O moves through the environment. We have explored how the parts of an ecosystem work together. Also, we have discovered how changes in habitats affect living things.
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In Communication class, students have continued their trip through the amazing world of grammar. They used what they learned on the writing assignments that they did.
• Social Studies- the growth of the United States has been the main emphasis. Students have learned how the early colonists banded together in order to challenge the hardships imposed upon them by the British Government. They learned how the Constitution gives them certain rights. As the year comes to an end, the students will learn about the Civil War. - Submitted by the Fifth Grade teachers: Mrs. Buss, Miss Sauer, and Mr. Toufar
• Students have been working hard in reading all year. We have
6TH GRADE NEWS A visit to a college campus by 6th graders is always a fun experience. Twelve Spencer 6th graders recently attended College Days for Kids at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. They joined several hundred other students from around the state to get a taste of college life for a day. This included specially designed classes taught by college professors and a delicious lunch at the student dining center. Each student chose their own classes and had an opportunity to sit in actual college classrooms and meet new friends. All 6th graders had the opportunity to submit a letter and application form and meet a set of criteria to attend College Days. Students attending were: Alizabelle Carman, Chase Higgins, Courtney Lyon, Elexa Post, Faith Miller, Haylee Hopperdietzel, Braedon Miller, Cassi
Widmann, Cheryl Whiting, Delaney Wichlacz, Paige Bauer, and Savannah Wester. - Submitted by Jean Rehm
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WORKING TOGETHER TO KEEP OUR SCHOOL RESPECTFUL. What to do if you hear, “Don’t call school, it will just get worse.” It’s tough situation as a parent when your son or daughter explains something going on at school that sounds mean on purpose and is happening repeatedly. Your first instinct may be to call school to let us know what’s going on. Then you hear, “Don’t call Mom! It will just make it worse!” You’re caught between feeling angry about this behavior you’re hearing about and empathy for your child who feels like you’ll add more stress to their day by reporting. We understand that reporting bullying can be very stressful and that students are afraid of retaliation of some kind. The good news is we are ready and equip to help your son or daughter with this situation in a way that will support them and not add more stress.
is being a part of a caring community. If they aren’t stopping even though someone is speaking up, we are here to help. Students can report to any staff member or can e-mail or leave a note for a principal or school counselor. I have a locked box outside my office to make it easy for students to communicate. Once we get the information, it is given to the appropriate principal who checks into it. Most students fix their behavior after being called on it. Students are told retaliation of any form will not be tolerated. Some students choose not to heed this advice and say things like, “narc” or hassle the reporter. We know this is one of the greatest fears students have. If this happens, we want to know about it right away as obviously this student has not learned from their mistake. This is not the reporter’s problem. This is a problem we are ready and willing to deal with. The consequence continues to go up if retaliation happens. The key is communication. I routinely schedule follow up appointments to make sure students are being treated with respect.
You can start by asking your son or daughter a few questions to gain some insight on the situation. Of course you realize no child is perfect and you are hearing one perspective. Start with, “Is there anything you might be saying or doing that they don’t like?” Some situations can sound like one-sided bullying, but are actually are a two-sided conflict where both students are culpable for disrespectful behavior. Being the savvy parent that you are, you know how your child typically responds to conflict. Ask them about what happened before and after the situation. Is it possible they said or did something that really annoyed the other person? This is a good time to check Instagram, Kik and all other social networking accounts to review your child’s online behavior. Sometimes students don’t want you to call the school, because they know they’ve crossed the line too and you’ll find that out once it’s checked into. If you find your son or daughter was disrespectful in some way, address their behavior and your expectations for them. Talk about positive ways to cope and speak up for themselves without being mean back. Of course, they are welcome to set up a time with Mrs. Roehl or Mrs. Eisfeldt to review and practice a variety of coping skills they can choose from.
Spencer Elementary School Counseling – Joann Roehl
If you’ve checked all this out and it sounds and looks pretty onesided to you (someone is being mean repeatedly and your son/ daughter is staying respectful), open communication with the school is helpful. Ask your son or daughter if they have spoken up or if anyone else has spoken up on their behalf. We teach students to be positive bystanders and speak up for classmates when they hear or see something mean. Research shows the best form of prevention
Stay in touch with Spencer Middle School happenings, look for helpful parenting articles and links and check out all the great things our students are up to!
So if you ever hear, “Don’t call! It will just get worse,”, take a step back from your initial reaction, gain some perspective by asking the right questions and know that we are here to work together with you until the respect level is restored to the Rocket Way. Joann Roehl (Roewe) PK-7 School Counselor (715) 659-4642 ext. 123 jroehl@spencer.k12.wi.us
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SPRING/SUMMER - 2015
MIND TREKKERS Spencer Kids “Get Their Geek On” Spencer 6th and 7th grade students had the opportunity to attend the Michigan Technological University’s Mind Trekkers Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Road Show at NTC in Wausau. The Mind Trekkers bring the “WOW” of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics directly into the hands and minds of students. Spencer kids were literally sparked with new ideas and understandings. Students experienced hands-on learning
over hundreds of science marvels! If you know a 6th or 7th grade student, ask them to share about the experience; you’re sure to be in for a great conversation!
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BOX TOPS & MILK CAPS RAISE $2,300! For years, Spencer schools has been turning Box tops, Campbell soup labels and Kwik Trip milk caps into cash or merchandise for our school. Box tops & milk caps brought in approximately $2300 this year which is used for reading literacy books and materials in the elementary school. In the past, we’ve featured a children’s author which opened the student’s eyes that a real person wrote the book. Campbell soup labels are used to purchase a variety of things from physical education supplies to science equipment.
This year, our hard-working 6th graders handled the Campbell soup labels and milk caps cutting and mailing task. Because of their dedication, some of the milk money is being used to off-set a portion of the cost of their annual class trip to Green Bay. Our school is proud to have caring parents and grandparents who save these items for the benefit of Spencer school students. Thank you! - Mrs. Ruby Thomas
MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS 6th grade students have been busy developing their understanding of how simple machines make up the world around us. All things, as simple as thumbtacks to as extravagant as ferris wheels, begin with one of the 6 simple machines. Students were able to construct their own levers by building catapults. We went outside to enjoy the beautiful weather to see who could launch their marshmallows the farthest. Each group practiced data-keeping and compared their results with classmates. Students were also required to discuss why certain catapults launched farther than others. It was a great experience and a perfect day to get out and launch! In Social Studies, the 6th graders delved into their individual family histories. They worked with parents and other family members to create their own Family Trees. Many students went above and beyond project requirements and found ancestors many generations back. They adorned their projects with photos and documents, like birth certificates and even an ancestor’s will from 1818! Some students presented their projects to the class and told intriguing stories about important people in their families. In Language Arts, the 6th grade students were inspired by their family history projects in Social Studies. The students brought recipes from home that were meaningful to their families. A few recipes even went back a couple generations! Once everyone had a recipe to share, we typed them up, wrote why they were meaningful to us and created a book of class recipes. Some students even made their dishes for extra credit. It was a tasty time in Language! Spencer Middle School sent two teams to the Auburndale Junior High Math competition which was held on Friday, April 17th. Both teams represented Spencer in high fashion placing 1st and 6th in a field of 15 teams from 8 school districts. The team earning 1st place honors was Promise Ngirwe, Aryiah Schuh, Gerard Riordan,
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and Maggie Riordan. Placing 6th were Daniel Clark, David Ellefson, Brett Kasch, and Maria Semenchuk. The alternates that practiced, challenged and were ready to attend if needed were Zach Dunbar, Salvador Estrada, Chase Higgins, and Caroline Riordan. Maggie Riordan had the overall high score out of 60 individuals competing. Both teams did an excellent job of preparing for the competition and then using all of their hard work to place well amongst the other 15 teams. Mrs. Judy Barton prepared the teams and coached them at the competition.
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SPRING/SUMMER - 2015
FAMILY FUN FEST The Title I Family Fun Fest has another successful event. As part of the Title I program, the school is to provide an annual informational night. For the last few years, they have incorporated family fun activities with the informational aspect. Each child gets a ticket for a free hot dog meal. They also have the opportunity to pick out door prizes. Also on hand are informational tables for Spencer Kids Group and Rookie Rockets, as well as the Title I program. Elementary staff members created the games for the kids. Fifth grade students were in charge of registration, serving meals and tattoos. Overall, about 200 people attended the event.
A GREAT DAY IN SPENCER PHY-ED The Physical Education department welcomed the WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD! SSG Nick Marquard, SSG Kyle Wickert, & PFC Terry Tackes visited school with their bubble soccer equipment and joisting pit. It was a fun filled day for students in grades 6-12 as they were able to participate in activities that they may have only heard about previously. Students were excited to put the bubbles on and participate in soccer. Well, maybe soccer was the last thing on their minds, as the ball was the least important part of the activity; bumping into and trashing classmates and teachers in this highly controlled activity was what the day was all about. Even Ms. Sauer got into the action and in the process took many hits and rolls on the floor.
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The joisting pit was a hit for students in grades 7-12 along with Mr. Abel and Mr. Rayburn. It is hard to say who won that match, but the clear champ was PFC Tackes. Mr. Abel and Rayburn gave their best shot, but did not prevail. There was even a student who attempted to dethrone PFC Tackes, but everyone knows the result In spite of the students’ courage. Many students challenged each other in the best of three competition. The line was long waiting to compete. All-in-all it was an excellent day for students. Physical Education came alive with a new and exciting activity. Thank you SSG Marquard, SSG Wickert, and PFC Tackes for your service to the country and to the students of Spencer Schools.
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ECOLOGY CLUB This summer, students in the Ecology Club and other grades 5 – 12 students have the opportunity to learn, work, and have fun in the largest of Spencer’s three school forests. Classes will meet in the afternoon. The class is facilitated by a biology teacher with many days of military training and experience in the great outdoors. High school students can also earn credit. Interested students should sign up in the high school office or let Morgan Mancl (Ecology Club President) or Mr. Benton (Ecology Club Advisor) know as soon as possible, since the class size is limited. Photo credit: http://www.myminnesotawoods.umn.edu/2008/10/baudette-sf/
A PRESCRIPTION FOR SUCCESS We know it’s important to eat foods that are fortified with the vitamins and supplements our bodies need in order to live an optimal life— who doesn’t love some Vitamin D milk? Well, our minds are also hungry for activities that will strengthen it. Spencer Schools has found our brain vitamin, and it’s known as the enrichment block! With the implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI) in all schools, students at Spencer have gained valuable time that is now built into the schedule for enrichment and remediation. In the middle school, students spend 30 minutes per day working in classrooms to either develop skills they need help with or to focus on an area of strength. The kids’ opportunities change throughout
PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR... Students in Mrs. Much’s “Word Art” enrichment class got busy with their hands and their minds as they wrote identity poems about their life in the shape of their fingerprints, fashioned personalized keychains, and created tattooed personality hands to reflect their own ideas, values, and interests. Pictured here are Elexa Post, sixth grade (top), and Macy Griepentrog, seventh grade (bottom), each posing with her personality hand statue!
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the week. One day they may be part of a large group perfecting a hand bell performance, and the next day they could be one-on-one with a core teacher to revisit a lesson they did not understand. The classes and activities offered are very diverse and range from topics like book studies, reading comprehension strategies, math facts and building number sense to crazy crafts, exercise walking, and card games! While some students may never opt to join an arm knitting class, one thing is for certain—there is something available to fulfill the needs of every student. When consumed daily in 30-minute doses, it can do wonders!
WHAT IS ANOMIA? The dictionary definition will tell you anomia is a problem with word recall, but participating in this enrichment class with Mrs. Much will show you that anomia is a burst of chaotic fun! This card game helps students understand just how difficult forming language is when the brain is under pressure!!
SPRING/SUMMER - 2015
DISTRICT SPELLING BEE RESULTS The School District of Spencer held its annual District Spelling Bee on Tuesday, February 10, 2015. There were 24 total participants from grades 5-8. The first place winner was Rhys Schafer from 8th grade, and the second place winner was Ruby Semenchuk from 5th grade. The top six spellers from each grade participated in the Spencer School District Spelling Bee. Those participants are listed here and pictured below on stage just before the start of the bee: 5th grade Ruby Semenchuk Jorie Meyer Jordan Whiting Becca Mlsna Mallori Barth Chase Writz
6th Grade Salvador Estrada Braedon Miller Brody Much Colton Schug Hailey Hopperdietzel Delaney Wichlacz
7th Grade Maria Semenchuk Eric Celis Jacob Kadrlik Tyson Blume Dalton Gilbert Michael Bezlyk
8th Grade Lindsey Loos Rhys Schafer Brandon Lenz Damon Butler Logan Zschernitz Gerard Riordan
MAPPING HOT SPOTS WE ARE HAPPY & WE KNOW IT After learning about the Harlem Renaissance and “hot spots” around Harlem like the Apollo Theater and Sugar Hill where many famous writers and artists of the Harlem Renaissance made some of their best memories, 7th grade students in Mrs. Much’s Language Arts classes set out to make maps that show their own favorite places. Some students chose to map out the Spencer community and highlight places they go for activities, others mapped the fun hideaways on farms or at family cabin retreats, and a few even mapped their bedrooms and all the secret stashes of candy and other loot! This workshop activity was a fun way to connect the past with the present while learning many useful map skills!
This year’s Early Childhood Academy students confirmed their love for children through countless activities with our 4K friends and local child care centers. We put on a puppet show, led process art activities, read storybooks and played games, along with many more fun lessons. Students that complete the Early Childhood Academy are licensed as lead teachers for a child care center. The best teacher is experience and these students have had many to help make them the best.
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WE’VE BEEN COOKING UP A STORM Stir Crazy Café and Catering is run by students in our Professional Cooking class. During 3rd quarter, we learned a lot about quantity food production while mastering concepts like communication, teamwork, leadership, work ethic and professionalism. Each week, students prepared take and bake meals for purchase by staff. We prepared Lasagna, Dorito Chicken Casserole, Baked French Toast, Bubble Pizza, Biscuits and Gravy and Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti. Students learned a variety of preparation techniques and demonstrated proper kitchen and food safety procedures. We had a fantastic response from staff and cannot wait to start this up again next year. Between quarters, we sweetened things up by learning the process of making layered cakes. This was one of the favorite units for students. During 4th quarter, we shifted gears to run a café for staff during lunch. We prepared lots and lots of great food but we challenged staff to come out of their comfort zone by preparing less popular items like Loaded Potato Egg Rolls, Gazpacho and
Béarnaise sauce. Each week’s menu focused on a food unit. We covered units on potatoes, grains, pasta, sauces, and soups. This experience not only taught our students how to prepare and cook a wide array of food but it also allowed them to demonstrate customer service and cash handling skills. In the future we hope to connect with our school even more by catering special events.
READY, SET, COOK! This is Spencer’s first year taking a culinary team to the ProStart Student Invitational in Milwaukee. They competed against 21 other schools in the state. I have taught the ProStart program since I began my teaching career. I was introduced to the program and competition during my internship at South Milwaukee High School. From the very start, I could see the students had so much to gain as a participant. ProStart is curriculum backed by the National Restaurant Association, teaching career focused content to students interested in the field. Students can also earn a ProStart certificate which gets them articulated credits at colleges across the state. ProStart opens so many doors for students. The biggest takeaway for me as an educator is the pride and accomplishment students have as a result of this work based experience. Students work to develop a menu, cost the menu, determine menu pricing and establish plating techniques in addition to safety, sanitation, clean up, knife skills and professional attire. It is the ultimate learning experience. This is the 5th time I have taken a team and I have never had a student regret the experience or express that it wasn’t worth all the hard work. Every participant has always been amazed by the
process and grateful for the opportunity. This year’s team included: Lindsey Hinrichsen, Mandie Schultz, Faith Becker and Donovan Fox We are so proud of our team. They did an amazing job representing Spencer High School! Like Spencer High School FCS-Tiana Schultz to see what else is going on in our classroom
Spencer HS Music Seniors recently returned from a trip to New York City. While there, they toured the United Nations, attended THE LION KING, BLUEMAN GROUP and a performance of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Top of the Rock, took a Liberty Boat Cruise, absorbed intimate details of NYC life from their step-on tour guide, experienced Chinatown, the 9/11 Memorial and Central Park. Pictured from left to right are: Elizabeth Duerr, Andrew Frahmann, Brandi Hildebrandt, Samantha Fuehrer, Jessica Burt, Donovan Fox, Amy Kennow, Jaden Shelley, Jenny Meyer, Jordyn Wichlacz, Amanda Springob, Hannah Pankratz, Mikaela Krause, Seanna Mueller, Katlynne Walter, Paige Lawrence, Melissa Lehman, Allison Farrell, Abby Varsho, Brittany Fitzgerald
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Photo by GroupPhotos.com
SPRING/SUMMER - 2015
HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE The Spencer AP Biology students had an amazing opportunity this year to be part of an AP Biology Biotechnology curriculum piloted by the UW-Madison Biotechnology Center. Spencer High School was the first high school in Wisconsin to use this curriculum as part of their unit on DNA and biotechnology. The curriculum involved two and a half days of intense lab work that walked the students through then entire central dogma - DNA -> RNA -> protein. Cheryl Redman from the UW Biotechnology Center visited Spencer in February and brought with her the equipment necessary to extract DNA from radish seedlings, amplify it using PCR, and run the results on gel electrophoresis. This process allowed the students to determine if a particular protein was present in light-grown and dark-grown radishes. The Spencer AP Biology students visited the Biotechnology Center in Madison in March to determine the structure of the protein present in their samples using Sanger Sequencing and microarray assays in their labs. It was a great experience that really helped the students master the content in this unit.
HIGH SCHOOL MATH DEPARTMENT As we look back on the 2014-15 school year from the math department view, it was a year with some changes, such as the adding of a college prep Geometry course or switching the order in which our students take their courses. These, along with our spending time preparing our students for the various state tests, whether it was the Aspire test for the freshmen and sophomores, or the ACT test for all of our juniors, were designed to help them be successful on those tests. When we know the results from these, it
will help guide us as we plan for next year. Speaking of next year, we will be adding another NTC course to our schedule, that will allow more of our students to receive dual credit(which means they receive high school and college credit at the same time) through NTC. We are hoping that this will encourage more students to take a look at the dual credit options available to them.
LAS CLASES DE ESPAﾃ前L If your son or daughter is taking Spanish II or III next year, he or she will be bringing home packets of review materials on June 4th. The students have been encouraged to do these packets over the summer. When they return to school in September, they will find a double benefit from having done the packets. One benefit is that they will receive extra credit points commensurate with the amount of the packets they have finished correctly. The other benefit, truly the more important one, is that they will not struggle with the concepts they learned this year. They will find themselves ready to go after a short review to start the year.
on these packets periodically over the summer. While summer is a time for students to relax, it is also a time when many forget skills. This is especially true for those learning a second language. Encouraging them to work on a regular basis will help them do their best in the fall. Finally, we will be using eBooks in Spanish classes next year. Your son or daughter will explain to you how these work. We are excited about the opportunities the eBooks present to our students, as they will allow them to personalize their learning. Look for further information about the eBooks in the fall.
You can help your son or daughter by reminding him or her to work
BIO STUDENTS AT ECOLOGY SCIENCE FAIR Spencer Students Present At Ecology Science Fair On May 29th, many freshmen biology students presented their research on the ecology of mosquitos to a panel of judges. Students created display boards and also wrote research papers. Many students worked in pairs on their projects learning countless important things about this most dangerous animal on our planet. The science fair and two fun assemblies featuring lively science demonstration were hosted by the Spencer Ecology Club. -Submitted by: Doug Benton
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Spencer Youth Recreations, Inc. is pleased to announce that our latest project, Rocket Athletic Facilities Upgrade, is nearing completion. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at SPREC Field on May 2nd to honor all those who contributed to the success of the upgrade project with monetary donations and gifts of time and talent. Softball parents are now able to serve a wide variety of items to our fans due to the new concession stand and all it has to offer. Our dugouts are keeping our players shielded from the sun. The batting cage in the cafeteria is enjoyed by our baseball and softball athletes. The score board at Frisch Field proudly displays our football scores. Soon our landscaping will be complete and any day now our brand new score board will be installed at the softball field. SYR is very proud of this upgrade and has done it all without using school funds. This dream became a reality through the hard work and dedication of so many people. We would like to acknowledge our volunteers and sponsors for this project: Derek and Dave Buse • Brad Bauer Memorial • Don Nikolai Construction • Merkel Electric • MV Services • Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals • Spencer PTA Spencer Baseball Club • Heritage Bank • Spencer Softball Parents Marshfield Clinic • Matt Davel Construction • Baehr Electric A & B Process Systems Corp. • Modern Insulation • Spencer Lions Club Spencer Softball Club • Spencer Youth Footbal • SC Football Club Community Volunteers • Harmony Country Cooperative/Co-Bank SYR recently received a “Wisconsin Athletic Service Award” from Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association. Spencer Youth Recreations, Inc. was proud to provide donations to the following endeavors in the recent months: o $2,950.00 for SPREC Field scoreboard o $1,500.00 to BLAST Program for SHS Post Prom party at Rose Bowl o $600.00 for SPREC Field concession stand equipment o $200.00 for annual FFA Easter Egg Hunt o $470.00 for Spencer Youth Baseball equipment o $50.00 for SC Football Bus Upgrade to Coach bus for a long trip SYR would like to acknowledge recent donations made to our organization. A special thank you is extended to Baehr Electric for sponsoring electrical work done in the concession stand this spring. Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals also gave a very generous monetary gift to our organization. SYR is very appreciative of two board members who recently resigned from our Board of Directors. A heartfelt thank you goes to Rob Schulz and Greg Mlsna for all they have done for our organization throughout the last 10 years. Your commitment to Spencer’s youth is commendable. SYR welcomes new members: Derek Buse, Ben Bauer, Dean Baehr, and Kyle Schultz
Current SYR Board consists of the following volunteers: President: Tim Buss • Vice President: Derek Buse • Secretary: Mary Buss Treasurer: Colleen Bauer • Greg Oestreich • Jason Gorst • Todd Hildebrandt Ben Bauer • Dean Baehr • Kyle Schultz
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FBLA TO BIG APPLE! On Tuesday, April 21, twelve members of the Spencer Future Business Leaders of America, four parent chaperones, and their advisor left Spencer for a three-day tour of the Big Apple. Before arriving in New York City; however, the group took an upstate detour and visited Niagara Falls. While in New York City, the students saw the Statute of Liberty, Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Chinatown, Little Italy, Wall Street, Grand Central Station, the Empire State Building, Trinity Church, the 911 Memorial and Museum, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Radio City Music Hall, Fifth Avenue, and Federal Hall. The highlight of the trip was the Broadway show The Lion King! Additionally, students experienced their first subway ride. Seated in front of the Federal Hall on WaVll Street, which is where President George Washington took his oath of office in 1789, are (Front L-R) Melissa Strupp, McKenna Rahm, Jenna Schober, Kelly Hougum, and Miranda Jackson; (Middle L-R) Kaytlin Gessert, Kassie Morzewski, and Katie Fleischman; (Back L-R) Cody Potz, Hunter Schneider, Ryan Schauer, and Chris Schauer. - Submitted by Connie Schauer, FBLA Advisor
SPRING/SUMMER - 2015
POST PROM WELL ATTENDED One of the most anticipated and exciting events of a teenager’s life is their high school prom. Nothing compares to getting all dressed up, going out for dinner, and dancing into the wee hours of the night with friends; prom is the one night a year where teens can act like adults, let loose, and just have a good time. But while prom night festivities can be an extraordinary experience, there is also the potential for unexpected horrors. All too often do we hear heartbreaking stories of teens being maimed or even killed after prom in car accidents, leaving communities shocked and parents devastated. The dangers of alcohol and drugs are just as present today as they have always been, and on a night where a teen is allowed to let loose, kids can be tempted to experiment with various substances. Prom is supposed to be a happy, memorable experience; but over the last few years, parents have grown more and more worried about their child’s well-being after the dance is over. In an effort to put a stop to the dangers of prom night, Spencer High School’s student organization, BLAST (Being a Leader And Standing Tall), has developed a program that keeps watch over kids after the dance has ended. This program is called Post Prom. The Post Prom celebration is an annual event that has occurred directly after prom for the last five years, and has become one of the most anticipated events of the school year at SHS. On April 25th, the fifth Post Prom celebration was successfully put on after Spencer’s prom that evening. After the dance, the students changed out of their dresses and tuxes into more casual clothes and were then transported by school buses to and from the Rose Bowl Lanes in Marshfield, where they bowled, enjoyed the photo booth, ate, won prizes, and laughed with their friends under the supervision of both teachers and volunteers from the Spencer community. The event provided a safe, fun alternative for kids and kept them from the dangers of alcohol and drugs after prom was over.
Post Prom has become one of BLAST’s most popular events of the school year, not just for parents, but also for students. Over 90% of SHS students have attended Post Prom each year since it first began in 2011, including kids who did not even attend prom in the first place. The program’s popularity continues to grow with every new school year. Since Post Prom started, SHS’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBS) have shown that over 86% of Spencer students are healthy, drug free individuals. Post Prom has also spawned new friendships amongst the students of SHS, which has resulted in a larger sense of camaraderie and togetherness in the high school hallways. Most Spencer students would agree that Post Prom is the best part of prom, and without it, the night just wouldn’t be the same. Post Prom takes the worry off of parents’ shoulders and ensures the safety of students on prom night, which is a priceless gift to both the school and entire Spencer community. Spencer High School BLAST members and the SHS BLAST advisors, Katrina Eisfeldt and Karla Brehm, would like to thank the following for their sponsorship of this year’s Post Prom celebration: Anderson Electric, Brad Bauer Memorial Fund, Brian and Jackie Pickett, Burnett Transit, Cut Loose Salon, Citizen’s State Bank in Spencer, General Farm Supply, Gosse Chiropractic, Heritage Bank, J.P. Togs, Jensen Motors, Jesse and Carlyn Johnson, Land O’ Lakes, Life Tributes Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Main Street Conservatory of Dance, Marshfield Clinic, Main Street Conservatory of Dance, Modern Insulation, Ram Rod, Rogers Cinema, Rose Bowl Lanes, Security Health Plan, Spencer Lion’s Club, Spencer PTA, Spencer Women’s Club, Spencer Youth Rec, State Farm Insurance/Lisa Schneider, Structures Unlimited, Stoiber Plumbing, and Wiskerchen Cheese. We would also like to thank the following volunteers: Eric and Vicki Zenner, Ryan and DeAnn Griepentrog, Brian Abel, Greg Oestreich, Jason Gorst, Justin Rayburn, Brad Schiferl, Willow Eisfeldt, Todd Eisfleldt, Denny Brehm, Sue Strebe, Carlyn Johnson, Lora Mercier and Kris Meinders.
BASKETBALL IN COSTA RICA Kyleigh Hebert, a 2012 Spencer graduate will be playing basketball in Costa Rica this summer against the Costa Rican National team and their local college teams. Players were selected from across the United States based on all-conference awards, individual achievements and nominations from college coaches to represent NCAA D3 women’s basketball. While in Costa Rica Kyleigh will also do volunteer work with local youth. Kyleigh will be a senior this fall and has been a three year starter on the UW Stout women’s basketball team after transferring from Minn. State Moorhead.
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FROM THE H.S. COUNSELOR’S CORNER Happy Spring! The following are things that are happening in the school counseling area: grades 8-12:
Juniors – The last ACT test for this school year is on June 13, 2015. If your student still wants to take the ACT and did not get into the June one the next time he/she will be able to take it is September 12, 2015 with a registration deadline of August 7. Junior class parent/student meetings were held. We discussed summer college visits, college applications, financial aid, scholarships, schedules, transcripts and graduation requirements for your senior year. Sophomores – Sophomore individual planning conferences (IPC) will once again take place this spring and into the summer months. At the IPC we will discuss high school courses, graduation requirements, go over all of the information your son/daughter has done on WisCareers and look at what future plans might entail for your son/daughter. This conference is very important as there is so
much to get done during their upcoming junior year. Sophomores need to make sure that they are taking rigorous classes their junior year as this is a main part of what colleges look at when they make their acceptance decisions. Please make sure you sign up for a time to come in and meet with me.
Freshmen – Freshmen have received their schedules for next
year. If you have any questions on classes for next year please make sure you come in to see me. Next year we will begin focusing on career interests.
8th Grade – Developmental guidance in the 8th grade is continuing. They are finalizing their freshman schedules this week. If you have any questions about high school, feel free to give me a call. - Submitted by: Katrina Eisfeldt
SUMMER SCHOOL PERFORMANCES Spencer summer school will present the play Big, Bad by Alec Strum at 8:30 AM in the LuCille Tack Center for the Arts. It seems that the Big, Bad Wolf has been served with a class action lawsuit by the fairytale characters he has wronged. Will the Evil Stepmother successfully defend her client Mr. Wolf or will the Fairy Godmother succeed in sentencing Big, Bad to a life in prison? Only the audience can decide his fate. General seating, admission is free.
Rocket Rhapsody song and dance troupe is back for its second season. Performers in grades 5-8 will perform pop songs and dances for students and adults. Rocket Rhapsody will blast off on July 3rd at 10:30 AM in the LuCille Tack Center for the Arts. General seating, admission is free. - Kristin Lohrentz - English, Drama & Forensics
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SPRING/SUMMER - 2015
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICIANS PLACE AT STATE SOLO-ENSEMBLE FESTIVAL Following are the results for the Spencer Junior and Senior High School musicians who participated in the WSMA State SoloEnsemble Festival held May 2 at UW—Stevens Point. Instrumental Events First: Soloists: Elizabeth Endreas (alto sax), Casey Shaw (clarinet), Elijah Schuh (trombone I-N), Elijah Schuh (Exemplary), Leigh Anne Sieracki (tenor sax), McKale Weichelt (timpani); Woodwind Ensemble: Casey Shaw, Jessica Meinders, Morgan Mancl, Hannah Pankratz, Victoria Kniess, Alyssa Stoiber, Hayley Scheppler, Lexi Baehr, Donovan Fox, Jenna Schober, Kaily Northup, Megan Meyer, Dyllan Griepentrog, Hayden Czaikowski, Devin Gerstner, Elizabeth Duerr, Brandi Hildebrandt, Brittany Fitzgerald, Nicole Strebe, Ellayna Lyon, Johanna Ellefson, Alexis Tremelling; Jazz Ensemble: Casey Shaw, Elizabeth Endreas, Jenna Schober, Megan Meyer, Ellayna Lyon, Leigh Anne Sieracki, Dyllan Griepentrog, Ryan Busse, Katelyn Zimmerman, Austin Elsinger, Lukas Ellefson, Jaden Shelley, Collin Nieman, Abby Varsho, Allison Farrell, Elijah Schuh, Alek Siegel, Leah Higgins, Andrew Seefeldt, Will Johnson, Miranda Jackson, Felicia Bauer, Johanna Ellefson Second: Soloists: Courtney Buss (marimba), McKale Weichelt (timpani); Percussion Ensemble: Dakota Andreae, Felicia Bauer, Courtney Buss, Miranda Jackson, Elijah Schuh, McKale Weichelt, Rachel Zastrow; Sax Choir: Elizabeth Endreas, Donovan Fox, Dyllan Griepentrog, Megan Meyer, Kaily Northup, Jenna Schober, Leigh Anne Sieracki
Vocal Events First: Soloists: Hayden Czaikowski, Devin Gerstner (I-N), Sydney Johnson, Victoria Kniess, Tiffany Raatz, Maggie Riordan, Elijah Schuh (Exemplary), Casey Shaw (Exemplary), Katlynne Walter (I-N); Musical Theatre Soloist: Devin Gerstner (I-N), Jessica Meinders (I-N), Casey Shaw, Elijah Schuh (I-N), Amanda Springob (I-N); Duet: Jessica Meinders & Tiffany Raatz, Andrew Seefeldt & Austin Elsinger; Barbershop Quartet: Jessica Meinders, Tiffany Raatz, Hayden Czaikowski, Ellayna Lyon; Oriana Madrigal: Jessica Meinders, Amanda Doescher, Tiffany Raatz, Jessica Burt, Amanda Springob, Hayden Czaikowski, Katlynne Walter, Jenny Meyer, Ellayna Lyon, Andrew Seefeldt, Casey Shaw, Elijah Schuh, McKale Weichelt, Dakota Andreae, Jack Burnett, Devin Gerstner & Austin Elsinger. Second: Soloists: Courtney Buss, Daniel Clark, Sadie Mercier, Amanda Springob, McKale Weichelt; Musical Theatre Soloist: Ellayna Lyon; Trio: Andrew Seefeldt, McKale Weichelt, Austin Elsinger Handbell Event First: Handbell Ensemble: Amanda Springob, Hayden Czaikowski, Casey Shaw, Courtney Buss, Amanda Doescher, Tiffany Raatz, Faith Becker, Elijah Schuh, Leigh Anne Sieracki, Sadie Mercier, Alyssa Stoiber, Will Johnson, Elizabeth Wodinowich, Bailey Schubert Piano Event First: Casey Shaw
Thirty-eight of Spencer High School’s Class A Solo and Ensemble events qualified for the WSMA State Music Festival that was held at UW-Stevens Point on May 2. Pictured from L-R: Casey Shaw (seated); Row 1: Tiffany Raatz, Sydney Johnson, Daniel Clark, Leigh Anne Sieracki, Kaily Northup, Hayley Scheppler, Hannah Pankratz, Amanda Springob, Rachel Zastrow, Brittany Fitzgerald, Alexis Tremelling; Row 2: Morgan Mancl, Hayden Czaikowski, Jessica Meinders, Maggie Riordan, Amanda Doescher, Beth Duerr, Victoria Kniess, McKale Weichelt, Allison Farrell, Megan Meyer, Katelyn Zimmerman, Leah Higgins; Row 3: Nicole Strebe, Felicia Bauer, Liz Endreas, Lexi Baehr, Alyssa Stoiber, Elijah Schuh, Faith Becker, Katlynne Walter, Courtney Buss, Jessica Burt, Ellayna Lyon; Row 4: Brandi Hildebrandt, Andrew Seefeldt, Dakota Andreae, Austin Elsinger, Devin Gerstner, Ryan Busse, Jack Burnett, Donovan Fox, Dyllan Griepentrog, Alek Siegel, Will Johnson, Collin Nieman. Not pictured: Elizabeth Wodinowich, Bailey Schubert, Sadie Mercier, Lucas Ellefson, Matthew Wester, Johanna Ellefson, Jenny Meyer, Jenna Schober, Abby Varsho, Miranda Jackson
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ROCKETS FOOTBALL Aug 21 Aug 28 Sep 4 Sep 11 Sep 18 Sep 26 Oct 2 Oct 9 Oct 16
7:00PM 7:00PM 7:00PM 7:00PM 7:00PM 1:00PM 7:00PM 7:00PM 7:00PM
vs. Fall Creek @ Stanley-Boyd vs. Neillsville vs. Colby @ Cadott @ Regis (Carson Park) vs. Altoona vs. Edgar (NC ) @ Osseo-Fairchild
Spencer Volleyball Aug 25 Aug 29 Sep 8 Sep 10 Sep 17 Sep 22 Sep 24 Sep 29 Oct 1 Oct 3 Oct 6 Oct 8 Oct 10 Oct 13 Oct 15
3:00PM 09:00AM 7:30PM 7:15PM 7:15PM 7:15PM 7:15PM 7:15PM 7:15PM 9:00AM 7:15PM 7:15PM 9:00AM 7:15PM 7:15PM
Spencer Tourney @ Marathon Tourney @ Rhinelander vs. Owen-Withee vs. Loyal/Granton @ Columbus vs. Gilman @ Colby vs. Neillsville @ Reedsburg Tourney @ Greenwood vs. Medford @ Altoona @ West Site TBD @ Regis
Aug 27 Sep 1 Sep 8 Sep 19 Sep 24 Oct 1
4:00PM 4:15PM 4:00PM 8:30PM 4:30PM 4:30PM
Oct 6 Oct 10 Oct 23
4:15PM TBD 4:00PM
@ Pittsville @ Nine Mile @ Marshfield @ Wausau East Home Meet (Frey Field) @ Osseo-Fairchild (Osseo Golf Course) @ Auburndale (Frey Field) @ Colby Sectional TBD
Good luck to the Softball, Baseball and Track teams in your postseason events and meets! Current middle/high school schedules can be viewed anytime on our website homepage www.spencer.k12.wi.us - Athletic Calendar link
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