Wawasee Board Hears From State Runner-Up Team
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By John DeGroff-
Girls basketball coach Kem Zolman and three of his players - Shawn Knafel, Megan Walker, and Jessie Wolfe - presented the trophy the team won recently in Indianapolis as runner-up in the state championship. The players and their coach thanked the board and the community for all the support and encouragement they have received, and presented board members with plaques to show their appreciation.[[In-content Ad]]"Speaking on behalf of the board," said board president Dallas Winchester, "we're very proud of your accomplishments, playing in the state championship game, as well as individual awards that you've received. It's great for Wawasee. You young ladies have carried yourselves as well off the court as you do on the court. We're very proud of that. Thank you for all your efforts this year and all you've done."
Megan Walker also was awarded the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award by Zolman and Superintendent Dr. Mark Stock.
"We want you to know that we're real proud of you and the whole aspect of mental attitude is what it's all about," said Stock during his presentation to Walker. "We're raising young people, not young athletes. If they're athletes on top of it, that's nice, too, but we're raising young people to be outstanding adults."
Several students from an advanced placement U.S. history class presented the board with a request to take an overnight field trip to Mackinac State Park in northern Michigan. The students presented their views as to the educational value of the trip, their specific agenda while there, and the cost breakdown of everything involved. The board approved the trip, which is scheduled for May 18-20. It's school policy that all overnight field trips be approved by the board.
Approval also was granted for a field trip involving two Wawasee student who will be going to the Florida Keys, to participate in a Marine Biology Field Expedition. Becky Clayton and Elizabeth Olson will be accompanied by Zeb Holsopple and Pam Schumm. This trip is organized by Carl Weaver, a teacher at Goshen High School. There will be a total of 48 students and 36 adult chaperones. The trip is March 29 through April 8.
In personnel matters, leaves of absence were granted to Karen Green, Syracuse School grade five teacher (through June 1); Christie Holst, Wawasee Middle School temp grade 6 social studies (Friday through April 30); and Melissa Blackmer, guidance counselor at Wawasee High School (May 3 through June 14).
The board approved the temporary employment of Brian Bowser as a third-grade teacher at Syracuse Elementary; the temporary employment of Tracy Sumpter as a physical education teacher at Syracuse Elementary; and Deea Vester as a temporary five-hour-per-day special education paraprofessional at Milford School.
The board accepted the resignation of Julie Hakema, vocational family and consumer science teacher at Wawasee High School, effective at the end of the school year.
The resignation of Joe Rietveld, head football coach, was a matter of discussion among members and concerned parents. Rietveld has coached at WHS for nine years, and a conflict concerning the running of the junior high football program was mentioned as a factor in his departure. The board accepted his resignation.
In financial matters, bids for summer renovation work at WHS were accepted. General construction work, at a cost of $662,100, will be done by Fetters Construction Inc. of Auburn. Mechanical construction, at a cost of $506,435, will be completed by Current Inc. of Fort Wayne. Electrical work will be done by Trans Tech Electric Inc. for $248,217, from South Bend. The Elkhart roofing company, City Roofing Inc., was awarded a contract of $115, 375 for roof work.
In the superintendent's report, Stock presented the board with demographic statistics relating how Wawasee ranks in certain categories among the state's 294 school districts.
For the 2005-06 school year, 30 percent of Wawasee students were eligible for the free lunch program, compared to the state average of 38 percent.
Students pursuing college or other forms of higher education after graduation were 74.2 percent locally, and 74.8 percent state average for the 2005-06 school year.
There were 124 students with limited English speaking ability for the 2005-06 year, which ranks WHS 48th in the state in this category.
WHS has a 12 percent minority student population for 2006-07, compared to an average of 23.2 percent statewide. WHS ranks 80th in the state in this category.
Student enrollment at Wawasee for the 2006-2007 school year is 3,481. This is up slightly form 2005-06, when the number was 3,434.
It was announced the April board meeting will be held April 17.
Wawasee school board members are Winchester, Mary Louise Dixon, George Gilbert, Beck Linnemeier and Mike Wilson.
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Girls basketball coach Kem Zolman and three of his players - Shawn Knafel, Megan Walker, and Jessie Wolfe - presented the trophy the team won recently in Indianapolis as runner-up in the state championship. The players and their coach thanked the board and the community for all the support and encouragement they have received, and presented board members with plaques to show their appreciation.[[In-content Ad]]"Speaking on behalf of the board," said board president Dallas Winchester, "we're very proud of your accomplishments, playing in the state championship game, as well as individual awards that you've received. It's great for Wawasee. You young ladies have carried yourselves as well off the court as you do on the court. We're very proud of that. Thank you for all your efforts this year and all you've done."
Megan Walker also was awarded the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award by Zolman and Superintendent Dr. Mark Stock.
"We want you to know that we're real proud of you and the whole aspect of mental attitude is what it's all about," said Stock during his presentation to Walker. "We're raising young people, not young athletes. If they're athletes on top of it, that's nice, too, but we're raising young people to be outstanding adults."
Several students from an advanced placement U.S. history class presented the board with a request to take an overnight field trip to Mackinac State Park in northern Michigan. The students presented their views as to the educational value of the trip, their specific agenda while there, and the cost breakdown of everything involved. The board approved the trip, which is scheduled for May 18-20. It's school policy that all overnight field trips be approved by the board.
Approval also was granted for a field trip involving two Wawasee student who will be going to the Florida Keys, to participate in a Marine Biology Field Expedition. Becky Clayton and Elizabeth Olson will be accompanied by Zeb Holsopple and Pam Schumm. This trip is organized by Carl Weaver, a teacher at Goshen High School. There will be a total of 48 students and 36 adult chaperones. The trip is March 29 through April 8.
In personnel matters, leaves of absence were granted to Karen Green, Syracuse School grade five teacher (through June 1); Christie Holst, Wawasee Middle School temp grade 6 social studies (Friday through April 30); and Melissa Blackmer, guidance counselor at Wawasee High School (May 3 through June 14).
The board approved the temporary employment of Brian Bowser as a third-grade teacher at Syracuse Elementary; the temporary employment of Tracy Sumpter as a physical education teacher at Syracuse Elementary; and Deea Vester as a temporary five-hour-per-day special education paraprofessional at Milford School.
The board accepted the resignation of Julie Hakema, vocational family and consumer science teacher at Wawasee High School, effective at the end of the school year.
The resignation of Joe Rietveld, head football coach, was a matter of discussion among members and concerned parents. Rietveld has coached at WHS for nine years, and a conflict concerning the running of the junior high football program was mentioned as a factor in his departure. The board accepted his resignation.
In financial matters, bids for summer renovation work at WHS were accepted. General construction work, at a cost of $662,100, will be done by Fetters Construction Inc. of Auburn. Mechanical construction, at a cost of $506,435, will be completed by Current Inc. of Fort Wayne. Electrical work will be done by Trans Tech Electric Inc. for $248,217, from South Bend. The Elkhart roofing company, City Roofing Inc., was awarded a contract of $115, 375 for roof work.
In the superintendent's report, Stock presented the board with demographic statistics relating how Wawasee ranks in certain categories among the state's 294 school districts.
For the 2005-06 school year, 30 percent of Wawasee students were eligible for the free lunch program, compared to the state average of 38 percent.
Students pursuing college or other forms of higher education after graduation were 74.2 percent locally, and 74.8 percent state average for the 2005-06 school year.
There were 124 students with limited English speaking ability for the 2005-06 year, which ranks WHS 48th in the state in this category.
WHS has a 12 percent minority student population for 2006-07, compared to an average of 23.2 percent statewide. WHS ranks 80th in the state in this category.
Student enrollment at Wawasee for the 2006-2007 school year is 3,481. This is up slightly form 2005-06, when the number was 3,434.
It was announced the April board meeting will be held April 17.
Wawasee school board members are Winchester, Mary Louise Dixon, George Gilbert, Beck Linnemeier and Mike Wilson.
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