
Superintendent Update
Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty, WUSD Superintendent
February 2023 In Review
Teary eyes, full hearts. On Monday, February 20, Whitewater came together for Ricky. Your generosity was tremendously moving and raised almost $3000 for the family of Ricardo (Ricky) Lopez-Nivejas Jr. The stands and the gyms were packed; our community, students and staff grieved together, as a family.
So many Thank yous…
- Thank you to Ricky’s family for having the intuition to know that this is what our school community needed.
- Thank you to our community for your generosity.
- Thank you to the students who helped to set up a beautiful memorial for Ricky.
- Thank you to our coaches for ensuring our students were supported and could honor Ricky’s memory.
- Thank you to Aropa Designs for printing the amazing #24 T-shirts.
- Thank you to the Police and First Responders in our community who run into crisis, we need and support you.
- Thank you to our counseling and pupil services staff that gave of themselves tirelessly to assure our students and staff are ok.
- Thank you to our staff for supervising and supporting while also grieving.
- Thank you to the administrative team who worked tirelessly to support everyone.
- Thank you to Evansville for your understanding and sportsmanship.
During this difficult time, it was heartening to see everyone come together to support one another. Thank you so much.
Tuesday, March 7th - Junior Class ACT Reminder
Tuesday, March 7th, only Juniors will report to Whitewater High School.
Freshmen, Sophomores, and Seniors do not have school
All Juniors will join all 11th graders in Wisconsin to take the ACT. Juniors are reminded to get plenty of rest & eat a good breakfast before taking the ACT. **FREE Breakfast will be served in the MPR beginning at 7:15 a.m. Testing begins promptly at 8:00 a.m. Students arriving late will not be permitted to enter the testing room and will need to report for the Make-Up Test Date: Tuesday, March 21 @ WHS.
Change to 2022-23 Calendar
The WUSD School Board approved modifying the current academic calendar to make Monday, March 13, a regular day of school for students.
The day was originally planned as a teacher professional development day, but will now be used to make up for last week’s snow day. This will prevent us from needing to add another day to the end of the school year in June.
We appreciate the understanding and flexibility of our families as we make this change.
WUSD Unplugged
We’d like to invite our community to our upcoming WUSD Unplugged office hours!
Join Superintendent Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty and our Board President or Vice President to provide input, ask questions, and stay engaged with all things WUSD.
Each of the following events will take place from 4:00 to 5:00pm:
Wednesday, March 8 - Lincoln Elementary Library
Wednesday, March 29 - District Office Board Room
Wednesday, April 5 - Washington Elementary Library
Wednesday, April 26 - WMS Room 21
Wednesday, May 3 - WHS Room 102/103
Wednesday, May 17 - Lakeview Elementary Library
This is your chance to be heard when it comes to all things WUSD. We hope to see you there!
Positive Happenings
Legislative Breakfast
On Monday, February 13, WUSD hosted the 10th annual Legislative Breakfast in the WHS Library! The event allows district and city leaders to present current topics of interest to our representing legislators and receive their input.
A big thank you to our legislative guests of honor, including Stephen Nass, District 11 Senator; Ellen Schutt, District 31 Representative; and Scott Johnson, District 33 Representative. We also welcomed our collaborating associates from UW-Whitewater and the City of Whitewater.
National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day
On Wednesday, February 15, it was National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day. We appreciate our SROs, Officer Martin, and our partnership with local law enforcement!
Happy School Bus Driver Appreciation Day
On Wednesday, February, 22, we celebrated our outstanding team of school bus drivers! Thank you for all you do to ensure our students are transported safely to and from school each day.
Happy School Bus Driver Appreciation Day! 🚌
Educators of the Month
2023-24 Student Calendar - NOW AVAILABLE!
📅 The WUSD 2023-24 Academic Calendar is now available online!
View here: https://www.wwusd.org/documents/school-year-calendars/2023-24-calendar/422981
Lakeview Elementary
- Lakeview students have been raising money to support the Special Olympics and inclusion in school. Nine staff members have pledged to participate in the polar plunge!
- Lakeview students participated in the “Passion First” assembly and had the opportunity to learn from local community members and their passions that lead to their careers!
- Lakeview 5th grade band members had the opportunity to participate in Band-o-Rama on Saturday, February 11th. All participants did a great job!
Lincoln Elementary
- The Pandas have had a busy month. Our kindergarten and first grade classes participated in the Global Day of Play, the 4th and 5th graders had a great time participating in the Battle of the Books and the entire building was engaged in the Read-A-Thon. Additionally, our band was part of the district Band-O-Rama concert. Our monthly Family Friday Assembly was focused on Habit number two, starting with the end in mind, as well as celebrating Black History Month. Please join us on Friday, March 3 at 6pm for our family movie night in the gymnasium.
Washington Elementary
- Washington celebrated the half-way point of the school year working with the 7 Mindsets program by hosting the ‘Camp Wash’ event on the morning of February 23. With over 200 7 Mindset medals earned by students for demonstrating various mindsets during the school day, the ‘Camp Wash’ experience allowed everyone to enjoy many camping themed activities!
- Both student and staff teams participated in our very first Battle of the Books competition held in our cafeteria. Lots of cheering and enthusiasm was on display as our teams battled their way to the finish line!
- Washington 5th grade band members had the opportunity to participate in Band-o-Rama on Saturday, February 3. The 5th grade combined band sounded fantastic!
Whitewater Middle School
- WMS students participated in a Battle of the Books competition and the 7th grade team called “Pink on Wednesdays” won. They will now participate in the state Battle of the Books competition.
- The 2nd activity night was a huge success. 220 students attended, they had a blast, and their behavior was excellent. The WMS PTO will begin planning a 3rd activity night to take place in May.
- 5th/6th grade girls volleyball started last week. 36 girls signed up to have fun and learn the fundamentals of volleyball. 6th-8th grade girls and boys track will be the next sport and it will start in early April.
Whitewater High School
- WHS Weekly Newsletter
- Model UN students along with current foreign exchange students attended a Whitewater Rotary meeting on February 6th with a former WHS Rotary Youth Exchange student from Estonia: Thor-Sten Vertmann, who is now a representative of the European Union.
- Five students traveled to Madison on Wednesday, February 8, for a robotics advocacy day at the state capitol. The state provides grant funds to Wisconsin schools who have robotics teams, but the amount is less each year as more teams are created, so part of the goal is to increase awareness and increase funding.
Whitewater High School (continued)
- WHS students attended the Model United Nations of the University of Chicago. This is a four-day academic conference that provides high-school students from around the world with the opportunity to meaningfully engage with contemporary world issues, polish public- speaking and communication skills, and become more confident and articulate global citizens.
- Mrs. Geraghty organized a field trip for our 8th grade ML students to visit the HS to learn more about the transition to HS. Spanish speaking Peer Mentors and a few HS Newcomers led tours and answered questions about academics, expectations, clubs and sports. It was an amazing experience for all who were involved.
Whitewater Unified Schools App -- Download Today!
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Download the app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store by searching “Whitewater Unified Schools.”
2022-23 School Year Calendar
Upcoming Dates
March 27-31: Spring Break
April 7 & 10: No School
April 12: 4K and New-to-K Registration at the High School from 9am-1pm and 3pm-6pm. Complete online registration starting April 3rd.