Dear Students, Staff, and Parents,

What a fantastic fall season it’s been! From successful activities and sports teams to the much-needed fall break to recharge, the energy this time of year is contagious. With fall sports winding down and a successful season to celebrate, we're all now refocused and ready for the final stretch. It’s hard to believe how quickly the school year is flying by, and with Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, there’s so much to look forward to. Let's keep up the momentum and make the rest of this semester just as amazing. Winter sports are off and running.

Good luck to the Western Marching Band, who will compete for their 19th state championship November 9th at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Go Panthers!!

Mr. Edwards

TIKA RAMER - Nominated by Mrs. Yazel. I met Tika this year in my office. She came into to get assistance with her College board account, and I had the opportunity to chat with her for a bit while we were on hold, and I found her to be a very confident and spirited young woman. It was refreshing to have a student come into my office and chat with me and be genuinely interested in others. Several days later, I was in her math class attempting to get the students signed in to their Ivy Tech accounts so they could complete the KA, and I was struggling with the process. Tika immediately came to my rescue. She had completed the process and took time to help me learn the needed steps and then also helped other students.

JAMIE BROWN - Nominated by Madison DePew. Mrs. Brown is an amazing teacher for this corporation. Not only does she invest in her students in the class but outside of the class as well. She is the Assistant Volleyball Coach, signs up to be class sponsors, and runs the ASL Club, not to mention she is a mother. She shows up every day for everyone in the building. She is intelligent and holds her students to high standards because she knows they can get there. She pushes them to limits they don’t believe themselves to even achieve. I truly wish I had had a teacher like her in high school.

. . .

Mrs. Brown is the Spanish 2 and 3 teacher. She came into teaching because

her parents were both teachers, and she wanted to follow in their footsteps. She has been

teaching for 8 years now. She attended Indiana University in Bloomington and minored in Spanish;

then she went to Ball State University to get a degree in Spanish education. She started as a

math teacher, but thought Spanish was more fun and wanted to teach the kids a different lesson

everyday. Her favorite part of teaching is interacting with her students in the classroom or

around the school because she says they are smart, interesting, and funny.

-Elliana Kretz, 11

FCCLA and SADD clubs teamed up to collect donations for Asheville, North Carolina, in the wake of Hurricane Helene and reached out to the WSC campus. Donations collected helped with filling up a semi-truck with essential supplies like water, diapers, personal hygiene products, baby formula, cleaning supplies, pet supplies, and blankets. Each building collected donations brought in by students with the Primary and Intermediate Schools collecting the most items. Due to the great response, three different trips with donations were delivered to Sun Rise Farms, which transported items to those in need. Mr. Spurgeon and a group of his students, below, fill a truck for transport.

-FCCLA

Western High School SADD Club celebrated Red Ribbon Week, the largest drug-abuse prevention campaign in the U.S. with activities such as sidewalk chalk, ribbon hanging, and a visit to the Intermediate School. SADD Club members walked across the road and taught the younger students about refusal skills and peer pressure. They presented a video with skits including the topics of bullying, refusing drugs, and stealing. During the interactive presentation, the kids identified unhealthy behaviors and their alternatives. Ribbons and suckers were then handed out to remind them everyday to remain drug free. Below, members of SADD Club meet with a group of students at the Intermediate School.

-Katharine Tupa

Homecoming brings out the school spirit in everyone, and students at WHS certainly had an opportunity to show their fun side during Homecoming Week. The Student Council organized numerous activities for the week, including dress-up days, a dodgeball tournament, a pep rally, and a Powder Puff game. These events lead up to the Friday night football game and crowning of the King and Queen. The Homecoming dance on Saturday night capped off the week. Who says Homecoming is for alumni only?! Below: (1) The junior and senior girls slug it out in the Powder Puff game. (2) The sophomore girls take on the juniors in the tug-of-rope competition.

On Octobers 12, three members of Western's FFA attended SOAR 2024, Seeking Opportunities and Achieving Results, at the Indiana FFA Conference Center in Trafalgar, Indiana. Team members Jackson Davis, Caitlyn Carpenter, and Addyson Davis (below) enjoyed the training sessions and the scenery.

In addition, during fall break, twenty students attended the annual FFA National Convention and Expo in Indianapolis. The theme this year was “Engage.”

The Padcast Club recently had the opportunity to interview members of the Student Media Club. They shared information about the activities the club does and what it's about. Ellyse Walden said, “My favorite part is to get people involved and make memories that people will remember forever.” If you want to learn more, email one of the members we interviewed, follow their Instagram account, or just show up at one of their meetings. Watch the school announcements for when and where they meet! Below is the link for the video.

The Western High School Choirs presented music from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s in their Fall concert, held October 7. Both the Concert and Varsity Choirs put on a show with tunes that covered everything from the Beatles to ELO. It was a "Good Day" for music.

The Western Marching Panthers Band and Guard qualified for the Indiana State School Music Association Marching Band Finals at Lucas Oil stadium on November 9. The Panthers earned a spot at the state competition with a top-rated performance at the Semi-State in Decatur Central High School on October 26. The Panthers are 1 of only 10 bands to reach the Open Class C finals. They perform at 5:55 p.m.

JOSEPH CHAPPELL Mr. Chappell is the new Health teacher at Western High School, taking over the course for Mr. Bennington, who moved to the APC position. He also helps coach the high school football team, having coached for 34 years before coming to WHS. Mr. Chappell attended high school in Louisville, Kentucky, and college at Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia, where he played on the football team. He has been involved in education for 36 years and hopes that his students will “remember quotes from [his] class” long after they have graduated. His hobbies include old cars, beach volleyball, swimming, and hiking.

NICOLE RIDENS Mrs. Ridens is a Howard County native who graduated from Taylor High School. She earned college and graduate degrees through courses at Purdue, IU-Kokomo, and Ball State, and is currently the Vocational Educational Facilitator for Howard County, which keeps her in touch with students at all of the county schools. Mrs. Ridens has been an educator for 24 plus years, teaching science and working in administration before coming to Western. She now enjoys the opportunity her position provides to work with small groups of students and strives to “help students meet their post-secondary goals.” Some of her hobbies include boating, reading, playing cards, and watching sports.

The boys tennis team took the Sectional and Regional titles, earning the opportunity to compete in the Semi-State match on October 26. The number one doubles team of Kaleb York and Aidan Mawbey, below, won their match and moved on to the State competition.

The boys Cross Country team advanced to Regionals with a Sectional victory (below). Two runners, Camden Raab and Miles Rudy, qualified for the State meet. The girls team placed second in the Sectional and also moved on to Regionals.

Western's varsity volleyball coach, Jessica Oliver, earned her 100th win this fall with a team victory over Tipton High School on October 12.

The 2023-2024 books are available for pick up in Room 202. If you have already graduated, please email Mrs. Kincaid at dkincaid@western.k12.in.us to arrange to pick up the book in the high school office.

The 2024-2025 books are now on sale through December 31, 2024, for the early-bird price of $65.00. Select the link below to order online.

Student Services hosted a Career / College Fair for all juniors and seniors on October 17. Students met with representatives from different corporations and schools to learn about educational and employment opportunities.

Students can view their PSAT/NMSQT or SAT scores on November 7.

Western High School

Principal Steve Edwards

2600 S 600 W

Russiaville, IN 46979

P (765) 883-5541

F (765) 883-7946

https://whs.western.k12.in.us/