WHPE Update October 2023

Greetings WHPE Members,

Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Sandee Ortiz and I currently serve as the SHAPE America Midwest President and the WHPE NBCT liaison. As a candidate running as your future president it is important to provide a glimpse of who I am as a person and professional. I can be best described as a passionate, driven and a dedicated professional whose mission is to serve students and advocate for the health and physical education profession on a state and national level.

My journey began at Delavan-Darien High School where I taught health, PE and coached varsity boys and girls tennis for 21 years. In 2009 our PE department landed a $1.2 million PEP grant which transformed our entire PE program district wide. In 2017 I became a Nationally Board Certified Teacher which transformed my teaching practices. In 2019 I made a difficult decision to leave Delavan-Darien and signed a contract to work at Sun Prairie High School to teach Health. I welcomed the opportunity to transform the current health curriculum into skills based health with two first year teachers during a pandemic. Shortly after, I was named as the 2023 WHPE Health Teacher of the Year. It was certainly a humbling experience!

When I am not with students or athletes, I find healthy ways to recharge myself by meditating, kayaking, biking, practicing French, daydreaming, reading, making sourdough bread and cooking new recipes.

If elected, I bring to you 26 years of teaching experience, leadership and commitment to the field of education. It would be an honor to serve as the WHPE future president and to continue to serve our members.

Hello WHPE members. My name is Nathali Jones and I am running for a second term as Central District Coordinator. I have spent the last 8 years teaching at Lincoln High School in Wisconsin Rapids and was awarded the 2022 Secondary Physical Education TOY award. I completed my National Boards this past December, and was invited to teach in the Physical Education Teacher Education Program at UW-Eau Claire for the 2023-2024 academic year. I will be presenting and assisting with five sessions at this year's convention ranging from Aquatics to Adventure and Outdoor Education. My goal for the next two years is to create a free workshop for Central District and other WHPE members to attend. I have learned a lot during my first term as Central District Coordinator and it would be an honor to continue to serve.

Hi! I’m Allisha Blanchette and am excited to be running for a final term as the WHPE Northeast District Coordinator. I have taught PK-12 PE & APE, middle school & high school Health, and coached cross country in the D.C. Everest School District for 16 years. I became a WHPE member as a student at UW-Eau Claire in 2003 and have enjoyed growing in this incredible organization ever since. I have had the opportunity to learn from so many of you and hopefully given back by presenting, mentoring, sharing resources, answering questions, and reviewing & curriculum writing for WI organizations as well as representing WHPE as a presenter at KY SHAPE, INSHAPE, MAPHERD and the National SHAPE convention. I believe wellness is a way of life and foundation for a person’s purpose and contributions to society. Through cultivating and facilitating meaningful Health and PE experiences we have an amazing opportunity to help our students build that foundation. I am grateful to be a part of this organization and hope to continue working with all of you!

Hi, I’m Trina Burr and I am running for the NE District Coordinator position. Being a member of WHPE has been the greatest connection for me professionally. The relationships and knowledge that I have gotten from WHPE have made an impact with remaining current in physical education. I am a National Board Certified Teacher and am entering my 27th year of teaching. I have taught 4K - 12 physical education and 10th grade health, currently teaching 4K - 6th grades. I am married and we have one son. He will be a sophomore and loves being on the swim, golf, and bass fishing teams. Constantly looking for ways to refine my approaches to teaching takes dedication and it is one of my passions for the profession. Teaching PE is a chance to make a lasting impact on the lives of the students, equipping them with the tools to lead healthy and fulfilling lives now and in the future. In addition to teaching, I coach middle school track and referee volleyball. I have been a strong advocate within my district for PE by being the lead role for our PEP grant, applying and receiving grants for archery equipment, heart rate monitors, technology, and snowshoes. Most recently, I applied and received the money for a program called All Kids Bike. This fall we will be putting that into our school's curriculum. In addition, I have been asked to mentor several new teachers within our district. I would be honored to receive your vote. If elected I will be the voice for the NE District and communicate with you on what is being discussed and share valuable resources.

Hello WHPE members. I am Kristen Csiacsek, I am excited about the opportunity to serve as the Northwest District Coordinator. I have been teaching at UW-River Falls in the Physical Education Teacher Education Program for the last 6 years. My previous teaching experience includes teaching elementary and middle school PE in Appleton, Milwaukee, and West Salem. I have three very active kids ages 13, 11, and 9. They are involved in cross country, track and field, mountain biking, flag football, basketball, wrestling and gymnastics. As a family we all enjoy being active together mountain biking, water skiing, wakeboarding, fishing, kayaking, hiking, and snowboarding.

I am eager to work alongside other amazing professionals in our field in order to continue to grow WHPE at the state and regional level. I have been part of the WHPE for 12 years, attended the state convention almost every year and have presented multiple times. WHPE has inspired me, motivated me, and educated me, not only at the state convention but through the newsletters, emails and social media posts. I would be honored to serve and give back to an organization that has impacted me and many other professionals. My priorities when representing the Northwest District would be connecting with professionals in my district to determine how WHPE can better serve and advocate for them.

My name is Dustin Ambort and I am the elementary physical education teacher for the Alma Center-Humbird-Merrillan School District. I am running for the Southwest District Coordinator position. I have been a member of WHPE for over 15 years. I have taught in the Southwest district for my entire career. I had the opportunity to teach at the elementary and middle levels. As a teacher, the resources and connections I made through WHPE have been so vital to my development as a teacher. Being a member has given me the confidence to be a presenter at the convention and be involved with the 125 year committee. If elected as the Southwest District coordinator, I would like to build relationships and be a resource for all teachers in the physical education and health community.

When I am not teaching, I love to do fun activities such as board games, trivia, and crossword puzzles. I am a huge baseball fan and I love to watch games of all kinds during the summer. I am also a football and wrestling coach for Lincoln. I appreciate your vote and will do my best to serve the needs of the district.

Hi! My name is Jan Kunert! It has been an honor serving as your WHPE Board of Directors and Executive Committee Secretary. I would like to continue my service and these are the reasons why:

Professional Education: Degrees in Physical Education and Educational Administration (UW-Eau Claire, UW-Madison).

Professional Experience: Physical Education and Health Educator, Coach, Athletic Director/Assistant and Principal. Retired, and currently, a Substitute Educator in four Eau Claire area school districts.

WHPE Membership/Service: I have come up the ranks from my initial membership to being elected to the Board of Director and then as the Executive Committee Secretary.

My WHPE Goal: I believe that Wisconsin has the BEST Physical Education and Health Educators in the USA! I have worked hard to advocate for quality physical education and health educators and programs in the following venues:

• Local: In area school districts by financially supporting their WHPE fundraisers and when hired as a substitute educator.

• State: At WHPE events—meetings, workshops and Conventions.

Spearheaded the program for the WASB (School Board Convention) booth and interactive presentations by WHPE educators.

Originated “Feature A Teacher” item for WHPE Newsletter highlighting WHPE Physical Education and Health Educators

• National: Attended, represented and presented at the National Convention.

I would like to continue serving WHPE and YOU! Thank you for your vote!

Hello WHPE Members!

I’m Ian Lacasse and I am running for the position of Southeast District Coordinator. I am married and have two children Ava (9) and Vinnie (7). I enjoy walking, and biking with my family and spend most of my weekends watching my kids play soccer, hockey, softball, and baseball! I am entering my 15th year of teaching Health and Physical Education. I am a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse and I started my career as a middle school teacher in Racine and have spent the last six years teaching Health and PE at Madison West High School where I have been involved in curriculum development for both high school health and physical education. In 2021 I was named the WHPE Health Teacher of the Year and currently serve on the SHAPE Midwest Leadership Council. I am also a member of the grants committee for WHPE. I recently helped plan the Best Practices in Health Equity for Health and Physical Education Conference that was held at UW-Stevens Point. I believe strongly in quality health and physical education programming for our students and in providing opportunities for teachers to connect, interact, and learn with each other. If selected to be the southeast district coordinator, I want to be able to advocate for your needs and I hope to offer more avenues for teachers to get support and professional development throughout the school year through mini-conferences for our district and building a network for teachers to connect with throughout the school year. It would be a privilege to serve WHPE as the Southeast District Coordinator!