Pirate Nation

Bay Port High School has a rich tradition of excellence in the Howard-Suamico community, Northeast Wisconsin, and beyond. We are grateful for our proud alumni who live out the vision, mission, and core values of the Howard-Suamico School District each and every day.

The Pirate Nation newsletter is designed to engage, connect, and inspire HSSD alumni and friends. Please contact Howard-Suamico Education Foundation Executive Director Nicole Smith with any feedback or story ideas. We want to hear from you!

Know an alumni who would like to receive this newsletter and stay up-to-date on Pirate Nation news? Encourage them to subscribe here!

Every year during “spooky season,” the artistic talents of Carli Ihde, Bay Port 2008, come alive in the form of sensational pumpkin carving creations. This fall you can catch Carli competing on Season 5 of Food Network’s Outrageous Pumpkins All Stars show! Tune in every Sunday on Food Network or on the streaming service Max/Discovery+ until Halloween to see how Carli does.

After graduating from Bay Port, Carli attended the Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art in New Jersey to study illustration and comic book art. She had been carving pumpkins for only a few years out of high school when Food Network reached out to her to apply for their shows. After 10 years of applying, Carli was invited to compete on Outrageous Pumpkin Season 3. Carli says about the experience, “It was the most stressful 21 days of my life, but it was 100% worth it and in the end the show was an amazing accomplishment for me.”

Carli has always been artistic. In high school she considered studying to become a plumber or a mechanic until she took a cartooning class at Bay Port. “From there, I fell in love with the idea of illustrations and cartoons, and I finally knew the direction that I wanted to go,” said Carli.

She recently opened a tattoo studio in Appleton called Carlieyed Tattoo, and in the summer months she is a showcased artist for art and chalk festivals. She is also involved with competitive painting and illustration tournaments. “Staying active in the arts is hard with a full-time job, but it’s important to exercise what you love so that you can constantly be improving and inspired,” said Carli.

Katie Rappel, Bay Port 2005, is serving families in Northeast Wisconsin as the Clinical Director of Family Services. She began her tenure in 2012 and now oversees multiple clinical programs across the agency including Outpatient Clinics, Day Treatment, and Women's Recovery Journey.

Katie earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from UW-Stevens Point and a Master’s of Science Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marquette University.

Katie loves her job, and has spent her career being an advocate for people who are struggling. She believes that people cannot heal in isolation and is honored to work in an organization where she gets to witness people healing and growing every day.

Katie is keeping the HSSD tradition alive as her children attend HSSD schools. As a believer in education at HSSD, she is part of the Design Team for Stronger Together, a three-day community conversation that will take place this December to develop a clear strategic direction for HSSD.

“Our workforce is ever-changing and having the children who are our future be at the forefront of what we do and the decisions we make is vital,” said Katie. “I want our community to come together to dream and to talk about what we want for our future generations. I am honored to be part of a district who is asking for our voices to be heard and most importantly, are willing to listen to what is being talked about.”

Learn more about Stronger Together and join Katie at the event by submitting your RSVP at: https://www.hssdschools.org/community/stronger-together

Are you ready to talk about the future of HSSD? We invite you to Stronger Together, a three-day community conversation! The purpose of Stronger Together is to develop a clear strategic direction for HSSD. We want all voices to be heard!

During the three-day event, we will discuss where we've been, where we are, and where we want to go. All community groups (staff, students, families, residents, business owners, alumni, etc.) are invited to give input.

To participate, you must commit to all three dates. Childcare, food, and refreshments will be available. We appreciate and value your input! To learn more about Stronger Together, visit www.hssdschools.org/stronger-together.

We were excited to welcome our fourth cohort of Leadership HSSD this month! During the next nine months, these community leaders will learn about and engage in conversation about how HSSD and the community can support each other.

Meet the Leadership HSSD Class of 2024-25 here.

Thanks to all of the community members, students, staff members, retirees, family members, board members, and graduates for attending the community open house at Bay View Middle School! It was heartwarming to witness so many people come back "home" to walk the halls of their former school. We are so grateful for the community support of our renovated learning spaces. We are truly #StrongerTogether!

Join Superintendent Smith for coffee this school year! The first opportunity is October 11 from 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. at Barley's Deerfield Diner. View the HSSD website for more dates.

• Know an alumni who would like to receive this newsletter and stay up-to-date on Pirate Nation news? Encourage them to subscribe here!