The Red Devil Pen

This school year at West Lafayette Junior/Senior High School was marked by excellence, growth, and collaboration across academics, arts, and athletics.

Our students achieved impressive milestones. Several athletic teams earned sectional titles, and we had multiple individual state qualifiers. The band qualified for state, while students in band, orchestra, and choir earned top honors with gold ratings. The robotics team advanced to nationals, and our dance team qualified for state - each group representing our school with pride and discipline.

Academically, our students continued to rise to the challenge. Our social studies and science teams both won state championships at the Academic Super Bowl!

Approximately 330 students took more than 800 AP exams, and our average SAT score remained in the mid-1200s, demonstrating consistent academic strength across the student body.

We’re especially proud of the collaborative spirit among our staff this year. Educators led a six-week "Lunch and Learn" series, sharing Tier 1 strategies and reinforcing the idea that some of the most valuable professional development happens right here in our own building. Looking ahead, instructional rounds will be introduced in 2025-26 to continue this work.

Like many schools across Indiana, we’ve been navigating the challenges brought on by the state’s new diploma requirements. This process has prompted thoughtful planning and a commitment to building a system that supports both our students’ needs and our community’s expectations.

When reflecting on what makes West Lafayette unique, one moment stood out: the energy and unity during our first pep session, highlighted by a powerful performance from the drumline. It was a clear reminder of the enthusiasm and school spirit that define our community. We’re proud of what our students and staff have accomplished this year, and we look forward to building on this momentum in the year ahead.

West Lafayette Intermediate School has had a busy and exciting school year full of achievements! Our Math Bowl team placed first in our division and proudly claimed the title of 2025 state runner-up. The Spell Bowl team also represented WLIS well, finishing fifth overall in the state after earning first place against the local competition.

Our orchestra students struck a high note at ISSMA, earning an impressive 72 gold medals and 1 silver medal, with accolades spread across 26 ensembles and 47 solos. The band followed suit with 13 golds and 1 silver out of 14 events, and three students advanced to State ISSMA - bringing home a gold, a silver, and even a Gold with Distinction. Vocal music and piano students also colleceted several awards of their own.

The 6th-grade MathCounts team took second place at the regional competition - despite facing off against older students - and the first-place spot went to our very own West Lafayette Junior High.

Beyond competitions, students enjoyed immersive learning experiences like the overnight 5th Grade camping trip, where students explored nature and outdoor education. Another favorite was Living History Day, where students dressed as influential figures and shared stories of impact: fourth graders explored Indiana history, fifth graders took on U.S. history, and sixth graders chose historical figures from around the world. It’s been a season of learning, achievement, and plenty of WLIS pride!

Felicia Wang, a sixth-grade student at WLIS, published a book this year titled Hunter and the Wolf Shapeshifters: Book 1 and delivered an eloquent presentation to the school board about her writing inspiration and process. What an incredible accomplishment!

Our special area teachers collaborated closely with our Essential Skills class for the first time since the students joined us in August. It was inspiring to see how the team integrated their curriculum while exploring alternative ways to make content accessible for our newest learners. We deeply value every student and are committed to ensuring they all gain meaningful and relevant experiences in the arts. Kudos to our special area team for their dedication to learning new approaches and striving to do their best for all students!

This year, our intervention, special education, and EL teams, along with classroom teachers, supported students in making significant progress in reading and math skills. Having a full-time behavior specialist has given several students the opportunity to learn social and coping skills, helping them feel better about themselves and build positive peer relationships.

WLIS offers several extracurricular activities, made possible by our dedicated teachers. A special thanks goes to Mrs. Spears for starting the knitting, crocheting, and sewing club. It has been extremely popular and offers students a valuable opportunity to spend time away from technology.

Adapting to the new ILEARN Checkpoints system presented challenges in collecting data that could directly inform instruction. However, our intervention staff and teachers collaborated to continuously update data collection systems to better meet the needs of our students.

One moment that stands out is the support shown by high school teams, which highlights the strong sense of community in our corporation. Every Friday morning, our students and staff members excitedly greet former students and admired role models, including athletes, MathCounts members, and robotics team participants.

In addition, our high school cadet teachers are learning from our outstanding staff while supporting students and modeling the success that can be achieved through effort and dedication during the intermediate years.

We are proud to help shape the next generation of teachers - well-rounded, intelligent, and caring individuals committed to student success.

This year was filled with incredible highlights, but one of our proudest achievements was being named a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School, a reflection of our commitment to excellence and continuous growth. We also brought joy and community together through events like Literacy Night, STEAM Night, Inflatable Races, and Holiday Monopoly, each creating meaningful memories for students, families, and staff.

We are incredibly proud of the academic growth our students achieved this year across all grade levels. Our Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) met 100% of their SMART goals, showing the strength of our collaboration and intentional planning. Staff and students alike leaned into hard work, embraced challenges, and celebrated progress along the way.

Teaching is both deeply rewarding and undeniably challenging. That’s why our favorite moments are those when we come together to celebrate the accomplishments of our students and staff. Highlights like our National Blue Ribbon celebration, Staff Appreciation Week, the lighthearted Rock-Paper-Scissors staff tournament, Holiday Monopoly, and Field Day reminded us of the joy and connection that define our school community. These shared celebrations are where the heart of our school truly shines.

We’re honored to celebrate the staff members who are retiring and those who have served West Lafayette Community School Corporation for 20, 25, 30, and 35 years. Throughout their tenure, they’ve demonstrated unwavering commitment to our students, colleagues, and the guiding values of our district. Their contributions - both inside the classroom and across our schools - continue to make a meaningful difference every day.

Beth Scherrer is retiring after 13 years of dedicated service at West Lafayette Junior/Senior High School and a total of 30 years in special education. During her time at Westside, she served as department chair and sponsored the Chess Club and the Westside Unified Club. We wish her all the best in retirement.

Summer is a great time for kids to explore, ask questions, and stay curious - and the Indiana Learning Lab has simple, engaging STEM resources to help families do just that. Here are a few highlights:

• Summertime STEM: Short, hands-on science activities using everyday household items. Easy to set up, fun to explore, and perfect for sparking curiosity.
• My STEM Adventure: Designed for early learners, these five-minute sessions introduce science, technology, engineering, and math through play and exploration.
• STEM Workshops On-Demand: Previously recorded sessions from events like National STEM Day offer insights into real-world STEM connections - great for older students or families who want to learn together.

STEM activities support critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving - all while offering something meaningful to do during the summer months. Explore these and more at inlearninglab.com

Red Devil Pride, or RDP for short, is about our community coming together to celebrate the big moments and the daily life in our West Side Schools. We thank and appreciate all of YOU, our WL and WLCSC community members, who support our schools - from near and far, directly and indirectly - in countless ways. The investment and trust you put in our schools is the foundation for the work we do. The relationships we develop with one another as school staff, community members, students, and families are our greatest source of RDP.

The West Lafayette Schools Education Foundation is honored to recognize graduating seniors with scholarships to continue their education. This spring there were 66 seniors who applied for scholarships, with 38 students being selected for 42 awards. The total amount awarded is $51,000! This is the largest amount awarded to date by the Foundation.

Scholarship recipients and donors will be recognized at a reception on May 22nd. One new scholarship was added this year, bringing the total number of WLSEF scholarships to 27. The newest scholarship is the West Lafayette Youth Baseball and Softball Scholarship. We are grateful to the many donors who contribute to our scholarship program and make this possible. Thank you!

On May 1st, a new tradition began as West Lafayette seniors passed the Red Devil Pride to this year's West Lafayette Elementary kindergarteners. It was a very sweet and special moment to see the interactions between our oldest and youngest students. Kindergarteners gave notes and drawings to the seniors and seniors shared a 'Red Devil Pride' friendship bracelet with the Kindergarteners. WLSEF is proud to be a partner in this new tradition as we welcome the Class of 2025 to the West Lafayette Alumni Association!

To watch the video as the WLHS Class of 2025 passes on their Red Devil Pride to the Class of 2037, head over to the Foundation's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwgK70QUCj2FU0V015rZ01A/videos

We are eager to share the many sources of Red Devil Pride through the Red Devil Pen newsletter. We invite you to subscribe today to receive updates from WLCSC directly to your inbox. Email socialmedia@wl.k12.in.us to subscribe!