CARDINAL NEWS - Highland School District

HIGHLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT
PO BOX 2850
HIGHLAND WI 53543
Highlandcardinals.net/highland.k12.wi.us
Upcoming Dates and Events
April 2 BS-H-Riverdale 4:30 p.m.
April 3 SB at Lancaster 5:00 p.m.
BS at Mineral Point 4:30 pm
April 5-9 NO SCHOOL-Spring Break
BS-H-Belmont 5:00 p.m.
SB at Dodgeville 5:00 p.m.
April 10 School Resumes
BS-H-Shullsburg 5:00 p.m.
SB at Prairie du Chien 6:00 p.m.
April 11 MS Band/Choir & 5 Grade Band to UW-P Performance
School Board Meeting 7:00 p.m.
April 12 SB-H-Cassville/River Ridge 5:00 p.m.
Elementary Spring Book Fair 3:00-7:00 p.m.
April 13 6-12 Guest Speaker 10:00 a.m.
BS-H-Monticello 4:30 p.m. (DH)
SB at Wauzeka-Steuben 4:30 p.m.
April 14 ACT Testing
April 17 BS at Potosi 5:00 p.m.
SB-H-Shullsburg/Benton 5:00 p.m.
April 19 SB-H-Potosi 5:00 p.m.
April 20 BS at Albany 4:30 p.m. (DH)
State Forensics at UW-Madison
April 21 Prom 2012
Dance 9-12/Grand March 9:30 p.m.
Post Prom at Tower Junction 12:30-3:30
April 23 BS-H-Cassville 5:00 p.m.
SB-H-Pecatonica 4:30 p.m.
April 24 K-8 Spring Pictures
BS at River Ridge 5:00 p.m.
SB at Belmont 5:00 p.m.
April 27 BS-H-Black Hawk 4:30 p.m. (DH)
SB at Argyle 4:30 p.m.
April 28 State Solo/Ensemble at UW-P
April 30 BS at Belmont 5:00 p.m.
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HIGHLAND WI 53543
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Highland School District
CARDINAL NEWS
SPRING BREAK
PROM
2012
A NIGHT IN HOLLYWOOD
April 2012
There will not be school April 5-9 due to Spring Break.
SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 9:00-12:00
GRAND MARCH AT 9:30 P.M.
HHS GYM

END OF THIRD QUARTER – MARCH 22
The third quarter of the school year ended on March 22. Report cards
will be sent home with students the second week of April. If you do
not receive your child’s report card, please call the District Office at
929-4525.
PROM 2012
Junior Prom will be held on Saturday, April 21 from 9:00 p.m. -
midnight. Grand March will be at 9:30 p.m. This year’s theme is “A
Night in Hollywood”. The Juniors voted to include all class members
on court. The king and queen will be announced the evening of Prom.
We hope to see you there.
POST PROM
There will be a post prom party at Tower Junction from 12:30 – 3:30
a.m. Bowling and arcade games will be available. Snacks, prizes and
music will be provided by funds from local organizations and
businesses. All Highland High students and their prom dates are
invited. Here are some guidelines that will be observed:
* No one admitted after 1:00 a.m.
* Parents of anyone under the influence of alcohol or any
other drug will be notified immediately.
* Attendance at Prom is required.
* Only Highland High students and their prom dates are
invited. All prom dates who are not Highland High students
must be registered before prom. Any guest not registered
will be asked to leave.
* You may not re-enter if you leave.
* You must be present to win prizes.
If you have any questions, contact Mr. Hebgen or Mrs. Hennessey.
WKCE TEST RESULTS ARE BACK!
WKCE testing results are back. Tests for students in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th,
7th, 8th, and 10th grades have been mailed home.
I have met with all students and discussed their results with them. If
you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at
bhesseling@highland.k12.wi.us or 929-4525.
BreAnne Hesseling
Guidance Counselor
JUNIOR PARENT PLANNING CONFERENCE
Junior parents be sure to schedule your Junior Planning Conference
with Mrs. Hesseling. Conferences will be held from April 2nd to
April 27th.
BreAnne Hesseling
Guidance Counselor
MENTORS NEEDED!!
If you are interested in positively impacting the youth in your
community by being a mentor, please contact Mrs. Hesseling, School
Counselor at Highland School District. She can be reached at 929-
4525 or by email at bhesseling@highland.k12.wi.us.
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before
starting to improve the world. ~Anne Frank
SPRING CLEANING?
The Art Department is looking for any gently used picture/photo
frames that you might want to recycle/donate since we have been
using them quite quickly! The art students extend a warm thank you
to all of our community members that have supplied us over the past
months and years.
The Art Students and Mrs. Richgels
ART FAIR 2011-2012
This year the all school Art Fair is on the 18 and 19 of May. We will
be having a wide range of work on display from K-12 and some
additional pieces from the woodshop.
Last year we had a “giveaway” for a piece of art and it is back by
popular demand. All attending will have the opportunity to enter into
this drawing. We invite you all to come enjoy this exhibit and enter
for a chance to win something “spectacular”.
The K-12 Art Students, Art Club Members and Mrs. Richgels
OM CHICKEN BBQ
The Odyssey of the Mind Chicken BBQ is set for April 28 th . Chicken
dinner tickets are 8.50. Tickets can be purchased from Odyssey of the
Mind participants or can be purchased in the high school
office. Chicken can be picked up between 11:00 to 2:00 in the High
School Commons.
CARBON NATION
By: Alyssa Barkhaus, Morgan Drury, Hunter Wiest, Lorcan Carey,
and Tommy Reed
Have you ever thought about the world running out of natural
resources? Well, because of the video, Carbon Nation, middle school
students are now aware that this may someday happen. We, as
Highland Community Middle School students, are going green to
improve the air we breathe. You can help prevent this disaster by
using the three basic rules; reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Carbon is building up in the atmosphere. This is partly because of the
burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil in gasoline. The film
Carbon Nation looks at alternatives to fossil fuels including
hydroelectricity, windmills, and solar panels. As Lorcan Carey said,
“We should encourage our community to go green and use led lights,
electric cars, and other environment-safe objects.”
The video, Carbon Nation, was an eye-opener for students. It showed
that young people can make a difference and they can change the
future. We encourage teachers from all schools to show this video to
their students as well as all community members to watch it, too.
This video will change the way you think about creating energy for
everyone to live off of. After watching this video, the students of
Highland Middle School want to encourage the usage of bikes instead
of cars when going somewhere nearby. Even starting with something
small, is a start. If you want to have a better, brighter future, please
help keep the environment clean and healthy. We are the future, so
please don’t ruin it for us.

ATTENTION – PARENTS
The Iowa and Grant County Health Departments offer tuberculosis
skin testing to the area seniors. While most technical and university
schools do not require a TB skin test for admission, if the school that
you will be attending requires one, you may come to either health
department during regular business hours and receive this. Please
phone ahead to make sure a nurse will be there to administer this.
Iowa County Health Department – 930-9870; Grant County Health
Department – 723-6416
The Iowa County Health Department has the Menactra vaccine which
prevents four types of meningococcal disease. This vaccine is
recommended for ages 11 through 18 years of age. College freshmen
living in dormitories should get this vaccine.
Gardasil, a vaccine for females 9 through 26 years of age, protects
them against four major types of HPV virus. HPV vaccine can
prevent most cases of cervical cancer. Gardasil is now licensed to be
given to males 9 through 26 years of age to prevent genital warts.
These vaccines are given free for children under 19 years of age at the
Iowa County Health Department. Don’t wait, make an appointment
today! Call the Iowa County Health Department at 935-2810 for your
appointment.
If you have any questions, concerning TB skin tests or the
meningococcal vaccine, please feel free to contact Sharon Friederick,
School Nurse or either of the health departments.
ALL SCHOOL ART FAIR
MAY 18, 9:00 A.M.— 3:30 P.M.
MAY 19, 10:00 A.M. — 1:30 P.M.
ELEMENTARY GYM
HIGHLAND HISTORY TRIVIA
By Brooke Michek
What was the first year, in the history of Highland High School boy’s
basketball, did a team go undefeated? Hint: The coaches name was
W.D. Bryans.
Answer to last month’s question: In 1845, the first Methodist church
was built.
ELEMENTARY/MS SPRING PICTURES
On April 24 th , Highland Elementary and Middle Schools will be
participating in the Spring Portrait Program offered through Lifetouch
National School Studios. We are asking that all students get
photographed as our schools benefit financially just for taking part in
the program. A more casual background, along with posing, is used
for these portraits. No money is due on Picture Day and there is no
obligation to purchase the portraits. A few weeks after the pictures
are taken, each student photographed will receive a package to take
home and parents will have the option to purchase some, all, or none
of the portraits. Any unwanted portraits can be returned to school.
ART NEWS
Congratulations to Alicia Ramsden, a Highland Art student, who was
one of the 6 receiving “Best of Show” at the UW-Richland Campus
Art Exhibit March 10,
sponsored by the
Richland Area Arts
Council. The winners
will go on to the
Wisconsin Regional
Art Exhibit for further
judging/showing at the
Pyle Center, University
of Wisconsin,
Madison. This project
is supported by the
Wisconsin Arts Board
and the Endowment for
the Arts.
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
Congratulations to the March Students of the Month!
MS
Kyle Nankey-7th Grade
Chrissa Hofer-8th Grade
HS
Alex Kutzke-Sophomore
Abby Woods-Senior
P.A.T.H.S. POST
** Highway Clean up-April 17th at 5:30 p.m. Bring the family and
meet at Kent Road
**Teacher Appreciation Week-May 7th. If you would like to help in
showing our appreciation to our teachers, please contact Andie Benish
at andierongabe@yahoo.com.
**Spring Book Fair-April 12th 3:00-7:00. Activities 5:30-6:30. (Buy
One, Get on Free) Join in the Fun!
**Art To Remember information coming home soon.
**Next Meeting-April 18th at 6:00 in the elem. Library. All are
welcome.

ODYSSEY OF THE MIND NEWS
Congratulations to all the Odyssey of the Mind teams on their hard work and success. Odyssey Angels Division 2 came home with a second place
trophy. Odyssey Angels Division 3, Ooh-Motional Vehicle Division 3, Ooh-Motional Vehicle Division 2, and Weird Science Division 2 came
home with 1 st place trophies. These five teams will be competing at World Finals in Iowa. Also, congratulations to Becky Pink and Odyssey Angels
Division 3 on their OMER awards and Ooh-Motional Vehicle Division 3 on their Ranatra Fusca award. Well done everyone.
Weird Science Division 1
Spencer Linscheid, Conner Rusch, Ashton Miura, Lilly Haas,
Alexis Miura, Maddie Drury, Morgan Kosharek
Ooh-Motional Vehicle Division 2
Brittni Mueller, Alex Michek, Alyssa Miura, Brooke Michek,
James Goodwiler, & Kora Scullion
Weird Science Division 2
Evan Rusch, Halie Kosharek, Bailee Rose, Nate Michek,
Sebastian Hadtrath, & Chrissa Hofer
Odyssey Angels Division 2
Drew Drury, Bray Drury, Alyx Hach, Karen McMannes,
Katie Ramsden, Courtnee Yanna, & Morgan Drury
Ooh-Motional Vehicle Division 3
Cody Yanna, Micah Bomkamp, Austin Yager, Nathan Robinson,
& Austin Bomkamp
Odyssey Angles Division 3
Morgan Hach, Andie Hach, Mackenzie Drury, Brenna Bomkamp,
Bianca Yager, Makayla Aden, & Becky Pink
To Be or Not To Be Division 3
Leteicia Michek, Shelby Nechkash, Megan Mueller, Grace Pustina,
Michaela Hub, Carlee Kosharek, & Joscalyn Hocking

SOFTBALL
4-3-12 Away Lancaster 5:00 pm
4-9-12 Away Dodgeville 5:00 pm
4-10-12 Away Prairie du Chien 6:00 pm
4-12-12 Home Cassville/River Ridge 5:00 pm
4-13-12 Away Wauzeka-Steuben 4:30 pm
4-17-12 Home Shullsburg/Benton 5:00 pm
4-19-12 Home Potosi 5:00 pm
4-23-12 Home Pecatonica 4:30 am
4-24-12 Away Belmont 5:00 am
4-27-12 Away Argyle 4:30 pm
5-3-12 Away Shullsburg/Benton 5:00 pm
5-4-12 Home Cuba City 4:30 pm
5-7-12 Away Riverdale (Tourney) TBA
5-8-12 Away Potosi 5:00 pm
5-10-12 Home Belmont 5:00 pm
5-12-12 Away Black Hawk (Tourney) TBA
5-15-12 Away Iowa Grant 5:00 pm
5-17-12 Away Cassville/River Ridge 5:00 pm
5-22-12 Home Richland Center 4:30 pm
JV Games may follow varsity games.
SEE THE WEB PAGE FOR ADDITIONAL GAMES OR
RAIN DATES.
For all 6 th through 11 th grade students interested in participating in
football or volleyball next year their grades at the end of this semester
are very important. The grade requirements apply to all 8 th
graders becoming freshmen, as well as any high school student. It
also applies to the 6 th and 7 th grade girls interested in Middle School
volleyball at the beginning of the school year. Each student is
responsible for making sure that they have at least 3 C’s and no F’s
for their 2nd semester grades. Second semester grades determine
eligibility. The WIAA requires that schools use the last grading
period to determine your eligibility. It is very important for our
students to continue their hard work in all classes to guarantee that
they will be successful, and if interested in sports, be able to
participate from the first day of practice next fall. Please remind your
student(s) that now is the perfect time to begin thinking about next
school year!
HIGHLAND SPRING SPORTS SCHEDULE 2012
BASEBALL
3-29-12 Home Cuba City 4:00 pm
4-2-12 Home Riverdale 4:30 pm
4-3-12 Away Mineral Point 4:30 pm
4-9-12 Home Belmont 5:00 pm
4-10-12 Home Shullsburg 5:00 pm
4-13-12 Home Monticello 4:30 pm
4-17-12 Away Potosi 5:00 pm
4-20-12 Away Albany (DH) 4:30 pm
4-23-12 Home Cassville 5:00 pm
4-24-12 Away River Ridge 5:00 pm
4-27-12 Home Black Hawk (DH) 4:30 pm
4-30-12 Away Belmont 5:00 pm
5-1-12 Away Shullsburg 5:00 pm
5-4-12 Home Argyle (DH) 4:30 pm
5-7-12 Home Potosi 5:00 pm
5-8-12 Away Cassville 5:00 pm
5-11-12 Away Pecatonica (DH) 4:30 pm
5-15-12 Home Belmont 5:00 pm
5-18-12 Away Barneveld 3:30 pm
5-21-12 Home River Ridge 5:00 pm
JV Games may follow single varsity games.
HIGHLAND WRESTLING CLUB NEWS
The Highland Wrestling Club would like to congratulate Owyn
Halverson and Drew Hennessey on making it to State.
Next Meeting is April 17th at 6:00 PM in the High School
Commons. LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS TO JOIN!
Thank you to Eric Drone and Josh Stanton on volunteering
your time and commitment to the Youth Wrestling Program.
Approximately 35 kids took part in the program. Also
thank you to the wrestlers and parents on a great season. Please
join the club and help support wrestling in our community.

From the Desk of the Principal
March 26, 2012
Proud to be a Cardinal!
Odyssey of the Mind
The Cardinal Crew took seven teams to the state OM competition. Five of the teams qualified for the World Competition.
We had teams ranging from 4 th grade all the way to high school. One of our teams also won what is known as the
Ranatra Fusca award. It’s an award that is rarely given out and an award that is based on creativity. The World competition
is in Iowa this year and will be held May 25 th . The teams will be having a chicken barbeque again this spring to
help with the costs of the competition. A huge thank you to Mr. Hebgen and all of the coaches for their dedication in
helping the kids. Congratulations to all the participants and good luck to the five teams going to World.
Honors Band/Choir
Honors Band recently participated in the Six Rivers Honors Concert in Belmont. Mrs. Straka’s students had more participants
and more 1 st chair performers than any other school in the league. The music was challenging but worth all the
hard work. The band sounded terrific! Congratulations to all honors band participants. Great job again this year!
Honors Choir was held here in Highland and it was a great success. 155 students from the Six Rivers Conference in
middle and high school participated in the concert. Of the 155, 24 were our Highland students. The concert was a great
success due to the hard work from Mrs. McCarthy and so many volunteers. Great work everybody!
Art Appreciation
Two high school students from our district recently had their art projects on display at the UW Richland campus. Emily
Drews and Alicia Ramsden represented Highland well. Alicia will continue her success when she displays her work at
the Madison Campus due to winning an award at UW Richland. Great work Mrs. Richgels, Emily, and Alicia!!!!
Two middle school students, Mariah Nondorf and Michael Biba, represented Highland well for placing in the Dodgeville
Woman’s Club Helen Mears Art Contest. The two winners will go on to Regional and hopefully on to State. Great
work Mrs. Richgels and the art students!
Forensics
Recently our Forensics team attended District Competition in Lancaster. Of our nineteen members, eighteen will be
heading to the state competition. It is amazing how successful our Forensics team is again this year. Thank you to Mr.
Schoenmann and Mrs. Michek for all of their hard work and best of luck at the State Competition to all our participants.
4K Screening
Screening was completed this past week for all our future 4K students. We screened our future cardinals and were happy
with the turn out. It’s a very exciting day for both the students and parents. We are pleased to welcome some new families
to Highland.
Sincerely,
Josh Tarrell, Principal

A SURVIVAL ADVENTURE
By Kaitlyn Nankey
The 6 th graders read the book Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. In the book, the
main character, Brian’s parents are divorced. Brian spends the summer
with his dad and the school year with his mom. While going to visit his
dad, the pilot has a heart attack and dies and the plane crashes. Brian
has to survive in the Canadian Wilderness all alone.
After 6 th graders finished the book, they made models of the Canadian
Wilderness where the plane crashed. Students included many details in
their models including the L
shaped lake, the shelter, a
skunk, bear, Brian, and
much more. I thought it
was really cool making the
models. Here is what other
kids thought. Morgan Biba
thought it was very
interesting and would like
to do it again. Kylie Esser
thought it was very creative
to do. When 6 th graders
were done with their
models, the 7 th and 8 th graders came in to view the final projects.
MAD SCIENTISTS
By: Evan Rusch, Chase Smelzer, Kora Scullion, Courtnee Yanna, Ryan
Minter, and Spencer Hadtrath
The scientists were in their labs, concocting ideas for their
masterpieces, and at curtain call, the masterpieces came to life. On
January 27th, the students at the Highland Community Middle School
performed plays about the stories they recently read. The students were
split into three groups to read stories. The three stories they performed
were Rappucini's Daughter, and The Birthmark by Nathaniel
Hawthorne and the classic, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Students
also reflected on the scientists’ quests for perfection and power. When
they finished reading the stories, they created a theatrical version of the
stories. They built props, rehearsed lines, and created sound effects to
enhance the performances. When they were finished, they performed in
front of the other middle school students. The Elementary classes from
4th and 5th grade also came to watch the performances. Students Drew
Drury, Karen McMannes, and Adam Wolfe offered to share their
thoughts and ideas about the performances.
"They were very interesting and it's always
fun to do something like this during the
school year." - Drew Drury
"It was fun recreating such old, popular,
stories." -Karen McMannes
"I thought the plays were quite good and I
wish we could do it again." -Adam Wolfe
Many students enjoyed the plays and wish to
do a similar project in the future.
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
By : Halie Kosharek, Kyle Nankey, Alyssa Miura, Paden Kosharek,
Carson Bryant
Everyone should learn basic survival skills in their lifetime. The
Highland Community Middle School students recently had the privilege
of experiencing the wonders of the natural wilderness while attempting
to survive on their own for a day. On February 21 st, the middle school
students headed out to Mr. Tarrell`s farm to put their skills to the test.
While there, they had to perform a few basic skills they learned during
field days during the previous months. They had to start a fire without
any lighters, boil water, create a shelter suitable for the number of
members on their team. Their shelter needed to hold up against the
elements. They needed to also have a source of water and food, and
they needed to create an animal snare.
One of the biggest challenges of the day was when students were
presented with scenarios that involved a first aid situation. In one
scenario, Jeff Nania, one of the field biologists, broke his leg.
Students did a great job making a splint. It took hard working students
an hour and a half to drag him up the hill on a tarp. There was some
blood involved, but it was fake.
Russell Greene commented on the experience by stating, “I really liked
the experience of being able to make my own shelter. I felt what it was
like to really be lost.”
This was a great experience for all of the students at Highland
Community Middle School. Teachers are hoping to be able to continue
the tradition of “Survival Day.” They would like to let all of the kids
that pass through the school receive the same exposure to the
wilderness.
Students would like to thank all of the people that made the day extra
special. Thank you to Jen Ramsden, Shannon Straka, Heidi Walkling,
Jeff Nania, Amanda Gorshe, Jamie Link, Julie Tess -Michek, and Kari
McGuire. And a special thanks to the Tarrell family for allowing us to
have Survival Day on their land. It was the perfect spot.

LET’S BATTLE
By Mrs. Rusch
Several Highland Elementary students recently participated in a Battle of the Books. This competition allows students to improve reading skills by
exposing them to quality literature from a range of literary styles and viewpoints. Fourth and fifth grade students were invited to participate and
compete “for the love of reading!” Readers were given a list of eight titles at the beginning of February and could read as many of those books as
they wished.
The following students accepted the challenge and signed up for the battle: Jayden Halverson, Sage Shemak, Jenna Havlik, Carlee Kosharek, Shelby
Nechkash, Joscalyn Hocking, Olivia Welsh, Elizabeth Brennum, Michaela Hub, Zach Yanna, Conner Rusch, Tristin Greene, Lilly Haas, Morgan
Kosharek, Halie Kelley, and Ashton Miura.
Held in Mrs. Hennessey’s classroom, the school battle narrowed competitors down to one 4 th grade team and one 5 th grade team comprised of four
members each.
Highland School Representatives were:
Grade 4: Shelby Nechkash, Jenna Havlik, Carlee Kosharek and Elizabeth Brennum
Grade 5: Morgan Kosharek, Tristin Greene, Conner Rusch and Lilly Haas
The two Highland teams moved on to a Regional Competition in Fennimore. Nineteen teams representing eleven different school districts came to
battle at Southwest Tech on March 13 th . First the readers competed individually by taking a written test on a book for which they declared to be an
expert. Then the 76 students huddled together in teams to cooperate and answer questions about the books they read collectively. The Highland
readers proved to be a very knowledgeable team! Several students placed individually and the 5 th grade team took the Grand Prize of First Place
overall!
Pictured below are the regional Battle competitors listed with their awards:
Conner Rusch, Team First
Morgan Kosharek, Team First, Individual Second
Tristin Greene, Team First
Shelby Nschkash, Individual Third
Elizabeth Brennum, Individual Third
Jenna Havlik, 4 th grade team member
Lilly Haas, Team First
Carlee Kosharek, Individual Second
Battle Participants

The Around the World Projects
By: Jeriann Wolfgram, Morgan Biba, Drew Drury, John Ross Linscheid, and Christian Shemak
For one of the many projects this year, middle school students had to research different countries and transform a room into their
country. Students were separated into groups which were led by different teachers. Norway was led by Mr. Link, Zimbabwe was led
by Ms. Tess, Venezuela was led by Mrs. Turner, Australia was led by Mrs. Ramel, and Turkey was led by Mrs. Esser. This was a
lengthy project that involved a lot of research and creative thinking. It also involved a lot of math. It took 3 weeks to finish!
Students and parents were invited to tour the different countries. In each room students created very interesting displays. If one visited
Zimbabwe, they could see a hut, a beautiful sunset, wildlife, and Victoria Falls. While visiting Norway, one could see mountains,
the Northern Lights and a traditional house. In Australia, tourist could visit the rainforest and coral reef, and you could taste a delicious
pumpkin soup. In Venezuela, one could visit Angel Falls, the rainforest, and tourists could watch traditional dancing. While
visiting Turkey, one could visit the open market to buy spices. And visitors could view the beautiful stain glass windows of the Blue
Mosque.
Some students were asked what they thought about the project. Adam Wolfe thought that it was not a fun experience, Bailee Rose
said that it was interesting, Caitlyn Weinkes said that it was a very good experience, Mariah Nondorf said it was really fun to transform
the rooms, Nate Michek said that it was a lot of work. As you can see this project had its ups and downs, but in the end, it was a
great learning experience for everyone.

A TRIP TO THE CAPITOL
A Visit With Senator Kedzie
By: Nate Michek, Hunter Wiest, Lorcan Carey, Megan Wienkes, Kylie Esser, Kaitlyn Nankey
The Highland Community Middle School recently got to meet and talk with Senator Neal Kedzie at the Capitol. Senator Kedzie is the chair of the
Natural Resources and Environmental Committee. Neal Kedzie is from the 11 th Senate District which includes Walworth, Kenosha, Waukesha, and
Jefferson Counties. He was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin on January, 27, 1956. He is married with 3 children. He has worked and volunteered for
many local organizations. Senator Kedzie met with us in the Senate Chambers. There he spoke about his outdoor experiences as a child and how
lucky we are to have the same resources. In the time we spent with Senator Kedzie, we learned that he is an environmentalist that has a goal to
change Wisconsin by doing his share at the Capitol. We learned a lot in the short time we spent with him.
Guest Speakers at the Capitol
By: Jessica Kosharek, Mariah Nondorf, Briana Wolfe, Brittni Mueller, Chase Smelzer, and Paden Kosharek
The Highland Community Middle School took a trip to the State Capitol on February, 8 th . Once they got there, they found themselves in a hallway
with Jeff Nania, their field biologist. They thought that they were going to be meeting a couple of senators and a representative but to their surprise
they ended up meeting eleven different and important people.
First students met lobbyist, Bob Welch. What does a lobbyist do? Lobbyists do the leg work that can’t be done by the Congressional Staff because
of lack of time. They also keep members informed about important developments.
Students also met Dan Johnson. He is Chief of Staff for Neal Kedzie. His job is to let the officers know that everything is running smoothly.
The next person students met was someone they recognized from Channel 27 News, Tony Galli. He is an investigative reporter. He explained to
students how important it is to ask questions.
Here are some of the senators students met: Senator Bob Jauch, Senator Dale Schultz, Senator Rob Cowles, Senator Luther Olsen, and Senator Neal
Kedzie. Students also met Representative Marklein. Students never thought about or knew how many people worked in government.
Representative Janet Bewley
By: Olivia Greene, Chrissa Hofer, Kyle Nankey, Tommy Reed, Makayla Miller, Chelsie Huehne
The Highland Community Middle School students piled on to the bus after an invitation to visit the Capitol from our field biologist, Jeff Nania. Our
day consisted of meeting several senators and representatives for Wisconsin, like Janet Bewley.
Janet Bewley is a representative for northern Wisconsin. She is a representative of the 74 th Assembly District and she is a democrat. She was born
in 1951, in Cleveland, Ohio. She is the second oldest in her family of four. She graduated from James Ford Rhodes in 1969. She was the first member
of her family to graduate from college in 1973. She has worked in her career field for more than 30 years.
The main thing the Highland students took away from the visit with Janet Bewley was the inspiration she gave us. She was constantly reminding us
of the importance of believing in ourselves. She told us that we are the future, that they are working now for us, and told all of us that one day, if we
want to, we could be sitting in that room discussing governmental matters. She even pulled Mariah Nondorf out of the audience to sit in her seat
next to the senators as a demonstration of how we are all equally capable of working in the capitol building.
We thank everyone who made this trip possible. It really was a great experience. The Highland students came home with the knowledge of what an
assembly woman does and what the future of Wisconsin may hold.
The Great Debate
By: John Ross Linscheid, Drew Drury, Alyx Hach, Russell Greene, Ryan Minter, Ben Aide
Recently, we had a classroom debate on a natural resource bill that was heading toward debate at the capitol. Although it was an unofficial debate,
it was very realistic. The bill we debated would allow people to contribute $2 to restore natural resources, especially wetlands. Students were chosen
to represent special interest groups concerning this bill. One group of students were the individuals who would rather have the $2 donated to
children who are victims of domestic abuse, one was supporting the bill, and one was supporting the $2 donation, but wanted it to go to the Department
of Tourism in order to decrease taxes.
In our classroom, the bill was passed 46 yays and 15 nays. We learned what it felt like to be at the Capitol, debating bills like politicians do. Eventually,
we actually went to the capitol. At the capitol, we met many senators and representatives who explained their jobs at the capitol. We all enjoyed
this experience. It was fun, and we wish we could do it again. We were hoping to go and listen to the bill that we debated on in IPT, but in the
end we ran out of time.

A TRIP TO THE CAPITOL
One Big Idea From Our Visit to the Capitol
By: Mitchell Welsh, Isaac Yager, Spencer Hadtrath, Hunter Aide, Alex Michek
It was a windy February day at the state capitol but the Highland Community Middle School were inside studying the way the capitol is run. They
heard a lot of people talk that day, but one message stuck in their heads and it was... “You are the future. You could be here at this table, in this
chair.”
“ It makes me feel powerful. Because I now know I have a chance to run for government,” said Mitchell Welsh.
“I thought that it was a good learning experience,” said Spencer Hadtrath.
“I thought that it was really cool to meet all the senators,” added Hunter Aide.
Representative Howard Marklein
By: Bailee Rose, Brooke Michek, Morgan Biba, Kora Scullion, Alyssa Miura
On February 8 th, the Highland Community Middle School took a trip to the State Capitol. While we were there, one of the people that took some
time out of his day to talk to us was Howard Marklein. He took us into the Assembly Room and showed us how the assembly votes, showed us the
old inkwells, and told us that you can’t go on to the assembly floor unless you are part of the assembly. The only reason we got to go in and take a
seat is because we were with him. Right now he is working on creating more jobs for people who have been laid-off.
Howard Marklein was raised on dairy farm in Wilson Creek, Spring Green. He is the oldest of five kids. He graduated from UW-White Water in
1976. After college, he got a job at First Wisconsin National Bank of Milwaukee. Rep. Marklein works as a CPA. He has two children, three step
children, and three grandchildren. His role at the Capitol is as a representative for Highland’s district.
It was important for students to go to Madison to learn about our Capitol and our state government. Also, it was important for students to talk to
Rep. Marklein. He explained that what we say makes a difference. He also said that we are his boss, and he works for us. This makes us feel safe
because we know we have a representative that we can trust.
Chief Charles Tubbs
By: Halie Kosharek, Evan Rusch, Carson Bryant, Hannah McCarthy, Sebastian Hadtrath
Michael Biba
The middle school students at Highland Community Middle School took a trip to the Capitol of Wisconsin on February 8, 2012. They were accompanied
by Jeff Nania who just happened to know almost everyone at the Capitol. Because of this, we were able to meet many of the important people
helping the state of Wisconsin. One of these important people was the chief of police, Chief Charles Tubbs. Chief Tubbs was very involved in
the protests of this new century and helped to calmly resolve things without violence. While trying to pass the bill AB237, a group of citizens for
and against the bill gathered. Chief Tubbs was responsible for keeping the peace with the people. He did not use any violence, but instead calmly
talked to citizens trying to understand them. The protest was said to be one of the most calmly handled protest of that size in history because he
helped handle the situation without violence. Chief Tubbs received the nickname the Protestor Whisperer. Therefore, he went above and beyond in
keeping the people safe.
The Highland Community Middle School students thought what Chief Tubbs did was vey important. They learned that violence can’t solve problems.
It was a great learning experience for all of the students that were able to participate in the field trip.
Highland Community Middle School Trip to the Capitol
By: Adam Wolfe, Karen McMannes, Caitlin Wienkes, Morgan Drury, Heidi Leora-Pena, Courtnee Yanna
The middle school students came to school on Wednesday, February 8 th full of excitement. With our lunches packed and our coats on, we headed
for the bus. We were going to the Capitol. We didn’t have a lot of knowledge of what we were going to do once we got there. This wonderful
opportunity was brought to us by our field biologist, Jeff Nania.
Once we got there, we walked down a hallway and met up with other field biologist, Heidi Doyle. Once we started looking around the building, all
of our heads were up. The ceiling was the favorite part of many students’ day. The ceiling was 284 feet tall. It had a mural of angels on the top
with a lot of detail. We visited the Senate Chambers, Supreme Court Chambers, and the Assembly Chambers. We also got to visit the Governor’s
Conference Room, where many bills have been passed.
“The Capitol was very pretty and very interesting. I liked sitting in the leather chair that the senators sit in, they were so comfortable,” said 7 th
grader Courtnee Yanna.
“I loved looking up at the ceiling, seeing the history of the building, and meeting the senators,” added 7 th grader Karen McMannes.
“I was very disappointed that Scott Walker was not there,” commented 6 th grader, Morgan Drury.
“I thought it was a great experience meeting many of the people that represent out state,” said 8 th grader, Caitlin Wienkes.

A TRIP TO THE CAPITOL
Our Visit with Senator Dale Schultz
By: Bray Drury, Katie Ramsden, T.J. Cool, James Goodwiler, Christian Shemak, and Angel Olson
On February 8 th , the Highland Community Middle School went to the Capitol to visit the people there. Senator Dale Schultz was there and he talked
to us about all the things that he did to earn his position in the Capitol. He also told us that we could be in his position someday and sit exactly
where he is sitting.
Before we visited the Capitol, Dale Schultz came to visit us out in our forest. He said he cares about small towns and appreciates the work we are
doing for the environment.
After meeting Sen. Schultz, we looked into his background a little. He was first elected senator in 1991 and was reelected in 2010, so he will be up
for election in 2004. He was born in Madison, WI. He lives on a farm in Richland Center, WI. He told us that he has two dogs.
We enjoyed meeting with Sen. Schultz, and we hope he come to visit us again.