The writers of THE WEST BEND CURRENT, the news blog produced by students of East and West High, invite you to take a look at their recent pieces:

http://westbendcurrent.com/

Check out new pieces by Miranda Paikowski, Lauren Sorensen, Hannah Bensen, Kaitlyn Von Behren, Alyssa Birkeland, Isabel Krueger, Anthony Schlass, Abbigail Arkens, and Amber Olson.

On Tuesday, November 3, 2015, the West Bend School District, in partnership with Elevate and the Heroin Task Force, will present: Opiate Awareness - Learn the Risks in The Silver Lining Arts Center. 

Keep up with all of the latest sports scores, news and athletic celebrations on the newly-created East Athletic Facebook Page.

On Monday October 19, the WBHS Compass team will host an all-school assembly on bullying featuring some of the best skaters, BMXers and inline skaters in the world, while learning about the dangers of bullying. This $20,000 dollar program is presented by ASA Entertainment at no cost to the WBHS. WATCH them in action.

Vote today for Fair Park teacher, Mr. Durant, to receive a $2,500 grant to purchase a telepresence robot that will provide a homebound student the opportunity to join the classroom in real-time, interact with other students one-on-one, and participate in group discussion. The Farmers Insurance Thank America's Teachers program will award up to sixty $2,500 grants to the top 20 vote getters in three designated regions. The WBSD currently has one telepresence robot used by a first-grade student at Fair Park. The WBSD is the only school district in Wisconsin to offer this innovative technology for students.

The West Bend Public Schools Foundation invites you to the 2015 Craft & Vendor Fair on Saturday, November 7 from 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. in the WBHS South Gym.  Get a jump start on your holiday shopping and help the West Bend Public Schools Foundation reach its $3 million goal to renovate the high school auditorium, now called The Silver Lining Arts Center. Craft and vendor spaces are still available. To reserve your space, visit www.eventswi.weebly.com or email Monica Schultz at eventswi@gmail.com. 

Save the date for the WBHS Indoor Marching Band Scholarship Concert on Tuesday, October 27 at 7 p.m. in The Silver Lining Arts Center.  Tickets are available at the door and cost $5 for adults and $3 for children. All proceeds from the concert benefit WBHS Band scholarships. Download the WBHS BANDS ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE for 2015.

One hundred and ninety-nine students at the West Bend high schools have earned AP Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP Exams. The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) provides academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students’ who have demonstrated college-level achievement by taking AP courses and subsequently AP Exams.

Six East students qualified for the National AP Scholar Award by earning an average score of 4 or higher on a five-point scale on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams. These students are Raelee Ciriacks, Nicholas Gergetz, Jacob Kruepke, Zachary Kylar, Michael Smale and Julia Wiebe. Additionally, eight West students received this honor, they are: Thomas Bietsch, Virginia Briggs, Colin Buechel, Rebecca Graven, Caleb Jerred, Amanda Kasten, Kiera Matthews and Dane Mauland.

Twenty-five East students and 39 West students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. The East students are:  Paige Bintz, John Buehler, Samuel Chapman, Emmalee Ciriacks, Raelee Ciriacks, Adam Fordham, Adam Gergetz, Nicholas Gergetz, Courtney John, Jacob Kruepke, Zachary Kylar, Carter Lanser, Colten Lawson, Colin Ley, Ryan Lucka, Megan Ludke, Aaron Mindel, Margaret Moran, Derek Palecek, Mitchell Saari, Emma Sanborn, Michael Smale, Andrew Steiner, Julia Wiebe and Elizabeth Williams  West students are:  Cade Allcox, Noah Barnes, Thomas Bietsch, Virginia Briggs, Lindsey Brugger, Caitlin Brunner, Colin Buechel, Reiley Collins, Annika Engstrom, Alyssa Fleischman, Roman Frey, Danielle Gedemer, Rebecca Graven, Amelia Hansen, Nicole Henrich, Bryce Henschel, Kenneth Holbrook, Abigail Janto, Caleb Jerred, Alexis Johnson, Owen Kannenberg, Amanda Kasten, Jack Kehoe, Margaret Koehn, Rachel Kruepke, Amanda Ksioszk, Kiera Matthews, Dane Mauland, Rebekah Mc Cardell, Micayla Meyers, Zachary Meyers, Sarah Nelson, Timothy Pitz, David Rosene, Shannon Skidmore, Aimee Solheim, Matthew Stoll, Ian Syron and Emily Wagner.

Twenty-two East and 15 West students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. The East students are: Audrey Adelson, Lydia Albrecht, Austin Aliota, Jack Budvig, John Cameron, Nicholas Casper, Morgan Dommisse, Kayla Furlano, Nathan Genrich, James Griffin, Michele Haeberrlin, Ryan Henke, Ashley Kitzerow, Kimberly Kolb, Cayla Lepak, Addison McGhee, Jonah Meffert, Baily Myrick, Kimberly Salter, Owen Seidensticker, Megan Velez and Alexandria Zielinski. West students are: Leah Botting, Victoria Burns, Guinevere Casper, Kylie Engstrom, Ryan Hanrahan, Connor Hoppe, Maria Jasen, Emily Mayer, Elijah Mentch, Jessica Myers, Kyle Parks, Alexander Pickering, Michael Roemer, Faith Schmidt and Kayla Schneider.

Forty-eight East and 50 West students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with scores of 3 or higher. The AP Scholars from East are: Isabelle Beckmann, Zachary Biermann, Alyssa Birkeland, Julia Brigowatz, Maxwell Brown, Desiree Caswell, Madeleine Craig, Hailee Dassow, Logan Dommisse, Lucas Dommisse, Matthew Fischer, Alexander Franke, Jordan Freehauf, Erica Gilhuber, Mary Greuel, Adam Gumm, Bailey Guth, Marguerite Hauch, Anna Johnson, Sarah Johnson, Savannah Kassin, Maggie Kieser, Alex Kopish, Brandi Kreger, Sydney Kylar, Jarod Meffert, Jackson Meils, Kaitlyn Meyers, Samuel Michels, Hannah Nehmer, Miranda Paikowski, Brandon Parkison , Matthew Pritzl, Jakob Ravn, Nicholas Reimer, Joseph Roth, Alysia Santamaria, Samuel Scherzer, Katelyn Schlicht, Ryan Schuppie, Lauren Sorensen, Lydia Spettel, Preston Sponholz, Mae Stepanski, Tabatha Trinkle, Karl Vachuska, Brittany Virchow and Jacob Yochem. The West students are: Marvin Bateman, Taylor Becker, Jacob Cass, Michael Cowie, Anna Duening, Ifeoluwa Ekunsanmi, Laurel Farina, Shane Flynn, Caitlin Gawlick, Parker Gawlick, Ashley Geenen, Jordan Gehrke, Brittany Greuel, Leah Gudex, Krystal Hakes, Nicole Heimark, Jessica  Heimke, Mackenzie Heinen, Bryce Hielsberg, Clara Hunt, Megan Kasik, Haley Kraft, Caroline Krebs, Olivia Krueger, Parker Lake, Shawana Landvatter, Andrew Lumsden, Lauren Matenaer, Tait Mauland, Michael McLaughlin, Michael Metz, Lily Miller, Tanner Miller, Rebecca Minz, Aaron Richter, Megan Rolf, Abigail Rychtik, Emory Salberg, Hannah Schmidt, Susan Schober, Elizabeth Schreiber, Quinn Skidmore, Rachel Vorderbruggen, Sarah Vorderbruggen, Andrew Voss, Amanda Wanie, Holly Wergin, Ryan Westenberger, Tamika Wiesner and Michelle Zancanaro.

Of this year’s award recipients at East, 13 are sophomores, as well as, 13 at West. These students have two more years in which to complete college-level work and possibly earn a higher-level AP Scholar Award. Thirty-four percent of East test takers earned a scholar notation, and 35 percent of the West students were given scholar standing.  Seventy–six percent of the East students and 72 percent of the West students who took an AP exam achieved a 3 or better.  The National AP pass rate is 61 percent.

Through 34 different college-level courses and exams, AP provides academically prepared students with the opportunity to earn college credit or advanced placement and stand out in the college admission process. Each exam is developed by a committee of college and university faculty and AP teachers, ensuring that AP Exams are aligned with the same high standards expected by college faculty at some of the nation’s leading liberal arts and research institutions. More than 3,800 colleges and universities annually receive AP scores. Most four-year colleges in the United States provide credit and/or advanced placement for qualifying exam scores. Research consistently shows that AP students who score a 3 or higher on AP Exams (based on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest) typically experience greater academic success in college and have higher college graduation rates than students who do not participate in AP. 

Julia Wiebe, a 2015 East graduate, was recently named an AP International Diploma Student. An AP International Diploma is granted to students who receive scores of three or higher on five or more AP Exams in three or more subject areas.  This distinction allows students to demonstrate that they have exceeded most university entry requirements. Additionally, some universities use AP Exam scores to place students into honors classes.

Julia is the daughter of Darin Wiebe and Joy Mortensen Wiebe.

West Bend, Wisconsin, 08/27/2015– More than 8,500 of America’s best and brightest high school students traveled to the Windy City to Step Up to the Challenge as they showcased their talents as future business leaders and vied for the opportunity to win more than $175,000 in cash awards.

Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL), held its FBLA National

Leadership Conference in Chicago on June 29 to July 2. Participants from across the United States attended this exciting conference to enhance their business skills, expand their networks, and participate in more than 55 business and business-related competitive events.

Beth Williams from West Bend East High School, Maria Jasen from West Bend West High School, Adam Gergetz from West Bend East High School, and Dane Mauland from West Bend West High School in West Bend received national recognition at the FBLA Awards of Excellence Program on July 2. Williams, Jasen, and Gergetz competed in Entrepreneurship and brought home 7^th, seventh place. As a team, they took an online test and participated in a case study on how to deal with time management and employee motivation. Mauland competed in Business Calculations and brought home 2^nd, second place. He took an online test which consisted of various advanced math concepts.

“It was a great experience to compete on the national stage. It really opens your eyes up to the talent in the whole nation and what it takes to compete in today’s world,” said Dane Mauland, former Vice President of the West Bend chapter of FBLA.

The awards were part of a comprehensive national competitive events program sponsored by FBLA-PBL that recognizes and rewards excellence in a broad range of business and career-related areas. For many students, the competitive events are the capstone activity of their academic careers. In addition to the competitions, students immersed themselves in educational workshops, visited an information-packed exhibit hall, and attended motivational keynotes on a broad range of business topics.

About FBLA-PBL, Inc.

Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, Inc., the largest and oldest student business organization, is a nonprofit 501 ©(3) educational association with a quarter million members and advisers in over 6,500 active middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide. Its mission is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovation leadership and career development programs. The association is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. For more information visit fbla-pbl.org.