New board members join Kids First Fund

Cindy Madson, Steve Schiele and Marybeth Zuhlke have been elected to the Kids First Fund (KFF) Board of Directors.

The three new members join Al Volmut, president; Dorothy Constantine, vice president; Lynne Leithleither, financial secretary, and Pauline Mitchell, secretary. Others continuing on the KFF Board are: William Boyd, honorary chair; Dwayne Olsen, grant advisory committee co-chair, Esther Letven and Marc Smathers.

Marketing and Development Committee members include Paul Holley, Art Howell, Fran Hansen and Judy Moungey. Sally Hoelzel is the KFF liaison to the PTA. Stacy Tapp is the KFF Board’s Advisor to the Racine Unified School District.

Kids First Fund, an endowment within the Racine Community Foundation, uses gifts from community members to enhance lives and learning of students and educators in the Racine Unified School District, supporting activities that might not otherwise be funded.

Prairie School entrance exam is Nov. 13

The Prairie School, 4050 Lighthouse Drive, will hold an entrance exam on Saturday, Nov. 13, at 8:30 a.m. for students in grades 7 through 10.

Students applying for the 2011-12 school year are required to take this exam. Advance registration for the exam is required; registration deadline is Nov. 10. Contact Prairie's admissions office at 262-260-4393 or e-mail admissions@prairieschool.com.

Prairie School names Hilpert, Johnson scholarship winners

The Prairie School recently honored eight students as Willie Hilpert Memorial Scholarship winners, and two others who have been awarded Imogene P. Johnson Leadership Fellows Scholarships.

The Hilpert scholarships range from $500 to $4,500 and are awarded to the student each year they remain at The Prairie School.The Johnson Leadership Fellows receive $7,000 awards, also renewable based on performance.

The Willie Hilpert Memorial Scholarship winners for the 2010/2011 academic year and their last year's schools are:

• Grade 6:   Scott Isaacson, Stephen Bull Fine Arts; Emma Nix, Gifford Elementary; Sara Wagers, The Prairie School
• Grade 7: Cody Jones, McKinley Middle School; Shomari Kirkwood, Washington Middle School; Sandeep Reddy, The Prairie School
• Grade 9:  Maria Feiler, The Prairie School  Grade 11: Omar Dyette, The Prairie School

More than 100 students from Racine, Kenosha and surrounding counties competed for the merit-based awards, established in memory of Mrs. Willie Hilpert, co-founder of The Prairie School.

The two students entering the 9th grade at Prairie School named Johnson Leadership Fellows are Ashley Gelhaus, from the Raymond School, and Max Byers from Wilmot High School.

Eighth-grade students interested in being considered for the 2011 - 2012 Johnson Fellows program can start the process by completing a qualifying exam on Nov. 13.

Students interested in being considered for the 2011/12 Hilpert program must take a qualifying exam on Saturday, Nov. 13, for students  in grades 7-10, and on Saturday, Feb. 5, for students  in grades 5-6.
Contact Prairie's admissions office at (262) 260-4393 for more information on the scholarship programs or the exam.

Gateway releases summer 2010 Dean's List

The following individuals have earned the honor of being included on the Gateway Technical College Dean’s List for the Summer 2010 semester. This award is reserved for those students who completed at least 6 hours of postsecondary courses and who achieved a grade point average of 3.75 or higher. This distinction recognizes the determination, dedication and effort necessary to attain this level of academic success.

All hometowns are from Wisconsin unless otherwise listed.

Bristol

Mary Hermanson, Jacob Seibert

Burlington

Yader Acuna, Jason Allen, Amanda Baranek, Susan Barton, Ruth Brunner, Jeffrey Comp, Maria Compton, Christianne Depatis, Julie Dunn, Marie Everett, Walter Holle, Tonia Hudson, Jessica Jennings, Amy Karow, Donell Leonard, Alyssa Loesch, Brenda Luciano, Jacklynn McManus, Donna Meinen, Dina Prailes, Anthony Sevick, Justin Steffen, Cynthia Wickert

Caledonia

Lisa Schimanski

Darien

Nichole Butler

Delavan

Cassandra Anderson, Brett Berres, Martha Echeverria, Joanne Ibsh, Steven Knack, Kendra Lazzeroni, Mary Lee, Krista Mena, Janet Schulz, Lori Zibble

East Troy

Patti Babe-Meerschaert, Cassandra Foat, Janel Grunewald, Lori Heckel, Jeremy Mizzen, Scott Mueller, Mark Tercher, Timothy Zmudzinski,

Elkhorn

Janna Allen, Charlene Barnes, Carmen Benavides, Darlene Bissonette, Christine Boelkow, Michelle Borrmann, Rachael Bourdo, Alexander Cheverie, Teresa Krohn, Jeffrey Lange, Travis Larson, Amy McNeece, Adam Nicholas, Kelly Peck, Julienne Price, Deanna Pritchard, Shirley Sanford, Amanda Sawejka, Istvan Varga, Brenda Williams

Franksville

Aria Rundle

Genoa City

Derrick Behrens, Mary Dawley, Jessica Kavich, Jamie Pellack

Helena, Mont.

Shawna Talles

Janesville

Larry Lindsey

Kansasville

Richard Matteucci

Kenosha

Clarence Almond, Janina Andes, Thomas Angeloff, Kyra Armitage-Rodrigu, Roman Balderas, Daniel Ballewske, Daniel Bandor, Michele Barden, Michael Berg, Kevin Blackwell, Jeffrey Blasi, Bennita Body, Geraldine Booker, Lori Booker, Daniel Brandes, Adelle Bushman, Rebecca Carter, Andres Cervantes, Roger Clark, Amber Conte, Harold Coots, Mark Croce, Joseph Crowley, Lorrain Davies, Heidi Delposen, Pamela Despots, Kimberly Diamante, Angela Downs, Rhianon Engelbrecht, Christopher England, Elizabeth Enhoff, Natalie Evermon, Karen Faraca, Todd Faulk, Jason Fisher, Andrea Fletcher, Craig Free, Bistra Ganeva, Eric Garza, Keith Gerber, Brenda Gibson, Luciana Gideon, Michele Gloede, Mark Gontscharow, Autumn Greco, Caitlynn Greve, Diane Grob, Heather Haller, Alicia Harris, Eric Havican, Joy Hermann, Zaida Hernandez, Latoya Hickmon, Sharon Hill, Judith Holm, Lakeisha Hurd, Bonnie Impola, Elizabeth Johnson, Marcia Johnson, Erica Jones, Darlene Knauss, Kimberly Koehler, Janet Kortright, Maximilian Kubicki, Simeon Lazaris, Mary Lee, Sara Lehrke, Michelle Lequia, Corin Martin, Jerold Martin, Leonardo Martinez, Miguelinda Martinez, Roseanne Mattefs, Karen Maule, Kimberly McDevitt, Ervin McFaralnd, Denise McFarland, Julie McGinley, Mark Mielke, Stacie Mitchell, Israel Morales, Sandra Newman, Bailey Nussbaum, Jacinta Nwosu, Mary O'Sullivan, Wayne Ollila, Kyle Olson, Janelle Patty, Keith Pauley, Jamie Perales, Brenda Perone, David Peterson, Donna Peterson, Lori Pettit, Nathan Proulx, Nicole Rangel, Sherri Rannick, Nicole Riedel, Concetta Rinaldi, Danny Robles, Maria Rosa, Susan Salzmann, Karie Sax, Michael Schreiner, Kristen Schultz, Jeremy Sigman, Haley Sima, Christopher Smith, Ronlyn Smith, Kimberly Strecker, David Swartz, Isaias Tellez Jr., Jessica Tenhove, Russel Timms, Martha Underhill, Luis Mark Vitor, Rene Vizenor, Kimberly Warzyn, Sarah Webb, Linda Wells, Pamela Winker, Viktoriya Yatsenko, Jaclyn Zampanti

Lake Geneva

Brett Blasiman, Bonnie Brown, Dylan Congelosi, Kelly Henry, Traci Hicks, Kimberley Holden, Carlton Lebroke, Amy Nykaza, Luise Pohlmeier, Scott Sennett, Joshua Smith, Corinne Snopek, Jeremiah Sutton, Jaime Townsend, Megan Walulik

Lakemoor, Ill.

Teri Ottinger

Lyons

Gerald Johnson

Mankato, Minn.

Jonathan Cesario

Mequon

Emily Plahna

Milton

Kayne Cushman

Milwaukee

Donald Gehr

Mukwonago

Timothy Matsubayashi

Muskego

Virginia Swanson

Oak Creek

George Reynolds, Paul Rose

Pell Lake

Carol Palka, Barbara Wright

Pleasant Prairie

Benjamin Banning, Sean Dempsey, Scott Jacobson, Adam Phernetton, Andrea Reeves, Richard VanDuyn, Lucas Zahn

Racine

Leonard Allen Jr., Melissa Becker, Mark Bending, Sarah Beyer, Jerry Black, Starr Boals, Christopher Boeck, Michelle Bohmann, Ralph Bonn, Jeffrey Bouse, Jennifer Brick, Lillian Brown, Jill Buljubasic, Ledell Byrd, Susan Chase, Rachelle Cisler, David Clausen, Iris Coey, Alecia Cotes, William Cozad, Brenda Dawkins, Cristina Dejesus, Rene Deltoro, Karen Depass, Cynthia Dexter, Abdelnasser Dhaher, Kathyrn Doperalski, Noah Duchac, Shannon Enz, Aaron Fay, Daniel Fesko, David Franks, Nora Fronjian, Lucy Funk, Jennifer Fye, Samuel Garcia, Bruce Gryboski, Holly Gursky, Joyce Gustin, Joanne Gutierrez, Julie Haisler, Craig Hansen, Timothy Hansen, Janet Hanson, Elizabeth Harris, Karen Hawkins, Lidia Hernandez, Jill Hershberger, Michelle Hicks, Esmeralda Hinojosa, Tammy Jensen, Anne Jorgensen, Randy Karas, Elizabeth Kish, Gina Kobriger, Lucas Kosterman, Tyler Kostos, Amy Kovara, Andrea Krezinski, Victoria Lail, Eric Lamberton, Latrice Langston, Nicole Larson, Timothy Lehrer, Nancy Liefbroer, Patricia Lofquist, Joann Lomo, Thomas Lyle, Nicholas Malacara, Matthew Manke, Susan Martin, Damasio Martinez, Timothy Masker, Anastasia Mata, Sharon Mays, Deidre Montey, Staci Mrozek, Mark Myers, Renee Myron, Sarah Nicoson, Marcie O'Brien, Dipal Patel, Radhika Patel, Elizabeth Peterson, Jenny Peterson, Robert Pirk, Jeffrey Platt, Julianne Poplawski, Jeffrey Poquette, Dorale Portis, Jamika Riley, Tonya Robinson, Renee Rogers, Patricia Roselle, Rebecca Sanchez, Shawn Scheffler, Phyllis Scholz, Dawn Schulze, Azealea Seward, Ahmad Sharid, David Sickler, Kim Simmons, Lisa Smerchek, Christopher Smith, George Smith, Ernesto Spain, Frank Stachowiak, Dawn Stombaugh, Daniel Tapia, Katherine Taylor, Roshonda Thomas, Samantha Timler, Julie Towery, Michael Upright, Ryan Vanderleest, Luis Villalobos, Daniel Villarreal, Breyana Visser, Ben Vogelman, Barbara Ware, Michael Warmington, Crystal Whalen, Sharen Widener, James Zielinski

Rochester

Jack Biermann

Salem

Carissa Dollahite, Michael Donahue, Brian Houseman, Christopher Ostergaard, Roy Swedlund, Marie Wiltberger

Silver Lake

Joel Baseley, Christopher Mickelsen, Farrah Mosley, Donald Walker

Somers

Mary Cameron

Stevens Point

Tammy Wierzba

Sturtevant

Mario Barrios, Robert Brawner, Zachary Clark, Robert Davis, Norman Dismuke, Walter Hill, Aaron Nelson, Kenneth Olsen, Nicole Pekrul, Dawn Petersen, Christopher Racz, Hertejvir Singh, Joshua Theigs, Benjamin Ting, Juan Quentin Ward

Trevor

Tina Berns, Adrienne Kiesler, Angela Sward

Twin Lakes

Yvonne Bullard, Melanie Deeter, Kathleen Hamholm, Linda Pembroke, Lu Thiell

Union Grove

Amanda Baumann, Richard Delfs, Deborah Jamour, Gail Miller

Waterford

Jacqueline Becker, Gayle Castellion, Brian Edwards, Rebekah Guynn, Carrie Roanhouse, Jennifer Voss

Whitewater

Paul Ditter, Rhonda Kolander

Williams Bay

Kendra Knight, Michael Reno, Michael Sulzer

Zion, Ill.

Kenny Turner, Jack Bornhuetter 

Gateway schedules annual healthcare job fair

Gateway Technical College will hold its Annual Healthcare Job Fair on Wednesday, Oct. 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Madrigrano Auditorium on the college’s Kenosha Campus, 3520-30th Ave.

The fair represents a way for those looking for a job in the healthcare field to get leads and career guidance by talking to those who hire for their individual companies.

Several major healthcare providers, health agencies and nursing homes will be at the event; so will four-year colleges seeking people who want to continue their education and earn a bachelor’s degree.

Applicants should bring cover letters and resumés – applications will be accepted on-site by healthcare employers. The event is free. For more information or to register for an employer’s booth, contact Sheri Eisch at (262) 564-2720.

City Council president rallying against Unified office move

Update: City Council President Jeff Coe is calling for a referendum on borrowing money to move Racine Unified's Central Officer to the former Surgitek campus. Here's the language on petitions being circulated by Coe and others:

Pursuant to Ch. 67 and Sec. 67.12(12)(e)2, we the undersigned electors of Racine Unified School District petition for a referendum election on the resolution of the Racine Unified School Board to authorize the borrowing of an amount not to exceed $5,950,000 to provide for the issuance and sale of general obligation promissory notes therefore, for the purpose of buying and renovating property at the Surgitek campus to serve as the District’s Central Office, which was adopted by the Racine Unified school board on September 20, 2010 and published on September 23, 2010.

h/t Beth at Racine Uncovered


City Council President Jeff Coe is building opposition to Racine Unified's plans to spend $10 million to move its central office.

Coe is gathering signatures on a petition and may ask the City Council to consider going on record opposing the move, which he says is a waste of money. Coe isn't saying much about his plans, other than that he wants it known that people oppose Unified's move.

The Racine Unified School Board voted last week to borrow nearly $6 million to move its central office to the former Surgitek campus at 3037 Mount Pleasant St. After voting 4-3 last month to approve the move, the board voted 7-2 in favor of borrowing the money to pay for the move. The move is expected to generate $9 million in savings for the school district over the next 20 years.

Superintendent James Shaw writes on his blog that the move will save $450,000 per year in energy costs, which will free up money for classrooms.

Gateway receives grant to benefit low-income students

Gateway Technical College received a $1.8 million federal grant this year to help low-income health career students earn their degree by providing them with a number of supportive resources and assistance.

This award amount represents the first year of a five-year Health Professions Opportunity Program grant that may total as much as $9.5 million depending on the amounts determined annually by Congressional appropriations. It will focus on student education and training that will address the needs of low-income students and those who qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

Gateway will assist qualifying students through a combination of innovative individualized approaches including job training, post-secondary education and other supportive services. This grant was issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Gateway health care programs include: Community Pharmacy Technician, Dental Assistant, Health Information Technology, Health Unit Coordinator, Medical Assistant, Medical Billings Clerk, Medical Transcription, Nursing, Nursing Assistant, Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiography and Surgical Technology.

The start date will be announced when the program’s implementation plan has been fully determined.

Gateway Technical College collaborates with communities in Kenosha, Racine and Walworth counties to ensure economic growth and viability by providing education, training, leadership and technological resources to meet the changing needs of students, employers and communities.