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.

Racine Lutheran open house is October 24

Racine Lutheran High School will hold an Open House Sunday, October 24, from 12 Noon – 2:00 P.M. for new students. Middle schoolers and their families are invited to tour the school and meet the teachers and coaches.

Racine Lutheran offers excellent academics in a Christian setting, with smaller classrooms and orderly hallways. Students have the opportunity to really shine in sports and fine arts. Racine Lutheran is a great high school experience for your teen! Scholarships and financial aid are available.

Call the office at (262) 637-6538 for further information, or visit www.RacineLutheran.org. The school is located at 251 Luedtke Avenue, off Spring Street, in Racine.

Tickets are free for tonight's Park-Case game

Tickets are free for tonight's rescheduled high school football game between Case and Park. The game was cancelled Friday after officials failed to show up. 

Racine Unified released the following statement Monday about the game:

On Friday, Oct. 1, the Park High School Homecoming game against Case High School was postponed because referees failed to report to the game site. The game is rescheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 4 at Hammes Field. Fans will be admitted to the game free. In addition, all fans attending tonight’s game will receive a ticket for admission to any Park or Case High School event during the 2010-11 school year.

All other Park Homecoming activities throughout this past weekend took place as scheduled.

“We feel very badly for all of the players, coaches, students, staff, parents and fans who were disappointed on Friday evening ,” said Superintendent Dr. Jim Shaw, “especially those there to celebrate Park’s Homecoming.”

The District and Park High School are working with Southeast Conference officials to determine why referees did not report. The Southeast Conference Commissioner schedules officials for all conference games. Racine Unified School District is only responsible for scheduling officials for non-conference games. The conference has been utilizing this system of scheduling officials for the past five years without a problem. Unified administrators will work with the commissioner to ensure that a situation like what happened Friday does not occur again.

“We were just very impressed with how the coaches, players and fans handled the situation on Friday,” said Park High School Activities Director Jeff Miller. “There was a lot of disappointment, but everyone handled the situation with class and worked together to determine the best way to proceed.”

Racine Lutheran HS sets open house Oct. 24

Racine Lutheran High School will hold an open house on Sunday, Oct. 24, from noon to 2 p.m. for new students. Middle schoolers and their families are invited to tour the school and meet the teachers and coaches.

Racine Lutheran offers academics in a Christian setting, with smaller classrooms. Call the office at 637-6538 for further information, or visit www.RacineLutheran.org. The school is located at 251 Luedtke Ave., off Spring Street.

Walden students join Global Work Party for climate change

Five hundred Walden III Middle and High School students will work throughout Racine on Thursday, Oct. 7, from 8 a.m. to 10:45, as part of 350.org’s Global Work Party taking place in over 5,000 locations.

Walden students will spread compost and wood chips at the Racine Urban Garden site; remove  invasive species and make paths at the Caledonia Conservancy, the Johnson Dog Park, and Walden III’s own outdoor classroom and rain garden; and work at the Kid’s Cove playground. Members of Walden III’s Green School will work with Racine Home Insulators to insulate the home of a senior citizen who has lived next to Walden for forty-eight years.

Last year, Walden III and other high schools organized a rally calling for action to prevent climate change. This year, words and demonstrations are being replaced with a day of work as a call for politicians to achieve workable solutions to climate change and other environmental problems.

20 Prairie students earn AP Scholar awards

Twenty students at Prairie School have earned AP Scholar awards in recognition of their  achievement on AP exams.

    The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program gives students the opportunity to take college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both. The board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students’ performance.

At Prairie School,  one student, Yijing Xin, 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.

Four students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average score of at least 3.5. These students are Hasan Bader, Tatiana Barry, Sarah Danielson and Yijing Xin.

Five students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average score of at least 3.25: These students are Matthew Adamczyk, Fiona Lochtefeld, David Sanchez, Nikhil Sethi and William Cody Spencer.

Eleven students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP exams with scores of 3 or higher. They are Hannah Brown, Patrick Cornelius, Akhil Jayaprakash, Meredith Johnson, Olivia Main, Margaret Mawn, Gretchen Neubauer, Anastasia Rab, Daniel Ringwalt, Alice Tollaksen and Meghan Wallner.

RUSD homecoming schedule

Here are the dates for Racine Unified's 2010 Homecoming events:

Horlick High School

Oct. 11-16		Spirit Week
Thursday, Oct. 14 at 4 p.m.		Bon fire at the Quarry
Friday, Oct. 15 at 11:30 a.m.		Assembly
Friday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m.		Football Game vs. Case at Hammes Field
Saturday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m.		Homecoming Dance

Case High School 

Wednesday, Oct. 6		Powder Puff Football Game & Bonfire
Friday, Oct. 8		Assembly & Football Game vs. Bradford at Hammes Field (7 p.m.)
Saturday, Oct. 9		Homecoming Dance, 7-10 p.m.

Park High School

Sunday, Sept. 26 at 2 p.m.		Powder Puff Football Game at Park Bowl
Friday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.		Football Game vs. Case at Hammes Field, tailgating 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.		Homecoming Dance in the “Pit” and Girls Gym

                                                                                   

Two RUSD Seniors are National Merit Semifinalists

Case High School senior Shannon Kelly and Park High School senior Nicholas Sytsma are 2010 National Merit Semifinalists. Of the 1.5 million entrants across the country, approximately 50,000 students with the highest PSAT scores qualify for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Only 16,000, approximately one-third, of these students are named Semifinalists. They will now go on to compete for some 8,400 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $36 million. National Merit Finalists will be named in early 2011. They are chosen based on their academic records, endorsements and SAT scores, as well as essays and school and community activities. Congratulations to Shannon and Nicholas!

City receives $200K grant for after-school programs

The city announced Monday it received a $200,00 grant to run an after-school program for at-risk youth and their families.

The program, called "EXCEL," begins Oct. 4. It's a partnership with the Racine Unified School District's Lighted Schoolhouse Program. It will concentrate on helping kids catch up in school and learn to read, and focus on the physical, intellectual, and emotional needs of the students.

“This is just another example of why Racine is rapidly becoming known as the City of Partnerships,” said Mayor John Dickert. “This particular partnership allows us to send a loud and clear message that after-school is not about preventing bad behaviors. It is an opportunity, a basic human right for all kids.”

The EXCEL program is free for families.

Open houses will be held from 5-7 pm this Thursday, September 30 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 1134 Martin Luther King Drive, and the Dr. John Bryant Community Center, 601 21st Street.

The Tyler-Domer Community Center, 2301 12th Street, will also be a part of the program when it begins in October.

Parents are encouraged to bring their children to register for the program during the open houses.

For more information, call Leisa Hill-Driver, John Bryant Community Center Director at 262-636-9236 or James Wilson, Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center Director at 262-636-9445.

St. Catherine’s High School Graduate Maxwell Lehman Named AP Scholar

Maxwell Lehmann, a 2010 graduate of St. Catherine's High School, was named an AP Scholar by the College Board.

The AP Scholar Award is earned by completing three or more AP Exams with grades of 3 (out of 5) or higher. The College Board’s AP program provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school. Students can also receive college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. About 18-percent of the nearly 1.8 million students worldwide who took AP Exams performed at a sufficiently high level to earn an AP Scholar Award. Lehman is currently a freshman at Loyola University in Chicago.

Along with Lehman, 14 other St. Catherine’s High School graduates from the Class of 2010 took a total of 24 AP exams in the following subjects: Calculus AB, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Spanish Language, Microeconomics, Biology and Studio Art. Congratulations to the following Angels for their commitment to engage in academic rigor by participating in the AP Program:

Mackenzie Chaffee (Wisconsin-Madison), Nicholas DeMatthew (Marquette University), Sean Franklin (University of Waterloo, Canada), Brandon Guarascio (Wisconsin-Parkside), Jennifer Hawes (Wisconsin-LaCrosse), Tara Lovdahl (St. Norbert College), Kevin Majowski (Marquette University), Samuel Miles (Wisconsin-Madison), Dana Namowicz (Marquette University), Randall Neu (Marquette University), Ana Celia Nunez (Wisconsin-Parkside), Elizabeth Pettit (Santa Clara University), Rachel Smetana (Loyola University) and Nicholas Steeves (Wisconsin-Madison).

Gateway provies another option for GED seekers

Gateway Technical College in October will begin offering a new, 10-week GED course at its three main campuses, to provide one more option for qualifying students to complete the program in a more traditional classroom setting.

Courses will be offered in the afternoon for those needing to brush up on key skills prior to taking the GED test. Students interested in enrolling in this structured framework course need to request a proficiency level test which will determine whether they are eligible to be placed into the course.

A state grant for adult workers paid for the added courses to be held. Tuition for Wisconsin residents is free – a Wisconsin photo ID is required – but an accompanying textbook for the course needs to be purchased.

Classes will be held on the Racine, Elkhorn and Kenosha campuses. Check with individual campuses to determine the specific start date. For more information, go to the campus adult learning center or contact:

• Kenosha, (262) 564-2200
• Racine, (262)  619-6200
• Elkhorn, (262) 741-8200

UW-Parkside honors 2010-11 Racine County scholorship winners

The University of Wisconsin-Parkside recently honored Racine County students who received scholarships for the 2010-2011 academic year. The scholarships are supported by area businesses, organizations, university departments, and individuals. Recipients and their scholarships are: 

Burlington

Dana Calamia, Joseph R. & Viola A. Dumesic Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Jacob Elsen, Frances M. Bedford Endowed Scholarship for Music, The Beat Scholarship in Music
Melissa Thornton, Milos Pre-Health Scholarship (Thank you, Dr. Lewis)

Franksville

Jenna Stengert, Robert Toeppe Scholarship for Undergraduate Students in the School of Business and Technology
Andrew Wensing, CNH Endowed Scholarship

Racine

Kyle Bahr, Blake R. & Marie E. Children Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Juan Barreto, Stepping Stones Jestina Pearson Memorial Scholarship
Maegan Birkland, Ilene Levin Scholarship
Winston Bohorquez, UW-Parkside Benevolent Foundation Scholarship
Katelyn Breitzke, Dr. Norbert Wielenberg Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Kathryn Brownell, UW-Parkside Music  Dept. Scholarship
Vanessa Chuchara, Ralph L. Jaeschke Memorial Endowed Math, Physics, and Computer Science Scholarship

Jimmy Collins, Patricia A. Jenkins Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Holly Decker, UW-Parkside Music Dept. Scholarship
Christopher Dunn, Mabel B. Duncan Memorial Endowed Geography Scholarship
Peggy Fergus, Ruth Hall Memorial Scholarship
Mohammed Fredericks, Brian John Martin Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Jasmine Howell, UW-Parkside Music Dept. Scholarship
Dominica Jaramillo, UW-Parkside Benevolent Foundation Scholarship
Harley Jupp, William & Anna Lipman Endowed Scholarship
Bradley Karas, Lillian James Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Chase Kilpatrick, UW-Parkside Music Dept. Scholarship
Cassandra Kimberlain, Blake R. & Marie E. Children Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Britney Koleske, Janice M. & Carl L. Tomasek Scholarship
Paul Koleske, UW-Parkside Music Dept. Scholarship
Allison Krezinski, Rollin Jansky Scholarship in Art
Samantha LaVassor, UW-Parkside Small Print Exhibition Scholarship
Cathryn Leighton, Goldstein-Clark Endowed Scholarship in Nursing
Daniel MacDonald, Unico Memorial Scholarship
Roberta MacDonald, Unico Memorial Scholarship
Anna Meier, McConnell-Robinson Endowed Scholarship
Nehad Museteif, CNH Endowed Scholarship
David Nicpon, UW-Parkside Benevolent Foundation Scholarship
Ana Nunez, Howard C. & Joan Olson Scholarship
Alicia Pirozzolo, Janice M. & Carl L. Tomasek Scholarship
Ashley Riendeau, Student Leadership Scholarship
Laura Schulz, Charles & Dolores Zaionc Family Scholarship
Nicholas Simonsen, UW-Parkside Music Dept. Scholarship
Brittany Smith, Student Art Club Scholarship
Julissa Smith, UW-Parkside Benevolent Foundation Scholarship
Alex Tompsett, Julius and Alice Goldstein Endowed Scholarship in Art
Janell Topczewski, Katharine E. Jensen Memorial Scholarship
Stephanie VanSwol, UW-Parkside Benevolent Foundation Scholarship
Julian Vaszily, Ralph L. Jaeschke Memorial Endowed Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Scholarship
Megan Williams, Janice M. & Carl L. Tomasek Scholarship
Siu Lung Yuen, Norville and Betty Kent Scholarship in Computer Science
Nicole Zach, Kim B. Adriano Scholarship in the School of Business & Technology
Stephen Zambo, Alice M. Hamele Memorial Scholarship in Economics

Sturtevant

Jessica Dickman, Ben & Ellie Chemerow Scholarship
Lauren Graf, Reinicke Athens Inc. Scholarship
Taylor Paap, Blake R. & Marie E. Children Memorial Endowed Scholarship

Waterford

Julianne Frey, Julius and Alice Goldstein Endowed Scholarship in Music

The University of Wisconsin-Parkside congratulates these scholarship students.

Applications for 2011-2012 academic year scholarships are accepted through Feb. 1, 2011. To learn more about applying for or sponsoring scholarships, call Cynthia Jensen at 262-595-3245, access jensen@uwp.edu by email or visitwww.uwp.edu keyword: scholarships.

2010: An EPIC Education for St. Lucy’s

A group of teachers and students at St. Lucy Parish School recently began live testing of their new 1 to 1 laptop program, rolling out to all 8th grade students in a few short weeks. Teachers, students, staff, and parents alike marveled on Day 1 at the wondrous new opportunities provided by the 1:1 program.

This new program provides an assigned laptop to each student for use 24 hours a day. Each netbook has been pre-configured with a suite of tools designed to integrate with existing solutions like SMARTboards, enhancing education through more interactive learning techniques.

Many benefits are expected as a result of this new program, including the ability to quickly gauge student comprehension in real time. In addition, these students are learning valuable computing and presentation skills that will prepare them for the future and carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Even though teachers left training with homework to do, creative juices were flowing with new ideas on how to leverage the technology in a wide variety of ways, from interactive 3D mapping, to collaborating with classrooms around the world using streaming voice and video. They are all looking forward to generating enhanced course content utilizing the advanced technology now available to them.

A few parents attended training with their students as well. Within the first few minutes of experiencing some of the tools being provided, they were amazed at just how powerful the platform can be and how one idea leads to 10 more, offering literally limitless educational opportunity for the students.

So just how did this program go from idea to reality? Initially, the idea was presented to the school committee by the principal. After much discussion, it was determined a technology panel would be formed. The St. Lucy Parish School EPIC (Electronic Programs for the Innovative Classroom) committee was formed to engage innovative teaching strategies at all grade levels. From the start there were many strong supporters who donated much time, talent and effort to get the project off the ground, as well as key private donors providing financial assistance. The committee was guided by Nick Preuss, owner of FuzeData Inc. Through his recommendation of key technologies used in a budget friendly manner, to his donation of time, effort, and technology components, Preuss has played a key role throughout.

For the EPIC committee there was a great sense of achievement in watching the 21st century technology come to life and exceed everyone’s expectations. Seeing it in action makes the 18 months of planning and preparation pay off in a big way, knowing the students will receive the very best education possible. At this time, the EPIC team is currently evaluating the next several stages of advancement for this program, as well as additional technology based tools for use in the primary grades. To this extent, we will be adding SMART Slates for the younger students in 2010. Future plans will include programs geared to raise student achievement scores, starting with math. These new innovative technology programs once again renew how deserving St. Lucy Parish School is to be labeled as an exemplary school by the Milwaukee Archdiocese.

St. Lucy Parish School has some limited enrollment slots available in grades K3 through 8 at this time. For enrollment or to make a donation please contact St. Lucy School at 554-1801 ext. 212.

St. Lucy’s Parish, Faculty, and Families hope you will join them at the EPIC Event fundraiser hosted by St. Lucy’s School on September 11th beginning at 4PM for a family picnic, raffles, tricycle racing, Klement’s sausage races, and outdoor movie showing (weather permitting). Proceeds from this event will help fund additional technology upgrades at St. Lucy Parish School.

UW-Parkside offers 'ACT' help; 4-week class starts Sept. 25

The University of Wisconsin-Parkside Precollege program is ready to relieve the anxiety high school students may feel about the American College Testing (ACT) exam. Beginning Saturday, Sept. 25, the university offers a series of four classes designed to help students with the important aspects of the ACT.

Classes start with an in-depth examination of the test's English component followed by separate sessions on reading (Oct. 2) and math (Oct. 9). The classes conclude Oct. 16 with science reasoning. During each session, instructors offer proven test taking tips. Classes run from 9 a.m. to noon in room D137 of Molinaro Hall.

This course benefits students who are taking the test for the first time or those who are retaking it to improve their scores.

Cost of the ACT sessions is $140 which covers all four classes. Advanced registration is suggested with onsite registration available the morning of Sept. 18.

For more information, call the UW-Parkside Precollege Office at (262) 595-2176.

Point Zero Intuitive Painting Workshops scheduled

Two four-week Point Zero Intuitive Painting Workshops will be offered by Create Inner Joy Studio beginning Sept. 17. They will be taught by Amy Sprague Champeau, a licensed psychotherapist and creativity coach.

The Point Zero method, developed by Michele Cassou, uses painting as a tool for self-discovery and for exploring the spiritual dimensions of the creative process. Champeau, a former graphic designer and artist, discovered this method ten years ago, read Cassou's book, "Life, Paint and Passion: Reclaiming the Magic of Spontaneous Expression," and has been studying intensively with her. Champeau has been offering classes and workshops in Racine since 2002 and was recently selected as a master teacher of the process.

Point Zero Intuitive Painting Workshops are for people who want to make creativity a part of their life and who are searching for what is authentic in themselves. In the workshops, participants learn to:

• Experience the joy and playfulness of spontaneous expression;
• Dissolve unnecessary negative patterns and conditioning;
• Face and break through creative blocks;
• Listen to their inner self;
• Give themselves permission to live and create with more freedom;
• Uncover their unique painting style;
• Discover the power of creative expression.

Each session is three hours with the first and last half-hours focused on understanding creativity and the creative process and the middle two hours devoted to painting. Ms. Champeau works with each student individually. Beginners are welcome. Paintings are never judged, displayed or critiqued. All materials are provided. There is no need to be particularly talented, inspired or gifted. Creativity is available to everyone.

Two workshops are scheduled this Fall, on Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon, at Create Inner Joy Studio, 102 10th St. Cost is $150 for one workshop; $285 for both.

• Workshop #1 – Sept. 17, 24, Oct. 1 and 15.
• Workshop #2 – Oct. 22, 29, Nov. 5 and 19.
• Evening sessions are available if there is enough interest.

For more information or to register, contact Amy Champeau or call 262.635.9355.

Gateway to offer free English language classes

Do you know someone who wants to improve their English skills? A non-English speaker who wants to learn English?

Gateway Technical College will offer free English Language Learners  courses beginning Sept. 8 at Gateway facilities as well as community-based locations throughout the three-county Gateway District.

The course is free  for Wisconsin residents (others: $53 per credit hour), but participants will need to pay for a book costing less than $40. The book will cover a year’s worth of studies. Whether you know a little English or speak no English at all, courses are designed to meet the needs of all levels of proficiency.

Classes will be held at the Elkhorn, Kenosha and Racine campuses as well as the Burlington Center, in addition to the non-Gateway facilities sites. Sign up for classes has already begun. For more information:

• Burlington  (262) 767-5200
• Elkhorn  (262) 741-8200
• Kenosha  (262) 564-2200
• Racine  (262) 619-6200

Update: Walden parents, Unified work through issues surrounding school

Update: We're told Walden's meeting with Racine Unified's administrators went well. Many of the problems listed below have been addressed, or at least answered. Here's the minutes of the meeting, as provided by the Walden PTA:

August 24, 2010, 10:30 am

RUSD Offices
In Attendance:

RUSD Staff: Dr. Shaw, Frank Jarosz, David Hazen, Bob Holzem

Walden III PTSA: Patrick Flynn, Lisa Scott Ptacek, and Jane Finkenbine,

Maintenance Update/Progress to Date:
Summary:

Frank Jarosz provided a detailed list of work orders that have been completed in addition to those we had listed. Overall a tremendous amount of progress has been made on the facility.

Details:

Security System

• Cameras have been installed at the entrances and in the hallways, not in classrooms.
• Access card readers at the doors – can control entry by employee, date, and time.
• Entry for visitors will be through the front door; monitored by camera
• Monitor is at Cathy’s desk
• Security film is recorded and kept for a determined length of time (2 weeks?), then taped over.

Stairs

• West wing stairs reinforced and will receive tread cap; should be completed before school opens.
• Nearly all steps have been repaired. The basement stairs across from gym are still in progress; the stairs leading down from south door have not been addressed.

Window Shades

• Quite a few needed replacement

Minimal electrical work was completed
Windows in the West Wing

• Spent $3,500.00 in repairs
• Storm windows are equipped with screens purchased for West Wing at $100/each – a great price!
• Tom Kohl has one installed now; others to follow

Painting

• Halls completed
• Patching – Frank saw some peeling paint on inspection last week and entered new work orders. Girl’s bathroom upstairs still needed work
• List of PTSA Concerns

Sink hole at the back door is still troublesome. Frank will take another look.
PA System

• Our current system does not reach all rooms or the hallways. Dr. Shaw considers this a safety issue and asked that this be remedied. Dave Hazen will have Tim in the Electronics department look into it.

Locker Rooms

• They are located under the gym and Bob stated that they are in very bad shape. This needs to be investigated further.

Painting the Classrooms
Summary:

Frank Jarosz and David Hazen will work on creating a district policy that will allow us to get this done.

Details:

RUSD consultant advises that no volunteers be allowed to paint due to lead paint regulations

PTSA asked that we continue to seek a solution, and offered several ideas:

· Use volunteer crews headed by an EPA certified painter

· Provide training for all volunteer painters

· Have a certified EPA painter do all the preliminary work so that volunteers do not come in contact with any chipped paint or handle any preparation

· Have volunteers do the taping and the clean up before and after painting; hire an EPA certified painter to do the painting

· PTSA could pay for the cost of paint, training, and EPA painter.

Guidelines

We must set sound parameters that can be referred to and replicable in other circumstances

· Any plan must be approved by the RUSD advisor

· Painting must be supervised by an EPA certified painter

· Any group must be willing to meet stringent guidelines set by you

Status of the Art Room with Asbestos

• Leadership Racine will continue to work on raising funds; RUSD will provide assistance when fund raising is completed.
• We now have two classrooms available for Computer labs in addition to the Asbestos room.
• Bob will talk directly with Leadership Racine regarding how we should move forward.
• New computers for student use are at the school and waiting to be installed.

Solar Panel Proceeds
David Hazen will look into this.

The understanding that funds saved by the panels would be segregated for Walden use must be verified. It comes in the form of a credit on the electric bill, not as cash on hand.

PTSA explained that the fundraising campaign and the grant stipulated that the cost savings on utilities would be awarded back to Walden for Green School initiatives.

Walden’s Future
Dave Hazen reviewed the referendum plan.

Walden would be in Phase II of the reinvesting process. The school would be replaced, maybe on the same site (either on adjoining park or the south parking lot). Ground breaking could begin as early as spring of 2012, but more likely that will be delayed. Much effort would need to be done in regards to the design of the school and grant writing. The estimated cost to rebuild Walden is $35,000,000.

The long-term plan is to replace Walden, and therefore doing expensive structural repairs to the building is not a wise financial investment.

Phase I focuses on elementary schools because they are less expensive to build. In addition, it will free up Olympia Brown to serve as a middle school.

Phase II will address Walden and Park, two schools that are expensive to operate, and the goal is to have smaller high schools with a maximum enrollment of 1800 students.

RUSD is working with Gateway to build a Middle College which will alleviate overcrowding in the high schools.

Furniture replacement
Bob Holzem indicated there is nothing of any use available at Caddy Vista. RUSD does have some shelving units they recently removed form RUSD central offices and they will make available to us. We need to coordinate this through Frank and get the units to the classrooms that requested shelving units

3rd Floor of the West Wing
This section of the school is inhabitable for public use (school attic)

Dr Shaw invited us to join him on a tour of Walden on the 1st day of school. We will take a look at the locker rooms at that time.

9. BONG BIKE TRIP
Bob will outline the criteria in which we can bring this back to life, which will include a class on bike safety. Possible solutions include having a Phy Ed teacher take it over and do it in the spring, or starting a bike club.

Lisa and Patrick discussed ideas of creating new trips sponsored by the PTSA that could include family participation.

Original Post: A group of Walden parents met with Racine Unified officials Tuesday morning to raise a number of issues about their children's school.

Patrick Flynn, Lisa Scott Ptacek, Jane Finkinbine and other Walden parents were scheduled to meet with Unified Superintendent James Shaw and other administrators.

Issues the parents planned to raise included:

1. PAINTING OF CLASSROOMS: Are there any circumstances where parents, students & staff can volunteer to paint rooms. If not why? Is lead paint still a concern, if yes, why is it not being addressed?

2. WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF WALDEN'S FACILITY? Where is Walden's place in the referendum time-line?

3. STATUS OF THE ASBESTOS ROOM? Is RUSD doing anything to clean this up? How can we help?

4. SOLAR PANEL PROCEEDS:

Where is the money that was generated from the solar panels?

The Walden III Students and Families raised a tremendous amount of money to purchase and install these panels. To continue driving our Green Initiatives, It was our original understanding that the proceeds generated (Or cost savings) from these panels would be used at the sole discretion of the Green School Committee. To the best of our knowledge, the Green school has not received ANY of these funds and we speculate that RUSD has decided to use them for other purposes. Can you help us understand how that money has been handled up to now and how it will be managed in the future? We would like to report back to the students and Walden III Families on how this is being managed.

5. DILAPIDATED FURNITURE IN CLASSROOMS: It is our understanding that Caddy Vista may house furniture that could replace much of Walden's distressed furniture chairs, etc. How can we obtain that furniture to replace that in need at Walden III?

6. 3^rd Floor of THE OLDER BUILDING AT WALDEN III: Is this section habitable for student activity? Could we use it for a computer lab or other resources?

7. SINK HOLE AT REAR EXIT: This has been filled but is continuing to sink and seems to be a hazard. Is there anything RUSD can do to correct this?

8. BONG BIKE TRIP: This has been canceled due to safety concerns. Do you know what those safety concerns are? This has been a long standing Walden III tradition and has overwhelming support from Parents, Teachers and Students. We have absolutely no shortage of chaperones for this event and the former teacher who coordinated this event has also offered to help lead this. Is there anything we can do to keep this tradition alive?

Chad Chapin to Serve as Interim Principal at Wadewitz Elementary

Chad Chapin will serve as the interim principal at Wadewitz Elementary for the 2010-11 school year replacing Ursula Hamilton-Perry who recently left the Racine Unified School District. RUSD plans to have a permanent replacement for the 2011-12 school year.

Chapin brings to this interim position a wealth of experience in the District. He began as a substitute teacher in 1998 and over the years has also served as a special education teacher at Jerstad-Agerholm Middle School, first grade teacher at Gifford Elementary and associate principal at Red Apple and Goodland Elementary Schools. Most recently, he served as special education supervisor for the District.

Superintendent Dr. Jim Shaw is enthusiastic about Chapin’s new role. “Wadewitz Elementary School staff members are doing the right things to close achievement gaps,” said Shaw. “I am pleased that Chad Chapin has agreed to serve as the Interim Principal for this school year. He has a history of successful leadership and problem solving in special education and I’m confident these leadership skills will support the great work begun by the Wadewitz staff.”

Chapin has a bachelor’s degree in communication and philosophy and elementary education certification from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. He also has a master’s degree in educational leadership from Cardinal Stritch University.

SC Johnson helping to giveaway thousands of backpacks to local students

Fisk Johnson

SC Johnson, led by CEO Fisk Johnson, is stepping up again to help the community.

The JT is reporting tonight that SCJ has vowed that no child who attends the city's Back-to-School Stay-in-School Festival on Monday will leave without a backpack full of school supplies. In previous years as many as 500 students attended the festival, but left without a backpack.

This is the second time this summer SCJ, and specifically Fisk, has made a sizable contribution to the community. Earlier this year the company agreed to pay for any changes needed to maintain the Laurel Clark Memorial Fountain as a splash pad for kids. Renovations to the fountain may cost more than $250,000.

SCJ is working with the city and Project New Life on the Back-to-School Stay-in-School Festival, which is Monday from 2-5pm at Festival Hall.

Read the JT's story here on the backpack giveaway here.

Racine Unified posts gains on ACT tests

Racine Unified high school students' ACT scores increased this year, according to data released Wednesday by the district. 


Four of the district's five schools posted increases on the standardized test taken by students planning to attend college. The REAL School led the way with a 3-point increase in its students' scores. Horlick posted a 0.5 point increase in average scores, while Walden posted a 0.4 point increase and Park a 0.2 point increase. Case's scores fell 0.3 points, on average. 


The REAL School, Walden and Horlick all test above the national average for ACT scores, and Walden and REAL School each test above the state average. 


The average Unified ACT score for the 2010 graduation class was 20.8, up from 20.5 in 2009. 


“We are extremely pleased with the improvements we see almost across the board at our high schools,” said RUSD Superintendent Jim Shaw in a prepared statement. “However, one year is not a trend. We must continue our efforts. We have the capacity to continue to improve and we must in order to ensure our students are prepared for college or a career.”

The ACT is a curriculum-based measure of college readiness. Components of the test include tests of academic achievement in English, math, reading and science.

Over the past few years, the Racine Unified school instructional staff has taken a proactive approach to help prepare students for the ACT test. Students have the opportunity to participate in the District’s Online Pre-ACT Prep Program and several students have participated in the District’s ACT Summer School Prep Class. District staff is also working to encourage students to take more advanced and challenging coursework to better prepare them for college and/or career.

“What we’re especially encouraged to see is that based on our North Star District Scorecard, we met our improvement goals for white, black and Hispanic students,” said Shaw. “We know we have a significant achievement gap to address and we’ve got to make more progress, but we’re headed in the right direction.”

Racine Unified will raise the bar on the District Scorecard again next year. “Now that we’ve met the 2010 goals, we’ll set the bar higher for 2011. The ultimate goal is the North Star. We owe it to our students to challenge and motivate them to reach higher and exceed their own expectations.”

Racine Unified summit to address achievement gap

In an effort to address the achievement gap in Racine, the Racine Unified School District will hold an event called the Empowerment for Students Summit on Thursday, Aug. 12 from 6-7:15 p.m. in the Park High School auditorium. 

Local families and community members will have the opportunity to learn about creating culturally relevant schools, the academic achievement of African American students and why it has become a civil rights matter. Thursday's session will be led by Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, Kellner Family Chair in Urban Education and Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  

The event is being coordinated by RUSD administration, Board members and the NAACP. It is the first in a series of events that will encourage community involvement and support of the District's efforts to close achievement gaps.

Racine Christian School registration ends Aug. 20

Racine Christian School registration ends on Aug. 20, with classes starting Tuesday, Sept. 7.

New families are reminded that Kindergarten meets Monday - Friday from 9:10-12:20. After lunch and recess, the school offers an afternoon Kindergarten Enrichment Program from 1:05 - 4:00 p.m., from one - five days/week.

Racine Christian School provides Christian education to families from more than 40 different Christian churches. The school encompasses K - 8th grade. Parents may call Principal Dave VanSwol at 262/634-0961 for an application or to arrange a tour. Forms are available on the website at www.RacineChristianSchool.com. Racine Christian School is located at 912 Virginia St.

Racine's Mitchell Middle School among top schools in Kohls Cares $500,000 contest

Racine's Mitchell Middle School is a month away from winning $500,000.

Mitchell is competing with schools across the country in the "Kohls Cares" contest on Facebook. Kohls is giving away a half-million dollars to the Top 20 vote-getting schools. Mitchell is now in 15th place with about a 500-vote margin over the 21st-placed school.

You can see the leaderboard here.

It goes without saying that a $500,000 corporate award would be a major help to Mitchell. The school was built in 1937 as a WPA project. It's last renovation was in 1974.

The Kohls Cares contest is a real opportunity for Racine to support its aging school system. No other Racine schools are near the Top 20 and likely won't have enough time to rally support. It'd be smarter if all of the city's schools could get behind Mitchell and vote to bring a free $500,000 into Racine Unified.

Kim Wendt, a science teacher at Mitchell, is organizing the Kohls Cares push. She was the lead teacher behind last spring's successful effort to win $50,000 from Pepsi to renovate Mitchell's science classrooms.

Here's how you vote in the Kohls Cares contest:

1. The contest is being run through Facebook, so you need a Facebook account. If you don't have an account, it's easy to create one and vote.

2. Once you're signed into Facebook, go to this address to vote: http://apps.facebook.com/KohlsCares/school/1017351/mitchell-middle

You can also simply search for "Kohls Cares" and then "Mitchell Middle."

3. All Facebook users are entitled to 20 votes, but can only use five of those votes on any one school. On Mitchell's voting page, click "Cast a Vote" five times.

4. Post a status message encouraging all of your friends to vote. The competition will get heated as the deadline for the $500,000 approaches. The more people you can get the vote, the better.

That's all there is to it. It takes no more than 10 minutes and can make a big impact. The leading school has about 10,000 votes at the moment. We should easily be able to find 2,000 Racine Facebookers to vote five times to support our city's public schools. They certainly could use the help.

As an aside, my wife got to thinking morning about the growing need for a full-time coordinator to help Racine organizations and schools run for these types of grants. Corporations are increasingly turning to contests to award money. With intense competition it takes a well-coordinated effort to rise to the top of the pack. Wendt is proving, again, that Racine is capable of competing nationally for these dollars. Maybe the city, school district, RCEDC, RAMAC, Leadership Racine, YPR, etc. could look at how to bring in money for our nonprofits by rallying the community.

Racine Lutheran High registering students

Racine Lutheran High School is registering students for the fall semester, which begins Aug. 17.

Racine Lutheran has scholarships and tuition grants available to incoming students. Families should contact the school to apply. Students coming from supporting Lutheran churches are eligible for tuition discounts, and students from other area Christian Schools may take advantage of Christian Education Commitment grants. 

Parents may call Principal Randy Baganz or Bonnie Christensen at 637-6538 for a tour and planning session.

'Mentor Kenosha and Racine' hosts 'Intro to Mentoring' on Aug. 26

Mentor Kenosha and Racine, an affiliated program of the Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside invites current and potential mentors to the workshop “An Introduction to Mentoring.” This two-hour program takes place in room 281 of Tallent Hall on the UW-Parkside campus, 900 Wood Rd. in Kenosha, Thursday, Aug. 26, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

“An Introduction to Mentoring” features Jonathan Pietkiewicz of the Kenosha Area Business Alliance who currently serves as a mentor. Pietkiewicz discusses his experiences in this role, what serving as a mentor has meant to him, and how this close interaction has impacted both himself and the person he is guiding.

All current, new, and potential mentors who want to get an insider’s view of mentoring are welcome to attend. Participants will learn the dos and don'ts of mentoring, the expectations involved in this commitment, and ways to build the mentoring relationship. Mentor Kenosha & Racine staff members will be on hand to answer questions.

“An Introduction to Mentoring” with Jonathan Pietkiewicz is free and open to everyone. Dinner is provided and those who plan to attend are asked to register to ensure a proper count for dinner.

To register, call Felicia Stallworth at (262) 595-2312 or access stallwor@uwp.edu by email. For more information on Mentoring Kenosha & Racine, visit www.uwp.edu keyword mentorkr.

SOAR carnival will raise money for scholarships

SOAR is holding its first Back-to-School Carnival on Saturday, Aug. 28, and Sunday, Aug. 29, in the parking lot of Gateway Technical College on Pershing Park Drive.


SOAR – Scholarships, Opportunities & Access in Racine -- is creating a fun and educational time for families as they end the summer and start the school year. There will be carnival rides and games, food, an education and entertainment tent, a SOAR raffle, and a family information area, where families can sign up for dozens of programs and services that promote a good school year and healthy family life. Carnival hours will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Raffle grand prize is  a two-night stay for a family of four at Grand Wolf Lodge in the Wisconsin Dells. Drawing is at 5 p.m. Sunday.

In its first year of operation SOAR supported 10 students in three schools and enrolled 10 private schools in the SOAR network to support more children from economically distressed families. SOAR has 90 children on its waiting list and has stopped taking applications while trying to raise enough support to place these children in one of the 10 SOAR schools. SOAR will launch a pilot counseling program in SOAR schools next year.

'Ragtime' at Horlick High July 30 to Aug. 7

Racine Horlick High School students present the student edition regional premiere of "Ragtime," music and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty and the Tony Award-winning book by Terrance McNally. 

This compelling musical of tragedy, change and love runs from July 30 – August 7 in the Joseph L. Mooney Theater of Racine’s Horlick High School, 2119 Rapids Dr., Racine. Performances are July 30, 31 and August 6, 7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 for students and seniors and $10 for adults and can be ordered at the door or online by emailing horlick_drama@yahoo.com (subject: Ragtime Tickets).

Ragtime focuses on the stories of three very different classes of people in early twentieth century America: a group of young Harlem musicians who are creating the music and world of ragtime; an affluent, white upper-middle class American housewife and a determined group of Eastern European immigrants looking for a new life of promise and change in New York.

Director Amber Lamers has taken a simplistic approach to the visual aspects of the production to highlight the story, its music and message, allowing the student’s talents to be the focal point.

“This is a true story based on the events that shaped the country we love. It’s important for the kids to do shows that are real. It helps them grow; it helps them know where they came from. It is a safe way for the students to work through social issues that still exist today,” states Lamers. “We have an excellent technical director, Katie Kowbel and have flown in our music director from New York, Stan Krifka. The combination of these talented students and directing staff make for a fantastic show.”

The cast features middle school and high school students from Racine and Kenosha.  Bryant Albritton Jr, who plays Coalhouse Walker Jr. states, “Ragtime shows all aspects of life. It has tragedy, change, love, etc. It is based on true events. History is on stage in front of you. People need to see this production because it challenges us as actors, but also challenges us as human beings.”

DETAILS AT-A-GLANCE

Ragtime

Music and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty

Book by Terrance McNally, based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow

Performances:

July 30 – August 7, 2010

Friday, July 30 at 7:30PM

Saturday, July 31 at 7:30PM

Friday, August 6 at 7:30PM

Saturday, August 7 at 7:30PM

Venue:

Joseph L. Mooney Theater, Horlick High School,

2119 Rapids Dr.

Racine, WI  53404

Ticket Prices:

$8 students and seniors; $10 adults

Box Office:  262-619-4366

E-mail: horlick_drama@yahoo.com (subject: Ragtime Tickets).