Summer, with its long, lazy and sun-filled days, is coming to a close, and the season of fall, with its colorful and brisk days, is upon Wheeler High School. As the outdoor landscape changes from the vibrant colors of the summer flowers to the brown, orange and red shades of the falling leaves, students and teachers have nestled into their fast-paced and active school routines.
We hope that all students and teachers are having a wonderful school year so far and continue to do so! Since the beginning of school much has been going on at Wheeler. To begin, students have been pre-ordering their 2015-16 yearbooks, and any student, who is still interested in pre-ordering a copy, may do so by making a payment in the amount of $65.00 and completing a yellow order form outside of Miss DeVries's room. Alternatively, yearbooks may also be ordered online at yearbookforever.com.
Next, the Natural Helpers group is in need of team leaders, and anyone who has previously attended and is interested in serving in this role should talk with Mr. Hanaway in the high school auditorium. Furthermore, College Go-week began on September 21 and continues to the end of the month. On September 29, a representative from Ball State University will be at Wheeler High School. All students who are interested in attending Ball State University or who would like to learn more about it should speak with the guidance counselor during resource hour.
Extracurricular groups have also been active at Wheeler High School. First, National Honor Society is seeking to appoint a Junior Class Representative. Any junior in National Honor Society, who is interested in holding this position, should speak with Mr. Boruff prior to the meeting on October 6. In addition, National Honor Society members will be selling Entertainment books to raise money for events it will sponsor in the upcoming year.
Lastly, Wheeler High School will be hosting the American Red Cross blood drive for students and faculty members on Thursday, October 22, from 7:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. The School advises donors to stay adequately hydrated by drinking plenty of water and to not skip any meals the day before and on the day of the blood drive. In addition, each donor will be required to show a picture ID prior to being able to donate blood. This is a very important event as the American Red Cross point out that one blood donation has the potential to save three lives.
Wheeler High School Key Club has been contributing to the Northwest Indiana community as well. On September 12, Key Club members helped out at the Valparaiso Popcorn Fest by guiding runners during the race. Similarly, on September 19, they assisted the Pack-a-Thon at Opportunity Enterprises for the Chicago Marathon runners. Along with other schools from the Northwest Indiana region, Wheeler students helped pack over 25,000 goodie bags for the marathon runners. In the future, Key Club plans to contribute to the Union Township Middle School Food Drive and the Special Olympics Bowling, both of which will take place on Saturday, November 7.
Likewise, middle school tutoring, which is conducted by Key Club members, has begun and is taking place every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, in Miss Jarosz’ room, from 3:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. This is a great way for students to help other students who are struggling in their classes.
Student Council at Wheeler High School is hard at work in the 2015 school year. The biggest event that Student Council conducts during this time of year is the Homecoming dance. This year’s theme is “fire and ice,” and will be held, on Saturday, October 3 from 7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M.
Each school day of Homecoming week will also have a special theme as follows: Black Out or White Out on Monday, Two for One (Twin Day) on Tuesday, Past not Present (Decades) on Wednesday, Kings and Queens (Dress Up) on Thursday, and Spirit Day (Class Colors) on Friday. Class banner decorating will be on October 1, from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. and all students are welcome to contribute to decorating their banners. With the guidance of the Student Council Officers and Advisors, the Student Council members are also preparing for another important event -Fish Fry- during the night of the Homecoming football game. The members will provide refreshments for the Fish Fry as well as a dessert or a salad.
I would like to give a teacher shout out to Michele Ault. Mrs. Ault has an International Business degree from Hillsdale College and a Masters in Language Education from IUPUI. Furthermore, she has completed her teacher certification coursework at IUN. Mrs. Ault has previously spent approximately three years living in and traveling around Europe, enjoying learning languages, seeing new places, and meeting new people. At WHS, Mrs. Ault teaches all levels of French and German and facilitates field trips for student and parent groups who wish to travel to European countries. Presently, Mrs. Ault is planning a springtime field trip to either France or Germany.
Lastly, I would like to give a student shout out to Varsity Football quarterback Jake Lafever. Since August 21, Wheeler High School’s football team is undefeated, winning all four of its games. First, our team started the season against River Forest with a winning score of 40-14. Second, the Bearcats took on Griffith High School and won in a nail biter with a score of 28-27. Third, Wheeler swept Hammond Bishop Noll with a score of 49-6. Most recently, Wheeler High School won another close game against Whiting with a score of 28-27. Coach Klimczak is especially proud of Jake and has high hopes for Wheeler football this year.
In sum, whether involved in their school, community or athletics, students and teachers alike at Wheeler High School have started the 2015-16 school year with a bang and continue to excel in all they do. Keep up the good work and have fun along the way!