What’s Recently Happened:
The winter break has proven to be extremely refreshing for students at Wheeler High School (WHS). With some students vacationing and others relaxing in their own homes, everyone had the opportunity to cozy up next to the fire and rejuvenate their spirits.
The Dinner with Santa program was a wonderful success, thanks to Guidance Counselor Mike Rosta, the numerous volunteers, and generous donations that contribute to this magical tradition for the Union Township Community.
The WHS choir and band had their annual concert at the end of December. The members of the choir sang beautifully, serenading the members of the WHS community with traditional Christmas and other holiday songs. The band also accompanied their performance and pleased all ears listening.
In other news, the WHS gymnastic team has excelled in their recent competition. This past Tuesday, the team took first place in their competition at Merrillville High School. This is no surprise as the team has been training relentlessly. It is safe to say that WHS is extremely proud of their newfound gymnastics' team.
However, Bearcat success doesn’t stop at the gymnastic team. The girls' and boys' swimming teams have also excelled in their respective competitions. WHS boy’s and girl’s swimming won the Greater South Shore Conference (GSSC) Championship this past Saturday. Junior, Seth Kochvar also won the diving competition.
In other news, students, including Emily Enright and Maddie Sullivan, engaged in the program of reading to the children at Union Center Elementary (UCE). The children love when upperclassmen come to visit, as they get to enjoy a good book, and converse with the older students. It is especially fun for the older students, as they can reminisce on their elementary days, and they see their previous teachers.
What’s Coming Up:
This upcoming week, Key Club is hosting a coat drive for local families in need. Representatives will be going around to each resource class to inform the student body about participating and the requirements to be involved. Everyone is encouraged to donate at least one coat to help the community.
As the month reaches its end, students are preparing for second trimester finals in mid-February. With only a few weeks left of the trimester, students are working hard to improve their grades and are looking forward to the last trimester before summer.
Staff Spotlight:
Whitney Lindsay is the physical education and health teacher at WHS. As a Wheeler alum Lindsay is a familiar face.
Her gym classes, usually consisting of 20 to 40 girls, are rigorous, involved, and genuinely fun. Lindsay finds a way to make her classes enjoyable and strives to get everyone involved. While most teenagers loathe the idea of an early morning gym class, the students taking Lindsay’s classes are quite the opposite.
The games played in her class, such as handball and stogeball (Wheeler's name for dodgeball), aim to include everyone and encourage them to work as a team. Games like these truly make the school day better, as you can relax and have fun while engaging in physical activity.
Lindsay’s classes refresh her students and prepare them for an exciting day at WHS.
Student Spotlight:
Captain of the soccer team, Academic Allstate winner (for soccer), Key Club secretary, co-president of French Club, and member of National Honors Society are just a few titles for senior Ava Piwinski. She is not only an involved member of her community, but a dedicated student, and loyal friend.
As captain of the soccer team, Piwinski led her teammates to success throughout the season.
“Becoming captain was one of the best things to happen to me throughout my high school career," Piwinski said. "I strongly believe it is what has shaped me into the person I am today. Upon receiving my title as captain, I immediately made it my goal to make sure the girls always felt empowered and welcome."
Aside from dominating the soccer field, Piwinski cultivates change in her community. From volunteering in numerous Key Club service projects such as volunteering in the recent blood drive, tutoring middle schoolers, and bellringing for the Salvation Army, there is no doubt Piwinski is passionate about helping her community.
After high school, Piwinski plans on pursuing a career in dermatology and majoring in biology in college.