What’s recently happened?
Over the month of June, Washington Township High School (WTHS) students traveled from Ohio to Belize. The WTHS band kids went on their biennial trip, led by Band Teacher Justin Thompson, and Biology Teacher Barbara Rea brought a group of students to experience the beauty of Belize.
Every other year, the WTHS marching band goes on a trip to perform their skills. This year, the band traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, to perform at Cedar Point. On June 6, Senators walked in their personal parade through the amusement park in their new uniforms performing “Galeon.”
The band and color guard have worked hard on the song and routine and were very proud to perform in front of such a large crowd. Along with performing, the students got to spend the rest of their day on the roller coasters and having fun with their friends.
“I’m really thankful I got to go on this trip because riding the rides with my friends I made throughout high school will be something I remember forever,” said recently graduated Senior Addison DeHaven.
Spending time at Cedar Point wasn’t the only thing students got to do. As it was the band, Thompson took students to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and went on a dinner cruise on Lake Erie. The students also went to the Cleveland Zoo before saying goodbye to Ohio.
A few weeks later, some of those students got right back to traveling, this time to Belize.
Rea has been known to sponsor multiple student trips, such as trips to Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Massachusetts, and the Galapagos Islands. This year, Rea took a group of 23 students and parents to Belize City, San Pedro, and St. Ignacio, where they saw the wonders of nature and the ancient world. The trip took place June 15 to June 21.
While a lot of their time was spent swimming in the Caribbean Sea, the students also got the chance to explore Mayan ruins, zipline through caves and rainforests, snorkel with sharks and stingrays, and visit the Belize Zoo.
The students also got to try Belizean food, and when they weren’t climbing through ancient ruins, they were relaxing by the beach.
“I would absolutely go again. I checked a lot of things off my bucket list. It was the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” said Student Sierra Richardson.
Both groups of Senators had a great time traveling and are excited for any future trips.
What’s coming up?
As students enjoy their summer, one summer-time staple quickly approaches with July: the Porter County Fair.
Every year, WTHS students flock into the fair, whether to ride the rides, see concerts, or even work. The fair is a great opportunity for high school students to make a little extra money in the summer.
The fair is also a great way for students to get involved in their community. Many students are already involved with the fair through the Washington Wiz Kids 4-H club, participating in activities such as art, writing, cake decorating, working with animals, and even barbecuing.
This year the fair will take place from July 20 through July 29. Jon Pardi, Jelly Roll, Zach Williams, The Oak Ridge Boys, and more will all be performing.
Community Member Spotlight:
Barbara Rea has taught at WTHS for 20 years and is known throughout the community as the Key Club advisor. Rea oversees all of the Key Club events, WTHS’s largest club dedicated to community service.
Rea, who used to work at the New Energy Company in South Bend and is now the WTHS biology teacher, got her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree from Indiana University, and her master degrees in molecular biology and microbiology from Purdue University. Rea first decided to pursue a career in teaching to spend more time with her two children, and WTHS is glad she made that choice.
All students know Rea as caring and extremely encouraging, but students love making special connections with her through Key Club. The Key Club officers work hard with Rea to plan events, find service opportunities, and find creative ways to get students to give to charity, such as playing “It’s a Small World” through the hallways until enough money is donated to make it stop.
Key Club is known for helping grow the leaders of tomorrow, which is one of Rea’s favorite things.
“It’s such an incredible feeling to see somebody who's very shy and quiet all of a sudden want to take on a leadership role and really blossom in front of your eyes as they grow into a better and stronger leader,” said Rea.
Not only do students get to know Rea through school and Key Club but also through the trips she takes students on, such as the Belize trip.
When Rea isn’t planning lesson plans or volunteering, she enjoys gardening and being with her many animals. As of now, Rea has two dogs, one cat, seven birds, fish, and a chicken named Nugget that hatched in her Biology II class this year.
“Push yourself beyond doing just your homework,” said Rea. “Volunteer for different events. It's a great way to get to know adults in the area for future jobs, meet students in your school and in other schools, and to just feel good about what you’re doing.”
After she retires, Rea plans to go to Lake Michigan a lot and continue to get involved with community service.