Day 39 - Best Four Years of My Life

Today's post is from Paige Beyer, a 2013 graduate of MWHS
Nostalgia provides a sense of accomplishment, a feeling of joy and an insurmountable amount of pride. At Mound Westonka High School a sense of community is created with a place to relish in our accomplishments and to cherish and embrace the way they make us feel. Even though our trophies can break and certificates can fade, we must always make an effort, wholeheartedly, to remember and cherish our school's success, as it is a result of our very own MWHS pride.

Growing up, you always hear “college will be the best 4 years of your life.” As a student of Mound-Westonka High School, I was always skeptical. I was blessed to have an amazing high school experience that I doubted my college experience could possibly beat my time at Mound-Westonka. As a current freshman at the Carlson School of Management - University of Minnesota I am eternally grateful for everything Mound-Westonka taught me and have yet to be convinced that my college experience may possibly be better than high school.

Mound-Westonka prides itself upon its unique ability to provide ‘small school advantages’. As a student I struggled to grasp what this truly meant until I was a part of a university nearly 50 times larger. At Mound, I was taught the importance of forming meaningful relationships. It is evident that teachers work hard to make themselves both approachable and available to students. I am proud to say my teachers at Mound are some of the most inspiring and influential role models in my life, and I am fortunate to have formed lifelong connections with them.

The connections made at Mound-Westonka will be nothing short of everlasting as there is a ceaseless amount of camaraderie. The close-knit community I was apart of is rare and one that should be treasured. At MWHS I was taught the importance of interpersonal relationships, how to effectively communicate, and each interaction I had there positively impacted me and better prepared me for my future. So now the questions remains, will college be the best 4 years of my life, or has Mound Westonka impacted me in a way that’s too tough to shake? Assuming it’s the latter, I am confident I will forever have pride in Mound Westonka High School. 

Paige and Willie

MN DECA State Officers

Day 38 - A Reasonable or Justifiable Self-Respect

Today's post is from Mary Jo Blancard, Art & English teacher at MWHS

A definition of pride in my old 1993 hardcopy of Miriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary is "a reasonable or justifiable self-respect".  This is a perfect description of what I see and feel in Mound Westonka High School.  All of the previous blog entries I have read in MWHS Pride are reasonable and justifiable examples of why hundreds of students, teachers, and parents respect our school and are proud to be affiliated with it.

I, personally, get excited every day when I enter the building.  Student Aides in the office always greet me, students and teachers in the halls always say hello, and the display cases for the clubs, teams, and arts remind me that this place holds a wealth of talent and energy.  Then as the day goes on, my students consistently prove to me that my expectations for them are only the top of the iceberg.  When I challenge them to create and perform, I am always impressed and sometimes surprised by the results of their efforts.  I recently assigned my advanced ceramics students to create sculptures in which planes and space are dominant features.  They each spent many extra hours in the studio and produced a variety of original pieces that are above and beyond what I would have done in high school.

This leads me to what really impresses me.  Our students are not flat, or one-dimensional.  Most students pursue several interests and participate in multiple activities.  It is not at all unusual for a student to be in Math League, band, swim team, Spanish Club, and more.  They are multifaceted individuals who pursue their interests because they have the opportunity to do that here at MWHS.  And because of that, we can all feel a reasonable and justifiable self-respect.

Mrs. Blanchard helping her ceramics students

Day 37 - Proud to be Part of this School and Community

Today's post is from Tatum Anderson, freshmen at MWHS

I am proud to call myself a White Hawk and show up at MWHS everyday. Everyone at school is accepting and kind. I never feel scared or threatened here at MWHS. There isn’t any bullying at this school because we take it very seriously. There are posters all around that say “Stop Walk Talk.” Everyone is nice to one another and very inclusive. No one ever disrespects anyone and they treat everyone the same.

Because Mound is so small, you get to know people in other grades above and below you. You also get to play high school sports sooner. Last year there were four eight grade girls who made varsity hockey. This year four freshman girls made varsity soccer. It is great playing with better competition and being with all the older girls. They are so nice and accepting.

Not just Mound Westonka High School is welcoming but also the community. Every year Our Lady of the Lake has a carnival and the whole community shows up. Everyone hangs out and has a great time. Mound is a great place to live and grow up and I am proud to be part of this school and community!

Lila, Claire, Ryann & Tatum at DECA Fall Leadership

Day 36 - We are a Different Type of Student

Today's post is from senior Cole Seehof

White Hawk pride can stem from many things. Every person has a different reason for loving the school. For some people it’s the teachers and others it’s the students that make Mound Westonka High School so amazing. For me it’s the uniqueness of our school that makes me proud to be a White Hawk. Coming from Minnetonka I noticed a massive change when I first came to Mound. The first thing I noticed was how nice the students are -- surprisingly it wasn’t how well our football team does. 

Unlike students at other schools you are warmly welcomed by the students and staff at Mound Westonka. The small classes make new students stand out so everyone will want to greet the new student. This is much better than walking into a school where everyone is already in their clique and you have to work your way in. 

Since our school is so small it has tons of advantages over most schools. Teachers here at Mound Westonka are able to connect with each of their students on a personal level, helping each student to succeed and meet their full potential. The staff at Mound Westonka High School truly make a unique experience for each student. Like every school there are those who don’t get along well with others, but unlike other schools they are not bullied for this. These kids are simply left to their own. Unlike other schools we understand how to be kind to one another. We, the students of Mound Westonka High School, are a different type of student!

Cole during homecoming dress up days!

Day 35 - Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Today's post is from Kristin Wallace, English teacher at MWHS

There are thousands of reasons I am proud to be a White Hawk, but one that tops my list is working with the amazing educators I get to call colleagues, mentors and friends. The teaching staff at MWHS is second to none and being apart of this flock of White Hawks makes me incredibly proud.

No where is this pride more apparent to me than through the recent technology initiatives at MWHS. As a member of the Technology Integration and Learning Team (TILT), I have the opportunity to work with staff members from all content areas as they integrate technology and 21st century skills into the classroom.

Change is always challenging, but what I love about our staff is they embrace change with an open mind. They are passionately reinventing their assessments, lessons and teaching methods. They spend their evenings, summers and weekends learning from other educators and themselves, because they want to improve student learning. They aren’t satisfied with good and push themselves to be great.

I am proud to be part of this flock of compassionate and dedicated teachers. We support each other, we learn from each other and we inspire each other. They make me the best teacher I can be and MWHS the best place to work.

Kristin & Aaron

Day 34 - MWHS Volleyball Family

Today's post is from Lauren Ehlers, senior volleyball player

Here at MWHS I have never felt more invited or accepted ever in my life. I moved here in ninth grade and I started playing volleyball for the Mound Westonka White Hawks. I was really scared moving here but my volleyball team made me feel like it was home. Moving was a hard thing for me because I had never moved before, and I had the worst thoughts in my head thinking I wouldn't make any friends. But I made so many life time friends on the MWHS volleyball team, and they feel like they are my second family.

When we are at one of our volleyball tournaments we get to know each other really well, and those tournaments are a lot of fun. We make great memories at our tournaments like helping our varsity win because of one of our cheer offs with the other team. You won't meet any team closer then the volleyball team!

MWHS Volleyball Team

Day 33 - What Is White Hawk Pride?

Today's post is from Zak Edington, sophomore at MWHS

At Mound Westonka we rarely ever dominate in sports considering that we are one of the smallest schools in our district. For our football team winning one game in a season is considered good.  What is White Hawk pride? White Hawk pride is people going out for sports year after year trying to improve. When students go out for something bigger than themselves and become a part of a family it doesn't matter if they have a winning or losing season. After losing a hard fought game - being in the weight room the next day with your team family is our pride. Constantly trying to improve, not only to benefit ourselves, but to benefit our team is our pride. The commitment and loyalty we have at MWHS is what we take pride in.

We pay the four dollars to get in a football game to see our team play their hearts out even if a win doesn't come often. The way we cheer after one touchdown when we’re down by three is proof that we take pride in our sports no matter what the record. We are always loyal and will always stay loyal.

Here at Mound Westonka we are a family and even though we may not be the most dominant in every sport, we still take pride in being apart of this family. I think anyone who has ever played a sport here would agree with me. So if you ask me that's what I would tell you Mound Westonka White Hawk sports pride is: family, loyalty, and commitment.

Zak in his Sports Marketing class

Day 32 - Alum Jay Olstad speaks to MWHS WALA students

Today's post is from Pam Tremblay, English and WALA teacher

Today MWHS’s WALA program had the honor of Jay Olstad come in and talk to their classes. Jay came in to help out the class as they start their new Project Based Learning assignment on Media Bias. Jay was an excellent choice to speak as he is an MWHS alumnus, and a successful news reporter for Kare 11. He spoke to each of the WALA English classes about what it takes to be a reporter and the steps leading up to it. He also discussed how to report the news as objectively as you can. He stated that it is his job to be the voice of the subject and get the word out. He talked about long hours and trying times, but loves his job because it is so rewarding. He also mentioned that it is important to get as much information about the subject so that you can be objective when it comes time to report. The WALA students will be reporting on a given topic from two points of view in order to understand how to deal and work with bias information. 

The students were appreciative of his visit knowing that he has been where they are and has had many experiences in life since attending Mound Westonka High School. The most important thought is that where he is from will always be a part of him as it will be for our students!

Jay Olstad and the WALA students