MWHS Senior Mural Pride

Today's post is from seniors Ava Wagner and Quinn Tice

The 2017 senior mural is finally complete!

This piece focuses on the growth that each student undergoes in high school. We decided to show the transformation that takes place in these formative years. A unifying factor in all of our lives is Lake Minnetonka. 

We placed a map of it in the background as it has been a part of so many memories with our classmates. The physical progression that a high school student encounters is demonstrated in the figures in the foreground as they are growing up. 

From left to right, the figures go from eighth to twelfth grade. For the eighth grader, we put an extremely heavy backpack on them to show the stress and shock of high school that we remember experiencing. In remembrance of our classmate Joe Goldenstein who passed away in our freshman year, we painted a blue shirt on the figure, as it was his favorite color. 

Additionally, we added his football number to the backpack. Sophomore year we added car keys to symbolize the newfound freedoms that come with having a driver's license. Come junior year, the backpack came off and a chromebook was added to illustrate how digital all of our course work has become. For senior year we chose the most iconic moment in high school that we all look forward to, graduation day.

Be sure to check out the mural in the senior hallway, outside of the media center.

The Mural Team:  Quinn, Ava, Evan, Mrs. Hensley, Tiffany, Emma & Brianna 

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Thriving in Westonka!

Today's post is from parent and Secondary Technology Integrationist Kristin Wallace

I began my career in Westonka over 20 years ago as a member of the MWHS English Department. During the past two decades, the school has been my second home and both of us have experienced tremendous change and growth since the late 90s. So if you had asked me last year if there was anything I didn’t know about the school or the staff, I would have confidently chuckled feeling I have done and seen it all. Until this fall happened!

In September, I entered into a new and unfamiliar role at MWHS, one of parent to an incoming 8th grader. This past semester, I gained new insight and appreciation for the students and the staff at the high school. And I noticed one theme has woven through this experience. Mound Westonka doesn’t just want its 8th graders to survive the transition to the high school; it wants them to thrive.

This commitment to student success was evident in August when my baby and 200 other new students were welcomed to the high school by their Link Crew leaders. These students compassion, enthusiasm and school pride were contagious and set the stage for our year. In September, I attended Curriculum Night and beamed with pride as I watched the passion ooze from the faculty while they discussed both their content and their approach to students and learning. I walked away with tips and ideas about how to help my own student blossom.

In October, I watched my daughter continue to grow through strategic mentorship as a member of the pep band and the Swim Team. Both programs strategically positioning older students as mentors to help incoming students feel welcomed and be successful. I also watched my daughter have the opportunity to develop independence as a learner using the flexible learning spaces in Global Studies, Advisory and English.

November meant conference time and my turn to be on the other side of the table. There were no academic surprises at conferences since teacher use technology to post grades and course materials, but again I was impressed at how each seemed to have some insight into my student, her strengths and her areas for improvements.

In December, I helped plan the student celebration assembly which focused on the heroes among us at MWHS. This was the first time 8th graders were recognized for their academic improvement and success. I was struck by the young students beaming with pride when recognized for their perfect attendance, honor roll and contributions to the heartbeat of the classroom. I am confident this is laying the groundwork for future success.

In it is now the end of January and my 8th grader is confidently diving into semester two bolstered by the support of her teachers, the staff at MWHS and a bevy of student mentors. Over lunch last weekend, she discussed with anticipation the classes she wants to take next year and the activities she may want to try as a Freshman.

Being able to experience MWHS through the eyes of a parent and through my own daughter’s experiences has given me a new appreciation and pride for the students, staff and programs at MWHS. I cannot wait to see what discoveries I have yet to make about MWHS over the next four years and to watch the ways it continues to help my child thrive rather than just survive.

New 8th grader!

The Wallace Family

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Pride in coaching in the Westonka District!

Today's post is from MWHS social studies teacher and Girls Varsity Basketball Coach Alan Hiebert

I’ve been asked to contribute my thoughts to the Westonka Pride Blog in regards to athletics and, more specifically, Girls Basketball, which I have the privilege to coach. What makes me proud of athletics here at MWHS? A lot of pride has to do with the amount of change that has occurred here over the last decade. Almost all of it happened when I wasn’t in coaching. I coached football and girls basketball here from 1999-2008 and have gotten “back in the game” again this season after eight seasons away. The second go-around for me has been eye-opening in several positive ways when compared to my previous experience.

First, coaching has continually improved at MWHS. The experience across the coaching staffs in almost all sports has matured. Coaches like coach Todd Munsterteiger, Butch Humbert, Molly Carlson, Sara Schwartz, Nick David, Doug Runke just to name a few, have been in their positions for multiple seasons and they, and their assistants, have dedicated themselves to making our athletes better and developed programs at the varsity level that represent our school extremely well.

Second, the athletes have invested themselves in their teams. I know that my girls on the basketball team are dedicated to each other as teammates and friends. I’ve coached a lot of teams over the years and I can honestly say that this group is as good a group as I have been around. They’re focused on getting better at “Xs and Os” but also as teammates and people. They’ve gotten “in the wheelbarrow” of our program and are doing their best to make basketball a positive experience for everyone.

Third, I’m proud of my senior captains. Claire White and Ryann Beyer have been through a lot during their careers. I’m coach number 5 in 5 years! But their level of commitment to the team has been impressive. They’ve been asked to buy in to different philosophies and schemes continually throughout their careers and they’ve continually delivered. As a coach it’s hard to find better examples of leadership for future athletes to follow than what Claire and Ryann have demonstrated.

The pride of Westonka athletics is growing. It’s growing for several reasons and will continue to grow in the future. Go White Hawks!

2016-17 Girls Varsity Basketball Team

Ryann & Claire

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Regatta Pride!

Today's post is from community member and industrial engineer John Hensley.  John is also the husband of art teacher Laura Hensley.

Competing in the 3rd annual Regatta this year was an adventure! Bob Chilson and I love to utilize the engineering fundamentals where we are challenged to develop a boat design, produce a prototype and test it in action. This is our second year competing in the Regatta. After a win last year we decided to modify our boat to see if we could improve propulsion and lower our time across the pool. This year’s boat ended up having a couple flaws but we were still able to just finish the race. 

The students’ designs were creative and used a number of different engineering principles to create boats that had varying results. We were impressed by the craftsmanship and range of designs. We both hope that the students were able to learn from the process and from each other. The best part of the experience is witnessing the passion and drive that the students of MWHS possess.

Congratulations to this year’s winners and we are already looking forward to our big comeback next year. Go White Hawks!

Andrew and Victor for the win!

John Hensley & Bob Chilson

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Pride in being a parent and teacher in the Westonka District

Today's post is from Shirley Hills 4th Grade Teacher Deb Loomis

My introduction to Westonka schools began in the 1998-1999 school year when we moved to Mound and enrolled our children in the Westonka School District. As a stay at home mom, I jumped right in volunteering and joining PTA. It was then that I realized our children were blessed by incredible educators. The high quality of the district and the care our children received was clearly evident.

Next, at the prompting of one of our child’s teachers, I began to substitute teach in this District. I was then exposed to the educators in all four schools. I fell in love with the vision and the commitment to excellence. In 2002, I joined the District as a full time employee and have been here since. I continue to love the push for distinction and educational greatness.

These last six years, I have spent teaching fourth grade at Shirley Hills Primary. Recently personalization has been an improvement implemented to increase student engagement in learning. It has been exciting to see students partner in the ownership of their learning. I have been blessed to be involved in a District that garners great respect. I have been equally blessed to have a job that I truly love!

Math Personalization

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Pride in new MWHS learning spaces

Today's post is from 10th grader Grace Elling

As a sophomore at Mound Westonka, I have experienced over two years at the high school. What is different about this year is that I have the opportunity to get out of the closed in classroom and go to a place where I am able to learn in an accommodating space. I have used the Student Commons, the Q Zone, and the C Zone. All of these areas have different aspects that allow me to learn how I want and with other students I feel I work best with.

Being able to use these spaces during Honors Chemistry has given me a better way to communicate with other students and differentiate my learning. We have taken learning style quizzes in classes but never had the availability to learn the way that works best for us until now. I am thankful for these spaces because now I am able to learn the best way that is possible for me. Hopefully more classes partake in this great opportunity for students in the near future!

 Grace and other students working in the new MWHS Student Commons

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Mound Talks and Students Own Their Future

Today's post is from 7th grade language arts teacher Julie Thomas

The Mound Talks event will easily be one of the highlights of my career. In order to understand why, let me provide you with some history. Last year, students in my 7th grade class took on the challenge of writing a TED Talk. Students worked vigorously for weeks writing and rehearsing their talk. I was astounded by the end product and was highly impressed with what my students had to share. Students presented on topics ranging from mental illnesses to sports injuries to the impact of music. This assignment brought a heightened awareness of the need to provide students with a platform to share their big ideas.

Eager to make this assignment bigger than just a 7th grade assignment, I began discussing how we could make this a reality with Sue Simonson, Toby Robinson, and Pam Tremblay. Over time, it developed into a pitch to DECA students to use as their project this year. Abby Wharram, Andrew LaFortune, and Katelyn Wagner were gracious enough to take it on. Over the last few months, we experienced some highs and lows with the planning process, but December 4th came in no time!

Mound Talks was the event of the season! The stage was set with twinkling lights. Large, bold letters designed by Andrew and the woodshop classes shined under spotlights. Cupcakes, cookies, and a popcorn bar awaited audience members in The Commons. The eager and brave speakers were Katie Clarke, Noah Brammer, Stephanie Anderson, Josh Seeley, Avery Finck, Grace Hanson, Josh Nkhata, Maya Jable, Zach Riffle, Avery Robbins, Anders Erdahl, Izzy Embery-Braun, and Tiffany Nguyen.

Each speaker delivered a unique and powerful message. Audience members learned about subjects such as financial abstraction, gender inequality, learning from your past, and reasons to be thankful. The speakers, although nervous, exuded confidence and captivated the audience. I am proud of these students for mustering up the courage to present and am in awe of their ability to effectively communicate such big ideas.

It was a true pleasure to participate in the planning of this event. Thank you to the sponsors for their generosity and to Westonka DECA for hosting the event. I look forward to the next Mound Talks event!

DECA team & Mound Talks Presentors

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1st Grader's at Hilltop share their pride!!

Today's post is from Melissa Abernathy and Gretchen Campbell's first grade co-taught class

We are first graders in Mrs. Abernethy and Mrs. Campbell’s class at Hilltop Primary School. We are really proud of how...

• We are making new friends-Will P
• We are raising our hands to share our ideas- Oliver B
• We are respectful and listen when others are talking- Ethan A
• We treat others how we want to be treated-Emma B
• We are cleaning up what we get out- Addison B
• We treat our iPads kindly-Aidan H
• We say thank you when we get something- Ella P.
• We “be” honest- Lillian O
• We own our actions- Adam H
• We are safe in the classroom-Lola P
• We are kind- Toby S
• We respect others-Tannor K
• We are building stamina in daily 5. We read and write the whole time! Brynn H
• We fill each other’s bucket Vinny S
• We do our best- Vivianna D
• We always go down the slide- not up! Brooklyn S
• We respect others abilities-Julien E
• We keep our hands and feet to ourselves- Drew J & Charlie S 
• We follow the rules on the playground- Wengel H
• We follow directions quickly- AJ R.
• We be nice to our teachers- Ludo Z
• We are kind to everyone- Cameron D
• We use a 2 finger touch at tag- Leif K
• We play nicely with our friends- Charlie F
• We raise our goals- Tobin D
• We move our furniture carefully in the classroom- Jonathan S
• We do the golden rule- Kenley T
• We are working hard in math to write equations- Tristan S
• We work quietly- Ashlynn K
• We use spaces between our words in our journals-Aspen F
• We make a picture in our mind when we read- Connor P
• We find “invisible kids” and invite them to play- Halle W
• We get started right away- Alyson 
• We write a lot of sentences in our journals- Wyatt S
• We draw a math mountain to help us solve our math equations- Tyler D
• We have fun at Hilltop- Brandon A
• We use learning plans to create and keep track of our goals- Jacksyn Z

We are so proud of how hard our learners work and how they are kind friends to one another!- Mrs. Abernethy and Mrs. Campbell

Mrs. Abernathy & Mrs. Campbell and their 1st grade students

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