Update: Public forum with superintendent candidates Wednesday at OHS

The public is invited to participate in the process to select the next superintendent for the School District of Onalaska.

A public forum to meet and ask questions of the final three candidates will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, in the Performing Arts Center at Onalaska High School. Each candidate will meet individually with those attending and take questions for approximately 45 minutes.

Community members will be given the opportunity to complete a feedback form that will be presented to the school board for use in the final selection process.

The final candidates are Jeremy Biehl, Fran Finco and Christine Weymouth.

The board of education encourages participation in this important meeting that will allow citizens the opportunity to meet the candidates prior to the board’s final selection.

“We recognize the importance of community involvement and engagement with the district and welcome the input of all stakeholders into the decision of this crucial leadership position in the community,” said Ann Garrity, board vice-president.

Author visits Northern Hills Elementary

Guest author Maggie McHugh visited Northern Hills Elementary School Thursday to talk about her new book.

 The La Crosse native read “Ka’s Garden” and answered questions about the culturally accurate picture book she authored about a young girl and her family working in their garden that is written in Hmong and English.

“I want to inspire you to write,” McHugh told the fourth and fifth graders. “As an adult I didn’t just become a writer. I’ve been a writer my whole life.”

McHugh shared a poem and other stories she’d written as a third grader to show the students what she’d accomplished before leaving elementary school during her 45-minute presentation.

Students told McHugh they’re interested in realistic fiction, farming, science fiction and sports.

McHugh said they were all good suggestions because students should write what they know about. She encouraged them to choose their topic and find a good place to write.

“It is fun for them to be able to see that someone can grow-up and become an author and get a book published,” said Crystal Brunelle, library media specialist. “It also reminds them they are authors – I can do this. She was just like me. Teachers tell them all the time but now an author told them.”

McHugh wrote “Ka’s Garden” to provide Hmong children with a book that accurately portrays the Hmong culture and language. “Ka’s Garden” took about 18 months to complete and 13 drafts, McHugh said. Its completion was “a dream come true,” she said.

“Ka’s Garden” is available through www.uhpublishing.com, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Bookstore and Pearl Street Books in Downtown La Crosse.

Public forum with superintendent candidates May 4 at OHS

The public is invited to participate in the process to select the next superintendent for the School District of Onalaska.

A public forum to meet and ask questions of the final three candidates will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 4 in the Performing Arts Center at Onalaska High School. Each candidate will meet individually with those attending and take questions for approximately 45 minutes. 

Community members will be given the opportunity to complete a feedback form that will be presented to the school board for use in the final selection process.

The finalists for the Onalaska superintendent position will be announced later this week.

The board of education encourages participation in this important meeting that will allow citizens the opportunity to meet the candidates prior to the board’s final selection.

OHS students recognized at Viterbo event

Viterbo University honored students from area high schools Monday for providing exceptional service.

Those students recognized from Onalaska High School at the 15^th annual Volunteer Recognition were: Madeline Anderson, Zoey Cobb, Jennie Hop, Paige Lofald, Jacki Meyer and Joseph Saiz. 

Jennie Hop also spoke at the event about what volunteering means to her.

Eagle Bluff students raise $887 for earthquake and tsunami relief

A week-long fundraising effort by fifth grade students in the Challenge Program for Leadership class at Eagle Bluff Elementary School yielded about $887 for the victims of the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

“We raised a good amount of money,” Carter Melby said. “I think people liked the idea of being able to help.”

The 10 students in the class taught by Jason Ludwigson brainstormed ideas, created posters, and encouraged student, staff and parent involvement to raise funds to help Japan, Taylor Eide said.

Posters generated interest and explained the donation process, Justin Anno and Brooke Richardson said.

“We knew we had to make a reward and I thought it would be a good idea to make it a root beer float party,” Andrew Runde said. “Other events have had ice cream.”

The incentive had some Eagle Bluff classrooms and students turning the fundraiser into a competition, Alli Burke said. Her classmates compared it to a penny war or last school year’s Pennies for Peace event.

Annemarie Fenton, Noah Skifton, Christine Cheung and Katherine Chafoulias will help their classmates present the donation to the Scenic Bluffs Chapter of the American Red Cross Friday to help with relief efforts in Japan. A representative is coming to their class.

Cabaret tonight and Saturday at OHS

Cabaret will be tonight and Saturday at the Onalaska High School PAC.

At 7 p.m. tonight, Friday, April 8, the show will include Express and Hilltopper competition performances, Hilltopper camp show,  and spotlights.

At 6 p.m. Saturday, April 9, the show will include Hilltopper competition performance, Hilltopper camp show, senior spotlights and slide show.

The cost is $7 with special pricing for pre-kindergarten children, students and senior citizens.

Please note Express performs Friday night only. Hilltopper will perform both nights.

Beginner Band students select instruments

Eva Marchiando and Kate Dabrowksi plan to be flute players in the sixth grade band.

The Northern Hills Elementary School fifth graders tried a variety of brass and woodwind instruments Tuesday during the annual screening day at their school before selecting the flute.

“It was fun,” Marchiando said. “I like music.”

The Onalaska Middle School Band toured the district’s three elementary schools Monday, allowing students to hear individual instrument solos before they tried-out clarinets, trumpets, flutes, trombones, baritones and French horns later in the week, said Sandra Kauphusman, band director.

“Instruments are selected based on facial structure,” Kauphusman said. “We are all unique individuals.”

The clarinet proved to be the best match for Olivia Stage. Fortunately, it also was the instrument solo she enjoyed a day earlier when the middle school band performed.

“It was the easiest for me,” she said. “I like it.”

Kaelan Engholdt already plays piano but decided to add the trombone to his musical repertoire.

“It was fun trying them all out,” Engholdt said. “I thought the trombone was different because it doesn’t have any keys, you just move the (slide) back and forth.”  

The incoming sixth graders will have a series of lessons throughout the summer before coming together as a full band to play “Hot Cross Buns” in the fall, Kauphusman said.  

A Beginning Band parent meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 11, in the OMS Commons. The meeting will answer many questions about starting out and offer opportunities to sign up for a rental instrument.

Beginner Band Orientation and instrument distribution will be Monday, June 6, in the OMS Band Room with this schedule:

Flutes/French Horns/Oboes: 4 p.m.

Clarinets/Trumpets: 4:45 p.m.

Saxes/Baritones/Tubas: 6 p.m.

Trombones/Percussion: 6:30 p.m.

Students will receive their lesson book, rental or school instruments, and learn how to put the instrument together and play their first note.

Lessons will run from June 13 through Aug. 5. Sign-up materials are in the summer school packet. Students will be scheduled for a 20-minute lesson for eight weeks. The form should be completed and returned to school along with a $5 class fee by April 15.

OMS Idol winners entertain during lunch

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Elliot Rickert and Eli Xiong had the Onalaska Middle School lunchroom singing with them as they performed Friday in the OMS Idol Finale.

 The audience couldn’t resist joining Rickert, the sixth grade Crowd Favorite, and Xiong, the seventh grade Crowd Favorite, as they performed Justin Bieber’s “Baby” separately during the school’s three lunches.

 “I sang Justin Bieber for the girls,” Xiong said. “I was going to dance too, but I didn’t know how.”

OMS Idol has become a tradition at the school to celebrate Middle Level Education Week. This year, 54 students showcased their talents with seven named winners. Rickert and Xiong were joined by Olivia Copeland, Ian Resto, Brooke Beisman, Isabelle Stevens and Sam Netwal.

“I had some butterflies,” Rickert said.

“I did too but after you get up and get singing you get this really great feeling of being up on stage and getting your sing out,” said Copeland, the sixth grade Idol.

“You have to be really confident and positively communicate to yourself that you can do this and you’re going to do great,” Copeland added.

To prepare for the competition, Eighth Grade Idol Isabelle Stevens chose to sing “Viva la Vida” by Cold Play and practiced at home.

“I was really nervous,” she said. “Everyone was watching. I could mess up.”

Healthy Hobby Day introduces students to variety of activities

Ellie Socha and Katherine Carlisle poked the wool with a needle until it began to take form.

Eventually, the Onalaska Middle School seventh graders said, their project would look like the fuzzy rabbit on display.

“This is a lot of fun,” Ellie said. “I want a fat bunny.”

The needle felting class was one of more than 50 offered Wednesday to OMS students during the annual Healthy Hobby Day, an event that aims to get students to try different activities and meet students in all grade levels.

Sessions included bicycle maintenance, card making, journal making, cribbage, aerospace, Bunco, photography, Zumba, chess, cake decorating, karate, archery, euchre, origami, fleece blanket making, GPS, face painting, friendship jewelry, cooking, drumming, guitar, hip hop dance, lyrical dance and drumming.

“It’s fun to hang-out with different people during the day and do a variety of things,” Ellie said.

“We get to be with our friends and learn new things,” Katherine added. “It’s a really fun day.”

McFlury Run/Walk Saturday

The seventh annual McFlury Run/Walk will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Onalaska High School track.

The 2.2 mile run/walk will benefit Sarah Essmann-Frie, an Onalaska High School English teacher and Eagle Bluff Elementary librarian, who is battling breast cancer. She recently finished her treatments, and is working part time so she can fully recover.

Participants can register from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily at the high school main office or from 9 to 9:45 a.m. Saturday at the high school parking lot.

The cost is $10 and proceeds from the T-shirt sales will go to Essmann-Frie. Donations also are accepted.

The McFlury Run/Walk is organized by the Onalaska High School O-Club, S.A.D.D. and T.A.P.P The Business Club, Environmental Club, Link Crew, National Honors Society, Student Council, and Ujima also help sponsor the event. 

“Not only is the seventh annual McFlury Run/Walk community based, but area businesses such as Coke, Festival Foods, Dr. Mike Case from Gundersen Lutheran, Kwik Trip, Outback Steakhouse, Pepsi, Rocky Rococo, and Wal-Mart have come together year after year to donate water, granola bars, and bananas,” said S.A.D.D. project manager, Holly Ott.  McDonald’s Courtesy Corporation and Wendy’s of Onalaska have also donated coupons for their ice cream treats.

“Everyone is invited including your leashed pets,” added O-Club member Elvis Rivera. 

The Fit Kids Student Wellness Program is sponsoring a SKNOW Flake Run immediately following the McFlury Run/Walk on the OHS track at about 10:45 a.m.

The SKNOW flake run is a free run for any children in kindergarten to 5^th grade.       

Past McFlury Run/Walk proceeds have gone to:

• 2010- Kathy DeGaetano
• 2009- Teri Faulkner, Mike Kabat and Chris Lezpona
• 2008- Mike Johnson
• 2007- Myrick Park “Just Zoo It” Campaign
• 2006- Mitch Maxey
• 2005- Jay Flury