Wawasee High School students involved with the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy are working with Special Olympics for their KYLA project.

The Special Olympics basketball team known as the Panthers, will be playing a scrimmage game during halftime at tonight’s Wawasee basketball game. There will be a fundraising component to the event.

Three members of the KYLA from Wawasee, Courtney Linnemeir, Jada Antonides and Justin Ciriello, chose to work with the Special Olympic athletes to raise money for entry fees and other expenses associated with tournaments they play in. The project is also to bring awareness of Special Olympic athletes in areas that do not really know about them or what they are about.

The WHS students attended and assisted with practices of Special Olympic teams. Their KYLA project culminates with tonight’s half-time at the Wawasee boys basketball game.

The students are also selling raffle tickets tonight for various prizes including a 24-inch TV. Also available will be T-shirts for $10 and donations will be accepted for the Special Olympics. The students are hoping those in attendance of tonight’s game will support the project, and welcome those who do not normally attend high school basketball games to come out and show their support.

All proceeds will benefit Kosciusko County Special Olympics.

Wawasee High School Guidance Department is sponsoring a college financial aid night for seniors and their parents. The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, in the high school lecture room.

This session will provide information about important deadlines, the application process and financial aid programs. Step-by-step instructions for filling out the FAFSA will be given.

Parents and senior students are encouraged to attend together.

There will be an informational meeting for parents of high school college-bound juniors at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, in the Wawasee High School auditorium.

The information will cover such topics as: selecting colleges; applying to colleges; when to take the SAT; scholarships; diploma requirements and much more information that will be beneficial to the continued success of your student.

A representative from Grace College, Winona Lake, will be present to discuss the college application process from an admissions standpoint. Parents are asked to mark their calendars and plan to attend.

As they were in 2013, Rebecca Linnemeier, left, will be the Wawasee school board president and Rob Fisher will be the board secretary in 2014. Mike Wilson, vice president of the board, was not present.

During the first regular monthly meeting of 2014, the Wawasee school board approved moving forward with a bond project for construction work at Wawasee High School. A 1028 hearing, required by state law since the project will cost more than $1 million, was held in conjunction with the meeting.

Mike Schmidt, principal of WHS, gave a brief report to the school board concerning the project list. Much of the work will involve athletic facilities, so Wawasee Superintendent Dr. Tom Edington said capital projects fund money cannot be used.

Projects will include repairing, re-coating and repainting the track around the football field, adding parking spaces behind the football stadium, constructing a new entrance along with a restroom and concessions building at the football stadium, and building a similar facility and entrance near the soccer fields and tennis courts. Schmidt noted if someone attending a tennis match or soccer game needs to use the restroom, they currently have to go inside the high school building and that can create safety or security issues.

Other projects will include replacing the phone system and public address system inside the high school, renovating the athletic training room, replacing grounds keeping and maintenance equipment, replacing softball and soccer bleachers, upgrading the security camera system of the high school building, replacing auxiliary gym backboards and more.

Estimated cost of the project is $1,847,000, though no bid specifications have been issued and no design work has been completed. Jim Evans, director of finances for the school corporation, noted it will take 20 years to repay the bonds and he anticipates a tax rate increase of about one-half of a penny for the first three years and then later an increase of about nine-tenths of a penny. He said someone with a home valued at $200,000 would see a tax bill increase of about 41 cents per month, while a $700,000 home would see an increase of $1.78 per month.

Kari Vilamaa of the architectural firm Barton-Coe-Vilamaa said he would likely return to the board meeting in March with more specific cost information and other details.

In other business, the board heard a report from Ryan Edgar, math teacher at Wawasee Middle School and also the faculty coach for the robotics teams of WMS. Two robotics teams competed at the state level at IPFW in Fort Wayne in December and one team placed second in the robotic strategy and innovation award. The second place team consisted of Jack Collins, Ryan Zorn, Braxton Studabaker and Clay Kelsheimer. The other team had Zac Avery, Shae Henn, Zac Hunter and Carson Hunter.

Edgar noted the teams qualified for the state based on how they placed at a competition at Grace College. Throughout the season, teams earned four trophies, eight medallions, two second place awards, one third place award and one fifth place award. Each of the eight students who were on state qualifying teams was at the school board meeting and received certificates of recognition in addition to being congratulated by each board member.

Also on the agenda, state law requires a reorganization of school boards yearly and Wawasee’s will remain the same as in 2013. Rebecca Linnemeier is president, Mike Wilson is vice president and Rob Fisher is secretary. Betty Bultemeier is the recording secretary, David Cates is the board attorney and board members will receive $2,000 plus $55 per meeting paid quarterly capped at a total of $4,000. Board meetings will still be held at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month, except the third Tuesday in April, in the Warrior Room of WHS.

(For a more in-depth account of the board meeting, see today’s issue of The Mail-Journal.)

Students and parents or guardians of students in grades nine through 11 are invited to attend the first Wawasee Academic Fair from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, in the auditorium of Wawasee High School. Eighth-graders will be spoken to at 7 p.m.

WHS Principal Mike Schmidt and guidance counselor Kevin Taylor will talk about classes offered for dual credit and professional certifications. There will then be an opportunity to meet with teachers and speak to them about the classes, what they entail, what type of college credit or professional certification can be obtained and what the benefits of taking the classes are and the careers they relate to.

Advanced placement, dual credit courses and professional certifications include: biology II, calculus, chemistry II, physics II, statistics and U.S. History for AP; agriculture, automotive, engineering, culinary arts, art appreciation, photography, economics, English composition for dual credit and awaiting certification are German and speech.

For more information, call the high school at 574-457-3147.

Legacy Five, a Southern Gospel singing group, will make its annual stop in Syracuse at a concert to be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 1, at Wawasee High School. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

The group was organized in 2000 when Scott Fowler and Roger Bennett decided to continue the musical tradition of the legendary Cathedral Quartet, which retired in 1999. Since being organized, Legacy Five has appeared on television numerous times and were honored with two Dove nominations, as well as the Recording of the Year as named by the Southern Gospel Music Association. Group members include Fowler as lead singer, Matt Fouch singing bass, Scott Howard singing baritone, Gus Gaches singing tenor and Trey Ivey as the pianist.

Tickets cost $12 for general admission, $18 for gold seating and children 10 and under are admitted free. Appearing with Legacy Five will be the a cappella group Garment of Praise from Pennsylvania.

For more information, call Phil Gingerich at 574-518-0281 or contact the Tree of Life Bookstore in Winona Lake.

The Wawasee Academic Fair originally scheduled for Jan. 27 and not held due to the weather has been rescheduled to Wednesday, Feb. 12. It will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the auditorium of Wawasee High School.

Students and parents or guardians of students in grades nine through 11 are invited to attend. Eighth-graders will be spoken to at 7 p.m.

Information will be presented about classes offered for dual credit and professional certifications. There will also be an opportunity to meet with teachers and speak to them about the classes, what they entail, what type of college credit or professional certification can be obtained and what the benefits of taking the classes are and the careers they relate to.

For more information, call the high school at 574-457-3147.

Wawasee High School students Joseph Lyles, left, and Zach McKee are using a computer in Allen Coblentz’s civil engineering and architecture class to design a library. The class is one of several at Wawasee where students can earn both high school and college credits.

Today’s highly competitive job market more often requires schooling beyond a high school diploma. Skills are needed now that weren’t even known of a generation ago.

Statistics also show the college graduation rate in Indiana, at least for those who have four years of college, is below 40 percent, though the percentage does increase for those with five years of college. The challenge facing Indiana high schools is to get more students ready for either college or to enter the workforce.

One option being used at Wawasee High School is to provide more opportunities for students to earn college credits, at a reduced cost, before they receive their high school diploma. More emphasis is being placed on students earning dual credits, and more dual credit classes are being added each year, said Mike Schmidt, principal at WHS.

Wawasee has entered into agreements with IPFW, Vincennes, IUSB, Grace College, Purdue and Ivy Tech to offer courses where students can earn college credits if they meet the requirements set by the participating college. Teachers are required to apply to teach dual credit courses and once approved, they are considered adjunct professors and have access to that college’s resources.

Several dual credit courses are offered at Wawasee including civil engineering and architecture, economics, agribusiness management, criminal justice, culinary arts, precision machine tech and many others. Beginning with the 2014-15 academic year, a professor from Grace College will come to WHS to teach the Young Entrepreneurs Academy. And through the Conexus program, introduction to manufacturing and logistics and advanced manufacturing courses will be offered. Students would be able to earn as many as 18 college credits and enter the workforce with a professional certification.

Students can also earn college credits by taking advanced placement classes that are equivalent to college courses and scoring a 3, 4 or 5 on the AP test. AP classes include biology, calculus, chemistry, physics and others.

Schmidt noted this has been one of his priorities since returning to the school as an administrator a few years ago. “We want students to get as many college credits as they can before leaving here,” he said, adding it is possible to have a semester’s worth of college credits before graduating from high school. And a goal is to have 25 percent of the student population to be enrolled in either an AP or dual credit course, which was exceeded last year with 41 percent.

Giving students chances to take college level courses can encourage them to enroll in a college after high school when previously they may not have considered it. “Students get a taste of college and see their success,” he said. “It makes it less intimidating to them and they see they can do it.” And the intent is to challenge students to be more productive in high school and “make the most of their high school experience,” he added.

Another motivation is the letter grades assigned to schools by the Indiana Department of Education are based in part on a school’s college and career readiness score.

Response to the dual credit course offerings has been encouraging. For one example, Schmidt noted 63 students enrolled in the pre-calculus algebra course that was first offered this academic year.

Six dual credit classes are being added for next year with two others pending. “Our goal is to add two classes per year until we can’t anymore,” he said, noting no new teachers are being added and dual credit courses must be balanced with existing classes.

(photo provided)

Wawasee High School junior Noella Beck is serving an early childhood development internship during the winter trimester at Teen Parents Succeeding in Syracuse. The internship is through Wawasee High School’s Professional Career Internship Program.

While serving at TPS, Noella works under the supervision of Trish Miller, coordinator of the high school’s work-based programs, and TPS Lead Caregiver Margaret Grady.

In addition to serving as an intern, Noella and her young daughter also participate in the TPS program.

“I began looking into the TPS program last summer. I liked what I saw and became interested in serving an internship to earn classroom credit,” explains Noella. While learning new job skills, her internship also allows her to spend extra time with her daughter at TPS which she says is “an added bonus.” Noella plans to graduate early from high school next year and attend college to pursue a nursing degree.

Noella and her daughter, Adalynn, live in Syracuse with her family. In her spare time, she enjoys playing softball and crocheting scarves.

Just before Christmas break, the Indiana Department of Education released letter grades for public schools. Wawasee Middle School was given an F grade and that meant the school was placed in priority status and had to submit a student achievement plan to IDOE by Feb. 1.

During Tuesday evening’s regular monthly meeting of the Wawasee school board in Syracuse, a public hearing was held on the student achievement plan for WMS. There were no public comments, but the plan was presented by principal Susan Mishler to the school board and others in attendance, including a few WMS teachers.

Mishler noted three key concerns are being focused on to include the percentage of students who passed the English/language arts portion of ISTEP+ and the percentage of the growth rate compared to the previous year for students testing in both math and English/language arts. WMS had a high number of students showing a low growth rate, though it was noted some students with higher scores have less room to grow.

A major goal is to have at least 70 percent of students pass English/language arts in ISTEP+. Mishler said the school must comply with eight “turnaround principles” as determined by IDOE. Those include school leadership, school climate and culture, effective instruction, curriculum, assessment and intervention system, effective staffing practices, enabling effective use of data, effective use of time and effective family and community management.

Tom Dickerson has been named student services coordinator for the school to relieve some of the pressure on other administrators. Student led conferences will continue to be held and more focus will be placed on what teacher classrooms look like from “bell to bell.”

A remedial language arts lab has been implemented and Elizabeth Long will be a temporary seventh grade social studies teacher for the remainder of the school year. More focus is also being placed on how teachers use data in their classrooms everyday and teams of teachers will work together.

Testing results are being sent home with report cards and Facebook and email are being used more to communicate with parents and the community. Dr. Bob Cockburn, data coordinator for the school corporation, gave a report and said NWEA testing results in language arts, reading and math from the fall of 2013 to the winter of 2014 have shown growth in all three areas. Mishler said she is encouraged by the NWEA results and believes “we are on the right track.”

Mike Wilson, school board member, said he does not believe WMS is “an F school and does not have F teachers,” but the letter grade assigned by the state has forced a plan to be put in place that he feels will help the school.

(For a more in-depth account of the meeting, see today’s issue of The Mail-Journal.)

Members learned about the opportunities to have a high school intern at the monthly meeting of the North Webster-Tippecanoe Township Chamber of Commerce. It was held Monday afternoon at the North Webster American Legion.

Wawasee High School Principal Mike Schmidt and coordinator of work-based programs Trish Miller, gave a presentation on the professional internship program for juniors and seniors. Students spend two hours daily at a local business to gain knowledge coordinating with their chosen career path. The students get an overall view and learn multiple aspects of a business. In turn, the business helps to build a future workforce, keeps young people from leaving the community and they will be giving back to the area.

Students are evaluated by the business and have a flexible schedule and work hours. For more details contact Miller, 574-457-3147, extension 274.

To be included in the community guide, chamber dues must be paid by Friday. If business has been slow during the rough winter, the chamber will accept an IOU but a membership application must be filled out by the deadline. Applications can be downloaded from www.northwebster.com. “The chamber wants to see all of our businesses included,” explained president Sue Ward.

The annual awards banquet will be held Monday, March 3, at the North Webster Community Center. Reservations are due Feb. 21. A social hour will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner catered by The Sleepy Owl. The speaker will be Don Roulo. Awards for Person of the Year, Small Business of the Year and Large Business of the Year will be announced. All members and employees are invited.

Zoe Berg, a student at Wawasee High School, has been selected to represent Milford as a national youth correspondent to the 2014 Washington Journalism and Media Conference at George Mason University.

Berg joins a select group of students from all over the country for an intensive study of journalism and media. Berg was chosen based on academic accomplishments and a demonstrated interest and excellence in journalism and media studies.

National youth correspondents participate in hands-on, experiential learning through decision-making simulations that challenge them to solve problems and explore the creative, practical, and ethical tensions inherent in journalism and media. The experiential portion of the program is complemented by speakers who are well-known leaders in the media community. Presenters include prominent journalists, CEOs of major media outlets, researchers, and recent college graduates successfully entering the field. Last year’s conference included Hoda Kotb, Candy Crowley, Brian Lamb and Neil Leifer.

With distinguished faculty, guest speakers and direct access to elite D.C. practitioners, the Washington Journalism and Media Conference offers aspiring journalists and student leaders an unparalleled experience. The week long program, held at George Mason University’s state-of-the-art campus, will encourage and inspire young leaders from across the country who desire a unique experience focused on successful careers in this dynamic industry.

Washington Journalism and Media Conference will be held July 13-18.

Shown with a few of the bowls are, clockwise, students Ruby Minnick and Kaine Pierce and Whirledge, along with students Christopher Oesch and Jaclyn Miller.

Art students in teacher Brian Whirledge’s ceramics class at Wawasee High School made several bowls out of clay that will be donated for the fundraiser dinner for Goshen Interfaith Hospitality Network, a ministry for the homeless. A total of 60 bowls will be donated for the dinner, where attendees can get a bowl filled with soup for $15 and take the bowl home.

The dinner will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Farmers Market, 212 W. Washington St., Goshen. It is sponsored by Goshen Clay Artists Guild, of which Whirledge is a member. Students began working on the bowls in October.

Wawasee High School seniors participating in Wawasee Dollars for Scholars will be calling in March for donations for scholarships. Students will be calling administrators, faculty and parents for contributions during this annual Phone-A-Thon beginning Monday, March 17.

The mission of Wawasee Dollars for Scholars, a program of Scholarship America, is to expand access to educational opportunities for WHS students through scholarships and academic support. The ultimate goal is to ensure every student in the school has access to higher education and the benefits completion of a postsecondary degree affords.

Currently there are 28 seniors and 11 juniors enrolled with the program. Interested parties can make a donation to Wawasee Dollars for Scholars, 1 Warrior Path, Syracuse IN 46567.

“Beware the ides of March” (read: mark your calendars). This year, the ides of March bring the annual Wawasee High School March musical.

For 2014, the WHS Theater Department will be putting on the Tony award-winning “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.” And, yes, that’s Charlie Brown, the bald, lovable loser from the Charles Schulz “Peanuts” comic strips.

“I have been thinking about this show for a long time,” said Cyndi Thornburg, director of the play. “The edition we are doing is the latest one that was on Broadway, winning Tonys not too long ago!”

“It follows a long line of huge (50 plus people) musicals in the past years,” Thornburg said. “We were ready for a smaller show and this one is one of my favorites.”

“You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” is known for its small cast and simple set. The Broadway play featured only six characters. The WHS production is a little larger.

“We delved into the list of available Schultz cartoon kids and added several more,” said Thornburg. “They help in the big scenes and help to take props and set pieces on and off the stage.”

Don’t be fooled by the plays simplicity. This is still a full-on theater performance with acting, singing and dancing.

“One of the little known facts is that this is a really difficult musical to sing and play,” Thornburg said. “There are some easy ways to stage this show, but we chose the more dramatic setting of various levels on the set.”

As is the case with many of Schulz’s stories, children are used to explore existential themes. In “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown,” the title character searches for what it means to be a good man.

The two-act musical plays out as a series of vignettes. Audiences get to observe the various relationships between the lovable characters as they figure out what makes each of them happy.

For musical accompaniment, Thornburg said there will be a keyboardist and percussionist. It’s a small ensemble, but the music is live, no recordings, and the students are excited to perform these timeless tunes.

“A lot of the kids are ‘theater rats’,” said Thornburg. “So they knew many of the songs and situations ahead of time.”

Performances for “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” are set for 7 p.m. tonight and tomorrow, March 15, and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 16. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens and $7 for kids through grade 12.

Tickets can be ordered by calling the WHS office at 574-457-3147.

Shanna Zolman shows off the sweet jumper that was her calling card.

The drive that made Shanna Zolman a hero on hardwoods throughout the Hoosier State as a high school All-American still burns deep.

It’s just that her passion now is to bring peace and joy to those that are hurting.

Zolman, the pride of Syracuse, is very content with her life away from the game she loved for so many years.

The former Wawasee High School star retired from the WNBA two years ago. Zolman, who now lives in Seattle, is “more than busy” as she puts it working with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and doing mentoring and counseling with college athletes.

“I totally love what I’m doing now and God has given me a passion for this,” said Zolman in a phone interview Friday. “I love it and it is what God wants me doing. There’s not much I miss about basketball. It’s been an easy transition (to stop playing) for me.”

“I did practice this season some with the Seattle Pacific women’s team. I loved that because it accelerated my relationships with the players there. But, I find that my body hurts after about an hour now. The thing I do miss about playing is the camaraderie with my teammates. But I get that with what I do now.

“My passion is working with college athletes and I love working with people who are hurting and trying to help and encourage them through my faith. There’s just so much darkness in the World and in a lot of these people’s lives. My job is to bring light to them through my faith and encouragement.”

Zolman, who played for her father Kem in a storybook prep career, also travels a lot doing speaking engagements. She is also involved in chapel services and Bible studies for college athletes in the Seattle as well as summer camps.

Zolman is set to speak in Milan on Sunday and then be in the area for the next week as she serves as Chaplain for the NCCAA Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament at Grace College March 19-22.

Shanna Zolman wrapped up her WNBA career playing for the Tulsa Shock.

“Indiana and Syracuse will always be home and always will be very dear to my heart,” said Zolman, who went on to play at the University of Tennessee for legendary coach Pat Summit. “I will always be a Hoosier at heart and will always be a Country Bumpkin.”

Zolman still has vivid and fond memories of her high schools days at Wawasee, where she set the state’s all-time scoring record with 3,085 points in an All-American prep career.

“My high school days were the best,” recounted Zolman, who turned 30 this past September. “They were the most enjoyable. The whole experience was just very special to me.”

Zolman, an amazing guard who was known for a dead-eye jumper and her tremendous free throw shooting ability, has one prep memory that is still burned into her mind.

“My favorite memory from all my playing days was the game at North Side Gym,” Zolman recalled.

That “game” as she calls it was one a crowd of around 5,000 fans came to one of the true cathedrals of basketball anywhere in the United States on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2002, to see Zolman score 50 points points to break Stephane White-McCarty’s state scoring record.

“I remember every moment from that day,” said Zolman, who led the state in scoring all four years at Wawasee High School. “The crowd, the atmosphere, how classy Elkhart Memorial was. Everything. It was like everything just lined up perfectly that day. The only regret I still have is that my brother (Josh) was not able to be there that day to see it.”

Zolman, the daughter of Kem and Lynette Zolman, scored 1,806 points for the Lady Vols.  She then played for San Antonio and Tulsa in her WNBA career, which included several serious injuries including a pair of torn ACL’s in her knees before retiring in 2012.

Zolman says her message to young student-athletes is a simple one.

“It’s primarily about their identity,” Zolman said of working with people. “The message is that God created them for a purpose. I tell them to let me help show you who you really are.

“It’s all about being encouraging. There’s so much more to life than sports.”

Well said.

Faith and family have always been at the forefront of Shanna Zolman’s life. She is shown above with her parents Kem and Lynette and brother Josh and his family.

It was an evening of fun, challenges and enjoyment for close to 300 students at Wawasee Friday evening.

The second Wawasee Pow Wow was held for the students, hosted by members of the Warrior Leadership Committee, students chosen by their peers and staff, and members of the school administration and staff.

Over 200 tickets were sold prior to the doors opening at 6 p.m. with hundreds more purchasing tickets that evening. The goal was to raise funds to assist freshman Kelsey Turner, Syracuse, daughter of Monica Turner, who suffers from cystic fibrosis. Turner has a wish to take a Caribbean cruise.

There was something for everyone and an opportunity for many groups to bring exposure to their programs.

There wasn’t an area that didn’t have students participating or watching others. The most popular areas appeared to be the sports competitions in the PE Annex.

There were five areas where events were being hosted.

In the main gym students could participate in balance beam pillow fights, sumo wrestling, football toss, four-square, jump roping competition and Knockout and 3 point competition.

Over in the Annex Gym there were 3 on 3 tournaments, soccer, volleyball and dodgeball tournaments.

In the cafeteria you could purchase an opportunity to win a cake in the cake/bake walk, have photos taken at the photo booth or go visit the music table, play in the bouncy house, be a part of the rock/paper/scissors tournament or see what Officer Dalis Owen had up his sleeve. Unfortunately shortly after the evening began the bouncy house sprung a leak and had to be closed down.

A dance revolution, Karaoke, Video Game X-Box, Wii and robotics were featured in the C-Wing.

Students had the opportunity to learn about various disabilities in the surge area where students were given a chance to similuate experiences of having a physical disability, be blind, have a hand disability or be wheelchair bound.

Many, heard to say they had never been to the Ag and Career Tech Building, traveled across the parking lot to participate in creeper races, tire throwing competition, tire races, duck calling competition and Duck Dynasty Dress Up Race. Maria Waltz was on hand with two educational rehabilitation birds to share information.

No event is complete without food. In the commons area clubs offered popcorn, drinks, cotton candy, crepes, Horchata, corn dogs and candy.

There was also a valet service for students to check in their cell phones, wallets, keys etc., to eliminate anything being lost.

Possibly the highlight of the evening was the closing ceremonies, which included class competitions in pie eating, tug of war and relays consisting of 3-legged race, wheelbarrow, balance book, and crab walk. At the end of the competition, the junior class was declared the winner, with those present receiving various novelty prizes such as sun glasses and candy.

However, the senior class will have a night they possibly won’t forget. Winning the penny pitch, the class members had the opportunity to throw a plate of whipped cream at the administrative team – Mike Schmidt, Geoff Walmer, Steve Perek, Kim Nguyn, Steve Wiktorowski and Mike Casey.

Teacher Allen Coblentz, left, helps student Austin Krizman with a wiring circuit simulation board during the digital electronics class at Wawasee High School. It is one of the Project Lead The Way classes offered at the school.

There is a noticeable increase in the emphasis being placed on hands-on, engaging learning in school classrooms. While traditional classroom lecturing still has value, it is less likely to engage students in the learning process.

Within the Wawasee Community School Corp., one way hands-on learning has been implemented is through the Project Lead The Way program. Project Lead The Way is a nationally known curriculum, based in Indianapolis, promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum in schools.

“It is project based, with a high level of technology involved and it is hands-on, engaged learning with real life applications,” said Kim Nguyen, director of the Wawasee Area Career and Technical Cooperative, adding the development of critical thinking skills is a key component of the program.

PLTW has been utilized in engineering classes — now numbering five — at Wawasee High School since the 2005-06 academic year. In more recent years it was expanded to include three biomedical classes at the high school.

Wawasee has applied for grant funding in order to expand PLTW into the middle school and elementary grade levels. Kosciusko is one of five northern Indiana counties that will be able to have local funds for PLTW implementation matched by a national funder. Nguyen indicated he should know within a month or so exactly how much funding Wawasee will receive.

Expanding PLTW into lower grade levels will help develop a feeder program for the high school. “We want to build it from the bottom up,” Nguyen said.

The middle school program is known as Gateway to Technology. It will include automation and robotics and be taught by Ryan Edgar at Wawasee Middle School and Cayle Woodard and Mary Brower at Milford Middle School. PLTW Launch is for elementary grades and will also incorporate automation and robotics and be taught by a yet to be named teacher rotating between the three elementary schools in Milford, Syracuse and North Webster for grades three to five.

Robotics was chosen because a club has existed at WMS for a few years already and one began at the high school this year. Teachers will train on PLTW this summer and it will be implemented in the lower grade levels beginning with the 2014-15 academic year. PLTW Launch is actually in its pilot year during the current academic year at a very few schools, Nguyen noted.

The medical side of PLTW at the high school will continue to include career-related speakers, touring facilities and internships. Dr. Larry Allen of IU Health Goshen and Alan Tehan of Technical Services are heavily involved in the program, Nguyen said.

Allen Coblentz and Jamie McAdams teach PLTW engineering classes at the high school to include intro to engineering, principles of engineering, civil engineering and architecture, digital electronics and engineering design and development, while Sarah Holsopple teaches biomedical courses principles of biomedical sciences, human body systems and medical interventions, which is a new class.

Kneeling in front, from left, are Colfax Cannaday, Ben Slabaugh, Randy Ricci, Luke Smith, Emma Rager, Blake O’Connell, Paige Hlutke, Sam Rookstool and Austin Yoder. Standing in the second row are Austin Trowbridge, Josh Tucco, Riley Johnston, Ethan Brown, Kevin Carpenter, Jacob Tucco, Brandon Fox, Austin Lemberg and Allen Coblentz, faculty advisor. In the back row are Austin DeValk, Doug Hapner, Chase Corrigan, Brayton Fretz, Nathan Allen and Evan Ranzfranz.

Wawasee High School will again enter competitions this year with super mileage cars worked on by engineering students.

From April 24-27, Wawasee will enter gas and diesel cars in the Shell Eco-marathon Americas competition in Houston, Texas. Then, on April 28, it’s on to the Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis for a competition with a gas car.

The goal this year is for the diesel car to break 1,500 miles per gallon and for the gas cars to break 1,000 miles per gallon.

Brendon Schied, a student at Wawasee High School, uses a saw to cut exterior siding for a concessions stand being built by Geometry in Construction students.

There’s something different about the concessions stand on the visiting side of the Wawasee High School football field. And one that will temporarily be used on the home side beginning with the 2014 season.

The one already used and the other to be used later are projects completed or near completion just a few hundred feet away by WHS geometry students. Through the Geometry in Construction program, students get a chance to see how geometry is actually used in a construction project.

Geometry in Construction is in its fifth full year after a pilot year at WHS. It is based on a program in Colorado and it is believed Wawasee is the only school utilizing it in Indiana.

Jamie McAdams, engineering and technology teacher, and Kem Zolman, math teacher, team up to teach the program. Students spend the fourth hour in geometry class and then all of the fifth hour applying it by building the concessions stand.

This year, 24 students are divided into six groups of four each, McAdams noted. They are assigned specific tasks for each day and given what are known as employability cards. On those cards, students score themselves based on how much work they do.

Knowing the reality of peer pressure, though, McAdams adjusts the scores as needed to ensure accuracy.

It is a challenge to take students who have never used a saw, nail gun or hammer and teach them how to build a concessions stand, or as in other years a shed or cabin. “Many of the kids have next to no hands-on experience in construction,” he said. “I teach them the basics.”

But Geometry in Construction has proven to be a benefit. It has improved end of course assessment math scores by 5 to 7 percent, even for those students who have a lower grade point average. And it has benefitted the building trades program because some students discover they like construction. One of the first students in the program, for example, is now a full-time carpenter for Hursey’s Construction near Syracuse.

Math scores have likely improved, McAdams said, because students can see geometry in action. “It starts to make sense to them and they understand why math is so important when they can see it applied,” he said, also noting geometry is now no longer just another class students are told they must take.

This year’s project is the same as last year’s — a 12 feet by 24 feet concessions stand. It will have a small heater inside, a sink and electrical service, as well as exterior plug-ins. On the last day before spring break, Friday, students were working on the exterior siding and doing insulation and electrical work inside the stand.

It will be used on the home side of the football field while a new entryway to the field is being built. Eventually it may be moved to Wawasee Middle School where it would stay permanently.