Scoop with the Supt

Check out this week’s podcast about WLS’ newest therapy dog, FLINT- whose workday home will be Whitmer Middle School! Principals Alexa Kehres and Scott Villar explain the training process, as well as the plan for our newest furry friend!

The Arts continue to enrich our students and community in WLS and our music program is one great example! Always busy training musicians to hone their craft, our orchestra, band and choir teachers sit down to talk about this busy season of performances and passions!

Kids today are different - in the BEST way! Today's students are giving, generous and kind, as evidenced by this week's guest, Cooper Bringman, who has been raising money for 7 years to give to those in need. Tune in to hear about his fundraising efforts, as well some Whitmer toy drives!

What happens when you give kindergarteners and High School Seniors a microphone? Listen in to find out! Spoiler: There are lots of giggles.

"I can't high-five you or you'll give me a splinter!" These adorable words were spoken by one of our 3rd grade students after meeting "The Nutcracker" (Joanna Just) after her performance with Whitmer Theatre. This is exactly the kind of magic our theatre department, led by Andrea Schreiner, hopes to produce - a full suspension of reality into the magical world of make-believe. Tune in to hear more...

Imagine a clothing store where everything was free... Whitmer High School has just that - open to all of our students and their families. Whether someone has fallen on hard times, or just spilled chocolate milk on themselves at lunch, the Whitmer Clothing Closet is an incredible resource available to all, thanks to wonderful teacher Sabrina Wilson and her class. Listen to this podcast for what it...

"Don't let the mood of the child dictate the mood of the house." Come hear more nuggets of wisdom from Middle Childhood Education expert and nationally known (Canada counts!) speaker, Jack Berckemeyer as he tells us how to navigate the perils and passions of young people! Guaranteed to make you laugh!

Brooke. Captain. Ember. Granger. Nova. If you recognize these names, you probably know one of our district therapy dogs! But what IS a therapy dog? Why can't any family pet become one? How are they used in schools? Tune in to hear our WLS dog handlers talk about their sweet, four-legged co-workers!

The annual Community Halloween Party is this week, as well as the Senior Citizen's tailgate! Listen to STUCO advisors Mandy Kosakowski and Amber Knaggs talk all things SPOOKY and Thom Ziems (Associate Principal of the CTC) explain the tailgate!

Join Director of Student Services (K-6) Brittani Paszko and Washington Local Social Worker Becky Swisher to discuss one of WLS' longest-standing traditions - Candlelight Walk!

GOT THE SNIFFLES? NO INSURANCE? NO WORRIES! Tune in this week to learn all about the brand new Whitmer Health Center, open daily from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM who now offers dental services in addition to everyday healthcare services, including physicals, vaccinations and sick visits for the entire family! Mrs. Martin chats with our fabulous Health Center employees in this week's episode!

Students deserve learning experiences where they feel comfortable and safe - and Washington Local is committed to making sure they get them. Through relationships with our SROs, locking vestibules and clear lockdown procedures, we have extensive procedures in place to preserve those learning experiences for all kids. Tune in to hear how!

The wonderful world of Whitmer never stops! Tune in with Whitmer Teaching Professions teacher Ms. Tucker, Whitmer Senior Alex Buenrostro and Whitmer Assistant Principal Jenny Wietrzykowski to hear all about Whitmer! *Small microphone issue might mean you need to turn it up a bit!

Kids get sick. This is why we need to purposely limit time spent out of school for other reasons. We all want to give kids the best possible chances at a healthy, happy life and developing good habits early sets them up for GREAT success! Kids who miss school are twice as likely to struggle academically, socially and professionally in the future. Tune in to hear some shocking data!

WLS Principal Bert Bernhardt sits down to discuss all the great things happening at Hiawatha this fall, while KP and Kristie Martin are planning a wedding!

A new school year means spending the summer filling all the open positions and preparing for student engagement and safety! Hear how HR Director Lori Berryman and Asst. Superintendent Jennifer Bronikowski get it done!

Could you imagine being responsible for THOUSANDS of kids being fed or transported safely - TWICE a day? The WLS Directors of Nutrition and Transportation sure can! They do it every day! Check out how they do it in this week's episode of Scoop with the Supt!

Whether you're sending your child off to Kindergarten for the first time, watching them leave elementary school, or preparing them to enter high school - transitions can be tough - so we have some experts in the house today with all the advice you need to relax, unclench and feel empowered to tackle this time!

As the new Superintendent of Washington Local Schools, (who happens to love podcasts), I think the more communication we can provide as a district, the better. This will be a weekly update/discussion on all things Panthers!