Volume 1 | Issue 5                                                                                                             June 2, 2017
District News
Superintendent's Corner
For a short week, there was a lot of activity at Whitnall School District! It is the time of year when the culmination of all the hard work and dedication of our staff and students is visible. A special thank you to Mrs. Winter, WHS principal, for organizing our senior walk at EES and HCE. It was an amazing experience for so many!

While I have been in the district less than one year, watching the reflection, growth, and nostalgia at this time of year makes me extremely proud to serve this school district. This week also reminded me of how lucky I am to have something I am so passionate about as my vocation. 

“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”  Mark Twain 

This week, I was privileged to attend the EES Color Run, the EES DARE graduation, the WMS/WHS jazz concert, the senior walk at both elementary schools, an author visit at EES, the senior breakfast and graduation practice, and a passion project showcase at EES PLEX. This evening will include attending the WMS musical!

Feel free to contact me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter! 
June 15th

In addition to enjoying a cookout and contributing to an important community conversation, our Hopes for the Whitnall Graduate event will also provide you the opportunity to meet some new members of our leadership team!

Charles Tollefsen, WHS Principal
David Pentek, WHS Activities and Athletic Director
Laura Jennaro, WMS Principal
Chris Sepersky, WMS Assistant Principal
Todd Iverson, Building and Grounds Manager

Be sure to register for the event here !

Strategic Planning Survey

You should have received an email from School Perceptions. The email takes you to an important survey about Whitnall's priorities. Please complete the survey before June 5th!

If you did not receive the survey, please email Logan Peaslee ([email protected]).
Next Week's Connect 
Next week's Connect will be the last issue in our pilot volume. Look for a survey in next week's Connect! The survey will help us determine what is working well for the family newsletter and what we can improve upon. We are always striving to optimize our communication! 
Important Change in Last Day of School
In reviewing the 2016-17 calendar, it was noted that the last day of school, June 9th, was a full day of school. In the past, this has been a half day for a variety of reasons. Since the high school students finish early on June 9th due to the semester exam schedule, we are changing the last day of school to a half day for all buildings. We recognize the challenges when a family has students in different buildings with different schedules and try to avoid this from occurring whenever possible. Therefore, the dismissal times for Friday, June 9th are as follows:

10:45 - WHS
10:50 - WMS
11:20 - EES and HCE

If you have any questions, please contact your building principal.
Correction to Summer School Confirmations 

Summer school runs from June 19th to June 30th.
Does not apply to high school or FACT
Whitnall High School
Senior Walk

Yesterday, our seniors returned to where it all began--our elementary schools. Check out the video of the 2017 Senior Walk here!
Salutatorian and Valedictorian Spotlight
Salutatorian: Andjela Goranovic 
Cumulative GPA: 4.611
University: Carroll University
Career Objective: Nurse Practitioner
Favorite Whitnall Memory: Volunteering for WHS Respite events

Valedictorian: Jessica Knackert
Cumulative GPA: 4.721
University: UW Madison
Career Objective: Zoology
Favorite Whitnall Memory: Teaching in the School Forest because it gave me a chance to teach concepts I have learned to others. I enjoyed utilizing our school forest for educational purposes because I feel that any topic related to maintaining a healthy ecosystem is important for anyone of any age.

Graduation is Sunday, June 4th at 1:00 PM in the gym.
Whitnall Middle School
Solar Cooking Day
7th grade students will spend the afternoon of Tuesday, June 6th testing out the solar-cookers that they have designed in science class. Success is immediately evident: if the food cooks, the design works!
Willy Wonka Jr

June 2nd: 7:00 PM
June 3rd: 2:00 PM

All performances are in the WHS Auditorium

All tickets are $5.00 General Admission. Tickets available at the door for all performances.

The delicious adventures experienced by Charlie Bucket on his visit to Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory light up the stage in this captivating adaptation of Roald Dahl's fantastical tale. Featuring the enchanting songs from the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder in addition to a host of fun new songs, Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka JR. is a scrumdidilyumptious musical guaranteed to delight everyone's sweet tooth."

Roald Dahl’s WILLY WONKA JR is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Music Theatre International.

iPad Collection Days


All school iPads will be collected from students next week.  


  • iPads must be in good condition in order to avoid repair costs.  
  • If an iPad is found to have damage, repairs will be made over the summer and charges will be posted in Infinite Campus.
  • Students will be re-issued the same equipment next fall.
  • If a student is missing any of the iPad accessories (OtterBox case and cover/charger block/sync cable), parents may purchase replacements on their own or from the school in the fall.  
iPad Collection Schedule:
  • Monday, June 5 - Grade 7
  • Tuesday, June 6 - Grade 8
  • Wednesday, June 7 - Grade 6
  • All students must return school property and materials before attending end-of-year trips and events.
Edgerton Elementary
Edgerton Student Employees

During this past school year, Edgerton has had approximately 75 students with jobs throughout our building. These students assist teachers, office staff, and custodial staff with many duties including cleaning, delivery of items to classrooms, classroom preparations, and organizing. These students will celebrate their hard work with a trip to see a movie on Tuesday, June 6. Thanks to all the workers for going above and beyond this year!   

Summer Reading

Edgerton is promoting summer reading through several sources. The children’s librarian from Hales Corners will be coming to Edgerton on Monday, June 5 to talk to students about their summer reading program. In addition, Edgerton will be hosting three reading events during the summer. Watch the Whitnall website for more information. Also, watch for the Edgerton bookmobile this summer!!

Field Day

Edgerton’s Field Day is scheduled for Wednesday, June 7. Students will have the opportunity to participate in many fun activities that will foster teamwork and physical fitness. Thanks to the PTO and parent volunteers who will be helping make this day a success.

Hales Corners Elementary
Zoo Trip

On Monday, June 5th, our students will be enjoying our very first all school field trip! We are going to the Milwaukee County Zoo, where students will observe animals in various habitats and complete zoo activities. We are so excited for this trip!

Student Recognition Assembly

Tuesday, June 6th, will be our Student Recognition Assembly. We are so proud of our students and their growth as learners!

End of Year Assembly

On June 9th, we will have an end of year assembly. We will spend time on our playground making chalk shadow drawings and then enjoy a performance by the Milwaukee Flyers, a local tumbling team.