NHS Trick-or-Treating

Mrs. Jenkins and the Belleville Chapter of the National Honor Society trick-or-treated for the local food pantry on Halloween, replacing candy with donations. The students were able to drop off 442 pounds of food before the night's end! That exemplifies NHS's pillar of SERVICE!

Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon Week 2019 came to a conclusion on Halloween. The week is designed to make students aware of issues with Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Abuse (ATODA). Dress up days throughout the week included:

Monday: “Staying Drug Free is No Sweat.” (Wear Sweats.)

Tuesday: “Put a Cap on Drugs.” (Wear Hats.)

Wednesday: “Team up against Drugs.” (Wear Team Jerseys/T-shirts.)

Thursday: “Use Your Head, and Wear Red.” (Wear Red.)

Students searched out red ribbons hidden each day around the building that they could turn into the office for prizes. In addition, students responding to the daily trivia question qualified to win two Hydro Flasks each day.

In coordination with Red Ribbon Week, Darius the Great Is Not Okay author Adib Khorram will be in Belleville on Tuesday, November 5, for sessions with the middle school, high school, staff, and parents. Thanks to a grant from the Belleville Cares Coalition, all the middle school students had a copy of Khorram's book, with its focus on bullying and mental health.

Thank you to Mrs. Schmitz and the Student Services staff for providing this week's engaging and informative activities to spotlight ATODA concerns.

All-conference Soccer

On Wednesday, the Capitol Conference released its all-conference selections for boys' soccer. Ryan Downing and Tyler Stampfl joined seven other Sugar River Raiders within these selections. Ryan, a sophomore midfielder, was named to the 1st Team. Tyler Stampfl, a junior, was also named to the 1st Team as a defender. Congratulations on a successful season that included a conference championship!

Halloween Dance

Belleville Middle School hosted a Halloween Dance on Friday, October 25. After judging concluded:

1. Isaac McKinley was voted "Most Creative" costume.
2. Ariana Meyer was voted "Scariest" costume.
3. The Alice in Wonderland students won "Best Group" costume.

Many students donated a food item at the door of the dance that will be donated to the food pantry. A large group also went from the dance to support Science Olympiad's Haunted Trail across the parking lot in Oliver Woods.

Check out some of the costumes:

Black Violin Performance

Belleville Middle School students visited the Overture Center today (10-25) and saw an hour-long performance from Black Violin. The band, on its "Impossible Tour," is comprised of two classically trained violinists who play over popular music with the help of a DJ and a drummer. Instead of asking the students to sit and watch the concert quietly, Wil B. and Kev Marcus encouraged the students to get up, dance, and participate. This performance, along with a similar performance of "Ballet Folklorico" last year, offer our students culture experiences that they may not engage in otherwise.

https://www.overture.org/events/black-violin

"Drive Your Tractor to School" Day

On Friday, October 25, the Belleville FFA took their group photo, as part of "Drive Your Tractor to School" Day. This photo is typically used for their annual holiday card. Next week, adviser Mrs. Knudson and 14 FFA students will attend the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis from October 30th to November 1st.

8th Grade PLTW Competitions

Mr. Neumann's 2nd annual robotics competition in 8th grade began this week in his Project Lead the Way class. Students worked in teams of three to create the robots from VEX kits. They then had some time to practice controlling them with a remote similar to a PlayStation remote control. The object of the contest is to stack your cones as high as possible on your side for positive points (or place your cones on your opponent's side to deduct points) in a 5-minute period. This bracketed tournament brings out the competitive spirit in these students. Take a look!

CHAMPS: Mason, Jack, and Royce

CHAMPS: Isaac and Cayden

All-Conference Cross Country

Congratulations to junior Tayler Yapp for being named 2nd Team All-conference in the Capitol South Division for Cross Country! Tayler is a repeat performer on the list and just missed out on a spot on the 1st Team by one place. We look forward to what this Wildcat can do as a senior!

"I could run like the wind blows...if I was ever going somewhere, I was running!" - Forrest Gump

Madison College Visit

On Friday, October 18, Mr. Neumann and 30 Technology Education students attended a "career extravaganza" sponsored by Madison College's School of Applied Science and Technology. Students learned about jobs and careers in Automotive Technology/ Collision, HVAC, Machine Tool, Mechanical Design, Metal Fabrication/Welding, and Electrical Engineering. They were able to meet and speak to representatives from 24 local or area employers such as Crown, Sloan Implement, Sub Zero, and Vortex.

Students received a free t-shirt, lunch, and many extraordinary give-aways. They commented that this field trip was hands-on and gave them more information about potential career fields. 

Exploring Hospitality Careers!

On Thursday, October 17, Mrs. Gartley took 17 Culinary Arts I students to the Wisconsin Restaurant Association's annual Prostart Career & Industry Expo held at the Marcus Palace Theater in Sun Prairie. Students spent the day in four different stations including:

1. Baking Demonstration and hands-on cake decorating activity.
2. The Job Readiness Center, learning about dos and don'ts for interviewing, soft skills, social media, and making a good first impression.
3. The Hospitality Career Pavilion, interacting with industry professionals about career opportunities and post-secondary options.
4. A behind-the-scenes tour of the departments/roles within the theater.

Many students stated how eye-opening it was to learn about so many career paths and opportunities available to them within this industry; it is so much more than cooking burger and fries! Thank you to parent Ryan Vande Berg and bus driver Becky Darrow for spending the day with us! [Submitted by Teresa Gartley]

High School Students-of-the-Month for September

On Tuesday, October 15, Belleville High School staff recognized Students-of-the-Month for September. Each content area nominates one student per month, and that group celebrates with a pizza lunch- this time from Casey's. Teachers write personal certificates that are presented to the students. Students also receive movie tickets donated through the Marcus Theaters' Student Motivation Program. Staff cited a strong start to the school year and positive attitudes from this group.

(Left to Right): Jackson Nolden, Callie Smith, Samantha Deery, Kailee Nowak, Alison Zimmerman, Ashley Kramer, Mason Cribben, and Jacob Engstad

Not Pictured: Kennedy Dreger

2019 Homecoming Dance

Homecoming Week came to an end on Saturday night with the dance themed "Vintage Country." Over 230 Belleville High School students attended the dance, along with 20 guests. The Junior Class led the way with 66 students in attendance. When the remaining students filtered out at midnight, it ended a spirited Homecoming Week that saw the return of a bonfire and decorated windows on Main Street. Numerous alumni have commented that these traditions making a comeback boost the community pride that Homecoming Week is intended to inspire.

The Prowl Earns KEMPA Honor Again

Mrs. Lewis's Newspaper and Yearbook classes attended the 56th annual Kettle Moraine Press Association's fall Scholastic Journalism conference today on the UW-Whitewater campus. The keynote speaker was Mary Beth Tinker. She was one of the students that was suspended from school in 1969 for wearing a black armband to protest the Vietnam War. Tinker v Des Moines Independent Community School District represents perhaps the most important  Supreme Court  case determining students' First Amendment rights in public schools. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the decision.

Belleville students were also able to select from almost 20 sectionals in each of the first two sessions of the day. Earlier that morning, they learned that they had once again received a 2nd place from KEMPA for news magazines for 2019. Congratulations to these Wildcat journalists!

Homecoming Thursday

The spirit of Homecoming Week hit a high on Thursday. Check out how excited the first graders were to see the Belleville High School Marching Band!

The high school students dressed up for America Day and battled in Tug-of-War at lunch, with the seniors coming out on top.

The middle school students dressed up for Tropical Day. The shoe relay was so intense at lunch that it was deemed a tie.

The Thursday night Pep Rally prepared us for Friday night's game against the Pecatonica-Argyle Vikings. Mitch Mussehl and Jenna Shrader were named Homecoming King and Queen for 2019. We hope that the weather tapers so that you can come out and see them in tomorrow's parade at 2:30pm down Main Street. 

Learning Still Happens During Homecoming Week!

Check out the images that Mrs. Schmitz captured during her classroom visits today. Deep into Homecoming Week, our teachers are doing their best to keep our students focused!

Mrs. Bruning uses the window (and view) to capture students' attention and teach Math concepts.

Students in Mrs. DeCabooter's Art class are learning that "spinning wheel got to go round."

Mr. Neumann's Trades' classes are ready to start producing these Adirondack chairs.

Homecoming Tuesday and Wednesday

The middle of Homecoming Week at Belleville High School featured HoliDay on Tuesday and Beach Day on Wednesday. The lunch games included Musical Chairs (new for this year) won by the sophomores and the Maze won by the seniors.

At the Middle School, the dress up categories featured Tik Tok Tuesday and Wacky (mismatch) Wednesday. Students participated in Dodgeball and Capture-the-Flag at recess.

Scoopie Night at Culvers drew in a huge crowd. Thank you for supporting this Homecoming competition between the grades, with the proceeds benefiting Spirit Club!