A total of 25 MWHS students who exhibited outstanding effort, citizenship, and academic achievement for the second quarter of the 2011-2012 school year were honored at the quarterly Distinguished Student Breakfasts at the high school Feb. 16 and 17. At the end of each quarter teachers are asked to name a distinguished student in each broad subject area for each grade level.

[Honored]

Grandview students from each grade were chosen recently for the first semester White Hawks Award. This award is GMS's way to celebrate students who best exemplify the school's character education qualities such as citizenship, perseverance, respect, responsibility, and leadership.

[Character]

Hilltop Primary School has had a special connection to the environment since it opened in 1965. After receiving a grant this year from the Cynthia Krieg Stewardship Fund, managed by the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, the school will be able to further enhance its outdoor learning capabilities.

Mike Wallace, Hilltop's Environmental Education Liaison says, "(The grant) will allow us to continue moving forward with everything we're doing with outdoor education."

[More Outdoors]

Westonka musicians at both MWHS and GMS were treated to performances of the Excelsior! Trio during regular band classes last week. The group also performed at an end-of-day assembly at GMS and spent some time teaching students about improvisation and chamber music.

[Trio Treat]

Team Shirley Hills celebrated "I Love to Read Month" in February with the first ever Read-a-Thon. And it was a huge success! The event raised over $12,500, with donations still trickling in this week.

During the Feb. 24 event, students spent a total of 120 minutes reading, with the exception of half-day kindergartners, who read for 60 minutes. Students were asked to collect pledges for their efforts. All funds raised went directly to the Shirley Hills PTA for school activities, technology, the playground, and special projects.

[Read a Ton]

Westonka's vocal music students will come together Thursday evening, March 22, at the All-District Choir Concert at the MWHS gym. Joining in the performance will be the fifth, sixth and seventh-grade choirs from Grandview Middle School under the direction of Kelly Newell and the White Hawks, Varsity and Concert Choirs from MWHS, along with the Madd Jazz vocal group, all under the direction of Kate Larson. Massed numbers performed by all the choirs will open and close the program.

[One for All]

"Something to Believe in" will be the theme as the Mound Westonka Pop Singers celebrate their 40th year and invite the community to their annual fundraising event and show Saturday, March 24 at the Lafayette Club. In addition to the performance by the Pop Singers, a highlight of the evening will be the appearance of Jay Olstad, KARE 11 news reporter and an alumnus of both Mound Westonka High School and the Pop Singers, as the emcee for the event.

What: Pop Singers Gala
When: Sat, March 24, 6:30
Where: Lafayette Club
Tickets: $50

[Believe in Music]

Congratulations to Pam Veilleux, the February Lord Fletcher's Feature Teacher. Veilleux has spent her entire 22-year teaching career in the Westonka Schools. She graduated with a BS Degree from the University of Minnesota and subsequently earned her Masters in Education from St. Mary's University in Winona.

[More Feature on the Teacher]

Senior Spotlight: William Griffith of Westonka

Hockey, tennis and soccer. I am on the varsity team for all three of those and am a captain in all three as well. Who was your favorite athlete growing up ...

Lake Minnetonka Patch 

White Hawks Wrestlers Place Ten at Sections; Advance Five to State  Ten of thirteen wrestlers placed in the top six at the Section 6AAA wrestling tournament last weekend.
Lake Minnetonka Patch  

Alpine Ski Wraps Up Season--
Year End Banquet & Awards 

Alpine Ski celebrated the end of a great season by saying farewell to graduating seniors Captain Charlie Maahs and Sergei Panchyshyn. 

[Downhill]

Girls Round Ball Ends Season--
Takes Two Losses against Delano & Annandale   

MWHS Girls Basketball finished regular season play with two losses against Delano and Annandale.

[1-Point]

2012 Cheer Seniors--
Cooney & Christopulos Honored

On Tues, Feb 21, the crowd took a few minutes during the half-time of the MWHS Varsity Boys Basketball game to honor the 2012 Cheer Team seniors.

[Yay Team!]   

Gymnasts Compete at State--
Bebeau & Cashman Stick It!   

Westonka gymnasts, Alex Bebeau and Courtney Cashman competed at the state gymnastics meet Sat, Feb 25, finishing with strong state performances.

[Stick it!]

Boys Hockey Section Play--
Trounces Orono 5-1   

The Hockey Boys drew Orono in the first round of section play Thurs, Feb. 23 at Parade ice arena. The teams played five days earlier skating to a 3-3 tie-ending conference play.

[Rivalry]

Mound Westonka U12A Girls--
First Westonka Youth Hockey to Advance to Regions

The Mound Westonka U12A Girls Hockey Team advances to Regions!

[Go UA!]

Boys Swim & Dive Takes 7th--

Team Sends Six to State   

Boys Swim & Dive will send six athletes to the State Meet this weekend after finishing seventh at the Section 2A meet on February 23 and 25 at Richfield.

[State Bound]

White Hawks Wrestlers Place Ten at Sections--
Advance Five to State   

MWHSWrestling placed 10 of 13 wrestlers in the top six at the Section 6AAA wrestling tournament at Hopkins on Feb 24-25. Of those 10, 5 placed in the top 2, and will be advancing to the state tournament this Fri and Sat, March 2-3.

[Grappling]

Friday, March 2

Conferences, No School

GMS Conferences, 7:30-3:30

Hilltop & Shirley Hills Conferences, 8:00-4:00

Hilltop Food Drive ends

Swim & Dive State Tournament, U of M Aquatics Center, Noon

Hawkettes Dance Spectacular, MWHS, 7:00

Wrestling State Tournament, Xcel Energy Center, TBD

Boys Basketball at Orono, 7:30

Saturday, March 3

Wrestling State Tournament, Xcel Energy Center, TBD

Girls Basketball Section Play, TBD, 7:00

Science Olympiad State Tournament, St. Thomas University
Swim & Dive State Tournament, U of M Aquatics Center, Noon

Monday, March 5

Shirley Hills Family Ice Skating Night, Thaler Arena, 6:00-8:00

School Board Meeting, ESC, 7:00

Tuesday, March 6

Boys Basketball Section Play, TBD

Wednesday, March 7

Recruiter Visit, Army National Guard, MWHS Guidance, 11:00

Thursday, March 8

College Visit, St. Cloud State University, MWHS Guidance, 10:00

College Visit, Ridgewater College, MWHS Guidance, 2:00

Wright County Conference Speech Tournament, MWHS, 4:00

Shirley Hills Second-Grade Concert, 6:30

Shirley Hills Third-Grade Concert, 7:30

Girls Basketball Section Play, TBD, 7:00

Friday, March 9

No Westonka News

Saturday, March 10

Boys Basketball Section Play, TBD

Monday, March 12

Spring Break Begins, no school

Thursday, March 15

Boys Basketball Section Finals

Friday, March 16

No Westonka News

Monday, March 19

School Resumes

Tuesday, March 20

Recruiter Visit, U.S. Air Force, MWHS Guidance, 10:00

Thursday, March 22

All-District Choir Concert & Pasta Dinner, MWHS, 7:30

Pasta dinner served 5:30 to 7:15 PM

Advance tickets: dinner & concert, $13 adults/ $8 students

Concert Only: $5 adults/3 for students & seniors at the door

Friday, March 23

GMS, Hilltop, Shirley Hills Spring Pictures

Westonka News Resumes

Saturday, March 24

Pop Singers Gala, Lafayette Club, 6:30

Social hour, silent auction, dinner, entertainment by the Pop Singers

$50 per person

Sunday, March 25

All-District Band Concert & Silent Auction, 2:00

Silent auction & dessert before concert

Admission by donation

Looking Ahead

March 30-April 1

MWHS Spring Play

April 6

Teacher Workshop, no school

April 21

Kids Stuff Sale Fundraiser

April 28

Shirley Hills Carnival