#1StudentNWI: Snow’s Out, School’s In at Wheeler High School

#1StudentNWI: Snow’s Out, School’s In at Wheeler High School

What's Happening
The snow is finally starting to go away, and the transition from winter to spring is slowly progressing. Also, with the announcement on Groundhog’s Day that there would not be six more weeks of winter, everyone at Wheeler High School is excited for the upcoming warm weather again. In regards to Guidance News, for any students who are interested in the Dental Assistance program, Indiana University will be hosting a presentation and tour on Saturday, March 26th; for more information, flyers will be available in the main office.

Next, any first-year vocational students must turn in their applications to the Guidance Office by February 11th. Third, National Honor Society members who are interested in volunteering at Elementary Fitness Night on Friday, February 19th should see Mr. Boruff as soon as possible. Fourth, any previous Natural Helpers members who are interested in being leaders for the spring retreat should see Mr. Hanaway or Mr. Rosta in the main office. Fifth, Valparaiso University will be hosting a college fair on Wednesday, March 9th from 6:30 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. in the Harre Union Hall; multiple college and university representatives will be attending. Sixth, the last day for any students who would like to schedule third-trimester changes will be February 19th. Lastly, DrVry University will have a free SAT review on March 31st from 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M.; more information on SAT prep will be in the main office.

What's Coming Up
Wheeler High School has shown many exceptional athletic results in the month of February. To start with, we would like to congratulate Kyle Snuffer from the Bearcat Bowlers on making the All-Conference Team. Last weekend, the Bearcats competed in their sectionals at Thunderbird Lanes in La Porte. The teams and individuals did not move on to the Regional competition, but Brittnie Beach and Cole Snuffer missed the cutoff with less than five pins. High rollers for the Bearcats were Halie Minard with a score of 182, Corinne Miller with a score of 173, Brittnie Beach with scores of 182 and 211, Cole Snuffer with scores of 225 and 276, and Kyle Snuffer with scores of 209, 231, and 179. On February 4th, Boys basketball took on Boone Grove at home; varsity won a close game with a score of 38-37, with Drew Simatovich, Xavier Silva, and Jared Catherman performing incredibly.

Next, we wish the best of luck to the Bearcat wrestlers that will be competing Saturday, February 6th in the IHSAA regional match at Crown Point at 9:00. Moreover, the Bearcat Girls varsity swim team competed on Friday, February 5th in their sectional meet at La Porte. The following team members will compete on Saturday, February 6th in the sectional finals with Relay Teams including Morganne Marrs, Riley Hall, Lily Graske, Laura Wong, Taylor Hellwege, Aimee Bolde, Hannah Shields, and Rachel Gerbick.

In the Individual Events, we have Laura Wong competing in the 200 IM & 100 Breaststroke, Morganne Marrs competing in the 50 Freestyle and 100 Butterfly, Lily Graske competing in the 200 IM and 100 Butterfly, Aimee Bolde competing in the 200 Freestyle and 100 Backstroke, and Riley Hall competing in the 50 Freestyle and 500 Freestyle. Lastly, Varsity Girls basketball will play Hanover Central on Friday, February 5th, and the championship game will be on Saturday, February 6th at 7:30 P.M. The price is $6.00 at the door, and no passes will be accepted at this time.

Student Shout Out
I would like to give a huge student shout out to senior Jared Catherman. Four years in the Wheeler basketball program have represented four distinct experiences for Jared Catherman. He dressed for varsity as a freshman, was thrust unexpectedly into the starting point guard role as a sophomore, came into his own as a junior and has matured into the keystone of a young Bearcats squad as a senior.

"It's been like starting over every year, which is difficult for anybody, and honestly, he's handled it pretty well," stated Coach Tom Johnson. "Everything he's been asked to do, he's done for us." He is now the guiding hand to freshmen who, unlike him, have been cast into significant roles on a team with only two experienced players. "It has gone by fast," Jared said.

"It was a change for me, but I knew it was going to happen. I knew what I needed to do. I've been blessed with great teammates. They make it real easy. They listen. They work hard. They want to learn. They want to win. Obviously, there are times you get frustrated, but I don't like to yell. I don't have to get on them. If they don't know how to do something, I show them. They're adapting well. It's a lot more pressure, but they help take the pressure off."

The Bearcat family wishes Jared and the Wheeler basketball team the best of luck in their 2016 season.

Teacher Shout Out
I would also like to give a huge teacher shout out to Mrs. Jessica Ball, who teaches Social Studies classes at Wheeler High School that include U.S. History, Economics, Psychology, and Sociology. She has been teaching at Union Township School Corporation since the 2007-2008 school year; prior to teaching here, she student taught at John Nash Middle School in Illinois.

She has spent the last seven years of her tenure here at Wheeler working with the show choir and in the theatre department.

As Mrs. Ball stated, “I have and continue to enjoy working with students in and out of the classroom. I am fully committed to providing 360 degrees of collaboration with the student, classroom, administration, parents and community. Our energy and focus at Union Township School Corporation are bolstered behind our motto: every student, every day.” Wheeler High School is thankful to Mrs. Ball for all of here contributions to the Union Township School Corporation, as well as all of its faculty and staff.