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11 Nicolet Students Advance To National History Day State Competition
Great results for Nicolet this year at the regional level of the National History Day (NHD) competition. All freshmen complete NHD projects during first semester. Many freshmen work with NHD mentors; students who completed projects in previous years. Students who choose to compete spend time adjusting their projects to comply with NHD rules and improving their work based on feedback.
The following students move forward to state level competition:
Nathan Lipkin - Paper: Glasnost: The Final Breaths of the Soviet Union
April Hellman - Documentary: Communication Winning the War
Laine Sperry - Documentary: Aloha Wanderwell: With Car and Camera Around the World
Abigail Debbink and Liana Lima - Group Documentary: The Radium Girls: How Miscommunication Led Them to Their Graves
Ceal Grabner and Piper Grimes - Group Website: The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom: Communication by Peaceful Protest
Neeraj Bhogavilli and Kayden Schmidt - Group Exhibit: Protests for Protection: Endangered Species Act of 1973
Alexander Franklin - Website: The SCORE Satellite: Launching the Future of Communication
Iysa Iqbal - Website: America & the Cold War: Media's Effect on the Country's Political Ideology
Daisia Golombowski - Website: "Every One Of Those Folks Has A Story" The Japanese Internment Camps Of 1942
Grace Dykeman and Regan Huizenga - Group Documentary: Nellie Bly: The Trailblazing Journalist Who Wrote to Change the World
Abigail Debbink and Liana Lima won the Labor History Award for best senior project on labor history
Finally, a special shout out to Ceal Grabner, Piper Grimes, April Hellman, and Laine Sperry. All are sophomores who completed their projects not as a part of a class but simply for the love of history!
NICOLET WELCOMES CRISTY BAUER AS AN ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Effective July 1, 2021, Cristy Bauer will serve as an associate principal of Nicolet High School.
Ms. Bauer holds a master's degree from Cardinal Stritch University’s College of Education and Leadership and a Bachelor of Science in English and secondary education from Carroll College. She has also earned Administrator and Curriculum Director licenses. Before accepting her new role at Nicolet, Ms. Bauer served as the Principal of Brown Deer Middle School for the past two years. She played a key role in developing and building the foundation of Brown Deer Middle School before it split from Brown Deer High School, at which she served as the Assistant Principal for two years. Prior to Brown Deer High School, she served as a literacy coach, literacy coordinator and a middle and high school English teacher at various school districts in the greater Milwaukee area.
We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Bauer to the Nicolet community and we are confident that her leadership will benefit the personal and academic growth of each student we serve. We look forward to working with her for many years to come.
Please join us in welcoming Ms. Bauer to our learning community by extending a virtual greeting and congratulations via her welcome post on the Nicolet Facebook page.
Ethan Zentner Selected For International Science And Engineering Fair
Results from the Nicolet Science and Engineering Regional Fair were announced at the March 3rd award ceremony. Congratulations to all with special kudos to 'Best of Fair' recipient sophomore Ethan Zentner! Ethan will be representing Nicolet at the virtual International Science and Engineering Fair in May where he will compete amongst 1800+ students from over 85 different countries! The title of Ethan’s project is “The Effects of Lattice Structure on SLA 3D Printed Piezoelectric PVDF." See all the results here: http://bit.ly/3qnyegZ
Mr. Joe Patek named new Nicolet High School Principal
Mr. Joe Patek has been named the new Nicolet High School Principal, effective July 1, 2021. Mr. Patek was selected as the top candidate from a rigorous interview process that included a committee of over 50 Nicolet students, parents, staff, administrators and community members.
Mr. Patek holds a Master of Science in Administrative Leadership from Cardinal Stritch University and a Bachelor of Science in secondary education with a history minor from University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. Mr. Patek was born and raised in the North Shore and has served in administrative leadership at Shorewood High School and Cedarburg High School before taking his new role at Nicolet.
We are certain that Mr. Patek will continue Nicolet’s strong tradition of excellence and support us in our mission to accelerate achievement for every student, in every classroom, every day. We look forward to working with him for many years to come.
Mr. Patek looks forward to meeting the members of the Nicolet community in the coming months.
As you begin to see Mr. Patek around Nicolet, please introduce yourself and welcome him to the Nicolet community.
Jack Sullivan Wins 200yd Freestyle Championship
Congratulations to Nicolet Freshman Jack Sullivan for capturing the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Boys Swimming 200yd Freestyle championship with a winning time of 1:40.94. Jack's time is the 2nd fastest in Nicolet history and 6th fastest time in state division two history.
Here are some articles on Jack's outstanding performance:
As Fall comes to a close, we'd like to highlight the many accomplishments of our Fall 2020 Athletic and Recreation programs. The Fall sports season for the Nicolet Knights was highly successful, and we are proud of each and every one of our Knights. The Nicolet Recreation Department also strengthened its reputation in the Nicolet Community by providing a variety of safe programming for community members of all ages.
Coach Jeff Houck, the beloved head coach of boys and girls track has announced that he is stepping down from his position to spend more time with his family. As head coach of the boys and girls track program, Coach Houck coached 76 state qualifiers, 16 state medal winners and 17 state champions. “Nicolet track has been part of my life for over 20 years. I cannot thank the Nicolet community enough for the commitment, time, work and laughter,” said Coach Houck. We wish Coach Houck the best going forward, and are beyond grateful for his support and contributions to the lives of his athletes and the rich history of Nicolet athletics!
As we say farewell to Jeff Houck as the head track coach, we congratulate Mark Eichler on being named the new head track coach. Coach Mark Eichler has been the assistant coach of the boys and girls track teams for the past 30 years. This season, Coach Eichler is entering his 38th year of high school coaching boys and girls hurdlers and sprinters. “I am looking forward to the new challenge of being the head coach of the Nicolet boys and girls track teams,” said Coach Eichler. “I credit my development as a coach to the continuous string of amazing and generous head coaches, including coach Houck.” Eichler has trained state champions in every sprint, sprint relay and high hurdle event, along with one state team championship, four runner-ups and two state records. Coach Eichler is proud to be the next head coach of the track team and looks forward to the continued success of the Nicolet Knights!
Nicolet Student Interviewing Holocaust Survivor
Nicolet is partnering with the Nathan & Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center (HERC) to present the first event in the series "Bridging History: Generational Conversations of the Holocaust," a program featuring Holocaust survivors interviewed by high school students. We are proud that Nicolet high school senior Ava Wales will be conducting the interview with Holocaust survivor Dr. Werner Richheimer, and the virtual Q & A immediately following the interview. This event will take place live via HERC's Facebook page - facebook.com/HERCmilwaukee
on Tuesday, December 1, at 7pm CST.
Nicolet School Board Seeks Community Input Via Survey District Residents Urged To Provide Feedback By November 24
These are certainly unprecedented times as our nation, state, and the Nicolet community respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This situation has challenged our staff, who have stepped up in responding and doing everything in our power to continue to provide each student with equitable access to the highest quality public education possible.
While our focus will always be on learning, we don’t want to lose sight of the long-term hurdles ahead that are important to the future of the Nicolet community, specifically the need to:
Renew the operational referendum that will expire at the end of the next school year, without which the district would need to make deep cuts representing 17.4% of our annual budget.
Decide if, when, and how to update our facility that is more than 50 years old.
Ultimately, the School Board and Administration are committed to developing a plan that reflects the priorities of the taxpayers.
Surveys to seek your opinion on handling these future needs will arrive in residents’ mailboxes and may be taken online or by paper copy through November 24, 2020:
Online: Log on to https://www.schoolperceptions.com/Survey/ and enter the survey access number printed on the survey that was mailed to every district household. Residents are encouraged to take the survey online to reduce handling costs to the district. (or)
Paper: Complete the hard copy survey mailed to each household and return in the enclosed postage-paid return envelope directly to the independent survey administrator, School Perceptions, 317 East Washington Street, Slinger, WI 53086, or to the school office located at 6701 North Jean Nicolet Road, Glendale, WI 53217.
Additional access codes for other adult members in the home are available through the District Office by calling (414) 351-7520.
Please encourage your friends and neighbors to complete the survey.
Final survey results will be presented at a School Board meeting on December 10 and will also be available on the District website, www.nicolet.us, following the presentation. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.
Message From Area Superintendents
The following letter is being sent to the families from the area school superintendents in partnership with the Washington-Ozaukee Health Department and North Shore Health Department.
To the members of our school communities,
COVID-19 has uprooted lives and regular routines, making life more difficult practically, financially and emotionally for many families, and it also has taught us much about community. School leaders have observed and monitored how individual and collective actions have impacted the health and safety of everyone.
As educators, we have worked countless hours to make the best decisions for our students with finite resources and ever changing information during this unprecedented time. As Superintendents we know it has not been easy for our families, and we are incredibly thankful for their support while we educate our students in a time when safety and wellbeing are more important now than ever before.
We know our communities value and support the education of our children. During this crisis, every person plays a critical role in their education by ensuring the health and safety of our communities. Our goal is to promote safety for everyone to ensure a greater likelihood of keeping schools open throughout the entire school year.
We implore our communities to diligently follow health and safety guidelines. Social distancing, avoiding large group gatherings, face coverings and frequent hand washing are key components for maintaining instruction inside of our schools. As we enter the fall season, more activities will move indoors as weather limits outside activities. Please approach upcoming community and family events with the utmost caution and care. Our individual actions have large implications; the education of our students relies upon a healthy and safe community. Disregarding the recommended safety measures may jeopardize the current instructional models in place. Please be safe and stay healthy.
Dr. Monica Kelsey-Brown - Superintendent, Brown Deer School District
Mr. Todd Bugnacki - Superintendent, Cedarburg School District
Dr. Jeff Dellutri - Superintendent, Fox Point-Bayside School District
Mr. Brett Stousland – Superintendent, Germantown School District
Dr. Elliot Moeser - Superintendent, Glendale-River Hills School District
Mr. Jeff Nelson - Superintendent, Grafton School District
Mr. Timothy Joynt - Superintendent, Maple Dale-Indian Hill School District
Dr. Matthew Joynt - Superintendent, Mequon-Thiensville School District
Dr. Greg Kabara - Superintendent, Nicolet Union High School
Mr. David Karrels - Superintendent, Northern Ozaukee School District
Dr. Michael Weber - Superintendent, Port Washington-Saukville School District
Dr. Bryan Davis - Superintendent, Shorewood School District
Dr. John W. Thomsen - Superintendent, Whitefish Bay School District
Continuous Improvement Planning
During the 2020-2021 school year, the Nicolet administrative team, school board, staff and Nicolet school community have the opportunity to collaborate to reevaluate and refresh the District's comprehensive, continuous improvement plan. Based on data and input from the Nicolet community, the continuous improvement plan will serve as a guiding framework for our administration and board for the next four to six years.
Mark your calendar for Nicolet’s first strategic planning and visioning work session on Monday, October 19 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Six Nicolet High School Seniors Recognized As National Merit Semifinalists
Four Nicolet High School seniors have been recognized as Semifinalists and two recognized as Commended Students. Johnathan Hellman, Owen O'Donoghue, Yanni Ma, Louisa Wood, Zane Brinnington, Samuel Albert. will continue to compete for the Merit Scholar title. The students were chosen out of over 1.5 million high school juniors in around 21,000 high schools who took the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
"We are so proud of our students for this tremendous accomplishment," said Nicolet High School Principal Tom Dorgan. "This achievement will benefit these student leaders as they pursue their post-secondary education and beyond."
Nicolet Breaks Ground On New Softball Stadium
On Tuesday, July 21, Nicolet High School broke ground on a new softball stadium at Maslowski Park. The project is expected to be completed by Spring of 2021 and will feature a synthetic turf softball field, dugouts, lights, a press box, and seating for over 300 people. Site preparation is underway, with major construction starting next month.
2019-20 School Year
Nicolet Art Students Receive Scholastic Art Exhibition Awards
A well deserved congratulations goes out to the following students who won awards at this year's annual Scholastic Exhibition. Students pictured (below) either won a Silver or Gold Key and their work is displayed in the Milwaukee Art Museum until March 15. The juried exhibition showcases works by students in grades 7–12 from nearly 100 schools across the state.
The 177 student artists who received Gold Key Awards will compete for Silver and Gold Medals at the national level, in New York City, later this year. The 242 Silver Key Awards denote statewide recognition for each artist.
Nicolet recently received approval from the City of Glendale to move forward with the creation of a state-of-the-art softball facility and community field at Maslowski park.
The future home of the Nicolet Girls Softball Team will meet WIAA and NCAA standards and be constructed of synthetic turf with masonry dugouts, LED athletic field lighting, batting cages, announcer’s booth and permanent seating.
Additionally, a second field will be constructed with natural materials and include a fencing backstop and dugouts. Both fields will be made available for local family use and host Glendale Little League, Recreation Department, Youth Softball and other community leagues.
Construction will begin in the coming weeks and the field will be complete in time for the start of the 2021 softball season.
The District is proud to work with the City of Glendale to maximize the full potential of Maslowski Park that will allow residents, students, and families to enjoy recreational activities and community events for years to come. These fields are part of Nicolet’s ongoing comprehensive athletic facilities redevelopment project. Learn more: https://www.nicolet.us/activities/nicolet-athletic-facilities-master-plan.cfm
Nicolet Building & Grounds Closed Through June 30th
Nicolet Staff and Families,
This communication is being sent in an effort of timeliness to clarify the recent decision made by the Wisconsin Supreme Court to overturn the Governor and Department of Health Services (DHS) Order of Safer at Home. Yesterday's Supreme Court ruling specifically excluded the section of the order for school closure for the purpose of instruction and extra/co-curricular activities. Therefore, schools remain closed through June 30 unless any subsequent rule is determined by legislation and DHS.
We are currently seeking additional guidance from the Governor’s Office, DHS and DPI for clarity for school leaders faced with these changes. On behalf of Nicolet, I will make every effort to participate in any state-level outcomes and will pass further information along as soon as it becomes available.
Nicolet continues to prioritize student and staff safety. We will continue to follow the guidance of the Department of Health Services and consult with the North Shore Health Department Officials when making any plans for students and staff.
Your partner in education,
Dr. Greg Kabara
Join Nicolet for a Virtual Community Conversation on Facilities
Nicolet Union High School District is in the midst of a long-range facilities planning process examining facility and operations needs to plan for the future of Nicolet. Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA) was engaged to complete a comprehensive facilities assessment and recently presented a summary of findings to The Board of Education.
The facilities assessment documents the current condition of the building and mechanical systems and evaluates how the spaces support modern teaching and learning. It included a review of current capacity and utilization; educational adequacy including site conditions, safety, security and ADA accessibility; and a review of building conditions, such as mechanical equipment and systems. A video of the summary presentation and the full report are available on the district website.
Nicolet will host two virtual community conversations to share the findings of the facilities assessment and gather initial feedback from our community.
Community members interested in participating in the May 13 or May 19 Community Conversations are encouraged to review the presentation of the findings. A hard copy of the report is also available here.
Nicolet is thankful to have an engaged and supportive community and we look forward to hearing their feedback on the facilities assessment. We hope you consider joining us!
Nicolet Students In State National History Day Competition
The following Nicolet students are currently competing in the National History Day virtual state competition, representing the Milwaukee region. Final results will be announced on May 6th. These students have shown tremendous perseverance working through all the adversity.
· Angelo Spolar with an individual exhibit: Henry Ford, Breaking Barriers in Automobile Manufacturing
· Ethan Sahin with a paper: Into the American Century, How the First Infantry Division Broke International Barriers During the First World War
· Julia Kamm with an individual website: Claude McKay, Creating a Call-to-Action Through Poetry
· Miah Bohlen with an individual documentary: Althea Gibson: Smashing Tennis's Color Barrier.
Nicolet High School Campus Closed For The Remainder Of The 2019-20 School Year
Dear Nicolet community,
Today, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and the State Department of Health Services issued another state-wide
mandate extending the Safer at Home Order through May 26, 2020.
As part of the Governor’s Safer at Home Order, all public and private K-12 schools must remain closed for
student instruction and extracurricular activities for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, but can continue
to facilitate virtual learning and food distribution for students.
My heart is heavy for our students and families, especially our seniors, whose in-person memories have been cut
short this semester. I want you to know that it’s okay, and even healthy, to take time to mourn the loss of these
memories and experiences. Please know that you have the entire Nicolet community here to support you.
I’ve been incredibly encouraged and proud of our community’s ability to adapt and support each other during this
time. Now is the time to dig deeper and press on, uplifting each other as weeks of social distancing are turning
into months, so that we can continue to pursue our District’s goal of academic achievement for every student,
every single day – no matter the circumstance.
As I mentioned earlier this week, Nicolet was proactively planning in case school closures would be extended, to
ensure sustainability and flexibility for our students and staff. Starting this Monday, April 20, we are adjusting our
weekly school schedule to allow for additional work time for students and preparation time for teachers. Learn
more, here.
In terms of graduation, we are uncertain of how federal, state and local guidelines will continue to evolve over the
coming weeks. However, our venue is still reserved for ceremony at the Miller High Life Theatre and we are
reviewing possible dates that could accommodate an in person celebration. As a backup, we are also considering
alternative options to an in-person gathering. We will keep you informed with the status of the graduation
ceremony as we learn more.
I know this has not been an ideal semester for any of us. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your
perseverance and positivity. Please stay home as much as possible and keep you and your family healthy.
Your partner in education,
Dr. Greg Kabara
Superintendent
Nicolet Campus Closed Until Further Notice
March 13, 2020
Nicolet Families,
The health of our students, staff, families, communities and most vulnerable is of utmost importance and we support all efforts to reduce the impact of COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidelines for school districts on school closures on March 13, 2020. In consideration of the unprecedented situation in Wisconsin and the nation, both the North Shore and Washington Ozaukee Public Health Departments support “medium length” school closures for schools to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
Nicolet Union High School District along with the following school districts: Brown Deer, Cedarburg, Fox Point- Bayside, Germantown, Glendale-River Hills, Grafton, Maple Dale-Indian Hill, Nicolet, Northern Ozaukee, Port Washington, Mequon-Thiensville, Shorewood, and Whitefish Bay. This means that our district, along with others, will be closing for a four week period beginning Monday, March 16, 2020 with school tentatively resuming April 13, 2020. This includes all athletic and recreation activities on or off campus. Nicolet High School campus will be closed to the public until further notice. Any further adjustments to district or recreation calendars will be handled by individual school districts through local control. Each district has an individual plan to navigate this closure. See below for additional information.
The impact of a single case in any one school in a district is extremely significant. If one student or staff member becomes infected, everyone who was in close contact will need to be quarantined for 14 days. Close contacts include anyone who spends time, within six feet, of the positive case. When considering the proximity of a school environment, the contacts and exposures grow exponentially, and quickly. We are supporting closures before community transmission is confirmed to greatly reduce further spread of the COVID-19 in the community. We recommend that you follow the CDC and Public Health Department guidelines regarding social distancing and group size for gathering.
All students have access to curriculum and assignments via Nicolet’s learning management system, Canvas. Students will be expected to “attend” school virtually on normal calendared school days. Please refer to the Nicolet High School Long-Term Remote Learning Guide for Parents and Students for specific directions and expectations for student virtual attendance.
We thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through the details, and understand that you may have questions. We will be in communication via email, Facebook and Twitter as information changes and/or becomes available. Please refer to the Nicolet Website for updates.
Greg Kabara, PhD.
Superintendent
Four Nicolet Students Qualify For The National History Day State Competition
Last weekend, 20 students represented Nicolet at the regional National History Day (NHD) competition at UWM. This year, due to the merging of regionals, there were almost 500 students competing. Congratulations to the following Nicolet students who will be representing Nicolet at the state level NHD competition in Madison on Saturday, April 18.
Angelo Spolar with an individual exhibit: Henry Ford, Breaking Barriers in Automobile Manufacturing
Ethan Sahin with a paper: Into the American Century, How the First Infantry Division Broke International Barriers During the First World War
Julia Kamm with an individual website: Claude McKay, Creating a Call-to-Action Through Poetry
Miah Bohlen with an individual documentary: Althea Gibson: Smashing Tennis's Color Barrier. This is Miah's fourth trip to the state competition. Miah also has served as a NHD mentor for the past three years, helping other students create projects.
The German American Partnership Program (GAPP) has named Nicolet High School a 2019 GAPP School of Distinction
Nicolet's impressive fifty-year partnership with the Gymnasium Leopoldinum as well as its track record of encouraging students to return to Germany through study abroad experiences, internships or as CBYX scholars are two of the main reasons why GAPP chose Nicolet for this honor. They even plan to use Nicolet's program as a model during the orientation process for new exchange programs!
Nicolet is sending another group of students to Germany in 2020, here they are with the GAPP School of Distinction Award!
Coffee And Bagels - December 12th
Nicolet families and community members are invited to stop by the Community Room on Thursday, December 12 any time between 7:40 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. to join Superintendent Dr. Kabara for coffee and bagels.
Dr. Kabara will host these open house-style listening sessions on a quarterly basis to give members of the Nicolet community an informal opportunity to grab breakfast and ask Dr. Kabara a question, voice a concern, talk about the district or simply chat.
If you have questions, please contact Amy Lee at amy.lee@nicolet.us or 414-351-7520.
Coffee And Bagels
Nicolet families and community members are invited to stop by the Community Room on Thursday, October 10 any time between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to join Superintendent Dr. Kabara for coffee and bagels.
Dr. Kabara will host these open house-style listening sessions on a quarterly basis to give members of the Nicolet community an informal opportunity to grab breakfast and ask Dr. Kabara a question, voice a concern, talk about the district or simply chat.
If you have questions, please contact Amy Lee at amy.lee@nicolet.us or 414-351-7520.
Nicolet Homecoming is Oct. 1 - 5! Get excited to show your Nicolet Knight Spirit! See below for a schedule of events
Tuesday, Oct. 1 - Color Day
Freshmen - Gray
Sophomores - Blue
Juniors - Red
Seniors - White
Staff - Black
Wednesday, Oct. 2 - Destination Day
Freshmen - Safari Day
Sophomores - Arctic
Juniors - Wild West
Seniors - Hawaiian
Staff - Tourists
Friday, Oct. 4 - Nicolet Spirit Day
Dress in Nicolet Spirit Wear!
Pep Rally @ 1:45 p.m.
Parade @ 5 p.m.
Football game vs. Cedarburg @ 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 5 - Homecoming Dance
Theme: Vintage Hollywood
Attire: Underclassmen - Formal, Seniors - Dress as Theme
Tickets: $10 before Sept. 27, $15 beginning Oct. 1
Join Nicolet and MSOE to celebrate the opening of the brand new Raiders Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 5!
MSOE will present a Ribbon Cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. followed by a MSOE alumni baseball game. Nicolet High School will recognize the Glendale Little League U12 and U14 State Champions and address the relationship with MSOE at 2 p.m. in the community building at Maslowski Park followed by a 3 p.m. scrimmage of current NHS baseball players and a 4 p.m. scrimmage of Glendale Little League players.
Seven Nicolet High School seniors have been recognized as semifinalists in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program
Seven Nicolet High School seniors have been recognized as semifinalists in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program. Miah Bohlen, Zachary Godkin, Gabriel Guralnick, Ella Hardin, Mia Lee, Savir Maskara and Ryan Mortonson will continue to compete for the Merit Scholar title. The students were chosen out of over 1.5 million high school juniors in around 21,000 high schools who took the 2018 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
"We are so proud of our students for this tremendous accomplishment," said Nicolet High School Principal Tom Dorgan. "This achievement will benefit these student leaders as they pursue their post-secondary education and beyond."
Nicolet Red Carpet Tradition
Continuing the back-to-school tradition, Nicolet administrators and teachers lined the red carpet to greet students on the first day of school!
Check out the event covered by local news:
New this year, students were invited to pose for photos in front of banners highlighting areas of excellence at Nicolet, including best-in-state sports, robotics, award-winning arts programs, and other activities, and challenged to set goals of excellence for themselves for the 2019-20 school
Nicolet High School will give a red-carpet welcome to its students, an annual tradition since 2008, as they arrive for their first day of school on Tuesday, September 3.
Continuing the back-to-school tradition, administrators and teachers will line the red carpet to greet students before the bell rings to begin the new school year. New this year, students are invited to pose for photos in front of banners highlighting areas of excellence at Nicolet, including best-in-state sports, robotics, award-winning arts programs, and other activities, and challenged to set goals of excellence for themselves for the 2019-20 school year.
Main Entrance Sidewalk Temporarily Closed For Improvements
Sidewalk improvements will be taking place at the high school beginning this Friday, July 12. We anticipate these improvements will be completed by Friday, August 2. During this time please use the athletic entrance located near the bus loading zone when entering the building.
2018-19 School Year
Nicolet Announces Dean's List For 2nd Semester
Students are recognized at the "Honors" level if they earn a minimum weighted grade point average of 3.00-3.666. Students earning a weighted grade point of 3.667 and higher qualify for "High Honors." All courses will be included in computing an average for the Honor Roll. A student will not achieve honor roll status if they have earned a grade point of incomplete.
*If your student’s name is missing from the Honor's Roll it may mean that we did not have parental consent to publish your child’s information. Please contact Amy.Lee@nicolet.us if you have a question regarding the Honor Roll. If you would like to give consent for publishing, a consent form will be emailed to you by request.
Click on the links below to see the students who were recognized on the Honor Roll:
The art department is proud to announce the winners and participants of the Young People's Art Exhibition held at the Wisconsin State Fair. Works will be exhibited during the Wisconsin State Fair in the Tommy Thompson Youth Center during the Fair (August 1 - 11).
Congratulations to:
Anika Byrne (“Blindsight” - 1st place in the category Painting)
Kiyah Cheney (“Koi” – 3rd place in the category Drawing)
Kaelyn Hart (“Reincarnation” – Best In Show in the category Drawing)
Aiden Kidd (“Wanderer” - Dynamic Digital Art in the category Photograph)
Avery Mitchell (“Floating in Earnest” – Judges Favorite in the category Painting)
Abby Schmidt (“Voting Day” – 3rd place in the category Drawing)
Maia Sherry (“Saturated Reflections” – 1st place in the category Painting)
Nicolet students named 2019 National Merit Scholars
Congratulations to Avery Mitchell and Benjamin Kramer for being named 2019 National Merit® Scholars! Avery and Benjamin were selected from over 1.6 million high school juniors in more than 22,000 high schools.
All Merit Scholar designees are chosen from the finalist group based on their abilities, skills and accomplishments. National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) selectors evaluate a variety of information: the finalist’s academic record, information about the school’s curricula and grading system, two sets of test scores, the high school official’s written recommendation, information about the student's activities and leadership, and the finalist’s own essay.
Upon graduation from Nicolet High School, both Mitchell and Kramer plan to attend Yale University in the fall of 2019. Congratulations! Nicolet is so proud of you!
The Vaping Epidemic
Unfortunately, vaping and e-cigarette devices are increasing in use among students across the country.
On May 15, 2019 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Parents and students are invited to the Nicolet Community Room to learn more about the growing epidemic and hear the facts and common misconceptions from teen health expert, Dr. Deborah Gaebler.
Dr. Gaebler MD, MHPE is a board-certified Pediatric Adolescent Health Medicine provider, who cares for Teens and Young Adults at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin's Teen Health Clinic. Her practice focuses on helping parents be supportive of their teen’s development and helping teens develop healthy lifestyle practices as they transition to young adulthood.
Mr. Thomas Dorgan Named Next Nicolet Principal
Thomas Dorgan has been named the new Nicolet High School Principal, effective July 1, 2019. Mr. Dorgan was selected as the top candidate from a rigorous interview process that included a committee of over 50 Nicolet students, parents, staff and administrators.
Mr. Dorgan holds a Master’s Degree in educational leadership and administration, curriculum and instruction from Marian College and a Bachelor of Arts in history and education with a minor in communication from St. Norbert College. He is currently serving principal at Northern Ozaukee High School.
Mr. Dorgan will attend the next school board meeting on Tuesday, May 28, 2019 and looks forward to meeting all members of the Nicolet community.
Dr. Kabara was impressed by Mr. Dorgan’s student-focused mindset and his experience as an instructional leader. Mr. Dorgan will be a great addition to the Nicolet leadership team, working to continue the proud tradition of success at Nicolet. Mr. Dorgan plans to attend a variety of events throughout the end of the school year. As you begin to see Mr. Dorgan around Nicolet, please introduce yourself and welcome him to the Nicolet community.
Nicolet Art Students Win Art Awards
The art department is proud to announce the winners and participants of the Young People's Art Exhibition held at the Wisconsin State Fair. Works will be exhibited during the Wisconsin State Fair in the Tommy Thompson Youth Center during the Fair (August 1 - 11).
Congratulations to:
Anika Byrne (“Blindsight” - 1st place in the category Painting)
Kiyah Cheney (“Koi” – 3rd place in the category Drawing)
Kaelyn Hart (“Reincarnation” – Best In Show in the category Drawing)
Aiden Kidd (“Wanderer” - Dynamic Digital Art in the category Photograph)
Avery Mitchell (“Floating in Earnest” – Judges Favorite in the category Painting)
Abby Schmidt (“Voting Day” – 3rd place in the category Drawing)
Maia Sherry (“Saturated Reflections” – 1st place in the category Painting)
Nicolet Named a US News Best High School 2019
Nicolet High School is proud to share that US News & World Report named Nicolet to their list of nationally recognized Best High Schools. Nicolet placed 13th in the state of Wisconsin and among the top 3% nationally. Read the full report here.
Additionally, Backgroundchecks.org named Nicolet the best school in Metro Milwaukee! Read the list posted here.
We're incredibly proud of our students and staff for these outstanding achievement!
Nicolet Math Team Excels At M^3 Challenge
Mr. Weidner and the Nicolet Math Team of Zach Godkin, Gabe Guralnick, Savir Maskara, and Ryan Mortonson have returned from their successful performance at the MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge in New York. They won for Best Presentation and Third Place nationwide! You can view their presentation here: https://www.facebook.com/m3challenge/videos/447547962663542/
Nicolet Math Team Finalist for the MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge
Every year, SIAM (the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics) sponsors the MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge. This is a challenging problem about some current social issue. This year's challenge, about the spread of vaping and opioid abuse in our country, had 877 teams apply from across the nation. The team of four students from Nicolet High School (Zach Godkin, Ryan Mortonson, Gabe Guralnick and Savir Maskara) has finished in the top 6 nationwide. The students will present their solution for a final judging in New York City on April 29. The team also earned scholarship money, which will be, depending on how well they finish, between $5000 and $20,000 for the team.
Fifteen Nicolet students participated in regional National History Day (NHD) competition at UWM. The following students traveled to Madison on Saturday, April 13, to represent Nicolet at state level competition:
Senior Individual Exhibit
Ariana Rosenfeld: The 1976 Operation Entebbe Hostage Rescue Mission
Alexis Letang: "What is it you People Want?": "A Place to Live"
Haley Shamah: Munich 1972: Tragedy Unfolding on a World Stage
Senior Individual Documentaries
Molly McVey: Passenger Pigeon
Erica Kallas: The Angora Project: A Hidden Side of WWII Concentration Camps
Miah Bohlen: Wangan Maathal: Planting Seeds of Change
Alternate, Ella Callender: Oriana Fallaci: A Life of Journalistic Triumph with Personal and Public Tragedy
Senior Individual Performance
Seona Maskara: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Sinking of the MV Wilhelm Gustoff
Soph Franecki: The Myth of Sarah Bernhardt: Triumph and Tragedy on the 19th Century Stage
Senior Individual Website
Sophia Edelstein: Elie Wiesel: A Messenger of Mankind
Spencer Gronik: Tampering Tragedy: The 1982 Tylenol Murders
Joyce Essuman: The Sharpeville Massacre: The Catastrophe that Spearheaded the Carnage of Centuries of Oppression, Discrimination, and Inequality in South Africa
Alternate, Megan Boulton: The Wounded Knee Massacre: Murder of Hundreds Leads to Change in Government
Senior Group Website
Luis McDougall and Ethan Schupper: The Manhattan Project: The Tragedies That Emerged from the Triumphs of Science
STATE RESULTS
While no Nicolet students will be attending the National History Day contest in D.C. this year, several came close.
Haley Shamah, 2nd alternate (4th place): Sr. Individual Exhibit: Munich 1972: Tragedy Unfolding on the World Stage
Molly McVey, 2nd alternative (4th place): Sr. Individual Documentary - Passenger Pigeon: The Tragedy of Extinction and the Triumph of Conservation
We also had two special award winners; both are part of the Global Scholars program and have wonderful projects on Africa.
Joyce Essuman won the Geography Award for her Sr. Individual Website - The Sharpeville Massacre: the Precipitator of the Carnage of South African Inequality
Miah Bohlen won the Civil Rights History Award for her Sr. Individual Documentary - Wangari Maathai: Planting Seeds of Change
Nicolet German Students Have Strong Showing In State Pronunciation Contest
Saturday, April 6th Nicolet German students took part in the 2019 WI-AATG State Pronunciation contest. Held at Menomonee Falls High School, this event required students to present poems and make two-minute extemporaneous presentations. Nicolet had an impressive showing, leading the state in first place ratings, with three rare perfect scores. Please congratulate the following students:
Level 1: Poem: Im Regen (Jörg Steiner)
Peter Crawford-Vukicevic: Gold Medal, Perfect Score
Jonathan Adelman-Benish: Gold Medal
Level 2: Poem: Wir (Irmela Brender)
Andreas Baker: Gold Medal, Perfect Score
Sophonisba Franecki: Gold Medal, Perfect Score
Dante Kidd: Gold Medal
Zafirah Lieblein: Gold Medal
Level 3: Poem: Was es ist (Erich Fried)
Megan Stevens: Gold Medal
Khiem Vu: Gold Medal
Zoe Zaretzke: Gold Medal
Langdon Oldenburg: Silver Medal
Level 4/5: Poem: Die Lorelei (Heinrich Heine)
Hal DeLong: Silver Medal
Dr. Greg Kabara Named The New Nicolet Superintendent
The school board has been working diligently to determine the best course of action for the next Superintendent to lead our district and continue the positive trajectory of academic success. Six years ago, Dr. Robert Kobylski helped us articulate the vision of a learning community that fosters academic excellence for every student, every day and led a team of talented, passionate administrators and educators to achieve that vision.
This team developed and implemented new strategies aimed at closing achievement gaps, making it possible for all students to strive for a higher level of academic achievement. We have made measurable progress toward this goal. Over the past six years, Nicolet’s score in the state DPI School Report Card has increased every year, a cumulative total of 5.9 points, to its current score of 81.5 (“Exceeds Expectations”).
We want to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Kobylski for his leadership over the past six years, and reiterate our confidence in the talented team still in place at Nicolet who continue to be significant drivers of the strategies and curriculum achieving these goals.
To guide our search for a new leader, the board engaged the experienced Dr. Jack Linehan as a consultant to help identify who will continue to lead Nicolet on our very positive trajectory. As the board began to consider such candidates, we discussed the qualities needed in a superintendent to best meet district goals. We were thoughtful in outlining a leadership profile to seek a strong educational leader who demonstrates the following qualities: approachability, collaboration, decisiveness, the ability to motivate others, the ability to deal directly and with integrity, fairness, an effective planner and, above all, student-centered.
Dr. Greg Kabara, principal at Nicolet High School, fit all of the leadership criteria the board was looking to fulfill. He is uniquely familiar with the workings of Nicolet High School, has a proven track record of success, is beloved by teachers and students, and displays all the character qualities listed above, and more. We feel confident that had we conducted a national search, we would not have found a candidate who is a better fit for Nicolet than Dr. Kabara.
Dr. Kabara agreed to an interview with the board and accepted our offer to serve as Nicolet Union School District’s Superintendent beginning July 1, 2019.
Dr. Kabara holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Administration from Cardinal Stritch University and Master’s Degrees from University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and University of Wisconsin La Crosse. Prior to serving as Nicolet’s Principal, he held administrative leadership roles in Grafton and Whitefish Bay School Districts.
We view change as an opportunity to not only continue Nicolet’s positive trajectory with a new superintendent, but layer in some innovative new ideas. We are confident in Dr. Kabara’s ability to continue our proud tradition of success at Nicolet and look forward to working in partnership with him for many years to come.
15 Nicolet Students Qualify For National History Day State Competition
15 Nicolet students participated in regional National History Day (NHD) competition at UWM on Saturday, March 9. The following students will be traveling to Madison on Saturday, April 13, to represent Nicolet at state level competition:
Senior Individual Exhibit
Ariana Rosenfeld: The 1976 Operation Entebbe Hostage Rescue Mission
Alexis Letang: "What is it you People Want?": "A Place to Live"
Haley Shamah: Munich 1972: Tragedy Unfolding on a World Stage
Senior Individual Documentaries
Molly McVey: Passenger Pigeon
Erica Kallas: The Angora Project: A Hidden Side of WWII Concentration Camps
Miah Bohlen: Wangan Maathal: Planting Seeds of Change
Alternate, Ella Callender: Oriana Fallaci: A Life of Journalistic Triumph with Personal and Public Tragedy
Senior Individual Performance
Seona Maskara: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Sinking of the MV Wilhelm Gustoff
Soph Franecki: The Myth of Sarah Bernhardt: Triumph and Tragedy on the 19th Century Stage
Senior Individual Website
Sophia Edelstein: Elie Wiesel: A Messenger of Mankind
Spencer Gronik: Tampering Tragedy: The 1982 Tylenol Murders
Joyce Essuman: The Sharpeville Massacre: The Catastrophe that Spearheaded the Carnage of Centuries of Oppression, Discrimination, and Inequality in South Africa
Alternate, Megan Boulton: The Wounded Knee Massacre: Murder of Hundreds Leads to Change in Government
Senior Group Website
Luis McDougall and Ethan Schupper: The Manhattan Project: The Tragedies That Emerged from the Triumphs of Science
15 Nicolet German Students Qualify For State Competition
Saturday, March 2nd Nicolet German students competed in the WI-AATG Regional Pronunciation contest. At this event students were required to present poems and take part in two minute extemporaneous conversations. Nicolet had a very impressive showing, qualifying 15 students for the state competition, to be held on April 2nd. Please congratulate the following students:
Level 4/5: Poem: Die Lorelei (Heinrich Heine)
Hal DeLong
(Congrats to Hal for his sixth state qualification!)
Level 3: Was es ist (Erich Fried)
Matthias Baker , Octavia Grimes, Matt Korfhage, Chris Lipscomb, Langdon Oldenburg, Megan Stevens , Khiem Vu and Zoe Zaretzke
Level 2: Wir (Irmela Brender)
Andreas Baker, Sophonisba Franecki , Dante Kidd and Zafirah Lieblein
Level 1: Im Regen (Jörg Steiner)
Jonathan Adelman Benish and Peter Crawford
Snow Makeup Day Scheduled For April 22
Due to this winter's significant inclement weather and school cancelations, the District needed to devise a plan to meet the state's required total minutes of instruction. Nicolet has enough minutes built into the regular calendar to account for three of our four snow days thus far. To account for the fourth snow day, the scheduled day off on April 22 will now be a snow makeup day in which classes will occur as normal. Thank you for your flexibility and patience this winter season. Please contact the District Office with any questions.
Twelve Nicolet Seniors Named Finalists In The 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program
Twelve Nicolet High School seniors have been recognized as finalists in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Priyanka Guptasarma, Angelina Jaglinksi, Sam Kovnar, Benjamin Kramer, Louis Miller, Avery Mitchell, Jason Scheuer, Claudia Schneider, Anna Spektor-Bulatova, Megan Sullivan, Blair Wales and Olivia Weslow were announced as finalists in the 2019 scholarship program and will continue to compete for the Merit Scholar® title.
The students were chosen out of over 1.6 million high school juniors in more than 22,000 high schools who took the 2017 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.
“We are so proud of these individuals for achieving this prestigious honor,” said Nicolet High School Principal Dr. Greg Kabara. “They truly are a testament to the academic excellence we strive for at Nicolet. We look forward to celebrating their future success.”
National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) selectors evaluate the Finalists based on a variety of information: the finalist’s academic record, information about the school’s curricula and grading system, two sets of test scores, the high school official’s written recommendation, information about the student's activities and leadership, and the finalist’s own essay.
National Merit Scholarship winners of 2019 will be announced beginning in April and continuing through July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 338,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title including several Nicolet graduates.
Superintendent Dr. Kobylski Shares A Personal Update
At last night’s basketball game between Nicolet High School and Port Washington High School, Port Washington students displayed enlarged photos of Nicolet athlete Jalen Johnson wearing a charcoal facial mask. This photo was taken from a personal Instagram account in which Jalen and a friend were applying the common clarifying skin care product.
I cannot speak to the motivation or intent the Port Washington students had in displaying this photo, whether a harmless skin-care prank or a more deeply troubling, racially motivated scenario.
I can attest, however, to the fact that Jalen is more than a tremendous athlete: he is a fine, upstanding young man and deserves to be treated with respect and courtesy by all students and people, no matter what bench they are rooting for.
My expectation is that Nicolet students always display respect, upstanding character and courtesy to one another and to students from other schools in sports, and in everyday interactions. I also expect that Nicolet students receive the same treatment from students at other schools.
Nicolet High School is proud to announce the Honor's Roll for the 1st semester of the 2018-2019 school year
Students are recognized at the "Honors" level if they earn a minimum weighted grade point average of 3.00-3.666. Students earning a weighted grade point of 3.667 and higher qualify for "High Honors." All courses will be included in computing an average for the Honor Roll. A student will not achieve honor roll status if they have earned a grade point of incomplete.
*If your student’s name is missing from the Honor's Roll it may mean that we did not have parental consent to publish your child’s information. Please contact Amy.Lee@nicolet.us if you have a question regarding the Honor Roll. If you would like to give consent for publishing, a consent form will be emailed to you by request.
Click on the links below to see the students who were recognized on the Honor Roll:
Each year, students on Team 4786 Nicolet FEAR, Nicolet High School’s competitive robotics team, are challenged to build a robot in six weeks to suit a specific game and compete with other robots from around the world. The goal of this year’s game, Destination: Deep Space, is to attach hatches to cargo stations, and throw balls in those same stations, then climb a 19 inch block with nothing to propel themselves up. This season we will compete in the Heartland Regional in Kansas City, Kansas, and the Wisconsin Regional in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Along with building a robot for competition, Nicolet FEAR functions as a small business. We are a student-led team that strives to build professional, supportive relationships with our community as we pursue our passions and foster an appreciation of STEM education. Team 4786 Nicolet FEAR is hosting our Second Annual Robot Reveal to showcase the robot that we built this season, share our community impact initiatives, and continue sponsor relationships.
Date: Thursday, February 14, 2019 Time: 5:00-7:00 PM (continuous demonstrations every 20 minutes) Location: Nicolet High School Cafeteria
You will be able to:
See our 2019 competition robot in action!
Participate in silent auction & raffle
Drive a FEAR robot
Meet our students and mentors
Take a picture with FIRSTY
Learn about youth robotics programs, including FIRST LEGO League (FLL)
A Discussion on Gender Identity Hosted by Aidan Key February 19th
As a school district, it is our goal to promote a community of inclusivity and acceptance in order to create a learning environment where all students feel valued and welcomed. Every student who walks through our hallways is a valued member of our school community.
The District takes proactive strides to be as inclusive as possible and create a learning environment where all feel welcomed. With this in mind, we have invited Aidan Key, the director of Gender Diversity, an organization providing education to teachers, staff, counselors, and administrators regarding gender-inclusive schools, to discuss the topic of gender identity with parents and adults in the community. Aidan has provided coaching to our teachers and administrators and we have found it incredibly enlightening. We look forward to providing the same opportunity for parents and our community. Together, we can make great strides toward inclusion and acceptance if our students hear the same messages at school and at home.
Aidan’s presentation will provide a basic framework around which to have a better and more accurate understanding of gender identity and gender expression.
A Discussion on Gender Identity Hosted by Aidan Key
February 19, 2019 at Congregation Shalom
7630 N Santa Monica Blvd. Milwaukee, WI 53217
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Informal Q&A available until 9:00 p.m.
The presentation will be followed by an open dialogue in which all questions and perspectives will be heard. The formal Q&A will conclude at 8:00 p.m., but Aidan will be available to answer additional questions on an informal basis until 9:00 p.m.
Nicolet Art Students Receive Scholastic Art Exhibition Awards
Congratulations to the Nicolet students recognized by the prestigious Scholastic Art Awards program! Winners were selected from a total of 1,200 submissions throughout the state. Nicolet students received 29 awards this year, including 3 Gold Key and 26 Honorable Mention. The Gold Key winners' artwork will be on display at the Milwaukee Art Museum in the Schroeder Galleria from February 2 - March 17. Congratulations to the following students:
Honorable Mention - Photography
Ana Ausum - Amaranthine Ecstasy
Madeleine Ellgard - Complicated
RaeVaughn Lord Huertas - Alemitu a la Rousseau
RaeVaughn Lord Huertas - T’sama Sinai
RaeVaughn Lord Huertas - The instance of spreading her identity to the world
RaeVaughn Lord Huertas - Eye of the Beholder
William Rigby - Fluorescence
On Monday, October 23, 2018, Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) and Nicolet broke ground on new baseball stadium at Maslowski Park.
The project is expected to be completed in late spring 2019 and will feature a synthetic turf baseball field, dugouts, bullpens, lights, a press box, and seating for over 300 people. Site preparation is underway, with major construction starting next month.
“The district is proud to work with MSOE and the city of Glendale to maximize the full potential of Maslowski Park that will allow residents, students, parents and extended families to enjoy recreational activities and community events for years to come,” said Dr. Robert Kobylski, superintendent of the Nicolet High School District.
World Premiere of "The Little Bird Concerto" written by Nicolet Alumnus Yotam Haber Performed by the Nicolet High School Orchestra featuring Concert Violinist & Nicolet Alumna Hannah Hurwitz
Every two years, Nicolet alumni who are working music or theatre professionals are invited to return to the school to mentor students and provide hands-on experience and guidance in pursuing their passion for the arts.
This year, professional concert violinist Hanna Hurwitz (Nicolet Class of 2004) will perform a new modern concerto by composer Yotam Haber (Nicolet Class of 1994) with the Nicolet Orchestra at their Fall Concert on November 29 at 7:00 p.m.
The new work was commissioned by the Nicolet Performing Arts Committee (PAC) and is an Artist-in-Residence program supported by the Kenn Miller Chair for the Performing Arts, which was started by the PAC as a tribute to the school’s former theatre director and teacher who led the program for 32 years.
Hurwitz will work with students for three days culminating in a world premiere performance of “The Little Bird Concerto.”
Composer Haber desired to write a piece that challenged and encouraged students to play their instruments in new, unique ways so that they have a chance to explore the sound worlds and creative possibilities of their instruments. Encouragement and motivation from Nicolet teachers and students contributed to Haber’s decision to pursue a career in music, so he hopes “The Little Bird” Concerto inspires current Nicolet students to discover new opportunities to pursue their musical passions post-high school.
13 Nicolet Seniors Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists
Thirteen Nicolet Seniors have been named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. Dillon Collins, Priyanka Guptasarma, Angelina Jaglinski, Sam Kovnar, Benjamin Kramer, Louis Miller, Avery Mitchell, Jason Scheuer, Claudia Schneider, Anna Spektor- Bulatova, Megan Sullivan, Blair Wales and Olivia Weslow will go on to compete for one of 7,500 National Merit Scholarships to be offered next spring.
Students Walked The Red Carpet To Kick Off The 2018-2019 School Year
On Tuesday, September 4, Nicolet High School kicked off the school year by rolling out the red carpet! Check out the event covered by local news:
To qualify for this honor, students must earn all A’s or B’s for each quarter or semester separately. Additionally, students are allowed to earn one C if they have an A to offset it. Congratulations to all of our students that have earned this distinction.
*If your student’s name is missing from the list it may mean that we did not have parental consent to publish your child’s information. Please contact Amy.Lee@nicolet.us if you have a question regarding Dean's List. If you would like to give consent for publishing, a consent form will be emailed to you by request.
Two Nicolet Students Capture Awards at the International Science & Engineering Fair
Teacher Stephanie Deering and ISEF finalists Louisa Wood, Anna Spektor and Napsy Isahaku returned to Nicolet after an AMAZING week at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh. It was a week of special events, speeches by Nobel Laureates and lots of judging! There were 1800 students from 81 different countries!
Napsy and Anna received a first place award ($3,000) in their category of Animal Science, and went on to win Best of Category ($5,000 ) with a separate $1,000 award going back to their local fair! To top it off, they were one of two projects in the fair to be recipients of the Indo-US Science and Technology Visit to India Award that will have them heading to India to compete and present their work to universities and researchers.
The awards were the culmination of countless hours of work over the course of the year including over 110 hours spent in the lab at the UW-Freshwater Science Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Caravan.
Congratulations to all three finalists. Talking to kids and judges from all over the world, gaining new perspectives, and learning and engaging in some serious science this past week is a great way to end the year!!
Nicolet French Students Triumph At Recent Competitions
Congratulations to the French Students for their successes in two recent competitions.
2018 French National Contest
Gold Medal
Anna McDougall (Ranked 6th nationwide)
Silver Medal (85th percentile nationwide)
Yanni Ma, Mariana Torres-Alvarez, Louisa Wood, Julia Baldwin, Anna Gould, Ryan Malone, Kevin Norris and Louis Miller
Bronze Medal (80th percentile nationwide)
Madeleine Buckley, Meredith Riedijk, William Kissinger, Yoana Petrinska, Megan Sullivan, Anna Christenson and Caroline Schoenfeldt
2018 State French Pronunciation Contest
Gold Medal - Extemporaneous prose
Nicole Karaffa
Gold Medal - Poetry
Emma Laskowski, Anna Gould, Yoana Petrinska and Mariana Torres-Alvarez
Nicolet Spanish Students Collect Honors on the National Spanish Exam
Nicolet Spanish students collected many honors on the 2018 National Spanish Exam. 28 students who took the exam scored in the 90th percentile or above nationally. In the state of Wisconsin there were 42 gold award winners, students who scored at the 95th percentile or higher. Nicolet students won 14 of the gold awards. Felicitaciones to the following students:
Level 2
Jonathan Hellman 95%
Kalina Kapetanovic 97%
Alexandra Ivanov 97%
Level 3
Savir Maskara 95%
Eric Perlin 95%
Mia Lee 96%
Julia Bohlen 98%
Level 4
Evelyn Deitrich 95%
Nicholas Weseman 96%
Allyson Janowski 97%
Angelina Jaglinski 98%
Jason Scheuer 99%
Level 5
Miles Guralnick 96%
Thomas Nguyen 96%
Pictured (left to right): Allyson Janowski, Evelyn Deitrich, Nicholas Weseman, Angelina Jaglinski, Miah Bohlen and Thomas Nguyen.
Nicolet Musical Students Receive High Score At State Festival
Congratulations to the following Nicolet musical groups and students who all scored a "1" (the highest possible score) at the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) State Solo & Ensemble Festival, held at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on April 28 and Cardinal Stritch University on May 5, 2018:
Nicolet Big Band
Nicolet Chamber Orchestra
Nicolet Chamber Singers Quartet
Nicolet Symphonic Band Percussion Ensemble
Annabelle Crowley - violin solo (WSMA Exemplary soloist award)
Ross Abrams - Clarinet Choir
Lam Akio - Percussion Ensemble
Matthais Baker - Clarinet Choir
Nicholas Best - Percussion Ensemble
Eleanor Bird - Big Band
John Bushman - Percussion Ensemble
Saul Dinauer - Big Band
Adam Du - tenor solo
Christopher Flick - Clarinet Choir
Jackson Folstein - Big Band
Aaron Gess George - Big Band
Megan Gendelman - Musical Theatre and alto solo
Parker Gimbel - Clarinet Choir
Sam Gist - Musical Theatre tenor/bass solo
Cathleen Greene - harp solo
Grace Greene - Musical Theatre and alto solo
Samantha Grant - Percussion Ensemble
Priyanka Guptasarma - Musical Theatre and alto solo
Miles Guralnick - Big Band
Gabriel Guralnick - piano solo
Lucas Houchin-Miller - violin solo
Angelina Jaglinski - piano solo
Aaron Johnson - Clarinet Choir
Sigurds Kakulis - Big Band
Nathan Karl - Big Band
John Karnes - Percussion Ensemble, Big Band
Ben Kramer - Clarinet Choir, clarinet solo, Big Band
Callahan Lieungh - Clarinet Choir, bassoon solo
Olivia Llanas - Big Band
Daniel Manger - Big Band
Anna McDougall - violin solo
Liam McLean - string bass solo
Louis Miller - violin solo
Avery Mitchell - Musical Theatre soprano/alto solo
Neville Nazareth - flute solo
Libby Noll - Musical Theatre soprano/alto solo
Kevin Norris - Percussion Ensemble
Maxwell Selbach - Big Band
Ariana Smith - string bass solo
Patrick Smith - Big Band
Joseph Tocco - Big Band
Samuel Vondra - Big Band
Don Vu - cello solo
Elliott Weigel - Big Band
Flasche Nrig Yang - Big Band
Nicolet Take First First Place In German Pronunciation Contest
Saturday, April 21st Nicolet German students took part in the 2018 WI-AATG State Pronunciation contest. Held at Marquette University, this event required students to present poems and make two-minute extemporaneous presentations. Nicolet had a dominant showing, leading the state in first place ratings. Please congratulate the following students:
Level 4/5: Poem: Die Lorelei (Heinrich Heine) 1st Place Rating: Hal DeLong
Level 3: Poem 1940 (Bertolt Brecht) 1st Place Rating: Ryan Dziengel, Yan Qi Li, Caspar Woehl-Sauvignon, Felix Woehl-Sauvignon
Level 2: Poem: Ottos Mops (Ernst Jandl) 1st Place Rating/Perfect Score: Megan Stevens, Khiem Vu and Zoe Zaretzke. 1st Place Rating: Matthias Baker, Matt Korfhage, Chris Lipscomb
Level 1: Poem: Fünfter sein (Ernst Jandl) 1st Place Rating/Tops in State: Octavia Grimes and Langdon Oldenburg 1st Place Rating: Pedro Peralta 2nd Place Rating: Zafirah Lieblein, Jeremy Stone
Nicolet Students Capture Awards in the Lake Country Film Festival
The following four Nicolet students captured awards in the Lake Country Film Festival on April 13th.
Lia Oren won "Best Actress" in the category "Original Music Video for her project called "Storybook Music Video."
Nate Plotkin was runner up for "Single Topic Video" for his project called "Pills PSA."
Wyatt Chang won "Passion Piece", "Best Original Script" and was runner up for "Best Overall Film" for his project called "Shoes."
Zachary Roszina was runner up for "Video Short" and won "Best Supporting Actor" for his project called "Everything Sucks."
Nicolet Announces Dean's List For 3rd Quarter
Nicolet High School is proud to announce the Dean’s List for the 3rd quarter of the 2017-2018 school year. To qualify for this honor, students must earn all A’s or B’s for the quarter. Additionally, students are allowed to earn one C if they have an A to offset it.
*If your student’s name is missing from the list it may mean that we did not have parental consent to publish your child’s information. Please contact amy.lee@nicolet.us to confirm this for you.
Nicolet Students Excel at the Badger State Science & Engineering Fair
Nicolet performed exceedingly well at the Badger State Science and Engineering Fair this past Saturday placing in 5 out of the 6 categories. Nicolet students took 3 first place awards, 2 second place, 1 third and 1 grant award along with many additional specialty awards. A huge shout-out and congrats to all of the students who competed at both the regional and state fairs! Here's a complete list of the awards.
24 Nicolet Musicians Qualify For State-wide Festival
On March 17th Nicolet High School musicians performed in the Wisconsin School Music Association District Festival at Homestead High School, and qualified to move on to the state-wide festival in May. Congratulations to the following:
Adam Du
Angelina Jaglinski
Anna McDougall
Ariana Smith
Ariel Cohn
Ben Kramer
Callahan Lieungh
Cathleen Greene
Don Vu
Gabriel Guralnick
Grace Greene (in two separate events)
Kayla Bessette
Liam McLean
Libby Noll
Louis Miller
Lucas Houchin-Miller
Megan Gendelman (in two separate events)
Mitchell Avery
Priyanka Guptasarma (in two separate events)
Sam Gist
Sara Abrams
Yanni Ma
Annabelle Crowley
Neville Nazareth
In addition, the following ensembles also qualified to move on to state:
Two Vocal Quartets
Percussion Ensemble
Chamber Orchestra
Big Band
Brass Ensemble
Two Students Selected To Represent Nicolet at the International Science and Engineering Fair
Anna Spektor and Napsy Isahaku have been selected to represent Nicolet at the prestigious International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) with their project titled "Metformin as a Novel Neurogenic Method of Methylmercury Neurotoxicity Symptom Mitigation in Danio rerio as a Model for Human Fetuses"! The students spent countless hours at UWM's Freshwater Science Lab working on their project.
The two partners will compete at ISEF with thousands of students, representing over 75 different countries. This event, sponsored by Intel, will be held in Pittsburgh May 13th-18th.
Eight Nicolet Seniors Named 2018 National Merit Scholarship Programs Finalists
Nicolet is proud to have eight students selected as finalists for 2018 National Merit Scholarships! This honor is only awarded to more than 15,000 students from across the country. Each finalist received a Certificate of Merit and will be considered for one of 7,500 Merit Scholarships awarded in March. Congratulations to Rachel C. Bluementhal, Christopher P. Hellman, Lucas W. Houchin-Miller, John R. Karnes, George Spencer Lawton, Anna McDougall, Thomas D. Nguyen, and Benjamin C. Vuchetich!
Nicolet High School Art Students Receive Scholastic Art Exhibition Awards
Congratulations to the Nicolet students recognized by the prestigious Scholastic Art Awards program! Winners were selected from a total of 3,754 submissions throughout the state. Nicolet student portfolios earned 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 3 Honorable Mentions and individual awards earned 5 Gold Keys, 8 Silver Keys and 13 Honorable Mentions. View the Silver and Gold Key Award-winning students' artwork showcased at The Milwaukee Art Museum through March 18, 2018. Congratulations to the following students:
To qualify for this honor, students must earn all A’s or B’s for each quarter or semester separately. Additionally, students are allowed to earn one C if they have an A to offset it. Congratulations to all of our students that have earned this distinction.
*If your student’s name is missing from the list it may mean that we did not have parental consent to publish your child’s information. Please contact Amy.Lee@nicolet.us if you have a question regarding Dean's List. If you would like to give consent for publishing, a consent form will be emailed to you by request.
Interview with Nicolet Social Studies Teacher
In preparation for Black History month, Social Studies teacher Ms. Holifield spoke with WISN about Oprah's short time at Nicolet and what it was like in Milwaukee in the 1960s. Watch the interview, here. You can even see Oprah's yearbook photo!
NBHS and the Leadership and Service Club partner to help the St. Francis Children's Center
The Nicolet Chapter of the National Business Honor Society (NBHS) completed their Annual Teddy Bear and Toy Drive in support of the St. Francis Children's Center with a total donation of $870. Partnering with NBHS this year was the Leadership and Service Club which collected toys and $150 in money donations from the Nicolet community. Money donated went to purchase toys, stuffed animals and school supplies for children in need. Special thanks goes to First Bank Financial Centre, PNC Bank, Sherman Quick Mart, AD Beauty Salon, Community Bark, Ker Mor Pet Grooming, and St. Francis Pediatrics for their incredible generosity.
Front Row - Left to Right
Hong Hao Liang, Emma Laskowski, Ross Bordow (NBHS President), Lisa Wathen (Leadership and Service Club Advisor), Gus Straub (FBFC), Mike Kania (NBHS Advisor), Zach Newman (NBHS Secretary), Emily Hilger, Josie Kelderman (NBHS Treasurer), Smita Nayak, Jessica Nsubuga
Back Row - Left to Right
Sunil Sabnis, Iris Boparai, Brandon Rice, Kara Petersen (SFCC), Sydney Kaiser, Kyra Orvis w/sister Chloe, Tara Clark (SFCC), Matt Henrichs, Ellie Olson, Eli Winter
Not pictured
Donna Bohn (NBHS Advisor) Amanda Mlekoday, Blair Wales, Ciara Jones, Evan Kleiner, Jaden Aranda, Jordan Levy, Hayley Vang, Maddie Buckley, Margaret Navarre, Michael Kaplan, Theodore Weghaupt, Trevor Strunk, Yanni Ma, Yoana Petrinska
Nicolet student food drive brought in 19,000 cans of food and raised thousands for local organizations
Nicolet Spanish students Parham Abunasr-Shiraz, Benjamin Stellhorn and Autumn Stelzer were on Fox 6 this morning talking about their highly successful food drive that raised 19,000 cans and thousands of dollars for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and other local organizations. We are proud of our students and community for supporting this important cause! Watch the interview here.
Nicolet Exceeds Expectations On School Report Card
On November 21 the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) released School Report Cards for every publicly funded school in the state. I am excited to let you know that Nicolet’s score is 78.7 (out of 100), a rating of Exceeds Expectations. I congratulate our faculty, staff and students on this accolade.
This news is encouraging because Nicolet’s score is continuing to rise year after year despite the fact that the Report Card has undergone modifications each year. The state report card also validates other metrics that show Nicolet is headed in the right direction, including the Class of 2017 ACT composite score of 23.0 (compared to the statewide composite of 20.5).
Over the last five years Nicolet implemented several curriculum enhancements to help all students reach their academic potential while also addressing the achievement gap. The recent metrics demonstrate the impact of these learning initiatives. A closer look at the Report Card shows a number of affirmative indicators, including:
The data shows positive trends in closing gaps in graduation rate, English Language Arts (ELA) and math for African American students, low socioeconomic students and students with disabilities. The math gap is almost completely closed (Nicolet 16.6 compared to the state at 16.7).
Nicolet outscored the state in overall student achievement, closing gaps and on track to post secondary readiness.
Nicolet has no deductions for absenteeism or dropout rate.
DPI has produced two versions of each Report Card: a quick one-pager labeled “School Report Card” and lengthier, detailed version labeled, “School Report Card Detail.” Both versions can be accessed online at https://dpi.wi.gov/accountability/report-cards along with resources that explain the Report cards.
To qualify for this honor, students must earn all A’s or B’s for each quarter or semester separately. Additionally, students are allowed to earn one C if they have an A to offset it. Congratulations to all of our students that have earned this distinction.
*If your student’s name is missing from the list it may mean that we did not have parental consent to publish your child’s information. Please contact Amy.Lee@nicolet.us if you have a question regarding Dean's List. If you would like to give consent for publishing, a consent form will be emailed to you by request.
Adaptive Wellness Triathlon
Nicolet High School hosted an Adaptive Wellness Triathlon on October 10, 2017. The event was a collaboration between Wellness classes in which Adaptive Physical Education students were supported as they swam, ran and biked. Each triathlete was paired with a peer classmate and a Nicolet faculty member. Here's coverage from local news stations:
Nine Nicolet Seniors Named 2018 National Merit Scholarship Programs Semifinalists
Nine Nicolet High School seniors have been recognized as semifinalists in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program. Rachel Blumenthal, Sarah Fleming, Christopher Hellman, Lucas Houchin-Miller, John Karnes, George Lawton, Anna McDougall, Thomas Nguyen and Benjamin Vuchetich will continue to compete for the Merit Scholar® title.
There are approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 63rd annual National Merit Scholarship Program, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for 7,500 National Merit Scholarships – worth about $32 million – that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. Approximately 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.
National Merit Scholarship winners of 2018 will be announced from April until July 2018. These scholarship recipients will join more than 330,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title including several Nicolet graduates.
Red Carpet Tradition
Students walked the red carpet to kick off the 2017-18 school year.
