STUDENT & STAFF Shout Outs

District Spelling Bee Champion

Elmwood fifth-grader

Ethan Robert won the district spelling bee. He, along with finalists Auston

Dolan (fourth grade, Elmwood), Sean Garrity (sixth, Ronald Reagan), Ari Hernandez (fifth, Reagan), Mercedes Jaquez (seventh, Eisenhower) and Mia Jishin (fifth, Orchard Lane) moved on to the regional bee Feb. 20, after this publication’s deadline.

Perfect ACT Scores

Junior Angel Chao became the first New Berlin West student to record a perfect ACT since at least 2004. She joined Eisenhower’s Eliska Liang, Manzoor Mohis, Andrew Rivedahl and Srinika Pattaswammy as SDNB’s current students with perfect scores. Approximately one-third of one percent of all test-takers achieve a perfect 36 on the test.

Teacher of the Year

Elmwood’s Melanie

Gearhart was named the 2022 Wisconsin Elementary Physical Educator of the Year this fall. Ms. Gearhart received her award from the Wisconsin Health and Physical Education Association thanks in part to her innovative approaches to classroom instruction.

West Awards

West social studies teacher Beth Vento was selected as a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction by The National Honor Society of High School Scholars; West Spanish teacher Nicole Thompson was awarded the Spanish Honor Society’s Mario Fierros Award of Excellence for Chapter Sponsor of the Year; and Jordan Napoli, now a West associate principal, was named the 2022 District 7 Athletic Director of the Year by the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association.