February 2026

What a Week of Connection!

The past couple of weeks have been packed with wonderful opportunities to bring our community together! Our legislative breakfast was a hit, and we're so grateful to our school board for making this annual event happen. Everyone who attended loved the mix of in-person and virtual participation, and the great conversations that happened—these are the kinds of connections that help our local leaders understand what matters most to our schools and families. We're also incredibly proud of our high school Battle of the Books team, who showed off their amazing knowledge by getting nearly every single question right! And thanks to our partnership with Walworth County, we got to connect with even more neighbors at a fun pop-up event at Cravath Lakefront Community Center.

Celebrating Our Whitewater Schools

The excitement continued throughout the week with events that really showcase the amazing things happening in our district! The State of the Institution event, hosted by the League of Women Voters, gave us a chance to celebrate our schools' successes together with our City and University partners—and it was wonderful to see our board members there cheering us on. On February 20th, we welcomed our youngest future Whippets at 4K Discovery Day! Families loved the warm welcome, and kids got to meet their teachers, explore our 4K program, and learn about all the great community partners we work with. Based on all the positive feedback, we're thinking about adding an evening session to make it easier for working families to attend. Don't forget to check out the latest Whippet Wire—our quarterly newsletter full of positive stories and accomplishments from right here in Whitewater!

Building Our Future Together

As February wrapped up, our team dove into some important planning for the future of our district. We held 11 focus groups, six community sessions, and one special working group meeting to hear from everyone—students, staff, families, and neighbors. Our district leaders made sure to be part of these conversations to listen, answer questions, and show they care about what you think. Combined with the survey we did in January, all of this input will help us create a strategic plan that truly reflects what our community wants for our schools.

Thank you for your continued support — we’re excited for a strong second half of the year!

All Means All,
Samuel

WUSD Secondary Math Team Launches Curriculum Pilots This Semester

Whitewater Unified School District is pleased to share that our secondary math teams have completed a comprehensive review of mathematics curricular resources and are preparing to begin classroom pilots of two highly-rated math programs during the second semester. This work reflects our commitment to providing students with rigorous, engaging, and meaningful learning experiences that prepare them for future success.

Over the past few months, secondary math educators collaboratively evaluated four strong curricular options using evidence-based review tools and deep professional discussion. Together, teams analyzed how each resource supports conceptual understanding, real-world application, and instructional coherence across grade levels. After this careful process, two curricula were selected for pilot implementation:

• Reveal Math by McGraw-Hill: A comprehensive math program designed to deepen students’ mathematical understanding through exploration, rich discourse, and targeted differentiation. The curriculum emphasizes conceptual understanding and blended learning opportunities, including tools that help teachers monitor learning and support student progress.

• Math & YOU and Concepts & Connections by Cengage/Big Ideas Learning: A research-based high school series that engages learners through real-life contexts while balancing conceptual thinking, procedural fluency, and application. Built to equip teachers with instructional supports and to encourage students’ ownership of their learning.

During the pilot phase, teachers will implement each curriculum, analyze student work, and provide feedback. There will also be an opportunity for students and families to provide feedback on the pilot curricula. Collaboratively, the district will evaluate how well each resource meets instructional goals and student learning needs. This pilot will help guide future curriculum decisions and ensure that the adoption aligns with the needs of our students. We value the partnership of our community in this process and invite our families to explore these resources.

To view the family letter regarding the pilots, please click on the button below.

We appreciate your interest and support as we continue to strengthen math learning opportunities across our secondary schools!

Terilyn Robles

Director of Teaching & Learning

Whitewater Unified School District

The Whitewater Unified School District is always looking for great people to join our team! If you are excited to work in a positive, collaborative, and student-focused environment, we are interested in meeting with you to discuss the many opportunities to serve in many different ways. Apply online by following the links or reach out to the person of contact on the posting. We look forward to hearing from you!

Wisconsin Seal of Biliteracy Approved in Our District!

We are thrilled to share exciting news with our community! Our district has been officially approved to award the Wisconsin Seal of Biliteracy, a prestigious recognition granted to graduating students who demonstrate high levels of proficiency in English and at least one additional language.

The Seal of Biliteracy is more than an award — it is a celebration of our students’ multilingual talents, cultural heritage, and hard work. Students who earn this distinction will receive a special seal on their diploma and transcript, signaling to colleges and employers that they are prepared to thrive in a global society.

Who can apply?

This opportunity is open to any student who is proficient in English and another language, whether that language is learned at home, in the community, or through coursework offered in our schools. The additional language does not have to be one currently taught in our district.

Beginning this year, juniors and seniors will be eligible to apply and demonstrate their proficiency through state-approved assessments.

This milestone reflects our district’s strong commitment to honoring linguistic diversity and recognizing multilingualism as a powerful strength. We are incredibly proud of our students and look forward to celebrating those who earn this distinguished honor.

Together, we continue building a community where every language is valued and every student’s voice matters.

In preparation for the revamping of our elementary websites, I met with all three elementary building principals to review the specific content they would like highlighted on each site. To ensure a consistent experience for our community, common links will be featured on every building’s website.

Additionally, Mike Dowden, the district’s athletic director, and I began conversations about migrating the WUSD athletics website to Apptegy. In partnership with Apptegy, Mike and I discussed a common template for all coaches to use within their respective areas, ensuring that families can easily find key information for every sport. Please continue to provide any feedback regarding the website by emailing wusdallmeansallcomm@wwusd.org.

The technology team is currently preparing to support the upcoming professional development day as well as the 4K Discovery Day event. Furthermore, the team continues to provide timely technical support to our buildings, addressing needs as they arise through our ticketing system, phone calls, and emails.

I attend the monthly Whitewater Community Foundation board meetings and the Kiwanis Breakfast Club meetings.

I was honored to be the guest speaker at the Kiwanis Breakfast Club, where the group engaged in a productive discussion about AI and general technology use within our schools.

February is Career and Technical Education Month, and I want to take this opportunity to highlight the amazing work happening to create better opportunities for our students. From aligning and modernizing our career pathways from middle school through high school, to building strong partnerships with businesses, organizations, and institutions, we are making a meaningful impact—not only for our students, but for our entire community.

Thank you to our CTE teachers for the incredible work they do each and every day. We truly are doing amazing things, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our students, programs, and partnerships.

Recent Highlights

Youth Apprenticeship
Enrollment has reached a record high of 31 students! As the 2025–26 enrollment window comes to a close, I want to extend a sincere thank you to our high school CTE and Student Services teams who helped students explore career pathways and encouraged them to enroll. This is a huge accomplishment, and the sky is the limit in the years ahead.

We are already receiving future requests, and students are excited to “test drive” potential careers. A huge thank you to our jobsite mentors and participating companies who truly make a difference in our students’ lives by providing real-world learning opportunities.

Durable Skills
Last week, I had the privilege of working with students to explore durable skills, character traits, and hard skills—and what employers value most in future employees. Students had the opportunity to identify the skills they possess, communicate their strengths, and connect those strengths to their future career aspirations and life goals.

Looking ahead, we plan to partner with staff to embed durable skills into classrooms across our schools, helping students find greater purpose and relevance in their learning experiences.

Community Partnership: Downtown Whitewater

We are excited to share a special opportunity to celebrate our graduating seniors in collaboration with Downtown Whitewater, Inc.. Senior photos will be displayed throughout Downtown Whitewater in local business storefronts as a way to grow Whippet pride, strengthen our connection with the community, and recognize the accomplishments of the Class of 2026.

There is no cost to students or families to participate, as all costs will be covered by Downtown Whitewater, Inc. After graduation, students will be able to pick up their displayed photos from participating businesses. A sincere thank you to Downtown Whitewater, Inc. for partnering with us to make this special opportunity possible.

Upcoming Events:

• Whippet Works: Connecting Community, Careers, and Classrooms will take place on March 4, 2026, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Whitewater High School. This business partnership event is designed to strengthen connections between education, industry, and our community.

During the evening, attendees will have the opportunity to:

• Learn about the Youth Apprenticeship Program and its impact on student success

• Hear from businesses currently mentoring and supporting our students

• Connect with district staff and local business leaders to explore future partnership opportunities

• Review Career and Technical Education (CTE) renovation and expansion plans

• Tour CTE program lab spaces, including Agriculture, Culinary Arts, CNA, Woods/Construction, Manufacturing, Automotive, Robotics, and Business

Our goal is simple: to bridge the gap between community, business, and education so students are better prepared for life beyond high school—whether that path leads to college, training, apprenticeships, or the workforce.

• Whippet Pathways Day: Careers • College • Training • Apprenticeships - will be held on April 17, 2026, at Whitewater High School. During this interactive school day, students will meet in small groups with self-selected employers, industry professionals, and postsecondary partners, followed by a career fair where students can explore additional opportunities, gather information, and apply for future employment. Invitations to businesses, institutions, organizations, and community partners will begin following the Whippet Works event on March 4th. Planning is also underway for a smaller-scale version of this experience for middle school students, with more details to come.

• Reality Check Day will take place on April 29 for the High School and May 27 for the Middle School. This engaging event provides students with a hands-on lesson in financial management in collaboration with Educators Credit Union.

During the experience, students select a career and are assigned an income, marital status, and other real-life factors. They then manage a personal budget through a one- to two-hour simulation that mirrors real-world financial decision-making. In a safe, supportive environment, students learn the importance of budgeting, saving, and making informed financial choices.

Our goal is to equip students with the essential tools and knowledge they need to be successful as they transition into adulthood.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! If you know of any business, industry, or community partners who may be interested in participating in these events, please share their contact information with Mike Rick at ricmi01@wwusd.org as soon as possible. Your support helps us continue building meaningful connections that benefit our students and community.

• Six boys swimmers qualified for state.

• Three girl wrestlers qualified for sectionals.

• Atreya Wilson took first place in the FBLA Region 5 Competition. Eight other students finished in the top 5.

This is a good time to remember the district illness protocols. Please see "When to keep your student home".

Please check out Fort Health Cares March edition of the Backpack News.

School breakfast is FREE to all students again this year.

Sunday, March 1, 2026 - High School Spring Play at WHS 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday, March 3, 2026 - Chamber Music Festival at WHS 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 4, 2026 - Elementary String Recital at Lincoln Elementary 3:40 - 4:40 p.m.

Saturday, March 7, 2026 - District Solo and Ensemble HS Only at East Troy HS 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Monday, March 16, 2026 - School Board Meeting at HS LMC at 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, March 17, 2026 - Lakeview Fine Arts Night at Lakeview Elementary 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Friday, March 20, 2026 - Washington Spring Program at Washington Elementary 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.

Monday, March 23 - Friday March 27, 2026 - NO SCHOOL Spring Break