AHS Choir Students Named Best In Wisconsin

arrowhead choir students named best in the state


The Wisconsin State Honors Choir recently announced audition results for 2013. The Honors project chooses the 100 best high school singers in the state of Wisconsin for Treble Choir and Mixed Choir. Of this elite group of 100 singers in each choir, 7 are from the Arrowhead High School choir program. Four AHS choir students were named Alternates for the program and could eventually be named to the Honors Choir if another student is unable to participate. 

Our seven AHS choir students will participate in the Wisconsin Honors Choir four-day camp in June, working with a nationally renowned choral conductor.  Next October they will present a concert at Madison's Overture Center. The students chosen for this elite choir are: 

Elise  Baumgartner
Alternate - Treble Choir

Joseph  Ferrito
Alternate - Treble Choir

Simon  Gmeinder
Alternate - Treble Choir

Kathryn  Koenen
Treble Choir

Amanda Bruening
Mixed Choir

Noah  Nethery
Mixed Choir

Regan  Lyons
Mixed Choir

Emily  Landry
Mixed Choir

Nicole  Slaski
Treble Choir

Jenna  Tremmel
Alternate - Treble Choir

Ciera  Schmidt
Mixed Choir

Forensics Team Results


Forensics team Continuing to Bring home awards

Over the past 3 weeks the Forensics team has experienced continued success.  The Forensics team brought home two individual tournament champions as well as a team trophy.

On March 2 the team went to the James Madison Memorial Tournaments and honors went out to the following students:

Kaileigh Pieroth & Rachel Feder         Duo Finalist
Zach Knutson                                    Moments in History Finalist
Keaton Schmitz                                  Demonstration Finalist
Diya Ramanathan                               Demonstration Finalist

Special congratulations goes to Kalady Osowski who was tournament champion in Special Occassion.

On March 9 the team wend to the Whitefish Bay and honors went out to the following students:

Anna Wolfs                             Oratory 3rd
Amy Teske                              Oratory Finalist

Special Congratulations goes to Keaton Schmitz who was tournament champion in Demonstration

On March 16 the team went to Muskego and honors went out to the following students:

Kaileigh Pieroth & Rachel Feder          Duo 2nd
Ian Cogswell & Olivia Dellomodarme   Duo Finalist
Zach Knutson                                     Moments in History Finalist
Keaton Schmitz                                   Demonstration 3rd
Diya Ramanathan                               Demonstration Finalist
Shannon Johnson                               OIL 4th
Zach Bednarke                                   Poetry 3rd
Matt and Bill Pindell                           Play Acting 3rd
Amy Teske                                       Oratory 3rd

The team took 2nd in the small team division with 18 total entries.  Special honors go to those students who keep scoring well without making it to final rounds.  They are the main reason we brought home this trophy.  Great job Coach Steve Schmid and the entire team!!!

AHS Senior Scores Scholarship

Bri Meyer
Arrowhead High School senior Brianna Meyer contributed the following article to the Lake Country Publications to be published in the Living Lake Country Sunday March 10th edition:


AHS Senior Scores Scholarship

            Musically, University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee hold fine reputations. This year, Arrowhead senior and trumpet player Zach Bednarke obtained the almost unobtainable: a full ride scholarship to either the School of Music at UW Madison or Peck School of the Arts at UWM.

            Bednarke’s music career started when he was 10-years-old, when he started playing the trumpet in his fifth grade band. He has played in school ensembles ever since.

            “Since the beginning, music has come to me naturally,” said Bednarke. “If I didn’t play music, I would just sit around all day.”

Arrowhead Senior
Zach Bednarke
            From there, his talent and involvement grew. He started playing in MYSO (Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra) and UWAY (UWM Youth Music Ensembles) after he moved to Wisconsin in 2006. He remains a member of MYSO’s Senior Symphony Orchestra and toured with them to Prague and Vienna in summer 2012. He has also been a member of the Arrowhead Wind Ensemble all four years of high school, and is now the principle trumpet player in that ensemble.

            “Knowing how he plays and how he prepares, I was definitely not shocked to hear the news [of his scholarship],” said AHS band conductor Jacob Polancich. “Zach is a bright young man with a real drive for music and sciences. It has been a pleasure watching him grow throughout his years here at Arrowhead.”

            When it came time for Bednarke to start preparing for college auditions, he chose some of the country’s most advanced schools of music, including Carnegie Mellon, University of North Carolina, and Vanderbilt. He applied and was accepted to these schools, and then the audition process began.

            He auditioned at Madison first, where he met the trumpet professor and toured the campus. Then, he went through the traditional music audition process: scales, prepared solo, and sight reading. 

            “The majority of the audition is based on solo work, with about a quarter based on scales and sightreading,” said Bednarke. “The judges look for musicality, tone, and musicianship.”

            To get the scholarship, Bednarke had to go through two rounds of auditions. The first round includes 125 students competing for the 25 round two spots. During the second round, a panel of eight professors listened to three total hours of auditions before making the final decisions.

“The night before my audition, I was selected to play my solo in a student recital with the entire music camp as an audience,” Bednarke said.

“Most musically-based scholarships awarded to students are simply reiterating practice habits, preparation, and respect towards music. These principles become a lifestyle for those who choose this musical path from a young age. Zach is no exception,” said Polancich. “I am blessed and humbled to work with several students at Arrowhead who demonstrate these same qualities on a daily basis.”

Bednarke found out that he had gotten the scholarship on his first night on his MYSO Prague tour this summer. His mother emailed him, and he said he was “basically bouncing off the walls.”

            Now, Bednarke is waiting for the responses from the other colleges—the most important will come from Vanderbilt, which should arrive by the end of March. Then, he has to make his college decision.

            “I’ve decided not to go to Madison,” he said. “It’s not the right fit for me, but I’m grateful for the scholarship and I’m honored to use this as part of my resume.”

            No matter where he attends school, Bednarke would like to major in music. A school with balanced curriculum and nice campus is important to him, he says. But an impressive music program is the most important factor.

            Polancich said, “This scholarship award shows his passion for music. It also reaffirms his extraordinary level of achievement amongst some of the finest high school musicians in the country. Zach has worked extremely hard and I know he is very deserving.”

AHS Students Among the Best in the Country


Arrowhead students excel
25 AHS students place among best in the country
On national German exam


The following is a communication sent to Arrowhead Administrators regarding the accomplishments of several of our students:

Charles Boyer
AHS Junior
Dear Administrators

I am writing to congratulate you and some of your pupils and staff for a remarkable achievement.  I am Chair of the Testing Committee for the American Association of Teachers of German here in my home state of Wisconsin, and the results of this year's National German Exam have done us proud again.

Christina Sorenson
AHS Senior
Arrowhead High School can boast 25 pupils with special achievements, youngsters who placed among the best in the country.  This is a testament to the dedication and hard work of both your German instructor, Frau Schüth, and the respective students.  The following students should be recognized for their remarkable accomplishment of a Gold Certificate (the top ten percent in the USA):  Kaitlin Stoner, Charles Boyer, Ryan Rice,and Christina Sorenson.  Mr. Boyer also applied for the Study Trip Award of the AATG/PAD, and we met him at the applicants' interview last Saturday.  Seven more of your students earned the Silver Certificate (top twenty percent in the USA).

Ryan Rice
AHS Junior
Germany is the anchor and engine of the European Union, the world's second-biggest export country (after only China), Wisconsin's fourth largest export market, and a long-time trustworthy partner for the United States in multiple respects.  More people speak German as a mother tongue in Europe than any other, and German is the second language recommended by more graduate programs than any other.  Moreover, learning German improves one's understanding and usage of English.  German is the language of the future!
Kaitline Stoner
AHS Senior

Thank you again for your support of German and for educating young people to be culturally competent, globally aware, and Teutonically active!

Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Michael Koch, PhD
Carroll University


PRESS RELEASE

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR ARROWHEAD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT
Winner of Goethe-Institut contest will travel to Germany


Winner of Goethe-Institut contest will travel to Germany

(Hartland, March 14, 2013)—Local student Michael Makowski has won the Award of Excellence in the name of Arrowhead High School and a scholarship to study German in Germany. Each year, the Goethe-Institut, in its role as international German cultural center with six locations in the United States, produces a short video on a specific theme about contemporary life in Germany.

Michael Makowski
AHS Sophomore

Michael Makowski was one of altogether 15,000 high school students from the U.S. and Canada who participated in the Goethe-Institut’s Award of Excellence contest, now in its 21st year. The 2012 film, “Beyond Autobahn,” was centered on German automotive culture. Using the invention of the modern car by Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler 125 years ago, it covered the history of the automobile as well as contemporary challenges faced by our world today, such as labor laws and environmental issues. Makowski not only solved the contest’s quiz questions, but correctly listed the exact number of teenagers in Germany who had got their driver’s license in 2010, an additional bonus question in the contest.

Michael: “It’s so cool that the Goethe Institut does this.  It’s such a great opportunity, and I feel so lucky to have been given it.  It is going to be so much fun and I can hardly wait.”
Regardless of whether or not they won a prize, feedback on the Goethe-Institut contest demonstrated the great enthusiasm that teachers and students had for using “Beyond Autobahn” to engage in the topic and learn about a foreign country and its people.

For more information on the Award of Excellence 2012 or the upcoming Award of Excellence 2013, call (212) 439-8719 or visit the Goethe-Institut New York online at www.goethe.de/newyork

Goethe-Institut New York
72 Spring Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10012

Björn Technau (Mr.)
Language Consultant
Tel. (212) 439-8719

Dustin Cosentino
Public Relations Officer
Tel. (212) 439-8713
 
cosentino@newyork.goethe.org


Founded in 1959, the Goethe-Institut promotes German language learning and fosters international cultural cooperation between the United States and Germany. We convey a comprehensive picture of Germany by providing information on its cultural, social, and political life. Our three downtown locations offer a broad spectrum of cultural events and programs to our local audience, providing a stage in the Big Apple for the German art scene and intercultural exchange.



Science Fair


Arrowhead High School

Students participate in science fair

Arrowhead High School had five students who recently participated in the Science Fair held at Waukesha Community Technical College (WCTC).   Mr. Dennis Mechenich, Arrowhead science teacher, shared that, “The students are very glad they went and were extremely impressed with some of the other students at the fair.” 

The students participating from Arrowhead were current sophomores and were responsible for conducting their own research for the Fair.  According to Mr. Mechenich, “Many of the others students at the fair used professionals to aid in their research and provide extensive support for their projects.” 

Zach Wesson placed 2nd in the Environmental Science category and Annie Lindenberg took 3rd in the Biology category.  Here is a list of the student's and their research topics:

Zach Wesson
The Phytoremediation potential
of Pennywort and Duckweed
Annie Lindenberg
The Effects of Peppermint on
Memorization through Ingestion


Randy Huang
The Research and Applications of Dextromethorphan Dialysis
Rachel Feder
The Inhibition of Slime Molds
Kaileigh Pieroth
The Inhibition of Slime Molds






Additional pictures of the students and their projects can be viewed at:

Social Media Influences Arrowhead

Arrowhead High School senior Brianna Meyer contributed the following article to the Lake Country Publications to be published in the Living Lake Country Sunday March 10th edition:


Social Media Influences Arrowhead

Facebook has started its slide down the popularity ladder. Similar to how MySpace went down in the mid-2000s, Facebook has experienced a falling out with the higher school students of America and across the world—Arrowhead included.

“Facebook is out right now,” says Arrowhead senior Rachel Shanabarger.

 Although the popularity of Facebook is dropping, Arrowhead students are finding other website to occupy their time. As Shanabarger says, the websites at their peak right now are “Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.”

Twitter, for those that don’t know, combines the status function of Facebook with the new world of hashtags, or articulated emotions. Using 140 characters or less, Twitter users must convey their message and whichever emotion they are experiencing. Since its creation in 2006, it has become one of the top ten most visited websites in the world.

“I love Twitter because it allows me to keep up with not only celebrities, but kids that I see at school every day,” says Arrowhead senior Sydney Kozlik. “Everything I need to know is on one website.”

Arrowhead has jumped into Twitterverse with force within the 2012-13 school year. The school has a Twitter page (@ArrowheadSchools), multiple students have pages, and clubs and sports like Lake Country Swim Team (@LCSTPhoenix), Arrowhead Robotics (@Cyberhawks706), and Arrowhead Hockey (@ArrowheadHockey).

Immediately after its inception in 2010, Instagram also gained immense popularity. Originally made for Apple products, but now also supporting Android phones, Instagram allows users to take pictures and then edit them using the filters and frames built into the application.

“I use Instagram to edit the pictures I take during motor cross,” says Arrowhead senior Sarah Piper. “But I use it to share pictures of friends, too.”

The Instagram trend took a little longer to latch on to Arrowhead, which spread around mid 2011. In fact, the Arrowhead section of DECA has their own account to update the school on their events and promotions (arrowhead_deca).

“Arrowhead DECA uses Instagram to share pictures, quotes, and information for Arrowhead DECA members and also DECA organizations worldwide,” says DECA supervisor and marketing teacher Steve Melzer. “If used with correct parameters, it can be an excellent application and learning tool for DECA.”

Tumblr, the oldest of the Arrowhead invaders, launched in 2007. Users can create their own blog and make it essentially anything they want—text, pictures, videos, and music can all be posted. “The Dash,” or home screen, shows all of the posts of the users’ followed blogs as well as the controls to post and edit their own blogs. The user can also customize their blog and generate their own domain name—the defining feature of any blog. 
Now with apps for iPhone and other smart phones, Tumblr can be accessed anywhere, anytime. The most creative and artistic of the social media websites, students at Arrowhead have been taking advantage of the freedom to make their own blog reflect their personalities.

“Tumblr has become something of an obsession this past year,” says Arrowhead senior Maddie Klink. “It’s the most artistic social media site, and I think that draws in a lot of people.”

Also immensely popular within the last year are Wanelo and Pintrest. These two similar websites have been placed in constant battle with each other even though their purposes are slightly different.

Pintrest is the older of the two sites and focuses more on the artistic side of photography and shopping. Users can maintain their own pinboards by following other users and repining or liking their pins, and they can explore the other sections of the site, like Architecture, Fashion, or Cars.

Wanelo, in contrast, allows users to follow stores and websites and post things into wish lists that are actually for sale. Because the site gets its inventory directly from stores, the pictures are less artistic and more industrial, but the idea of Wanelo is similar to Pintrest.

Both sites have mobile apps and connect to online stores like Etsy. Pintrest satisfies a wider range of interests, but Wanelo allows for real purchases. Individual students at Arrowhead each have their own favorite based on which qualities they like more.

However, as popular as these new sites might be, there are some students who are resisting the urge to join the masses. Senior Anastasia Pjevach deleted her Twitter account earlier this year in an attempt to stop the distraction it caused.

“I finally deleted it,” Pjevach says. “It was just too distracting. It was always there to draw me away from things, and I just had to take the plunge and get rid of it.”

The internet is always evolving, changing, and expanding, and the new trends in browsing satisfy an even broader span of interests and uses. Arrowhead has tried and utilized the new sites, but in the end, the favorite site of Arrowhead is up to the individual. Personal preference rules in the web trends of 2013. 

Spanish Careers Fair


Arrowhead High School

Spanish in Careers fair


The Arrowhead High School World Languages department recently hosted the Spanish in Careers Fair in the North Campus Library on the morning of Friday, March 1st.  The Fair is organized for Spanish III students, as a culminating event in their study of the World of Work unit.  

The World Language department hosted thirteen professionals, including three proud Arrowhead alum!  The local professionals included individuals from Kohls Corporations, as well as medical interpreters, physical therapists, FBI agents, and engineers.  

The event received very positive feedback, including one Spanish III student who said, "Why don't we do this all the time?" and a presenter who stated, "I was very impressed with the students' preparation and the level of respect."

Kudos go out to Ms. Jeanne Psket and Mrs. Amy Coraggio, Spanish teachers, for organizing this event and for providing outstanding learning 
experiences for our students.  





Chemistry Students Excel



Arrowhead High School

Students compete in Chemistry Olympiad



Parker McColl
AHS Senior

The Milwaukee Section of the American Chemical Society announced the names of the top scorers on the qualifying round of the US National Chemistry Olympiad exam. One hundred thirty-nine first and second year students from fifteen schools across southeast Wisconsin competed for the opportunity to join the US National Team.

Placing third overall was Parker McColl of Arrowhead High School. Parker has qualified to compete for a position on the US Chemistry Olympiad team. 

Also qualifying from Arrowhead High School was Kevin Jin who placed forth in the competition. Parker is a student of Brian Corry and Kevin is a student of Erling Antony.

Kevin Jin
AHS Senior
Arrowhead had a total of thirteen students among the hundred thirty-nine students from fifteen schools that took part in the event.  Four of the top ten and seven of the top twenty students in the competition were members of the Arrowhead team.  Only ten students from southeastern Wisconsin are allowed to take part in the national exam with no more than two from any one school.  Arrowhead High School has placed two students in this competition in all but one year since 1992.  Congratulations to the team, their teachers and to Parker and Kevin who have qualified to take the National Level of the exam at Carroll University.  


Student Senate: Easter Egg Hunt


Cafe Arrowhead Lobster Boil


AHS Forensics Team


Arrowhead Forensics Team

competes in UW-Whitewater speechbowl


Congratulations to the Arrowhead High School Forensics Team on their performance at the UW-Whitewater Speechbowl.


With 18 entries the students placed 2nd in the small team division.  The following students made power rounds and brought home individual awards:

Kalady Osowski  Special Occassion  3rd 
Braden Pusch  Demo  Finalist
Diya Ramanathan Demo  Finalist
Morgan Smeaton  Storytelling  Finalist 
Amy Teske  Oratory  Finalist 
Shannon Johnson  Oral Interpretation of Literature  Finalist 

Forensics Advisor Mr. Steven Schmid stated, "The team could not have brought home the trophy without solid performances by all.  Great job this week team and we are hoping for more good results to follow."