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Holmen Middle School students showcase spelling-bee winners, service projects and entrepreneurship
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Summary
Students and staff at Holmen Middle School presented spelling-bee winners, community-service projects and a student entrepreneurship project, while the board praised student leadership and activities during the March 9 board meeting.
Holmen Middle School students and staff presented highlights to the Holmen Board of Education on March 9, detailing academic competition results, community engagement projects and career-and-technical education achievements.
Principal Ryan Vogler introduced student accomplishments, noting spelling bee results: "our fourth place finisher was Lila Alexander in sixth grade, and third place was Esten Bork in eighth grade," and that Weston Lorenz won first place and Oliver placed third at regionals and will compete at the Badger State spelling bee. The presentation emphasized hands-on learning, including a Trout in the Classroom program partnered with Trout Unlimited to teach ecosystems and water quality to seventh graders.
Students described extracurricular offerings and school culture in their own words. Seventh-grader Eden Blanketsep said, "My favorite part of ASR is being the goalie," and eighth-grader Camden Ryan highlighted interschool competition and memories from athletics. A student presenter described how business and entrepreneurship classes, plus guidance from CTE instructors and local partners, helped him run a small-engine repair business; he cited letters of support from Western Technical College and local public safety officials.
Staff also outlined student leadership and service projects: students ran a grade-level food drive collecting nonperishables for local pantries, with recycling bins donated by Hilltopper Refuge to support a new recycling effort. Webb leaders (an eighth-grade peer-mentoring program) have been visiting sixth-grade classrooms monthly to teach study skills and character lessons; staff said applications for new Webb leaders will open soon.
The presentation included co-curricular participation and enrichment updates: roughly 640 students participate in activities ranging from WIAA sports to clubs; a student-led Dungeons & Dragons club enrolls about 38 students; show choir recently earned awards at its competition. Board members responded with praise: Maggie Smith called the presentations "phenomenal," and multiple trustees congratulated students and coaches.
The board accepted the presentation as a report; the meeting moved on to summer school planning and other agenda items.
