Welcome to Three Lakes Jr./Sr. High, home of the Bluejays!
At Three Lakes, our teachers, staff and administration strive to provide personal attention to each student. At Three Lakes, every individual is important. Check here often to see what's happening in our school.
Increased Filtering Added to School-Supplied Devices
This past spring, the district made some changes to the filtering products used on school-issued devices. A product called Securly was installed, which allowed for continuous filtering of school Chromebooks, whether the devices were used at school or at home. This meant that restrictions in place at school continued to be in place at home or anywhere the school devices were used. Although schools have always been required to filter objectionable content on school networks for student safety, this approach made filtering specific to device rather than location.
As we begin the 2018-19 school year, the district has added GoGuardian, a tool that lets teachers monitor screen activity while in the classroom. This addition will give teachers the ability to see thumbnails of student screens while working in the classroom.
Although these filters add some level of safety, parents and guardians should remember that nothing is totally effective. Therefore, we remind you to continue to monitor your son or daughter's technology use at home.
We're also excited to announce — through a grant opportunity — that we'll be adding cellular-based Wi-Fi to our school buses this year. This limited wireless service will permit students to complete homework while traveling for school activities. This addition will be activated in the weeks to come, and we'll include another update at that time.
As always, please contact the school with any further questions.
End-of-Year Senior Class Schedule
Seniors, please mark these dates and times on your calendar!
May 4 - All senior fees, fines and dues need to be turned into the office
May 4 - Community service hours due to guidance office
May 11 - Progress reports due in the office.
May 14 - High School Pops Concert, 7 pm
May 16 - Senior Girls Tea, 12 pm reception at Reiter Center
May 16 - Senior Boys Outing, 12 pm
May 16 - Senior Awards - 7 pm
May 24 - Senior Walk Through - 8:15 am
May 24 - Senior Breakfast in the Commons - 8:45 am
May 24 - 9-12 Spring Awards program 9:30 am
May 24 - Senior Cookout at the school, 11:30 am
May 24 - Graduation decorating, 1 pm
May 25 - Graduation rehearsal, 1 pm
May 25 - Graduation, 7 pm
June 21 - Report cards will be sent out.
All students who choose to participate in the Three Lakes High School graduation ceremony are required to wear a cap and gown. Neither the cap nor gown shall be decorated with slogans, personal items and/or symbols unless they are approved in advance by administration. The graduation ceremony is a solemn time for students to be recognized for their accomplishments, it is not a venue designed for students to express themselves. Therefore, all students are to wear clothing that meets the Three Lakes High School dress code. The dress code is found in the student handbook under "Dress and Appearance." Students failing to meet this standard will not be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony.
Testing season will begin soon at Three Lakes School District. Below is a schedule of test dates for grades 7-10. Remember to prepare for a test day by getting a good night of sleep and by eating breakfast on the morning of a test. You can also prepare by taking practice tests. The 7/8 graders can practice for the Forward Exam by clicking here.
The bulk of the Demmer Library’s collection plus staff offices have temporary relocated to the Three Lakes school while the library building undergoes remodeling and expansion. While the general public will go to a temporary storefront location at 1805 Superior Street (formerly the “Choo Choo Store”), Three Lakes school students and staff will have a unique access to some of the public library’s collection in addition to the school’s own library materials.
The Elementary IMC is now home to a large selection of the Demmer’s children’s picture and non-fiction books, plus early reader books and picture books on cassette. The High School IMC houses the Demmer’s young adult fiction and non-fiction books, parenting collection, reference and oversized books, plus adult mysteries. Elementary and high school librarians will be “deputized” as Demmer librarians, and students or staff with Demmer library cards will be able to check out and return Demmer library items in the school libraries. Demmer borrowing policies apply to any materials checked out from school librarians.
The rest of the Demmer’s materials, including adult fiction and nonfiction, large print, paperbacks, and children’s chapter books, are in other locations throughout the school, and staff offices are located in the former computer lab off of the high school library.
The Demmer Library staff thanks the school district for accommodating them during the remodel. It took a lot of work, volunteer time, and the wonderful support of the school maintenance staff to make it possible to fit 23,000 library items into the school space and helping keep them available for public use. Remodeling work will begin at the Demmer Library on April 9, and is scheduled to wrap up around Thanksgiving of 2018. Demmer staff hope to move back into their remodeled library before Christmas.
Belize/Art Connection Gives Students International Exposure
Students in Ms. Grapa's junior high art class had a chance to video chat with students from Compassion Primary School in Central America as part of a portrait project. The Three Lakes students are drawing portraits of the Belize students, which they will then send to the Belize school. This is the third year that Ms. Grapa has coordinated this project. She said it gives her students a chance to talk about life here in the U.S. vs. the country they are studying. It's also a way for the Three Lakes students to learn a little about another culture. As they video-chatted, the students asked typical questions like, "What do you do in your free time?" and "What's your favorite food?" The Belize students were to quick to reply with, "soccer" and "salbutes," while the Three Lakes students responded with "pizza" and "basketball/volleyball/soccer."
New for the 2018-19 School Year!
We’re excited to introduce a new set of courses designed to help our students customize their education. As students sign up for classes this year, they'll be able to choose from a list of independent study courses. These offerings let students strengthen college applications, prepare for future jobs and explore areas of personal interest. Independent courses are also an option for students who are interested in a class, but can’t take it during the time it’s offered.
As the name implies, these courses are under much less supervision and direction than a typical class. Students will learn independently about a chosen topic under the supervision of a faculty member. Learning takes place outside of the student’s regular class schedule, which makes the courses highly flexible.
This type of course is for the highly motivated, responsible student who can work independently. We hope that by offering this option, students at Three Lakes High School will continue following their passions through a broader educational path.
Our current pre-designed offerings include:
Astronomy
Survey of Astronomy
Survey of Ecology
Survey of Geology
Global Science 2
Human Biology
Organic Chemistry
How to Make (Almost) Anything 2
Independent Personal Finance
Come Fly!
Build Your Own History Course
History v. Hollywood
A greater description of these courses will be included in the 2018-19 course book, which will be available in the next few weeks. If students do not see a topic that they are interested in, they can also propose a new area of study and work to design a unique learning experience.
It was an early morning wakeup for the Three Lakes/Phelps Fishing Club on Saturday, Feb. 17. The team was already set up on Lake Minocqua at 5 a.m. in preparation for a day of fishing in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Fishing Association's state tournament. Fishing started at 7 a.m., and by 7:07 a.m., TLP was on the board with its first pike. A flurry of fishing followed before 8 am, including a 32 1/4-inch pike and a measurable walleye. The team shifted its strategy in the afternoon in a search for crappies, and during that time, the anglers also brought in an 18 1/2-inch walleye and a 15 1/2-inch bass.
At the end of the day, the team had 162.5 inches of gamefish and 72.12 inches of panfish for a 234.62 total. They had secured the third-place slot in a field of 80 teams and 700 anglers.
The team is coached by Coach Lorenz from Three Lakes and Coach Pertile from Phelps. This is the first year and competition for the club, and they're already talking about next year.
It's almost time for renovations at the Demmer Library, which means the interior will soon be renovated. Before that happens, Demmer Executive Director Erica Brewster and TL Art Teacher Ms. Grapa decided to let junior high and high school art students say goodbye to the current building by creating a temporary art installation on the lower level. The students stopped by on Thursday, Feb. 8 after school and brought a dozen or so paint cans with them. They spent the evening adding a splash of color to the walls. It was a fun evening, and a great way for the students to experience a little of what it's like to create a wall mural. The installation isn't quite finished, but in the following weeks, be sure to stop by and see what they've been up to.
The Three Lakes Special Education Dept. is again holding a kringle fundraiser. The sale will go through March 2, and orders will be delivered on March 21. Just click here to download the order form, which can be returned to the elementary office. Or, stop in to see Ms. Maney to place an order. And remember, you can freeze kringles, so there's no excuse for not ordering! Cost is $8.50 per kringle.
Fire Building 101 - Harder Than it Looks
As part of a winter survival unit, the students in Mr. Votis' Global Science class spent time out in the woods building primitive fires. The trickiest part was probably starting the fire ... with only a striker and some birch bark. Or maybe some homemade char cloth, if they were lucky. The assignment was to get a fire going and keep it going, and the goal was to teach students how to build fires in all conditions. The final grade was based on what method the students used to start the fire and whether they could keep it going once started.
With temperatures dipping below zero last week, you can bet that the students were pretty anxious to get a nice warm fire going. But after all of the freezing rain, ice and snow from the last storm, fires were pretty hard to come by. Now that things have dried up, most of the groups have been able to start a toasty campfire. Next up for this group is a unit on survival shelters, which will start next week.
Expect Changes to School Wi-Fi
Three Lakes School District is at the end of a four-year technology infrastructure upgrade. Most of these changes have gone on behind the scenes as we work hard to improve and update our networks. However, you might notice a few changes as we implement the final upgrades.
A new firewall and content filter is now in place, and it will affect all available network options, including our secure staff network, our student network and our guest login. As part of an effort to control our bandwidth, users will notice that some sites are now restricted, particularly paid video streaming sites such as Netflix or Hulu. The new restrictions are a way to control our bandwidth and give priority to educational uses of the Internet.
The school is currently on a waitlist to receive a bandwidth upgrade that will move us from a limit of 100MBps to 1Gbps. Currently, at our limited bandwidth, the entire school Internet slows down midday when we experience high use.
The bandwidth upgrade was originally scheduled for September, but has now been pushed back as local providers prepare for the change. We are still unsure when the upgrade will occur.
So what should you do? If you’re a guest in the building, please use the guest login as you connect to the Wi-Fi. Also be aware that the student Wi-Fi login will soon require a unique user name and password instead of a generic login. This change will help us better track who is using what.
A group of Three Lakes students - organized by the National Business Honor Society - jumped into an icy lake on Jan. 6. Not because they were crazy, but because they were raising funds for Angel on My Shoulder, a nonprofit camp for families dealing with the effects of cancer. The yearly event is open to the public, and so far, has raised more than $500,000 during its existence. This year's group of Three Lakes students contributed more than $3,000 to that number.
After taking the plunge, the students were able to warm up in a hot tub in the warming tent. It's definitely a uniquely Northwoods experience, and something the students are sure to tell stories about in the future.
Arsenic and Old Lace Takes the Stage
The Three Lakes HS Drama Club will present Joseph Kesselring's play "Arsenic & Old Lace," on Jan. 19-21 in the Three Lakes Auditorium. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for students and children younger than 4 receive free admission. If you bring a nonperishable food item for the Three Lakes Christian Food Pantry, you'll receive $1 off your admission.
Each performance will include a bake sale before the play and during intermission with all proceeds benefiting the drama club.
The play, which ran on Broadway in 1941, is a dark comedy that recounts the story of two spinster aunts and a less-than-normal family that has a penchant for murder. The script was later adapted for film, and the movie version was released in 1944, starring Cary Grant.
The students in Mr. Schoff's human biology and regular biology classes participated in some hands-on activities last week when Kendra Taylor, a neurobiology PhD candidate from UW-Madison, visited Three Lakes High School. Kendra's school outreach is part of her dissertation work at Madison.
As part of her visit, the human biology students dissected sheep brains. And the regular biology students dissected cow eyes, getting a close look at the lens, cornea and more. Kendra also brought along a human brain and spinal cord, and answered all sorts of brain-related questions, including questions about disease, brain size and more. It was definitely a remarkable day for the science students, and hopefully it inspires some young Bluejays to explore the world of science in greater depth.
A little earlier this month, the Foods I class took orders for handmade holiday treats. It's a fun way for parents and staff to save a little time during the busy holidays while supporting one of the Three Lakes HS classes. This week, the Foods I students spent their class time filling those orders. They melted chocolate, dipped Oreos and pretzels and stirred up batches of fudge. The sweet smells of Christmas filled the hallway and the classroom.
Ms. Kroll said money raised during the sale will go toward a field trip later this year. She typically takes her class to tour a restaurant in either Wausau or Rhinelander. It's a way for the students to see how a professional kitchen is run and to get a little inspiration from chefs in the profession.
The HS Choir set the season in motion this week with a performance for the Three Lakes Women's Club.
Each year, the choir performs during the club's annual Holiday Breakfast event at the Reiter Center. This year, the choir sang several holiday selections, including some that will be performed during the Christmas Concert on Monday, Dec. 11.
The event is a fantastic cooperative event between our community and our school. This year, Women's Club members used the event as a way to raise funds to assist the Three Lakes Lions Club with gifts for their annual Children's Christmas Party. The women also brought nonperishable food items, which will be donated to the Three Lakes Christian Food Pantry.
This week, the 8th graders in Ms. Welhoefer's science class finished up a unit on invertebrates with a few hands-on lessons. If you had stopped by the classroom, you would have found a labyrinth of strings strung over desks as the students set up for the lab. The presentation on squids involved creating a balloon-creature that was was attached via straw to a string. Once the students let go of the balloon, the "squid" raced across the room.
By making modifications to the "squids," students were able to increase the speed of the creations. That lesson rolled into a discussion on the aerodynamics of the creatures and how they propel themselves through water. Student groups were responsible for leading the discussion and digging deeper into the topic. Hands-on lessons such as this are definitely something the kids won't forget.
Teams battle it out in the championship
Lil' Spuds Sweep Tournament
Just before Thanksgiving Break, the junior high and high school wrapped up the 6th Annual Badminton Tournament. The tournament is organized by Mr. Stebbeds, and this year, 25 teams that participated during lunchtime games. The final championship game was held during 6th hour, which everyone was welcome to attend. For the fourth straight year (!), the Lil' Spuds took the title, coming in undefeated throughout the tournament.
"The tournament is intended to provide an opportunity for a break from the normal academic routine," Stebbeds said. "It's a chance for staff and students to enjoy the interaction and fun that is experienced in a physically active setting."
Three Lakes High School students honored area veterans during a Nov. 10 program.
Tri-City Council Speaks with Health 8 students.
Defining a Healthy Relationship
Navigating the complex, ever-changing relationships of junior high can be like walking through a field of emotional landmines. This past week in Ms. Kroll's Health 8 class, representatives from Tri-County Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, which is based out of Rhinelander, came in to talk to students about some of the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship. By discussing fictitious scenarios, the students were able to talk with adults about some of the more subtle signs of abuse, such as emotional control, blame, guilt and more. The hope is that by exploring what's healthy in a friendship or relationship, our students will be better equipped to handle relationships as they mature.
Academic Banquet Honors Students
Did you know TLHS students can earn an academic letter for their hard work and good grades? In 1997, the Three Lakes School Board implemented an award program for all students. Every semester, students accumulate points based on his/her GPA. Points are awarded as follows:
When a student accumulates 6 points, he/she earns an academic letter; after 12 points, a bronze medal; 18 points, a silver medal; and 24 points, a gold medal. On Oct. 15, this year's award winners were honored at the 19th annual Academic Banquet, held at the Reiter Center. We'd like to congratulate all of those recognized!
Have you ever seen an edible plateau? How about islands made of cookies? In Ms. Hicks' social study class, students were given an assignment to create a landform model as part of an introduction to geographical terms. They could choose from mountains, island, plateaus, archipelagos, isthmus and more. Some students went the culinary route and baked up a landform, while others raided the crafting closet for glue, paint, styrofoam, clay and whatever else they could find. The results were as varied as the landforms themselves. The students also had to write an explanation of their landform and present the project to the class.
This major project kicked off a unit on geography. From there, the 7th graders will be studying different parts of the world, starting with Europe and ending with Oceania.
Pink Walk 2017 raised more than $1,000, which will go to the Pink Riders.
Pink Out at Thursday night's volleyball game
We All Wear Pink in October
October is the month of breast cancer awareness, so at TLHS, students donned pink for the cause. The week of Oct. 9 started out with a student assembly where several staff members told their stories. The students also heard from the Pink Ribbon Riders organization, which is where all donations from this week will go. Throughout the week, students hosted a bake sale at lunch, selling pink frosted cupcakes and pink-sprinkled cookies. On Thursday night, NBHS held a Pink Out for fans at the volleyball game. And on Friday, students in elementary, junior high and high school were dismissed early to walk the track and raise awareness for breast cancer. The CNC Club also donated money for the cause.
