- School District of Beloit
- Community Awards/Recognitions
Community Awards/Recognitions
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The School District of Beloit is grateful for our community partners and partnerships. Each month we recognize and honor amazing organizations, businesses, and individuals who extend outreach and support to our students, families, schools, and District.
Click on each picture below to learn about the generosity and support of these organizations and individuals.
August 2024
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Rising Queens
We are proud to recognize The Rising Queens, a local non-profit grassroots organization that has been making a significant impact on our community. This year, The Rising Queens are once again stepping up to host two special free laundry days, one that took place on the 24th and one this Saturday. They are providing a vital service for our students and their families free of charge. The organization’s efforts highlight their deep understanding of the challenges faced by our community and their proactive approach to making a positive difference. We are grateful for their ongoing support and honored to celebrate their contributions to our community tonight.
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Samuel Karns
We honor and recognize Mr. Samuel Karns for his exceptional leadership in organizing the 2nd Annual Back to School Community Health Fair, which took place on Saturday, August 11. While this event was a collaborative effort involving many dedicated individuals and organizations throughout our community, Mr. Karns has been the driving force behind its success for the past two years.
This year’s fair provided invaluable resources to families, including free backpacks filled with school supplies, sports physicals, dental assessments, vision screenings, haircuts, and vaccinations. Additionally, attendees had access to a wealth of information and resources from various community organizations. We extend our deepest gratitude to Mr. Karns for his unwavering dedication and leadership, and we look forward to the continued success of this important community initiative.
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Summer School Partners
We are thankful for the outstanding Summer School partners who played a crucial role in making our summer program engaging and interactive for our students.
We extend our gratitude to the YMCA Gymnastics Program. Their collaboration allowed us to offer the “Let’s Cheer & Dance” course, where students had the chance to learn cheerleading chants, jumps, and dance routines, energizing their summer experience. Additionally, students visited the YMCA Gymnastics Center, where they focused on improving their strength, coordination, flexibility, and confidence through all four gymnastics events: Vault, Floor, Beam, and Bars.
We recognize the YMCA Aquatic Program for their contribution to the “Splash, Cycle & Roll Into Fitness” class. They helped our students build confidence and enhance their physical fitness while learning essential water safety skills. The YMCA Aquatic Program also provided lifeguards to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants, making the pool a place of both learning and fun.
We celebrate Ms. Keira Wilson from Tricoci University for her role in offering the Beautology class. Through this class, students explored the latest trends in hair, nail, and makeup, gaining foundational knowledge in cosmetology. They enjoyed hands-on experiences with hair styling, skincare, nail care, and makeup application, including creating nail art, learning to braid, and treating their skin with care.
We deeply appreciate the dedication and expertise of our partners, which contributed to a memorable and enriching summer for students in our summer school program.
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Theater Staff and Students
Our talented theater students recently embarked on an inspiring trip to London and Scotland, where they had the honor of performing at the world-renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Their dedication, creativity, and passion truly shined on stage at the largest theater festival in the world. We are immensely proud of how they represented our district and community with such excellence!
We also extend our heartfelt appreciation to Mr. Greg Wallendal, who has tirelessly worked for years to elevate our students' theater experience. This marks the department's fourth trip to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and Mr. Wallendal, along with Mrs. Sage Green Cross, played a pivotal role in chaperoning the trip and preparing our students for this extraordinary opportunity. It took many hours of rehearsal, preparation, and commitment to ensure that each student was not only prepared but inspired to showcase their talents on an international stage.
July 2024
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Amy Mitchell and Sarah Lock
We are profoundly grateful for the exceptional collaboration and support we've received from Sarah Lock, the Director of Strategic Communications for the City of Beloit, and Amy Mitchell, Marketing & Communications Coordinator for the Beloit Public Library. Their unwavering commitment and partnership with our district has been nothing short of outstanding. It's no surprise that their organizations consistently share information about our district and support our students, alumni, and staff with enthusiasm and dedication. We sincerely thank Sarah and Amy for fostering such a strong working relationship with us. We eagerly look forward to continuing our collaboration and celebrating all the great things happening in our community together.
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Eric Weier
We are immensely proud to recognize Eric Weier, our Director of Special Education, for his achievements and contributions on both state, national, and international levels. Eric was recently invited to present at the International Association of Special Education's Conference in the Czech Republic. His presentation highlighted our proactive approach to addressing federal identifications and emphasized our vision for inclusive learning. Additionally, Eric was recently elected to serve as an executive officer on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Council of Administrators of Special Services (WCASS). Eric's accomplishments elevate our district and exemplify his unwavering dedication to improving educational outcomes for all students in our district. We thank him for his work and dedication. Our district is lucky to have him as part of our SDB team.
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Food Service Staff
We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the dedicated members of our school district's food service staff for their outstanding commitment and hard work in making our summer food program a true success. Throughout these summer months, their tireless efforts have ensured that children in our community have access to free nutritious meals, providing an essential service during a critical time with a smile at all times. We thank each of them for their hard work, compassion, and commitment to ensuring every child has access to healthy meals. Their dedication has nourished young minds and bodies and exemplified the true spirit of service and care.
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Miss Beloit Organization
We proudly recognize the Miss Beloit Organization for its longstanding commitment to empowering young women in our community. Through its dedication to scholarship, service, and leadership, the Miss Beloit Organization has consistently provided opportunities for personal growth and development for many of our students and alumni. Its impact extends beyond the stage, enriching the lives of participants and many others in our community. Their commitment to excellence and empowerment exemplifies the best of our Beloit community.
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Seal-A-Smile Program - HealthNet of Rock County
We are happy to recognize the dedicated efforts of HealthNet of Rock County in making the Seal-A-Smile program incredibly successful. The Seal-A-Smile program offers quick and easy dental sealants within our school buildings during school hours. This approach saves valuable classroom time and plays a crucial role in preventing cavities and promoting optimal oral health among our students. We sincerely thank HealthNet of Rock County and its staff for their unwavering dedication. Thanks to their efforts, this past year we served more students than ever before. Their efforts promote wellness and contribute to our school community's overall success and well-being. We appreciate their partnership and look forward to having another successful year.
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Shelvin Garrett II
Next up, we are honoring an incredible alumni, Shelvin Garrett II. Shelvin graduated from Beloit Memorial High School in 2020. He went on to attend UW Whitewater to pursue a physical education major and became an All-American track and field athlete. He recently made headlines as he was chosen to compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials in track and field last month in the men's triple jump. He was one of only 24 jumpers selected for the Triple Jump in the nation. He was able to showcase his exceptional talent on a national platform, demonstrating his athletic skills, dedication, and hard work in achieving this remarkable milestone. His achievement serves as an inspiration to our community, and especially our youth. We are so #BeloitProud of him.
May 2024
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Research Symposium Students and Staff
13 of our BMHS students spent this school year collecting data on a variety of ecological subjects related to the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and more. Through these hands-on data collection efforts and research projects, students gained valuable insights into environmental issues while actively contributing to global scientific endeavors.
In addition to this rigorous research work they also had to create presentations to showcase their findings here in our community at our first ever Student Research Symposium. They went further represented BMHS and our district regionally at the Midwest Research Symposium in Toledo, Ohio. We applaud our students' achievement and we acknowledge that none of this would have been possible without the support of our dedicated educators.
We extend our appreciation to Ms. Andre, Mr. Johnson, Mr. McClelland, and Mr. Olds, the incredible educators whose mentorship, guidance, and support helped our students along the way. Their classrooms have been more than a places of learning; they have been nurturing environments where creativity, critical thinking, and perseverance have flourished. They have supported our students through this process and have gone above and beyond to provide them with the tools, resources, and encouragement needed to excel in their research endeavors.
We recognize this incredible group of students and teachers.
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Frito Lay - Beloit, WI
The remarkable team at Frito Lay's impact on our school community extends far beyond the boundaries of traditional partnerships. For many years, Frito Lay has been a valuable partner, dedicating their time, resources to empower our BMHS students to explore their passions, hone their skills, and pursue their dreams with confidence and determination.
They genuinely care and actively investment in the future leaders of our community. They have always opened their doors to our BMHS students and embraced them with open arms, engaging them, provided hands-on learning experiences, mentorship, recruitment, and much more. In addition to this, Frito Lay continuously supports our district with donations from elementary to high school.
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Becca's Closet Volunteers
Becca’s Closet has been making a difference in the lives of our students since 2010. At Becca’s Closet, young women and men alike are welcomed with open arms and provided with not only prom wear but also accessories that include jewelry, shoes and even ties, all offered completely free of charge. They do this not just for prom, but also for homecoming and winter formal as well.
The incredible volunteers devote their time and expertise to receive, sort, organize, and even repair donations. They also support the students who are in search of the perfect gown or suit. They are kind, compassionate, and caring. They go above and beyond to ensure every young person that walks thorough their doors has the opportunity to feel confident and empowered on one of the most memorable nights of their high school experience.
April 2024
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Mario Flores-Culin
Mario is a kind, optimistic, and resilient individual who is also the recipient of the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation $10,000 Initiative Scholarship. The intent of the Herb Kohl Student Initiative Scholarship is to recognize students putting forth extraordinary effort to do their best who have also overcome significant obstacles and adversity. The Beloit Learning Academy team selected him as the recipient of this scholarship. They know that, despite facing numerous challenges along the way, Mario has always maintained a positive attitude and a strong sense of determination. Receiving the Herb Kohl Student Initiative Scholarship is a well-deserved honor for Mario. Mario plans to further his education in cosmetology school upon graduation, and there's no doubt that Mario will continue to make a difference in the lives of others. We applaud Mario for his resilience, congratulate him on this honor, and look forward to witnessing the incredible achievements that lie ahead of him.
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Raul Sanchez-Martinez
Raul is a very talented student, and we are recognizing him tonight because his artwork was recently selected to be the cover of the 2023-2024 Southern Lakes Anthology. The purpose of the Southern Lakes Anthology is to provide students in 3rd through 8th grade in our region with the opportunity to publish their original works that include stories, poems, and illustrations. Each student’s original work is judged and, if selected, published in the anthology book. Raul’s piece was chosen from more than 800 entries from 36 participating districts in the area. Again, not only to be included in the book, but to be on the cover. This is an incredible honor. We shared this news through Facebook back in February and Raul’s story went a little viral. His story was shared by more than 200 people, received 16,000 likes, and almost 1,500 comments. In total, it reached 320,000 people from all over the country who were amazed by his artwork. We are proud of Raul and are happy to recognize him tonight.
Raúl es un estudiante de gran talent. Lo estamos reconociendo hoy por qué su arte fue recientemente seleccionada como la portada del libro de Southern Lakes Anthology del 2023-2024. El objetivo de este libreo es ofrecer a los estudiantes de tercero a octavo grado en nuestra región la oportunidad de publicar sus obras originales, que incluyen historias, poemas e ilustraciones. El trabajo original de cada alumno es evaluado y, si es seleccionado, se publican en el libro. La obra de Raúl fue elegida entre más de 800 piezas de 36 distritos participantes de la region. De nuevo, no solo fue seleccionado para ser incluido en el libre, sino también para ser la portada. Este en un gran honor. En febrero compartimos esta noticia a través de Facebook y la historia de Raúl se hizo un poco viral. Su historia fue compartida por más de 200 personas, recibió 16,000 likes y casi 1,500 comentarios. En total, 320,000 personas a traves del país vieron su maravillosa obra de arte. Estamos orgullosos de Raúl y nos complace reconocerlo esta noche.
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Nailah Adama
Merrill 5th grade teacher Nailah Adama is a recipient of the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Teacher Fellowship Award. This award is presented to only 100 teachers who are nominated for their leadership and service in and outside the classroom, their ability to inspire a love of learning and to motivate their students. Nailah is an example of the amazing dedication and passion that educators bring to our classrooms and schools every day. She fosters critical thinking, creativity, and a lifelong learning among her students. Beyond her role as a teacher, Nailah actively engages with our school community, organizing extracurricular activities, volunteering her time, and forging connections that extend far beyond the classroom.
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CW Shaw Promotional Products
We recognize Curt Shaw and his business, CW Shaw Promotional Products. Curt has built long-lasting partnerships with many individuals across our district throughout the years. He is always available to meet the needs of our staff and students, treats everyone with kindness, and gives back to our schools and district. He fulfills necessary requests, provides high-quality promotional items, and always gives the best price. We honor him and recognizing him for being a supporter of our district and a great community partner.
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Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce
We recognize the Chamber for their invaluable partnership and unwavering commitment to our school and community. They continuously partner with our District, whether it's through networking events, educational workshops, or community outreach programs, we know we can count on the chamber. Just last week, we collaborated and hosted an event for members at the Kolak Education Center. They also support our district by participating in committees with our Academies at the high school, providing an avenue for us to share positive information through their newsletter, and always having an open communication channel with our district. We truly appreciate them and honor them.
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Greater Beloit Economic Development Corporation
The Greater Beloit Economic Development Corporation is an invaluable partner. They are the governing body of our Academy Model at Beloit Memorial High School and support our academies all the way. They convene and lead the Business Education Committee that gathers and facilitates collaborative work between school districts and businesses in our region. Members of the GBEDC are in our buildings presenting, volunteering, providing job shadows and internships to our students. They are instrumental in fostering growth, innovation, and prosperity within our region. We are fortunate to partner with them.
January 2024
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Adam Nilson Art Supply Drive
Adam Nilson was a Beloit Memorial High School graduate who went on to graduate from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. He was a successful and nationally recognized mural artist, and he never forgot about his community. 13 years ago, Adam began an art supply drive to benefit our Merrill students. Adam was passionate about sharing art with our students and letting them know that art could be an avenue to express themselves. We thank the Nilson Family for continuing and expanding the art supply drive this year. Thank you for continuing Adam's work and honoring his legacy. Thanks to their generosity, every Merrill and Todd student picked out two art supplies to take home and enjoy this year.
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Stainless Tank & Equipment
Stainless Tank & Equipment (STE) recently donated thousands of dollars worth of materials for our welding classes and students. This surprise donation will help prepare our welding students for a career beyond high school. STE is one of many business partners that is committed to our students. Their support truly makes a difference in the lives of our students. We thank STE for helping us ensure our students are career, college, and community-ready.
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Stateline Family YMCA
The Stateline Family YMCA is an organization that is continuously partnering and supporting our district and most importantly, our students. They recently teamed up with our schools to collect gifts for the holiday season to donate them to some of our most deserving students and families. YMCA members came together to donate dozens of gifts for our students. The YMCA truly lives by its cause of strengthening its community and working side-by-side with its neighbors to ensure everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. We thank them for their support and for being good neighbors. Our students truly benefit from their generosity.
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Stateline Spinners
The Stateline Spinners are a group of avid cyclists in the greater Stateline area. We recognize them for sharing their love for cycling with our students. This spring, they will host cycling programs in our school. As part of this work, they recently tuned up 40 bikes at Beloit Learning Academy and Aldrich Middle School. We appreciate their willingness to donate their time and resources to engage with our students. This unique program will be an avenue for our students to enjoy the outdoors with their peers, menors, and teachers.
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Woodman's - Beloit, WI
In December, the wonderful employees of Woodman's rallied together to collect and donate dozens of items for our homeless and unaccompanied youth at BLA. This overwhelmingly generous donation included toiletry items, hygiene items, blankets, snacks, and even gift cards. We appreciate them for thinking of our students, especially during the holiday season. These essential items are always appreciated and will help ensure our students are ready to learn.
December 2023
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Anahi Arroyo
BMHS Junior Anahi Arroyo represents our district regionally with her talented voice. Throughout the years, she has performed the National Anthem at various Purple Knight sporting events, Beloit Sky Carp games, and more. She was recently invited to perform at several University of Wisconsin women’s hockey and basketball games. We are proud of Anahi and acknowledge her hard work and dedication. She is one of many talented students in our district who continuously excel in and out of the classroom.
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Luka Kovac and Maxwell Allen
BMHS Seniors Luka Kovac and Maxwell Allen gave their time and kindness on none other than Thanksgiving Day to prepare and cook Thanksgiving meals of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and veggies. They then drove to Madison to share these meals with homeless individuals and then returned to Beloit and handed out the remaining meals to families at the local Family Promise of Greater Beloit Shelter. They did not do this for recognition – but we found out about this good deed and wanted to take a moment and recognize. Thank you, Max and Luka for leading the way and being role models for your peers and in our community. We are fortunate that you are part of our SDB Family.
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Amy Mehltretter
Amy is a science teacher at Beloit Memorial High School who was recently named the Teacher of the Month by the Rotary Club of Beloit. She has taught at BMHS for 17 years and serves as co-advisor of the Senior Class. Her educational philosophy is centered around developing relationships with her students and trying to get them as excited as she can about science and learning. Amy is described by her coworkers as compassionate, kind, knowledgeable, funny, intelligent, hardworking, dedicated, and reflective. We honor her for being named the Rotary Teacher of the Month and serving our students and families at the highest level.
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Joe Vrydaghs
Joe Vrydaghs received the 2023 Administrator of the Year award by the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education. This organization strives to acknowledge and encourage outstanding individuals and groups in their contributions to the field of environmental education. Joe is honored for his commitment to our Aldrich students and their academic success. He provides opportunities for them to learn about environmental science and advocates for continuous partnerships that offer so many opportunities to our students. We commend him for his leadership in our district and honor him.
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BMHS Expo Team
The BMHS Expo took place on Wednesday, December 6 at Beloit Memorial High School. It was an eventful night that included countless community partners, colleges, universities, military branches, businesses, student clubs, organizations, sports, and performances. It was a successful night and this was all possible thanks to many of our amazing staff. Tonight, we are recognizing the core team of staff members who pulled off this great event and elevated the presence of our high school in our community and region. Thank you to Deb Prowse, Brian Michels, Heidi Andre, Thomas Bricco, and Judy Wilson for working collaboratively to make our BMHS Expo a huge success.
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Beloit Fresh Start Program
Beloit Fresh Start is an education and job training program for students in our community. As part of the program, these students have been conducting ecology fairs in our elementary schools with the help of the Welty Environmental Center.
Welty oversees the ecology programming and the Beloit Fresh Start students run the different educational stations that students can visit, interact, engage, and learn from. This incredible collaboration is made possible thanks to the Robert Morse Foundation. We appreciate the time Beloit Fresh Start students take to prepare for these ecology fairs. It is incredible to see the interactions, the hands on learning, the smiles, and the connections that are made at these Ecology Fairs. This is an exceptional program, with exceptional students.
October 2023
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2023 Boys Baseball Team
The American Baseball Coaches Association recognized our 2023 Boys Baseball Team with a Team Academic Excellence Award. This national award recognizes our students' commitment to their academic success. Our students were the only Big-8 Conference team to earn this award, and no Southern Lakes Conference team qualified. We commend our students for their hard work on and off the field and elevating our district’s academic recognition. Congratualtions to Tayvon Cates, Dustin Foss, Kevin Garcia, Willmy Henriquez, Amare Hereford, Kaleef Hobson-Thomas, Grant Kiger, Diego Martinez, Brooks Mitchell, DeCarlos Nora III, Michael Nora, Brenin Pearson, Ruddy Ramirez-Mendez, Jose Reyes-Contreras, Mitchell Stuessy, Jordan Toubl, Hayden Wells, and Owen West.
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Bilingual Support Staff
We want to our Bilingual Home School Liaisons - Ariana Bruno, Michelle Loyo, Crystal Silva, Jennifer Silva, and Mercedes Viramontes as well as Tulio Duran our Bilingual Family Support Specialist, and Doralis Cederberg our District Translator. These staff members provide valuable help and act as a primary resource to all of our families and students with an emphasis on our Spanish-speaking families. They provide translation and interpretation, they answer questions, serve as advocates, and are in our schools serving at the highest level, and always with a smile and kindness. We appreciate their hard work and want to acknowledge each one of them tonight.
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Brian Denu
We recognize Coach Brian Denu for earning his 200th career win in September of this year. Brian Denu has coached for the last 15 seasons in our district. He has helped dozens of student athletes excel both academically and with their soccer aspirations. We thank him for his dedication and commitment to our students as a teacher, coach, mentor, and more. Thank you for all you do for our students - we appreciate you.
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FoodWIse
FoodWise is a program through UW extensions. During the summer, they partnered with our district to offer a free Teen Cuisine course to our middle and high school students. The program included an outstanding curriculum provided by their nutrition educators! Our students took part in a six-lesson series that addressed key concepts of nutrition, food safety, and food preparation. The lessons were very hands-on and included activities such as meal planning, preparing food safely to prevent foodborne illness, reading labels on food packages, and how to follow a recipe. We appreciated the time, resources, and all the work they put into helping our students learn about healthy food and nutrition. FoodWise is a community partner that provides year-round assistance and information to our students and families. We appreciate their partnership with the School District of Beloit.
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James Ford
James Ford was the recipient of Week 4’s Football Player of the Week after a statewide vote on WisSports. James helped our Beloit Memorial football team to a 24-21 victory over Union Grove on Friday, September 8th. He had an outstanding game, rushing 27 times for 287 yards and a touchdown. We love to see our students earn state-wide recognition. We acknowledge the hard work it takes to be a student-athlete and honor James for this accomplishment. We are proud of you James and recognize you.
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Sarah Ramsden
Sarah was recognized as a Commended Student by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation back in September. These students are recognized nationally for their exceptional academic promise. Sarah placed among the top 50,000 students in the country. We know Sarah is an academically accomplished student, but she is also a gifted student-athlete. Sarah qualified for State as part of our Girls Golf program and placed 12th in the tournament. In addition to this, she was also named to the Golf Coaches Association of Wisconsin Girls’ All-State Second Team. Sarah - we honor you tonight for your accomplishments as a student and a student-athlete.
September 2023
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Beloit Goodwill
Beloit Goodwill has provided a space to host the annual "Cram the Bus" event every year. They are also great promoters of the event and help get the word out in our community before and during the event. We appreciate their commitment to making the Cram the Bus event a success. Their staff is wonderful and we appreciate every single one of them. Thank you for being a great community partner and supporters of our students, families, and district.
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Big Radio
The Big Radio group is an outstanding community partner. This August was the third year they organized the “Cram the Bus” event to collect school supplies for our district. For almost 10 hours, they were out at the Beloit Goodwill on site promoting the event to their listeners. Thanks to their partnership, we received hundreds of backpacks, notebooks, folders, glue, pencils, crayons, and so many other school supplies that were put in the hands of our students. The whole team at Big Radio are always happy to help and give back to the community. We are lucky to have them as a community partner.
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City of Beloit Fire Department
The City of Beloit Fire Department partnered with our summer school administrators to offer a Fire/EMS Academy for our summer school students. The exercises and the hands-on experiences our students had were phenomenal. Our students learned so much from the class and even participated in a final round of tests that included simulated search and rescue, a forcible emergency entry scenario, and using a fire hose. We thank everyone from the fire department that made this opportunity possible for our students. We look forward to the continued partnership and growth.
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Costco Logistics
Costco Logistics contacted our District in July wanting to donate bookbags for our students. They surprised us with not 50 or 100 backpacks, but 192 backpacks that each had a ruler, a pencil pouch, 2 pocket folders, and an eraser. The backpacks were colorful, had different designs, and were perfect for our elementary school students. We were able to include other essential school supplies from the Cram the Bus event and distribute 32 of these backpacks to each of our six elementary schools. We thank them for thinking of our district and students. Their kindness and generosity helped our students start off the year on a positive note.
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Durham School Services
Durham School Services is our partner in transportation. They ensure our students get to and from school safely each and every day. They were also vital in getting the school supplies from the "Cram the Bus" event to our district. The day they were supposed to deliver the school supplies, they encountered an issue with the bus. But they did not let this stop them, they moved the hundreds of school supplies to another bus to ensure we received them. We thank them for their commitment to our district and most importantly our students.
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Welty Environmental Center
The Welty Environmental Center provides hands-on learning opportunities to our students year-round. During summer school, they were a vital partner. They provided field trips and frequently visited Fruzen Middle School. Whether they brought along their turtles to teach our students about their anatomy and diet, or helped them learn about water and the different phases of the water cycle through interactive activities. They continuously made learning fun and engaging for our students. We thank them for everything they do for our students.
May 2023
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Beloit Cares
Beloit Cares goes above and beyond for our students and families. Todd Elementary nominated them because they donate a lot of necessary items for their school pantry and provide additional resources for our families. No matter what the ask may be, they find ways to make it happen. They provide things like bedding, hygiene items, and school supplies, as well as shelter and hotel vouchers. The staff and families at Todd are so grateful for the partnership they have built with them. The staff at BLA also wanted to recognize Beloit Cares and echoed the sentiment that they provide necessary items for our students in need. Again, those are hygiene kits, food and snacks, air mattresses, bedding, blankets and other items are donated to BLA and given immediately to our students. We thank them for their kindness, generosity, and for being an organization that is making an impact in our community.
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Beloit Junior Women’s Club
Back in April, the Beloit Junior Women’s Club surprised our Loads 2 Success program with a $700 donation. Our Loads2Success program is a free laundry drop-off program for students and families in our district. This student-led, non-profit program provides free laundry services for those in need, while also teaching our students life and job skills. This generous donation will help cover the costs for things like laundry detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets and will ultimately ensure our students and families have clean clothes. This donation will be so valuable in making an impact on our student’s learning and their social and emotional well-being. Thank you.
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BMHS Students
Beloit Memorial High School students Jai'lon Carter, Elijah Robinson II, Javon Scales, and Jedidiah Sheally went above and beyond recently when they offered to volunteer and help out their teacher, Mrs. Sha-Nita Davies, during the Ms. Beloit competition this year. They were willing to help and lend a hand, not expecting any kind of recognition. The day of the event they were kind, caring, professional, and helped move things around to set-up. They also served as ushers for the event. They could have backed out or not shown up, but they showed up because they made a commitment. Thank you for stepping up, making a positive difference in our community, and representing Beloit Memorial High School and our District.
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Bosco Family
The Bosco family does so much for many of our families at Todd Elementary including donating toiletries and other items that many people don't think to donate to a school. However, we know when working with families, these items are most needed. Todd Elementary mentioned that when they serve our families for holidays and they ask what their needs and wants are, almost every single family asks for basic essentials. The Bosco Family's generosity helps meet these needs! Thank you for always thinking of our students and families.
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CareerTek
CareerTek is an amazing community partner. They visit BLA regularly to offer academic and career planning to our students. They organize guest speakers of interest to our students and provide individualized support related to apprenticeships, scholarships, and their successful CNA program. Our BLA students have visited CareerTek's facility multiple times this year to learn more about employability skills and career opportunities. We appreciate their continued partnership throughout our schools. Thank you for providing an additional layer of support for our students to continue to be career, college, and community ready.
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HES Facility Management
We work very closely with HES Facility Management, as they employ the amazing custodians in our buildings. Today we are recognizing them for a recent scholarship donation of 2,500 they made to Beloit Memorial High School. This was an unexpected but welcomed donation. The High School set up a committee that will select a recipient and this scholarship will be awarded next week to a deserving student during our Senior Awards night. We know that going to college is costly and the cost includes more than just tuition. This scholarship will help cover these costs and hopefully ease the financial burden for a student and their family. Thank you.
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Project 16:49
Project 16:49 generously donates hygiene bags, food, snacks and other materials that many of our unaccompanied youth need when they don’t have a consistent place to rest their head every night. The staff at Project 16:49 help with case management, help students who need housing and even work with our students who don't live onsite with them to provide community resources and additional support. We appreciate the care and compassion that Project 16:49 staff share with our students at BLA. Thank you for helping us bridge the gaps to ensure our student’s essential needs are met.
March 2023
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Jean Schumacher and Abby Curtis
Jean Schumacher and Abby Curtis nominated by Converse Principal, Leah Mallott
Students always enjoy working with Ms. Jean Schumacher and Ms. Abby Curtis when they visit their classrooms. When they make a special visit to Converse, students are fully engaged; the students especially enjoy the guitar music and fun songs that Ms. Schumacher and Ms. Abby share with them. Converse appreciates Ms. Schumacher and Ms. Abby and the work they do to make learning fun and engaging for our students! They are a dynamic duo that bring excitement to our school and they deserve to be recognized.
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Marianne Tiffany
Marianne Tiffany nominated by Converse Principal, Leah Mallott
Mrs. Tiffany may be a retired Converse teacher, but she still brings her teaching heart and soul to Converse weekly as she helps our kindergartners learn and grow. Mrs. Tiffany always greets everyone with a smile and a bit of humor. We appreciate all the time she spends with our students. Converse students and staff are grateful for Mrs. Tiffany's continued commitment and dedication to our students, staff, and school community.
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Ms. Emily Morales and Ms. Brooke Fiedler
Ms. Emily Morales/Ms. Brooke Fiedler nominated by Robinson Parent Emily Glynn
My daughter is in 3rd grade at Robinson. She has Ms. Emily Morales and Ms. Brooke Fiedler. They have been absolutely amazing this year. After the tenured teachers left last year we were all sitting in angst wondering who would fill these big shoes. My daughter has a really good class and a group that has been together mostly since 4K. After the pandemic and the year of learning from home, the class was struggling and a little bit behind, like many others. These two incredible teachers entered 3rd grade for their first year at Robinson and inherited a pretty difficult situation but quickly realized they had a great group of kids. Rather than be frustrated at the situation presented to them they used their experience teaching together for years and created a plan. They spent time to really get to know the kids and come to their level. This allowed them to see where the kids were struggling and help them to learn at the fast pace needed to get them caught up. My daughter is back to being excited to learn and not having anxiety about going to school and making a lot of progressing forward thank two these two amazing teachers who deserve to be recognized. We love all the teachers at Robinson and if I could I would recognize each one of them if I could.
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Todd College Mentors
Todd Mentors (Caitlyn Lehr and Ashley McCarthy) Nominated by Todd Staff
This year is Todd's first official kickoff of our Mentor Program. We partnered with Beloit Memorial High School and Blackhawk Technical College to provide one-to-one mentoring to a handful of our 3rd grade students. Our Mentors meet with their Mentee at least once a week for a minimum of 30 minutes each visit. The Mentor acts as a role model and source of encouragement for their Mentee. Some activities they share with their 3rd grader consists of doing school work, playing games. career/college exploration, creating artwork, writing a story/song, eating lunch, talking, etc. Studies have shown that students participating in school-based mentoring have shown improvements in behavior, attitudes, and self-confidence. So far this year, our students have loved having their Mentors and many students who do not have a Mentor ask for "their own high schooler." We have found that our students with mentors have an increase in attendance, discipline data, and school engagement so far this year. We are so happy to have our Mentors in our building and look forward to growing our program moving forward! Thank you for all that you do!!
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Todd High School Mentors
Todd Mentors (Ayden Kuhle-Moran, Jena Loerke, Morgan McBride, Noelani Najera, Andrea Sala, Nanci Turrubiates, Jasmine Turrubaites, and Damiya Wiles.) Nominated by Todd Staff
This year is Todd's first official kickoff of our Mentor Program. We partnered with Beloit Memorial High School and Blackhawk Technical College to provide one-to-one mentoring to a handful of our 3rd grade students. Our Mentors meet with their Mentee at least once a week for a minimum of 30 minutes each visit. The Mentor acts as a role model and source of encouragement for their Mentee. Some activities they share with their 3rd grader consists of doing school work, playing games. career/college exploration, creating artwork, writing a story/song, eating lunch, talking, etc. Studies have shown that students participating in school-based mentoring have shown improvements in behavior, attitudes, and self-confidence. So far this year, our students have loved having their Mentors and many students who do not have a Mentor ask for "their own high schooler." We have found that our students with mentors have an increase in attendance, discipline data, and school engagement so far this year. We are so happy to have our Mentors in our building and look forward to growing our program moving forward! Thank you for all that you do!!
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Lois Ferrerra and Karen Thorson
Lois Ferrerra and Karen Thorson nominated by Todd staff
Lois and Karen are two reading volunteers from RSVP, a local retired and senior volunteer program. They donate an hour of their time every week to help the students at Todd practice their reading. Our students are happy and enjoy the time they spend with Lois and Karen. We appreciate their dedication and continuous work with our students at Todd. Thank you for making a difference and helping our students every week.
January 2023
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BMHS Students
BMHS students Jameson Flanagan, Anna Luna, Nashaun Moore, Jordan Toubl, and Ikeehm White participated in a pitch to the Green Bay Packers and the Equity League of Wisconsin for a collaborative funding opportunity. They spent weeks practicing their pitch to different groups and classrooms at the high school. Their presentation highlighted their lived experiences and their stories. We are proud of them for sharing their stories and representing our community.
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Community Partners
Several community partners and individuals were fundamental in securing the pitch opportunity for our students at Lambau Field. They helped our students prepare for their pitch, they continuously encouraged them to be their authentic selves and share their stories. They have helped our students and continue to extend outreach to them. Thank you to Mr. Tony Capozziello, Mr. LaMont Weaver, Mr. Jeff Smoller, Mrs. Kathe Crowley Conn, Bridge and Build, and WAGET.
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Michelle Hendrix-Nora and Regina Hendrix
Michelle and Regina are two staff members that continuously go above and beyond for our students. They leverage their community connections to benefit and elevate the voices of our students, staff, and district. Both of them were recently recognized on the list of Wisconsin’s 52 Most Influential Black Leaders.
Here is what was included in their recognition by Madison365:
- Michelle Hendrix-Nora is principal of McNeel Intermediate School in Beloit. In 2018, responding to data showing alarming African American achievement and behavior disparities, she helped create the Lancer H.E.A.R.T.S (Helping Educate At-Risk Teenage Students) mentoring program. That effort, among others, earned her a YWCA Racial Justice Award in 2021.
- Regina Hendrix is director of Help Yourself Programs at Beloit College, which is dedicated to preparing local youth to be successful in school and preparing students to attend a four-year institution of higher education. She joined the program in 2012 and has worked her way to the top over the past 10 years. In 2014, she became the first Black woman on the Beloit City Council, where she served until 2017.
This is just a glimpse into what they have done in our district and community. They are also involved with the Rising Knights HBCU College Tour, the Knightangales, and the Step Teams at the High School, just to name a few things. We thank them for their commitment to our students.
December 2022
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Beloit Freemasons - Morning Star Lodge #10
The Beloit Freemasons from Morning Star Lodge #10 recently made a $1,000 donation to Hackett Elementary School for them to purchase winter coats, hats, and mittens for their students. Their donation will also be matched by the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin.
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Otis Johnson
Otis Johnson recently donated $3,000 to the swim program for the purchase of a new computer for the pool area. This new computer will ensure that swim times are reported accurately and quickly. Our students, staff, and coaches are grateful for this donation.
November 2022
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Art Winners
At the beginning of the year, students in our District were also invited to submit their artwork to be displayed at the Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration. This celebration was put together by our amazing Bilingual Home School Liaison team.
The artwork was judged based on theme and creativity and the following students were selected as winners for their creative art pieces.
Elementary School Level: Darren Newell
Intermediate School Level: Destiny Suarez
High School Level: Jackelyn Montano
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Essay Winners
At the beginning of the year, students in our District were invited to participate in an essay contest for our first annual 2022 Stateline Area Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration. This celebration was put together by our amazing Bilingual Home School Liaison team.
The theme of the event was Unidos: Inclusivity for a stronger nation.
After dozens of submissions, there students were selected as winners for their outstanding original essays that showcased the prompts that included quotes by Sonia Sotomayor and Cesar Chaves.
Congratulations to:
Connie Acuachuitl - 1st Place
Raquel Nevarez - 2nd Place
Marcela Ramirez Rojas - 3rd Place
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Aurora Miller
Aurora is a Senior at Beloit Memorial High School. She was recently recognized and honored by the College Board because of her academic achievements in school and outstanding performance in her AP classes, along with maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She received the National Hispanic Recognition Award and the National Indigenous Award. Aurora has taken on a number of AP courses, is a member of the Academic Decathlon team, and president of the National Honor Society. She makes us Beloit Proud.
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Jonathan Garrett
Jonathan is a talented musician and senior at Beloit Memorial High.
He is a part of our nationally recognized jazz band that attended the 27th Annual Essentially Ellington in New York City this spring. At this event, Jonathan was acknowledged with an Outstanding Drummer award.
We recognize him for not only that but also for being selected to participate in the All-National Honors Jazz Ensemble. This is a musical event that showcases the top performing high school musicians in the United States. This showcase was hosted by the National Association for Music Education in Washington D.C. this November. Jonathan is a true representation of the talented and academically successful students in our District.
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Jennifer Wyels
We are recognizing Robinson Art Teacher, Jennifer Wyels for her dedication to our students and staff.
For the past two years, Ms. Wyels has led her students in creating amazing and thoughtful artwork for the Veterans in our District. This artwork is delivered to every Veteran in our District along with a card and a gift bag to thank and acknowledge them for their service to our country. Without Jennifer this would not be possible, our District is thankful for staff members like her who go above and beyond.
Jennifer is always willing to step up, collaborate and showcase the artwork of our students.
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Big Radio Group
The Big Radio Group is a great community partner.
We honor them for helping to host and promote the “Cram the Bus” fundraiser to collect school supplies for our students. They advertised the event and were on site the day of to promote it with all of their listeners. The whole team at Big Radio are always happy to help and give back to the community. They do this not seeking a recognition, but we would like to recognize them anyway.
Thanks to them, hundreds of school supplies reached the hands of our students and helped them start off the year on the right track.
September 2022
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Grow Your Own Supporters
We are thankful for our staff and community partners who came together to create our 2022 Grow Your Own Multicultural Teacher Scholarship video. You can view the video here.
May 2022
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Beloit Public Library
There is always one community organization and leader who steps up in all circumstances to support the School District of Beloit. During the past two years, and during the challenges of the pandemic, the Beloit Public Library and Nick Dimassis made themselves available to our students, families, and staff in delivering academic, social, and emotional support. During the pandemic, they remained open and provided resources including books, technology, and a safe place. We continue to be in appreciation of the Library’s support as they help us share information about our District, providing a space for meetings, and always looking out for the best interest our students.
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Megan Hauri
Megan was recently awarded the Crystal Apple Award form NBC15 out of Madison. This prestigious award honors teachers who touch the lives of students in extra special ways. Megan has been a teacher for 18 years, and the last 12 have been at Hackett Elementary. She works with more than 100 students who are English Language learners. She helped start the Hackett food pantry, in the winter she helped collect clothing for a lending closet, and has also collected bikes for students. Ms. Hauri goes above and beyond for our students and is an asset to our District.
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Miguel Olivera
We honor BMHS Senior Miguel Olivera for his participation in the design of the Challenge Coin for USS Beloit. Miguel, along with three other local artists, played a key role in this important part of the USS Beloit process. The coins will be placed in a box that will be welded to the new USS Beloit ship to bring good luck to the U.S. Navy crew. Miguel has enlisted in the U.S. Navy and will be attending boot camp in July. Miguel is a student who represents our District and community in a positive and creative way. He makes us #BeloitProud.
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Reid Stadelman
We thank and recognize BMHS Senior Reid Stadelman for going above and beyond by volunteering at the High School. The BMHS PACMES Academy hosts a Career Speaker every other Friday. Reid volunteers his time to help set up all the lights and technology for the speakers. He will also greet them in the office, and walk them down to the auditorium. Reid stands out as one of our most appreciated Beloit Memorial High School ambassadors. He exemplifies all the great qualities of a BMHS Student.
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Jazz Supporters
We thank Chris Behrens, Niki Behrens, Amy Mitchell, Brenda Plakans, Becky Wong, and John Wong.
For the 10th time, our BMHS Jazz Orchestra was invited to attend the highly competitive and prestigious Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival in New York City. While we make sure to recognize the exceptional talent of our students, we also want to take a moment and recognize those individuals that help to fundraise, organize, and support our students to make this all possible. They are humble and quiet supporters that do not seek attention or acknowledgement of their efforts. However, we believe, as a District, that they deserve this recognition this evening. Thank you for showing our students that there are adults who care and want to see our students succeed in and out of the classroom with opportunities such as Essentially Ellington.
April 2022
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Dabadooya and Company
Dayton Bennett is an entrepreneur and founder of Dabadooya and Company. As a BMHS graduate, Dayton is always looking for ways to give back to our district and community. He is actively involved in different community groups and boards. Our district is lucky to partner with him and his company. We thank him and recognize him for organizing a fundraiser in February to raise money to purchase coats for students in our district. He was able to raise $300 and purchase 10 brand new coats that were donated to students at Robinson Elementary School.
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Stateline Boys and Girls Clubs
The Stateline Boys and Girls Clubs are an important part of our community. Their organization goes above and beyond to serve the needs of our students and the children in our community. We are extremely thankful for their partnership and are recognizing them as our April Community Partners for donating KN95 masks to our District during a crucial time. We are grateful and appreciative of their support of our students and staff and their continuous partnership with our District.
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360 Signs & Wonders Graphics
We are thankful and appreciative of the partnership we have with Shelvin Garrett and his company 360 Signs & Wonders Graphics. Gaston Principal, Fonda Lewis said that Shelvin and his company have been an integral part of supporting the building culture and community at Gaston. Shelvin worked with our staff to provide window clings and a life size “Bandit” for the Gaston families, students, and staff. Everyone can feel the Gaston Bandit spirit as they walk in the front doors and through the halls of Gaston School and this is all thanks to Shelvin.
Shelvin actively works with many of our school principals and District staff to provide great quality work that truly makes a difference in our building and District.
February 2022
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First National Bank and Trust
First National Bank and Trust was a fundamental partner in helping fund the "Shop with a Hero" program. The "Shop with a Hero" program benefits our students and families. The "Shop with a Hero" program connects our students with local law enforcement officers and fire personnel, as well as members of the national guard. They shop for Christmas gifts for themselves or family members. It is a great kick-off to the holiday season and something our District always looks forward to participating in. Thank you First National Bank and Trust for being a great community partner!
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The Jacobsen Family
The Jacobsen family has continuously been supportive of our Purple Knight Basketball teams. They have provided countless snacks, meals, sports equipment, and athletic wear for our Purple Knights. They continue to not only provide supplies but they always have encouraging, positive, and reinforcing words for our teams. They have certainly gone above and beyond as supportive and positive fans, mentors, and allies. They do this out of the kindness of their heart and for the love of our district, athletics, staff, and students.
We thank them for making a difference in the lives of our students.
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Youth2Youth 4 Change
Youth 2 Youth 4 Change is a local nonprofit program. They are a youth-led peer education/advocacy group that educates youth in our community about the dangers of substance abuse. Recently, they have taken on many more community projects to give back to the commmunity. We recognize them for their continuous work and partnership with our District and students. We thank them for the recent donation of masks they provided to our School District.
November 2021
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The Women’s Infinity Group at Amazon collected and donated several boxes of school supplies to our District. We distributed the school supplies to our elementary schools and our Even Start Family Literacy Program. Backpacks, notebooks, crayons, pencils, and so many other school supplies went into the hands of our students. We are so grateful to have Amazon in our community; from day one they have truly gone above and beyond to be good community partners.
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The volunteers and staff at Central Christian Church donated dozens of backpacks with school supplies for all of our elementay schools at the beginning of the school year. The Central Christian Team provides outreach, support, and help to our District year-round. They go above and beyond as a community partner and are really an intrical part of our Beloit community. We are truly appreciative of their generosity.
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The Practice Interview Program consists of dozens of community leaders, business owners, and district staff that take time out of their day to participate in Practice Interviews at Beloit Memorial High School. There are three Practice Interview Facilitators that take the lead and drive this collaborative program. We recognize and thank Danielle Marx, Rick Barder, and Ron Whitley. The impact of the practice interview program is evident by the feedback from our students. We are so lucky to have a community that supports and takes part in this great program.
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Walmart reached out to our District to donate school supplies! Right away, we had our facility staff coordinate a pick up of more than a pallet of school supplies. We sorted them out and distributed them to every single one of our schools. We are truly grateful for the generosity of Kim, Jessica, and the whole team at Walmart for thinking about our District, and most importantly about our students. We are grateful to have so many businesses like Walmart in our community. Big and small, throughout our community, local businesses continuously lend a hand to us for the ultimate benefit of our students.
September 2021
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Big Radio Group
The Big Radio Group (105.9 The Hog, 99.9 WJVL, 101.9 & 1490 Iron Country, 92.3 & 98.9 The Beat, WCLO) were instrumental in making the Cram the Bus event that was held in mid-August so successful. They helped advertise the event and were on site the day of to promote it. Thanks to them, we received hundreds of backpacks, notebooks, folders, glue, pencils, crayons, and so many other school supplies that were put in the hands of our students.
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Durham School Services
Durham School Services was essential in the success of the Cram the Bus event. Shanda Richardson staffed the bus all day on behalf of Durham. She gave tours of the bus when families stopped by and was truely excited to be there. Shanda was also instrumental in the delivery of the school supplies to the Kolak Education Center where our staff spent two days soarting through them and delivering them to our schools.
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First National Bank and Trust
Several local First National Bank and Trust locations hosted a school supply drive. Their generous staff and customers collected dozens and dozens of school supplies that were then donated to Merrill Elementary School!
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Kerry
Kerry hosted a school supply drive with their staff in August. Many staff members participated and even shipped in items if they were working from home. Their generous donation of school supplies benefited our elementary school students. Thank you Kerry for supporting the School District of Beloit.