The Benefits of Guidance

by Morgan Lukes

Through my four years of high school, we have gone through many different faculty members.  One of the faculty positions that has changed over the years is our guidance counselor position.  Over my four years of high school, as a senior, I have seen three different guidance counselors: Mrs. LeVeque, Mr. Thoreson, and now Mr. Kelter. 

Mrs. LeVeque was here when we were freshman and sophomores.  We could go to her about anything or any problem and she was willing to help us out.  She was a great lady and a great counselor.  I’m sure if you ask any senior or junior, they will tell you that they loved going to talk to Mrs. LeVeque because she was fun to talk to and everyone loved playing with the toys on her desk.

Mr. Kelter

For our junior year, we had Mr. Thoreson.  Mr. Thoreson was a good guidance counselor.  He was always on the seniors, telling them to get this and that done for their future if they wanted to succeed.  He was also helpful to underclassmen whether they needed to talk about something or change their schedule in some way.  Mr. Thoreson was a good guidance counselor for this school; he always kept people moving.  Mr. Thoreson is now our assistant principal, dean of students, and athletic director.

Now we have Mr. Kelter as our new guidance counselor at Newman Catholic.  He is constantly on the run getting everyone’s attention.  He is always keeping the students on track and motivated.  He is always on us, as seniors, to get our college applications in, and to do many other things concerning our senior year.  Mr. Kelter is definitely the man to fill this position effectively for the foreseeable future at Newman Catholic.

Newman's Got A New Club

By Thayeng Lee

Newman’s Got Talent is a club where students can exhibit their talents and show them off. During half-time of the basketball games, students in Newman’s Got Talent can show off their different talents to the crowd. There is a meeting every week during lunch where students can come and discuss their ideas of what they want to do. Ideas  could include acting out a play, singing, playing an instrument, dancing, or other things. There can be many other options that will be considered.

Erin Gassner, the vice president of Newman’s Got Talent, says that the students can decide what to do during half-time of basketball games. Also, Gassner says that there will be a Variety or Talent Show later this year. She thinks that this is a really good club and she hopes that it will continue.

The advisor for this club is Mr. Thoreson; he was the one who started Newman’s Got Talent. He started this club so that Newman can show off their many gifts and talents to other people.

Boys Soccer Returns to State

by Thayeng Lee

The Newman Catholic boys soccer team returned to the state tournament in Milwaukee this year after staying undefeated in conference and winning both regionals and sectionals. It was a hard fought battle against The Prairie School, but in the end Newman lost 6-0 in the semi-finals. Even though they didn’t win state, the team is proud to have gone to state twice in a row.

Coach Switalski said that this year was a fantastic season in terms of wins and losses. “Not very many people thought Newman could go to state this year,” said Coach Switalski. He also believed that all the soccer players grew from this year’s season, and that they all strived to do their very best.

Switalski added that he is very encouraged that everyone picked up their game, but he is a little concerned about the number of soccer players for next year. Switalski said that next year it is always a possibility to go to state again, and everyone is going to have to work hard and build from realistic goals.    

Big Changes at Newman Catholic

by Maria Legenza

The current school year at Newman Catholic has seen many changes. Some examples of the changes include new office members, new teachers, and a new principal. These are some of the biggest changes Newman Catholic has ever experienced. The new members to the Newman family have created a driven environment, which has pushed the students further then they ever have been pushed before.

On Wednesday, October 26^th, the office saw a drastic change when Mrs. Lambrecht retired from Newman Catholic Schools. She was working in the office as the heart of the school for over thirty years. This was a major occurrence for Newman to handle because whenever you needed help, guidance, a hall pass, or any information, she always knew exactly how to help with each individual issue or problem. The staff has now filled in her position with multiple facility members working together to run the office smoothly. Although the changes with her leaving have been difficult to adapt to, the school has been doing a great job of remaining strong and running efficiently.

Miss McRoberts and Mrs. Taggetz are the new teachers in the high school wing. These teachers have been selected wisely because they had large positions to fill. Miss McRoberts is teaching all the junior and senior English classes, including the AP courses, and Mrs. Taggetz is teaching the freshman religion classes. Miss McRoberts’ intelligence in English has provided the students with a challenge and will continue to influence a brighter future with students being more prepared for college. Mrs. Taggetz’s position is vital because it is giving the freshman the base of their foundation in religion and knowledge of the subject. Together they have provided Newman Catholic with challenging but rewarding teaching that will continue to push the students toward success.

Mr. Delikowski

In 2010 we lost a great principal, Mr. Theiss, which caused Newman Catholic to be on the search to fill this important position. God has blessed the system with an amazing man named James Delikowski. Upon meeting him, everyone could tell from his enthusiasm and determination that he was the perfect fit for Newman Catholic as principal of both the middle and high schools. These were big shoes to fill, and Mr. Delikowski has done an amazing job so far this year in providing the best experience for the students. The positivity he portrays through his personality and willingness to listen to each student has created at Newman Catholic an environment of success and excitement. He has adapted to the Newman family, and has shown great love of his position and the students attending this school.

Newman Catholic Clubs In High Gear

by Maria Legenza

The 2011-12 school year of is off to a great start with the Newman Catholic High School clubs having new students in leadership positions. In Key Club, Maria Legenza is President and Anne Zieglemeier is Vice President. This dynamic duo has been working hard to turn this year’s Key Club into a fun, inviting club offering many volunteer opportunities. Recently the club traveled to Wisconsin Dells for the Fall Rally which gave them new ideas for the club and more options for improving. The big events coming up for Key Club include The Festival of Trees, new matching club t-shirts, Make a Difference Day, raking leaves, and various Kiwanis activities or projects.

There is also exciting news for the Key Club this year! They have conjoined with Wausau West’s Key Club, and together they have been working on getting to know each other socially, and they have been creating more volunteer opportunities between them. They are welcome to participate in our service projects, and we are welcome to join theirs. It is a great way to get to know the greater Wausau community and other high school students willing to make a difference in their community.

The Pep Club, with newly elected President Leslie Bychinski and Vice President Daley Rupar, is working hard together this year to bring more school spirit and enthusiasm to Newman Catholic High School. They did a great job organizing the motorcade for homecoming this year, with the many signs made for the game, and car paint and balloons for every single car. They are now bringing Halloween back to Newman Catholic! They have organized fun Halloween activities to do and dress-up days to participate in. Pep Club continues to bring energy and enthusiasm to Newman Catholic High School.

This year, National Honor Society is determined to accomplish many more tasks in our community than ever before.  In 2011-12, the club is going to be supporting the local Humane Society.  Most recently, these students have been making dog chew toys out of old t-shirts to donate to the Humane Society. Determination, organization, and precision are the three main goals for this club; they wish to continue this idea of success for the future.