A "Peace" of Nature

     Just west of our building, adjacent to a staff parking lot, staff and students have the opportunity to commune with nature. Used for prayer, learning, mental health breaks, and soul searching, our Peace Garden is an urban haven. 

     Thanks to the creative minds and hard work of Theology Teachers Christine Nienhaus and Abby Vogt, as well as Polly Partain, Librarian, and former MHS teacher Josh Reiss, the beautiful spot took shape. Students also helped dig and plant, as well as lay paver stones decorated by students during last year's retreats.

      Planters are laid out in the shape of a cross, and many species of vegetation are thriving there. The benches were constructed as part of last year's retreats as well, and picnic tables allow for lunch time serenity.

     Truly a place for a spiritual retreat and a chance to "go green," the Peace Garden lives up to its name. See slide show at right for more photos of Ms. Vogt's Theology class taking full advantage of the space.

SMART Team Underway

     9/23/10. SMART stands for Students Modeling a Research Topic. Messmer's SMART Team 2010/11 is off and running with the biggest team so far in its 4 year history. The team competes in a long season from September to April or May.  Below is a description of what a SMART Team is about.   

      After learning about basic protein structure and how to use the computer modeling program, students are paired with a researcher in the medical field to learn about their research and build a protein of interest to them. Through this process, students are exposed to cutting edge science and get a glimpse of how real research is conducted. The final products that students produce are the physical model of the protein, a written abstract, and a poster that tells the molecular story of the importance of their protein. 

     Students get the chance to present their model and poster at the Medical College of Wisconsin in the spring. This process gives students a chance to meet and network with many professionals in the medical and research field and is a great thing to be able to put on a college application. The team advisor is Science Teacher Carol Johnson.

     The 6 members of last year's team went all the way to California to present their model and protein. Here is a link to the 2009/10 SMART Team presentation:

http://cbm.msoe.edu/stupro/smart/local/presentation/13-messmer.html

Soccer Team Scores a Shut Out

    9/23/10. Living Word's hope for a victory against our soccer team was short-lived yesterday as our Bishop's shut them down in a 4-0 contest. Missael Alba scored 2 goals; Christian Marquez and Diego Montes each racked up 1 with Montes scoring on a penalty kick after getting fouled in the box. The team has another away game tomorrow against Kenosha Christian Life. Stay tuned to hear how our Bishops take the life right out of them as well!

Volleyball Nailbiter

    9/22/10. Here's how Senior Jade Hendricks described the Varsity Volleyball contest last night at home against Milwaukee School of Languages: "We took MSL to the 5th game--it was tied two wins each. The 5th game only goes to 15 points. The score remained close and when it was 13-14 MSL, a player from the opposing team set the ball up and as it was going out of bounds it was touched by a Messmer player giving MSL the winning point."
     The Lady Bishops gave them a good run for their money and are looking forward to other close--and victorious--contests throughout the season.

Flag+Football=Fitness

     9/21/10. According to Physical Education Teacher Geoffrey Kaiser, here's what's going on in PE Skills 1: Students started a flag football unit last week and have been working hard at getting to know the rules of such a complicated game. They are also becoming more skilled in throwing and catching. The students already finished a volleyball unit and are moving on to soccer next week.

     The physical education department this year is paying special attention to fitness testing to see where Messmer students rank according to national averages and goals in a series of fitness tests. 

     A record board has been purchased to display Messmer's finest fitness performances completed during a PE class.  

     Students have really "jumped on-board" with 90 minute PE classes as part of the new block schedule. For the teachers, it means more time in the gym, pool, or weight room, and less time in the locker room.  

Saturday's Alright for Learning

     9/18/10. Saturday school started today with a good turnout and lots of productivity. Sophomore Jazzmin Boyd said she came "...to get some quiet time to do my homework, at home it's too loud." She said she came every Saturday it was offered last year.

     Autumn Bentley, also a sophomore, said she is attending Saturday School because: "I'm trying to do better in school and I know if I don't go the extra mile the same thing will happen as last year when I didn't do so well." Freshman Stephanie Flores was encouraged to come by other students who told her: "It's a nice place to learn and make new friends."

     Students come on Saturday mornings to get help from teachers, to study individually, to use the computers in the library or computer labs, or to catch up on work missed due to absences. It is also a good place to learn from fellow students and to be there for your peers as well. Ricardo Herrera, junior, stated: "I came to get help on my writing assignments, teachers here can correct them. I feel like I can help other students a lot too, because I've done it before."

     Saturday School is from 9:00am to 11:30am most Saturdays, and all students are welcome. It's a great way to get some individualized instruction, stay on track academically, or recover from a setback or absence. Mr. Phil Stollenwerk, Guidance, and Mrs. Catherine Wittig, Science, are two of the organizers and can be contacted with any questions.

Creating "Cultural Oneness"

     Using music to show how we are all connected is how Mr. Jason Gonzalez, Theology, described the unique opportunity our students have after school twice a week. 

     Guest percussionist Cecilio Negron Jr. is teaching Afro-Caribbean Drumming and Dennis Allan Alvarado Lopez is showing students how to be Latin dancers. 

     Mr. Gonzalez, Mrs. Suzanne Welsh, Latino Support, and Ms. Jamie Kramer, Spanish, came together to arrange this cultural enrichment through the Milwaukee Public Theater.

     The students will be using their new musical skills as part of the next month's assembly in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (9/15-10/15).

     Mr. Gonzalez said the students are experiencing how the arts can show that all races are connected and blend into a "cultural oneness." That connection promotes tolerance, social justice, and peace. 

MHS Journalists Learn from the Pros

     9/16/10. Messmer graduate Greg Borowski, senior editor for projects and investigations at the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel, hosted the Broadcast Media class on a visit to the newspaper's headquarters today. After a tour of the newsroom, the students had the privilege of sitting in on the morning meeting where the editors critique the front page of each section in today's paper, and discuss what are the most important stories being worked on for tomorrow's issue.

     Led by Editor and Publisher Marty Kaiser, the meeting also showed the students how JSonline relates to the printed version of the paper, and allowed them to see firsthand how the paper is divided into sections ("beats") by hearing from the editors responsible for each. On the subject of source credibility and journalistic accuracy, Mr. Kaiser shared the motto: "If your mother says she loves you, check it out."
     Several reporters had lunch with the students to share their knowledge, experience, and love for journalism. The advice the students received further sparked their interest in the field, and they also heard how the skills learned through journalism will help them in any field they pursue.

     James Causey, editorial writer and columnist, told how he turned a personal observation of domestic violence on the street into a blog posted today entitled: "School Violence Has To Be Part of Education Reform."
     Arts and Architecture Reporter Mary Louise Schumacher gave interviewing advice to the amateur journalists telling them: "Don't be afraid to ask stupid questions."
     Messmer graduate and JS Columnist Jim Stingl, relayed his journey from car mechanic to journalist and advised the students to get out and experience the world to expand their perspectives.

     Garry D. Howard, assistant managing editor for sports, told the students that the field is not for anyone who settles for mediocracy. He explained journalism has its perks like travel and meeting all types of people, but it is also very hard work. Just like a doctor would not ignore someone injured on the street, a reporter is always "on duty" and curious about what is going on around him or her.
     Mr. Kaiser left the students with the idea that their job is to be the balanced voice of Messmer, putting aside personal opinions in the search for the truth.

iSpy iPads

     Mr. Charles Uihlein, Social Studies, and Ms. Gail Burkel, English, have the opportunity to use iPads in their classes as a test to see how they can affect student learning and achievement. The students are quickly becoming adept in this new technology and have the latest information at their fingertips in those classes.
     iDeal!

Extraordinary Choices for Extracurriculars

     9/15/10. This morning Messmer High students were invited to attend the annual Extracurricular Fair. Teachers, coaches, and other staff members shared information on clubs and sports as well as service, leadership, and learning opportunities that take place outside of the school day.
     Students signed up to participate in all their areas of interest and are excited about everything Messmer has to offer. Close to 60 different activities were represented including Book, Photography, Japanese, Robotics, Drama, and Environmental clubs, the SMART, Debate, and Dance teams, and Boys and Girls Sports for each season.
     See link at right for the complete list of all Messmer High Extracurricular offerings.

Mr. Flattery Looks Ahead

     9/14/10. Mr. Greg Flattery, Director of Messmer's Music Department, has a lot of confidence in this year's students. He thinks this could be the best group he's had in four years. When asked how he feels about this year's performers he said: "IQ, whether dramatic or musical, has increased greatly over the last four years. 150 to 200 students out of 700 performance-wise are able to harmonize."
     Flattery thinks that this year his groups might get out into the community because of the great response to last year's "Show of Shows." Flattery sees how Messmer students go above and beyond when he functions as show producer in addition to his duties as a teacher.

Choir member Tramaine Hardy practices his rhythms.

     Mr. Flattery will be directing the fall play this year and auditions are right around the corner. His goals for the play are to raise theater IQ, provide a creative outlet, and build confidence in the students who participate. Auditions will be held in late September or early October. Stay tuned to this blog for specific dates and details as they become available.

Volleyball at Home

     9/13/10. Last Thursday night the Junior Varsity and Varsity Messmer Lady Bishops Volleyball teams had exciting matches against Brookfield Academy. Junior Varsity player Diane Carson scored the first two points of the contest with a great serve. The J.V. lost, winning two games out of five. After the loss, J.V. Coach Thorstensen said: "Unfortunately we fell short, but we can go further this year." 

     Following the J.V. game, the Varsity team competed in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.  Head Coach Vanessa Sowinski had this to say before the game: "I'm looking forward to this season, we have a very competitive team." The Varsity also lost but it was a close contest. Number 8, sophomore Aleyah Anderson, talked about the loss:  “We should've finished strong... we have to work on consistency and winning." Messmer Volleyball is a strong program with great seasons ahead for both J.V. and Varsity.

Reporter Visits Media Class

9/10/10. Sharif Durhams, a reporter from the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel, brought his vast knowledge and experience to our Broadcast Media class this week. 

       Durhams led a seminar on interviewing skills and intrigued the amateur journalists with his stories of uncovering information from many different sources.

Soccer Victory!

     9/7/10. The MHS Soccer team logged their first victory of the season this past Saturday against Racine Lutheran. Outstanding performances were seen by the entire young Messmer team, notably Christain Marquez who scored 3 goals, and Diego Montes with 1 goal. 
     Coach Mike Hennicke, new to Messmer this year, thought his players, "...feel pretty good. They have grown to young men and soccer players. We have climbed lots of hurtles so far and fought through growing pains. But I am extremely proud of where we were to where we are today." Junior Christian Marquez said this:  "I felt really good about the game. I was excited to score a hat-trick." 
     The team takes on Wayland Academy at home this week, and has an away contest against St. Anthony's on Friday.