Students of the Month-February

      Junior Calvin Lawson was selected as a Student of the Month for February. He maintains a great academic standing and is very active in Messmer sports and the community. His teachers describe him as conscientious with a positive attitude and an infectious smile that always helps improve the classroom climate. He puts forth 100% effort in everything he does. When Calvin needs help, he seeks it and is a very responsible young man.

      The second Student of the Month for February is Freshman Char'lee King. According to her teachers, she is phenomenally bright, emotionally mature, self-confident, respectful, and thoughtful. She is always smiling with a positive attitude. She has been able to balance an incredible load without sacrificing her school work. Char'lee is not afraid to accept a challenge and tackles any task with enthusiasm. She is involved in the Robotics Club and maintains a 3.7 GPA. One teacher said, "She is a great role model and wise beyond her years."

THE SHOW IS A BIG SUCCESS!

The Show of Shows was performed in front of a packed house last week. See pictures and a video of one of the acts at left. More video to follow.

Faculty and Staff Retreat to Serve

      This year the Messmer Catholic Schools faculty and staff took part in community service projects as a unique twist to the annual retreat. Groups with members from all the MCS schools went to different sites across the city to learn what each organization does to make a difference. 

      The day was spent helping those organizations fulfill their missions by taking part in projects such as cleaning, food preparation, painting, organizing office space, spending time with the elderly, and assembling hygiene packages for the homeless.

 

      Messmer High Math teacher Mr. William Gunderson was part of the group that went to an elder care facility. He thought the experience was enlightening and loved listening to the residents talk about their past lives and careers. 

      Mr. Gunderson said, "Since I am always with students, it was great to spend time with members of another generation and hear their perspectives. It was also nice to bond with Messmer employees from other schools; this gave us a chance to get to know each other."

      The retreat included a reflection component and allowed the faculty and staff to transfer Messmer's mission beyond the school grounds.  It was organized by Messmer Campus Ministry and the Theology Department including Mr. Chad Griesel, Ms. JoAnne Hauser-Carter, Ms. Abby Vogt, and Ms. Chris Nienhaus. 

      Some of the organizations visited that day were: The Hunger Task Force, Catholic Charities, St. Ben's Meal Program, La Causa, New Threads of Hope, Milwaukee Center for Independence, House of Peace, and The Pregnancy Help Center of Milwaukee. 

      The retreat was very well received, with many faculty and staff members commenting about how meaningful the experience was. Next year's retreat will be something to look forward to by all!

Foreign Language Week

       Last week Messmer High School was centered around the idea that "Languages make the world go 'round." Each day featured a different culture, with teachers' nametags "Hello my name is:" changing with each language daily. 

       Student lockers displayed flags and information in the different languages being studied at Messmer, and the doors to the foreign language classrooms displayed the cultures with beautiful images and color. 

       Tuesday, "French Day," coincided with the start of Mardi Gras and featured a special lunch menu, crêpes, and an after school "Fête." Wednesday was "Vietnamese Day" and included an after school Wii soccer tournament. 

      "Spanish Day" on Thursday, had churros y chocolate available at lunch and an after school Spanish cooking class. Friday was "Italian Day" with Italian cookies and the after school movie "When in Rome." 

       The week was coordinated by the faculty of the Foreign Language Department and was described as: "Magnifique" "Molto Grande" and "Estupendo."

Exploring African American History

      February is more than just heart-shaped candy and red balloons. This month is also Black History Month. At Messmer, this February focused on African Americans and their contributions to the medical field. This was expressed through weekly movies, after school panels, a field trip to "Growing Power," a scavenger hunt, and culminated in the annual Black History Assembly. 

      According to Messmer teacher and Black History Month coordinator Mr. Jon Stern, "It is terrible what [African Americans] went through [in history] but amazing that they were still able to contribute to the medical profession."

      The assembly was a combination of poetry, role-plays, and music. Senior Shameka Moore was one of the narrators and the voice of Henrietta Lacks. Lacks' cells were used without her permission for medical research to learn the intricacies of how cells work and test theories about the causes and treatments of diseases. Senior Chantal Atychan, also a narrator, was the voice of Henrietta's daughter, expressing her outrage at this abuse of power.

      The show also featured Spoken Word by Juniors Denzel Taylor and Ashley Jordan, and  Freshman Jasmane Trotter, with powerful messages about the impact of AIDS on the African American community. Freshman Destiney Jones stated about the assembly, "I liked the music and the poems." Senior Marquita Baker added, "The program gave a lot of good information." 

       Sophomore Austin Kenekeo said, "I like that I found out things about Black History that I didn't know before." Junior Jessica Paton Jackson summed up the assembly, "The students came together and made something beautiful." 

 

A video of the assembly will be posted here soon--stay tuned!

Messmer's All Business

      Business Club is an after school activity for students who would like to start a business in the future, learn more about the stock market, and improve on their networking skills. The club engages in field trips such as touring the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago, has guest speakers from the community, and takes part in many business related activities.

      Senior Tia Hazelwood has been part of the club since 9th grade. She said that through the club, "I've become more sociable and dedicated to pursuing my dream of getting a degree in business." Currently the Business Club is working on creating business plans and is competing in a nationwide stock market game. Senior Cierra Childs likes the internship opportunities and acquiring knowledge of the stock market. 

      Recently, the Introduction to Business class participated in the Junior Achievement Business competition at Briggs and Stratton. This is a business simulation game that teaches students many of the skills needed to own and operate a business. The competition challenges students to apply their management skills and knowledge of economics. 

      One team from Messmer consisted of Seniors Cierra Childs and Sabatia McGee, and Sophomore Kaela McBeath. This team placed first in the marketing competition and  received Kohl's gift cards for creating the best advertisement. The other team included Seniors Tiara Allen and Charon Gregory, and Sophomore Puertokae LaGrant. This team placed second in the marketing category.

      The Business Club and Intro to Business classes are under the direction of Messmer Teacher and Computer Department Chair Mr. Chad Hofmann. 

Boy's Basketball 1st Round Regional Victory

3/2/11. The Boy's Varsity Basketball team defeated Shorewood in first round regional action at home last night. The score was 58-48. The team meets Whitefish Bay in the next round this Friday night at 7:00 at Whitefish Bay. GO Bishops!