Teacher spotlight
Lauren Makarauskas is a chemistry teacher at Wheeler High School and a vital advisor for a magnitude of clubs and organizations.
Makarauskas has been a Student Council sponsor for six years.
“My role is primarily as a facilitator and to handle the financial side of things,” said Makarauskas.
Makarauskas is also the head director of the high school and middle school musicals. She has been involved with these musicals since she began teaching at Wheeler High School. She has had a riveting passion for choreography since the eighth grade and this was one of the main reasons she decided to go into education.
“I absolutely love creating dances, but even more than that I love teaching dances to kids. It is the best feeling in the world when students learn a difficult dance and perform it at a level they never thought was possible,” said Makarauskas.
Due to COVID-19, it is almost impossible to hold these musicals so Makarauskas started the Choreo Club in order to give students an outlet for creativity. Makarauskas is also the coach for the Social Studies Academic Team. Despite having little experience, she remains enthusiastic and constantly encourages students.
Outside of school, she volunteers as a choreographer for the Regional Performing Arts Company (RPAC), which is a local youth theater company. She also completed the "2,020 miles in 2020" challenge.
Makarauskas is extremely committed and involved to helping Wheeler High School students get the most out of their high school experience.
Student spotlight
This school year has been a transition for all students and educators. Students had to ask themselves the difficult question of whether they should attend school virtually or in-person. This was a nerve-wracking decision because students had to weigh the pros and cons. Although many chose to attend in-person classes, several others such as junior Jackson Koroluk decided to be a virtual student all year.
Wheeler High School goes by trimesters, so students can decide between virtual and in person at the beginning of each new trimester. Koroluk, however, found virtual learning to be the safest and most ideal option for his junior year.
“All of my online classes have been going smoothly. The teachers provide me with all the materials needed to complete assignments,” said Koroluk.
Koroluk found that the best part of virtual learning was the ability to complete his assignments in a timely manner and with no distractions. However, this was also the most difficult part. Koroluk, and many students worldwide, felt like the hardest adjustment was having to sit down and do work for over six hours a day.
“In order to continue socializing with people, I go to work out and go to soccer practice,” said Koroluk.
Junior year is the most academically challenging for most students. COVID-19 brought along completely new challenges. Koroluk is thankful to the teachers for making all assignments accessible and for always taking the time to update and support him.
What’s happening
Wheeler High School’s Fine Arts Team is just one of the many diverse teams that students have the opportunity to participate in. Leslie Lareau and Pamela Hardesty have been coaching it for several years.
The team typically meets twice a week to go over materials. There are five members participating this year, but on average there are anywhere from four to eight members.
“During meetings we look over the materials we've been given to study for our competition. Fine Arts is extra challenging because we are covering two subjects in one with a general guide for study,” said Lareau.
However, COVID-19 has brought along a new set of challenges for teams. The biggest challenge has been competition styles. In the past, students would gather together at a team table to answer their questions. Teams from several schools competed at the same time in the same location. They are now organizing a virtual competition that is a team format rather than an individual competition. The competitions are multiple-choice styles and worded in difficult ways to challenge the teams.
Students and coaches enjoy participating in these competitions and immersing themselves into art history.
“I enjoy the opportunity to dig deeper into artists that I may not get a chance to teach in the course of my classes,” said Lareau.
The Fine Arts team allows students to gain new exposure to artists and learn material that is not covered in classes. The competition allows them to be excited about this new material. This team offers Wheeler High School a new and interesting perspective into art.
What happened
Union Township began its involvement in Robotics in 2002. Students enjoyed competitions immensely and pushed to continue their involvement. With the help of many supporters, the Robotics Team competed in two regional competitions a year and went to two national competitions.
The Robotics team is a student driven program that has become a strong competitor over the last 12 years. The team focuses on solving and designing different solutions for unique challenges. They have to learn to adapt to new software and equipment and understand how to redesign the robot to solve these problems. The students are constantly aware of their shortcomings and consistently work to improve them. The team has also made it accessible for students of all ages to participate in this club.
“We now have teams at both elementary schools, the middle school and the high school. This means that students can participate in robotics from their fifth-grade year until they graduate. As students advance in grade, they need to solve more complex problems with more complex equipment and programming,” said Ralph Iler, the Robotics Club Mentor.
The team will be competing at Portage High School, but the public is not able to attend.
With support from local businesses, the Robotics Team has allowed students to fulfill their passions and grow their knowledge. The hands-on experience gives the students a thrill and makes them feel overwhelmed with joy.