WSHS News

The Senior Orchestra awards were announced at the WAPS Orchestra Festival Concert on Thursday, May 26 at Winona Middle School.

The accomplishments of the Class of 2022 at Winona Senior High School are quite remarkable: 

“We needed to make sure that we were balancing what our students need. That was the biggest push on this, was to really get that continuum of services for our students and balance that with adult preferences. … The ultimate end is: ‘How does it help the students?”

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, nearly 80 students were inducted into the National Honor Society at Winona Senior High School in a ceremony Wednesday night. 

Students in Jerry Benedict’s Career and Technical Education classes at Winona Senior High School can get real life experience without leaving the building.

The orchestra, symphonic band and concert choir ensembles at Winona Senior High School will present the Big Nine Preview Concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 27 in the WSHS gym. 

The WSHS Theatre Group is hard at work getting ready to present the play “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” based on the book by C.S. Lewis and dramatized by Joseph Robinette 

The WSHS Orchestra traveled to New York City the week of March 21-26.

Congratulations to the students who made the WSHS Honor Roll.

The community task force recommended the district continue to invest and improve the six current WAPS buildings. The task force vetted 12 different options — new construction, consolidating buildings, changing grade-level configurations and various combinations — before coming back to Option A. 

Students in Shelly Spelles Hansen’s Culinary Arts Classes held a chili cook-off as their end-of-the-quarter project. Students studied various chili peppers and the history of chili, researched various chili recipes and common ingredients.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for students. All tickets will be sold at the door; there is no presale at either Winona or Austin. Fans are encouraged to arrive early, as the game will start on time. Seating is general admission.

Krase and Brand, both students at Winona Senior High School, won the regional science fair competition at Winona State University to qualify for the state fair, which will be held virtually on March 27.

Winona Area Public Schools is join thousands of other school districts across the country in celebrating Youth Art Month this March. 

The 2022-23 school calendar has been posted.

Through both his words and his work, a Mexican immigrant filmmaker delivered a powerful message to Winona Senior High School students on Friday morning.

Each year Winona Area Public Schools and the Special Education Advisory Council hosts a Parent Network Night for the parents/guardians of students with disabilities. 

The Winona Senior High School Theatre Group will perform “The Waiting Room” by Noah Bennett at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28 and 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29 at the WSHS auditorium. 

We are making several changes to our health and safety protocols. These changes were made in order to have sustainable, realistic practices and to align our requirements to the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

The Pulsera Project is a nonprofit organization that empowers and connects Central American artists with students through the sale of colorful hand woven bracelets, called pulseras. Students in the Spanish Honor Society raised more than $225 by selling these bracelets and other items. 

Students at Winona Senior High School will have fewer required classes to graduate and more flexibility in their schedule to pursue the classes that interest them after the school board on Thursday night approved new graduation requirements. 

Sixteen Winona Area Public Schools students participated in the 58th Winona Model Legislature on Nov. 18-19. 

According to the National Association of School Psychologists, school psychologists are uniquely qualified members of school teams that support students' ability to learn and teachers' ability to teach.

Tim Gleason was named the 2021-22 WEA Teacher of the Year in a surprise ceremony on Thursday.

The WSHS Theatre Group will perform 42nd Street on Friday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 20 at 1 and 7 p.m. in the WSHS Auditorium at Winona Senior High School, 901 Gilmore Ave. 

Five Winona Senior High students were inducted into the Tertulia Chapter of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica during a ceremony held at the high school by advisor Susan Larsen.

On Friday, students in Shelly Spallees Hansen’s Baking and Pastry Arts classes took part in a “Cupcake Wars” type competition. Working in groups, the students had to decide on a theme, use a secret ingredient and discuss their method with a group of judges. 

Applications are now being accepted for the Winona Area Public Schools Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. 

The WAPS Online Academy is serving a total of 66 students — 15 in Grades K-5 and 51 in Grades 6-12. The numbers have fluctuated slightly since the beginning of the school year, as students and families found their comfort level with the program.

On Wednesday morning, members of the Winona Senior High School football team visited Winona Area Public Schools elementary students as part of Herkymania, a Homecoming Week tradition started by coach John Cassellius in 2008. 

Eric Birth, a 2013 Winona Senior High School graduate, has returned to the same hallways where his dreams began. Birth is in his first year as a full-time teacher at WSHS, ready and eager to inspire the next generation of Winhawks.

Craig Scott, a motivational speaker and survivor of the Columbine High School shooting, will spend a day with Winona Area Public Schools students and teachers before hosting an event open to families in the community. 

Applications are now being accepted for the WAPS Community Task force, a group that will be charged with reviewing and analyzing data related to the district’s operations and its capacity for 21st century learning.

Tim Brown, Bob Grausnick, Kristine Kreuzer Loes and Bill Squires will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at a ceremony scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2 at Winona Senior High School. The public is invited to attend the ceremony. 

A group of Winona Senior High School football players gave four young fans a moment to remember Friday night. 

We are excited to welcome our students back into our buildings for the 2021-22 school year. Before we do, we want to make you aware of our health and safety protocols for the upcoming school year. 

The WAPS Online Academy is a free comprehensive online learning program offered through Winona Area Public Schools. The WAPS Online Academy will provide a personalized online learning environment that values student engagement and offers rigorous learning experiences that lead to high levels of student success.

The Winona Area Public Schools board took the first steps toward a possible referendum Tuesday night, at times tossing off the hard hats of a construction crew focusing only on maintenance projects and instead discussing how to create spaces where students want to be.

Beginning Thursday, July 1, 2021, Winona Area Public Schools will not require students, staff and visitors to wear masks while in school buildings. 

Winona FFA Chapter members Trentton Denzer and K-LaRae Christensen were awarded the prestigious 2021 Minnesota State FFA Degree during the 2021 Virtual Minnesota State FFA Convention in April. The award is presented to 1% of the state’s 11,000 FFA Members each year.

The Co-Winhawks of the Week are Jenalyn Mangahas and Izzy Goettelman.

The annual awards ceremony was held in late May at WSHS. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the event was closed to the public and held during the school day, but that didn’t stop dozens of students from receiving their awards and scholarships from local groups and organizations. 

Heather Fitzloff was approved by the school board on Thursday night as the new WSHS principal. She has served as an assistant principal at Prior Lake High School since 2012. Fitzloff is from the La Crosse area and has had her eye on openings in Winona for years — but this move is about more than a homecoming.

After the COVID-19 pandemic forced last year’s ceremony to be held in the high school drive-through, the Class of 2021 will be celebrated and recognized at a traditional ceremony to be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 11 at Paul Giel Field. In case of inclement weather, the makeup date is 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 12. 

A new mural painted by a student at Winona Senior High School will encourage those who look at it to “not be ashamed of who they are.”

The WSHS Co-Winhawks of the Week for May 31-June 4 are Paige Hermsen and Chloe Hughes.

The Summer Lunch Bus is back — although it will have a new parking spot for 2021. And the free meals? Those will continue as well.

The WSHS Co-Winhawks of the Week for May 24-28 are Francesca-Rose Meyer and Zach Bostrack.

The Co-Winhawks of the Week for May 17-21 are Paige Hawkinson and Esther Mulkey.

Masks will still be required for all students, staff and visitors to Winona Area Public Schools for the remainder of the school year. 

Parents, understandably, have many questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and whether they should have their children vaccinated. I hope this information, centered around the questions we’re hearing from parents, is helpful to you.

Trentton Denzer and Colleen Halleck are the Co-Winhawks of the Week for May 3-7.

Prom will be held on Saturday, May 8 at the Winona Middle School. Students were part of the planning process for prom, which is also organized by adviser Tanya Corcoran and activities director Casey Indra. 

In-person learning is back at Winona Senior High School, and so is Hawk Now. The latest epsidoe of the web series from students in the Tech Nest crew features an interview with Chloe Porter, the amazing artist behind the "We are Winona" mural at the high school. 

The Co-Winhawks of the Week are Alex Charles and Emma Heinert.

Becky Kouba was and always will epitomize Miller Mentoring.

Looking back on the past 20 years, there’s a rich and vibrant history behind the Miller Mentoring Program.

On this week's Winhawk Q and A, Superintendent Dr. Annette K. Freiheit is joined by Miller Mentoring program director Drew Althoff to talk about the importance of volunteers and what they mean to the Miller Mentoring program.

Nicole Miller, a senior, recently received the 2021 Aspirations in Computing State Award, an honor bestowed by The National Center for Women & Information Technology that goes to students who have clearly and significantly demonstrated interest and aptitude for computing. It is the highest state-level honor a student can win from the NCWIT. 

Tim Gleason, a music teacher and band director in Winona Area Public Schools, has been selected to be a member of the American School Band Directors Association. 

The Winona Senior High School baking and pastry arts class taught by Shelly Spallees Hansen held a virtual Cupcake Wars.

Over the last year, the WAPS School Nutrition staff handed out 402,971 free meals to all students aged 18 and under in Winona, regardless if they attend a WAPS school or not. That number continues to rise each week, as all meals are free to students in school and also available to the community through a weekly pickup at Winona Senior High School on Wednesdays. 

We are beginning to plan for the spring sports season. Most spring sports will begin on Monday, March 29 — including middle school track. Baseball (pitchers and catchers) will begin March 22. 

The holiday season may be over, but the AVID Class of 2021 is still feeling grateful for the gifts they received from AVID this year.

The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Program at Winona Senior High School recently recognized the AVID Scholars of the Quarter for the second quarter of the 2020-21 school year. From the 9/10 AVID cohort, Emily Swartling was selected, while Ashley Roetter was selected from the 11/12 AVID cohort.

During the first semester, students in Susan Larsen’s Spanish 4 class at Winona Senior High School created 17 children’s books to donate to Wisconsin Nicaragua Partners (affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point) for its library in Nueva Santa Celia, Nicaragua.

On this week's Q and A, Superintendent Dr. Annnette K. Freiheit provides an update on the Climate Cohort, which is a collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Education and the Regional Centers of Excellence. The three-year partnership will focus on a multi-tiered transformative school climate in service of educational equity. Dr. Freiheit is joined by Joe Jezierski, who works with the Regional Centers of Excellence but is also on the School Climate Team with MDE that put together this program, and Karla Winter, WAPS Director of Learning and Teaching.

Congratulations to the students who made the WSHS Honor Roll for the first semester.

Check out these photos of a mural painted by Chloe Porter, a junior at Winona Senior High School. 

Shannon Helgeson has been named one of 75 candidates for the 2021 Minnesota Teacher of the Year Award. Helgeson, an instructional coach with Winona Area Public Schools, was named one of three Winona Education Association Teachers of the Year for 2020-21 in November. 

The WSHS Theatre Group will perform a collection of monologues, skits and tech demonstrations during “A New Adventure,” at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5 and 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. While only parents will be allowed in the auditorium, the public will be able to watch the Friday performance on the WAPS Activities YouTube channel linked here. A recording will also be posted to the WSHS Theatre Group Facebook page. 

Students at Winona Middle School and Winona Senior High School will have dozens of new courses to choose from beginning next year. 

Winona Senior High School culinary classes competed in an optional chili competition before the winter break. Students were asked to create their own recipes using what they learned in class about seasonings, spices, simmering and boiling. 

Director of Activities and Transportation Casey Indra joined Superintendent Dr. Annette K. Freiheit and communications coordinator John Casper to discuss the resumption of athletics, as well as any potential changes to transportation as Winona Area Public Schools begins to return to in-person and hybrid learning.

We are delighted to announce our gradual return to hybrid or in-person learning. This timeline was developed in accordance with the Minnesota Department of Education Safe Learning Plan, as well as Executive Order 20-103.
 

The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Program at Winona Senior High School recently recognized the AVID Scholars of the Quarter for the first quarter of the 2020-21 school year.

Do you want to help a worthwhile cause while donning your most hideous holiday sweater? Then you are in luck. The WSHS UNICEF Club is holding its first ever donation drive. The event is being held in collaboration with its festive Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest. 

On this week's Q and A with Dr. Freiheit, Winona Senior High School Principal Mark Anderson joins WAPS Superintendent Dr. Annette K. Freiheit and communications coordinator John Casper to discuss a recent survey sent to high school students, parents and alumni about course offerings and the curriculum. 

Jacob Feldman has been at Winona Senior High School for a decade, developing strong relationships with staff, students and families. He's now ready to do more as the WSHS assistant principal.

Check out the latest WSHS AVID Newsletter here to learn more about the program.

The School Nutrition staff at Winona Area Public Schools is now able to offer daily delivery of meals to families who reside within the district boundaries.

Barrie Schank, a language arts teacher at Winona Senior High School, is the recipient of the Foundation for Winona Area Public Schools Dare to Dream Grant. 

On Wednesday, Superintendent Dr. Annette K. Freiheit shared with communications coordinator John Casper about why the decision was made and what the district looks for when making decisions related to COVID-19. 

To celebrate a school year in which teachers were asked to do more than ever, the Winona Education Association decided to expand its teacher of the year program to honor not just one — but three teachers in Winona Area Public Schools. 

Daniel Florness, a senior at Winona Senior High School, was recently identified as a College Board National Recognition Program Scholar.

The Winona Senior High School AVID program is pleased to celebrate the end of year AVID Notable Scholars from the spring distance learning period. This was a challenging time for many students, and we are proud to acknowledge some of the students who rose to the challenge and flourished during an unprecedented time at WSHS.

The Foundation for Winona Area Public Schools recently approved two grants that will help students in the Ríos Spanish Immersion Program as well as the LEO Program at Winona Senior High School.

To help repay all that WSHS has done for him, Jerry Raddatz made a $50,000 donation to Winhawks athletics and activities at a ceremony Thursday morning at the high school. 

The Winona Senior High School Site Team is looking for interested parents of WSHS students to be a member of the Site Team for a two-year term

Nine Winona Senior High School students were recently inducted into the Tertulia Chapter of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica (Spanish Honor Society) by advisor Susan Larsen.

Please see the following flyers for more information on Yearbook ordering and Senior Picture information.

To conclude a season in which so much was out of their control, the members of the Winona Senior High School cross country team finished on a high note Thursday at the MSHSL Section 1AA meet.

Check out all that is happening in Winona Area Public Schools with the latest edition of Winhawks in the Know.

To help celebrate Principals Week in Winona Area Public Schools, we asked some of our outstanding principals to share a little bit about themselves and why they like being a principal. Here is what they said: 

Earlier today, the Minnesota Department of Education changed its guidance for schools to allow for spectators to attend events held indoors.

The federal program that allows Winona Area Public Schools to provide free meals for all students in the community has received additional funding. All students in Winona — not just those who attend a WAPS school — will have access to free meals for the remainder of the school year and next summer. 

Colleen Halleck and Daniel Florness, seniors at Winona Senior High School, were each recently named a Commended Student in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program.

We are happy to announce that we will shift to Winhawk Learning Model No. 3, which means that Grades 7-12 will move to a hybrid model, beginning Monday, Sept. 28. 

Early childhood and elementary (Grades K-6) will remain in a hybrid model as well.

Also, athletics for Grades 7-12 will resume beginning Tuesday, Sept. 22, while athletics for Grades 5-6 and activities for Grades 5-8 will begin on Monday, Oct. 5.

We recently received some fantastic news! Our School Nutrition department has received additional funding and will be able to provide free meals to students for at least a portion of the school year — including students who are in distance learning.

Do you want to be in the know? The Winhawks in the Know newsletter features the latest district news, plus a recap of the previous board meeting. Check it out now!

Due to the rising number of positive COVID-19 cases in Winona County, Winona Area Public Schools will shift to Winhawk Learning Model No. 4, which moves Grades 7-12 into distance learning to start the 2020-21 school year.

Tech Nest leader Nicole Miller took all the footage collected at the Class of 2020 graduation ceremony and put it together in this highlight video.

Winona Area Public Schools will offer a distance learning model option for all students in the 2020-21 school year. Please fill this form linked here if you wish to choose distance learning for the student(s) in your family.

The Winona Area Public Schools Board of Education on Wednesday night gave approval to preliminary plans to welcome some students back into school buildings this fall by approving Winhawk Learning Model No. 3 — which is a hybrid model for all students.

Earlier today, Gov. Tim Walz, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota Department of Health, unveiled “Minnesota’s Safe Learning Plan,” the roadmap for districts across the state to follow for the 2020-21 school year. 

Winona Area Public Schools families are encouraged to apply for free or reduced-price school meals through the Application for Educational Benefits. A new application must be submitted each year. WAPS encourages all families to submit applications.

This spring numerous awards were presented to the outstanding senior musicians at Winona Senior High School.

Distance learning didn't stop the Winona FFA Chapter from completing community service.

Although COVID-19 prevented the Special Athletic Competition from taking place at Paul Giel Field as usual, athletes still took to their driveways, sidewalks and local parks for Backyard SAC 2020. Check out these highlights submitted by our families and cheer on these amazing athletes!

This year's WSHS Senior Art Show participants are: Harrison Bennick, Jaden Berg, Joella Goyette, Hailey Hohmann, Francesca Hopkins, Erica Madland, Jayla Millen, Bethany Mulkey, Oliver Sheehan, Isa Solano Castro, and Stephanie Zhong. 

This year's recipient of both orchestra awards — the CodaBow Award and the National School Orchestra Association Award — is Kaia Hamiltion.

Three junior students from Winona Senior High School have been selected to perform as part of the 2020-2021 All-State Music Ensembles.

Watch the 2019-2020 Academic Achievement Recognition Program here.

Winona Senior High School will hold a car graduation for the Class of 2020 beginning at approximately 6 p.m. Friday, June 5. WSHS Principal Mark Anderson, Assistant Principal Isaac Matzek and other administrators met with senior leaders to plan the ceremony, which had to be altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic and guidance from Gov. Tim Walz and the Minnesota Department of Health.

Winona Area Public Schools, acting on guidance from the Minnesota Department of Education and feedback from staff, students and families, has altered its grading policies during distance learning.

Winona Area Public Schools will continue to offer free nutritious meals to all children ages 18 and under throughout the summer.

Winona Area Public Schools Community Education is now accepting registrations for its Summer Key Kids program, which begins Tuesday, June 9. 

To help families navigate this step, Winona Area Public Schools teachers and principals will film a series of video conferencing calls geared toward parents and guardians of incoming kindergartners called "Zooming into Kindergarten."

Emelia Schindeldecker is turning her graduation party into a fundraiser for Feed the Kids, a fund that helps guarantee all students at Winona Area Public Schools continue to receive access to nutritious school meals. 

J&J Rubbish has joined us in our fight to clean up lunch debt in Winona. The family owned business has pledged to match all donations (up to $3,000) to Feed the Kids through the rest of our #GiveAtHomeMN fundraising campaign. 

WAPS teachers and staff threw a "reverse" parade for students at the high school on Friday, May 1.

Earlier today, Gov. Tim Walz announced that all public and charter schools in Minnesota will remain in distance learning for the remainder of the school year. Students will not be returning to the school buildings until next fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One issue that has been brought up by both our families and our staff is grading. During distance learning, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the social and emotional health of our students, families and staff. We also realize that there are unavoidable inequities for our students and families that impact our ability to expect academic work to continue as if they were in our school buildings.

On Thursday, Winona County is participating in the 2020 Minnesota Statewide Tornado Drill as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week. We would like to encourage our families to participate as well. 

On Thursday, Jack Herczeg was named the Class A state swimmer of the year by the Minnesota Swimming and Diving Coaches Association. He was one of four Winhawks nominated for the award. Teammates Grant Wolner, Alex Jorgenson and Tanner Lozenski were the others. Chris Mayer, Winona’s sixth-year coach, was named the Class A state coach of the year.

We are hoping to spotlight the heroes who have risen to the occasion to help their friends, family and community combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Winona Area Public Schools will be implementing our distance learning plan beginning Tuesday, March 31. Find out what's in it here.

Earlier today, Gov. Tim Walz announced that all schools in Minnesota, including Winona Area Public Schools, will remain closed through Monday, May 4 as part of the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. However, daily instruction will resume. For the past two weeks, teachers and staff have been preparing to institute distance learning plans at each grade level, and those lessons will begin Tuesday, March 31. Monday, March 30 will remain a staff workshop day.

Winona Area Public Schools will provide breakfast and lunch to all students 18 and under during the length of the school closure.

The Foundation for WAPS awarded several grants in February and March for field trips, sensory paths, a Herky Cart and more.

Dr. Annette K. Freiheit, Superintendent of Winona Area Public Schools, recorded a message for all families in our community as we begin preparing as an entire staff for the possibility of distance learning.

Due to the ordered school closure, all district events through March 27 have been postponed or canceled. Included is the Kindergarten Open House, previously scheduled for Thursday, March 26 at elementary school sites. 

Beginning Wednesday, March 18, we will be providing student meals at locations around Winona and the surrounding areas. We will also be providing free child care for the children of emergency workers. 

In light of the governor’s order this morning and our decision Friday, Winona Area Public Schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27. During this time, all after-school activities, athletic team practices and events, Community Education programming and building rentals are canceled. 

The Winhawks Nordic ski team, one of the most successful in school history with two team state champions and four individual champions, added another couple of all-state performers in February thanks to Anni Skillicorn and Jonas Trombetta. 

As we head into spring break next week, we wanted to update you with new information we learned regarding the novel coronavirus called COVID-19. 

Students in Advanced Drawing, Junior Studio and AP Senior Studio Art students created traditional and abstract portraits of inspirational Winona Senior High School staff members.

To celebrate National School Social Work Week, we asked the social workers in Winona Area Public Schools about the most important part of their job. Here is what they shared with us.

The 38 members of the Winona FFA Chapter were among 670,000-plus FFA Members from 8,600 FFA Chapters from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to celebrate national FFA Week from Feb. 22-29.

In what is believed to be the most decorated day in the history of Winhawks athletics, Winona High athletes came back from the Twin Cities on Leap Day with six — yes, six — individual state championships. Five of them came in the pool, with Jack Herczeg and Grant Wolner leading the way, and one came on the mat, as Ryan Henningson became the fourth wrestler in school history to win a state title.

The Co-Winhawks of the Week are Emily Carrie and Andrew Dureske. Carrie likes anatomy, English, science and band, while Dureske likes algebra and phy ed classes. 

We want to assure the WAPS community that multiple district staff members are in regular contact with the Minnesota Department of Health and we are reviewing district policies regarding highly contagious illnesses to make sure we are prepared in case of a local outbreak.

Thanks to the support of several businesses and organizations — and the creativity of talented students under the guidance of dedicated teachers — Winona Area Public Schools will join thousands of others across the country in celebrating Youth Art Month in March. 

On Friday, students in the Spanish Honor Society and German classes at Winona Senior High School put on the first World Language Fair at Goodview Elementary and Jefferson Elementary schools. 

Jack Herczeg was named the section swimmer of the year, winning the 100- and 200-yard freestyles in record-setting fashion while leading two relays to first-place finishes as well as Winona won the MSHSL Section 1A meet in Rochester on Friday for the first time since 1993.

This week’s Miller Mentoring #MentorMonday spotlight shines on Courtney Brom, a secondary math teaching major who has been a mentor for three years.

The Co-Winhawks of the Week are Jonathan Broas and Allison Keller. Jonathan likes AP Calculus and human biology and plans to study accounting in college. Allison Keller likes art and science and wants to enter a dental hygienist program.

Hannah Sheridan, a junior at Winona Senior High School, was selected to participate in the 2019-2020 Minnesota All-State Orchestra. 

In honor of the boys hockey team battling in the playoffs, this week’s #WinhawkTBT remembers the only Winona sqaud to play in the MSHSL state hockey tournament.

The Winhawks had their best performance of the season Saturday at the MSHSL Section 1A meet and finished second as a team with 140.45 points — topping their previous season high by more than three points. 

Winona Area Public Schools will join school districts throughout the state to salute their local education leaders during Minnesota’s annual School Board Recognition Week Feb. 17-21.

The Co-Winhawks of the Week are Brayden Borzyskowski and Sondra Dahl. Brady likes math and service learning, while Sondra likes social studies and English.

Creative, collaborative negotiations between the Winona Education Association and Winona Area Public Schools have resulted in a tentative agreement on a contract that both sides say will help keep dedicated and passionate educators in district classrooms for years to come.

What year was this photo taken? Unlike last week, we're certain this was a Winona photo, and we're pretty sure the year is 1947, 1952, 1958 or 1969. 

The Winona Senior High School Counseling Office is offering another FAFSA 101 informational session on parent/teacher conference night on Thursday, Feb. 20, from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Learning Commons.

The Winona FFA Fish & Wildlife Team earned the right to compete at the 2020 Minnesota State FFA Convention after participating in contests at Plainview, Minn. Winona competed against individuals from 19 FFA Chapters in southeastern Minnesota.

The Winona Senior High School National Honor Society inducted 31 new members and re-inducted 28 others at a ceremony Monday night at the high school auditorium. The National Honor Society (NHS) has been recognizing outstanding student achievement since 1921. NHS promotes the ideals of scholarship, leadership, service and character.

The Co-Winhawks of the week are Sean Mohan and Anni Skillicorn. Sean plays football, basketball and baseball and likes psychology and statistics. Anni participates in cross country, Nordic skiing and track and likes American Government or any history class.

Marissa Lindaman and Grant Wolner are the Winona Senior High School Triple “A” Award winners for the 2019-20 school year. 

On Friday morning, five Winona Senior High School football players signed ceremonial National Letters of Intent to play college football — all in the ultra-competitive Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference — bringing the Winhawks’ total number of signees to six. 

We need some help for this week’s #WinhawkTBT. Do you what year this photo was taken?

The score was 5-3. But those aren’t the numbers that matter. True, the Winona Senior High School hockey team lost to the Faribault Falcons in a Big 9 Conference game on Saturday that could have section seeding implications. But that is not what will be remembered. Instead, what will live on in the hearts of those who were there is the way the two programs came together to help a 3-month-old boy in his battle with cancer.

For the seventh time, Anni Skillicorn is heading to state. The senior on the Winona Senior High School Nordic ski team finished third overall at the MSHSL Section 1 race on Tuesday at Hyland Hills in Minneapolis.