🎉 Winterset Junior High Career Day Snapshot! 🎉
Local and Des Moines-area employers visited Winterset Junior High to introduce our students to a wide variety of career pathways — from healthcare and public service to business, trades, and the arts. Students also participated in speed-interviewing sessions to practice professional skills like introductions, asking thoughtful questions, and showcasing their strengths.
Employers shared how they use WCSD’s Profile of a Graduate skills in their daily work, including being Critical Thinkers/Problem Solvers, Self-Starters/Driven, having a Growth Mindset, being Innovative Thinkers, Effective Communicators, and Collaborators.
A big thank-you to all the employers, staff, and volunteers who made the day meaningful and inspiring. Take a look at the recap video to see highlights from Career Day — our students are ready to explore their futures! 🚀👩⚕️👨🔧👩🎨
WJH Career Day Snapshot Video
This year, thanks to Mrs. Obert’s leadership and vision, our 8th graders took on the Junior High concession stand and transformed it into a real student-run business. They surveyed the school community to decide what to sell, held a grade-wide vote to choose the name “Snack Shack,” and let each class decide their own menu and pricing.
Along the way they’ve learned practical skills beyond the textbook — market research, pricing strategy, teamwork, money management, and professional customer interaction. Watching them serve the community with confidence and pride has been a joy.
Huge thanks to Mrs. Obert for empowering our students and to every 8th grader for their hard work and creativity.
We are so proud of Mrs. Devine and her 8th grade Health students for designing and executing a next-level CPR unit that truly made an impact across our district!
Highlights:
✅ Students practiced teaching CPR to WCSD leadership and staff — receiving valuable feedback to improve their instruction and confidence.
✅ After refining their lessons, they taught hands-only CPR to our 6th graders, giving younger students life-saving skills in a clear, age-appropriate way.
✅ Madison County EMT Director Brady Foreman visited the class to talk about the importance of Hands-Only CPR — a meaningful reminder of how crucial these skills are.
✅ Mr. Leichty shared tips with the class about creating effective brochures, helping students communicate key CPR information professionally and clearly.
✅ The unit included true collaborative learning: students worked in groups, practiced presentations with school leaders, collected feedback, and used it to improve their teaching.
A huge thank-you to Mrs. Devine for guiding this real-world, service-oriented project — and to all the students, staff, and local partners who helped make it possible.
Today our entire Winterset Junior High family headed to Graham’s Cafe for a well-deserved celebration! Students enjoyed a packed day of fun — pickleball, table tennis, bags, video games, and board games — and came together to celebrate the progress we made as a building.
Why we celebrated:
90%+ student attendance per term
89.3% of students earned a passing grade
90%+ of students with 0–2 minor behavior referrals
$3,000 Difference Maker Dollars earned
Because of everyone’s hard work and commitment to learning and positive choices, the whole school qualified for Reward Day — and what a great way to spend it: laughing, playing, and building community. A huge thank-you to staff, families, and students for making this possible. Let’s keep the momentum going! ✨
This dynamic co-taught interdisciplinary course blends Social Studies and English Language Arts through meaningful Project Based Learning. Most recently, students took on the challenge of enacting real change within our school community. They practiced writing thoughtful questions, designing surveys, collecting and analyzing data, and — today — put those skills into action by interviewing members of the WCSD Administration team: Dr. Corey St. John, Kendra Alexander, and Cam Smith.
Huge thanks to our administrators for taking the time to meet with students and share how positive change is driven at the building and district level. The students came prepared, professional, and were an absolute joy to interact with — thoughtful, curious, and ready to make a difference.
Ms. Criswell and Mr. Stecklein, your partnership and commitment to authentic learning experiences are inspiring. To the students: keep asking great questions and using your voices — you’re already shaping the future of our school. 👏🌟
If you’d like to help make this event a reality, please feel free to donate by clicking the link below. Every bit helps! https://givebutter.com/J6AMIl
🚨 UPDATE: This has been rescheduled for Thursday, November 6 between 8:00 and 9:00 am.
🚁 Heads up! A medical helicopter will be landing on McGaffin Field on Tuesday, November 4th, between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. This is a planned, non-emergency event for WHS students in Ms. Cain's Human Body course. We're excited to partner with Madison County EMS and Air Methods to offer this unique educational experience.
What's on tap this week? A whole lot of spooky Husky pride! Our student-athletes and performers are geared up and ready to put on a show. The stands are calling, and we need you to be a part of the thrill!
Find all the details for this week's games, meets, and performances right here: Winterset Huskies Weekly Activities
See you out there, and as always, Go Huskies!
🎃👻 Halloween week was a blast! We saw so many incredible costumes that brought smiles and laughter to everyone. From spooky witches to creative superheroes, our community really knows how to celebrate! 🦸♂️✨ Check out some of our favorites below! What was your favorite costume this year? Share your pics in the comments! 📸👇
The Winterset Paw Pantry is proud to announce the addition of two more dates to support our families as the holidays draw near. This initiative aims to ensure that everyone in our community has access to essential resources during this festive season. Please review the attached flyer and consider sharing this vital information within your networks. Together, we can make a difference! #WintersetPawPantry #CommunityEngagement #SocialImpact
If you haven’t had a chance yet, we kindly ask you to consider contributing to help make this amazing experience possible for our students once again. Every gift brings us closer to a memorable and fun Wildwood Hill event!
Together, we can make it happen! 🌟 https://givebutter.com/J6AMIl
These outstanding students have truly exemplified our P.A.C.K. behavior expectations by being Professional, Accountable, Caring, and Kind. Your dedication and positive attitude make our school a better place every day! Big thank you to Jones Creek for providing a thoughtful gift for each student!
👏 Great job to our winners:
7th Grade
Jaxson Berry
Norah Benge
Anna Hamilton
Matthew Clemens
8th Grade
McKenzie Burkett
Ellianna Gakle
Brooklyn Kelley
Zane Conard
Halloween Week! 👻 What's on tap this week? A whole lot of spooky Husky pride! Our student-athletes and performers are geared up and ready to put on a show. The stands are calling, and we need you to be a part of the thrill!
Find all the details for this week's games, meets, and performances right here: Winterset Huskies Weekly Activities
See you out there, and as always, Go Huskies!
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience. Please plan ahead and allow extra travel time. Go Huskies! 🐾
📅 Date: Friday, October 24th
⏰ Time: Starting at 6:00 PM
📍 Location: Junior High parking lot
Come enjoy a delicious hotdog dinner with a bag of chips for just $5.00! 🌭 Plus, there will be music, games, and plenty of fun as we come together to support our Junior High community.
Don’t forget to bring your lawn chair and your good vibes for an evening of food, fun, and community building. Let’s make it a night to remember!
On Thursday, October 23rd, we’re proud to host our 3rd Annual Career Day Snapshot for 7th and 8th graders! 🎉 Business professionals from Winterset and Des Moines are joining us to offer a dynamic career exploration experience.
We have an incredible lineup showcasing a diverse range of career pathways, giving our students a peek into their futures. Plus, nearly 70 students will take part in a “speed interviewing” exercise to sharpen their professional skills.
Earlier this week, participating students dove into interview prep with enthusiasm and focus. Huge shoutout to Mr. Bradley for leading these sessions and inspiring our students! 👏
