Masters of Disguise

Student Reporter: Nick Bornheimer


It was quite the occurrence as Batman and the Joker strolled into the commons and partook in an epic battle, the likes of which this school has never seen, last Wednesday. It was the second day of spirit week, which also meant that it was costume day. There were a number of school spirited students who dressed up and enjoyed the festivities, and some who simply admired the work that some of the students actually put into their costumes. Joe Dettmann, who dressed as the Joker from The Dark Knight, put a considerable amount of time into his costume. “It took me an hour to put on my make-up, get dressed, and get into the roll,” said Joe. He also explained that he had to search through numerous stores and buy many things separately on eBay to get as close as possible to the attire Heath Ledger wore in the movie. Joe figured he spent around $200 on the whole outfit, which is expensive for something he may break out of the closet a few times a year.


Most students found humor in the costumes and gave the day a positive response. “Although I didn’t dress up, I still liked laughing at everyone’s costumes,” said Jason Croatt. It was a day where students could have a little fun and express themselves through the art of costume. It is anticipated that the day will be reiterated next year and hopefully the underclassmen who did not participate this year will decide to join in the fun.

Volleyball

Student Reporter: Heather Hoffmann


The Rocket volleyball program has three coaches for the varsity, junior varsity, and freshman teams. All of the coaches have had experience playing volleyball in the past. Varsity coach Vanessa Navis played volleyball in high school as well as in college. She lives in Cedar Grove and teaches 3rd grade in the elementary school. This is her first year of coaching for the varsity level, but she has coached the eighth grade and freshman levels before. Junior varsity coach Bethany Swart is from Michigan and has recently moved to the area. She will be leaving next year to travel with her husband. The freshmen coach is Brad Mayer. Brad Mayer is one of the two high school gym teachers at Cedar Grove-Belgium High School.


Coach Navis tells the girls that “Encouragement is the key to our success.” Now the varsity team has not gotten off to the best start, but they are quickly improving. They have only won four matches. They just recently played Elkhart Lake and won. The team hopes to do well in their next upcoming tournament at Howards. Coach Navis tells the girls that “Encouragement is the key to our success.”


The team that in the end still comes together is the junior varsity team. They have a great group of girls working hard together to succeed. Junior Varsity has two foreign exchange students, Anna-Sophie Thieke and Iwona Czochra. Anna, who is from Germany, has played for the last two years. Iwona, who is from Poland, has played for the last three years. Both girls are excited to be part of team.


The freshmen are off to a rough start considering the fact that they had to switch coaches in the beginning of the season. They hope the new coach will lead them to success. They have so far won four of their matches.


Even through the many struggles and changes each team has faced they hope to continue to grow as individuals as well as a team as a whole and conquer their future opponents.

Homecoming Half Time

Student Reporter: Alana Loman


This year for the half time performance, there were absolutely no problems. The practices throughout the week went very well and all worked out in the end for the final product. Mr. Paulson was very strict during each practice because things needed to be perfect since the entire band only had three days to practice with each other.


In the past years Mr. Paulson has accidently forgotten his whistle and told us to go to the other side of the field when we were supposed to play another song, but this year went perfectly. The band had an amazing sound to it when they played towards the stands during the halftime show, and the formation was perfect too. When the High School Band went to the Stockbridge side that went perfectly, the Stockbridge fans had liked the “S” we made on the field and that our band had a very big and full sound. Playing the school song when they went back to the other side for the ending performance was the cherry to the top of the ice cream because it ended our performance and everyone sang along to the school song.


“The half-time show he said that everything went the way it was planned,” Mr. Paulson had said when it was all over. The half-time show ended up being a great start to a good year and brought confidence to the band for this year.

How We Help

Student Reporter: Samantha Lamers


Every year, the Cedar Grove – Belgium High School publication class creates the yearbook, but not many know how much time, dedication, hard work, and fundraising goes into it. But, not only does the publication class help with the layout design and photographs for the yearbook, but they fundraise outside of school in order to make our yearbook more within your means of price. Through the selling of ads and popcorn, the publication class helps bring the cost down from approximately $80 to $55.


One of our first steps in creating the yearbooks is finalizing the ladder. For those who are not familiar with this term, the ladder is how the year book will be set up. Secondly, as a class we must decide on whether or not we would like to have a theme throughout our yearbook. Next, we have to pick our pages that we would like to design for the yearbook.


While many businesses are aware that their aid helps lower the cost of the yearbook, many are not aware that popcorn sales from home games also help with t he cost of the yearbook.

A New Face to our School

Student Reporter: Megan Villa


This new school year at Cedar Grove-Belgium School District we have the privilege of having many new different faces, students and teachers. One new teacher in the high school is Miss. VanDeLoo, the new Special Education Teacher.


Miss. VanDeLoo always knew she wanted to be some kind of teacher but it was not until high school when she realized that she wanted to specialize in Special Education. She helped out in a lot of organizations such as Special Olympics, or helping out in the special education classrooms at her school where she saw how much of an impact these teachers truly have. Along with that she also helped her brother a lot through school because he suffers from a seizure disorder.


When asked how she likes it here at Cedar Grove-Belgium she responded by saying, “I love it here! The students and staff are so friendly and helpful. It’s a great place for a new teacher.”


When Miss. VanDeLoo is not in school one of her favorite things to do is to read all day long, and has recently started playing tennis. She also loves to watch the Brewer’s and packers play. You also might see her drive around exploring the new community because she is new to it.


Miss VanDeLoo graduated this past spring in May of 2008 with a degree in Exceptional Education. Within her degree she has certificates in cognitive disabilities, learning disabilities, and emotional behavior disabilities. Before coming here to Cedar Grove-Belgium she was a day care teacher for four years at Kimberly, Wisconsin. She also was a special education teacher in Bowler, Wisconsin for one semester.


So if you see her in the hall or around town make sure to welcome her into the community, we are glad that she is here!

Child Development Project

Student Reporter: Lyndsey Weyker


Students who are currently enrolled in Child Development have developed a newfound appreciation for parenthood. Autumn Santarius, said “I was excited to get a baby but after a week of enduring motherhood, and lack of sleep, I have learned what it takes to be a mother. I am definitely not ready to have children for awhile. It was a great learning experience, though.” You might have seen them walking the halls with baby dolls or you might have even heard the dolls cry. Well they are not just carrying it for fun; they are actually getting graded on how well they take care of their baby. They get to keep their children for a week, and then someone else in the class is in charge of being a parent since there are only four dolls.


A monitor inside the baby goes off randomly at any time of the day and night. If students do not tend to their crying baby within a minute or two, the monitor records the neglect. The students have a key to make their baby stop crying. If they put the baby in the wrong position, like setting it on its stomachs then the baby cries. The monitor also records how many times the students snap the baby’s head back, which teaches them to support their babies head since real life babies have such weak and sensitive necks.

Mr. Coopman

Student Reporter: Mariah Keller


When people attend sporting events, they only realize who they are playing and where they have to travel to attend the game. It’s the person behind the scenes who is in charge of when and where the teams play, the athletic director.


Our new athletic director Mr. Coopman received his bachelor’s degree at UW-LaCrosse in physical education and health. He went to UW-Oshkosh to get his master’s degree in guidance and counseling. He taught at Kiel for 23 years and Sheboygan South for eleven years before he came here. He is married with three grown kids. His wife works at Lakeland College as a graphic designer, his oldest son works as a financial planner, his daughter is a photo stylist who worked with Brett Favre and Lance Armstrong , and his youngest son is a technical education teacher.


Mr. Coopman chose this profession because he enjoys high school athletics. Athletes and coaches are his favorite people to be around. Some of his hobbies outside of school include golf, exercising, watching sports, and hanging out with his grandsons. He said that he really likes CG-B, the staff and students he has met are awesome. He enjoys being back at a smaller school.

Football Update

Student Reporter: Anthony Wilcox


There are high expectations for the football team this year. The team returned the majority of letter winners on each side of the ball and many of the players had been working hard through the off season to get ready for the season ahead. So far the Rockets have gone 6-0 this season. The Rockets started the season with two non-conference games against teams they lost against last year, and then the team started our CLC conference play against Sheboygan Lutheran/ Kohler and Oostburg.


At the beginning of the year the team was looking for some redemption against a Cambridge team who won off a punt return late in the game. The Rockets worked hard throughout minicamp and practice before the game and pulled off a nice victory 28-13. A week later they faced a Laconia team who had beat the Rockets 41-0 in the previous year. This did not sit well with the Rockets. They worked extra hard to make sure this didn’t happen again, and come Friday night the Rockets beat Laconia 28-12.


After the non-conference games the Rockets started their CLC conference play against Sheboygan Lutheran/ Kohler. Coach Z did not have a good feeling about this game. He was worried that the week of bad practice might carry into the game and the team would not play well. Friday night came along and the Rockets were ready to play. The Rockets pulled off a triumphant win, 62-0. The fourth game of the season was against a team rival, The Oostburg Flying Dutchmen. This game was big for the Rockets. The previous year Oostburg beat the Rockets here in Cedar Grove and took home the traveling spike. This year the Rockets were traveling to Oostburg to take back the spike and try to extend their record to 4-0. Everyone was excited for the game, and a tough week of practice paid off when the Rockets were victorious and beat the Dutchmen 34-14.

New Second Grade Teacher Mrs. Augustiniak

Student Reporter: Ariel Beutel


This year we are privileged to have a new second grade teacher, Tammi Augustiniak. She previously taught first grade in a small school in Manitowac, as well as a combined first and second grade for nine years in Green Bay. When her family moved to Belgium she taught part time preschool for three and four year olds. This past year she substituted in both the middle and elementary school and, “fell in love with the district.” She likes the variety of students as well as the small school atmosphere that the Cedar Grove-Belgium School District presents.


Along with enjoying the district and loving the students, Mrs. Augustiniak also enjoys the challenges and joy that teaching brings on a daily basis. She said that it can sometimes be stressful as well as very rewarding when a student grasps a new concept, “I do not know of too many other jobs where you can continue to learn, have an impact on someone’s life, and have fun at the same time.”

Pin Wheels For Peace

Student Report: Becky Lemmermann

On September 21, 2008 Pin Wheels for Peace is celebrated worldwide, and our school was no exception. Don Urness was responsible for organizing the second annual celebration, which was held on Friday, September 19th. Elementary and middle school classes were invited to participate by allowing students to design their own pin wheels and have them displayed in the area in front of the district office.


The history of Pin Wheels for Peace begins with the idea of peace. Each day people are faced with violent ideas and images on TV, in magazines, and on the news. This project is a way for children to reach the next generation and show them what they are thinking. Pin Wheels for Peace is not a political movement, it is a project that reflects that peace is not an absence of war or violence. People can find peace each day in their lives. “To each of us, peace can take on a different meaning, but, in the end, it all comes down to a simple definition: a state of calm and serenity, with no anxiety, the absence of violence, freedom from conflict or disagreement among people or groups of people” explains the Pinwheels for Peace official webpage.



Pinwheels were chosen for the symbol of the project because pinwheels reflect childhood. Many people think of how things were simple, peaceful, and stress free during their childhood which is the message the entire project is trying to send. Everyone involved with the project was instructed to “plant” their pinwheels outside in a public area on September 21, 2008, International Day of Peace, to spread the idea of peace throughout the nation.
For more information visit: http://www.pinwheelsforpeace.com

Dance Team 2008/ Elementary and Middle School Kiddie Clinic

Student Reporter: Ashlee Ansay

Toe-touches, leaps, and pregames are all signs that the 2008-2009 dance team have once again begun. This summer tryouts were held for the football and basketball season. There are eleven girls on the football and about sixteen girls on the basketball squad. Practices began a few weeks before school started, and the girls are still working extremely hard. Their first performance will be homecoming on October 10th. They are performing a funk routine choreographed by their coaches Stacy Arndt and Sara Staton to a remix of the songs They Both Reached For The Gun from the movie Chicago, Damaged by Danity Kane, and Disturbia by Rhiana.

The dance team is also holding a Kiddie Clinic (dance clinic) for kids in grades 1-8. The clinic will be held Monday, October 20th through Wednesday, October 22nd. On Thursday, October 23rd, the girls will perform at halftime of the high school boys football game against Random Lake. The girls will meet after school in their commons and practice will run from 3:30 to 5:00 each day. The clinic costs 15 dollars, which includes the cost of the T-shirt that they will receive and wear for the performance. Permission slips will be sent home the week before the performance and will also be available in the elementary and middle school offices. The team is hoping for a great turnout to help the dance team fundraise for a hopeful state appearance!

Racing to Victory

Student Reporter: Jordan Dykstra

History is in the making as Cedar Grove-Belgium cross country kicks off another season. This year’s team is made up of eleven girls and ten boys, which is the largest team that the school has had in a long time. Returning runners from last season include seniors Jordan Dykstra and Jackie Sopko, juniors Jessica Meinen, Liz Pritzl, Taylor Ansay, and Kelly DelPonte, and sophomores Joel Merritt, Erika Meinen, Marina Paul, Mary Asma, Joe Sopko and Richard Beabout. With many runners returning from last season, there are also many cross country newcomers. Joining the squad this year is senior Joe Bednarek, junior Josh Mulloy, sophomores Al Murphy and freshmen Kiera Depies, Alex Holle, Montana Zajac, Connor Novack, Joe Schuller and Brandon Krauska.

Already just a few meets into the season, both the girls and boys team have brought home hardware. At Kiel, the girls team finished first out of 14 teams. For the boys varsity race, Josh Mulloy took first place while Joel Merritt followed in second. Next at the Rocket Invite, the girls finished second and the boys took home the gold. At Sheboygan Lutheran Invite the boys team made a surprise attack and was second place out of 25 teams. The girls finished fourth at Lutheran. At Valders both the girls and boys team took home first place trophies. This was the first time in 31 years that both boys and girls teams took first at Valders. With only a few meets in and many more to go, Cedar Grove-Belgium Cross Country is improving every week, and their future looks promising.

When asked about the season, Jackie Sopko answered, “I don’t think there ever was a closer team than our cross country team is this year. I am truly enjoying this season and have a blast with the team.” Coach Wood added to this by saying, “Great cast of characters doing a great job of capitalizing on their talent. From famine to feast for the guys. Maintaining prominence for the gals.” This year’s race to state should be interesting with very talented boys and girls teams, so get out to a race this year to cheer on your Cedar Grove-Belgium Rockets Cross Country Team!