Winterset Junior High School

🎉 Holiday Hat Day: Winterset Junior High Celebrates in Style! 🎉 Today, our students at Winterset Junior High donned their most festive hats to spread some holiday cheer! From Santa caps to sparkly reindeer antlers, the creativity was on full display.

🎄❄️ The holiday spirit is in full swing at Winterset Junior High! Monday kicked off with Warm and Fuzzy Day, and our students and staff brought all the cozy vibes with their favorite sweaters, blankets, and festive socks. 🧦✨ Today, we embraced a winter wonderland with White Out Day! From head to toe, the school sparkled with snowy white outfits, making it feel like a true holiday blizzard inside! ❄️🤍 Stay tuned for more dress-up fun as we celebrate the season together! 🎄

We're looking for used musical instruments to support our school music program! If you have any instruments (in good condition) that you no longer need, we'd be so grateful if you could donate them to the school.🎺

🌟 Shoutout to our amazing students and teachers at Winterset Junior High! 🌟 One of our students shared this heartfelt affirmation for their teacher: "She always greets everyone with a smile no matter what. She’s always ready for whatever is coming next. Thank you, Mrs. Hillyer!!" It’s moments like these that remind us how impactful our teachers are in shaping a positive learning environment. Let’s keep spreading kindness and gratitude! 💛 #BestJuniorHighInIowa

Looking forward to seeing all the dress up outfits the next two weeks! Happy Holidays!

🌟 What makes Winterset Junior High the BEST Junior High in Iowa? 🌟 It's our dedication to building character, fostering connections, and giving back to our community! A couple weeks ago, WJH came together for a building-wide community service project that truly showcased the heart of our students and staff. ❤️💛 From lending a helping hand to making a positive impact, our students demonstrated the power of teamwork, kindness, and leadership. 🌎✨ Check out this inspiring video highlighting the incredible work and effort that went into our project. We’re so proud of our students for making a difference right here in Winterset! 💪 #BestJHInIowa #CommunityService #WJHCares #PrideInOurCommunity 🖤💛 https://youtu.be/-mkDrEqY7Jc?feature=shared

📣 At Winterset Junior High, we’re helping our students prepare for the future by connecting them directly with leaders in our community! 🌟 Recently, our students conducted interviews with local business leaders to discuss the vital skills, knowledge, and dispositions outlined in WCSD's Profile of a Graduate. These competencies—Effective Communicator, Collaborator, Self-Starter/Driven, Innovative Thinker, Critical Thinker/Problem Solver, and Growth Mindset—are more than just words. They are the foundation for success in school, work, and life. Through these conversations, our students learned firsthand how these traits play a key role in the day-to-day operations of businesses in Winterset and beyond. 💼 The leaders also emphasized how important it is for students to have opportunities to develop and practice these competencies, preparing them to thrive in any path they choose. We’re so proud of our students for taking the lead in these meaningful conversations, and we’re grateful to our community partners for sharing their expertise and insights. This is what makes Winterset the Best Junior High in Iowa! 🖤💛 https://youtu.be/HXGpNZbby3I?feature=shared #ProfileOfAGraduate #StudentLeadership #WJHCommunityConnections #BestJHInIowa

What's the best way to celebrate the holiday season at Winterset Junior High, you ask? Answer: A building-wide Gnome Hunt! ✨ Our mischievous little gnomes have been hidden all around the school by our creative staff, and it's up to our students to track them down. 🕵️‍♀️🔍 The Homeroom that finds the most gnomes will win the ultimate prize—Hostess snack cakes! 🎂 Shoutout to Mr. Bradley's and Ms. Wood's Homerooms for winning the first hunt! 🏆 Well done, everyone! This is just one of the many reasons why Winterset Junior High is the Best Junior High in Iowa! ❤️💛 #BestJHInIowa

🎉 At Winterset Junior High, we love celebrating the incredible kindness and encouragement our students show each other! 💬🌟 Our student-student shoutouts highlight the positive words and actions that make WJH a supportive and welcoming place for everyone. Whether it’s helping a classmate, sharing a kind word, or cheering each other on, these moments reflect what makes our school the Best Junior High in Iowa! 🖤💛 Keep up the amazing work, Huskies! Your kindness and leadership inspire us every day. 🐾✨ #BestJHInIowa #HuskyPride

⛄️WJH Dress-Up Days❄️

🌟 Shoutout to Ms. Criswell and the Winterset Junior High Student Council! 🌟 We’re so proud of the incredible work our Student Council has been doing under Ms. Criswell’s leadership! Their dedication and investment in making our school a better place is truly inspiring. 💙🐾 From organizing events to building a stronger sense of community, they’ve gone above and beyond to make a positive impact. Thank you, Student Council, for your hard work, creativity, and commitment to Winterset Junior High! #HuskyPride #StudentLeaders #BestJuniorHighInIowa

Thanksgiving Holiday Office Closed

🌟 Afternoon of Passion Activities at WJH! 🌟 This afternoon, Winterset Junior High students enjoyed an exciting lineup of passion activities, including a special employer visit to the Madison County Hospital! Two groups of students had the unique opportunity to explore the many career paths available within the hospital, learning about roles that make a difference in our community every day. A huge thank you to all the WJH staff who helped make this afternoon possible and an even bigger THANK YOU to Madison County Hospital for hosting us and inspiring our students with real-world experiences.

🎉 Congratulations to Winterset Junior High’s November Students of the Month! 🎉 These outstanding students have demonstrated the P.A.C.K. Behavior Standards by being Professional, Accountable, Caring for Themselves, and Kind to Others. 🌟 A huge shoutout to Betsy Breeding for generously sponsoring this month’s awards—we truly appreciate your support! 👏 November's Students of the Month are: Evan Molln Gannon Dowie Adley Grandfield Lauren Hoffelmeyer Jayde Wickman Nicholas Gondek Breyden Rutledge Zek Manny Way to go, everyone! Keep up the amazing work! 🐾💛🖤

Shoutout to Mr. Heithoff and our incredible 7th-grade social studies students for their meaningful work in studying the Underground Railroad and its connection to Madison County history! 💡✨ Their efforts to uncover the story of four young men who were held and rescued at the “Old Log Jail” have led to something amazing—a grant to fund a bronze plaque that will mark this historic site, now home to Jones Creek Apparel. This project not only showcased their learning but also helped secure bonus points in the competitive grant process for a share of $500,000! 👏 The plaque will be installed next year, giving the community a lasting reminder of our rich history. A huge thank you to Mr. Heithoff for guiding students through this impactful project—your dedication to teaching and learning truly makes a difference. 🖤📚 #JuniorHighPride #MadisonCountyHistory #AuthenticLearning

Seventh-grade students participated in a virtual reality experience about the Holocaust, made possible by the Illinois Holocaust Museum and a generous donor from Iowa, using VR kits that allowed them to engage with award-winning videos showcasing survivors' stories and tours of historical sites.

🎉 Big congratulations to Mr. Lichty's Winterset Junior High students! 👏 Blake Snyder, Graham Barrett, Liam Meleshko, Tyson Frease, Marriah Allen, Hazel Lopez, Sawyer McDonald, and Evan Moetsch were all accepted—what an incredible accomplishment! It was a fantastic day filled with fun and celebration for these talented young musicians. 🎶 A special shoutout goes to Evan Moetsch for earning 1st chair euphonium and being accepted to the 8th Grade All Iowa Honor Band! Evan will have the honor of performing at the Iowa Bandmasters Conference this May in Des Moines. 🌟 Here are some pictures from Tuesday night’s SCIBA MS Honor Band, capturing these amazing moments! We’re so proud of you all for your hard work and dedication!

🎉 Parent-Teacher Conferences Celebration! 🎉 Thank you to all the families who came out for conferences! The turnout was fantastic, and the energy in the building was incredible. 🌟 The 2nd Annual Fall Festival was a blast! Families enjoyed delicious treats, including a meat and cheese tray, s’mores, hot cocoa, and caramel apples. Huge thanks to Mrs. Wetzel and Mrs. Volk for decorating and setting up – the space looked amazing! 🎃🍎 A special shoutout to the high school students who helped facilitate the evening and, of course, our dedicated teachers for taking the time to connect with families. Building relationships and creating lasting memories are at the heart of Winterset Junior High – the Best Junior High in Iowa! 🖤💛

🍂We can't wait to see everyone next Tuesday night🍁

❄️ Winter Warmth Drive Boxes are now in each school office, help us fill them up🧤🧣