School spirit has been on full display during the past year at Neenah High School and it culminated with the school earning the prestigious Wisconsin Spirit of Excellence Award.
Six regional winners of the award are selected with one being named the state winner. The Spirit of Excellence Award is in its seventh year honoring schools for the achieving excellence in leadership, displaying sportsmanship, lowering the achievement gap and serving their school and communities. The award will be presented at a ceremony on Mon., Feb. 17 at 8:50 a.m. in Pickard Auditorium at Neenah High School.
The award is selected by a team of Wisconsin school leaders, including representatives from the Wisconsin Association of School Councils (WASC), Association of Wisconsin School Administrators (ASAW), Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association (WADA), Rotary and the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA). All of those organizations will be represented at the awards presentation.
It is the first time Neenah has won the state’s Spirit of Excellence Award. Neenah was a regional winner in 2011-12 when Adams-Friendship won the state honor for the second time. St. Croix Falls was the state recipient in 2012-13. Other previous winners were Waunakee, Verona and Sussex Hamilton.
“This award represents the hard work of our students and staff in building a positive school environment,” Neenah High School Principal Brian Wunderlich said. “I especially want to credit our student council, which was active in planning many of the activities and coordinating this award. This is a tremendous honor and we take great pride in the achievements of our school.”
One of Neenah’s most impressive accomplishments during the past year was its homecoming week, which was dubbed “Comeback Week” and featured a full week of activities by numerous clubs and groups, while increasing school spirit and raising over $13,000 for a student who had been diagnosed with a brain infection. Neenah students also participated in a city-wide Bullying Awareness Day and Challenge Day, which is a unique activity to help students and adults build connections by stepping out of their comfort zones.
In regards to community service, Neenah’s Freshman Seminar classes and Key Club have performed numerous activities to benefit a variety of local individuals and organizations. A large number of students also engaged in elementary school tutoring activities, assisted with Best Friends youth mentoring, and participated in a dance marathon for the Children’s Miracle Network.
Academically, Neenah was named to the Advanced Placement Honor Roll for the third straight year and posted a 24.1 average on the ACT, which was the highest of any public school in the Fox Valley. In athletics, Neenah placed third in the 2012-13 Wisconsin Sports Network Cup standings, which recognize the state’s top overall athletic program. Neenah sent seven teams to state tournaments and were supported by the school’s student section, the “Rocket Rowdys.” Neenah’s clubs also won league titles last year in math team and chess and it is one of the few area schools to have a school-sponsored Special Olympics team, which competes in a variety of sports and is well-supported by the entire student body. The school’s performing arts program has also won numerous awards in solo/ensemble, show choir and drama events, while also performing at social events throughout the community.
A new logo created by a former Neenah High School student helped bring a new identity to the school and a connection between different clubs and sports. In April, Neenah continued its traditional Diversity Fair, which is a day that helps students appreciate classmates of all backgrounds and differences. An all-school assembly is held and each club is invited to have a booth in the fieldhouse to show off its activities from the past year.
Representatives from Neenah will be honored at halftime of a Milwaukee Bucks game on March 16 and through a promotional spot that will air on Fox Sports Wisconsin and will also be highlighted at the WIAA state basketball tournaments. The school will also be recognized at the WASC state conference in Madison on April 28.
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