Guest Coach- Cory Mitchell

Guest Coach Cory Mitchell, a digital marketing instructor at Moraine Park Technical College, listened to and gave feedback to students' sales pitches. Students and he acted as interested buyers for products in the "Pathways Board Room."

Mr. Mitchell was happy to see students' pitches that went along with their marketing plans saying, "The presentations today have been excellent. I am very impressed with the detail in the presentations."

Guest Speaker Jacci Gambucci

On December 18th Guest Speaker Mrs. Jacci Gambucci, President at Badger Promotions in West Bend, explained more about marketing in the real world and how salesmen try to attract you to their booth or their product. Mrs.Gambucci explained, “I think the most important thing is knowing who your audience is because if you are trying to draw somebody to your product you need to focus on the people that maybe interested in buying your product. For example, why would you promote a coffee mug to a 12-year-old?” This helped students as they marketed a technological advancement for the marketing career cluster.

Jacci Gambucci answered Adam Fehring, Austin Kosmatka and other students' individual questions to help them market a technological advancement for the marketing career cluster.

Marshmallow Challenge

On December 6, 2013, the Pathways students had a marshmallow contest to see which group could make theirs stand the highest to utilize teamwork and engineering.

In Patrick O'Connor's room, the group that won was Olivia, Jenica, Connor, and Sarah.  Their groups stand was 57 cm high made with marshmallows, string, a basin, and a yard of tape with noodles.

School Board Presentation 12/10

Students Frannie Kemp, Kiera Fischer, Richard Austin and teachers Todd Orth and Patrick O'Connor presented to the West Bend School Board about the successes and challenges of being innovative by coming to the district's first project based charter school.

Site Visit to Willer Tool in Jackson

Students returned from Thanksgiving Break and headed to Willer tool in Jackson, WI where they were given tours of a manufacturing facility. Employees explained how a computer based design to scale was moved to the factory floor and produced.

Dan Becker explains how this piece is manufactured.

Willer Tool employes and tour guides, Dave Biermann, Dan Becker, and Curt Vorpahl. 

Students observe the production floor at Willer Tool.

Engineering Medical Devices

As we move through the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Career Cluster, our students have been working in teams of two on designing various projects, including: bicep assisting devices, splints, and prosthesis. We are now at the point in the process that we are constructing and testing the designs the student groups created.

S.T.E.M.

Students are now working through the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Career Cluster and are working on designing various medical improvements that would assist body movements, from bicep assisting devices to splints and prosthetics, as well as applicable engineering documentation.

Students heard from various guest speakers in the field as they explored careers in the cluster including:

Rob Steiner, Vice President of Steiner Electric

Tom Calenberg, President of TKC Enterprises

Mark Ediger, Software Engineer for Spaulding Clinical

First Cluster Finale

Students finished up the exploration of their first Career Cluster- Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security- with court cases which they produced to either prosecute or defend a defendant based on evidence gathered.

Authentic feedback was given by two esteemed guests, Attorney and Governance Council Co-President J. Douglas Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Law Offices and Ian Prust of O'Meara Law Firm, who served as judges and ruled on objections and case results.

A student cross-questions another student as "Judge" Prust looks on.

The courtroom listens to opening arguments from an "attorney."

A student questions another student as "Judge" Fitzgerald looks on.

Finishing our First Cluster

Students are fully entrenched in solving a staged crime at Pathways. One of the staff has "stolen" an iMac, and fortunately for the students left ample evidence.

Students are working in science workshops on DNA blood-typing with the assistance of Coach Orth.

Students are reading To Kill a Mockingbird  in English workshops as a guideline to developing their own trial.

Students have photographed and mapped the crime scene as well as learned about the history of civil liberties in our court system in social studies workshops.

Students have also had several pertinent guest speakers to assist in putting together the evidence to put the teacher suspected on trial. Among our guests were:

 District Attorney Mark Bensen

Washington County Game Warden Sean Nevermind

West Bend Police Officers Roeglin and Rinzel

Students will be holding their trials to prosecute or defend the "suspected" staff person with esteemed attorneys working as the "judges" for the students' trials. More pictures will follow after the trials.

Pathways Charter School: Week of Firsts

Pathways Charter School opened its doors for the first official day of school on 9/3.


















Wednesday marked our first official "regular" day of school including transitioning from elective classes to Pathways.














Thursday marked our first visit with from the Superintendent who charged us with being an innovative family of learners. He also reiterated the importance of being the first charter school of the West Bend School District.




















Friday marked our first field trip to Lac Lawrann Conservancy for team building and celebrations.

On Monday, we had our first non-district employed guest speaker as Officer Rinzel informed Pathways
students of the rigorous training and testing necessary to become an officer as well as possible reasons an officer may be called to Pathways.