WAUWATOSA, WI — The Wauwatosa School District is pleased to announce that students from both Wauwatosa East and Wauwatosa West high schools recently excelled in the annual ‘We the People’ competition. Last weekend, both teams competed in the national competition as part of a field of roughly 1,000 students from 48 classes. The Wauwatosa West team was one of just 12 that qualified for the final day of competition. West went on to finish in ninth place. The Wauwatosa East team took 20th in the national competition while earning the Unit 2 Award in the country.
Each year, the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution competition brings together students from across the country to engage in simulated congressional hearings and demonstrate the civic knowledge, skills and general dispositions that allow for productive participation in the American system of government.
“I am so proud of the commitment and dedication displayed by this year’s group of APPSE students in advancing to the We the People finals,” said Chad Mateske, team advisor and American Public Policy Special Emphasis teacher at Wauwatosa West. “Working with these students and watching them collaborate and prepare for the competition has been an inspiring experience. It’s great to see their efforts rewarded.
Wauwatosa East team advisor and teacher Taylor McDaniel stated: “This is not an experience that our students are likely to forget. I expect they will take what they’ve learned throughout this process into their future studies, as well as their roles as citizens.”
While Wauwatosa West’s APPSE team achieved a fourth-place finish in last year’s national competition, this year’s team featured a new group of students – all of whom are currently in 11th grade. Team members include Mallory Baish, Matthew Byrne, Sarah Cape, Logan Espinosa, Andrew Freeborn, Thomas Hipke, Indigo Keith, Kira Kirby, Maya Le, Elijah Lovely, Isabella Meyer, Carolyn Molter, Zachary Nowacek, Carina Pelzek, Amanda Schaefer, Hannah Veenendaal, Harikesh VenkataSubramaniyan, Conlan Welch and Anabelle Wooster. The class was assisted by teaching assistants Ronan Piontek, Nora Rommelfanger, Ryan Reynolds, Serena Stern, Ben Soboleski and Jude Whale. The team is mentored by Tom Schneck, Tony Baish, Mike Huitink, Lisa Lawless, Jynine Strand, Mark Young and Rebecca Salawdeh.
In addition, East’s Unit 2 team took home the Unit Award at the national competition. Team members include Vivi Andersen, Annabel Biasi, Jack Cady, Daniel Casey, Audrey Catlin, Sydney Cozzens, Chloe EckdaleDudley, Benjamin Fraley, Mya Hansen, Audrey Hardman, Arianna Hensersky, Lucy Hildebrand, Nich Jolie, Maeve Kaufman, Maria Knaack, Sam Litzau, Griffin Moorhead, Richie Nickel, Liam Nolan, Luciana Perez, Katherine Pluta, Colin Roberts, Madeline Ruzicka, Ethan Sprague, Miguel Villa. The team is mentored by Greta Dietzler, Sophia Heffner, Mason King, Lidia Perez, Anya Ranft, and Lauren Wunderlich.
APPSE is a government and civic education course offered to Wauwatosa students who are interested in learning more about how the government works and how everyday citizens can participate in civic life. Through in-depth study of the structure of government, important court cases, the rights of citizens, and current events, the class is geared toward preparing students to participate in the We the People competition. Students work together to research, write, and develop arguments centered on important issues in history, politics and society. The We the People competition begins at the state level each January, and winners go on to participate in the national competition in the months that follow.
About the Wauwatosa School District:
The Wauwatosa School District is a high achieving, forward-thinking, richly diverse public school district serving approximately 7,200 students and families. The District consists of 16 schools: 11 elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools and the Wauwatosa Virtual Academy. Among these are two choice schools: Wauwatosa Montessori and Wauwatosa STEM. A full STEM program is offered at Underwood Elementary and at both middle schools. Additionally, the District provides education for several county programs including Children’s Hospital and Vel R. Phillips School. The educational community’s long history of excellence has been recognized both regionally and nationally.
The Wauwatosa School District is a high achieving, forward-thinking, richly diverse public school district serving approximately 7,200 students and families. The District consists of 16 schools: 11 elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools and the Wauwatosa Virtual Academy. Among these are two choice schools: Wauwatosa Montessori and Wauwatosa STEM. A full STEM program is offered at Underwood Elementary and at both middle schools. Additionally, the District provides education for several county programs including Children’s Hospital and Vel R. Phillips School. The educational community’s long history of excellence has been recognized both regionally and nationally.
For more information, visit the Wauwatosa School District website, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram pages.
