#1StudentNWI: Westville Dances and Partakes in the Polar Plunge

#1StudentNWI: Westville Dances and Partakes in the Polar Plunge

What’s Happening

On February 3rd, Westville’s cheer and pom-poms teams had the amazing opportunity to perform at half-time during a Pacers game. When the opportunity arose, they had to seize it. Preparations started when the teams were sent videos of the routines. All of the girls had to individually learn the routine from the video so that they would be ready for the performance.

The day of the big game came quickly, and both teams piled onto the bus for the three-hour trip to the stadium in Indianapolis. The girls on both teams also took the time on the bus to bond with each other and grow closer. When they arrived at the stadium, everyone checked in and then went to a holding room to wait until the half-time practice started. Other teams continued to come, and the room filled up.

Once the practice started, it was all business. Teams were given their positions, told what ripple groups they were in, and then, they practiced, practiced, and practiced. After about three hours of practice, all of the participating teams were able to have some down time and get to know each other before the big performance. They played games and danced until they were told it was time to line up.

Teams were escorted down to the gym floor and the anticipation started to build as they waited until half-time. When the time finally came, all of the teams ran onto the gym floor and had the time of their lives as they performed for the crowd. It was a once in a lifetime moment that none of the girls will ever forget.

What’s Coming Up

1Student-Westville-Feb-2018-04On February 17th, the Westville Athletic Council will be participating in the Polar Plunge held at Valparaiso University. This will be Westville Athletic Council’s second year participating in the event and is a great way to raise money for a wonderful cause. Proceeds from the event go to Indiana Special Olympics to help them in achieving their goal of making sure everyone is included and accepted into the sports community and beyond.

The event will begin at 10 o’clock in the morning when teams will register and get to know each other. To break the ice, teams are encouraged to dress up in wacky and weird costumes. This creates an atmosphere that is very fun and energetic as people gather and prepare to plunge.

The plunge will begin at 11 o’clock, and all of the teams will start to file outside to the plunging pool. The pool is filled with water straight from fire hoses and the predicted temperature for the day is 32 degrees, so the participants are surely in for a cold one.

After everyone has plunged and is warm and dried off, participants and spectators alike will be able to continue the fun at the After-Splash Bash where there will be food, games, and plenty of fun. So, come on out to have a good time and support a wonderful cause.

Teacher Spotlight

1Student-Westville-Feb-2018-02Mrs. Kovach is one of the high school math teachers at Westville. She currently teaches Algebra 2, Precalculus, College and Career Math Readiness, and Math Lab. Before coming to Westville, Mrs. Kovach attended Indiana University for secondary education in math. Westville was Mrs. Kovach’s first teaching job and she hopes to stay there for the rest of her teaching career. She is very passionate about teaching and truly loves what she does. When asked what her favorite part about teaching was, she had a hard time choosing just one thing.

“I really love making a difference with the students and building the foundations of their mathematical backgrounds,” said Mrs. Kovach.

When she first started at Westville, Mrs. Kovach sponsored the National Honor Society and the National Junior Honor Society, and she did this until about 2010 when she passed it onto another teacher. In her free time, Mrs. Kovach enjoys snowmobiling, boating, spending time with her husband, and going on vacations.

Along with her many hobbies, Mrs. Kovach has an interesting personal life. Before teaching, she once had a job changing oil. She also put her dog through advanced training to be a therapy dog, and she loves puns. Mrs. Kovach is a fun and caring person and teacher who is greatly appreciated at Westville.

Student Spotlight

1Student-Westville-Feb-2018-03This month’s student spotlight is Melanie Markos. Markos has attended Westville since kindergarten, and some things that stands out to her about Westville are the people and the atmosphere.

“My favorite things about Westville are my friends, the teachers, and all of the after-school activities,” she said

Markos is a very diligent student who is also very involved in the school community. One of her goals for the school year is to keep her grades up and end the year with a 4.0 grade point average. She enjoys challenging herself and finds working on challenging material to be fun.

While focusing on school, she also currently participates in cheer, softball, and tutoring students at the school. Of these activities, cheer is her favorite.

“I like the fact that it’s year-round, and we get to do exciting stunts and cheers,” said Markos.

Markos is a dedicated athlete who gives her all to every sport she participates in and her dedication shows. She has been committed to cheer and softball for five years and has never given up, nor does she plan to. Markos is a great student, athlete, and member of the community who cares deeply about Westville.