Past yearbooks available for purchase at Sparta High School

Sparta High School has a number of past yearbooks available and will sell them for $20 each. Stop in the high school guidance office from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday if you are interested in purchasing one. 

Available years include:

1960        1

1970        1

1971        1

1972        2

1973        0

1974 1

1975 2

1976 1

1977 0

1978 1

1979 0

1980 1

1981 1

1982 1

1983 5

1984 2

1985 1

1986 0

1987 1

1988 2

1989 5

1990 1

1991 1

1992 2

1993 3

1994 7

1995 27

1996 6

1997 36

1998 39

1999 9

2000 21

2001 13

2002 6

2003 21

2004 2

2005 16

2006 8

2007 29

2008 12

2009 13

2010 7

2011 9

2012 10

Sixth graders fly Delta Dart Gliders

Sixth grade students at Sparta Meadowview Middle School are learning about flight through a STEM-based activity.

The students are building and flying Delta Dart Gliders

Sparta Area School District teachers developed the lesson plans using materials purchased through a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Educational Partnership. The school district serves students whose parents are assigned to Fort McCoy.

Through the Sparta Area grant, the district is enhancing teacher content knowledge in the area of STEM instruction and is providing teachers with additional resources.

While the aim of the program is to enhance the education of military students, funds may be used to raise student achievement for all students at Sparta Area Schools.

Meadowview sixth graders learn about circuits

Riley Law (left) and Olivia Schulz (right) work on a circuit

Christian Janzen turned the crank and yellow bulb turned on.

His classmate Alden Sprackling flipped a switch and the red bulb turned on.

The sixth graders at Meadowiew Middle completed a circuit using a Snap Circuits Green kit that utilizes alternative energy to power lights, fans and other items.

"We are doing an energy unit in science. This makes it more fun," Janzen said.

Learning how the circuits work with all the pieces "that don't look like they would work at all" was cool," he said.

Lauren Fahning and Hadly Bernett worked together to create their circuit. They said they appreciated the more hands on approach.

"We usually read from a book and that's not as fun," Fahning said.

"It's not as hands-on," Bernett added. "This is something new.

Alexa Powell (left) and Carly Muller (right)

Nicholas Stritchko (left) and Jackson Thompson (right)

Lauren Fahning (left) and Hadly Bernett (right)

Ryan Mohr (left) and Isaac Janzen (right)

MVM names May Students of the Month

The following students were named Student of the Month for May at Meadowview Middle School (Front Row): Isaac Janzen, Kayla Krueger, Luis Cruz and Natalie Hoffman (Back Row): Raelene Baron, Katie Dockerty, Jacqueline Vanessa Sanchez, Garrett Schreier and Zeth Burch.

Southside students create collaborative mobile

Third grade students at Southside Elementary recently created a mobile of 18 hot air balloons during art class at the school. The project was a

collaborative effort in response to a grant opportunity that allowed the students to work in small groups to create a hot air balloon, teacher Denise Geiwitz said.

To create the balloons, students were given a balloon which was prepared for them by taping a styrofoam bowl to the base. The students worked together to paper mache' over the entire balloon and bowl. Once the paper mache' was dry, the students painted the balloon in a color of their choice. Each child was then given another color to paint designs on to the balloon. 

The students needed to come up with a plan for their balloon design while being encouraged to keep it simple and colorful. Lines and pattern were encouraged. 

The students created a paper weaving for their basket and turned it in to a basket sculpture that was attached with string to the balloon base.

Once the balloons were complete, Geiwitz enlisted her husband's help to create a grid work of dowels to hang the balloons from. Clouds were drawn and cut out and attached to conceal the grid work. 

The Elevate the Arts with American Girl grant contest calls for students to incorporate hot air balloons into an art project – collaboratively. Further, they need to explain how they feel about arts in their school. Geiwitz questioned her students about how they would feel if they came to school next year and found out there was no art.

“They were so sad to think about this,” she said. “It was a wonderful project to culminate their years here at Southside.”

The grant award is $10,000. If Southside receives the funding, Geiwitz said they would like to purchase a kiln, paint a mural in the art room and buy more art supplies that are unique.

Meadowview students to serve as 'student techies' at summer Technology Boot Camp

Meadowview Intermediate and Middle school students have been selected to participate as student techies in the Technology Boot Camp this summer.

The two-day mobile literacy professional development camp for teachers is June 12 and 13 at Meadowview Schools. The student's roles will be to assist presenters in various sessions and to be a go to person with knowledge of the building.  

Those representing the Sparta Area School District are: 

• Sean Crayton-6th grader
• Brennon Hanson-6th grader
• Kayla Krueger-6th grader
• Bryanna Todryk- 6th grader
• Taylor Winterton-6th grader
• Haydn Guns- 5th grader
• Jacob Anderson-5th grader
• Lily Schmitz- 5th grader
• Caroline Blaha-5th grader
• Caleb Wegner-4th grader
• Savana Milkie-Rivas-4th grader

Eighth graders use STEM skills to build and launch catapults

Students Tori Hanson and Trisha
Schmitz launch their catapult. The
eighth graders built the catapult
after researching it online out of
a pencil, coffee mug, rubber bands
and a spoon. 

Sparta Middle School students recently used science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills to launch catapults at the school. 

Teacher Hallie Weibel developed the lesson plan using materials purchased through a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Educational Partnership awarded to the Sparta Area School District. Through the grant, the district is enhancing teacher content knowledge in the area of STEM instruction and is providing teachers with additional resources. While the aim of the program is to enhance the education of military students, funds may be used to raise student achievement for all students at Sparta Area schools.

Students researched catapults online and created them using a variety of household materials they found that included dresser drawers, rubber bands, plastic spoons, mouse traps and wooden dowels. Trisha Schmitz and Tori Hanson even fashioned their catapult using a pencil, rubber bands, a spoon and coffee mug. The girls said it perfect for launching pebbles.

The project “helps us apply what we know,” Hanson said.


“We are learning the laws of motion and this is helping us learn it better,” Schmitz added. “I’m more interested in science now that we’ve added fun stuff.”