According to studies conducted, male and female students who participate in co-curricular activities, including athletics, derive a host of benefits.  Those benefits are:   Better grades, a higher likelihood of college attendance, a lower likelihood of dropping out of school, higher educational aspirations, more satisfaction with schools and teachers, higher life satisfaction, broader conventional peer networks, less involvement in delinquent behavior, and less drug and alcohol use.

The National Federation of State High School Associations recently published updated information asserting the value of participating in interscholastic activities. The data continues to support, with overwhelming evidence, that participation in school programs enriches the lives of millions of students each year on a national scale.  According to the National Governors’ Association Center for Best Practices, students who participate nine hours or more each week,  for at least a year, are four times more likely to:  Be recognized for academic achievement, win a school attendance award, participate in a science and math fair, and win an award for writing.  They are also three times more likely to be elected to class office.

Independent research demonstrates that students who participate and are engaged in school programs, whether it’s athletics or any other extracurricular activity, have less truancy, lower drop-out rates, fewer disciplinary issues and better grade point averages, on average, than their peers that have no involvement.  In 2007, the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise reported that students who took part in more vigorous sports like soccer or football performed nearly 10 percent better in math, science, english and social studies classes.

It may also be undeniable that involvement in high school activities bodes well for participants after high school as well.  According to researchers in a 2005 study, participation in extracurricular activities gives all students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and those without stellar academic accomplishments in high school; measurable improvements on college admission exam scores.   Furthermore, students who compete in sports in high school were more likely than those not participating to be active in volunteering, voting, speaking publicly and being aware of current events.

Participation in high school co-curricular activities leads to fewer school drop outs, greater community involvement, greater academic achievement and a plethora of other positive outcomes. Perhaps the most important impact of participation in high school activities is the short- and long-term personal and emotional benefits that lead to making appropriate choices.  According to a United States Department of Education article published in 2002, those who have no involvement in interscholastic activities are 49 percent more likely to use drugs, and 37 percent more likely to become teen parents.

The volume of materials and information supporting the values and life-long lessons learned through interscholastic activities is vast.  However, we must be careful not to take extracurricular opportunities for granted or underestimate the impact they have on schools, and a school’s community.  School co-curricular programs are valuable extensions of the traditional classroom.

In the current climate of tightening school budgets that threaten to reduce funding for extracurricular programs, it is imperative for us to embrace school activities that nurture our students.  The Chilton School District recognizes the importance of co-curricular opportunities for students and the benefits gained through participation.  It is our sincere wish that all students would experience one or more of the many co-curricular activities available to them. The benefits will last them a lifetime.

Since 2011, The Monsanto Fund has provided school districts in several states the opportunity to compete for either a $10,000 or $25,000 grant award through their America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education (AFGRE) program.  The focus of this initiative is to strengthen math and science education in rural America.  The program allows farmers to nominate their local public schools to compete for this grant, and the School District of Chilton was nominated in the spring of 2012.

A team of Chilton math, science, and agriculture teachers collaborated to determine which grant award and project would best meet the AFGRE initiative, as well as match the needs of District initiatives and student learning.  Over the past eight years, the District has made significant improvements to our outdoor educational resources to include establishing a native prairie, managing and developing the existing school forest, and planting over 2,200 trees between 2010 and 2011.  Enhancing School Forest Utilization was decided as our project, and the writing team applied for the $25,000 award.  The grant proposal writing team consisted of:  Stephanie Bartels, high school science teacher, Amy Thielman, high school agriculture teacher, and Jeff Horn, middle school math teacher.  The proposal was submitted in April, 2012, and the District was awarded the grant in August, 2012.  An award recognition ceremony was held in November during the FFA Donkey Basketball game, to present the District with the $25,000 check, and to honor and thank the local farmers for their nomination.

The major goal of the project is to promote more educational use of the natural areas by clearing a gathering area within the school forest, building two bridges to connect the current trails across the stream, creating an Outdoor Educational Center (OEC), and providing professional development for K-12 teachers by Learning Experiences and Activities in Forestry (LEAF) through UW-Stevens Point.

Student, teacher, and community member volunteers began clearing brush for the gathering area and the OEC site in early September.  Once the site was prepped for construction, 9 high school students in Mr. Robert Boenisch’s Residential Agriculture Construction class began the construction process by setting the support posts, pouring the concrete slab, hand-building the trusses, and erecting the OEC.  In addition, electricity was supplied to the OEC for future installation of outlets for use of technology.  The majority of the OEC construction was completed in early November, with the remaining construction to be completed in the spring of 2013.  During the winter, the cleared brush was chipped by the City of Chilton and was spread around the OEC.  Wood chips from future brush clearing, and from the city, will be used to enhance the landscaping around the OEC, the gathering area, and the new trails.  Fourteen students in Mr. Derrick Jaeger’s Advanced Woods class designed and constructed the two bridges that are currently being installed by the Construction class.  This spring, the OEC will be completed with electrical wiring and outlets, a partial wall for storage, a whiteboard for instructional purposes, and wireless internet access.  Mr. Jeff Horn will lead 6^th grade student volunteers in collaborating with the Construction students to build and install the tables/benches for the OEC, and the gathering area.  All construction work is expected to be completed by the end of the school year, with the official end of the grant project window being July 1^st.

The professional development portion of the grant is well underway.  Sixteen K-12 math, science, and agriculture teachers participated in the LEAF school forest training in December, 2012.  They braved the cold and wind to be students while participating in forest-related activities that they can incorporate into their classroom instruction.  In April, the same teachers will complete the training by continuing to increase their expertise in forest activities, while also collaborating to implement the new school forest enhancements into the district curricula.

The District’s goal is to not only increase the utilization of the school forest and other natural areas by staff and students, but to encourage community members to take advantage of and enjoy the natural setting the school forest provides.  The Chilton Public Schools are an integral part of the community, and we would like the community to be an integral part of the schools.  Please feel free to take a walk through the school forest.  We welcome any questions, comments, suggestions, and assistance with future enhancements to the forest area.

Article written by Mr. Tracy Bartels.  Mr. Bartels is the project manager of this project and coordinates activities involving the school forest.  Please feel free to direct any questions or comments to him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

SUNDAY April 28 - Design your own COUCH POTATO!  Bring to school Monday!

MONDAY April 29 - Family Reading Night from 6 - 7:00 p.m @ CE&MS (use CMS entrance) and CCS Library.

TUESDAY April 30 - Read Around the School from 6 – 7:30 p.m @ CES

WEDNESDAY May 1 - Family Dinner & Game Night at home with your family!

THURSDAY May 2 - Ledge View Nature Center ($2 admission per person) from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. @ W2348 Short RD, Chilton

Adults must chaperone children at each event!

The AP program allows participating high schools to teach AP courses based on the academic quality of college preparatory courses. Prior to the 2013/2014 school year, Chilton High School has offered AP English Literature and Composition and AP United States History/Government. In December 2013, the Chilton Board of Education approved adding AP Psychology and AP Language and Composition to the options available for students. The School District of Chilton values offering students opportunities to prepare themselves for education and training after graduation, and AP offerings assist in that goal.

Why take an AP course? Some of the best reasons for students to take Advanced Placement courses include: development of college-level academic skills, impress college admission counselors, save money on tuition, provide more choices in college course selections, and attain success in post-secondary educational settings.

The Chilton High School staff has been in discussions with various post-secondary admissions counselors about what makes prospective applicants attractive. Feedback has been overwhelmingly in support for academic rigor in course selection. AP courses are among the most rigorous because the curriculum is consistently developed at the post-secondary level.

Students that have access to college credit in high school have the potential to save on college tuition. At the time of this writing, an AP course can be taken for the price of registering for the final exam, which is less than $100. That price is hard to beat when looking for a deal on college credit. Given the cost of credits, success on AP exams can save a good deal of money-potentially an entire semester's worth of tuition.

AP courses are a preview of college-level work, taught with college textbooks and exams. Students that participate in AP courses develop the reading, writing, critical thinking, and assessment skills necessary to be successful in post-secondary educational and career settings. In fact, the Department of Education found that students participating in rigorous, college level courses in high school are much more likely (46%) to complete college. In the largest study ever of the impact of AP on college success the article entitled "Current Issues and Answers in Education," Dr. Ronald Holmes gives his analysis of 222,289 students from all backgrounds attending a wide range of Texas universities. The researchers found "strong evidence of benefits to students who participate in both AP courses and exams in terms of higher GPAs, credit hours earned, and four-year graduation rates."

A separate University of Texas study of 24,941 students said those who used their AP credits to take more advanced courses in college had better grades in those courses than similar students who first took college introductory courses instead of AP courses in 10 subjects.

AP can help with post-secondary education in two ways. First, each course provides an in-depth introduction to a specific subject area. Second, a high score on an AP exam often fulfills one of a college's general education requirements. This means a student will have more room in their schedule to explore different academic fields. Plus, college registration is often based upon credits accumulated, which means a student with six college credits upon college enrollment will be able to register for preferred classes, times, and/or instructors prior to students entering without any college credits.

College credit equivalency courses, such as AP, provide students with practice for post-secondary success, and open avenues to post-secondary institutions. Benefits of these courses are easy to see, but as with everything there must be a balance for students. Depending upon interest, ability level and time, the student needs to find balance between rigorous college preparatory courses, general high school courses, extra-curricular participation and employment responsibilities, when applicable.

If you are interested in learning more about Advanced Placement, please contact Mr. Breitlow at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at 849-2358.

Written by Mr. Ty Breitlow, Principal, Chilton High School