With the release of Governor Holcomb’s “Back on Track Indiana” plan and the guidance outlined by the Governer’s office, we are moving forward with a plan for an in-person graduation ceremony.

WARSAW — A kindergarten student exploring engineering skills. Several years ago that would have not entered the thinking of public educators. But not so in today’s public school classrooms where project based learning, teamwork and collaboration, thinking outside the box and solving real world problems are emphasized. And Josh Wall sees it unfold daily. Wall …read more.

ATWOOD — Even at the age of 12, Jim Irwin knew what he wanted to do in life. “I wanted to coach and teach,” he said. And so he did for more than 35 years. Irwin grew up on a farm along CR 650W about a mile north of Atwood. He later graduated from the …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY — The welding technology program at Whitko High School continues dual-credit status with Ivy Tech Community College. Students enrolled in welding technology classes have the opportunity to earn college credit while they are in high school. These credits are valid for Ivy Tech Community College and can be transferred to any state-accredited college …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY — Nine Whitko High School students took the American Welding Society Welder Certification Test on April 17 at the Steel Dynamics Keith E. Busse Technology Center of Ivy Tech Community College, Fort Wayne. Passing students earned a worldwide recognized certification in the Gas Metal Arc Welding process. The test consisted of an American …read more.

WHITLEY COUNTY — Whitko High School has announced Samuel Rickerd and Livia Rose as the school’s Class of 2019 valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively. Rickerd is the son of Mark and Sarah Rickerd, South Whitley. He plans to attend Purdue University to major in computer engineering. Rickerd’s high school activities include serving as National Honor Society …read more.

KOSCIUSKO — Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy is now accepting applications for the 2018-2019 class year. Those wishing to apply currently need to be sophomores in high school entering into their junior year this fall. Applications can be picked up at the guidance counselors’ offices at Warsaw Community High School, Lakeland Christian Academy, Wawasee High School, …read more.

PIERCETON — Stephanie Cloud, Pierceton, has a mission – to raise her two sons: Tucker, 2 ½ and Ryder, 7 months. “When I feel its complete, I’ll find something else. It’s a blessing to stay home and raise the kids. I’m focused on that. When they are in school full time, I’ll re-evaluate.” While taking …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY — Whitko High School Senior Rozlyn Bishop competed at the State FCCLA Convention on Thursday, March 8, in Muncie. Bishop presented in the STAR Event Fashion Design senior category, receiving a gold medal and alternate qualifier to the national level in Atlanta June 28 to July 2. This is the fifth consecutive year Bishop has …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY — A 92 percent graduation rate, one to one technology and serving two counties is no small feat. Adding to that list of accomplishments, this year Whitko has been recognized by the Indiana Department of Education as a Performance Qualified High School. What does it take to be a Performance Qualified High School? …read more.

LARWILL — A parade of more than 30 citizens addressed the Whitko Community School Corporation’s school board in a two hour, 15-minute meeting Monday night, Feb. 19, to express concern related to the board’s recent realization that consolidation is unavoidable. The Whitko Community School Corporation and members of the community are mostly in agreement on …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – Whitko High School is among choices for a possible scholarship highlighting school spirit.

SOUTH WHITLEY — The Indiana Department of Education announced today the 2016 Advanced Placement Award Recipients. To be selected, schools must have at least 25 percent of their 2016 graduating class receiving a 3, 4, or 4 on an AP exam. Whitko High School was honored for having 27 percent receiving the desired grade. “Research …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY — Emma Neeley and Morgan Keirn have been named valedictorian and salutatorian of the Whitko High School class of 2017. Neeley is the daughter of Robin Neeley, Columbia City, and Chris Neeley, Warsaw. Neeley plans to attend Franklin College with a double major in pre-med biology and exercise science. During high school, Neeley …read more.

GOSHEN — Fairfield Cosmetology Department struck gold at the SkillsUSA State Conference in Indianapolis April 21-22.

SOUTH WHITLEY — The Bethel College Jazz Ensemble will be performing a coffeehouse concert at Whitko High School on at 6 p.m. on Sunday, February 19   No tickets are required and admission is free. The Bethel College Jazz Ensemble, from Mishawaka, Indiana, is comprised of talented students from a variety of majors including music education, music …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY — The Whitko Community Schools School Board held the first of four informational meetings Monday, Jan. 30, at Whitko High School. The meetings come after much talk in the Whitko community regarding possible school closures to solve financial needs. The rumors have instigated many to speak out in social media groups expressing their …read more.

Three foreign exchange students are enrolled in the 2016-2017 school year at Whitko High School. The names of the students and their host families are as follows: Vuong Dang Nhat Nguyen, Vietnam, Jeff and Sherri Sickafoose; Manon Sonneville, Belgium, Cory and Susan Ness; Hahyeon Jang, South Korea, Buford Baker.

By NATHAN HAYWOOD Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Whitko Community Schools  INDIANAPOLIS — Perseverance and discipline merit their own rewards and, for Austin Bernicky and Jordyn Leininger, the rewards at the Indiana State Fair have been abundant. On Aug. 7, Bernicky, a ninth-grader at Whitko High School, won the grand champion market lamb, which means he …read more.

PIERCETON — Whitko Schools announced the following information pertaining to the 2016-17 school year. The Whitko High School guidance counselors will be available 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2, through Friday, Aug. 5, to make class schedule changes. New students can call (260) 723-5146 for an appointment. Students with last names beginning with A-M …read more.

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana’s electric cooperatives and their statewide magazine, Electric Consumer, named the winners of their annual Cooperative Calendar of Student Art Contest. Attie Schuler, a student at Northfield High School, Wabash, and a resident of North Manchester, was named artist of the year for her detailed illustration of Indian corn. Local students earning honors included Cayden …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY — Tanner Moyer, owner of Moyer’s Corner Cafe, South Whitley, recently approached the Whitko High School art department with the idea of creating a logo for his new restaurant in Silver Lake. The new establishment has a 1950’s-style, drive-in, coney-dogs-and-homemade-root-beer theme and will be called Moyer’s Cruise In. Several Whitko High School art …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY — Electric Consumer hosted its 19th annual student calendar contest for its 2017 cooperative calendar. The contest provides young Hoosier artist the opportunity to express themselves and develop their artistic talent while possibly earning cash prizes and state wide acclaim. The contest is statewide and open to all grade levels. Nearly 1,900 pieces of art from all over Indiana were entered in the contest. Whitko High School Art students continued a …read more.

PIERCETON — A class at Whitko High School recently assisted the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce. The Whitko Functional Skills class focuses on academic skills along with daily living skills and is taught by Leah Glassburn. “As the students get older it is really important for them to be able to be out in the community …read more.

By AMY CHRiSTOFFEL Administrative & Marketing Coordinator, Whitko Community School Corporation KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — The Whitko Community School Corporation has named the students of the month of May. Lindsay Moseley is the Student of the month at Whitko High School. Moseley is truly the embodiment of what Whitko High School is all about. She is a …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY — Making decisions can be difficult, but when it came to choosing between West Point, the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Naval Academy and the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Erick Loe, senior at Whitko High School, knew exactly what he would do. “I’ve always wanted to be in the …read more.

Whitko High School students dodged for a good cause Friday afternoon, Feb. 25, during the sixth annual Jarrod’s Day dodgeball tournament.

SOUTH WHITLEY — Whitko High School has announced Emily Hughes will be the valedictorian and Veronica Palmer will be the salutatorian for the 2016 Whitko High School graduating class. The Whitko High School Class of 2016  will graduate Friday, June 10. A Pierceton resident, Hughes is involved in volleyball, softball, the student council, the National …read more.

WARSAW — Beauty will be a little easier to attain after Inspire College of Cosmetology opens at 3171 E Center Street on March 21.

Todd W. Danner, 47, of Pierceton, passed away Friday Feb. 26, 2016 at 3:40 a.m. at Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne. He was born on Oct. 21, 1968, to Susan Danner and Howard H. Patrick in Columbia City. He was a 1987 graduate of Whitko High School. He honorably served in the United States Army 18 …read more.

Dear Editor: Last week the entire junior class at WCHS was informed that our class principal had accepted a new position as building principal at Whitko High School. I was one of those junior’s, and I am met with both sadness and immense happiness at this news. Our junior class principal, John Snyder, is the …read more.

PIERCETON — Kenneth W. Burnworth, 59, of Albion, passed away Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016 at Parkview Regional Medical Center, Fort Wayne. Born July 31, 1956 in Whitley County, he was the son of Larry and Lorretta (Johnson) Burnworth. At the age of 11, Ken and his brothers were adopted by Larry and Lorreta and they …read more.

WHITLEY COUNTY — The following Whitko students have been announced as students of the month: Anna Ousley – Whitko High School Anna Ousley was nominated as the student of the month for her important role as a peer helper in the functional skills classroom. She models respect and patience with her classmates and presents herself with …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY — The Whitko High School pep band performs for home basketball games, and once a year we invite alumni and others to come play with the pep band at a game. We usually try to do it around Thanksgiving, and are happy to once again do it for the boys basketball game against Columbia City.

SOUTH WHITLEY — The Whitko Marching Pride has qualified for the Indiana Sate School Music Association Semi-State. This is the first year the band, composed of 20 high school students under the direction of Joey Shepherd, has competed in Open Class D.

SOUTH WHITLEY — Thursday, Aug. 20 is the first day of school and as summer winds to a close, students can begin registering for classes at Whitko High School.

A few local high schools recently received a nod from USNews.com. The website recently released a listing of top schools in Indiana based upon class sizes, testing scores and proficiency scores in both algebra and English. Though many schools in Kosciusko County such as Wawasee High School and Warsaw Community High School were unranked, schools …read more.

Whitko High School has named its valedictorian and salutatorian for the 2014-15 school year. Jonathan Douglas Johnson was given the honor of valedictorian. Johnson is the son of Bruce and Edith Klingaman. He and his parents lives in Larwill. Johnson plans to attend Indiana Wesleyan University or Huntington University and plans to study music or …read more.

Bryan D. Saving, 50, of Fishers, passed away Wednesday, April 8, in his home. He was born March 5, 1965, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Donald F.W. and Karen (Winkler) Saving. He attended Whitko High School in South Whitley. MSG Bryan Donald Saving retired from the United States Air Force after 22 years of service to …read more.

The Whitko High School Art Department recently competed in the 45th World School Children’s Art Exhibition in the Republic of China, Taipei in order to promote mutual understanding and friendship among the younger generation of the world. Over 30,000 entries were entered in this contest. The following sixteen Whitko students received selected medals: Lissa Baldridge, Jamie …read more.

Students in Andrew Layman’s sixth grade social studies classes at Whitko Middle School got the chance to Skype with Whitko High School junior, Hannah Bredikhn, who is currently an exchange student living in Denmark. As a culminating event of the sixth grades studies of Europe, Skype sessions were arranged between the students and Bredikhn. Skyping …read more.

By BRITTANY LYON Director, Kosciusko County Educational Development Kosciusko County Educational Development is pleased to introduce Kayla Creech. Creech is a 2014 graduate from Whitko High School. Creech started with KC-Ed halfway through her junior year at Whitko and explains that were it not for the relationship she had with her graduation coach, and knowing …read more.

The South Pleasant United Methodist Church invites the public to hear the Whitko High School Gospel Choir perform for worship at 10:10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 23. Afterwards, join in for the annual harvest dinner where the food and fellowship will overflow. For questions or more information, call Pastor Russ at (260) 982-4399.

SOUTH WHITLEY – The Whitko High School football team will hold its award program on Nov. 12. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium at the high school. Coach Josh Mohr’s squad went 6-4 this fall, including a second-place finish in the Three Rivers Conference with a 6-1 mark.  

Yesterday, the Indiana Department of Education released graduation rate data for the 2012-2013 school year. Locally, graduation rates did not fare so well. Out of eight area high schools, only two showed an improvement in overall graduation scores, with the other five showing notable declines and one school showing no change. Tippecanoe Valley High School, …read more.

Music lovers are invited to brush the dust off of their instruments and come to Whitko High School at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27. Once a year, the school invites everyone who might be itching to find a place to jam to come to a varsity game and play with the band. According to …read more.

Next week in Zionsville, nearly 60 young women from all over the state of Indiana will compete for the titles of Miss Indiana and Miss Indiana’s Outstanding Teen. Shana Patel of Pierceton is Miss Kosciusko County and will be competing for the Miss Indiana title. She is 20 years old, a graduate of Whitko High School …read more.

The Whitko High School Class of 2022 met for the first time all together on May 17 at the Pierceton Park in Pierceton for the annual Pen Pal Picnic. These third graders from Mrs. Gawthrop’s Class, Mrs. Kinney’s Class, and Mrs. Mohr’s Class at South Whitley Elementary School and Mr. Fitzsimmons’ Class, Mrs. Garber’s Class, and Mrs. Underhill’s Class at …read more.

What started out an act of teenage cyber bullying has turned into a much more positive story for Whitko High School. According to parents and students, last week an anonymous Facebook account was created under the alias of “Real Wildcat.” It specifically targeted students with malicious comments through the online forum. Sources claim the user …read more.

Former Whitko High School basketball standout Steve Mort died in a car accident Wednesday in Starke County. Mort, a resident of Pierceton, was killed in an accident involving a semi on U.S. 30 near the Grovertown Truck Stop. Mort’s brother Tim was injured in the crash and was taken to a South Bend hospital.  The …read more.

Members of Whitko High School FFA Chapter recently made good use of the leadership skills gained through agricultural education. By making connections with 47 area famers, the chapter earned enough votes to place top 80 in the nation and earned $1,000 in the second annual FFA Chapter Challenge. FFA members in 12 states went out …read more.