The Rhinelander High School Student Services e-news can be found online.

The Cedric A. Vig Outdoor Classroom (CAVOC) is not only the School District's outdoor learning center for its teachers and students, but it is also available to the community for various activities!

Stop by CAVOC and enjoy hiking, jogging, and skiing on the recently updated trail system. Or, reserve the facility for an outdoor or indoor wedding, baby-shower, birthday, or other activity! Help your group build trust and confidence by taking part in the Challenge by Choice Ropes Course!

CAVOC reservations can be made by calling 715-365-9714.

Visit CAVOC's website or view the CAVOC brochure for more information! School Forest Education Liaison Mike Cheslock can be reached at 715-365-9745.

CAVOC's Mission: At CAVOC, we will provide hands-on, outdoor learning experiences that help students acquire the awareness, knowledge, skills and commitment to become responsible stewards of their natural environment.

The School District of Rhinelander offers classes and programs for the community! Topics include Arts & Crafts, Fitness, Food & Cooking, Home & Hobbies, Outdoor Recreation and Safety, and MUCH MORE!

The community is our classroom!

Discover something new with lifelong learning by visiting the Community Education webpage.

Forms and flyers from community organizations are posted on the School District of Rhinelander website.

In an effort to support families experiencing transitions and/or difficulties, the School District of Rhinelander has put together a list of area resources, including a link to our Free/Reduced Lunch application. If a family experiences a change in their financial situation, the application can be completed at any time during the year. The list of resources can be found on the District's website.

Typically, the Hodag Fab Lab, located in Rhinelander High School, is open to the community on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 5:00 - 7:00 pm.

Come check out the Fab Lab for FREE! If you like it and want to continue, memberships are for one year. The fee is only $75/family, $50/single, and free for SDR students.

Learn more by visiting the Hodag Fab Lab Facebook Page or by calling Mike Wojtusik at Rhinelander High School at 715-365-9500.

Dream it, design it, and build it at the Hodag Fab Lab!

Get involved! Help link our schools to the business community. Learn more about

We are truly part of a community that takes care of their own.

This resource is available for use by all members of our school community. The School District of Rhinelander is committed to all of our students, families, and community members and this resource can help reduce an item of worry for families and will allow for time to focus on other things. Hodags helping Hodags! That is what we do and who we are!

Tracy Hoffhein can be reached at 715-365-9737.

Mary Rudis can be reached at 715-365-9771.

For more information about SDR's Community Closet, visit the School Distrct's website.

Child Find Screenings in the School District of Rhinelander are for children ages 3 years, 0 months to 5 years, 11 months.

We conduct screenings for children ages 3-5 who are not enrolled in a District elementary school, and also for 4K and kindergarten students who are enrolled in a District elementary school.

To schedule a screening, parents should contact:

Michaela Johnson, School Psychologist, at 715-365-9120 ext. 3212 or johnsmic@rhinelander.k12.wi.us if the child is not currently attending an SDR elementary school or if the child attends Crescent Elementary School or Northwoods Community Elementary School (NCES).

Kari Volk, School Psychologist, at 715-365-9160 ext. 4150 or volkkar@rhinelander.k12.wi.us if the child attends Central Elementary School or Pelican Elementary School.

For more information, view this letter from the School Psychologists.

Information about RHS and JWMS athletics and activities, including schedules, calendars, and forms, can be found on the School District's website.

Attend an event and cheer on your Hodags!

Hodag Connections offers individual learning opportunities within the School District of Rhinelander. It gives students in 4K through grade 12 the opportunity for flexible schedules along with curriculum choices.

* Hodag Tracks

* Learning Lab

* GEDO#2

* Adult Learners

For more information contact:

Tracy Hoffhein

Hodag Connections Coordinator

715-365-9500 ext. 8008

This freshly designed fitness center, located in Rhinelander High School, is offered FREE to the community. Paperwork and sign-in is required. ACFC houses free weights, weight machines, treadmills, bikes, and other equipment.

For more information about the Aspirus Community Fitness Center, including hours of operation, please visit the School District of Rhinelander website.

Or, call Rhinelander High School at 715-365-9745.

The Heck Family Community Pool, located in Rhinelander High School, is generally open free to community members on Sundays during the school-year from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm.

Open swim consists of lap swim, water basketball, family time, and more. A certified lifeguard is on duty during this time. The locker rooms are open for use. Swimming is free. Sign-in is required when you arrive.

For more information, please visit the School District of Rhinelander website, or call 715-365-9745.

On Saturday, October 17, the Hodag Dome was inflated. After it is fully operational it will be a tremendous asset for the community and a great source of pride for the School District and the City of Rhinelander. Listed below are some facts about the Hodag Dome Complex...

The Hodag Dome project was initiated with a generous donation of $500,000 from Dr. Lee Swank for an indoor multi-purpose facility.

The Hodag Schools Foundation (HSF) Board researched the effects that multi-purpose facilities have on students, academics, mental health, communities, and the economy.

HSF, School District administration, and the School Board came to the conclusion that they would build a permanent 128,000 sq. ft. dome that fits many needs for our community.

HSF continued efforts in soliciting support from other donors with a goal of $1,000,000 which surpassed $2,000,000 due to community involvement, expansion of the scope, and excitement for the project.

The Hodag Dome will provide space for students, the community, and senior citizens in our area. This will improve the physical and mental health of all who use the facility.

The additional playing surfaces will alleviate crowding in school gyms, fields, and hallways which will let students practice earlier and avoid being out late on school nights.

The Hodag Dome will provide facility space for community events such as trade shows, music and art events, concerts, tournaments, gatherings, and other public events. Attendees of these events will stay at local hotels, eat at local restaurants, and shop at local retail stores, thereby giving a boost to our local economy through tourism dollars.

The Hodag Dome is the largest high school dome in the country at a size of 128,000 sq. ft.

The Hodag Dome should help enrollment trends, such as Open Enrollment, which in turn will bring more State aid to our District.

The Hodag Dome will be a great asset for people to consider Rhinelander as their destination for learning, activity, and community in the future.

For a full listing of facts about the Hodag Dome Complex, visit this link.

The Pelican School Vegetable and Herb Garden was made possible more than five years ago through a Northwoods L.E.A.N. (Linking Education, Activity, and Nutrition) grant, offered through the Oneida County Health Department. Pelican has received the same grant every year it's been offered since then.

Within the first growing season, a shed was repaired and painted for the garden, a composting area was set up, and an outdoor classroom with picnic tables was created within the garden space itself. Pelican students, staff, and families had the pleasure of working together while learning about planning a garden, planting, maintaining, and harvesting the “goods.”

Because of the Pelican School Garden, students and staff have had many awesome, all-school opportunities, such as: pumpkin contests with reading buddies, taste-testing fried green tomatoes and kale chips, and serving coleslaw during a family night, to mention a few.

Recently, Pelican hosted a green bean contest for families to send in photos of themselves preparing and tasting green beans from the school garden. There were some fantastic entries! The Skeen family, Addison and Avery Skeen, shown in the photo below, were drawn to win a prize basket.

Pelican School is truly an awesome place to learn and grow!

In kindergarten, we are learning about toys and play! We have been using attributes to describe toys and explain how we play with them. We learned about preferences and even used our imaginations to create our own toys using recycled materials. We are practicing talking with and listening to a partner, asking and answering questions, and using details in our drawings. We also learned how to log in to our Chromebooks and complete SeeSaw activities all by ourselves! We have been focusing on handwashing and wearing our masks properly to keep us safe. We are excited to be back together in person soon!

The Rhinelander High School FBLA/DECA Club is once again taking part in their annual Trick or Can food drive. On October 14, plastic bags were dropped off at houses in our community. Community members are encouraged to fill the bags with non-perishable food items. Students from the club will be collecting these bags on Wednesday, October 28, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. Please consider helping our effort as much as you are able to, and anything is appreciated. If you will not be home you can leave your donation items in the provided bag on your doorstep. All food will be donated to the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry.

FBLA/DECA students also made Halloween cards during their chapter meeting last week to give to Grace Lodge.

James Williams Middle School students in Mrs. Jorata's math class recently worked on Pumpkin Math this week. Students measured the height, weight and circumference of their pumpkins. They learned that all pumpkins float!! The heaviest pumpkin was 18.9 pounds. Once their measurements were complete they dug in and counted the number of seeds inside their pumpkins. The pumpkin with the most seeds had over 600! Students carved their pumpkins and put them on display in the school office.

From bike racks to robot cleaners, and LEGO houses to helicopters, these first grade students are working to create "Magificent Things" that could be useful either at home or school. These students took time to plan, revise, and finalize their creativity. Great job first graders, taking hold of your learning and persevering during this remote time!

Please click on the link to share the Hodag Pride with your family and friends.

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To sign up to receive the "Hodag Pride" weekly E-Newsletter,

Mr. Matt Nichols' 7th grade science classes at James Williams Middle School are learning about forces. Recently they played a game of tug-of-war in the JWMS balcony to reinforce what they've talked about during class. Students enjoyed the competition and realized how the game relates to their learning. 

Elijah Evers, son of Eric and Cori Evers, has once again been selected for the Wisconsin State Honors Project, a project that takes the best school aged musicians from across Wisconsin and brings them together to form several performing groups. Elijah is a Junior at Rhinelander High School and plays the oboe in the RHS Wind Ensemble. Elijah was selected to the State Honors Orchestra. 

Started in 1967, the Wisconsin School Music Association State Honors Music Project provides musically talented students with an opportunity to rehearse and perform with the nation's finest conductors in a professional, highly disciplined setting. Selected through a rigorous audition process, students are challenged to perform at their musical best throughout the short rehearsal period, which culminates with a performance in October at the Wisconsin State Music Conference held in Madison each year. For many of these young musicians, the WSMA State Honors Music Project offers the experience of a lifetime, creating friendships, memories and skills they take with them in whatever path they choose. This year, more than 1,400 students auditioned for 428 positions in five ensembles.

The auditions were held at seven sites across the state this past February. Students then would typically meet for the first time during the summer at one of the UW Schools but due to concern for student and staff safety in the context of COVID-19, this was moved to an online platform. WSMA has created virtual performances of select repertoire from each State Honors ensemble program. The High School State Honors virtual performances will premiere you YouTube on Thursday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) is a service organization with more than 950 member public and private schools. Each year, more than 220,000 students take the initiative to become involved in WSMA activities, including District and State Music Festivals, State Honors Projects, State Marching Band Championships and Concert Festivals.

Special Education students at Rhinelander High School recently worked with the RHS football team. Mr. Roberts' 7th hour recreation class joined RHS football players Walker Hartman, Jackson Labs, and Travis Towne and they helped set up the field for practice and for Freshmen and Junior Varsity games. This included setting out pylons, chains, pads, balls, and other equipment. Thank you to these RHS students for being so helpful!

Equipment for Play Packs was sent home with families recently, as Pelican families picked up Chromebooks for remote learning. Supplies included in the bags allow students to participate in MAPES lessons virtually as well as promote physical activity and exercise outside the school day. The Rhinelander Community Foundation and Farmer's Insurance donated the money to support the cause.