ELLSWORTH — Ellsworth High School presented academic awards to students on Friday, May 21. But the ceremony kicked off with a surprise for EHS social studies teacher Anne Pechacek, who received an Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Teacher Fellowship. She is the seventh teacher at Ellsworth to receive the honor. The awards banquet was cancelled due to COVID-19, so the EHS wanted to honor her accomplishment.

EHS Principal Mark Stoesz explained to those gathered the trickery he had to pull to get Pechacek to attend that morning’s event. Pechacek had initially told him she would not be attending the ceremony that morning due to another meeting, the Ellsworth E3 Committee. Stoesz stealthily called the E3 Committee chairperson and asked them to tell Pechacek the meeting time changed, which she readily agreed to. Pechacek’s family was also on hand to surprise her, along with a cake and coffee reception in the lobby.

Pechacek and EHS are one of 101 recipients of a $6,000 teacher fellowship. Recipients are educators chosen for their superior ability to inspire a love of learning in their students, their ability to motivate others and their leadership and service in and out of the classroom. Recipients are chosen by a statewide committee composed of civic leaders, education association representatives and the program’s cosponsors: The Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools, regional Cooperative Educational Service Agencies, the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, and the Wisconsin Homeschool Parents Association.

Colonel Ellsworth medallions

The district grants Colonel Ellsworth medallions to students who earn an 11.0 grade point average for four consecutive terms (third and fourth terms of the previous school year and first and second terms of the current school year).

The first year a student achieves this goal, he or she is awarded a bronze medallion, the second year a silver medallion, and the third year a gold medallion.

2020 Bronze Bailey Ahlers, Hayley Bach, Sidney Bartels, Erika Churchill, Marisa Dendinger, Tea Hill, Jeremy Kannel, Ashley Koch, Kyle Luchsinger, Ann Lundstrom, Brianna Maurer, McKenna Minder.

2021 Bronze

Kayley Bayer, Quinn Emery, Bo Hines, Holly Hufnagle, Aiden Johnson, Arianna Lalley, Marcus Maxwell, Elizabeth Paparelli, Alex Pazdernik, Molly Perkins, Payton Rohl, RaeAnna Smith, Joy Turvaville, Rubi Villanueva, Juliana Winger, Shayla Gilbertson, Jack Janke, Joseph Naumann.

2021 Silver

Hayley Bach, Marissa Dendinger, Tea Hill, Jeremy Kannel, Ashley Koch, Kyle Luchsinger, Ann Lundstrom, Briana Maurer.

Academic letters Sophomores

Julia Anderson, Nina Augustine, Taryn Baker, Kayley Bayer, Kallie Beissel, Maggie Berns, Tyler Boley, Jordan Borst, Cora Capatske, Mackenzee Christiansen, Elijah Clausen, Rebekah Conrad, Hunter Davis, Marissa Early, Quinn Emery, Audrey Farrell, Brooklynn Gabert, Asher Girnau, Emily Groen, Macy Gutting, Josephine Hauschildt, Bo Hines, Holly Hufnagle, Aidan Johnson, Landyn Johnson, Mitchell Johnson, Shane Johnson, Lucas Kirchner, Madison Kirchner, Kylie Knutson, Arianna Lalley, Anthon Madsen, Kylin McEathron, Nathan McRoberts, Carson Nugent, Elizabeth Paparelli, Alex Pazdernik, Molly Perkins, Genevieve Peterson, Joel Phillips, Ciara Roberson, Payton Rohl, Seth Rohl, Halle Schmidt, Kaden Schommer, RaeAnna Smith, Vanessa Stephens, Rylee Tieman-Hoyer, Ashlyn Townsend, Joy Turvaville, Rubi Villanueva and Juliana Winger.

Juniors

Ellicyn Cummings, Harley Cylkowski, Colton Halverson, Megan Hansen, Noah Hines, Garrett Mason, Ryan Matzek, Bodee O’Neil, Matthew Reese, Anesa Vosburg and Elizabeth Walz.

Seniors

Kayla Hoffman, Jessica Marin-Ortiz, Nicholas maxwell and Izabellah St. Clair.

Academic letters Juniors Bailey Ahlers, Hayley Bach, Sideny Bartels, Sarah Belland, Austin Brand, Urban Broadway, Erika Churchill, Marisa Dendinger, Michael Flynn, Alexia Gilbertson, Shayla Gilbertson, Tea Hill, Jack Janke, Jeremy Kannel, Ashley Koch, Payton Langer, Kyle Luchsinger, Ann Lundstrom, Isaac Mark, Ian Matzek, Brianna Maurer, McKenna Minder, Jospeh Nauman, Reese Nelson, Raelyn Rasmussen, Emma Selzler, Savanna Stephens, Jacob Strusz and Nicholas White.

Seniors

Valerie Achenbach, Ezra Anderson, Mason Anderson, Ava Billeter, Caleb Boelter, Halle Braun, Beckett Catron, Lydia Cole, Victoria Dawley, Shae DeGross, Cameron Gatz, Charles Gezel, Brianna Giese, Cecelia Groh, Haley Herem, Hannah Hinrichs, Benjamin Hufnagle, Shane Lange, Emily Mallon, Braden Matzek, MaKayla Mears, Jack Olson , Maddox Person, Joseph Schmalstig, Jolene Schultz, Shelby Schultz, Charlize Smith, Ruby Straub, Nadia Thurmes, Hope Turvaville, Sophia Vogel and Alivia Wittenberg.

Photo by Sarah Nigbor

Photo by Sarah Nigbor

Photo by Sarah Nigbor

Photo by Sarah Nigbor

Photo by Sarah Nigbor

Photo by Sarah Nigbor

Photo by Sarah Nigbor

More Photos on Page B-12

Garrett Mason (left) received the Outstanding Junior Mentor award, while Mason Anderson and Val Achenbach were named Outstanding Senior Mentors. They received recognition Friday, May 21.

2020 Badger Girls representatives Val Achenbach (left) and Shelby Schultz did not get to attend Badger Girls due to the pandemic, but were honored on Friday, May 21. Achenbach was the representative for Bay City American Legion #204. Schultz was the representative for Ellsworth’s Kinne-Engelhart American Legion #357.

2020 Badger Boys representatives honored on Friday, May 21 were Beckett Catron (left) and Mason Anderson.

The Class of 2021 recipients of the Academic Bar show off their hardware on Friday, May 21 during a ceremony in the EHS north gym.

The junior class celebrates receiving academic letters and/or academic bars on Friday, May 21 during an awards ceremony at EHS.

These sophomores proudly display their academic letters on Friday, May 21 at the academic awards ceremony held at EHS.