Rhythm Nation, Waynesville High School’s dance team, has qualified for State competition for the first time in the team’s history.
The team took 1st place in the Pom division and 1st place in the Hip Hop division in class 5a/6a at the Parkway Central 2025 Invitational on Feb. 8, 2025, in Chesterfield, Mo. In addition, the team received an Excellent rating for their Duet, performed by Aniyah Smith and Tatum Scott, and choregraphed by Smith.
“I’m so proud of their hard work, encouragement of one another and dedication,” said Coach Cat Poole. “Perhaps even more impressive than their performance was their support of all of the dancers in the competition. Their enthusiasm proved to be contagious and helped create a positive environment – so much so that a parent from another school reached out to me to let me know how much she appreciated their cheering for all teams.”
The Waynesville High School Courtwarming queen and king were named on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, between the JV and varsity boys basketball game. Mariah Palmer was named queen and William Figueroa was named king. The court included Brenna West, Sawyer Baker, Danica Leet, Ethan Scarbrough, Athena Pittman, Aden Maust, Mariah Palmer (queen), William Figueroa (king), Renae Alailima, Montera Owens, Brayden Weigelt, Aayden Mantle (not pictured) and crown bearers Sawyer Ross and Avery Bales.
The musical “Margaret’s Mind” will premiere in the United States on Waynesville High School’s stage in April 2025.
“I am over the moon excited that we can personalize this musical,” said Maria Butler, WHS theatre director and Thespian Troupe 1669 director. “The show includes 40-plus named characters and we can add characters as needed. With a record number of students (58) auditioning this year, more students than ever will have an opportunity to be involved.”
Debuting the show opens countless opportunities for creativity. With no pre-existing backdrops, costumes or dance choreography, WHS will create and design the dance moves, color scheme, costuming and blocking – the movements and positioning of actors.
“In addition, they are writing the music for us,” said Butler. “This is a beautiful opportunity for our students’ talent to shine.”
The musical chronicles the fictional experiences of Margaret, a 14-year-old high school student, who battles low self-esteem and social anxiety, but writes about “the perfect Margaret” who is confident and popular. The website https://www.margaretsmind.com/ states, “…Things get worse when her estranged older half-brother, Ashley, discovers her writing. A struggling composer, Ashley finds great beauty in Margaret's words and secretly uses them as inspiration for his next project, Margaret's Mind: A New Musical. While Margaret is initially horrified at discovering her private writing has been developed into a budding Broadway show, it is the start of her journey to accepting who she is in a story of dreams, friendship and self-love.”
Sian McBride at Cheltenham College originally produced Margaret's Mind and played a large part in its original development. After reading the feel-good dialogue about teenage growth, Butler connected with the musical’s author – Alex Gatherer of the United Kingdom – in a directors’ group. They discussed the possibilities of performing the show at WHS and not only did Gatherer say yes, but he also invited WHS to premiere the show in the U.S.
'I'm thrilled to have Waynesville High School producing the North American Premiere of Margaret's Mind!,” Gatherer said. “From speaking to Maria, it was clear that the school was exceptionally passionate about the performing arts and recognized the importance of their place in a child's development. I can't wait for Margaret's Mind to join the list of fantastic productions created by the WHS students and staff, and just down the road from where the show is set! I'm hopeful everyone involved will find it an empowering, challenging, and joyful experience and look forward to WHS students blowing audiences away with their talent and passion come April.”
Butler also looks forward to the show’s debut. “This fell into my lap,” Butler said. “It’s twice as hard because there is nothing to go on, but it’s a director’s dream come true. This opens up endless opportunities for collaborating across curriculums.”
Butler says that students in theater, choir, band, art, construction technology, JROTC and others will be engaged in this project.
Waynesville High School’s Theatre students and Troupe 1669 will perform the musical at 7 p.m. April 24, 25 and 26 and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, in the WHS Auditorium.
Love of Reading week continues today with guest readers Candice Sullivan and Lisa Supancic, Waynesville R-VI instructional coaches, Melissa Childs, coordinator of technology, Mike Henson, executive director of elementary, and Courtney Long, executive director of secondary. More photos to come tomorrow. #wayschools
A courtwarming king and queen will be announced between the JV and Varsity Boys Basketball games tomorrow, Feb. 7, 2024. The JV game will begin at 5:30 p.m. and Varsity will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Pictured are this years court;
Top Row: William Figueroa, Brayden Weigelt, Aayden Mantle, Montera Owens, Mariah Palmer, Renae Alailima
Bottom Row: Brenna West, Sawyer Baker, Ethan Scarbrough, Danica Leet, Aden Maust, Athena Pittman
Love of Reading Week continues throughout the Waynesville R-VI School District, featuring Aaron Pondrom and Mike Keeling, Waynesville R-VI Board of Education members; Dr. Jamie Goforth, assistant superintendent of personnel services; and Superintendent Hilary Bales reading today. #wayschools
First practice/tryout dates announced for SPRING sports
The first practice date/tryout date for Waynesville High School spring sports will be March 3, 2025.
The first practice date/tryout date for Waynesville Middle School spring sports will be March 3, 2025.
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See the flyer below for important information or go to https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4597/WHS/5275766/SPRING_TIGER_Sports_News_TIGER_Sports_News__1_.pdf
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Spring sports
Spring sports at WHS are
Baseball
Track B/G
Girls' Soccer
Boys' Tennis
Boys 'Golf
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Spring sports at WMS are
MS Track B/G
MS Baseball
MS Softball
For more information
For more information, please contact Athletics at 573-842-2450.
An ambulance was dispatched to Freedom Elementary at approximately 11:40 a.m. today (Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025), to treat an individual student with a medical condition.
The students' parent/guardian has been notified and will determine what, if any, further medical treatment is necessary.
The Waynesville Career Center is hiring an auto collision teacher. Apply online at
https://www.applitrack.com/waynesville/onlineapp/
On behalf of Spearhead Church, Pastor Mike Wells presented a check in the amount of $5,404.73 for the Snack in a Pack program on Feb. 4, 2025, to Waynesville R-VI Superintendent Hilary Bales and Grant Management Coordinator Tina Rowden, who oversees the Snack in a Pack program.
The Waynesville R-VI Snack in a Pack program serves approximately 460 students with meals over weekends and holidays.
To make a gift to Snack in a Pack online, go to https://www.waynesville.k12.mo.us/Page/6827.
Checks also may be made to Snack in a Pack and mailed to:
Community Resource Office
12225 Pulaski Ave, Bldg. 8041
Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473
About the photo:
Pictured are Superintendent Hilary Bales, Pastor Mike Wells of Spearhead Church, and Grant Management Coordinator Tina Rowden.
Volunteers, including School Board Members Mike Keeling and Janel Rowell, and School Liaison Officer Bridget Plummer, are serving as guest readers to students in grades PreK-6 as part of the celebration of Love of Reading Week, Feb. 3-7, 2025.
Fourteen members of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) are advancing to the State competition in April 2025. Waynesville High School’s FBLA members earned the right to go to state by competing in districts on Jan. 29, 2025. At districts, WHS FBLA students won a combined total of 25 medals with 14 advancing to State.
“I am super proud of these kids and want everyone to wish them luck in April,” said FBLA Advisor Amy Nichols. #wayschools
Waynesville sixth graders are working in teams to learn how to convert measurements and solve problems in their math classes at the Waynesville Sixth Grade Center.
An ambulance was dispatched to East Elementary at approximately 2:35 p.m. today (Feb. 3, 2025) to treat an individual student. A parent/guardian has been contacted and will decide what, if any, further medical treatment is necessary.
6th graders to collect household goods for Armed Services YMCA
From Feb. 10-28, 2025, sixth graders will be conducting a Household Drive to collect items such as laundry soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soups, canned pasta, dry pasta, etc. for the Armed Services YMCA Fort Leonard Wood Marketplace Food Pantry.
“We are proud and inspired by our Hope Squad members acts of kindness and always wanting to do more for our school and community,” said Theresa McNutt, who is an advisor to the Hope Squad, along with Kim Ramirez and Jody Taylor.
Hope Squad members at the Waynesville Sixth Grade Center learned about what items are needed for a household drive from Shelley Emperato of the Armed Services YMCA on Jan. 24. The students asked questions, learned of the importance of household item drives and then decided to lead their classmates in a household goods drive at their school.
Waynesville Middle School Student Council received honorable mention at the Salvation Army Pulaski County Volunteer Appreciation event on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. This recognition was for the time spent bell-ringing in the 2024 season. Everley Beal (president), Cecilia Perez (vice president), Andrea Boda and their advisors were in attendance.
The Waynesville Career Center hosted its Open House on Jan. 30 where guests took tours of the facility, watched students and staff demonstrate their skills and viewed completed projects. #wayschools
An ambulance was dispatched to Waynesville High School at approximately 2:20 p.m. today, Jan. 31, 2025, to treat an individual student with a medical condition. A parent/guardian has been contacted and will decide what, if any, further medical treatment is necessary. Some buses may be delayed this afternoon.
Waynesville High School Tiger Swim competed in the COC tournament on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. "This year the team is largely new to swim so a lot of these girls started with zero background in the water. The last meet was a testament to their resilience and major improvement on the season! Almost everyone had large cuts in time in their individual events and the 200 Free Relay improved on their state consideration time. We have 2 more meets left to get that time down to make top 32 to attend state. So we are focused and ready to embrace that challenge", commented head coach Nicole Stone.
To find out more information on tiger swim meets, please visit https://www.waynesville.k12.mo.us/o/whs/page/athletics.
Waynesville High School JROTC hosted the 10th Annual Waynesville JROTC Inter-service Drill Competition on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. "On behalf of the Waynesville JROTC program, we want to thank all of the teams that attended and congratulate Ozark High School JROTC for taking home the overall win. Thank you to all of our coaches, families and supporters, the Waynesville Tiger Battalion and our wonderful JROTC parents group, to Waynesville High School, Waynesville Career Center, and the Waynesville School District, to the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood for our great judges and volunteer support from the Noncommissioned Officers Academy, and to the MSCOE CSM, CSM Azabala and the MSCOE DCG, BG Leonard for attending our awards ceremony", commented Col. (Ret.) Charles Williams. #wayschools
