#ProudTeacherTuesday #WaySchools
· MASC Honor Council Award
· Special Olympics School of Character Gold Award
· a senior member earned the Distinguished Student Leader Award
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Honor Council
This year WHS earned the highest Honor Council level, Gold, for their ongoing efforts planning and executing school and community activities, encouraging school spirit, school involvement with MASC and continued partnership with Special Olympics.
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Special Olympics School of Character
The Special Olympics School of Character is an award given to schools that take active steps toward making their school environment more inclusive. WHS was recognized for students being involved in the CBI class, Tiger Buddies and SGA. The School of Character award has three levels, bronze, silver, and gold; WHS earned the highest level, gold.
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Distinguished Student Leader
Shelby Cannon, a WHS senior, was recognized as a Distinguished Student Leader. This award goes to students in their senior year that have put in time and effort to grow as a student leader by attending the MASC summer leadership workshop and the energy they put into their school and community. Students apply for this recognition and a panel selects those who are honored.
Proceeds will fund the CTA scholarship, which supports a WHS graduating senior pursuing a degree in teaching. Tiger Stadium is located at 200 G.W. Lane St., Waynesville.
Waynesville High School FCCLA students received top honors at the FCCLA State Conference on March 15-17, 2026, at Springfield. The results include the following:
Top Honors
• Faith Bohrer – Elected FCCLA State Vice President of Finance
• Jariah Stevens and Romelliah Vassel – 1st Place, Public Relations Challenge
• Samantha Gadsen – 1st Place, Leadership (qualified for national competition)
• Nakhia Kirkman – 2nd Place, Pin It.
Silver Medal Recipients
• Jameliah Cohen – Cake Decorating
• Reese Wilson and Lela Burnham – Chapter Service Project Display
• Abby Augenstein and Ginger McElhaney – Event Management
• Blake Negrete – Culinary Arts
• Wyatt Carter – Interior Design
• Kelise Johnson – Pin It
Egg hunts will be held at Waynesville High School as follows:
· 10:10 a.m. Pre-kindergarten
· 10:25 a.m. Kindergarten
· 10:40 a.m. 1st Grade
· 10:55 a.m. 2nd grade
· 11:10 a.m. 3rd grade
· 11:25 a.m. 4th grade
· 11:45 a.m. 5th grade
There will be games, prizes and concessions.
The Waynesville High School boys tennis team hit the courts on March 25, 2026, in a round robin match against Camdenton and West Plains High Schools.
The boys tennis schedule is at https://waynesvilletigerathletics.org/main/teamschedule/id/58621/seasonid/4972620.
All high school spring sports schedules are at https://www.waynesville.k12.mo.us/o/waynesville-tiger-athletics/page/sports-schedules.
Courtney Long, executive director of secondary instruction, recognized four Waynesville High School wrestlers for placing at State during the Waynesville R-VI Board of Education meeting on March 23, 2026.
The Waynesville Tiger MSHSAA Wrestling Championship Medalists are as follows:
· Dakota Nix 120 lbs. 5th place
· Addison Brown 135 lbs. 2nd place
· Lincoln Stearns 144 lbs. 6th place
· Joe Camelin 215 lbs. 5th place
Pictured are wrestlers Dakota Nix, Addison Brown, Lincoln Stearns and Joe Camelin, and Courtney Long, executive director of secondary instruction.
In the second photo, the group is pictured with the wrestling coaches.
Waynesville R-VI Superintendent Hilary Bales recognized Shelby Cannon—a senior at Waynesville High School—for earning the Distinguished Student Leader Award from the Missouri Association of Student Councils. This honor recognizes students who demonstrate superior student council leadership skills and knowledge based on MASC criteria and evaluation procedures. Cannon was recognized during the Waynesville R-VI Board of Education meeting on March 23, 2026.
The Waynesville R-VI School District will offer Summer School June 1 - June 29 for students entering grades K-12.
For summer school, students register for the grade level they will ATTEND IN THE FALL.
Information and registration links are at https://www.waynesville.k12.mo.us/o/wrv/page/summer-school
If the link does not work for you, please copy and paste this link into your browser: https://www.waynesville.k12.mo.us/o/wrv/page/summer-school
Details:
Waynesville R-VI School District Summer School will be in Session June 1 - June 29. Summer school classes will not be held on Friday, June 19, as we will be observing the Juneteenth holiday.
Both breakfast and lunch will be free during summer school.
For summer school, students attend the grade they will enter in the upcoming 2026-27 school year.
Open enrollment for summer school registration closes on Tuesday, April 7. Registrations received after April 7 will be accepted on a space available basis.
Waynesville Middle School students entering grades 7-8 will be at Waynesville High School for summer school due to cafeteria updates at WMS.
Freedom Elementary students will be at East Elementary for summer school due to HVAC upgrades at Freedom.
WHS raises $5,000 for Special Olympics
Waynesville High School students and teachers have raised more than $5,000 for Special Olympics through a variety of fundraising efforts, including participating in the Polar Plunge on March 7, 2026, in Springfield.
Through the variety of efforts and private donors, WHS was the top fundraising school at the Polar Plunge event.
The WHS Polar Plunge team consisted of members from Student Government Association (SGA), Tiger Buddies and the Community Based Instruction (CBI) class.
Polar Plunge is an annual fundraiser for Missouri Special Olympics that WHS has participated in for several years. Nine students and a teacher plunged into the chilly waters at the Ski Shack on a brisk 44-degree morning “freezin' for a reason.”
Students have raised funds for Missouri Special Olympics through the following fundraising efforts:
· In January, SGA held a student-staff volleyball game, raising $1,572.
· The junior and senior class SGA officers and representatives raised $194 during the month of February.
· Tiger Joe, ran by the students in the CBI and transition 3 classes, raised $337.
· The CBI class along with Tiger Buddies raised $305 selling hat tickets during Neurodiversity Awareness week.
· The plungers themselves through the support of community and family donors raised $2,989.
Bohrer is one of 15 FCCLA semifinalists nationwide for Member of the Year
Faith Bohrer, a member of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) at Waynesville High School, has been selected as one of 15 semifinalists nationwide for the 2025-2026 Member of the Year Award, presented by the U.S. Army. Bohrer is being recognized for outstanding leadership, academic excellence, and a strong commitment to service.
Bohrer has earned recognition for strong competitive events achievement, including Gold Awards in Professional Presentation and Job Interview, while using student voice to advance mental health advocacy. Through outreach that
has reached more than 3,000 students across Missouri, Bohrer demonstrates a clear commitment to service and peer support. As Waynesville Chapter president, Missouri FCCLA vice president of public relations, and founder of
a districtwide CTSO Leadership Academy that connects more than 500 students, Bohrer has built programs that expand leadership opportunities far beyond a single chapter.
The FCCLA Member of the Year Award, presented by the U.S. Army, is the highest recognition an FCCLA Member can achieve. The award honors one exceptional student among FCCLA’s more than 260,000 members who demonstrate outstanding leadership, a commitment to FCCLA’s mission, and the U.S. Army’s core values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.
The top 15 semifinalists have advanced to the second round of evaluation, with the top five finalists to be named in April following the interview process. Each of the top five finalists will receive a $1,000 cash prize, and the national recipient will receive an additional $2,000, for a total award of $3,000. The top five finalists will also be announced and recognized on stage at the 2026 National Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., where the FCCLA Member of the Year will be announced live during a general session.
About FCCLA
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a national career and technical student organization that prepares students for careers that support the family through family and consumer sciences (FCS) education.
About the U.S. Army
The U.S. Army, the oldest and largest branch of the U.S. military, is a force dedicated to serving the American people, protecting national security, and supporting peace and stability worldwide. For more information about the U.S. Army, visit www.army.mil.
There will be no school in the Waynesville R-VI School District on March 16-20, 2026, for Spring Break. District offices will be closed on March 19 and 20.
Egg hunts will be held at Waynesville High School as follows:
• 10:10 a.m. Pre-kindergarten
• 10:25 a.m. Kindergarten
• 10:40 a.m. 1st Grade
• 10:55 a.m. 2nd grade
• 11:10 a.m. 3rd grade
• 11:25 a.m. 4th grade
• 11:45 a.m. 5th grade
There will be games and prizes and concessions.
Waynesville High School’s Rhythm Nation Dance Team will host its first Dancing With the Stars … Rhythm Nation Edition at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 27, 2026, in the WHS gym.
Teachers and students will take the floor together in a fun and competitive dance showcase, all while raising support for the program.
Tickets are required. General tickets are $10 each. Floor seats are $20 each.
Audience members will play an important role in the competition by helping select the Fan Favorite Award winner. Each paid ticket includes one free vote, and during the event guests can cast additional votes for their favorite dance team. Every $1 donated counts as one additional vote. Audience members will be able to vote using cash or a card (a QR code will be displayed during each team’s routine).
Concessions will be available throughout the evening, and guests will also have the opportunity to participate in a silent auction featuring a poster from each competing dance team.
“Come cheer on your favorite team, enjoy a night of fun performances and help crown the first WHS Mirror Ball Champion,” said Rhythm Nation Coach Cat Poole.
Richmond “Noah” Forte, a senior at Waynesville High School, has been named the WHS Rotary Student of the Month for March 2026.
Forte’s nominator stated, “What truly sets Noah apart is his outstanding communication skills and impressive range of soft skills—including adaptability, collaboration and problem-solving — that allows him to excel in any role or responsibility placed before him. He approaches every task with professionalism and a positive attitude that inspires those around him. Beyond the classroom, Noah selflessly volunteers his time through SGA-sponsored initiatives and actively participates in community service projects, demonstrating a genuine commitment to making a difference both inside and outside of school. Noah embodies the very definition of a well-rounded leader, and there is no doubt that he is most deserving of this honor.”
Forte carries a 3.5 grade point average and a 100 percent attendance rate for his senior year. He is a Student Government Association representative, a member of the Waynesville High School Tiger Pride Marching Band for the last four years and is on the yearbook staff. He is currently the WHS Library Technical Intern and helps new students with their Chromebooks and repairs Chromebooks as needed.
Forte’s future plans are to attend the University of Houston to study music technology or marketing.
The Waynesville R-VI School District set a record number of achievements in a recent statewide art contest for the MAEA Show Me Art Coloring Book. The following earned recognition:
· 5 schools
· 6 visual art teachers
· 15 art students
· 2 special recognition awards (Back Cover Design Winner and 1st Place Middle School)
Waynesville R-VI visual art students contributed to 17 percent of the artwork in the MAEA Show Me Art Coloring Book, Celebrations & Festivals; 6th edition.
Students were asked to research, synthesize and create an engaging line-drawing based on the theme: “Missouri Celebrations and Festivals,” and then write artist statements about their art. The drawings were collected and curated into a 186-page coloring book.
In being accepted, these art students are now published artists:
· Olivia Davis, grade 5, Thayer Elementary
· Mina Figueroa, grade 5, Thayer Elementary
· Jayce Taylor, grade 4, Thayer Elementary
· Isabella Mendoza, grade 4, Thayer Elementary
· Kyndal Osborne, grade 5, Freedom Elementary
· ZaRiya McCaster, grade 5, Freedom Elementary
· Fiona Qui, grade 4, Freedom Elementary
· Emiyah Glover, grade 5, Wood Elementary – Back Cover Design Winner
· Ezekiel Mason, grade 4, Wood Elementary
· Mya Klontz, grade 7, Waynesville Middle School
· Mayzee Magoo, grade 8, Waynesville Middle School
· Ellery Earnest, grade 8, Waynesville Middle School
· Arianna Haslim, grade 8, Waynesville Middle School - 1st place Middle School
· Roxanne Acklin, grade 9, Waynesville High School
· Kimari Stuart, grade 12, Waynesville High School
The following visual art teachers participated in this statewide collection of artwork: Jamie Erlewine of Thayer Elementary, Christina Biart and Allyson Uhles of Freedom Elementary, Megan Neuman of Wood Elementary, Asilea Edwards of Waynesville Middle School and Amy Rushing of Waynesville High School.
The coloring book may be purchased on Amazon LINKED HERE. (If the link does not work, please copy and paste this link into your browser https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GNS5D75Z?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_MPSZHAKP3T3M59XDATM2_2&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_MPSZHAKP3T3M59XDATM2_2&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_MPSZHAKP3T3M59XDATM2_2&bestFormat=true ).
MAEA uses 100% of the proceeds go back to Missouri students for the MAEA Future Visual Art Teacher Scholarship.