Thursday, February 1, 2018 • Vol. 53, No. 37 • Verona, WI • Hometown USA • ConnectVerona.com • $1
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Verona Area Community Theater
Getting close VACT prepares for first show at its new theater KARL CURTIS Verona Press correspondent
Photo by Jeremy Jones
Former Verona Area High School athlete Claudia Kepler is a senior co-captain for the UW women’s hockey team ranked No. 1 in the country. Kepler leads the team with 17 goals.
Finishing strong
Kepler wraps up collegiate career as top scorer on No. 1 Badgers JEREMY JONES Sports editor
Claudia Kepler has scored 50 collegiate goals, but the leading scorer for the top-ranked women’s hockey team in the country still remembers her first with an infectious smile and a laugh that’s hard not to share. “I was in the high slot and about to change, but for some reason I stayed on the ice,” the 2013 Verona Area High School graduate recounted to the Press at LaBahn Ice Arena in
Madison earlier this month. “One of my teammates passed me the puck, and I just shot it. I think I pretty much whiffed on the shot, but somehow the puck went five-hole on the goalie.” In retrospect, that goal has only become a fonder memory than she ever thought at the time, not because of how it happened, but against the team it happened against. The Badgers. Kepler said she had received little interest coming out of high school by perennial NCAA title contender
Wisconsin, just up the road from her hometown of Verona. So in her freshman season, Kepler found herself wearing the grey and scarlet at Ohio State University, rather than Wisconsin cardinal and white. Four years later, Kepler returns to Columbus for the final time Saturday and Sunday as the Badgers (26-11 overall, 17-0-1-1 WCHA) look to sweep her former team. “I mean, going back to Columbus,
Turn to Kepler/Page 11
Verona Area School District
Survey, focus groups part of five-year plan ‘Community’s’ document could define achievement, equity goals SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
Most of the long-term planning in the Verona Area School District over the past couple of years has revolved around building
the new high school and its other buildings. This spring, the district is broadening the conversation about its future by producing a five-year plan to outline broad priorities for education, facilities and budgets for the district. This strategic planning process started last month and is expected to run through May. “ We k n ow w h a t o u r building’s going to look The
Verona Press
like in three years,” school board vice president Meredith Stier Christensen said. “But the really important educational, foundational work is going to come from this plan.” That could mean defining goals for student achievement, equity, community outreach or personalized learning, among other things. District director of instructional equity and
bilingual programming Laurie Burgos said it would be important to reach out to underrepresented communities among the district’s population. That’s especially true given the document’s expected focus on equity, she added. “That’s going to be the driver of the decisions that the board has to make in terms of what are the …
Turn to Plan/Page 12
The Verona Area Community Theater put on its first show in 1992, but its next production, “Bus Stop,” will also qualify as the group’s debut performance. That’s because “Bus Stop,” the 1955 play written by William Inge, will be the first performance VACT will put on in its new, 148-seat theater at 103 Lincoln St., starting Feb. 16. Most shows are still being held at the much larger Verona Area High School’s Performing Arts Center, but occasionally, the VACT theater will have the right atmosphere. “The new theater is the perfect size for a play,” said “Bus Stop” producer Dee Baldock. “The small theater creates a sense of intimacy you can’t always
If You Go What: Verona Area Community Theater performance of “Bus Stop” When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16-17, 22-24 and 2 p.m. Feb. 18. Where: VACT theater, 103 Lincoln St. Tickets: $15.75 ($10.75 students and seniors) Info: vact.org
get in a bigger space.” Dale Nickels, another longtime VACT member and the director of “Bus Stop” agrees. “Having an intimate environment for the show will be a treat for the audience,” Nickels said. “They are right there, close to the actors. It is almost like you are part of what is going on.” This particular show
Turn to VACT/Page 16
Verona Area School District
12 teachers receive national certification Largest number in state follows 2015 salary schedule changes SCOTT GIRARD Unified Newspaper Group
The Verona Area School District had more staff members achieve National Board Certification in 2017 than any other district in Wisconsin. That 12 teachers here decided to put in the “overwhelming” amount
of time in the one- or twoyear process to receive the certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards isn’t really a surprise. It’s exactly what a 2015 change in the district’s salary schedule was designed to encourage. “That was one of the goals of our compensation model was to incentivize (that certification),” Gorrell said. For some of the teachers, that was exactly the motivation. “ I t wa s j u s t h u g e l y
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