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Sword & Shield - WHS Alumni Newsletter Spring 2019 
President's Report
Western Alumni,
I hope everyone has had an enjoyable summer so far. The WHS Alumni Association kicked off the summer in high gear with our annual All Alumni Reunion Picnic at Mike Linnigs on May 18th ! It was another huge success, with over 250 alumni attending. This is something we plan to do every year, and we will try to get next year’s date to everyone earlier so even more Warriors can attend this event.
I also want to thank all of the classes and individuals who participated in donating baskets for our Silent Auction. We were able to raise nearly $1,500 during the reunion picnic for the WHSAA, which in turn will help many Western High School projects.
So what is next you ask ? The Alumni Golf Scramble is set for September 28th 2019. Tee off is 8:00 AM at Iroquois Park Golf Course. You can sign up your foursome on the WHS Alumni Association website at www.westernalumni.org. You can register online or there is a printable registration form at the web site under Announcements. The deadline to register is September 23rd, but there is also an early bird registration savings of $40 if you register early ! This is also a great opportunity to support your school by sponsoring a tee or hole. Sponsorships start at fifty dollars with higher denominations available. If you are interested in sponsorship, my phone number is 502-802-0684 or you may email at [email protected]. A member of the Golf Committee will respond.
We are also planning to host one more event before the end of 2019. Suggestions were made at the last WHSAA meeting, and a survey was sent to all members for their opinions. The board will be reviewing the survey results at the next board meeting and will get the word out as soon as something is finalized.
Lastly, Hall Of Fame nominations are now open for 2020. You can find the nomination form at www.westernalumni.org. Nine alumni and faculty were inducted into the WHS Hall Of Fame in March of this year and we look forward to another great group of candidates for next year !
Thank You - Jim Carter
As the Alumni Association heads into its third year, we have accomplished quite a lot already. With our contributions both football and basketball homecoming dances have been revived and each dance had 175 to 200 Western Warriors in attendance. We have expanded the Alumni Heritage Hall suite to include a meeting room and added more area for memorabilia. We have improved the Western Hall Of Fame display area outside the Alumni Association office. We held our 2nd annual Hall of Fame Celebration, and nine more Western High School Alumni and administers were inducted with 130 people present for this great event. Later this year WHSAA will be working on improving the concession stand on the football field which really needs some TLC. We hope many of our members will come to help out.
Upcoming events include the Western High School All Alumni picnic will be held at Mike Linnig’s on May 18th from 5 PM to 10 PM. Over 300 Western Warriors attended last year and we are hoping to break 400 this year. The Golf Scramble is planned for Sept 28th at Iroquois Golf Course. More information will be posted on the Alumni Association soon on our website and face book pages. This year the scramble will be open for anyone, not just Western alumni so you can invite your friends too! This fundraising event is an important fundraiser for our organization.
The Western High School Alumni Association can’t be a success without your support. We need to continue to grow our membership and attendance at our events. In addition, the Alumni Board can really use some help on several of the committees. If you feel you have a little extra time to devote please contact me directly, and I would be happy to put you in touch with our committees who need help. The Western High School Alumni Association has been able to bring back some of our heritage to the school that was lost, and also revive some of our old school spirit! But we can’t stop here – we have a lot more planned. I wish to thank all the Board members for their hard work this past year, as well as all the people outside of the board who have also helped. We are looking forward to another great year.
Thank You,
Your Alumni Association President,
WHS Hall of Fame
(Your Name Here)!Calling for Western High School 2020 Hall of Fame Nominees !
Nominations are now open for the 2020 Hall of Fame. If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else, please complete the alumni nomination form online. Be as thorough and detailed as possible and include your contact information. The deadline for new nominee submissions is set for October 31st, 2019. The Hall of Fame nomination form can be found on the Western Alumni Association website under “Honors.” Go to westernalumni.org to complete the online form. A member of the Hall of Fame Committee will follow up. If you need assistance please email [email protected]. Selected winners or their representative(s) are expected to attend an award dinner in March of 2020.
REQUIREMENTS:Nominee must have attended or worked atWestern High School (student, faculty or administrator).
A person may nominate themselves or another who meets the requirements.
If a nominee is not selected, a new application can be submitted for each year after.
On March 22, 2019 the WHSAA named nine new members from the categories of Academics, Faculty/Administration, and Athletics.
Faculty/Administrator winners included Sherry Hart, Mary Jane Madden, and Preston Young, Jr. The winners from Athletic Achievement were Dr. David Britt, James E. Carter, Jr. and Marilyn Martin. Outstanding Achievement winners included Colonel Donna Cecil Korycinski, USA, Retired, Dr. Tracy Ford Inman, and Butch Chambers.
Dr. David Britt - 1977
David mixed his athletic accomplishments, medical experiences and memories of Western in his poignant acceptance speech,
James E. Carter Jr.- 1975
Jimmy Carter shared a touching & emotional story about his father.
Butch Chambers - 1977
Butch Chamber's son was proud to accept the honor on behalf of his dad who had a passion for uniting Warriors
Sherry Hart - Educator (passed September 11, 2018)
People smiled as Sherry Hart's daughter walked to the podium and began to speak because she resembles her mother so much.
Dr. Tracy Ford Inman - 1982
We discovered Tracy Ford has had a rewarding career meeting the needs of countless young people by personal contact and by the books she has penned.
Colonel Donna K. Korycinski (Cecil)- 1982
It was a pleasure listening to Donna Cecil speak of her accomplishments; both while at Western and in her decorated military career.
Mary Jane Madden - Educator
Dawn Linne thanked the WHSAA for bestowing the honor on Mary Jane Madden who wasn't able to attend the ceremony. MaryJane is quoted as humbly saying "I was just doing my job".
Mariyln Martin - 1971
Marilyn Martin is currently touring and couldn't be at the ceremony, but Marilyn's best friend expressed gratitude as she accepted the award for Marilyn.
Preston O'Bannon Young Jr. - Administrator
The family of Mr. Preston Young wanted everyone to know Preston loved Western. So much so, he dedicated over twenty years of service to improving the school.
Inspirational is the only way to describe the acceptance speeches.The biographies for each alumnus can be read here.
The night was a great success! While those nominees not selected as winners this time will remain on our list, we also welcome more nominees to be entered into our 2020 Hall of Fame, which will repopen in the Fall of 2019. You can review the process by clicking on our website page Hall of Fame.
Calendar of Events
Attention Alumni Golfers!
The Alumni Golf Scramble is set for Saturday, September 28th, 2019 at Iroquois Golf Course with an 8:00 a.m. shotgun start and 7:00 a.m. registration. The scramble will be limited to the first 28 teams who have paid their entry fee. This year the scramble will also be open to the public.
Your foursome registration of $280 per team will cover green fees, cart rental, lunch, and various prizes. There will be door prize drawings at the conclusion of the Scramble. In addition, a portion of the proceeds will provide college scholarships to Western High School graduates.
New This Year! Early Bird Registration - Save $40 per team if you register by September 14th!
The deadline for the 2019 Scramble is either September 21st or when the first 28 teams have paid, whichever comes first. So mark your calendars, put your team together, and mail in your registration form and entry fee. Make checks payable to Western High School Alumni Association or WHSAA and return to Western High School Alumni, 2501 Rockford Lane, Louisville, KY 40216. Registration forms are available to download from our website or by request. You may also register online at Event Registration.
If you prefer to send in your registration instead of registering online you can obtain a printable registration form here - Printable Mail-In Registration
Tee Sponsorships are also available starting at $50! For more information or if you have any questions, please call Jim Carter 502-802-0684 or email: [email protected].
MIKE LINNIG'S WHSAA ALL CLASS ALUMNI PICNIC
May 18, 2019 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Now a tradition, the annual WHSAA ALL CLASS ALUMNI PICNIC at Mike Linnig's is planned for Saturday, May 18th. Plans are still in the works, but expect a repeat of last year... food, fun, and plenty of reminiscing! The Cornhole Game raffle and Silent Auction will also be back this year, bigger and better! We will have a large private tent as well as a small building to ourselves. The event is FREE to attend. Food and beverage aren't provided but Mike Linnig's has an eclectic menu for all appetites. You'll want to bring extra $$ for the Silent Auction and raffle which benefits the Alumni Association and Western High School. If you would like to donate items for the Silent Auction please contact Denise Traylor at [email protected]. Start spreading the word - tell all your alumni friends to MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND! Here are some pictures from revious years!
WHSAA Golf Scramble
Sunday, September 28th 8 AM
The Date of the Scramble is Saturday, September 28th , 2019 at Iroquois Golf Course with an 8:00 a.m. shotgun start and 7:00 a.m. registration. The scramble will be limited to the first 28 teams who have paid their entry fee. This year the scramble will be open to the public. The deadline for the 2019 Scramble is either September 21st or when the first 28 teams have paid, whichever comes first.
Your team registration of $70 per person or $280 per team will cover green fees, cart rental, lunch, and various prizes. There will be door prize drawings at the conclusion of the Scramble. In addition, a portion of the proceeds will provide college scholarships to Western High School graduates.
So mark your calendars, put your team together, and mail in your registration form and entry fee. Make checks payable to Western High School Alumni Association or WHSAA and return to Western High School Alumni, 2501 Rockford Lane, Louisville, KY 40216. Registration forms are available to download from our website or by request. You may also register online at Event Registration
Tee Sponsorships are available for $100 per tee. For more information or if you have any questions, please call Jim Carter 502-802-0684 or email [email protected].
Winning team 2017: Robert Anderson and Co. (Class of '75)
WHS Store is Open!
Now you can get your very own Western High School Alumni Association T-shirt. They come in three great Western Warrior colors for $15 in sizes small to 3XL, and can even be shipped to you for $7. Check these out in our new catalog store. We hope to have more items available in the future too!
Are you proud to be a Western Alumni?
Show it with a T-shirt!
Here is the link to order: WHS Catalog Store
Membership Corner
Membership Committee Report
The Membership Committee was established to organize a plan for membership retention and recruitment; to obtain prospect list from annual class reunions; to maintain a current calendar of events on our association’s website and in our newsletters; to promote the benefits of upcoming programs; to send personal invitations to events and functions; to send follow-up correspondence after events to let prospective and currents members who did not participate know what they missed; and to solicit feedback often from our membership through online surveys.
During the past year, the Mership Comembmittee has added 34 new members to the WHSAA. We had a tie for the 2018 Class of the Year between the Class of 1979 and the Class of 1982.
We would like to welcome the following Warriors to the WHSAA:
- Carolyn Ackerman 1965
- Pat Quiggins 1965
- Fred Hall 1966
- Larry Heck 1967
- Debbie Skaggs 1967
- Linda Yates 1967
- Janice Neeley 1968
- James Morris 1968
- Michael Shain 1969
- Claudia Carlisle 1970
- Donna Hasch 1970
- Bill Stevenson 1971
- Sandra Heck 1973
- Kathy Miller-Woehler 1974
- Kathy Patterson 1975
- Henry White 1975
- Scott Tibbs 1976
- Stephen Colton 1977
- Rebecca Cooper 1977
- Cheryl Rhodes 1978
- Rick Burton 1979
- Ann McCubbins 1979
- Donald McCubbins 1979
- Kathy McGuire 1979
- Edlisa Embry 1982
- Tracy Inman 1982
- Donna Korcynski 1982
- Roger Renfro 1982
- Karen Hayse 1983
- Amy Smith 1986
- Katherine Pence 1991
- Jason Matthews 1995
- Curtis Cary 1996
- Brittany Barber 2000
If anyone has any questions about joining the WHSAA, please contact me at [email protected] or go to our website to sign up at Membership - Join Now!
Heritage News
Heritage Committee Report
The Heritage Committee was established to oversee the design/decor of the Alumni Suite, WHSAA Conference Room and Trophy Case area hereinafter referred to as “Heritage Hall.” The Heritage Committee also provides a depository for school artifacts and memorabilia (including WHS yearbooks, photos, news articles, clothing & jewelry). We also maintain the association’s Fallen Warriors List online and annually commemorate our Golden Warriors (those who have been graduated from WHS 50 years or more). And, we are considered to be the in-house historian for Western High School. The Heritage Committee reports directly to the board by way of its chairperson.
Since our last General Membership Meeting the Heritage Committee, with the assistance of some of our classmates, have built, painted and installed the WHSAA Hall of Fame display; setup & furnished the new WHSAA Conference Room; and, are preparing to inventory, clean, reorganize and rejuvenate our Trophy Cases to more adequately display Western’s extensive sports history. 
If anyone has anything to donate, you may drop off your donations at the school office Monday thru Friday 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. If you have information on any of our classmates who have passed away, please send that information to: [email protected]
Chair, Heritage Committee
WHS Alumni Association
School News Update
From the Principal's Office
HELLO WARRIOR ALUMNI!
I can’t begin to express how excited I am for this year! The work we set forth last year around JCPS’s Pillars of Deeper Learning (Backpack), Equity, and Culture and Climate will continue into this year as our main focus again. This means we will continue to execute and enhance our improvement efforts of Engaging Instruction and Improving Western’s Culture through our Academy of Louisville and Early College programs. In doing so, we will continue to work towards the Warrior Way (our mission statement) to graduate all students: Engaged in learning today, empowered for success tomorrow.
Michael Newman, Ed.D.PrincipalWestern High SchoolEarly College & Academy of Louisville502-485-8344
Dear Western alumni,
I am pleased to inform you that today the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) released its Diagnostic Review of Western High School and determined that we have the capacity to continue leading our school. The Diagnostic Review Team report stated, “The administrators, teachers, support staff, parents, and students at Western High School modeled a welcoming and supportive spirit.” I am proud that the Diagnostic Review Team recognized many positives including: that our teachers genuinely cared about their students; we have many opportunities for stakeholder engagement; we have increased community partners; and that the school “had learning expectations visible in classrooms via the daily learning framework and behavioral expectations clearly posted throughout the building.”
In addition, the KDE team noted areas where we can strengthen our practices to improve student performance and organizational effectiveness. These include taking steps to “increase rigor in classrooms, improve teacher and staff capacity …. to ensure differentiation,” and expanding “high-yield instructional strategies to provide lessons that are rigorous and relevant.”
Over the next few weeks, we will have the opportunity to review KDE’s recommendations on how to continue making progress toward our mission of ensuring all students are transition ready.
This review process has been a learning opportunity for me, and I believe going through this leadership review will help us continue to move our school forward. I appreciate the hard work of our staff and students at Western – we have a lot to celebrate. I look forward to working with each of you as we continue our efforts to improve student achievement.
Sincerely,
Michael Newman, EdD
Principal
Western High School
Financial Update
Treasurer's Report
The Alumni Associated wrapped up a busy year for 2018. Our budget was set at $14,200. We met all our goals of fully funding the Hero Program, Teacher Appreciation breakfast, funding the first football Homecoming dance in many years and also providing a scholarship for one student. The Mike Linnigs event was a great fundraiser for us because income fell short in the Membership area. The Silent Auction and Cornhole raffle were a success.
We are working hard to make interacting with the WHSAA easier. We now have Deposit Square and a Venmo account (@WesternAlum) so that we can accept credit cards and bank transfers directly into our bank account. You can also donate or join online via the website using PayPal. We are a 501C3 and here is the link to donate Donate WHSAA
Our bank statements and budget information are available at any time in the Alumni office. You just need to call ahead so that someone can be there. We want to be transparent for our members so that you know your dollars are in good hands.
You can reach me with questions at [email protected].
Alice Skaggs, Treasurer
WHS Alumni Association
Reunion News
The 2019 All Classes Reunion continues to be a huge success as an annual event. Former faculty and students reuniting to share their memories has become a favorite Warrior tradition. There were approximately 250 Warriors at Mike Linnig's on May 18th reliving treasured moments of their years at Western with fellow classmates. Principal Newman was also in attendance. Over $1500 was netted from fundraising activities such as a silent auction, a cornhole raffle, and purchases of Western apparell. The WHSAA is passionate about utilizing funds for the betterment of Western High School.
Classes were asked to create a basket for the silent auction. People placed bids on their favorite basket. The Class of 1980 won the competition by receiving the highest bid. The Class of 1967 placed 2nd and 3rd place went to the class of 1978. The WHSAA would like to thank everyone who attended and those who donated fundraiser items. For those who missed the event please mark your calendar for next year. You will not want to miss it.