Whitnall Earns Communications Awards

The Wisconsin School Public Relations Association (WSPRA) has honored the Whitnall School District with Spectrum Awards of Excellence and Merit for the district’s efforts in school communications.

WSPRA presented its Spectrum Awards on Nov. 5 at its annual conference in Stevens Point, Wis. Whitnall earned an Award of Excellence for the The Lab Report, a newsletter produced by K-12 science coordinator and high school teacher Laura Cerletty and the district’s communications department. The Lab Report is sent electronically to all parents periodically throughout the school year.

Additionally, Whitnall earned Awards of Merit for the quarterly, district-wide newsletter The Viewpoint, the district’s Facebook page, and the 2015 referendum information campaign.

Spectrum Awards recognize high-quality public relations efforts produced by or on behalf of Wisconsin school districts. This year, this statewide competition honored 25 school districts or and PR organizations with awards, 11 of which earned multiple awards.

“Spectrum Award winners exemplify the very best communications work in school districts across the state,” said WSPRA President Kevin Hickman. “The winners demonstrate the value of engaging stakeholders in order to build community support for Wisconsin’s schools.”

Whitnall was one of only four districts to earn four or more Spectrum Awards, joining Menomonee Falls, Kenosha Unified School District and Milwaukee Public Schools. This is the second consecutive year WSPRA recognized Whitnall’s The Viewpoint and The Lab Report with Spectrum Awards.

“Increasing awareness of the great things that happen in our schools every day, and advocating for our community schools, has been a point of focus for our district,” Superintendent Dr. Lowell Holtz said. “We’re very proud of our Spectrum Awards, but more importantly, we feel the communication with all our stakeholders continues to improve greatly.”

WSPRA’s Spectrum Awards are judged by the Illinois School Public Relations Association on a four-point scale in four areas: goals and objectives, research and planning, execution and evaluation and results.

The Wisconsin School Public Relations Association (WSPRA) is a professional association representing schools, school districts, educational associations, consulting agencies and organizations. WSPRA is a state affiliate of the National School Public Relations Association. The mission of WSPRA is to expand the capacity of its members to provide effective communication management for the purpose of strengthening educational opportunities for all students.