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The average temperature his home city of Cancun, Mexico, is a balmy 80 degrees in the winter months.

So what does he think about experiencing a Northeastern Wisconsin winter? Bring it on.

“I like that I’m going to see snow,” Hernandez said. “I know I’m going to be freezing. Probably two months into the snow, I’ll be tired of it. I’m mentally prepared.”

Hernandez is living with the Derek and Laura LeClaire family, spending the school year as an international exchange student via the Pan Atlantic program. Although Cancun has a population of more than 1 million people, De Pere High School is significantly larger than his school there. 

“I got lost like six times (at the beginning of the semester), but then I figured it out,” he said. 

It also took a little time for him to adjust to playing on the Redbirds varsity football team. He was a wide receiver and a starter on the kick return unit. 

In Cancun, Hernandez played soccer for about 10 years, but switched to football in 2020. His club team in Mexico, La Garitos (alligators), advanced to several age-group nationals competitions. 

He said the Redbirds’ coaching staff was more organized, the team’s overall skill level was higher, and he enjoyed the family-like atmosphere among the players. 

Game nights were especially exciting. “I couldn't really focus the whole day in school,” he said, “because I was thinking about the game. It feels amazing when you are inside the helmet and ready to go.” 

He's staying active during the off-season, too, and is eager to do “everything in the snow. Skiing and snowboarding.”

Family: In Mexico, Hernandez lives with his mother and older brother. He’s one of four kids in the LeClaire home, including high school junior Jayden and freshman Ashlynn.

“I’ve been getting along with all of them,” Hernandez said. “I’m used to being the youngest one (at home), but here I’m the oldest of all four. I like having little siblings. The house is never boring.”

He doesn’t mind helping with household chores. “I love the dishwasher,” he said with a laugh, an appliance that’s missing from his Cancun home. 

Favorite classes: Personal Finance and Foods Around the World. 

Biggest differences in the school day: In Mexico, students cannot choose elective classes. High school lasts three years, and as seniors, everyone must select an area of concentration, such as engineering, medicine, business/law or the arts. 

Switching classrooms every period is also something new for Hernandez, as the teachers move throughout the day in Mexico. 

“You make a friend group with the whole classroom,” he said, “but at the same time, the day feels longer (staying) in the same spot.” 

How did he learn to speak English? Besides studying the language in school, Hernandez said watching movies and listening to songs in English helped his proficiency. 

What’s for dinner? Hernandez said he hasn’t been homesick (he Face Times with his mom and brother often), but he does miss Mexican tacos and his mom’s guacamole. He finds it funny when people ask if there are McDonald’s or Burger King restaurants in Mexico. 

He does appreciate a certain American chicken franchise that’s absent from home. “I love Chick-fil-A.”

Rules of the road: Hernandez describes the way people drive in De Pere as “calm.” He’s used to a much more hectic pace of traffic. “In Mexico, oh my, there are bad drivers,” he said. “They’re all over the road, speeding.”

Ponyboy struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes that he is an outsider. In Ponyboy's mind there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money and can get away with anything. A greaser lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers-- until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder upends Ponyboy's world, teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser. And maybe, just maybe, there is hope for a better future.

There are four chances to see this powerful play - Friday, December 6th at 7pm, Saturday, December 7th at 2pm and 7pm, and Sunday, December 8th, at 1pm. Tickets are $5, and on sale now at dpmstheater.org. There will be a limited amount of tickets available at the door for cash only, so buy in advance! Thank you for supporting DPMS Theater!

Wolf and his students are attending the 97th annual FFA convention in Indianapolis this week. De Pere was the only FFA chapter in

the US invited to participate in media day at the convention, specifically to talk about their experiences using Microsoft’s FarmBeats program. (Watch DPHS student Makayla Staudinger’s interview with Indianapolis Fox59 news.) 

 

Wolf has worked since 2019 to integrate FarmBeats’ affordable hardware kit and related curriculum into his ag classes and the FFA activities he oversees as an advisor. Students build garden monitoring systems, learn about artificial intelligence applications and analyze data among other activities.

“Many of today’s farmers use innovative tools like sensors, advanced GIS mapping and AI to get a deeper understanding of their crops. The data collected helps them make better decisions and develop potential new solutions for food production and resource management,” says Wolf.  “FarmBeats for Students brings

these tools and techniques into our classroom. 

“Using state-of-the-art ag technology in school sets up students for success as they build on current agricultural jobs and consider future careers.”

The FFA convention regularly draws more than 70,000 attendees. In addition to media day, Wolf was invited to present on the Spotlight Stage. Audience members are expected to include Indiana’s Lt. Governor, the mayor of Indianapolis, the CEO of Future Farmers of America and the national FFA officer team. 

According to FFA’s website, the group has more than 1 million members nationally and continues to grow. It is the largest student-run organization in the United States. 

Now 18, Karen is spending a year as an international student at De Pere High School.

“It’s a good opportunity to open my mind,” Karen said. “In Guatemala we have many smart kids but not as many opportunities.”

Karen is from Patzun, a town with a population of about 60,000 located in the south central part of the Central American country. She said Guatemala has about 20 different languages. The dialect spoken in Patzun is Kaqchikel. 

Everything in De Pere is “really big” compared to her homeland, Karen said. When she arrived in August, the adjustment was a challenge. 

“First, the food was weird,” she said. “Sometimes I couldn’t (fully) explain myself in English. The first and second week of school, I wanted to learn, but I couldn’t understand. Now, I understand better.”

Joining the cross country team shortly after her arrival has been a great way to meet new friends. 

“The first week (of running) was too hard!” Karen said. “But it’s really fun, and the kids are good with me.”

Family: In Guatemala, Karen lives with her parents and two brothers ages 16 and 22. The family also has four cats, one dog, five rabbits and three chickens. Erik and Janelle Hansen are Karen’s host parents in De Pere. She’s one of five kids in the home, including DPHS sophomore Gabe.  “They are awesome with me.” 

Favorite subject in school: Science, especially biology. “I want to be a doctor,” she said. 

Favorite music: Twenty One Pilots, Post Malone, Maroon 5.

What Guatemalan food do you miss the most? “We make our own corn tortillas,” which she prefers to the flour tortillas that are more common in the U.S. For the Hansens, she has cooked paches, a traditional Guatemalan tamale made with mashed potatoes. 

Outside of De Pere, what places have you seen so far? Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya, Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago and Crivitz. 

Still on her “bucket list” of things to see and do: Go to a Packers game. Experience the winter weather and see snow for the first time. Improve her English speaking and writing skills.

What’s one of the biggest differences between living in De Pere and your home in Guatemala? It’s much safer here. “You can walk along the street and it’s good,” she said. “(In Guatemala) if you are a girl, it’s not a good idea (to walk alone). You always need a friend with you.”

 

In the 2023-2024 school year, 20% or more of all students at De Pere High School took at least one AP exam, and 86 percent earned scores of 3 or above (scale of 1-5) on the exams. De Pere is 1 of 61 high schools in Wisconsin to achieve AP Pacesetter Level 1 or 2 status.

Currently, the school offers 21 Advanced Placement courses, including the 2-semester AP Research and Capstone course. It is one of just 3 schools in northeast Wisconsin to offer the rigorous Capstone classes. 

In its news release, the DPI stated, "Rigorous Advanced Placement (AP) coursework can support students’ learning and positively impact their future. Creating and maintaining a supportive learning environment where students are encouraged to engage in AP coursework also helps normalize higher expectations for all students in a school."