School News

On Monday, October 26 the Mequon-Thiensville School District announced that, due to an increased number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and a delay in information from our local health department, Homestead High School would be shifting to a distance learning scenario for all students, effective Tuesday, October 27.

As positive student cases continued to be reported at Homestead throughout October 26 and 27, it was determined that the period of distance learning for all students would be extended, with a return to campus expected on Monday, November 9.

Please read the update from Principal Eric Ebert here.

Congratulations to the Homestead High School Class of 2020 Distinguished Graduates! (Please note: In compliance with COVID-19 safety procedures and physical distancing, this photo is a composite of individual photos taken during this summer's outdoor graduation ceremony.)

BACK ROW (Left to Right)
Shubhan Mathur; Danilo Rosich; Jackson Rusch; Jacob Yasonik; Konnor Raskin

THIRD ROW  (Left to Right)
Thomas Ochalek; Seth Marcus; Andrew Wang; Benjamin Kittleson; Jacob Florsheim

SECOND ROW  (Left to Right)
Joshua Teplin; Lauren Fitzsimmons; Allison Yang; Jonathan Lane

FRONT ROW  (Left to Right)
Natalie Yang; Emily Wiebe; Jessica Lamers; Megan Carley; Bridget Brown

Photo Credit: VIP, Inc.

Three Homestead High School students were recently announced as semifinalists in the National Merit Program. Seniors Max Franks, Megan Gehl, and Kristen Dillon have an opportunity to continue in the National Merit Scholarship Program competition for 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. National Merit Scholarship winners of 2021 will be announced beginning in April. Congratulations to Max, Megan, and Kristen!

New for the 2020-2021 school year, each MTSD school will be posting directly to their own Facebook page! Follow Homestead High School to stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest happening in your school (and online). 

A $10,000 Herb Kohl Educational Foundation 2020 Excellence Scholarship has been awarded to Andrew Wang, a student at Homestead High School, by Herb Kohl, Wisconsin philanthropist and businessman. 

The Herb Kohl Excellence Scholarship recognizes students who have demonstrated academic potential, outstanding leadership, citizenship, community service, integrity and other special talents.

“We are immensely proud of Andrew,” said Principal Eric Ebert. “He is a passionate scholar in the classroom, and he also uses his talents and gifts outside the academic setting as well. On top of that, Andrew has a great personality and is a fun person to be around.”

The Herb Kohl Educational Foundation has been recognizing educational excellence since 1990 by annually awarding scholarships to 200 graduating high school students throughout Wisconsin. 

Currently in its 30th year, the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation has awarded $21.2 million to Wisconsin students, teachers, principals and schools. 

Congratulations to all of the award and scholarship winners honored in this year's Homestead Awards Presentation!! To view the virtual "awards night," please click here.

View the event program and list of award winners. 

The resilience of our Class of 2020 has most certainly been tested. Spending time away from school, teachers, staff, and friends is not how our seniors should be celebrating the culmination of their years of education and launching them into their next steps. Through the uncertainty I want you to know that we are committed to celebrating the milestone achievement as our graduating Class of 2020.

We are pleased to announce that the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020 will take place on the Homestead High School Football Field on Saturday, July 18 at 5 p.m. (inclement weather date is Sunday, July 19 at 11 a.m.)

The commencement ceremony will be live streamed so that anyone who is unable to attend can still enjoy this occasion live. The live stream can be accessed by visiting this website: https://www.productionsw7.com/homesteadgraduation 

Click here for more information for graduates.

The enrollment window is now open for the 2020-21 academic year! The window to complete the online enrollment process is open Friday, May 15 through Saturday, August 1. We ask that you please complete online enrollment for your child by August 1, 2020. 

To enroll online, one parent or guardian will need to enter the information listed below. (In cases of resident students with more than one home address on record, the parent or guardian who completes the enrollment must reside in Mequon or Thiensville.) If your information has not changed since the 2019-20 school year, you will simply be required to confirm your information.

• Household contact information, including address(es) and phone number(s)

• Contact information for primary and secondary contacts, including work and mobile phone number(s) and email address(es)

• Student information, including medical conditions and updated care plans (Forms available at www.mtsd.k12.wi.us/healthplans)

• Bus transportation preferences

To begin the online enrollment process, please log in to your Infinite Campus Parent portal account. In the left side navigation click “More,” and then “Online Registration.” Follow the prompts to complete online enrollment. To see a visual guide for navigating the online enrollment process, please visit www.mtsd.k12.wi.us/HowToEnroll. 

• The process should take 5-10 minutes per child for returning families.

• We recommend completing this on a desktop computer rather than a mobile device.

• Make sure the pop-up blocker is turned off on your web browser.

Visit www.mtsd.k12.wi.us/InfiniteCampus for additional information and answers to frequently asked questions regarding the online enrollment process, including username and password questions. 

If you have general questions regarding enrollment and registration in MTSD, please contact your school office. 

Donges Bay: Dana Orozco - dorozco@mtsd.k12.wi.us 

Oriole Lane: Cherrie Raimann - craimann@mtsd.k12.wi.us 

Wilson: Stephanie Johnson - sjohnson@mtsd.k12.wi.us 

Lake Shore: Judy Rennicke - jrennicke@mtsd.k12.wi.us 

Steffen: Carole Giersch - cgiersch@mtsd.k12.wi.us 

Homestead: Lori Pedrick - lpedrick@mtsd.k12.wi.us 

We look forward to a great 2020-21 school year!

The Homestead High School PTSO is continuing a graduation tradition that is a favorite among graduates and families alike: the Grad Greeting. This is a thoughtful way for relatives, teachers, employers, neighbors, friends, and even pets, to express their personal congratulations to our graduating seniors.

Your Grad Greeting(s) will include a personalized message along with the sender’s name. All greetings will then be assembled into individual booklets for each graduate containing his/her messages. The booklets are bound with red ribbon and mailed to the students after graduation. These booklets are keepsakes to be treasured for years to come!

The fee for each Grad Greeting is $2.00 for numbered messages; you can also create your own personal message for $2.50 each. The more Grad Greetings each graduate receives, the more meaningful the booklet becomes. So please look through the attached list of seniors and see if there are some students to whom you would like to send words of congratulations and/or good luck wishes for what lies ahead.

You can place orders downloading and printing the Grad Greeting order form below. Please make check or money order payable to “Grad Greetings” and please remember to include your telephone number in case we have any questions. Please return order forms and payment to Angela Bonfiglio by mail or drop off in the container on the front porch of her home.

Angela Bonfiglio
2617 W Norway Drive
Mequon WI 53092

Questions? Please email HHSgradgreetings@gmail.com for a prompt response.

To guarantee inclusion in the booklets, your order form must be received by June 3, 2020.

Download the Grad Greeting Form

The U.S. News and World Report has ranked Homestead High School in the Mequon-Thiensville School District ninth out of 453 ranked high schools in the state of Wisconsin. 

The school was also ranked #417 of more than 17,700 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia.

“This recognition is validation of the hard work and focus of our students and staff, coupled with our commitment to continuous improvement,” said Eric Ebert, principal of Homestead High School.

U.S. News bases rankings on performance on state assessments and college-readiness as demonstrated by AP exam participation rates and performance.

“Excellence is a hallmark of Homestead High School, and this recognition by U.S. News is an indication of that,” said Superintendent of Schools Matthew Joynt, Ph.D. “But it is also a recognition of the work of the entire school district. Our high school students’ achievement is reflective of the entire system of students, parents, staff, and administrators in our school district. I share my thanks and congratulations to you all for your role in nurturing student growth and achievement.”

Visit https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/wisconsin for additional information regarding the state and national rankings.