From My View - Dr. Jim Wipke

If you were to research the small city of Janesville, you’d quickly learn that it’s the county seat of Rock County, Wisconsin, nestled along the Rock River in the southern part of the state. With just over 65,000 residents, it’s the tenth-largest city in Wisconsin. Together with neighboring Beloit, it makes up the Janesville–Beloit metropolitan area, home to about 165,000 people. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll discover that Janesville has a rich and fascinating history. Long before settlers arrived, the area was home to a Ho-Chunk village, and later became a gathering place for pioneers drawn to the Rock River and fertile farmland. The city itself was founded in 1835 and named after Henry Janes, one of its earliest settlers. Janesville quickly grew into a hub of farming and industry. It played an active role in the Civil War, sending many soldiers to serve in the Union Army. In 1859, Abraham Lincoln even visited and spoke there, staying in the home of William Tallman—now a well-known ...

When I decided to go into school administration, I knew it would give me the opportunity to work with more students and support them in ways I couldn’t as a classroom teacher. But I also knew it would come with a cost — time away from my wife, Jennifer, and our children. So I made a promise to myself: if I was going to be fully committed to this work, I also had to be fully committed to my family. That was easier to say than to do. One non-negotiable I set early on was coaching my kids in soccer. Coaching brought us closer — but the real magic happened during the car rides to and from practice. That’s where we’d talk about school, friends, life... and belt out our crazy songs. It started with my oldest, Jamison, then Jordan, then Jill, and finally Jacob. Wanting to coach all of them despite my increasingly chaotic schedule, I came up with a system: I’d rent a full field, schedule practices two nights a week, and coach two or three teams at once, with help from some amazing parent assis...

If you’ve glanced at the forecast, it looks like we may be in for another rainy weekend. Now, normally, that might put a damper on things (no pun intended)—but after my most recent rainy run, I’m choosing to see it a little differently.  A few weekends ago, the weather was rainy and miserable. But when I got up that Saturday morning, I was actually excited to see the rain. I know that’s not the typical response when you want to be outside and go for a run, but I genuinely felt that way. There’s something about running in the rain that makes it more fun—more adventurous. As many of you know, running is my release. For some, it might be catching a movie, playing the piano, reading the Post-Dispatch, or scrolling social media. For me, it’s simple—like Forrest Gump said, “I just felt like running.” Most weekdays, I’m on the treadmill in the basement, but on the weekends, I’m outside—no matter the weather. That’s been my routine for about 15 years. I usually map out where I’ll run ahead...

At the beginning of each school year, we gather as a district for our Opening Convocation —a time to reconnect, take a deep breath before the halls fill with students, and set the tone for the year ahead. It’s a special moment. We enjoy breakfast together, celebrate our students’ talents (shoutout to Viva Voce for their incredible performance this year!), and have a little fun with giveaways. I also get the privilege of addressing our staff, sharing reflections, and setting the direction for the year. This past year’s theme was Back to the Future —yes, straight from the iconic movie trilogy. We took a trip through time, reflecting on the past five years, and I connected the theme to a previous blog I wrote about Staff Sergeant Dwight Johnson and his remarkable story. I also got personal, sharing my thoughts as my son prepared to leave for college in Chicago. It made me ask myself: Had I spent my time wisely? Had I taught him enough, given him enough, prepared him enough for life? The ...