Northern Waters Environmental School

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Northern Waters Environmental School Public, project-based, environmental learning in the Hayward Community School District.

September for NWES students is filled with overnights, and canoeing, and biking, and lots of adventures, including an af...
10/19/2026

September for NWES students is filled with overnights, and canoeing, and biking, and lots of adventures, including an afternoon of biking to the farmers market where students connect with local vendors! This tradition has become a joy for our students and the folks at the market.

Thank you to the 2nd grade for inviting our middle school students to your School Forest day! Northern Waters students l...
10/17/2026

Thank you to the 2nd grade for inviting our middle school students to your School Forest day! Northern Waters students led an activity about echolocation and had 2nd grade students act as bats to gain a better understanding!

Turns out, the middle and high school experience for young people today doesn't look a whole lot different than it has i...
10/15/2026

Turns out, the middle and high school experience for young people today doesn't look a whole lot different than it has in the past...once we take phones/screens out of the picture.

Enjoy this album of pictures of some adventures we've had at NWES this year, from the student perspective!

Thank you to HFEE - Hayward Foundation for Educational Enrichment for facilitating, & Grady Schroeder, and Jill Wudtke for donating CampSnap Cameras to our program. So far, they a hit!

The first field team project of the year this year was a Cardboard Boat Regatta! Students worked in groups to learn abou...
10/14/2026

The first field team project of the year this year was a Cardboard Boat Regatta! Students worked in groups to learn about principles of physics & design in order to plan and build 'effective' cardboard boats!

This was a great way to start the year with an active project in which students needed to practice critical thinking and teamwork to succeed!

Meet the Northern Waters Team!>>>>Mrs. McDermid is our HS Advisor and is passionate about helping students feel known, c...
10/02/2026

Meet the Northern Waters Team!

>>>>Mrs. McDermid is our HS Advisor and is passionate about helping students feel known, capable, and supported. She believes strong relationships are the foundation of meaningful learning and values educational experiences that are inclusive, engaging, and connected to the real world. Her motto is, “We can do hard things.”

>>>>Ms. Wondergem is our MS Advisor and believes that “Being a part of Northern Waters Environmental School has opened my eyes to what students can accomplish when we teach them to be in charge of their own path. Our students become involved and active members in our community, and make so many connections!”

>>>>Ms. Witkowski is our lead Advisor has been at NWES for 8 years and loves being part of a community of learning where staff, students, families, and community members all work together to support young people in achieving their own version of success.

>>>>Mr. Lewandowski is our Student Support Advisor and loves to go fishing, skiing and exploring nature. Mr. Lew likes to work with students on projects that further enhance their learning and interests.

>>>>Ms. Pipitone is our new part-time Principal, while also serving as the full-time Hayward Middle School principal. We are so excited to have her join in supporting every student at Northern Waters.

Over the years, we've settled on some pretty incredible "traditions" here at Northern Waters. One of our beloved annual ...
09/22/2026

Over the years, we've settled on some pretty incredible "traditions" here at Northern Waters. One of our beloved annual traditions is our Back to School Camping Trip to the Bayfield area.

This year we camped at Little Sand Bay, ferried over to Madeline Island to walk the shores at Big Bay and spent an evening along the shores of Lake Superior. We also got the chance to talk with a National Park Service ranger about the history of the Little Sand Bay area and explore the Bayfield Maritime Museum.

This was a trip to remember!

The first couple days at Northern Waters are filled with intentional community building and outdoor adventures! We've fo...
09/18/2026

The first couple days at Northern Waters are filled with intentional community building and outdoor adventures!

We've found that investing time in each other, our relationships, and the way we interact in our larger community is the best way to build a strong foundation of inquiry, adventure, and respect for the rest of the school year.

These pictures are from field team contract building, teamwork challenges, biking, canoeing, and practicing T-rescues together!

New students at Northern Waters get a leg up by attending a Field Orientation (adventure) Day prior to the start of the ...
09/15/2026

New students at Northern Waters get a leg up by attending a Field Orientation (adventure) Day prior to the start of the school year!

This year, our new 6th grade students joined advisors and returning student mentors to get to know each other, bike to the city beach, and participate in a little teamwork challenge in canoes.

These students came in ready for all that NWES has to offer and we are so grateful to have them as part of our learning community!

Help us fulfill our goal of supplying student field teams with screen-free cameras to use to tell the story of their lea...
09/12/2026

Help us fulfill our goal of supplying student field teams with screen-free cameras to use to tell the story of their learning at Northern Waters (field days, camping trips, projects, community service, etc.) without using their phones!

Check out the link in the comments to go to the HFEE Wishlist Portal to fulfill our request!

Earlier this year, we shared that we are working on Expanding! Check out this article from the Sawyer County Record (lin...
07/11/2026

Earlier this year, we shared that we are working on Expanding!

Check out this article from the Sawyer County Record (link in the comments) and these concept images of the opportunities an add-on to our current building would provide our students and community!

Please reach out with any questions: [email protected]

Address

10256 Greenwood Lane
Hayward, WI
54843

Opening Hours

Monday 8:10am - 3:25pm
Tuesday 8:10am - 3:25pm
Wednesday 8:10am - 3:25pm
Thursday 8:10am - 3:25pm
Friday 8:10am - 3:25pm

Telephone

+17156389428

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