Winchester retires from Elk Mound after 31 years

By LeAnn R. Ralph

ELK MOUND  —  After teaching English, American Studies, Contemporary Issues and Money and Financial Markets classes at Elk Mound High School for 31 years as well as coaching the Academic Decathlon team, Bruce Winchester has decided to retire.

Winchester has taught his entire career at Elk Mound, and for nearly all of his 31 years, he has coached the Academic Decathlon team.

Elk Mound has competed in Academic Decathlon for nearly 30 years, since 1987.

This year’s Elk Mound Academic Decathlon team won first place in Division 3 of the Wisconsin Academic Decathlon in Wisconsin Dells in March.

Winchester coached Academic Decathlon with Jeff Mack, a math teacher at Elk Mound High School who also is retiring this year.

The Colfax Messenger sent out a questionnaire to Winchester, who graciously agreed to answer those questions.

• What are some of the changes you have noticed over the years?

I recall word processing a document on a Macintosh secured on a floppy disk. A student showed me how to delete words and save sentences. I jettisoned two bottles of Whiteout that day, and I never looked back. I also remember two students downloading a Pink Floyd song from the Bear Share file sharing program using a new Internet pipeline. What a mind-blowing recognition — music could be played without movable parts. Without much thought, I walk down a school hallway with 32 gigabyte around my neck, and I open up a Moodle online quiz in my Economics course. I am a grateful recipient of change.

• What did you like best about teaching at Elk Mound?

Teaching in a small school district was a stark contrast from my educational experiences. Initially, I was uncomfortable. Soon I was screaming alongside a student’s grandfather in a semifinal basketball game. The joy of community grabbed me and never let go.

• What will you never forget?

In 1985, I drove across the state for an interview with Mr. [William] Vincent, the Superintendent of Elk Mound. I arrived an hour early. There was a small cafe in town which provided me a brief stay. As I departed, an old guy wheeled around in a chair and growled, “Are you a coach?” I explained that I may be teaching and possibly coaching in the fall. “Well, damn it … just beat Colfax!” I left wondering — who’s Colfax? Before the Elk Mound girls’ basketball team played the Vikings this year, I met with the team for a moment. I echoed one simple demand that resonated from that voice out of the past — “Just beat Colfax!”

• Why did you believe it was important to coach Academic Decathlon?

The Academic Decathlon team draws from three levels of students with grade point averages of A, B and C. Competition requires students to read volumes of content from seven academic areas focused upon a single theme that changes each year. [This year’s theme was India.] Scoring is measured by tests. As the team advances, students also present speeches and engage in interviews. Coach Jeff Mack and I were often puzzled. Why would anyone want to do this? We suspect the experience attracted a different kind of student; it was an eclectic gang. Past teams achieved many trips to state competition. However, Coach Mack and I always valued the fun of hanging out with these sometimes quirky teens and always wonderful youth as the best award.

• What will you miss about teaching or about your students?

Leaving Elk Mound was the most difficult choice of my life. I will miss the daily banter with colleagues who treat me better than I deserve. I will miss the joy of learning from youth who have cool stories to tell. Relationships are the “best of things” in teaching. I guess I will just miss my friends.

• What are you looking forward to doing after you retire?

I am uncertain of the next horizon. I know that I will be navigating a new adventure with the hope that it will be as satisfying as my journey at Elk Mound.

• Anything else you would like to add?

I am privileged to retire with Mr. Jeff Mack. He is a hall-of-fame educator and an outstanding coach. Mr. Mack is one of those rare teachers that cannot be replaced. He bleeds orange and black.