Winona R-III School District

🎓 Senior Spotlight: Wesley Kile Hough🎓 Wesley Kile Hough is the son of Bryan and Lori Hough and brother to Abby and Alexis. He has balanced school life with his love for the outdoors. In his free time, Wesley enjoys hunting, fishing, riding four-wheelers, and dirt bikes. Wesley's favorite high school memory comes from time spent in shop class alongside friends — an experience that combined teamwork, skill-building, and lasting friendships. Shop class was also his favorite subject, as it allowed him to build meaningful projects, including items for his mom. Among his teachers, Mr. Denning stands out as a favorite for the impactful conversations shared in English class. Throughout high school, he learned the importance of always trying his hardest — a lesson that will carry forward into the next chapter of life. He will especially miss the daily conversations and camaraderie with friends. After graduation, he plans to secure a good job, potentially working for UPS, while preparing for the responsibilities of adulthood. His primary goal for his senior year is to be ready for the real world. Influenced most by his parents, who consistently encourage him to do his best, he leaves underclassmen with simple but meaningful advice: “High school goes by fast.” With strong values, dedication, and a love for the outdoors, he looks forward to the opportunities ahead — including an out-of-state hunting trip on his bucket list. Congratulations, Wesley, on a job well done. 🎓

Big Spring Conference Tournament Game Day!
It’s an exciting day of basketball as the Big Spring Conference Tournament continues! The Wildcats are hitting the court today, and the competition across the conference is heating up.
Location: Winona High School Games:
🕓 4:00 PM – Winona vs. Kosh (BOYS)
🕔 5:15 PM – Alton vs. Dora (GIRLS)
🕡 6:30 PM – Couch vs. Bakersfield (GIRLS)

Location :Eminence High School Games
4:00 PM – Summersville vs. Couch (BOYS)
5:15 PM – Alton vs. Bakersfield (BOYS)
6:30 PM – Eminence vs. Van Buren (BOYS)
Both gyms will be packed with great BSC basketball action, so come out and watch some great games.

Place your 2026 Yearbook order now! Call the HS office for more information.

The Wildcats WIN! The wildcats beat the Bulldogs 43-41! Wildcats will be back in action next week!

GAME DAY!
The Wildcats are back in action today as they take on the Cabool Bulldogs at the Legends of the Hardwood Tournament!
📍 Liberty High School
⏰ Tip-off: 9:30 AM

Game Day at Winona!
The Wildcats are back in action tonight, February 6, 2026, as they take on the Alton Comets in a regular season matchup you won’t want to miss!
Before the Wildcats hit the floor, Winona will be hosting a round of the BSC Tournament as Van Buren faces Summersville at 5:00 PM. Come early and enjoy a great night of conference basketball packed with talent and excitement.
Adding to the fun, our Little Wildcats Cheerleaders will be performing at halftime of the Wildcats’ varsity game! Be sure they are at the gym by 6:30 PM and ready to shine 💜✨

National School Counselor Week
Our school counselor truly does it all. Mindy carries so much for our students every single day. She is listening, supporting, encouraging, and advocating for them in ways that often go unseen. She is a safe place, a steady voice, and a constant source of compassion for so many. She loves a good book and an even better cup of coffee, and she brings that same warmth, thoughtfulness, and care into everything she does. To know her is truly to love her. Winona is beyond blessed to have Mrs. Spurgin. Our students are better because of her, our school is stronger because of her, and we are incredibly thankful for all she does.

Wednesday, February 4th.. We will run the same bus routes for Wednesday that we ran on Tuesday. We will not be able to travel on a few gravel roads because there are no turnarounds for buses. We have made contact with all families that would be impacted. If we are not able to pick up your student in the morning, please do not plan for us to drop them off tomorrow evening. If you are unable to get your student to school, please notify us so that we can mark the absence as excused.

Have a great day. Stay safe and be WILDCAT STRONG!!

Little Wildcat Cheer Camp

Little Wildcat Cheer Camp will be held February 4th & 5th!
Practices will take place after school until 4:30 PM both days and be located in the Multi Purpose Gym.

⚠️ Important: All students MUST be picked up by 4:30 PM.⚠️

Our Little Wildcats will show off what they’ve learned with a performance on Friday, February 6th! More information about the performance time will be sent home later this week. We can’t wait to cheer with our Little Wildcats!

School will be in session on Tuesday, February 3rd. We will not be able to travel on a few gravel roads because there are no turnarounds for buses. We have made contact with all families that would be impacted. If we are not able to pick up your student in the morning, please do not plan for us to drop them off tomorrow evening. If you are unable to get your student to school, please notify us so that we can mark the absence as excused. We should see a lot of melting this week! Please bring back completed AMI packets 1-3. We have had an extended break to reset, and we are excited to see everyone back in school!

The basketball game that was scheduled to be played at Kosh, February 2nd. Has been canceled. No further information at this time.

From the desk of the Athletic Director. GAME UPDATE 🚨 If we play tonight at Kosh, the game will start at 5:00 PM. Varsity plays 1st followed by 1/2 a game of JV. A final decision will be made by 12:00 pm today! Stay tuned!

The Wildcats are back in action today. They will travel to Kosh to take on the Blue Jays. Game time is 5:00pm

School will be closed on Monday, February 2nd, out of an abundance of caution due to some slick gravel roads.  This will be snow day # 5 . Hopefully, a lot of melting happens tomorrow!  We plan to be in school on Tuesday.  This will likely require snow routes, as some routes lack turnarounds.  The kids need to be back in school, but everyone's safety is our top priority. Enjoy the last day! 💜💛

Come on out and donate blood. February 2nd, from noon to 5:00 pm in the Multi-purpose gym. We hope to have a great turnout and thank you for supporting Winona Student Council.

We have just shared the final senior spotlight for which we have an accompanying picture. Should you wish for your spotlight to be shared, send your pictures and completed senior spotlight questionnaire to Mrs. Kyle asap! #seniorclassof2026

🎓 Senior Spotlight: Bryer Ray Cowen 🎓 Bryer Ray Cowen is the son of Larry and Katrina Cowen and the brother of Kiley. His goal for his senior year is simple: to graduate so he can begin working with his dad after graduation. Bryer hopes to be remembered as a chill guy who enjoyed his time at school. One of his favorite high school memories is the unforgettable moment when a girl threw a chair at Timmy. After graduation, Bryer says he will miss “all of the homies.” His favorite teacher is Coach Denning, whom he describes as nice and chill. Coach Denning also teaches Bryer’s favorite subject—one where he can talk and enjoy learning. One important lesson Bryer learned in school: don’t back talk Coach Denning. His farewell message to underclassmen is short and sweet: good luck. Outside of school, Bryer has spent much of his time working with horses, and many people may not know that he also trains horses. His hobbies include riding horses, fishing, and hunting. Bryer’s favorite movie is Lonesome Dove, and his favorite meal is steak with fried tators—something he says he could eat every day, as long as it’s served with sweet tea. One day, Bryer hopes to travel to the Florida Keys. The person who has influenced Bryer the most is his dad, who has always pointed him in the right direction. Bryer, we wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors.