Welcome back to school
As we begin a new school year, we want to extend our best wishes to all of Wisconsin’s educators. Thank you for the passion, dedication, and care you bring to your classrooms each day. The impact you make on the lives of your students reaches far beyond the school year, and your commitment helps shape stronger communities and brighter futures.
As you focus on your students, remember that you deserve support, too. WEA Member Benefits is proud to stand beside you and your family by offering trusted insurance and retirement solutions designed specifically for educators. Whether you’re protecting what matters most today or planning for tomorrow, we’re here to help you build confidence in your financial future.
Thank you for everything you do. We wish you a successful, rewarding, and inspiring school year filled with new opportunities, meaningful connections, and lasting memories. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!
Karim Habib – WEA Member Benefits President/CEO
Surprising money facts
A banknote can be folded 4,000 times. U.S. currency is pretty durable.
The dollar sign ($) was first used in 1785. The official adoption of the dollar sign in the U.S. evolved from the Spanish symbol for pesos.
Like crisp bills? U.S. dollars are 75% cotton and 25% linen, so it’s actually fabric. To iron the money, dampen the bill slightly with a spritz bottle, put a towel under the bill and another on top of it, then iron the money in a circular motion on low heat.
There was only one woman ever to appear on a U.S. bill. Martha Washington’s likeness appeared on the $1 Silver Certificate, first issued in 1886 and discontinued in 1957.
There’s an ATM on every continent. There are more than 3 million cash machines around the world—even in remote places like Easter Island and Antarctica!
There’s not much tangible currency left in the world. Economists estimate only 8% of the world’s currency is actual cash, with the rest existing in electronic bank accounts.
Source: SoFi
Student Art Contest 2026
Our 11th Annual Student Art Contest officially opens on Wednesday, April 1. The theme is Belonging. Students are invited to share their vision of belonging, whether big or small, simple or complex, realistic or abstract.
There are up to ten prizes, with one additional finalist winning the “Best in Class” award named in memory of Loeymae Lange. Loeymae was an art teacher in Burlington who believed art was important to student mental health and self-esteem.
Learn more and apply on the Student Art Contest page.
HEY, Badger fans! Nominate an outstanding educator
Nominate yourself or another deserving Wisconsin public educator to be recognized with an Outstanding Educator Award. Winners will be recognized at a UW sporting event in winter 2024/spring 2025.
Nominate an outstanding educator
Proud Partner of Wisconsin Athletics!
Calling all student artists!
Our 10th annual student art contest invites Wisconsin public school students in grades K-12 to share their vision of joy with this year’s theme, Happiness is… .
Whether happiness means a favorite place, a treasured experience, or a special person, we want to see what it looks like through your eyes and imagination.
Our contest runs April 1, 2025 – May 2, 2025.
Check out Student Art Contest page for more information!
Financial trivia!
Take a little break and test your financial knowledge!
1. Currency is made of a combination of:
A. Wood pulp and cotton
B. Wool and silk fiber
C. Linen and burlap
D. Cotton and linen
2. The largest U.S. note ever printed was worth:
A. $10,000
B. $20,000
C. $50,000
D. $100,000
3. Which of these is NOT a security feature of U.S. currency?
A. Color-shifting ink
B. Magnetic strip
C. Image of the pyramid
D. Red and blue fibers
Answers: 1. D 2. D 3. C