child find screening - Shawano School District

Buildings and Grounds
Jeff Easter, Director of Buildings & Grounds
Much of the work performed within my department
goes unnoticed to the typical visitor to our schools. I
usually like it that way. Providing clean, safe, and
comfortable facilities means working behind the
scenes and at all hours. I want to make sure that all
of the maintenance and custodial staff that work
within the Shawano School District are recognized
for their efforts to serve all the many people that use
our buildings.
One recent project completed was a makeover to
the pool area. The wall paint had become worn and
dingy from the years of use and so we took the time
to repaint the entire area. The new look is bright and
inviting, not to mention that we were able to add
some school colors to the space! We added some
faucets to assist with the cleaning of the pool deck
and completed the BIG task of changing the filter
media for the pool water cleaning system. Once the
new starting platforms arrive we will be installing
those to finish the update.
I welcome any and all feedback; contact me at
easterj@shawanoschools.com.
FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Finding Resources
Navigating the school system and finding outside
community resources can be difficult for any parent.
However, if you are a parent or a guardian of a child
with special needs, finding resources and supports
can be especially difficult.
A link has been added to the school district webpage
with resources and information for parents
regarding
educational
and
recreational
opportunities, as well as support groups. The district
website is: (http://www.shawanoschools.com/) Click
on the “District” tab towards the upper left hand
corner. Under this tab you can click on “Pupil
Services”; finding the information link “Parent
Resources”.
Below are some of the groups parents have found
very helpful for community and school resources.
Contact information for these groups can be found
on the “Parent Resource” link.
WSPEI – (Wisconsin Statewide
Parent-Educator Initiative)
Supports for Families of
Students with Disabilities
WisconSibs – Support group for
sisters and brothers of people
with disabilities thrive
throughout their lifelong journey.
WI FACETS – Provides newsletters and free
workshops for families of children with disabilities
and those who support them.
From the District Administrator - Continued from front page
I would like to begin by thanking the Shawano School District community members
for all that you have done to support our students and schools throughout the
year. It is always great to see community support as we face the many challenges
that come with the operations of our school district and work to achieve our goals.
Because of your support, the students have been able to attend school in great
facilities, and have an excellent staff that provides a quality educational experience
each and every day of the school year. Your support has also given the students of
the district a variety of opportunities to help them experience a wide range of academic and co-curricular
programming which will give them the 21st Century skills they need to be successful. Thank You for your
generous support and I look forward to your continued support as we work together making the Shawano
School District the best that it can be.
The School Board has worked to understand and support the new initiatives and the challenges that we
have had to face as a district. I want to thank them for the support and commitment they have for
students, staff, and parents of the district. It is refreshing during these challenges to know that we have a
School Board committed to the education of our students. I am so thankful they are committed to
developing partnerships with our community organizations and staff to help provide a very well-rounded
education for our students.
None of this success could happen without quality employees. We have excellent
professional and support staff that always give their best to the students, modeling
the district’s vision. District employees work together to provide a quality
educational experience for our children. I extend my heart felt thank you to all of
the Shawano professional and support staff team for another great school year.
Finally, I am extremely thankful for all of the progress we have made as a district
towards our goals and initiatives for this school year. This Fall I introduced to our staff the district’s vision
of Learning, Living, Leading the Hawk Way and what it means. We have made progress toward this
becoming part of our district’s culture. We have a new mascot design and this vision is visible throughout
each of our school buildings and on communication coming out of each building. My staff newsletter,
Hawk Way Messenger, reinforces the vision every other month. Our staff is passing this message on to
our students and hopefully our students are taking this message home to their parents. We have also
started a Hawk Way awards program for those who exemplify the Hawk Way principle of “being your
best”. Promotion of this same message is being sent into the community with articles in the newspaper
and on the radio. I look forward to expanding our vision of Learning, Living, Leading the Hawk Way!
COMMUNICATION AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT GOALS:
 We spent time this school year improving communication within the district and
community.
 The district has established a Facebook page with over 900 likes. If you haven’t
liked us yet please do so! Our Facebook link is located in the upper right hand
corner of the district website: www.shawanoschools.com. We are planning to add
a twitter account and will explore using instant messenger in the near future.
 We had informational meetings on the district budget throughout the community
and look forward to that again next year.
 We introduced the new Educator Effectiveness evaluation system. Our teachers
developed and defined goals for students to achieve and designed interventions
to reach the goals set for learning. This evaluation process is being used to help
teachers develop their skills as an educator to create improved student learning.
 We introduced and used the district's new STAR assessment. This assessment
tool is being used to better identify student academic concerns and strengths to
help teachers diagnose and prescribe the proper instructional practices to help all
students reach their fullest potential.
 Our High School students took the new state required ASPIRE assessment and our
juniors took the required ACT. Our primary students continue to take the state
required PALS test and grades 3-8 will be completing the required Badger Exam.
The Shawano School District will be a busy place this summer. Upcoming Summer School programming will
have a wide range of educational and enrichment activities to offer our students. In addition, regular
maintenance projects are scheduled throughout the summer to sustain the quality of our buildings. I hope
everyone has a safe and enjoyable summer and will be ready to come back this Fall to continue our
journey, Learning, Living, Leading – the Hawk Way!
CHILD FIND SCREENING
Monday, July 13
Hillcrest Primary School
By Appointment Only
Call Tracie at 715-526-2134 x8507
Monday, July 13th will begin the summer screening for children whose
care givers may suspect he/she to have a disability, or may not be
developing as expected. Screenings will be held at Hillcrest Primary School.
If you have specific questions about Child Find or the development
of your child in relationship to school, please call Lori M. Smits,
Director of Pupil Services. 715.526.2192 ext. 8322
SHAWANO SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER – MAY 2015
2
DISTRICT OFFICE
State Budget Affects School Budgets
By Louise Fischer, Business Manager
As you may have read, the State 2015-17 Biennial
Budget, in its current form, has significant negative
financial ramifications for the Shawano School
District. Public school districts main revenue sources
are the property tax from local taxpayers and
equalization aid from the state.
In normal circumstances, the more students you
have the more dollars you are allowed in the revenue cap formula both for
taxation and aid purposes. When a district has substantial declining
enrollment, the district suffers in the revenue cap and amount of aid they
will receive.
Historically, Shawano has been fortunate to have
The loss of the
a relatively stable enrollment. There have been
revenue limit cap
enrollment dips and climbs. Fiscal year 2014-15
results in over
presented Shawano with a significant decline in
$600,000 in
enrollment numbers – primarily in the primary
revenue loss to
grades.
our school
Several years ago, during the recessions infancy, a
district, next year
pundit predicted there could be substantial
alone.
decreases in enrollment due to the recession;
basically, people not having children due to the
In addition, the
unaffordability. Whether this is Shawano’s case
state budget
or not we do not know, however, in order to plan
proposes
for worst case scenario, we are planning on
eliminating a
another low enrollment of 4K students in 2015-16.
state funded
With all this being said, the current state budget
categorical aid.
offers no increase in dollars in the per pupil
For Shawano,
revenue limit.
With potential declining
this is a further
enrollment in 2014-15, 15-16 and perhaps on, this
reduction of
has a detrimental effect to the district in
revenue over
maintaining quality programs for our students and
$350,000.
attracting and retaining quality staff to teach
them.
Our projected
deficit for 20152016 is almost
one million
($1,000,000)
dollars.
This loss of revenue limit cap results in over
$600,000 in revenue loss to our school district,
next year alone. In addition, the state budget
proposes eliminating a state funded categorical
aid. For Shawano, this is a further reduction of
revenue to the tune of over $350,000. Our
projected deficit for 2015-2016 is almost one million ($1,000,000) dollars.
Senate Joint Finance Committee hearings have been held across the state
where school districts and other entities affected by the state budget
proposal have been allowed to speak. Senate moderates have stated the
Governor’s proposal will not pass in its current state. What kind of financial
compromise the Legislature and Governor agree upon has yet to be
determined but in the meantime, the district must
base the 2015-16 budget on worst case scenario.
The projected
As an FYI, the projected tax savings for the taxpayer
tax savings for
with this state budget is an estimated $10 - $15
the tax payer
dollars per year – hardly a significant amount of
with this state
savings for Madison to brag about or amount
budget is an
taxpayers will remember years from now.
estimated
$10-$15
How does the district address this deficit? Several
dollars per
meetings were held with Administration and Board
year!
committees to strategize where reductions or
budget cuts could be made.
As a school district is a service oriented business and 75% of the budget is
comprised of salary and fringes the logical assumption is that the majority of
budget reductions are taken from the labor force. Difficult conversations
were held where the recommendation to the Board would have entailed
reducing or cutting over 25 positions. In addition to salaries and fringes,
there were many other items within the district budget to be reduced or cut.
At the same time, our new benefits consultant, National Insurance Services
(NIS), was working behind the scenes receiving quotes to administer our
self-funded health insurance. NIS also requested proposals from various
carriers for quotes on a fully funded health plan just to see where Shawano
would fall in the market place.
WEA came in with a proposal for the district, that even the NIS rep stated
was unheard of – a 3-year contract with significant savings through premium
reduction the first year and rate increase caps in years two and three. The
plan design includes a high deductible ($2000 for single/ $4000 for family)
with the district subsidizing some of the out of pocket costs with an HRA. In
analyzing the policy and the reduced premiums, it was determined
employees can actually have less out of pocket expense than the current low
deductible plan with includes co-pays and co-insurance.
www.shawanoschools.com
In addition, WEA offered three tiers of premiums – single, family and
employee plus one (of which over 90 of our employees qualify for). This
gave the district an additional amount of savings.
After a lot of discussion with NIS, the Insurance Committee, Board
committees and Leadership Team, it was decided transitioning to a fully
funded plan not only gave the district financial savings but overall was a
better plan for district employees in addressing their needs. During this
time, the district received their preliminary estimate of premium increase
by remaining self-funded – 15% - adding more to the projected deficit.
Why would WEA offer us such a deal? Health insurance is cyclical. Many
years ago WEA held the bulk of school district clients until other carriers
came in to the picture with considerably less costs. Not being competitive
at the time, WEA lost business. Those other carriers are now in the same
position WEA was then – they can no longer afford to cut costs and sustain
those costs over a long period of time so they are unable to compete.
Shawano has a three year contract with caps. At the end of year three, our
rates will be relatively the same as they are at present – unheard of in the
group health insurance industry. This is great news for Shawano for
budgeting purposes.
Having a three year contract also gives Shawano breathing room as the
Affordable Care Act continues to evolve especially with a presidential
election and the impact that may have on ACA. WEA also offered many
other perks the district will no longer be financially responsible for in the
areas of employee health information and biometric screening in addition
to offering a larger provider network. After the 3 year contract ends, the
district will go out to bid again, as most school districts do.
The district still plans to implement some budget reductions next year
when it comes to achieving efficiencies, filling the needs of our students
and to address additional reductions that may need to be made the
second year of the state budget. In the past, Shawano has had the ability
to under levy and still maintain programs. With this state budget proposal,
under levying while continuing to retain programs and staff, will pose a
significant challenge to the district.
The district will conduct at least three community budget meetings in
August and September with the Annual Meeting being held September 21,
2015.
As the new state budget takes effect July 1, it is the assumption the state
budget will be in place and the presentations will present fairly accurate
data in addition to other developments which may occur over the course
of time.
Technology Report
Craig Young, Director of Technology
As the school year begins to wind down I reflected
on this past school year and categorize it as a year of
upgrades for our district in the technology
department. With the rapid increase in technology
use, we needed to upgrade our infrastructure. We
upgraded our servers and switches to be able to
handle the increase in traffic and speed at our district. Now that the
infrastructure is upgraded, we are looking at services that we can improve
upon. It is exciting to research all the possibilities we may be able to offer
now.
We also upgraded our wireless network. With the increase in access points
and upgrade to our wireless network, we are able to meet the demands of
not only the classroom instruction and staff needs but also to handle the
state wide tests (BADGER, ASPIRE & STAR).
Another upgrade we are in the process of finishing is our internal fiber
that runs in-between our closets at the high school. In order for us to have
the capacity and speed we desire, these lines needed to be upgraded. We
also repaired a kinked fiber at Olga Brener to prevent a major outage in
the future.
We are currently working on upgrading our phone system software. This is
needed not only to maintain and improve our current phone system
throughout the district, but to maintain 911 services. Our software is
coming to end of life and will need to be brought up to the current
standards. We do not need to replace our current phones; this is only a
software upgrade. We hope to have the new software up and running by
the end of April.
The last upgrade we made was to partner with Cellcom for cable TV. The
important part of getting cable up and running is to offer Shawano school
district programming throughout the district (for such events as Shawano
Jazz Festival and the Musical) but also out to the community as well. We
are broadcasting on Channel 99 for Cellcom customers. The high school
announcements will broadcast everyday but we have the ability to
broadcast taped events that occur at our district in the future.
The most exciting aspect about being involved in technology is that new
devices and resources are popping up every day. I’m lucky to have a great
staff in my department that continue to look at the future and how best
we can meet the needs of the staff, students and community.
SHAWANO SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER – MAY 2015
SHAWANO COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
3
SCHS Working to Achieve Yearly Goals
Packers Visit SCHS
Scott Zwirschitz
Principal, Shawano Community HS
In June of last year, members of the SCHS
administration and staff met to set goals for the
upcoming year. The group looked at student data
from the WKCE, ACT, PLAN, and EXPLORE tests along
with student attendance and discipline information.
After carefully dissecting the information, the group
determined to set four goals to work on this year. The goals are:
1. By the end of April 2015, average STAR math scale scores for
Grades 9, 10, and 11 will increase to 80% of the moderate
scaled-score growth rate over the 28 week period between the
Fall and Spring testing windows.
2. By the end of April 2015, average STAR reading scale scores for
Grades 9, 10, and 11 will increase to 80% of the moderate
scaled-score growth rate over the 28 week period between the
Fall and Spring testing windows.
3. Students at SCHS will attend at a 94.6% rate
4. Reduce the overall number of major office referrals as compared
to the data from the spring of the 2013-2014 school year.
We have worked extremely hard to meet each goal. We have adjusted
content, teaching methodology, assessment techniques, and provided extra
help to those students who demonstrated the need after the first STAR test
in the fall. We have also worked through our Positive Behavior
Interventions and Support team to increase attendance, and decrease
discipline frequency. So far we are on the right track to meeting all of our
goals. The faculty and students have worked very hard to accomplish what
we set out to do. With less than two months remaining, we are continuing
to focus on our goals so that we do not have any slips the rest of the way.
On Tuesday, April 14th, members of
the Green Bay Packers stopped by to
visit with the students of SCHS. As
part of their Packer Tailgate Tour, the
Packers surprised the students when
they arrived around 9:15 AM.
Representing the Packers were Mark
Murphy,
Jerry
Kramer,
Dave
Robinson,
Gilbert
Brown,
Bill
Schroeder, Micah Hyde, Casey
Hayward, and Andrew Quarless.
Andrew
Quarless
delivered
a
few daily announcements to the
students before inviting them down
to the gym.
In the gym, the Packers spoke about
respecting yourself and others and
the importance of hard work. They
also took questions from the students
and threw out mini footballs and tshirts. SCHS would like to thank the
Packers for the time they spent with us. Everyone greatly enjoyed the
visit.
Water Aerobics
Stuart Russ
Assistant Principal, Shawano Community HS
It is hard to believe that we are already approaching
the last month of the school year here at SCHS. My first
year in the district has been full of many celebrations
and challenges. I have been very fortunate to work
with a great administrative team and have been
impressed with the faculty, staff, and students at SCHS.
Two primary duties as the associate principal are managing student
discipline and serving as the school’s attendance officer. I have dedicated a
large portion of my time and have been able to work alongside members of
the SCHS Hawk Way Team (the school’s Positive Behavioral Interventions
and Support (PBIS) committee) to help address the building goals devoted
to both areas.
I am pleased to say that we are currently on our way to meeting our
attendance goal. Some of the ways in which we have addressed student
attendance include holding students accountable for being late to school
and rewarding students who demonstrate good attendances. In fact, we
recently wrapped up our first annual Operation Attendance initiative, in
which individual classes were eligible to receive a reward if all students in
the class were on time and did not have any tardy or unexcused absences
for the week. It was great to see the way in which students in winning
classes celebrated with their classmates.
In reviewing the data from this school year, we still have some work to do
towards reducing discipline referrals. My hope is that we can utilize the
information we are receiving this year to help make any changes we deem
necessary for next year.
I would like to thank the students and staff of SCHS for all of their hard
work and dedication, and look forward to working with everyone again in
the future. It truly is a great day to be a hawk!
Gereon Methner
At-Risk Coordinator, Shawano Community HS
The At-Risk programs at Shawano Community High
School offer students several non-traditional avenues
to graduation. These options include: credit recovery,
alternative classroom settings, academic interventions
and 13/15 credit alternative diploma program.
It has been wonderful working with fellow SCHS
educators who are sincerely invested in at-risk student success. In addition
to focused communication with seniors who are struggling, we have made
significant changes to our Life Applications Alternative Program (LAAP) by
adding service learning, and a character and leadership component to the
curriculum.
We are currently recruiting students for the summer school credit
recovery program. All in all, Shawano School District is an exciting place to
be!
Come when it fits your schedule! This is a pay-as-you-go class or purchase
a punch card from the Community Ed Office.
Shawano High School Pool
Continuous
Members $5 / visit
Non-Members $6 / visit
Tuesdays & Thursdays
5:50 p.m. to 6:50 p.m.
Toni Dinse, Instructor
Latin Splash
Shawano High School Pool
May 20, 27, June 3, 10, 17, 24
Members $30
Non-Members $36
Summer Series #1
Wednesdays (6)
7:15 p.m. to 8:05 p.m.
Marcia Wilken, Instructor
SUMMER SESSION #2
Latin Splash
Shawano High School Pool
July 8, 15, 22, 29 August 5, 12, 19
Members $35
Non-Members $42
Summer Series #2
Wednesdays (7)
7:15 p.m. to 8:05 p.m
Marcia Wilken, Instructor
Intro to Canning & Food Preservation
Shawano High School
Wednesday, May 20
Shawano High School
Reg Fee to CE Office: $8.00
Material fee to instructors: $5.00
Wednesday
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Room 1001
Nancy Schultz
Linda Olson
SUMMER CLASSES
FOODS
Registration fee is $8.00 for each class to be paid to SCE Office and another
$5.00 ingredient fee to be paid AT CLASS to instructor. Food classes are
held at the Shawano Community High School, Room 1001.
Jams & Jellies – Wed. June 17 – 6:00 to 8:30 pm
Pickling Vegetables – Wed. July 22 – 6:00 to 8:30 pm
Canning Tomato Products – Wed. August 18 – 6:00 to 8:30 pm
ALZHEIMER’S EDUCATION – FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS
Do you have a spouse or relative that you care for because of a dementia?
Alzheimer’s education classes below are free. Please register AT LEAST 1 week
prior to class date. Classes are held at the Shawano Middle School in Room 103.
Effective Communication Strategies
Wed, June 17 – 10am to Noon
Understanding & Responding to Dementia Related Behavior
Wed, July 15, 10 am to Noon
Registration Available Online or Call 715.526.2192 X3202
www.ShawanoSchools.com - Click ‘Community Education’ – ‘Classes’
LIKE us on Facebook – www.facebook.com/ShawanoCE
SHAWANO SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER – May 2015
4
SHAWANO COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
SHAWANO COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
CHEMISTRY CLASS PROJECT
French Trip 2015
Soap Making
Some SCHS students and a few of their
family members made the trip over the
pond during spring break 2015 to spend 7
full days in Paris and Normandy France.
The group saw and toured many different
sights in Paris including la Notre Dame, la
Tour Eiffel, l’Arc de Triomphe, les
catacombes, le Louvre, and a few other
churches that were quite the sight during
the Easter season. Along with sightseeing,
we had the opportunity to live as the
Parisians do by sitting in cafés, dining well,
mastering the métro and shopping away in
both small boutiques and larger
department stores.
Pam Anhalt’s Chemistry classes have
been very busy and creative making
soap.
To slow things down we spent a few days
in Normandy where we got history lessons
and toured the famous D-day beaches of June 6, 1944 and paid our respects to
nearly 9,500 lost heroes in the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer.
We were also educated in art and visited the home and gardens of the famous
impressionist artist Monet. Besides just looking at well-known, touristic France,
the group also had the chance to visit a small, rural Norman farm to see the
animals and enjoy some cheese-tasting. Normandy (somewhat our group
favorite) is much like Wisconsin in that they are famous for cheese, cows,
farms, apples and rolling green country side.
If you see or know anyone who went on the trip, ask them to see photos!
The process of saponification is
extremely interesting and the
students were able to see the results
of their hard work.
Mrs. Anhalt, the students
of her Chemistry classes,
and Science Society of
SCHS would like to thank
the Grants for Excellence
committee for making this
project possible.
“I wrote a grant for soap
making supplies to enable
students to learn and
perform the process of
saponification.”
“I was fortunate enough to receive the grant
which has encouraged students to use their
creativity and Science knowledge to make a
finished product of soap.”
AUTOMOTIVE PROGRAM
RECEIVES NATIONAL
ACCREDITATION
A spectacular time was had by all!
Omaha Beach, Normandy, France.
Back from left to right: Becky West, Sarah Benzinger, Brynn Huntington,
Katie West, Rachel Schnell, Caleb Boyd, Sherry Huntington.
Front from left to right: Lilli Benzinger, James (our tour guide), Erin Mehlhorn,
Michelle Oesterreich, Rachel Beversdorf
Palace of Versailles
From left to right:
Erin Mehlhorn,
Katie West,
Rachel Schnell,
Rachel Beversdorf
The automotive training program at
Shawano High School has received
accreditation by NATEF and The National
Institute for Automotive Service Excellence
(ASE). Shawano High School’s automotive
program has been accredited in
Maintenance and Light Repair.
To achieve this coveted recognition, the
school’s automotive training program
underwent rigorous evaluation by the
National Automotive Technicians Education
Foundation (NATEF). Nationally accepted
standards of excellence in areas
such as instruction, facilities, and
equipment were used.
“This is great news for automotiveminded young people and their
parents,” said Donald Seyfer,
NATEF Chair. “Because this
program increases cooperation
between local education and
industry leaders, it gives added
assurance that Shawano High
School’s graduates will be employable entry-level technicians. As a result
of the quality education provided by Shawano High School, the motoring
public will benefit
since better repair
technicians will join
the work force.”
Upon completion of
the evaluation, NATEF
recommended that
Shawano High School
be accredited by The
National Institute for
Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). ASE is a national non-profit
organization which tests and certifies repair technicians, in addition to
accrediting automotive training programs.
Jeremy Hodkiewicz added, “During the past few months, we have worked
closely with NATEF to make certain that our
program would meet strict industry standards, and
now we are delighted to join the ranks of the ASE
accredited training programs. Shawano High School
is now one of twelve high schools in WI with NATEF
certification.
Students will be assured of a quality education, and
shop owners will be assured of getting quality job
applicants.”
SHAWANO SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER – MAY 2015
SHAWANO COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
Manned Space Flight
Shawano music students had
the incredible opportunity to
learn and perform with two
2015 Grammy-winning musicians
at the sixth annual Shawano Jazz
Festival on March 21.
Wendy Esch, Astronomy Teacher
With all the space news in the media, it’s
an exciting time to be in Ms. Esch’s
Astronomy Class at Shawano High School.
We’re hearing of China and India’s space
flight programs, the Rosetta mission
landing a probe on a comet, SpaceX’s
launches to the International Space
Station, Branson’s attempt to get space
tourism off the ground, and NASA’s
return to space and hopefully the moon
and Mars with the launch of Orion.
5
Submitted by: Alexandra Isaacson
2015 SHAZZ
FESTIVAL
Rosetta Mission
During the 1960’s the Apollo manned spaceflight
program traveled around the moon for the first time
during Christmas 1968 and landed on the Sea of
Tranquility in July 1969. For those lucky enough to
be in Ms. Esch’s Astronomy Class, with a Manned
Spaceflight segment, students in their junior and
senior year learn about the math, science, astronomy,
and manned spaceflight. To these students, it’s almost too fantastic to
believe we went to the moon at all, much less having moon ships launching
at rate of one every few months.
The technology of the 1960's was primitive by today's standards, which
adds to the mystery of how we pulled this off as a country. From 1968 to
the end of the Apollo, with over 450,000 people across the USA
contributing to the moon missions, we traveled to the moon 9 times, with
12 men setting foot on the moon. We never lost a single person in space
flight in spite of the fact that the Apollo spacecraft had over 1 million parts
where the crew was estimated to have 50:50
chance of returning to the good earth.
Apollo and landing on the moon didn’t
happen by chance, going to the moon was
broken down into a process where critical
steps were learned during the Gemini
missions.
It’s unbelievable to think that we didn’t have any of the
technology to reach the moon and hadn’t launched a single mission into
earth orbit when President Kennedy announced the goal of landing on the
moon by the end of the decade at Rice University on May 25, 1961.
Nothing we needed to get to the moon and back existed…...there were no
satellites, computers, Saturn launch vehicle, Lunar Lander, or space suits,
all of which had to be invented with the reliability to get men to and from
the moon without failure.
Fast forward to today and Ms. Esch's Astronomy class where our students
are learning about Apollo and the equations of guidance systems used to
maneuver an object, like the command module, from mother earth to the
moon in three dimensional space while these two heavenly bodies are
themselves hurdling through the galaxy….pretty involved
stuff for high school students!
In late February, Ms. Esch invited Michael Oberle, a
Systems Engineering Manager from General Electric, to
give a presentation on Apollo and manned space flight.
Michael is a Shawano High School graduate and former Shawano High
Astronomy Club President with a keen interest in the Apollo era. The
theme of the presentation was, “So you want to fly to the moon,” where
we explored the process and technology for meeting President Kennedy’s
goal.
In addition to the information presented, the class had a
competition to build a model of the Lunar Module.
World-renowned Los Angelesbased
saxophonist
Eric
Marienthal returned for his
fourth Festival, joined by
Dancing with the Stars and
Family Guy trombonist Andy
Martin, for a day of clinics,
master classes, and a public
afternoon concert in the
Shawano High School auditorium featuring members of the Shawano
High jazz bands. Twenty middle and high school bands from across
Wisconsin also participated in the event.
The festival serves as a fundraiser for the Shawano Jazz Foundation, a
charitable organization that has provided jazz program funding and
summer music scholarships to over 40 local musicians during the past six
years. “We are so thankful for the tremendous community and sponsor
support that makes this weekend possible, “ said Alexandra Isaacson,
Shawano alumnus and founder of the Shawano Jazz Foundation. “Seven
years ago, Shawano students never attended summer music camp; this
year, we are sending 11 students to four different camps on scholarship.”
The 2015 scholarships were awarded to middle school students Amy
Quinn, Micayla Pedersen, Emily Thonock, and Alana Krolow, and high
school students Nicole Thornock, Zach Fike, Kathryn Kugel, Hunter
Krolow, Emily Jones, Grace Jones, and Keaton Wegner.
This year’s jazz festival also
raised money for Brittany
Sperberg, a talented Shawano
alumnus and trombonist who
has
been
battling
an
undiagnosed illness of her mouth
and nasal cavity since October.
One of Brittany’s lifetime goals
was to perform onstage this year
with festival guest artist Andy
Martin, but her current medical
Jazz 1 trombone section with
condition has left her unable to
Andy Martin at One Night Only
play. Instead, both Andy and Eric Left to Right: Emily Jones, Nate Wilson, Andy
Martin, Jacob Schoenike, Kale McHugh
Marienthal performed special
songs in Brittany’s honor at her
benefit event, held at the Gathering on March 21. The Shawano High
jazz band and Shawano alumni band provided the music for the annual
fundraising event. Donations toward Brittany’s medical bills can be sent
to: Shawano Jazz Foundation, PO Box 296, Shawano WI 54166.
Next year’s Shawano Jazz Festival is scheduled for March 12, 2016. More
information about the event can be found at www.shawanojazzfest.org
Shawano
High School
Jazz 1
Ms. Esch's Astronomy class had a good
time learning about 50 year old
technology and has a greater
understanding of what it took for the
USA to get to the moon. 2014 was the
45th anniversary of Neil Armstrong
taking “one small step for man” on the
moon.
With China working toward the goal of landing on the moon by 2020, the
topic of returning to the moon is back in the news. The 1960’s were the
golden age of manned space flight but today’s Shawano High students live
in an even more exciting time and are sure to be alive when we land on
Mars for the first time with the Orion spacecraft, a (hopefully) few short
years from now!
Shawano
High School
Jazz 2
SHAWANO SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER – MAY 2015
6
SHAWANO COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
Hawks Win at Highly Acclaimed
Eau Claire Jazz Festival
Spring Play
"The Mouse Trap"
Mr. Alex Konen and our talented
SCHS thespians presented the
Spring Play, "The Mouse Trap".
The story line kept the audience
guessing until the end.
SCHS Art Department News
Jill Hansen & Jennifer Achterberg, SCHS Art Department
EAU CLAIRE – Delivering the best performance of the season, Shawano
High School wowed the crowd Saturday en route to winning the 48th
annual Eau Claire Jazz Festival.
Shawano played an extremely difficult 3-chart program that required
skill from its four segments – trumpet, saxophone, trombone and
rhythm. Judges lauded the band on its technical excellence and its
ability to perform a challenging and diverse program. The Hawks
finished 1st in Class B; more than 60 high school bands competed in the
48th annual event.
“Frankly, I was blown away,’’ director Christopher Kent said. “These kids
did everything I asked and much more – their performances, both
individually and as a band, were outstanding. We were what the judges
were looking for.’’
Kent’s bands focus on showmanship, and this year’s Eau Claire
performance was a prime example. The Hawks opened with the exciting
Latin chart “Emergency Stopping Only,’’ featuring sophomore
trombonist Emily Jones, junior trumpeter Landan Holtz and senior
drummer Mitch Micik. A flugelhorn ballad, “Blue’’ featuring juniors
Teddy Myers and Landan Holz displayed the group’s ability to play with
control and emotion. Its closer, “Give It One’’ a Maynard Ferguson tune,
demanded precise performances by each section, as well as high-impact
solos by junior Nick Schwitzer on bari-sax and Mitch Micik on set.
“They nailed it,’’ Kent said. “The
judges loved that we emulated
different jazz styles with each
selection, and our improvisation
This Shawano
was strong throughout. This
Community High
was in part due to student
School Jazz Band has
participation in summer music
achieved more than
camps in previous years, which
any group in Shawano
has been generously provided
High School history.
by the Shawano Jazz Foundation
Three championand its partners.’’
ships at 3 of the
The Eau Claire fest was the final
Midwest’s most
festival performance for a band
competitive jazz
that has achieved more than
festivals:
any group in Shawano High
history.
Included:
Three
~ Purdue University
championships at the 3 of the
Indiana
Midwest’s most competitive jazz
festivals: Purdue University,
~ Rolling Meadows
Indiana, Rolling Meadows,
Illinois
th
Illinois (7th consecutive year)
(7 consecutive year)
and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. “The
~ Eau Claire
kids
made
history
this
Jazz Festival
weekend,” Kent said. “This is
Shawano’s first ever win at the
Eau Claire Jazz Festival and I
could not be prouder of them,
they played their best.”
Shawano’s Jazz II also played on
Saturday and had an excellent performance. They opened with the Latin
tune “Los Changos Volando” (The Flying Monkeys) with solos by
freshman trumpeter Hunter Krolow and sophomore drummer Isaiah
Moesch. Then a trumpet ballad “A Moment Like This” featuring
freshman trumpeter Harrison Sturycz and the Hawks closed with the
“Q.C. Shuffle” with freshman alto sax Britney Angeli and sophomore
tenor sax Grace Jones. The Hawks’ second band was not rated on
Saturday but received their best scores of the year.
The Hawks’ final performance will be the appropriately named
“Last Dance,’’ scheduled at 7:00 pm, May 8th and 9th at Shawano
Community High School. Limited seating. Advanced ticket available at
SCHS, Charlie’s County Market and BMO Harris Bank.
The art students of Shawano Community High School develop their artistic skills
throughout the school year with the goal of having their art selected for juried
exhibits and local art displays.
Two recent displays of student art were the Dollars for Scholars Gala and the
Peaceful Palettes Fine Arts & Crafts Exhibit. We selected approximately twenty
pieces of art to be on display at the Gala which was held at the Gathering on April
24th. This is the third year student art has been included in the Fine Arts & Crafts
Exhibit held at the Peace Church . Thirty students displayed their artistic talent
during this event on May 8th-9th.
On Friday, April 24, 2014 eight students represented SCHS at the annual UWOshkosh High School Art Day; Amie Seelig, Ra’el Wilber, Maria Senzig, Namara
Panzer, Quincy Burr, Susan Shuler, Hannah Hein, and Erin Mehlhorn.
To prepare for this event each student selected their strongest work of art from
the year and wrote an artist statement explaining the purpose of their art. At
High School Art Day these students spent the morning creating art while their
presented pieces were critiqued by UW-O Art Department professors and art
education students. Over 100 high school art students from the state attend this
annual event, and a portion of the art was juried into the HSAD Exhibit held in the
Steinhilber Gallery in the Reeve Union of UW-O through May 2rd.
Ra'el, Amie, Susan, Erin, Hannah, and Maria had their art juried into the HSAD
Exhibit which is on display on the UW-Oshkosh campus through May 2nd.
March was Youth Art Month and each year
we set up a display of selected art at the
Shawano Public Library for the month. We
selected an assortment of art that
represents the various types of art created
by our students. Ashley Waupoose had a
solarized photo and a hand-stitched fabric
sculpture in the display. Namara Panzer
also had a hand-stitched fabric sculpture
displayed. Erin Mehlhorn, Mikayla Miller,
and Lizzie Bastar had paper vessels selected. Cole
Cross contributed a photogram. Monoprints with
mixed media drawings were shown by Kemewan
Waupekenay and Morgan Wickman. Rounding out
the display were ceramic pieces by Quincy Burr,
Regina Awonohopay, and Katelyn Onesti.
In January we selected ten students to represent
SCHS at the Northeast Regional Youth Art Month
Exhibit sponsored by the Wisconsin Art Education
Association. This exhibit was held at the BergstromMahler Museum of Glass in Neenah from January 11th through January 25th.
Amie Seelig, Kyla Genke, Maria Senzig, Addison Lewis, Ra’el Wilber, Kimberlee
Hagen, Brianna Jechorek, Khiara Christnot, Kaitlyn Popovich, and Kennedy Hunt
had their artwork on display in this exhibit. Kim won the O’Keefe Award for her
ink and watercolor painting. Amie, Kyla, Maria, Kimberlee, Brianna and Kennedy
were among the students from the regional level to have their art juried into the
State Youth Art Month Exhibition held at the Rotunda of the State Capitol from
February 21st through March 6th. The closing reception for this exhibit was held
on March 6th and a few of these students and art club members were able to
attend the ceremony, view some phenomenal art from K-12 students, and stop at
the Chazen Museum on the
UW-Madison campus.
The largest display of student art!
The student artists mentioned
here and all the students in
the SHCS Art Department
Wednesday, May 20
would appreciate you coming
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
to see their art on display May
Shawano HS Commons
20th! Throughout the year
they have critiqued and
THIS SHOW IS FREE AND
edited their art so they can
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
show off their best pieces in
Each art student will have two of their
May. Along the way many of
most successful works on display.
them have been honored by
having their art selected for
We invite you to come out and see the
the various exhibits and
fine selection of student art.
displays mentioned. We hope
to see you on the 20th!
SHAWANO SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER – MAY 2015
SHAWANO COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
7
SCHS ATHLETIC SCHEDULE - SUMMER 2015
Sport
Boys’ Basketball
Date
Time
Age/Grade
Location
Cost
Team Camp
June 8th-11th
$35
June 8th-11th
9th-12th
K-2nd
3rd-5th
6th-8th
High School
Youth Camp
8:00-10:00am
11:00-12:00pm
12:30-2:00pm
2:30-4:30pm
High School
$30
6:00-7:30pm
9th-12th
High School
No Fee
Open Gym
Tues & Sundays
th
Skills Academy
June 16 -July 9
Tues & Thurs
th
rd
th
8:00-10:00am
10:00-12:00pm
3 -5
6th-8th
Olga Brener
$50
8:00am-3:00pm
4th-9th
High School
$30 *lunch included
6:00-7:30pm
3rd – 12th
High School
No Fee
8:00-10:00am
10:00-12:00pm
3rd-5th
6th-8th
Olga Brener
$50
12:00-3:00pm
4 year old and up
Olga Brener
$30 *lunch included
Girls’ Basketball
Youth Camp
Open Gym
Skills Academy
Sat. May 2nd
June 8- July 29th
Wednesdays
June 16th-July 9th
Tues & Thurs
Cheerleading
Youth Camp
July 16th and 17th
Thurs. and Fri
Football
Youth Camp
HS Football Contact Days
Winona Team Camp
July 13th-16th
July, 13th , 15, &
16th
July 19th-22nd
1:00-3:00pm
4th-8th grade
High School
$30
2:30 – 6:00 pm
9th – 12th grade
High School
No Fee
TBA
HS
Winona, MN
TBA
June 17th-July 29th
Wednesdays
3:00-5:15pm
6th-12th grade
Martzke Park
Free
July 20-24th
8:00-10:30am
9th-12th
High School
No Fee
Softball
Skills and Conditioning
Boys Soccer
HS Soccer Contact Days
Track & Field
Open Track Meets
Friday night
Meets
June 26, July 10,
July 24, Aug. 7
6:00pm Field Events
6:30pm Running
Events
Open to everyone, all
ages, male and female
MS Track
No Fee
July 14th-16th
July 21st-23rd
July 28th-30th
August 17th & 18th
1:30-4:30pm
9:00am-12:00pm
9:00am-3:00pm
9:00am-3:00pm
2nd -5th grade
6th-9th grade
9th-12th grade
9th-12th grade
Olga Brener
Olga Brener
High School
High School
$35
$35
$75 *lunch included
No Fee
July 7th and 8th
3:00-5:00pm
K-12
Middle School
$20
Volleyball
Youth Camp
Intermediate Camp
Advanced (Team) Camp
Try-Outs
Wrestling
Wrestling Camp
Please continue to monitor the individual sports websites for updated information @ www.ShawanoSchools.com
This year’s “Rustic Romance” Junior Prom was held at the
Shawano County Park. Representing the Junior Class on the
Prom court were: Sarah Dickmann and Adam Bartz, Miranda
Friedrich and Simon Moesch, Kathryn Kugel and Jared
Tavernier, Kelly Mastey and Dylan Enno, Allison Raddant and
Tom Trinko, Hannah Zuiches and William Teetzen. Following
the Grand March, Jared Tavernier and Hannah Zuiches were
named the 2015 Prom King and Queen. The theme song was
“Mean to Me” by Brett Eldredge.
SHAWANO SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER – MAY 2015
8
SHAWANO COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
Shawano High School’s
Chemical Free Graduation Party
Scott Zwirschitz, Principal SCHS
As students look forward to graduation, many plan
parties, cookouts, trips, and other activities where
alcohol is often included, which is a serious concern.
Our annual Chem-Free party is a sincere effort to prevent graduation night
tragedies due to alcohol and drug related accidents by offering students the
opportunity to safely celebrate this important
milestone in their lives with their classmates.
This will mark
This is also an opportunity for students to be
the 27th year no
reminded that they can have a fabulous time
one has been
with their friends even though every one of
injured or killed
them is sober and drug-free for the event.
The Shawano Chem Free Party is heading into its
27th annual event. The impetus for this event
was that 28 years ago a young man was killed.
in graduation
night revelry.
We also have had continually exceptionally high rates of attendance by the
graduates: 88% average attendance for the last five years alone.
Over the past 26 years the party has been funded by donations from
community businesses and a small fee that each graduate pays to attend
the event. As the economy has suffered over the last three to four years,
our donations have suffered as well.
JOB EXPLORATION & TRAINING - CONTINUED
employer to go through the job checklist with our students twice during
their placement as a tool for feedback.
The students have three placements throughout the year, each lasts, 12
weeks. We strive to place the student with a business that may serve as
a catalyst toward their future endeavors. Throughout the placement,
students may begin to recognize if this is an area of interest, or if there
are aspects of the job that intrigues them. This will give them a valuable
and rewarding hands on approach to their future, whether they go on to
school or go immediately into the workforce.
Through this program our students have the opportunity to: research
businesses, ask for and complete a job application, participate in several
interviews, build their resumes, seek recommendations from their
supervisors, and learn hands on transferrable skills; being on time,
taking responsibility, providing quality customer service, demonstrating
pride and good work ethic, and establishing solid communication skills.
Our students do not get paid, instead they get real life experience and
are graded on their performance. These are all skills they will carry into
life after high school.
This program would not be possible without Shawano community
businesses investing time and dedication into the program. I would like
to wholeheartedly thank our community partners and business leaders
for this incredible experience for our students.

American Car Care*
In order to stay financially viable, we have cut costs in every way that seems
reasonable, while still maintaining a truly exceptional event that reflects
incredibly well on the community of Shawano. We have raised the cost per
graduate to $15 per person, but we need to be careful that we do not make
the cost prohibitive for all graduates who want to attend.

American Marine & Motorsports

Angie’s Cafe/Daily Grind*

Birch Hill Nursing Home

Body Essentials*
In light of the above, we are also looking for new ways to
help finance the event. If your organization is able to assist
in any way, the staff and students of Shawano Community
High School would be truly grateful. Karen Brown-Schaible,
co-chair, can be contacted at 715-526-2175, ext. 8125 or
brownsk@shawanoschools.com if you need further information.

Boarders

Bullfrogs and Butterflies*

Busy Bee Daycare*

Building Services Group*

Charlie’s County Market*

Complete Canine Care Centre*

Consign Shop*

Flower Bucket

Hillcrest Elementary School Library*

Island Tropics and Hair Design*

Johnson School Bus Company*

Kids in the Kountry*

Manor Care(Healthcare)

Mojo Electronics*

N.E.W. Curative/Shawano Senior
Center

Nat and Don’s Oil Company

Perkin’s Family Restaurant

Pick N’ Save

Pizza Hut

SAFPARC Food Pantry

Shawano Community High School
Library*

Shawano Community Middle School
Library*

Shawano County Courthouse
Maintenance*

Shawano County Parks Department*

Shawano County Humane Society

Shawano Public Library

Saint James Lutheran School

Under the Rainbow Day Care Center*

Village Garden Floral Shop
Job Exploration & Training Jet Program
Rhonda Krueger, JET Coordinator
It may be the clatter of dishes, the
crinkle of a paper bag, the smile of a
customer, laugh of a child, the sounds
of a rivet or air pressure pump, the
smells of shampoo, fragrances or
delicious home cooked food. These
sights, sounds, or smells are what a
select number of high school JET
students, in the transition program,
may experience while they are in their
business-based classroom. The JET program stands for Job Exploration and
Training. JET is a program where we at Shawano Community High School
partner with community business leaders who mentor our students in their
place of business, as an extension of the classroom.
We are fortunate that this program and our community partners have been
involved with students in the JET program for more than ten years.
It is constantly evolving to assist our students in learning, living, and leading
The Hawk Way. We follow the vision for our school district and The Hawk
Way:
 BE RESPECTFUL- take pride in your work, share positive energy, be a
good listener
 BE RESPONSIBLE- show integrity, model good behaviors, be open to
critical conversations, be an inspiration.
 BE SAFE- take care of yourself and others, be reflective, foster
positive relationships.
Summarily, these are the traits we want
our students to demonstrate in school,
on the job site, and in life. To continue
to reach our goals, we have our
students fill out a job checklist after
each day they are at their JET
placement. This helps our students
reflect on their job responsibilities for
the day, what they feel that they did
well and what skills they need to improve. We also ask the
 Wisconsin Film and Bag*
*Denotes business partners for the 2014-2015 school year.
If you/your business would like more information about
the program, please contact Rhonda Krueger, JET
Coordinator via email at krueger@shawanoschools.com
or SCHS (715) 526-2175 ext.8294.
SHAWANOSCHOOL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER – MAY 2015
SHAWANO COMMUNITY MIDDLE SCHOOL
9
Shawano Community Middle School Update
Students Learn About Child Development
Mary Kramer, Principal
Emily Schwartz, Family & Consumer Education Teacher
It’s amazing how fast time flies when you enjoy the
work you do. In my first year as Shawano Community
Middle School Principal, I have relished the
opportunities and challenges set before me. I have
an amazing staff and outstanding students, which
makes my job so much more enjoyable, and I want to
say “thank you” to everyone I’ve had the opportunity
to work with this year. I appreciate the warm
welcome from the Shawano community.
In addition, I also want to thank the parents and the community for voting
our middle school #1 in the Wolf River Region. There were plenty of
schools to choose from, and we take it as an honor that you voted us as
your top choice. As a team of staff, administration and students, we plan to
earn your trust and vote even more in the coming years.
Looking at our 2014-15 school year, our building has carried on many
outstanding traditions and has added some new ones as well. One of our
students made it to the State Spelling Bee and placed 4th. Two of our
middle school students advanced to the State Wrestling Tournament, and 3
middle school teams advanced to the Destination Imagination State
Competition.
New this year, our Scholastic Book Fair in March raised over $1800 to
purchase new books for our school. We also held a penny war which raised
over $300 for literacy activities and our staff “winners” received a cold
spaghetti bath!
As we move into the last 8 weeks of school, SCMS will also be holding the
last of our Citizen and Student of the Month Award ceremonies. Each
month, 2 students from grades 6-8 are selected by their grade level
teachers to be recognized as Citizens or Students of the Month. Overall,
only 108 students each year receive this honor. During the month they are
honored, students and their families are invited to the school to partake in
a short ceremony, snack and photo opportunity. This honor is part of our
building goal to improve culture, climate and staff leadership.
During our Fall International Walk to School Day,
we were selected winners of a spring
BMX/Bullying presentation put on by a
professional BMX rider and speaker. On April 23,
we hosted Rich Wieber, who showed off his bike
stunts and talked to our students about how to
treat each other with respect.
Additionally, our 8th graders will be graduating to
high school and they will be recognized at our 8th
Grade Promotion Ceremony and Dance. Finally, students will receive their
yearbooks, created by our dedicated SCMS yearbook staff.
Our last months of school, April and May, also bring us spring testing. Our
district assessment, the STAR, is in full swing. We were close to our yearend goals during our winter testing window, so we’re expecting to surpass
those scores on the spring STAR. We also entered our first year of the state
test, the Badger Exam. This exam is also administered at the end of the
school year, and will be used to compare our school to others in the state.
Of course, new means hurdles to overcome, but our staff has responded
admirably and I commend them for their great dedication and flexibility!
As we look forward to end of the school year, we also must honor and
recognize the contributions of our retiring staff members. These staff
members have contributed countless hours of time planning and preparing
to teach our students. If you see them, please say thanks: Kathy Dawalt
(LMC), Kathy Zais (Help Desk), Ralph Beversdorf (Science & Social Studies),
and Vanessa Waldburger (Social Studies). We will miss them and wish
them the best in their future adventures.
Have a wonderful summer.
We look forward to seeing our students back in fall!
Ms Wilson taking the Seaweed
Spaghetti Challenge
Mr. Beversdorf's After-School Chess Club
The 8th grade Family and Consumer Sciences classes have been very busy
learning about child development. Thanks to the Shawano County Child
Support Agency, students could choose to take a mechanical baby for a
weekend to understand the demands of a newborn.
Students study children from
prenatal stages through the teen
years.
Students experienced what it would
be like to have the fine motor skills
of a toddler.
Students evaluated children's
books based on their knowledge of
child development.
Students discover how brain
development during the teen years
can affect them.
Tech Ed Projects
Mike Homan, Tech Ed Teacher
We have been very busy in the Shawano
Middle School Tech Ed department. The
6th grade exploratory class continues to
learn the concepts of Computer
Numerical Control. Our CNC machine,
along with our student’s creative designs, has been used to manufacture
a variety of signs.
The 7th grade exploratory class continues to work on the Dirty Jobs
project. They have been designing great solutions to many different
problems.
The 8th grade exploratory class continues to
work on rocket technology. They are especially
excited to finally have some nice weather to
begin launching them.
The 6th grade Tech Ed class has been very busy
in the woodshop. Students completed a clock
earlier in the year and are now finishing up a
wooden moose planter.
They have worked hard on the projects and they look very nice.
Students learned to work safely and will soon be moving onto a
communications unit.
The 7th grade Tech Ed class researched and built bridges earlier in the
year. Students were able to use a bridge tester to compete and see
which bridge could hold the most weight. We had some great bridges
and learned how much geometry and math are involved with bridge
building.
We have just completed
our wood duck house
project. Students built
wood duck houses using
cooperative
learning
groups and a proven
house design.
In all, a total of 20 wood
duck
houses
were
constructed. They will be taken home to be hung up where wood ducks
might occupy them.
The next project will be the design and construction of CO2 cars. This is
a highly anticipated project as the students are anxious to begin working
on them.
The 8th Grade Tech Ed class has worked on many things so far this year
including cutting boards, stepstools and band saw projects. They have
been learning the importance of planning for projects and using a
variety of tools safely.
The next project for this class involves individual project work. Students
will create the plans and a bill of materials for a project of their choice.
We are already seeing some nice projects and look forward to many
more.
SHAWANO SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER – MAY 2015
10
OLGA BRENER INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL
End of Year Update
Opera for the Young
By Karen Smith, Principal
It seems that September was just here, and now we are looking to the close of the
2014-2015 school year. This has been a very busy year for the students and staff at
Olga Brener Intermediate School. Together we embraced
much change and together we have all learned along the way.
This fall we implemented our new student assessment
system called STAR. This is computerized testing similar to the MAPs testing we
used in years past. Students were tested three times during the year, fall, winter, and now in
spring. These scores help us, as a staff, determine if students are making academic gains. They are also
a great indicator of how our students might do on the state assessment.
New this year was also the Badger Exam which replaced the WKCE test. This test is given to all students
at Olga Brener. One change in this state-level assessment is when the testing window takes
place. Testing this year is in spring when traditionally we have tested students in fall. The Badger Exam
evaluates the areas of reading and math. There is a classroom component which is followed by
computerized testing. This measure will help compare our students in Shawano to other students in the
state. The testing window will close with a schoolwide celebration. Prizes will be awarded to students
for trying their best as well as some other fun surprises.
Student data and how our students are doing is very important to the staff at Olga Brener. Our test
data was used to develop some building level goals last fall. This year we focused on increasing math
and reading scores as measured by our STAR results in grades three, four, and five. Both the students
and staff are excited to see those spring scores to see how we all did.
As we look to June 4th and the final day of school, we still have a lot of
celebrations as a Brener family to experience. We say farewell to our
fifth graders with their final end of year concert and promotion. On May
18th we celebrate our super volunteers and families with our annual Ice
Cream Social and carnival. During this event and the week of May 18th is
our Buy One-Get One Free Book Fair. Stop by and stock up for summer
reading. In May, our second grade friends from Hillcrest will be stopping
by to visit Olga Brener as they get ready to transition to the Intermediate School next year.
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On Tuesday, March 13th, Opera for the
Young came to Olga Brener Intermediate
School.
Opera for the Young is an opera company
that specifically does children’s opera,
introducing thousands of school children
each year to the world of opera.
This year’s production was based on Andre
Gretry’s Beauty and the Beast in honor of
the Opera for the Young’s 45th anniversary.
16 of our students performed alongside 4
professional opera singers, as children of
beasts and a chorus of birds.
The waterfall was played by Hillcrest’s
music teacher, Mr. Craig Pynenberg.
A big thank-you to Mrs. Johnson for
organizing this production!
WISCONSIN HISTORY
4 Grade Madison Trip
On Tuesday, April 14th, all of the 4th grade students from Olga Brener Intermediate School went
on a field trip to Madison to visit the State Historical Museum, the State Capitol, and the
Veteran’s Museum! This trip went along with their curriculum study of Wisconsin History!
The students were very well-behaved, the weather was beautiful, and it was an all-around
WONDERFUL day! They left Brener at 7:30 am and returned at 8:00 pm. The cost of the trip was
COMPLETELY covered for students through the following sources! The Olga Brener P.T.O.,
4th grade Fruit Sale, and proceeds from the school-wide Knowledge-A-Thon. Without this
support, this trip would have cost each student $35.00!
Madison Trip – Mrs. Mailahn's Class
Madison Trip – Mrs. Gueths’ Class
Madison Trip – Mrs. Braun's Class
Madison Trip –Mrs. Trochil's Class
Madison Trip - Mrs. Konkel’s Class
Madison Trip - Mrs. Robert's Class
SHAWANO SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER – MAY 2015
Madison Trip –Mrs. Pevonka’s Class
HILLCREST PRIMARY SCHOOL
11
End of Year Wrap Up
#1 New York Times
Best Selling Author Visits
Hillcrest/LEADS Primary School!
Troy Edwards, Principal
It is hard to believe we only have a little over a month
left of the 2014-2015 school year. There are still many
things happening in the school. We have activities
geared toward family involvement, celebrations, goal
setting/planning and many learning opportunities for
our students.
On Wed. April 8th, Eric Litwin the #1 New York
Times bestselling author of Four Pete the Cat
books and the author of the new musical series
The Nuts, performed for about 350 kids and
adults at Hillcrest/ LEADS Primary School.
He used music, instruments and a great sense of
humor to bring his books to life. Likewise, he
performed three more shows for all of the
students and staff on Thursday, April 9th. The
gym was transformed into a musical and
interactive literacy experience like no other!
The laughter and engagement was astonishing!
Families, students and teachers alike felt that
this was one of the best author visits that they
have ever attended.
It was all made possible by the funds raised by
the Knowledge-a-thon.
We just wrapped up our Breakfast with Dad event. We had a wonderful
turn out. We always appreciate the support we get at these events.
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Coming up on May 20 , we have our Breakfast with Mom. We are looking
forward to another high level of participation.
Thanks to PTA fundraising, we will be sending students on
various fieldtrips. We have students going to WLUK, New
Zoo, Navarino Nature Center, Wildlife Sanctuary, Bay
Beach, Building for Kids, the planetarium at UWSP, Barlow
Planetarium and the Weiss Field Museum – UW-Fox
Valley. Our students always enjoy these learning opportunities that help
them build their background knowledge.
As part of career exploration, with our school
counselors, the second graders will be
attending Careers on Wheels. We have many
volunteers who bring their vehicles to school
and spend time discussing their career with students. This is always a big
hit. We also have the first grade students going to the Shawano County
Highway Department to learn about career opportunities.
st
Coming up on Friday, May 1 , the 4K students will be hosting their May Day
Spring Concert at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM in the gym. Mr. Pynenberg and
the 4K staff work with students on several songs that they will share with us
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as they dance around the May Pole. Then on Monday, May 18 and
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Tuesday, May 19 , the Kindergarten students will host their Kindergarten
Celebrations. They will be performing several songs for our enjoyment.
What a great way to celebrate all their hard work in Kindergarten.
In April and May students will be taking their end of the year
assessments. Our students will be taking the STAR
Assessment, the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening
(PALS), Number Development Assessment (NDA) and
reading running records. These are the same assessments that they took at
the beginning of the school year. We will take a look at this data to see just
how much growth students have made. In June, our staff will analyze this
data to see how we did on our School Learning Plan goals for the 2014-2015
school year and set new goals for the 2015-2016 school year. As you can
see we have a great deal of activities to finish off the school year. We are
looking forward to many great learning opportunities.
Building a Growth Mindset
When students believe that dedication
and hard work can change their
performance in school, they grow to
become resilient, successful students.
This is the mindset that the staff at
Hillcrest / LEADS have been working
hard at building among the students.
As a result of funds from the Grants For Excellence, the two following books
were purchased: Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by: JoAnn Deak and Mindsets
in the Classroom: Building a Culture of Success and
Student Achievement in Schools by Mary Cay Ricci.
The book Your Fantastic Elastic Brain is a wonderful and
engaging book to read with young children. It presents
accurate information about the brain and how it relates
to our lives . . . fostering motivation to learn and grow even when we make
mistakes and try hard.
The students learned that their brain grows
when it makes mistakes, that their brain grows
even when you try hard things and when
something gets hard, you might hear them say
something like “I can’t tie my shoes, YET!”
They have also all committed to working their
own brain hard every day with a little
cheerleading and visit from Mr. Edwards!
Walking through the halls of the school you will
notice many beautiful pieces of artwork
displaying what the students are learning about
the brain.
Likewise, many of the staff have been participating in a book club using the
book Mindsets in the Classroom: Building a Culture of Success and Student
Achievement in Schools by Mary Cay Ricci. The book includes ideas on how
to develop a growth mindset culture and ideas that teachers can use
immediately in their classroom to grow a love of learning in their students.
There are also plans to host a family night to teach parents about the brain
and ways to develop a growth mindset at home.
Our school would like to continue exploring more ideas and activities for
school and home to build a “growth mindset” culture. If you are interested
in helping with this, please contact Hillcrest/ LEADS Primary School.
LEADS Update
Gereon Methner, Executive Director of LEADS
Over the past year, there have been many exciting
things going on at the LEADS Primary Charter School.
For those who are new to the area, LEADS is an inquirybased literacy charter school that serves approximately
72 students in grades 4K-2 in the Shawano School
District. The LEADS mission is for students to become independent learners,
critical thinkers, problem solvers, communicators, and collaborative and
responsible citizens with an inquiry-based approach.
LEADS offers a student-centered and teacher-guided instructional approach
that engages students in investigating real world questions within a broad
thematic framework that follows Common Core Standards. LEADS’ inquirybased curriculum is an inspiring source of innovation for our district. I believe
it will continue to serve in that role for years to come.
LEADS stands for:
 Learning-style focus: Teacher preparation and practice will recognize
students’ varied learning strengths and enable increased participation,
progress, and achievement;
 Exploratory learning: Addressing the Common Core Standards through
an inquiry based approach that connects to real-world needs, this
model organizes learning where students do original research and
create high-quality products for audiences beyond the classroom;
 Achievement for all: Research consistently indicates that Reading
proficiency at the 3rd-Grade level is the most consistent and reliable
predictor of high school graduation. LEADS will provide intense
programming emphasis on achieving such proficiency for its students.
 Differentiated instruction: Charter school staff will not only be
cognizant of learning-style differences, but also trained in best practices
to address different learning styles and alternative ways of presenting
material to facilitate student understanding and application;
 Student-driven success: Students will be encouraged and led to view
themselves as the initiators and owners of the learning process through
the inquiry based learning approach and by teachers and staff trained
to foster such an attitude and practice.
Knowledge-a-thon (KAT)
Hillcrest and LEADS annual Knowledge-a-Thon (KAT)
was a great success! The Knowledge-A-Thon is a
student driven fundraiser. The students are the
ones actively involved in raising money. The
teachers at each grade level met to develop 50
questions (25 for our 4K students) based on the
curriculum taught here at Hillcrest Primary School
and LEADS Charter School.
Hillcrest and LEADS
students answered 25,132 questions correctly.
Many thanks to the volunteers who made this all
possible; volunteers from our school and
community, as well as some fifth grade students
from Brener helped to quiz all of our students on
Tuesday, March 3rd. We would also like to thank all of the families who
support the KAT each year with their pledges!!!
KAT money is used to purchase Birthday books (each student selects a new
book on their birthday), as well as books used as reading incentives and books
in our Guided Reading library. KAT money also provides the books for the
Family Reading Club held at Hillcrest/LEADS twice each year. This money also
has been used to purchase playground equipment and programs for students.
Most recently, Hillcrest and LEADS hosted Eric Litwin, author of four Pete the
Cat books as well as a new series about the NUT family. Eric Litwin presented
a program during the day for all Hillcrest and LEADS students, as well as a
family night, complete with dinner and a book signing. (The cost of dinner
was also covered by KAT funds).
SHAWANO SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER – MAY 2015
Our Mission: To develop citizens who contribute to a global society through an individualized and lifelong learning partnership with the family, school and community.
NONPROFIT ORG
U.S. Postage Paid
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Permit No. 23
Shawano School District
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Shawano, WI 54166
www.ShawanoSchools.com
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Postal Customer
May 2015
NEWSLETTER
From the Desk of District Administrator
Gary Cumberland, SSD Superintendent
Another school year will soon be
complete and it always amazes
me how quickly the year passes
by. Each school year brings
challenges, but to witness the
enthusiasm in our students as
they become engaged in positive educational
activities provides the incentive for our staff to
work through those challenges.
The residents of the Shawano School District can
be very proud of our students and staff for their
efforts and accomplishments this year. As I reflect
on the past year I see we have many things to be
thankful for even though we have had challenges.
We began the school year with new ideas and
goals and then worked hard throughout the year
to accomplish those goals. It takes an enormous
amount of energy, effort and dedication by our
entire educational community to reach the goals
that were set at the beginning of the year.
Teamwork and positive attitudes make this
possible. I would like to thank everyone who
made this a successful school year and invite
everyone to get on The Energy Bus of positivity.
In a recent book I read by Jon Gordon he said this
about the power of a thank you: “These two
words have the power to transform our health,
happiness, athletic performance and success.
Research shows that grateful people are happier
and more likely to maintain good friendships. A
state of gratitude, according to research by the
Institute of HeartMath, also improves the heart's
rhythmic functioning, which helps us to reduce
stress, think more clearly under pressure and heal
physically. It's actually physiologically impossible to
be stressed and thankful at the same time. When
you are grateful you flood your body and brain
with emotions and endorphins that uplift and
energize you rather than the stress hormones that
drain you.” I hope that in the spirit of the district’s
vision Learning, Living, Leading the Hawk Way,
each of you can spend some time experiencing the
power of a thank you.
Continued on next pg
Volume 3 - Issue 1
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