The Middle Update 2/25/18

Article of the Week
The author of this week's article provides 10 pieces of advice from students about what they perceive the best teachers do regularly in their class. 

"How to Become the Best Teacher: Advice from Students" - Andrei Zakhareuski

Next Year's Budget Requests
I know many of you have already begun the planning process for next year's budget.  Budget materials were made available by Mrs. Dallman this past week, and will be due to my office by the end of the day on March 2nd.  Middle School teachers should submit paper requisitions to me with a Budget Summary Sheet for each department.  If you have any questions about this process or materials, don't hesitate to schedule a time with me to discuss.
Mid-Term Message to Parents
Here is a copy of the message that I sent out to parents on Thursday for your information.

Greetings,

We are already midway through the 3rd quarter and Spring is right around the corner.  Our students continue to bring an impressive amount of positive energy with them to their classrooms, and we enjoy working with each student on their journey to becoming college/career ready.  Check out some updates below for more information about life at Poynette Middle School.

-Mid-Term Grades are now posted in Infinite Campus.  You can log into the Parent Portal to view your child's current grades in their classes.

-Spring Parent/Teacher conferences are set for Thursday, March 8th from 4:30 - 8:00 and Thursday, March 15th from 4:00 - 7:30.  Please contact either Mrs. McNicol or Mrs. Schernecker at the office (635-4347 Ext. 6) or a specific teacher to schedule a conference time for your child.

-If you have an interest in volunteering your time during the Middle School lunch period (12:00 - 12:45), please send me an email (jprit@poynette.k12.wi.us), and we will discuss this opportunity

-Many of our extra-curricular activities will be getting started very soon.  Students should be preparing to participate in the following activities that are about to get started:

    -No Name Volunteers - continues to meet after school on Thursdays (Mrs. Morton is the contact)
    -Art Club - continues to meet after school on Tuesdays starting in October (Mrs. Crawford (x329) is the contact)
    -Middle School Play - auditions will be starting soon (Mrs. Petersen (x408) is the contact)
    -Track and Field - starting after Spring Break for 7th and 8th graders (Mr. Ferkovich (x411) and Mrs. Graeve (x323) are the coaches)
    -Strategy Games Club - meets after school in Mr. Kallungi's room on Wednesdays for any student that is interested (Mrs. Sukowski (x314) is the contact)

We appreciate the great support the Poynette community provides for its schools.  As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Dr. Jerry Pritzl
PMS Principal

Special Homerooms Coming Up
Our Leadership Students have been busy planning another Homeroom lesson that will focus on respect for all.  Be on the lookout for specific dates from Mrs. Morton, but they will start during the week of March 5th.  The focus of this lesson will be on the acceptance of all people regardless of differences.  I am really proud of these students for recognizing this need, and stepping into a leadership role in front of their peers.

Forward Exam Schedule
We are getting very close to finalizing the Forward Exam Schedule.  The Middle School will be testing from Monday, April 9th through Monday, April 16th.  Students will be taking the exam in their normal classes (ELA during ELA class time, Math during Math class time).  You can view the testing schedule HERE.  Test proctor training will take place in the coming weeks.

Meetings Next Week
Our Leadership Group will meet on Tuesday (2/27) at 2:50 in the 1-8 Conference Room, and our Social Studies team will be meeting on Wednesday (2/28) at 2:50 in Mrs. Morrissey's office.  Our Leadership Group will break down the results from staff perceptions about how we are doing on the correlates, and develop of a plan to improve in our weakest areas.

Handout for Staff - Talking with Students about School Shootings (Contributed by Mr. Fischer)
Here are some important points that you may want to make if and when you discuss recent school shootings with students.

School are very safe but you can takes some steps to make ours safer.
Take the time to review the schools safety plan with students
Review actions they can take to keep the school safe
Don’t prop open doors
Don’t open school doors for visitors
Students are not powerless. 

They can:
Report things that make them uncomfortable - If you see something, say something to an adult
Treat each other well and promote a culture of acceptance and care
Talk to an adult if you are struggling or if you are concerned about a classmates well-being

Reminders for Staff
Keep your door closed and locked
Don’t prop open doors
Be visible and in the hallway during passing periods
Be observant of student’s and talk to someone from student services if you notice a change in a students behavior

Note Home to our Parents (Contributed by Mr. Fischer)

Mr. Fischer crafted a letter home to parents about some of the recent events.  I wanted to share this with staff because it has some good information for parents and staff.  It was sent home through messenger.

Dear Parent/Guardian:                                                      February 19, 2018

The School District of Poynette considers student safety a top priority. In addition to having a District Safety Plan, we have caring adults that promote a culture of respect and care for one another. Our staff is committed to reaching out to kids that are struggling, and students are taught about the importance of talking to a trusted adult if they have concerns about a fellow classmate. Recent events like the school shooting in Florida, result in many of us thinking about the safety and well-being of our children. In order to support your efforts to care for your child, we would like to share some additional resources with you.

The American School Counselor Association recommends the following when considering the impact of an event like the one in Florida on children:

• Trying to keep routines as normal as possible. Kids gain security from the predictability of routine, including attending school.
• Limiting exposure to television and the news.
• Being honest with kids and share with them as much information as they are developmentally able to handle.
• Listening to kids’ fears and concerns.
• Reassuring kids that the world is a good place to be, but that there are people who do bad things.
• Rebuilding and reaffirming attachments and relationships.
The National Association of School Psychologists has a very helpful handout that has been shared with our teachers that you may want to review. Talking with Children about Violence
We ask that you pay close attention to your child during the weeks that follow and call someone from student services if you have any concerns. Be assured that here at Poynette we have made the safety of our students a top priority and that your child is in the hands of caring adults.

PAD- (The latest edition is out)

Here is the link for the latest PAD newsletter.  

Facility Advisory Committee Update

The next step in the process is a Community Meeting on Wednesday, March 7th at 6:30pm.  The purpose of this meeting is to provide an update to the public about the work of the Community Advisory Committee.  A postcard will go out to all mailboxes in the district inviting them to this meeting.  All staff members are welcome to attend as well.  A survey will be sent out following this meeting, and the committee will meet on April 11th to review the survey results, and see how the results will impact the recommendation to the school board.  As always, please feel free to visit the FACILITY tab on our webpage for the latest.

Duty Next Week
Morning - Pittner
Bus - Gavin

The Middle Update 2/16/18

Article of the Week
The article this week is a short take on one of the biggest factors that effect the levels of student achievement in the building, collective efficacy.  Collective Efficacy can be defined as “the shared perceptions of teachers in a school that the efforts of the faculty as a whole will have positive effects on students.” This belief goes along with establishing high expectations for the growth of ALL students.  Mid-February seems like a solid time to review the work we did at the beginning of the year surrounding Hattie's Mindframes.

The Impact of Collective Efficacy on Student Achievement

Connections with Students
The events of this week in Florida really weigh heavy on the heart.  While we have many reactive efforts in place, I believe our proactive efforts are most important.  The emphasis on relationships and connections with students are so important in making school a safe, stable part of each kid's life.  Our Adopt-a-Student efforts are also aimed to try to build that strong connection with some of our most at-risk students.  Now is a great time to reconnect with your assigned student, any other student that may need some connection, and any other student in our school.  Any staff member is welcome to pull a student into their classroom for a connection chat during the day...you can always write them a late pass for their next class.  These short one-on-one moments can have a huge impact in the life of a student.  Their effort and commitment to producing solid work also increase with a strong connection to the teacher. Thank you to your commitment to each of our students.

Next Year's Budget Requests
I know many of you have already begun the planning process for next year's budget.  Budget materials were made available by Mrs. Dallman this past week, and will be due to my office by the end of the day on March 2nd.  Middle School teachers should submit paper requisitions to me with a Budget Summary Sheet for each department.  If you have any questions about this process or materials, don't hesitate to schedule a time with me to discuss.

Mid-Term Grades Posted
Just a reminder the make sure student grades are posted and up-to-date in Infinite Campus.  The posted grade should be updated at least once a week to reflect student progress in each standard.

Special Homerooms Coming Up
Our Leadership Students have been busy planning another Homeroom lesson that will focus on respect for all.  Be on the lookout for specific dates from Mrs. Morton, but they will start during the week of March 5th.  The focus of this lesson will be on the acceptance of all people regardless of differences.  I am really proud of these students for recognizing this need, and stepping into a leadership role in front of their peers.

Forward Exam Schedule
We are getting very close to finalizing the Forward Exam Schedule.  The Middle School will be testing from Monday, April 9th through Monday, April 16th.  Students will be taking the exam in their normal classes (ELA during ELA class time, Math during Math class time).  You can view the testing schedule HERE.  Test proctor training will take place in the coming weeks.

Meetings Next Week
Our Leadership Group will meet on Monday, 2/19 at 2:50 in the 1-8 Conference Room, and we'll be having our next All Middle School Staff Meeting on Wednesday, 2/21 at 2:50 in Mrs. Rogness' classroom.

Facility Advisory Committee Update
The next step in the process is a Community Meeting on Wednesday, March 7th at 6:30pm.  The purpose of this meeting is to provide an update to the public about the work of the Community Advisory Committee.  A postcard will go out to all mailboxes in the district inviting them to this meeting.  All staff members are welcome to attend as well.  A survey will be sent out following this meeting, and the committee will meet on April 11th to review the survey results, and see how the results will impact the recommendation to the school board.  As always, please feel free to visit the FACILITY tab on our webpage for the latest.

Duty Next Week
Morning - Odden
Bus - Frehner

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 2/9/18

Article of the Week
The article this week is a summary of landmark research done by Dr. Larry Lezotte on effective schools.  His research breaks down 7 correlates of effective schools.  As you read, I ask that you reflect on the correlates and the presence of these correlates in our school in preparation for future discussion.

7 Correlates of Effective Schools

State Principal's Convention Takeaways
Over the 2.5 days that I was at the state convention, there was a lot of learning for me, as well as a lot of affirmation about many of the things that we are doing for kids in our middle school.  In this forum, I thought I'd share some takeaways from others I either heard present or had the opportunity to engage in dialogue.

-"Positive Relationships are the evidence based practice" - Mark Sander, Director of School Mental Health for the Minneapolis Public Schools

-ACT found that the Math & Reading skills needed for the TRADES match the skills necessary to do well in the 1st year of college - Luis Cruz, keynote speaker

-Staff at effective schools have an unwavering belief in the ability of all students to achieve success, and pass this belief on to others in overt & covert ways.  In effective schools, the mentality is "let's look in the mirror to fix this issue" - in toxic environments, the mentality is "let's look out the window for the cause...he could accomplish this IF ________ (fill in the blank...parents read to them at home, had support at home)".  We need to strive to discover how OUR system will support each kid. - Luis Cruz

-Heterogenous classrooms provide "improved cognitive skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving, because students' experience with individuals different from themselves, as well as to the novel ideas and situations that such experience brings, challenges their thinking and leads to cognitive growth" (American Educational Research Association, 2016, p. 25).

-Students having difficulty at school, especially those from lower social class homes learn more when they are working in heterogeneous rather than in homogeneous ability groups (Oakes, 1985, Yonezawa, Wells, & Serna, 2002).  Relatively high expectations for learning, a faster pace of instruction, peer models of effective learning and curricula that are more challenging are among the reasons offered for this advantage. (Leithwood, Lois, Anderson, & Wahlston, 2004).

We will continue to look to educational research to drive the practices that we engage in to achieve our goals of continuing our growth towards becoming the best learning environment possible.

Next Year's Budget Requests
We are approaching budget season once again.  It is time to start thinking about next year, and what materials you may need to take the learning to the next level.  Budget materials were made available by Mrs. Dallman this past week, and will be due to my office by the end of the day on March 2nd.  Now is the time to start discussions about materials/resources that can help us further achieve our goals for next school year.

Facility Advisory Committee Update
The Facility Advisory Committee met this past Wednesday (2/7).  The committee reviewed options and looked to finalize a survey that will be sent out to the community.  As always, you are welcome to review the Facilities Tab to review meeting notes to find out more about the process.

Middle School Assembly Coming Up
Our next Middle School Assembly will be on Friday, 2/16.  Students will be dismissed to the 1-8 Gym at 2:25.  We will celebrate the growth our students have shown up to this point, and also be entertained by 3 Carelli Cup Events that some of our students have been planning.

Extra-Curricular Opportunities
For the spring season, we are still looking for a coach for Middle School Track, and also a Strength & Speed Coordinator to work with MS and HS students after school in the weight room area.  These are great opportunities to get to know the students outside of the classroom, and help get as many of our students connected as possible.  Contact me or Mrs. McCracken if you have the slightest interest to learn more.

Duty Next Week
Morning - Lendobeja
Bus - Anderson

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 2/2/2018

Article of the Week
The article this week is tied to our efforts to help our students become more "adult-like" in their ability to rise our expectations, both academically and with their own self-management skills.  This article provides some good insights, but also reinforces much of our efforts to help students in these areas.

"Keeping Students Accountable" - Edward Graham 
 
Next Year's Budget Requests
We are approaching budget season once again.  It is time to start thinking about next year, and what materials you may need to take the learning to the next level.  Budget materials will be distributed by the business office in mid-February, and will be due to my office by mid-March.  Now is the time to start discussions about materials/resources that can help us further achieve our goals for next school year.

Facility Advisory Committee Update
The Facility Advisory Committee will meet this coming Wednesday (2/7) at 6:30.  The committee is engaged in a fascinating process, and I encourage you to review the Facilities Tab to review the plans and meeting notes.

Middle School Assembly Coming Up
Our next Middle School Assembly will be on Friday, 2/16.  We will celebrate the growth our students have shown up to this point, and also be entertained by 3 Carelli Cup Events that some of our students have been planning.

Wellness Activity- Yoga

The district under the leadership of Mrs. Trantow is going to be offering some Yoga classes after school.  She sent out an e-mail with a lot of information this week.  Please contact Megan or me if you have any questions.  You will need to sign- up and also sign a waiver in order to participate.

Student Health Guidelines (With help from Mrs. Newell & Mr. Hausser)
We seem to have had a lot of sick students and staff lately.  Here are some reminders of what our policies are in case parents ask.  Again one of the best ways to avoid illness is to wash hands consistently and practice healthy habits.  These guidelines are also located in the Student Handbook.  These guidelines shall be followed for any school day or school-sponsored events. 

Your child should stay home from school in the following situations:
Fever: greater than 100 degrees F; may return after 24 hours fever free without the aid of fever-reducing medications.

-Vomiting: may return after 24 hours from the last episode.
-Diarrhea: may return after 24 hours from the last episode.

-Rash: open and draining or if a fever is also present; may return after 24 hours fever free or on treatment for 24 hours.
-Chickenpox: may return when all pox is dry and scabbed over; about 5 to 7 days after the start of the rash.
-Live head lice parent contact will be made to inform of the situation and to pick up the child to begin treatment. Treatment is required before returning to school. Upon return to school, the child will stop in the main office for a head lice check. If live head lice are found, the child will be sent home for treatment. Once live head lice are gone, the child may return to school. Treatment shall be completed at home. (revised November 2015.)
-Contagious diseases: strep throat, impetigo, pink eye (bacterial), scabies, ringworm or other diseases not listed; may return after 24 hours of prescribed treatment.
-Public Health Orders may override local Health Guidelines in some instances. The school nurse will advise you should a situation arise.

Pritzl at Convention Next Week
Next week, I will be attending the State Principal's Convention.  I will be there Wednesday afternoon through Friday.  Mr. Hausser and Mr. Fischer are the "go-to's" if something comes up during this time.  I will be checking email periodically throughout the time period as well.

Duty Next Week
Morning - Williams
Bus - Laufenberg

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 1/26/18

Another solid week is in the books...next week, we'll see February already.  We continue to grow our strong learning environment.

Article of the Week
Last week, the article of the week was zeroed in on the importance a solid lesson closure.  This week's article provides some powerful strategies to make that closure effective for our students.

"22 Powerful Closure Activities" by Todd Finley

First 5, Last 5
The first five minutes of class sets the tone for the learning that will take place in the classroom, and the last five minutes helps to strengthen the connections made with the learning goals of the lesson.  The first and last 5 minutes of each class also impact on the learning culture of the entire school. 

Next Year's Budget Requests
We are approaching budget season once again.  It is time to start thinking about next year, and what materials you may need to take the learning to the next level.  Budget materials will be distributed by the business office in mid-February, and will be due to my office by mid-March.  Now is the time to start discussions about materials/resources that can help us further achieve our goals for next school year.

Safety Update
Below is a couple of safety reminders:

-All of the classroom doors should be shut and locked throughout the day as much as possible.  We will soon be practicing our lock-down procedures, and being able to shut the doors and have them locked is a key part of lock-down safety.

-Our safety plan also states that there should not be any candles, air fresheners, diffusers, or anything else that could trigger an allergic reaction in the buildings.

Facility Advisory Committee Update
The Facility Advisory Committee met this past Wednesday evening to further review Option 2B, and discuss the plans and process.  As a reminder, Option 2B focused on building a new K-4 Elementary School and remodeling the current 1-8 building into a 5-8 Middle School, and making upgrades to the High School.  The committee is engaged in a fascinating process, and I encourage you to review the Facilities Tab to review the plans and meeting notes.  The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 7th from 6:30 - 8:30 in the HS IMC.

Celebration Activity Planning Update
This past Monday, a very strong group met to start the planning process for an upcoming Middle School Celebration Activity.  The meeting was filled with great ideas, great communication, and was very efficient despite the fact that I was the only one who attended the meeting.  In all seriousness though, if you would like to help out with the planning of this event, please email me, and I will set up times to collaborate to plan this event.  Some feedback and input from staff is necessary to make this a really positive experience for our students.

Duty Next Week
Morning - Weckerly
Bus - Kallungi

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 1/19/2018

There is nothing like gaining some daylight.  There is sunlight in the morning at 7:00 am now...that is a great thing.  We are officially halfway through the school year.  Monday morning will be an exciting day...a sort of a fresh start in the middle of the winter.

Article of the Week
The article this week highlights a very important routine that oftentimes gets overlooked.  Closing a lesson is a research-based strategy that really has an impact on a student's ability to retain and make connections with the lesson.  A solid debriefing reflection is a critical part of each lesson.

"Let it Marinate:  The Importance of Reflection and Closing" by Joshua Block

PD Day next Friday
This LINK provides a rough schedule for our work on Friday (1/19).

2nd Semester Changes
The start of Semester 2 will be on Monday (1/22).  There will be some schedule changes for students and teachers.  HERE is the updated IE rosters.  Please share with students on Monday.

Next Student of the Month Breakfast
Our next Student of the Month Breakfast will be on Thursday, February 1st at 7:00 am.  Congratulations to this month's recipients:

Laney Connella     Jaxon Gagnon     Jocylyn Nehls     Morgan Dzibinski
Manny Fernandez     Olivia Walstad     Gracie Wei Bergeman     Aiden Pinheiro

MS Staff Leadership Meeting Recap
We had a solid first meeting.  The Meeting Notes are available HERE.

MS Culture Building Activity Group Planning next Monday (1/22)
We'll start the planning process in a short meeting.  Anyone interested in helping to plan this activity is welcome.  We will meet in the 1-8 Conference Room.

8th Grade Artists on Display
The Artist's reception that was scheduled from last Monday night was rescheduled to this coming Tuesday (1/23) from 6:00 - 8:00pm.  If you get a chance, head on down and check it out.

Duty Next Week
Morning - Crawford
Bus - Hendrickson

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 1/12/17

We are almost half way done with the school year already...where does the time go?  I think it's safe to say that this is a busy time of year...I feel very fortunate to lead a staff that works hard and prioritizes their time on guiding our students to be better people and to do better than their best academically.  Your efforts are truly appreciated.

Article of the Week
The article this week is from a blog by Rita Platt.  She provides an interesting and effective way to strengthen the culture of your classroom.

"Branding Can Strengthen Your Classroom Culture"

PD Day next Friday
This LINK provides a rough schedule for our work next Friday.

2nd Semester Changes
The start of Semester 2 will be on Monday, 1/22.  There will be some schedule changes for students and teachers.  I will share an updated IE list later next week, and we will hand out schedules for students next week as well.

Essay Competition Winners
Congratulations to Tucker Johnson, Grace Plummer, Rachel Yelk, and Carter Fait for finishing in the top 11 for the Patriot's Pen Essay competition.  Our students were recognized at a banquet on Friday night at the Portage VFW.  Our students competed with others from Portage, Lodi, and the parochial schools in the area.  Poynette was very well represented at this banquet.  Congratulations to the kids and their teachers!

 

 


Next Student of the Month Breakfast
Our next Student of the Month Breakfast will be on Thursday, February 1st at 7:00 am.

MS Staff Leadership Meeting on Wednesday (1/17)
Our efforts will begin on Wednesday.  Ideally we will have 1 rep. from each team, and 1 person representing the Applied team at minimum.  All are welcome however.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

MS Culture Building Activity Group Planning next Monday (1/22)
We'll start the planning process in a short meeting.  Anyone interested in helping to plan this activity is welcome.  We will meet in the 1-8 Conference Room.

8th Grade Artists on Display
Anyone can see some impressive art work from our 8th graders on display down at the Public Library.  An Artist's reception will take place on Monday night (see below for details).  This is a great way to give the work of our students an authentic audience, and for their talents to be on full display.

Images from the Week

      

  

The Middle Update 1/5/18

2018 has gotten off to a great start so far!  I'm hoping the next week brings us some consistent temperatures that are above 0.  Either way, we are on the stretch where each days gives us a little more daylight, and we are on the fast track to the end of the 2nd quarter.  The next part of the school year is steady, with STAR testing coming up, the end of Quarter 2, mid-year SLO's, Forward Exam planning, it's a busy time.  Our focus on structuring lessons that put students in positions to think critically and solve problems remains laser-like.

Article of the Week

The article breaks down little pieces of classroom management that can have a big influence on management effectiveness.  This short article is written by a teacher turned coach, who shares her perspectives after observing may lessons.

"10 Ways to Sabotage Your Classroom Management"

End of Quarter/Semester Items

-As we near the end of the 2nd quarter, students that are struggling (NE or BE) range, should be working outside of their normal class time to get things in order.  The parent of any student that falls in this category should be in the loop and working with us to help their child work to improve their performance.

-Students with significant missing work issues should be working over there lunch or after school to meet the requirements.  If you have questions, I'd be happy to assist with any student that could be struggling in this area.

-Looking ahead, grades should be posted by the end of the day on Wednesday (1/24), and we'll look to mail report cards home starting on Thursday (1/25).

-Also looking ahead to the report cards, please utilize the comments section to give some feedback about the performance of each student in your class.

Staff Meeting Next Week

We will be meeting as a Middle School staff on Wednesday (1/10) at 2:50 in Mrs. Rogness' Room.  We will be spending our time checking in on our school culture and climate.

Mid-Year STAR Testing

Students will be taking the Winter STAR test on the following dates in their scheduled ELA and Math classes:

     Reading - Tuesday (1/23)

     Math - Wednesday (1/24)

The winter testing window will run from 1/15 - 2/19.

The Next Student of the Month Breakfast
The date for the next breakfast is Thursday, February 1st at 7:00 am.  Teams should communicate their nominees to the office by January 18th.  Mrs. Serstad is up for the Applied team.

Summer School Opportunities (Thank you Mr. Hausser and Ms. Niemeyer)
Since the cold weather is upon us, we thought it would be another great time to talk about summer school.  We are always looking for instructors for summer school. Here is the list of new summer course ideas. If you are interested in teaching any of these new courses or proposing a new one, please add your name behind the course or submit a summer course proposal to us.  Multiple teachers can be added to a course. We also will offer the courses we did last school year. Please review this brochure. Email Jay or Anna if you’re interested in teaching any of the courses in the brochure. The deadline for proposals is February 2, 2018.  We hope to have all of our teachers hired by mid-March.  

Duty Next Week

Morning - Pittner

Bus - Gavin

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 12/22/17

It's time for Winter Break.  It felt like a great week with solid effort from students all around the building.

Article of the Week
The article this week takes a closer look at projects.  The article highlights how teachers can facilitate a project experience for our students that can prove to be very effective in all aspects of the project experience.

"Project Management for Middle School" by Matt Weyers

Holiday Concert
Kudos to Mr. Hazard and Mrs. Graeve for orchestrating another outstanding holiday concert.  The gym was packed the many talents of our students were on display.  An impressive night for our community

Literacy Event
Special thanks to our Literacy Committee (Mrs. Rogness, Mrs. Maurer, Ms. Laufenberg, Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Morrissey) for their work in making our building-wide literacy event a huge success.  An idea that came up in our early December meeting came to fruition on Friday.  I was able to visit each room, and it was great to see the positive interactions between the students centered on books!  Thanks for all of your work in prepping our students for this opportunity.

Duty for the next week of School

Morning - Odden

Bus - Frehner

Images from the Week

 

The Middle Update 12/15/17

It seems like you blink and we are one week away from winter break and 2018 right around the corner.  Another solid week in the books with an action packed week coming up.  Our focus on leading a student-centered environment with high expectations in every classroom is key to the successes that we see each day in our school.  The way our staff sees the positive attributes and contributions of each student, and treats mistakes by students as opportunities to help them grow is what makes our school a special place.  A big week ahead is straight ahead of us...

Article of the Week
The article this week sums up the top educational research studies from 2017.  The findings from some of the studies in the articles should spark some discussion for some of our school practices.

"2017 Education Research Highlights"

1-8 Building Literacy Event
On Friday, we'll be conducting a school-wide literacy event.  Thanks to our Literacy Committee for their work in coming up with the idea and planning it.  Each one of our Homerooms will be paired up with an Elementary Class.  After Nutrition break (see schedule), each student will report back to their Homerooms with the book they are currently reading.  The location of where each Homeroom will report will be decided by the paired up (Elem/MS) teachers ahead of time.  Once I send out the pairings, please reach out to your paired elementary teacher to work out the locations.  The plan is for the middle and elementary students and teachers to spend the time reading from their own books, with a time at the end to pair up and talk about what they are reading.  The 1st and 2nd graders have a little less reading stamina, so the last 15 minutes may be spent with the students paired up reading to each other (pairs of teachers can plan what their sessions looks like).

The main goal of our session is for the elementary students to have a model of what type of readers they will soon become, and get to see reading role models up close and personal.  The Literacy Committee is really looking forward to this great opportunity to connect our building.

Holiday Concert Monday Night (12/18)
Our annual holiday concert will be on Monday night starting at 7:00pm in the 1-8 Gym.  There will be plenty of talent on display.  Hope to see as many people there as possible.

12/22 Schedule (dismissal at 1:15)
Due to the 1-8 Literacy Activity, we will follow THIS SCHEDULE on Friday (12/22).  Please review the schedule and let me know if there are any conflicts that we may need to cover.

Assembly on Thursday (12/21)
We will be having an assembly on Thursday (12/21).  Students should be dismissed to the gym at 2:25.  Our student leaders have been planning some Carelli cup events for this assembly, and we will recognize our students for their efforts that have led to some impressive achievements.  Thanks in advance for the teachers that have agreed to participate!

Facility Advisory Committee Update
The meeting this past week was perhaps the most engaging meeting of the year so far.  The committee split into groups to review 7 possible options for building/renovation projects.  At the end, committee members voted on options that they felt will best solve the issues brought forward in our facilities study and for improve the ability for teachers to provide 21st century learning opportunities for our students.  After the vote, it appears that the options were narrowed from 7 to about 3 or 4.  The architects now will be working to provide a visual of what the potential building/renovations will look like and also cost.  The next meeting is on January 10 at 6:30 in the HS IMC.  As always, anyone can review the Facilities Site for the details, and attend the next meeting.

Puma Postcards
On Thursday I was reviewing some of the Puma postcards that were being sent to students.  The handwritten messages from teachers highlighted the hard work and effort the students have been engaged in lately.  At this time, grade level teams are sending these out on Thursdays.  If any other teacher that is not in on these weekly meetings or para-professional would like to get some post cards to send to any student that has been excelling in effort, achievement, or citizenship, please let me know.  Mrs. Hendrickson recently designed a new postcard, so we have a fresh box of new ones available in the office.  These messages reinforce what it takes to be successful for our students.  Your efforts are much appreciated by the students and their families.

Duty Next Week
Morning - O'Connor
Bus - Anderson

Images of the Week

The Middle Update 12/9/17

We are officially halfway through the 2nd quarter...as I type this there is snow on the ground and our focus on growing our culture of high expectations and achievement remains strong.  This time period, through Christmas break can be stressful for everyone...maintaining a strong routine is so important for our students as we work to set up conditions for their success.  Below is a sample of all that is going on through the holidays.

Article of the Week
Gaining insight to what our students know at any point in each of our lessons is critical to driving the decisions we make in setting up the learning environment for our students.  The short article this week provides maybe some new resources or some solid reminders about effectively using formative assessment.

"Why Formative Assessments Matter"

Community Advisory Committee Update

There is another facility meeting this coming Wednesday.  The upcoming meetings will focus on discussing possible solutions to the needs that have been identified through the facilities study, tour and discussions by the committee.  The meeting this week is at 6:30 p.m. in the High School IMC.  As always, anyone is welcome to attend and contribute.  You can follow the work and discussions of the committee by reviewing the "Facilities" tab on our website.

Student of the Month Breakfast this Thursday (12/14)

Our next opportunity to formally recognize our students is this Thursday morning.  Thanks to Mr. Johnson, Mr. Odden, Mr. Hazard, and Mrs. Weckerly for presenting this month.  Congratulations to this month's recipients:

Melanie Koopmans     Jacob Trudell     Laken Wagner     Brooke Luedtke

Emma McGlynn     Jaydyn Slade     Jeremiah Nielsen     Kennedy Pafford 

Holiday Concert Coming Up...
Our Middle School musicians have been working hard to prepare for the annual Holiday Concert.  The concert this year will be on Monday, December 19th at 7:00 pm in the 1-8 Gym.  The talents of our students are on full display that evening.  Mark your calendars and come on out to enjoy the show.

Additions to the Website
Ms. Niemeyer has updated our website to highlight the student experience.  Check out the link below that prospective families will find as they search for a school district for their children. Thanks Ms. Niemeyer for your efforts on this project!

SITE

Duty Next Week
Morning - Lendobeja
Bus - Williams

The Middle Update 12/1/17

We are already in the month of December and in hot pursuit of the midway point of the 2nd quarter.  The way time moves so quickly continues to amaze me.  Another big week ahead...a reminder that I am out on leave a couple days during the next few weeks (MWF this week).  Make it a great week!

Article of the Week
The short article this week by David Cutler, discusses solid strategies to bring a little more excitement to any class.

Rekindling Excitement for Familiar Classes

Mid-Term Grades
The mid-point of Quarter 2 is on Friday, December 8th.  Student progress grades should be posted at that time.  I will be sending a message home indicating that the progress grades have been updated.

Literacy Committee Update
The Literacy Committee met this past Wednesday.  A summary of our progress follows:
-We will be postponing our Book Talks till after break to allow for more recruitment of high school students and their preparation
-We are planning a literacy event in collaboration with the elementary school for Friday, December 22nd...more information to follow
-To check-in on our new Literacy Bulletin Board downstairs by the cafeteria...special thanks to Ms. Laufenberg for her efforts.

Anna & Katie's Corner

Although it seems like a long way away right now, assessment season will quickly be upon us.   The Forward Exam will be given again this year in grades 3rd through 8th and 10th, with the assessment window from March 14th through May 4th.  Closer to the testing window you will receive a more specific timeline of dates and times for testing.  New this year DPI has released achievement level descriptors along with sample questions that are similar format and content to what students see on the exam.  Starting on December 10th they will also make available an online sample test that students can take to practice using the embedded tools and become familiar with the format and types of questions they will see.  Below are the links to these resources for you to review.  

Forward Exam Achievement Level Descriptors

Forward Exam Item Sampler & Text Dependent Analysis Samplers link

#fitwithfamily
We have created a "#FitwithFamily" Board outside the staff bathrooms. We will be sending home a newsletter in the next few days that asks the students and their families to do a physical activity with at least one family member and take a picture so that we can post it on our board. We are asking that you join in on the fun! If you have a picture, you can put it in either PE teacher's mailbox or email us and we will be sure to print it and post it! Thanks for supporting the PE Dept and our passion to spread fitness and healthy lifestyles!

Community Voice in the Poynette Press
The COLUMN this week is written by PHS Art Teacher Kaitlyn Heintz highlighting what 21st century learning looks like in her classroom.  If you have an interest in writing an article for the paper, let me know and I can help out.

Holiday Splash
Many talents will be on display at the annual Holiday Splash, which will take place at Poynette High School on Tuesday, December 4th from 6:00 - 7:30 pm.  All are welcome to enjoy the festivity.

Holiday Thoughts (from the Elementary blog...thanks Mr. Hausser)

Like many of you, I love this time of year.  However, unfortunately for some of our students, this is a very difficult time. These next three weeks especially may be difficult because they are anxious for the Holidays and scared of what may happen over break.  We also have parents that hold "presents" or "no presents" over our students which can cause more problems than help.  We should try to be as proactive as possible when dealing with students or understanding of this.  Please let me know if you need any help.  It can be fun for many, but miserable for others.

Duty Next Week
Morning - Laufenberg
Bus - Weckerly

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