JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER

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1 JUNE JULY 1 - Last Day of School 13 - Summer School Begins AUGUST 4 - No Summer School Holiday Break 8 - Summer School Ends 31 - Open House/Book Fair Elem. Gym 6 PM - 8 PM In March, Jenny Langreck, Tina Perkins, and Donna Fabian held an event for 4K parents and students. When families arrived, they enjoyed a variety of snacks. Miss Jenny and Miss Tina had planned activities for the 4K students. 4K parents attended a presentation entitled, The Power and Benefits of Reading to Young Children. Parents learned that if a child is read to for 20 minutes daily they are exposed to about 1.8 million words of text every year and the number of words that a child knows when he or she enters kindergarten is the most important predictor of a child s success. Tips for reading aloud were also shared with parents including: re-reading the same book helps children make sense of and then remember new words, pack a book bag when you might be waiting for appointments or traveling, and talk about the pictures and ask questions. It was emphasized that the Neillsville Public Library has a wonderful selection of books for preschoolers. Then parents were given a book bag and the families had an opportunity to pick three free books to take home and read. SEPTEMBER 1 - First Day of School 5 - No School Holiday Break 14 - Late Start - 10:05 AM No Morning K4

2 As the school year quickly comes to an end I want to congratulate the graduating Class of 2016 and wish them all the very best as they move on to the next chapter of their lives. This year s graduates earned over $100,000 in scholarship money to support them as they pursue their various post-secondary learning opportunities. The future for these graduates is extremely bright, and I know that they are ready to achieve great things and find happiness in their futures, because of their experiences in our schools and community. I would also like to recognize some outstanding educators who have dedicated their lives to serving the children of our district, and who will be retiring at the end of the school year. Combined these educators have provided 205 years of service to the children of our district. This year s retirees are: Julie Bechtel, Karen Gaier, Dean Glaze, Lori Meurett, Sue Oberbeck, Jeanne Reed, and John Vornholt. I want to thank them for their outstanding service to our kids and community, and I want to wish them the very best for a long, happy and healthy retirement. The summer is a busy time in our schools. Summer school will be in session during June and part of July; providing kids a wide variety of opportunities to stay active in their learning and in exploring their special areas of interest. Please consider signing up for a few of the many summer school courses being offered if you haven t already. Our summer work staff will also be working on upgrading and maintaining our buildings and grounds, planning budgets, and hiring new staff in preparation for the school year. Lastly, I would like to thank all of the Neillsville community for their ongoing support of their schools and their children. The School District of Neillsville takes great pride in the relationships that have been established with the children, parents, community members, and area businesses. These partnerships have provided outstanding educational opportunities for all of our students and for that we are incredibly thankful. Have a Safe and Enjoyable Summer! DATES: June 13th - July 8th (No classes Monday, July 4th) BREAKFAST: Served in the HS Cafeteria from 8:00-8:30 AM (Free to all resident children 18 and under) CLASS SCHEDULE: 1st Hour - 8:30-9:35 AM 2nd Hour - 9:40-10:45 AM 3rd Hour - 10:50 - Noon LUNCH: Served in the HS Cafeteria from Noon - 1:00 PM (Free to all resident children 18 and under)

3 The school year is done? It seems like we just began! I would like to thank the students, parents, staff, and Board of Education for their help, cooperation, and support in making this school year a successful one! At the end of every school year I do spend a good amount of time reflecting on what has occurred over the past 180 days that we ve had students in our building. The good things that happen are the things that make us all feel good, but it s the more difficult topics that tend to occupy much of my time and thought. As I reflect upon what issue comes up most often in conversations with students it can be summed up in one word bullying. Every student claims to be bullied, but never the bully. The truth is likely a mixture of the two. This is not a new topic of discussion, in or outside of education, and it s been going on in society in some way, shape, or form long before any of us arrived. That is in no way meant to minimize any person s concerns in this area. The truth of the matter is that conflict happens when people interact with one another. Problems occur when people share the same small space. What is necessary when people have conflict is the ability to problem-solve and cope with difficult decisions. The problem solving skills most often used, in my dealings on this with students, are: 1) using social media and 2) using the bullying tag. Using social media to solve any problem isn t going to probably help in most cases. In fact, it s likely to cause more problems than it solves. Our students, our young people, are really smart! They are just like every other person in society. I ve never met a person that enjoys getting in trouble. When do we hear apologies? After a person is caught doing something wrong! That tells us all we need to know. People that bully do it because they believe they can get away with it and they are skilled at it. The bullies are a problem, but so too is the lack of reporting done by students claiming to be bullied. I can tell you that every bullying claim that is reported at school is investigated to the best of our ability. One of the biggest issues is the timeliness of the reporting. Students often times never report anything until they feel as if they can no longer handle what is occurring. That s okay, but that lack of reporting does little to assist the school with addressing the problem. The timing of this article may seem strange, but with summer break coming I know that our students will have more access to social media on a daily basis and that s concerning as much of the intimidation and true bullying happens online. What can parents do? Monitor your child s technology regardless of their age. See who they are communicating with and friending. Often, I am amazed at who claiming to be bullied. students tell me they are friends with online; often times the very person, or people, that they claim are bullying them. Those actions and choices do little to help solve the problem. What else can parents do? Contact your internet service provider or the police. Asking the right person to help solve the problem is always best. Keeping the actual messages, photos, or screenshots of what has been done is always helpful as well. For our students I will simply say this, you never know who is on the other end of the computer! Be safe and make the right choices to keep yourself out of potential trouble and drama. In closing, as the summer heat begins to roll in, I hope that all of our returning students and staff find time to recharge their batteries so that that in the fall we can keep improving upon what we do each and every day. In conclusion, I would like to extend our most sincere congratulations to our Class of 2016! We wish our graduates the very best as they begin the next chapter in their lives. Have a safe, relaxing and enjoyable summer! Visit our website: People that bully do it because they believe they can get away with it and they are skilled at it. The bullies are a problem, but so too is the lack of reporting done by students The Communicator - page 3

4 COUNSELOR S CORNER It is hard to believe that the school year is over. It was a very productive year. The 4K-6 th grade developmental guidance was delivered 675 times throughout the year. Small groups met on a weekly basis. Groups dealt with topics such as leadership, death, motivation, self-esteem, anger management, and social skills. Twenty individuals were met on a weekly basis. The basis of these meetings included proper school behavior, creating a bond with the student, anger, motivation, self-esteem, and personal support. There were many individual meetings with concerns of personal safety, abuse, grief, fears, friendship, sportsmanship, divorce, and personal support. The Big Buddy Program consisted of 30 students. These students met on a weekly basis to bond and have some fun. The Big Buddies proved to be great role models for our elementary students. The year ended with the Neillsville Optimist Club sponsoring a Big and Little Buddy Bowling Picnic at Strike Time Lanes. Big and Little Buddies had fun bowling and playing games. They were also given a delicious lunch of pizza and soda. We ended the year with 7 adult volunteers. On awards day, June 1 st, they were given a token of our appreciation. I hope everyone has a safe, healthy and fun summer break. See everyone back here in the fall! The sixth grade students have been busy discovering many new topics this last quarter. In social studies we have been learning about the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines; specifically their daily lives, social structures, governments, religions, and how ideas passed from one group to another. We have used technology to create presentations about different countries flags and then worked on our public speaking skills to present what we have made. We completed a unit on the Medieval Ages; creating projects that include shields, models of castles, and catapults. In science we have been discussing static electricity, electric current, circuits, and electrical safety. We even did some truly shocking experiments involving the Van der Graaf Machine. In math we have been exploring area and perimeter and how they apply to real life situations. We have also tried to separate the difference between covering (area) and surrounding (perimeter). We have extended this understanding to three-dimensional objects to find their volume and surface area. In language arts we have been discussing how people meet different kinds of challenges, from environmental challenges to personal challenges. We have also discussed what kind of challenges we face in our lives and how those challenges transform us. We recently finished a writing unit which included an animal research paper that focused on the research process, fact gathering, writing a rough draft, revising, and editing. We will finish the year with a biography presentation where we will research a deceased famous person and create a presentation for the class. The Communicator - page 4 We had a blast on our field trip to the Science Museum of Minnesota at the beginning of May! We got the chance to explore different hands on activities in science, math, and social studies. Some of us even got to be scientists in a laboratory! It has been a great year. We will be sorry to see our 6th graders go!

5 Best wishes for a safe and happy summer. Here are a few helpful tips to keep you on track for next fall! What can I do with my time this summer? Although summer is meant for fun and relaxation, don t forget that it is also a great time to VOLUNTEER! Often times, the school year is so busy it is hard to squeeze in one more thing. Summer is a great time to get in some community service hours to amp up your college and scholarship resumes to the next level. Volunteer opportunities exist all around our local community; a few examples include the Clark County Humane Society, the Clark County Food Pantry and Resource Center, Neillsville Care and Rehab Center, as well as many other organized events through local churches and community organizations. If you do volunteer, keep track of your hours in an organized way to make filling out your applications a breeze in the future. In addition to volunteering, a SUMMER JOB is another excellent resume building experience. Not only is this a chance to earn some extra spending money (or save for college,) but it also demonstrates the characteristics of hard work and responsibility. I have heard many scholarship selection committees comment on how impressed they are by the students who not only balance academics and sports, but hold part time jobs. Many local companies are hiring for summer help right now; take the initiative to apply. Final Transcript Request (Class of 2016) Please remember that if you need a final transcript sent you need to log into your Parchment account by going to to make this request! Final transcripts will be sent once ALL grades are submitted and finalized. If you did not create a Parchment account please contact Mrs. Boyle. Special Notes for Seniors (Class of 2017) UW Application Process starts August 1 st! The application process for the UW system opens on August 1 st, 2016 for the school year. Applications can be officially submitted on September 1 st, The online application can be found at Planning to attend a WI Technical College after high school? Apply Early! Many of the WI technical colleges (CVTC, MSTC, NTC, etc.) accept applications from students during the summer prior to their senior year. Applying early is highly recommended especially if a student is applying to a program that typically has a wait list (health care programs, welding, etc.) Please check the application process information on the specific technical school website for more information. Early Fall ACT Date and Registration Deadline: Students can register online at Test Date: September 10 th, 2016 Registration Deadline: Aug. 5 th, 2016* *Note the regular registration deadline is before school begins. Be sure to complete this so as to not pay the late registration fee! Schedules 9-12 grade students should leave with a completed schedule for the school year. If for some reason you did not receive your schedule, please check your Infinite Campus account or contact the HS office to have one mailed home to you at ( ext. 5). Schedule changes can be made at the start of the next school year for qualifying reasons. As always please feel free to contact Elaina Boyle, 7-12 Counselor, if you have questions about any of the information provided at ext. 5. or eboyle@neillsville.k12.wi.us The Communicator - page 5

6 Hello again families and friends. Another school year is coming to an end and we are preparing for next year already. Recently I heard the analogy that getting older is like reaching the end of the toilet tissue roll the closer to the end you get, the faster it seems to get used! Interesting view point I suppose. Some things we simply have no control over, like the weather or getting older, taller, etc. That's one of the things I say a lot to teachers; we can only control what we can control. Coming soon to our upper elementary classes will be something that will be a big change for them. Grades 3, 4, 5, and 6 will be going to a different, but not unique, grading system. For parents and kids that have been here in the earlier grades, this will be very similar to what you have had in the past. Even then, this is a great time to revisit just what Grading for Learning is all about. Our Grading for Learning movement is not a new concept. Old one-room school houses have done this kind of thing for years. Until high schools became popular in the early 20th Century, that's all students ever received. Check marks, or pluses, or stars, or acceptable/ unacceptable, all of these were common systems to report to families about what their child could or could not do in subjects like math, reading, phonics; even religion and penmanship. Letter grades came about when we started to give credits for graduation and designed grade point averages. A, B, C, D, and F meant something more than what was learned. It turned into tracking points based on being compliant, or not, in class and with homework. Grades became an average of points earned, not necessarily what level of mastery on a subject a student had achieved. Grades too often determined rank, earned scholarships and sometimes, perhaps often, mislead how much a student learned. We are all used to this system and let me assure you, it will not go away anytime soon in many areas of schooling. Our Grading for Learning system will be designed around this simple concept - what standard (or essential learning target) can my child do well, and in what areas do they need more work before the end of the quarter, semester or year. In this system, we believe all students should work toward mastery of skills - essential learning targets - over time. One student may get it quicker than others, that's just normal. Homework is considered practice for achieving mastery. Mr. Gaier always likens this kind of grading system to basketball; his players are only graded on their performance on game night. Practice is just that; if they need extra help, they get it. Once they get it, we all hope they use it in the "real game". Once a student masters a topic, or essential learning target (ELT), they move on to the next. Until they do, they get the help they need to do it on their own. So, just what is this going to mean for our students and teachers? A lot of hard work has to be done first, but here are some highlights for now... All students in Kindergarten through 6th Grade will be receiving report cards, starting in the school year, with a 1, 2, 3, or 4 instead of the letter grade. For example, their report for math may have 6-10 ELTs listed with numbers behind them. A 4 does not equal an A. A 1 does not equal an F. Below is a rough outline of what they mean: 4. The student has exceeded what we expect and can teach others. They apply the concept or skill to other areas. Exceptional. Students do not get this grade often. We like to say that students dance in the 4 range but do not live there. This is not easy for many people to understand, but please keep reading. 3. This is where we want all of our students to be by or before the end of the quarter, semester or year. Your student has accomplished the ELT independently and is ready to move on to the next concept. This is expected work or skill for all students and should be considered successful. A 3 is our goal for all students in all learning targets. 2. This rank means that the student has gotten a good start at the ELT but is not independent with their work or skill. They are not there yet, but will continue to work toward that goal. More work is needed but they will get it soon. 1. This means the student has not gotten there yet and will need more help from others or the teacher to get it right. Ones are often seen early on in a skill or concept, Or, there simply has not been enough time to work on it toward mastery. Only with a series of this score should there be concern for the progress of the student. Continued on Page The Communicator - page 6

7 MUSIC DEPARTMENT NEWS The choir department finished the last couple of months with a bang. The Cast of My Fair Lady can be proud of their accomplishment. The three hour production was a huge success. The students will remember those performances forever. They would like to thank the school and community for the support shown. All 5 performances were well attended. One hundred and eighty people also attended the dinner theatre. Thank you to all of the people that helped make the 2016 musical such a great success. The 2016 Choir Awards night was held on May 25 th.. During the program numerous awards were handed out. Solo & Ensemble were the first awards handed out, which included the 11 choir events performed at State Solo & Ensemble in Eau Claire on May 7th. The students received six firsts, four seconds and one third. Other awards handed out included All Conference Honors in Choir, Letters and Bars in Choir, Senior Awards, Musical Awards, and the National School Choral Award. Listed below are some of the winners. Receiving Letters: Janalee Kapusta, Jenna Grap, Chris Schutte, Ashlee Diestler, Mason Barth, Brady Wegner, Brianna Roehl, Ellie Knodle, Brady Coulthard and Michael Lawrence. Receiving Gold Bars: Dominic Kuhn (2), Madison Betlaf (2), Krista Rueth (2), Heaven Butts (1), and Dakota Watton (1). All Conference Honors in Choir Madison Betlaf Dylan Humboldt Karter Rueth Heaven Butts Dominic Kuhn Krista Rueth Brady Coulthard Michael Lawrence Chris Schutte Ashlee Diestler Brianna Roehl Dakota Watton Senior Four Year Plaques Maddie Betlaf Dominic Kuhn Krista Rueth Heaven Butts Tori Huth Jenna Grap Alex Bixby Nicole Pagenkopf Chris Schutte Anna Brekke Janalee Kapusta National School Choral Award - Senior - Krista Rueth Krista Rueth with National School Choral Award. PHOTOS ABOVE: Left: Krista Rueth receives National School Choral Award from Mr. Attoe. Right: Seniors with some holding 4 year plaques.

8 On May 11th, nearly 150 FFA members, parents, and supporters gathered at Neillsville High School for the 2016 Neillsville FFA Awards Night. The evening was filled with awards, recognition and the installation of the Neillsville FFA Officer team. Each year members earn their membership degrees. Middle school members earn their Discovery Degree. Taylor Boon and Jada Salisbury were named the 2016 Outstanding Middle School Members. Freshman members were presented their Greenhand Degrees. Xander Jansen was named the 2016 Star Greenhand, Caden Ehlers was named the 2016 Outstanding Freshman. Members that have completed their second year were presented their Chapter FFA Degrees. The 2016 Star Chapter member was Brady Coulthard. The junior and senior FFA members were also recognized for their membership. Dakota Watton was named the 2016 Outstanding Junior Member and Jenna Pavlac was named the Outstanding Senior Member. Molly Dolle, Julia Heiman, Alyssa Katcher and Jenna Pavlac were recognized for earning their State FFA Degree. Other award winners included: Jenna Pavlac; Dom Cappadora; Sam Cappadora; Alycia Zickert; Ted Turczyn and Brady Coulthard (Superior rated at UW-RF FFA Judging Contest); Jenna Pavlac, Dakota Watton, Brady Coulthard, Kaylee Brody, Xander Jansen and Jenna Byrne (2016 Speaking Contest participants). Neillsville FFA Alumni President Ben Wilson presented scholarships to the following FFA Seniors: Jenna Pavlac, Alyssa Katcher, Molly Dolle and Julia Heiman. These scholarships were presented with support from Riverside Dairy and Granton Antique Tractor Club. Mr. Wilson also presented grants to Julia Heiman and Dawson Gerhardt on behalf of Tractor Central. Ms. Heiman plans to use her grant toward college expenses. Mr. Gerhardt plans to use his grant to improve his swine project. Molly Dolle presented a slideshow of last year s activities. After the slideshow, the new officers were installed. This year s officer team is Dakota Watton, President; Brady Coulthard, Vice President; Jenna Byrne, Secretary; Xander Jansen, Treasurer; Dana Bautch and Caden Ehlers Reporters; and Ted Turczyn, Sentinel. Neillsville FFA is advised by Mr. Terry Sischo and Mrs. Amy Gerhardt. Photo Above - Neillsville FFA Officers (front row): Dana Bautch, Jenna Byrne, Dakota Watton; (back row): Ted Turczyn, Brady Coulthard, Caden Ehlers, and Xander Jansen. Photo at Right - Neillsville FFA members earning scholarships from the FFA Alumni include: Alyssa Katcher, Molly Dolle, Jenna Pavlac and Julia Heiman. FFA Alumni President Ben Wilson presented the scholarships. Photo Above - Neillsville FFA Outstanding members (front row): Jenna Pavlac, Senior; (row 2): Dakota Watton, Junior; Taylor Boon, 7th Grade; Jada Salisbury, 8th Grade; (row 3): Caden Ehlers, Freshman; Xander Jansen, Star Greenhand; and Brady Coulthard, Star Chapter Member. The Communicator - page 8

9 Our first graders are close to becoming second graders. They have worked very hard in reading, writing and math this year. We are excited that many of our students are going to summer school! This will help alleviate some of the "Summer Slide". It is so vital for our students to keep reading, writing AND doing math all summer. Time off from school should not mean time off from learning. Please help your child get the most out of their learning this year by continuing their educational routine and keeping their skills sharp. One way to keep that excitement about reading is participating in the public library's summer reading program. Our students took a walking fieldtrip to the public library to find out about the reading program and the wonderful incentives they will get when they accomplish their reading goals at the end of summer. Please call the public library if you have any additional questions about it. With the arrival of spring, there were chicks galore in first grade! We put eggs into an incubator, candled them, and waited 21 days for chicks to begin hatching. Nine chicks and one turkey hatched! We watched them grow into pullets. Thank you Mrs. Hauge and Mr. Schulte for providing this hands on learning experience. We were able to use our senses in the Listeman Arboretum as we went on our spring nature walk. There were many seasonal changes as spring came to Wisconsin. As our school year came to a close, we went on a fieldtrip to Nasonville Dairy to find out how cheese is made from milk. Next, we traveled to Wildwood Zoo in Marshfield. The new bear exhibit was a tremendous hit! On our way back to school we stopped at Weber s Farm Store and enjoyed a cool tasty treat made from milk (ice cream cones)! Another big thank you to families that saved box tops and Kwik Trip milk caps/bag tops all year! The money raised helped to provide the funding for several POPS activities for the students throughout the year. Please continue saving milk caps/bag tops from Kwik Trip and box tops all summer and bring them to open house this fall Have a safe summer! Good luck in second grade. Thank you parents for supporting and helping your children throughout the school year! It is hard to believe that our year is almost at an end! We have enjoyed teaching your children but are looking forward to watching them succeed as sixth graders next year! Our last few weeks have been very busy. On May 12 th, we visited the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. While there we took tours of the Natural History Museum, learned about reptiles and amphibians, and saw a presentation in the Bloch Planetarium. It was a beautiful day filled with lots of hands on learning! Our spring concert in May was all about celebrating Broadway. We all enjoyed watching their last concert. You have probably heard your child mention MAP testing again. We just finished our second round a few weeks ago, and the students did an awesome job! MAP stands for Measure of Academic Progress. Be sure to ask your child how he or she did on the math, and reading tests. We also completed the Wisconsin Forward Exam, our new state test. It has been a pleasure to teach your child! Thank you for all the support and guidance you have given them throughout the school year. Without involved parents, it is difficult to have successful students. The Communicator - page 9

10 As the weather gets warmer, the third graders have been keeping up the hard work as they prepare for fourth grade next year. The third graders read some biographies of famous people and they wrote a biography of their own about a friend. We are reading, reading, reading and writing so much that some of us have filled up our notebooks! Keep reading over the summer months too. It really is paying off at school. Third grade students enjoyed two fieldtrips this year. First we went to the Clark County Fairgrounds for Rural Safety Days and learned valuable information about how to be safe in an emergency, on the trails, around the farm and animals. This was an enjoyable day for all. A special thank you goes out to the Neillsville FFA for sponsoring and organizing this for all the area schools. On our final fieldtrip as third graders, students visited Beaver Creek Nature Reserve in Fall Creek. While at the nature reserve, we went on an animal signs hike and discovered lots about animals and their habitats at the nature center. We also learned first-hand about frogs, reptiles and owls! It was a wonderful learning experience that the students will remember for years to come. Neillsville School District PTC2 (Disclaimer; the above definition is in my words, not officially cast in stone. We are not done defining these marks yet, so give us time to make it even better. Thanks!) This is a lot of information, but I hope you are understanding where we are going with this important issue. There will be a lot of work ahead for us here at school and we will keep you posted every step of the way. We will make the system fit our school and make improvements as we need to, but this will be in place for next year. We know there are a lot of things we simply cannot control, like the speed of the school year or the quick pace of our children's height. How we communicate their progress is our goal with our new Grading for Learning system. Look for more information coming soon. Go Packers, Brewers and Badgers!! Have a great spring and summer season! Summer Safety Tips for Kids by Camp PBS Parents The Communicator - page 10

11 IMAGES FROM THE 2016 NHS MUSICAL The Cast of My Fair Lady. Dominic Kuhn and Krista Rueth practicing H s. Cast at the Ascot Horse Race. Chris Schutte consoles Krista Rueth. Olivia Hansen, Brady Wegner, and Mason Barth claim to have no money.

12 The fourth graders had many activities going on the last month of school. We visited the Chippewa Valley Museum and the Paul Bunyan Logging Camp in Eau Claire. There are logging buildings and we learned about what life was like in the camp. We also learned about one room schools and then attended a day of school at Reed School. The students dress up, pack lunches like students did in 1939 and do lessons from that time period as well. The high school FFA students taught us about farming in Wisconsin and took us to visit the Byrne Family Dairy Farm. Many community members ran different stations that the students rotated through. The last week of school we walk around town to see the historic homes in Neillsville and visit Tuft s Museum, the Jail Museum, and the current jail. To prepare for the Neillsville town tour, students are each assigned a historic building or home to research ahead of time and then they read their report in front of that building on our walk. Photos Above - 4th graders enjoyed an afternoon at Byrne Dairy Farm learning about the source of their food. Neillsville FFA, FFA Alumni members, and community members served as presenters and tour guides for the event. A huge thanks to the Byrne family for hosting this event! Photo at Right - 4th graders attend Reed School for a day to learn what education was like in a one room schoolhouse in the 1930 s. The Communicator - page 12