connection - Middleton Cross Plains Area School District

JANUARY 2015
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Permit No. 2511
Madison, WI
School-Community
MCPASD
7106 South Avenue
Middleton, WI 53562
MIDDLETON-CROSS PLAINS AREA SCHOOLS
Six candidates
for school board
on April ballot
MCPASD voters are encouraged to go
to the polls on April 7 to vote for Board of
Education members.
Six residents are running for four open
seats. Candidates include:
Area I: Kelly Kalscheur
Area II: Sean Hyland
Area IV: Linda Yu and Todd Smith
Area V: Tia Eady and Anne Bauer
(incumbent)
Each year, three Board of Education seats
are up for election. However, this year a
fourth seat is open to fill the vacancy of
Jim Greer, who moved out of state. Brian
Hornung filled the remaining year of the
term, but will not run.
Residents are able to vote for each of the
seats, rather than only the one from their
area.
The election will take place on April 7
and members will begin their duties at the
regular meeting on April 27.
Enrollment up
for 6th straight
year in District
There were more than 6,700 students
in the District for the first time, Fiscal
Services manager Lori Ames told the
Board of Education at its regular meeting
on Monday, Oct. 13.
Ames shared with the Board the
official 2014 Third Friday September
enrollment count. The headcount for
2014-15 is 6,734 of resident and nonresident students served in the District.
That is a 1.26 percent increase over a
year ago.
It is the sixth straight year that
enrollment has increased in the District.
She said there are four part-time
students who are home-based so
they can’t be counted for revenue
limit purposes. The District also has
to subtract 257 students who aren’t
resident students but are in the District
through open enrollment, tuition waiver
or a 66.03 agreement with the
4K program.
There was an approximately 40
percent decline in the number of
students in the 21st Century eSchool,
although resident population basically
stayed the same. The District believes
a number of non-resident students left
the program because we now require
students to meet regularly with teachers,
she said.
Another 160 students were added for
revenue limit purposes because they are
continued on page 7
Moving forward
Kromrey Middle School students in grades
6-8 said goodbye to vintage Kromrey in
October, and transferred their belongings
to the new three-story wing on the west side
of the school. Portions of the new school
were available in August, including the main
offices, cafeteria and two-story fifth-grade
wing. Construction will continue until August
2015 as technology classes are refurbished
along with adding a new gymnasium and
field on the east side of the site.
Above: Sixth-grade teacher Carrie Murphy
and students carry their locker contents from
the vintage Kromrey to the new Kromrey.
Right: Kromrey students clear out their
lockers in vintage Kromrey in preparation for
the move to the new school.
Learn more on page 2
London fine arts trip over break a huge success
Black socks. Check. Performance music.
Check. Passport. Check. Two days after
Christmas, more than 200 students from
Middleton High School, six MHS fine
arts staff members and dozens of parent
chaperones filed through stations at MHS
to ensure they had packed everything
that was needed for the Middleton High
School Fine Arts London Tour.
On New Year’s Day, many parents and
family members who were stateside got
up extra early to watch the MHS band
appear in the London New Year’s Day
parade, which streamed live beginning
at 6 a.m. Central Standard Time. It was
a stunning performance as the band
debuted their new uniforms while
marching to and playing “Runaway Baby.”
Members of the MHS orchestra were
involved in the parade at the request of
the LNYDP organizers by handling some
of The Kites of Nasser Volant and riding
the blue Barclays Bikes (also known as
as Boris Bikes, nicknamed after Boris
continued on page 3
Members of the MHS band participated in the London New Year’s Day Parade. on Thursday,
Jan. 1 More than 200 band, orchestra, choir and drama students departed for London on Dec.
27 and returned on Jan. 3. Each group of students participated in multiple events while there.
Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District
2
Kromrey open houses a hit with community
Nearly 400 community members
attended an open house at Kromrey
Middle School on Wednesday, Nov. 12 and
toured the new areas.
cents per $1,000 of equalized value phased in
over two years. At the time, the District’s tax
mill rate was $10.91. The budget the Board
of Education approved in October included a
mill rate of $11.51, which means the mill rate
“The buzz was incredible,’’ MCPASD Comin two years is actually 10 cents less than votmunications Director Perry Hibner said. “Evers approved for just the referendum.
eryone was very excited to see all the work
The project continues to be on budget and
that has been done over the past 18 months.’’
ahead of schedule. Many of the areas that
Hibner led tours along with Superintenattendees toured on Wednesday were comdent Don Johnson, technology services
pleted two months ahead of schedule.
director Jim Blodgett, Kromrey principal
The school was built to accommodate
Steve Soeteber, Kromrey associate principal
1,200 students. Current enrollment is slightly
Bill Deno, Bray Architect’s Matt Wolfert and
more than 1,000 students so there is plenty of
J.H. Findorff and Son’s Matt Premo and Aaron
room to grow.
Zutz. Assistant Superintendents George Mav“We wanted everyone to understand our
roulis and Tom Wohlleber were also on hand
community got a great deal,’’ Hibner said.
for part of the evening to answer questions.
The plan was to show attendees the three“It was an amazing turnout,’’ said Johnstory wing on the west side of the building
son, who led two tours of 35 and 25 people,
that houses students in grades 6-8 and also
respectively. “Great responses from all.’’
includes the library media center. Students
He said there was high interest and signifimoved into that area in October or early
cant support for the facility features related
November However, because the vast majorto sustainability and residents were also
ity of participants indicated they hadn’t seen
impressed by the geothermal system and the
the other new areas,
passive solar design comHibner said presenters
bined with the natural light
“I had very positive
decided to adjust the
architecture along with the
reactions from
tours.
security features at the front
“I had very positive
of the school.
people. They were
reactions from people,’’
The nearly $60 million
very appreciative of
said Deno, who gave
referendum passed with
tours. “They were
more than 68 percent of the
the work being done three
very appreciative of the
vote for the capital question
and how proud they
work being done and
and nearly 64 percent for the
how proud they were
operational question in Nowere to live here.”
to live here.’’
vember 2012. Approximately
-Bill Deno,
Soeteber also gave
$49 million went to rebuild
and put additions on at
Associate Principal three tours involving approximately 45
Kromrey, while another $11
people. He said there
million went to add a fifth-grade wing and
were
lots
of
positive
comments
about the colmake other improvements at Glacier Creek.
ors, natural light and collaboration spaces.
Fifth-graders were moved to both middle
“There were also many compliments about
schools starting in September, which also
how the new school takes advantage of its
relieved overcrowding in all six elementary
location next to Pheasant Branch,’’ he said.
schools.
“The cafeteria and learning commons were
Every tour emphasized a few key points,
among the favorite rooms.’’
Hibner said:
Premo, the project manager at Glacier
The cost per square foot for the middle
Creek and Kromrey, led two tours and had
school building projects was a little less than
about 80 people participate. He also led tours
$195, while the average cost per square foot
in August when approximately 300 people
for a secondary building in Wisconsin is $225.
visited Kromrey.
Voters approved both referendum ques“What a great event,’’ he said. “I was so
tions in 2012, which meant a tax impact of 70
Kromrey Associate Principal Bill Deno gives a tour of one of the science labs in the 6-8 wing.
impressed with the turnout from the public.
To see such an engaged community really shows why the Middleton-Cross Plains
Area School District is ahead of their peers
in bringing world-class education to their
students!’’
Zutz also gave three tours and had about
40 people participate. He also led tours in
August.
“Throughout all of my tours I received a
very positive and enthusiastic response to
the new building,’’ said Zutz, who is an MHS
graduate. “Everyone was very impressed with
the new facility and its amenities for both the
students and the community. There was a
particular interest in the geothermal system;
both in what is involved in the system and
how it actually transfers the energy from the
ground to the heat and cool the building.’’
Wolfert actually drove over from Milwaukee for the tours and led two presentations
with 12-15 people in each one.
“The participants were impressed with the
engagement of the building to the conservancy, the flexible learning environments,
and very proud that they could help provide
the students of Middleton with such a great
school,’’ he said.
The final phase of construction is already
underway. Abatement took place in early December and demolition of parts of the older
school was completed in early January.
A new gymnasium, fitness center and
athletic field will go up. A few classrooms will
be converted into more band and orchestra
space, while the old technology areas will be
refurbished. All of the work is expected to be
completed by August 2015 before the next
school year begins.
An open house was held on August and
more than 300 people attended. Another
open house will be scheduled once the final
phase is completed and a grand opening
ceremony will be held, Hibner said.
“We hope the turnout is just as big or
greater when we do the next one,’’ he said. “It
has been very gratifying.’’
New school will
remain Kromrey
After receiving input from students,
staff parents and community, the Board of
Education unanimously voted in the fall to
continue with the name Kromrey for the
new middle school.
During the last several months, the
District considered changing the name of
middle school. It is the only school of the
10 in the District named after a person.
Bray Architect’s Matt Wolfert leads a tour
of the second floor, which houses 7th grade.
All of the classrooms open have NanaWalls
that open to collaborative spaces.
Superintendent Don Johnson shows residents an art room during the open house Nov. 12.
Students can write on the walls (yes, the
walls!) in the collaborative spaces.
Edward Kromrey (center) is pictured above
along with Marv Wagner, (right), another
longtime administrator in the District.
Who was Mr. Kromrey?
The original Kromrey was built in
1962, and named Parkside Heights. In
May 1967, the Board of Education issued
a resolution to to rename the school
Edward G. Kromrey School as a tribute to
Mr. Kromrey, who was retiring.
The community stunned Mr. Kromrey
with a surprise testimonial banquet.
He was told he was presenting on the
Boy Scout Jamboree. The following is
an exerpt of a tribute, written by Mrs.
J.R. Smith was delivered by Mrs. Louse
Summers at a PTA meeting:
The gift of leadership is a precious one.
We know, of course, that leaders are often
above average in energy, intelligence and
imagination. Generally they also possess
courage and fortitude and enthusiasm.
When we add to these quality absolute
integrity, plus complete dedication then
we have no ordinary leader, we have Mr.
Kromrey.
This summer, Mr. Kromrey is retiring as
our superintendent.... What goes on in a
school system is the crucial measure of a
superintendent’s value to a community.
I think we can say with no fear of
contradiction that no man as done so
much for education in Middleton as Mr.
Kromrey. He led the way, often through
prickly paths, from a one school system
with 7 teachers and 176 pupils to a 3
school system with 63 teachers and 1150
students. But whether with a hundred or
a thousand or one pupil, Mr. Kromrey’s
philosophy has always been to maintain a
personal interest in each chid, taking him
wherever he is and guiding him as far as
he can go. It is this philosophy that has
made our Middleton School System of the
most admired in the area...or indeed in the
state.
To this goal, Mr. Kromrey has given of
himself unsparingly, working at least 15
hours a day, sometimes 7 days a week.
Nor has his interest in children stopped
at the schoolhouse. Nearly every civic
and professional organizatiuon has felt
his influence. He served as scoutmaster
for 23 years and is still a member of its
community. He is also a member of
the Optimists club- a youth oriented
organization and was a member of the
Middleton Youth Foundation for 18 years.
In addition, he served on the Village Board
for 6 years, was fire commissioner when
the city’s modern fire department was
organized, has been chairman of the Red
Cross many times,and has served on the
public libary board for the past four years,
To Mr. Kromrey, public service has not been
merely a job, or even a profession, but a
whole way of life.
Nor has his devotion dimmed though
the years. He is today just as enthusiastic,
just as eager and just has energenic as
he was when he first came here 30 years
ago He’s been an inspiration to all of us,
and while his presence will be missed we
shall ever be aware of the influence and
foresight with which he established the
foundations for our school system. So, Mr.
Kromrey, we wish you well, and we thank
you for your devotion and leadership.
Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District
3
Students across District
take part in Hour of Code
Students around the District learned a
little bit about coding Dec. 8-14 during a
world-wide event called Hour of Code.
Hour of Code, held in conjunction with
Computer Science Education Week, is a
grassroots effort to introduce students to
computer science by teaching them the
basics, and demystifying code.
Students from every District school used
online tutorials to code simple games, and
were encouraged to work on one hour of
code during the week.
Clark Street Community School
partnered with Filament Games, a local
games and applications company, to learn
coding and to learn about professional
opportunities available in computer
science. Filament employees explained the
coding they do is similar to the coding for
robotics.
“Programming can be humbling, and
sometimes causes you to question your
assumptions,” said Filament Games
programmer AJ Low. He encouraged
students to consider a career in
programming. “We are always going to
have a need for programming.”
MHS computer sciences teacher Lori
Hunt said her classes do an hour of code
every day. As a community service and as
part of Computer Science Education Week,
Hunt said the students were planning
to work one-on-one with a community
member or adult.
Last year, 15 million students around the
nation tried computer science during the
Hour of Code. Approximately 100 million
were expected to participate this year.
Elm Lawn students gaving coding a
try with sites like code.org, tynker.com,
lightbot.com and game.kodable.com.
“We live in a world surrounded by
technology,’’ Elm Lawn computer literacy
teacher Lisa Rust said. “And we know that
whatever field our students choose to go
into as adults, their ability to succeed will
increasingly depend on their ability to
understand how technology works.
“Coding is all about problem-solving
and sequential thinking, collaboration and
perseverence. Our students worked hard
and had a blast doing it!’’
Hunt’s classes even developed
educational apps as part of their first
semester final exam. She said nearly 40
students participated.
The students then took their apps to the
Middleton Youth Center, which is an afterschool program for middle school students
held at Clark Street Community School, to
have them test the software.
Each team developed their own
educational game ranging in levels that
hit second-graders all the way through
high schoolers, she said. Subjects included
history, geography, math, English, foreign
language, science and social studies.
The first group of programming students
presented and played their educational
games on Thursday, Jan. 15. The other
groups were going Jan. 20-22.
“It was awesome,’’ she said. “It was a great
experience for everyone. ‘‘
It’s been a busy year for Hunt. She also
was in Washington, D.C. earlier this year
for the National Science Foundation and
National Center for Women in Technology.
The goal is to get 10,000 educators
teaching computer science programming
by the 2015-16 school year, she said.
The group shared ideas and stories
about what they are working on with
students, she said. Hunt presented on the
Java programming curriculum that she
has written.
London
continued from page 1
The MHS band shows off their new uniforms and takes an official photo in front of the Houses
of Parliament following their performance in the London New Year’s Day Parade on Jan. 1.
Left: MHS student Liz Haberland-Ervin was among those who rode the Barclay Bikes in the
London New Year’s Day Parade. Right: Members of the MHS choir performed jointly with
other choirs as part of the London International Choral Festival at Westminster Central Hall.
Johnson, the mayor of London who
championed them). Some choir and drama
students had a lot of fun dancing and
informally entertaining the crowd while
they waited for the parade to start.
As the MHS band finished the
parade, the bells of Westminster Abbey
were ringing as if to punctuate their
performance.
Earlier in the week, the MHS band and
the MHS orchestra had been part of one
of the London New Year’s Day Parade
Festival Concerts at the beautiful Cadogan
Hall. Another evening, the MHS orchestra
and the MHS choir performed in another
concert venue, St. John’s Smith Square.
MHS drama students enjoyed a
backstage tour of the Globe Theatre and
The Mousetrap and participated in a
Shakespeare workshop.
The MHS choir finished the week of
performances by participating in the Grand
Finale Concert of the London International
Choral Festival on Jan. 2 at Westminster
Central Hall. MHS choral students joined
with choirs from Arizona, Virginia and
Georgia and were accompanied by the
London Young Musicians Symphony
Orchestra, conducted by James Blair.
Between performances, students were
able to see the changing of the guard at
Buckingham palace, tour Oxford and see
the beautiful surrounding countryside,
visit Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s
Cathedral, ride the London Eye and enjoy
other sights of London.
The Middleton-Cross Plains community
was an integral part of making this tour
possible. Thirty-one students were given
trip grants toward a portion of their cost
in attending due to the generosity of
area businesses and individuals. The MHS
Fine Arts department wishes to thank the
Middleton-Cross Plains area community
and the MHS fine arts parents for their
generous involvement and support to
make this tour possible.
“The community really stepped up and
fully funded our trip grants for the kids
that needed a little extra help to make this
possible,” said Brad Schneider, one of band
directors at MHS.
Added MHS orchestra director Steve
Kurr: “I want to thank the 28 chaperones,
who paid their own way and gave up a
week during the holiday season to help out
on the trip. Without their hard work and
expertise, travel like this is not possible.”
To see video and more photos of the
London trip, visit a special Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/mhslondon.
Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District
4
Foundation grants continue to impact students in District
The MCPASD Education Foundation
handed out 10 grants to seven schools and
the Middleton Youth Center as part of its
second fall bus tour on Tuesday, Nov. 25.
The Foundation handed out $7,335 as
part of its fall cycle. That total included a
$1,250 grant sponsored by the State Bank
of Cross Plains, a $750 grant sponsored
by Monsanto and a $250 grant sponsored
by an anonymous donor. It is the second
consecutive year State Bank of Cross Plains
and Monsanto have sponsored grants.
The Foundation has handed out more than
30 grants and nearly $20,000 since it began
issuing grants in 2013. Every District school,
along with one 4K program, has received at
least one grant.
Since its inception in 2011, the Foundation
has also raised more than $150,000 for
its endowment fund though Madison
Community Foundation.
The bus tour included stops at all of the
schools. More than 20 MHS band members
played “On Wisconsin” and another song
in each of the schools before Board chair
Courtney Ward-Reichard presented each
recipient with flowers donated by Copps and
a certificate.
CSCS teacher Jason Pertzborn received
a $1,250 grant to help students learn how
to write resumes and cover letters, apply
for jobs, interview for positions, receive
paychecks, learn about W-2 and W-4 forms
and prepare personal budgets. It is the
second grant he has received from the
Foundation. This grant was funded by the
State Bank of Cross Plains.
Elm Lawn first grade teacher Casey Harrod
received a $300 grant to purchase books for
below benchmark students with the goal of
helping the readers reach Level H or higher
by the end of the school year.
John Becker, music teacher at Elm Lawn,
received a $600 grant to hire experienced
professional musicians to work all day with
students in the spring. Students will learn
about musical, cultural and dance traditions
in jazz with strong African, Caribbean and
South American influences, culminating in an
all-school concert. This is the second grant he
has received from the Foundation.
Glacier Creek teacher Pamela Anderson
received $350 to provide opportunities for
Glacier Creek’s recently formed Gay-Straight
Alliance Club. She plans to use the funds
to provide financial support for students
of need who wish to attend workshops or
activities, along with supplies the club may
need.
Also at Glacier Creek, Emily Hutchison
received $775 to purchase canvas and acrylic
paint and hire artist Michael Owens to work
with students over two days as they develop
murals with a simple, inspiring word. The
paintings will be displayed at Glacier Creek
and around the District.
Caitlin Farrell and Tamara Weisbrod
received $310 to pay for postage for
postcards that are sent home to families of
MHS students who are displaying positive
behaviors in the classroom and community. It
is the second grant the Foundation has given
to the MHS PBIS program.
Northside’s Sara Whirry received $1,000 to
purchase supplies for the school’s SPLASH
student advisory program. Activities are
held monthly in small groups and involve
every student and staff member. Principal
Roz Craney said this has created a strong
community of learning and encouraged
students to be role models.
Paige Bessick and Stephanie Spence
received $250 to create a mural at the school
with flags on a map representing the diverse
population of students and staff at Sauk
Trail. Two classroom discussions will also be
created for all teachers to use in discussions
about the mural.
Diane Boles and Nicholas Smith received
$1,500 for materials to help create a
sustainable cycle of composting, gardening
and nutrition at West Middleton. Monsanto
provided $750 for this grant.
Gabrielle Hinahara received $1,000 to
purchase eight digital cameras for an afterschool Photography Club that will give
students the opportunity to learn about
and practice photography. The Youth Center
meets every day for 2 hours after school at
Clark Street Community School and is open
to all middle school students in the District.
The grants should impact more than 4,000
students across the District, Hibner said.
Elm Lawn’s Casey Harrod, left, with
Foundation board chair Courtney WardReichard and Superintendent Don Johnson.
Pam Anderson, middle, received a grant for
Glacier Creek’s Gay-Straight Alliance Club.
Northside’s Sara Whirry, who wrote a grant for the school’s SPLASH student advisory program
that received $1,000 from the Education Foundation, poses with some of her students.
Tamara Weisbord, right, and Caitlin Farrell
won a $310 grant for PBIS program at MHS.
Custodian Nicholas Smith, middle, wrote a
sustainability grant for West Middleton.
From left, Niki Kalscheur, Paige Bessick and
Stephanie Spence celebrated at Sauk Trail.
More than 20 MHS band members played ‘On Wisconsin’ at each school that won a grant.
What is the MCPASD Education Foundation?
The Foundation is a non-profit
organization made up of entirely of
volunteers from our community. They
all are passionate about education. The
Foundation’s mission is to provide inspiring
experiences for District students and staff
beyond what they already receive.
The 11 members of the Foundation’s
board are: Chair Courtney Ward-Reichard,
Vice Chair Bill Reis, Treasurer Brenda
Delabarre, Secretary Tom Kobinsky,
Secretary and members Shawna Bertalot,
Don Johnson, Ellen Lindgren, Steph
Mueller, Zach Galin, Charlie Seaman and
Jeff Roespch.
The Foundation was formed in 2011.
The Foundation has formed a partnership
with Madison Community Foundation that
maximizes earnings, secures principal and
minimizes administrative costs.
The Foundation has already raised more
than $150,000 for the endowment fund it
has through MCF. The Foundation gave out
20 grants worth about $12,000 to MCPASD
teachers this year. Those grants will impact
more than 4,000 students.
In addition, the Foundation also
secured American Transmission Company
as a sponsor for the annual Youth
Frontiers Courage Retreat at Kromrey
and received grants of $6,000 from the
Berbee Foundation for Chromebooks for
elementary students and $5,000 from the
Evjue Foundation for equipment for the
MHS Media Production Department. It
has also helped increase the number of
scholarships awarded annually to MHS
graduating seniors.
To learn more, please contact executive
director Perry Hibner at 829-9014.
Want to give? Here’s how
Clark Street’s Jason Pertzborn won a grant
for the second straight year, while Gabrielle
Hinahara (second from right) received a
$1,000 grant for the Youth Center.
Please visit the Foundation’s website,
inspiringexperiences.org, and click on
the Contributions section. Click on the
green Donate Online link and you will
be taken to our page on the Madison
Community Foundation website, where
you can pay by credit card.
If you prefer to pay by check, you can
make your checks payable to MCPASD
Education Foundation.
You can either
mail the check to
Madison Community
Foundation, P.O. Box
5010, Madison, WI
53705-0010 or to Perry
Hibner, 7106 South
Ave., Middleton, WI
53562.
Northside students celebrated and enjoyed
some music from the MHS band, too.
THANK YOU, EDUCATION FOUNDATION DONORS
5
Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District
Fifth Grade going strong at both middle schools
This past fall, with construction being
completed, the school district made the
transition to house fifth grade at the
middle schools.
“I feel the transition has gone very
well. The fifth grade students bring a
very positive energy to Glacier Creek,”
said Associate Principal Rick Kisting. “This
model will also make the transition from
5th grade to 6th grade much less daunting
for many students. “
The fifth grade has its own wing, and
students remain with the same teacher
throughout the day, with the exception of
special classes.
Fifth graders from both middle schools
said they were all a little nervous over the
summer.
“I was nervous, but I knew my sister
(sixth grade) was moving with me,” said
Kromrey fifth grader Sierra Gudel.
Xhuljana Larollari agreed, saying she was
worried it would harder than elementary
school.
“Some kids were having a difficult time
at the beginning,” said Kromrey teacher
Tanya Zempel. “But some of the things
they were having the most trouble with
(learning to use their lockers) are now their
favorite things.”
It was a little rough at the beginning, but
now after two quarters, fifth graders are
loving their new space.
“I like having a larger school... with
more responsibility,” said Glacier Creek
fifth grader Colin Keenan. Fifth grader
Kevin Spahn added he likes that 5th grade
is AT the middle school, while still being
separate so you can adjust while still being
comfortable.
Paige Boswell said she is happy to be at
a larger school. “When my mom and I drive
by Kromrey, I’ll say ‘There’s my campus...’ “
she said.
Students rattled off all that they love
about middle schools -- having their own
lockers, spending time in the collaboration
space, eating in the cafetorium, having
more choices for lunch, going to the library
and being able to sample World Languages
each quarter—Spanish, French, German
and Mandarin. They, of course, love their
teachers.
Students also love spending time with
the eighth graders. Both schools have
adopted a program called WEB (Where
Everyone Belongs) where select eighth
graders go through training and mentor
fifth graders.
Students love the collaborative space between classrooms.
Every Friday at Kromrey Middle School,
many eighth graders line the halls near the
fifth grade wing, and give the fifth graders
high fives, as they enter the building. It’s
called High Five Fridays, and it is one of
the many ways the middle schools have
worked to make everyone feel at home.
“The eighth graders have been great
leaders and positive role models,” said fifth
grade teacher Tanya Zempel.
“The fifth graders look up to them, and it
eases tension. They no longer see them as
big and scary.”
Teachers have really enjoyed being able
to collaborate with each other.
“We have teachers from all other
schools with a wide range of experience,
sharing ideas,” said Kromrey teacher Kim
Longfield.
Teachers have enjoyed being able to use
the collaboration space for small group
work and large presentations. Students
and teachers at Kromrey can use one wall
as a very large dry erase board. Students
love to write on the wall. “They were all out
there working on the wall when we were
learning long division,” said Zempel.
“Working with other teachers has been
amazing,” said Zempel,and parent support
has be phenomenal.
“We are lucky, very very lucky.”
The furniture in the collaborative space at Kromrey and Glacier are constantly being used.
Fifth Grade Teachers
Kromrey fifth grade teachers include: Row one: Lindsay Muniz, Mindy Frankfurth, Kim
Longfield, Karen Doll. Row two: Chad Johnson, Tanya Zempel, Alexandra Bresser, Lisa
Loichinger, Maria Nygard, , Karyn Baxter, Carol Pincombe and Kevin Pauls. (Jennifer
Davidson was not available when photo was taken.)
Lockers are avaiable for all fifth graders.
All classrooms have glass doors and face the collaboration space.
Glacier Creek fifth grade teachers include: row one: Doreen Klotz, Amy Weber, Emily
Strousland, Jenniper Hylbert. row two: Kevin Fisher, Kodie Johnson, Sue Brumm, Barb
Snell and Mattie Leinhardt.
Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District
6
4K
Registration
Registration for the 2015-16
school year for the MiddletonCross Plains Area School District 4K
program has begun. The program
is open to children who are 4 years
of age on or before Sept. 1, 2015.
The District does not have an early
entrance policy for 4K.
Parents have the option to
submit the fillable forms via e-mail
or register in person.
If families prefer to register in
person, they may do so at the
District Administrative Center, 7106
South Ave., Middleton, during
regular business hours (7:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m.).
Parents can also contact Rose
Kelso at 608-829-9067 if they have
questions about 4K or need help
with the forms.
If you are registering in-person
or via e-mail, please make sure
you provide proof of residency
and proof of your child’s age.
Acceptable documents for proof of
residency include a current utility
bill, a current lease agreement or
documents from a recent home
purchase. A birth certificate or
current passport are needed to
prove your student’s age.
If possible, please also bring your
child’s immunization record.
Parents with children
under 3 years old:
Are you in our system?
If you are a Middleton-Cross
Plains Area School District resident
and have children (birth through
18) not currently enrolled in the
our school district, please fill out
our online census form.
The information you provide
helps the District plan for future
enrollment, and allows us to
contact you with any important
information regarding educational
programs for your child.
Please use our online census
form on our website,
www.mcpasd.k12.wi.us (The
online census is located under the
Our District menu.)
Open enrollment
begins on Feb. 2
The open enrollment dates for
the 2015-16 school year are Feb. 2
through April 30, 2015.
MCPASD officials and the Board
of Education will make a decision
in later January regarding open
enrollment for the 2015-16 school
year.
Graduation date June 7
MHS announced that graduation
will move back to Sunday afternoon
and be held on June 7 at 2 p.m. for the
Class of 2015.
This year’s ceremony will again be
held at the Alliant Energy Center. Last
year’s ceremony was held on a Friday
night, however, there were conflicts
due to the MHS boys tennis team
advancing to the WIAA Division 1 state
team tournament, which resulted in
the ceremony not starting until 8 p.m.
Underclassmen will still have school
the following week with three days of
final exams. The final day of school for
underclassmen is set for Wednesday,
June 10.
Board recognizes local business partners
Five area organizations received
Wisconsin Association of School Boards’
Business Honor Roll awards from the
Middleton-Cross Plains Area School
District.
The Middleton Chamber of Commerce,
The Business Source, Boardman & Clark LLP,
Control Works and Sauk Plains Plumbing
were nominated by District officials for the
awards in August 2014. The District learned
in the fall that all five would receive the
honor.
Executive director Van Nutt received
a framed certificate from District
Communications Director Perry Hibner
at the chamber’s monthly Get Moving
Middleton morning breakfast meeting in
early December.
“This honor belongs to all of us,’’ Nutt
told the more than 180 people who were
in attendance. “This is a reflection of the
wonderful partnerships the District has
with many businesses in the community.
We all work together to make Middleton a
great place.’’
The Business Source owners John and
Kathy Russell received their award from
Superintendent Don Johnson during
a brief ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 8.
Boardman & Clark and Control Works
officials will be recognized later this month.
Each organization will receive a framed
certificate, along with a Middleton-Cross
Plains Area School District pen-and-pencil
set.
It is the third year WASB has offered the
program. This year nine school districts
nominated 28 businesses. In the first two
years of the program more than 35 school
districts nominated approximately 100
businesses.
The program recognizes school
districts and local businesses that have
partnered to provide additional learning
opportunities or support students, staff
and their local communities.
The Middleton Chamber has sponsored
a scholarship for a Middleton High School
graduating senior for years. They also
continue to sponsor up to eight MHS
students to attend Business World, a weeklong summer program that helps students
learn real-world business experience.
District staff are invited to speak at their
monthly Get Moving Middleton breakfast,
where close to 200 Chamber members
are able to learn more about what is
happening in our schools.
Business Source employees speak to
MHS marketing students each year. John
Russell has also worked as a mentor for
CSCS students on business plans to raise
funds for travel experiences. The Business
Source has provided education and
training for the Clark Street Community
School Coffee Program and taught
students the fundamentals of starting,
establishing and running a small business.
Boardman & Clark provides legal
services to MCPASD on a variety of issues.
In addition, Boardman & Clark partner,
Eric Baker, has taught Junior Achievement
classes at both the CSCS and Elm Lawn for
several years.
Controls Works has been the district’s
HVAC controls contractor since 2001. Their
first project was a heating and cooling
system remodeling at Park. They have
continued to work with us to install new
controls in most schools. They have helped
train our head custodian staff as well as
our maintenance staff in the use of the
Honeywell control system. Their team has
been a vital partner in helping the District
become more energy efficient and in
maintaining our high Energy Star rating.
Sauk Plains Plumbing has partnered
with the district for more than seven years
on most of the District’s smaller plumbing
projects. They have continually been
willing to help with plumbing questions,
solve difficult problems and assist us with
our immediate needs.
CSCS students learn from experts in radiation
Students at Clark Street Community
School recently collaborated with experts
from the University of Wisconsin Carbone
Cancer Center on the health effects of
ionizing radiation.
The students, who were participating in
a seminar called Radiation, (see description
below) are each working on a research
topic related to radiation.
CSCS teacher Heather Messer invited
Assistant Professor Bryan Bednar and four
graduate students to talk with students.
“My goal as a science teacher at an
innovative school like CSCS is to provide
students with background knowledge
from which they can launch their own
scientific inquiries,” Messer said.
“My students are learning about
cutting edge technology and innovative
techniques related to radiation therapy
as a side benefit of doing their own
personalized research.”
After a Power Point talk on ionizing
radiation, students broke up into mini
focus groups and talked with graduate
students.
“I really enjoyed being able to
collaborate with experts on the topic I was
researching,” said CSCS student Jessica
Acker. “It was an awesome experience.”
Emily Jenkins agreed with Acker, saying
that they helped her better understand
radiation therapy.
Julian Tian especially enjoyed talking
with graduate students about their
research projects.
“The UW students answered all of our
questions informatively, and took the
initiative to help us further.”
“It was fascinating” said Jennifer
Dahlquist., and got her interested in the
subject..
“I especially liked connecting with
other students and seeing what they were
doing.”
Making a connection with the greater
community is a large part of learning at
Clark Street. Students are required to
collaborate with content experts when
they work on research projects.
In its third year, Clark Street Community
School uses a flexible standards-based
learning platform that allows each student
to design their own learning experiences.
Student complete required graduation
elements in each of the core subject areas
and social and emotional learning through
projects or seminars.
Assistant Professor Bryan Bednarz talks with CSCS Senior Jennifer Dahlquist.
I am very thankful that I was given the opportunity to help educate Ms. Messer’s
class on the health effects of ionizing radiation. This collaboration is yet another
example of the value of university outreach and education to the community
as originally proposed in the Wisconsin Idea. I was impressed by the willingness
of the students to participate in this educational experience and the thoughtprovoking questions that ensued. Perhaps even more enlightening was witnessing
the transformative education these students were receiving. It is clear to me that
teaching innovation from the grassroots level is just as important as top-down
innovation from colleges and universities. I applaud Ms. Messer and the Clark Street
Community School on their contribution to developing Wisconsin’s next generation
of thinkers and innovators.
-Bryan P. Bednarz, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Medical Physics
Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research
radioactive seminar
Graduate and CSCS students participated in
small group discussion.
Throughout high school, they collect
artifacts in a portfolio that demonstrate
proficiency.
Learn more about CSCS by visiting their
website at: www.mcpasd.k12.wi.us/cscs
In this seminar, we will read the
colorful graphic novel Radioactive,
and discuss how science influences
popular culture. We will use the book
to explore how chemistry explains
a love story, espionage, modern
chemical warfare, and the exponential
leaps in our understanding of science
that have happened in the last century
or so. Students will be engaged in
active lab and field work, reading and
Socratic seminars designed to form
a foundation for individual projects
connecting science and culture.
Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District
7
Close’s class wins Mrs. P national writing contest
Karen Close’s fourth-grade class at Elm
Lawn has been named the winner of the
Mrs. P Be-A-Famous Writer Contest.
The winning story, The Magic Baseball
Poster, was written by Daniel Kim with help
from Owen Sheehan. The story was picked
over four other finalists for the national
award.
“I was shocked. I didn’t think our story
would stand up. It’s a great honor,’’ Kim said
on Thursday, Jan. 15
“It’s crazy to think so many stories were
submitted throughout the entire United
States and that we won,’’ Sheehan said.
Kim said he decided on the topic after
reading a book about Jackie Robinson.
Sheehan said he is a big baseball fan so he
was thrilled to help out.
One of the biggest challenges was
tightening up the story. The rules allowed
stories between 250 and 1,000 words to be
submitted. At one point, Kim’s story was
300 words too long so the boys cut out a
part about meeting Robinson’s wife.
Close’s class wrote six stories and
picked the baseball story by one vote over
another story about time-traveling dogs.
The class received
• Winner’s certificate
• Gift certificate from Buyer Preferred for
$100 to purchase books.
• One-Year subscription to Tales2Go for Up
to 10 users, which is a $180 value.
• A year’s subscription to myON reader,
a personalized reading resource, which
is a $7,250 value. Students will have
unlimited access to more than 4,000
enhanced digital books available on
Pictured are Mrs. Close’s class, along with Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services
George Mavroulis Elm Lawn principal Robert Schell, Superintendent Don Johnson, Library
Media Specialist Deb Dagitz.
desktops, laptops, netbooks and tablets.
• Mrs. P Magic Universal Bookmarks
The story will have its world premiere on
the Mrs. P website on March 4. Close’s class
will also get its own bound and illustrated
copy of the story along with a copy for the
school library. Mrs. P will also Skype with
Close’s classroom on March 4 and read the
story to students.
“I received many stories from classrooms
all over the country, so you should be very
proud of your classrooms accomplishment,’’
said Mrs. P, who is played on TV by actress
Kathy Kinney.
Close said the stories were written
after a unit on narrative writing in writing
District’s finances strong as
tax rate up just 3.5 percent
Foundation
to host concert
to honor Esser
More than 330 tickets have been sold
for the Maggie Mae Concert to honor
Park custodian Rod “Peanuts” Esser at
the Performing Arts Center on April 18,
MCPASD Education Foundation executive
director Perry Hibner said in early January
In addtion, 20 area businesses have
also agreed to sponsor the event, he said.
Sponsors include Madison Community
Foundation, Wagner Insurance, St.
Francis Xavier School, Main Street
Lanes, Sauk Plains Plumbing, Crossroads
Coffeehouse, Century 21, All-American
Liquor, Hellenbrand Water Center, TA Miller
Electric, Lawns Unlimited, Plastic Ingenuity,
Kalscheur Implement, Cross Plains Motors,
Tax Solutions. and True Value Hardware in
Cross Plains.
There are three levels -- gold, silver and
patron -- of sponsorships available.
The concert to honor Esser, who has
worked for 50 years in the District, will be
held at the Middleton Performing Arts
Center on Saturday, April 18. Esser has seen
Mae perform in person more than a dozen
times, including throughout Wisconsin,
Minnesota and even in Branson, Mo. He
saw her again on Dec. 7, just a few days
before his 75th birthday.
All ticket proceeds from the event will
benefit the MCPASD Education Foundation.
“I am honored and humbled that
everyone is making such a fuss over
this,’’ said Esser, who for most of his time
has worked as the custodian at Park
Elementary in Cross Plains. “I love Maggie’s
concerts. Everyone who comes will have a
Enrollment
continued from page 1
resident students and the District pays for
their education but they get it somewhere
else through open enrollment. Most of that
occurred at the 4K and high school levels.
The District only planned for a 50-student
increase for budget purposes, which mean
workshop and the stories went through
many revisions and edits, she said.
“It was a very tight race,’’ Close said.
“Daniel’s story won by one vote.’’
Kim’s story is about two boys who are
able to go back in time to meet Jackie
Robinson the day before he breaks the
color barrier in major league baseball with
the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
What was Kim’s reaction to being finalist
for the award?
“Daniel is shy, humble and unassuming,’’
Close said. “I think he’s a bit self-conscious
about all the attention.’’
Close was thrilled that his story has
been honored.
“I reacted with joy and pride,’’ she said.
“He is a very hard-working student who
takes instruction well and doesn’t back
away from any challenge I put before him.
He makes corrections without complaint
and isn’t afraid to make major changes
if need be. I saw his time travel story an
offshoot of his daily work ethic.’’
Close learned about the contest from
library-media center specialist Deb Dagitz.
The class then joined Mrs. P for a webcast
announcing the contest. It is the first time
Close has had a class enter the contest.
Two of the other finalists were from
Crestwood Elementary in Iowa. The other
finalists were from The Collegiate School
in Richmond, Va., and Albemarle Road
Elementary School in Charlotte, N.C. This
year K-4 classrooms were invited to write
about the theme of time travel.
The winner was selected by a panel of
celebrity judges that included poet Robert
L. Forbes, actress Marion Ross, and 5th
grade teacher from N. Y. Jamie Palmer, and
Mrs. P, which is an LLC founded in 2008 by
the Hollywood team of Clay Graham, Dana
Plautz and Kinney.
Plus Polka Dots Publishing will turn the
winning story into two copies of an actual
book with color illustrations created by
illustrator Robin Robinson for the winning
school’s classroom and school library. The
other four finalists will receive gift cards for
books from Powell’s and a choice of one of
author Melissa Northway’s books for their
classroom.
What does Kim think about writing now?
“I definitely like it more now,’’ he said.
Pictured are Peanuts Esser and Maggie Mae.
great time. She provides good, wholesome
entertainment.’’
Tickets for the show, which begins
at 7 p.m., are $26 for orchestra seating
and $21 for mezzanine seating. All seats
are reserved. Tickets can be purchased
through Brown Paper Tickets’ website or by
calling 1-800-838-3006. The PAC has more
than 550 orchestra seats and nearly 350
mezzanine seats.
Maggie Mae Concert
April 18, 7 p.m.
Performing Arts Center
The Lions Club of Cross Plains, the Cross
Plains Optimist Club, the Park PTO and
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church will sell
food, beverages and dessert before the
concert. The PAC will open at 5 p.m. and
Mae and Esser will be available to meet
with people before and after the show. A
short tribute to Esser will begin at 6:45 p.m.
Mae, a home-grown talented country
singer and Nashville recording artist from
Oxford, Wis., has been entertaining crowds
with her country music and yodeling and
promises enjoyment throughout her shows
since taking up the guitar in 2002.
more money is available for curriculum and
other needs, she said.
“These are all great numbers,’’ she said.
Assistant Superintendent for Educational
Services George Mavroulis, who provides
regular updates to the Board on enrollment,
pointed out unlike most years there wasn’t
a huge drop in enrollment from August to
September.
The Board of Education unanimously
approved the 2014-15 budget and
certified the tax levy for the MiddletonCross Plains Area School District at its
regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 27.
Fiscal Services Lori Ames gave a brief
presentation before the vote. She pointed
out the process began 11 months ago and
went over a few of the highlights from
the preliminary budget, which the Board
received in July, to now.
The District’s revenue limit went up
$325,000 more than expected because
enrollment was higher than was in the
preliminary budget. That resulted in the
tax levy going from 6.09 to 6.5 percent
increase.
There is very good news for taxpayers.
The District projected a 1 percent increase
in equalized property values but the
increase was nearly 3 percent increase,
which means the new tax (mill) rate is
$11.51 or a 3.51 percent increase from
Municipality
a year ago. The District was originally
projecting a tax (mill) rate increase of
slightly more than 5 percent.
When the referendum was passed in
2012, the mill rate was projected to go up
70 cents over the next two years, District
communications director Perry Hibner said.
The mill rate at that time was $10.91, which
means the District has kept it 10 cents
lower than anticipated.
That means a property owner with a
home valued at $300,000 will see the
school portion of their 2015 tax bill total
$3,453, a $117 increase over a year ago.
The tax levy will be $65.09 million, an
increase 6.5 percent from 2013-14.
Assistant Superintendent for Business
Services Tom Wohlleber pointed out the
tax impact will be different for taxpayers
in each of the eight municipalities based
on the change in equalized value for
that municipality and the change in their
individual property value.
2014 Equalized Value
Change
% of Total
Equalized Valuation
City of Middleton
.90 percent
43.59%
City of Madison
5.02 percent
20.1%
Town of Middleton
6.89 percent
18.28%
Village of Cross Plains
3.81 percent
5.91%
Town of Springfield
2.32 percent
5.15%
Town of Westport
-4.38 percent
3.59%
Town of Cross Plains
1.20 percent
1.87%
Town of Berry
-0.35 percent
1.49%
District Total
2.87 percent
100.00%
The biggest gain from last year was at the
middle schools, which are up 108 students.
He also said it’s likely our future high school
classes will be 550 or higher per class based
on the current size of those classes in the
middle schools.
The University of Wisconsin’s Applied
Population Lab will receive this information
and will likely present a report in January
or February, Assistant Superintendent for
Business Services Tom Wohlleber said. The
APL provides multiple models to the District
for future enrollment growth based on trends
and birth rates.
The APL, which forecasts enrollment
growth for many school districts around the
state, is predicting MCPASD will grow by
nearly 70-90 students in the 2015-16 school
year, an increase of just over 1 percent.
Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District
8
HONORS & ACCOLADES
Fine arts
• Twenty State Honors Band and Orchestra
students were recognized for excellence
and earned spots in the Wisconsin
State Honors Ensembles. More than
2,000 students auditioned statewide.
All students attended a four-day camp
at UW-Green Bay in June and held
concerts at the Overture Center and
Monona Terrace in October. Honors
Jazz Ensemble: Eli Bucheit – Jazz Piano.
Adam Yeazel – Tenor Sax. Honors
Orchestra: Oliver Epstein – Bassoon.
Jahnavi Gali – Viola . Adam Goren
– Percussion. Connor Kooistra –
Trombone. Kennedy Kooistra – F Horn.
Meijia Li – Flute. Tamara Scott – Violin.
Teddy Williams – Percussion. Michael
Xie – Viola. Michelle Xie – Violin. Su Jin
Yoo – Violin. Sami Zimmerman – Violin.
Honors Band: Simone Hendrix – Flute.
Akash Pattnaik – Flute. Nikhil Trivedi
– Clarinet. Wesley Wakai – Trumpet.
Jessica Wang – Flute. Anna WeltonArndt – Flute.
• Students from Glacier Creek and
Kromrey were nominated by their
teachers to attend a three-day honors
band workshop at UW-Milwaukee Nov.
21-23. Kromrey students included:
Logan Pritchard (8th), Ben Petersen
(8th), Shephen Shi (7th), Henrik
Gruett (6th), Alex Ashley (6th), Hanna
Noughani (8th Aaron Brenton (8th)
Erica Collin (7th) Ben Foster (7th) and
Michael Shulla (8th). Glacier Creek
students included: Sawm Djamali,
(8th). Ben Fagre, (8th), Logan Frey,
(8th), Taylor Huber, (7th), Amanda
Roesch, (7th Ally Schollmeyer, (8th),
Ethan Stafford, (7th), Alexis Stahnke,
(8th), Laura Stewart, (8th)Erik Stewart,
(8th), and Sami Woldt, (8th).
Staff
• Congratulations to Sauk Trail’s
Julie Bohmsach, Kromrey’s Jolene
Wochenske, Glacier Creek’s Tim Ashe
and Tim Simon of MHS. They have been
nominated for the Kohl Fellowship
teaching awards.
• Congratulations to Park’s Karen
Murphree and Glacier Creek’s Amy
Weber, who each won grants of around
$500 from the Meemic Foundation
• Congratulations to Tamara Weisbrod,
who was selected to replace Jamie
Domini as one of two Deans of Students
at MHS. Tamara had served as a special
education teacher for 12 years
• Clark Street Community School,
Middleton High School and the
Middleton Youth Center, which is an
after-school program that serves middle
school students, all received grants from
the Middleton Community Endowment
at the Get Moving Middleton meeting
on Thursday, Dec. 4. Heather Messer
(CSCS), Robin Kourakis (MHS) and
Megan Raschka (Youth Center) were all
on hand to accept the awards from MCE
board chair Ray Riddle, while MCPASD
Superintendent Don Johnson was also in
attendance.
• MHS social studies teacher Andrew
Hartman won a scholarship from
the UW-Madison South Asian Studies
Department to particpate in an educator
curriculum tour of India in March 2015.
• Best wishes to School Nutrition Services
Director Susan Peterman, who retired
in December after more than seven years
with the District.
• West Middleton second-grade teacher
Tanjya Tibbetts recently received a
grant for $839 from U.S. Cellular.
• Glacier Creek’s Amy Weber and Park’s
Karen Murphree received grants this
week from the Meemic Foundation
totaling nearly $1,000.
• Athletic
• MHS students Nikko Miller, Brett Joers,
Rachel Thornton, Logan Welti and
Hanna Docter participated in the 2014
WIAA Sportsmanship Summit on Dec. 3.
• The MHS girls swimming team won
the Big Eight title for the fourth straight
year, captured their own WIAA Division 1
sectional and placed third at state.
• The MHS boys and girls cross country
teams qualified for the WIAA Division 1
state meet, with the girls taking fourth.
• The MHS girls volleyball team won the
Big Eight tournament title and lost in five
sets to Sun Prairie in a WIAA Division 1
sectional final.
• The MHS boys volleyball team won
its third straight Big Eight Conference
title and advanced to the WIAA state
tournament for the second straight year
and seventh time since 2002.
• The MHS girls tennis team won the Big
Eight regular season and tournament
titles and advanced to the WIAA
Division 1 state team tennis tournament
semifinals before losing to Middleton.
Allison Ragsdale and Abbey Webber
finished fifth in doubles at the state
individual tournament, while Kasey
Skibba took sixth in singles.
• The MHS boys cross country team
finished third in the Big Eight and
took sixth out of 20 teams at the WIAA
Division 1 state meet.
• Junior Loren Skibba won the WIAA
Division 1 individual state championship
in girls golf and helped the Cardinals
take third at state and tie for the Big
Eight regular season title.
• The MHS football team won its first
outright Big Eight championship since
2004 and advanced to the second round
of the WIAA Division 1 playoffs.
• The MHS boys soccer team tied for
third in the Big Eight and finished 11-5-3
overall.
Students
• Congratulations to Sauk Trail for having
the most participants in a school in
the annual Tri 4 Schools triathlon in
Middleton. The school received a check
for more than $960 from Tri 4 Schools for
its participation.
• Congratulations to MHS Senior Tara
Roach for winning a logo design contest
sponsored by the Middleton Public
Library.
• Elm Lawn was recently awarded $250
to partially underwrite the “Making Jazz
Music Child’s Play” program.
• Eight MHS students were named
series champions at the District Career
Development Conference at Sun Prairie
High School on Saturday, Jan. 10.
Community
• Thank you to American Transmission
Co. (ATC) for contributing $5,500 to help
fund Kromrey’s Youth Frontiers program
for the second straight year.
• MCPASD and City of Middleton recently
received a grant to develop and hold
a tabletop and functional exercise
involving an intruder in one of our
schools. The first exercise is expected to
take place in early April.
4th Annual MHS Film Festival
Join Middleton High School on April
15, 2015 for the fourth annual MHS Film
Festival. The free event begins at 7 p.m. at
the PAC. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Live music and walk the RED carpet!
The event is open to all high school
students in Dane County.
The top 15 films will be viewed at the
festival before awards are handed out
VOTE for the Viewer's Choice Award the
night of the festival
Films and forms are DUE by March 6, 2015
Send films and forms to:
MCPASD Media Production Department
2100 Bristol St.
Middleton, WI 53562
See details on the school district’s website
at www.mcpasd.k12.wi.us
Park Kindergarten teacher Amy Callies led her class and guest Peter Ostlind on a hike
through the school forest behind the school. Ostlind presented Callies a check to improve the
trails.
Park recipient of forest grant
Park kindergarten teacher Amy Callies
received a $1,000 grant from the Teachers’
Outdoor Environmental Education (TOEE)
Fund in October.
Peter Ostlind presented the check
to Callies and Park principal Monica
Schommer after taking a 30-minute hike
with students on the Park Forest Trail.
“I don’t want this to be mine, I want it to
be ours.’’ Callies said during a presentation
to the Board of Education at its regular
meeting later that night.
“It’s pretty exciting stuff.’’
Callies’ proposal was entitled, “School
Forest Trail Accessibility Project.’’ The TOEE
fund was created by Ostlind in memory of
his wife, Sue Spaeth, who was a Wisconsin
native and elementary school teacher
for 30 years. Ostind said four grants were
awarded totaling $3,300 this year.
“It was very exciting to see all of the
work Amy and all of the staff and students
at Park have done with their forest,’’ he said.
“I can’t wait to come back next year and
see what else has been accomplished.’’
The fund is sponsored through the
National Resources Foundation of
Wisconsin, which was formed in 1986. It
is the third grant that Park has received
thanks to Callies’ efforts this year.
Park received an MCPASD Education
Foundation grant in the spring to improve
the trails and signage in the school forest
in order to encourage more school and
community use. Park also received a
$5,000 Wisconsin Environmental Education
Board grant for developing a school forest
educational plan in 2014.
Park was also named one of 48 schools
nationally to win the Green Ribbon Schools
award in 2014. Callies, Schommer, Jodi
Klare and Rod Esser received the award in
Washington, D.C. in July.
Park has also received the Environmental
Protection Agency Energy Star Certification
every year since 2008.
2015-16 school calendar dates
Tuesday, Sept. 1 Monday, Sept. 7
Friday, Sept. 25
Thursday, Oct. 29
Friday, Oct. 30
Friday, Nov. 6 Monday, Nov. 9
Tuesday, Nov. 24
Wednesday, Nov. 25
Thursday, Nov. 26
Friday, Nov. 27
Monday, Dec. 1
Friday, Dec. 18 First Day of School (First Quarter/First Trimester begins)
No School - Labor Day
No School – Professional Development day
No School – Professional Development day
No School
End of First Quarter
Second Quarter begins
End of First Trimester
No School – Parent-Teacher Conferences
No School - Thanksgiving
No School - Day after Thanksgiving
Second Trimester begins
Last day of school before Winter Break
Winter Break – Saturday, Dec. 19 through Sunday, Jan. 3
Monday, Jan. 4
Monday, Jan. 18 Friday, Jan. 22
Monday, Jan. 25
Tuesday, Jan. 26
Monday, Feb. 15 Friday, March 6
Monday, March 9
Friday, March 18 Students return to school
No School – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Second Quarter/First Semester Ends
No School - Teacher work day
Third Quarter/Second Semester begins No School – Professional Development day
End of Second Trimester
Third Trimester begins
Last day of School before Spring Break/End of third quarter
Spring Break – Saturday, March 19 through Sunday, March 27
Monday, March 28
Friday, April 1 Monday, April 4
Friday, April 22
Monday, May 30
Thursday, June 9 Students return from Spring Break/Fourth Quarter begins
End of Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter begins
No School - Professional Development day
No School - Memorial Day
Last Day of School
End of 4th Quarter/2nd Semester/3rd Trimester
Nondiscrimination Notice
It is the policy of the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District that no person be denied
admission to any public school in this district or be denied participation in, be denied the benefits
of, or be discriminated against in any curricular, extracurricular, pupil services, recreational or
other program or activity because of the person’s sex, race, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed,
pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation or physical, mental, emotional or learning
disability as required by section 118.13 of the state statutes.