News T Ellsworth Schools to Begin Tuesday, September 2, 2014

News
Website: www.ellsworth.k12.wi.us • Find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/ellsworthdistrict
A Publication of Ellsworth Community Schools • An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer
fall 2014
Ellsworth Schools to Begin Tuesday, September 2, 2014
T
he Ellsworth Community School District
announces that school will begin on
Tuesday, September 2 for all grades, 4K-12.
Lindgren Early Learning Center will be
serving Early Childhood students and fouryear-old kindergarten students. Prairie
View Elementary and Hillcrest Elementary
will be serving students K-4th grades, the
Ellsworth Middle School will be serving
students 5th-8th grades, and the Ellsworth
Senior High School will be serving students
9th-12th grades.
New students. Any student not previously
registered in the Ellsworth School District
may register during the summer at the
District Office, or at their respective
schools starting August 20. School specific
enrollment forms can be found on our
website (www.ellsworth.k12.wi.us). All new
students 4K-12 will need to supply the
school with their immunization records and
proof of residency.
School telephone numbers:
Hillcrest...................................... 715-273-3912
Prairie View............................... 715-792-5285
Lindgren Early
Learning Center..................... 715-792-2424
Middle School........................... 715-273-3908
Senior High School.................. 715-273-3904
District Office........................... 715-273-3900
OPEN HOUSE dates:
Lindgren.................August 21, 2014 (4-6pm)
Middle School....... August 21, 2014 (5–7pm)
Hillcrest.........August 26, 2014 (3:30-7:30pm)
Prairie View............August 26, 2014 (4-7pm)
High School.......... August 27, 2014 (5–7 pm)
Middle School Orientations:
• 5th Grade & Transfer Student Orientation
August 19 6:00 - 8:00 pm
• 6th - 8th Grade Schedules/Fees
August 20 8:00 am-4:00 pm
August 21 11:00 am-7:00 pm
High School Orientations:
• 9th Grade & New Student Orientation
August 18 7:00 pm - HS Cafetorium
August 20 9:00 am – HS Cafetorium
School day. The 4-year-old kindergarten
school day will run from 8:45-11:45am and
from 12:25-3:25, operating 5 half days/week.
For Hillcrest grades K-4, school will start at
8:30 a.m. and will dismiss at 3:40 p.m. MonFri. For Prairie View grades K-4, school will
start at 8:25 a.m. and will dismiss at 3:35
p.m. Mon-Fri. For Middle School grades
5-8, school will start at 7:35 a.m. and will
dismiss at 2:50 p.m. For High School grades
9-12, school will start at 7:35 a.m. and will
dismiss at 2:50 p.m.
Panther Kid’s Club. At Hillcrest and at
Prairie View, before and after-school kid’s
clubs operate from 6:00-8:30 a.m. and
3:30-6:00 p.m. on school days, and from
6:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. on scheduled nonschool week days for students 4K-5th grades.
Parents interested in enrolling their 4K-5th
graders in this program should contact
the Panther Kid’s Clubs at (715) 273-3912
(Hillcrest site) or (715) 792-5285 (Prairie
View site). Fees are $3.00 per hour on
school days and $22 per day for non-school
days. Homework help is included in the
programming at both sites. Note: 5th grade
students can ride the bus to the MS in the
mornings and back to the elementary PKC
programs in the afternoon for either site.
After-school programs are offered at the
Ellsworth Middle School Tuesdays and
Thursdays from 3:00–5:00 throughout the
school year. Homework help is provided
and study time available until 5:00 on these
days. Various clubs are offered. Parents are
responsible for picking up their students
from the after-school programs.
Transportation. Bus routes will be designed
to facilitate the transportation of all students
to their respective schools in as short a time
as possible, with the goal of all routes being
less than one hour. High School / Middle
School routes run from 6:30-7:30 a.m. and
elementary routes run from 7:30-8:30 a.m.
All children should be at the road early
the first morning. If any children miss
the bus, parents should take them to their
respective schools, and school officials will
make certain that they return home on
the proper bus with correct bus and route
information. The number to call in regard
to transportation schedules is 715-273-3917.
4K Transportation: Students in the
morning 4K program will ride to Hillcrest in
the morning with the Hillcrest bus routes. A
4K aide will assist students to the Lindgren
shuttle and ride to Lindgren with them. The
noon bus route will deliver students to their
homes / day cares in the Hillcrest area.
Students in the Prairie View attendance
area, and some students in the Hillcrest
area, will be picked up between 11:45am
and 12:15 pm and taken to Lindgren for
the afternoon 4K session. Students will
be shuttled to Prairie View at 3:20 where
an aide will meet them and take them to
their home bus. Specifics on busing will be
available at the open house.
Please note the “Ellsworth School District
School Bus Rider Policy” and “What to do
if your child will not ride the bus today”
articles elsewhere in this newsletter.
School Lunch Program. School breakfast
and lunch will be served at Prairie View,
Hillcrest, the Ellsworth Middle School,
and the Ellsworth High School starting on
Tuesday, September 2. The cost for lunch
at the Middle School and High School will
be $2.70 per meal. Students in grades 5-12
may purchase additional entrees. The cost
for lunch at the elementary schools will be
$2.50 per meal. Adult meals will cost $3.70.
The breakfast program will be available at
all school sites and will cost $1.90 for grades
K-12 and $2.10 for adults. The food service
program is computerized and each student
is assigned a numbered account. Money
can be put into a student’s account at each
school office.
Computer access to your account. Please
monitor your student’s account to be sure it
is up to date and money is available for your
child to eat breakfast/lunch. Accounts can
be checked by calling Food Service at 715273-3910 or online through your Infinite
Campus login. All parents are assigned a
login password and are able to view lunch
transactions and account balances for
children in all of our schools.
Ellsworth Community School District News • Page 2
Open House
Lindgren Early Learning Center
Thursday, August 21 • 4-6pm
Hillcrest Elementary
Tuesday, August 26 • 3:30-7:30pm
Prairie View Elementary
Tuesday, August 26 • 4-7pm
Ellsworth Middle School
Thursday, August 21 • 5-7pm
Ellsworth High School
Wednesday, August 27 • 5-7pm
Ellsworth Community
School District
Welcome from
Superintendent Cain
I
would like to personally welcome back our students, parents, and
community as a whole to another school year. Our schools are a central
part of any community and I know that we greatly appreciate the support
that we continually see from our community members.
Through the course of our school year, many of our community members
enter into our buildings for a wide variety of reasons. Of course, the
education of our children is the most important function of our schools. At
the same time, our schools will house many sport and extracurricular events,
community education classes, daycare programs, community meetings,
open houses, swimming lessons and various community events. All of these
events add to our community member’s lives in some way and often become
a key ingredient in building a quality community.
Phone: 715-307-1718
Email: [email protected]
Our staff is continually building on the academic successes of our students
and schools as a whole. Our main focus is on providing a quality education
that meets the individual needs of students. Through continually examining
our curriculum, teaching strategies, and overall environment, we can achieve
our goals. We will continue our progress on our strategic plan as we enter
into year four of the five year plan. At the same time we will be focusing on
communicating with our public regarding the best avenues to address our
budgetary and facility needs.
• Dan Kaler
Thank you again for the support of our schools!
School Board
Members
• Rick Kornmann
Phone: 715-792-2872
Email: [email protected]
• Kurt Buckner
Phone 715-307-2191
Email: [email protected]
• Jeff Stockwell
Phone: 715-273-5337
Email: [email protected]
• Doug Peterson
Phone: 651-212-8999
Email: [email protected]
• Susan Langer
Phone: 715-977-1222
Email: [email protected]
• Susan Beck
Phone: 715-273-7775
Email: [email protected]
Infinite Campus
I
n the fall of 2013 the Ellsworth
Community School District began using
Infinite Campus for our Student Data
Management software. Teachers are able
to utilize the software as their gradebook,
planning lessons, and communicate with
parents. The district also uses Infinite
Campus for our emergency notification
system
(school
closures,
special
announcements, etc). If you have moved
or your phone numbers changed, please
contact your child’s building secretary so
that all your contact information can be
updated.
As parents you are able to log
on and track your child’s academic
progress, lunch balances, fee charges, and
attendance. If you received a log in last
year, it will remain the same. You created
your own password. The district is unable
to retrieve what you set. We can reset
it to a generic password if you contact
the district office. Your child’s building
secretary or principal are unable to do the
resetting of the password.
If you are new to the district, you will
receive a letter explaining how to access
your Parent Portal to Infinite Campus.
Please follow the directions in that
letter and you will be connected quickly.
Contact the district office if you have any
problems with your log in.
The links to the parent portal can be
found on the school district website!
A Year of Implementation
B
eginning this school year the State of Wisconsin has implemented a new standardized
testing system. Below is the new testing information as well as state testing opt-out
options.
In late October 2014, the State of Wisconsin will again be testing students for their
achievement in science and social studies standards in grades 4th, 8th, and 10th grades.
The PALS Reading Readiness Assessment will be given at 4YK, Kindergarten, Grade 1 and
Grade 2 two or three times during the school year beginning in the fall. Each elementary
school will notify parents of the exact dates.
New SmarterBalanced Assessments will begin in late March at grades 3 through 8. Students
will be tested in the areas of Math and Reading/Language Arts. This will be a computerized
assessment and it is adaptive to the ability levels of the students.
New ACT Aspires assessments will be given to Grade 9 in the fall and spring. They will be
given to the 10th graders only in the Spring.
The full ACT and ACT Workkeys will be given to Grade 11 in March. This ACT is the
actual ACT that can be used for college entrance requirements. Every student in the state
of Wisconsin in Grade 11 will be taking the ACT on March 3 and Workkeys on March 4.
There is only one make up day allowed and that is on March 17 for ACT and March 18 for
Workkeys. It is required that every 11th grader takes this test. Please plan around these dates
when planning appointments or vacations.
Based on the Fall 2013 tests, all of the schools in the Ellsworth Community School District
made adequate A.Y.P. (Annual Yearly Progress). Congratulations to all the students, parents,
and teachers who worked together to make this happen!
State Testing Opt-Out Options
By State Law, a parent is allowed to opt-out of testing under the following conditions:
Q. When is parent/guardian opt-out allowed?
A.When a parent or guardian requests that the student be excused from participating in the
WSAS, this request must be honored at grades 4, 8, 9-11, per Wis. Stats. 118.30(2)(b)3.. This
request may come at any time during the testing window. All students excused by parent
opt-out are marked as “not tested” students in school and district reporting determinations.
Ellsworth
Community
School District
Foundation
Making an impact on
education in Ellsworth
It was the goal of the Ellsworth
Community School District Foundation
when it was formed to “enrich and
enhance educational opportunities
through the use of private revenues.”
To this end the Foundation has done
a remarkable job, especially in light of
the limited funding provided by ever
shrinking budgets.
An average of $9,000 per year has
been provided to numerous requests
ranging from Smart Boards to music
compositions to elementary writing
composition. The board of Directors
and the membership of the Foundation
have put on major fund raisers each
year to provide the funding for the
requests.
Anyone interested in becoming
involved in the Ellsworth Community
School District Foundation should
contact Sue Hinck, Foundation president, at 715-273-3242.
Q. How does a parent/guardian request an opt-out for their student?
A. A parent must submit a written request for student opt-out to the principal or the school
board. Per Wis. Stats. 118.30(2)(b)3., if the student is in grades 4, 8, and 9-11 the request
must be granted. However, if the student is not in the above mentioned grade levels, the
decision to grant the request is at the discretion of the school board.
If you are parent of a child that falls into one of these categories and wish to have your
child not tested, please contact Paul Uhren, Director of Teaching and Learning, at 715-2733900 at least 1 month before the testing window in order to ensure School Board action, if
necessary.
— H E L P WA N T E D —
Substitute Teachers
The Ellsworth Community School
District is in need of substitute teachers.
If you are a certified teacher or hold a
bachelor’s degree and are interested in
serving as a substitute, please call the
district office at (715) 273-3900.
AESOP
The Ellsworth Community School
District uses the AESOP (Automated
Substitute Placement and Absence
Management) service for placing all
substitutes. Please contact Sue Murphy
at the Ellsworth District Office for information on how to sign up as a substitute
for the Ellsworth Community School
District.
Substitute Teacher Aides,
Bus Drivers, Custodians, and
Food Service Personnel
The Ellsworth Community School
District is in need of substitute teacher
aides, custodians, bus drivers and food
service personnel. If you are interested
in serving as a substitute, please call the
district office at (715) 273-3900.
Ellsworth Community School District News • Page 3
2014-15 Wisconsin State Testing
Ellsworth Community School District News • Page 4
Ellsworth Community School District School Bus Rider Policy
Policy on riding & walking distance
1.All students (grade K-12) of the Ellsworth Community School
District are eligible to ride school buses, provided they obey bus
rider rules and qualify under the walking distance policy.
2.Special transportation is furnished as needed to any Special
Education student living within the district. This service will be
door-to-door whenever feasible.
3.For school bus riders of regularly scheduled routes, the maximum walking regulations will be determined by the distance and
the presence of any safety hazards, not by the type of road. All
distances are measured from the house, regardless of the type of
road.
4. Maximum walking distances are:
A. Grades 6-12, not more than .5 mile.
B. Grades 1-5, not more than .3 mile.
C. Kindergarten is door to door for the first month; after that,
not more than .2 mile.
5.Students may be asked to walk, according to the above regulations, when the bus must back track.
6.The above distance will hold only if the road and turn-around
are adequate. (To be determined by bus driver and transportation supervisor). If the road and turn-around are inadequate, as
determined by the bus driver and transportation supervisor, a
student may be asked to walk farther than stated above.
Bus Riders’ Rules and Regulations
School bus passengers shall comply with any lawful order given by
the driver in carrying out his/her responsibility to transport passengers safely.
Students, who do not follow bus riding rules and become disciplinary problems, may have their riding privileges suspended.
Previous to Loading
1. Be on time at the designated school bus stop.
2.Stay on the shoulder of the road at all times while waiting for the
bus. Pupils obliged to cross a highway shall wait for a signal from
the driver and cross at least 10 feet in front of the standing bus.
3.Wait until the bus comes to a complete stop before attempting to
enter the bus.
4.Bus riders should not be permitted to move toward the bus at the
school loading zone until the bus has been brought to a complete
stop.
5.Bus riders will conduct themselves in a safe manner while waiting for the bus.
While in the Bus or Vehicle
1. A driver has the authority to assign seats.
2. Riders shall conform to the same standards of conduct that are
expected of them at school.
3. Go to your seat without disturbing or crowding other students.
Seating should be in the front seats first, and progress toward
the back of the bus. No one should sit in last two rows unless
bus is full.
4 Remain seated while the bus is in motion, except when going to
your seat after getting on or when going to the front of the bus
before getting off the bus.
5. Riders shall not extend head, hands, or any portion of the body
out of a window or door at any time. Nothing should be thrown
out of the vehicle.
6. Scuffling, horseplay, or fighting will not be permitted on or
around the bus.
7.Profane or indecent language or gestures will not be tolerated.
8.Smoking or tobacco products may not be in school vehicles.
Their use and possession is prohibited on all school property.
9.No alcoholic beverages or controlled substances (drugs) will be
used or transported in school vehicles.
10. No loud talking or undue noise will be tolerated.
11. There must be absolute quiet when approaching a railroad
crossing.
12. Animals or pets are not allowed on the bus.
13.Leave no books, lunches, or other articles on the bus.
14. No littering on the bus! Help keep the bus clean, sanitary and
orderly. Books, musical instruments, coats, and other objects
must be kept out of the aisles.
15. The rider and his/her parent or guardian will be responsible for
the costs of any damage to the seats or other bus equipment.
16. In case of a road emergency, students are to remain in the bus.
17. Elementary students must be assigned front seats away from the
older students on high school routes.
18. Riders are expected to obey the bus driver promptly. Refusal to
obey the bus driver may result in the suspension of bus riding
privileges.
After Leaving The Bus
1. Be alert to a danger signal from the driver.
2. Students obliged to cross the road (highway) must wait for a signal from the bus driver, and cross at least 10 feet in front of the
standing bus.
3.The driver will not discharge riders at places other than the regular bus stop at the home or school unless provided with a note
from parent or school official.
Extra Curricular Trips
1.The above rules will apply to all trips under school sponsorship.
2.Students will comply with any directions given by the chaperon
appointed by the school.
3.Students must return from the trip on the same bus they went
on.
Denny Langer, Transportation Director
W
hat should a parent do if their child gets sick overnight or for some other reason the
child will not be riding the bus today?
This is a question we often are asked. Many parents remember what it was like in their
school days when the bus was an “island” with no contact to the outside world once it left
the garage. Well, we have greatly improved upon that situation in the last several years.
Every bus is equipped with a two-way radio and is in constant contact with the bus garage
and other buses.
The following three methods can be used to notify the bus if your child will not be riding (which will reduce backtracks for children who are not riding and enable the drivers to
keep their unproductive mileage to a minimum, thus saving the taxpayers money on fuel):
1. Call the bus garage at (715) 273-3917; tell us what bus your child rides and your
childs’ name. Or...
2. Call the home of the student who gets on the bus before your child and ask that
student to tell the driver that your child will not be riding. Or . . .
3. If you know in advance that your child will not be riding tomorrow, write a note for
your child to give to the bus driver.
One other riding situation exists which we can also
handle in a similar fashion to the “not riding” plan
outlined above.
If your child usually does not ride the bus but
will occasionally ride, we can radio the driver to
stop when he/she needs a ride. Just give us a
call at the bus garage, (715) 273-3917, before
the bus would go past your residence and tell
us which bus and your child’s name. In this
way we can provide you with the service you
need and save the extra mileage on the other
days when your child does not ride.
We want to make the bus riding experience
enjoyable for every student and driver. With
your help we can accomplish this goal.
High School
Late Start Schedule
7:15-8:15 a.m.
Collaborative Team Time
(no student classes)
8:20-9:49 a.m.
First Block Classes
9:55-11:14 a.m.
Second Block Classes
(no homeroom after 2nd block)
11:14-2:50 p.m.
Normal Student Day Schedule
2014-2015 High School
Late Start Days
• September 16
• October 14
• November 18
• December 9
• January 13
• February 24
• March 24
• April 28
Tobacco Use Prohibited: According
to 1989 Wisconsin Act 209, effective
September 1, 1990, the use of all tobacco
products on premises owned by, rented
by or under the control of the school
district is prohibited. All Ellsworth
Community School District property is
“tobacco-free” property.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Bullying and Other Forms of Aggressive Behavior
The Ellsworth Community School District is committed to
providing a safe, positive, productive, and nurturing educational
environment for all of its students. The Board’s bullying policy (#
5517.01) can be accessed on the district website: www.ellsworth.
k12.wi.us/district and clicking on the link School District Policies.
The Board encourages the promotion of positive interpersonal
relations between members of the school community. Aggressive
behavior toward a student, whether by other students, staff, or
third parties is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated. This
prohibition includes physical, verbal, and psychological abuse.
The Board will not tolerate any gestures, comments, threats, or
actions which cause or threaten to cause bodily harm or personal
degradation. Aggressive behavior is defined as inappropriate
conduct that is repeated enough, or serious enough, to negatively
impact a student’s educational, physical, or emotional well being.
Bullying is defined as a person willfully and repeatedly exercising
power or control over another with hostile or malicious intent.
Specific examples of the school board’s definitions of behaviors
included in this policy can be found in policy #5517.01.
Any student that believes s/he has been or is the victim of
aggressive or bullying behavior should report the situation to a
teacher, counselor, the building principal, assistant principal, or
Superintendent. Retaliation against any person who reports a
complaint is prohibited and will not be tolerated.
All complaints will be investigated, and if the investigation finds
an instance of aggressive or bullying behavior has occurred, it will
result in prompt and appropriate remedial and/or disciplinary
action. This may include up to expulsion for students and up to
discharge for employees; individuals may also be referred to law
enforcement officials.
This policy applies to all activities in the District, including
activities on school property or while traveling to or from school
and those occurring off school property if the student or employee is at any school-sponsored, school-approved, or school-related
activity or function, such as field trips or athletic events where
students are under the school’s control, or where an employee is
engaged in school business.
Ellsworth Community School District News • Page 5
What to do if your child
will not ride the bus today...
Ellsworth Community School District News • Page 6
PROGRAM NEWS
The mission of the Ellsworth Community School District, as the leader
of an engaged learning community that challenges all students to
excellence, is to produce individuals who will continue to learn, compete, and contribute in an ever-changing global society, by providing a
safe, innovative, and adaptive learning environment; demanding personalized academic programs and co-curricular activities; and inspiring community involvement, while cultivating our students’ natural
desire to learn throughout their lives.
Ellsworth Academic Curriculum
Ellsworth teachers and staff have been working together to ensure
that our locally approved curriculum is preparing our students to
meet the challenges and rigor of the Wisconsin Academic Standards
and to be College and Career Ready by 2014, as outlined by State
Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Tony Evers. Our curriculum can be
found on our school website: http://www.ellsworth.k12.wi.us (click
on Build Your Own Curriculum found under Quick Links).
Professional Learning Communities
Our professional learning communities provide teachers the time
to work together to evaluate our programs based upon student data,
identify what is working well, identify what needs improvement,
and collaborate to develop solutions to help all students succeed.
Time is set aside for teachers to work together in each building as
well as district-wide. High school teachers use late starts for common planning time. Middle school and elementary teachers have
common planning time built into their schedules. 12 times throughout the school year, teachers have an additional 1 hour 45 minutes
added to their work day to provide opportunity for collaboration
within the PLC model. This is uninterrupted time after the school
day.
Interventions and Progress Monitoring
Ellsworth teachers have developed assessments that are used
quarterly, at the minimum, to assess how students are progressing
toward mastery of essential learnings in each subject area / class.
These essential learnings are related to the state standards. When
the assessments indicate that students need additional time / work
to master an essential learning, interventions are provided to help
each student gain mastery. This process of monitoring student
progress and providing interventions is ongoing throughout the
year. All schools will be providing intervention time.
Middle School Alternative Education Program
The Ellsworth Community School District will continue to offer
its Alternative Education program at the Middle School, now in its
fifth year of existence. This program provides additional intervention programming at the Middle School through a full time teacher
resource and two full time teacher assistants. If you feel that your
child needs additional intervention, please contact the Middle
School Principal, Jon Dodge, regarding the availability of these
services. Our goal is that all students will master the state standards
through the use of our locally approved curricular standards.
High School Alternative Education Program
The Ellsworth Community School District continues to offer its
High School Alternative Education program for students who need
an alternative path for completing their high school diploma. If
you are interested in this program, contact the high school principal, Mark Stoesz for additional information.
STEM Programming
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
STEM education has been identified as having a “critical role
in enabling the U.S. to remain the economic and technological
leader of the global marketplace of the 21st century.” (http://www.
stemedcoalition.org)
The Ellsworth Community School District continues to offer
a variety of STEM experiences throughout its courses. LEGO
curriculum is used at 4th grade to teach concepts of engineering
related to simple machines. The Principles of Engineering – LEGO
class offered to all 5th grade students continues the LEGO curriculum applied to compound machines. The Robotics class offered to
all 6th grade students continues the LEGO curriculum combining
electronics and programming with LEGO robots. Seventh grade
students continue to explore technology through the Tech Ed
exploratory class. Eighth grade offers students an opportunity to
learn the fundamentals of technological systems in manufacturing and transportation, as well as digital technology (video game
design, etc).
Project Lead the Way
Our high school Project Lead the Way (PLTW) programs
continue to offer Intro to Engineering Design, Principles of
Engineering, Digital Electronics and the Engineering Design and
Development (PLTW capstone course). Students can earn 3 credits
at the Milwaukee School of Engineering for each of the PLTW
courses successfully taken at Ellsworth High School.
A Human Growth and Development Advisory Notice
Specific guidelines from the state statute related to “age-appropriate” and “medically accurate information” were reviewed. A
pamphlet has been developed which outlines all human growth
and development curriculums K-12.
The curriculums and
instructional materials can be reviewed by a parent or guardian at
any time. Please make review requests in writing to the building
principal.
Character Education
Character Education includes a large range of concepts such as
positive school climate and culture, moral education, caring and
just school communities, social-emotional learning, positive youth
development, civic education, and service learning. All of these
approaches promote the intellectual, social, emotional, and ethical
development of young people, and share a commitment to help
young people become responsible, caring and contributing citizens
We ultimately want students to reach their full potential. Schools
with high quality character education are places where students,
teachers, and parents want to be. They are places where young
people do their best work because they are places where students
feel safe, appreciated, supported, and challenged.
Ellsworth Community School District Foundation Grants
Several programs will benefit this year from grants provided
through the Ellsworth Community School District Foundation.
Many thanks to all the staff, students, and community members
involved in developing and promoting these program initiatives.
Choosing Non-Participation
In Programs Or Activities
a) Parents have the right to request that
a student’s name, address, and telephone listing not be released to military
recruiters or institutions of higher education without prior written parental
consent. A secondary student or parent
of such student may make this request
by submitting such written request to
their school office.
b) Parents/guardians may request reasonable accommodations for their child
with regard to examinations and other
academic requirements based on their
child’s sincerely held religious beliefs.
c) Parents/guardians may request that
their child not participate in instruction
in human growth and development
or instruction in certain health-related
subjects (physiology and hygiene, sanitation, the effects of controlled substances and alcohol upon the human
system, symptoms of disease and proper care of the body). A written request
that the student be exempted from
these subjects should be given to the
building principal.
d) Parents/guardians may request that
their child not participate in any survey
administered or distributed to students
in schools that reveals information concerning any of the following:
• Political affiliations or beliefs of the
student or the student’s parent
• Mental and psychological problems
of the student or family
• Sex behavior or attitudes
• Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating
or demeaning behavior
• Critical appraisals of other individuals with whom students have close
family relationships.
• Legally recognized privileged or
analogous relationships such as those
of lawyers, physicians, and ministers
• Religious practices, affiliations or
beliefs of the student or student’s
parent, or
• Income, other than that required by
law to determine eligibility for participation in a program or for receiving financial assistance under such
program.
e) Parents may inspect, upon request, any
survey containing items related to any
of the above information and any survey created by a third party, as well as
any instructional materials used in connection with any such survey.
Notice: The Wisconsin Youth Risk
Behavior Survey will be given to middle and high school students in March
during the 2014-15 school year.
Information about this survey can be
found on the Department of Public
Instruction website @ http://www.dpi.
state.wi.us/sspw/yrbsindx.html
f)Parents may request that modifications be made to their child’s curriculum including the academic program,
options for work training, and alternative program options per guidelines in
state statute 118.15 (1)(d).
Parents/guardians shall make any of
the above requests, in writing, to the building principal or designee. All requests will
be judged individually based upon state
and federal guidelines. The principal or
designee shall respond to such requests in
a timely manner.
Teacher
Qualifications
As a parent of a student in the
Ellsworth Community School District,
you have the right to know the professional qualifications of the classroom teachers who instruct your child.
Federal law allows you to ask for certain information about your child’s
classroom teachers, and requires us to
give you this information in a timely
manner if you ask for it. Specifically,
you have the right to ask for the following information about each of your
child’s classroom teachers:
• Whether the Wisconsin Department
of Public Instruction has licensed or
qualified the teacher for the grades
and subjects he or she teaches.
• Whether the Wisconsin Department
of Public Instruction has decided that the teacher can teach in a
classroom without being licensed
or qualified under state regulations
because of special circumstances.
• The teacher’s college major; whether the teacher has any advanced
degrees, and if so, the subject(s) of
the degrees.
• Whether any teachers’ aides or similar paraprofessionals provide services to your child, and if they do,
their qualifications.
If you would like to receive any of this
information, please send your request
in writing to Sue Murphy, Personnel
Specialist at the Ellsworth Community
School District–Box 1500, Ellsworth,
WI 54011.
Indoor Environmental Quality Management Plan Annual Notice: The Ellsworth School District would like to inform staff,
students, parents, and the public of the district’s indoor environmental quality (IEQ) management plan. The plan was initially developed in 2013 and is reviewed as necessary. The plan was developed as deemed appropriate for the district. Questions and concerns
should be directed to the IEQ Coordinator, Denny Langer. Copies of the plan are available at the district office for a fee. The district
office is located at Ellsworth School District, 300 Hillcrest Street, Ellsworth, WI 54011.
Ellsworth Community School District News • Page 7
2014-2015 School Year Notices
Ellsworth Community School District News • Page 8
2014-2015 School Year Notices
Ellsworth Community
School District
Directory
Information
N
OTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that
Ellsworth Community School
District pursuant to the U.S. General
Education Provisions Act declares the
following as “directory information” as
provided in said act, and that information relating to students may be made
public if said information is in any of the
following categories:
Parent’s name, address, telephone listing; student’s name, address, telephone
listing; date and place of birth; major
field of study; participation in officially
recognized activities and sports; weights
and heights of members of athletic team;
dates of attendance; date of graduation
and awards received; the most recent
previous educational agency or institution attended by the student; photographs.
The purposes for which such directory
information will be made available are
Parents Club membership recruitment,
class rank, graduation, yearbooks, postsecondary recruitment, media coverage
including district website and awards and
recognitions throughout the year.
This public notice is required by law
before such information can be placed
in yearbooks or student directories.
Parents and eligible students may refuse
to allow the Board to disclose any or all
of such “directory information” upon
written notification to the Board within 14 days after receipt of the District
Administrator’s annual public notice.
If parents and eligible students do not
submit such written notification to the
Board, directory information may be utilized by the District Administrator in
District-wide publications, on the cable
television, educational access channel,
or on the District’s website. The directory information used will be properly
verified and approved by the District
Administrator.
Notice of Child Find Activity and Referral
T
he school district must locate, identify
and evaluate all resident children with
disabilities, including children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disabilities. The
school district has a screening program
to locate and screen all children with suspected disabilities who are residents of the
district and who have not graduated from
high school. Upon request the school district will screen any resident child who has
not graduated from high school to determine whether a special education referral
is appropriate. A request may be made by
contacting Mary Zimmerman, Director
of Special Education, Ellsworth School
District, at 715-273-3911, by writing to
her at P.O. Box 1500, Ellsworth, WI 54011
or by email at zimmermanm@ellsworth.
k12.wi.us
Annually the district conducts developmental screening of preschool children.
Each child’s motor, communication and
social skills are observed at various play
areas. The child’s hearing and vision are
checked. The information is used to provide the parent with a profile of their
child’s current development and to provide suggestions for follow-up activities.
Parents learn about community services available to them. The information
from screening is also used to determine
whether a child should be evaluated for
a suspected disability. When school staff
reasonably believe a child is a child with a
disability, they will refer the child for evaluation by a school district Individualized
Education Program (IEP) team. A physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker
or administrator of a social agency who
reasonably believes a child brought to him
or her for services is a child with a disability has a legal duty to report the child
to the school district in which the child
resides. Before referring the child, the
person making the referral must inform
the child’s parent that the referral will be
made. The referral must be in writing and
include the reason why the person believes
the child is a child with a disability. Others
who reasonably believe a child is a child
with a disability may also refer the child
to the school district in which the child
resides. A referral of a child residing in the
Ellsworth Community School District will
be sent to Mary Zimmerman, Director of
Special Education at the contact information above.
Screening/Child
Development
dates at Lindgren:
September 17, 8am-4pm
November 14, 8am-4pm
January 30, 8am-4pm
March 25, 10am-6pm
April 17, 8am-3pm
4K/5K Registration
dates at Lindgren:
January 30, 8am-4pm
March 25, 10am-6pm
April 17, 8am-3pm
A
s a result of federal legislation (Asbestos
Hazard Emergency Response Act AHERA), each primary and secondary
school in the nation is required to complete
new inspections for asbestos and to develop
a plan of management for all asbestos
containing building materials. Ellsworth
Community School District has a goal
to be in full compliance with this law
and is following the spirit, as well as the
letter of the law. As a matter of policy,
Ellsworth Community School District shall
continue to maintain a safe and healthful
environment for our community’s youth
and employees.
In keeping with this legislation, all
buildings (including portables and support
buildings) owned or leased by the school
district were inspected by EPA accredited
inspectors and samples were analyzed
by an independent laboratory. Based
on the inspection, the district prepared
and the state approved a comprehensive
management plan for handling the asbestos
located within it’s buildings safely and
responsibly.
The Ellsworth Community School
District has completed its AHERA 3-Year
Reinspection requirement.
Federal law also requires a periodic
walk-through (called “surveillance”) every
six months of each area containing asbestos.
Also the law requires for all buildings to be
reinspected three years after management
plan is in effect. This will be accomplished
under contract by CESA #10.
Short-term workers (outside contractors
- i.e., telephone repair workers, electricians
and exterminators) must be provided
information regarding the location of
asbestos in which they may come into
contact. All short-term workers shall
contact the lead maintenance person
before commencing work to be given this
information.
In compliance with the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
and the Asbestos Hazard Emergency
Response Act (AHERA), this is notice
that the Ellsworth School District has an
Asbestos Management Plan at the school
district office. The plan has a list of the
location(s), type(s) of asbestos-containing
materials found in that school building
and a description and time table for their
proper management. A copy of the Asbestos
Management Plan is available in the school
office for inspection by the public, parents,
and district employees. Copies are available
at 15¢ per page. Questions related to the
plan should be directed to the district office,
who will establish contact with our Account
Manager under contract with CESA #10.
Find us on
Facebook!
The purpose of this page is to
keep students, parents, alumni,
and community residents up to
date on the latest happenings
in our district. You can find us
(and “Like” us!) at “Ellsworth
WI Community School
District” or at facebook.com/
ellsworthdistrict.
Reviewing
Instructional
Material
A parent has the right to inspect,
upon request, any instructional material used as part of the educational
curriculum for his/her student. This
request should be made to the building principal or designee in writing.
Arrangements will be made for the
parent to review requested materials
within 2 weeks (10 days) of the request.
Ellsworth Community School District Student Record Policy
Student Records
(Sec. 118.125, Wisconsin Statutes, To Be
Published Annually)
A student’s records must be provided
to the parent or guardian of a minor,
judge, law enforcement officers who are
individually designated by the school
board and assigned to the district, faculty
member, or courts when subpoenaed.
Keep in mind that under state law,
school districts are required to make
student records available to district
employees who are required by the DPI
to hold a license, law enforcement officers
who are individually designated by the
school board and assigned to the school
district, and to other school district
officials who have been determined
by the school board to have legitimate
educational interests, including safety
interests, in the records.
Contents will include all records
relating to an individual student other
than notes or records maintained for
personal use by teachers or other certified
personnel which are not available to
others, and records necessary for and
available only to persons involved in
psychological treatment of a student.
All behavioral records will be
destroyed one year after the date the
student graduated from or last attended
the school unless the parent or guardian
gives permission that the records may be
maintained for a longer period of time.
Progress records are kept for at least 5
years after a child graduates. Transcripts
are kept indefinitely.
Pupil records must be transferred to
another school or school district when
written notice is received from an adult
pupil or parent or guardian of a minor
pupil that the pupil intends to enroll
in another school or upon written
notice from the other school or school
district that such pupil has enrolled. All
requests for inspection or for transfer to
another school or school district should
be directed to the building principal or
designee.
Parents/guardians or adult students
have the right to seek amendment of
the student’s education records that the
parent/guardian or adult student believes
to be inaccurate, misleading or otherwise
in violation of the student’s privacy rights.
Requests for such amendment should
be directed to the building principal or
designee.
The School Policy (#8330) regarding
school records may be reviewed at
the School District Office or on the
district website, at www.ellsworth.
k12.wi.us/district. A copy will be
provided when requested. Complaints
regarding student records may be made to
the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Ave SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605.
Ellsworth Community School District News • Page 9
2014-2015 AHERA Notification
Ellsworth Community School District News • Page 10
Non-Discrimination Statement
T
he Ellsworth Community School District
does not discriminate on the basis of
race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, sex, including
transgender status, change of sex or gender
identity, disability, age (except as authorized
by law), military status or physical mental,
emotional, or learning disability in any of
its student program and activities (Policy
2260). All Career and Technical Education
programs are open to all students.
The District also complies with the
requirement to reasonably accommodate
a student’s sincerely held religious beliefs
with regard to examinations and other academic requirements.
Equal Educational Opportunities
Discrimination Complaint Procedure
If any person believes that the School
District or any part of the school organization has inadequately applied the principles
and/or regulations of Title VI, Title IX,
Section 504 and the ADA or in some way
discriminates on the basis of sex, race, color,
religion, national origin, ancestry, creed,
pregnancy, parental or marital status, sexual
orientation, or physical, learning, mental or
emotional disability, that person may bring
forward a complaint to the Affirmative
Action Officer: Barry Cain Superintendent;
Ellsworth Community School District; 300
Hillcrest St.; Ellsworth, Wisconsin 54011;
telephone - (715) 273-3900; email: cainb@
ellsworth.k12.wi.us.
Informal Procedure
The person who believes he/she has a valid
basis for complaint shall discuss the concern with the Affirmative Action Officer,
who shall in turn investigate the complaint
and reply to the complainant in writing
within five (5) school/business days. If this
reply is not acceptable to the complainant, he/she may initiate formal procedures
according to the steps listed.
Formal Grievance Procedure
Step 1: A written statement of the grievance shall be prepared by the complainant
and signed. This grievance shall be presented to the Affirmative Action Officer within
five (5) school/business days of receipt of
the written reply to the informal complaint.
The affirmative action officer shall further
investigate the matters of the grievance and
reply in writing to the complainant within
ten (10) school/business days.
Step 2: If the complainant remains
unsatisfied, he/she may appeal through a
signed, written statement to the Board of
Education within five (5) school/business
days of receipt of the affirmative action
officer’s response to Step 1. In an attempt
to resolve the grievance, the Board of
Education shall meet with the concerned
parties and their representatives at the next
regular Board meeting or within fifteen
(15) school/business days of the receipt
of such an appeal. A copy of the Board’s
disposition of the appeal shall be sent by
the Board Clerk to each concerned party
within ten (10) school/business days of this
meeting.
Step 3: If, at this point, the grievance
has not been satisfactorily settled, further
appeal may be made within 30 days to
the Department of Public Instruction, P.O.
Box 7841, Madison, WI 53707. Also, a
complaint may be made to the Office for
Civil Rights; U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services; 233 N. Michigan Ave,
Suite 240, Chicago, IL 60601.
Grievance Procedure Special Education
Discrimination complaints relating to the
identification, evaluation, educational
placement, or the provision of free appropriate public education of a child with
exceptional educational needs shall be
processed in accordance with established
appeal procedures outlined in the district’s
board policy.
For more information, see the school
district website (www.ellsworth.k12.wi.us)
and click on School District Policies.
Homeless Child or Youth
By law, the Ellsworth Community
School District must enroll a
homeless child or youth immediately
upon request and provide needed
transportation. Homeless children/
youth are entitled to equal access to free
and appropriate public education and
comparable services as all children in
the district. For information regarding
enrolling a homeless child or youth,
please contact the district’s homeless
liaison, Jessica Wiskow at Ellsworth
High School, 715-273-3904 or
[email protected]
Season
Athletic Tickets
At the Gate:
Adults: $5.00 • Students: $4.00
Adult ATHLETIC PASSES
• $20 for 5-event pass
• $45 for 15-event pass
• $35 for 10-event pass
• $40 for Senior Pass (65+ yrs)
STUDENT PASSES:
• $30 for 30-event pass
Pass for Parents
of Athletes:
• $25 for 15 event pass
Parents that have paid a high school
activity fee of $75 can purchase this
card for athletic and music events.
Tickets are only available for purchase at
the High School Office.
*These passes are valid for all home events and do
not include WIAA sponsored tournament events.
*Activity tickets can be purchased at the high school
office or at the event.
Newsletter Issues
The purpose of this newsletter is
to inform the public about district
wide issues.
It will be distributed to every
household in the district. Since the
district covers several mailing zones,
it is possible that some residents may
not receive a copy. Please call the
school district office at (715) 2733900 if you know of any district resident who did not receive a newsletter.
The Pierce County Herald
will continue to be the official newspaper for the school
district. Although some legal notices
may be duplicated in this newsletter, the Pierce County Herald will
continue to be the official source for
all school district information that is
required by law.
When there is an issue that should be discussed with school personnel, residents are encouraged to contact the school employee most closely involved. For
example, if there are questions or concerns about a child’s school performance,
parents should contact the student’s teacher for that course. When in doubt
about who to contact in a school, please contact the building principal.
In some situations, it may not be clear who should be contacted about a
school issue. The following list is an attempt to direct the public to the school
employee who can answer questions about a specific topic:
District Wide
Barry Cain, Superintendent
(715) 273-3900
Fax (715) 273-5775
Curriculum, Assessment Coordinator,
Teacher Effectiveness Coordinator
Paul Uhren,
Director of Teaching and Learning
(715) 273-3900
Fax (715) 273-5775
Senior High
Mark Stoesz, Principal
Ellsworth Senior High School
(715) 273-3904
Fax (715) 273-6824
Jason Janke, Assistant Principal
Ellsworth Senior High School
(715) 273-3904
Fax (715) 273-6824
Middle School
Jon Dodge, Principal
Ellsworth Middle School
(715) 273-3908
Fax (715) 273-6834
Tim Conway, Assistant Principal
Ellsworth Middle School
(715) 273-3908
Fax (715) 273-6834
Hillcrest
John Groh, Principal
Hillcrest Elementary
(715) 273-3912
Fax (715) 273-6838
Prairie View
Mary Zimmerman, Principal
Prairie View Elementary
(715) 792-5285
Fax (715) 792-2068
Lindgren
Mary Zimmerman,
Panther Pre-School Administrator
Lindgren Early Learning Center
(715) 792-2424
Fax (715) 792-5420
Special Education
Mary Zimmerman, Director
Special Education Office (715) 273-3911
Fax (715) 273-3909
Health and Free/Reduced Lunch
Sharlene Kreye, School Nurse
(715) 273-3911
Fax (715) 273-3909
Maintenance, Transportation
and Safety
Denny Langer, Director
(715) 273-3917
Food Service
Dee Rasmusson, Director
(715) 273-3910
Technology and Computer
Services
Eric Jacobsen
Geoff Pogorelski
(715) 273-3904
Summer School
Paul Uhren, Director
(715) 273-3900
Athletics and Pool
Ann Anderson, Director
(715) 273-0754 or (715) 273-3908
School Closing
Announcements
During inclement weather and
other emergencies, the Ellsworth
Community School District will
announce school closings on radio
and T.V. stations. Also, the Messenger
system will be used to notify parents (primary contacts) of school
closings and other major announcements. Families need to make sure
that schools have current phone numbers and email addresses in order to
receive these messages.
• KCUE 1250AM
• KSTP Ch. 5
• KARE Ch. 11
• WCCO Ch. 4
• KMSP Ch. 9
Red Wing
Mpls/St. Paul
Mpls/St. Paul
Mpls/St. Paul
Mpls/St. Paul
Ellsworth Community
School District
Website
Information
The Ellsworth Community School
District website is located at www.
ellsworth.k12.wi.us. School calendars,
announcements, individual school
pages, individual teacher web pages,
classroom resources, athletics, and
community events can be found at
this site along with lots of photos of
happenings in the district. General
information about the district, curriculum, enrollment forms, medical
forms, lunch menus and many other
items can be found on our website as
well.
Parents and students: If you do not
want a sample of your student’s work
(story, poem, artwork, etc.) published
in the school newsletter or on the
school website, please contact your
child’s school office and inform them
of your wishes. Comments, suggestions, or concerns about the district website can
be directed to andersonmi@ellsworth.
k12.wi.us.
Ellsworth Community School District News • Page 11
School Employees To Contact
ECRWSS
POSTAL PATRON LOCAL
BOX HOLDER
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
ELLSWORTH, WI
PERMIT NO. 6
Calendar
2014-2015
First day of school for students
Feb. 16
No School - Teacher Inservice
High School
Parent Teacher Conferences, 4:30-7:30pm
Sept. 29
High School
Parent Teacher Conferences, 4:30-7:30pm
Feb. 19
M.S. Grade 5
Parent Teacher Conferences, 3:30-7:30pm
Oct. 9
Middle School Gr. 5-8
Parent Teacher Conferences, 3:30-7:30pm
Hillcrest/Prairie View
Parent Teacher Conferences, 4:00-8:00pm
Oct. 10
No School
Oct. 14
Middle School Grade 5
Parent Teacher Conferences, 3:30-7:30pm
Feb. 26
M.S. Grade 5-8
Parent Teacher Conferences, 3:30-7:30pm
Oct. 31
End of 1st Quarter
Early Out - Staff Inservice
(H.S./M.S. 12:20pm, Elem. 1:10pm)
Lindgren/Hillcrest/Prairie View
Parent Teacher Conferences, 4:00-8:00pm
March 5
Lindgren Parent Teacher Conferences,
4:00-8:00pm
Nov. 6
Lindgren/Hillcrest/Prairie View
Parent Teacher Conferences, 4:00-8:00pm
March 9-13
Spring Break - No School
March 31
End of 3rd Quarter
Nov. 13
Lindgren/Hillcrest/Prairie View
Parent Teacher Conferences, 4:00-8:00pm
April 2
Early Out - Staff Inservice
(H.S./M.S. 12:20pm, Elem. 1:10pm)
Nov. 14
Early Out - Staff Inservice
(H.S./M.S. 12:20pm, Elem. 1:10pm)
April 3
No School
Nov. 26-28
No School (Thanksgiving Break)
April 6
No School
Aug. 25-28
District Inservice
Sept. 2
Dec. 4
Dec. 11
Dec. 24-Jan. 2
Jan. 5
Jan. 16
Jan. 30
April 7
High School
Parent Teacher Conferences 4:30-7:30pm
April 30
Middle School Grades 6-8
Parent Teacher Conferences, 3:30-7:30pm
May 7
Christmas Vacation
May 22
School resumes
May 25
End of 2nd Quarter
Early Out - Staff Inservice
June 5
(H.S./M.S. 12:20pm, Elem. 1:10pm)
June 9
Early Out - Staff Inservice
(H.S./M.S. 12:20pm, Elem. 1:10pm)
June 10
June 11-July 1
No School - 1st Snow Makeup Day
High School
Parent Teacher Conferences, 4:30-7:30pm
M.S. Grade 6-8
Parent Teacher Conferences, 3:30-7:30pm
Graduation 7:00pm
Memorial Day - No School
Last day for 4K Lindgren
Last day of School- Early Out
(H.S./M.S. 12:20pm, Elem. 1:10pm)
Staff Inservice or 2nd Snow Makeup Day
Summer School