Community Newsletter of the Mukwonago Area School DistrictTheTR AD

Students Staff Community Building Better Schools Together

Volume 3 No 1 Oct 2016

Stud

ents Staff

Community

WHATrsquoS INSIDE

bull Prairie Viewrsquos ldquoBuddy Benchrdquo 2

bull Coins for College from Clarendon 2

bull MHS Students Experience Europe3

bull Sectionrsquos Lego League 4

bull Eagleville Excited to Add STEM 5

bull Summer STEM at Rolling Hills 5

bull Big Bend Boosts Literacy 6

bull New Opportunities at Park View 7

bull Alumni Spotlight 8

Construction Begins at Mukwonago High SchoolWith the 2016-17 school year now in full swing area residents have started to ask about the status of the Mukwonago High School construction project

Last April the residents of the Mukwonago Area School District approved two referendum ballot questions related to improving the communityrsquos high school The first question allows the district to spend $495

million on capital improvements in eight facility areas including the cafeteria second floor classrooms technical education labs library performing arts center music classrooms maintenance and gym

space The second question provides $350000 of revenue for each of the next twenty years to fund the increased costs of the 97000 square feet of new space and 130000 square feet of renovated space Those costs include heating cooling and added water and custodial needs

MHS was originally built in 1972 and opened with 915 students Renovations have been long overdue staff welcomed 1651 stu-dents to the building this school year Immediately following the April 5 election district administration began drafting plans to renovate Mukwonago High School Throughout the spring and summer months the designers -- Bray Architects who have successfully designed other high schools throughout the state of Wisconsin -- worked closely with high school teachers staff members and community residents to design the new learning spaces The School Board established a goal to have the final design completed by the end of 2016 in order to solic-ity bids in January 2017 thus allowing the district to realize possible savings from changes in the statersquos pre-vailing wage law

Construction started on the parking lots in October This work is needed to move the designated area where thirty-two buses drop off and pick up students to a new location in the south and east lots The relocation of the buses will enable the school to start Phase One of construction in March of

2017 which includes construction of the performing arts center music classrooms main office and the gymnasium Renovation of approximately twelve classrooms on the second floor will also start around that time Students and staff will experience some inconvenience but the construction management firm CG Schmidt possesses a wealth of experience renovating and building new high schools using methods to minimize disruption to the learn-ing process such as construction during after-school hours

During the summer of 2017 work on the library and the rest of the sec-ond floor renovations will begin With these areas projected to be completed in the spring of 2018 work on

(continued p 6)

For Project Updates visit www masdk12wius gt District menu gt Renovation

The TRIAD Welcome to the Mukwonago School 2

Prairie Viewrsquos New Buddy Bench Honors Friendship

A simple idea sweeping the nationrsquos schools the Buddy Bench is a designated spot on the playground where students sit if they are looking for something to do or would like to participate in activities with someone else Students know to invite and include the ldquoBuddy Benchwarmersrdquo in their recess activ-ities to foster friendships and eliminate lone-liness on the playground

Buddy Benches were brought to the United States by a Pennsylvania first grade student Christian Bucks when he saw the idea in a brochure promoting a school in Germany Christian approached his principal at Roundtown Elementary about the concept and the Buddy Bench movement was born

Prairie View sixth grade student Hugh Wesselhoff a member of the PVES Student Advisory program said ldquoWe wanted some-thing to benefit the students where no one will feel left outrdquo As a result Prairie View Elementary elected to become the latest MASD school -- joining Big Bend Rolling Hills Section and Clarendon -- to employ the use of a Buddy Bench

To give the bench and its purpose further mean-ing the staff and stu-dents chose to include an inscription to honor their former librarian Mr Spencer Warren a well-known advocate of students forming friend-ships Mr Warren who retired in 2007 from Prairie

View passed away this spring after a long bat-tle with ALS The bench reads ldquoIn memory of our forever buddy - Spencer Warren - Librarian Colleague Friendrdquo The bench will be installed during the 2016-2017 school year and the stu-dent advisory group will be instrumental in helping to teach students about the bench and its purpose for nurturing friendships at Prairie View

- Contributed by Stephanie BluePrincipal Prairie View Elementar y School

PVESrsquo new ldquoBuddy Benchrdquo will be installed this school year

Spencer Warren

Clarendon Avenue Elementary staff and students were excited to start a new tradition last spring In efforts to give back to the community a new program called ldquoCoins for Collegerdquo raised funds for graduating Mukwonago High School seniors Eyeing an initial goal of raising $500 to award in the form of a scholarship to a former Clarendon student the school held a successful week-long coin drive that raised more than $1000 through student and staff contributions

Following the coin drive the scholarship committee considered a wide range of applicants and decided that two $500 scholarships would be awarded The selection committee created a defined rubric that not only weighed academic performance but also emphasized community involvement and extracurricular activities Additionally applicants were also asked to compose a brief essay about Clarendonrsquos preparation for MHS and beyond

At the May 2016 MHS senior awards ceremony current Clarendon stu-dent Cooper Johnson presented the scholarships to the chosen recipi-ents Madisyn Fairchild and Sydney Sobon Fairchild is attending Loyola University this fall majoring in musical theatre while Sobon is a pre-med student at UW-Madison Both seniors visited Clarendon at the end of the year to address students and staff show their appreciation for their scholarships and motivate students to work to their potential through their academic careers in Mukwonago

Clarendonrsquos Coins for College

Clarendon alumni Sydney Sobonand Madisyn Fairchildaccept their scholarships at the spring awards ceremony at Mukwonago High School

- Contributed by Sarah CleaverSpeech Teacher Clarendon Elementar y School

ELECT ION 2017Three seats on the MASD School Board will open for election in April of

2017 the Central Region seat East Region seat and District-at-Large seatCandidates for an area seat must be a resident of that particular area

An elector desiring to be a candidate for a position on the school board must file a Sworn Declaration of Candidacy with the district

For information about the boundaries of the three regions and filing a declaration of candidacy please visit the district website at

wwwmasdk12wius gt District menu gt

School Board

Follow Us Online Web wwwmasdk12wius Twitter masdschools Facebook facebookcommasdschools Instagram masdschools LinkedIn lnkedinmasdschools Google Plus +MukwonagoSchools MASD Smartphone Mobile App download via iTunes or Android app

The TRIAD Welcome to the Mukwonago School District

European Trips Enlighten MHS Students

3

In June two excited groups of MHS students and staff flew to Europe - one to London and the other to Spain Students learned to navigate the bustling streets and transportation within a large city sample a vast array of new foods and experiences share a once-in-a-lifetime endeavor with a diverse group of people and leave as friends with lasting memories

Embarking on the literary and culturally-themed London trip were twenty MHS students and three veteran teachers Mrs Hally Kelly Mrs Marilyn Toshner Mrs Sarah Dianich Upon arriving in the heart of London the students joined their energetic guide a genuine Londoner for a tour past the London Bridge and numerous other well-known sites The next five days continued the flurry of expe-riences including performances of A Midsummer Nightrsquos Dream in Shakespearersquos Globe Theatre and Wicked in the theatre district the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace a London ghost tour featuring sites linked to Jack the Ripper acting workshops a Harry Potter tour that ended at Platform 9 frac34 and of course a day trip to the birthplace and home of William Shakespeare his burial site and his wife Anne Hathawayrsquos home

Meanwhile thirty-five Spanish class students left the MHS parking lot with Ms Jacqueline Ford Ms Nicole Marble Mrs Karen Sperstad Mrs Ann Murphy and Mr Jerad Meuer to embark on an eleven day educational tour of Spain The students enjoyed putting their years of Spanish study to the test by bargaining in La Boqueriacutea in Barcelona competing in the city challenge in Granada ordering paella in Valencia learning the history of the Alhambra participating in a Flamenco show and negotiating the metro in Madrid Graduate Madelynn Peterson said of her experience ldquoIt was surreal eye-openingrdquo Senior Kyle Koehn thanked the staff by writing ldquoIt was a tremendous trip hellip unique as well as unforgetta-blerdquo Confirming that the students embraced the different cultural system with sensi-tivity and maturity the teachers received compliments from flight attendants and tour guides about the polite behaviors of the MHS students

Spanish teacher Karen Sperstad said ldquoWersquod like to thank the many local business and service organizations who donated to the newly established scholarship fund to help make the trip more accessible Thank you also to our school board parents students staff and community for their support of these educational real-world endeavorsrdquo

ldquoiexclViva Espantildeardquo

Future MHS Student Trips Include

bull Dominican Republic (service trip) (2017-2018)bull England (tentative) (2018-2019)bull Spain (2018-2019)

ldquoPip PipCheeriordquo

- Contributed by Sarah Dianich and Karen SperstadTeachers Mukwonago High School

Las Maestras y Meuer - Plaza de Espantildea Sevilla

Spanish Fiesta - Bullring in Sevilla Espantildea

(above) On the steps of Shakespearersquos

Globe Theatre

Follow Us Online Web wwwmasdk12wius Twitter masdschools Facebook facebookcommasdschools Instagram masdschools LinkedIn lnkedinmasdschools Google Plus +MukwonagoSchools MASD Smartphone Mobile App download via iTunes or Android app

4 The TRIAD Welcome to the Mukwonago School District

- Contributed by Rober t SlanePrincipal Section Elementar y School

Sectionrsquos Lego League Tradition ContinuesSection Elementaryrsquos Lego League team is one of 29000 teams world-wide that will participate in an excit-ing 2016 challenge 2016 represents Sectionrsquos thirteenth year entering a team in the competition which

involves research brainstorming critical thinking and presentation skills focused around science tech-nology engineering and math (STEM)

A Lego League team consists of ten students guided by at least one adult as they build and program a robot to compete in a table-top playfield challenge based on a pre-determined theme This year

the theme addresses the unique relationship between animals and humans The theme ldquoANIMAL ALLIESrdquo asks teams to identify a problem created when people and animals interact and then

create solutions to make those interactions better for people animals or both The students will build a challenge course on a 4rsquo X 8rsquo table with prescribed missions that the robot must

accomplish during its two-minute competition To supplement their construction efforts teams will also present their research and solutions to the theme-based problems before

a panel of judges Participants live by the motto of ldquoGracious Professionalismreg and Coopertitionregrdquo (yes

Coopertition) which are part of Lego Leaguersquos core values in this friendly competition Discovery and shared experience are highly valued attributes Sectionrsquos coach Rob

Lord explained ldquoThe best thing about Lego League is that it gives kids a chance to apply many of the math and science activities they learn in school It also pro-

vides them with an experience to identify a problem or opportunity brain-storm ideas and develop solutions to real world problemsrdquo

Sectionrsquos team is excited to carry on the tradition of a dozen teams who have participated before them as they learn grow and build together focusing on a high-interest real-life challenge

To learn more about Lego League visit

its website at wwwfirstlegoleagueorg

Science teacher Paul ldquoSuperrdquo Shedivy amazes students with his dry cleaning bag hot air balloon during summer learning at RHES

Follow Us Online Web wwwmasdk12wius Twitter masdschools Facebook facebookcommasdschools Instagram masdschools LinkedIn lnkedinmasdschools Google Plus +MukwonagoSchools MASD Smartphone Mobile App download via iTunes or Android app stores

5The TRIAD Welcome to the Mukwonago School District

New STEM Curriculum Excites at Eagleville

- Contributed by Ron SchlichtPrincipal Eaglevil le Elementar y Char ter School

This year Eagleville is adding to its curricular enhancements by mak-ing STEM a schoolwide focus alongside the existing Environmental Science and Spanish enhancements Learning goals based on STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) will help give stu-dents exposure to the many future job opportunities they will have as modern employees in the 21st century

To prepare Eagleville staff worked hard over the summer to research various STEM programs Ultimately they selected three projects to coincide with the studentsrsquo current science curriculum First through a job simulation of a packaging engineer engineering teams will design packaging to sustain healthy plant life for transport over several days Second students will explore the job of an aero-nautical engineer and -- applying several different flying tech-nologies -- design models to help collect aerial photographs for topographical maps or for use in outer space Finally students will simulate tasks of an acoustical engineer to improve several acoustical devices through knowledge of sound waves

In each project students will have the opportunity to work in multi-grade level engineering teams to design build make modifica-tions and explain their processes to the rest of the school ldquoWe want to focus on making sure our students are equipped with 21st century skillsrdquo said princi-pal Ron Schlicht ldquoWorking in groups problem solving researching analyzing design-ing and communicating are all important skills our kids will need when they graduate from high schoolrdquo

To help facilitate collaboration and design staff took some additional steps to pave the way for STEM project learning Teachers removed the desks from 5K1st grade and 2nd3rd grade classrooms and replaced them with common workspaces 5K and 1st grade students will also use iPad technology to supple-ment their curriculum lessons Finally the services of a reading specialist will be available every day to efficiently administer read-ing interventions and implement higher level interventions with fidelity for struggling learners

Eagleville is a tuition-free public charter school Families interested in a tour or learning about open enrollment are encouraged to call the Eagleville Elementary Charter School office at 262-363-6258 to set up an appointment

Rolling Hills Elementary School welcomed back MASD ele-mentary students for the 2015-16 summer school term for the first time since 2011 and with them came some exciting new STEM class offerings

When it came time to plan for summer school grade six teacher Nicole Raduenz grade five-six teacher Jill Ruland and grade four teacher Bridget Christiansen collaborated to design engaging classrooms where students could thrive They knew they wanted to incorporate Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) so they designed activities for learners to explore those areas

The STEM-inspired lessons focused on problem-solving through teamwork and community building Teachers pre-sented students with open-ended challenges and encouraged them to work through the engineering and design process to dvelop solutions Raduenz Ruland and Christiansen guided students through thoughtful reflections and watched as they

worked through many iterations of their projects until they suc-cessfully completed the challenge

Adding to the fun retired MASD science teacher Paul Shedivy (or ldquoSuper Shedivyrdquo as he introduced himself to students) joined the classes to discuss the characteristics of a scientist and con-duct many exciting hands-on experiments

ldquoSummer school was a great experience for us as teachersrdquo said Raduenz ldquoIt was amazingrdquo agreed Christiansen ldquoto see our students excited about learning and showing perseverance as they engaged themselves in the learning processrdquo

The triorsquos hope is to continue building the MASD summer school offerings and help both engineering and technology permeate district elementary classrooms throughout the school year and across all subjects

RHES Brings STEM to Summer School

- Contributed by Michael MarincicPrincipal Roll ing Hills Elementar y School

Eaglevillersquos official STEM diagram shows the steps of the engineering design process

Follow Us Online Web wwwmasdk12wius Twitter masdschools Facebook facebookcommasdschools Instagram masdschools LinkedIn lnkedinmasdschools Google Plus +MukwonagoSchools MASD Smartphone Mobile App download via iTunes or Android app stores

The TRIAD Welcome to the Mukwonago School District6

Big Bend Partners with Stritch to Boost LiteracyLast school year literacy assessment data showed that while students at Big Bend Elementary School are performing much

higher than the state average literacy scores were slightly below the Mukwonago Area School District average As a result BBES staff were motivated to hone their understanding of the foundations of literacy development and implement best practices for teaching reading across all grade levels To assist with their goal Rhonda Schoonover reading consultant from Cardinal Stritch University joined BBES teachers this past spring for five interactive workshops during Wednesday professional development sessions Their focus areas were the five pillars of reading instruction phonemic awareness decoding vocabulary fluency and comprehension

Reflecting on her takeaways from the workshops second grade teacher Carrie Jester summarized ldquoThe motto lsquoVerbalize to Internalizersquo is the key to reading success Teachers must model thought processes to teach students how to verbalize their understanding in all subject areas throughout the day Modeling practice and feedback are essentialrdquo

In addition to welcoming an external reading audit from Cardinal Stritch and participating in Rhonda Schoonoverrsquos professional development ten staff members also worked with the Wisconsin RTI (Response to Intervention) Center

to reflect analyze and implement the same key tenets - or as Big Bend staff refer to them Guiding Principles - of universal reading instruction Fourth grade teacher Mary Johnson describing the effects of those efforts observed ldquoI have implemented Big Bendrsquos Guiding Principles in my classroom by personalizing my reading and language

instruction My students participate in literature circles readers workshop writers workshop vocabulary instruc-tion and word study groups at their instructional levels Moreover as a parent of two Big Bend students I am a first-

hand witness to the success of Big Bendrsquos Guiding Principles as my own children have become more comprehensive readersrdquo The work begun by the Big Bend Elementary teachers will continue as the district reviews its elementary reading and lan-

guage arts curriculum over the next year

Follow Us Online Web wwwmasdk12wius Twitter masdschools Facebook facebookcommasdschools Instagram masdschools LinkedIn lnkedinmasdschools Google Plus +MukwonagoSchools MASD Smartphone Mobile App download via iTunes or Android app stores

MHS Construction Starts

Contributed by Shawn McNult ySuperintendent of MASD Schools

(continued from p 1)

the centerpiece of the project -- the cafeteria -- will then start Work will begin in the cafeteria after the new spaces are completed as the expansion will displace the current serving kitchen auditorium guidance offices marketing class-room and bookstore facilities

All construction should be completed by the end of 2018 The district remains confident the renovations will improve instruction and increase student achievement Additional goals include having the performing arts cen-ter completed for the spring musical in 2018 and the new gym completed in time for graduation ceremonies the following June The cafeteria expansion will allow MHS to reduce the number of lunch periods and provide much needed flexibility for the high school to transition to a new master schedule Students will be able to take addi-tional courses including electives by the start of 2018-19 school year

Residents who are looking for more information will soon find frequent design and construction updates on the districtrsquos website Also a presentation from the superintendent about MHS project updates will be given Wednesday November 2 at 7 PM in the high school library

Big Bend teachers analyze historical data to develop cohesive univeral reading instruction

Contributed by Shawn WallerPrincipal Big Bend Elementar y

Visit wwwmasdk12wius gt District menu gt Renovation

7The TRIAD Welcome to the Mukwonago School District

New Opportunities on the Horizon at Park View

Follow Us Online Web wwwmasdk12wius Twitter masdschools Facebook facebookcommasdschools Instagram masdschools LinkedIn lnkedinmasdschools Google Plus +MukwonagoSchools MASD Smartphone Mobile App download via iTunes or Android app stores

The process of a comprehensive program review continues to move forward at Park View Middle School After an extensive analysis involving reviews of existing courses future goals and current program offerings at comparable districts staff developed six recommendations for 2017-2018 to strengthen the middle school program

Change the academic calendar to a quartersemester structure The existing trimester structure provides an exploratory wheel with three courses each twelve weeks in length The quarter structure will provide an exploratory wheel with up to four courses each nine weeks in length

Change the daily schedule from a seven-period day of 50 minutes each class to a modified-block schedule with 56-minute and 76-minute classes The modified block provides flexibility for extended periods of instruction PVMS would transition from a daily to weekly homeroom period ensuring that time continues to be allocated for PBISThe Mustang Way clubactivity meetings recognition of state and national observance days and participation in special activities like Red Ribbon Week National Disability Month etc

Maintain the instructional approach of the house system to provide structured opportunities for instructional teams to indi-vidualize support for students andor parents Within the house system a group of 125-150 students work with the same group of core academic teachers Staff strongly feel personalized support is critical to a successful transition from elemen-tary to secondary schooling

Increase the number of instructional minutes for English language arts and mathematics instruction An extended liter-acy block was identified as a common trend across a vast majority of other districts the staff reviewed Currently MASD students receive approximately 100 minutes daily of literacy instruction in sixth grade but only 50 minutes at both sev-enth and eighth grade The shorter block of time makes it difficult for staff and students to meet the rigorous standards in English language arts (reading writing English grammar spelling vocabulary development speaking and listening) With regard to math since PVMS ranked in the middle of comparable districts for minutes per day of math instruction and since an impressive 39 of eighth grade students are enrolled in a high school level math class at PVMS (Algebra and Honors Geometry) the proposed schedule will increase daily math instructional minutes for all learners

Increase the number of exploratory and elective options for students especially in high-interest and high-demand fields to assist in college and career-readiness The expanded menu of required middle school exploratory courses will include but are not limited to Life and Career Skills (Academic and Career Planning and Financial Literacy will be the primary components of this course) Exploring BusinessMarketingEntrepreneurship and Exploring Computer Science

Provide personalized learning opportunities for all students to help cre-ate a structure for reading and math interventions enrichment across all subject areas and individual and collaborative study opportunities (peer to peer andor student to teacher) The students would follow a customized path that responds and adapts based on hisher individual learning progress motivations and goals

Curriculum planning teacher professional development and schedulestructure development will continue through the cur-rent school year and summer of 2017 with full implementation of approved changes occurring during the 2017-2018 school year The future is bright at PVMS

- Contributed by Mark DoomePrincipal Park View Middle School

From left to right Amelia Boerger Ella Rageth Garrett Schindler and Derek Schiltz analyze a novel in language arts

Alyssa Herbig and Colin Bruce use Chromebooks

8 The TRIAD Welcome to the Mukwonago School District

8

Have a story idea for THE TRIAD Please let us know

Email infomasdk12wius

385 County Road NN EastMukwonago WI 53149wwwmasdk12wiusSuperintendent Shawn McNultyBoard President Mary DrsquoAmour

Mukwonago Area School District

Postal Customer

Alumni Spotlight

James BergerClass of 1997

Brand Director Entyvio MarketingTakeda Pharmaceuticals

Favorite Teacher(s)Charles Lippert

Memorable MASD ClassesExperiencesAlthough I didnrsquot end up pursuing a degree or career directly related to English class Mr Lippert forced me to think more deeply than any other class he opened my mind to traveling creativity and the outside world I also believe extracurricular activities help students practice perform assess performance and adjust for future success We have incredibly dedicated coaches and teachers available to provide guidance along this learning experience I had a solid grounding in academics at MHS but football and track prepared me for the working world They forced me to confront failure and learn how to overcome it

Advice to current students Be sure to get your work done in school first but pay attention to all of the activities and people around you that will make you an interesting individual who can step out of your comfort zone fail a little bit and learn from people who are different than yourself

Kara OttumClass of 1992

Transportation and LogisticsRotary International

Favorite Teacher(s) Marilyn Davies

Memorable MASD ClassesExperiencesMrs Davies introduced me to authors who changed my perspec-tive and made me a voracious reader My most impactful expe-riences besides an excellent education were the opportunities that I had to travel to the former Soviet Union and Washington DC These experiences broadened my horizons and taught me people are the same the world around there is always a way to communicate Additionally I was an exchange student to New Zealand through the AFS program at MHS Being well-traveled allows me to feel comfortable anywhere in the world where I travel for work

Advice to current students Be present wherever you are -- in class at home and with your friends -- as change is the only constant in life

Andrew LambrechtClass of 1997

Field Office DirectorUS Citizenship and Immigration

Favorite Teacher(s) Ann Morrow Lee Bromberger

Memorable MASD ClassesExperiencesMrs Morrow had a unique way of making learning seem fun and she was very encouraging which gave me a lot of confi-dence as a student who recently moved to the area All of my English classes in junior high and high school helped me learn to write clearly and persuasively Mr Bromberger held us to a college-level standard and this was hugely beneficial to me through college and my career Soccer was my main extracurric-ular activity I learned a lot about competition leadership and how a strong team can overcome many challenges

Advice to current students Now is your best chance in life to pursue many different avenues when it comes to learning activities and friendships You will not regret taking a risk to try something new or to reaching out to that person who needs a bit of kindness

Scan the QR Code or go online to visit httpgooglforms9z76MbLdQ1You could win two tickets to a district sporting event or fine arts performance of your choice

Thoughts about THE TRIAD

We are proud to recognize our alumni Please send candidate nominations to infomasdk12wius

CommentsQuestions(262) 363-6300 orinfomasdk12wius

Design Layout EditingJulie Hanisch

Copy Editors Nick ReichhoffLee Bromberger

Printer United Press amp Graphics Har tland WI

Download the school lunch menu mobile

app Nutrislice

Available on iTunes and

Google Play