Monthly Archives: October 2017

Washington Island School offers unique learning environment

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Washington Island

The Country Today: Students at Washington Island School are surrounded by knowledgeable teachers, caring support staff and state-of-the-art technology.

Oh, and they’re surrounded by one other thing — water.

Washington Island School, the state’s smallest K-12 institution with 69 total students, stands apart both literally and figuratively as Wisconsin’s only island school.

“Being on an island, you can definitely say we’re a very close-knit community,” teacher/​athletics director Michael Gillespie said. “When we say ‘everybody knows everybody,’ that’s definitely true here.”

The island and its roughly 700 residents are located about six miles northeast of the Door County peninsula mainland. All students and school employees live on the island, which connects with the mainland via the year-round Washington Island Ferry Line service.

The island town was established in 1850, and one of the town board’s first acts was to establish a log school near Washington Harbor (now Schoolhouse Beach). The 35-square-mile island later maintained four schools simultaneously until they were consolidated into one school about six decades ago. The current school building, which opened in 1986, houses all grades under one roof — with separate wings for a high school, middle school and elementary school.

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River Falls’ “Sunshine Fund” honored at national character education conference

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River Falls

River Falls Journal: The River Falls High School Sunshine Fund earned a “Promising Practices” award, presented at a conference in Washington, D.C.

High school principal Kit Luedtke said the Sunshine Fund shows a display of “student compassion and empathy and caring for others in the community.”

“Our national promising practice award, I think, reflects that, that our kids are doing something different than what the norm is as adolescents, or as teenagers,” Luedtke said.

The Sunshine Fund is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit that offers financial assistance to River Falls School District families and “boots-on-the-ground” help such as raking leaves or mowing lawns.

The Sunshine Fund Board is made of students, mentored by community members.

Three of the students who went to accept the award, Shihab Adam, Macie VanNurden, and Riley Jahnke, said the best part of going to the conference was getting to share their ideas.

“Our main purpose going down there was just to spread our ideas, and actually just show people what we’ve accomplished and what we’ve created,” they said.

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Algoma is nationally recognized with health and wellness award

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Algoma

WBAY.com: The City of Algoma is one of eight communities across the country to receive a national award for their efforts in health and wellness.

“Algoma was selected from over 200 applicants across the nation for this prize. So it’s a real honor and achievement,” says Julie Willems Van Dijk, Director, County Health Rankings Program, University of Wisconsin Population of Health Institute.

Algoma is one of the smallest communities in the country to have won the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s “Culture of Health Prize.”

“Often times people think that to build a culture of health, to make health possible in their community, it’s not easy to do, or it’s not even possible,” says Matt Trujillo, of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “But I think Algoma is a great example of what you can do when you really put health at the center of what you’re doing.”

It’s all thanks to the “Live Algoma” program, which works to promote health and fitness to all members of the community.

“One of the biggest assets of our community is our Community Wellness Center. Our biggest drive for the Community Wellness Center is really to be a hub of our community where young and old alike can really have that cross-generation relationship,” says Teal VanLanen, Community Activator Improvement Coordinator, Algoma School District. “We really just bring people together that have different aspects of our community and perspectives, so that, you know, we can have a shared vision.”

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Student-run business at Middleton High offers hands-on education in production

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Middleton

Madison.com: The business education and engineering-technology departments at Middleton High School are partnering on a joint business to make products and market them.

Called Cardinal Enterprise, the student-run business manages all aspects of production, from budgeting to ordering materials to distribution, through a class with the same name.

“I’ve had an interest in all facets of business and manufacturing,” junior Sean Bertalot said about taking the class. “This is more than a simulation.”

Two of the products are ready to buy, including a wooden puzzle cube that is selling for $10. An aluminum hitch cover with the standard Cardinal mascot costs $35, or $40 for customized lettering. In addition, they will sell a portable red cedar table with a clever folding design for $45 starting Wednesday, and a flip-top grill with a stainless steel grate should be ready by Friday for $125. Products can be ordered at https://tinyurl.com/ycrl7zbf.

 

Profits will go back into the class for future expenses, not counting some money from grill sales, which will be donated to Middleton Outreach Ministry.

Students had to apply for the semester-long class, which is being piloted this year with plans of making it a year-long class next year. About 40 students are currently enrolled and the class is spread out among several classrooms and shop space. Most of the students are juniors and seniors.

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Number of New Berlin Grads Leaving High School with Industry Credentials Continues to Rise

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New Berlin

Waukesha Patch: Forty-four students, or 12 percent of the School District of New Berlin’s Class of 2017, graduated high school with an industry credential in manufacturing, health sciences, information technology, hospitality and/or STEM disciplines, giving them a competitive advantage as they transition to postsecondary education or work.

Attainment of an industry credential is one of many benchmarks monitored by the SDNB as part of its district level ‘College and Career Readiness’ dashboard.

“Industry credentials indicate a level of a commitment to a future career interest and allow students to demonstrate not only what they know, but what they can do with what they know,” Superintendent Joe Garza said. “In 2013, we didn’t have any students on record achieving an industry credential. The Wisconsin Fast Forward Pupil Grant program provided the impetus to relook at our programming to determine which credentials would support students as they explore options that might impact their postsecondary plans.”

During the 2014-15 school year, the district implemented an onsite certified nursing assistant (CNA) program in partnership with LindenGrove of New Berlin and Waukesha County Technical College. This program now certifies approximately 50 CNAs annually. The certification allows students to seek employment at area hospitals and senior care centers and gives them a competitive edge when applying for postsecondary education. One Eisenhower graduates took a CNA job immediately out of high school. Her employer has since offered to pay for her tuition at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to become a registered nurse.

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Wauwatosa teacher to speak at international conference on music software

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Wauwatosa teacher

Journal Sentinel: Wauwatosa East High School orchestra teacher Mike Hayden is heading to Germany in November to speak on integrating modern music technology in the classroom, a passion he’s developed in his 11 years of teaching.

Hayden will speak at the Ableton Loop Festival to attendees who are either teaching music production formally, in an after-school program or looking to start a music program.

Although he’s a regular presenter at state music education conferences, this is the first time he will travel to speak internationally.

Hayden has been using the Ableton Live software throughout his teaching career, which has included teaching a variety of music courses, including orchestra ensemble, a rock band class and digital music.

Although another teacher is in charge of the digital music classes at Wauwatosa East, Hayden helped create some of the curriculum for that class, and he still finds ways to integrate the software into his orchestra classes.

“I’m still able to do a lot more composition and improvisation activities in orchestra,” Hayden said. “We record and listen, we’ll use trap beats sometimes instead of our traditional metronome … I show kids that it’s OK to have fun and incorporate the stuff you like to listen to with what you play.”

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Sheboygan Falls teacher named finalist for Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Teaching Prize

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A Sheboygan Falls High School construction and technology education teacher was named today one of 10 finalists for the 2017 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence, which will award more than $500,000 to outstanding skilled trades teachers and programs in American public high schools. As a finalist, the school and teacher will receive at least $30,000 and up to $100,000 if they win the top prize.

Drawn from across the country and representing skilled trades like construction, automotive, architecture, woodworking, manufacturing and marine systems technology, the 10 finalists are in the running for three first-place prizes of $100,000, with $70,000 going to the high school skilled trades program and $30,000 to the individual skilled trades teacher or teacher team behind the winning program. The seven second-place winners will each be awarded $30,000, with $20,000 going to the high school program and $10,000 to the teacher/team. The winners will be announced on Oct. 26.

The Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence was designed to recognize outstanding instruction in the skilled trades in U.S. public high schools that inspires students to learn a trade that prepares them for a career after high school.

“We created this prize out of huge respect for the intelligence and creativity of people who work with their hands to create, build and repair,” said Eric Smidt, founder of the prize and founder, owner and CEO of the national retailer Harbor Freight Tools. “We’re proud to honor the important leadership of these skilled trades teachers, who are working so hard to equip their students with the know-how and skill to land good jobs, pursue bright futures, and become part of a workforce our country needs.”

Sheboygan Falls High School’s Ed Hughes was recognized for his work teaching construction, computer-aided design, STEM and other trades. He guides his students through trades pathways, a robust internship program and robotics competitions. Hughes helped spearhead the creation of his school’s Innovation Design Center, a modern learning space dedicated to the trades and technology.

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Freedom High School students restore truck to be featured in Las Vegas convention

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WBAY.com:  A truck at Freedom High School is getting a lot of attention.

Student working on truck in shop class
A student works on a truck in Freedom High School’s automotive class on October 12, 2017 (WBAY photo)

It’s been completely refurbished by a group of students and will soon go on display at a Las Vegas convention.

It’s a project that’s been underway for about six months.

Students at Freedom High School say the changes have been dramatic to a 1985 Toyota 4Runner after the vehicle was donated to the school last spring as part of a project to raise money for the school’s automotive program.

Freedom High School automotive instructor Jay Abitz said, “It’s a complete transformation from a rusty stock to a four runner to something that’s completely custom built with a lift kit and a bunch of handcrafted metal fabrication and $20,000 in donated aftermarket parts. It’s a real rock crawler now.”

The vehicle was donated to the school by the Northeast Wisconsin Motorama in exchange for the students providing assistance at the show.

The project has provided the students with hands-on experience many are grateful for.

Automotive student Brian Vander Heiden said, “It is very nice. I’ve learned so many things, how to shape metal, how to paint correctly, and all these little tips and tricks I never knew before.”

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Verona class gives students behind-the-scenes look at health care field

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Verona CNA

Madison.com: Lidia Velasco signed up for the certified nursing assistant class at Verona High School because it was a deal she couldn’t pass up.

“It’s a really good opportunity because as long as you pass, Verona High School pays for this class,” said the high school junior.

In addition, the school pays for the test students need to take to become certified as a CNA, she said. The school does not pay if students have to retake the exam.

The class is taught by Madison Area Technical College instructors who expect the same from high school students as they do older students. Students must apply for the class and meet certain requirements that include background checks and immunizations, said Amy Moschkau, school-to-career coordinator at Verona High School.

Verona students not only get high school credit, but also get three credits from Madison Area Technical College. Typically the class would cost a student about $500.

Verona is one of four high schools in Dane County to offer the class in their buildings although two other schools send their students to a neighboring district’s program. The class is offered each semester in Verona to a maximum of 16 students.

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Farm to School gains momentum in greater Green Bay

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Green Bay Farm to School

Green Bay Press-Gazette: October is a month that celebrates transformation, including leaves changing the landscape into a picturesque masterpiece and temperatures cooling from their summer peaks.

October also marks a celebration of a community transformation unfolding within our children’s schools — Farm to School.

Farm to School is a national movement that connects schools with local farmers to develop impactful relationships, contribute to a strong local economy and provide a greater sense of connection from farm to fork. When we teach our children where their food comes from, we shift the culture around food. Research shows this can have a profound effect on everything from academic success to mental well-being to the development of healthy, lifelong eating habits.

Live54218’s role in Farm to School began in 2012, when we convened a task force with nine school districts in Brown County. One of the first large-scale projects was the implementation of classroom lessons, with nutrition educators taking farm to school lessons into local schools. Along with classroom lessons, came a focus on school gardens and the involvement of Food Service staff in not only preparing produce grown in school gardens, but actively working on how to purchase and serve food grown by local farmers on school lunch trays.

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