Hello! Welcome to the December Monthly Update with Monogue. There are a few important topics to update you on… so let's get started!
First, We are so appreciative of the strong support we received in November with a 63% yes vote for the operational referendum.
As we communicated during multiple community presentations, the successful referendum will help us maintain a wide spectrum of academic and co-curricular offerings for our students, it will help us keep talented staff here working in our schools and facilities, it will help us continue to prioritize class size and it will assist us in dealing with unprecedented inflation rates that are impacting all aspects of district operations.
We are heading into the budget cycle for the 2022-2023 school year. In the coming months, we will be finalizing staffing plans for all of our buildings, we will be finalizing our budget forecast as the consumer price index for 2023 is set, this happens in January for public schools, and enrollment projections become more clear. In addition, as we move through the spring, we will know what public school funding will be as the biennium budget is finalized at the state level.
Our enrollment projections, state aid, and the rate of inflation are the three factors that will become more clear in the months ahead. These factors will have a direct impact on how we approach staffing in all of our facilities. We will continue to bring you updates as they are available and again, we sincerely thank you for your support of our operational referendum.
Next, we have some updates within our transportation department.
First, we know that staffing shortages have had a very negative impact on our ability to reliably transport students to and from school according to usual schedules. Despite intensive recruitment efforts, we continue to be short-staffed in this area. While we continue to hire more bus drivers, we have decided to make a structural change beginning at the start of the second semester.
We will be discontinuing bussing services for district resident students who attend St. Francis Catholic School in Cross Plains. Parents, instead, will be given contract payments and asked to transport their children to school in another way. This change will result in two additional morning bus routes and two additional afternoon bus routes for the transport of students who attend our eleven district schools. This shift will provide significant relief to our stressed busing system.
Second, we are excited to announce some new hires to the transportation department.
Please welcome Navid Kempka, Daniel Alamilla Lopez and Dejuan Washington!
Dejuan has joined the team as a new bus driver! Navid serves the District as an Administrative Assistant for Transportation/ Dispatch. Daniel serves the District as the Transportation Services Assistant Manager. To add to the talent of our team, both Navid and Daniel are also fluent in both English and Spanish
We are excited to watch the team grow in their new careers at MCPASD!
Second-grade Teacher Holly Dregne and her students at Elm Lawn Elementary were ready for turkey day! Before the holiday weekend, the class hosted a Thanksgiving celebration to study how cultures worldwide express gratitude with food and time together. During the celebration, they spoke about family traditions and enjoyed an a la carte menu of dumplings, egg rolls, pumpkin pie, Japanese cookies, and many other goodies made with love by the classroom families! What an awesome way to learn more about each student and celebrate their heritage!
The pre-thanksgiving break festivities didn't stop there! Park Elementary hosted long-time friend and talented Polka performer Mollie B earlier this month. During her visit, Mollie taught students about the various instruments her band plays and even taught them a few Polka dances! Students showed off their new moves with close family and friends at a private concert for students and staff that evening and were also invited to the public concert the following day. Proceeds from the concert and bake sale directly benefited Park Elementary and Thank you to Park Staff and Parent-Teacher Organization, Cross Plains Lions club, and Mr. Peanuts for coordinating this awesome event!
Congratulations are in order for the Middleton High School DECA team! They attended their first competition of the school year earlier this month at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The event was an overall success and was mainly aimed at giving first-time competitors an opportunity for experience before the District competition in January. The following students listed below earned medals for various events.
Medal Winners: Asha Chakravartula, Vipul Dhiman, Parin Gouraram, Varsha Gouraram, Micah Hees, Nuha Khatri, Punitha Manne, Kriti Mitra, Shreya Ramesh, Suzannah Rawling, Peter Roden, and Naomi Shah. Congratulations to all!
November 7th through the 11th was School Psychology Week! While the celebration may only last a week, that doesn't mean our appreciation stops there. Mental health and wellness is incredibly important and our School Psychologists are here to help our students build their confidence in a safe and supportive environment. Thank you to all of our MCPASD mental health professionals. We appreciate you!
This year Kromrey middle-level families will see a new category on their child's Report Card called 'Habits of a Learner.' These habits were identified by staff as being the highest leverage traits that lead to success within the classroom, and for that reason, they are vital to report out to our families. Similar to other areas graded on a report card, these 'Habits of a Learner' will be explicitly taught within our classrooms, and the teacher will collect and report evidence as an average. They seek to improve children's social-emotional capacity so they can continue to grow beyond the areas of content. These skills equip students for a future beyond the walls of school, be it college, career, or community readiness. Click here to learn more | https://bit.ly/3Pu4f5g
Clark Street Community School recently hosted their biannual exhibition night! The event was open to the public for families and community members to explore the projects that students have been working on throughout the semester. Clark Street offers a unique learning environment. Students can blend their interests and passions into individualized projects to help them learn across multiple disciplines. Students showcased amazing projects, including art pieces, videos, hand-crafted clothing, and more! Congratulations to our Clark Street students for their hard work and outstanding displays. I am so excited to attend the next exhibition!
It was the perfect ending for the Middleton High School Theater's one-act performance of "The Perfect Ending." Congratulations to the cast and crew for their outstanding performance at the Wisconsin State Theatre Festival. The talented team took home the following awards including the critic's choice award:
Outstanding Ensemble
Outstanding Technical Theatre
Isa Garay - Acting
Reese Johanningmeier - Acting
Outstanding Directing
Is your high school-age student fluent in English and another language? Did you know their skills can be recognized with a Seal of Biliteracy by their senior year of high school. Students can begin working towards a starting their freshman year! This is a great opportunity for students to not only set themselves apart on college applications but can even lead to job opportunities following High School graduation! If you are interested in learning more please visit our website or contact sealofbiliteracy@mcpasd.k12.wi.us
See you next month and happy Holidays!