December 7, 2017

A Fox Prairie kindergarten student dives into an Hour of Code activity this week. 
Fox Prairie students explore Hour of Code
Stoughton is one of hundreds of Hour of Code events in Wisconsin
Fox Prairie Elementary this week is among thousands of schools that have been participating in the Hour of Code program.

It's the the third year Hour of Code opportunities have been organized school-wide, said Fox Prairie library media specialist Chris Steinke, who coordinates the program at Fox. Teachers have been able to sign up for Hour of Code sessions throughout the week.

"The  Hour  of  Code started as a one- hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify ' code', to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field  of computer science," according to the project website. "It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1- hour coding activities but expanding to all sorts  of community efforts." 

During  Hour  of  Code, students spend one  hour getting exposed to computer science or computer programming. 

At Fox Prairie, all classes either already have participated or will have participated by early next week. Not even a brief power outage on Tuesday could stop the kids! The Hour of Code website reported a total of 141,056 events registered for 2017, including 44,713 events in the United States and 890 in the State of Wisconsin, as of Thursday afternoon.


 
UW students, preservation architect help reimagine local landmark
A preservation architect and an international team of UW-Madison civil engineering students on Tuesday presented a building option for how the 1892 building could be renewed and repurposed. The presentation was delivered during the Stoughton Area School District's Facilities Committee meeting and included a question-and-answer session.


Watch the meeting!


Winter season is a busy time for SASD music programs
The winter season means a busy time for our music programs. Upcoming performances and concerts include: 
  • The Winter Band Concert tonight (Dec. 7) at 7:30 p.m. at the Stoughton High School Performing Arts Center
  • The 41st annual Madrigal Dinner this weekend
  • The 6th-12th Grade Winter Orchestra Concert at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18
  • The Fox Prairie All-School Sing at 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, at Fox Prairie

Coming soon: Sandhill Watch D.O.G.S. program
Sandhill Elementary School will be implementing a Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) program this school year. 

A launch night is planned for 4:30 p.m. Dec. 19 at Sandhill that will include pizza for those interested in volunteering, presentations on the Watch D.O.G.S. program and opportunities for attendees to start signing up. The Sandhill gym will be available for kids to play in while the adults participate in the program.

Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) is an initiative from the National Center for Fathering designed to increase engagement and involvement of male role models in school and highlight importance of education and safe, responsible behavior. A Watch D.O.G.S. program was started at Kegonsa last year. Sandhill also seeks to provide positive male role models to keep the school safe and demonstrate the importance of education through Watch D.O.G.S.

Shout out to local churches for their support of our students
This holiday season, we want to give a shout out to our area churches for their support of our schools and our kids. 

Did you know that:

  • Representatives from area churches, along with volunteers, helped distribute lunches to students in need through the Lunches for Vikings program over the summer.
  • LakeView Church donated 20 turkey meals around Thanksgiving time for Sandhill families in need. The church earlier in the year had also provided backpacks of school supplies for students. LakeView also partnered with our schools to collect gently used books for school children in Houston in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
  • Good Shepherd by the Lake this year is organizing a Giving Tree for Kegonsa Elementary School families. It also has helped provide students with school supplies and earlier this year provided Kegonsa with an engraved "Buddy Bench."
  • First Lutheran Church - Volunteers from First Lutheran's Love Stoughton group, as well as Sandhill families and staff, helped install the first phase of the school's new outdoor classroom in November. The church's Love Stoughton group also financed all of the materials needed for the project.
Thank you for your support!
Jumping for D.C. fundraiser meets attendance goal
 
Thank you to everyone who could attend the Tuesday night (Dec. 5) fundraiser at Sky Zone Trampoline Park in Madison for River Bluff students' upcoming trip to Washington, D.C.

The fundraiser exceeded its goal of having 50 people attend! That means a portion of the proceeds from the sales help support the student trip in 2018.
Kegonsa ramps up after school clubs
Kegonsa kids have after school club fever! 

The first round of clubs got underway earlier this school year and continue through this month (December). 

This first session's clubs include: Fairy House Building, Puzzles and Board Games, Cardboard City, Unicycling, Creative Crafts and Minecraft. 

Kegonsa started offering after school clubs last year, said principal Erin Conrad. Such programs can help build student engagement and a sense of community within the school. A total of 91 slots have been filled in the first round of clubs.

"Kids are so excited about them," Conrad said.

The next round of clubs starts Jan. 9 and includes new opportunities such as Nature Photography, Engineering and Theater Improv. 

Families: Don't forget about Bridging Brighter Smiles
The Stoughton Area School District has once again partnered with  Bridging  Brighter   Smiles  to offer preventative dental care right at school! All students are welcome to participate. Visits are held during school hours throughout the year. 

To enroll, simply go to  enrollment.bbsmiles.org  to complete an enrollment form online. Paper copies should also be available in the school offices.

Questions? Call 262-896-9891 or visit
www.bbsmiles.org.
Give a shout out
Several of our schools have a "shout out" program to recognize our staff. This year, we are trying to take that program district-wide.

Follow the link below to give a shout out to a Stoughton Area School District staff member . The form is very brief and should take only a couple of minutes to complete. We plan to share the shout outs through our Staff Newsletter. Thank you in advance for your help!


Norse Star captures second place in journalism awards program
The Stoughton High School Norse Star  won second place out of 23 schools across the state for their reporting last year. Intro to Journalism and Advanced Journalism students (pictured above) gathered before attending sessions at UW-Whitewater on Oct. 14 for the Kettle Moraine Press Association Fall Journalism Conference, where the journalism awards were presented. The Norse Star was recognized in the Newsmagazine Award category. Congratulations students!
Sandhill Student Council supports START organization
Sandhill's Student Council this week presented the SToughton Area Resource Team (START)  with more than $311 to support its efforts. 

Members of the council raised the money from a bake sale they organized during parent teacher conferences earlier this year.  Student   Council  leaders took shifts working the bake sale, and  student  council  members donated baked goods .

START provides a safety net for those in crisis. It links Stoughton area residents under 55 with community resources and provides support in housing, utilities, transportation, health and employment. 


SHS class visits the state capital, listens to Supreme Court hearing

Students from Katy Mullen's AP (Advanced Placement) Government class at  Stoughton High School visited the Wisconsin state capital on Friday, Dec. 1. While there, the class v isited with state Rep. Hebl, Sen. Mark Miller, toured the capital and listened to a Supreme Court hearing.
Student artwork now on display at Stoughton Library
Artwork by Stoughton students in grades kindergarten through 12 will be on display at the Stoughton Public Library, 304 S. 4th St.,  until  Jan. 3, 2018 . Stop by and check out the work by our talented student artists!

Community Connection
You can find out the latest activities and programs organized by local organizations and nonprofit groups by visiting our  Community Flyers page .
SHS alumni excel in theater, museum work

Stoughton High School graduate Claire Ganshert earlier this fall captured a Best Actress Award in the New York City Theater Festival. Read about Claire's award in the Stoughton Courier Hub or in Broadwayworld.com. ( Submitted image via the Stoughton Courier Hub.)

Also, SHS graduate Max McHone, now attending UW-Milwaukee, was part of a team of students who interned at the Milwaukee Public Museum and helped create an exhibit titled "Weapons: Beyond the Blade." Find out more information at  UWM Connections.  
River Bluff STEAM program in the news

The STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) program at River Bluff Middle School made the front page of the Stoughton Courier Hub on Nov. 23.

The front page article highlights some of the new technology in place for the school STEAM classes, such as a laser cutter and three-dimensional printer.