August 25, 2020
“Soon our classrooms, halls, and playgrounds will be filled with our community’s most important treasure – it’s children – and we can’t wait!”

Dear Southern Door Families and Staff:
The start of school is less than a week away. We have been very busy this summer working with local and state health and educational partners, and our Board of Education to address the risk factors of the pandemic so we can safely welcome everyone back. About 90% of our students will be returning for on-site face-to-face instruction five days a week, with the remaining students learning remotely.

Yesterday the rest of our staff arrived for our opening convocation and a week of in-service filled with professional development and last minute back-to-school preparations. Everyone is excited to be back and we have received so many compliments on the renovated learning spaces made possible by the community's support of the last facilities referendum.

Our Fly Like an Eagle Re-Entry Plan gets updated on a daily basis with new information. Just last night in our Board of Education meeting, a decision was made to approve the Packerland Conference’s recommendation to keep our fall sports in fall, to honor all the work of our students. If you haven’t checked out our website, you will find lots of information including answers to the most frequently asked questions. This school year will definitely look, feel, and sound different than in years past. Your child’s health & safety, well-being, and academic achievement remain our top priorities.

Open House on Thursday, August 27th will be virtual. Families will be receiving further communication from each school for invitations, scheduled online sessions, etc. Only the school offices will be open from 4:30-7:30 pm for late registrations, medication drop-offs, and payment of fees. Full-time Remote Learners will be able to pick up their technology equipment in the vestibule of their respective schools during that time. Since families are not able to be on site this year to drop off all the school supplies, we encourage your child bringing in those things all throughout the first week of school.

We appreciate your continued partnership with us as families and community as we navigate the uncharted waters of school this year. Together we will continue to help our young Eagles rise above any challenges and continue to soar as Eagle Proud and Eagle Strong!
Yours in Education,
Patti
Patricia Vickman, Superintendent
IN THIS ISSUE
*Eagle Spirit Mask Order due
*Important Dates
*Cross Country Spirit Sale
*Back to School During COVID-19
*Senior Student Graduates Basic Training
*New Teachers Take Bus Tour of District
*SD School Forest Toured
*After-School Program Open for Registration
*Summer Food Program
*Student-Athlete Sport Physicals
*E-Troop Information for Girl Scouts
ORDER EAGLE SPIRIT FACE COVERING OR MASK HERE! ORDERS DUE ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 27
National Honor Society is sponsoring a district-wide fundraiser for Eagle themed face coverings. Please click on this link to access the order form.
IMPORTANT DATES

Thurs Aug 27
--School Spirit Face Coverings/Masks Sale Due Date
-- 10a - 6p free COVID Testing Event in Sturgeon Bay - see details below
--4:30-7:30p VIRTUAL Open House School offices are only open for late registrations, medication drop-offs, and payment of fees. 100% Remote Learners will be able to pick up their technology equipment in the vestibules of their respective schools.

Tues Sept 1
--First Day of School
CROSS COUNTRY SPIRIT SALE – ONLINE ORDERS DUE SEPTEMBER 7
Click on this link for the flyer and link for our team's spirit store. All orders will be delivered to the school, unless you choose otherwise at checkout, the week of September 28th. Thank you for supporting Southern Door Cross Country!
BACK TO SCHOOL IN THE ERA OF COVID-19
Door County Medical Center hosted another “Back to School” FB Live this week with Dr. Heise and Dr. Fogarty. They had excellent questions/discussion last time and wanted to continue the conversation with the start of the school year so close. If you missed the broadcast, you can access it at this Youtube link.

Additional Parent Resources can be found at this link on the Fly Like an Eagle Re-Entry Plan. Frequently Asked Questions by parents can be found at this link.
(◔◡◔) ♥ 
CONGRATS TO 2020-21 🦅SD SENIOR, DYLON KRUEGER  who graduated from Basic - Charlie Company, 1-58th Infantry Regiment this summer.

We are proud of your commitment to serve our country!
NEW TEACHERS TAKE BUS TOUR OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT
The bus tour of the Southern Door County school district is an annual event for new teachers to Southern Door. This year, bus driver Jen Karsten, drove our new teachers and mentors in a new to the district Air Ride school bus. The purpose of the bus tour is to share the experience Southern Door students have riding to and from school, gather an idea of the square mileage of the district, and to learn tid bits of each of the townships that make up our great school district. The bus tour starts from school and drives through Brussels, Union, Gardner, Little Sturgeon, the Town of Sturgeon Bay, Clay Banks, Forestville and Maplewood concluding back at school. 

Special thanks to Mary Spude, our first "welcome wagon" person, and stop on the tour. Each year, Mary generously provides a treat to our new staff after boarding the bus to welcome our new "class." Last, as we pass through Forestville, the new staff learn how Cherry Delight was started in the childhood kitchen of 4K teacher Jenny (Johnson) Vogel and now has grown into a business that sells products both locally and internationally. Special thanks to Jennifer at Cherry Delight for allowing us to pull in and for the milk chocolate covered cherries for our new staff. 

The new teachers are asked to reflect on the question, "What stands out to you having taken the bus tour?" Year after year, the responses can be captured into three themes, COMMUNITY, CONNECTION, PRIDE. Welcome Class of 2020-2021!  
WISCONSIN NATURAL RESOURCES TOURS SD SCHOOL FOREST
On Friday August 14, members of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Foundation toured the Southern Door School Forest, led by Steve Schmidt from the LEAF Program at UW-Stevens Point and SD Volunteer Mike Toneys. After enjoying lunch outside of the SD Nature Center, participants toured the exhibits in the Nature Center, then spent time marveling at the beauty of the prairie in full bloom which is pictured below. That was followed by a visit to the pond, and walk down the Blue Trail, ending at the Sugar Shack. Suffice it to say, participants thoroughly enjoyed the tour and left SD very impressed with the SD School Forest and its facilities.
21ST CCLC AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM REGISTRATION OPEN NOW!

This is the second year that this after school program is being offered at Southern Door School in collaboration with the Door County YMCA as a result of a federal grant. The program will be offered Monday-Friday at NO COST to all elementary students* in grades 4K-5 and will run from 3:10-5:30pm each day school is in session.

The 21st CCLC program includes a variety of hands-on and project- based enrichment opportunities throughout the course of the school year including: robotics, art, music, physical activity, cooking, health/ nutrition, environmental education, math club, service learning opportunities and so much more! In addition to offering a safe place to be after school, the program is intended to foster positive relationships, build social emotional learning skills, provide access to new learning, and support academic outcomes for all students in collaboration with a variety of community partners, including the YMCA, as the program coordinator. More information can be found in the brochure at this link.

Click on this link to register your child in grades 4K-Grade 5 for this FREE program. 
Bellin, DCMC to Host Joint COVID Testing Event
Community invited for no-cost drive-up tests

Bellin Health and Door County Medical Center will team up for a no-cost drive-up COVID-19 testing event from 10 am - 6 pm Thursday, August 27 at the Door County Fairgrounds, 812 N. 14th Ave., Sturgeon Bay.

The event is open to everyone, whether or not they are experiencing symptoms. No insurance information will be collected and there will be no charge to the patient for the test. No appointment is needed. Individuals entering the fairgrounds should look for signage and volunteers to direct them to the testing site.