Baraboo School District
 
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UPCOMING EVENTS
For a complete calendar listing, please visit us here:

Winter Break - No School
Dates: Dec. 23 - January 1

Volunteer Training
Date: January 15
Time: 3:30-4 p.m.
Place: West Kindergarten Center, 707 Center Street.

Winter Parent Teacher Conferences
Date: January 23

Statewide ACT Test
for Juniors
Date: March 3

Family Literacy Night
Date: March 12
Place: Baraboo High School

Spring Break
Date: March 23-27

West/GLW Family Math Night
Date: April 2
Time: 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Place: GLW

No School
Date: April 10

BHS Fine Arts Night
Date: April 22
Time: 4-6 p.m.
Place: BHS commons

West Stay and Play
Date: May 4
Time: 3-4 p.m. 
Place: West Kindergarten Center

Memorial Day - No School
Date: May 25

West Spring Sing
and Family Picnic
Date: May 27
Time: Spring Sing - 10:30-11:15 a.m.; Family Picnic - 11:45 a.m. -12:45 p.m. 
Place: West

BHS Graduation
Date: May 29


TO NOMINATE:

To nominate a student for the BHS Senior Spotlight, email a brief write-up with the student's first and last name and an explanation of why you are nominating the senior to Holly Henderson.

Submissions must include at least one photograph.

Please enter "SENIOR SPOTLIGHT" in the subject field of the email.


Join us as we celebrate a nation of diverse readers with these recommended books, authors, and teaching resources that represent an array of experiences and cultures from the National Education Association.

Title: Americanized: Rebel without a Green Card
Author:  Sara Saedi (Knopf)
For: Teen/Adult Readers

Summary:  Understand the hurdles Sara and her family faced to rebuild their lives after fleeing Iran and the anxiety that being an undocumented immigrant added to her awkward teenage years.

COMMUNITY LINKS

The mission of Hope House is to prevent abuse and provide support to victims of domestic and sexual violence.
Toll-free 24-Hour Confidential Helpline:
1-800-584-6790
Street Address:
720 Ash Street
Baraboo, WI 53913
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 8:00AM to 4:30PM

The Baraboo Public Library offers a safe and welcoming environment, providing area residents and visitors with confidential access to cutting edge, high quality resources.    

Riptide is a summer swim program for ages 5 to 18. Registration is open for the spring stroke clinic and summer season.

Online registration. Ages 6-18. Certified, trained coaches. Spring and Fall seasons. Email BarabooSoccerClub@gmail.
com with questions.

Baraboo School District E-Newsletter
December 19, 2019
BHS Holds Thunderbird Day of Unity
Baraboo High School held a Thunderbird Day of Unity on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019. This was a full day of assembly and breakout sessions dedicated to deeper learning and student empowerment. 

The day began with Keynote Speaker Percy Brown, Director of Equity and Student Achievement for the Middleton Cross Plains Area School District, Senior Outreach Specialist for the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an adjunct instructor for Edgewood College in the school of education. Mr. Brown's presentation, "I AM NOT YOUR N****R," focused on the use and history of the N-word. Mr. Brown implored students not to use the N-word, whether with an "er" at the end or an "a" at the end, explaining that the word was invented by white colonialists to subjugate and dehumanize black people enslaved in America for nearly 250 years. Mr. Brown received a standing ovation from the students of Baraboo High School. Following his keynote, Mr. Brown gave a similar presentation to the 7th and 8th graders at Jack Young Middle School.

BHS students continued their Thunderbird Day of Unity by dividing into groups based on their homerooms for a series of breakout sessions, including a session on microaggressions with BHS educators Jori Ruff and Thomas Schmidt, Ho-Chunk history and culture with Bill Quackenbush, Hours Against Hate with the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, a student panel discussion on the culture of and inequities in Baraboo High School, a presentation called "Appearances are Deceiving" with Mike McCabe, LGBTQ rights and issues with Gabe Riviere, and a demonstration with members of the UW-Whitewater Wheelchair Athletics in which students and staff participated in wheelchair basketball.  Click here for more information about our speakers.

The day culminated with a Ho-Chunk Flag Raising Ceremony. Members of the Baraboo High School club Indigenous Students United (ISU), students who helped plan the Thunderbird Day of Unity, and student council members were all invited to participate in the ceremony, which was broadcast live to the BHS students in their homerooms. The traditional flag raising ceremony was led by Joe White Eagle, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and member  of the Sanford White Eagle American Legion Post 556 and a Baraboo High School graduate. His son, BHS student Joe White Eagle Jr., presented him with the Ho-Chunk flag to the sound of traditional drumming. The American flag was lowered, the Ho-Chunk flag was attached to the flag pole, and both flags were raised in unity and honor of the Ho-Chunk culture, lending to a poignant and symbolic end to the Thunderbird Day of Unity.

NF 3rd Graders Share Their Stories
Third graders at North Freedom wrote stories with lessons in them. They typed them, drew illustrations, made covers, and shared their work with their buddies in kindergarten. Oh, what fun!
Kindergarteners Earn Flashlight Friday
Ms. Brice's kindergarteners at West Kindergarten Center enjoyed "Flashlight Friday" on Dec. 13. The class has done such a nice job with quiet reading that they earned flashlights to read with each Friday.

JYMS Students Ring Bell for Salvation Army
On Dec. 12 after school students in Ms. Antoine's TA took a shift ringing bells for the Salvation Army.  

"It was a fun way to give back to the community and get to know some of my students in another way," Ms. Antoine said. "We have some really great students at JYMS!"
4K Students Use Tech in the Classroom
Ms. Amanda's 4K students at Children's Day Center utilized technology in the classroom during their small group time this week. Using Osmo, they practice matching uppercase letters and uppercase to lowercase letters. The use of Osmo increases the hands-on aspect of iPad technology and allows us to target specific skills that each student is working toward mastering.

East Students Have Scavenger Hunt
On Thursday, December 12th, Mrs. Valley's Kindergarten class was spotted around East School on a scavenger hunt to find their missing gingerbread men. Their class has been reading 'The Gingerbread Boy' by Paul Galdone, and were inspired to make their own gingerbread cookies. When their gingerbread cookies went missing, students had to use their reading and math tools to decipher clues left around the school to find out where their gingerbread were hiding! Students successfully found their gingerbread cookies, got to decorate them, and then enjoyed their sweet victory!

West Enjoys Winter Sing
Ms. McCabe's 4K students at West welcomed friends and families into the classroom for a Winter Sing last Thursday. Students sang several songs that they have been learning in the classroom. Songs included "The Alphabet's in My Mouth," "Little Snowflake," "Five Little Snowmen," "The Gingerbread Man," and "We Wish You a Wonderful Winter."

ABE Students Carol at Oak Park Place
On Saturday, December 14, Al Behrman Elementary's Social Justice Club and Kindness Club members met at Oak Park Place to celebrate the season of giving with Oak Park Place residents. Students and residents enjoyed holiday songs, hot chocolate and cookies!

GLW Second Graders Study Weather
Yesterday, Gordon L. Willson's second grade WIN group is studying about weather and invited NBC 15 in to talk with all 2nd grade students about being a meteorologist!

Ms. Fowler's 4K Rocks!
Students in Ms. Fowler's 4-Year-Old Kindergarten (4K) classrooms are developing important foundational literacy skills through engaging, hands-on activities. 4K students are working to write their names, identify letters and sounds, identify the beginning sounds in words, rhyme, develop concept of print, and so much more! 

To help meet these objectives, students are provided with materials to explore these concepts during planned play, and they participate in planned literacy activities and games in small or whole groups. They are rocking it!

Everything's Gingerbread at East
On Monday, December 16, East Elementary School's music teacher Ms. Sue Lappin led all three classes of first graders in a program called "Everything Gingerbread." 

The program was attended by many first grade family members and friends. First grade teachers Mrs. Peterson, Ms. Williams, and Mrs. Wolfe worked with students to learn speaking parts for the program and Ms. Lappin taught many fun songs and movements to the children to perform. The week before, the first graders participated in the making of gingerbread houses as a Panther Paw reward for positive behaviors. Many follow up activities were completed along with the houses.

NF Students Earn the Mega Prize
Mrs. Shafer's fifth grade students at North Freedom Elementary have worked so hard in art class, being outstandingly respectful and responsible, that they earned all possible points (never before done) for the month of November!  

To celebrate their achievement, art teacher Ms. Nolden gave them double the prize!  They were able to do a marble pour painting, as well as play art-related games for the entirety of their class this week! 


4K Students Learn with Snowflakes
Ms. Paige's Morning 4K students at St. Clare Daycare explored shapes while they created beautiful snowflakes! Areas of learning focused around the number of sides and corners each shape has, as well as the concept of symmetry. They also practiced sharing and taking turns as they chose the shapes they needed. They students were very proud of their hard work!

West Students Rewarded for Bee-ing Great!
The West Kindergarten Center continues to reinforce positive student behavior with students in different ways each day.  

We recognize Emma Bates, Kendrick Marshall-Elmore, Avery Oberg, and Joy Williams for this week's BEE Great Award at West.  These students have truly exemplified the West Cool Tools of "Being Respectful, Being Responsible, and Being Safe" Each week, West staff will continue to recognize a different student from each classroom for this awesome recognition.  Thank you to our families for all of their continued positive support at West.

Math is Sweet at East
As 5th Graders in Mrs. Pavlue's class at East Elementary School completed learning all there is to know about fractions, students concluded their study by using the fractions in real life, mixing and making a healthier version of a chocolate peanut butter cup. 

In small groups, students calculated amounts of ingredients, practiced halving and doubling fractions based on the recipe, and strictly followed the procedure in order to get the correct consistency of each layer. Students did a fabulous job working collaboratively and proving their mastery of fractions. It was certainly a delicious way to do math!

B araboo Acts: Night of Unity
Baraboo High School hosted the Baraboo Acts: Night of Unity community event on Monday, Dec. 16th.

The event featured a free community meal, opening remarks from the City of Baraboo Mayor Mike Palm, a student panel and student-made video about microagressions, and breakout sessions in which attendees answered such questions as 
1. What have you done in the last year to learn more about equity?; 
2. Have you seen or experienced inequities in Baraboo?; 
3. What are efforts should we continue pursuing, or begin to pursue to make our community a more welcoming and accepting place for all?

The event highlighted past and ongoing efforts to make the Baraboo Area an opening and welcoming place for all, and the Baraboo Acts Coalition will use the night's feedback from the breakout sessions to formulate a new Community Action Plan for 2020. 

WCCU Donates Lunch Money to Students in Need
Yesterday, WCCU Credit Union's Greg Wagner and branch manager Merry Lynn Riek presented a check in the amount of $125 to Baraboo School District Food Service Director Mary Loveless. The money was raised from Casual for a Cause Friday, where WCCU employees wear jeans to work in exchange for a monetary donation. Donations are then given to people in need during the Holiday Season. This donation will go towards  the Baraboo School District Food Service Donation Account to help students who don't have money for lunch. Thank you, WCCU Credit Union of Baraboo!
Be Up-To-Date on School Closings
Winter weather is coming!

Stay up-to-date with the latest information on school delays or closures due to inclement weather conditions. If the decision is made to delay or close school, we will publish that information to our district social media sites. Make sure to follow the district on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter for the latest updates.

Messages will also be sent directly from our Infinite Campus (IC) system. We develop school closing messages in three ways: email, text message, and automated phone calls using the parent and guardian contacts we have on file in our IC student  information  system. If you have not recently reviewed your IC contact preferences, we ask that you do so by following the directions at the end of this communication.

Delay and closure announcements will also be posted on our  district website.

Making a decision about weather-related school closures is always difficult. These decisions are made with the safety of our students, families, and staff as our primary priority. We appreciate your ongoing support as we work to keep everyone safe.
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Keep your phone number and email address up-to-date to receive the latest news on weather-related school closings, delays and early releases! To edit your contact information  in infinite campus:
  1. Go to www.baraboo.k12.wi.us/
  2. Under the "PARENTS" tab, click on "Parent Portal" and enter your log-in information for Infinite Campus (IC)
  3. Click on "Household Information" on the left-hand side of the screen to update your home address and phone number
  4. Click on "contact preferences" to update your email address.
  5. Need help? Call 608-355-3955

Volunteer Training Set for Jan. 15
The Baraboo School District welcomes volunteers to each of our schools.  

In order to best support our numerous school volunteers, we are offering a volunteer training from 3:30-4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15 at West School (707 Center St.). People who volunteer in any of our schools are welcome to attend this training to better understand the role and dynamics of a school volunteer, along with receiving some information about school district volunteer expectations.  

The volunteer training is completely optional and open to all school district volunteers. Thank you to our many volunteers and community partners for all of the ways that they support and impact each of our Baraboo schools.  

Please contact West and BELC Principal Chris Olson at 608-355-3906 or cdolson@barabooschools.net with any questions.
Indoor Pool Holiday Deal
The Baraboo Indoor Pool is offering a holiday deal between Dec. 16-23, 2019 - Buy two punch cards, get the third on FREE!

"Yule" be sorry if you miss this holiday deal!  30 swims for $60!  It's SNOW joke! Give the gift of feelin' PINE after a great swim this holiday season!

Upcoming Indoor Pool Classes, Lessons and Open Swim Info
The Baraboo Indoor Pool is gearing up for a new run of classes, lessons, and open swim! 

  • Masters Adult Stroke Clinic
  • Water Aerobics
  • Aqua Jog
  • Aqua Zumba
  • Aqua Barre
  • Swimming Lessons
  • Pool Fees
  • Holiday Pool Pass Sale - Buy two punch cards, get the third free!
Get Your Gear on Amazon!
In need of some T-Bird Gear? You can now purchase apparel off Amazon!

Help support FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) by purchasing your Thunderbird apparel on Amazon. Use this link to see all of the items available. https://amzn.to/2kgZqlB 

Now Hiring Guest Teachers!
The School District of Baraboo is hiring guest (substitute) teachers for all levels (4K-12). The starting rate is $110 per day! 

Candidates must either be a teacher or substitute teacher licensed by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). For information on how to apply for a substitute teaching license, visit the DPI website

Interested candidates should apply through the Wisconsin Education Career Access Network (WECAN) or by completing an employment application and submitting to Human Resources. More information can be found here:  baraboo.k12.wi.us/district/jobs.cfm

Lamers Bus Lines Seeking Drivers and Bus Monitors!
Lamers Bus Lines is seeking additional school bus drivers and b us monitors. 

Becoming a driver is a great opportunity for individuals looking for work before or after school, and becoming a bus monitor is great for those looking for after-school work. It's also a great job for parents of students in the District because:
  1. There are no nights or weekends for route drivers
  2. Drivers get summer vacation and snow days, just like the students
  3. If your child is in any sports or activities, you can get paid to cheer them on and support the team by driving the team bus
Lamers Bus Lines will provide drivers with complete paid training and teach you everything you need to know about driving a school bus.  Please spread the word to anyone who may be interested to help us ensure that our students get to school, sports, and activities on time each day. 

Questions may be directed the Lamers School Bus Office in Baraboo at 608-448-4851 extension 2.  Apply online at GoLamers.com/careers.
NOW HIRING: Substitute Custodial Positions
Looking for part-time work? Need flexible hours? Look no further!!

The district is seeking candidates for substitute custodial positions.  The starting rate is $12.50/hr!  Applications can be found online at  www.baraboo.k12.wi.us/district/jobs.cfm . Applications can also be picked up and submitted to the District Maintenance Shop; 1210 Berkley Blvd; Baraboo, WI  53913

Questions should be directed to Dan O'Brien, Director of Buildings and Grounds  at 608-355-3985. 

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