No doubt the year 2020 will go down in the books as a challenging year for most everyone. Our school, along with many across the state and nation, have had to navigate many challenges and changes in the year 2020. The good news is that a lot of that is behind us and I am hopeful we will begin to see the light in the coming months. Our Administrative Team and Teachers and Staff are here to ensure we can deliver the best possible opportunities for our students and families. With that, we are also responsible for ensuring students can reach their full potential and graduate with a diploma at the end of their 4 year High School Journey.

Rest assured that we have a lot of resources that we are creating to help students stay on track for graduation. We are instituting some intensive credit recovery and other academic supports for semester two. We are increasing our Live Engagement for students on virtual days. The district is investigating a potential in-person increase of up to 4 days a week instruction. As this pandemic continues to impact our nation, we are learning more every day. And are continually evaluating our instructional model and making adjustments to further enhance learning for our students and families. Please trust that we are making these adjustments as we feel it will have the biggest impact on achievement for our students.

Lastly, I know there has been a pretty steady flow of information coming from the school(s) and the district. At the High School, we are trying to be mindful of this. As we continue with the year, please take time to read this newsletter as I will try and post as much information here so it is a one stop shop. Otherwise as I did with the recent mailer home, I will try and consolidate into one mailing so that it is easy to reference from home in hard copy, paper version. Note that we will still be sending items electronically to emails.

As we launch 2021, I wish everyone the best this year. I hope that you all are able to stay healthy. More than anything, we appreciate your support of your students and our schools throughout this very challenging school year.

All my best!

Principal Tronsen

Each year schools and districts get a report card from the state. Due to C-19 impacts of last school year and the fact that not all state testing was administered, no official report card was done for the 2019-20 school year. We are reposting our 2018-19 school year report card in lieu of one from this past school year. Please note that we are planning to proceed with our required State & Federal assessments this spring.

Beaver Dam Unified School District Schools (Public School) - https://www.bdusd.org/ 

St. Katharine Drexel School (Private School) - https://www.skds.org/

St. Stephen’s Evangelical Lutheran School (Private School) - https://www.ssbdwels.com/school/

Wayland Academy (Private School) - https://www.wayland.org/ 

Virtual Charter Schools - https://dpi.wi.gov/sms/charter-schools/virtual-charter-schools

Special Needs Scholarship Program - https://dpi.wi.gov/parental-education-options/special-needs-scholarship

Open Enrollment - https://dpi.wi.gov/open-enrollment

Dual Enrollment & Early College Credit - https://dpi.wi.gov/dual-enrollment

Home-Based Private Education - https://dpi.wi.gov/sms/home-based

The Department of Public Instruction Educational Options web page has further information on educational options for Wisconsin students. (https://dpi.wi.gov/ed-options)

Up to date grades are still being recorded in Skyward. Canvas grade book is currently not being used overall. Teachers may indicate in Canvas if an assignment has been collected, missing, or provide feedback. Overall grades will continue to be recorded in Skyward.

The Beaver Dam Unified School District Student Services Staff (School Social Workers, School Counselors, School Nurses, and School Psychologists) help eliminate or reduce barriers to student success. We provide a variety of supports to ensure students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional success in school. Student Services staff are available to meet with students and parents about academics, mental health, social/emotional wellness and community resources. Feel free to contact a Student Services staff member anytime throughout the school year by contacting your child’s school or by emailing them directly.

 Beaver Dam High School’s Student Services staff members are:

To access the most current information regarding return to school for the school district please follow the link below. Remember our plan is based on the phase Dodge County is currently in or any other mandated guidance.

The USDA recently approved Free Breakfast and Lunch for all students 18 and under through the remainder of the school year. High School students should have their Student ID with Bar Code to get meals. If they are without an ID card they can provide their Pin Number. Students without ID's should visit the Main Office to pick-up their ID or get an ID made.

Each month staff can be awarded a Golden Beaver Medallion for going above and beyond the normal call of duty. This medallion is presented to them from another colleague. The recipient possesses the medallion for a month and then is tasked with passing it on to another staff member.

This school year the High School will continue to implement measures to protect students with severe life-threatening food allergies. Over the past several years the number of BDUSD students with severe allergic reactions to food has increased. In many cases the food does not need to be eaten by the student but simply the close proximity and smell can trigger an allergic reaction.

In order to prevent a life-threatening allergic reaction, the following measures are being implemented at the high school:

Students and staff are asked voluntarily not to bring any food item into the high school that contains nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, tree nuts (almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios), or nut products.

Any food items that contain nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, tree nuts (almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios), or nut products should be opened and eaten in the common lunch area only ---not in classrooms, hallways, etc.

Students and staff who eat nut or peanut products are reminded to wash their hands after eating /touching such items as the protein residue that causes the allergic reaction can be transferred to objects and allergic individuals can inadvertently place it into their eyes/ mouth resulting in a life-threatening allergic reaction. Use of hand sanitizer does not work for food allergies.