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February 6-10 - Lights On Tosa Week
February 6 - Choice School Lottery Opens
February 6-10 - National School Counseling Week
February 9 - Elementary Conferences (4:30 - 8 p.m.)
February 13 - School Board Meeting (6 p.m.)
February 14 - Elementary Conferences (4:30 - 8 p.m.)
February 15 - School Resource Officer (SRO) Appreciation Day
February 17 - Winter Walk to School Day
February 21 - Middle School Conferences (4:30 - 8 p.m.)
February 23 - High School Conferences (4:30 - 8 p.m.)
February 24 - Choice School Lottery Closes (4 p.m.)
February 27 - No Classes (JK-12)
February 27 - March 3 - Read Across America Week
February 28 - High School Conferences (4:30 - 8 p.m.)
March 2 - Middle School Conferences (4:30 - 8 p.m.)
March 6 - End of Second Trimester; School Board Meeting (6 p.m.)
March 8 - ACT testing (high school juniors)
March 13 - School Board Meeting (6 p.m.)
March 24 - End of Third Quarter
March 27-31 - Spring Break
*The 2023-23 school year calendar is currently in development and it is anticipated that the Board will review in February 2023.
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Learn more about the activities that have taken place over the past month, and discover what each District division will be addressing in the upcoming months. |
The Division of Academic Performance has worked diligently to make progress toward several goals within the Strategic Plan.
Related to Goal #1: Academic Performance, the team continues to work through audits related to K-12 Science, 6-12 Technology Education and 6-12 Project Lead the Way. An update on the audits will be delivered to the Board and the community on March 13. The Director of Curriculum continues to assess the ELA curriculum and narrow down options for more granular review.
The grading and reporting audit remains on schedule to be reported to the Board at the March 13th meeting.
The Director of Curriculum and 6-12 ELA Coordinator are preparing to provide professional learning to high school ELA teachers regarding ELA best practices on February 27. Science educators will also receive professional learning about how to maximize Next Generation Science Standards in the classroom. In partnership with our ELA Math Coordinator, the Director of Curriculum is working to build a math team to support the development of common math assessments at the high school level. Our Social Studies Coordinator is working to identify and interview a potential auditor for the District's review of the Social Studies curriculum, which will begin in Summer 2023.
The curriculum team is currently working to further understand how to communicate curriculum across content areas, which is a response to the Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment audit. The team also meets with content team leaders (a team of educators representing various subject areas) on a monthly basis. In January, the group studied content standards.
Our Director of Data Quality + Analytics, in partnership with the Data team and our Chief Academic Officer, are finalizing the District's internal Report Cards. We are currently in the process of assessing the language and content within these reporting tools to ensure these tools provide our principals with the appropriate information and direction for improvement. The original intent was to deliver these tools to principals in January; however, due to missing data, that date has been pushed to February. The data team also continues to clean up the data systems in the District.
The Division of Academic Performance and Division of Pupil and Family supports discussed the ideal state for objective 1.6. Administrators will gather feedback from coordinators, coaches. This information will assist the Chief Academic Officer and the Director of Data Quality + Analytics in assessing the District's current data warehouse.
The Academic Performance team has concluded their visits with colleges and universities in Wisconsin and Minnesota to learn more about concurrent learning opportunities. Findings were presented to educators at our high schools. A total of 15 staff members have indicated that they are interested in receiving the proper credentials or having their credentials verified to support this work. It is anticipated that said course offerings and collegiate partnerships will be presented in Fall 2023.
The winter round of STAR Assessments were administered in January, and results for students in grades 1-8 were sent home with students on January 27. Building principals, coaches, directors and coordinators have received professional learning from our Director of Data Quality + Analytics related to interpreting STAR reports. These individuals passed their learning along to teachers. Now, teachers, principals, school support staff and members of the Division of Academic Performance have been reviewing results to determine next steps to support student achievement and growth. When the STAR window closes for high school students, a similar process will follow.
Student Pulse Survey results will be presented at the March 6 Board of Education meeting. Principals have received their building-specific results and are working on response plans to address areas for improvement.
The Curriculum team provided administrators with professional learning regarding supporting teams during PACE Wednesday. Following this learning, our principals are further equipped to support teachers. Additional learning for the District's Title I schools (Roosevelt and Jefferson) will begin in February.
The District's Director of Continuous Improvement and Director of Instruction hosted their first monthly learning session with Associate Principals and Secondary Deans. The team will continue to support the professional growth of APs and Deans each month. Our Director of Continuous Improvement also hosted a Gifted and Talented Philosophy Articulation session to receive feedback from District staff.
Elementary Math and ELA Curriculum Coordinators, in collaboration with the Director of Instruction, continue to work with coaches and administrators to help them understand and use the content specific instructional look fors.
Principals, Coaches, Coordinators, Directors, and Chiefs that have not previously been trained in Cognitive Coaching began their training journey with two sessions in January. Training will continue through June and they will engage in a total of eight day-long training sessions.
The Superintendent, Chief Academic Officer, Chief of Pupil and Family Supports, and Director of Continuous Improvement continue to serve as Thought Partners to building principals. Each district office representative meets with their principal partner every 2-3 weeks to provide feedback and discuss progress against School Growth Plans. Some building principals also meet with the Director of Instruction on the off-weeks for additional support.
The Chief Academic Officer, Director of Instruction, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, and Director of Student Success have been collaborating around an Instructional Framework to ground the District's instructional practices and ensure that practices are student centered, culturally responsive, and promote rigor. Progress has slowed due to competing responsibilities and the Division of Academic Performance's assistance of the interim principal, teachers, staff and students at Madison Elementary due to the recent leadership shift.
The Instructional Technology Coordinator has been engaging in a pilot study of other learning management systems (LMSs) that may be more developmentally appropriate for learners other than Canvas. The Instructional Technology Coordinator plans to bring her proposal for LMS use for the next 3 years to the Board in May.
The Division of Academic Performance has also been collaborating with the Division of Pupil + Family Supports related to the development of an onboarding plan for new educators and support staff, and alternative programming options for students in need of learning outside of our traditional school environments.
The Division of Academic Performance met with Curriculum Council on January 23 to discuss updates related to the Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment audit plan, the instructional coaching framework, evolution of the District's data warehouse, high school ELA curriculum and professional learning specific to PACE Wednesdays.
And finally, summer school courses will continue to be revised. High school courses have been completed and it is anticipated that course options for middle and elementary school will be finalized next month.
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The Division of Human Resources has been busy collaborating with the Divisions of Pupil + Family Supports and Operations + Finance to finalize enrollment predictions and recommend open enrollment seats to the Board of Education. Identifying our total predicted enrollment is a key practice to better anticipate staffing needs for our students.
As we work toward Strategic Objective 4.1: Develop a plan for the recruitment of teachers and staff, we have worked to expand pathways for educator advancement and professional development within the District. We want to create a culture that supports staff member professional growth and learning that includes a variety of ways to obtain teacher licensure and as well as other education options. We have already established relationships with the Urban Learning Collaborative and Carroll University for this purpose.
The Division of HR has also been working on communication and collaboration with administrators and staff regarding 2023-24 staffing timeline, steps, and priorities.
Next steps for staffing planning include reviewing course registrations with secondary principals and counselors.
A total of 17 candidates applied for the Montessori principal position, and we are pleased with the number of candidates who possess a background in Montessori and leadership. We anticipate inviting four to five candidates to interview with two teams consisting of staff members, members of the WMS community and administrators on Wednesday, February 15, 2023. Second round interviews will be conducted shortly afterwards and it is our intent to recommend a candidate for Board approval at the March 13, 2023 meeting.
We have also continued work toward Strategic Objective 4.3: Increase the competitiveness of WSD's total compensation by employee group. We have worked to review support staff compensation and develop change recommendations and the Division of Human Resources looks forward to presenting proposals to the Board at their February 13 and March 6 meetings. The proposals will include recommendations for 2022-23 bonus payments for some teachers and support staff who continued from the 2021-22 school year along with salary adjustments for some teachers. Another proposal will recommend a new support staff wage matrix. Development of the new support staff wage matrix has included meetings with support staff to review the structure of the new matrix, average salary increases for current employees in the positions and total cost of implementing the new structure.
Related to Strategic Objective 4.4: Develop strategies to increase employee engagement, we continue to implement strategies for employee engagement, as supported by themes uncovered in our stay interviews. In January, we began to implement Moments that Matter engagements, which involves sending birthday cards to staff members. Birthdays are a perfect time to make personal connections that can lead to job satisfaction and loyalty. As we know, many employees spend their birthday at the office, and we want to ensure our employees feel valued and recognized on their special day. Each member of the HR team personally signs each card and the cards are sent via interoffice mail to each school.
Our employee’s work-life balance and general well-being are as important to us as the work they contribute. For this reason, the Division of Human Resources launched the Working Advantage employee discount program. This free employee discount program is a one-stop shop for exclusive and convenient savings on attractions, streaming services, entertainment, hotels and rental cars, products, services, and experiences.
The winter 2022 Employee Pulse Survey was launched using Culture Amp in December 2022, which aimed to assess employee engagement and feedback in terms of leadership and personal growth within WSD. The response rate was 71%. Data will be accessible to principals so they can begin creating action plans to address areas for improvement and identify areas of success. Results will be shared with all employees in February.
The Division of Human Resources is also bringing forth to the Board of Education several policy recommendations this month. And finally, the names of retiring staff members eligible for post-employment benefits will be recommended for approval at the February 13, 2023 Board of Education Meeting.
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In the Division of Operations + Finance, the Buildings + Grounds team is securing bids for the 2023-24 facility maintenance projects that were approved by the Board in November. The bid results will be brought to the Board in February and March via the consent agenda unless bid results are outside of the estimated approval amounts.
Our cleaning contract successfully transitioned to GSF as of January 1, 2023. The transition was as smooth as could be expected in regard to staffing and equipment procurement. The District will be sending a survey to school leadership to gauge the post-transition success and cleaning/service quality.
The Board of Education approved the proposed updated purchasing policies at the meeting on January 23, 2023. The policies were updated as one of the final steps in responding to the purchasing audit that was completed earlier in 2022. The new policies provide clear administrative guidelines and are more detailed and defined than many other area districts. Each month, the District will continue to provide the Board with vouchers for purchases over $20,000, although the Board must only approve expenses over $80,000.
The Finance & Resources Committee (FRC) held its first monthly meeting on January 17. The first agenda item for all FRC meetings is the working calendar, which highlights the anticipated monthly meeting topics. The FRC will typically meet on the third Monday of the month and the meeting will be posted the preceding Friday at noon. All agenda items and attachments will be posted and publicly viewable on BoardDocs, similar to what is done for full Board meetings. Full FRC Board report-outs will be conducted at the second Board meeting of the month.
The District has been renting 10-passenger vans on a monthly basis throughout the school year. The rental companies are reducing rental inventory and selling off portions of this rental fleet. The District is in need of three (3) 10-passenger vans and has tentatively secured the three vans. The Board will see a consent agenda item on February 13th to purchase these three vans. The Board-approved ESSER funding budget items included $100,000 for vans. The total cost for the three vans requires an additional $40,000 from the 2022-23 operating budget. The budget capacity is available and the purchase will eliminate the monthly rental payments of about $1,300 per van.
We can expect to hear a detailed budget recommendation from Governor Evers in late January or early February and then a proposal from the Joint Finance Committee by early March. The Legislative Advocacy platform was approved by the Board on January 23 and administrators are finalizing supporting materials including videos and written communication supports. As mentioned previously, this will be a challenging budget cycle with local funding needs, salary and compensation comparables, and historic cost inflation. The State general purpose revenues currently are adequate to fund the inflationary adjustments as they were approved by the Board. Mr. Keith Brightman and two colleagues are planning a meeting with Governor Evers in the coming weeks and have also reached out to Speaker Voss to request a meeting with him. Administrators will provide an update to the Legislative Advisory Committee on February 13.
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The Division of Pupil + Family Supports continues to methodically approach key areas of the strategic plan.
Specific to Goal 2: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion + Accessibility, DEIA advocates met and reflected on the "glows and grows" within each building related to student advocacy work. Advocates discussed the onboarding support for new students and staff and redefined the role of a DEIA advocate. Additionally, the group identified steps to ensure that students and families are the focus of the advocate group. They also discussed strategies to help teachers build relationships and enhance overall communication, and identified barriers and common themes related to their work. Finally, the team broke into small groups to determine the rollout plan related to DEIA advocates for all stakeholders. And finally, the Committee met with community mentors from the City of Milwaukee to provide workshops for our Black and Brown students to assist in creating a sense of belonging.
Internal and external DEIA Committee members worked collaboratively to develop universal definitions for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. In the coming months, the Committee will identify and review quality equity frameworks and begin developing the equity framework for the Wauwatosa School District. A meeting was held with the Communications Director to begin the process of updating the District webpage with DEIA resources for our families and stakeholders. Advocates are also conducting learning walks to identify areas of need related to training and gain a better understanding of the needs of the community. The Committee also met with the Division of Academic Performance's Director of Curriculum and Director of Instruction to establish a meeting cadence for curriculum discussions and discuss culturally-responsive teaching practices in the District. The Director of Instruction will meet with DEIA advocates in the coming weeks to share curricular resources and discuss instructional practices.
The Division of Pupil + Family Supports will continue to work toward developing an equity framework and defining a universal definition for culturally-relevant teaching practices. The team will identify DEIA training for building advocates and will work to update the District Equity website.
Related to Goal 3: Social, Emotional + Mental Health, our School Culture and Student Success Committee reviewed feedback regarding the current state of social, emotional and mental health in the District. The Committee discussed how to develop a framework for support that is teachable, learnable, doable, and assessable.
Madison Elementary School received a Department of Justice Restorative Practice Grant earlier this year, and we are in the process of implementing a similar program at Whitman for a small pilot during spring semester.
In January, we hired two Multi-Level Systems of Support (MLSS) Coordinators, who currently serve as school psychologists in the District. The Division of Human Resources has posted for the school psych positions and when they are filled, the individuals who currently hold those positions will shift to their new MLSS Coordinator roles.
During District-wide PACE time, the Division of Pupil + Family Supports continues to define systems, make processes visible to the community and provide greater role clarity for Student Services staff, including School Social Workers, School Counselors, School Psychologists, SEL Specialists, Mental Health Specialists, and Elementary Student Services.
We received two proposals during the RFP (request for proposals) process related to school-based mentoring services. Following receipt of the proposals, the team conducted interviews with the two organizations, as well as an after-school group called PEARLS for Teen Girls during the second semester at both of our middle schools. We are also exploring additional opportunities to expand support for our students.
Our partnership with Care Solace (Mental Health Navigation) kicked-off with training for the Student Services team and Administrators in January, and a communication was sent to all staff and families outlining how to access services.
We are currently in the planning stages of expanding our Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Abuse (ATODA) supports through a partnership with the Wauwatosa Health Department. Additionally, we are also leveraging the Wauwatosa Health Department's resources to solidify alternatives to suspension for vaping offenses.
A Student Services Mental HealthCcommittee was initiated in January and has begun working to improve the process for students returning to school after inpatient treatment.
We continue to engage in ongoing discussions and development with Student Services staff regarding how to best utilize resources and strategies for students experiencing self-management challenges. Additionally, we continue our ongoing calibration with building administrators specific to behavioral expectations and supports. This includes newly implemented behavioral expectations from the Division of Pupil + Family Supports, which were reviewed with secondary principals in late December, for implementation in late January.
Specific to Goal 3: Social, Emotional, and Mental Health, the team will continue to solidify mentoring services, backfill school psychologist FTEs in whole or in part so MLSS Coordinators can begin to formally transition into their new roles without disruption to students and schools, and will continue articulating a framework with the School Culture and Student Success Committee. Further, the ACP Committee will review the Know Explore Plan Go framework to make recommendations for school-based ACP lessons to ensure advisory lessons support students' academic and career planning.
Working toward Goal #5; Culture and Community, the team will continue to refine, clarify and produce written attendance procedures for consistency across our system and our data, and continue to clarify behavior data collection for consistency across the system. Additionally, our Student Services project team reviewed and is making recommendations to improve and streamline attendance procedures in alignment with Board Policy 5200.
And finally, specific to special education, the Division of Pupil + Family Supports will continue to work with its Parent Advisory Committee, develop and host parent information events, update the special education information on the District website, discuss staffing for the 2023-24 school year and conduct check-ins with existing staff. We have found that competing priorities become challenging during PACE time. All priorities are important, and finding the time to collaborate with the special education teams and having the regular education teachers present to discuss student needs is a challenge. We are currently working to find additional time with the teams to create spaces for collaboration.
As a reminder, the school choice lottery will be opening on February 6, 2023. Additional information can be found below in the District News section.
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In January, the Wauwatosa School District nursing team conducted vision screening for all Senior Kindergarten (SK) and 5th grade students in the District. Nurses screened 5th graders for distance vision and SK for distance vision and color blindness. New this year, our Speech and Language Pathologists have incorporated hearing screenings for all SK students.
THANK YOU to our hard-working nurses!
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Christa Kerns
School Nurse
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Meet Ms. Christa Kerns, our newest School Nurse! Ms. Kerns has a degree in Human Development and Family Studies from UW-Madison and a graduate degree in Nursing from Marquette University. She previously worked as a health aide at Atwater Elementary while she was in school. Then, she began her nursing career at Frodtert in the Hematology/Oncology unit. Ms. Kerns is excited to get to know the staff and students and to provide hands-on and quality care. In her spare time, she enjoys walking her dog Rocky, binge watching new shows with her husband Stephen and spending time outdoors with friends and family. |
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Kate Campana
Special Education Coordinator
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The Division of Pupil + Family Supports would like to highlight staff member Kate Campana! Ms. Campana is one of our Special Education Coordinators who provides support to students and staff.
Ms. Campana is a student-centered collaborator and coach who actively listens to understand and consider the perspectives of others when she is involved in conversations. Ms. Campana consistently models our district's core values in her work and we couldn’t be more proud to have her as part of our WSD team.
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Celebrate Black History Month in February |
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Dr. Carter G. Woodson was the founder of Black History Month. It began as one week in February in 1926 and evolved into a full month in 1970. It was made official by President Ford in 1976. One of its purposes is to learn about the history and contributions of African Americans to create awareness and bring about respect. Woodson selected February because it includes the birthdays of Abolitionist Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln.
This year’s theme is “Black Resistance: A Journey to Equality.”
What can you do to celebrate Black History Month?
Check out all of the ideas created by the Wilson/WSTEM PTSA Equity Committee: Black History Month
Attend the 2023 Community Black History Month Celebration hosted by Tosa Together
Check out these additional resources:
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Division of Pupil + Family Supports Seeks Volunteers for External School Safety Committee |
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The Division of Pupil and Family Supports (DPFS) is looking for parent/guardian volunteers to be part of an external School Safety Committee. This committee will provide a forum to learn more about the strategies being used to maintain safe schools. The committee will focus on reviewing and enhancing existing safety protocols, discussing proactive and responsive discipline and behavioral strategies and programs, and will serve as an avenue to receive parent/guardian feedback.
This committee will meet monthly on the fourth Wednesday of every month beginning February 22, 2023 through May of the current school. The committee meetings will resume at the start of the 2023-2024 school year. All meetings will be in person at the administrative offices.
Please complete this form if you are interested in serving on the external School Safety Committee.
The DPFS will review all applicants and determine composition of this committee to ensure a diverse range of perspectives while maintaining an appropriate and manageable number of committee members. Individuals who complete the form will be contacted regarding their acceptance prior to the committee’s first meeting in February. Thank you for considering!
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Have You Heard? Our Choice School Lottery is Quickly Approaching! |
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The Wauwatosa School District is proud to offer several alternative/choice programming options for students, including Wauwatosa Montessori, Wauwatosa STEM (WSTEM) and Underwood STEM (USTEM), as well as STEM programs at both of our middle schools (MSTEM). Enrollment into these programs is done via lottery.
The application period for the 2023-24 school year lottery will open on February 6, 2023 and will close on February 24.
Students must be enrolled in the Wauwatosa School District prior to submitting a lottery application.
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IMPORTANT NOTE: Families with students currently enrolled in Wauwatosa Montessori, Wauwatosa STEM or Underwood STEM must complete a lottery application for their younger children if they wish for those children to attend Wauwatosa Montessori, Wauwatosa STEM or Underwood STEM. |
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February Engagement Session: Division of Academic Performance |
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The Division of Academic Performance has planned a Community Engagement Session for Wednesday, February 15 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Fisher Administration Building, Conference Room C. Presenters will include:
- Dr. Nicole Marble, Chief Academic Officer
- Mrs. Jessica Ebert, Director of Curriculum
- Mrs. Leann Neese, Director of Instruction
- Ms. Jennifer Fotsch, Director of Continuous Improvement
- Ms. Lindsey Whyte, Director of Data Quality + Analytics
- Ms. Brooke DeLassus, 6-12 Student Growth Coordinator
- Ms. Amy Duchac, JK-5 Student Growth Coordinator
The Division of Academic Performance will be providing an update on the Gifted + Talented audit response plan and soliciting feedback. The formal audit response plan for Gifted + Talented will be shared with the public at the Board meeting on March 13, 2023.
A virtual option will be available via Zoom. Families in need if childcare for children in grades K4-5 or interpreter services are asked to call (414) 773-1030 no later than February 8, 2023 to submit their request.
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Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve + Join the Conversation About Mental Health |
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Please join the Wauwatosa School District for an event called "Wear your heart on your sleeve... conversations about mental health" featuring New York Times best selling author Tom Farley and other mental health professionals. This event will include a panel discussion about mental health, substance abuse and having conversations about these topics with children.
This event will take place in the Wauwatosa East Theatre on Thursday, February 16 starting at 7 p.m.
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Division of Academic Performance Welcomes New Team Members |
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The Division of Academic Performance would like to welcome the following educators who are new to Wauwatosa and the team!
Andrew Richter, Data Manager
Stephanie Johnson, Data Specialist - State Reporting and Assessment
Ashley Knight - Instructional Coach at Longfellow and Whitman
Tanith Sexton - Elementary Academic Specialist
Both Andrew and Stephanie have been instrumental in the delivery of STAR Assessment reports to families. Ashley and Tanith have already provided invaluable support, allowing our classroom teachers to expand their capacity and increase their focus on effective classroom instruction for all.
All of these individuals have been highly recommended and are already making positive contributions to our District. We are so excited to have each of them in Wauwatosa!
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Division of Pupil + Family Supports Team Uses Data to Drive Decisions |
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The Division of Pupil + Family Supports engaged in its monthly Student Services meeting earlier this month with the team of school psychologists, social workers, counselors, mental health and social emotional specialists across all of our schools. The team broke into small groups to analyze the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey results. The group discussed their noticings, wonderings, and next steps associated with this data.
Thank you to this talented, committed, and focused group of professionals for living our District's mission of being active advocates for students!
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Administrator Staffing Update |
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As we moved into the second semester of the 2022-23 school year, several administrators have shifted their roles within the District.
Mrs. Nicole Mitchell has transferred to Vel R. Phillips School to serve as the Associate Principal. In this role, she will function as a liaison and provide transitional support for students entering and exiting Vel R. Phillips. With a robust background in Health + Human Services, Mrs. Mitchell is well-suited for this role and we look forward to her expertise in this critical area of student support.
We also welcomed Mr. Tom Matthews as Interim Principal at Madison Elementary School for the balance of the school year. Mr. Matthews has more than 35 years of experience in education, having served as a paraprofessional, classroom teacher, assistant principal and principal in the Milwaukee Public Schools district. He is an accomplished principal who has extensive experience bringing together members of an educational community and improving academics as well as culture and climate.
Mr. Dean Heus has transferred back to Vel R. Phillips School and Wauwatosa Virtual Academy on a full-time basis. Mr. Heus will continue to work in partnership with Mr. Byers and, as outlined above, Mrs. Mitchell.
Mr. Tom Hanley has begun serving as Interim Principal of Wauwatosa Montessori for the remainder of the school year. Mr. Hanley has extensive classroom and leadership experience. He retired from Milwaukee Public Schools after a decade as a teacher and two decades in administration. In Wauwatosa, he has served as interim principal at Washington Elementary and frequently serves as a substitute principal within our buildings, and has coached and/or collaborated with Wauwatosa administrators - including the former Wauwatosa Montessori principal - related to growth and development. Mr. Hanley looks forward to supporting staff and students for the balance of the 2022-23 school year.
The Division of Human Resources is currently conducting a comprehensive principal search to hire a Montessori-educated school leader.
And finally, the District has carefully evaluated Ms. Sumeera Mansukhani’s progress during the current school year. District administrators have been pleased, and her leadership at Eisenhower continues to impress families, staff and students. As such, Mr. Mark Carter has begun to transition out of his role as Interim Principal at Eisenhower Elementary School on a gradual schedule. Beginning on April 3, 2023, Ms. Sumeera Mansukhani will begin serving as the sole principal of Eisenhower Elementary School.
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Buildings + Grounds Team Eases Transition to New Cleaning Company |
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Our Buildings + Grounds team worked closely with the District’s new contracted cleaning company, GSF to ensure the transition between cleaning companies was successful. Many of the employees from the District's previous cleaning company were hired by GSF, and were provided with full time hours, competitive wages and benefits. GSF was nearly fully staffed in the District by the time the contract began on January 1, 2023.
As part of the partnership agreement, GSF invested more than $600,000 in equipment, providing all new cleaning supplies to our schools including auto scrubbers, vacuums, cleaning carts, mops, barrels, and more.
GSF has also introduced the District to a green approach to cleaning! Our new green cleaning solution uses only water, salt, and electricity to create a cleaner and safer environment for our students and staff. Since January 1, our new cleaning crew has been hard at work and enjoying their new uniforms and equipment!
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Wauwatosa Choral Festival Invites All Member of the Community to Celebrate |
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In honor of this year’s theme of community and coming together, the Wauwatosa East Choral Department is calling on all members of the Wauwatosa community to participate in its annual Choral Festival on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at 7 p.m. inside Wauwatosa East High School. Whether you’re an experienced vocalist/musician or can’t carry a tune, you’re encouraged to join this city-wide celebration of community! If you wish to be involved, please complete this form to indicate how you wish to participate.
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Celebrate SRO Appreciation Day on February 15 |
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Law Enforcement Appreciation Day has existed since 2015, but in 2022, the National Association of School Resource Officers declared February 15 as a day to specifically honor school-based law enforcement nationwide. So please join us in recognizing the accomplishments of our School Resource Officers (SROs) on February 15.
In honor of this special day, please keep reading to learn a bit about each of our School Resource Officers.
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Officer Tracy Burbach
Officer Burbach (more commonly known to students and staff as Officer Tracy) has been a police officer for 31 years and has spent 14 of those years in Wauwatosa. She has been a School Resource Officer in Wauwatosa for eleven years, primarily having been stationed at Longfellow Middle School and serving east side elementary schools. Officer Tracy enjoys building positive relationships with students, staff and parents while cultivating a trusting and safe learning environment in Wauwatosa schools and the community. She truly enjoys the energy and enthusiasm that students bring to our schools. According to Officer Tracy, "the high-fives and fist bumps never get old." One of her favorite parts of being an SRO is getting a surprise visit from a former student and learning about what they've been doing since graduating high school. When she isn't working, Officer Tracy enjoys traveling, cycling, attending students' athletic and musical events, and trying new restaurants.
Officer Tracy will be transitioning into retirement this month, and she looks forward to building a new home, traveling, spending time with family and friends and adopting a little blue Frenchie.
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Officer Cordero Finley
Officer Finley is our newest School Resource Officer. He has been with the Wauwatosa Police Department for six years and is new to the SRO program; in fact, his first day on the job was January 29, 2023. Officer Finley pursued a career in law enforcement because he had an exceptional SRO when he was in school, and he looks forward to mentoring students, guiding the next generation of young leaders and "paying it forward." In his spare time, Officer Finley enjoys hiking, biking, fishing, cooking, carpentry and painting.
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Officer Farris Griffin
Officer Griffin has been with the Wauwatosa Police Department for 15 years and has served as an SRO for ten years. Officer Griffin primarily serves the west side of Wauwatosa. His favorite part of being an SRO is building relationships with students, families, staff and the community. When he's not working, Officer Griffin enjoys staying physically active.
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Officer Andy Yothsackda
Officer Yothsackda (also known as Officer Yo) has been with the Wauwatosa Police Department for more than ten years, having served as both a patrol officer and a motorcycle officer. For the past three years, Officer Yo has primarily served the students and staff on the East side. His favorite part of being an SRO is that he has the opportunity to serve as a mentor and help students navigate life's challenges, and he also enjoys witnessing students achieving their academic and athletic goals. When he's not working, Officer Yo enjoys spending time with his wife and four children. He also loves watching sports (Go Brewers!) and playing guitar.
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Division of Human Resources Launches Moments that Matter Initiative |
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In January, the Division of Human Resources began to implement Moments that Matter engagements, which involves sending birthday cards to staff members.
Birthdays are a perfect time to make personal connections that can lead to job satisfaction and loyalty. As we know, many employees spend their birthday at the office, and we want to ensure our employees feel valued and recognized on their special day.
Each member of the HR team personally signs each card and the cards are sent via interoffice mail to each school.
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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Advocates Available to Provide Support at Every WSD School |
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In Wauwatosa, we understand the importance of ensuring that all students feel seen, heard and accepted. We are proud that the Wauwatosa School District ensures that students are the number one priority. For this reason, we’re excited to announce that Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Advocates are now in every school building!
Please see a list below to identify the DEIA Advocate in your building.
- East - Rachel Duellman
- Eisenhower - Kenda Roman
- Jefferson - Kelly Norton
- Lincoln - Kristin Fischer
- Longfellow - Tia Mohacsi
- Madison - Krishana Robinson
- McKinley - Tracy Carus
- Roosevelt - Rochelle Meulemans
- Underwood - Wendy Kay Domena
- Vel R. Phillips - Shawnda Holland
- Washington - Wendy Kay Domena
- Wauwatosa Montessori - Emily Walt
- Wauwatosa STEM - Steve Sperl
- West - Amanda Larson
- Whitman - Mia Tatum-Crider
- Wilson - Jessica Buss
The purpose of the DEIA Advocate is to act as a resource for students, families and staff to teach communication and self-advocacy skills, help build relationships and help students and families to effectively communicate their concerns to their school or teacher. The request for advocacy is confidential. If you or your child are interested in speaking with a DEIA Advocate, please follow the specific instructions provided by your school.
DEIA Advocates are prepared to support our students, families and staff in the following areas:
- Building a relationship with a peer or staff member
- Feeling purposely isolated or excluded
- Discussing peer or adult conflict
- Communication issues or concerns
- Developing self- advocacy skills
- Building confidence
- Assistance with effectively expressing views/opinions
- Development of coping skills
If you experience or witness staff or student misconduct, bullying, safety concerns or discrimination of any form, please contact the building principal immediately.
If you are unsure who to contact for a specific situation, your building’s DEIA Advocate will be happy to assist you.
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District Holds Successful JK/SK Enrollment Events to Welcome Incoming Students + Families |
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Last month, the Wauwatosa School District held JK/SK Enrollment Events at Underwood Elementary and Lincoln Elementary. The events offered incoming families and students the opportunity to explore the Wauwatosa educational community through school and classroom tours, conversations with administrators and other staff, and enjoy a fun-filled morning of crafts, activities and live, interactive musical performances. Enrollment stations were also provided to allow families to begin the online enrollment process.
Many families and students attended the events and we look forward to holding these events in the coming years in an effort to increase engagement within our community and begin building relationships with incoming students and their families.
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Wauwatosa East Student Earns Recognition for Musical Talents |
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Maydine, a talented harpist, will be featured in a showcase recital on February 12 at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center (325 W. Walnut Street) at 2 p.m.
Congratulations Maydine!
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Wauwatosa West Seniors Earn Full Tuition and Housing Scholarships |
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Wauwatosa West seniors and golf caddies Amyra Larry, Keagan Schmitt and Konstantinos Tourloukis were recently awarded full, four-year housing and tuition scholarships from the Western Golf Association’s Chick Evans Scholarship Program.
These student-caddies are three of 18 Wisconsin Evans Scholarship recipients selected from 44 applicants. Currently, a record 1,100 Evans Scholars are enrolled at 22 universities across the nation.
Established in 1930 by the Western Golf Association and celebrated amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans, Jr., the scholarships award full college tuition and housing.
The recipients are selected based on four criteria.
- Strong caddie record: Applicants must have caddied, regularly and successfully, for a minimum of two years and are expected to caddie at their sponsoring club the year they apply for the scholarship.
- Excellent academics: Applicants must have completed their junior year of high school with above a B average in college preparatory courses.
- Demonstrated financial need: Applicants must clearly have a need for financial assistance.
- Outstanding character: Applicants must be outstanding in character, integrity, and leadership.
Each caddie has a unique story to tell, reflecting the scholarship’s four selection criteria: a strong caddie record; excellent academics; demonstrated financial need; and outstanding character. The full tuition and housing college scholarship is valued at an estimated $120,000 over four years.
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Amyra Larry plans to attend the University of Wisconsin - Madison and study Biology.
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Keagan Schmitt hopes to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison next year. She intends to pursue a major of Biochemistry and minors in Spanish and Computer Science.
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Konstantinos "Kosta" Tourloukis plans to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison to major in Chemistry and then Pre-Med.
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All City String Festival Expands Venue to American Family Field |
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In celebration of the in-person return of the annual Wauwatosa All City String Festival, the Wauwatosa School District Orchestra Department is proud to announce that this year’s all district orchestra festival will be hosted on Saturday, May 6, 2023 at 2 p.m. at American Family Field, home of the Milwaukee Brewers. This year, the All City String Festival will feature all of Wauwatosa’s orchestra students, from fourth to twelfth grade. Throughout the concert, audience members will hear music performed by our elementary orchestras, middle school, and high school ensembles and culminate with a larger than ever, all city performance of Ode to Joy. Join us in celebrating our incredible students at the 41st annual All City String Festival at American Family Field!
The Wauwatosa School District orchestra program has a rich tradition of performance excellence. Beginning in fourth grade, all students in our district’s eleven elementary schools have the opportunity to learn a string instrument. Throughout fourth and fifth grade, students continue to develop skills on their instrument, grow their love for music, and play regularly for the community. Students are encouraged to continue their passion for music and orchestra at one of our three middle schools, as well as our two high schools. Currently, nearly 1,100 students play a string instrument in Wauwatosa School District’s orchestra.
The All City String Festival began in 1982 and has grown so large, especially over the past fifteen years, that it has exceeded the capacity of several different performance venues. At the beginning, performances were hosted by each of the two high schools, then moved to the West Allis Central Field House, followed by Wisconsin Lutheran College, and most recently, the Brookfield East Field House. As a result of the growing enthusiasm and support for orchestra in Wauwatosa, the annual All City String Festival grew so large that it was split into two separate performances. We are thrilled that the 41st annual festival will return to a singular performance event, featuring all of our amazing student musicians! American Family Field is the perfect venue for this one of a kind concert.
The success of the Wauwatosa Orchestra Program and the All City String Festival is the cumulative effort of tremendous music educators over the past 50+ years. Our current orchestra teachers are Phillip Bregant, Loni Gornick, Michael Hayden, TJ Hul, Tyler Kraft, Mackenzie Laska, Lauren Roznowski Hayden, Loree Simuncak, Rebecca Thompson, and Elizabeth Updike. They are all model music educators and continue to inspire our students each and every day.
Ticket information will be provided to the community in the coming months.
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High School Students Receive More Than 80 Scholastic Art Regional Awards, Hold Film Festival to Showcase Visual Arts Skills |
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This month, Wauwatosa high school students received recognition for their art works in sculpture, photography, drawing and illustration, digital art, mixed media and more. A total of 55 students from both Wauwatosa East and Wauwatosa West high schools received at least one Scholastic Art + Writing Award, and Wauwatosa West junior Sky Greer (aka Evelyn Winter) has been nominated for the prestigious American Visions Award for her animation, “The Happening.”
The Scholastic Art + Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Since 1923, the Scholastic Awards have sparked the creative growth of many teens. Submissions are judged by luminaries in the visual and literary arts, and award winners are celebrated via ceremonies, exhibitions and publications. When evaluating works, jurors look for works that exemplify the Awards’ core values of originality, skill and the emergence of a personal voice or opinion. All entries are considered for Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention and American Visions Nominee Awards. All Gold Key entries are automatically considered for national awards including Gold Medal, Silver Medal with Distinction, Silver Medal, and scholarship awards. National medalists are eligible for scholarships of up to $12,500.
All works recognized by the Scholastic Art + Writing Awards will be on display at the Milwaukee Art Museum from Saturday, February 4 through Sunday, March 19, 2023.
High schools students also shared their animation and film work via community film festivals.
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APPSE Students Finish First, Second Place at State Competition |
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Students from Wauwatosa East and Wauwatosa West competed in the joint Illinois-Wisconsin State Competition in Chicago at Kent Law School. Wauwatosa West (pictured) won the State Championship and Wauwatosa East came in 2nd. West students will be moving on to compete at the National Competition in Washington, D.C. at the end of April.
This is Wauwatosa West's 15th State Championship in 16 years.
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Wauwatosa High School Senior Selected to Serve on Milwaukee County Youth Commission |
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Congratulations to Daisy Lehman, who has been selected to represent District 6 on the Milwaukee County Youth Commission!
The Youth Commission was created to serve as a representative body for youth in Milwaukee County government. It provides young people in Milwaukee County with a unique experience in community service, civic engagement, and policy and budget decision-making.
The Commission will work in partnership with the County Board Chairwoman and the County Executive to make advisory recommendations about policy and budgetary decisions to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, and to advance the County’s mission of achieving racial equity.
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Wauwatosa West to Award $10,000 Herb Kohl Student Initiative Scholarship |
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Wauwatosa West High School has been selected to confer a 2023 Herb Kohl Educational Foundation $10,000 Initiative Scholarship to one graduating high school student. The Initiative scholarship, which is different from the Herb Kohl Student Excellence scholarship, is intended for the school to directly award to one student.
The Herb Kohl Educational Foundation annually awards its $10,000 Initiative Scholarship to 100 graduating high school students in schools throughout Wisconsin. The selection of schools is based on a rotation cycle that allows every high school in Wisconsin to grant an Initiative Scholarship approximately once every seven years. Each designated school chooses its own recipient through an internal selection process.
The Initiative scholarship is meant to be transformative for a student as they graduate and move into the next phase of life to attend an institution of higher education. Often, this scholarship removes a significant financial barrier for a student to continue his or her education beyond high school.
The selected recipient will be formally notified of their selection by the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation in March 2023.
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Eisenhower Welcomes New Eagles to the Flock |
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Eisenhower is proud to welcome three new staff Eagles into our flock! Ms. Perry Smith (top left) has joined our 2nd grade team, Mrs. Reszel (top right) is our exceptional speech pathologist, and Ms. Khia Clark (bottom row) is a fantastic addition to our special education team! |
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Jefferson JK Students Participate in Service Project |
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Miss Christensen’s JK classes at Jefferson Elementary School collected hats, mittens/gloves and scarves as a community service project. In total, the students collected 63 hats, 48 pairs of gloves/mittens and three scarves! All items were donated to the Salvation Army to help children in need.
This event just goes to show - even Junior Kindergarteners can change the world!
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Lincoln Students Collaborate to Be the Spark! |
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Students at Lincoln Elementary School gathered in front of a collaboratively created bulletin board showing the school's yearly theme: Be the SPARK! Be the Light!
The theme is based on the quote by Amanda Gorman that states, "For there is always light if only if we are brave enough to see it. If only we are brave enough to be it."
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Meet Madison Elementary School's Magic the Mustang |
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Madison Elementary School is proud to introduce its new logo featuring Magic the Mustang! Students were presented with three logo options and voted to select their favorite. They also voted on the name of their mascot.
The Madison community will celebrate and introduce the new mascot in-person at the school dance scheduled for February 17 from 6-8:30 p.m.
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McKinley Elementary Students Check Out Chess |
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Chess Club is back in session at McKinley Elementary School! Students in Senior Kindergarten (SK) through 5th grade are learning the game and gaining all of the wonderful skills that come with it: sportsmanship, problem-solving, strategic thinking, planning, spatial reasoning, algebraic and geometric thinking, concentration, and so much more! |
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Science and Reading and Writing... oh my! Fifth Graders at Roosevelt Take Cross-Curricular Learnings Outside the Classroom |
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Fifth graders at Roosevelt Elementary wrapped up an amazing Cross-Curricular Unit that combined Science, Reading, and Writing to learn about different aspects of animal’s lives.
In Science, students learned about animal adaptations, food chains and webs, and different animal ecosystems.
In Reading, students learned about the different aspects of complex nonfiction texts, text structures, and how to find the main idea, and details within these units to help us to summarize. Then, students implemented the learning by creating their own Animal Research nonfiction books. Each chapter reflected different nonfiction text structures. Chapter one included a sequence summary describing their animal’s life cycle, chapter two used a cause and effect structure to summarize how their animal’s physical and behavioral adaptations helped it to survive. The last chapter used description text to describe the animal’s main ecosystem and diet.
In Journalism, students learned the 5 W's strategy (Who? What? When? Why? Where?). Then, to extend their learning about animals, students wrote articles about factors that are affecting their animal’s environment or ecosystem. After adding images and formatting, students delivered information about their animal as “news stories” on Flipgrid. They watched news story examples, and then used that thinking to make these videos as real news anchors.
Finally, students took their learning out of the classroom with a field trip to the Milwaukee County Zoo. Upon returning to school, fifth graders wrote compare/contrast summary paragraphs about the ecosystems they saw at the zoo.
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Underwood Students Create Art-Generating Robot |
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At Underwood Elementary, Ms. Wieck's & Mrs. Pond's SK/1 USTEM classes took a field trip to the Betty Brinn Museum in January. Students had the opportunity to learn about circuitry while designing and building their own art-generating robot, which they used to make a collaborative drawing. |
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Washington Coding Club Teaches More Than Just Coding |
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The Washington Coding Club (open to students in grades 2-5) started using Code.org curriculum, as well as other online and unplugged activities to support their understanding of computer science. Students have already programmed their own video games and cartoon animations, and they practiced sequencing directions to navigate a character through an obstacle course.
In addition to exploring basic coding concepts, students will work collaboratively, develop problem-solving skills, and put their creativity to the test over the next few months.
Coding Club is led by Mr. Paul, 1st grade teacher and Mr. Carter, educational assistant.
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Wilson Elementary School and Wauwatosa STEM Get Visit from Mayor McBride |
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Mayor Dennis McBride visited Wilson/WSTEM's Green Team in late January. He discussed with the students the efforts that the City of Wauwatosa is taking to ensure that our community is more environmentally conscious.
Thank you to Mayor McBride for taking the time to speak with our students!
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Wauwatosa Montessori Students Celebrate Winter Weather |
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We may be experiencing a mild winter this year, but the Upper Elementary students at Wauwatosa Montessori loved making snow in the classroom as part of a recent science lesson. |
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Middle School STEM Teams Earn Regional Awards |
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Each year, the Middle School STEM (MSTEM) programs take part in the Future City Competition in which student teams compete to create a futuristic city that best tackles a given challenge. This year’s theme, "Climate Change Challenge" prompted teams to design a futuristic city that has adaptation and mitigation strategies to combat climate change.
The semester-long project started with all MSTEM students learning about climate change and human impact. Teams then researched and wrote essays, built models, maintained a project plan, wrote detailed scripts, and practiced their presentation. All STEM students participated in an in-school competition to compete for a spot in the regionals.
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A total of 49 teams from 14 different schools in Wisconsin participated in the regional event.
South Peruca (8th grade, Whitman) received awards for second place overall, Greenest Transportation System and Exemplary Model.
Atlantic City (7th grade, Longfellow) received the awards for third place overall and Best Transportation System.
W'aoishan (8th grade, Whitman) won the award for “Best Knowledge of Plastics."
Tropicalis (7th grade, Whitman) won the awards for “Best Healthcare System” and "Exemplary Model."
Zelena Hora (7th grade, Longfellow, pictured above) won the Peer Award.
Congratulations to all of our teams for your hard work and dedication over the last few months and for a successful competition!
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Wauwatosa East Concert Orchestra to Perform at State Capitol |
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Congratulations to the Wauwatosa East Concert Orchestra! Students in Concert Orchestra were selected to perform at the Wisconsin State Capitol on March 7th, 2023 in celebration of Music in our Schools Month.
Only 10 groups were selected for this very exciting opportunity!
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Wauwatosa West Alum Give Back, Donate Plasma Cutter |
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Alumni from the Wauwatosa West Class of 1970 have graciously donated a plasma cutter to the school's metals program, using remaining funds from the group's 35th reunion.
The plasma cutter will be used to enhance the hands-on learning process for students at West. The first class to use the equipment will be a metals class that started in the second semester.
Thank you, Class of 1970, for helping to create clear pathways for students to find success after high school. Your gift will greatly support students who have a passion in the important tech fields.
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Wauwatosa Virtual Academy Collaborates with Wauwatosa East Students |
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WVA has collaborated with Wauwatosa East teacher Craig Griffie (Technology Education and Certified Pre- Apprenticeship Program Administrator) and his students to construct a noise-cancelling "Zoom booth" for WVA teachers to video conference with students while minimizing noise disruption to others. Mr. Griffie's students solicited input from WVA staff, created a design, priced out materials to create a proposal, and are almost finished with the fabrication and installation. WVA is appreciative of the efforts of the students in helping solve a "real world" challenge for us! |
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Wauwatosa School District | 12121 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa, WI 53226
Ph: (414) 773-1000 | www.wauwatosaschools.org
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