The students at Northwoods Community Elementary School celebrated the 50th day of school 50’s style on November 12. The students and staff dressed wearing 1950’s clothes. Many girls wore poodle skirts, scarves and white booty socks. The boys wore jeans, sunglasses and white t-shirts. Many classes enjoyed rootbeer floats and danced to 50’s music in their socks at the end of the day.

Since the first day of school, the kindergarten and first grade classes have been counting the days of school. During their math classes, the young learners participated in a variety of activities focusing on the number 50. The kindergarteners counted to 50 using food. They also played Race to 50 by rolling a die and coloring the appropriate numbers. The students also participated in dancing to “The Twist,” “Hand Jive,” and “The Bunny Hop” for 50 seconds.

Likewise, the first graders skip counted to 50 by 1s, 5s and 10s. The first graders proved that they had 50 items by organizing the items into groups of 10. Also, they used rubber stamps to stamp 5 sets of 10 stamps. The first graders ended the activity by labeling their groups of 10.

The third graders enjoyed 1950’s trivia using Kahoot! Using the game-based learning platform, students answered a variety of questions. What popular piece of women’s clothing was named after a dog in the 1950’s? It was the poodle

skirt!

The 3rd graders at Crescent Elementary have been busy bees this fall! In science, the students learned all about the power of flowers and took part in some fun, engaging activities about pollination, plant life cycles, and heredity. In Social Studies, they learned all about maps, as well as continents and oceans. In ELA, the students learned a new way to collaborate with classmates using social distancing in a protocol called the “fishbowl protocol.” The third graders had rich discussions about the stories read in class. Finally, math fluency has been part of their daily routine whether through independent practice or interactive games! They are buzzing along!

Rhinelander FBLA/DECA is proud to say that their Trick or Can food drive collected a grand total of 964 food items for the Rhinelander Food Pantry. Close to 16 FBLA/DECA members participated over the course of the three hour pickup time (from 4 to 7 pm) on October 28, 2020.

Trick or Can is a statewide DECA initiative that has been going on for a number of years now. This is the fifth year Rhinelander’s FBLA/DECA chapter has hosted the event, and planning began in August and has slowly developed into the product that landed on the Rhinelander community doorways at the end of October.

Instead of the traditional Food Drive where students sit at a table and wait for the community to bring the food to them, Trick-or-Can brings the food drive to the community's door, not only collecting non-perishable food items, but also awareness for an issue in our community.

In the fifth year of the project Rhinelander FBLA/DECA has been thrilled to rise into the upper levels of DECA chapters around the state who participate in this event. We look forward to continuing Trick or Can next year, expanding into more neighborhoods and getting more people involved.

James Williams Middle School (JWMS) is proud to announce its Student Shout Outs for October. To recognize more students for the great things they are accomplishing at JWMS, this year instead of recognizing "Students of the Month", they switched to "Student Shout Outs". For October, 144 Student Shout Outs were given.

Staff chose students from every grade level who demonstrated the ability to follow the Character Strong 8 Essentials - commitment, forgiveness, honesty, humility, kindness, patience, respect, and selflessness.

Despite the challenging times, these students come to school, whether it be in person, remote, or virtual, prepared and ready to learn. They are actively engaged in their learning and activities and follow classroom and school rules.

To see names of and recognition for students who received Shout Outs in October, please view this presentation.

Congratulations to these well-deserving students!

Every Monday WAOW Channel 9 announces an area educator who is making a difference in their community. Recently, James Williams Middle School science teacher Luke Statz was recognized with the "Today's Teacher" honor. Congratulations to Mr. Statz! Visit the WAOW Channel 9 website for full information and video.

The kindergarten and first grade students voted for their favorite tasting cookie on Election Day. After the students tasted chocolate chip and Oreo cookies, they entered the voting booth to cast their votes. The chocolate chip cookie was the winner by a 7 to 3 vote in the kindergarten room. On the other hand, the Oreo cookie was the winner by a 5 to 3 vote in the first grade room.

Using the results, both classes created a bar graph and discussed their classroom’s data.

Rhinelander High School Senior Quinn Lamers was recently recognized as a 2020-2021 Rural and Small Town Scholar by College Board. 

This honor is based off of the PSAT score, and in addition the student must be in the top level/qualifying level for their individual state, and the student must meet the cumulative GPA requirement, and come from a rural area/small town.  

The College Board National Recognition Programs grant students academic honors. Colleges use these honors to identify students from underrepresented groups who have excelled on their PSAT/NMSQT and in their classrooms.  

College Board will contact students deemed eligible for recognition. To be considered, students must:

Congratulations to Quinn on this honorable recognition!

Kindergarteners in Mrs. Koth's class at NCES have been learning to become play experts. They learned that different people prefer different toys. They also learned about toys in the past and compared them to the toys they prefer now. The kindergarten class wrote a letter to Mr. Bontz and presented their toy they created in the Labs portion of class.

School District of Rhinelander Community Education Coordinator Mike Cheslock visited the kindergartners and gave a presentation about the toys he played with when he was a child. He showed them action figures, vehicles, and castles from the "HeMan and the Masters of the Universe" and "Thundercats" toy line. He talked about the importance of sharing toys and including others while playing. The students were intrigued by the toys from the 1980s. 

Mr. Mutter's class at Pelican Elementary School had a lot to celebrate recently. They celebrated Halloween, finishing up their science unit on worms, and students' academic successes during remote learning. To celebrate they dressed up in costumes and enjoyed a delicious treat made with gummy worms. Way to go 5th graders!

Cellcom has selected five Northwoods non-profits to receive more than $6,000 in Green Gifts this year. Recipients include Northwoods Wildlife Center, Trees for Tomorrow, North Lakeland Discovery Center, School District of Rhinelander and Wild Instincts. The Green Gifts program uses funds generated from Cellcom’s cell phone recycling program to fund green nonprofit initiatives.

School District of Rhinelander’s Cedric A. Vig Outdoor Classrom (CAVOC) received a Cellcom Green Gift in the amount of $718. Two years ago the outdoor classroom added a pollinator garden with funds from a Green Gift, educating students and citizens on pollinator plants, butterflies, bees and birds. This year’s donation will support the addition of rain barrels and hoses to enhance the sustainability of the garden for years to come, as well as a tiny library and several books so that students and community members can learn about pollinators. 

“This year we’re particularly proud to support organizations dedicated to preservation of the environment and wildlife habitats. Being outdoors can provide a strong boost to our mental wellbeing, which has been a key outlet for many throughout the pandemic,” said Cindy Durand, director of Public Affairs at Cellcom. “There are so many amazing experiences available to connect with nature and learn more about sustainability. We’re proud to support organizations that are giving families the opportunity to expand their roles as environmental stewards.”

A total of 31 green organizations received a share of the $36,040 in Green Gifts from Cellcom this year. The Green Gifts program uses funds generated from Cellcom’s cell phone recycling program to fund green nonprofit initiatives. Customers and community members can bring in their old or unwanted phones to be reused and recycled. Cellcom sends the phones to recyclers who in return send money to Cellcom for the materials that were saved from the phones. Cellcom’s Green Gift program completes the green cycle that starts with consumers being environmentally-conscious and donating their devices.

Visit Cellcom’s website for the full list of award recipients. Cellcom is proud to support organizations of all sizes, whose work is impacting the community and building a greener tomorrow. The company’s recycling program has generated $520,413 for local charities over the past 17 years.

November 16-20 was American Education Week! This was a time to celebrate public education and honor those who are making a difference.

This week presented all Americans with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate public education and honor individuals who are making a difference in ensuring that every child receives a quality education.

During this time the School District of Rhinelander Administrative Team and Board of Education gave a special Thank You to all support staff; our Teaching Assistants, Secretaries, Custodians, Food Service Workers, Maintenance, Guest Staff (Teachers and TAs) for doing their part each and every day to ensure that every child receives a quality education. It takes all of us!

Sincere gratitude was extended to all School District of Rhinelander employees for the dedication, commitment, and support they provide toward the educational achievement and success of all students.

Please visit www.nea.org for more information about American Education Week.

The Rhinelander High School Student Services e-news can be found online.

The Cedric A. Vig Outdoor Classroom (CAVOC) is not only the School District's outdoor learning center for its teachers and students, but it is also available to the community for various activities!

Stop by CAVOC and enjoy hiking, jogging, and skiing on the recently updated trail system. Or, reserve the facility for an outdoor or indoor wedding, baby-shower, birthday, or other activity! Help your group build trust and confidence by taking part in the Challenge by Choice Ropes Course!

CAVOC reservations can be made by calling 715-365-9714 (we are not currently taking public reservations due to Covid).

Visit CAVOC's website or view the CAVOC brochure for more information! School Forest Education Liaison Mike Cheslock can be reached at 715-365-9745.

CAVOC's Mission: At CAVOC, we will provide hands-on, outdoor learning experiences that help students acquire the awareness, knowledge, skills and commitment to become responsible stewards of their natural environment.

The School District of Rhinelander offers classes and programs for the community! Topics include Arts & Crafts, Fitness, Food & Cooking, Home & Hobbies, Outdoor Recreation and Safety, and MUCH MORE!

The community is our classroom!

Discover something new with lifelong learning by visiting the Community Education webpage.

Forms and flyers from community organizations are posted on the School District of Rhinelander website.

In an effort to support families experiencing transitions and/or difficulties, the School District of Rhinelander has put together a list of area resources, including a link to our Free/Reduced Lunch application. If a family experiences a change in their financial situation, the application can be completed at any time during the year. The list of resources can be found on the District's website.

Typically, the Hodag Fab Lab, located in Rhinelander High School, is open to the community on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 5:00 - 7:00 pm.

Come check out the Fab Lab for FREE! If you like it and want to continue, memberships are for one year. The fee is only $75/family, $50/single, and free for SDR students.

Learn more by visiting the Hodag Fab Lab Facebook Page or by calling Mike Wojtusik at Rhinelander High School at 715-365-9500.

Dream it, design it, and build it at the Hodag Fab Lab!

Get involved! Help link our schools to the business community. Learn more about

We are truly part of a community that takes care of their own.

This resource is available for use by all members of our school community. The School District of Rhinelander is committed to all of our students, families, and community members and this resource can help reduce an item of worry for families and will allow for time to focus on other things. Hodags helping Hodags! That is what we do and who we are!

Tracy Hoffhein can be reached at 715-365-9737.

Mary Rudis can be reached at 715-365-9771.

For more information about SDR's Community Closet, visit the School Distrct's website.

Child Find Screenings in the School District of Rhinelander are for children ages 3 years, 0 months to 5 years, 11 months.

We conduct screenings for children ages 3-5 who are not enrolled in a District elementary school, and also for 4K and kindergarten students who are enrolled in a District elementary school.

To schedule a screening, parents should contact:

Michaela Johnson, School Psychologist, at 715-365-9120 ext. 3212 or johnsmic@rhinelander.k12.wi.us if the child is not currently attending an SDR elementary school or if the child attends Crescent Elementary School or Northwoods Community Elementary School (NCES).

Kari Volk, School Psychologist, at 715-365-9160 ext. 4150 or volkkar@rhinelander.k12.wi.us if the child attends Central Elementary School or Pelican Elementary School.

For more information, view this letter from the School Psychologists.

Information about RHS and JWMS athletics and activities, including schedules, calendars, and forms, can be found on the School District's website.

Attend an event and cheer on your Hodags!

Hodag Connections offers individual learning opportunities within the School District of Rhinelander. It gives students in 4K through grade 12 the opportunity for flexible schedules along with curriculum choices.

* Hodag Tracks

* Learning Lab

* GEDO#2

* Adult Learners

For more information contact:

Tracy Hoffhein

Hodag Connections Coordinator

715-365-9500 ext. 8008

This freshly designed fitness center, located in Rhinelander High School, is offered FREE to the community. Paperwork and sign-in is required. ACFC houses free weights, weight machines, treadmills, bikes, and other equipment.

For more information about the Aspirus Community Fitness Center, including hours of operation, please visit the School District of Rhinelander website.

Or, call Rhinelander High School at 715-365-9745.

The Heck Family Community Pool, located in Rhinelander High School, is generally open free to community members on Sundays during the school-year from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm.

Open swim consists of lap swim, water basketball, family time, and more. A certified lifeguard is on duty during this time. The locker rooms are open for use. Swimming is free. Sign-in is required when you arrive.

For more information, please visit the School District of Rhinelander website, or call 715-365-9745.

Please click on the link to share the Hodag Pride with your family and friends.

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