Baraboo School District E-Newsletter
March 12, 2021
Community Blood Drive Set for March 23
Time to Nominate: Teacher of the Year!
The School District of Baraboo has announced the opening of nominations for the Excellence in Education Award (EIEA) and the Distinguished Elementary Teacher Award (DETA) programs for the 2020-'21 school year.  

The EIEA award is sponsored by the BHS Graduating Class of 1956 and the DETA award is sponsored by Andrew Hauge, who grew up in Baraboo and attended Baraboo schools. The Class of 1956 and Andrew Hauge have established an endowment fund with the Greater Sauk County Community Foundation for the purpose of financing all costs associated with the award programs. The purpose of the award programs is to recognize and honor outstanding teachers in the Baraboo School District who have distinguished themselves as exemplary classroom teachers and who have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and dedication to the young people of the Baraboo community. The winners of these annual awards will be announced near the end of the current school year at a special award ceremony.

The winner of the awards, who will be chosen by a five-member Selection Committee of retired teachers, community members and school district officials, will receive a framed honorary certificate and a stipend of at least $1,000 to be used for a professional development or educational enrichment activity which will enhance the teacher's knowledge, skills and classroom effectiveness. In addition, the winning teacher's name for the EIEA, which is given to a secondary teacher in the Baraboo School District, will be engraved on a large bronze plaque which hangs in the Media Center of Baraboo High School. The plaque is inscribed with a tribute to the former teachers of the Class of '56 who, "taught, guided and inspired" them during their years at Baraboo Junior High and Baraboo High School.

To be eligible for these awards a teacher must be:
  • Licensed and certified by the State of Wisconsin 
  • Employed as a full-time teacher by the District
  • Planning to return as a full-time teacher in this District for the next school year
The Selection Committee will judge candidates based on the following criteria:
  • Mastery of sound classroom instructional skills
  • Use of initiative, creativity and innovation in teaching techniques
  • Motivational and leadership skills with students and colleagues
  • Involvement in school organizations and activities
  • Involvement in professional organizations, seminars and continuing education
  • Positive relationships with superiors, colleagues, students and parents

The School District is now seeking nominations for the Excellence in Education Award and the Distinguished Elementary Teacher Award for 2020. Nominations may be made by a teacher colleague, an administrator or a parent of a school student. Nomination forms may be obtained on the District's website: www.baraboo.k12.wi.us or at any district school building. Submitting a nomination will also require that the nominator write a letter in support of the nominee. Guidelines for writing such a letter will be included with the nomination form. Nomination forms, including letters of support, must be sent to Glenn Bildsten at Baraboo High School, 1201 Draper Street, Baraboo, WI, 53913 by Friday, March 12, 2020, to be valid. 

4K Online Registration Opens April 1
The 4K registration for the 2021-22 Baraboo Early Learning Cooperative (BELC) program will begin online on April 1, 2021.  

Reminders will be sent in March to all families currently on the district 4K contact list. If you are new to the area or if you have registration questions, please contact District Registrar, Kristine Snow, at ksnow@barabooschools.net or 608-355-3955.  

During the online registration, parents are encouraged to have available immunization records, proof of residency, and a copy of your child's birth certificate (or another formal document citing the birth date of the child). Parents will have an opportunity to indicate their top preferences for possible 4K locations or sessions within the 4K registration process. Confirmation of the 4K location and timeframe will be mailed to parents around July 1st. The 4K registration process continues online throughout the spring and summer of 2021.  

Please find additional 4K information for the 2021-22 school year on the District 4K website. Please contact Dr. Chris Olson, BELC/West Principal at 608-355-3906 or cdolson@barabooschools.net with any 4K questions at any time.  
Summer Kid Stop Information

Kid Stop will continue to follow safety precautions for COVID-19 again this summer. Therefore a limit of 50 children in attendance will be permitted. The first 50 children registered with registration fees and the month of June tuition paid will be eligible to attend.  

Any children enrolled after the 50 student limit will be placed on a waitlist and contacted if space becomes available. All elementary school children entering kindergarten through sixth grade in the fall will be eligible to apply for the 2021 Summer Kid Stop Child Care Program. Summer Kid Stop is located at Gordon L. Willson Elementary School and is available weekdays from 7:15 AM to 5:45 PM starting on Monday, June 14th and ending on Friday, August 13th.

REGISTRATION: Registration for the summer program begins on Monday, March 1st. Registrations received prior to March 1st will not be accepted until 3/1/21. Registration information may be found on the District website starting the week of February 22nd. Please know that there is no online registration available, so please print off the forms and either turn in at the GLW office, the East or GLW Kid Stop sites or scan your completed forms to the Kid Stop Coordinator at pgavin@barabooschools.net. Forms may also be found at all elementary school offices and at the East and GLW Kid Stop sites. ALL forms (including immunization information) must be completed each time you register for Kid Stop. One registration form per child please. If you would like to make your payments online, please request this option when submitting your paperwork. 

FEES: Prior to attending - All overdue Kid Stop fees must be paid in full along with the June tuition and summer registration fee. Please consider paying your fees online in the parent portal in Infinite Campus.
  • Non refundable registration fee - $15.00 per child
  • June 14-30, 2021 tuition - $234.00 per child 
  • July 1-30, 2021 tuition - $360.00 per child (No Kid Stop July 2nd & 5th)
  • August 2-13, 2021 tuition - $180.00 per child
  • Weekly rate - $90.00/week/child + reg. fee
  •  (One week = Monday through Friday)
  • NO DAILY FEE OFFERED
FAMILIES RECEIVING CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE: Families receiving assistance from the county must have an EBT account set up. Families will be charged the above fees and are responsible for the registration fee when submitting paperwork. Qualifying families may be responsible for copays depending on the rate of pay the county approves. Your monthly fee will be posted in Infinite Campus the first of each month and payment is due at that time. When notice has been received that an EBT payment has been made this will reflect your Infinite Campus balance. Your WIShares payments are made by calling the number on the back of your card. Please pay only the amount that is due for your child's Kid Stop services. You will also be responsible for completing, signing and returning a Provider/Parent Payment Agreement that must be kept on file at the Kid Stop Program. You will receive this form from the Kid Stop Coordinator to complete.

BARABOO SCHOOL DISTRICT SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM: If your child will be attending summer school at ABE and will need Kid Stop services in the afternoon, registration and Kid Stop tuition fees are required. Tuition fees will be the same as the listed amounts. Your child will need to be one of the first 50 students registered and fees paid in order to participate in Kid Stop.

FREE FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM: Starting Monday, June 14th through Friday, July 23rd: FREE breakfast (8:15-8:45) and FREE lunch (11:30-12:30) will be provided to ALL Kid Stop Kids as part of a federally-funded program.
  • These meals will be served at GLW and Kid Stop kids are encouraged to take advantage of this free breakfast and lunch program.
  • If your child/children do not participate, a sack lunch and beverage must be provided from home.
  • Sack lunches from home will not be refrigerated or microwaved.
  • This free breakfast and lunch program will end onFriday, July 23rd. A sack lunch and beverage will need to be provided for your child's lunch from July 26th until the end of Summer Kid Stop on Friday, August 13th. 
  • Milk is provided if participating in the free breakfast/lunch program. A milk or juice box will be provided with an afternoon snack at no charge. Milk will not be available to purchase this summer.
  • If you would prefer to send a healthy snack from home for your child/children, please follow the district's healthy snack guidelines. See link below.
  •  Snack update 2020
DAILY PROGRAMMING AND ACTIVITIES: Children will be involved in a variety of activities including art, reading/library, computers, gym, music, and much more!

CLOTHING CHANGE/TOILETRY: If a Kid Stop child is in need of change of clothing or undergarments, a Kid Stop staff member will call the child's parent/guardian (or their designee) and request a change of clothes be brought to Kid Stop. Furthermore, parents/guardians (or their designee) are responsible for assisting the child in cleanup and changing if needed. The designee must be an authorized contact person who is listed on the child's registration form. Kid Stop staff are not responsible for assisting in toiletry or clothing changes.

SUMMER KID STOP OPEN SWIM AND SWIM LESSONS: To be determined. Please contact Heather Wood, Aquatics Director, at 355-4665 with questions.

MEDICATION/SPECIAL HEALTH NEEDS: If your child will be taking prescription medication during Kid Stop hours, please request an "Authorization to Administer Medication" form. If your child has special health care needs, a care plan or written instruction to provide care for your child's special health needs will need to be provided by your physician and reviewed by Kid Stop staff prior to attending the program. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES
Please click on the links below
Please read the Kid Stop Behavior Policy  
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Friday Folders Are Going Virtual
The School District of Baraboo's Friday Folders are going virtual for the 2020-21 school year!

Information from non-district entities, like club sports, library programming, parks and rec information, etc., can now be accessed in a digital Friday Folder by clicking here. Friday Folder submissions from previous weeks will be archived in this folder as well, so if you want to reference it you can go to that week's folder and view it again!

This is a safety measure for in-person students to limit the number of papers received from outside sources, and will allow students who are attending school via the Virtual Learning Model to access to the information. 

Please note: Important school-related information directly from the School District of Baraboo will still come home in Friday Folders, and virtual teachers will provide this information directly to their students.
Bridging Brighter Smiles
What's Happening at the Baraboo Public Library
A Message from Hope House: Be An Upstander!
For March, Hope House would like to share tips for students on how to be an upstander when they see bullying or harassment happening. As a parent, guardian or educator, you can share these ideas with your students and ask them which one(s) they would feel most comfortable doing.

Speak Out: If a student sees someone being bullied and they feel comfortable, they can speak out and say something. There are a lot of different ways someone could speak out and it really depends on how comfortable the upstander is. They could say, "I heard what you said and I don't think that is very nice." or, "How would you feel if someone said that about you?". They could also try clarifying by asking the person something like, "What did you mean by that?" or "Why would you say that to someone?".

Be A Buddy: Sometimes we don't always feel comfortable speaking out and that is okay. Students should never feel like they have to do something that makes them feel unsafe or uncomfortable. There are other ways to be an upstander! Students can choose to be a buddy and support the person they saw being mistreated. This could look like walking up to the person afterwards and saying, "I saw what happened and I'm sorry, that wasn't okay." Maybe they could even ask the student to walk to lunch with them or if they'd like to hang out at recess. Small acts of kindness make a huge difference in someone's day, especially if they have just been mistreated by someone else. 

Interrupt: Maybe a student doesn't feel comfortable speaking out but they know they want to stop it while it is happening. Instead, they could interrupt by using distraction. For example, if you see someone being mistreated you could distract by saying "Hey! It's lunch time and there's pizza today, lets go get some!" or you could say directly to the person being mistreated, "Hey, I can't figure out where my science book is, would you help me?" Interruption that doesn't draw attention to what is happening but stops it from happening is a way to be an upstander as well!

Tell Someone: Another way to be an upstander is to tell a trusted adult like a teacher, school counselor, principal, coach or parent/guardian what you saw happening. Adults have a responsibility to make sure students feel safe at school. Students may worry about being perceived as a "tattle tale" but talking to them about empathy aka "putting themselves in other's shoes" is a helpful way of letting them know that they are helping someone and hopefully they'd want that done for them too. 

 Consider watching this video with your students on ways to be an upstander. The website PACER also has helpful information for teachers and parents regarding resources and topics related to bullying prevention. 

Please know that Hope House is here for you and the youth in your life. If you or your child would like to talk to a Hope House advocate about not feeling safe, experiencing harassment, or about our services, our 24/7 confidential helpline is 1-800-584-6790. Learn more at www.hopehousescw.org or on Facebook and Instagram @hopehousescw. You can also visit  Love is Respect for helpful resources on healthy relationships, warning signs of abuse and how to support someone in your life.
NBC15 Accepting Nominations for Crystal Apple Award
The 2021 NBC15 Crystal Apple Awards is now accepting nominations! Nominate that special teacher, a mentor, someone who has made a difference in your child's life.

Teachers are just one of the many who stepped up this year, ensuring our children learn the skills they need to succeed. And now is your time to send in your appreciation.

The NBC15 Crystal Apple Award is an award that is given to five teachers in South Central Wisconsin in recognition of outstanding contributions to education.

Now through March 31st, you can submit your nomination .

There are three ways you can submit a nomination:
  1. Follow the link below to submit online
  2. Email your nomination to crystalapple@nbc15.com (Include your contact information and teacher's school information)
  3. Mail a nomination to the station

Free Weekly COVID-19 Testing
New Medical Service Being offered at Baraboo School District
The School District of Baraboo is partnering with Karen Ailsworth, MD, who is a board-certified pediatrician who has a special interest in pediatric mental health.

Dr. Ailsworth will be offering clinic visits both in person and virtually at Baraboo High School and Jack Young Middle School every week (hours to be determined) for students who are needing assistance with issues such as ADHD, depression, and anxiety. This allows students to attend appointments without having to leave school. 

Dr. Ailsworth has a holistic approach; she believes environment, school and family all have a role in maximizing the mental and emotional well-being of children and youth. "I am excited about working in the Baraboo High School because of the proximity of school staff, which will make communication with school staff and students easier," Ailsworth said. "I work in the same part of the building as student services, so we really can work as a team."

Parents/Guardians will need to attend the first appointment with their student in person or virtually to sign paperwork and consent forms. Visits will include a medical evaluation and possible prescription assistance. Dr. Ailsworth's clinical model is based on Direct Primary Care.  She strives to make her health care affordable. While she does not accept insurance, parents/guardians can ask about sliding scale payments. 

If you would like to make an appointment, please contact Dr. Ailsworth directly at 608-477-2834 or one of the school nurses.
DISTRICT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Lamers Bus Lines is seeking additional school bus drivers!  
This is a great opportunity for individuals looking for work before or after school. 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 complete paid training, and teach you everything you need to know about driving a school bus.

Lamers is also seeking candidates to serve as Bus Monitors. 
Bus Monitors ride the school buses to assist drivers in monitoring the afternoon shuttle routes.This is a great opportunity for individuals looking for work after school only.

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. 

Those interested should contact Lamers Bus Lines directly at (608) 448-4851 ext 2 or at 44groupsb@golamers.com.
Make a positive difference today by becoming a guest teacher in your local schools! The School District of Baraboo is seeking guest (substitute) teachers for all levels (4K-12). Guest teachers have the benefit of a flexible schedule as you only accept assignments when it works for you. Rate of pay is $120/day with possibility of earning more for long term assignments. 

We have opportunities for both day-to-day guest teachers and long-term guest teacher positions. Click here to see our current guest teacher opportunities and apply now through the Wisconsin Education Career Access Network (WECAN)

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, click here.
The School District of Baraboo is currently hiring for a variety of different positions, including Educational Paraprofessionals, Food Preparers, Custodians, Guest (Substitute) Teachers, and more. If you know of qualified candidates please encourage them to apply! 

Detailed job descriptions and application instructions for current job opportunities can be found at https://www.baraboo.k12.wi.us/district/jobs.cfm.
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