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MARK YOUR CALENDAR: UPCOMING EVENTS |
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October 14 - Mental Health Parent Forum (8 pm)
October 23 - No classes JK-5; elementary conferences
October 26 - School Board Meeting (7 pm)
October 28 - Cohort A asynchronous; Cohort B synchronous (see details below)
October 30 - No classes JK-12; professional development day
November 9 - School Board Meeting (7 pm)
November 23 - School Board Meeting (7 pm)
November 24 - Cohort A asynchronous; Cohort B synchronous (see details below)
November 25-27 - Thanksgiving Break
November 30 - No classes JK-12; professional development day
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Lincoln + Underwood Elementary Slide Into 2020-21 School Year with New Playground Equipment |
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Students and staff kicked off the school year in style and celebrated the recent sunny weather with new playground equipment! The new play structures at Lincoln and Underwood Elementary Schools have been designed to be universally accessible, with ramps leading from ground level to the top of each structure and multiple entrance points via transfer stations and ramps. Other innovative components include a metal rolling slide that provides anti-static benefits to individuals with hearing aids. The district also used an anti-static turf base for fall protection to increase safety and mobilization of those students who need an accessible route and/or wear hearing aids. There are play and activity panels that include Braille for students who are visually impaired. The play structure incorporates a series of sensory paths to challenge students sensory systems.
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Join our Mental Health Parent Forum on Wednesday, October 14, 2020 |
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The Wauwatosa School District is committed to supporting families and students in the midst of COVID-19.
At 8 pm on Wednesday, October 14, 2020, members from our Medical / Public Health Advisory Panel and selected staff from the Wauwatosa School District Student Services Department will host an open forum for parents. Panelists have specific expertise in mental health and include:
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Chasity Brimeyer, PhD Pediatric Psychologist - Children’s Hospital, Medical College of Wisconsin
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Kelly Corroy, M.A & Specialist Certificate in Education - School Psychologist at Wilson/WSTEM, Roosevelt Elementary School and Longfellow Middle School
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Heidi Hemling, MS, LPC, NCC, PMH-C Psychotherapist, Private practice - The Holding Space LLC
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Jenny Hoag, PhD Psychologist at Children's Hospital
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Sue Walczak, MSW - School Social Worker at Wilson/WSTEM
Topics for discussion include adjustment to the pandemic and impact on schools/education, and strategies for encouraging your student’s motivation and desire to learn virtually.
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Phase Into Learning Remaining in Hybrid Through November 24, 2020 |
On Monday, September 28, the Wauwatosa School Board approved the District’s recommendation to maintain the hybrid model of instruction for Phase Into Learning through November 24, 2020. The earliest day students would return for five-day-per-week classroom instruction is Tuesday, December 1, 2020.
The School Board considered several key pieces of information in making this decision, including:
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COVID-19 cases continue to climb in Wauwatosa and other areas where our staff and students live, as evidenced by the District’s COVID-19 dashboard.
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The District has seen increasing COVID-19 cases in schools, and it has been required to quarantine additional students and staff members. Currently, there are 12 staff members and 64 students quarantined across the District.
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Staff quarantines and absences have caused the District to shift teaching resources between schools.
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If additional staff quarantines occur, it will become increasingly difficult for the District to maintain in-person instruction - even in a hybrid model of instruction - due to a statewide shortage of substitute teachers.
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At this time, the District will be challenged to adhere to physical distancing recommendations and maintain six feet between students with full classroom attendance.
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The District has received positive feedback from staff, students and families regarding the current hybrid model of instruction.
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Maintaining consistency in the model of instruction and minimizing back-and-forth shifts between models is critical to the mental health of staff, students and families.
- The District’s primary priority continues to be the health and safety of its students and staff members.
Additional information will be provided via email and will be posted on our Reopening Page as it becomes available.
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District Phasing Out MAP Assessment in 2020-21 School Year |
In order to have smarter, more timely data that better informs instructional practice and student learning, the Wauwatosa School District will be making a key change to its assessment practices this year. We believe that for assessment data to have an impact on instructional practice, it must be gathered at the right time and it must be specific to current learning goals. And, given the District’s increased focus on equity, it is critical that assessments are also equitable to all of our learners.
For this reason, the Wauwatosa School District will be phasing out MAP testing in the upcoming months.
Over the years, we've found several challenges with MAP testing, including the tendency for this assessment to be a driving force for instructional outcomes rather than the use of ongoing assessments to support individualized student goals. A primary focus with this shift is to strengthen and enhance the District's use of assessments to inform student learning and classroom instruction, and to gain back lost instructional time spent on ineffective assessment practices. By utilizing other forms of assessment we are allowing staff to gain understanding of their learners and provide differentiated, responsive instruction.
As MAP is phased out, our school teams will support collaboration around ongoing assessments to improve learning and instruction for the class as a whole. Additionally, our educators will have a number of assessments available for screening and progress monitoring at both the elementary and secondary level to meet the unique needs of individual students including, but not limited to:
Elementary
- Sonday mastery checks
- PALS screener and quick checks
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Common Summative ELA Assessments - in progress
- Common Summative Math Assessments
- Math Task Assessments
- Ongoing formative assessments including exit tickets, conferring notes, running records and practice problems
- FastBridge
- AIMSweb
- Forward
- Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM)
Secondary
- Common summative assessments in all content areas are currently being reviewed, revised, and/or developed
- Ongoing Formative Assessments including homework, classroom observations, quizzes, exit tickets
- FastBridge
- Aspire
- ACT
- Forward
- Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM)
During the 2020-21 school year, MAP testing will only be administered on a limited basis within the District. Current MAP testing windows can be found on the District Calendar. All testing windows are considered tentative and subject to change.
We are confident that this change will make assessment more beneficial and productive for all stakeholders! Building principals are prepared to answer any questions you might have regarding assessments and families with questions are encouraged to reach out to their building principal directly.
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District-Wide Schedule Modifications in October - November 2020 |
As the District works to balance instructional time between cohorts, we will be slightly modifying the learning schedule for Phase Into Learning and Tosa Connected students during the weeks of October 26 and November 23, 2020 as follows:
Monday, October 26 - no change
Cohort A - synchronous
Cohort B - asynchronous
Tuesday, October 27 - no change
Cohort A - synchronous
Cohort B - asynchronous
*Overnight deep cleaning will be conducted
Wednesday, October 28
Cohort A - asynchronous
Cohort B - synchronous
Thursday, October 29 - no change
Cohort A - asynchronous
Cohort B - synchronous
Friday, October 30
No classes for all students
Monday, November 23 - no change
Cohort A - synchronous
Cohort B - asynchronous
*Overnight deep cleaning will be conducted.
Tuesday, November 24
Cohort A - asynchronous
Cohort B - synchronous
Wednesday, November 25 - no change
No classes for all students; Thanksgiving break begins
This modified schedule will bring balance to synchronous learning for both cohorts and, if we begin five-day-per-week classroom instruction following the Thanksgiving break, will provide an opportunity to review safety protocols and expectations prior to merging the cohorts. We will continue to identify necessary shifts each month as we move through the school year and various instructional models.
Right at School will continue to provide options for families in need of care. That information will be communicated directly to families via Right at School.
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Two Wauwatosa Students Selected for Honors Orchestra |
Emerson Neldner, a 9th grade violinist at Tosa East High School (pictured right), and Travis Burns, a freshman bass player at Tosa West (pictured left), have been selected to participate in the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) Middle Level Honors Orchestra.
More than 1,100 students from across the state audition for the honor to be placed into this group, which is made up of the best middle school musicians in Wisconsin. But between band, choir and orchestra students, only 314 are selected!
Emerson and Travis are both vital to the Tosa Orchestra program and we couldn't be more #TosaProud of this exciting honor that they have worked so hard to achieve!
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Wauwatosa East Grad Wins Prestigious Deauville American Film Festival Award |
Wauwatosa East alum Stephen Paar’s film, Lorelei, has won a major film award in France. Stephen was the cinematographer on the movie, which stars Pablo Schreiber and Jena Malone.
The Deauville American Film Festival was established in 1975, and every year screens the best of American cinema. It’s considered the pre-eminent European showcase dedicated to US independent film. At a time when the global pandemic has forced most festivals to pivot to online versions, Deauville was one of a small handful of festivals to be able to press ahead with a physical event, complete with red carpet and movie stars.
Lorelei won the Jury Prize at the Deauville American Film Festival, selected by a jury headed by French actress Vanessa Paradis. Paar's film was also an Official Selection of the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival.
During his time at Wauwatosa East, Paar shot and edited video content for the school district, and he attended Jean Biebel’s media class, wherein he made several short films. These early experiences ignited Parr's passion for filmmaking. He subsequently received his Master’s in Cinematography at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, the nation’s top film school.
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Eleven Wauwatosa High School Students Earn National Recognition for Academic Achievement
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Three District high school students have been named Semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Those students are:
Chloe E. Anderson - Wauwatosa East
Sara Stanislawski - Wauwatosa West
Corey Suchy - Wauwatosa West
The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. Approximately 1.5 million high school students enter the program each year.
Students enter the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, typically during their junior year. Of the 1.5 million students that enter the program each year, only the 50,000 students with the highest test scores qualify for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program as either Commended Students or Semifinalists.
Approximately one-third of the highest scoring students qualify as Semifinalists. To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, Semifinalists must advance to Finalist standing in the competition by meeting high academic standards and all other requirements explained in the information provided to each Semifinalist. In February, approximately 15,000 Semifinalists will be notified that they have advanced to Finalist standing.
Approximately two-thirds of the high scorers receive Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise. Letters of Commendation have also been awarded to several students including: Joseph Byrne (West), Conor Carroll (East), Olivia Casper (West), Steven B. Koss (East), Olivia Pelzek (West), Hailey Pitcher (West), Rosalia G. Villa (East) and Jared Weber (West). Although Commended Students do not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, some of these students do become candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.
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Hart Park Senior Center Receives Grant from Green Bay Packers Foundation |
The Hart Park Senior Center, operated by the Wauwatosa Recreation Department, has received a grant from the Green Bay Packers Foundation designated for its program "Kicking-Off Technology With Wauwatosa's Seniors."
The grant will enable the Senior Center to purchase laptops and provide instruction and internet access free of charge to senior members. During the pandemic, the Senior Center found that many local seniors suddenly became more isolated from our technology-driven society. Seniors who had previously functioned without technology suddenly found themselves being referred to the internet to fulfill their basic life needs such as grocery shop, request an absentee ballot, register for Census 2020, pay bills and even attend doctor's appointments. These challenges were magnified by the often catastrophic loneliness of being separated from friends and family.
The Senior Center will now play an integral role in filling that gap for the seniors in our community. The Senior Center, Recreation Department and Wauwatosa School District are grateful to the Green Bay Packers Foundation Trustees and their recognition that serving the elderly must be a priority in 2020.
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EXTRA! EXTRA! WSD IN THE NEWS |
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Each month, we post updates on active construction projects related to the 2018 facilities referendum and capital improvements. Find the most recent updates below. |
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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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