December 6, 2018 District e-News
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A Fox Prairie student prepares to access a game-based learning program during Hour of Code activities on Thursday, December 6. Students can learn some of the basics of computer coding and computer science through Hour of Code.
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Fox Prairie students take part in Hour of Code this week
Fox Prairie Elementary School is again among thousands of schools nationwide that have been participating in the Hour of Code program this week.
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FutureQuest helps River Bluff students explore careers, be 'Future Ready'
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Eighth-graders from River Bluff joined with hundreds of students from across Dane County on Wednesday to learn about possible careers in areas such as finance, government, construction, health sciences, agriculture, information technology and more during the FutureQuest expo.
The December 5 event at the Alliant Energy Center featured interactive exhibits staffed by representatives from dozens of companies. FutureQuest is organized by the Dane County School Consortium and the Madison Metropolitan School District and is open to area students in seventh and eighth grade.
During FutureQuest, students are able to visit exhibits, engage in hands-on activities, meet with career professionals and learn about the kinds of skills needed for various professions as well as the relationship between school performance and future career choices. Students also hear advice on training options to obtain skills needed in some of those careers. The exposition, now in its second year, allows “students to explore career and academic opportunities to become Future Ready,” according to the Consortium.
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Check out the video on the left to learn about the 2017 FutureQuest program.
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December brings busy month for music programs
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December is a busy month for our music programs. Check out just some of the events scheduled in the coming weeks:
Thursday, December 6, 7-8 p.m.
– Winter Band Concert at Stoughton High School Performing Arts Center (PAC)
December 8-10, 6-9:30 p.m
. – 42nd annual Madrigal Dinner, at SHS PAC Lobby, Exhibition Hallway, and Commons
Wednesday, December 12, 5-8 p.m.
– Stoughton High School 24th Concerto Competition, at SHS PAC
Thursday, December 13, 7-8:30 p.m.
– High School Concert and Symphonic Bands perform with River Bluff bands, at SHS PAC
Monday, December 17, 7-9 p.m.
– 6-12 Winter Orchestra Concert, at SHS PAC
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Sandhill second-graders celebrate end of unit by recording, sharing audiobooks
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Check out this recent video from Sandhill Elementary School about how second-graders celebrated their end of unit by recording audiobooks and then sharing them with first-graders!
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Follow the new Kegonsa podcast
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Are you following Kegonsa Elementary School's new podcast?
The Bluegill News features students sharing brief updates about things happening at Kegonsa, such as the school's focus on kindness and gratitude, upcoming events and more. In this week's episode, Kate Ahlgren, District director of curriculum and instruction, joins the podcast to talk about her work. Check it out by clicking on the link below!
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Bluegill News Episode 4, December 5 by Kristin Rosenberg
Dr. Ahlgren of Stoughton Area School District joins us today to talk about what it's like to be the Director of Curriculum and Instruction.
Read more
soundcloud.com
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Make your own laser-cut ornaments in this month's Family Fab Lab Workshops
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Slots are still available for the next two Family Fab Lab Workshops, which feature an opportunity to produce your own laser-cut snowflake ornament.
Workshops are scheduled for December 12 and 19.
Each workshop goes from 6-8 p.m. Family Fab Lab Workshops are for students in grades 4 through 8, but each child must be accompanied by an adult. The program is free, but slots for these workshops are limited and provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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Comprehensive Facilities Study completed, available online
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A comprehensive study of facilities in the Stoughton Area School District concluded this fall and is available online.
The results of the study were presented to the Board of Education on Monday, November 5.
Our District worked with the firm of Eppstein Uhen Architects to conduct the assessment, which provides an independent, objective analysis of our District’s buildings and sites. The assessment has three major components:
- Building Conditions – an assessment of a building’s physical infrastructure and building systems (e.g. mechanical, electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems)
- Capacity & Utilization – a determination of space each building has to appropriately accommodate student enrollment and how frequently (utilization) that space is used
- Educational Adequacy – an evaluation of how well the schools and sites provide appropriate, flexible learning spaces and technology infrastructure to support existing and/or future programming for students
The study concluded that the overall physical condition of our District's academic buildings is "generally good to fair," partly because of consistent maintenance practices that "have extended the service life of the buildings." This study will guide our long-term planning and decision-making process for District facilities.
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SHS students place in UW-Whitewater Creative Writing Festival
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A pair of Stoughton High School students placed high in the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Creative Writing Festival last month.
SHS senior Kayla Brehmer won a Judges Choice honor and a 1st Place award in the
Prose Poetry/Flash Fiction category for her poetry. SHS junior Ruby Knipfer won a 3rd Place award in the Tales of Terror and Mystery category.
A total of 25 SHS students attended this year's Creative Writing Festival, an annual event that draws approximately 750 students and teachers. The festival is available to students in grades 9-12 and exposes participants to the writing of their peers and the chance to hear their work discussed and evaluated by professional writers in a college setting.
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Storytellers bring tales to engage students at Stoughton elementary schools
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Stoughton elementary students heard tales ranging from the adventures of an 18th century fur trader to folktales from Puerto Rico thanks to a special program last month.
All three Stoughton elementary schools - Fox Prairie, Kegonsa and Sandhill - celebrated the art of storytelling with three professional storytellers on November 14.
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Fox Prairie seeks volunteers for new Watch D.O.G.S. program
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Fox Prairie Elementary School is seeking volunteers for its Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) program, a family and community engagement initiative.
Watch D.O.G.S. are fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, guardians, aunts, uncles or community members who volunteer for a half or full school day at Fox and help out by reading and working on school activities with students, playing at recess, eating lunch with students, watching school entrances and more.
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Sandhill P.U.G.S. program connects students with positive role models
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Community members are encouraged to sign up for Sandhill's new P.U.G.S. program.
P.U.G.S. (People Uplifting Great Students) is a program that allows families and community members to come into the school and interact with students, be a positive role model, and share their perspective on the importance of education and being a lifelong learner.
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Stoughton students give back
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Across the District, Stoughton students have been giving back to the community in a variety of ways.
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Sandhill students raise $200 for families in need
Sandhill Elementary School's fifth-graders and staff last month raised more than $200 and were able to purchase materials that LakeView Church needed to finish filling 20 Thanksgiving boxed meals for families. LakeView annually donates about 20 turkey meals around Thanksgiving time for Sandhill families in need.
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SHS Student Senate donates more than 1,000 pounds of food to local pantry
Stoughton High School Student Senate organized a school-wide food drive to support local families last month. Over 1,000 pounds of food was collected and donated. Thank you to all who supported this effort!
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Kegonsa drive helps food pantry
Between November 5-16, Kegonsa organized a food drive that encouraged students to bring in non-perishable food items for the school's Free Little Food Pantry. The drive included a competition among each grade, with the winner receiving a free popcorn day and movie!
Earlier this year, Stoughton Rotary donated a pantry to Kegonsa to house healthy foods and snacks that families can access.
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River Bluff brings Star Wars intro to cell phone 'Off and away' video
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As we indicated in previous editions of our e-News, River Bluff Middle School staff and students have produced five videos about the school PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program,
our framework for teaching classroom and school-wide behavioral expectations.
The featured video in this District e-News highlights the school's "off and away" policy for cell phones.
Check it out!
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Learn more about our snow/cold weather cancellation protocols
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School district staff take decisions to delay, close, or dismiss school due to inclement weather conditions very seriously. As with most decisions that affect literally thousands of people, it will impact individuals differently. You may be interested in knowing what goes into the decision.
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Visit our District pool webpage to find out more about available classes, programs
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Have you visited the pool at Stoughton High School?
The District pool is a high-quality competitive and instructional community aquatics facility with an 8-lane by 25-yard competition pool with 2 one-meter diving boards, spacious locker rooms and a 300-person viewing area overlooking the pool. The pool water temperature is kept at 82 degrees for comfort for all types of use.
Did you know that a variety of classes are available through our pool?
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Stoughton schools honor veterans
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Stoughton schools observed Veterans Day with a variety of programs last month.
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Give a shout out to our staff
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Follow the link below to give a shout out to a Stoughton Area School District staff member. The form is very brief and should take only a couple of minutes to complete. We plan to share the shout outs through our Staff Newsletter. Thank you in advance for your help!
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Check out the latest community flyers
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You can find out the latest activities and programs organized by local organizations and nonprofit groups by visiting our
Community Flyers page
. You can also download some of the most recent flyers bundled into a single PDF file.
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River Bluff recognizes first 'Champions' of the school year
Congratulations to the 17 River Bluff Middle School students who were recognized during the first Breakfast of Champions ceremony on November 12.
Every quarter, all Blocks and Related Arts classes select students for the Champions celebration. Students and their families have a special ceremony over a breakfast, with teachers and principals sharing the wonderful things students do to demonstrate the River Bluff CREW Way.
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Local writer shares love of reading with Kegonsa students
Local author Gayle Rosengren shared her love of reading and her experience as a writer during a visit to Kegonsa Elementary School on November 15.
Rosengren has written short stories and two middle grade novels, including “What the Moon Said,” a work of historical fiction about a family that has to move from their comfortable Chicago home to a Wisconsin farm during the Great Depression.
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Bormett captures gold at State Swimming
Congratulations to Stoughton High School sophomore Sofia Bormett, who became Stoughton High School's first WIAA State Champion in swimming on November 9.
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K-12 Art Show now underway at Stoughton Public Library
Artwork by Stoughton students in elementary, middle and high school is now on display at the Stoughton Public Library.
The K-12 Art Show runs through January 2!
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Stoughton Area School District
320 North Street
Stoughton, WI 53589
www.stoughton.k12.wi.us
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