April 25, 2019 | Vol. 12 Mequon-Thiensville School District Newsletter
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A Message from the Superintendent
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The April 2019 election brought change to the Mequon-Thiensville School District Board of Education!
Ms. Chris Schultz
and
Mr. Akram Khan
were elected to serve on the board. Both were sworn into office on April 22. This is the second three-year term for Ms. Schultz, the first three-year term for Mr. Khan. We look forward to working with them along with the full board in advancing the district’s commitment to continuous improvement, academic growth, and the social-emotional well-being for each student.
The board’s March business meeting marked the final business meeting for Board President
Kathryn Houpt
. Ms. Houpt was elected to serve on the MTSD Board of Education in April 2013. During her tenure, Ms. Houpt was thoughtful in her decision making, and respectful and encouraging of differing perspectives. She asked the hard questions and encouraged others to do the same. Please join us in thanking Ms. Houpt for her commitment to public education and the children of our community!
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In the March edition of Momentum, we shared news that we had begun work to develop a long-range plan for our facilities, or a “Framework for Our Future.” This comprehensive 10-year framework will provide a strategic direction that aligns the district’s current reality, projected future enrollment, educational vision, and the community’s priorities for its public school facilities.
We also invited community members to attend one of three community workshops held in April to review findings to date, and engage in conversation and provide feedback that will influence district and school board decision-making moving forward.
If you were not able to attend a workshop, we invite you to review the findings presented, and check out the feedback generated by the more than 60 participants who attended.
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2019-20 School Calendar Revised
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The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) published the dates for the 2020 spring ACT and ACT WorkKeys exams this March. In 2020, the ACT will be administered on March 3 and the ACT WorkKeys will be administered on March 4. All juniors are required to take the ACT exam. These dates represent a change from past scheduling norms established by DPI. This announcement will have a ripple-effect on our school calendars.
- March 4-5, 2020, had been scheduled as trimester 2 final exam days for Homestead High School students.
- March 6 had been scheduled as an in-service day for teachers (no school for students).
- Since the ACT testing days are set by the state and all high schools throughout the state must take the exams on the same days, we cannot move the ACT exams. Therefore, we must make a change to the 2019-20 school year calendar.
- While the scheduling conflict with the ACT exams only has an impact on the Homestead calendar, any adjustment to the high school calendar which includes moving a no-school day for students would potentially have an impact on families. For that reason we presented an adjustment that will affect students at all levels to the MTSD School Board, which was approved at the Monday, April 22 meeting.
- Changes to the calendar occur in March 2020.
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Wouldn't it be great to know exactly when the bus was going to arrive? MTSD, there is now an app for that! We are excited to roll out an innovative mobile app and website called "Here Comes the Bus." Here Comes the Bus allows your family to view the real-time location of your child’s school bus on a smartphone, tablet, or computer, using the GPS technologies with which each school bus is equipped.
Here Comes the Bus lets families:
- See the location of your child’s bus both before and after school
- Confirm that your child’s bus has arrived at the bus stop, at school or both
- Receive a push notification (text) or email message when the bus is near your stop, has been substituted, or when we have important information to relay
We invite families to download the app and begin to use it now!
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Oriole Lane Honored As
Title I School of Recognition
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Oriole Lane Elementary School has been identified as a 2018-19 Wisconsin Title I School of Recognition by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). Oriole Lane is being recognized as a "High Achieving School." Schools identified through the award program as High Achieving Schools are notable for having achievement gaps that are less than three percentage points between student groups or by showing evidence of reducing gaps greater than three percentage points. High Achieving Schools also demonstrate high achievement at the school level across content areas.
To be eligible, schools must receive federal Title I funding to provide services to large numbers or high percentages of economically disadvantaged children and meet other achievement criteria; Oriole Lane is the only MTSD school that qualifies as a Title 1 school.
Oriole Lane is one of 19 schools in Wisconsin recognized by DPI as a High Achieving School this 2018-19 school year. Principal Mary Jo Tye will accept the honor on behalf of Oriole Lane in Madison on Monday, May 20. Congratulations, Orioles!
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Join the fun at the Mequon-Thiensville Education Foundation Color Run, happening the same day as Taste of Mequon on September 7, 2019. Get showered in safe, eco-friendly, plant-based, powdered color, then enjoy food and entertainment at Taste of Mequon. Proceeds from the run benefit MTSD students!
Color Run Details
Saturday, September 7, 2019
Start time 4 p.m.
Swag bag, t-shirt, color packet and more!
Early Bird registration through Father’s Day:
$20/student • $25/adult (Age 3 and under free)
Registration, volunteer, and sponsorship details are available at
mtef.org
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Congratulations to Our
2019 MTSD Retirees
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We are pleased to honor this year's MTSD retirees:
- Don Eifler, Buildings & Grounds
- Joe Ordinans, math teacher
- Paul Sivanich, science teacher
- Bob Wells, English teacher
We also remember the life of Scott Nettesheim, computer science teacher and former basketball coach. Mr. Nettesheim retired earlier this year and, sadly, passed away this March.
Mr. Nettesheim was known as an intensely dedicated and deeply compassionate educator, someone whose contributions to Homestead and the lives of his students will be cherished and celebrated for years to come.
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Memorial Day - No School (Students & Staff)
Monday, May 27
Regular School Day*
Friday, June 7
*This date was previously scheduled as a no-school day for students in 4K-8th grade, but will now be a regular day of instruction to make up time lost during our inclement weather school cancellations.
Last Day of School
Thursday, June 13
Early Bird Registration for MTEF Color Run
Sunday, June 16
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