Board Bits
We extend our welcome the new Menonomee Falls Public Library Director, Jaqueline Rammer. Jackie Rammer is incredibly dynamic and we look forward to working together and continuing with our great partnership with the public library. We would also like to mention the renovation of the Teen Center that will begin on the second floor of the library.
We encourage families to visit our COVID-19 metrics page on our website to view the most current and up to date information regarding the current state of COVID-19 in our community. You will find helpful graphics and statistics as we continue to build tools to help identify the decision making metrics in place.
Board of Education Members Report
If your kids are looking for a variety of books to read over the summer, our public librarians can help provide you with a choice of options through a program called Librarian’s Choice Bundle. All you have to do is answer a few questions and the librarians will select hand-picked books for your children, based on their interests. The bundle of books can be picked up curbside or in the lobby. It is a great program for families to utilize.
The food pantry is in need of donations and can accept your donation 24/7. If you are donating fresh produce items, they do ask that you donate at times when they are open. For further information, please see the food pantry website. https://www.fallsfoodpantry.org/
Committee Reports:
A WCTC Business Professionalism transcripted credit course will be integrated into our high school’s business academy capstone class at no cost to school or families. The request has been approved through the Board and students will have this new opportunity next year.
The Curriculum and Learning Team discussed the discontinuation of the accreditation program, the results of the staff and family re-opening surveys, proposed schedule changes for the middle and high schools, proposed instructional models and targeted mask usage. Details can be found in the Curriculum and Learning minutes in BoardDocs.
The Policy Committee Team proposed a new policy 378 for Equal Access for Non-Curriculum Related Student Groups that will move to the full Board for consideration.
The team reviewed policy 411 Equal Educational Opportunities, Pupil Non Discrimination, Pupil Harassment and approved to move to the full Board for consideration.
The team developed a policy and procedure concerning mask use and the key factors of consideration. This policy and procedure is presented in detail this evening as a discussion topic and can be viewed in BoardDocs.
They also proposed a policy procedure review for the Evaluation of Board of Education Operation, as the Board goes through an evaluation process of their own in the fall. The committee updated a checklist and decided to keep both checklists for the Board to make a final decision in the fall.
The soccer turf fundraising and plans are moving along nicely. Now that the funds have been raised, the district contacted the turf vendors using the same contract terms that were included in the football turf contract. The ground breaking is scheduled to begin July 28, 2020. Thank you to the Booster Club, and community donors for making this project a reality!
The Finance and Auxiliary Team discussed preliminary busing plans for 2020-21, the Johnson Bus contract and key provisions, the annual committee review of gifts to the district, summer facility projects, the cost of COVID-19 and budgeting.
A warm welcome to our new Director of Human Resources, Leia Scoptur who joined our district on July 1st! Leia will be a great addition to this team.
The Communications Team’s recent communications activity included the high school virtual graduation ceremony with over 2000 views at the beginning of July. Our virtual graduation earned media coverage from WTMJ4 and the Journal Sentinel. Our social media activity is growing quite a bit. This is great because when doing crisis communication the quickest and easiest way to get important information to families is via email and social media. Families are encouraged to continue visiting and sharing post and liking our social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The team discussed re-opening plans and the best ways to communicate with parents and staff. Information has been shared through E-newsletter, School Messenger, Social Media and our website page. The goal is to maintain consistent and clear communication and to provide easy to find answers for families. A FAQ section has been added to the SDMF COVID-19 School Reopening webpage to assist parents with re-opening questions.
The team is working on a fall season newsletter to go out to the community, a letter to our legislators, monthly ads for Express News, and a process to deliver the highlights from the Board meeting discussions, post meeting.
A recent graduate from our high school’s Design Academy, Davis, has been doing a phenomenal job working on an idea for the new high school phoenix logo. He has spent time over the summer developing and presenting ideas to the team. A huge shout out to our high school kids and their amazing talent. Davis has impressed the team with his detailed work, design and thought process as he tied it in the feathered “F”. Three designs will be presented to the high school students this fall to vote on their favorite logo. The winning design will appear on future apparel.
Legislative Update:
Board of Education President, Faith VanderHorst, attended the SWSA (Southeast Wisconsin Schools Alliance Group) meeting with guest speakers from Children’s Hospital and our County Executive and Health Department representatives. The highlights of the message include the recommendation of if universal masking, physical distancing when possible to slow the spread, current vaccinations for children, and fall flu shots.
They recommend following the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for guidelines for returning to school. They believe it is a social/emotional need and connectedness is important for children. They said anyone over the age of two should be able to manage a mask and often times better than adults manage it. Everybody should go through a symptom checklist every day and if you are not feeling 100%, stay home. A good practice is to wash or sanitize hands each time you enter and exit a room.
The Waukesha Health Department intends to contact the families anytime there is a case in the classroom that has been in contact with your child or teacher. We recognize they might be overwhelmed at times and the school district might have to take over some of the contacting.
Their message is to stay safe to open in the fall. To stay safe, maintain safe distancing, avoid large crowds, wash hands frequently, and wear a mask.
Discussion Items:
SDMF Recognition as the Top Workplace - 6th year in a row!
Proposed updates for Board Policy and Procedure 453
Annual Notice of Student Academic Standards
Action Items:
2020-21 Budget Discussion and Preparation for the Annual Meeting
2020-21 School Re-opening Instructional Framework Recommendation
The next Board of Education meeting will take place on August 10, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. at the Community Education and Recreation Center, room 102.
Thank you!