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:

Curriculum & Learning:

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.

Policy

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.

Finance & Auxiliary

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.

Personnel

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.

Communications

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

Vouchers Payable

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!

August 2020

August 10, 2020

Web page – Guide for re-opening and frequently asked questions

Shady Lane playground

Football

Staffing plans

Partnering with professionals in healthcare

Board of Education Members Report

Wed. 8/5 last day of nutrition program – wonderful service to the community

WI Workforce Development webinar – state wide statistics shared – we are all in this together

Waukesha County Paul Farrow in MF for press conference – Be Safe To Open

Policy Committee Report

Policy – 453.4.2 COVID-19 District guidelines reviewed and moved to full board

Discussed mask policy, procedure and timeline for mask usage

Personnel Committee Report

Review of district website – very accessible for staff

F&Q page for staff to help with questions

Review staffing numbers and trying to fulfill leave requests

Communications Committee Report

COVID-19 weekly communication

Superintendent video over 5,000 views

Return to school guide

Signs in buildings - reminders

Opening in-service for staff

Channels 4 & 6 coverage

Social media growing – good engagement

Re-opening guide is long – relay info effectively and educate parents

Ordering district branded masks and lanyards

Continue weekly updates

On a publication note – Falls newsletter in Oct.

Phoenix logo – 3 designs moving along for students to vote on in fall

Legislative Update

Attended SWSA monthly meeting – highlights:

Districts shared their practices and concerns with staffing on virtual and hybrid days.

DPI released their screening tool kit today.

Some districts are screening every student who comes into the building.

Not every hybrid model is the same with live teaching.

Districts sharing metrics. Ours has become the model for other districts. Everyone grateful there is something out there.

Childcare – struggle for districts to make it work.

State mask mandate until the end of Sept.

Athletics – conference based rather than statewide.

Our timeline is further ahead than others – we are ahead of the pack and should be proud.

Discussion Items

Proposed Policy Updates 152: Board of Education Annual Evaluation of Governance

Proposed Policy Updates: 411: Equal Education Opportunities Pupil Nondiscrimination

Pupil Harassment

Proposed Policy Updates 453: Communicable Diseases Policy

2020-21 School Re-opening Metrics and Decision Matrix

Menomonee Falls High School Athletics Program

Action Items

2020-21 School Re-opening Metrics and Decision Matrix

Proposed Policy Updates 453.4: Communicable Diseases Policy

Proposed Policy Update 824: Access to Public Records

Proposed Policy Update 341.1: Human Growth and Development

Vouchers Payable

The next Board of Education meeting will take place on August 24, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. at the Community Education and Recreation Building, room 102.

Thank you!

August 24, 2020

Superintendent Report

We are monitoring the COVID-19 data specific to the Menomonee Falls area and continue to see stable trending in a positive direction. This is a good indicator that the hybrid model is the best choice for our re-opening plans. In September we will reevaluate and consider next steps based on the movement in data. We appreciate the efforts of our families and staff as we move forward through these unchartered challenges. Thank you for all your support and perseverance.

Board of Education Members Report

It has been a busy couple of weeks as we are preparing for the “Back to School” mode. The schools did a great job coordinating the pick-up and drop-off of Chromebooks. The virtual web presentations led by the principals were very well done and provided valuable information for families. The PTO groups have been busy supporting the schools and the Board of Education President, Mrs. Faith VanderHorst cheerfully welcomed back the staff members during a virtual school opener meeting on August 24th. We also want to express our gratitude for everyone involved in the Pat Heitman fundraising auction event, which benefits the SDMF college scholarship program. There was a good turnout and guests enjoyed sharing dear memories of Pat.

Committee Reports: Curriculum & Learning

The team has been busy planning for the return of our students and have put forth an incredible amount of planning and preparation. One aspect of focus has been the musical instructional design, allowing students to safely participate in music lessons while following strict mitigation standards. Four different music models are in consideration and can be accessed on the BoardDoc Work Session agenda from this evening. The music department has done a phenomenal job in their planning efforts to keep students safe. The team continues to lead detailed discussion around Hybrid and Virtual Learning Instructional Models and what that will look like for students. A detailed presentation can be found on the BoardDoc Work Session agenda from this evening. Policy 341: Controversial Issues was discussed and moved to an action item for clarification of language and to provide clear multiple viewpoints in classrooms.

Committee Reports: Finance & Auxiliary Services

This team has been preparing for the Budget Hearing meeting on September 14th, evaluating the budget impact of COVID-19, assisting with the plans for student meal distribution, purchasing sneeze guards for each building, coordinating mask purchases, reviewing self-funded health plans, review of trust funds, review of capital leasing and review of surplus saving. The committee and board will be reviewing information regarding Bipolar Ionization Air Purifications units to learn more about the safety benefits and determine practicality within the district.

Legislative Update

The Southeast Wisconsin School Alliance group has been meeting biweekly with the Children’s Hospital Staff with the focus around COVID-19 discussions. Many districts seem to have the same questions regarding metrics, child care, data, what to expect, what to look for, transmission, closure, community spread, anxiety, busing, etc. It has been helpful to listen to the recommendations shared by local health care providers.

Discussion Items

Review of 2020-21 School Re-opening Metrics and Decision Matrix Update

Action Items

Approval of Policy 152, Board of Education Annual Evaluation of Governance

Approval of Policy 411: Equal Education Opportunities Pupil Nondiscrimination Pupil Harassment

Approval of Vouchers Payable

The next Board of Education meetings will take place on September 14, 2020 at the Menomonee Falls High School Auditorium.

6:00 p.m. Board of Education Meeting

6:05 p.m. Board of Education Budget Hearing

6:45 p.m. Board of Education Annual Meeting

Thank you!

September 2020

September 14, 2020

Budget Hearing, Board of Education Meeting and Annual Meeting

The highlighted links will take you to the BoardDocs, the SMDF online portal for Board of Education meetings. Learn more about the agenda item and watch video of the selected item as it was presented by clicking on the filmstrip icon on the top left of the page.

Annual Budget Hearing

Presentation by Keith Brightman, Director of Finance and Operations

1.Key factors of the annual budget process

2.Budget recap of the 2019-2020 budget and fiscal year end

3.Review of budget goals, planning, and highlights (2020-2021)

4.Recommended tax levy (2020-2021)

Recognition of Retired Pupil Service Director

Presentation by Corey Golla, SDMF Superintendent

In reflection of the 2019-2020 school year, we have a lot to celebrate as a district as we remain united behind a common vision and a strong motivation to excel. We are proud of our staff’s ability to problem solve and work together through the pandemic. We are appreciative of our Board leadership, their willingness to step up, give of their time and provide wisdom to challenge us. Thank you to the Division leaders who have given so much of their selves and time for the planning involved for a safe return of students and staff. Thank you to the facilities team providing a safe re-open and for taking all the necessary precautions to slow the spread of COVID-19. We are very grateful for everyone’s support in preparing for a safe return for all students and staff.

We welcome the 30 new staff members who joined our district this year with a strong commitment to service excellence, a vision to encourage respect between one another, and the drive to promote teamwork from within. Welcome to the Menomonee Falls team!

Our Big Aims for 2020-2021 is to see that all students will successfully transition to college and work prepared for their future, that all students and families feel they belong in our school community, that all students and adults are engaged, learning and improving, and that all students, families and staff members feel we are a school district of choice.

We are a district that despite the head wind, our students are engaging, they are learning and they are improving. We are fully committed to our vision to be relentless in our pursuit of excellence one person at a time, no matter what is thrown at us. Thank you so much to our Board and our community for all of your support.

Congratulations and happy retirement to retired Pupil Services Director, Kathy Young!

Friend of Education Awards

The Friend of Education Award was established as a way to recognize unique contributions by individuals or organizations to the education of the children of Menomonee Falls. The award is bestowed upon those whose efforts to improve or enhance education within the district were so unique, that if it were not for the individual or organization, the initiative would not have been implemented.

The 2020 Friend of Education recipients include: Paulette Barr, Dave Borucki, Joe Greco, Sr., Sue Ishihara, Catherine Sharkey, Sally Tautges, and Kara White.

The third-grade artwork has become the trademark of the Friend of Education Award. Each year, third-grade art students create original “Busscapes” that depict the famous yellow school bus transporting children to school. The artwork is chosen by the art teachers for consideration as a Friend of Education award. The artwork was framed and presented to each of the Friend of Education recipients at this meeting. The 2020 student artists include: Kiera Levandowski, Tyson Resch, Ronan Fula, Lucas Rossi, Anna White, Katie McShane, Rathika Prajoy, Awa Klos, Maggie Schlotthauer and Reed McGivern.

Distinguished Service Awards

The Menomonee Falls Board of Education established the Distinguished Service Award in 2002 to honor those individuals who have given graciously of their time and talents over a number of years to the improvement of the School District of Menomonee Falls and the community as a whole. Given once a year, the Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor the Board of Education bestows on members of the community.

The 2020 Distinguished Service Award recipients include: the Capital Improvement Campaign and Next Gen Personal Finance. Congratulations and thank you to these two fine organizations who have made a huge impact to the School District of Menomonee Falls.

Recognition of Retired and Departing School Board Members

Thank you to Mark Nadolski and Ron Bertieri for your service to the Menomonee Falls Board of Education. Your leadership and service has been greatly appreciated.

Treasurer’s Report

Presentation by Board Treasurer, Cathy Olig

I’d like to begin by thanking Mr. Brightman, Director of Finance and Operations and his team for all of their hard work. They have implemented cost savings to maintain a balanced budget and have overseen the completion of more than 99% of our referendum projects. Our facilities both inside and outside are in excellent shape. And I’m proud that our district continues to manage operations efficiently and effectively, as good stewards of taxpayer dollars.

For the 2019-20 school year, we have added over $3.0 million to the general & special education fund balance. We began the year at $14.8m and ended the year at nearly $17.9m. During the year, nearly $58.4 was received and $55.3m was disbursed.

We approached the year cautiously which is why the fund balanced increased. When we approved our district budget last year, the state budget was not finalized so the additional state special education aid was not planned into the budget.

Also, we had a good year for medical expenses. This is really positive since medical expenses can be difficult to predict and should not be spent on other items in the district. Since we have a self-funded health plan, we typically like to save a good year of medical expenses in the fund balance to protect us from any unexpected, major medical expenses that could happen in the future.

Finally, we are still adjusting to operations based on expected revenues. While we recognize that the last several years have been very difficult, we are much better positioned from a financial standpoint.

On a side note: Our Budgeted fund balance of $17.9m for General and Special Education Funds represents 30% of our annual spend. It is a fiscal best practice to maintain a fund balance and ours falls in the range of Board policy and best practices. A fund balance reduces short-term borrowing during the year and helps protects the district since we are self-insured on our health plan. Also, having a healthy fund balance helps the district maintain a good credit rating and obtain better interest rates for when we issue short-term and long-term debt. Leading into this year and the next few years, the Fund Balance also allows for prudent contingency planning with the longer term unknown effects of COVID-19 on the State’s economy.

Of the remaining funds combined (such as debt service, food service, capital projects, and community services), we began the year at $6.3m and we ended the year at $5.2m. During the year, receipts in those funds were $8.9m and disbursements were $10.1m.

The district continues to be in a solid financial position as we plan into the next several years. There is much work to do with the pending State budget cycle in 2021 with unknown revenues and its impact on future district budgets. The Board and Administration have already begun looking at financial contingencies, should they be necessary for this year or over the next biennium. We are confident they will continue to adapt and find efficiencies in the coming years. The cost controls we have in place continue to match or exceed expectations.

Discussion Items

Presentation from Athletic Director, Brian Heimark - Athletic Plan Regarding Spectators

Action Items

Approval of Board of Education 2020-2021 Meeting Dates

Approval of Vouchers Payable through 9/10/2020

Consent Agenda – Meeting Minutes Approval

Management and Disposal of District Property

Salaries and Reimbursements of School Board Members

Authorize the SDMF Board of Education to Acquire Property

Authorize the SDMF Board of Education to Lease Suitable Buildings

Authorize the SDMF Board of Education to Lease Sites Not Needed for School Purpose

Tax Levy Resolution

Authorize the SDMF Board of Education to set date/time for the 2021 Annual Meeting

Upcoming Board of Education meetings:

Curriculum & Learning Meeting September 21 at 5:45 p.m. at MFHS Library

Board Work Session September 21 at 6:15 p.m. at MFHS Library

Board Meeting September 28 at 6:00 p.m. at the Village Hall Board Room.

Board Closed Session September 28 immediately following the Board Meeting.

Thank you!

September 28, 2020

Presentation by Leia Scoptur, Director of Human Resources

We welcome our new 2020 staff members to a new sense of belonging in an otherwise complicated year! A special thank you to our new staff members Thomas Ferch, Andrew Hacker, Adam Hardt, Renee Maney, and Joe Greco for joining us at the board meeting and sharing a little something extra about yourself. We are delighted to have you on our team!

Presentation by Corey Golla, SDMF Superintendent

We are proud to present the Friend of Education Award to Joe Greco. The Friend of Education award recognizes the unique contributions by individuals to the education of the children of Menomonee Falls. Joe is always willing to do anything he can for the Menomonee Falls School District. He is an incredible connector with students and is able to earn respect quickly in the most friendly and kind way. Joe is an integral part of the culture in our district. We appreciate all he has done to help the students in need. Thank you and congratulation Joe Greco!

Committee Reports: Curriculum & Learning

Presentation by Corey Golla, SDMF Superintendent

Congratulations to Corynn Nordstrom, Music Teacher of Ben Franklin Elementary School. Corynn was recently published in Wisconsin School Musician Magazine for the work she has done alongside her colleague, Theresa Witt. Corynn is an incredible forward thinking teacher and has done a great job finding ways to continue to offer music to students while we were virtual in the spring and now in the hybrid mode.

Congratulations to SDMF Board of Education Vice-President, Keri Duce for being recognized by the Wisconsin Association of School Boards for achieving Level 1 in the WASB member Recognition Program for her efforts in leadership and board development. WASB awards points to board members for participating in WASB and National School Boards Association (NSBA) activities. These activities include: attending or speaking at sponsored events, serving on WASB committees, serving on non-WASB committees on behalf of the WASB, and serving as a delegate to the WASB Delegate Assembly. Congratulations, Keri and thank you for your leadership in our district and our state.

A face to face instructional model transition was announced last week in a letter to families. Our goal remains to continue to find the right balance between our needs to protect our students and employees from the spread of COVID-19 within our school community and our obligations to student learning and their social and emotional wellness. Please click here to access the transition letter.

We would like to remind and encourage families to please take the parent survey we sent out last week. The survey will remain open through Friday, October 2, 2020. We appreciate your engagement and feedback.

Board of Education Members Report

Reports by SDMF Board of Education Members

Shout out to the IT DEPT and TEACHERS who are being asked to do so much more!

Shout out to the BUSINESS ACADEMY for preparing our students for their next steps!

Shout out to the BOOSTER CLUB/CIC; the soccer fields are finished and look beautiful!

Shout out to the STAFF who prepared the Virtual Parent Night. Great work!

Shout out to the REC. DEPT for doing a great job starting up activities!

Shout out to the ATHLETIC DEPT for overcoming many obstacles to provide team events.

Shout out to AMY SWANSON KIESER and JEFF NENNIG for providing live YouTube sporting videos for us to watch our students play during home events.

A friendly reminder to register for the Booster Club and PTO.

A friendly reminder to register with the village to vote by October 14, 2020. You can register online: myvote.wi.gov.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Please know we have services available in our buildings for assistance. Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255.

Flu-shot drive-up clinics in Menomonee Falls are available through Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin. No registration required. Easy drive up access. Click here for more information.

Approval of four year old math and literacy curriculum to better prepare for 5 year old kindergarten and increase rigor.

Approval to pilot phonological awareness literature; aligns with district phonics for vertical planning with five year old kindergarten.

Discussion to consider offering families a fully virtual semester 2 option with a sign up deadline of December 4, 2020.

Committee Reports: Policy

Discussion around proposed revisions to Policy & Procedure 341.

Discussion around the proposed new Policy 378.

Discussion around revisions to Policy 112 based on changes to Title IX.

Discussion around revisions to Policy & Procedure 511.

Discussion around revisions to Policy & Procedure 512.

Discussion around the proposed new Policy 515.

Committee Reports: Finance & Auxiliary

Review of COVID-19 planning, purchasing and estimated budget impact.

Discussion around air ventilation system improvement and funding. The Bi-Polar Ionization System will help ensure the safety of students and staff by dramatically increasing the filtering efficiency of the existing HVAC systems.

Discussion around existing debt and refinancing opportunity.

Discussion around Federal grant compliance review.

Committee Reports: Personnel

Discussion around revisions to Policy 112 based on changes to Title IX.

Discussion around revisions to Policy & Procedure 511.

Discussion around revisions to Policy & Procedure 512.

Discussion around proposed new Policy 5XX.

Discussion around COVID-19 related staffing situation.

Discussion around status of self-insured benefit program.

Committee Reports: Communications

Discussion around parent re-opening communication.

Discussion around social media platforms receiving high reviews.

Discussion around back to school media coverage from WISN and WTMJ.

Discussion around mascot legacy planning.

Discussion around scorecard.

Discussion around bullseye.

Discussion around brand guide.

Legislative Update

Report by Keri Duce, SDMF Board Vice-President

Southeastern Wisconsin Schools Alliance put together a Statutory Flexibility Agenda regarding COVID-19 for the 2020-2021 School Year. The topics below will be of focus during the next legislative session:

-Broad flexibility in teacher & professional Staff licensure

-Retired teachers/staff returning to work

-Pupil counts – September, January and summer school

-Transportation aid

-Immunity from civil liability for schools

-Student assessments

-School and school district performance reports

-Open enrollment space determination

-Long-term capital improvement trust fund flexibility

Discussion Items

Policy 341, Controversial Issues – Ms. Casey Blochowiak, Director of Curriculum & Learning.

Policy 378, Non-Curriculum Related Student Groups – Ms. Casey Blochowiak, Director of Curriculum & Learning

Policy 112, Nondiscrimination – Ms. Leia Scoptur, Director of Human Resources

Policy and Procedure 511, Equal Employment Opportunity – Ms. Leia Scoptur, Director of Human Resources

Policy and Procedure 512, Discrimination and Harassment of Employees Prohibited – Ms. Leia Scoptur, Director of Human Resources

Policy 515, Student Non-Fraternization – Ms. Leia Scoptur, Director of Human Resources

Action Items

Approval of Bi-Polar Ionization System and Funding

Approval of Vouchers Payable

Upcoming Board of Education meetings:

October 12, 2020 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

October 26, 2020 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

Thank you!

October 2020

October 12, 2020

The highlighted links will take you to BoardDocs, the SMDF online portal for Board of Education meetings. Learn more about the agenda item and watch the video of the selected item as it was presented by clicking on the “View the recorded presentation” in the text below.

Introduction of Student School Board Members

Presentation by Faith VanderHorst, SDMF Board President

Each year our junior and senior high school students have the opportunity to apply for a student position on the Board of Education where they can experience the functions of local government. These are not ‘voting positions’ as students are not electors of Menomonee Falls. We are very excited to welcome our new 2020-2021 Student School Board Members to the table to share their valuable insight from a student’s perspective. Congratulations to Sara Booher and Sahil Shah.

Sara Booher is a senior, and is serving her second term as a Student School Board Member. Sara is the Co-founder and President of Model United Nations, a member of the basketball and tennis teams, a Future Business Leaders of America State Parliamentarian, a senior class officer, an umpire for the Little League organization and is involved in many, many more school activities.

Sahil Shah is a junior at the high school and is an active member of the Future Business Leaders of America, a member of the soccer and tennis teams, on the Teen Court and is in the Business Academy.

We look forward to working with these two inspiring young adults who are very eager to share their perspectives and high school experiences.

Please click here to view the recorded Student Board Member presentation.

Please click here to view the recorded New Staff presentation.

Presentation by Leia Scoptur, Director of Human Resources

Welcome to our new 2020 staff members; we are so happy to have you join us and become a part of the School District of Menomonee Falls family. We hope this new journey brings you comfort, happiness and a new sense of belonging. A special thank you to our new staff members Erin Isaacson and Emily Leonard for joining us at the board meeting and sharing a little something extra about yourself. We are delighted to have you on our team and we look forward to working with you!

Presentation by Megan Schulz, sophomore at MFHS

We are extremely proud to have Megan Schulz, a sophomore at Menomonee Falls High School, join us to share her experiences in working to achieve the Girl Scout Gold Award. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors can earn. Megan is committed to helping her community learn more about the importance of giving to those in need and is compelled to help families who are struggling because of financial issues. Meagan created eight community food pantry / school supply cupboards that can be found throughout the village. The cupboards serve as an opportunity for community members to give back. Megan has received news coverage and is here today to share her story. To learn more about Megan’s project and how you can help support this program, please visit her website at https://communitygivingcupboards.weebly.com.

Please click here to view the recorded Superintendent Report presentation.

Presentation by Corey Golla, SDMF Superintendent

This week is National School Lunch Week. The national lunch program serves nearly 30 million children every school day. President John F. Kennedy created National School Lunch Week in 1962 to promote the importance of a healthy school lunch in a child’s life and the impact it has both inside and outside of the classroom. The COVID-19 pandemic has without a doubt shown just how incredibly important school meals are for students and their families. A special thank you to all our school nutrition staff members. And a shout out to Sue Kirchstein, Director of Food and Nutrition who is now a community Board Member for the Falls Food Pantry. Thank you ALL for your extra efforts in providing a safe and healthy lunch experience for our students and staff.

Thank you to Jaskowiak Chiropractic and FedEx Distribution Center in Germantown for their generous donation of school supplies, clothing and other essential supplies for our Resource Reach-Out Room. The Resource Reach-Out Room is located in Ben Franklin Elementary School and is available to all families within our district.

Congratulations to MFHS seniors Sirtaij Arora, Veronica Goveas and Daniel Otchere who each earned a spot as a National Merit Semifinalists. These academically talented high school seniors will have the opportunity to compete for 7,600 Merit Scholarship awards this spring worth more than $31 million. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship ® award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. Congratulations and continued success to each of you!

I invite you to check out the premier episode of Focus on the Falls, a monthly production to showcase all of the great things happening in the Falls Schools. Focus on the Falls is hosted by John Mercure of WTMJ Radio and myself in partnership with Falls Cable Access. The first episode aired on 10/9/20 and features the district’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to view the October recording. Future episodes will be available to watch on the Falls Cable Access webpage and will be linked to our school district webpage.

Last week was Wisconsin School Board Recognition Week. Thank you to our Board Members for having the courage to lead and for making the sacrifice to serve. We so much appreciate your service every year and we know we have leaned on you especially hard this year. Thank you for your time and energy. You do a remarkable job and we appreciate everything you do for the district!

Board of Education Members Report

Reports by SDMF Board of Education Members

Shout out to:

The Facilities Team for all of our really wonderful and well maintained athletic fields in the district. And we love the new soccer turf!

The PTO organizers at Riverside and Ben Franklin. Thank you for your leadership and meeting coordination.

The Band Bunch Metals Drive for an event well done.

The fully virtual teachers for making things as painless as possible for parents. You are all dong a great job!

The teachers working in two models every day. You amaze us!

Riverside for putting together the amazing fully virtual student library.

Ben Franklin fully virtual picture day organizers for a well ran event that was very easy for families.

A friendly reminder to get your flu shot and have your children get a flu shot. Be safe and be well.

October 12th was Indigenous People’s Day. It is a holiday that celebrates and honors Native American people, their memories, history and culture. We are proud of our history here in Menomonee Falls.

Student Board Members Report

Reports by Student Board Members

Shout out to:

The Leadership Teams for creating the awesome block hybrid distance learning model for the middle and high school students. We are off to a great start!

The study groups participants for being available and super helpful. This is a great way for students and teachers to connect.

The hybrid and virtual homecoming spirit week participants. Students were able to send pictures to the Student Council Instagram page and prizes were awarded.

The sophomore and senior powder puff kickball team participants. Great job sophomore’s on your victory. It was a great time, the students raised awareness and collected donations for the food pantry.

The newly elected class officers who have been hard at work finding ways to connect with their classes.

The Career and Technical Student Organizations for all you do. We are grateful to have great representation at the high school.

The Writing Center for working hard to assist students with college essays.

Mrs. Gonyer, a MFHS Art Teacher and her students for their community presence. Their artwork will be featured on the walls at our local Fiddleheads Coffee Shop.

The National Merit Semifinalists: Sirtaij Arora, Veronica Goveas and Daniel Otchere and the two honorable mentions students: Brynn Mitchell and Anna Wattenbach. Congratulations!

The Phoenix mascot designers, Davis Corazzari (2020 grad) and Isabel Atkinson (2018 grad) for their incredible design work. We are excited to bring the mascot designs to the student body for voting soon.

Girls Tennis double partners, Deanna Hebbring and Brittney Boreson for making it to sectionals.

The Girls Golf team member Lily Pietz for advancing to Sectionals.

The Boys Cross Country team for placing fourth at Conference

The Boys Volleyball team for the start of their first official season and also for winning their match against West Allis Central.

The Boys Varsity Soccer team for their win against Germantown.

The Football team for their huge victory to Catholic Memorial. Menomonee Falls now ranks third in the state.

Committee Reports: Personnel

Discussion around Procedure 547: Grievance Procedure.

Discussion around Performance Pay.

Discussion around Staff Survey Results

Please click here to view the recorded Committee Reports.

Committee Reports: Communications

A shout out to Amy Swanson Kieser for the coordination of media coverage for the following topics: Bipolar Ionization Installation, Hybrid Decision Making and the Student Led Community Cupboard Program. Our stories were featured by WTMJ News, Fox News, Wisconsin Education News, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Waukesha Freeman and The Express News. The Menomonee Falls Schools continue to draw positive attention by local viewers.

The social media communication continues to show growth by our viewers. Facebook posts have reached an estimated 20,238 viewers. Twitter averages three new followers per day. Instagram is up to 795 followers, with men and women ages 35-54 as our top audience. LinkedIn now has 304 total followers. Families are able to receive school communication through a wide variety of outlets.

Discussion around COVID-19 communications and key messages.

Discussion around publication of the fall newsletter.

Discussion around Native Heritage Month planning.

Discussion around Veterans Wall class project to be complete end of year.

Discussion around brand guide – new mascot designed by alumni students will be voted on soon.

Legislative Update

Report by Keri Duce, SDMF Board Vice-President

The Southeastern Wisconsin School Alliance’s next meeting is October 13th. The members of this team advocate for policies and practices that benefit the students, teachers and communities of Wisconsin. The Children’s Hospital will be joining the meeting and providing an update.

The Wisconsin Association of School Boards is busy looking into substitute teaching licensing flexibility in an effort to get more qualified teachers licensed and in the building during the pandemic.

During a SWSA school group meeting last week, one of the discussions centered on the difficulty all districts are experiencing in filling the vacant educational assistant positions. It seems to be a common problem within all districts and the group is looking into ideas to improve the hiring pool.

In our legislative update, there has been a lot of discussion around liability legislation for K-12 and other state wide agencies. They are looking to alleviate transmission litigation and monetary liability for school districts.

The Donovan group did a presentation on Board communication and one key take-away was that the School District of Menomonee Falls does a nice job keeping in touch with the community by sending out emails and keeping current on social media. Nice work everyone!

Please click here to view the recorded Legislative Update

Discussion Item – Survey Results

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 30-day pulse checks. The survey included parents, staff and students in grades 6-12. We had a very high response rate and gained a lot of valuable information that allows us to note the things that are working well, take action in areas for improvement and understand the key themes that people are experiencing. We are committed to listening and responding to your experiences as parents, guardians, students and employees in our school system. Thank you for your time and commitment to help us stay connected.

Please click here to view the recorded Survey Results presentation.

Discussion Item – COVID-19 Response

Last week we announced our intention to all families that we would like to bring back our 4K- 2nd grader full time to Shady Lane and Ben Franklin. In preparation for our next step, we have referenced our metrics, our experience with COVID-19 and looked at all the information we have learned. Our goal, as initially shared over the summer, has always clearly stated that our intension is to maximize face to face instruction. With that, we have maintained a commitment to balancing our obligations to community health with our obligations to student learning. We are faced with two very important questions: How do we balance between community health and our obligations to student learning? And how pandemic resilient is our system?

Please click here to view the COVID-19 Response presentation.

Discussion Item – Third Friday Enrollment Count

The enrollment numbers came in pretty close to what we were expecting and very similar to last year. The overall impact to our revenue is minimal. Each school year, a student count is completed based on the attendance on the Third Friday of September. Once compiled, the data is submitted to the Department of Public Instruction. For district purposes, the ‘student count’ is used to determine membership from which revenue is based and ‘student enrollment’ is used to factor in the number of students the district is responsible for educating.

Please click here to view the Third Friday Count Presentation.

Action Items

Policy 341, Controversial Issues – Mr. Jeff Nennig, Director of Technology and Assessment

Policy 378, Non-Curriculum Related Student Groups – Mr. Jeff Nennig, Director of Technology and Assessment

Policy 112, Nondiscrimination – Ms. Leia Scoptur, Director of Human Resources

Policy and Procedure 511, Equal Employment Opportunity – Ms. Leia Scoptur, Director of Human Resources

Policy and Procedure 512, Discrimination and Harassment of Employees Prohibited – Ms. Leia Scoptur, Director of Human Resources

Policy 515, Student Non-Fraternization – Ms. Leia Scoptur, Director of Human Resources

Approval of Vouchers Payable

Upcoming Board of Education meetings:

October 26, 2020 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

November 9, 2020 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

November 23, 2020 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

Thank you!

October 26, 2020 • Board of Education Meeting

The highlighted links will take you to BoardDocs, the SMDF online portal for Board of Education meeting agendas. To learn more about the agenda item and watch the recorded video from the meeting, please click “view recorded presentation” in the text below.

The Finest

Presentation by Bob Vitale, Principal of MFHS

Joining us tonight are five senior students from the high school who scored extremely high on their PSAT tests last spring. They earned a spot as a National Merit Semifinalists or Honorable Mention Semifinalists and have been invited to the board meeting to be recognized for their outstanding accomplishments. Congratulations to Sirtaij Arora, Veronica Goveas, Daniel Otchere, Brynn Mitchell and Anna Wattenbach. These students make up the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represent the top 0.5 percent of the state's senior students. To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, the semifinalists will have to fulfill requirements to advance to finalist standing. We respect and acknowledge all of your hard work and commend your parents for their support. Your achievement is a product of great partnership and we are very proud of distinguished accomplishments! View recorded presentation.

Student Board Member's Report

Reports by Student Board Members Sahil Shah and Sara Booher

Shout out to:

The Girls Volleyball Team for their numerous victories last week and for winning the Regional Championship.
The Boys Volleyball Team who concluded the season with great competitive stride.
The Boys Soccer Team for a close scoring first round game.
The Football Team for a victorious win against Brookfield East. The Menomonee Falls High School Football Team is in 1st place in Division 2.
The freshman students who took the lead in organizing the upcoming community service project, GIVE THANKS FOOD DRIVE. Volunteers will be available to receive your donations at the MFHS Schumann Stadium parking lot on Thursday November 5th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and from 4 - 6 p.m. or on Friday November 6th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Thank you for your support!
The German National Honor Society for gearing up to sponsor a Socktober Sock Drive. Stay tuned for more details on how you can support this cause.
The Global Scholars Program (previously known as the Global Education Achievement Certificate) for recognizing students who go above and beyond by taking a course load that represents a global perspective, engagement in community service and other cultural learning activities. This is a great program and has a rolling enrollment so that students are accepted at any point during their high school career. Ms. Backhaus is looking into new and exciting ways for students to complete their requirements virtually.
The new MFHS Book Club led by Ms. Leonard. The first five students who sign up to join the Book Club will receive a free copy of the current read, The Assignment by Liza Wiemer. Copies are also available in the Library Media Center for check out. The author is local to the Milwaukee area and will be joining the next Book Club meeting virtually on Tuesday, November 10th at 3:30 p.m. Amazing things are happening in the Library Media Center!
The Student Services office, Ms. Hanley and the other Guidance Counselors for doing a fantastic job helping everyone, especially as the November 1st deadline approaches for seniors who still don’t know where they are heading. A new tool called CALENDLY has been introduced to allow students and parents the ability to schedule a meeting face to face or virtually with a counselor. The team is available for student support, regardless of a student’s location. Some of the most common topics of discussion include: the college application process, schedule changes or adjustments, and academic, personal, social or emotional support. View recorded presentation.

Board of Education Member's Report

Reports by SDMF Board of Education Members

Shout out to:

The fully virtual schooling program. All continues to go well. Nice work!
Our families for showing support with the PTO efforts. Last week Ben Franklin and Riverside facilitated a virtual PTO meeting and are now a joint Parent Teacher Organization. Parent participation was great and it will be fun to see how this team evolves.
The hybrid teachers and the support teams for all of their efforts. Everyone seems to be getting into a rhythm and the teachers are extremely responsive to concerns and are very committed to finding ways to make it all work.
The Guidance Counselors at the schools. If your child needs assistance, please reach out the guidance office. They are a great resource, at all levels and are available to meet with students or consult with parents if you have questions.
To the students of our district for adapting to the new models of learning. It has been a big adjustment, but they are learning how to utilize their time more efficiently when they have in-person instruction. The block scheduling is working better and more conducive to the hybrid model. Students appreciate that they are able to spend more time on specific subjects with the block schedule.

Committee Reports: Curriculum & Learning

Superintendent Report

Presentation by Corey Golla, SDMF Superintendent

We enjoy having students back in the classrooms and look forward to the day when we can have all students return to the classrooms. We recognize the uncertainty of the pandemic makes it very difficult for families to plan or anticipate what the future holds. The School District of Menomonee Falls will extend the fully-virtual option to all families for the second semester. Registration will take place from November 16th through December 4th. Additional registration information will be shared with all families in the upcoming weeks. Families who chose the fully-virtual option for the first semester will have to register again for the second semester. If interested, please be sure to register within this window to allow us time to reschedule and re-staff as needed. Our goal is provide options that will best suit the needs of all families.

Menomonee Falls was recently recognized as one of the top twenty best places to live in America, according to a national list in Money Magazine. We are exceptionally proud to be a product of a thriving economy, a diverse community, a provider of excellent schools and a safe community. Thank you to everyone across our community for leading that effort to make Menomonee Falls a great place to live and work!

I am reminded how very fortunate we are to be able to offer our high school students the opportunity to earn a Global Education Achievement Certificate. The name of the program has recently changed at a state level to the Global Scholars Program. This program recognizes students who demonstrate a knowledge of global citizenship and global competencies and have completed the necessary Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction requirements. These students have an appreciation for cultural differences and an understanding of how other cultures operate. Recently I received at outreach from someone working on their PHD who wanted to do research on us because Menomonee Falls is in the top 10 districts in the state that offers the Global Education Achievement Certificate. We appreciate Ms. Jessica Backhaus, our Spanish Teacher at the MFHS for leading this effort and providing our students with this amazing opportunity. View recorded presentation.

Presented by Casey Blochowiak, Director of Curriculum & Learning

In light of the new hybrid and virtual learning models, we want to thank our teachers, students and families for your resilience and commitment to education during these challenging times. We are working diligently to understand the challenges that may be arising early in the school year and use our short cycle improvement plans to respond and adjust where we can. We are using our available metrics to understand our students’ current learning experience. The areas of concentration include: attendance, elementary reading, elementary math, and middle and high school grades. Much of this data is in progress and will continue to change, yet it provides us with the ability to monitor and respond to significant needs in student learning.

Discussion around Hybrid & Virtual Learning Update.
Approval of Semester 2 Fully Virtual Learning Update.
Approval of Educator Academy Course Approval Request
Approval of 6th Grade Algebra 2 Math Curriculum Pilot Recommendation
Discussion of High School Block Schedule
Discussion of ACT 11 2019-2020 Report
Discussion of Advanced Placement 2019-2020 Analysis

Committee Reports: Policy

Presented by Faith VanderHorst, Board President

Discussion around brochure “Welcome to a Meeting of the SDMF Board of Education”
Discussion around Policy and Procedure 443.4 Alcohol and Drug Use updates
Discussion around Policy and Procedure 447.1 Use of Seclusion and Physical Restraint

Committee Reports: Finance & Auxiliary Services

Presented by Keith Brightman, Director of Finance and Operations

Discussion around Closing out 2020-21 Budget Cycle
Discussion around Draft Revision of Policy 654: General Fund Balance
Discussion around 2020-2021 Budget Update Following October 15 Aid Certification

Legislative Update

Report by Keri Duce, SDMF Board Vice-President

The Wisconsin Association of School Boards met as a region several times throughout the month. The focus of the meetings have been around:

The discussion of COVID-19 reports on expenditures.
The discussion of Speaker Robin Vos’ task force on racial disparities – members have been appointed.
The discussion of Legislatures who are retiring this cycle– there will be movement after election next week with different key committees at state level that will have new membership. A shout out to Senator Luther Olson who is retiring. He has been a great advocate for education and served on a school board for 20 years prior to his service in the Assembly.
The discussion of the 2021-2023 budget – WASB’s priority is to keep in pace with inflation, special ed. funding, increased spending for mental health. The state of Wisconsin won a ten million dollar grant around mental health. There is application information on DPI’s website to increase mental health access for students.
The discussion of potential expansion of full day 4K in the 2021-2023 budget.
Future WASB agenda topics: The discussion of Tobacco 21, Budget Carry Over, Medicaid Spending and Insurance Costs.

COVID-19 Response View recorded presentation.

Discussion Items

COVID-19 – Guiding Metrics View recorded presentation.

Policy & Procedure 447.1 View recorded presentation.

Action Items

Update to COVID-19 Guiding Metrics View recorded presentation.

2020-21 Budget Adoption and Tax Levy Certification View recorded presentation.

Compensation Approval View recorded presentation.

Vouchers Payable View recorded presentation.

Upcoming Board of Education meetings:

November 9, 2020 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room
November 23, 2020 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room
December 14, 2020 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

Student Board Member's Report

Thank you!

October 26, 2020 • Board of Education Meeting

The Finest

Presentation by Bob Vitale, Principal of MFHS

Reports by Student Board Members Sahil Shah and Sara Booher

Shout out to:

The Girls Volleyball Team for their numerous victories last week and for winning the Regional Championship.
The Boys Volleyball Team who concluded the season with great competitive stride.
The Boys Soccer Team for a close scoring first round game.
The Football Team for a victorious win against Brookfield East. The Menomonee Falls High School Football Team is in 1st place in Division 2.
The freshman students who took the lead in organizing the upcoming community service project, GIVE THANKS FOOD DRIVE. Volunteers will be available to receive your donations at the MFHS Schumann Stadium parking lot on Thursday November 5th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and from 4 - 6 p.m. or on Friday November 6th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Thank you for your support!
The German National Honor Society for gearing up to sponsor a Socktober Sock Drive. Stay tuned for more details on how you can support this cause.
The Global Scholars Program (previously known as the Global Education Achievement Certificate) for recognizing students who go above and beyond by taking a course load that represents a global perspective, engagement in community service and other cultural learning activities. This is a great program and has a rolling enrollment so that students are accepted at any point during their high school career. Ms. Backhaus is looking into new and exciting ways for students to complete their requirements virtually.
The new MFHS Book Club led by Ms. Leonard. The first five students who sign up to join the Book Club will receive a free copy of the current read, The Assignment by Liza Wiemer. Copies are also available in the Library Media Center for check out. The author is local to the Milwaukee area and will be joining the next Book Club meeting virtually on Tuesday, November 10th at 3:30 p.m. Amazing things are happening in the Library Media Center!
The Student Services office, Ms. Hanley and the other Guidance Counselors for doing a fantastic job helping everyone, especially as the November 1st deadline approaches for seniors who still don’t know where they are heading. A new tool called CALENDLY has been introduced to allow students and parents the ability to schedule a meeting face to face or virtually with a counselor. The team is available for student support, regardless of a student’s location. Some of the most common topics of discussion include: the college application process, schedule changes or adjustments, and academic, personal, social or emotional support. View recorded presentation.

Board of Education Member's Report

Reports by SDMF Board of Education Members

Shout out to:

The fully virtual schooling program. All continues to go well. Nice work!
Our families for showing support with the PTO efforts. Last week Ben Franklin and Riverside facilitated a virtual PTO meeting and are now a joint Parent Teacher Organization. Parent participation was great and it will be fun to see how this team evolves.
The hybrid teachers and the support teams for all of their efforts. Everyone seems to be getting into a rhythm and the teachers are extremely responsive to concerns and are very committed to finding ways to make it all work.
The Guidance Counselors at the schools. If your child needs assistance, please reach out the guidance office. They are a great resource, at all levels and are available to meet with students or consult with parents if you have questions.
To the students of our district for adapting to the new models of learning. It has been a big adjustment, but they are learning how to utilize their time more efficiently when they have in-person instruction. The block scheduling is working better and more conducive to the hybrid model. Students appreciate that they are able to spend more time on specific subjects with the block schedule.

Committee Reports: Curriculum & Learning

Superintendent Report

Presentation by Corey Golla, SDMF Superintendent

Presented by Casey Blochowiak, Director of Curriculum & Learning

Discussion around Hybrid & Virtual Learning Update.
Approval of Semester 2 Fully Virtual Learning Update.
Approval of Educator Academy Course Approval Request
Approval of 6th Grade Algebra 2 Math Curriculum Pilot Recommendation
Discussion of High School Block Schedule
Discussion of ACT 11 2019-2020 Report
Discussion of Advanced Placement 2019-2020 Analysis

Committee Reports: Policy

Presented by Faith VanderHorst, Board President

Discussion around brochure “Welcome to a Meeting of the SDMF Board of Education”
Discussion around Policy and Procedure 443.4 Alcohol and Drug Use updates
Discussion around Policy and Procedure 447.1 Use of Seclusion and Physical Restraint

Committee Reports: Finance & Auxiliary Services

Presented by Keith Brightman, Director of Finance and Operations

Discussion around Closing out 2020-21 Budget Cycle
Discussion around Draft Revision of Policy 654: General Fund Balance
Discussion around 2020-2021 Budget Update Following October 15 Aid Certification

Legislative Update

Report by Keri Duce, SDMF Board Vice-President

The Wisconsin Association of School Boards met as a region several times throughout the month. The focus of the meetings have been around:

The discussion of COVID-19 reports on expenditures.
The discussion of Speaker Robin Vos’ task force on racial disparities – members have been appointed.
The discussion of Legislatures who are retiring this cycle– there will be movement after election next week with different key committees at state level that will have new membership. A shout out to Senator Luther Olson who is retiring. He has been a great advocate for education and served on a school board for 20 years prior to his service in the Assembly.
The discussion of the 2021-2023 budget – WASB’s priority is to keep in pace with inflation, special ed. funding, increased spending for mental health. The state of Wisconsin won a ten million dollar grant around mental health. There is application information on DPI’s website to increase mental health access for students.
The discussion of potential expansion of full day 4K in the 2021-2023 budget.
Future WASB agenda topics: The discussion of Tobacco 21, Budget Carry Over, Medicaid Spending and Insurance Costs.

COVID-19 Response View recorded presentation.

Discussion Items

COVID-19 – Guiding Metrics View recorded presentation.

Policy & Procedure 447.1 View recorded presentation.

Action Items

Update to COVID-19 Guiding Metrics View recorded presentation.

2020-21 Budget Adoption and Tax Levy Certification View recorded presentation.

Compensation Approval View recorded presentation.

Vouchers Payable View recorded presentation.

Upcoming Board of Education meetings:

November 9, 2020 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room
November 23, 2020 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room
December 14, 2020 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

S tudent Board Member’s Report

Thank you!

November 2020

November 9, 2020 • Board of Education Meeting

Welcome to Board Bits! This document serves as a summary of the topics discussed at the last SDMF Board of Education meeting. The highlighted title links will take you to the related meeting agenda in BoardDocs, our online meeting portal. To learn more about a specific agenda item please click on the “view recorded presentation” text following the topic summary. Our aim is to provide you with a quick meeting overview and easy access to view meeting details. Enjoy!

Reports by Student Board Members Sara Booher and Sahil Shah

Shout out to:

The MFHS junior and senior leaders for promoting the celebration and observation of the Native American Heritage Month throughout November. Each morning during the daily announcements the junior and senior leaders have been sharing new facts about the heritage and culture of local Native Americans to the Menomonee Falls area. We are Menomonee Falls proud.
The many volunteers and supporters of the drive thru Give Thanks Food Drive last week. The process was super easy and a great way to contribute to the food pantry. We appreciate your support and value our strong connection with the community.
The MFHS Student Council for finding new ways to adapt with the social changes while continuing to provide community services as a team. They are taking a safe approach and sending out small teams to rake leaves for local residents during the next couple of weeks. Our students are out in the community and doing great things.
The German Honor Society students who are being recognized at the German Honor Society Induction Ceremony this week for their outstanding academic achievement of learners of German language, literature and civilization. Great job!
The MFHS clubs for utilizing the hybrid model and engaging students to participate in school clubs either virtually or in person. All students can safely feel connected and included in after school activities.
The Writing Center for helping students with their college essays. The turnaround time is fantastic and the comments are very helpful.
Freshman, Aidyn Pederson for taking 1st place in a nationwide Carnegie Mellon University Creative Task Challenge. Aidyn created an interactive program using the Python programming language. The link to his program can be found on the Falls High School website page.
The MFHS Athletic Department for a great fall season of sports. Most of the fall sports have concluded and conference awards have been presented. The football season is still in progress.

Congratulations to…

Girls Golf team member Lily Pietz - 2nd Team All Conference
Boys Soccer team member Aidian Martin - 1st Team All Conference
Boys Soccer team member Nate Songstad – 2nd Team All Conference
Boys Soccer team member Donovan Draghicchio - 2nd Team All Conference,
Boys Soccer team member Brentell Handley – Honorable Mention
Boys Soccer team member Myles Igunbor – Honorable Mention
Boys Soccer team member Ty Sardina – Honorable Mention
Boys Soccer team member Brayden Neumann – Honorable Mention
Boys Soccer team member Sam Bonesho – Honorable Mention
Girls Volleyball team member Kady Stigler - 1st Team All Conference
Girls Volleyball team member Katie Lockwood - 2nd Team All Conference,
Girls Volleyball team member Taylor Larson – Honorable Mention
Girls Volleyball team member Brielle Lynde – Honorable Mention

The MFHS Football team for their victory last Friday against WI Lutheran. The team finished the season undefeated 8-0 and are ranked 4th in state. They will get a first round bye in the playoffs and await the winner of Franklin and Arrowhead. Hopefully we can go far this year!

Board of Education Member’s Report

Reports by SDMF Board of Education Members

Shout out to:

The SDMF teachers and principals for doing such a wonderful job preparing for the parent teacher conferences last week. The conferences were all virtual and done very well.
Riverside Elementary School and the Community Center for organizing the Veteran’s Day celebration drive thru parade to honor our local Veterans. What a great way to honor our Veterans while maintaining social distancing and keeping them safe.
Families and community members for your donations totaling 65 boxes of food and over $100 in cash for the food pantry. The event went extremely well and we thank you for your support.
The PTO groups for taking time out to care for the teachers during the parent teacher conference days. A quick easy meal in between conferences was much appreciated.
Andrea Karras, a Special Education Teacher at Ben Franklin for putting together an amazing sensory pathway for students. It is an incredible obstacle course designed to build motor skills, develop spatial awareness and provide brain breaks for students. Ms. Karras has spent countless hours planning, designing and rolling out this incredible sensory pathway. The staff and students of Ben Franklin are very grateful for all of her efforts.

Superintendent Report

Presentation by Corey Golla, SDMF Superintendent

We would like to recognize Lori Oertel, a Director at the Community Ed. and Rec. for coordinating the Veteran’s Day celebration and thinking outside of the box. This year the students and staff from Riverside Elementary School and the CE & Rec will be holding a reverse parade outside to honor our local Veteran’s. The Veterans have been invited to “drive thru” the parade route while students and community members hold up signs and wave to offer thanks for our Veterans’ service.

It's National Young Readers Week, so please grab a book and help support language and literacy skills in our schools! Parents who read with their young child help strengthen brain development. Reading also empowers and allows children to explore, learn and grow. You can help boost your child's literacy skills by leaving a variety of books around the house for encouragement. It's also a great idea to let them catch you reading too!

Congratulations to our state swim participants! The Menomonee Falls High School is in a co-op program with Hamilton High School and together they will be competing in 7 individual swims and 3 relays at state level. Good luck to you all!

200 Medley Relay - Seebach, Benoit, Johnson and Westfahl
200 Freestyle - Maddie Paar
200 IM - Kailyn Benoit
100 Butterfly - Faith Johnson and Kailyn Benoit
500 Freestyle - Maddie Paar
200 Freestyle Relay - Fitzgerald, Westfahl, Ripke and M. Paar
100 Backstroke - Faith Johnson and Autumn Seebach
400 Freestyle Relay – Benoit, M. Paar, Johnson and Seebach

Committee Reports: Personnel
Presented Michele Divelbiss, SDMF Board Clerk

Discussion around Policy 547: Grievance Procedure
Discussion around Staffing and Substitute Fill Rate
Discussion around Employee Handbook Updates

Legislative Update
Report by Keri Duce, SDMF Board Vice-President and Faith VanderHorst, SDMF Board President

Recent Election Results – The WI State Legislators remain the same. Now is a great time for the Board to revisit our legislative platform, determine priorities and schedule a meeting with our three legislators.
Board Development – in general, districts are still seeing issues with staffing, facing challenges with virtual teaching, and seeing virus transmission inside and outside of the schools.
The Wisconsin Association of School Board legislative notes indicate they are watching for a new Federal Education Policy to be developed under the new administration. No activity at this time.
WASB is looking into the management of booster clubs and will be offering suggestions for those types of organizations.
The Annual WASB State Education Convention is scheduled to be held virtually this year towards the end of January. They have great speakers lined up to provide school districts inspirational keynotes and resources.
The Southeast Wisconsin Schools Alliance recently met and local school board members agreed their biggest concerns continue to focus around staffing needs. It is challenging to find subs who are willing to teach virtually.
The next SWSA virtual meeting is on 11/10/20. Doctors from Froedtert will be at the meeting to discuss their views with COVID as it relates to children. We will also hear from one of the candidates who is running for State Superintendent.

Discussion Items

COVID-19 Response

COVID-19 Guiding Metrics Updates

Action Items

Proposed Updates to Board Policy 447.1: Use of Seclusion and Physical Restraint

COVID-19 Guiding Metrics Update

Vouchers Payable

Student Board Member’s Report

Upcoming Board of Education meetings:

November 23, 2020 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room
December 14, 2020 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

To reach the Board of Education: board@sdmfschools.org

Thank you!

November 23, 2020 • Board of Education Meeting

Reports by Student Board Members Sahil Shah and Sara Booher

Shout out to:

The MFHS football team for completing a successful season ranking number three in division one. Congratulations to Coach Lutz for being awarded Coach of the Year by the Greater Metro Conference and Waukesha County Freeman. We are very proud of our team’s accomplishments!
Our winter sports teams who are busy preparing and practicing for the new season. The girls first basketball game takes place on November 24 against Brook Central at home. The boys first basketball game will be on December 1 at Marquette. The first wrestling match is scheduled for December 9.
HOSA and FBLA groups who are busy preparing for the upcoming regional leadership conferences. This year the conferences will be virtual.
The German National Honor Society for inducting new members last week in a virtual induction ceremony. The German National Honor Society also did a great job leading the Socktober drive, collecting a very generous amount of socks for Hope Street Ministry in Milwaukee.
The Menomonee Falls High School and the Phoenix mascot designers. The Phoenix logo was recently voted on by the high school students. The senior class officers released a logo reveal video sharing in their excitement of the new name and design. A special thank you to the senior officers for putting together this spectacular video.

Superintendent Report
Presentation by Corey Golla, SDMF Superintendent

We are pleased to report that we are continuing in the Hybrid learning model for the remainder of the week, November 23 and 24, with the exception of Ben Franklin and Shady Lane schools who are attending face to face. As we announced, we will be switching to a fully virtual model the week following Thanksgiving break which will allow us some time to be well following the holiday break. We hope to avoid some of the potential bumps like we experienced following Halloween. We appreciate the opportunity to get well and still continue instruction. We fully anticipate to return to our current learning model following this proactive step.

Athletics and activities are not affected by the fully virtual model and will continue as scheduled over the break.

Free meals will continue to be available for pick up on Tuesday, December 1 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at both the Menomonee Falls High School and North Middle School.

Community Ed. & Rec. programs and activities will continue as scheduled unless communicated differently from Community Ed. & Rec. team.

Kids INC, 4K wrap-around and preschool families will receive communication directly from CE & Rec. We know care is important for many families needing to work.

Please continue to report positive COVID-19 cases to schools. This has been very helpful in our effort to help mitigate the spread. We are very much reliant on our families to report positive cases within your household. To report a positive COVID-19 case or for questions specific to exposure, quarantine or isolation please email Covid –sdmf@sdmfschools.org and one of our school nurses will follow up with you. This information is also available on our website. You can access additional information on the SMDF Forward Together website.

We’ve updated our COVID-19 metrics dashboard to better illustrate our internal and external decision making considerations. A special thank you to the School Board for their partnership with the development of this useful tool. To find school-level data regarding quarantine and positive cases, click on the button labeled School Level Student Impact Details. There is also a Staff Impact Detail button to see the health and wellness of our staff members. The wellness of the staff is an important decision driver in determining our designated learning models.

The school district will again offer a fully-virtual learning option for the second semester which begins Monday, January 25 and ends Thursday June 10, 2021. Registration for the second semester fully-virtual option will close Friday December 4 at 4 p.m. Families who chose fully-virtual for the first semester and would like to continue fully-virtual for the second semester will need to register for the second semester. Families who choose this option are making a semester-long commitment independent of potential changes in learning models at the district level. To register, please visit the fallsschools.org website.

The needlepoint bi-polar ionization systems installation process is going well and should be fully completed at all of the buildings upon our return from the holiday break.

Thank you to all of our students, employees, board members, coaches and all of our teaching partners at home for your help in getting through this first portion of our school year. We are very proud that we have not had to shut our doors to students on a single day during the school year. We contribute this to our great partnership with all of you - our families and our teachers. We look forward to continuing to get well and we hope everyone has a great holiday break!

Discussion Items

Notice of Election

Action Items

Vouchers Payable

Please click here to view a copy of the Board of Education meeting agenda.

Upcoming Board of Education meetings:

December 14, 2020 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

To reach the Board of Education: board@sdmfschools.org

Thank you!

December 2020

January 2021

Welcome to Board Bits! This newsletter serves as a summary of the topics discussed at our last Board of Education meeting. Our goal is to provide communication around discussions, actions and current events. Thank you and enjoy.

January 11, 2021 • Board of Education Meeting

The Finest

MFHS Principal, Bob Vitale introduced and congratulated our Advanced Placement Scholars for their extraordinary efforts in successfully completing their challenging AP coursework last year and scoring a 3 or higher on their exams, receiving college credits. The students who were able to attend the Board meeting virtually and share their aspirations included: Aditya Varma, Megan Timm and Siya Mahajan. Congratulations to all our AP Scholars for your hard work and dedication.

Director of Athletics & Activities, Brian Heimark and Assistant Swim Coach & Phy-Ed. Teacher, Brooke Jakobi introduced our Swim & Dive athletes who made it to state this year. Congratulations to Autumn Seebach and Rachel Ripke! Autumn Seebach was able to join us virtually as Coach Jakobi commended the athletes for their leadership and dedication.

MFHS Principal, Bob Vitale introduced and acknowledged Aidyn Pedersen for his accomplishment in achieving first place in a national Carnegie Mellon University Creative Task Challenge. Aidyn joined us virtually and shared his experiences in entering the competition. Congratulations Aidyn!

MFHS Principal, Bob Vitale introduced and acknowledged Andrew Rice for his accomplishment as the State Champion of the Microsoft Office Specialist 2020 PowerPoint Competition. Andrew joined us virtually to share his experience and aspirations. We are very proud to have Andrew representing the Menomonee Falls community this year.

Reports

Student School Board Member, Sahil Shah provided an update into the athletic arena of winter high school sports. Our teams have made tremendous progress over the past several weeks. The Boys Basketball Team is on a winning streak with recent victories to Kimberly, Arrowhead, Wauwatosa West and Brookfield Central. Our record is now 7 in 2. • The Girls Basketball Team recently beat West Allis Hale and Wisconsin Lutheran. Their record is now 3 in 8. • The Wrestling Team remains undefeated. Most recently we defeated Marquette in West Allis. • Good luck to MFHS Boys Basketball player, Seth Trimble, who is a nominee for the Wisconsin Athlete of the Week. (Votes are due Thursday 1/14 at 4 p.m. at wissports.net)

Student School Board Member, Sahil Shah shared Sara Booher’s report regarding current events and activities happening at the high school. Clubs have been very active. • In preparation for the FBLA’s upcoming regional leadership conference, members will be taking tests this week and recording presentations and speeches over the next few weeks. • Our first Robotics Team kicked off their season last weekend and demonstrated their past robots. • The Astronomy Club is new this year and provides a great opportunity for members to talk and learn about the cosmos • The high school library has new changes including new organized sections of books, weekly trivia and a mini golf activity before the break. The library serves as a nice hub for students to read and study. • The Hybrid students seemed to transition well from the winter break and are looking forward to some clarity in future planning for instructional models.

School Board Member, Cathy Olig shared her family’s experience with the virtual District Spelling Bee, the success of the Holiday Giving Christmas Tree, and the early literacy work of the Collective Impact Committee.

SDMF Superintendent, Corey Golla reflected on the National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day celebrated this past Saturday, and extends his gratitude to all of the officers who serve and protect in the community.

4K and 5K Enrollment will take place on January 27, 2021 and February 3, 2021 from 4-7 p.m., by appointment only. Please enroll online and schedule an appointment to meet January 27 or February 3 to complete the next steps. For more information please visit our website www.fallsschools.org/enroll.

The digital Winter 2020 SDMF Newsletter is now available on our website. A modified paper copy will be arriving in your mailbox soon. You will want to check out the great information about our school district including information about our COVID-19 Response, the Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization System, a Recap of our AP Programs and many other great featured articles.

Over 30 community leaders meet this past week for the full Collective Impact Team meeting to find new ways to connect as a community. Our goal is to bring all of our resources together to have a positive impact on our community. The teams current projects include: Early Literacy, Dementia, Mental Health, and Fitness in the Parks.

Board Committee Reports

Policy Committee Chair, Faith VanderHorst, presented an update from the committee meeting on January 7, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-Policy 546.2: Families First Compliance Policy

-Proposal of new Policy 546.3: Temporary District Sponsored COVID-19 Related Emergency Leave.

Finance & Auxiliary Services Chair, Cathy Olig, provided an update from the committee meeting on January 7, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-The Committee Accountability Calendar,

-2019-20 Fiscal Year End Audit Report,

-2020-21 COVID-19 Operational Planning, Purchasing, and Estimated Budget Impact/Contingencies,

-Annual Lock-Down Drill Review,

-Draft Land Exchange Agreement with the Village of Menomonee Falls,

-District Office Security and Workspace Planning Update,

-2021-22 Budget Planning Calendar and Key Assumptions

Personnel Committee Chair, Michelle Divelbiss provided an update from the committee meeting on December 17, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-The 2021-22 Draft School-Year Calendar

-Families First Coronavirus Response Act Provisions

-Administrator Contracts

Communications Committee Chair, Keri Duce presented an update from the committee meetings from November 11, 2020 and January 6, 2021. Topics included:

-The Committee Accountability Calendar

-COVID-19 Communications

-Middle School Mascot

-Publications – Newsletter

-Alumni Database

-Board Communications

-Focus on the Falls

-Technology Webpage

-News Release on Tax Bill

-Holiday Cards from Riverside

-Social Media Platform

-Strategic Communications

-Turf Improvements

-The Military Wall at MFHS

Legislative Update

Board Vice-President, Keri Duce updated the Board on Legislative Items:

-SWSA: State Superintendent Candidates have been presenting to the group.

-January 5, 2021 the new lawmakers were sworn in to the State of Wisconsin.

-WASB updates: Federal Cares Act Extension money for K12 approved.

-Assembly GOP introduced a COVID-19 Bill.

-WASB Provisions regarding virtual instruction and authorizations.

-WASB Provisions regarding student movement between school districts.

-WASB Provisions regarding participation in athletics and extracurricular activities.

-WASB School Board Convention is next week, virtually.

Discussion Items

MFSD Superintendent, Corey Golla discussed our COVID-19 Response Plan based on our current school status report of positive case rates among students and staff, quarantine levels and an analysis of local and internal spread. The surveys are showing families are feeling confident in how we are responding and are concerned about their child falling behind in school. Next week the plan is to plan to bring back grades 3-5 at Riverside and Valley View for In-person Learning, 5 days a week. This will start on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, providing our internal data remains stable. Should we remain healthy, considerations are being discussed to bring back the middle school and high school students at the semester break.

Director of Finance and Auxiliary, Keith Brightman lead the discussion for Open Enrollment Seats for 2021-22 and Preliminary Enrollment Projections.

Director of Finance and Auxiliary, Keith Brightman, presented a draft of the Land Exchange Agreement with the Village of Menomonee Falls.

MFSD Superintendent, Corey Golla provided an update with the 2021 Spring School Board Candidates running to the two open seats on the Board of Education. The candidates include: John Booher, Keri L. Duce, Lowell Wm. Kellogg and Jennifer Grant. The election will take place on April 6, 2021.

Director of Human Resources, Leia Scoptur, discussed Board Policy 546.2: Families First Compliance Policy which expired on December 31, 2020. The administration recommends striking Board of Education Policy 546.2 and would like the Board to consideration a new policy to provide a temporary district sponsored COVID-19 related emergency leave.

Action Items

Motion approved for the Resolution Providing for the Sale of approximately $8,350,000 General Obligation Refunding Bonds, Series 2021A.

Motion approved for the updates to Board Policy 654: General Fund Balance.

Motion approved for the updates to Board Policy 547: Grievance Procedure.

Motion approved to strike Board Policy 546.2: Families First Compliance Policy.

Motion approved to add Board Policy 546.3: Temporary District Sponsored COVI-19 Related Emergency Leave.

Motion approved to process vouchers payable through January 7, 2021.

Shout Outs

Thank you to our School Resource Officers Scott Holz and Officer Nick Gabinski for keeping our students and staff safe and being great partners in our work. We appreciate all you do!

Thank you to all the responders who helped with the medical emergency at the high school this past Saturday regarding a player from the opposing team; we are happy to report he is doing well. We train for these situations and hope we never have to use our training. We are extremely thankful for the trainers, the staff on site, the announcer, the coaches, the athletic director, Mr. Vitale, and the families attending the game for their assistance.

Thank you to the Menomonee Falls community. Over the holidays we received a very generous anonymous donation of $2,474 to cover the outstanding lunch balance that was carried over from the 2019-2020 school year. This will help 157 families in our district. This donation is truly appreciated and reflects the strong support we receive from our Menomonee Falls community.

Please click here to watch the recording of the Board of Education meeting.

For questions, comments or to reach the Board of Education, please click here:

Click here to view the Legislative Agenda

Upcoming Board of Education meetings:

January 25, 2021 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room
February 8, 2021 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room
February 22, 2021 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

Thank you from Board Members:

Faith VanderHorst, President

Keri Duce, Vice-President

Cathy Olig, Treasurer

Michele Divelbiss, Clerk

David Noshay

Melinda McShane

Eric Pelzer

January 25, 2021 • Board of Education Meeting

The Finest

Quest Teacher, Erin Brodzeller introduced and congratulated our Menomonee Falls Quest seniors who worked really hard this year to graduate early. The students who were able to attend the Board meeting and share their aspirations included Kailyn Mercado, Diallo Brooks, Mike Sanford, Evan Abrahamson, and Ryan Wetzel. Congratulations to all our early graduates for their hard work and motivation. We are proud of you!

Reports

Student School Board Member, Sahil Shah provided an exciting athletic report. This was a huge week for the Menomonee Falls Wrestling team as they took down the Tosa-Schools to claim the title of “Conference Champions”. They remain undefeated as a team for the season. • The Boys Basketball team is now at 10 in 4 with a recent claim to victory to Germantown and Sussex-Hamilton. • The Girls Basketball record currently stands at 4 in 11 with an impressive win against Waukesha South last week. Great teamwork by the Falls!

Student School Board Member, Sara Booher shared current events and activities happening at the high school. Our gaming club eSports Varsity Overwatch Team recently won Division 1 State over the reigning champs Bay Port. The Team reported it was an intense battle as they conquered their way to State Champions. • Our new organization ARI (Awareness for Racial Inequality) has been planning events for Black History Month to share knowledge, history and culture throughout the school. ARI is open to any student looking to impact a change on the world around them. • The HOSA and FBLA would normally be studying for the in-person Regional Leadership Conferences, however, this year the event is being held virtually. Both groups have been testing virtually for this competition. • Final exams took place last week at the high school as the first semester came to an end. • Stay tuned next meeting for an update regarding our full in-person learning experiences, as students come back from the Hybrid Model.

School Board Member, Cathy Olig shared her inspiring and unique experiences with the virtual State Education Convention that took place last week. Topics of interest included: COVID-19 updates from a DPI nurse, trade experiences presented by Brown Deer, strategic planning and goal setting shared by New Berlin, community engagement shared by Green Bay and Elmbrook, and Act 31 (Native American materials in the Wisconsin curriculum) presented by David O’Connor. The convention provided a great opportunity to connect with Board members and Superintendents from other districts. On a local note, Cathy shared her experience with the Spelling Bee for grades 3-8 and was impressed with the work involved to run the event safely. It was great to see all the students participating.

School Board Member Keri Duce shared her briefings from the past SWSA meetings. There are 7 candidates for State Superintendent position whose names will appear on the ballot for the February 16th Primary Election. You can read their platforms on their individual website pages to learn more about each candidate. Keri served as a WASB delegate on the virtual State Education Convention, representing the School District of Menomonee Falls. Topics of interest included: school law updates, legislative updates, and how to attract more folks into the teaching profession. Our Educator Academy offered to our high school students is definitely a great step in the right direction.

School Board Member, Faith VanderHorst shared her enriching experience with the virtual State Education Convention. Topics of interest included: improving board relations with the superintendent, communications and engaging the public, and the value of student school board members. On a side note, our student school board members do a fantastic job and are great contributors to the meetings. The North Middle School commercial presentation put on by the Media Creations class was OUTSTANDING. If you have the opportunity, you can check out the commercials on the SDMF YouTube channel or vimeo.com. We also want to thank our community businesses for allowing these students to come in to do interviews and make videos. We appreciate this very special relationship we have with these businesses.

School Board Member, Melinda McShane also had the opportunity to sit in on the commercial presentations and expressed her appreciation of North Middle School Teacher, Mr.Tamas and his Media Creations class for their outstanding work. They did a phenomenal job! Also, a big thank you to all the local businesses for partnering with the school to give the students this experience.

SDMF Superintendent, Corey Golla shared that tomorrow (January 26) will be our first day in ten months that we will have our students back in the building full time, grades 4K-12. With our flex schedule, this includes about 80% of our students in the district. We will continue to monitor the cases and spread within our classrooms and buildings very carefully. If there is evidence of internal spread we can make adjustments specifically within affected classrooms to avoid a large shut down. It is important to stay vigilant with our mitigation practices and we encourage you to talk with your children about what they need to do to stay safe throughout their school day.

Congratulations to our dedicated art students who received Scholastic Art Awards for their impressive art submission: Isabel Christiansen - Honorable Mention, Shannon Doherty - 3 Gold Key Awards and 6 Honorable Mentions, Kylie Kenny – Honorable Mention and Rylie Rude - Honorable Mention. The 45th Scholastic Art Awards - Wisconsin Exhibition is sponsored by the Milwaukee Art Museum and will be held virtually this year. Shannon’s Gold Key pieces and other award winning artwork from students across the region can be viewed online February 6 through March 21 at mam.org.

In the January edition of Focus on the Falls with John Mercure, NMS Teacher Mike Tamas and the students from the Media Creations class shared commercials they created for local businesses and participated in interviews. You can watch the video on our Facebook page or on our district website: sdmfschools.org/news.

Six SDMF students will represent the Falls Schools at the Regional Spelling Bee Contest and will compete for five spots at the Badger State Spelling Bee. Congratulations to Immanuel Goveas, Nishanth Suthan, Shiven Gupta, Jayanth Suthan, Varshith Vijjapu, and Avyan Kondakalla. A great job to all the participants!

A note to parents of our future scholars: You can receive free literacy resources to help support your infant’s brain development. Request a Brain Bag through the Menomonee Falls Public Library. The bags were created by the Collective Impact Early Literacy Committee and are ideal for ages birth to 3-years old. To receive a Brain Bag simply email or call the library and ask for the Children’s Department at 262-532-8900 or mfpl@menomonee-falls.org.

Board Committee Reports

Curriculum & Learning Committee Member, Casey Blochowiak provided an update from the committee meeting on January 12, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-High school block schedule

-High school instrumental music

-Annual Post-Secondary Credit Opportunities

Policy Committee Chair, Faith VanderHorst presented an update from the committee meeting on January 20, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-Policy 222: Superintendent of Schools

-Policy 517: Employee Rules of Conduct

Personnel Committee Chair, Michelle Divelbiss provided an update from the committee meeting on January 14, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-2021-22 Draft School-Year Calendar

-Policy 517 Employee Rules of Conduct

-Staffing and substitute fill rate overview

Legislative Update

Board Vice-President, Keri Duce updated the Board on the following Legislative Items:

-COVID Relief Package

-State Budget

-WASB – successful in advocating for teacher vaccinations

-State mandate on face coverings

Discussion Items

MFSD Superintendent, Corey Golla discussed our COVID-19 Response Plan based on our current school status report of positive case rates among students and staff, quarantine levels and an analysis of local and internal spread. We are looking to bring back our middle and high school students in the flex model, tomorrow, Tuesday, January 26. All of our mitigation efforts are going to continue to be important: quarantining, early reporting, mask wearing, social distancing and frequent hand washing. Our current internal impact metrics is assessed as “moderately low”.

Director of Quality and Analytics shared the results from the last 90-day pulse check survey.

Director of Human Resources, Leia Scoptur, discussed Board Policy 517: Employee Rules of Conduct.

Director of Human Resources, Leia Scoptur, presented a draft copy of the 2021-22 School-Year Calendar.

Action Items

Motion approved for the Land Exchange Agreement with the Village of Menomonee Falls.

Motion approved for no new Open Enrollment seats for the 2020-22 school year.

Motion approved for the Resolution Authorizing for the Issuance and Sale of approximately $8,350,000 General Obligation Refunding Bonds, Series 2021A.

Motion approved for the 2021-2023 State Biennial Budget Legislative Platform.

Motion approved to process vouchers payable through January 22, 2021.

Shout Outs…

Congratulations to our Scholastic Art Award recipient Shannon Doherty for receiving 3 Gold Keys and 6 Honorable Mention Awards for her brilliant art submissions. Congratulations to Isabella Christensen, Kylie Kenny and Rylie Rude for receiving Honorable Mentions for their impressive art submissions. And a special thank you to Ms. Mckendry, Ms. Chmielewski and the Art Department for their continued support and encouragement for our students!

Thank you to the staff members and organizers of this year’s Spelling Bee competition. They did a fantastic job figuring out the logistics to run it safely, in person. It was very well done!

Thank you to Quest Teachers Ms. Brodzeller, Mr. Wood and Ms. Kollinski for providing our high school students with a safe and nurturing alternative high school education. In spite of the pandemic, you connected with your students and motivated these learners to challenge themselves to succeed. This year we had ten students graduating early from the program; a new record for Menomonee Falls.

Congratulations to the Varsity Overwatch Team on winning the District 1 State Championship! They defeated the defending champions Bay Port in a nail biting 3-2 match up. Great work Devyn Barker, Aidan Holcombe, Cal Kershner, Ryan Kruk, Jack Linke and Logan Sances.

Thank you to the organizers of the SDMF YouTube channel. This is a great way to watch the live streamed MFHS sports games, anytime you want. Here you can watch past games and catch the team highlights.

Thank you to the North Middle School students and teachers for their amazing work on a commercial project for our local businesses. The production was outstanding! You can view a recording of it on the SDMF YouTube channel or vimeo.com. And a giant thank you to our community businesses for your great partnership. Thank you Wittlin’s, Poppy and Thyme, Bank of Flowers, Chocolate Falls and Nino’s Bakery.

Thank you to the families, staff and students at Ben Franklin Elementary School, Riverside Elementary School, Shady Lane Elementary School and Valley View Elementary School for your support, cooperation and success in bringing our students back to learn in-person, safely. We appreciate everyone’s effort. Together, we can stay safe to stay open.

Please click here to view a copy of the Board of Education meeting agenda.

Please click here to watch the recording of the Board of Education meeting.

For questions, comments or to reach the Board of Education, please click here:

Please click here to view a copy of the Board of Education meeting agenda.

Upcoming Board of Education meetings:

February 8, 2021 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room
February 22, 2021 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

Thank you from Board Members:

Faith VanderHorst, President

Keri Duce, Vice-President

Cathy Olig, Treasurer

Michele Divelbiss, Clerk

David Noshay

Melinda McShane

Eric Pelzer

February 2021

February 8, 2021 • Board of Education Meeting

The Finest

SDMF Art Teachers, Ms. Bonnie Mckendry and Ms. Terra Chmielewski introduced and congratulated the Menomonee Falls art students receiving recognition for their art submissions at the 45th Annual Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition. It is a privilege to acknowledge Shannon Doherty for receiving 3 Gold Key Awards and 6 Honorable Mentions and Isabella Christensen, Kylie Kenny and Rylie Rude for each receiving Honorable Mention. This event is sponsored by the Milwaukee Art Museum, and is being held virtually this year. Their artwork will be on display at mam.org from February 6 – March 21, 2021. This is a very prestigious ceremony and an incredible honor for our students to win these awards!

SDMF Coach Advisor for the Varsity Esports Team, Ms. Laura Schoenike introduced and congratulated the Varsity Overwatch team participants for earning a District 1 State Championship title. Overwatch is a team based game in which each person takes on the role of a different hero. It requires strong communication and teamwork skills to complete the set of tasks in the required amount of time. Throughout the entire regular season the Menomonee Falls team remained undefeated. Great work Devyn Barker, Aidan Holcombe, Cal Kershner, Ryan Kruk, Jack Linke and Logan Sances. We appreciate all their hard work.

Bob Vitale, SDMF Principal introduced and congratulated the MFHS Business Department for their distinguished recognition in their financial education progress and for earning a Gold Standard ranking status in finance literacy. Congratulations to Ms. Lisa Kiefer, Ms. Jill Hughes, Ms. Sara Burling, Ms. Laura Schoenike, Ms. Sara Sturm and retired teacher Ms. Michele Oliver. The Business Team appreciates the partnership they have with NGPF (Next Gen Personal Finance) for their personal finance curriculum and are extremely proud that our students are financially prepared when they leave high school. A huge thank you to the Board and Administration for their continued support of this program.

On behalf of the SDMF Social Work Team, Sally Pallan introduced and thanked our local FedEx Distribution Center for their amazing generosity over the years. Most recently they donated numerous food items and school and cleaning supplies for our students and families in need. The Menomonee Falls School District is pleased to award the FedEx Distribution Center with the Friend of Education Award. FedEx Senior Manager, Jarret Fischer humbly accepted the Friend of Education award and shared, “In the middle of a pandemic and being an essential business, everybody who walks through the doors everyday feels it is important we can do things to give back especially in the communities where we work.” We are truly grateful to have FedEx as a business partner in our community and we thank them kindly for their donations and support.

Reports

Student School Board Member, Sahil Shah shared the high school athletic report. The Menomonee Falls Dance Team took first place in both Jazz and Pom at their Oak Creek Invite. • The Wrestling Team finished their season this weekend. At sectionals Brayden Rosenow took third for his weight class, and Ben Kaus, Patrick Lynch and Casey Reigstad took for fourth for their respective weight classes. Overall it was a very strong season finale for the Wrestling Team. • Boys Basketball is currently 13 in 6, recently defeating West Allis Nathan Hale and Tosa West. Only 2 regular season games left until we have our first home playoff game against Homestead. • Girls basketball finished the regular season 5 in 14, recently defeating Tosa East 48-38. The girls have their first play-off game Tuesday (2/9) at Nicolet. • Lastly, for the Joint Boys Swim Team, Dylan Luckmann and Michael Kaczmarek each put forth strong performances at State this past weekend.

Student School Board Member, Sara Booher shared the current events and activities happening at the high school. The Dance Team is just getting started for the season and they have a fun mix of in-person and virtual competitions. • The ARI (Awareness to Racial Inequality) group has been helping the high school celebrate Black History Month. The high school atrium windows and doors are painted and the halls and classroom doors are decorated with prominent figures from their specific subject areas. They have also been selling wrist bands with the phrase “honoring the past, celebrating the present and inspiring the future”. It is really neat to see students getting excited and learning and honoring the history. • The Menomonee Falls High School Geology Club had their first “Sustainability Week”. This week is “Reusable Water Bottle Week”, encouraging students to drink from reusable water bottles and look for more ways to be sustainable in every day life. • The Student Council made Valentine’s cards for the elderly in their community. This was a great way to get students involved and give back to the community. • The FBLA Chapter had a great weekend, taking first place at Regionals for the 7th year in a row. We had numerous first place finishers and it was a fantastic virtual conference. HOSA will participate in their virtual competition next weekend and their virtual award ceremony will take place next week Monday. • Six students from the high school received the Distinction of Aspiration and Computing from the National Center for Women and Information Technology. They are: Seniors - Noelle May, Mya Gersmeyer and Allyson Jahn, Juniors - Siya Mahajan and Shreya Gupta, and Sophomore - Megan Schulz. This is a tremendous honor for these ladies who have done a fantastic job. • And the big news…we are all back in-person! It feels like last year again, only with more precautions.

School Board Member, Melinda McShane commented that her experience with fully-virtual learning is continuing to go well and that the challenges are good.

School Board Member, Cathy Olig had the opportunity to sit on the Chambers Community Leadership Coalition call. It is really great that leaders from the hospital, school districts, the fire department, the police department and Chamber are all communicating and sharing information – very positive. Stay tuned for more details about the upcoming Regional Art Show at the Elementary School level.

School Board Member, Keri Duce noted that normally we have seniors volunteer to help out in the classrooms through the Eras Senior Network; however, due to COVID they are not able to assist. The schools have pivoted and our high school students are now coming in to tutor math to the students at Riverside and maybe other schools. It is great that our high school students are stepping up and providing that individual attention to elementary kids.

School Board Member, Faith VanderHorst shared that she visited one of the 4K/5K enrollment nights and was very impressed how smooth the process ran this year. New this year, parents were able to schedule an appointment and sit down with a staff member to complete the paperwork, with ease. It was a very parent-friendly experience. Congratulations to staff on this new procedure and making the process just that much easier for parents. Another great story, to share is the joy of being a pen pal with a fifth graders. They just started their first round of writing and sharing and the experience was really amazing. The work was high quality; our students and teachers have a lot to be proud of. And one last note, if you are a parent of an elementary child with ADHD there is a support meeting on February 23, 2021. These meetings are very beneficial, especially for families who are new to this experience; you are not alone. For more information, please contact the principal at your child’s elementary school.

School Board Member, Michele Divelbiss shared that the Eras Senior Network program has put a system in place to allow the seniors to continue volunteering in schools, virtually to help students with their reading skills. The seniors are being taught how to use the technology and together they are making it work. And congratulations to our students for their successful FBLA Conference. Given the circumstances we are in, it is very impressive that our student participation is still so high. Thank you to the MFHS Business Department – this is a huge credit to you for keeping our students actively engaged.

School Board Member, Eric Pelzer commented that it is nice to have our students back in school full time with face-to-face learning. The routine is good for both the older and younger kids. The block schedule is a little more challenging and it will just take time to get used to because it is different. The longer class time will allow for more impact and help to stay in-stride longer.

SDMF Superintendent, Corey Golla shared that the Chambers Community Leadership Coalition meetings have a very positive impact on the work we are doing. This team started up in early COVID and it allowed the community leaders to connect and talk about our common challenges. It has since grown and we are seeing more connectivity and the benefits of how we can all work together as a community.

How do we make weather decisions? When deciding to cancel or delay the school day, our primary concern is always about student and staff safety. When our local weather authorities begin to discuss possibilities of severe weather, usually several days ahead of time, we have a number of folks we can consult with: Area Superintendents, Johnson Bus Company, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Village Administrators. A lot goes into this decision. A closure decision is typically made by 5:30 a.m. It is our practice that if school is closed, all after-school activities including athletics, competitions, practices, and Community Ed. and Rec. will also be canceled. If the school district decides to remain open, parents and guardians always have the option to make a personal decision on what they feel is safest for their child. When temperatures do not warrant closing, families can help their children prepare for the cold by dressing them in warm layers with a hat, scarf, gloves and appropriate footwear. In terms of the cold, if it gets to the warning level of minus 35 degree wind chill, that is an indicator of potential cancelations. The best way of communication is always our website. Other communication channels will be updated as quickly as possible. Single days missed because of weather or illness will not be virtual learning days unless otherwise communicated.

Congratulations to the following North Middle School students who qualified for the Geography Bee competition on February 4: Nicolas Czaia, Ean Gergetz, Makaio Roche, Lainey Fredrick, Jayanth Suthan, Jake Tarantino, Charlie Wills, Seth Estrada, Conner Gliszczinski, Cooper Haensgen and Nishanth Suthan. NMS Social Studies Teacher, Mr. Cox would also like to thank the 515 students who took the Geography Bee Qualifying Test this year. Nice work!

Over the past couple weeks Mr. Golla had the opportunity to speak with students in the MFHS Healthcare Academy about his experiences as a School Superintendent guiding a school system through a global pandemic. It has been an outstanding experience and engaging to talk with the students. To our future healthcare professionals he was able to share the impact and expertise of those in the healthcare field who have supported our decision making process and planning. As future leaders, our students were able to hear the process for making consequential decisions to balance health and student needs.

Board Committee Reports

Finance Committee Chair, Cathy Olig provided an update from the committee meeting on February 4, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-Accountability Calendar

-2020-21 COVID-19 Operational Planning, Purchasing, and Estimated Budget Impact/Contingencies

-Report on Bipolar Ionization System testing results – successful outcome

-2020-21 Budget – Recommended Release of Budget Items Put on Hold Until Mid-Year

-Legislative Guidance on State and Federal Revenue Sources

-2021-2026 Budget Projections

-Self-Funded Health Plan Financial Update

Communications Committee Chair, Keri Duce presented an update from the committee meeting on February 3, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-Social Media Report

-Key COVID Messaging

-Internal Communication to Employees

-Legacy Update

-Open Records Update

-Legislative Priorities

Legislative Update

Board Vice-President, Keri Duce updated the Board on the following Legislative Items:

-CDC providing guidance for re-opening of school – coming Feb. 12th

-Governor Tony Evers budget announcements and bills – coming next week.

-Senate Education Committee scheduled informal hearings - Feb. 9th

-New mask mandate put in place Feb. 5 after last mandate was appealed by GOP. Issue may be decided by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

-State and Federal pupil assessment requirements are still in place. WASB looking into lobbying to adjust requirements.

-JFCA Co-chairs issued a warning letter to Governor Evers to propose a responsible budget.

Discussion Items

MFSD Superintendent, Corey Golla discussed our COVID-19 Response Plan based on our current school status report of positive case rates among students and staff, quarantine levels and an analysis of local and internal spread. We are in a very stable place. The local burden rate has declined and we are now at rates very similar to where we were in August. Our internal impact metrics have been ‘moderately low’ to ‘low’ since the holiday break. As we mentioned in our last meeting there is and will be significant fluctuations in quarantine numbers now that all students in the flex models are attending each day. No changes are recommended.

Director of Finance & Operations, Keith Brightman shared a Legislative Summary on State and Federal Revenue Sources. The reason for this executive summary is to highlight the need for communication around significant federal dollars that are rolling into public education. Part of the problem we are trying to solve is the use of the title funding formula for the distribution of dollars and the perception from legislature.

Action Items

Motion approved for new Board Policy 517: Employee Rules of Conduct.
Motion approved for 2021-2022 School-Year Calendar.
Motion approved to process vouchers payable through February 5, 2021.

Shout Outs…

Congratulations to the MFHS Business Teachers Ms. Lisa Kiefer, Ms. Jill Hughes, Ms. Sara Burling, Ms. Laura Schoenike, Ms. Sara Sturm and retired teacher Ms. Michele Oliver for earning a Golden Standard ranking status in finance literacy. Mr. Vitale states, “I cannot say enough about this team – they are outstanding”.

Congratulations to the FedEx Distribution Center for being awarded the The Friend of Education award. This is something we give to community partners who are supportive of our work, our students, our families and our community.

Congratulations to MFHS National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) Aspirations in Computing recipients: Mya Gersmeyer, Noelle May, Shreya Gupta, Megan Schulz, Allyson Jahn and Siya Mahajan.

Congratulations to the following students who qualified for the North Middle School Geography Bee competition: Nicolas Czaia, Ean Gergetz, Makaio Roche, Lainey Fredrick, Jayanth Suthan, Jake Tarantino, Charlie Wills, Seth Estrada, Conner Gliszczinski, Cooper Haensgen and Nishanth Suthan.

Please click here to watch the recording of the Board of Education meeting.

For questions, comments or to reach the Board of Education, please click here:

Please click here to view a copy of the Board of Education meeting agenda.

Upcoming Board of Education meetings:

February 22, 2021 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

Thank you from Board Members:

Faith VanderHorst, President

Keri Duce, Vice-President

Cathy Olig, Treasurer

Michele Divelbiss, Clerk

David Noshay

Melinda McShane

Eric Pelzer

February 22, 2021 • Board of Education Meeting

The Finest

On behalf of the SDMF Social Work Team and School Board, Sally Pallan and Faith VanderHorst recognized and thanked our local Jaskowiak Chiropractic Office for their amazing generosity over the years. Most recently they held a special patient and staff drive and donated money and supplies for the Community Resource Room. The Menomonee Falls School District is pleased to award Dr. Dane of the Jaskowiak Chiropractic Office with the Friend of Education Award.

Reports

Student School Board Member, Sara Booher shared the current events and activities happening at the high school. The Geology Club kicked off another impactful sustainability week with the focus around “unplug it” and the importance of unplugging electronics and keeping lights off when not in use. Together we can save on electric bills and fossil fuel usage. • This past weekend senior student, Veronica Goveas participated in a virtual competition for the Distinguished Young Women of Wisconsin. We are proud to have Veronica represent Menomonee Falls and look forward to learning the results at the end of this month. • Sixteen members of the HOSA group qualified for State at the Regional Leadership Conference and will compete virtually this April. Stay tuned. • Congratulations to sophomore student, Megan Schulz who was recognized for her community service project and was presented with a Prudential Spirit of Community Award.

Student School Board Member, Sahil Shah shared the high school athletic report. The Menomonee Falls Girls Basketball Team concluded their season with a close playoff game loss to Nicolet, 45-41. Great team effort. • The Boys Basketball Team won the Regional title and will compete against West Bend for their first Sectional game. With two more wins, Menomonee Falls will qualify to go to state. • Congratulations to Girls Gymnastics team members: Meghan Todd (Junior) for taking third place in Vault, third in Balance Beam and fourth All-Around, and to Drew Gersmeyer (Junior) for taking second on Balance Beam. Congratulations to the Menomonee Falls/Germantown Co-Gymnastics team for finishing second overall at Sectionals. They will compete at the WIAA State meet.

School Board Member, Cathy Olig shared her family’s favorable experience with music class and being able to experience different parts of music. Kuddos to the music teachers for being innovative this year.
School Board Member, Keri Duce shared that SWSA met with a guest from Children’s Hospital to discuss community spread, vaccine roll-out and COVID variance. The Democrats from Joint Finance Committee shared their views on the proposed (at that time) Governor’s Budget. WASBO, SWSA and WASB are all appreciative of the area School Chief Business Officers including our own Keith Brightman who are assisting with legislative requests.

SDMF Superintendent, Corey Golla shared his understanding of the Federal COVID Relief funding allocations and how it will impact our district. Director of Finance, Keith Brightman and Corey Golla discussed the funding with Senator Darling and her Chief of Staff, Jerry Ponio last week.

Corey Golla shared his participation with the Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital Board of Directors workshop focusing on community health needs and the assessment and implementation strategies. The community leaders and the healthcare leaders are working together to identify the key health needs within the community and plan for successful mitigations. It was another reminder that we are stronger when we work together.

Corey Golla directed attention to bullying. The Falls Schools takes reports of bullying very seriously and recently launched a Bullying Prevention web page designed to educate and support parents, students, and community members with resources for bullying prevention. We encourage parents to visit our website fallsschools.org/parents and scroll down to click Bullying Prevention. Please reach out if you suspect any type of bullying with your child or someone else’s child.

Legislative Items
Board Vice-President, Keri Duce updated the Board on the following Legislative Items:

The House is working on another Coronavirus package – stay tuned for more updates.
The Governor introduced his budget last week with a $1.6 billion boost to K12. Increased funding was requested for general aide, special education, mental health, reimbursements in grants, bullying and ELL. There has been discussions of grant money for school districts who changed their race-based logos, names or mascots.
The Legislative Fiscal Bureau is reviewing the Governor’s budget and figuring out how much everything will cost. From there, the Joint Finance Committee will announce what their budget will look like. It will take some time before we have budgeting answers.
The two State Superintendents Candidate Finalists are Dr. Jill Underly and Dr. Deb Kerr. If you are interested in learning more about each candidate, be sure to visit their websites. The election will be held on Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

Discussion Items

MFSD Superintendent, Corey Golla discussed our COVID-19 Response Plan based on our current school status report of positive case rates among students and staff, quarantine levels and an analysis of local and internal spread. Our numbers are extremely low, we are healthy and we are in a remarkable place thank you for the support from our families, staff and community. The mitigation efforts are still extremely important and we will continue to follow the CDC guidelines.

Action Items

Motion approved to proceed with the land exchange agreement with the Village of Menomonee Falls.
Motion approved to process vouchers payable through February 18, 2021.

Shout Outs…

Congratulations to the Jaskowiak Chiropractic Office for being awarded the The Friend of Education award. This is something we give to community partners who are supportive of our work, our students, our families and our community. Dr. Dane expressed his gratitude and shared his testimony “to continue his (fathers) legacy of doing good work in the community and doing the best for those in need.” Thank you to Dr. Dane and the Jaskowiak Chiropractic Office for your support!

Thank you to Sally Pallan and the entire Social Worker Team for doing such a remarkable job working for our students and families and for finding new partnerships outside of our school district to provide resources and services for our kids. We are very appreciative of your dedication.

Congratulations to MFHS student, Megan Schulz for receiving the Prudential Spirit of Community Award for her Girl Scout Community Service Project. You may remember Megan’s story from the fall when she designed and built eight community cupboards and lead the community on the importance of giving back to those in need. The Prudential Spirit of Community Award recognizes students who have made a meaningful contribution in their community through their volunteer work and leadership. We are proud of the work Megan has done for Menomonee Falls community!

Congratulations to our Student School Board Member, Sara Booher as your high school basketball season comes to a close… and we all watched you play your last game for Menomonee Falls. We know you have more basketball days ahead of you, and we wish you all the best!

Please click here to watch the recording of the Board of Education meeting.

For questions, comments or to reach the Board of Education, please click here:

Please click here to view a copy of the Board of Education meeting agenda.

Upcoming Board of Education meetings:

March 8, 2021 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room
March 22, 2021 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

Thank you from Board Members:

Faith VanderHorst, President

Keri Duce, Vice-President

Cathy Olig, Treasurer

Michele Divelbiss, Clerk

David Noshay

Melinda McShane

Eric Pelzer

March 2021

Welcome to Board Bits! This newsletter serves as a summary of the topics discussed at our Board of Education meetings. Our goal is to provide communication around discussions, actions and current events. Thank you and enjoy.

March 8, 2021 • Board of Education Meeting

The Finest

Coach Eric VanWormer and Director of Athletics and Activities, Mr. Brian Heimark introduced and congratulated Ski Team Athlete Mya Gersmeyer for a great season and for her achievement in making it to State. Way to go Mya!

MFHS Business and Math Teachers Ms. Brenda Larson and Ms. Laura Schoenike proudly introduced and congratulated the high school students who were awarded the Distinction of Aspirations in Computing. Congratulations to Junior Shreya Gupta, Sophomore Megan Schulz, Junior Siya Mahajan, Senior Mya Gersmeyer, Senior Noelle May, and Senior Allyson Jahn. We are very proud of your accomplishments!

Reports

Filling in for Student School Board Member Sahil Shah, Sara Booher shared the latest high school sports report. Congratulations to the Boys Bowling Team for winning State this past weekend! This was a huge accomplishment and very impressive to watch. • Congratulations to the Girls Bowling Team for taking home 4th at State and to Senior Gabby Soll who finished 6th with an Individual finish. • The Boys Basketball Team ended their season in Sectional Finals with a defeat to Kimberly. It was a tough played game and a great end to a great season. • An announcement was made today that two Menomonee Falls Basketball Team Members received All-State Recognition. Congratulations to Junior Steven Clay for receiving All-State Honorable Mention and to Junior Seth Trimble for earning First Team All-State. They have bright futures ahead and it will make for an exciting basketball season next year. • Congratulations to the Menomonee Falls / Germantown Co-op Girls Gymnastics Team for placing 4th at State! This is a great accomplishment. • The Dance Team competed at the Ashwuabenon Dance this weekend and took home 4th place in both Pom and Jazz. They also took first place in the Varsity Virtual Jazz Competition. Congratulations to the team and to those who finished with their solos and duets • The Cheer Teams hosted the Phoenix Cheer Invite over the weekend providing a great opportunity for the cheerleaders to perform their routines. • And, congratulations to all the Seniors who participated in winter sports (basketball, bowling, cheer, dance, hockey, gymnastics, skiing and wrestling). It has been fun to watch the passion and growth from within our peers. Congratulations to all the MF Seniors as they graduate and continue to represent our school.

Student School Board Member, Sara Booher shared the academics and club activities happening at the high school. Veronica Goveas and Sirtaij Arora were both recognized as Herb Kohl Student Excellence Scholars. This is a very prestigious award in Wisconsin and they will each be receiving a scholarship of $10,000 to continue their education. • Veronica Goveas was also recognized as the Distinguished Young Women of Wisconsin. We wish her well as she goes on to compete and represent our state and school in Alabama this summer, sponsored by the Optimist Club. • March is Youth Art Month. You can view the artwork from the Menomonee Falls students on our Facebook pages. There is a variety of work displayed, represented by all grade levels. • The Juniors are taking the ACT tests on Tuesday 3/9. The Freshmen, Sophomores and Seniors will be learning from home this day to allow the Juniors the space they need to spread out for testing. • A group of high school student organized a Model UN virtual conference. This weekend, five delegates will be going to a nationwide conference where they will come up with solutions to real-world problems while gaining valuable leadership experiences. • Sara shared her pursuit of a Senior-year career-type experience involving the World Wildlife Fund and national logging. Sara reached out to our Legislatures for training opportunities and tomorrow she will meet with the House of Representatives and the US Senators from Wisconsin. Our students of Menomonee Falls are very resourceful and driven. Keep up the great work!

School Board Member, Cathy Olig shared her experience in joining Mr. Pitrof’s 3rd grade class, virtually, to talk about “The School Board”. They are learning about communities so it was a great opportunity to explain how the school board fits in, how the members are elected and the hierarchy of who oversees what. The students were very interested in the facility updates for Riverside, especially around the topic involving desks. They were very eager to share their knowledge on the subject. Our Student School Board Member Sahil Shah was in Mr. Pitrofs 3rd grade class years ago; it was neat to see the students make that connection and realize their opportunities. Overall, this was a great experience and is highly recommended for anyone who is able to share relevant information.

School Board Member, Keri Duce highlighted that today is International Women’s Day and that she really enjoyed hearing from our students, especially from those in Computer Science receiving scholarships. This just showcases how far women have come.

Keri Duce presented a framed Word Cloud to the entire staff of the Menomonee Falls School District, as a gesture of appreciation from the Board. “This week is going to mark a year of our administration in COVID, in chaos - and they have worked so hard.” The Board worked together to put their gratitude into words, reflective of the amazing staff of SDMF. “We just want to say thank you because we know it has been a really, really difficult year and we know how hard everybody has worked… and we hope you know how much we appreciate your work.”

School Board Member Michele Divelbiss shared that the Scholarship Foundation is busy preparing for the scholarship event for our graduating Seniors. Stay tuned for more behind the scenes scholarship details at future Board Meetings. The Booster Club is also busy organizing and preparing for the Spring Fling fundraiser. This year the guests will be able to participate in-person or virtually. Details are available on the Booster Club web site or you can access their site from on a link on the school district website.

School Board Member Faith VanderHorst shared that she is a member of the Scholarship Foundation and that there will not be a formal Scholarship Program Night this year due to health and safety guidelines. The foundation will be distributing the scholarships to the students through a drive-up event in the MFHS parking lot. Our Seniors have worked hard to prepare for their future, and the Scholarship Foundation is pleased to support this effort.

Faith VanderHorst encourages everyone who is able to tune into the Focus on The Falls videos, please take a moment as the segments are OUTSTANDING and tell a great story about the School District of Menomonee Falls. The latest two videos released in March are titled “SDMF: On Pace for Learning” and “MFHS Dual Enrollment Academy”. The On Pace for Learning segment talks about the different types of career opportunity programs we have in the district – you will be amazed! The Dual Enrollment Academy segment focuses on the experiences of one of our students who is currently completing the program. It provides a great understanding of the partnership we have with WCTC and the great opportunities the county and state have made available for our students. You can access the links to the Focus on The Falls videos in the March 5, 2021 Falls Schools eNewsletter or from the SDMF web page under NEWS.

SDMF Superintendent, Corey Golla reminded families that with Spring Break coming up March 29 – April 5 we need follow the CDC Spring Break Travel Guidelines. Currently the CDC recommends people avoid travel and stay home.

Corey Golla reminded the community that they have the opportunity to meet the District School Board Candidates at the PTO School Board Candidate Forum on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. in the Village Hall Board Room. A recording is available on the SDMF website or on our Facebook page.

Corey Golla reminded parents to complete the satisfaction survey before March 31st. The survey was mailed out last week and is important to help us gather feedback to celebrate success and identify areas for growth. The results will be shared with parents and the community, so please fill out the survey if you can. Thank you.

Corey Golla shared that March is National Professional Social Worker Month, allowing us the opportunity to celebrate our school social workers for their work to empower and elevate our students every day in our schools. We are very grateful for the work or our School Social Workers: Sally Pallan (Shady Lane and Valley View), Michelle Olson (Ben Franklin), Felicia Perkins (MFHS) and Amber Montague (Riverside and NMS).

Corey Golla shared that March 7-13 is National Foreign Language Week and we are excited to share the world language opportunities we have available for our students. We currently have 970 students across North Middle School and Menomonee Falls High School learning either Spanish or German. World Language begins in sixth grade and continues through high school with opportunities to earn college credits.

Board Committee Reports

Curriculum & Learning Committee Member, Casey Blochowiak provided an update from the committee meeting on February 16, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-Middle School Guidance Curriculum Request

-English Learner Program Update

-High School Schedule Update

-Transition Support Plan

-Student and Chaperone Travel

Policy Committee Chair, Faith VanderHorst provided an update from the committee meeting on February 23, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-Policy 423 Open Enrollment and Course Options

-Policy 420.1 Homeless Children and Youth

-Policy 222 Superintendent of Schools

-Procedures 222.1 and 222.2 Superintendent of Schools

Finance Committee Chair, Cathy Olig provided an update from the committee meeting on February 4, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-2020-2021 COVID-19 Operational Planning, Purchasing, and Estimated Budget Impact/Contingencies

-2020-21 Budget – Recommended Release of Budget Items Put on Hold Until Mid-Year

-Legislative Guidance on State and Federal Revenue Sources

-2021-2026 Budget Projections

-Self-Funded Health Plan Financial Update

Personnel Committee Chair, Michele Divelbiss presented an update from the committee meeting on February 18, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-Requesting a Waiver from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for Evaluations for Certified Staff

-Staffing and Substitute Fill Rate Overview

-Review of the Draft 2021-22 District Employee Handbook

Communications Committee Chair, Keri Duce presented an update from the committee meeting on March 3, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-Social Media Report

-Key COVID Messaging

-Year-End Communication

-Legacy Area Update

-Open Records Update

-Communication Committee Structure

-Legislative Advocacy

Legislative Items

Board Vice-President, Keri Duce updated the Board on the following Legislative Items:

Discussions in relation to the Governor’s proposed budget

-Age of tobacco sale – bill aims to curb teen tobacco and vaping use

-Possible requirements for school districts to use group health insurance provided through the state – bill would allow for a study to assess cost and savings

-Start date waivers – to help students catch up. (No changes for SDMF for 2021-22)

-Cares Act 3 passed over the weekend

-Discussions underway on how Federal funds will be distributed

Discussion Items

MFSD Superintendent, Corey Golla discussed our COVID-19 Response Plan based on our current school status report of positive case rates among students and staff, quarantine levels and an analysis of local and internal spread.

Action Items

Motion approved to process vouchers payable through March 4,2021.

Shout Outs…

On behalf of the School Board, thank you to all the SDMF staff for your hard work this past year in COVID. We know it has been a difficult year and we know how hard everyone has worked!

Thank you to Leia Scoptur, Director of Human Resources for your quick action and follow-up to get our staff and the substitute teaching staff the information they need. Your response time and attention to detail is greatly appreciated.

Thank you to Jason Husslein, Director of Community Education and Recreation and his team for stepping up to help the schools with the COVID contact tracing responsibilities. Thank you for your outstanding teamwork!

Thank you to Ms. Larson and Ms. Shoenike for the tremendous positive influence you have on your students. Each of the students who were issued the Distinction of Aspirations in Computing award praised Ms. Larson and Ms. Shoenike for all the encouragement and guidance they received.

Please click here to watch the recording of the Board of Education meeting.

For questions, comments or to reach the Board of Education, please click here:

Please click here to view a copy of the Board of Education meeting agenda.

Upcoming Board of Education meetings:

March 22, 2021 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

April 12, 2021 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

Thank you from Board Members:

Faith VanderHorst, President

Keri Duce, Vice-President

Cathy Olig, Treasurer

Michele Divelbiss, Clerk

David Noshay

Melinda McShane

Eric Pelzer

Board Bits

March 22, 2021 • Board of Education Meeting

The Finest

MFHS Principal, Mr. Bob Vitale introduced our Herb Kohl Excellence Scholarship recipients, Veronica Goveas and Sirtaij Arora. Each year 100 Wisconsin graduates are selected statewide; Menomonee Falls is very fortunate to have two seniors receiving this recognition. Students are evaluated on their leadership, citizenship, school and community involvement, academic achievement, integrity and goals. Congratulations and good luck in your future endeavors Veronica and Sirtaij!

High School Senior, Veronica Goveas was also recognized for earning the Distinguished Young Woman of Wisconsin title for 2021! Distinguished Young Women is a program that allows students the opportunity to earn scholarships and offers Life Skills training to prepare young women for the world after high school. Veronica shared her experiences through this journey and is looking forward to the national competition in June. In the meantime she is enjoying the opportunity to share her inspirations with students at Riverside and the other elementary schools in the district. We are very proud to have Veronica representing Menomonee Falls and now the State of Wisconsin!

MFHS Principal, Mr. Bob Vitale introduced Jacob Poffinbarger and Alex Russo for their completion of the Military Wall of Honor in the Menomonee Falls High School. On the Military Wall, each of the five branches of military are proudly displayed with individual name plates of alumni students who graduated from Menomonee Falls High School. The goal is to display the names of all the military service men and women who attended high school in Menomonee Falls. Please contact Principal Bob Vitale to have a name added. Jacob and Alex spent many hours on the project with the supervision of MFHS Teacher, Mr. Bret Warner. Mr. Vitale shared his vision of the project, and Jacob, Alex and their team brought it to reality. The Military Wall has received great reviews and we are very appreciative of all the details and hard work that went into it!

The SDMF Art Teachers Ms. McKendry, Mr. Elliott, Ms. McCalligan, Ms. Walsh, Ms. Chmielewski and Ms. Gonyer welcomed and congratulated our 18 students who received State honors in the Youth Art Exhibit Competition through the Wisconsin Art Educators Association and the Art Honor Society. Congratulations to our student artists Kinsley Anderson, Charlotte DeValkenaere, Shannon Doherty, Nolan Deutsch, Sonya Olig, Sanjna Kalsi, Macy Simon, Alyssa Pegelow, Grace Trokan, Emma Sutton, Salina Ly, Camerson Diehl, Kylie Bowen, Rylie Rude, Basil Nadolski, Charley Brinks, Mady Neumann, and Samuel Ehlert. Photographs of their work can be found on our Facebook page, website and as an attachment in the BoardDoc agenda. Congratulations to you all!

Reports

Student School Board Member, Sahil Shah shared the latest high school sports report. • We are in an interesting phase now that the winter sports have ended and spring sports are preparing to start. • The All-Conference Awards for winter sports have been released! • Congratulations to Boys Basketball team members, Seth Trimble (Junior) and Steven Clay (Junior) for receiving First Team All-Conference. • Congratulations to Girls Basketball team member Payton Rechlicz (Sophomore) for receiving Second Team All-Conference. • Congratulations to Wrestling team members Casey Reigstad (Senior), Bryce Staus (Senior), Patrick Lynch (Senior), Brayden Rosenow (Junior) and Jake Kaminski (Junior) for receiving First Team All-Conference, and to Ben Kaus (Junior) for receiving Second Team All-Conference. Congratulations to Keli Grennier (Sophomore) and Brayden Neumann (Senior) for receiving Honorable Mentions. • And congratulation to the MFHS Dance Team for placing 2nd in Jazz and 1st in Poms at Regionals. Great job to all our athletes!

Student School Board Member, Sara Booher shared the academic and club activity updates at the high school. • Youth Art Month is going really well and it is fun to see all the art work displayed at the high school and on Facebook. We are loving the spirit of the artwork and the art curriculum. • This week we are celebrating Senior Spirit Week to kick off the last week before spring break. It is a fun way to celebrate our season of “senior lasts”. On Tuesday seniors pick up their graduation gowns and on Thursday they turn in their scholarship applications. It is an exciting time and we are having a lot of fun with it. • The Model United Nations recently participated in a nationwide virtual conference. All five of our delegates received awards. Nice work to MFHS delegates! • The National Honor Society is hosting a food drive after spring break and will be donating the collection to the Menomonee Falls Area Food Pantry. • The National Honor Society is starting up a new activity this year called the ‘Teachers Wish List’. Through this program, National Honor Society students can volunteer to help with things teachers do not have time to get to. This includes helping with tasks in the classroom, picking up litter outside of the school, and other projects to help make the school a better place. • The Menomonee Falls Optimist Club held an Oratorical Contest last week made up of elementary, middle and high school students. The young speakers did an amazing job and it was really fun to see them deliver their speeches.
School Board Member, Keri Duce shared her appreciation of the North Middle School Band Concerts that came home as little videos for families to watch. It was very enjoyable and fun to watch the progression at each grade level. Coming soon: you can register for the Spring Fling with the Booster Club starting April 17th. There is a virtual and in-person option for you to choose from, so please come join us. And lastly, we are happy to hear that the Federal Food Program has been extended into the summer. This is so important for our communities.

School Board Member, Cathy Olig shared a persuasive letter she received from a 3rd grade student. Subject line: I think students should have Friday’s off. While it is not on the agenda, it was well written and we thank our learners for sharing.
School Board Member, Melinda McShane reminded families there is a virtual Ben Franklin / Riverside PTO meeting on Thursday, March 25th at 6:30 p.m. We will now have one combined PTO between the two schools. We hope you can join us!
School Board Member, Faith VanderHorst shared a reminder to vote on Election Day, Tuesday, April 6, 2021. Early Absentee voting begins on Tuesday, March 23, 2021. The Menomonee Falls School Board Member Candidate information can be found on each candidate’s individual Facebook page and in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction position is up for election. You can find information about these two running candidates online, as well.
SDMF Superintendent, Corey Golla encourages residents to meet the candidates for the SDMF School Board by watching the School Board Candidate Forum, sponsored by the Menomonee Falls PTO’s on our website: www.fallsschools.org/board/boardelections.
Corey Golla called attention to Immanuel Goveas, an eighth grade student at North Middle School who earned the Co-Champion State Title this past weekend after completing 20 rounds in the Badger State Spelling Bee. This is Immanuel’s fourth appearance to the Badger State Spelling Bee. He now advances to compete against top spellers across the U.S. and around the globe this summer. Congratulations to Immanuel!
Corey Golla reminded families who plan to travel for spring break to follow the CDC Spring Break Travel Guidelines. Currently the CDC recommends people avoid travel and stay home. Having consistently followed the CDC guidance, we will not be accommodating a week long quarantine prior to spring break.
Corey Golla shared that the USDA Food and Nutrition Service has extended free meals to all students through September 30, 2021. This means all students in the School District of Menomonee Falls can receive both a breakfast and a lunch meal every day at no cost. We are very proud of our Director of School Nutrition, Sue Kirchstein for filing the application and staffing and servicing our families through this program.
Corey Golla reminded families to check out the CE & Rec Summer Activities Guide for some great opportunities to continue to learn this summer, through the Falls Summer Academy. Course registration for resident families opens online at 9 p.m., Sunday, April 18 and in-person on April 19 in the CE & Rec office.
Corey Golla expressed his gratitude to our MFHS Teacher, Mrs. Davidson who was recently honored with the 2020 High School Teacher of Excellence Award by the National Council of Teachers of English. Mrs. Davidson is a National Board Certified Teacher, as well as the Service Lead Mentor and Placement Coordinator for student teachers at the Menomonee Falls High School. Her classroom has been described as “a dynamic interactive setting where real learning takes place.” Congratulations to Mrs. Davidson for her very well deserved recognition!
Corey Golla shared that the Leadership Team is working on the logistics to provide the traditional end-of-year activities for students and families, in a face-to-face environment. We would like to give students the opportunities to get together safely, assuming things stay at a positive pace. Please stay tuned for more details in the weeks ahead.

Board Committee Reports

Curriculum & Learning Committee Member, Casey Blochowiak provided an update from the committee meeting on March 16, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-High School Schedule Update

-ACT 12

-Digital Report Card Transition

-Early Literacy Strategic Priority Update

-Instructional Leverage Items

-C&L Committee History

-C&L Committee Calendar

Policy Committee Chair, Faith VanderHorst provided an update from the committee meeting on March 25, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-Policy 423 Open Enrollment and Course Options

-Policy 420.1 Homeless Children and Youth

-Policy 222 and Procedures 222.1, 222.2 Superintendent of Schools

-Review of Policy Progress

Legislative Items

Board Vice-President, Keri Duce updated the Board on the following Legislative Items:

-Point of interest: This year 69 local school districts have referendum questions on the April election ballot. This is up from 57 school districts last April.

-The Legislative Fiscal Bureau put their budget analysis out. This information is available on the WASB and SWSA websites and showcases the increases that we have talked about in our financial discussions.

-The State Budget Director will be at the next SWSA meeting on March 23.

-The Department of Education announced their plans for funding allocations for the American Rescue Plan.

-The Joint Finance Committee announced the hearing meeting dates will be on April 9, 2021 at UW-Whitewater and on April 28, 2021, virtually. You can submit comments and legislative priority documents to their email or portal.

-Four different Senate Bills have been introduced since our last meeting. Details can be found on the SWSA website.

-To learn more about the running State Superintendent of Public Instruction Candidates, please check out the websites. There is a lot of data available.

-The SWSA meeting on March 9th included guests from Children’s Hospital and the discussion of vaccines, new CDC guidelines, and testing for year-end school events. There was also discussion around budgeting, Special Ed. funding, and broadband support.

Discussion Items

MFSD Superintendent, Corey Golla discussed our COVID-19 Response Plan based on our current school status report of positive case rates among students and staff, quarantine levels and an analysis of local and internal spread. We are very proud of the balance we have sustained in keeping kids in school and maintaining the health of our students, families and staff. Locally, our burden rate has been stable with only a minor bump, reminding us to continue stressing the importance of our mitigation efforts across the system. Our student and employee health is good and we have avoided significant internal spread all year. Thank you to everyone for your help in achieving this.
MFSD Director of Finance, Keith Brightman shared the 2021-22 Budget Planning Updates. Topics of discussion included:

-State Revenues and State Budget Process

-Federal COVID CARES Funds

-2021-22 Budget Planning

-Budget Calendar and Leverage Items Update

Action Items

Motion approved to move the 2021-2022 Preliminary Certified Staffing Plan, Preliminary Non-Renewals and Individual Employee Contracts.
Motion approved to process vouchers payable through March 17, 2021.

Shout Outs…

Congratulations to Veronica Goveas and Sirtaij Arora for being selected as the 2021 Herb Kohl Student Excellence Scholars! We wish them both continued success as they continue their educational journey.
Congratulations to Veronica Goveas on her achievement in holding the State Title as the Distinguished Young Woman of Wisconsin for 2021! Menomonee Falls is very proud of her leadership and accomplishments!
Congratulations to Alyssa Pegelow, an 8th grade art student from North Middle School for earning the “City of Madison Mayor’s Award” for her art piece in the State Youth Art Exhibit. This is a very prestigious award and a great honor. Congratulations to Alyssa!
Congratulations to Shannon Doherty, a 10th grade art student from MFHS for winning three additional awards for her charcoal drawing “Through the Blinds”. Her piece received the following awards: Kathe Kollwitz Best Drawing Southeast Region, Arnold Grummer Award 2nd place, and Scholastic Art – Docent Class of 2017 Cash Prize. Congratulations to the very talented Shannon Doherty!
Congratulations to Immanuel Goveas, an 8th grade student from North Middle School for successfully earning the State Co-Champion Title at the Badger State Spelling Bee this past weekend! A job well done! We wish Immanuel well as he advances to the Scripps National Spelling Bee this summer.
Congratulations to MFHS Teacher, Mrs. Mary Davidson for receiving the 2020 High School Teacher of Excellence Award! Mrs. Davidson was recognized as having a special ability to apply relevant content and to connect that content to student’s day to day lives. She is appreciated for her direct approach to teaching and for her ability to connect with students of all backgrounds. Congratulations to Mrs. Davidson! We are extremely grateful for all she does!

Please click here to watch the recording of the Board of Education meeting.

For questions, comments or to reach the Board of Education, please click here:

Please click here to view a copy of the Board of Education meeting agenda.

Upcoming Board of Education meetings:

April 12, 2021 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

April 26, 2021 at 6 p.m. in the Village Board Room

Thank you from Board Members:

Faith VanderHorst, President

Keri Duce, Vice-President

Cathy Olig, Treasurer

Michele Divelbiss, Clerk

David Noshay

Melinda McShane

Eric Pelzer

Board Bits

April 12, 2021 • Board of Education Meeting

The Finest

Menomonee Falls Scholarship & Educational Foundation President, Ms. Lynn Zindl shared exciting news, as they are very pleased to be planning the 2021 Scholarship Night, in-person. A generous donation of $100,000 was received from a Menomonee Falls retired accountant and mother of a past Menomonee Falls graduate. The scholarship donation will be gifted to five MFHS seniors pursuing a Business Degree, preferably in the accounting field. The Scholarship Night is scheduled for Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in the gym following the CDC health and safety guidelines. This year there are over 65 scholarships to be awarded. The Scholarship Foundation is happy to report they have raised over $65,000 through fundraising efforts. A huge thank you to all the donors who believe in education and believe in the students of Menomonee Falls!
NMS Instructional Coach, Ms. Sue Lee introduced, Immanuel Goveas, a Menomonee Falls Finest for achieving the State Title of Co-Champion in the 2020-2021 Badger Spelling Bee. Immanuel will be competing at the Scripp National Spelling Bee this summer, representing the State of Wisconsin. Immanuel is an 8^th grade student at North Middle School who is very dedicated, humble, and strives to improve himself. Immanuel’s excellence is due to his own hard work and persistence. Today we celebrate his accomplishments, we wish him well, and encourage him to enjoy the journey.
MFHS Principal, Mr. Bob Vitale introduced MFHS English Teacher Ms. Mary Davidson, the recipient of the 2020 State and National WCTE Teacher of Excellence Awards. Ms. Davidson plays an important role with the mentoring program and the student teaching program at the high school. The WCTE (Wisconsin Council of Teachers of English) is an organization made up of secondary English Teachers. Congratulations to Ms. Davidson for earning both the State and National Recognition Awards! Your dedication and hard work is evident and appreciated by all!

Reports

Student School Board Member, Mr. Sahil Shah shared the latest high school sports report. • Currently we are in a transitional period, in between the end of the winter sports and the start of the spring sports. • Tennis has started. Softball, Girls Soccer and Boys Golf have started with contact days. Contact days are the unofficial practices with the coach before the season starts in May. • Menomonee Falls is looking forward to an exciting spring season of sports and ready to cheer our teams on.

Student School Board Member, Ms. Sara Booher shared the academic and club activity updates at the high school. • HOSA started their State Leadership Competition yesterday (April 11) and FBLA started their State Leadership Conference today (April 12). The final results from these competitions will be reported at the next Board meeting. • The National Honor Society is hosting a food drive at the MFHS through April 23, 2021. All proceeds will be donated to the Menomonee Falls Food Pantry – thank you for your support! • The Fifth Annual Spring Fling will take place this Saturday, April 17 at 7 p.m. The in-person tickets are sold out, however, you can still join virtually to support the athletic and academic endeavors. To register for the event virtually, please send an email to mfhsboosterclub@gmail.com to receive participation details. • Peers for Peers is made up of a group of students in the high school who have been trained in ways to listen and help peers find resources in issues surrounding mental health. Peers 4 Peers posters are hanging up throughout the high school. Students can scan the QR codes and they will be set up with a peer listener to talk to. Our dedicated peers are relatable, trustworthy and will serve as a resource for the student body. • The Junior Optimist Club collected 1,227 books at their recent book drive - amazing! The club did a great job setting up and running this event. • The March Youth Art Month has come to a close, however you can still view student artwork on the Instagram page for Menomonee Falls High School Art: #mfhsart. Every day they post something new and it is fun to see the work that is being highlighted.
School Board Member, Mrs. Melinda McShane shared the PTO merger update. Ben Franklin and Riverside are very close to completing the transition, thanks to everyone who helped make this happen this year. The next meeting is April 22, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. We will be taking nominations for officers and hope you can join us!
School Board Member, Mrs. Cathy Olig recognized the CE&Rec for putting together a fantastic activity guide with a variety of activities for people of all ages. Registration for summer school starts Sunday, April 19^th at 9 p.m. Parents are encouraged to check it out. Cathy also shared her experience in the “Be Active Wisconsin” Community Fitness Challenge for Team Menomonee Falls. Participants tracked their fitness minutes throughout the month of March - Menomonee Falls placed 14^th statewide. On a final note, Cathy watched a scrimmage game on new soccer turf; the field and fencing looked great! It is nice to hear that the spring sports teams - softball and baseball - are able to use turf to practice when normal fields are too wet. The Falls Kickers teams have been using it for practices, as well. It is nice to know the entire community is getting use of the new turf.
School Board Member, Mrs. Michele Divelbiss participated in Board of Canvassers meeting last week Friday. The purpose of the meeting was to certify the election results and make sure everything was tallied correctly. This is a standard protocol following each election. Due to the increased volume of early voters, there was a central count for each ward in addition to the individual ward counts. Once this process was clarified, the numbers corresponded perfectly.
School Board Member, Mrs. Faith VanderHorst shared her experience with the staff luncheons last week during the Teacher In-Service Day Sessions. It was a great experience to see the teachers’ in-person and thank them for the work they do. Faith stated how much she misses being in the buildings, saying hello and listening to the concerns and praises. Thank you to the teachers and to the administration staff for working so diligently to put the luncheon event together.
SDMF Superintendent, Mr. Corey Golla reflected on our districts use of Continuous Improvement mindsets and skillsets and shared that we made the cover story for the April edition of the School Administrator Magazine. Our district is featured in an article about how the SDMF overcame the “wicked challenges” during COVID-19 to boost student engagement and learning outcomes. The full article can be found on our social media pages, or visit the Falls News blog on the website, https://fallsschools.wordpress.com.
Mr. Corey Golla shared the Falls Summer Academy registration will open, Sunday April 18, 2021 online beginning at 9 p.m. In-person/drop box registration opens Monday, April 19. More details can be found on the SDMF website or the CE&Rec website.
Mr. Corey Golla shared the district’s obligation and need to discuss a fully virtual option for next year. Please know a decision has not been made for the 2021-2022 school-year. Families presently accessing the virtual option should stay tuned for a scheduled conversation to discuss options, interests and needs for next year. We will follow with a survey once we better understand the needs of our families and the numbers of people with those needs.
Mr. Corey Golla shared the progression of the Valley View principal transition. As was announced, Tina Posnanski will be transitioning from Valley View Elementary School to Ben Franklin Elementary School next year, and we are very excited to have Ms. Posnanski lead the Early Literacy work. We have screened over 60 quality applicants with a lot of interest both internally and externally. We are hoping to make an announcement in early May.

Board Committee Reports

Personnel Committee Chair, Mrs. Michele Divelbiss provided an update from the committee meeting on March 18, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-Request of a Waiver from Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for Evaluations for Certified Staff

-Staffing and Substitute Fill Rate Overview

-Review of the Draft 2021-22 District Employee Handbook

-Moved into a Closed Session to Discuss Individual Contracts

Policy Committee Member, Mr. Eric Pelzer provided an update from the committee meeting on March 25, 2021. Topics included the discussion of:

-Policy 455.1 Student Bicycle Use

-Policy 455.2 Student Drivers

-Policy 443 Code of Conduct

-Policy 443.4 Student Alcohol and Other Drug

-Potential Changes to Board Self-Evaluation

Legislative Items

Board Vice-President, Mrs. Keri Duce updated the Board on the following Legislative Items:

-The Joint Finance Committee began their first hearing last Friday, April 9, 2021 in Whitewater. Eight WASB Members attended and testified in front of the Joint Finance Committee. The next hearing will be virtual on April 28, 2021. The virtual hearing registration opens on April 19 and will allow 200 people to attend. You are welcome to submit your comments through the JFC website, email, or US Mail.

-The Education Committee in the State of Wisconsin did a hearing about Federal Funding Usage for the K12 audience last week. There was a discussion around broadband possibly being part of a Federal Infrastructure Package.

-Newly elected Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jill Underly, will assume office July 5, 2021.

-Interesting fact: 60% of the proposed school referendums on the ballot were passed this election.

-SWSA meets next week Tuesday, April 20, 2021.

Discussion Items

MFSD Superintendent, Mr. Corey Golla discussed our COVID-19 Response Plan based on our current school status report of positive case rates among students and staff, quarantine levels and an analysis of local and internal spread. Locally our burden rate has been stable at a moderately low risk level. Our student and employee health is good. We are continuing to stress the importance of our mitigation efforts across the system and the community. Our school teams are creatively planning for end-of-year activities to continue protecting our health while offering some celebrations and rituals that feel familiar to us. We all should feel proud of where we are at.
Mr. Corey Golla congratulated Keri Duce and Jennifer Grant who were elected into the two available Board of Education seats during the April 6 Spring Election. The election results have been certified by the Board of Canvassers last Friday. Both members will be sworn in at the April 26 Board of Education meeting. On April 26 we will be celebrating departing Board Member, Mr. David Noshay for his exceptional leadership and service over the years.

Director of Finance and Operations, Mr. Keith Brightman shared information about the 2021-24 busing contract. The current transportation contract with Johnson Bus expires at the end of the school year. The District has negotiated contract renewal terms with Johnson Bus for a new three-year term. The Finance Committee and outside legal counsel have both been part of the contract review process and it was moved to the full Board for review.

Mr. Keith Brightman reviewed Policy 455.1 Student Bicycle Use. This policy was reviewed at both the Finance and Policy Committee meetings. There are no changes to the current policy language.

Mr. Keith Brightman shared Policy 455.2 Student Drivers. This policy was reviewed and updated at both the Finance and Policy Committee meetings and was moved to the full Board for review.

Director of Pupil Services, Mrs. Stacy Klemm shared Policy 443, Code of Conduct. This policy was reviewed and updated with each Building Principal and was moved to the full Board for review.

Mrs. Stacy Klemm shared Policy 443.4, Alcohol and Other Drug Use. This policy was reviewed and updated with the Pupil Service Team, the Building Principals and the Policy Committee and was moved to the full Board for review.

Action Items

Motion was approved to process vouchers payable through April 8, 2021.

Shout Outs…

Congratulations to Immanuel Goveas, Co-Champion State Title in the 2020 Badger Spelling Bee. He represents himself, his family and school district so incredibly well. We wish Immanuel good luck at the national competition this summer!
Congratulations to Ms. Mary Davidson for earning the WCTE State and National Teacher of Excellence Award! Everything you do matters and what you bring to our English Department is phenomenal! These awards are well deserved!
Thank you to Mr. Keith Brightman for your diligent work in negotiating our service contracts for the district. It is a long and involved process and he does a GREAT job! Mr. Brightman is truly an asset to the district and to the tax payers of the community. You are appreciated!
Thank you to Mr. Jason Husslein and the Community Education and Recreation Staff for your dedication and efforts in providing summer activities for our students, and summer employment for our staff. This is a positive note from where we were last year. Also, thank you for putting together a fantastic activity guide. There is an impressive variety of activities for people of all ages.

Thank you to Ms. Lynn Zindl and Ms. Cathy Hazzard for your amazing work with the Menomonee Falls Scholarship Foundation. We appreciate your time and commitment you have put forward to help support our scholars.
Thank you to the many generous donors who have helped fund the Menomonee Falls Scholarship & Educational Foundation and helped support the graduating students of 2021. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
Thank you to the staff of SDMF, our true Champions. Your resilience is remarkable and so much appreciated by our families, district, and community. It is so inspiring to see the great things we can accomplish as a team… Thank you!

Please click here to watch the recording of the Board of Education meeting.

For questions, comments or to reach the Board of Education, please click here: