Pupil Services

The Pupil Services Department includes special education, school nursing, social work, psychologists, school counseling and teachers of english learners. The District believes that excellence is pursued one student at a time. This is inclusive of all the students in the District. The Department of Pupil Services works to remove barriers and provide students access to their education so they make progress as individually defined. If you have questions, comments or would like to speak to someone directly about these areas please contact the Director of Pupil Services Laura Schieffer at (262)946-2354 or email schilau@sdmfschools.org. In addition, you can locate the pupil services staff by location using the links below.

Dyslexia & Other Related Conditions

The School District of Menomonee Falls supports all students including those with dyslexia and other related conditions. Please contact your child’s classroom teacher and school principal for guidance on how we can best work together to support your child’s educational needs.

Wisconsin's Informational Guidebook on Dyslexia and Related Conditions, required by 2019 Wisconsin Act 86, was created through collaboration between the advisory committee to help learners, families, and educators:

understand the characteristics of dyslexia and related conditions and how they can be identified.
share characteristics of instruction that can effectively serve students with dyslexia and related conditions so that all Wisconsin students get the instruction/interventions they need when they need it;
help families understand what information to request and questions to ask to better understand their child’s strengths and needs as a learner;
help families understand how their child’s needs as a reader are, or can be, addressed;
help families understand educational language related to reading, including common terms related to assessment, instruction, and intervention;
help families understand the universal instruction and/or interventions educators and educational systems use and how to effectively meet the needs of readers with dyslexia or related conditions; and
support educational systems in considering how their system addresses assessment, screening, instruction, and intervention for all readers, including those with dyslexia and related conditions and those who struggle for other reasons.

Per Act 86, the informational guidebook discusses screening, instruction and intervention, and resources that can support improved learning for school-aged individuals with characteristics of dyslexia. The audience for the information is broad and includes but is not limited to parents and families, educators, interventionists or reading teachers, and educational leaders.

Click here for a one-page summary of the Dyslexia Guidebook.

Each school district is required to include a link to the informational guidebook on dyslexia and related conditions; the school district link must be available no later than December 1, 2021.

English Language Learners

The district is fortunate to have a diverse student population with students who are learning to speak multiple languages. To support all student’s access to school the district has dedicated EL teachers who work with families and students who are learning english. In addition to supporting students, the EL teachers work with families to access resources to communicate with their student’s school and so families can participate in their students' educational experience. Please contact your students' school and they will connect you with an EL teacher to support your next steps or review the EL student handbook for more information.

Resources

School Counseling

The district has licensed school counselors in all the schools to assist students with social, emotional, and academic and career planning. In addition to school counselors, the district provides space for on-site counseling services for students who need counseling support beyond the role of a school counselor. These counseling services are not provided by district staff, however are provided in the school buildings to provide better access to services for students. Please use the following resources pages to learn how our school counselors and on-site counselors work to serve students in the buildings.

School Counseling Resources Pages

Elementary School Counseling

North Middle School Counseling

High School Counseling

Mental Wellness

On-Site Counseling Services

Elementary Schools

North Middle School

High Schools

School Nursing Services

Our district nurses support the district with health care concerns and wellness requirements for students. They oversee the health rooms at all of our schools and support each school when addressing health care needs in the classroom. In addition when they are in contact with the health department when medical recommendations are needed. Please visit the nursing website if you need additional information on how the nurses can support your child’s health care needs.

Special Education

The School District of Menomonee Falls serves individuals with a wide range of academic, social, emotional, behavioral, intellectual and communication needs ages 3-21. These needs are first met through our partnership with families for the development of an Individualized Education Plan. Plans are followed through the collaboration of our dedicated and caring staff, including regular education teachers, special education teachers, speech and language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, transition service coordinator, educational assistants, psychologists, and social workers, to name a few. For additional information about special education, please access DPI Families Rights. and view our Annual Notices.

If your child is not identified as having a disability but you suspect they may have a significant impairment in one or more areas of development, contact our office or your building principal regarding the next steps to support your child's access to their education. In addition you will find staff members by location in the district staff directory.

SDMF Family Engagement Liaisons

The District Family Engagement Liaisons are new positions for the School District of Menomonee Falls. We are trained by the Wisconsin Statewide Parent Educator Initiative (WSPEI) to support positive communication between the school district and families of children with disabilities. We hope to work with parents and school staff to support your child's success in the classroom. Here are some of the ways we can support you:

Mentor families who are new to special education through the referral, evaluation, and IEP process
Answer questions families have about how to participate in their child's education and IEP process
Offer mentoring and coaching to help resolve conflicts between families and the IEP team
Share information and resources with families and the school community
Refer students and families to CESA family engagement coordinators and DPI contacts for further support
Support families and educators in building and maintaining positive communication to improve student outcomes
District Family Engagement Liaisons DO NOT attend IEP meetings with families. We can offer mentoring before or after IEP meetings. We maintain confidentiality with students, parents, and educators.

Click here to learn more about our Family Engagement Liaisons