Over the next few weeks, all OASD schools will participate in safety drills following the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) safety protocol. This training encourages staff and students to respond to an unsafe person based on the situation, rather than rely on centralized instructions in dynamic times of crisis.

The purpose of these safety drills is to provide students and staff the opportunity to practice making a well-informed decision if an unsafe and unexpected situation were to happen at school. Before these drills are held, teachers will hold age-appropriate discussions on:

• what will take place during the training
• how to calmly complete the exercise
• what materials students may need to have with them
• the expectations for remaining orderly throughout the drill

Parents will receive additional information, including specific dates and times, via email prior to and during these drills. Any school-specific information will also be shared in these emails. Please contact your school front office with any questions about these safety drills.

Thank you for your support of safety education in the Oconomowoc Area School District.

Your Choice Prevention Education is hosting the "Wake Up Call" exhibit at the Oconomowoc Arts Center. "Wake-Up Call," is a life-size exhibit of a teen's bedroom with more than 20 "red flags" that can signal drug or alcohol use. The bedroom identifies spots where teens may hide drugs, household items that can be used as drug paraphernalia and ways teens try to cover up drug and alcohol use. This FREE presentation is intended for adults only, 21 years of age and older.

Participants will:

• Learn the signs and symptoms associated with substance use as well as current drug trends
• Receive a guided tour of the bedroom along with a description of items used to conceal substance use
• Learn parenting strategies to help prevent substance use
• Receive a comprehensive resource handbook
• Receive an opportunity to go through the bedroom and ask questions

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

The Oconomowoc Arts Center

641 E. Forest Street, Oconomowoc

6:00-6:30 p.m. - Resource Fair

6:30-8:00 p.m. - "Wake Up Call" tour presented by Your Choice team members

Please register for this FREE event through this link.

For questions about this event, please contact Brenda Barker at (262)-569-4950 or Sandi Lybert at (262)-367-9901.

Every Student at Nature Hill Intermediate School Has a Story – Here's How We Learn Them

Start To Learn Their Story Early

The staff at Nature Hill Intermediate School understand that moving from elementary to intermediate school can be frightening and challenging for students and parents. To help make the transition less intimidating, the Nature Hill team uses several programs to begin meeting students and families early, before the new school year begins.

In the spring, fourth graders from Ixonia, Greenland, and Meadow View Elementary Schools visit Nature Hill to see the school and learn what it means to become part of the Nature Hill "Wolf Pack." The visit is a good way to introduce students to the school while they're with their classmates and fourth grade teachers in a field trip environment. This visit allows the Nature Hill fifth grade teachers to observe student personalities and interaction when the students are in a more comfortable and relaxed situation.

After the visit, Nature Hill Administrative and Student Services staff meet with all of the elementary school staff teams. They learn more about the incoming fifth grade students and plan for any additional support that might be needed for specific students.

The final spring event is a fifth grade transition night with students and families. Parents meet the Nature Hill teachers and learn more about the school and changes they can expect for the new school year. While families are meeting teachers, students meet with outgoing fifth graders to talk about Nature Hill and being part of the "Wolf Pack."

Where Everyone Belongs (WEB)

It's important for teachers to get to know their students, but it's equally important for students to feel comfortable enough to share their personalities at a new school. Where Everyone Belongs (WEB) is a program developed to help incoming fifth graders feel familiar and comfortable at Nature Hill, so they're already part of the Wolf Pack on the first day of school. The program also gives students resources and tools that they can use if they need help or have apprehensions about their first year at Nature Hill.

Nature Hill eighth graders, Camille Jostad, Adam Lois, and Samantha Jappinen, are all WEB leaders who helped lead the fifth grade WEB experience in August. Samantha described the program at the Oconomowoc Area School District School Board meeting on October 16. She said, "WEB makes a fifth grader's transition from elementary school to middle school a little easier. We also play games and do activities with the kids to make their transition a little easier. It makes the kids know they're part of a community at school. We hope that 5th graders feel connected to the 8th graders through WEB."

Eighth grader Adam Lois explained the day-long WEB program in August. "This is the day where we meet the fifth graders. We all come into an assembly and we make a giant tunnel and have all the fifth graders run through it. It's just a cool way to introduce all the fifth graders to the school. After that we break up into small groups where we play different games with them and get to know the fifth graders."

The WEB program then extends throughout the school year, with the eighth graders periodically meeting with their fifth grade WEB team, to see how they're doing and offer guidance or help with anything they can.

Camille Jostad concluded the School Board meeting presentation by explaining what the WEB program meant to her when she was an incoming eighth grader. "In WEB I met new people who are now my best friends. It helped me so much just getting to know them and be social with them. I walked around the school and I got to see all my classes and see where the lunch room is. I also got to use my lock which was really helpful. Now being a WEB leader, I want to make the fifth graders feel comfortable and welcome coming into our school."

Learning a Student's Story Within the Classroom

Nature Hill Intermediate teachers, Kelly Boldt and Shelly Favorite, explained some of the approaches they use to build community within their classrooms, beginning the very first day of school. "This year we were excited with the one-to-one technology. We decided to take some activities we've done in the past with learner profiles, using paper and pen, and instead put it into a technology format."

Shelly Favorite explained further saying, "in addition to wanting to build our community, we wanted the kids to get to know each other on a personal level, on a learning level, and everything about them that's going to help them be successful in the classroom." To accomplish this community building, they created a Google Classroom with a variety of activities for the students to complete in small groups. They included videos, questionnaires, interactive games, and writing sections. When the groups completed all of the sections, they created a "teach us about you" project, where they made a video, a slide show, or a collage that they shared with the class. It worked very well for their students, and brought everyone together.

Nature Hill Principal, Chuck Olson, concluded by saying, "our goal is to learn our students story, to understand their learning profile. When we know our students stories, we can build classes that meet every students unique learning needs."

Left to right: Nature Hill 5^th grade teacher, Shelly Favorite, 5^th grade teacher, Kelly Boldt, Samantha Jappinen, Camille Jostad, Adam Lois, and Nature Hill Intermediate Principal, Chuck Olson

Through the generosity of the Oconomowoc Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, First Bank Financial Center, and ProHealth Care, the Oconomowoc Area School District has received 9 Bleeding Control Kits. The kits were created through a program called "Stop the Bleed" which seeks to strengthen training and availability of medical supplies in an injury or massive bleeding situation. A Bleeding Control Pack will be available at each OASD school and district medical response staff will receive training to use the supplies.

From the First Bank Financial Centre Press Release:

The "Stop the Bleed" campaign was initiated by a federal interagency workgroup convened by the National Security Council Staff and The White House. The purpose of the campaign is to build national resilience by better preparing the public to save lives by raising awareness of basic actions to stop life threatening bleeding following everyday emergencies and man-made and natural disasters.

"At ProHealth Care, we strive to be the health care leader in Waukesha County by providing outstanding care across a full spectrum of services," said Sarah Butz, ProHealth Care Director, Community Benefit. "Those services may expand beyond our facilities, and supporting this initiative in our schools is an excellent example of that outreach."

Mark W. Mohr, President and CEO of First Bank Financial Centre, added, "Oconomowoc has been our home for nearly 160 years. It's an honor to support our schools in a variety of ways, and this initiative is a potentially life-saving program for our kids and teachers."

The campaign includes medical training and provides kits filled with supplies to be used in an emergency. Each kit includes a tourniquet, permanent marker, trauma dressing, gauze, two pairs of gloves, shears/scissors, and an instruction card.

Pictured in Photo from left to right: Greg Maroo, Oconomowoc Area School District; Jennifer Wucherer, Oconomowoc Area School District; Sarah Butz, ProHealth Care; Dave Sutton, Oconomowoc Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation; Christy Deal, Oconomowoc Area School District; Jeff McCarthy, First Bank Financial Centre; Kay Nissen, ProHealth Care and Paula Jacobs, ProHealth Care Foundation.

OCONOMOWOC, WI- November 14, 2018. WSPRA presented the Spectrum Awards at its recent annual conference, Nov. 7-9, in Madison, Wis. The OASD earned an Award of Excellence for its 2015-16 Annual Report, Learners and Leaders Community Newsletter, and the Oconomowoc High School Programming Brochures.

Spectrum Awards recognize high-quality public relations efforts produced by or on behalf of Wisconsin school districts. This year, this statewide competition honored 42 school districts with awards.

"Spectrum Award winners exemplify the very best communications work in school districts across the state," said WSPRA President Christina Brey. "The winners demonstrate the value of engaging stakeholders in order to build community support for Wisconsin's public schools."

WSPRA's Spectrum Awards are judged by members of other school public relations associations throughout the United States, including from Illinois, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, and South Carolina. All entries were judged on a 30-point scale in six areas: goals and objectives, research and planning, execution and evaluation, results, language, and design.

The Wisconsin School Public Relations Association (WSPRA) is a professional association representing schools, school districts, educational associations, consulting agencies and organizations. The theme for the 2018 conference was "Building on the Best. Creating the best possible school communications for student success!"

WSPRA is a state affiliate of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA). The mission of WSPRA is to expand the capacity of its members to provide effective communication management for the purpose of strengthening educational opportunities for all students.

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Photo:

Left to Right: Kelly Ellifson (OASD Communications and Marketing), Nathan Chow (Foundry Creative Director), Jenni Holland (OASD Communications and Marketing Manager)

This year's theme for our Oconomowoc Area School District (OASD) School Board presentations is Every Student Has a Story. The teachers and staff at Park Lawn Elementary School work hard every day to understand each student's story, but also know how important it is to understand each family's story too.

At the November 13, 2018, OASD School Board meeting, Park Lawn Elementary Principal Jennifer Jones was joined by the LePage family and Park Lawn staff members, Laura Schleicher, Taryn Trost, Samantha Speich, and Becky Scheltz. The group came together to share their story of academic variability within a family and how that mirrors the academic variability that our teachers strive to address each day. Mrs. Jones introduced the LePage family and shared the strengths of each student – Sam, who is in sixth grade and is gifted in math; Sophia, who is in first grade and talented in art and creative expression; and Gabe, who is gifted in reading and is a child with autism.

Kindergarten teacher, Taryn Trost, and Learning Strategist, Samantha Speich, shared some of the tools they use to ensure the curriculum is meeting the needs of all the students in their classroom. They specifically shared some of the tools and approaches they created to ensure Gabe's academic needs are met.

The team emphasized the crucial role of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in their efforts to proactively plan and tackle barriers for learners, instead of waiting for a learning barrier to occur. Principal Jones said, "Thank goodness we have the kind of common planning time that our teachers have, that we have professional development opportunities where our teachers can collaborate and learn and grow together, so that they can learn about the students and plan the necessary action steps that they need, so they can meet that variability academically."

4K Teacher, Laura Schleicher, talked about teaching Sophia and Gabe and the changes she needed to make in her approach. She also worked closely with Samantha Speich to design the right curriculum for both students, adding, "We also planned a lot. Things that worked, things that we needed to fix, we talked on a daily basis and constantly were collaborating."

Mrs. Jones concluded the presentation by saying, "It's nearly impossible to predict the combination of strengths and weaknesses any student will possess. The flexibility of presentation, materials, and the physical environment allow for a wider range of access for all students."

Left to right: Park Lawn Learning Strategist, Samantha Speich, 4K Teacher, Laura Schleicher, Paraprofessional Becky Scheltz, 5K Teacher, Taryn Trost, Gabe L., Principal, Jennifer Jones, Sara L., Sam L., and Sophia L.

Join us as we celebrated the dedication ceremony of the Gale Douglas Field House on December 6, 2018, at 6:45 p.m. before the start of the first OHS Raccoon Varsity Dual meet of the season.

The OASD Board of Education approved the naming of the OHS Field House after Hall of Fame Wrestling Coach Gale Douglas. Coach Douglas was the head OHS Wrestling Coach from 1967-1991. His major accomplishments include:

• Dual meet Record of 292-49-2
• 43 Team Invitational Championships
• 11 Conference Championships
• 84 State Qualifiers, including 6 Champions
• Inducted into the Wrestling hall of Fame in 1995

An OHS Raccoon Wrestling Alumni dinner will be held on December 7, 2018, at Lakeside Supper Club and Lounge at 6:00 p.m. to honor Coach Douglas. Cost of the dinner is $30.00. Food choices are fish, chicken or beef. Please RSVP by December 1 to Eric Jensen.

Tax deductible donations are also being accepted for the Oconomowoc Area School Disrict- Douglas Field House Project. Donations can be made online or checks (made out to OASD) should be sent to:

Oconomowoc Area School District
Attn: Mitzi Cass, Business Office Manager
915 E. Summit Avenue
Oconomowoc, WI 53066

Questions should be directed to V.J. Scully at 414-588-0373.

The Oconomowoc High School seeks donations to help restore four beautiful, handcrafted vintage string instruments: two violins, a cello and a viola. These fine musical instruments were built by local musician Frank Chatfield and donated to the school in the 1930's. The donated instruments were used by students for several decades until they fell into disrepair and were put into storage. The decision was made in 2015 to preserve the instruments and restore them to playing condition.

Chatfield, a long-time city planner for Oconomowoc, took up the hobby of building and repairing stringed instruments, most notably violins, violas and cellos. He harvested wood for his instruments from trees in the Lac La Belle Area, and some of that wood, which still exists, will be used to repair the instruments.

The school needs your help to repair these historic instruments! Scott Sleider, a world-renown luthier in the Milwaukee area, has agreed to do the meticulous restoration work at an estimated cost of $28,000. As of December 11, 2018, $12,830 has been raised. OHS hopes to raise an additional $15,000 to reach the goal of complete restoration.

A tax donation of any amount can be added to your cart to help fund the restoration process.

Click the link below to donate to donate.

(Photo Credit: Todd Ponath, Lake Country Publications.)

Greenland Elementary School continued our Oconomowoc Area School District (OASD) School Board Showcase theme on December 11, by presenting, "Every Student Has a Story: Greenland Elementary Fourth Grade."

Greenland Fourth Grade Teachers Michelle Ware, Jennifer Edwards, and Cathy Seidenglanz, began the presentation by saying, "We started thinking about the students in our classrooms and their stories and couldn't come up with just one story to tell. It's hard to tell you about our fourth grade community without telling all of our students' stories. We work on creating a community in our classrooms and using that community to ensure that every child is successful. We teach students that we all have strengths and obstacles. We rely on our community to ensure that we are all successful."

All 64 fourth grade students shared their story by video, saying things like, "I am the student who needs a quiet work space," or "I am the student who needs help but struggles to ask for it," and "I am the student who communicates with an iPad."

Two Greenland Elementary students also shared their stories in-person at the School Board meeting. Fourth grader, Elias Mandigo described his experience as a new student at Greenland and talked about the warm welcome he received from staff and students, making his transition easier. Chyanne Fox added her story as a student who excels in math and appreciates her math extension time, where she can use online tools to try new and more challenging math problems.

Greenland Elementary Principal, Shannon McCaffery then introduced several Greenland parents by saying, "just like we have 64 fourth grade stories, there are also parent stories to tell." Stephanie Seefeldt described her experience relocating her family to Oconomowoc in 2016 and sending her, then second grader, to Greenland. "What has set Greenland apart for me is what takes place almost every day before and after school. When we pulled up for the first day of second grade, Mrs. McCaffery greeted each and every car, opening the car door to welcome the kids. What this actually does is create a culture of compassion and warmth when our kids arrive and head home." She concluded by saying, "I am the parent who on June seventh, after 16 years of elementary school, will be crying in the car line."

Andy Brezski added, "We open enroll to Oconomowoc Area School District. We chose Greenland and have always been glad we did. The staff and administration really care about each student and their well-being. We've always felt like part of a team, working to support the kids."

Cathy Seidenglanz concluded the presentation by saying, "We really believe that the future of the world is in our classroom each day. That's why every student story; their present story, their past story, their future story; is our mission."

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Greenland Elementary, OASD School Board Presentation

Back, left to right: Shannon McCaffery, Greenland Elementary Principal, Stephanie Seefeldt, Greenland Elementary Parent, Andy Brezski, Greenland Elementary Parent, Cathy Seidenglanz, 4^th Grade Teacher, Sara Pyka, 4^th Grade Teacher, Michelle Ware, 4^th Grade Teacher, and Jennifer Edwards, 4^th Grade Teacher

Front, left to right: Greenland 4^th Grade Students: Bennett Brzeski, Elias Mandigo, Chynne Fox, and Ezra Seefeldt

Current 8th Grade Families and Students are invited to the OHS Freshman Information Night on Monday, January 21, 2019, from 6:00-8:30 p.m. inside the Gale Douglas Fieldhouse.

This year we'll have a new format, designed for parents and students to start their journey as Oconomowoc High School Raccoons. The night will include:

• A review of the OHS Program Planning Guide and scheduling courses
• One-on-one course advising and support
• Additional assistance if you're new to the OASD
• Opportunity to learn about athletics and clubs
• Incoming Freshman student forum, led by our Junior and Senior Raccoons

Due to the expected inclement weather conditions today, the OASD is canceling all after school activities for Elementary Schools, Intermediate Schools, and Oconomowoc High School. This includes all after-school clubs, sports, and meetings scheduled at all district buildings.

YMCA After School Care at our elementary schools will remain open for students enrolled in that program.

You're Invited to our Elementary School Open Houses!

If you're new to the OASD or considering enrolling in an OASD school for the 2019-20 school year, please join us for one of our elementary school open houses. You'll learn more about our OASD elementary schools, get a tour of the school, meet the principal, and join some of our fun events.

No RSVP required, we're looking forward to seeing you!

Meadow View Elementary
Friday, February 1, 2019
5:30 p.m. - Virtual tour of the new Meadow View Elementary School
6:00 p.m. - Join us for the PTO family dinner and bingo night

Greenland Elementary
Thursday, February 7, 2019
6:30 - 7:30 p.m. - Join us for the Science Fair

Park Lawn Elementary
Thursday, February 7, 2019
5:30-7:00 p.m. - Join us at the Talent Show

Summit Elementary
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
6:30 p.m. - Presentation
7:00 p.m. - School Tour

Ixonia Elementary
Thursday, March 14, 2019
4:00-6:00 p.m. - Join us for an open house during the Learning Celebration
6:00 p.m. - Presentation
6:30 p.m. - School Tour

The Silver Lake Intermediate 5th grade parent information night has been rescheduled for Monday, February 4, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the Silver Lake Cafeteria.

If your child is currently in 4th grade, preparing to move to Silver Lake Intermediate for 5th grade next year, please join us for an information meeting to prepare for the journey. You'll learn more about the culture at Silver Lake, what to expect in the transition to middle school, the changes in daily schedule, and much more. We're looking forward to seeing you!

You're invited to the 14th Annual Oconomowoc High School Jazz Dance - Black, White & Be Bop!

Friday, February 22, 2019
6:00-10:30 p.m.
Waukesha Expo Center

Tomorrow's OHS Basketball games and the food drive have been moved up. The new game times will be:
- JV2 Gold vs. Arrowhead @ 3:30 p.m.
- JV vs. Arrowhead @ 3:30 p.m.
- Varsity vs. Arrowhead @ 5:00 p.m.

The Orbis Corporation and Oconomowoc High School will be hosting a food drive on Tuesday, January 29, at the OHS Boys Basketball games. Food donations will benefit the Oconomowoc Food Pantry. Bring a non-perishable food item to one of the games at the OHS Gale Douglas Fieldhous.

January 29th OHS Boys Basketball Schedule:

• JV2 Gold vs. Arrowhead @ 4:00 p.m.
• JV vs. Arrowhead @ 5:15 p.m.
• Varsity vs. Arrowhead @ 7:00 p.m.

Thank you to the Orbis Corporation for helping us support the Oconomowoc families in need of these donations!

The Oconomowoc Area School District is closed tomorrow due to the cold weather. This includes after school activities, clubs, and sports scheduled at our Elementary and Intermediate schools, and Oconomowoc High School. However, due to the diminished afternoon wind chills expected tomorrow, a few after school events will proceed as scheduled, including:

• Nature Hill Intermediate parent/teacher conferences
• OHS Senior Directed Play, Rumors, at the Oconomowoc Arts Center
• OHS previously scheduled athletic competitions

The OASD cancels school if there is a Wind Chill Warning with sustained wind chills at a level of 35 degrees below zero or more, and those temperatures are again projected through noon tomorrow.

Please visit www.oasd.org/Emergency for cold weather updates.

El Distrito Escolar del Área de Oconomowoc estará cerrado mañana debido al clima.

Based on the record-breaking West End production and the beloved film, and featuring an unforgettable score by the Sherman Brothers, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. is one blockbuster that audiences will find Truly Scrumptious. Join Potts, Truly, the Baron and the Baroness, our townspeople, children, Vulgarians and more, in this epic tale of imagination and fun! Tickets available at www.TheOAC.net.

Thursday, February 14th at 7:00 PM
Friday, February 15th at 7:00 PM
Saturday, February 16th at 1:00 PM
Saturday, February 16th at 7:00 PM

*Preshow begins about 20 minutes prior to the start time.

Important: This is only a training and not an emergency!

The Oconomowoc Area School District (OASD), in partnership with the Oconomowoc Police Department (OPD), will be holding an Armed Intruder Training district-wide for all staff on August 29, 2018.

These training sessions will be held at all OASD schools and there will be a police presence at each location during the training. Police Department officials will be shooting blank rounds inside buildings to familiarize staff with the sound of live firearms.

District staff will spend time practicing:

• How to be flexible in their response to an emergency, based on the information available
• How to feel empowered in deciding the safest response, based on the information available
• How to communicate with each other and alert one another in an emergency

OASD Staff Training Schedule:

Nature Hill Intermediate Social Studies Teacher, Erik Jappinen, participated in a unique learning opportunity this summer. He spent a week in Virginia at the Monticello Teacher Institute, a summer fellowship program for American History teachers. This was Jappinen's second trip to Monticello, having visited last fall through the Worldstrides program. This summer's experience was much different because the Monticello Teacher Institute is an opportunity to research and study at Monticello, with a goal of enhancing classroom teaching on Thomas Jefferson's ideas and life.

During the Institute, Jappinen had the opportunity to privately tour Monticello and learn more about the lives of the enslaved people and families who lived there. He was also able to work with Monticello's lead historian and meet several of the archaeological staff working to uncover relics and better understand life at the site. The highlights of the week included:

• The opportunity for fellows to talk with noted Jefferson historian, Peter Onuf, via Skype.
• Access to the University of Virginia Special Collections Library, where Jappinen saw one of the 25 original printings of the Declaration of Independence and a copy of Notes on the State of Virginia, which Thomas Jefferson gave to the Marquis de Lafayette with personal inscription.

In addition to their time at Monticello, the fellows also toured Highland, the home of the fifth president, James Monroe, and the University of Virginia's Rotunda and Academical Village, both designed by Thomas Jefferson.

At the end of the weeklong Institute, Jappinen created a lesson plan that will be added to the Monticello Digital Classroom, an online resource for teachers across the country to enhance their classroom teaching on Thomas Jefferson. His lesson plan was a review and interpretation of the significant correspondence between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams over the course of their public lives. In many ways, their correspondence mirrored the growth and changes that the country was experiencing. "I had the opportunity to work with fifteen other teachers from across the country as we studied aspects of Thomas Jefferson's ideas and life. I also, and more importantly, learned a lot about someone that I believed I already knew," said Jappinen. "I would highly encourage all teachers to search out these types of immersive professional development opportunities. I met fifteen incredible educators and three terrific leaders from Monticello who I hope will continue to impact my teaching and learning. It was so rewarding," said Jappinen about his experience.

Nature Hill Intermediate Social Studies Teacher, Erik Jappinen, with statue of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello

Monticello Teachers Institute Group, Erik Jappinen in back row, far right

Monticello Teachers Institute Skype discussion with noted Jefferson historian, Peter Onuf.

One of the 25 original printings of the Declaration of Independence.

The main house at Monticello.

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