Principal Thoughts
I am currently taking a graduate school class to renew my state license. As part of the class we needed to write a belief statement. I thought I would share with you what I wrote for the class.
Throughout American history, education has always meant opportunity. The opportunity education provides to go as far as your ability allows is essential to my vision. Abraham Lincoln said that it was only through education that a person "may truly appreciate the value of our free institutions." I look forward to an education system that allows students the opportunity to reach the height of their potential. This system would encourage teachers to truly be professionals, focused on helping students reach their potential while striving to continue a process of lifelong learning in themselves.
I look forward to a school system that realizes that all students do not start on an equal footing. As a high school administrator I saw plenty of students with lots of potential but little if any support at home. I had many a heart to heart discussion with students encouraging them to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and make it in the world on their own. However, we often forgot to give them the tools to deal with the emotions and challenges that a difficult home life can bring. When I moved to the elementary it became even more apparent that we needed to make the most of the time we have each day with students to help them feel safe and supported. No longer could I just tell the student they needed to step up on their own.
I believe that programs like Conscious Discipline are essential because they provide students of all ages with the tools to manage their emotions and advocate for themselves. Schools need to have alternative education programs to help compensate for deficiencies at home over which the student has no control. Schools need to adapt instruction to meet the needs of all learners. As an administrator I believe it is my responsibility to provide my staff with the training and tools to meet the academic and emotional needs of our students.
I believe that it is essential that our education system provides a broad experience through a strong emphasis on the arts, sciences, and humanities. At the elementary level it cannot be just about reading and math in isolation. The key is to teach those key subjects across the curriculum. In our charter school we provide students with hands on connections to science and social studies by utilizing community resources. Our students know what it is like to graph weather conditions while hiking through our local environmental center. They read and write about the fur trade in Wisconsin while learning how the Grignon family lived and developed one of the first fur trading posts in Wisconsin. They also learn with engineers at Kaukauna Utilities how math is used to track power usage in our community. Administrators need to encourage teachers to challenge themselves to present information in ways that highlight the opportunities available through education and link it to their community.
I believe in an education system in which administrators, teachers, parents and students feel ownership in the school community, and most importantly the curriculum. We talk a lot about building a school family in Conscious Discipline. We welcome parents to participate in the learning taking place in our school. Another key part of our charter is building community connections. Our K-Kids Club is a great way for kids to support their community through service projects that they come up with. Our parent advisory committee is very active and our governance board provides parents with direct involvement in determining the direction our school will take moving forward. This system encourages ownership for students and parents. Faculty meetings where the opinions of those involved are valued and not taken for granted is also important.
I believe that the leader of the school must reflect the mission and purpose of the educational system in all actions and activities. The administrator of the school cannot expect more out or their staff than they would expect from themselves. It my responsibility as a leader to develop and support a climate that values educational opportunity, the staff within our school and the community that entrusts us with their most important resource, its children.
The Kaukauna Strong Challenge
This event was formerly known as the Park Community 4K5K Run/Walk. We have been working hard to update this event and broaden the audience of potential participants. This year the event will feature three separate events for participants.The Traditional 5K Family Walk - the walk will follow the same route as past years starting with registration in the school parking lot and beginning and ending at Veterans Memorial Park across from school. Participants will walk past the Grignon Mansion along the Fox River. There are no prizes for the walk but all participants who register prior to April 28th will receive an event T-shirt.
The Competitive 5K Run - This year we are adding a competitive 5k Run that will challenge participants to run up Mt. Misery in Gignon Park. This challenging route will award prizes for 1st and 2nd place and everyone who enters prior to April 28th will recieve an event T-shirt.
The Bike Ride - this year we are adding a 20 and 10 mile Bike Ride. The ride will start at Veteran Memorial Park and head past our community partners Kaukauna Utilities and 1000 Islands Environmental Center. Both routes will head out County Road ZZ along the Fox River. The 20 mile route will continue to Wrightstown and back while a 10 mile route is available also (Green line on map).
We are excited to expand our school family event to make it a true Kaukauna community event. Please invite anyone you know who is interested in running/walking or biking to participate.
- Why - Funds from this family friendly event will be used to support further staff training in Conscious Discipline.
- When - Sunday May 7th
- Time - 11:00 Registration at Park Community Charter School with Noon start time for all events.
- Anticipated End Time - 1:30 for the run and walk, 2:00 for the 20 mile Bike Ride.
- Cost - $20.00 for Participants 13 or older, $15.00 each for groups of six or more with all participants 13 or older, Participants 5-13 $10.00, Kids 4 or less Free!
Please Click Here to access the register online. If you are interested in helping to plan this important fundraiser for our school please contact Brooke Wells at 766-6129 or wellsb@kaukaunasd.org.
Teacher Feature
Mrs. Kuehl - KindergartenWhere are you from? Green Bay, WI
Where did you go to High School and/or college? Being an alumni of UWSP (Steven’s Point), I was originally in Communicative Disorders, specializing in audiology. After 2 years in the program I transferred to Elementary Education. Once in education I obtained a BS (Bachelor of Science) in Elementary Education spanning Kindergarten to 8th grade.
Total years in teaching? I am a “veteran” teacher in the district, having put in 34 years of teaching. I began by teaching 4th grade and progressively moved my way down the ladder (most want to move up!) by experiencing 2nd grade, then 1st, and finally my current (and favorite) spot KINDERGARTEN.
What is your favorite thing about teaching your grade level or or working in an elementary school? During my past years in kindergarten I have seen it move through many stages, from half day to full day. I have been enjoying working at this grade level for 28 years. Who wouldn’t love working at this age level! I love the enthusiasm and smiles the children bring to me and their learning.
What makes Park Community a special school? While working in the Kaukauna District at the kindergarten level for the past 28 years I have experienced kindergarten time in many schools. During this time I taught at Quinney, Haen, Park, Tanner and finally I am at home at Park Community Charter School. Our school is a warm, friendly, and cozy family!
Mrs. Roehrig - Kindergarten
Where are you from? I grew up in, and currently live in Kaukauna.
Where did you go to High School and/or college? I am a graduate of Kaukauna HighSchool. I graduated from Marian University in Fond du Lac in December of 2002 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education and earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology at Marian University in August of 2011.
Total years in teaching? This is my second year teaching in Kaukauna, and my 14th year of teaching over-all. This is my 8th year teaching Kindergarten. Before that, I taught Second Grade for one year and then taught First Grade for 5 years
What is your favorite thing about teaching your grade level or working in an elementary school? . I just LOVE teaching Kindergarten! Teaching Kindergarten is something I always wanted to do because I enjoy working with young children. What I enjoy most about teaching Kindergarten is watching my students grow from the beginning of Kindergarten to the end of the school year.
What makes Park Community a special school? I feel truly blessed to be a part of the Park Community Charter School Family because I get to work with an excellent group of educators that are very dedicated to help students learn and grow!
ART - Mrs. Mueller’s Artist Tidbits
Check out our classroom blog at: http://www.parkartkingdom.blogspot.com and follow our Instagram to get notifications on new updates! park_art_kingdomKindergarten finished their adorable penguins and moved onto a recycled art project where we are using newspaper to create cats. We are using a collage method where we cut out each piece and glue it on.
1st Grade has been focusing on perspective and how we see things. We know that the angle we look at something will change the way it looks. We used our new knowledge to create snowmen from different perspectives. We started out easy and drew our snowman from the side then moved to laying down looking up at him, next we moved into a tree and looked down at our snowman and finally ended with a melted snowman.
2nd Grade has missed a lot of classes because of stuff going on in our school so we are still working on our minions. Next we will begin to create a 3D minion to go with our 2D drawings.
3rd Grade are getting in touch with their inner superhero as we imagine what we would look like if we were superheros for our self portrait project. Students are enjoying creating their own uniform and making up super powers they would love to have!
4th Grade is finishing their sculpture projects and they turned out great! The giant crayons, pencils and colored pencils are a hit! We are just starting to create a dragon eye showing cropping.
Featured Artist's of the Month!
Claire Diedrick
Kindergarten Kuehl
Ashton Kavanaugh
3rd Grade Hinkens
Chasity Stuber
4th Grade Benson
A message from Mrs. VanderLoop in the “FILLING STATION”
Kindergarteners enjoyed a sequel to a book written 31 years ago. Don and Audrey Wood wrote The Napping House in 1986 and have now written The Full Moon at the Napping House. Students noticed the different words that were used instead of nap: doze, dream, slumber etc. we noted which characters were the same and which ONE was new, and of course we appreciated the illustrations done by Audrey.
First Grades have been scouring the dictionary, a magazine and now books in search of any information we can find out about huskies. Since students and staff are sponsoring Peanut, a dog in the Iditarod with musher Wade Marrs the topic of Iditarod has taken precedence. We marvel at all of the “new fuel” we have been filling our brains with. We had to explore an atlas to find a map of Siberia. Ask you child what Siberia has to do with huskies. Ask your child where a dog’s withers is. We also enjoyed a story about the heart for Valentine’s Day. The heart is affected by exercise but also emotions. When the character was told he could not have a dog, his heart beat very slow, but it sure did speed up when he got one.
Second Graders, who are also sponsoring Peanut, are learning EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT THE IDITAROD. They are making many connections with our research of huskies that they did last year. Of course, there is a lot of new information as well. We are striving to list 26 words about the Iditarod. So far so good, we feel confident that we can do it. Ask your child why the race will NOT start in Anchorage, AK this year.
Third Graders are searching for information about Alaska. Since they thought they should explore the the internet, I guided them to WebPath Express. This experience started with an excellent website but oh my it was FULL of lots of words and oh so much reading. I calmed their fears, by teaching them the strategy of scanning. We picked a keyword in each question and then scanned JUST for that word. Wow, that wasn’t so bad after all. I heard a lot of “I found it,” “There it is.” Of course, besides the strategy, we talked about “if you say CAN’T you WON’T but if you say “Hmm, I think I CAN- you WILL.” Now we are “meeting” almanacs as you can see in the pictures above.Fourth Graders experienced the database provided by Park’s Library; Culture Grams. The topic to explore was China which provided the general format that this resource uses consistently. They were given time to explore that various items on the side menu and did have to find specific answers. During the next class, students reviewed the many resources they have at their fingertips. They were able to post a helpful listing in their notebooks which included a general review of each. Next they were given specific questions about the Chinese New Year and told that now they had to choose which resource would be best to explore. CultrueGrams was off limits since they were well aware of what it provided. They learned that the resource they chose might not have the info they need, so close it and move to another. This is a life lesson because they will always be asked questions and they will need to identify an appropriate resource. I suggest that they regard it as an adventure.
Last week all 3rd and 4th Graders experienced Opera for the Young. They can now all say that they have been to an opera. Thanks goes to the Walsh Family for sponsoring this experience. Here is a picture of the Park and Haen students that were part of the production as the choir.
The Iditarod is Coming and Peanut is Our Dog!
I am happy to report that the students of Park Community Charter School raised $207.33 of the $300.00 needed to sponsor Peanut on the Wade Mars sled dog team. The remaining amount will be covered by staff donations. Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen.
Physical Education with Mrs. Wells and Mrs. Stratton
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| Mrs. Stratton |
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| Mrs Wells |
Jump Rope for Heart is also coming in February! The American Heart Association and Park Community are teaming up to help fight heart disease and stroke. During the program, students will learn about their heart and how to develop healthy habits. They will also have the opportunity to raise funds to help save lives!
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| Rope Swing |
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| Obstacle Course |
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| Rock Wall |
Music With Mrs. Krueger
The kindergartners did a lot of singing during February. They enjoyed working on a very long song called the Iditarod Trail Song and also worked on these songs as well: Toe 100th Day Of School, The Messenger Song, Mail Myself To You, George Washington, and Willoughby Wallaby Woo.
1st grade
The 1st graders were introduced to new instruments called hand chimes. They learned how to hold and play them correctly, as well as how to play a whole note. They also enjoyed learning the Iditarod Trail Song and worked on Mail Myself To You.
2nd grade
The 2nd graders worked very hard on their spring concert music! They are really doing a great job! All of our solos and speaking parts were assigned. Please help and encourage your child to practice and memorize their part. The concert will be on Thursday, April 6 at 6:30 pm in the gym, All students should arrive to school by 6:10 and report to the music room.
3rd grade
The 3rd graders enjoyed reviewing the Iditarod Trail song! It is one of their favorite songs! They also had a wonderful experience of learning about opera. To end the unit on opera, they got to go to the Kaukauna High School to see The Elixir Of Love presented by Opera For The Young. It was a fantastic performance!
4th grade
The 4th graders spent much month working on their recorders. We have made it through song #5 of the recorder karate program. There are nine belts total. Please encourage your child to practice their recorder at home. They need this time to develop their skills and to be successful in the program. The 4th graders also enjoyed singing The Iditarod Trail Song and seeing The Elixir of Love-an opera presented at the Kaukauna High School by Opera For The Young.
News from the School Nurse - Mrs. Sundelius
Please be mindful when you are sending in snacks, birthday and special occasion treats.
How much sugar is healthy for your child? The new recommendations from the American Heart Association (AHA) suggest children should consume less than six teaspoons of added sugars per day. What are added sugars? Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages when they are processed or prepared. This does not include naturally occurring sugars such as those found in low fat dairy items and fruit. Some common names for added sugars are: dextrose, sugar, sucrose, brown sugar, glucose, corn syrup, honey, nectar, molasses….
You will be able to tell what the total sugar content of a product is by reading the nutrition label. However, it is difficult to calculate how much of the total sugar in a product is a natural sugar and how much is added. One way to estimate how much added sugar is in a food item is to see how far up on the ingredient list of that food a sugar (see names above) appears. If a sugar ingredient name is listed in the number one or two spot on the ingredient list the food item will have more added sugar than a food item that has a sugar listed down further on the ingredient list.
Eating foods high in added sugar throughout childhood is linked to future risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity. Additionally children who consume a lot of high sugar foods tend to not eat as much healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy items. Children need these healthy foods for good body and brain growth.
How can you help your child and all children meet the AHA recommendation for daily added sugar intake? Please be mindful when sending in snacks and special occasion treat. Try to send in healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, string cheese, low fat dairy treats, whole grain crackers… There are many healthy prepackages treats available. Remember to pick one that does not have a sugar listed in the number one or two spot in the ingredient list. Some high added sugar items to avoid are: regular soda, sport drinks, cupcakes, cookies, doughnuts and of course candy. Also remember that children learn from example. So try to make an effort to eat healthy yourself.
February SCHOOL COUNSELING NEWS!! From Mr. Zamost
March Classroom Guidance
During the month of March, I will be visiting all of the K- 4 classrooms and talking with students about Communication Skills! In each grade level we will discuss the definition and importance of effective communication. Now more than ever, due to greater use of technology, students’ personal communicating skills must be practiced and taught. Grades K- 2 will be emphasizing good listening skills (using EYES, EARS and BRAINS), while grades 3 and 4 will focus on developing good communication skills through effective verbal and nonverbal communication techniques. Throughout all grades, we will be emphasizing the importance of showing good character. K-Kids Update!
At our last meeting we broke up into groups to make, organize and decorate care baskets for the Children's Hospital. One group made fleece blankets, another made some wish well cards and the last group was in charge of decorating the baskets. We did not quite finish all the details yet, once we do I will share pictures.We only have two meetings left, March 9th where we will be helping 1000 island with spring clean up (will send a permission slip soon) and April 27th (end of the year ceremony in the science lab).
Important School Information
Wisconsin Forward Spring State Assessment
The Wisconsin Forward Exam will be given in schools between March 20 and May 5, 2017. (Park Community Students will be testing starting March 28th through April 28th.) The Forward Exam is a state mandated summative assessment which provides information about what students know and can do in relation to the Wisconsin Academic Standards. Students receive a score based on their performance in each content area.There are sample or practice test questions available for students. An Online Tools Training (OTT) is available for students at http://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/forward/sample-items. The OTT is intended to give students the opportunity to practice with tools available on the Forward Exam, as well as allow them to familiarize themselves with the testing platform. The OTT is not scored, nor is it intended to provide practice on the test content. Students will be exploring these tools and training at school prior to testing.
The Forward Exam will be administered online and be given to:
- Grades 3-8 in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics,
- Grades 4 and 8 in Science and,
- Grades 4, 8, and 10 in Social Studies
The Forward Exam includes several question types:
- Multiple-Choice (MC): Question that has four answer choices, including three distractors and one correct answer.
- Enhanced Selected Response (ESR): Question which may contain combinations of MC, short-answer, and technology-enhanced
- Evidence-Based Selected Response (ESBR): Question which has two parts. The student answers Part A, then provides evidence in Part B to support answer in Part A.
- Text-Dependent Analysis (TDA): Question used on the ELA test. The TDA is a text-based analysis, based on a passage that is read by the student during the assessment. Students must draw on basic writing skills while inferring and synthesizing information from the passage in order to develop a comprehensive, holistic essay response. Students have up to 5000 characters to formulate their response.
- Technology-Enhanced (TE): TE questions allow for a more engaging, interactive assessment.
Accommodations and supports for students with disabilities and/or English language learners are built into the system so that the progress of students can be accurately measured.
The estimated time for the test administration in each grade is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes for ELA, 1 hour and 45 minutes for Mathematics, 1 hour and 40 minutes for Science, and 1 hour and 30 minutes for Social Studies. These are estimated times, as the WI Forward Exam is not a timed test so students work at their own pace.
If you have any questions or concerns about the new assessment, please contact the office.
Summer School Registration!
Believe it or not, it’s almost time to register for Summer School! We’ve just finalized the 2017 Summer Course Catalog. Please visit our Summer School page on the Kaukauna Area School District Website (Click Here) to learn more about Summer School, course offerings and when to register.
Bad Weather Coming? Emergency School Closing Information
In the event of a school closing due to weather you will receive a notification through Infinite Campus Messenger. It is extremely important that your contact information in the program be up to date. Please follow the directions on the Park Community website Click HerePlease Dress for the Weather
This is an unpredictable time of year weather-wise. Please be sure to send your child prepared for the worst Mother Nature has to offer. It is very important that the children go outside to play at recess; however, they need to be dressed for the weather. We do want to keep your child healthy. When the snow falls ALL students must have boots, in addition to snow pants if they play in the snow. If you have difficulty providing winter wear, please contact the office as we have donated items to share. It is also recommended that students keep a dry pair of socks and pants in their backpack in case clothing gets wet.Free National Park Passes For all 4th graders!
Planning a trip to Yellowstone or any other national park this summer? The National Park Service is offering free park access to any national park for all 4th grade students. By Clicking Here each student receives a paper pass with a unique code. That pass gives them free access to all national parks, lands, and waters through August 31, 2017
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Basket Raffle and Conscious Discipline Family Event
This annual event will be coming up March 9th. Families will have the opportunity to learn about our classroom structures and make one to use at home.and learn about structures used in Conscious Discipline that could also be used at home. Families will also have an opportunity to buy raffle tickets for the classroom baskets that support our school. If you have not signed up please do so HERE.
Staff vs. 4th Grade Basketball Game
On Thursday March 30th at 3:30 members of the Park Community staff will defend their undefeated record against our 4th graders in this 3rd annual game. Admission is free but we will be selling snacks with proceeds going to support the Grignon Mansion.
PAC News!
March Madness is Here!
Pick up the SCRIP card of the month, Buffalo Wild Wings and use that card to to watch hoops at BW's while supporting our school! For every $10.00 card purchased you are entered in for a free 40 wing party at Buffalo Wild Wings!
Also check out the many other gift cards available that all support our school without spending any additional money. You buy $20.00 and you get $20.00 at that store!
The Penny War is Back!
This fun event raised almost $1,000.00 for our PAC to support Conscious Discipline and other activities vital to our charter school. See the note below to learn how it works.
Upcoming Events
March 1st Wacky Wedenesday - Wear wacky clothesMarch 2nd Cat in the Hat Day - Dress Like Your Favorite Cat in the Hat Character
March 3rd - Fox in Sox - wear crazy socks
March 9th - Basket Raffel and Conscious Discipline Night
March 13th KASD Board of Education Mtg. - District Office
March 14th - PAC Mtg. - 5:30 pm
March 17th - St. Patrick's Day - Wear Green
March 22nd - Wear Park Community Gear
March 27th - KASD Board of Education Mtg. - District Office
March 30th - Staff vs. 4th graders at 3:30 pm
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