Staff Newsletter | February 2024

Honoring Our Students

MCPASD Community,

Our hearts are still healing from the unimaginable tragedy that resulted in the loss of two of our beautiful students. We cannot begin to express the depth of sorrow and grief that we all feel during this time. We want to take a moment to express our deep appreciation for our Sauk Trail staff. They have shown remarkable resilience, leadership, and understanding as we navigate through this devastating event. Their dedication to our students and commitment to providing a safe and nurturing environment is commendable

We also want to acknowledge the tremendous support offered by our Student Services professionals, who have been present at the school, offering assistance and counseling to those who may be in need. Their unwavering commitment to the well-being of our students is truly admirable. Additionally, we extend our sincere gratitude to our local law enforcement for their response and ongoing efforts to ensure the safety and security of our community

As educators, we are driven by our passion to support and nurture the potential of every student we encounter. It is in times like these that we reaffirm our commitment to creating an educational environment that not only fosters academic growth but also prioritizes the emotional and social well-being of our students.

Together, we will honor the lives lost in this tragedy and create a future where every student feels safe, loved, and supported

Community MCPASD

Must Know On The Go

On a time crunch? Check out this page for all your 'need to know' information this month. We invite you to read further when you are able to check out all of the awesome things happening within our District!

Key Dates

Support Staff | Retirement Notification Deadline

If you are a Support Staff member who plans on retiring this school year, please notify Employee Services by March 15, 2024 Learn more on page 18

Employee Health Clinic Open House

March 20 from 3:00 pm-5:30 pm

Learn more here

Spring Break

Mark your calendars! Spring break is March 25-29, 2024

2024 IRS Mileage Rate Change

The IRS has increased the standard mileage rate for 2024 to 67 cents per mile. Click here to view the 2024 Mileage Form. As a reminder, please make a copy of the mileage form to edit the document.

Staff Stars

Recognizing Excellence in Education

Thank you to our Technology Services Team

We wish to share our appreciation and give a huge shout-out to our Technology Services team! They have worked tirelessly throughout the weekend and into this week to navigate our recent system outage.

There are a lot of moving parts in resolving this issue, including rebooting systems, supporting staff questions, working with external resources, etc. We are incredibly grateful for their dedication to fixing this issue as quickly as possible and ensuring our online safety.

We appreciate you!

Brian Miles

George Abolins

Daniel Perkins

Adia Charlesworth

Matt Border

Stephanie Amans

Hugh Roughen

Dan Rehr

Paul “Wally” Walton

Tori Ready

Staff Stars

Recognizing Excellence in Education

Alyssa Boss

Meet Alyssa Boss, one of our outstanding educators from Middleton High School! Alyssa is a Social Studies Teacher and an active member of her PLC team. Her peers have shared high praise for her intentional and effective communication skills, as well as her dedication to providing the highest quality content with an emphasis on equitable efficacy Her outstanding connection with students speaks for itself! Students often share how Alyssa’s compassion, engagement, and great sense of humor make a positive difference in and out of the classroom. Alyssa is an inspiration to her peers and students, and we are grateful to have her be part of our team!

Laurie Wood

Laurie Wood is a phenomenal Occupational Therapist who shares her talents across multiple campuses, including Middleton High School, Cardinal Academy, and the Early Learning Center. She is a team player who believes in the talent and creativity of her peers and students. She often collaborates with her team to find new opportunities for her students to grow

Laurie goes above and beyond in her role. She has even restarted the ‘Best Buddies’ program at Middleton High School and worked diligently to create a safe and supportive environment for our students! Thank you Laurie for being a valued member of our MCPASD team!

Articles MCPASD Celebrates Black History Month

Our District is proud to celebrate Black History Month throughout the month of February! Together, we honor the resilience and recognize the profound contributions of the Black community. This observance is vital for fostering inclusivity and understanding in our school community. By sharing stories and amplifying the voices of the Black community, we help to create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone

Our schools have implemented creative and engaging activities to share the importance of Black History Month and educate students on the history and contributions of the Black Community. Some of the activities have ranged from thoughtful curriculum to school-wide celebrations such as the Black History Month Door decorating contest at Kromrey Middle School that showcases influential figures or historical milestones. Many schools have also highlighted student organizations such as the KMS Young Sirs or the Middleton High School Black Student Union

We are also excited to share our Black History Month webpage on the District website! This page is a collection of great resources, including local celebrations, historical anecdotes, local organizations, and more! Click here to view the page.

Celebrations

Kromrey Middle School Principal Dom Ricks Featured In Wisconsin State JournalTrailblazers Edition

In honor of Black History Month, the Wisconsin State Journal featured several Black leaders and influential figures in the Madison area community. We are delighted to share that Principal Dom Ricks was spotlighted for his outstanding leadership as Principal at Kromrey Middle School!

Did you know that Dom is the first Black Principal at MCPASD? Since beginning his role in 2019, he has made tremendous strides to make Kromrey a safe and welcoming environment for everyone. He goes above and beyond to ensure Kromrey staff and students feel seen, heard, and respected. “One thing you ’ re never going to question is if I care about you, ” said Ricks in the article.

We are thankful to have opportunities such as this to showcase our outstanding staff members and their transformative work in our schools to our community.

Read the full WSJ article here!

Celebrations

Middleton High School Band Teacher Doug Brown Named “Yamaha 40 Under 40 Music Educator USA” by Yamaha Music

We are thrilled to share that Middleton High School Band Teacher Doug Brown was named “Yamaha 40 Under 40 Music Educator USA” by Yamaha Music This prestigious award showcases educators who oversee music programs that are continually growing and improving.

His passion for music and his students speaks through his work as an educator. Aside from leading over 300 band students, Doug also leads multiple student organizations, including the MHS Marching Band, four music ensembles, a percussion ensemble, and two jazz band groups. He also oversees the hip-hop and digital music courses, which he played a pivotal role in creating

The MHS Band Booster Club and several student volunteers collaborated to put together a custom tribute video for Mr. Brown. Check it out here!

Congratulations, Doug, on this well-deserved honor!

Celebrations

Community Donation Creates District Caring Closet

We are excited to share a big shout-out to our friends at ‘Spring Windows’ for their generous donation to our District! They have been supporting families in our District, including hosting a school supply drive earlier this year.

Just this week, they delivered a donation of over 1,200 personal hygiene and household items! These items allowed us to create a District Caring Closet that our Social Work team can access for families in need.

A special thank you also goes out to the Spring Windows employees who helped shop, collect, sort, and count the donation materials! (From left to

Kim,

and Sayali.) We are excited to be able to offer this resource to our families!

right,

Kathy, Cassy,

Celebrations

Lunar New Year Celebration At Middleton High School

Recently, Chinese classes at Middleton High School, Kromrey Middle School, Glacier Creek Middle School, and members of the Chinese Club at MHS joined together to host an outstanding Lunar New Year Celebration!

The event featured many awesome activities, but a few of the fan favorites included the Bubble Tea table, Chinese New Year Shirts designed by students, and the dragon dance. The event was a huge hit and had a wonderful turnout! It was a fantastic way to learn more about Chinese culture, cuisine, and traditions!

An extra round of applause goes to Wen Ding, Shan Bartus, Yuzhou (Echo) Wu, and Yirui Fu, who led the student groups and coordinated the event festivities!

Celebrations

Years Of Service Honorees | 15-20 Years Of Service

As we continue to lead up to our Years Of Service Recognition event in April, we are proud to highlight our amazing staff members who have dedicated 15 or 20 years of service to our District! The talent, knowledge, and dedication that you provide to our District is remarkable and truly appreciated. Each milestone brings new experiences, stronger relationships, and a deeper connection to our District community.

Thank you for serving as valued members of our team We cannot thank you enough for all that you do!

15 Years

CAROLINE MURPHY

DALE RHODES

GUST ATHANAS

JENNIFER MATHISON-OHLY

JUSTIN HAACK

LAURA PRICHARD

MARNIE COWLING

MARY DUFFY

NOEL VANNIEUWENHOVEN

PAIGE BESSICK

RUTH POST

SARAH STINE

SUSAN TREPCZYK

TERRANCE ANDREWS

TRACI DANAHER

YOLANDA MCCOWAN-BURKELAND

20 Years

ANN MCKENZIE

BRIAN CULLIGAN

CARLA BARBIAN

DAWN PATTERSON

ERIN EBERHARDT

GEORGE ABOLINS

KEVIN PAULS

MARY EMERICH (21 years)

NICOLE HANSON

RHONDA KALSCHEUR

ROBYN ACKER

RODERICK PREST

SHARON GALLAGHER

WENDY MATTHEWS

Reminders

2024 IRS Mileage Rate Change

The IRS has increased the standard mileage rate for 2024 to 67 cents per mile The Fiscal Services website has the 2023 Mileage Form if you still need to submit mileage from last year, as well as, the new 2024 Mileage Form. As a reminder, please make a copy of the mileage form in order to edit the document.

Spring Break Reminder

Mark your calendars! Spring break is on the horizon on March 25-29, 2024

NInsights from Soly: Multilingual Support

ual Support

To help meet your Translation / Interpretation needs, we have put together a document on Navigating Multilingual Support that provides an overview of our services.

Here are some key areas it covers:

New MCPASD Interpretation / Translation Request Form | Streamlines requests and communication

Timelines for completion of requests

List of bilingual staff members you can contact for quick Spanish help

Which bilingual (Spanish/English speaking) staff member can help me 2023-24 District Bilingual Staff

Introduction to Hanna, in addition to the Language line for languages besides Spanish (Please note that when using the Language line, they are now separating our calls by code 10 for Special Education and code 20 for Regular Education (Link to the Language Line Website.)

Standardized field trip form to facilitate translation

My goal is to ensure that our multilingual families and staff have meaningful access to information and equitable participation in our schools. Please review the full document linked here and reach out if you ever need support. I look forward to working with you!

Solange "Soly" Rodríguez Parrilla

Multilingual Support Specialist

Office # (608) 829-9029 Work hours: M-F 7am-3pm

Ari Aranda Rodríguez

Language Support Specialist -Secondary level

Office # (608) 829-9056 Work hours: M-F 8:30am-5:00pm

Monthly Challenge Winners

Congratulations to the January Digital Detox challenge winners:

Jennifer Heritsch | Pope Farm

Adia Charlesworth | DSC

Kristine Bell | Northside

Sara Arnholz | Early Learning Center

Feedback from the challenge included:

I've started setting an alarm an hour before my bedtime to be off my phone and have enjoyed reading during that time, plus it's helped me fall asleep better!

I limited my use of Instagram to once a week and only for a max of 30 minutes, and I noticed how much that improved my mood

I found that I got more satisfaction from putting my phone down than I did from spending time on it. I deactivated my social media and am loving the change and the added time I would be wasting there. Unsubscribing from unwanted/excessive emails is so satisfying and necessary to keep from clutter and the mental space it takes up!

If you ' re interested in a digital detox, check out the challenge here.

Free At-Home COVID Tests

We hope everyone stays healthy this winter season, but it is always good to be prepared Click here to stock up on free COVID tests.

Free 1:1 Wellness Sessions

Dean Health Plan members: You are invited to sign up for a FREE 1:1 Wellness Session with a Dean Health Transformation Consultant.

Dean Health Plan by Medica is offering virtual or telephone wellness conversations with our Health Transformation Consultants During this time, they will consider the eight dimensions of wellness and your individual wellness journey Members can talk about any topic, concern, or wellness goal The professionals offer a neutral, judgment-free space to brainstorm ideas, help create a short-term solution-focused plan, and provide connections to available tools and resources. Click here to sign up.

NOTE: This is NOT part of the Health Risk Assessment procedure

Wellness Care Packages From DeanHealth Plan:

February:

Stress Management workshop begins on March 5th

A Healthy Weight to Go (12-week weight management) begins March 4th

March:

Freedom from Smoking group starts April 2nd

Stress Less Challenge begins April 1st

Learn about Intermittent Fasting on March 12th

Save The Date - Employee Health Clinic Open House

We are excited to debut the permanent site for the MCPASD Employee Health Clinic located on the West Middleton Elementary Campus! Join us for a ribbon cutting and open house event on March 20, 2024 from 3-5:30pm! Meet the clinic staff, explore the facility, pick up some fun swag, and more! Learn more here.

Candle Light Hike - Thank You For Attending

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our annual Candlelight Hike! We had a great time hosting with Cross Plains Parks & Recreation and Crossroads Coffeehouse. Guests enjoyed s ’ mores, hot chocolate, and a great walk with even better weather!

Employee Benefits

Virtual Care Visit Versus In-Person Visit

Virtual appointments can be convenient, but it’s important to know if your concern or condition can be treated virtually and what the costs are. Should I stay (home and schedule a virtual visit) or go to an urgent care or emergency room? Check out his helpful guide to help you decide which is the right option for you.

How much do virtual visits cost with MCPASD health insurance plans?

What’s the difference between an E-visit and a Video Visit?

Dean Health Plan: Virtual Care e-visits & video visits

What can be treated at the MCPASD Employee Health Clinic?

MCPASD Employee Health Clinic Services

Employee Personnel

Support Staff: Thinking of Retiring?

If you are part of our District Support Staff and work less than 12 months per year, this message is for you IF you are considering retiring at the end of this current school year.

As we begin to look at staff assignments for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, we need to know who is planning on returning and who is planning on resigning/retiring. Having staff assignments finalized sooner rather than later ultimately determines who receives Letters of Reasonable Assurance for the upcoming school year We have started to receive a couple for next year already As sad as we are to receive notices of retirement, we do appreciate those who let us know as early as possible. Waiting to let us know until after the Letters of Reasonable Assurance have gone out causes re-work and stress for all involved.

We have heard from prior colleagues that they waited to let us know in August because of fear that they wouldn't keep their insurance through the summer months This is not correct It is important to emphasize to each of you that as long as you have finished your work year for the 2023-2024 school year, the insurance benefits that you are enrolled in will run through August 31, 2024, regardless of when we are notified of any possible change for you.

We need to know of planned retirements from the Support Staff by Friday, March 15, to be able to most efficiently complete the staffing moves that need to occur for 2024-2025 You can turn in your notice to us by simply emailing employeeservicesmailbox@mcpasd.k12.wi.us to let us know This deadline will allow us to plan for the continuing staff and get everyone assigned to positions in the new staffing needs for next year.

Employee Personnel

Skyward Tips/Tricks of the Month: Password Reset

Every morning the Employee Service team resets any account that has been locked due to failed attempts to log into Skyward. So, if you cannot log in after 10am, it may be time to try resetting your password.

Please know that after you change your password, you need to wait approximately 10 minutes for the new password to sync with all of our systems. After about 10 minutes, retry accessing Skyward. If you cannot reset your password, please contact Employee Services, and we will be happy to assist you.

If you are using a District Computer: Just click CLT+ALT+DEL and, select 'change password', and go through the regular process of changing your password.

If you are not using a District Computer: Go to our District website, click the menu, then staff portal. Scroll down to 'Employee Applications & Links,' then go to the 'Technology Services' section, where you'll click on the drop-down by 'Technology Services,' and you will see the menu, which will include 'Click to Change Password' and follow the steps.

Elementary & Secondary

TouchingBaseWith TeachingandLearning

Last week, the Literacy/Biliteracy District Committee met for the 10th time The group is evaluating literacy curricula using a rubric created by the committee. For more information regarding the Literacy/Biliteracy Committee, please visit the Curriculum Renewal Information Hub on the Staff Portal. You will find links to our agendas, presentations, the materials evaluation rubric, and more. Please reach out to any member of the Literacy/Biliteracy Committee (names on the hub) for more information.

Many groups have been working this year to improve our MLSS documents, communication, and practices A core group continues to meet and has involved many stakeholder groups for review of documents, resources, etc. Next steps include sharing updates to our principal group in February for feedback and to have them begin sharing information at the building level. The core group also is updating the MLSS Hub as work moves forward. The hub can be found on the Staff Portal.

Student Services

TouchingBaseWith TeachingandLearning

We are thrilled to share the latest developments from the Student Services department, highlighting our commitment to fostering student well-being and academic success.

Handbook Refinement: The Student Services Handbook Committee dedicated January and February to refining the language and content of our employee handbook, ensuring clarity and alignment with our mission to support student success.

Professional Development Workshop: In January, our scholarly staff participated in a dynamic half-day workshop focused on Motivational Interviewing practices Motivational Interviewing is an evidence-based approach to communicating with others Through this collaborative, goal-oriented approach to behavioral change, we are strengthening the personal motivation and commitment students and families have to cocreated goals.

Board of Education Presentations: On February 12th, several team members had the privilege of presenting updates to the Board of Education We shared insights into our ongoing efforts in Social Emotional Learning (SEL), mental health support, and strategies to combat chronic absenteeism We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Student Services staff, building SEL Coaches, and Principals who contributed to these presentations.

Looking Ahead: As we continue our efforts to support student success, we invite you to explore the BOE reports for further insights and opportunities for engagement. Your feedback and participation are invaluable as we work together to create a nurturing environment for all students

Special Education

TouchingBaseWith TeachingandLearning

Special educators participated in professional development on progress monitoring during the January PD day Resources such as Fastbridge and Goalbook were shared with staff

The Special Education Handbook Committee has been meeting regularly in January and February to revise the special education language within the employee handbook. In addition, a special education manual is being created, and there will be an opportunity to provide feedback in the spring.