May 2022 Staff Newsletter

MCPASD Staff Newsletter May 2022

inclusive.innovative.inspiring.

A Message from Superintendent, Dr. Dana Monogue Dear Staff: We have made it to the end of the 2021-2022 school year, a year with many ups and downs, challenges and triumphs, fastballs and curveballs!

Through it all, we kept our students and their families at the center of our work and pulled together in more ways than anyone could have imagined. Because of your dedication and tireless efforts, our students made huge gains academically and socially.

I hope you find rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation over the summer months and that you are able to do the things you love with the people you love.

With deep appreciation and fondness, Dana

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Articles District Celebrates Staff Retirements, Milestones During Annual Employee Recognition Breakfast

Over 70 MCPASD staff members were honored during the annual employee recognition breakfast, where the district celebrates retirees and those with milestone work anniversaries.

This year's event was held at the Holiday Inn West on Fourier Drive at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18, 2022.​ Superintendent Dr. Dana Monogue and MCPASD Board President Bob Hesselbein kicked off the breakfast by thanking our employees for all their hard work serving our students and families for so many years.

"If you are retiring, I cannot thank you enough for devoting your career to one of the most honorable professions," said Superintendent Dr. Dana Monogue. "For our staff celebrating 20, 25, 30, and 35 years, thank you for your loyalty to our district."

READ MORE | https://bit.ly/3yPETss

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A picture is worth a thousand words...

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We wish you a happy and healthy retirement!

Nearly 40 employees were recognized as retirees!

Mike Meeteer

Anne Smith

Michael Talley

Ellor Wilson

Julie Corstvet

Lori Ames

Shirley Haack

Jay Redders

Laura Hayes-Love

Ruth Frawley

Deborah Hoskins

Jane Hinrichs

Dennis Neylon

Dawn Troyanowski

Monica Schommer

Marilyn Sharrow

Kelly Rawson

Thomas White

Elizabeth Shultz

Julie Bohmsach

Anne Solie

David Allen

Ann O'Rouke

Stacy Sanders

Tami Bowker

Lousia Downey

John Burdick

Laurie Johnson

Vicki Shaffer

Jeannine Griffith Colleen Schmidt Kathy Rauman Kristen Wilson Patrick Keeler Marla Simon Linda Schuerman Sally Jansen Rick Evans

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Congratulations to those celebrating a milestone anniversary!

25 Years

20 Years Jim Schenk

Laura Melum

Brian Goucher

Ann Schafer

Deanna Kruger

Cheryl Lueck

Stacy Ponti

Therese Burian-

Laurie Wood

Ellie Paulson

Rachel Posner-Mitchell

Hagelin Mary

Lynn Reinders

Sharese Maly

Marlene Feinstein

Ninemeier-Watts

Cara Stahl

Marilyn Sharrow

Michelle Festge

Laurie Johnson

Stacey Bohachek

Ann O'Rourke

Patrick Keeler

Jason Pertzborn

Sally Zeinemann

30 Years

35 Years

Cynthia Zocher

John Niesen

Dennis Wade

Jodi Klare

Steve Stekelberg

William Frederickson Anne Smith Julie Corstvet

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Retirement Spotlight Thomas White Maintenance | 17 years

Tom White has been part of the Middleton-Cross Plains family since March of 2005!

He has been working as a Maintenance Tech maintaining all the District's HVAC equipment. Tom has helped the district transition from pneumatic controls to DDC controls during his tenure.

Tom is always willing to learn new controls and makes sure to share his knowledge with new building Head Custodians and maintenance personnel.

In addition to his HVAC duties, Tom has been a vital member of the District plow team. He has logged countless miles and hours in the early morning to make sure that our parking lots were safe for students and staff.

"Tom was assigned to complete building checks in the winter months for multiple buildings.

He was always willing to help cover others when head custodians had conflicts and could not conduct their building checks. Tom was always willing to do whatever needed to be done. It didn't matter if it was an after-hours heating issue or building an annex building at West Middleton. We could always count on Tom to be there and lend a hand to get the job done to the best of his ability," said Facilities Services Manager Dale Rhodes.

Tom takes with him a work ethic that is second to none. His can-do attitude will surely be missed. Enjoy your Retirement, Tom!

Bill Frederickson Maintenance | 30 years After 30 years of working in the District, Maintenance Personnel Bill Frederickson will now begin his retirement! Always up for a new challenge, Bill has worked at both Middleton High School and Sauk Trail Elementary and grew from his original role as a second shift custodian.

Bill tended to the High Schools needs with a passion. He would do whatever was necessary to keep the building operating smoothly," Said Services Manager Dale Rhodes. If it meant coming in early to get filters changed so it would not interfere with the student day, you could count on Bill. He was also a member of the District plowing crew. He was assigned Sauk Trail and the DSC as his area to plow. He would get these areas complete and then see if anyone else needed help completing their assignment.

As MHS grew, so did Bill's knowledge. His drive to learn more, his understanding of how to manage an indoor environment, and his willingness to pitch in wherever needed made him such a valuable asset to the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District.

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Kathryn Eilert named 2021-22 Outstanding Biology Teacher in Wisconsin Chosen for her strong classroom presence, instructional philosophy, and impressive leadership skills, Kathryn was the perfect fit for this year's Outstanding Biology Teacher Award.

As part of this honor, she has been asked to serve as a Teacher Leader Mentor at the Knowles Foundation. The Knowles Teacher Initiative is a collaborative network of math and science teachers nationwide who work towards improving education for all students.

Congratulations Kathryn!

MCPASD Celebrates Middleton High School Stadium Complex Improvement Project with Groundbreaking and Shovel Ceremony

On Monday, May 16, 2022, the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District hosted a groundbreaking and shovel ceremony to celebrate the start of the new Middleton High School Stadium Improvement Project.

The district is partnering with Findorff Construction, Ideal Builders, and Eppstein Uhen Architects, with a completion timeline set for the Spring of 2023.

Superintendent Dr. Dana Monogue and the MCPASD Board of Education honored Tim Borden, Laurie Albrent, and the Borden Family at the event, who collectively donated $6.7 million to the project. This is the largest single-family donation the district has ever received and likely, one of the largest single-family donations to a public school district in Wisconsin.

READ MORE | https://bit.ly/3FYVrQ2

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Keeping you up to date Opening the door to new friends!

Dr. Silvia Romero-Johnson Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning

Brett Wilfrid

Dr. Silvia Romero-Johnson is our new Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning. Prior to joining the MCPASD, she served as Director of Bilingual Programs and Instructional Equity in the Verona Area School District in Verona, WI. Additionally, she served at the Boston Public Schools in Boston, MA and the Madison Metropolitan School District in Madison, WI. She was the principal of MMSD’s first two-way immersion school. Finally, she was a secondary mathematics teacher, ESL and bilingual education teacher. She is an active participant of various organizations such as the American Educational Research Association, the School Superintendents Association, and the Massachusetts Association for Bilingual Education.

Sunset Ridge Elementary Principal Brett Wilfrid is our new principal for Sunset Ridge Elementary.

Wilfrid comes to Middleton-Cross Plains from Madison Metropolitan School District. He served as principal for Sandburg Elementary School for the last 12 years. One of his top achievements at MMSD is launching a dual-immersion (Spanish/English) program. Wilfrid started his career as a special education assistant and worked for 10 years as a 4th/5th grade teacher, a technology teacher, and an instructional coach focused on mathematics. He and his wife, Jen, are excited to call Middleton–Cross Plains their new home.

Brett Humphrey Park Elementary Principal

Brett Humphrey is our new Park Elementary & 4K Principal for the 2022-23 school year. Humphrey has been working in the educator sector for the last 15 years. He is coming to MCPASD from Glendale, Arizona, where he has served as a Principal, Assistant Principal, Instructional Coach, and teacher in the Laveen School District. He received his BS in Elementary Education from Winona State University, Winona, MN, and MA in Educational Administration from Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, AZ. Humphrey is a proud Wisconsinite, born and raised here. After spending many years away from the Dairyland, he is excited to return to his home roots with his wife, Samia, and two daughters, Emma and Molly.

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Staff Spotlight You Deserve A shout!

MCPASD staff are rock stars, and we are excited to share monthly shout-outs to show our appreciation. Does someone you know deserve a shout-out?

Click here to fill out our shout out survey.

Read more

Lori Krug

Sayra Jayo

Chris Acker

Learn more about Lori

Learn more about Sayra

Learn more about Chris

She has worked as a Certified

She has worked as a

She has worked as a Support

Staff Benefits Specialist for

registration clerk for 5 years

Staff Specialist for 3 years.

14.5 years. Among her many

and has all the know how to

Chris understands the ins and

duties, Lori is your go-to-gal

help our families enroll in our

outs of benefits and is ready

for learning more about what

District! Outside of spending

to help with changes or new

your benefits can do for you!

time with her husband and

enrollment! Outside of

She likes to crochet and swim

daughter, Sayra also enjoys

spending time with her

when she is not enjoying time

working out and traveling.

husband, daughter, and their

with friends or her 3 step

family dog, Chris also enjoys

children and 6 grandchildren

bowling and watching

and her fur baby, an orange

movies.

tabby cat named Louie.

Nutritional Services Department continues to set records!

On May 12, the Nutrition Services Staff served 790 student and staff lunches at Middleton High School.

Sharon Gallagher served 309 breakfast meals on May 19th!

Her original goal was to serve 300!

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Teacher Appreciation Week Thank you to our educators!

We are fortunate to have a tight-knit network of fantastic staff! While a week is not nearly enough time to show our appreciation for our educators, we wanted to share a special thank you for all that they do to make MCPASD the best place to learn and grow. Check out the video linked here to see what a few students had to say about their special connection with educators. Thank you again for your ability to adapt and grow as an MCPASD family.

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School Nurse Appreciation Week Thank you to our school nurses!

From band-aids to mitigation protocols, our school nurses are prepared for any challenge thrown their way. It takes solid teamwork to keep our schools happy and healthy. We could not be more grateful for an amazing staff who have adapted and persevered throughout the year. Thank you for all that you do!

Did you know?

The nursing team has a collective total of

114

years of experience

They serve students ranging from ages

3-23

Julie Corstvet has worked as a health assistant for

29

years and will retire at the end of this school year

Fun Fact: Students from Northside Elementary recently helped Julie celebrate her birthday!

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New to Middleton?

There are plenty of fun activities to try!

Up Coming Summer Events One of the best parts about living in the Madison area is that during the summer, there always seems to be something going on! To check out a few of the events we are looking forward to, click here.

Popular Restaurants The best way to find your favorite places to eat is simply to explore! To get you started, here are a few of our favorites linked below: See more

Shopping Centers Most people have their "go-to stores," but it helps to know where those are!

Check out the list here to see the location of major shopping centers and stores.

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Important Reminders Reminder: Tech Equipment Updates All staff are asked to please turn in their laptops, iPads, and chromebooks to the DSC by June 10th to be updated over the summer: Please see the May 18 email from Paul (Wally) Walton for details.

Be sure to fill out the laptop check-in form when turning in your equipment Review the FAQ page here For any other questions please contact: Paul (Wally) Walton at pwalton@mcpasd.k12.wi.us

District Service Center Summer Hours June 10th- August 5th, 2022

Clark Street to celebrate 10-year anniversary Wednesday, June 8th, 2022 Located at the current Clark Street

Office is open 7:30am-4:30pm (M-Th) Friday is open to staff but open to the public by

Community School building | 2429 Clark St Middleton, WI 53562

appointment only

Presentations of learning 8:30am-12pm Staff cannot work before 6am or after 5pm Closed July 4th

Lunch 12pm-12:30pm Formal Program 12:30-1pm

New Early Learning Center Location Opens September 1st, 2022

Reminder: HRA Assessment Health Risk Assessment Due July 31st, 2022

4K classes/ Early Learning will now be located in the

If you received an email from the benefits team,

former Clark Street Community School building

you can still enroll in a health risk assessment for

Construction begins in the summer to adapt the

3% rate differential on health insurance premiums

building for young learners Special shout out to Jen Reynolds for her hard work helping oversee the move!

Learn more here

If you did not receive an email you do not need to complete the HRA

More info about a grand opening to come!

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A ME SSA GE FRO M BAR B rs and trees flourishing! Employee May brought the warm air and flowe n preparing the staffing allocations Services is facing their busiest seaso ng right into the Spring hiring for the 22-23 school year and jumpi

Read more

staffed welcoming Ciji (see gee) season! We are thrilled to be fully Specialist (replacing Molly) in the Colegial as the newest Personnel comes to us with over 16 years of Employee Services department. Ciji s ience in private preschools. Unles administration and teaching exper directly, you will continue to email you need to communicate with Ciji employeeservicesmailbox@mcpasd

d .k12.wi.us for any personnel-relate

questions.

Employee Roundtable Updates PSSP group: I shared that we will be revising the support staff handbook this summer as it is expired. I will be sending out more information regarding the make up of the support staff handbook committee. The PSSP group’s discussion centered around ideas and feedback regarding employee earned leave such as reimbursable, personal leaves, and vacation (for 12-month PSSP staff). The group advocated for more clarity around leave guidelines. Continue Reading...

Spring into Summer You can still join us for the last few walk/jog/run opportunities this year to help the end of the year be a bit softer for you. Join us for any of the walk/jog/runs on Wednesdays at either 3:15 or 4:15 (choose which works best with your schedule). Routes are located in Middleton, Cross Plains and in-between. There will also be a Facebook group so if you can’t participate in all the events, you can still have accountability and encouragement through the group.

Click here for more details.

May Wellness Care Package From Dean Take a look at upcoming events as well as new Living Healthy Rewards activities in the May Wellness Care Package.

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Employee Benefits Did you know? About the many discounts and perks that are offered to MCPASD employees

Visit MCPASD: Partner Perks to learn more!

MA Y

DIS TRIC T

REAL LIVIN G NEW SLET TER

GRO UP HEA LTH PLA N

REALiving Monthly Newsletter and Friday Facts May EAP Newsletter: Make it Mediterranean Friday Fact: Potential Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet Friday Fact: BEST Foods to Eat Friday Fact: Drinks, Snacks and Outings Friday Fact: Traditional Greek Salad Click here for past REALiving articles

LON G TER M DISA BILI TY PLA N

Benefits of the Long Term Disability Plan Employees that are enrolled in the long-term disability plan are also eligible for Identity Theft Assistance Services. If you are a victim of identity theft, you can connect with a dedicated recovery specialist that will work with you every step of the way until your identity is restored to prefraud status.

District Group Health Plan Employees that are enrolled in the district group health plan can sign up for a free nutrition and wellness app: DHP: Sign up for Foodsmart. They can receive discounts on home fitness equipment: DHP: Fitness Equipment & Device Discounts, as well as gym discounts: DHP: Gym & Health Center Discounts. There are many other discounts available to Dean Health Plan members. You can find a list on our district benefits webpage: MCPASD: Partner Perks.

EMP LOY EE ASS ISTA NCE PROG RAM

Benefits of the REALiving Program Don’t forget about our Employee Assistance Program: REALiving. Login information: user: MCPASDistrict@REALiving.com password: MCPASDemployee. All staff are eligible, and the services offered are at no cost to the employee.

REALiving offers direct services, such as counseling, coaching, legal advice and financial advice. And they include ancillary services like newsletters, brochures, and a monthly magazine.

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Employee Personnel Wanting to change your Salary Payment Election from 20 pays to 24 pays, or vice-versa, for the 2022-2023 school year?

Employees classified as “10 Month Employees” whose pay is annualized have the option to have their total annual earnings divided into either 20 or 24 payroll payments per year.

Definitions 10 Month Employees: Employees who work up to 200 days per year 20 payroll payments: 20 payrolls from Sept.15th through June 30th 24 payroll payments: 24 payrolls from Sept.15th through August 31st This pay frequency option is elected when hired, and will be in place for the duration of your employment with our district UNLESS you notify us in writing of your intent to change the frequency.

If you want to change your pay frequency from 20 to 24, or viceversa, please send an email request to employeeservicesmailbox@mcpasd.k12.wi.us. A form will be sent to you to complete this change for the 2022-2023 school year.

ONLY complete this form if you want to change your pay election from 20 to 24 or vice-versa. If you are satisfied with your pay election, please do not complete this form.

DEADLINE: The form must be completed & returned to Employee Services no later than August 15, 2022 to be effective for the 2022-2023 school year. This election cannot be changed mid-year.

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