November 2022 | Staff Newsletter

What's the buzz at MCPASD

A Message from Superintendent, Dr. Dana Monogue

November is one of my favorite months the year! It offers an annual opportunity shift our mindsets to gratitude and thankfulness. We have so much to be thankful for in our district. I am incredib grateful to our community and to all of for supporting our referendum. The res of the November 8th election were a str message of belief in public education in our district and acros

We can now focu work happening i facilities and cont lean on one anot work, and learn in community. In gratitude for al y ,

Dr. Dana E. Monogue, Superintendent

PASSED | $24.9 million, non-recurring, operational referendum approved by Middleton-Cross Plains voters

The wait is over! The 2022 operational referendum has passed! Thank you to everyone who helped us along the way!

So what does this mean for our District?

With a little more breathing room, we are now able to:

Continue educational and extracurricular programming

Continue to keep class sizes lower or near the average in Dane County

Continue to address competitive compensation to attract additional staff

Address operational needs across all departments and schools.

On a time crunch? Check out the recap here

Going forward, we will continue to be open and honest about how the referendum will affect our staff and families. As part of our District's promise to be good financial stewards, the communications team will share updates as we proceed and showcase how the funds are being utilized.

Understanding the 2022-23 Mill Rate

The Board of Education recently approved the 2022 23 school year budget plan As part of this decision, the annual mill rate has now been lowered from $9 95 to $8 89 Assistant Superintendent of Operations Jerrud Rossing is here to explain what this means for our District and community.

Check out the video to learn more!

District Hosts First Affinity Group Meeting

Middleton Cross Plains Area School District has prioritized empowering and supporting our BIPOC Staff (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). On November 1, 2022, we hosted our first Affinity Group Meeting, where BIPOC staff could come together in a safe space and learn about the important work we are accomplishing at MCPASD

Highlighted in our District Strategy Map, we have several goals that target our BIPOC staff.

Board Goals:

1 Increase the number of staff of color in all employee groups until our staff demographics at least match our district demographics.

2. Achieve a 90% retention rate for all employee groups, with a particular emphasis on our staff of color.

District Goals: 1. 2.

Increase the percentage of teachers of color to 10% by the beginning of the 2024 2025 school year. Maintain a 95% retention rate of staff of color by the end of the 2024 2025 school year.

We are making great strides in continuing to increase the number of BIPOC staff in all employee groups to match our student demographics. BIPOC staff are a treasure in our district; their voices and insights are essential in the work of equity and inclusion. They provide invaluable support to our students, and it's truly a fantastic feeling to have our student demographic reflected in our staff

There will be more opportunities for BIPOC staff to come together. More information will be sent via email in the coming weeks.

This is a friendly reminder to submit your feedback for the 2023-24 school year calendar by Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at 10 a.m.

There are two questions regarding the return date for winter break. Selecting either date does not change the first or last day of school nor any PC (Professional Development & Collaboration) Days

Pope Farm Math Teacher, Kristin Pavelec, Receives

Prestigious Award at National Conference

Last month, Kristin Pavelec, Math, and Advanced Learners Specialist at Pope Farm Elementary, attended and spoke at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) National Conference in LA. Pavelec received a 'Future Leader Initial NCTM Annual Conference Attendance Award' to attend the 3 day event. Pavelec has never attended a national conference and was excited to participate in and represent MCPASD.

"Being able to attend workshops and presentations by some of the leading mathematicians in teaching left me feeling excited about so many of the things we are already doing well with elementary math education in MCPASD," said Pavelec

Read more | https://bit ly/3AhEtei

5 Businesses Earn the 2022 Wisconsin Association of School Board Business Honor Roll Award

Middleton Cross Plains Area School District recognized amazing local businesses during the November 7th Board of Education meeting that have worked with us to help make our district a great place to learn and work.

The following businesses won the 2022 Wisconsin Association of School Boards Business Honor Roll for MCPASD. This program recognizes local school district business partners that support their local schools by providing resources or additional learning opportunities for students and staff

Spencer Real Estate Group, The Latino Academy, Singlewire Software, Piggly Wiggly in Cross Plains, and Apptegy.

Read more | https://bit.ly/3AhEtei

Generous donation provided to Elm Lawn Elementary by former MCPASD teacher Kristin 'Kristie' Konsoer

KRISTIN “KRISTIE” KONSOER was a beloved member of the MCPASD family. Her passion for her students and education was palpable, and she is missed by many.

As a gift to her former school, Elm Lawn Elementary, Kristie generously donated $82,779.23 in her will to be used for literacy tools Our District is incredibly grateful If you would like to learn more about Kristie and her dedication to teaching at MCPASD, please click here

Board of Education Update

Congratulations to Catherine Kells for being appointed School Board Member for Area II! Catherine will stand in for the remainder of former Board Member Brian Bonti's term. She was sworn in on November 7th at the regular Board of Education meeting.

Kells and School Board Members Bob Green and Tabitha Hansen have announced they will be running for election on April 4th, 2023. Green has been a member of the Board of Edu

During the November 14th meeting, two board members, Annette Ashley and Paul Kinne announced they would not be running for reelection in the spring We want to thank both of them for the outstanding work and service they have given our district, staff, families, and students

Ashley has been with the Board of Education for 12 years and Kinne for 9 years.

"On behalf of a very grateful district, we want to thank Annette Ashley and Paul Kinne for their many years of service to our district. It is because of their leadership, steadfastness, and commitment to our community that we have achieved so much during their time on the Board. Paul's nine years of service and Annette's twelve years of service are commendable and a model of servant leadership," said Superintendent Dr. Dana Monogue.

'Habits

Of A Learner' Category added to Kromrey Report Cards

This year Kromrey middle level families will see a new category on their child's Report Card called 'Habits of a Learner ' These habits were identified by staff as being the highest leverage traits that lead to success within the classroom, and for that reason, they are vital to report out to our families.

Similar to other areas graded on a report card, these 'Habits of a Learner' will be explicitly taught within our classrooms, and the teacher will collect and report evidence as an average. They seek to improve children's social emotional capacity so they can continue to grow beyond the areas of content. These skills equip students for a future beyond the walls of school, be it college, career, or community readiness.

Learn more here

Congratulations to the District Communications Team | Earned 3 Awards at the Wisconsin School Public Relations Association Conference

Congratulations to the MCPASD Communications Department. They won 3 WSPRA Awards at the annual conference in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin!

Best in Category Video Series Behind the Wheel Best in Category Video Short Spanish | Monthly Update Message for April 2022 Award of Merit MCPASD Staff Newsletter

Congratulations to the entire communications team!

Clark Street Community School Seminar Featured In Wisconsin State Journal Article

Several students at CSCS are enrolled in an exciting seminar this year titled the 'Frank Llyod Wright Seminar.' They have created outstanding projects to represent their knowledge across various disciplines! To learn more about the class and student projects, view the full article here.

YouDeservea Shout!

Shout out to Sue Mielke and Jen Streit

Sue and Jen (along with the support of the amazing music teachers at KMS and GCMS) put together a beautiful 6th grade Music showcase on Tuesday, October 18th! Students who are in Quarter 1 General Music class performed for their peers and families, showing amazing bravery and skill. It was so inspiring to see these kids shine, and Sue and Jen made it all happen!

Shout out submitted by: Abbie Hannam | Kromrey Middle School

Does someone you know deserve a shout-out? Tell us more about it in our online form here! Or you can find the form under the communications tab in the staff portal.

Downloading the MCPASD App

The MCPASD app is a great way to stay connected to our District and find all the resources on our website in one place! Here are a few quick tips when downloading the website:

Remember to enable push notifications when you first download the app. If you have the app, check your notification settings in the app to make sure your school is checked ' yes ' for notifications

Currently, two MCPASD apps are listed in the app store/google play store. Be sure to download the app with our District logo. The other app is an old app that is no longer updated.

The Technology Services Team designs and maintains the technology infrastructure necessary to operate the school district and enrich the instructional practices that provide our students with a high quality education. The team's work supports the conditions for a district wide system that is inclusive, innovative, and inspiring to ensure the success of every student.

New Yoga Offerings in Cross Plains

Gentle flow yoga will now be offered in Cross Plains! Classes will begin December 1 and continue for six sessions on Thursdays from 3:15 4pm and 4:15 5pm in the Park Elementary cafeteria. Practices for all levels will continue at MHS on Wednesdays from 3:15 4pm and 4:15 5pm until winter break. Please click here to learn more, sign up, or give input for future offerings. Details for the classes will be emailed to those who sign up.

Kalise has been making her way through the district to be available to answer questions about all things wellness (how to earn $150 from Dean, how to access the fitness centers, help connecting staff with a behavioral health specialist, and more). If you were unable to connect with her, you can schedule a time for a check in using this link.

Finally, whether you were able to stop in or not, it would be so helpful for you to take this quick, four question survey to help us better serve you

$50 just for completing an online self assessment! Dean Health Plan members can earn up to $150 in rewards by completing some simple steps. Members are eligible for up to $150 every calendar year To learn more, click this link for an informational form from Dean.

W3LLNES

Kalise Horst, Wellness Coordinator visits MCPASD Buildings

2023 Annual Open Enrollment for Health, Dental, Vision, and Flex Spending is in the books!

We completed another Skyward Open Enrollment on November 10, 2022, for the renewal of benefits into 2023! The December payrolls will start the new deduction cycle for January through December 2023 coverage periods You will receive an email from the Benefits Team to alert you to your new deduction per pay for your 2023 benefit plans. Thank you to everyone who participated and submitted their enrollment records!

If no action was taken, the health, dental, and vision benefits that were in place in 2022 will be moved forward to 2023 by the Benefits Department with the assumption that no changes were needed in your elections. Flex Spending Elections do NOT move forward. It is strongly encouraged that all benefit eligible employees take action during the open enrollment window of opportunity so you have the say in what plan(s) you participate in for the new plan year.

Employee Personnel

Employee Services Check In

Now that the school year is up & running we want to ask you to take a moment to check in on yourselves as an employee in regards to what services we can provide to you and what questions we can answer. Do you have any questions regarding calendars, professional development days, how to view your pay stub, how to change your federal and/or state withholdings, how to submit time off requests, acquire a substitute, etc. These, and more, are all questions our Employee Services staff want to assist you with. Oftentimes questions to us start with “I don’t mean to bother you ” , but please know that is never the case! We are here to help, so please ask! Email: employeeservicesmailbox@mcpasd.k12.wi.us

PROBLEM

Employee Personnel

Skyward Tip Of The Month

How

to correct a time off request

You’ve submitted a time off request for a day that you no longer need to take off and it has already been approved.

SOLUTION

HOW TO

Payroll cannot delete it, so you need to reverse it.

Submit another time off request using the exact same data as the original BUT enter a negative sign in front of the hours.

Example: Original request was 7 hrs, so this second request will be 7. Once approved, you will net '0' hours

EXAMPLE

Gratitude

November is a month for gratitude Take a moment to text someone in your work or personal life and send them gratitude right now. Notice how that makes you feel as you send that text message. I recently attended a conference where this book was referenced, The Happiness Journey by Bob and Virginia Pothier. It discusses the science of happiness and how even a “gratitude granular” helps So, what are all the good things that happened to you today, and who can you thank?

Barb's Corner

Employee Round Table Re cap

If you would like to share any feedback with the employee roundtables, please contact a staff member from this list

Teacher Roundtable:

The roundtable brainstormed future topics for future meetings and asked staff, what was on their mind? These topics included, but were not limited to:

Encore staffing and schedules

Curriculum renewal and vertical conversations Special Education coverage and staffing monthly PDs

Employee wellness Employee retention and hiring Communication

Building culture

Finding joy in your work Supporting staff better mid year

Employee Handbooks

Paraprofessional Roundtable:

We asked staff what was on their mind, what would you like to talk about at these meetings, and what would you like the District to know. The answers included, but were not limited to:

Shortages of applicants impacting our work schedules

Manageable workloads Professional development and progression to job advancement Break spaces in schools

It was also discussed that Barb will send a survey to paraprofessionals asking what is working well and what we can do to better support you in your job

The district will be gathering thoughts, feedback, and input regarding the revision of next year ’ s employee handbooks. Be sure to stay tuned to your email on upcoming next steps in that process. In December, volunteers will be selected to serve on the handbook committees that will start meeting in January. More information regarding the committees will be communicated in early December

Concerns about Dean/SSM

We acknowledge that the transition over to Dean HP has had its ups and downs. We want you to know that there is a universal shortage of primary care providers. For example, Quartz is also seeing a mass amount of primary care physician vacancies That being said, we still want to know about any struggles you are having with Dean We will work with our insurance brokers to ensure these problems are appropriately handled Please reach out to benefitsmailbox@mcpasd k12 wi us with those concerns

Texting

or

Social Media Communication with Students

We want to protect you! Please only use district email or district methods to communicate with students and parents. Using your personal cell phone numbers or personal social media makes you vulnerable to miscommunication. Linked here is our district policy I bring your attention to sections E and F of that policy

SchoolPsychologyWeek

Thank you to our School Psychologists for holding space for our students and aiding them in their confidence building both in and out of school!

2022-23 School / Work Calendar

Clarification for Certified Staff (Teachers)

Nov 23

”Hold Day” In honor of work for parent teacher conferences that are held during 1st semester (non work day)

Nov 24 25

Thanksgiving/Fall Break (non work days)

Dec 22 30

Holiday/Winter Break (non work days)

Jan 16

MLK day (non work day)

Jan 20

Teacher work day for grading (May be a remote work day)

Jan 23

PD/Collaboration day follow district/school schedule

Feb 20 21

PD/Collaboration days follow district/school schedule

March 13

PD/Collaboration day follow district/school schedule

March 27 31

Spring Break (non work days)

April 7

Spring holiday (non work day)

April 17

PD/Collaboration day follow district/school schedule

May 15

PD/Collaboration day follow district/school schedule

May 29

Memorial Day (non work day)

Jun 9

½ work and ½ non work day (last day of 22 23 school year)