School District of Amery
NOVEMBER • 2020
Embracing the Outdoor
Classroom
Annie Braaten. After receiving a Board of Education mini-grant and support from the PBIS (Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports) team, the project was spearheaded by parent volunteers Debbie Elmer-Christopherson and Ashley Long. Christopherson’s involvement was prompted by Early Childhood teacher Teresa Haines who encouraged Christopherson (an artist and garden enthusiast) to utilize ‘sensory gardens’ for her young son. The outdoor classroom was created as an extension of the indoor classroom and curriculum. The goal was for the space to be furnished with natural materials and to support hands-on learning, active learners with sensory needs, STEAM activities, nature appreciation, and provide a calming environment.
Embracing the Outdoor
Classroom
FIRST GRADERS SIT ON TREE STUMPS, hands sky-high to ask a question. A Kindergarten class gathers on the outdoor platform to listen to their teacher read a story while the sun warms their faces. Preschoolers peak at one another through the hollowed log and excitedly climb onto the boulders. Second graders race to their favorite locations to get comfortable and read their favorite stories. It is safe to say that the Lien Elementary Outdoor Classroom was put to good use this fall. Seeking ways to teach safely during the pandemic, schools across the United States have embraced the idea of classes in the open air, as Americans did during disease outbreaks a century ago. The Lien Elementary Outdoor Classroom was not created in response to the pandemic, but it quickly became a very valuable learning space because of the pandemic. What better place than an outdoor classroom to take a reprieve from mask-wearing, enjoy fresh air, and easily social distance? The project was initiated in 2018 by a group of elementary teachers including Trish Meyers, Alex Lilienthal, Brenda Cronk and
The area includes a stump stomp where students can count, jump and skip from stump to stump; a building zone; open areas for movement breaks, groupbuilding activities and messy art; benches; work spaces; an outdoor stage; and more. The roughly defined learning spaces are surrounded by a variety of plants, flowers, perennial grasses, and trees all carefully selected and placed with purpose.
It’s a living classroom, and not just for science, but for anything that is done in the traditional indoor classroom such as reading, math, music, art and physical education. The space can also help students who need time to regulate their emotions. Taking a deep breath in an outdoor space is a different deep breath than when sitting in a desk. There is a growing body of research on learning in nature. Studies have found that teaching outdoors increases students’ interest in a subject and intrinsic motivation to learn, and may help them to retain information longer than regular indoor classes. In addition, kids like learning outside. Why would being in nature benefit children? It reduces stress, restores
energy, and improves immune function in children, much like it does in adults. And kids who are healthier and calmer will simply learn better. Future goals for the Lien outdoor classroom include a curtain for the stage so it can be used for small performances and reader’s theatre, ….. Mrs. Halverson said that her students are excited to watch it come alive in the spring since they missed out on that last year with the school shutdown.
Special thanks to over 80
volunteers and many donations of materials and heavy equipment use from local contractors: Gille Trucking & Excavating Meyer Landscaping Z-Orchard S&F Landscaping Clyde Alley Landscaping.
Outdoor
Classrooms · Mrs. Halverson’s students enjoyed spreading out, choosing their own spots, and removing their masks. “My class has LOVED using the outdoor classroom! We have done some reading, writing, math, a scavenger hunt and even had a painting lesson with Paul Oman.” · Mrs. Wentz’s class used the outdoor classroom for writing about fall and enjoying some read-to-self time. · Lien Principal Mrs. Meyer moved some of her traditional fall classroom visits to the outdoor stage where she introduced herself to the students and read a story. She watched the children explore the classroom and enjoyed viewing it through their eyes, “They counted the birdhouses, walked the paths, felt the plants, played with the wooden logs and building blocks, and thoroughly enjoyed the space.”
Montessori Expands to the Intermediate School As an innovative school district, and because we understand that every child is unique in how they learn, develop and grow, we take great pride in the program options available to our families. Amery parents have the opportunity to choose the best learning environments for their children. One of those learning environments is the Montessori program initially launched in 2016 at Lien Elementary. This fall, the Montessori program expanded to the Intermediate School with 4th grade students and will grow to include 5th grade in fall of 2021. The expansion was driven by both Montessori teachers and families who were in the Lower Elementary program and wanted their
children to continue to learn using the Montessori method. Montessori classrooms are multiage following the philosophy that students learn and grow at different paces and having a multi-age classroom with the same teacher for three years allows for continued growth at the individual pace of each student. The Montessori method of education is based on selfdirected activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play. Students make creative choices in their learning while the classroom and the teacher offer age-appropriate activities to guide the process.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF AMERY
MONTESSORI PROGRAM INCLUDES... ·
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Children’s House for 4K and Kindergarten
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Lower Elementary for Grades 1-3
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Upper Elementary for Grade 4 in the 20-21 school year and extending to Grade 5 in 21-22
To learn more about all of our program options including AIM (Amery Inquiring Minds), Legacy & Traditional classrooms, and Project Based classrooms, visit the SCHOOLS tab of the School District of Amery website:
www.amerysd.k12.wi.us
FROM THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR The School District of Amery is immensely proud to continue working with our students and their families as we move through an unprecedented school year. With your patience and flexibility, we were able to enthusiastically open our doors to children in September. Partnering with parents and community, we successfully remained in face to face instruction for our students and staff through September and October on into November. This was no small accomplishment. The district has remained committed to offering as much of the school experience as has been safely possible. We set the bar high in the spring with a virtual Senior Awards Night and a socially distanced graduation ceremony. Over the course of the fall we have made it a priority to preserve the best of who we are with the social and emotional wellness of our students in mind. The district found creative ways for our student-athletes to compete with other Middle Border Conference schools. In Amery, the school experience has been marked for years by events which make us unique. Only in Amery can there be a virtual Halloween parade attended by all kids and a Thanksgiving Chicken Dance with all elementary staff. With reverence, the high school honored our former Amery graduates who entered the military with a virtual presentation of Veterans Day. These are but a few examples of how we have sought to preserve the best of the Amery school experience. Our students deserve nothing less than our best. All of us know that the best place for our kids to be educated is at school for face to face instruction. Our collective goal is to bring our students back safely for in person instruction. In addition, the aim is to safely compete in winter athletics. We all want the highest quality education for our kids, in the classroom, with athletics, and through all the wonderful school events, activities and traditions which make Amery such a special school and community. We are all in this together! Please do all you can to help us #GETBACKTOGREEN.
Dr. Shawn Doerfler District Administrator
SCHOOL DISTRICT OF AMERY COVID-19 For up-to-date plans and resources, please visit the district website (www.amerysd.k12.wi.us)
STAY IN SCHOOL PLAN 2020
View the updated Learning Model Transition Plan, current positive cases within the school district and county, links to Polk County and Wisconsin resources, and more.
WARRIORS ON THE WORLD STAGE
Live Streaming
For schools across the country, cameras are taking on the utmost importance this school year. During the pandemic, live streaming and video recordings may be the only way many family and fans are able to catch a glimpse of their children and favorite teams playing sports, performing a concert, or participating in a special event.
In October of 2019, long before the pandemic hit, the School District of Amery partnered with the WE ARE Network to begin live streaming athletic events. Amery is currently one of fifteen WE ARE Network member schools in northwestern Wisconsin. The 19-20 winter season was a success live streaming over thirty varsity basketball, hockey, and wrestling contests to the WE ARE Amery Facebook page. The streams included play-by-play announcing: local sports announcer John Ashlin called the basketball games that were also broadcast onto WXCE 1260 radio and recorded for Amery cable television, AHS Principal Josh Gould and wrestling parent Reggie Schleusner called the wrestling matches, and hockey parents Erik Hellie and Luke Panek covered hockey. Part of the experience of a Facebook livestream is the audience engagement. Viewers and announcers can see comments, respond to comments or the event, interact with the announcers, see the number of total viewers, and see which of their Facebook friends are also watching. The best engagement yet? When hockey player Kobe Stinson’s dad, while deployed in Afghanistan, was able to tune in live and watch Kobe play. When school was closed in March and spring sports were canceled, the focus turned to recording nonathletic events such as graduation and Senior Awards Night.
When school resumed in September along with a fall sports season, attendance at events was limited. Live streaming was no longer a luxury, it was a necessity. All Amery Warrior home volleyball, football and soccer games were broadcast along with a middle and high school cross country invite. At the mercy of internet connections, bandwidth, hotspots, and other unpredictable circumstances, some of the streams are not perfect, but they are still appreciated by those who cannot attend in person. Currently, the goal is no longer just streaming athletic events, but also recording band and choir concerts, awards, presentations, and any event with limited attendance. Tracy Hendrickson, who manages district communications believes, “It’s important
for us to connect with our community, and right now, this is the best way to do it. Our students and staff are working hard, and we want to give them the recognition they deserve.” Live streaming not only connects the school with the surrounding physical community, but it connects the school with a world stage of viewers including grateful grandparents, alumni, and Warrior fans near and far. Where to find our Warriors online: WE ARE Amery Facebook page: Live streams of athletic contests School District of Amery Facebook page and Amery Schools YouTube channel: Recorded premieres of concerts and nonathletic events Archives of the WE ARE Amery live streams can be found at https://www. thewearenetwork.com/category/amery/
Thanks to our WE ARE Amery sponsors: Noah Insurance Group, Carlson SV, Amery Chevrolet, Dental Arts Family Dentistry, Jensen Furniture, Ben Wheeler Realtor - Bos Realty, Jessica Cramlet - Edina Realty, Polk-Burnett Electric Co-op, Baribeau Implement Company, Inc., Osceola Medical Center, WITC, and ADRC of Northwest Wisconsin
The Pandemic and High School Athletics
In August, if anyone had asked Amery Athletic Director Jeff Fern about the chances of a fall sports season, he would have been hopeful about the start, but doubtful about the chances of completing a full season. The WIAA (Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association) canceled spring sports which directly impacted over 150 Amery athletes in softball, baseball, track and field, girls soccer, boys tennis and boys golf. It was difficult for athletes, coaches, and fans. It was especially difficult for graduating seniors who would not have a ‘next time.’ The summer was spent researching, planning, and meeting tirelessly to plan a safe fall sports season. The result? A modified yet complete fall season for volleyball, football, boys soccer, girls tennis, cross country, and girls golf. Fall sports looked different: shorter seasons, fewer competitions, fewer competitors, limited spectators, athletes in masks, coaches in masks, constant disinfection of game and practice equipment, modified tournaments, and more. It was not perfect, but it happened! Student-athletes happily competed and succeeded.
Mr.
With the late fall surge of COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin and across the country, the winter sports season was at risk. No one anticipated the rapid move from in-person learning directly to remote learning. On November 16, Amery moved to fully remote learning for 4K-12 and suspended all extra-curricular activities, including athletics. As of November 30, all schools in Polk County and the Middle Border Conference were participating in extra-curricular activities except New Richmond and Amery. At a special meeting on November 30, the Board of Education voted to reinstate extra-curricular activities during remote learning. New Richmond did the same. Hockey and girls basketball lost two weeks of their seasons while boys basketball and wrestling each lost one week, but they are happy to be back in the gym, on the ice, and on the mat. The struggle across the country is the hesitancy among administrators and board members to
offer athletics when students have not returned to in-person learning. Education comes first, and the virus is real. Yet, extracurricular activities have always been a key component of the educational experience. Do schools eliminate one portion of a student’s education because they had to modify another? Fern has worked hard to advocate for athletes. He believes that the school experience is defined as much by what students learn outside of the classroom as what they learn in it. Participation and competition can build character, teach discipline and life lessons, and connect students with peers and their communities. The success of the fall sports season appears to demonstrate that school, conference, and WIAA safety measures were effective and that coaches were committed to ensuring the safety of student-participants and complying with statemandated regulations. The hope is that the winter sports season, with additional safety measures in place, will also be successful. Updated winter athletic schedules can be found on the School District of Amery website, and live streams of games and matches can be viewed on the WE ARE Amery Facebook page. If winter sports resume, updated schedules can be found on the School District of Amery website, and live streams of games and matches can be viewed on the WE ARE Amery Facebook page. 1 https://www.wiaawi. org/Portals/0/PDF/ Health/Covid/WI_HS_ SportCOVID-19.pdf
Title I of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a federal funding program designed to close achievement gaps and ensure that all children have a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education. The School District of Amery operates under a targeted assistance Title I model, which provide reading and math support services at Lien Elementary and Amery Intermediate School to identified students based on test scores, classroom performance, and teacher recommendation.
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The Title I staff is committed to fostering student independence and confidence through high quality, data driven small group instruction. Family engagement is a key component of our program. The district’s Title I Parent Involvement Policy outlines the partnership between home and school for the purpose of promoting high achievement through Title I (Board policy 342.5).
HOW CAN I HELP MY CHILD? Our students know that “reader’s read!” It is what we do because it is who we are. You can promote this at home by letting your child see you: · Reading newspapers, books, and magazines. · Writing letters, notes, and grocery lists. · Listening to podcasts or audio books. · Using math to prepare budgets and compare prices. Visit: www.readwritethink.org and www.readingrockets.org for more ways to support learning outside of the school day.
MEET THE STAFF · · · · ·
Deb Anderson, IS/MS teacher Teri Anderson-Hoyer, IS teacher Julia Eisenmann, ES teacher Carrie Schuh, District Reading Specialist/ES teacher Mary Ziegler, ES/MS paraprofessional
AFTER SCHOOL FITNESS
AIM STUDENTS CONTINUE TO CONNECT WITH COMMUNITY
This fall the middle school offered an afterschool fitness and lifting class for students. About 35 students took advantage of the after-school time to work out and learn basic lifting techniques, etiquette, and training principles. It was a great activity for those students not participating in a fall sport, and it was great to witness their growth!
One of AIM (Amery Inquiring Minds) students’ favorite activities is spending time with the residents at Evergreen Village several times per school year. This Halloween was not the same without the ability to visit Evergreen Village to play games, share laughs, and see their friends dressed up in fun costumes. Instead, AIM students created Halloween artwork to send to Evergreen Village so they could decorate their hallways for Halloween. The students hoped it would make the residents smile.
2020 SEASON SIGNUP Destination Imagination (DI) is a fun and creative problem-solving competition for students in grades 3-12 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Shayne Curtis curtiss@amerysd.k12wi.us Allen Carlson carlsonal@amerysd.k12.wi.us
CONNECT with us! FOR PARENTS
PowerSchool – access through website or the school app. Includes student grades, attendance, schedules, lunch account balance, ETC. Family Folders –
access online through the school website and the school app
Remind 101 used at the Middle School for text and email alerts Homework Hotline used at the Middle School
FOR EVERYONE www.amerysd.k12.wi.us QR code to website APP – free from the App Store or Google Play. Includes the school calendar, athletic events, social media links, menus, staff directory, Comm. Ed link
Facebook – School District of Amery Twitter - @AmerySchools
Instagram – ameryschools YouTube – Amery Schools
COMMUNITY EDUCATION Open to youth and adults from the Amery area and other communities
Amery Community Education is slowly returning! You will not see the usual printed Community Education catalog in mailboxes at this time, but some in-person and virtual classes continue to be scheduled. Classes are listed online as they are available. If gyms can be reopened for public use this winter, we will. We hope to return to open gyms for basketball, pickleball, and youth. We will share updated classes and opportunities through the Amery Community Education page of the district website, the School District of Amery and Amery Community Education Facebook pages, emails to past registrants, the Amery Free Press, and posting flyers around town. Watch for information! If you are interested in teaching any classes, or if you have ideas for new programming, classes, or trips, please contact us!
AMERY COMMUNITY EDUCATION
commed@amerysd.k12.wi.us 715.268.9771 x220
FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION
Registration forms, website links and contact info, visit our website (www.amerysd.k12.wi.us), ‘Community Ed’ tab and click on ‘ONLINE REGISTRATION’
Register Early!
Pre-registration is required
Featured Graduates TRAVIS BAUERMEISTER • AHS Class of 2002•
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND (degrees, special projects, special studies, etc.) After high school, Travis Bauermeister attended Chippewa Valley Technical College and earned his licensure as a Journeyman Electrician and then proceeded to become a Master Electrician. In 2010 he also earned an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education with a Preschool Credential from WITC. He continued his education and graduated from UW-River Falls in 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. In 2020 he earned his Master’s degree in Professional Development and Learning Communities. PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND AND CURRENT EMPLOYMENT: Bauermeister initially followed in his father’s footsteps as an electrician. After 10 years, he was unable to continue working in the electrical field. As a result, he returned to school to pursue an education degree as it was his mother’s career field of childcare that turned out to be his true calling. Travis worked at the Polk County Early Learning Center while studying at WITC. At the Learning Center he worked with children between the ages of 3 and 5 as an assistant teacher and bus driver. When he finished his Associate’s degree, he was hired to work in the Clubhouse program at the School District of Amery. He was a 4K Wrap-Around teacher while 4K was still a half-day school program. When 4K transitioned to a full-day program and the Clubhouse expanded to include childcare, Travis became the lead 3-year old teacher. After spending one year as the lead 3-year old teacher and completing his Bachelor’s degree, he was hired as a 4K teacher in Amery and is still working in that capacity. HOW DID YOUR EXPERIENCES AT AMERY SCHOOLS CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER? “As I look back at my education from Amery Schools, I had so many wonderful teachers that have touched my life. I know that you too can probably recall at least one teacher that had an impact on you. While attending Amery Schools, there were teachers who were kind, funny, and caring and those who kept me honest and held me accountable to the work that needed to be accomplished. I learned from those teachers that building and sustaining relationships were key to instill the values of working hard and being successful. I model my work and the relationships I develop with my students after those very teachers.”
MARGARET (BUDKE) MILLS • AHS Class of 2009•
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND (degrees, special projects, special studies, etc.) Margaret Mills earned her bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2013. She graduated with a degree in International and Comparative Legal Studies with Honors and Russian Foreign Language. Her majors are subjects about which she is extremely passionate, having spent a semester abroad in Russia in 2012 and completed a thesis investigating the rule of law in the Soviet Union. Mills is still interested in those disciplines and has applied to several law schools for next fall in pursuit of her Juris Doctorate. PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND AND CURRENT EMPLOYMENT: Mills earned her commission as an Aviation Officer from the United States Military Academy in 2013. Immediately following graduation, she entered flight school training and earned her wings as an Apache helicopter pilot in 2014. From 2015 – 2017 she served as an Apache Platoon Leader in the 1-227th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion of the 1st Air Cavalry in Fort Hood, TX. From 2017-2018 she served in South Korea as Executive Officer of the Aviation Maintenance Company in the 2D Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade. Upon her return stateside in 2018, she spent a year teaching military science for the ROTC program at Davidson College in Davidson, NC. Mills now serves as a brigade plans officer for the 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade in Fort Bliss, TX. HOW DID YOUR EXPERIENCES AT AMERY SCHOOLS CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER? “What comes to mind first are actually my memories of Amery High School Cross Country and Track. This should come as no surprise; there is a LOT of running in the Army! I think even as a cadet, the physical fitness I developed in these sports put me a step ahead of my peers. Not only that, but the work ethic and mental endurance I developed through athletics served me well in so many other ways. I also think the high academic standards prepared me tremendously well for my undergraduate college experience and instilled in me a lifelong commitment to learning.”
Amery School District 543 Minneapolis Avenue Amery, WI 54001
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