DASD News . . . . 2014-15Engaging, challenging,

and inspiring all students to pursue their full potential.June 2015

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In this issue•  Update on facility design and construction ..............1•  Online registration opens July 13 .............................1•  State budget impacts public schools .........................3•  2015-16 Budget Hearing & Annual Meeting ............3•  Farewell to 2015 retirees ..........................................4•  New summer reading program .................................4•  Parents can access student assessment data online ...4•  Student Spotlight  .....................................................5•  Upcoming events in the DeForest & Madison area ....7•  Norski Nibbles ..........................................................8•  Congratulations Class of 2015! ................................8 DeForest Area High School’s Class of 2015 Top 11

graduating seniors, honored by the Badger Conference. Pictured (L-R): (back) Erika Nelson, Katherine Kennedy, Emily Hill, Rebecca Gasper, Ciara Schwarz; (front) Jordan Taylor, Katherine Burgener, Emma Dreischmeier, Hannah Dreischmeier, Megan Durst (not pictured Meghan Meloy).

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Update on facility design and construction

Online registration for 2015-16 school year opens on July 13

Parents/guardians may begin registering their child(ren) for the 2015-16 school year at noon on Monday, July 13. 

 Step-by-step instructions will guide parents/guardians through the online process. A help hotline will also be available. Online registration includes:•  Reviewing and updating student and family information, alert/emergency contacts, and health information

•  Receiving important information such as handbooks and notices

•  Completing many of the required forms•  Accessing free/reduced meal application and related forms

•  Paying student fees and lunch account balance (please note that there is a $2.00 fee for online payments)

Don’t have a Family Access account?  Contact your child’s school office to set one up.  

On-site: August 6 and 10 -- Parents/Guardians and their child(ren) are also asked to attend an on-site registration session between noon and 7 pm, on August 6th or 10th at DeForest Area High School.continued on page 2

With the passing of the April 7 referendum, designing the new facilities is now the main focus to create spaces that will increase capacity, 

improve safety and security, address aging buildings and infrastructure, and improve learning spaces.Five projects were approved by DASD residents: •  Yahara Elementary School: office relocation and reconfiguration of student pick-up/drop-off areas

•  DeForest Area Middle School: remodeling of the technology education classrooms to accommodate new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) programming

•  DeForest Area High School: addition and remodeling of the technology education and agri-science areas to accommodate improvements to current programming and the addition of STEM curriculum

•  Eagle Point Elementary School:  new school on existing site

•  Windsor Elementary School:  remodel of existing school and new addition

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Design/Construction, continued

Five teams representing teachers, support staff, principals, buildings and grounds staff, district administration, and others are meeting with representatives from Bray Architects and J.H. Findorff (construction company) to develop more detailed site plans for each project.  

The teams have met four times thus far: April 23, May 7 and 24, and June 4. On June 4, the core design team discussed municipal building and zoning approvals, construction phasing and schedules, and budget planning. Updates on each project are provided below. 

Each project team will continue to meet until the design phase is completed for their project. As this process evolves, design plans will be shared with additional staff in each of the affected buildings, as well as with parents and the general public.  

The schedule for designing and constructing all projects is available on the district website. 

Yahara Elementary School

•  Architectural plans are finalized, bids are being accepted, and construction will begin on June 16.  The project will be completed by the beginning of school.

•  A ground breaking ceremony will be held to kick off this project on Tuesday, June 16, at 9:00 am at the front entrance of Yahara Elementary School.  Parents, staff, and the general public are welcome to attend.

DeForest Area Middle School

•  Initial demolition will begin in June, with remodeling of the technology education classrooms taking place throughout the summer.  The project will be completed in time for the 2015-16 school year. 

•  An interactive Open House to celebrate the remodeling project will take place on Thursday, July 23, 4:30-6:00 pm in the technology education classroom.  Floor plans, color schemes, and interactive demonstrations of new STEM technology will be available. DeForest Area High School

•  Fencing around the construction area will be in place the first week in September.  Therefore, the majority of the small parking area on the northwest side of the high school will be restricted to contractors. Construction of the new addition will begin this fall, with completion in May. Renovation of the existing space will take place immediately afterward through the summer of 2016. The entire project will be completed in time for the 2016-17 school year.

•  A ground breaking ceremony will take place this fall.

Eagle Point Elementary School & Windsor Elementary School

•  Work on the designs of the buildings continue. We are working toward having visual representation of the schools available for parents, staff and the public to view during the August 6 and 10 on-site registration and at each school in August and September.

•  Construction of the new schools will begin in March 2016.

Mark your calendar!

Yahara Elementary SchoolGroundbreaking

Tuesday, June 16, 9:00 am

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Open House for DAMS STEM remodeling project

Thursday, July 23, 4:30-6:00 pm

At the June 4 design team meeting, fifth grade students in Jeff Stern’s science class presented research and a proposal for solar panels to the new Eagle Point Elementary School. Pictured are Taryn Endres, Gracie McLean, Sarah Dollak, Owen Chambers and Tyler Rogers.

From June 15 to August 14, office hours for DASD schools and the Administrative Office 

will be 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday thru Thursday.

Summer office hours for schools

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As another great school year draws to an end, we have so much to be proud of in the 

DeForest Area School District. We want to continue to see excellence in our amazing school district; however, the budget currently proposed for traditional public school jeopardizes our ability to continue to maintain the programs that our students need and deserve.Below is a list of concerns we have 

about the current proposals made by our Governor and the Joint Finance Committee.Funding support for public schools 

is slowly eroding.For the first time since revenue 

limits were imposed in 1993-94, there will be no adjustment in per pupil revenue limits in either year of the 2015-17 biennium.There will be no increase in either 

general aids or per pupil aids in 2015-16.A “no increase budget” in the first 

year, when expenses are going up, is “a cut by another name.”There will be losses in aid due to 

expansion of statewide vouchers, special needs vouchers and independent charters.

Special education categorical aid, the state aid that supports the education of students with disabilities, remains frozen in the proposed 2015-17 budget; it hasn’t been increased since 2008-09.While most other states have 

been increasing spending on public education at an average of 4 percent per year, public school funding in Wisconsin is essentially flat.Wisconsin will soon be spending 

less per pupil than the national average.We need a sustainable funding 

system with predictable increases in per pupil resources that match the rate of inflation.Our community continues to show 

strong support for our school district. Other communities in Wisconsin have seen similar support.  Recent public polls indicating that when asked which is more important: reducing property taxes or increasing spending on public schools, Wisconsin voters favored increasing school spending by a 54 percent to 40 percent margin.Our district has used the authority 

and flexibilities provided by Act 10 responsibly to control the expense side of our budget.   However, not all 

State budget to impact public schoolsby Dr. Susan Borden, District Administrator

•  Public schools provide transportation services for private school students.

•  Public schools share their federal grant dollars with private schools.

•  Public schools provide special education services to students in private schools.

•  Public schools are responsible for providing education for students who are incarcerated.

•  Public schools pay for transporting homeless children to their district of prior residence.

•  Public schools provide interpreters and translators to support parent communication.

•  Public schools provide instruction for all students, regardless of native language.

•  Public schools pay tuition for students to earn dual credit in college courses taught by district teachers.

•  Public schools pay for medically fragile student needs (such as nursing, physical therapy).

•  Public schools pay for transition services for students with disabilities who are 18- 21, such as job training and coaching on the job.

•  Public schools pay for 3 -year-old programs to serve students with disabilities.

•  Public schools pay for residential programs outside the public school for students with severe mental illness.

•  Public schools pay for day programs outside the public school for students with moderate mental illness.

We are proud that each of these is a part of our mission to serve all students. As part of that mission, public schools need to be more adequately funded in order to continue to meet our mission of serving all students.

Public education in Wisconsin . . . Did you know?

school district expenses can be controlled by Act 10. We ask that allowable resources for our students and all 860,000 public school students in our state allow us to keep pace with inflation.I urge you to learn more about the 

proposed 2015-2017 state budget. Learn how it will impact your school district, our students and education in the state of Wisconsin. If you agree that supporting traditional public education is important, please let your voice be heard in Madison by writing our representatives.

Monday, June 8Upper Ashley Field (Cardinal Heights Upper Middle School)Kroncke Drive (turn south off of Main Street), Sun Prairie, Wisconsin4-6 pmMore information

Pep Rally supporting public schools, June 8

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Pictured:Cathy Moore  6th Grade Teacher, 19 yearsJeanne Freer  Art Teacher, 23 yrsMichele Markgraf-Shacter  Educational Assistant, 18 yearsWilliam Porter  Science Teacher, 19 yearsLester Stark  Head Custodian, 25 yearsSandy Brill  Special Education Teacher, 20 years

Farewell to our 2015 retirees

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Not pictured: Evadne Hahn  Food Service Assistant, 25 yearsMarcine Yankee  Third Grade Teacher, 19 yearsKaren Hahn  Food Service Assistant, 18 yearsCathey LaHaye  Accounting Supervisor, 15 yearsDiane Pertzborn  Director of Business & Auxiliary   Services, 7 1/2 years

Parents can access student assessment data online

Students throughout the district have taken local and state assessments, or tests, throughout the year.  Depending on the grade level, these may have included STAR, PALS, Reading Profiles, WKCE, Explore, Plan, ACT, etc.

Parents/Guardians can vew assessment results for their children online.  Log onto Family Access and click on the link for “Test Scores” on the left navigation.

New summer reading program

A new summer reading program will provide the opportunity for all elementary school 

students to read this summer.  During the last week of school, each student in the elementary schools has chosen 6-8 brand new books to keep and read with their families during the summer months. The idea for the program came from 

reading specialist Kathy Williams.  According to Williams, “Research shows that simply giving kids books to read often can have a similar positive impact as does summer school in reducing the “summer (academic) slide.” According to the authors of a report 

from the National Summer Learning Association: “It’s common for teachers to spend at least a month re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer. That month of re-teaching eliminates a month that could have been spent on teaching new information and skills.”The report’s authors further note that 

family income plays a significant role in determining the magnitude of this summer slide. So, Williams and the other school’s 

reading specialists, Sharon Ganster and Sherri Rogalla, worked with teachers and parent-teacher organizations during the school year to raise enough funds to purchase several books for every elementary school child.

Students at YES couldn’t wait to begin reading their summer books. Several chose to read their new books during a recent indoor recess.

Registration, continued

•  Stop in anytime on either of these days to have your child’s school picture taken.•  If needed, complete the online registration process with help from DASD staff.  •  Pick up items purchased online (activity passes, parking permits, etc.).  There are some forms, such as volunteer background checks, athletic physical cards, and high school yearbook information, that need to be submitted in person.

•  Visit with food service and bus transportation staff.

On-site, August 6 & 10

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Four students competed in the third annual DeForest and Windsor Now (DAWN) oratory contest. Each student chose an amendment from the Bill of Rights and performed a 10-minute monologue, without the benefit of notes, for a panel of judges and a public audience. Pictured, L-R: Steven Bertelson, Erika Nelson, Kylie Rogers, and Rachel Williams.

DAWN oratorical contest winners recognized

Student Spotlight

DeForest Area High School senior, Rebecca Gasper, was selected as a recipient of the 2015 Herb Kohl Foundation award. The $3,000 awards were made to 163 graduating high school students in Wisconsin.

According to the Herb Kohl Foundational Program website, “The purpose of the scholarship program is to recognize student leadership, citizenship, school and community involvement, and academic achievement.”Recipients are selected by a statewide committee composed of civic leaders, and 

representatives of education-related associations and the program’s sponsors.The Kohl Foundation Scholarship and Fellowship program was established by 

Herb Kohl, U.S. Senator (Retired) in 1990 and in recognition of the foundation’s 25th anniversary, Herb Kohl has increased awards to each scholar to $3000. Previously each award recipient received $1000. To date the foundation has awarded $9 million to Wisconsin educators, students and schools. “Education is the key to the future of Wisconsin and our nation. I am very proud of the accomplishments of these students and teachers, and look forward to the great contributions they will make in the future”, Kohl said.The award was presented to Gasper at a recognition luncheon held at Monona 

Grove High School on Sunday, April 19th. Herb Kohl attended all luncheons to present awards to the recipients.

Senator Herb Kohl and Rebecca Gasper at the Herb Kohl Foundation awards banquet.

Gasper named 2015 Herb Kohl Foundation Excellence Scholarship recipient

Four teams from DASD made the top ten in two divisions of the Wisconsin Stock Market 

Simulation Game. A team of students from Jodi Acker’s 7th grade math class – Hayden Rauls, Nick Maier, Jagger Lokken, and Keagon Kaufmann – took first place in the middle school division. Three teams from Dave Sisler’s fourth grade class at Windsor Elementary (pictured above) took first place, second place, and ninth place in the elementary division.   More information.

Students excel at Stock Market Game

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Student Spotlight

Students at Morrisonville Elementary School (pictured above) welcomed grandparents 

and older adults to lunch, for the 23rd annual Back-to-School Lunches, sponsored by each school and LINK-ages, a school/community organization recognizing the talents of all age groups.

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District hosts 23rd annual Back-to-School Lunches

This spring first and second grade students throughout the district participated in educational 

activities at the District’s environmental outdoor classroom, Big Hill.According to Sue Brockel, Big Hill 

Resource Teacher for the district, students participated in environmental education adventures studying three habitats:  the woods, the pond, and the prairie.  Students climbed the Big Hill to observe the plants and animals in the forest habitat.  Using their binoculars, they observed many birds on the prairie. During the pond study, they found many water critters.  Using two-way scopes, the students saw tadpoles, minnows, leeches, dragonfly nymphs, a water scorpion, and several small water beetles.The activities are facilitated by 

Brockel and the two other Big Hill resource teachers, Sandy and Steve Kahl. “Students learned many facts about, and developed an appreciation for, their environment,” said Brockel.

Big Hill adventures for 1st and 2nd graders

Nearly 1,000 adults attended the lunches in the district’s elementary schools and middle school throughout April and May. In addition, several older adults 

also attended a reception (sponsored by GSA) and afternoon preview performance of the high school’s spring musical, “Little Shop of Horrors,” on April 29.

A student from Eagle Point Elementary School studies pond samples.

This spring, some DAMS 7th graders learned firsthand about resiliency from older adults 

in the community. Ten adults visited students in Laura Kruschek’s Digital Communications classroom on two separate occasions in April. They were interviewed by students about a time in their lives when they had to be resilient. Students created a presentation with  an electronic timeline for each participant.The older adults joined the students 

for a treat and enjoyable conversation. Students presented their finished projects to the older adults on Wednesday, April 29.  At the end of the presentations, the 

older adults shared information about their experience. One adult shared her thoughts, “This is very awesome and I 

truly enjoyed meeting you.  Continue your education.  Life is good, whatever you make it.”This project was facilitated by 

Digital Communications teacher Laura Kruschek with help from RSVP of Dane County and the DeForest Area School District’s LINK-ages Committee.

Amber Fabian, Mandy Fitzgerald, & Leah Doucette interview Barb Mathiot.

Students learn about resiliency from older adults

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Upcoming events in the Madison area

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Farmers Market Every Tuesday, 3-6 pm, Veteran’s  Memorial Park

Movies in the ParkEvery Friday, beginning June 12The DeForest Park, Recreation & Natural Resources Department is taking Movies In the Park on the go! We have selected three themes to accompany family movies (G & PG) and free family activities prior to each showing.More information

June 13Annual Relay for LifeWebsite

July 3 and 4DeForest Area July 4th Celebrationwww.deforestarea.com

2015★ SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 ★

CONSERVANCY COMMONS PARKDeForest, WI • 1-7pm

6th ANNUAL

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Come out for a fun-filled day of family-friendly activities for all ages that celebrate our community’s largest natural asset...

The Upper Yahara River!yaharariverfest.com

RIVER FESTRIVER FEST

Upcoming local community events

DASD Budget Hearing & Annual MeetingThe DASD 2015-16 Budget 

Hearing and Annual Meeting will be held on Monday, July 27, 2015 at the DeForest Area Public Library, Community Room, 203 Library Street, DeForest, beginning at 7:00 pm. The Budget Hearing is a 

presentation of the upcoming school year budget and provides an opportunity for public comment.The Annual Meeting allows for 

an advisory vote on the school district’s proposed tax levy.Information about the 2015-16 

budget and annual meeting will be posted on the DASD Website (Board of Education - District Budget) and News Blog (www.dasdnews.org).

Family Fun DayJune 20www.daysinnsuitesmadison.net/ family-fun-day-june-20th-2015.html

Capital Lakes DragonfestJune 20www.capitallakesdragonfest.com

Shake the Lake June 27www.shakethelake.org

Strawberry FestJune 20www.colonialclub.org/events/ strawberry-fest

Summer Concert Series at Olbrich Botanical GardensJune 23 - July 28 (Tuesdays at 7 pm)Olbrich Gardens, 3330 Atwood Ave.,www.olbrich.org/events/ summerconcert.cfm

Lakeside Kids! with Construction DayJune 24 (Wednesdays 10 – 11 am)www.mononaterrace.com/community/all-programs

Art Fair on the SquareJuly 11- 12www.mmoca.org/events/artfair/ index.php

Dane County FairJuly 15-19www.danecountyfair.com

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DeForest Area School District520 E. Holum StreetDeForest, WI 53532www.deforestareaschools.org

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Norski Nibbles

For kids through 12th grade who are in need of a nutritious lunch now that school is out. 

Served Monday-Friday (except July 3), 

11:45 am-12:15 pmJune 10 through August 28

at four locations in DeForest and Windsor 

Questions? call 846-4718 or email christlc@centurytel.net

Thank you to the many organizations and businesses who supported our DAHS graduates with scholarships to further their education. Over $200,000 in scholarships were awarded to the Class of 2015 at the annual Senior Awards Night held on May 20.

Congratulations Class of 2015!

250 graduates

Photo courtesy of DAHS Yearbook