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West Salem School District April 2013 Newsletter

Let’s Celebrate the PresentBy Troy M. Gunderson, Superintendent

Sometimes the hectic pace of our daily activity and seemingly endless amount of change occurring in our business can cause us to look past the many great things happening here every single day. In an attempt to “celebrate the present” I offer a sampling of recent achievements.

At the March 25th school board meeting, Director of Instruction Michael St. Pierre offered a summary of progress regarding the district Teaching and Learning Performance Initiative. St. Pierre’s summary indicates the hard work of our students and staff is paying dividends as evidenced by strides in student achievement.

Each year former Senator Herb Kohl recognizes 100 Wisconsin high school seniors for their scholastic achievements, 100 seniors as initiative scholars along with a number of teachers as Fellowship Award Winners. This year West Salem is honored to have one of each! Senior Alyssa Noll was named a Kohl Excellence Scholar, Senior Hayden Gullickson was named a Kohl Initiative Scholar, and Elementary Teacher Jennifer Wheeler was named a Kohl Fellowship winner. These three distinguished members of our learning community will attend a banquet with Senator Kohl on April 14th in Chippewa Falls, WI. Congratulations to all three winners.

Another annual tradition is the prestigious Wisconsin School Art Show held each spring in the state capitol building in Madison. This year a number of West Salem students were selected to display their work. Of these, two were named award winners - “the best of the best.” Senior Rachel Auna captured the noteworthy SAX award for her oil painting. Elementary student Sydney Hammes, received the W.T. Graham award for her colorful painting. Photos of the artwork are included. (see page 2 and page 6) Congratulations one and all!

The eventual arrival of spring brings, among other things, the annual presentation of our senior exit projects. This year three seniors earned regional media attention for their projects. Chloe Stauffer’s “pink-out” basketball game, Luke Langreck’s pond hockey tournament, and Kathryn Block’s art therapy for Parkinson’s patients all received television coverage. In fact, Stauffer’s basketball story served as a half-time feature during the television broadcast of the state basketball tournament. Also noted in this newsletter are articles about student competition success in Visual Arts Classic - VAC, Distributive Education Clubs of America - DECA and MathCounts.

Thank you for taking a moment to celebrate just a few examples of student success. More importantly, thank you for making this all possible through your generous support of public education. Working together will ensure a future filled with continued “presents” to celebrate.

Board Policy UpdateIn January, the school board updated Board Policy #384 regarding pets on school property. As the weather finally warms, it seems a good idea to offer an update of the changes. The updated policy no longer allows pets on school property for any reason, at any time, without prior approval. This change means it will no longer be acceptable to bring your pets to an outdoor athletic event or to “run” your dogs on the school district green spaces. Why make this change? Two primary reasons; students encountering dog waste as they participate in athletics or recess and continuing issues regarding liability and safety. Please note, this policy does not restrict the walking of dogs on the public sidewalks surrounding our campus. Please be sure to remove all waste.

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District K-12 Art Show

Support Our Students NightThe West Salem High School Art Painting I class had work on display at Pizza Villa in downtown West Salem. To celebrate, Pizza Villa had a special the evening of February 21. As an added bonus to hav-ing student art work displayed, Pizza Villa donated a percent of their sales to the high school art department. Thank you to all of those individuals who participated.

The West Salem Middle School will have art work on display from April 4-April 30. The special evening/reception will be April 25.

Rachel Auna Wins Sax Award at Capitol Rotunda Show

Rachel Auna, a West Salem High School senior, recently received one of six Sax Art Awards for excellence at the State Capi-tol Exhibit, held February 23-March 1 in the Rotunda in Madison. This annual exhibition is part of the celebration of the Youth Art Month program held in Wisconsin's State Capital. The purpose of the exhibition, put on annually by the Wisconsin Art Education Association and the Department of Public Instruction, is to promote visual arts and creative problem solving in our state.

Auna's work was an oil, acrylic and ink piece entitled "Tortuguero." Her mixed media piece was selected from hundreds of entries throughout the state.

A reception was held March 1st at the Rotunda.

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Outdoor Education Center VisitsWest Salem students will be visiting the Outdoor Education Center in April and May. La Crosse and surrounding counties are areas which are found to be populated with deer ticks, which may cause exposure to Lyme Disease. It is important for people who work or recreate outdoors to learn the facts about the disease and how to prevent it. By taking some simple precau-tions we can all continue to safely enjoy the pleasures

and benefits of outdoor activ-ity. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Barb Thompson or Connie Troyanek at the elementary school, 786-1220.

OEC Training

Do you enjoy learning about nature? Do you like spending

time with young children? Do you have a free day or two this spring to spend outside? If this sounds like you, we’d like to invite you to participate in a special volunteer training program held at the West Salem Outdor Education Center. This spring we will be training volunteers to lead hikes with small groups of elementary students at the West Salem OEC. We will train anyone who is interested in learning more about our OEC and is willing to share that knowledge with our children. No special knowledge or experience is required. You will attend a three hour training session at the forest prior to the visit. When the students are there, you will be asked to lead a short hike through the forest with a small number of students. What bet-ter way to enjoy a warm spring day! For more infor-mation or to volunteer, call Barb Thompson at 786-1220 (days) or 786-2382 (evenings). Thank you for caring about our youth.

NESHONOC YEARBOOK DEDICATION MAY 10

WEST SAlEM HIgH SCHOOl’S 2013 NESHONOC YEARBOOK DEDICATION CEREMONY

IS SET fOR fRIDAY, MAY 10, AT 7:00 p.M. AT THE MARIE W. HEIDER CENTER fOR THE ARTS.

DARE GraduationMarch 8, 2013

DARE Officer, Deputy Marty Peterson of the La Crosse County Sheriff’s Department

Essays were read, songs were performed and certificates were issued to the 5th grade graduates.

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Woods II students learning about different techniques and tools for wood finishing from Technology Educa-tion Teacher Ryan Tracy.

SFC Gordon from the US Army is reviewing some of the career options available related to West Salem’s Technology and Engineering Program. The students reviewed the maintenance procedures on an Army HMMWV and were also informed of the mechanic and welding career fields available in the Army.

West Salem Summer Musical

The Music Manby Meredith WilsonJune 20-23, 2013

All current 8th grade through twelfth grade actors: Auditions for the Summer Musical, “The Music Man”, will be held on April 22 from 3:30 to 5:00

or 6:00 to 7:00. For those not able to attend Monday there will be a short audition on

Tuesday, April 23 from 3:15 to 4. Musical practices will begin April 29 after school.

Celebrate National Library Week 2013 (April 14-20) will be celebrated with the theme,

Communities Matter @ your library Honorary Chair is Caroline Kennedy

www.ala.org/nlw/

April 16 - National Library Workers DayApril 18 - Support Teen Literature Day

Follow along during National Library Week: Follow us on Twitter at #nlw13 Like atyourlibrary.org on Facebook

Parents as PartnersAs a parent you know and understand your child better than any-one else. From what motivates your child or sharing what your child’s favorite subject is in school, your insight is valued. Par-ents play an important role in the education of their child. This is especially true for parents of children with special needs. Parents are a vital member of the educational team. The goal of the West Salem Family Engagement Program is to support, educate and empower parents of children receiving special education. To learn more about the special education process check out the websites below.

If you would like a written copy of the resources listed below please contact Tiffany Lisk, Family Engagement Liaison for the West Salem School District. You may reach Tiffany at 786-1662 or you may email her at lisk.tiffany@wsalem.k12.wi.us

Parents, you are your child’s best advocate!

Printable Special Education ResourcesIntroduction to Special Education: A general overview of special education and the IEP process. http://sped.dpi.wi.gov/files/sped/pdf/intro-se.pdf

SPED in Plain Language: A parent friendly resource that explains education laws, policies, and practices in Wisconsin. http://www.specialed.us/pl-07/pl07-printinstruct.html

Parents Rights in Special Education (Procedural Safeguards): This document explains the rights parents and students have in regards to special education services. http://www.wi-pec.net/New%20DPI%20COF%20and%20PS/Procedural%20Safe-guards_booklet.pdf

Procedural Safeguards WI DPI Web Page: This page includes a variety of formats for this document as well as Spanish/Hmong versions http://sped.dpi.wi.gov/sped_pcrights

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Visual Arts Competition

In February, the West Salem High School Visual Arts Classic (VAC) team travelled to UW-La Crosse to compete in the Regional VAC Competition. Eleven WSHS students competed against other schools in the region. The all-day competition is a multi-faceted event, consisting of 12 studio-based categories, an Art History Quiz Bowl (on 12 artist/art movements), and a Group Critical Thinking category that combined students' acting skills with visual arts.

At the end of the day, the team scores were tallied, and the West Salem Visual Arts Classic team emerged victorious! This means that the team will travel to the State VAC Competition in Madison to compete against the winning teams of the seven other Regionals in Wisconsin. The state competition will be in April.

Individually, here is how each team member did. They were required to create a Long-Term project in a studio-based category, and an On-Site project in the same studio-based category. All competitors' scores were based on a 20 point scale, and were ranked 1st through Honorable Mention. Long Term On SiteDrawing Tori Hansen 1st 1st Hayden Gullickson 1st 2ndPainting Amber Holcomb HM 3rd Hannah Reedy 2nd 2ndPrintmaking Katie Carlson 1st 1stCeramics Erica Rich 1st 1st Ivy King 2nd 2ndGraphic Design Seth Walker 1st 1st Emerson Rabbitt 3rd 3rdPersonal Adornment Rachel Auna 2nd 1stDigital Photo Anessa Holey 2nd 2nd

On Monday, February 25, in the gym at the elemen-tary school, Antoinette Key and Justin Jehn, high school science teachers, en-joyed demonstrating many different science concepts. Then kids divided up into groups to work at stations using Bernoulli’s principle to move a ping pong ball, practicing their estimation skills, exploring how light separates into the colors of the rainbow, planting sweet corn, and exploring how colors blend. This PTO sponsored event had over 200 attending for the night.

PTO Science Night

If you know or see these students, please congratulate them on a job well done! This is the fifth year in a row that the West Salem High School Visual Arts Classic Team has advanced to the State competition! What a milestone!

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Poster Design WinnersI am very happy to announce that seven out of ten "Go Green in 2013" Poster Design winners were from West Salem! This poster contest is made possible by Myrick Park, the Earth Day Committee and the Cou-lee Partners for Sustainability.

2nd place - Jack Hehli3rd place - Magei Farley

The following students will soon have their art fea-tured on the website and at the Earth Day celebration. www.earthfairlacrosse.org

5th Haley Patterson6th Cannan Schwartz

7th Lacy Harper8th Shiwa Xiong9th Rachel Stein

The other three students in the top ten were from the La Crosse schools. According to Vicky Miller, the Earth Day Chairperson, there were several other schools who also submitted artwork.

Angie HemkerWest Salem Art Department

2013 State MathCounts News

The State Mathcounts Competition was held in Madison on Saturday, March 2, 2013. There were 133 total students competing, representing 45 different schools from across the state of Wisconsin. There were 25 official teams competing.

West Salem’s team members were Nick Schultz, Courtney Koepp, Brandon Schran, and Erick Sells. As a team, West Salem finished in 7th place. Indi-vidually, Schultz placed 43rd, Koepp placed 52nd , Schran placed 98th, and Sells placed 119th. Isaac Trocinski and Josh Krien competed as individuals. Trocinski placed 82nd and Krien placed 111th.

Mathcounts is a national program designed to promote excellence in math and science in grades 6 through 8. West Salem’s Mathcounts program is coached by Tammy Bentzen and Jon Jones. The National Com-petition will be held in May in Washington D.C. The top four individuals from the State competition will represent Wisconsin at the National Competition.

Congratulations to fourth grade student

Sydney Hammes. Sydney’s art was on display

at the capitol and received the W.T. Graham Award - a top

honor in the art world.

The West Salem High School Drama club is taking a bus trip to WICKED at the Overture Center in Madison!

Please contact Rhonda Andres at 786-1220 ext. 2112 or andres.rhonda@wsalem.k12.wi.us. Cash or check payment (checks payable to WSHS) reserves your ticket for the upcoming show! Students 8th grade and younger, must have a paid adult accompany them to the WICKED performance.

WICKED at the Overture Center, Madison, WIThursday, June 6, 2013, 7:30 p.m.

Cost - $110——includes show ticket with great seats in lower balcony & coach bus transportation.

Depart West Salem High School at 3:15 pmReturn at approx. 1:00 am

(June 6 is the last day of school!)*kids not in high school must be accompanied by a paid adult.

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Pictured above: students that competed at the DECA District Competition at UW-Stout in January. This students did very well in their

first year of competition.

The DECA Chapter spent three days at the state conference in Lake Geneva. Five students were recognized on stage at the event. Erin Faella and Krysten Stockus qualified for the International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, California this April. Adam Peterson also qualified for the conference by finishing in the State in the Business Administration category.

WSHS DECA Chapter Successfully Competes

Here are the facts:

Parents who give alcohol to their teen’s friends under any circumstances, even in their own

homes, are breaking the law.

Parents who knowingly allow a person under 21 to remain in their home or on their proper-

ty while consuming or possessing alcoholic beverages can be prosecuted and everything

associated with such a violation can be confiscated, including person property.

Parents can be sued if they give alcohol to anyone under 21 and they in turn hurt someone,

hurt themselves or damage property.

Underage drinking can cause serious health and safety consequences.

Tips for Parents:

Host safe, alcohol-free activities for youth during prom and graduation season

Refuse to supply alcohol to anyone under 21

Be at home when your teen has a party

Make sure your teenager’s friends do not bring alcohol into your home

Talk to other parents about not providing alcohol at youth events

Report underage drinking to law enforcement

www.lacrosseconsortium.org www.lacrossecpn.org

Please support the Senior Class of 2013 at the

Dodge Drive Event on Saturday, April 13, 10:00-2:00 at the West

Salem High School.

Test drive a new Dodge (courtesy of Pischke Motors) at no cost or obligation and Chrysler Corpo-ration will donate to the Senior

Class of 2013!

All drivers must be 18 years of age and hold a valid drivers li-

cense! Take a short drive around the West Salem High School parking lot and proceeds will

support the safe, drug and alco-hol free evening for the Senior

Class of 2013. For each test drive Chrysler Corporation will donate $20 to the Senior Class of 2013.

Come Hungry!Selling Brats, Hot Dogs, chips, pop and water while you wait!

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On Monday, February 25th, kindergarten through fifth grade students jumped all over heart disease and stroke by participat-ing in Jump Rope For Heart. The students almost tripled last year’s donations and raised $21,093.64 for the American Heart Association!!! Funds raised support research and edu-cation initiatives that save lives

in our community. The kids learned about the impor-tance of physical activity and how they can play a role in saving lives. Way to go kids!!!

JUMP ROPE FOR HEART EVENT AT WSES WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!

Attention One And All…We Need Your Help!!

Our Healthy Living Department at the Middle School is in need of the following items:

Ping Pong Tables

Fishing Poles/Equipment

Croquet

Bocce Ball

Ladder Golf

Corn Hole/Bean bags

If you have any of the above items in GOOD/GREAT condition and would be willing

to donate them to our department, please contact Josh Brewer at brewer.josh@wsalem.k12.wi.us

or (608)786-2090 ext. 4133.

Thank You.

Erika Olson, Josh Brewer and Justin Running WSMS Health/Physical Education Teachers

School Board MembersTom Ward ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 397-9873Scott Scafe ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 786-0969Jason Falck ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 786-0935Thomas Helgeson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 612-0018Syl Clements ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 786-1491Jane Halverson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 786-1067Ken Schlimgen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 786-4382

Board meetings are held the second and fourth Monday of each month.

B-A-O-AB?Donate Blood

It takes all blood types, all generations…Especially Yours

West Salem Blood DriveMonday, June 17, 2013

12:30 - 5:30 p.m.Presbyterian Church

625 West Franklin Street, West Salem, WI

Appointments call 786-0684. Walk-ins are Welcome.

Blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of ID required at check-in.

American Red Cross

The 2013-2014 School Year Student Calendar is available on the District’s website.

www.wsalem.k12.wi.us

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Heider Center EventsMarie W. Heider Center for the Arts

Box Office (608)786-2550

Monday: Noon to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday: Noon to 4:00 p.m.

Friday: Noon to 4:00 p.m.

www.heidercenter.org

MAINSTAGE EVENTthe Marvelous Wonderettes

Friday, April 12, 2013 at 7:30 pm tickets: $20/$18

The Marvelous Wonderettes features pop tunes of the 50’s and 60’s. While Jersey Boys was bringing the tight-harmony guy-group music of The Four Seasons to Broadway, another show was packing the Off-Broadway Westside Theatre with tight harmony girl-group tunes of the 1950s and 1960s.

The Marvelous Wonderettes is a funny, glittery song-and-dance revue by Roger Bean that features a trunk full of pop classics like “Lollipop,” “Stupid Cupid,” “Lipstick On Your Collar,” “Mr. Lee,” “It’s My Party,” “Heat Wave”, “Wedding Bell Blues,” “Leader of the Pack, “R.E.S.P.E.C.T., “Rescue Me, “Son of a Preacher Man” and twenty other hits.

ART GALLERY“a buzz With birds, bugs and blooMs” Mary Thompson“bits & Pieces” Kathy Fitchuk, Sherri Diamon

April 1 - 30, 2013Reception: Thursday, April 18, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

8th Annual Mayfair Arts FestivalSunday, May 5, 2013

West Salem High School

Announcing the 2013-2014 Heider Center SeasonThe 8th annual Mayfair Arts Festival, one of the major Heider Center Arts Board fundraisers, will take place on Sunday, May 5, at the West Salem High School.

Activities will include: • Art Fair from 10:00-3:00 p.m. with artwork for sale• Free kids’ art activities from 10:00-2:00 p.m.• Silent auction items to bid on from 10:00-2:00 p.m.• Door prizes from Heider Center• Entertainemnt by local youth (instrumental, vocal

and dance) and the West Salem Adult Jazz Band• Chicken-que by Premier Catering from 11:00-1:00

p.m. Please get your chicken-que tickets from any Heider Center Arts Board Member or call the Heider Center Box Office at 786-2550.

• Other concessions will be available• Plants and flowers will be sold by the high school

FFA

Come and join the Arts Board for great Family Fun! The pefect place to shop for that special Mother’s Day gift. All events take place in the high school gym and commons area.

The WSHS Science Department presented at the Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers (WSST) annual conference in Wausau on Friday, March 15. Antoinette Key, Justin Jehn, Wayne Sackett, and Randy Dammon shared several easy ways to incorporate technology into the classroom and make a big difference in instruc-tion and in student learn-

ing. With the high school going to 1:1 instruction, giving every student in school a Mac computer, this presentation shared what they had done with this new technology so far this year and how it has impacted our student’s learning and our teach-ing! The teachers also shared how the use of Edmodo, SMART technology, flipped classroom, Google, and the internet is used at WSHS. Thank you to the four teachers for sharing your expertise with other school districts.

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The West Salem School District prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the Pupil Services Director at (608)786-0700. To file a complaint of discrimination write to: Pupil Services Director at 405 East Hamlin Street, West Salem, WI 54669 or call 608-786-0700. The West Salem School District is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Centralized Registration. All students NEW to the West Salem School District will need to register at the District Office prior to attending the elementary, middle or the high school. The District Office is located at 405 Hamlin Street East. Additional information is posted on our website. www.wsalem.k12.wi.usand click on New Student Registration

School District of West SalemRegular Board Meeting Minutes

March 11, 2013Marie Heider Meeting Room – 7:00 p.m.

ConveneThe meeting was called to order at 7:04 p.m. by President Tom Ward. The meeting was noticed to the Coulee News, La Crosse Tribune, WLSU Radio 89 FM, WXOW TV-19, WKBT-TV, WKTY, WIZM, Union State Bank, First Community Credit Union, St. Joe Country Market, River Bank-Barre Mills, West Salem Post Office, Village of West Salem, posted at each school, district web site, and district office on March 7, 2013.

Pledge of Allegiance to the American FlagKevin Martinson led everyone in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and Jane Halverson recited the District Mission Statement.

Roll CallPresent: Syl Clements, Jane Halverson, Thomas Helgeson (7:52), Tom Ward, Jason Falck, and Ken Schlimgen. Also in attendance – Administrators: Troy Gunderson, Dean Buchanan, Mike Malott, John Smalley (7:45), and Michael St. Pierre; Student representative: Kevin Martinson. Finance Director: Davita Molling, Recording secretary: Patrick Bahr. Excused: Scott Scafe, Alyssa Noll, Eric Jensen, Mark Carlson, and Lisa Gerke.

Approval of AgendaMr. Schlimgen moved, Mrs. Halverson seconded to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried unanimously.

Connection with the CommunityKevin Martinson reported on: 1. Last Saturday, the show choir put on a concert. 2. This Friday, there will be a choir and band concert in

the Heider Center. 3. The high school spring sports are starting. 4. Shane Craig’s Senior Exit Project advertising

sponsors were approved by Principal Carlson. 5. Adelyn Hanchette will be putting on a concussion

awareness program as part of her Senior Exit Project on March 21, 2013.

CorrespondenceNo correspondence was received by the board. Mr. Ward did acknowledge Herb Kohl award recipients: Jennifer Wheeler, second grade teacher; Hayden Gullickson, high school student; and Alyssa Noll, high school student. Mr. Ward also acknowledged state art award winners: Sydney Hammes, elementary student and Rachel Auna, high school student.

Public comments – None.

Written and Oral ReportsTransportation Committee – Mr. Falck reported that the committee met earlier tonight and discussed the current vehicle fleet, replacement and future purchases; a bus bid recommendation will be at the next board meeting.

CESA #4 Report – Mr. Ward reported that the CESA #4 annual meeting will be June 5, 2013; the administrator did site visits to area districts; referendum information from area districts was shared; educator effectiveness was discussed; and the superintendent from Cashton was hired at the Chippewa Falls School District and that there are many superintendent positions open in the state.

Administrator reports by Dean Buchanan, Eric Jensen, John Smalley, Lisa Gerke, Mark Carlson and Mike Malott, Michael St. Pierre, and Troy Gunderson were reviewed. Mr. Gunderson introduced district art teachers Angie Hemker and Courtney Vesperman, who distributed cards so board members and administrators could select art work from the Heider Center Gallery K-12 District Honors Art Show to be hung in the Heider Meeting Room for a year.

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Consent AgendaMr. Falck moved, Mr. Clements seconded to approve the Regular Board Meeting Minutes of February 25, 2013; and the invoices to be paid. Motion carried unanimously.

Discussion/Action Items:Mr. Schlimgen moved, Mrs. Halverson seconded to accept the donation from the La Crosse Area Educators’ Association for the West Salem scholarship program. Motion carried unanimously.

Mrs. Molling reviewed the 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 budget summaries for Fund 10 district; Funds 21, 27, 38, 39, 50, and 80.

Mr. St. Pierre reviewed the dashboard report for the Performance Initiative – Teaching and Learning.

Mrs. Halverson moved, Mr. Schlimgen seconded to approve for a first reading of board policy #425 Public Open Enrollment. Motion carried unanimously.

Mr. Schlimgen moved, Mr. Clements seconded to approve the wrestling cooperative with Bangor School District for 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. Motion carried unanimously.

Mr. Falck moved, Mrs. Halverson seconded to approve the gymnastics cooperative with Bangor School District and Aquinas High School for 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. Motion carried. (5-Aye, 1-Nay)

Mr. Falck moved, Mrs. Halverson seconded to accept the request for a memorial in memory of Lisa Hugo at the elementary school library. Motion carried unanimously.

Mrs. Halverson moved, Mr. Schlimgen seconded to accept the administration’s co-curricular recommendation for middle school track, Sarah Weber. Motion carried unanimously.

Mr. Gunderson led a discussion on the Long Range Plan on how to proceed with an architect.

AdjournmentMrs. Halverson moved, Mr. Schlimgen seconded to adjourn at 9:34 p.m. Motion carried unanimously.

Respectfully submitted,Jason Falck, Clerk

School District of West SalemRegular Board Meeting Minutes

March 25, 2013Marie Heider Meeting Room – 7:00 p.m.

ConveneThe meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m. by Vice President Thomas Helgeson. The meeting was noticed to the Coulee News, La Crosse Tribune, WLSU Radio 89 FM, WXOW TV-19, WKBT-TV, WKTY, WIZM, Union State Bank, First Community Credit Union, St. Joe Country Market, River Bank-Barre Mills, West Salem Post Office, Village of West Salem, posted at each school, district web site, and district office on March 21, 2013.

Pledge of Allegiance to the American FlagJason Falck led everyone in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and Ken Schlimgen recited the District Mission Statement.

Roll CallPresent: Syl Clements, Jane Halverson, Thomas Helgeson, Jason Falck, Ken Schlimgen, and Scott Scafe. Also in attendance – Administrators: Troy Gunderson, Dean Buchanan, Eric Jensen, Mark Carlson, Mike Malott, and John Smalley; Student representatives: Alyssa Noll and Kevin Martinson. Finance Director: Davita Molling, Recording secretary: Patrick Bahr. Excused: Tom Ward, Lisa Gerke and Michael St. Pierre.

Approval of AgendaKen Schlimgen moved, Syl Clements seconded to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried unanimously.

Connection with the CommunityKevin Martinson reported on: 1. The high school Forensics team competed and will

have four students going to state (UW-Madison) on April 19.

2. High school students competed at the Junior Achievement Business Challenge last Wednesday, 27 teams, juniors Chad Seitz and Christian Schran placed first and each received a $500 scholarship.

3. The high school FFA recently competed in dairy judging and three people will be competing at state, April 26

4. A Multiple Sclerosis (MS) benefit hosted by the student council took place on Saturday, March 30.

Alyssa Noll reported on: 1. This past Saturday the high school hosted the band

and choir solo and ensemble contest. There were 81 total entries and 32 West Salem entries will go on and compete at the state level.

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2. The DECA Chapter spent three days at the state conference in Lake Geneva. Five students were recognized on stage at the event. Erin Faella and Krysten Stockus qualified for the International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, California this April. Adam Peterson also qualified for the conference by finishing in the State in the Business Administration category.

CorrespondenceA thank you note from the Mathcounts team was read.

Public comments – None.

Written and Oral ReportsPolicy Committee – Mr. Falck reported that the committee is still working through the personnel policies 500’s section.

Transportation Committee – Mr. Falck reported that a recommendation is on tonight’s agenda.

Supervisory reports from Michelle Kloser, Scott Johnson, Bill Solsrud, Davita Molling, and Rick Kline were reviewed.

Consent AgendaMrs. Halverson moved, Mr. Falck seconded to approve the Regular Board Meeting Minutes of March 11, 2013; Invoices to be paid; and open enrollment requests as presented. Motion carried unanimously.

Discussion/Action Items:Mr. Scafe moved, Mr. Falck seconded to accept the donation from Pizza Villa for the high school Art Department, and from Bill’s Engineering for the high school Technology & Engineering Education program.

A sophomore biology project created by Sam Fellom and Connor Waldhart was shared with the board.

Mr. Gunderson reviewed the administration’s recommendation for bus purchases. Mr. Falck moved, Mr. Scafe seconded to approve the bid of $143,000 for the purchase of one new regular 75 passenger school bus and one used special education bus from Nelson Bus. Motion carried. (5 Aye, 1 Nay)

Principals John Smalley, Dean Buchanan and Mark Carlson gave a security update of their respective buildings, which included procedures and drills performed.

Mr. Gunderson updated the board on the status of the budget, staffing, technology, and programming.

Mr. Falck moved, Mrs. Halverson seconded to accept the administration’s recommendation to approve the fall of 2013 Youth Options requests as presented. Motion carried unanimously.

Mr. Schlimgen moved, Mrs. Halverson seconded to approve for a second reading of policy #425 Public Open Enrollment. Motion carried unanimously.

Mrs. Halverson moved, Mr. Scafe seconded to approve the 2013-2014 CESA #4 Contracted Services as presented. Motion carried unanimously.

Mr. Falck moved, Mrs. Halverson seconded to approve the administration’s request to change the teacher inservice days for the 2013-2014 school year to be two set days at the end of August and two days to be scheduled during the year. Motion carried unanimously.

Mr. Gunderson reviewed possible considerations regarding selection of an architectural firm to guide the district through the Long Range Plan and received input from the board.

Mrs. Halverson moved, Mr. Clements seconded to issue preliminary notices of non-renewal to teachers hired with a one-year contract: Kenneth Breu, Randall Wade, Patricia Cox, Casi Jones, Elisa Trussoni, and Courtney Vesperman. Motion carried unanimously.

Mrs. Halverson moved, Mr. Schlimgen seconded to accept the resignation of Title I Teacher Patricia Allers. Motion carried unanimously.

Mrs. Halverson moved, Mr. Scafe seconded to accept the resignation of special education teacher Emily Stolarick. Motion carried unanimously.

AdjournmentMr. Falck moved, Mr. Schlimgen seconded to adjourn at 8:57 p.m. Motion carried unanimously.

Respectfully submitted,Jason Falck, Clerk

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Calendar of EventsAPRIL

1 No School Softball-JV/V at Viroqua - 5:002 Baseball-JV/V (H) 5:004 Golf-JV at Luther at Coulee Golf Bowl Softball-JV/V (H) Onalaska Luther - 5:00 Track-JV/V (H) WS Early Bird Meet - 4:00 Soccer-V/JV at Tomah - 4:30/6:005 Baseball-JV/V at BRF - 5:00 Golf-V (H) WS Early Bird Invite - 1:006 Softball-V at Waupun Tourney - 10:008 Baseball-JV/V (H) Viroqua - 5:00 Softball-JV/V (H) Prairie du Chien - 5:00 Golf-V Viroqua/Westby at Viroqua - 1:00/3:009 Golf-JV (H) at Fox Hollow - 4:30 Track-JV at Bangor Early Bird Meet - 4:00 Soccer-JV/V at Logan at Fields for Kids - 5:00/7:00 Track-V at Holmen Invite - 3:30 OEC - Sophomores (TBA)10 OEC - Sophomores (TBA)11 Kindergarten and Grade 1 Rhythms Program, WSES

Gym, 6:30 WSMS Show Choir & Jazz Concert - 7:00 Golf-JV at GET at Ettrick - 3:00 Baseball-JV/V at Onalaska Luther - 5:00 Golf-V at Luther at Coulee Golf Bowl - 3:00 OEC - Sophomores - Rain Date12 Softball-JV/V (H) Arcadia - 5:0013 Baseball-JV/V at De Soto - 2:00/4:00 Softball-JV/V (H) Tomah Doubleheader - 2:00 Track-V at St. Mary’s University Invite - 3:0015 Track-Fr/So (H) Frosh-Soph Meet - 4:00 Softball-JV/V at Westby - 5:0016 Golf-JV at Arcadia - 4:30 Baseball-JV/V (H) Aquinas - 5:00 Soccer-JV/V (H) Reedsburg - 5:00/7:00 OEC - 4K Family Night18 Softball-JV/V (H) GET - 5:00 Soccer-JV/V (H) 5:00/7:00 Golf-V at Arcadia - 4:30 Track-V/JV at Central - 4:0019 School In Session Baseball-JV/V at Arcadia - 5:00 OEC - Grade 5 Volunteer Training - 8:30-10:3020 Softball-JV/V (H) Iola-Scandinavia Doubleheader -

11:00 OEC - Grade 5 Volunteer Training - 8:00-10:0022 Golf-JV at BRF Invite at Skyline - 1:00 Baseball-JV/V at Westby - 5:00 OEC - Grade 4 (classes TBA)23 Softball-JV/V at BRF - 5:00

For a full-color version of this and past newsletters, check out the West Salem School District Website at <www.wsalem.k12.wi.us>

For information on Summer School, please go to the website www.wsalem.k12.wi.us

and click on Summer School.

Soccer-JV/V at Aquinas at Fields for Kids - 5:00/7:00

Golf-V (H) at Fox Hollow - 4:30 Track-V/JV at Onalaska Quad - 4:00 OEC - Grade 4 (classes TBA)24 OEC - Grade 4 (all classes)25 Baseball-JV/V at GET - 5:00 Softball at GET - JV/V - 5:00 Soccer-JV/V (H) Holmen - 5:00/7:00 OEC - Grade 5 (classes TBA)26 Baseball-JV/V (H) Bangor - 5:00/7:00 Softball-JV/V (H) Viroqua - 5:00 Track-V at Arcadia - 4:00 OEC - Grade 5 (classes TBA)27 Baseball-JV/V (H) Whitehall - 11:00/1:00 Golf-V at Sparta Invite at River Run - 8:30 OEC - Grade 1 Volunteer Training - 8:00-11:0029 Track-FR/SO at Mel-Min Frosh-Soph Meet - 4:30 Golf-JV Viroqua/Westby at Viroqua - 1:00/3:30 Baseball-V at Mel-Min - 5:00 OEC - Grade 1 Volunteer Training - 8:30-11:30 OEC - Grade 4 - Rain Date30 Baseball-JV/V (H) BRF - 5:00 Softball-JV/V at Onalaska Luther - 5:00 Golf-V at BRF Invite at Skyline -1:00 Soccer-V/JV at Sparta - 4:00/5:45 OEC - Grade 5 - Rain Date

MAY1 OEC - Grade 1 (classes TBA)2 Soccer-JV/V (H) Logan - 5:00/7:00 OEC - Grade 1 (classes TBA)3 Baseball-JV/V at Viroqua - 5:00 Golf-V at BRF at Skyline- 3:00 Track-V at Coulee/South Central Meet at BRF - 3:45 OEC - Grade 1 (classes TBA)4 WSHS Prom OEC - Kindergarten Volunteer Training - 8:00-10:005 May Fair - WSHS Jazz Bands perform6 Baseball-JV/V (H) Onalaska Luther - 5:00 Track-V at Viroqua Invite - 4:15 OEC - Kindergarten Volunteer Training - 8:30-10:30 OEC - Grade 1 - Rain Date

14

•From the Superintendent•Taco & Nacho Night! – 4/12/13

•Outdoor Education Center•NESHONOC Dedication – 5/10/13

•Heider Center Events & Gallery Display•State Mathcounts News

School District of West Salem405 East Hamlin StreetWest Salem, WI 54669

In This Issue•Open Enrollment

•Art Work Displayed•National Library Week•Jump Rope Heart Event

•Mayfair - 5/5/13•VAC Advance to State

•PTO Science Night•Calendar of Events

•School Board Minutes•DARE Graduation•Summer Musical

•Parents as Partners•Poster Design Winners•Panther Film Festival

•DECA Competes