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RIPON WI 54971

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RIPON, WI 54971PERMIT NO. 197

Ripon Area School District

Ripon School News October 2015 “More Choices. Better Results.” www.ripon.k12.wi.us

PARA ESPAÑOL VEALA ULTIMA PAGINA

~ See student learning in action ~

November 12 Catalyst 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.February 18 Journey 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.January 28 Quest 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.February 29 Lumen 5:45 - 7:15 p.m.May 5 Catalyst 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.May 19 Quest 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.May 26 Journey 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

Mark Your Calendars!

Project Showcase Eventsfor Charter Schools

The 2015-16 school year is historic in many ways with:- a new district mission and vision - the 6-12 facilities project; and- new building administrators. During these first weeks, excitement truly filled the air in every school and at every level. Our expert staff, wheth-er new to the district or returning to a

From the Superintendent’s Desk

familiar role, brought confidence and know-how to those around them. Students brought a sense of calm as they returned to our high performing schools with student-centered learn-ing environments. A special thank you goes to the custodial and maintenance team. Even with the additional referendum work at each site over the summer, the facilities were clean and ready for use by staff and students. During these first weeks, students joined in team and commu-nity building activities, confirmed their hopes for the coming school year, and embarked on their personal learning journeys under the guidance of their teachers. While students and staff focused on learning inside the walls of each school within the district, the first of the precast pan-els for the new high school gym went into place on the west end of the high school site. Based on the construction timeline, Phase II, which includes the additions, will be complete by mid-March. This means students and staff will move into the new spaces in spring. This fall, the Ripon Area School District welcomed interna-tional visitors from JESIE (Jiangsu Education Services for International Exchange) in Nanjing, China as part of the Wis-consin Gateways Program. The Wisconsin Gateways program is intended to connect UW College campuses and Wisconsin high schools through partnerships designed to international-ize campuses, schools, and communities. The District mission is to inspire learners, engage the com-munity, and enrich the world. Thank you to everyone for set-ting the tone for a successful and exciting school year. I look forward to working with you this year to achieve our vision as one of Wisconsin’s finest school districts, fostering excellence for all through innovation.Respectfully yours,Dr. Mary WhitrockGo Tigers!

You areInvited

to Coffeewith the

SuperintendentFriday

November 13, 201511:30 am

Ripon Senior Center

Facilities Update

South side of the construction site as building continues.

The Ripon Area School District welcomed international visi-tors from JESIE (Jiangsu Education Services for International Exchange) in Nanjing, China on the morning of October 5. Annie Wu, Director of International Projects and Programs, and Kevin Qiai, International Project Coordinator for High Schools and Col-leges, met on the morning of October 5 at the ASC with admin-istrators, Rick Kelm, Ryan Schmidt and Nick Kent to learn about the upgrading of our facilities first hand. The group toured the construction site, Ripon High and Lumen High, as well as sev-eral classrooms at Murray Park and Quest Elementary Schools before joining Rotary for lunch. The contingent from China is visiting Ripon as part of a larger tour that included traveling to multiple partner school districts in Wisconsin such as Marshfield, Wausau, and Green Lake. The goals of an international partner-ship include increasing international diversity, augmenting our declining student enrollments with tuition paying students, cre-ating study abroad opportunities for our students and staff, and enhancing our world language offerings. The Ripon Area School District can be proud of the international attention the District is receiving because of the quality of our educational program-ming.

Facility TourNovember 16, 2015

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

A reminder to check out all the construction news on the District website at

www.ripon.k12.wi.us

(Start time is to ensure day light for outdoor tour)

The RHS/Lumen team served a record number at the annual Homecoming Breakfast this year despite the construction taking place. The breakfast is an annual tradition serving community members, students, and families.

Discussion among the guests and administration about the proj-ect. From left to right: Christine Damm, Annie Wu, Dr. Mary Whitrock, Kevin Qiai, and architect Nick Kent.

Veterans DayProgram Invite and

ReminderNovember 11, 2015

9:30 amRHS Gymnasium

Upcoming SchoolBoard Meetings

Monday, November 16@ 6:00 p.m.

Monday, December 21@ 6:00 p.m.

All meetings areheld in the

RMS Media Center

International Guests

Check the web for100s of photos!

www.ripon.k12.wi.us

RHS Band plays during the Homecoming Parade.

The walls are up and the roof is on the new RHS gymnasium!

Page 2 October 2015NewsCurriculum Corner

As the exterior of our new-ly combined high school and middle school facility begins to take shape, so does the plan-ning of the instruction which will take place in its interior. Along with a new state of the art facility, we will be promot-ing innovation through a vari-ety of new course offerings to middle and high school stu-dents beginning with the 2016-17 school year.

As part of the architectural design, a new Science, Tech-nology, Engineering and Math (STEM) wing and fabrica-tion lab are being constructed. Within the interior of these spaces, students will be able to choose pathways that reflect their interests and allow themto sign up for courses that are aligned to these pathways.

While students in grades K-8 find themselves more actively engaged in science, technology and engineering through Project Lead the Way,

careers specifically in manufacturing,we are working with Moraine Park Technical College (MPTC) to explore op-tions for offering transcripted credits toward certified techni-cal programs. In addition to the PLTW Engineering pathway, we are exploring a PLTW Computer Science pathway for students in both middle and high school. According to a recent study, the projected number of job open-ings in 2018 for STEM fields will reach 2.8 million. Of these, approximately 1.4 million jobs will be for computer special-ists. Interest in computer sci-ence starts long before a student decides on a major or applies to college. The PLTW Computer Science program of study en-gages middle and high school students in computational thinking and prepares them to enter a skilled workforce. Along with developing career pathways for students, we are working to ensure that interior spaces provide flexibility, mo-bility and collaboration, and in-novation. We are confident that the exterior and interior design of our combined facility, along with the innovative instruction happening within each of our schools, will achieve our mis-sion to “inspire learners, engage community, enrich the world”.

Christine DammCurriculum Director

we are looking to expand our engineering program into the High School by offering a va-riety of Project Lead the Way courses. As part of the plan-ning for our newly designed fabrication lab, PLTW class-rooms have been designed for both middle and high school students. These classrooms will be located within a much larger ‘fabrication’ space for students interested in pursuing careers in manufacturing and other technical fields.

PLTW spaces are designed to attract students pursuing careers in engineering and manufacturing by learning and applying the same processes and industry-leading technol-ogy used by the world’s top companies. Students will be immersed in design as they in-vestigate engineering and tech topics and have opportunities to learn about a variety of dis-ciplines within those fields be-fore beginning post-secondary education or careers. Even for students who do not plan to pursue engineering after high school, the PLTW Engineering program provides opportuni-ties to develop highly trans-ferable skills in collaboration, communication and critical thinking, which are relevant for any coursework or career. For students wishing to pursue

An Influenza Vaccine Clinic (Flu Injectable and Flu Nasal Mist) for Staff was held on Monday, October 5th at Ripon High School Health Office and 125 staff members were vaccinated dur-ing the three hour clinic. Fond du Lac County Health Department, in collaboration with the Ripon Area School District, will be of-fering an in-school influenza vaccine for students. This program is voluntary and provided at no cost to students. All students will be able to receive the influenza vaccine during the school day at their school on November 12th.

10 Teachers Pursuing PromotionThe Ripon Area School District has announced the names of

10 teachers who are being considered for promotion under the district’s new salary structure. The teachers and their schools are: Robyn Badtke (RMS), Janet Ernst (Quest), Gretchen Gei-ger (Quest), Janet Holba (RHS/Lumen), Rick Kelm (RHS), Brett Long (Journey), Jenny Reilly (RMS), Sheri Schmidt (RHS), Barb Stracy (BPES/Journey/Quest), and Liz Wargula (Journey).

Community members are invited to submit feedback to school principals on any of these teachers during the 30 day open comment period which ends November 14. The principals are Mrs.Tanya Sanderfoot (BPES and Journey), Mrs. Renee Bunge (MPES and Quest), Mr. Rick Bunge (RMS and Catalyst), and Mr. Randy Hatlen (RHS and Lumen). Principals will use community feedback, along with other information and data, in developing their promotion recommendations for these teachers.

The new salary structure focuses on teacher improvement and collaboration. Teachers become eligible for promotion every six years. A promotion review committee consisting of teachers and administrators examines each teacher’s promotion file and makes a recommendation to the Ripon Board of Education in May. This is the fourth year of the new salary structure and the promotion process.

Thank You for contributions to the District:Andy and Jeanne Lyke

Lyn Herriot - Yellow House RealtyHillside Dental AssociatesKay Olm - Ripon Lioness

Jack Johnson - Ripon American LegionEducation Foundation - Thomas Moniz

Bruce PatrickRipon Lions Club - Greg Coburn

ROARS - Sue MoklerVFW Post 5278

Horicon Bank - John TrillerFred and Jean Luskey

Lee Prellwitz

HS Fall Play DatesThe Ripon High School

with Ripon Drama Club will proudly present `Tis the… One ACTS!, a play festival to celebrate the 25th Anniversa-ry of Dickens of a Christmas. The festival includes: Mall Santa Saves the Day by Don Zolidis; Christmas Breaks by Patrick Gabridge; and I’m Not Ebenezer Scrooge! by Tim Kochenderfer. Performances will be November 20 & 21, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. with a mati-nee on November 21, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at the Ripon High School Auditorium. Tickets are $3 for students and $5 for adults.

Influenza Vaccine Clinic

Catalyst Charter Middle School has been awarded a $10,000 America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education grant. The grant that is sponsored by Monsanto will support a new hydroponics project. Hydro-ponics involves growing plants with water instead of soil. The hydroponics equipment will be part of the Makerspace planned in the new middle school build-ing. Catalyst staff are working with Bryan Ernst from Ernessi Organics in Ripon. America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education grants are intended to improve math and/or science education for students.

Charter School GrantsOctober

Tuesday, October 27 - RHS Choir Concert - 7:00 pmNovember

Wednesday, November 11 - Veterans Day Assembley - RHS 9:30December

Thursday, December 3 - RMS Winter Choir Concert - 7:00 pmat the RHS auditorium

Monday, December 7 - RHS Band Concert - 7:00 pmTueday, December 8 - RMS Band Concert - 7:00 pm

at RHS auditoriumTuesday, December 15 - RHS Winter Concert - 7:00 pm

Cantabile PerformancesThursday, December 3 - American Legion

Friday, December 4 - Dickens of a Christmas - 6:00 pmMonday, December 14 - Ripon’s Lions Club - 7:30 pm

at CJ’s Supper Club

Upcoming Choir and Band Performances

Homecoming

Students of all ages enjoyed the Homecoming Parade

RHS Football Team rides on top of a Ripon firetruck.

RHS Cheerleaders march in the Homecoming Parade

October 2015 Page 3Achievement

Outstanding Achievement Recognition

Distinguished Alumni AwardThe 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Ripon Area School District has been awarded

to Glen Kehrein. A 1966 graduate of Ripon High School, Kehrein was the founder and Executive Di-rector of Circle Urban Ministries in Westside Chicago for 37 years. Except for a brief two-year pe-riod while studying at Wheaton College, the inner city was home to Glen, his wife Lonni, and their four children. Incorporated in 1974 as a not-for-profit community development organization, Circle grew to become a national leader in urban community outreach and development. Glen’s leadership spawned programs in health care, legal aid, housing rehabilitation and management, youth leader-ship development through mentoring, college readiness, school and after-school programs, adult education, a homeless shelter, and a food pantry, bringing tangible hope and help to thousands each year.

Glen co-authored the award-winning book, Breaking Down Walls, a Model of Reconciliation in an Age of Racial Strife. He traveled extensively to speak on the topic of racial reconciliation and urban ministry and was a frequent guest on TV and radio shows. He was a contributing author to three other books about inner city life and work and wrote numerous articles for publications.

In 1997 Glen was recognized for his contributions to the cause of reconciliation by becoming the first American to be awarded a Doctorate of Peacemaking from Westminster College. Glen’s heart for the poor and strong voice for peace and reconciliation were silenced on November 12, 2011, after a year long battle with colon cancer.

Class of 2015 Ripon Average 23.6 State Average 22.1 U.S. Average 21.0

ACT Scores Remain High

The Board of Education recognized the RHS Foreign Exchange Students from Germany, Czech Re-public and Bolivia. Pictured with Board member Andy Lyke and RHS Principal Randy Hatlen are Nickolas Heberer, Adela Weislova, and Alvaro Munoz.

Winneconne** 24.0Plymouth** 23.8Ripon 23.6Harford 23.4Beaver Dam 23.4 Oshkosh West 23.4Hortonville 23.0Campbellsport** 22.6Berlin** 22.6 Fond du Lac 22.5Green Lake 22.3Wisconsin State Ave. 22.1Kewaskum** 21.9 Markesan 21.9Kaukauna 21.8New London 21.6Oshkosh North 21.5Omro 21.4Horicon 21.4Mayville 21.3Waupun Area** 20.7**Districts in Ripon’s new conference

ACT RegionalDistrict Comparibles

2015

Friend of Public SchoolsRob and Kathy Webster are true friends of public education.

For over 10 years, the Websters have supported public education by offering grants and awarding scholarships through the Web-ster Foundation. Rob and Kathy Webster created the Webster Foundation to assist employees and employees’ families with higher education expenses and to offer grants in the Ripon area to benefit and enhance the lives of those around them.

The Ripon Area School District has been one of the benefac-tors to receive some of the over 69 grants totaling over $182,920.The Webster Foundation grants are available to help many dif-ferent groups carry out their missions to better the world around us. Grants are meant to help with educational or humanitarian projects.

The Webster Foundation awards scholarships to graduat-ing high school seniors that have been employees of Webster’s United Foods Service for 6 months prior to January 1 of their senior year or the child of an employee who is furthering his/her education. Since 2004, 55 scholarships totaling $221,000 have been awarded to area graduates including Ripon Area School District graduates.

The Webster Foundation’s Matching Funds program is meant to help area youth groups increase the monies they raise. Since 2010, Ripon area youth groups, clubs and affiliated youth ath-letic groups have received part of the close to $10,500 awarded.

The Ripon Area Public Schools are fortunate to have friends such as Rob and Kathy Webster. The Websters have been in-strumental in recognizing a need, developing opportunities and providing the resources needed for individuals and groups to im-prove themselves and their community. When asked about the inspiration behind the Foundation, Rob and Kathy’s daughter Candie Baker shared that the Webster Foundation is in keeping with the Websters’ faith and their belief in the importance of sharing one’s blessings. The Websters recognize that they been blessed and the grants, scholarships and matching funds program provides a way to share those blessings with others.

Thank you!

Ripon Students Ready for College-Level Coursework

Ripon StateCollege English Composition 84% 74%

College Algebra 84% 52%

College Social Science 66% 52%

College Biology 56% 49%

Meeting All Four 44% 35%

Foreign Exchange Students Recognized

Candie Baker accepts the Friends of Education Award on behalf of her parents Rob and Kathy Webster.

2015 New RASD Faculty

Front Row: Danielle Sobralski, Stevie Ma-rie Sagmeister, Natasha Paris, Gretchen Peter-son, Tammy Fox. Back Row: Karalyn Dehn-Massen, Daniel Mc-Culloch, Jennifer Bautz, Jessica Hopp, and Alicia Young. Not pictured: James Cardinal.

Ripon’s class of 2015 maintained the district’s record of eigh-teen consecutive years of scoring above the state average in the ACT college admission exam. The Ripon Area School District is proud to share the results for the graduating class of 2015 with the community. 88 students from the Ripon Area School Dis-trict took the ACT and achieved impressive results. Across all 4 subject areas, Ripon scores were higher than statewide averages and higher than the district’s results over the past 10 years. The average ACT score for Ripon students was calculated to be 23.6 in 2015 as compared to 23.0 for 2014. The average ACT score for the state was 22.1 for this year. With regards to state-wide av-erages, Wisconsin had the 2nd highest average across the nation. This is a great achievement for the state of Wisconsin as a whole, and an impressive accomplishment for the Ripon Area School District to score above the state average in a state with such a strong education system.

Administrative Services Center748-4600

1120 Metomen StreetP.O. Box 991

Superintendent: Dr. Mary WhitrockBusiness Manager: Mr. JJ Gutman

Barlow Park Elementary SchoolJourney Charter School

Grades PreK-2748-1550

100 Ringstad DrivePrincipal: Mrs. Tanya Sanderfoot

Murray Park Elementary School Quest Elementary Charter School

Grades 3-5748-4695

64 Sunset AvenuePrincipal: Mrs. Renee Bunge

Ripon Middle SchoolCatalyst Charter Middle School

Grades 6-8748-4638

651 Metomen StreetPrincipal: Mr. Rick Bunge

Ripon High SchoolLumen Charter High School

Grades 9-12 748-4616

850 Tiger DrivePrincipal: Mr. Randy Hatlen

Assistant Principal: Mr. Bill Kinziger

Crossroads AcademyGrades 8-12

Principal: Ms. Anne Lang

Ripon Board of EducationPresident: Andy LykeVice President: Dan ZimmermanClerk: David OlsonTreasurer: Sherry MuskavitchMembers: Gary Rodman Barb Schultz David Scott John Sperger Tom Stellmacher

Board MeetingsRegular board meetings are held on the third Monday of each month in the Ripon Middle School Media Center at 6:00 p.m. Any additional meetings are duly posted at the Ripon Public Library and at the Ripon City Hall. For addi-tional information contact the school district administrative office at 748-4600.

The Ripon Area School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, color, national origin, an-cestry, creed, pregnancy, marital

status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or physical, mental,

emotional, or learning disability or handicap or any other

characteristic protected by law.

Stay Informed about Ripon Schools

* * * * * * * * * *

District Website — The website includes current news and a calendar of events for the entire district.

Facebook — Dozens of albums and hundreds of photos from school activities fill the District’s Facebook page. Anyone can access it from the District’s web page.

Email News Network — Sign up for free email updates of news about what’s happening in Ripon schools. To subscribe send an email to: whitrockm@ripon.k12.wi.us.

Ways You Can Help Ripon Schools

Boxtops Needed — Clip the Boxtops for Education logo on many household products and drop-off at any school office. Some of the many products with the logo are: Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, General Mills, Ziploc, Hefty, Kleenex, and Huggies.

STEP Volunteers — Senior citizens can save on property taxes by volunteering in Ripon schools. Contact the District office at 748-4600 to get more information.

READ Dogs — Bring your dog to school and let students read to “Fido.” Contact Ms. Pat Grahn at 920-572-6585 to learn about training your dog in the READ program.

October 2015 www.ripon.k12.wi.usEtc.

Resumen de noticias escolares para nuestros residentes de habla española

Artículo de la Superintendente El año escolar 2015-16 es histórico en muchas maneras: con una nueva misión y visión del distrito, el proyecto de instalaciones de 6º a 12º grados, y nuevos administradores en las escuelas. Durante estas primeras semanas, realmente el entusiasmo llenó el aire en cada escuela y en cada nivel. Muchas gracias a todos por asentar el tono para un año exitoso y estimulante.Las Escuelas de Ripon Cuestan Menos Que el Promedio en el Estado de WisconsinBasados en la información del Departamento de Instrucción Pública 2014-15, Ripon gasta $616 menos por estudiante que el promedio de Wisconsin.Invitados InternacionalesEl Distrito Escolar del Area de Ripon le dio la bienvenida a los visitantes de JESIE (por sus siglas en inglés,; Jiangsu Education Services for International Exchange – Servicios de Educación Jiangsu para Intercambio Internacional) de China en la mañana del 5 de octubre. El Distrito Escolar del Area de Ripon puede estar muy orgulloso de la atención internacional que el Distrito está recibiendo por la alta calidad de la programación educacional.10 Maestros Están Siendo Considerados para PromociónEl Distrito Escolar del Area de Ripon ha anunciado los nombres de los 10 maestros que están siendo considerados para una promoción bajo la nueva estructura de salarios del distrito. Los maestros y sus escuelas son: Robyn Badtke (RMS), Janet Ernst (Quest), Gretchen Geiger (Quest), Janet Holba (RHS/Lumen), Rick Kelm (RHS), Brett Long (Journey), Jenny Reilly (Catalyst), Sheri Schmidt (RHS), Barb Stracy (BPES/Journey/Quest), y Liz Wargula (Journey). Se invita a los miembros de la comunidad para someter información a los directores de las escuelas sobre cualquiera de estos maestros durante el período abierto de 30 días el cual termina el 14 de noviembre. Artículo de CurrículoConforme el exterior de nuestra nueva instalación de la escuela combinada de high school y middle school empieza a tomar forma, así también la planificación de la instrucción la cual toma lugar en su interior. Junto con el nuevo estado de arte de las instalaciones,, nosotros estaremos promoviendo la innovación a través de una variedad de nuevos cursos que se ofrecerán a los estudiantes de middle school y high school para el año escolar 2016-17.Clínica de la Vacuna para la InfluenzaEl Departamento de Salud del Condado de Fond du Lac en colaboración con el Distrito Escolar del Area de Ripon estará ofreciendo la vacuna de la influenza para los estudiantes en las escuelas. Este programa es voluntario y es dado sin ningún costo a los estudiantes. Todos los estudiantes podrán recibir la vacuna de la influenza durante el día de clases el 12 de noviembre.Conexión Multicultural de la ComunidadNuestra primera Conexión Multicultural de la Comunidad de EL se llevó a cabo el miércoles, 14 de octubre en Murray Park. La noche fue un gran éxito con la participación de 10 familias asistentes. Las maestras de EL mostraron como la aplicación de “Google Translate” (en los teléfonos) puede ser de beneficio para las familias. Las maestras también proporcionaron información sobre intimidación o acoso y compartieron un video de intimidación. Finalmente, para terminar el evento los participantes disfrutaron de rodajas de manzana con dip de caramelo.

Journey Governance CouncilPresident: Shelly KastenschmidtVice President: Steve NankervisTreasurer: Carrie NaparallaSecretary: Sarah RiederMembers: Heather Donovan Brett Long Nicole Mashock Amy Pollesch Tanya Sanderfoot Joel Spaulding

Quest Governance CouncilPresident: Becki BairdTreasurer: Nathan LuedtkeSecretary: Linda DeCramerMembers: Amy Pollesch Nicole Bauman Steve Nankervis Haley Julian Gretchen Geiger Janet Ernst Renee Bunge

Catalyst Governance CouncilPresident: Renee SchoffVice President: Margaret SodaSecretary: Candie BakerMembers: Jack Christ Julie Elliott Jen Lee Amy Pollesch Sandy Wisneski Rick Bunge

Lumen Governance CouncilMembers: Pat Grahn Paula Hageman Randy Hatlen Adam Jacobi Jean Rigden Jesse Schwingle Paul Wiegel

Our first Multicultural Community Connection night was held on Wednesday, October 14th at Murray Park. The night was a success with a great turnout of over 20 families attending. The teachers that work with English language learn-ers demonstrated how the Google translate app (on phones) could be beneficial to families. The app has features that include taking a picture of a word, speaking a word or phrase, scanning text, (hand) writing text, or typing text to translate it. The teachers also provided information on bullying and shared a video on bullying. A huge thank you to the high school students who cre-ated the video. They did a fantastic job! For the activity, families created a page that will be added to a book, Our Ripon Schools English Language Family. Each family will receive a copy of the book. Finally, everyone enjoyed some apple slices with caramel dip to finish the event.

Family Night for English Language Learners