Nominate a Muskego-Norway Employee for the Compass Award

2020 Compass nominations are now being accepted. Please consider nominating a deserving staff member! We have been recognizing staff with the Compass since 2008. The purpose is to reinforce and recognize staff who, through their commitments and contributions, ensure that every student is learning, growing and succeeding. Using this FILLABLE PDF FORM, you can honor staff members who meet the designated criteria in the following areas:

1. Positive impact on students
2. Positive impact on staff, parents, and/or the community
3. Commitment to continuous improvement, leadership and/or service
4. Champion for innovation, creativity, and/or best practice.

The fillable application form is also available on the website. The process is easy - complete the form electronically and send it to Jeff Petersen (jeff.petersen@muskegonorway.org) by March 2. Please note that each potential recipient must have a minimum of three nominators and maximum of four. One nomination form may be submitted with three to four nominators' signatures or each nominator may complete a separate nomination form. All nominations are due by Monday, March 2.

Muskego High School Summer School Registration (Grades 9-12)

MHS Summer School offers students the opportunity to enrich and enhance their learning during the summer months. An added benefit is the increased flexibility for course selections during the regular school year. Courses offered during the summer are the same courses offered during the regular school year. Successful completion results in students earning 0.5 credit per course. Registration for summer school will begin on February 7, 2020 and end on February 14, 2020. To learn more about the high school course offerings, please visit the link on our webpage. Summer school related questions can be directed to Ken Dunbar (ken.dunbar@muskegonorway.org) or Kristine Springer (kristine.springer@muskegonorway.org). Look to future newsletters for information about our K-8 Summer Learning Academy programming.

Parent Satisfaction Survey Results

Thank you to the 1,704 parents who completed the Parent Satisfaction Survey last month, our highest participation rate yet! We are happy to share that our district has exceeded our annual goal by increasing satisfaction from 4.11 to 4.22 (highest level of satisfaction yet), on a 5 point scale.

Areas of celebration include:

• 4.53 - The school is clean and well maintained
• 4.44 - My child has the necessary supplies and equipment for effective learning
• 4.39 - My family is treated with respect at this school
• 4.39 - I would recommend this school to other parents

Areas for improvement include:

• 4.04 - School rules/discipline plans are enforced consistently at this school
• 3.93 - I regularly receive feedback from school staff on how well my child is learning
• 3.80 - I receive positive messages about my child from school

By February 15, building principals will share their results with parents along with areas of strength and opportunity for improvement.

Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Programming

During the 2018-19 school year, our Four-Year-Old Kindergarten program (4K) began in a plan phase of the District’s Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) continuous improvement model. Through this process, priority areas were identified including: student health and safety, curriculum, collaboration and staff development, as well as overall needs of families and students. The review team considered current strengths and opportunities for improvement within those areas.

As a result of the planning process, the Muskego-Norway 4K program will be located at Bay Lane Elementary beginning in the 2020-21 school year. 4K classes will no longer be offered at our community partner sites. The District will continue to work with families and community providers to accommodate wrap-around care and transportation as the 4K program will remain half day.

Updated registration information and communication to families regarding 4K will be coming soon. Please contact your home elementary school should you have any immediate questions. Please save the date for our 4K Parent Information Night at Bay Lane Elementary on Tuesday, March 10 from 6:00-7:00 PM.

Kindergarten Registration

Four-Year-Old and Five-Year-Old Kindergarten (4K and 5K) online registration begins February 3! Let your neighbors with young children know and save the date. Additional registration information can be found on the Muskego-Norway Schools website under Prospective Families/Enrollment.

Communicating with the Board

Meet your School Board members who represent and serve the Muskego-Norway community HERE. We welcome you to contact them with your questions and comments. Please review the following policies for greater detail on how public comments and suggests may be shared with the board - Public Requests, Suggests, or Complaints HERE and Public Participation at Board Meetings HERE.

Threats are Taken Seriously

If you or your child see or hear something suspicious immediately say something to an administrator, a School Resource Officer, or call the local police department. In our district we are fortunate to have great partnerships with you, our parents/guardians, and are committed to ensuring a safe learning environment for our students. With threats occurring more often in school districts, it is important that we take a moment to lean on this partnership and ask you to have a conversation with your children regarding the serious implications of making a threat on a school. Such behavior may leave a lasting impact on a child’s education and future. Whether a student perceives making a threat as a joke or not a big deal, making a threat on a school could result in suspension, expulsion, and/or being charged as an adult with a felony. According to State of WI statue 947.015: “Whoever intentionally conveys or causes to be conveyed any threat or false information, knowing such to be false, concerning an attempt or alleged attempt being made or to be made to destroy any property by the means of explosives is guilty of a Class 1 felony.” Thank you for your support in keeping our students safe.

Safety in Our Schools

In Fall 2018, the ​Wisconsin Department of Justice made grant funding available to schools across the state with the goal of enhancing safety. MNSD was awarded approximately $300,000 to improve security measures. Priorities were determined in partnership with local police and our District Emergency Response Team (ERT). Projects include:

• Safety film applications on glass in strategic areas around all schools
• Additional surveillance cameras at Lakeview, Muskego High School, and Bay Lane
• The purchase of portable metal detectors for random/strategic use
• Upgrading the Public Announcement (PA) systems at Bay Lane and Muskego High School

Muskego-Norway School District has safety plans and practices in place to prepare our school community for a crisis. Safety efforts and practices include:

• Three (3) Muskego Police Officers, serving as School Resource Officers in our buildings. We lead Waukesha County and all rural school districts in southeast Wisconsin when it comes to staffing police in our schools
• District and school-level Emergency Response Teams who meet regularly with the Muskego Police Department to research and implement the most up-to-date procedures in protecting our students and staff from dangers in a crisis, as well as disseminating to staff at all buildings our safety procedures and protocols to follow
• Safety plans are reviewed and approved by the Muskego-Norway School Board annually
• All external doors ​are ​locked during school hours and we have supervised main entrances ​at all of our buildings
• Visitors need permission to enter school buildings using an official ID
• Annually, MNSD conducts all state mandatory drills, including two "lockdown" drills
• Background checks are required for volunteers and staff member to enter into our schools and work with students
• Students who leave the learning environment during school hours and return are required to check-in through the front office

We know that schools are safer when students, staff, and families work together to reduce violence and address potential safety issues. We ask that you continue to monitor your children's online and social media activity and report any school safety concerns to law enforcement and school officials immediately. We are grateful for your partnership as we work together to keep our children safe.

School Board Elections

Two candidates have declared their candidacy for the two open seats in the Spring 2020 School Board Election to be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Candidates are are as follows:

• Christopher Buckmaster - Incumbent
• Robert Bohmann - Incumbent

MHS Students - Scholarship Opportunities

Scholarship opportunities for four-year, two-year, and technical schools are available on the Muskego High School Website. Many applications can be completed online or by visiting MHS Student Services for a paper copy.

Content specific scholarships are also shared with the subject related teachers and may require a teacher letter of recommendation. Students can ask their school counselor or classroom teachers if they have a scholarship in an academic area of interest.

Free Money Friday (FMF) is new this year. It allows students an opportunity to learn about available scholarships, to ask questions about scholarship applications, or to discuss any financial aid related inquiries. On the fourth Friday of each month Mrs. Knapp, School Counselor, will be in the cafe during all lunches to host FMF. Any student who participates in FMF will have his/her name entered to win a gift card.

Intra-District Transfer Requests

Thank you to those families who have already submitted an intra-district transfer request for the 2020-21 school year. Should your family be interested in a new placement within our District, please complete this form. Realizing we are in the midst of planning our staffing and scheduling for next school year, the sooner you can submit your request, the better. Beginning May 1, 2020, we will be reaching out to families with decisions about each respective request. Should you have additional questions regarding this process, please email Jeff Petersen (jeff.petersen@muskegonorway.org).

Save the Date: Warrior Winterizer

Join us on Friday, January 31, 2020 at Muskego High School from 5-10pm for an evening of fun. Dinner tickets, provided by the Cotton Exchange, are available online for $10. Along with the dinner, there will be raffle baskets, silent auction items, girls/boys basketball games, wrestling, Classic 8 Conference diving meet in our new natatorium, AND a retro clothing sale. That’s right, some of your old jerseys may be available to purchase with prices ranging from $1.00 - $5.00.

We hope you will join us for an evening filled with fun, memories, and of course all things Muskego! If you have any questions please contact our Athletic and Activities office at 262-971-1790 x4523.

Consider Becoming a Guest Teacher or Paraprofessional

We partner with Teachers on Call to fill our open positions for guest teachers and aides. Apply online at www.teachersoncall.com or call 1-800-713-4439.

• Flexible schedule - work when you want
• Great pay and other perks
• Share your skills and make an impact
• Prior teaching experience not required

A Message From Our High School Students!

To honor the work and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., Ms. Glaser’s Behavior in America class will be holding a food drive at Muskego High School. All donations will go to Feeding America. From January 27 - 31, students at the high school will be competing during their second period classes and the class that raises the most food will win a prize.

Drop off your non-perishable food item donations (no glass) at Muskego High School Administrative Office, at the Warrior Winterizer, or at any of the athletic event locations. On January 31, the teams (diving, wrestling, girls basketball, and boys basketball) will be having a competition to see who can collect the most amount of food.

Please help us reach our goal of donating 750 pounds of food. Thank you for giving back to your community!

Sincerely, The Behavior in America Students

2020-21 School Calendar

HERE is the approved 2020-21 school calendar.

School Closing Protocol

This is a friendly reminder to familiarize yourself with the district’s protocol for closing school due to inclement weather.

Conversations with the Superintendent

Consider attending one of the remaining 2020-21 Conversations with the Superintendent at the ESC:

• Morning of February 26 (Wednesday) at 7:00 AM
• Afternoon of April 27 (Monday) 4:00 PM

If these dates/times do not fit your schedule and you are interested in meeting, contact Dr. Kelly Thompson (kelly.thompson@muskegonorway.org) to schedule an individual meeting.

Follow Us

"Follow Us" on Facebook (Muskego Norway Schools), Twitter (@MuskegoNorwaySC), and/or Instagram (muskegonorwayschools) for up-to-date information about our district’s celebrations and events.

With Gratitude,

Dr. Kelly Thompson

Superintendent