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Another Important Announcement for Parents...

CHANGES IN MORNING TRAFFIC PATTERNS FOR
DROPPING OFF STUDENTS AT

• Grayside Elementary School
• Olson Middle School
• Mauston High School

Improving student safety is our primary goal,
as we make some changes
in the way vehicles and foot traffic interact
IN THE MORNING
at the
Grayside Avenue campus.

Please click the links below to view complete instructions
regarding the designated spots for dropping off students in the mornings.

Thank you for your assistance.

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MAUSTON SCHOOL DISTRICT CALENDAR

for the

2013-2014 SCHOOL YEAR

Click the link below to view details for next school year.

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OPEN ENROLLMENT IS UNDER WAY

 for the

2013-2014 School Year.

If you have any questions,
or need assistance with an application
for open enrollment,
please contact the district office at

847-5451, Ext. 6680

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What's new on your school district website?

Scroll down and see!

... State Releases "School Report Cards"

              -- How are we doing?

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... Mauston Schools Responds to Federal Nutrition Guidelines

                                     -- See School Lunch Update below.

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Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Releases
"School Report Cards"

A Letter to Families from the Superintendent of Schools...

October 2012

Dear Mauston School Families:

The Mauston School District is proud of the progress in learning that our students and staff have been working hard to achieve. We have made gains, but we have so much more to do!  This year the State of Wisconsin is unveiling changes in the way schools and school districts are evaluated.

On Monday, October 22,  the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) issued a public release of the new School Report Card for each individual school and every public school district in Wisconsin.  These School Report Cards will provide Mauston staff and parents with multiple measures of student learning and engagement, and will give schools a backdrop of information to assist them in making decisions about curriculum and instruction. This School Report Card information will be available to parents on the DPI website, and via local and state media and news coverage.  The individual student results of this assessment were sent home to you this past spring, 2012.

The Wisconsin DPI School Report Cards will provide each school a “score,” called an “accountability index score,” from zero to 100.  The score will be included on the report card.  It is important to realize that the score is not an individual or school “percent correct” measurement of learning. This score is one of a few measures that schools will utilize to be responsive and flexible in meeting individual student needs.

Like all schools across the state, Mauston’s school scores will come from student performance in four areas:

1. Student achievement in reading and mathematics on state assessments.
2. Student growth, measured by year-to-year improvements in achievement.
3. Closing gaps in performance between specific student groups (example: students with disabilities and low-income students compared with their peers)
4. On-track to graduation and postsecondary readiness, using reliable predictors of high school graduation and postsecondary success.

To learn more about our school report card, you may link to http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/oea/acct  .

Based on each of Mauston’s school’ index score, one of five categories will be assigned, ranging from Significantly Exceeds Expectations to Fails to Meet Expectations.

Looking ahead, the state School Report Cards will be reported each fall and individual student results that make up the School Report Card data will continue to be reported each spring.  The individual student results of the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination for 2011-2012 (WKCE) were sent home in the spring, and are the basis of each School Report Card.  We want families to know that Mauston staff are working hard to prepare and offer meaningful classroom assessments, that along with the WKCE, provide teachers with accurate and timely information about student learning. These classroom assessments, along with WKCE results give teachers an intimate understanding of student knowledge and personal skill development.  When teachers feel confident having this knowledge, they can adapt instructional practice accordingly. It is our goal, along with the state, to have all high school graduates college,  career, and life ready.

The links below will take you directly to the School Report Cards for each school in our district.

Yours in partnership,

Christine M. Weymouth

Dr. Christine M. Weymouth, Ph.D. 

Superintendent of Schools

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MAUSTON SCHOOL LUNCHES OFFER HEALTHY CHOICES

    The Mauston School District lunch program, like all school lunch programs across the State of Wisconsin and the United States is responding to the new federal United States Department of Agriculture requirements that are being implemented in schools this fall (2012).

    The goal of the National School Lunch Program is to provide healthy meals at school and to use the meals as a way of teaching students what a balanced meal looks and tastes like. What this means for students in the Mauston School District is that all school meals will be served to respond to nutritional health guidelines and appropriate portion sizes as set by the new federal and state school meal nutrition standards. 

    The National School Lunch Program, in partnership with the Department of Public Instruction,  hopes to instill healthy lifelong eating habits in our students.  Starting this school year, Mauston school lunches have been adapted to meet the additional standards, reflecting what the federal lunch program refers to as “age appropriate calorie limits.”

    In some cases, school meals will look and taste different for our students.  Our school lunches have a very similar six week main menu from which meals will be served.  Menus will be the same from week to week in each of the Mauston school lunch programs. The new school lunches are intended to be high in nutrients and adequate in calories, based on recommendations of the Institute of Medicine and consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs).  

    Here are some additional important talking points that will assist our families, students, and general public in better understanding the new school lunch requirements:

• Serving sizes in Mauston school meals will have fewer calories, saturated fats, sugars, sodium and salts and this will be reflected in salad bar choices and other choice items.
• School meals will include a wider variety of vegetables, along with fruit and whole-grain items.
• Meals will use fat-free or 1% milk (flavored milk must be fat-free).
• Due to the requirement of fewer calories, fats, sugars, and salts, actual serving portions for some meals will be smaller in portion size.
• A la carte items for high school students will still be available for purchase.
• Under the new school lunch program standards, school meals are ‘right-sized’ and will reflect the right balance between food groups.
• Student athletes or active students may need to supplement school lunch meals for their own specific needs.
• Mauston school breakfast meals will begin implementing new nutritional standards for the start of the 2013-2014 school year.

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Christine M. Weymouth

MAUSTON SCHOOL BOARD
WELCOMES NEW SUPERINTENDENT

     On Monday evening, July 30th the Mauston Board of Education voted unanimously to offer a contract for the position of District Administrator to Dr. Christine M. Weymouth, Ph.D., for the 2012-2013 school year.

      Dr. Christine M. Weymouth is a professional educator with over 25 years as a public school administrator and teacher in Wisconsin and Minnesota.  Dr. Weymouth began her career in Red Wing Minnesota as a special education teacher then traveled to the LaCrosse, Wisconsin area to continue teaching in 1981. 

     She completed her Bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University in 1979, her Master Degree and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Educational Administration in 1988.  Dr. Weymouth has been a middle school principal in West Salem Wisconsin, Omro Wisconsin, Edina Minnesota, and Farmington Minnesota. Dr. Weymouth was Assistant Superintendent with Farmington Area Public Schools in Farmington Minnesota from 2008 to 2012. As Assistant Superintendent in Farmington, she engaged in school improvement planning district-wide that profoundly advanced student achievement and instructional practices for students and staff.

     In 2002, Dr. Weymouth was appointed Superintendent of Schools for the Howard-Suamico School District in Wisconsin.  Dr. Weymouth has additional professional experiences as Program Director and Assistant Professor for University of Saint Mary’s Minnesota and the University of Saint Thomas in the Minnesota Twin Cities, teaching administrative graduate courses in school administration and leadership in curriculum, instruction, and assessment.  She has engaged in professional consultation and writing and research in educational administration specifically in areas of organizational management, leadership in customized student learning for 21^st century education, principal evaluation, district strategic planning, and school improvement planning. 

     Dr. Weymouth has lived in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and considers Wisconsin “where her heart is.”  She currently lives in the Twin Cities with her husband John, but is looking forward to moving to Mauston.  Their son Spenser is a junior at Bemidji State University next year, and is planning to be a teacher. In her free time, Dr. Weymouth enjoys spending time volunteering in the community, gardening, reading, traveling and enjoying her family.

The Mauston School District can be the pathway to your student's success!

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What Makes Our District A Great Place To Be?

Grayside Elementary teacher Sandy Stevens participating in an inquiry-based science experiment at the summer STEM Academy.

Partnerships
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education is a priority at the School District of Mauston.  Our district is proud to be a lead partner in the Western STEM Consortium that is comprised of nine school districts, two higher education partners (UW-Stout and Western Technical College), Fort Mc Coy military instillation, CORD (Center for Occupational Research and Development) and several community business partners.  This opportunity is made possible through an almost one million dollar U.S. Department of Education grant. 

Responsive Classroom philosophy followed in the district's elementary schools stresses the importance of starting each day with a morning meeting.

Relationships
Our elementary classrooms begin each day with morning meetings.  Relationships are built and nurtured as students and teachers greet one another, share news, and "warm up" for the day ahead.

4-K students love the interactive whiteboard in classrooms!

Technology
From SMART Boards,  iPads, iPods, and netbooks to laptops--our district provides an array of technology to meet all educational needs. 

Mauston High School's Spanish and English Teacher, Leah Luke, is named 2010 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year!

Quality Staff
The School District of Mauston is home to Wisconsin's 2010 Teacher of the Year, Leah Luke.  Our dedicated teachers and staff boast many notable accomplishments including book authoring, Kohl Fellowship Scholars, and Folger Shakespeare Institute participation.

Each year our Technology and Engineering class builds a beautiful home. The students involved with the project earn credit from Western Technical College.

Academic Opportunities
Our district realizes that one size does not fit all in education--students' individualized needs are recognized and respected. Our district offers gifted and talented options, credit recovery (MALA), at-risk programs (GEDO #2), and a new project-based learning charter school (iLEAD).  Course choices abound in the fine arts and career and technical education offerings in middle and high school.

Students experience music in a unique, holistic manner to provide a rich background.

 Student Involvement
Our district has many opportunities for students extra curricular involvement and leadership development at all levels--Lego League, WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) Leaders, LINK Crew, full sports offerings, fine arts, FFA, FBLA, and Key Club to name just a few. Two of our students have recently been recognized as state-level officers by FFA and Key Club.

Home of the Golden Eagles!

Click on the link below to view a one-page school district calendar for 2011-2012.