August 28, 2017 at 4:28 p.m.
Rhinelander principals ready for new school year
Rhinelander principals ready for new school year
By Kayla Thomason-
James Williams Middle School
There will be some new faculty members, including five teachers, three teacher assistants and one associate principal, at James Williams Middle School this fall.
Randee Block and Neil Rumney will be in the special education department, Katy Koch and Hannah Quinn will be sixth-grade teachers and Ms. Randi Miller will teach family and consumer science.
Teacher assistants include Marcy Eckrich, Kevin Sandstrom and Ryan Doberstein. Kyle Raleigh is the new associate principal.
Principal Richard Gretzinger said he is anxious to begin the new term.
"We are excited to welcome back our seventh- and eighth-grade students as well as all of the incoming sixth graders and new students to our JWMS family," he said. "Our enrollment continues to grow as we currently serve approximately 520 students."
Those who have walked the halls in previous years will notice some changes, he added.
"We have made some physical changes to our building that will help build more of a sense of community and pride at JWMS," Gretzinger added.
Throughout the school, students will notice several PBIS signs and quotes. There is new carpeting in the choir, band room and auditorium and the gym will be getting new hardwood floors and bleachers. The commons area also has some "alternate seating options."
"As always, our teachers continue to work diligently this summer to prepare their classrooms in such a way that will facilitate collaboration and engagement among their students," Gretzinger said.
The teachers at JWMS encourage their students to continue to excel through the years.
"Our cohesive strong family of educators will continue to challenge each and every student to reach their true social/emotional and academic potential," Gretzinger said. "We hope students come to school ready to learn and respect themselves, their fellow students and all staff."
According to Gretzinger, JWMS welcomes feedback from students and their families.
"You are always welcome at James Williams Middle School and we are here to work together and support your child's learning," he said. "JWMS offers a variety of learning opportunities as well as a multitude of activities outside of the classroom. In our 2016-17 climate survey 94 percent of students believe it is easy to make friends at James Williams Middle School and 85 percent of families have a very positive perception of James Williams Middle School as a strong learning environment."
Gretzinger has a few tidbits of advice for parents as their children head off to school.
"Parents should begin to start a routine of learning for their children at home," he advised. "Preserving an hour time slot and a quiet location every evening for reading, math and other homework activities will help support their child's learning. Parents should also ensure students are following the school dress code as well as making sure they are dressed appropriately for the Northwoods cold weather."
Central Intermediate School
Students at Central Intermediate School will find an additional classroom and new technology when they come back to class.
"We are now at 14 classrooms so we have been busy reorganizing over the summer in order to meet the needs of our students," said Paul Johnson, principal. "We are maximizing all viable space."
Johnson said he is especially excited to have document cameras in the classrooms this year.
"This technology tool will be instrumental in our focus on Universal Design for Learning (UDL)," he said. "A point of emphasis at Central this year is re-designing our classrooms based on UDL best practices to help meet the needs of all students. We have ordered many innovative classroom furnishes to create UDL learning environments."
Johnson is aware that for many fourth-grade students this will be their first time moving to a new school and that can bring with it a sense of anxiety.
"The most common, yet natural, feeling for students is anxiousness," he said. "Our staff takes a considerable amount of time at the start of the year to help students get comfortable within their classroom community and building. With a commitment to team building and learning established routines through Positive Behaviors Interventions & Supports (PBIS), students will soon be at ease. Patience and encouragement are essential."
He is most excited to see the returning students and get to know the new ones, he said.
"The energy and excitement of students is the pulse of our school," he said.
For new students and families, Johnson would like to point out the school's interesting building.
"Central is unique in that it is a historic building," he said. "Central has been a part of our school district since 1939. With four levels and additions built over time, Central can be a challenge to navigate but has a lot of character. They just don't build schools like this anymore."
Throughout the school year Johnson hopes to continue to see teamwork.
"Our staff is here to support students and families," he said. "Working respectfully together with a common focus on wanting to see students succeed, we will be successful."
Pelican Elementary School
Pelican Elementary School has embraced new learning techniques and tools, according to principal Martha Knudtson, and staff is excited to implement them.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for learners to have options, she said.
"The ultimate purpose of UDL is to remove the learning barriers for all students in order to provide access for learning opportunities across the curriculum," Knudtson said. "Teachers are receiving professional development through book clubs, technology training, conferences and national speakers to proactively design learning experiences that will enable all students to gain knowledge, skills and motivation with high achievement expectations for all students. Ultimately, all students will have success!"
Other technology includes each grade level having a chromebook cart for the students to use. There will also be document cameras in each classroom. In addition to the new technology, there will also be instructional and digital learning coaches available to help support teachers and students.
The 2017-18 school year has a theme - Pelican Families Rock - and students and their loved ones will have plenty of chances to explore and celebrate themselves, Knudtson said.
"Students and families will have experiences that allow them to explore and celebrate their uniqueness and how we all come together to create a classroom and schoolwide community," she said.
Crescent Elementary School
There will be several new teachers at Crescent Elementary School this fall.
Michaela Gatzow is the school psychologist and will spend time at both Crescent and Central schools.
There are two new teachers in the special education department - Jenny Borchardt and Claire Kafka Duda.
Due to the kindergarten class expanding to 100 students, there are now five sections, with the newest teacher being Bailey Moon.
The Parent Advisory Committee also has a new president - Sara Chiamulera.
"The PAC is always looking for families to help with their mission of promoting schools, earning funds for assemblies and field trips, and building family-school relationships. They have an active Facebook page that can be consulted," said Gayle Daniel, principal.
Daniel is excited for the new school year and plans to focus on encouraging the students' positive traits.
"The start of this school year we will have many new faces and we are also making some changes with the PBIS program," she said. "We are hoping to move toward promoting positive character traits; ie; kindness, respect, honesty, etc. Each month we will focus on a trait and then read books, watch video clips, have class discussions and even roll play these traits for a deeper understanding."
She is also hoping to see an increase in subject scores, instruction techniques and more.
"This year we are hoping to see an increase in our overall reading and math scores," she said. "As a district we are very focused on universal instruction techniques which will ultimately help all learners become more engaged with their learning. We are also going to work very hard to hopefully become recognized as a state school of distinction."
Daniel would like new families to know that Crescent is a friendly school that welcomes everyone and they are expanding their technology use.
"This year we are lucky enough to have one Chromebook cart per grade level, so more technology will be infused into our lessons," she said.
Families should also be aware of the parking and drop-off locations at the school.
"We want parents to know that they can drop students off in the lane closest to the building or they can park and walk their children over to the building," she said. "We ask for patience from everyone, especially during the first few days of the new school year."
Crescent Elementary School's open house will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Aug. 29.
Crescent Elementary School also has a Twitter page, @CrescentElemSDR.
Northwoods Community Elementary School
NCES will welcome Julie Gerth, kindergarten teacher, and Shari Wendland, fourth grade teacher, to the team this fall.
According to principal Alex Bontz, the staff at NCES is eager to expand and use STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics) and UDL concepts.
"This will allow us to meet children's needs and continue to utilize project-based learning," he said, adding that he is most excited about these concepts and the new team.
Families and students new to NCES should be comforted in the family atmosphere, he added.
"Brand new families and students should realize that NCES is a family and has a small school atmosphere," he said. "We are there for each other, whether it being academically or socially."
He hopes parents will be aware that teachers are just as nervous and excited about a new school year as students are.
Over the course of the school year, Bontz said he hopes to see everyone be safe, have fun and meet their goals.
Nativity Catholic School
There has been quite a bit of hustle and bustle at Nativity with all the construction at the south campus church. The renovation will extend into the beginning of the school year with hopes of it being completed in time for Easter.
The south campus lobby also has a new look, with new paint, artwork and furniture.
In addition to the new improvements, there are some new faces in the staff.
Josette Spangenberg is the new second grade teacher. She holds a master's degree in education, her reading teacher license and reading specialist license.
Rick and Carol Hitchcock are busy in the kitchens preparing meals for the students.
"Rick and Carol helped run our funeral luncheons before joining our school staff," said Melanie Nycz, the new principal at Nativity.
Nycz is new to the school but holds a pre-K through eighth-grade teaching license, a master's in administration and a Wisconsin principal's license.
That's not all that's new at the school, the curriculum has expanded a bit.
"We have added a new weekly enrichment/elective class for our junior high students," she said. "Possible class examples: Outdoor activities, community service, chess club, fun science experiments, knitting, cooking, sewing, scrapbooking, etc."
Nycz is excited about the new curriculum for the junior high students as well as greeting the families, students and staff.
What she hopes to see during the new school year is growth and acceptance of change.
"During this year of transition and renovation, (we want) to embrace change as we prepare to move our entire school to our south campus in the 2018-2019 school year," Nycz said.
She would like the families to know how warm and welcoming the environment is at Nativity Catholic School.
"In partnership with family, parish, and community, we provide a caring environment where students are taught Catholic faith, Christian values, a love for learning, and a commitment to service while fostering the ability to achieve one's greatest potential," she said. "Our goal is that every student knows that they are loved by God as they become life-long learners in the light of Christ."
Nativity's parent/student orientation is set 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30.
Parents and students will be able to meet with teachers and administration.
Zion Evangelical Lutheran School
Zion Evangelical Lutheran School will welcome a new preschool teacher, Hannah Schlomer, a recent graduate from the early childhood program at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minn.
"We're grateful that she has been able to join our staff," said Timothy Ristow, principal of Zion School.
The students have been using Chromebooks for five years now, and the school is working on upgrading them, he added.
"After starting the use of chromebooks five years ago we are in the process of upgrading them and continue to integrate appropriate technology in each grade level," Ristow said. "All of our students from grades K-8 have a chromebook assigned to them."
Zion continues to add additional STEM/STEAM elements to their curriculum and instruction as well.
This year Zion staff and students will celebrate a milestone.
"As part of our yearlong celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation we've chosen as our school year theme - In Christ Alone: by Scripture Alone, by Faith Alone, by Grace Alone," Ristow said.
At the end of the school year their big event will be an International Festival, where classrooms will experience cultures and countries throughout the world.
Ristow is excited for the school year to start, to see the staff, families and students.
"We're excited to get to see and work with all of our students and families again," he said. "We're a smaller, family-based, Christ-centered school [right around 100 students] that develops strong relationships with our families, so it's great to see everyone again!"
For students and families that are new to Zion, Ristow would like them to know that they are close-knit.
"Because we limit our class sizes, families and their students really help us develop an atmosphere of mutual love and respect based on Christ's love for us," he said. "Parents, students, grandparents, teachers, pastors all interact with each other on almost a daily basis and that encourages a strong relationship among all of those members of our Zion family."
His hopes for the school year include the students growing academically, personally and spiritually.
"I personally would love everyone in our Zion family to grow closer to Jesus through the study of His Word, for our students to reach their academic potential and be over-prepared for the next level of their schooling, and for all to continue growing in Christian character and love in our relationships with each other."
As summer comes to a close, Ristow advises parents to get their children on a regular sleeping routine for the school year.
"It's always good to try to get the kids back to a regular sleep routine," he said. "Always keep an eye on their children's use of social media. Parents are the greatest influence in a child's life- socially, academically, emotionally and spiritually."
Ristow hopes for blessings to all schools in the Northwoods this upcoming school year.
"I would ask the Lord's richest blessings for all of our Rhinelander schools as we work to educate the young people of our community," he said. "To have educated young citizens is a blessing for our whole community."
Kayla Breese may be reached at kayla@ rivernewsonline.com.
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