May 29, 2026

 Not a real Weekly blog, but thought you might need a laugh to end this week...

The title of this entry is: Not all Heroes Wear Capes!

Yesterday, after 5K Graduation, I did something INCREDIBLY dumb.  I don't know what I was thinking other than a million things were spinning in my brain and it was already 9pm and I was at Walmart getting cookies for the last day.

Anyway, I told Ella that I needed to put the child lock on the back door now that my little friend has decided to open the door while the car is moving on the way to school!  YIKES!

So, I decide to do this to the door in the parking lot so I don't forget when I get home.  So I start to move the lever and it is stuck or something. So I start to push as hard as I can on it and finally get it to move.  I go to shut the door and it bangs on the frame and will not shut. (Cue Morgan Freeman's voice in your head) "It was at this moment that she knew she *messed* up!"

So of course, the next logical step is to tell Ella that I had a little problem.  To which she pointed out a small little picture of a lock and a kid inside it that was above where I was moving the lever. Ugh. I hate it when she is right about stuff!  She then tries using whatever "tool" we can find to push it back out.  When that didn't work, we did what we always do.  Time to call my Dad!  He had no great solutions, but did promise to stop at the house on Thursday morning to fix it.  Whew! 

Now it's time to get home. Ella is in the back seat holding the door shut as I drive slow to get home. Halfway home Ella tells me she has a great party trick. See her video of this event below.  She is quoting a Kevin Hart comedy bit. (It is HERE, but has some colorful language in it, so you might not want to watch it!)

We get home and we get her little tool Fanny Pack and she gets to work. I was SUPER helpful, by holding the flashlight and Lexi went to bed to get away from all of us!  

She gets three screws out using the allen wrench, which really didn't help, but made us feel accomplished!

We used Twine to try to pull this lever back in place.  Ella even tried to use her feet to push it back.  Nothing.  Finally, I say, what happens if I open the door handle inside.  So I open the door handle while Ella pulls on the twine and BOOM!  it moves and the door shuts just like that. I have to say my Dad was very proud of us!  :-) and regardless of what Ella says, I feel like I was important to the solution!

 Yep, not all heroes wear capes!  and, yes, we had 2 little mini-doodles that watched us the whole time very confused! Those of you that know us, I am certain you can guess how many "Jennifer" sighs and groans and grumbles I heard during this process.  Why does this stuff always happen to me???  At least I can laugh at myself!

May 22, 2026

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, May 25
• Memorial Day - No School

• Tuesday, May 26
• Morning Duties:
• Blacktop/Playground: Miller, CaineB, Zastrow
• Breakfast: Bingen, Wagner
• 3K/4K playground: Donovan, Vertz
• Lunch Duties:
• 12:00 - Stampfl
• 12:30 - Vertz
• 1:00 - Schulte
• PM Duties:
• Blacktop/Playground: Huso, Lucht
• Circle Drive: Jenkins
• 5th Grade Field trip to UW Madison/Veteran's Museum - No Teresa for the day
• Jenny in a meeting from 9-11:30am

• Wednesday, May 27
• Happy Birthday Vicky and Andrea S!
• Workout Wednesday
• Field Day - Schedule is HERE
• Book Fair from 3:30-7:30pm
• Staff meeting at 3:15pm - Watch for message about location!
• Paras that will be with us next year, you can join the staff meeting to hear about the tech refresh if you would like. It is optional for paras though.
• Kindergarten Graduation from 6-7pm

• Thursday, May 28
• Happy Birthday Mary S!
• Last Day of School - Early Release at 12:20pm (Schedule for school - Para Schedule for Day/Den)
• Graduation Walk for Seniors and 5K at 8:15am
• Self Fund Health Insurance presentation @ 12:50pm
• Staff Appreciation celebration @ 2:30 (or after the Insurance presentation)
• Book Fair from 12:30-3:30pm

• Friday, May 29
• PD Day for Certified Staff  - See schedule below
• NO Dodgeland Den
• Paras first day of Summer Vacation!

• Saturday, May 30

• Sunday, May 31
• HS Graduation @ 1pm in HS gym - Everyone Welcome!

• Monday, June 1
• Happy Birthday Ella and Kari G!
• Virtual meeting for Self Fund Health information @ noon

• Tuesday, June 2

• Wednesday, June 3
• Summer School Starts @ 8am (Breakfast starts at 7:30am)
• Open House for Husty families from 5-7pm

Nitty-Gritty

• Last Day of School
• The committee will be sharing with us the video titles with at least 1 of the supervisors for each room before the last day.  Please make sure that you work together to determine the supervision for the extra recess that is planned for the day.  I have included the paras schedule for the early release in the weekly schedule so that the Dodgeland Den kids are covered, but also so that many of you can attend the other presentations happening at the end of the day.  If you are not going to be here next year, I have you helping out at Den so that staff that may be taking the insurance can learn about it directly.   In addition, don't forget that the graduation walk of our Seniors will start at 8:15 on Thursday morning as well.
• May 26-28, there is an alternate schedule for HS students. If you have a TA, this may affect when they are coming to your classrooms.  The schedule is HERE.

• PD Day on May 29
• If you haven't completed the surveys in class creator, please do so ASAP!  I need that information in order for us to create class lists for next school year.  At this time, the plan is to have 3 sections for each grade from 1st through 5th.
• The Schedule for the day is below.

• Check out for the Summer
• As you prepare to check out for summer, please remember these things:
• Report Cards/Grades are due to Patti by noon on May 29 and you must double check them before you leave (Don't forget to do grades for any HS TA's that you have)
• All personal fridges/microwaves need to be taken home. (If you are here for summer school, you can take it home at the end of the session.)
• Please label all of your items and clean off the counters as much as possible so that the staff can easily empty the room and do a deep clean of your room
• Clean up your digital files and emails to prepare for the tech refresh coming up for next school year
• Do you have any tech items (apple pencils, super drives, etc) that need to be handed in?
• Please remove any tape from the floors in your classrooms
• Print off and sign your alt. comp. page before you leave and place in my mailbox.
• Extra duty sheets should be turned in before you leave.
• Did you hand in your contract?
• Budget PO's can be handed in for things that need to be ordered, although nothing will be ordered until after July 1 (you will receive information from me to help you with this soon.)

• PowerSchool Maintenance
• Reminder: Powerschool will be down for maintenance from May 23 @ 3pm through Sunday, May 24 @ 9am. I hope this isn't going to be an issue for you, but would hate for you to have a plan to use it for something (grades, looking up emails, etc) and then can't get in.

• Open House for Husty Families
• As I stated in the last staff meeting, we will be hosting Husty families to come in and see the building on June 3 between 5-7pm. If you are interested and available, I'd love to have some staff that can spread out throughout the building to answer questions, welcome families, show people around, etc. It is completely voluntary. If this is something that you would be interested in, please let me know!

TechKnow Tip

We wanted to thank you for another year of your willingness to try new technologies and integrate them into the classroom this year. By exploring new or revamped tech tools, you serve as a vital role model to our students on how to navigate our world with curiosity, technical skill, and digital integrity. Here is a helpful list for your Technology End of the Year Wrap-Up. 

ML Information

A Final Thank You—From One Educator to Another

You made it! Let’s take a collective deep breath.

I know firsthand that supporting Multilingual Learners isn't just about lesson plans—it takes an incredible amount of heart, endless patience, and constant advocacy. There were likely days this year when you wondered if your scaffolds were working or if that quiet student was truly taking it all in. But look at them now. Because you showed up for them every single day, your students are walking out of your classroom standing a little taller, speaking with more confidence, and ready to take on the world.

A Quick Reminder: Your impact doesn't pack up with the boxes at the end of the week. You built a safe harbor where these kids felt brave enough to stumble, learn, and grow. That is a massive gift, and you should be incredibly proud of yourself.

Thank you for everything you did for our MLs this year. After next week, turn off your alarm clock, leave the laminator alone, and go have the most restful, restorative, and wonderful summer vacation. You’ve more than earned it!

Friday Funny

I think this video pretty much sums it up for what I hear you all saying!  One week left to enjoy your students and each other!

May 15, 2026

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• Shout out to the kids preparing for their spring concert. They sounded great and looked like they were enjoying themselves too! (I am missing the 4K/3rd-5th concert, but I did get to see the rehearsals!)

• Shout out to Teresa who has been working hard all over the building and then in her spare time was able to secure funding for next year for a reboot of Playworks too! Yay!

• Shout out to the team in Room 133 that has been working hard at finding homes for the overflowing Lost and Found piles.  I can not tell you how much I appreciate you taking on that project!  Thank you all!

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Sunday, May 17
• Happy Birthday Rachael!

• Monday, May 18
• Tropical Shirt Day!
• Seals on Wheels continues through Wed.
• Morning Duties:
• Blacktop/Playground: O'Toole, Fortmann, Arnes
• 3K/4K Playground: Braunschweig, Schuett
• Breakfast: Chambers, Schulte
• Lunch Duties:
• 12:00: Lucht
• 12:30: Arnes
• 1:00: Tietz
• PM Duties:
• Blacktop/Playground: Juech, Klink
• Circle Drive: Rollins
• Teresa and Jenny in meeting from 8:30-10am
• Jenny in a meeting from 12-1pm
• School Board meeting @ 6:30pm

• Tuesday, May 19
• 2nd Gr. Field trip from 10am-2pm
• Social Media Posts due to Jenny: Jenkins, Westphal
• Jenny in a meeting from 9-11:30am

• Wednesday, May 20
• Workout Wednesday
• 4K Field trip from 8:15-2:15pm
• Lunch Detention Supervisors: Chambers, Juech, Huelsman
• Jenny in meeting from 8:30-10:30am
• Jenny in interviews from 11am-2pm

• Thursday, May 21
• Yearbooks handed out

• Friday, May 22
• 1st Gr. Field Trip from 10:45am - 2:45pm
• Entrepreneurship trade booth from 11:28-12:00 outside Front Entrance of the HS (optional for staff to see what they have been working on!)

Nitty-Gritty

• Last Day of School
• The committee has been working on the plans for the last days.  Here is the schedule at the moment.  Don't forget that we will have to stop for a couple of minutes for the HS grad walk through the Elementary wing.  Watch for more details relating to that as well.  The link for the schedule and the supervisors is HERE.

• Flex Day
• For Certified Staff, this August there is one flex day that you need to be in the building to work in your classroom. There are 5-6 options for days that you can use for your work day.  Just remember that the 3 PD days for staff will be filled with meetings and have very little classroom work time. Please click on the link HERE to identify the date that you plan to work as your flex day.  If you need to change it later, you can. If you want to talk about this with me, please let me know.

• Personal Microwaves/Refrigerators
• A reminder that if you have a microwave or refrigerator in your classroom, it needs to be taken home/removed from the building when you leave for summer vacation. It can be brought back next fall, but needs to be removed for the custodial staff while they are cleaning rooms this summer.

ML Information

Reflect, Recharge, and Say Goodbye
The Year in Review
Use this week to help students realize just how much their "language muscles" have grown. MLs often don’t notice their own progress until it’s mapped out for them.
Intentional Goodbyes
Teacher Reflection: You Made a Difference

As we reach the final stretch of the school year, the focus shifts from new content to closure. For Multilingual Learners (MLs), these final two weeks are a critical time to solidify their sense of belonging and reflect on their linguistic journey before the summer break.

• Language Snapshots: Revisit a writing sample or a recording from Week 1. Have students compare it to their work today. Use the prompt: "I used to say/write..., but now I can say/write..."

• "My Favorite Word" Gallery: Ask each student to choose one new academic or "fun" English word they learned this year. They can illustrate it and explain why they chose it, creating a colorful visual of the class's collective vocabulary growth.

For many MLs, the classroom is their safest space to practice English. Leaving that "safety net" for the summer can be emotional.

• Appreciation Circles: Practice social language by having students give specific compliments to one another.

• Sentence Frame: "I appreciated it when you helped me with ______ this year."

• Summer Connections: Provide a "Summer Resource Card" with local library hours, free English-learning apps, or community centers. Knowing where they can continue to practice helps maintain their confidence during the break.

• The "See You Later" Ritual: Ensure every student receives a personal acknowledgement of their hard work. A simple, hand-written note or a high-five with a specific "I'm proud of you" goes a long way in validating their identity as a learner.

Take a moment for yourself, too. Teaching MLs requires immense patience, creativity, and advocacy. Whether your students moved up a whole proficiency level or simply found the courage to ask a question in class, that growth happened because of the environment you built.

The Big Picture: The goal of these final weeks isn't just to finish the curriculum—it’s to ensure your students walk out the door feeling successful, valued, and ready for whatever comes next.

TechKnow Tip

How is your inbox looking?  Is it time to do some spring cleaning there too?  My inbox looks awful, so I get how daunting a task it is!  Here are a few tips to help:

• Give yourself a time limit and work diligently on it for that time. Then be done for the day!
• Are there any sites that you can unsubscribe from to prevent them from entering your inbox in the first place?
• Create labels to create multiple inboxes to store them in and find what you need later.

Last here, is a short article that has some helpful hints too if you are like me and need some advice.  Enjoy!

https://www.katheats.com/how-to-clean-up-gmail-inbox

Friday Funny

Have any of you ever heard of my "purse cards?"  This is a stack of cards that I keep in my purse that have kind messages in them that I can pull out whenever I need to read them.  I will admit though, that I mostly save the cards that my children give me that tell me things like, "I love you so much!" or "You are the greatest Mom!" or "You are AWESOME!"  As their mom, there have been plenty of times where they tell me that they don't like something, or that I am the worst, or that I am SOOOO embarrassing, or whatever.  Those are the times that those purse cards come in handy!  I pull them out and show them "PROOF" that I am in fact pretty great.  It is in writing and kept by me in a safe location to utilize whenever necessary.  I am pretty sure it is one of my very best ideas! :-)

So, when Mothers' Day came around this year, my children handed me a card that was 8"x12". At first I was like, WOW, I am very special this year!... Then I open the card...Well, now you know why it is the size it is.  I'll let you read it below.  (In addition, the side that tells about all the reasons they love me has some backhanded compliments, but since they are so true, I can't fault them for that!)  :-)

PS:  I NEVER hit Ella with my car.  She walked into a moving car and then blames me.  Those of you that know Ella, doesn't that sound exactly like her?  Doesn't it???

May 8, 2026

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• Shout out to Amber and Nicole who despite some technology blips at an eval meeting, they kept their composure and still explained the results in an easy to understand way for the parent attending.  Your preparation shined through even if you couldn't project on the screen at that moment!

• Big Thank you to James for volunteering his time this week to help out with chaperoning on the 4th grade field trip to MOHEE.  We are so lucky to have you as part of our team at Dodgeland! 

• Shout out to our 3rd-5th grade students that put on a very cute musical last weekend. They were so excited (and maybe a little nervous) to perform and the pride on their faces at the end of each show was simply heartwarming. Thank you Carrie for giving them this experience!

• Shout out to Brenna, Samantha, Lexi, Ella and any others that have stepped in to help out with Dodgeland Den after school when we needed help!  It is much appreciated!

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, May 11
• Morning Duties:
• Playground/Blacktop: Stampfl, Tietz, Neis
• 3K/4K Playground: Mook, Ellefson
• Breakfast: Houk, Westphal
• Lunch Duties:
• 12:00 - Braunschweig
• 12:30 - CaineB
• 1:00 -Fortmann
• PM Duties:
• Playground/Blacktop: CaineT, OPEN (let Patti know if you can help out this week)
• Circle Drive: Jenny
• Seals on Wheels starts in the Elementary Conference Room (through May 20)
• Last week of regular Library lessons (all books will be due the week of May 18)

• Tuesday, May 12
• Brewers Day!  Wear your Brewers gear to school!
• Social Media posts due to Jenny: Mook, Caine
• Concert Rehearsal Schedule starts, No regular Elem. Music today
• Lunch Detention Supervisors for this week: Stampfl, Huelsman, Zastrow
• Jenny in meeting from 9-11am
• Trisha Pieper's last day with us - We wish you the best in your new job!

• Wednesday, May 13
• Concert Rehearsal Schedule, No regular Elem. Music class today
• NHS Blood Drive in MS Gym, sign up HERE
• Art Show: 5:30-6:30
• Spring Concert, Grades K-2 @ 6:30
• Staff Meeting in IMC @ 3:10-3:55pm

• Thursday, May 14
• Jr. Coach Field Trip (No Jr. Coaches at recess and Chambers/Zastrow out of the building)
• Concert Rehearsal Schedule, No regular Elem. Music class today
• Art Show: 5:30-6:30
• Spring Concert, Grades 3-5 @ 6:30pm
• Huelsman family leaving at noon

• Friday, May 15
• No Huelsman family at school today

Nitty-Gritty

• Class Creator Surveys
• Classroom Teachers should have received an email from Class Creator to the surveys for data collection to create next year's class lists. Interventionists, Sp. Ed. Teachers and Specials teachers should provide feedback to teachers to help them complete the surveys. You may even elect to complete the surveys together if you wanted.  Please complete the survey for your class before May 20.  (I realize there are a lot of questions about sections and numbers, and while I don't have those answers yet, I do want to start getting this data collected to be ready for the process of creating classes on May 29!) Thank you so much!

• Report Cards - Looking Ahead
• Report Cards will be due by Friday, May 29 by 11 am so that Patti can create them, share them with you to spot check for any errors before the end of the day. Each teacher must sign off on the report cards before they leave for the summer. I just want you to have this on your radar.

• Spring Concert and Art Show
• Starting on Tuesday, May 12, there will be a concert in the elementary gym each night through May 14.  This will impact the ability to use the gym for PE classes on Wed/Thurs of that week.  Please make sure to communicate with Rob on the plan for PE for those days.  Fingers Crossed for good weather!  The Art show will take place for an hour before the concert. Those that volunteered to help Courtney set up, please see her soon to find out what she needs done each night.  The 4K concert will take place during the day on Thurs. May 14 starting at 2:30pm.
• The Concert Rehearsal Schedule is HERE. Please note that if you typically have Music as a special on Tues-Wed-Thurs, the class will not be held due to the rehearsals scheduled for those days. Monday and Fridays music class are unaffected.

• Special Board Meeting from May 6
• There was a lengthy information session on the proposed new health insurance plan that will be decided on in the May 18th board meeting. Brad sent the link to us to watch. While it is lengthy, it is well worth the time to watch and learn about some of the main differences between it and our current plan. The link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6qfgDDYAto

• Seals on Wheels
• The staff from Seals on Wheels will be taking over the conference room starting Monday, May 11 through Wed. May 20 (or until they finish). Families that have signed their child up by completing the consent documents online will be called down by Patti for a free teeth cleaning. If you have any new students in your classrooms that you think may be interested, they can still sign up online. The link is HERE.  Feel free to send it to them through Dojo or email. Since we have had Seals on Wheels in our school, the number of emergency dental visit referrals have dropped drastically and the number of cavities located requiring further dentist visits for our students has also gone down as well.  :-)

• End of the Year Procedure for Library Lessons and iPad Turn in
• The week of May 11th (next week) will be the last week of typical 30 minute library lessons. 
• I will come around to classrooms and collect books every day the week of May 18th. All library books are due back by Friday, May 22nd.
• iPad collection will run from Wednesday 20th - Friday 22nd. Anyone who uses their device as an assistive technology as per their IEP can keep it until Thursday 28th. Sign up for a time here. iPad collection details and directions can be found below as well as in the Google Classroom: 
• DIRECTIONS WITH STUDENTS
• DIRECTIONS FOR TEACHERS
• Buy one, get one FREE book fair will be held Wednesday 27th from 3:30-7:30 and Thursday 28th from 12:30-3:30.


Also, the materials are in your Google Classroom as saved drafts. You will just need to go into each one, edit material (blue at bottom), and then post.

ML Information

Preparing for the Next Leap: Demystify the Next Grade

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Bridge the Academic Gap

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Final Thought: Transitions are hardest when they feel like a cliff. By previewing the next grade, you turn that cliff into a manageable set of stairs.

As the school year draws to a close, Multilingual Learners (MLs) often feel a mix of excitement and "transition anxiety." Moving to a new grade level means new routines, new teachers, and more complex academic language. Taking time this week to pull back the curtain on next year can significantly lower their stress and set them up for summer success.

Knowledge is power. Helping students visualize their next environment prevents the "summer slide" from being compounded by fear of the unknown.

• Expectation Anchor Charts: Create a simple "What’s New?" chart. For example, moving from 5th to 6th grade might include: "You will change classes for math."

Equip your MLs with a "growth roadmap" so they know exactly what tools they are taking with them.

• Portfolio Review: Have students select their best piece of work to "gift" to their next teacher. This builds a sense of pride and shows the new teacher their true potential.

• Summer Language Goals: Give students a simple, translated list of fun ways to keep practicing English over the break (e.g., watching movies with captions, using a specific learning app, or journaling).

• The "Moving On" Letter: Have students write a letter to their future teacher.

• Frame: "I am really good at ______. Sometimes I need help with ______. I want you to know that ______."

TechKnow Tip

As the school year winds down, this is the perfect opportunity to organize and declutter your digital workspaces. Here is a tutorial that provides practical, time-saving hacks specifically for teachers, such as using emojis to prioritize essential folders, color-coding subjects to navigate files more intuitively, and creating shortcuts. Set yourself up for a stress-free start to next school year by taking a bit of time now to get organized. 

Google Drive Organization for Teachers: 6 Quick Tips

Friday Funny

This gives me so so so much joy.  I want to see this in a couple of weeks and just enjoy some good laughs.  But it's in my Friday Funny to make sure that you all are aware of my favorite comedians career venture!  Let me know if you see it!  Click here to see the trailer!

May 1, 2026

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Sunday, May 3
• Happy Birthday Eneida!

• Monday, May 4
• Teacher Appreciation Week starts!
• Star Wars Day!
• Morning Duties:
• Blacktop/Playground: Bingen, Miller, CaineB
• Breakfast: Wagner, Donovan
• 3K/4K Playground: Vertz, Zastrow
• Lunch Duties:
• 12:00 - Donovan
• 12:30 - Huso
• 1:00 - Bingen
• PM Duties:
• Blacktop/Playground - Huso, Lucht
• Circle Drive - Betsy
• Jenny in meeting from 10:30am-1pm

• Tuesday, May 5
• Social Media Posts due to Jenny: Wagner, Bingen
• 5K Field trip to Glacier Rock Farms from 8:15-11:30am
• Para PD meeting from 3:15-3:45pm

• Wednesday, May 6
• Workout Wednesday
• Lunch Detention Supervisors: Lucht, Huelsman, Schulte
• 4th & 5th Grades on a field trip to MOHEE
• Jenny in meeting from 8:30-10:30am
• Band Concert for our 5th graders @ 5pm
• Special Board Meeting @ 6pm

• Thursday, May 7
• Lunch menu change: Mozzarella Dippers, marinara, black beans, broccoli

• Friday, May 8
• 3rd Grade Field trip to EAA

Nitty-Gritty

• PM Pick-up Reminders
• Please help reinforce to students that they MUST watch for cars and use the crosswalks during morning and afternoon pick up and drop off.  If any of us, (especially on Fridays) are going to the parking lot, we MUST use the crosswalks to cross the circle drive.  There have been some close calls lately and I would hate for any of us to get hit, especially our young learners that are smaller and harder for drivers to see.  Students are following grown-ups' leads and we want them to to follow the habits of using crosswalks, looking for cars and being safe at all times.
• Lost and Found
• Please walk your classes past the lost and found when you have time.  The piles are growing again!  Thank you in advance.

• Teacher Appreciation Week
• Next week the admin team is putting together some surprises for you to show our appreciation for all that you do.  We hope you feel our appreciation every day, but especially next week.  We are all so grateful for the hours of hard work you put in for our students each and every day!

ML Information

Building Confidence Through Oral Presentations

For Multilingual Learners (MLs), speaking in front of a group can be one of the most nerve-wracking parts of the school day. However, oral production is a vital bridge between social language and academic fluency. This week, focus on creating low-stakes opportunities for students to find their voices.

Scaffold the Experience

Don’t jump straight to a formal podium speech. Build "speaking stamina" by layering support:

• Think-Pair-Share: Allow MLs to rehearse their thoughts with one partner first.

• Small Group "Micro-Presentations": Have students present to 3–4 peers rather than the whole class to reduce anxiety.

• Visual Aids: Encourage the use of props, posters, or slides. Having a visual "anchor" shifts the audience’s gaze away from the student and onto their work, which can lower stress levels.

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Tools for Support

To ensure MLs feel successful, provide them with the linguistic "bricks and mortar" they need:

• Sentence Frames: Provide starters like, "One interesting fact I found is..." or "As you can see on this slide, the data shows..."

• Rehearsal Time: Allow students to record themselves on a device first. Hearing their own voice helps them self-correct and builds confidence for the "live" version.

• Cue Cards: Encourage bulleted notes rather than full scripts to prevent them from simply reading aloud.

Creating a Positive Atmosphere

The goal this week is fluency and confidence, not perfect grammar or pronunciation.

Pro-Tip: Establish "Kind Audience" norms. Teach the class to use active listening cues—like nodding and eye contact—and provide a simple "Positive Feedback" menu for peers to use after a presentation (e.g., "I liked how you explained...").

By lowering the "affective filter" and providing the right scaffolds, you turn an intimidating task into a powerful moment of empowerment for your Multilingual Learners.

Recess Information

Playground Usage/Extra Recess
Please make sure you are holding students accountable to following playground expectations regardless of when they are on the playground. Most common infractions are:

• Climbing up slides
• Playing tag/running on the playground structure
• Standing on or laying under the saucer swing
• Kicking balls around the playground

Thank you in advance for enforcing these safety rules.

*Please also do not take students out during scheduled recess times.
9-9:45
11:30-1

Behavior Specialist Information

Help Me, Help Me
As we enter into the last month of school, it is very common to see an increase in behavior issues. HERE is a short article with 5 common behaviors issues and practical ideas to address/avoid them.

TechKnow Tip

Looking to connect your students outside their known world? Try any of these 12 Websites for Virtual Field Trips. One highlight on the list is “The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks” where you go on an interactive tour (including videos, audio recording, activities, and 360* views) with a park ranger at one of our beautiful U.S. National Parks. Another favorite from the list is Explore.org Live Nature Cams which has an endless variety of staffed nature cameras including a kitten rescue sanctuary in California, an osprey nest in Montana, a puppy nursery in Maryland, or inside a honeybee hive in Germany. Many of these relaxing livecams have soothing music accompaniments, making them great to use at the start of the day, during work time, or a way to calm down before quality learning.

Friday Funny

Any one else spend WAAAAY too much time scrolling through random videos and after awhile, they make you laugh so hard that you can hardly breathe. Here's one I came across that is just too funny.

April 24, 2026

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• Another great Talent Show is in the books!  What a fun night it was on Tuesday! The kids were so proud of themselves and also complementary to one another.  Thank you to the committee for making this happen for them, to all the staff that participated in the Staff Talent Act, and Brad for manning the lights and sounds.

• Shout out to all that worked so hard on our PD day on Wednesday. I got some great budgeting questions, the Digital Citizenship document is ready to go for next year and many of you already handed in the Cox Campus documentation too!  You were on FIRE!

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, April 27
• Morning Duties:
• Blacktop/Playground: Fortmann, Caine-Arnes, Schulte
• Breakfast: Braunschweig, O'Toole
• 3K/4K Playground/Bus: Schuett, Chambers
• Lunch Duties:
• 12:00 - Ellefson
• 12:30 - Juech
• 1:00 - Neis
• Afternoon Duties:
• Blacktop/Playground: Juech, Klink
• Circle Drive: Jenkins
• Jenny in a meeting from 1-2pm
• School Board Meeting at 6:30pm

• Tuesday, April 28
• Social Media posts due to Jenny: Klink, Lucht, 4K Team
• Lunch Detention Supervisors: Braunschweig, O'Toole, Fortmann
• Jenny in meeting from 9-11am

• Wednesday, April 29
• Happy Birthday Taylor!
• Petting Zoo Day (Schedule)

• Thursday, April 30
• Pop-Up PD (Google Spring Cleaning) from 3:20-3:45pm in the IMC

• Friday, May 1
• Lunch Hero Day
• April Citizenship grades due in the gradebook
• Budget sheets due (can be shared as a google sheet or printed and handed in)
• May Support Staff Duties Start
• Elementary Musical @ 6:30pm

• Saturday, May 2
• Elementary Musical @ 2pm

Nitty-Gritty

• Breakfast Duty
• If you are on Breakfast duty during the week, please keep an eye on the breakfast line. If it is getting backed up, or there seems to be any redirection, please step in to assist so that kids can get their breakfast, eat and get to class on time.  Thank you in advance for your help!

• Last Day of School heads up
• The specific details will be out soon for the last day of school. However, I wanted to give you a heads up about some pieces for your planning.
• No specials (Art, Music, PE) that day
• Graduation Walk with our Seniors/5K students at 8:15. 
• Committee is working on a schedule that includes:
• 1 Hr movie for each grade 4K-5
• Special Snack provided for each student
• Extra recess for each grade
• Early Release Schedule for Lunch/Recess is from 11-12

• Testing Dates coming up
• The testing window for i-Ready opens on May 4 for grades 2-5.  For grades 5K-1, the Math AimsWeb assessments can be started at any time now.  Because these are 1:1, you may need more time to complete them.  For grades 2-5, the math fluency tests from AimsWeb can be done through TestNav whenever it works best in your schedule starting Monday, April 27. If you need assistance with this, please let me know!

• Concert Rehearsals
• The spring concerts are coming up very soon!  The concerts are on May 13 for grades 5K-2 and May 14 for grades 4K & 3-5.  The rehearsal schedule for each grade will be out very soon, but each grade will have 2 rehearsals on the stage between May 12-14.  Regular music specials will be replaced for each grade by the 30 min. rehearsal times so that Ms. Houk can be present for each rehearsal and still fit everyone in.

ML Information

Celebrate Accomplishments

As the school year winds down, it is the perfect time to pause and recognize the incredible journey your Multilingual Learners (MLs) have taken. Progress for MLs isn’t always measured in high-stakes test scores; it’s found in the newfound confidence to speak up, the mastery of a difficult phoneme, or the first time they wrote a complete paragraph in English.

Reflecting on the Journey

Take a moment to look back at where your students started in August. For an ML, "growth" often looks like:

• Moving from silence to social language.

• Increased stamina when reading grade-level texts.

• The brave use of new academic vocabulary during class discussions.

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Two Ways to Celebrate

To make this progress visible and tangible for your students, try one of these simple activities this week:

1. The "Growth Wall" (Low-Tech & High Impact)

Dedicate a section of your bulletin board or classroom wall to "Then vs. Now."

• Have students pair a sample of their work from the beginning of the year next to a current piece.

• Ask them to write one sentence (with sentence frames if needed) about what they are proud of: "In September, I couldn't ______, but now I can ______!"

2. The "Success Slide" (Quick & Digital)

If you prefer a digital approach, create a collaborative slide deck.

• Assign each student one slide.

• Ask them to upload a photo of a project, a screenshot of an improved score, or even a voice recording of them reading a favorite passage.

• Present these as a "Class Gallery Walk" to build community and pride.

Why It Matters

Celebrating accomplishments helps MLs develop a growth mindset. It reinforces that their hard work is paying off and validates their identity as capable, bilingual learners. Let’s finish the year by cheering for every milestone!

Recess Information

It is what it is

Unfortunately, finding trash (or whole pork chops) on the playground structure and turf is becoming more of an issue. While Kari and Virgil have added it as a weekly task for cleaning, we are often needing additional clean up. To that end, I have bags and rubber gloves inside the 4th and 5th grade recess doors. If there are students interested in helping clean up the playground at bus duty in the morning, the supplies will be available there. Please limit the “clean-up” crew to 2-3 students per morning to avoid going through the gloves too quickly/wastefully. There is not an official process in place for this, I just know we are finding trash and the kids want to help so please use your professional judgement in allowing students to help with clean-up.

TechKnow Tip

As you work through sorting, saving, and organizing this year’s materials for next year, be sure you are logged into iCloud! You may notice a red notification bubble on your settings app (iPad) or you may be prompted with a pop-up (laptop). These frequent logins with iCloud are set for security measures. Be sure to log into your Apple ID on your iPad or laptop whenever you see the notification or you get a pop-up notification. Being logged into your Apple ID ensures proper iPad backup of your files, photos, and apps. This is the same for students too, so feel free to encourage them to stop tapping “Later” and log in to ensure their priceless work is saved.

PD Spotlight

This time of year is hectic.  There is finishing off the year busyness, but also looking to the future and next school year at the same time.  There are a number of questions going through many of our minds every year, but this year, you may find yourself thinking even more about the "what if" scenarios. As I was listening to the Smart Thinking Podcast from this past weekend, I was struck by how accurate this can be in so many places in our society.  I also think it is very timely for this time of year in school systems as well.  The title is "The Danger of Assumptions in your Culture." Click HERE to listen to the episode. It is well worth your time. (It is about 25 min. long.)

Friday Funny

Not that it is funny that the little one is crying, but the whole event is exactly like something one of my kids would do!  Aaaand, we know that she is repeating a statement she heard from Dad during this "traumatic" event.  Anyone else have hide-and-seek fails?