October 30, 2026

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

Supportive, Encouraging, Positive

• Shout out to Jackson for his specific plans for PE this week to assist all classrooms with getting lots of energy out at PE since it is such a busy week!  He put lots of effort into making it great including his "tombstones" with all of the RIP stones to things from my childhood!  :-)

• Shout out to Teresa, Ella and Tammy and all of the others that helped with the set up and take down of the meals on P/T conference nights.  It was so awesome to have such a HUGE spread for all of us from Elementary through High School.  I plan to thank them on Monday night, but if you have anything you won't to get to them, please let me know and I will get it to them!

• Shout out to Liz T. whose HS band added something super special to the Run for State for Cross Country.  So many of you and your students told me how much they loved having the band playing the school song!  Thank you Liz for making this happen!

• As the week went on, it seemed that there were more and more things being thrown in people's way.  Shout out for so many of you that showed flexibility, compassion and patience through uncomfortable and/or confusing situations. I know this can be frustrating, but working together as a team, approaching situations with curiousity instead of judgment and working towards solutions rather than blame makes these situations much more bearable and things we can learn from.

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Saturday, Oct. 31/Sunday, Nov. 1
• Daylight Savings time - Set your clocks back 1 hour

• Monday, Nov. 2
• AM Duties:
• 3K/4K playground: Wagner, Ryan
• Big Playground: Haan, Greer, Barefield
• Breakfast: Lucht
• Lunch Duties:
• 12:00 - Stampfl
• 12:30 - Jenkins (M, F), Schellpfeffer (T, Th), Huelsman (W)
• 1:00 - CaineT
• PM Duties:
• Big Playground: Klink, Neis
• Circle Drive: Chambers
• NOVEMBER Support Staff Duties start
• Breakfast: Blasia (breakfast line), Eneida (tables by IMC)
• 4K sidewalk (Meet buses): Brittany
• PM Circle Drive: Betsy
• Jenny in meeting from 1-3:30pm
• PTC Virtual meeting @ 7:30pm (Link is HERE)

• Tuesday, Nov. 3
• Jenny in mtg from 9:15-11am
• 5th gr Collab mtg from 8:35-9:20am
• 2nd gr Collab mtg from 12-12:30
• Social Media Posts Due this week: Donovan, Jenkins, Caine, Lucht
• Jenny in meeting from 1-3:30pm

• Wednesday, Nov 4
• Workout Wednesday
• 4th gr Collab mtg from 11:35am-12:15pm

• Thursday, Nov 5
• Jenny at Cesa until 1:15pm
• 1st gr. Collab mtg from 9:35-10:15am
• 3rd gr Collab mtg from 2:05-2:50pm

• Friday, Nov. 6
• 4K Collab mtg from 1:15-2:00pm
• 1st Seals on Wheels Visit
• Citizenship grades due in gradebook for HR teachers

Nitty-Gritty

• School District Boundary Appeal Board hearings
• Click HERE to read the information from DPI regarding the Hustisford Dissolution process.  There were public hearings last week and this upcoming week will hold virtual hearings.  I share this with you in case you were curious about what is happening in our neighboring district and with our students' families.

• Parent Teacher Conference Follow-ups
• If there are any families that had questions or you need me to help follow up with, please let me know.  Also, make sure to let Ella know how many conferences that you held total last week.  If there was a family that didn't attend that you have important information to get to them, please attempt to communicate with them through Dojo, email, text, phone, etc. If you need any help, please let me know.

• PTC meeting on Nov. 2
• If there are any requests for the PTC, please make a copy of this form (or print) and fill out for the group to consider. They meet the first Monday of each month that is a school day. They would like them submitted two weeks before the meeting, but can be flexible if need be.

• Safety Meeting Follow Up
• Please make sure that you get your green/red card in your red bag for upcoming drills.  If you have any questions regarding the process, please let me know. The simplest way to explain it is: If you are missing people from your classlist with you at that moment that were marked present for the day, show the red sign so that the admin or admin asst in each zone can verify the location of each student in the most efficient manner.  If you are a support staff member and your evacuation site is in the same zone as the homeroom, please have students and self stand near your homebase to be accounted for.  If you are in different zones, then we will verify status of students through the red card system.
• Second, please make sure that doors are not propped open for any reason and that all people that are entering the building have been vetted by the staff answering the door. If you are not sure who they are, or what they need, please do not let them in to the building where our students are.  This is especially true of Door #29 or either recess door.
• Last, Admin. Holds require all staff to lock their door from the inside.  All keys that you have will lock the door in any room you are in regardless if the key goes to that room.

• Welcome to Liz Zimmerman, Reading Corps Tutor
• Ms. Liz is our new reading corps tutor and has her homebase in room 130 with Brenda Caine.  She will be working with students at the tables in the gathering areas and will mostly be working with students in grades 1-3.  Brenda is working with her on her schedule and she will be connecting with staff soon if she hasn't already about who she is working with and when. If you see her in the hallway, please introduce yourself and help welcome her to our staff.  She will soon have a badge, but we are working on this at the moment.

ML Information

Functions vs. Features in Primary Lessons, Did You Know?

In primary classrooms, academic language is split into two parts: Language Functions (what students do with language) and Language Features (the specific words, grammar, and sentence structures they use to do it). For example, in a 3rd-grade science lesson, the Function is comparing two habitats, while the Features are words like "both," "whereas," and "larger than."

Explicitly teaching both helps Multilingual Learners master content and academic language at the same time!

Grade-Band Snapshots

• PreK3–K: Focus on foundational functions like naming and describing.

• Features: Nouns (leaf, stem), sensory adjectives (soft, green), and basic carrier phrases ("I see a...").

• Grade 1: Focus on sequencing and ordering events.

• Features: Time-order words (first, next, last), past-tense verbs (grew, bloomed), and simple compound sentences ("First it was a seed, and then...").

• Grades 2–3: Focus on comparing and contrasting.

• Features: Comparative adjectives (taller, darker), connector words (both, unlike, whereas), and comparative frames ("A desert is ___, while a rainforest is ___.").

• Grades 4–5: Focus on explaining cause and effect.

• Features: Causal conjunctions (because, due to, as a result), complex sentence structures, and discipline vocabulary (ecosystem, adaptation).

Take It to the Next Level: Learn to write clear, discipline-specific language targets for your upcoming units with Colorín Colorado's Language Objectives Guide!

TechKnow Tip

Recording mini-lessons or instructional videos offers significant research backed benefits for student learning! Check out these key reasons:

• Self-Paced Learning: Videos allow students to learn at their own speed. They can pause, rewind to review confusing concepts (the "muddiest points"), or re-watch entire lessons, which helps manage cognitive load and is especially useful for students who were absent.

• Improved Attention: Research shows student engagement drops significantly after just 6-10 minutes. Breaking lessons into shorter video segments aligns better with students' natural attention limits, helping them stay focused and retain more information.

• Flexible Review: A library of recorded lessons provides students with a way to review material at any time, which is a powerful tool for retrieval practice and exam preparation, unlike live lectures that can't be replayed.

• Clearer Content: The process of recording encourages teachers to organize their thoughts, prioritize core content, and deliver more coherent explanations, ultimately improving the clarity of the lesson.

So how do you get started? Utilize screen record (and Freeform to write) on your iPad or QuickTime on your laptop.

How to screen record on your iPad written directions and video directions!

Click HERE to see how to use QuickTime on your laptop!

Click HERE to read the entire Edutopia article!

Friday Funny

Watching my favorite team win the World Series has been so exciting.  I also love sharing this with my family when going to Brewers games was/is a part of our summer vacations since I was a child long before Miller Park/American Family Field was even a thing.  So seeing the clips of the parade, and the SNL cameo and the trick or treating of players, it all is just fun entertainment for me too!  My sister took her 4th gr. son to the parade on Friday and texted us all through the celebrations.  A core memory for them all.  My cousin who has a barrel man tattoo and has is the biggest Brewer Fan I know was interviewed by a news station. (3:16-5:20) My nephew who was always more of a soccer fan, but couldn't resist the Schultz side of his family dragging him in to the Brewers Fans group drove up to see it live as well.  I know this will be the talk of Thanksgiving this year and I can't wait.  So here, I will share a short video of one person's 4 favorite moments of the parade.  They make me laugh and feel joy straight through my computer!

October 23, 2026

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

Supportive, Encouraging, Positive

• Shout out to Mandy and Bethany who are supporting Becky Schulz in her first few weeks of the school year. Becky said to me that they are "taking good care of me!"  Thank you both for supporting Becky with the many ways that you both are collaborating and supporting her and the classroom.

• Shout out to the 4th grade team that I had the pleasure of sitting in on their collab meeting this week. The professional dialogue, the planning they do together and how they are offering ideas/solutions and make each other feel valued when considering others' perspectives/ideas is so inspiring!  Great job Trisha, Steph, Lindsey, Olivia and Christina!

• Thank you to all of the staff that have helped out this week when we were short people, had unexpected situations arise and needed support for student situations. I truly appreciate the teamwork and willingness to help one another out.

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, Oct. 26
• AM Duties:
• Breakfast: Mook
• Big Playground: CaineB, Fortmann, Tietz
• 3K/4K playground: Donovan, Schulz
• Lunch Duties:
• 12:00: Lucht
• 12:30: O'Toole
• 1:00: Klink
• PM Duties:
• Big Playground: Juech, Knibbs
• Circle Drive: Grebel
• Lunch Detentions for this week: Braunschweig, Huso, Bingen
• 5K Collab Mtg (Rdg) @ 11:00am
• School Board Meeting @ 6:30 in the Choir Room

• Tuesday, Oct 27
• Social Media Posts due this week: Oestreich, Stampfl, Fortmann
• 5th gr. Collab Mtg (SEL) @ 8:35am
• 2nd gr. Collab Mtg (Dig. Lit) @ 12:00pm
• Parent/Teacher Conferences from 4-7:30pm
• Book Fair Begins after school

• Wednesday, Oct 28
• 4th gr. Collab Mtg (SEL) @ 11:35am
• Network system Maintenance from 4-6pm

• Thursday, Oct 29
• Parent/Teacher Conferences from 4-7:30pm
• 3rd gr. Collab mtg (Dig.Lit.) @ 2:05pm
• 1st gr. Collab mtg - MOVED to Friday
• Project Energy Assembly in the Elem. gym
• 8:30-9am - Grades 4K-2
• 9:55-10:25am - Grades 3-5

• Friday, Oct 30
• No School - PD Day (Schedule coming soon)
• Book Fair is getting packed up
• 4K and 1st Gr collab mtgs will be held today.

Nitty-Gritty

• Project Energy Assembly
• On Thursday, the National Theatre for Children, will be at school to present Project Energy to our students.  This is partially sponsored by Juneau Utilities and representatives from Juneau Utilities will be on site on Thursday as well.  The performance will take place on the stage and students should sit on the floor from youngest to oldest.  Grades 4K-2 will attend the 8:30am performance and the 3rd-5th grade will attend the 9:55am performance.  If you want to preview anything for the assembly, please click HERE for a teacher tool kit of ideas to accompany this message. @Mr. Jackson - Let's connect about the morning classes that have PE on Thursday.

• Parent Teacher Conferences and ML needs
• Gabrielle sent out information earlier this week regarding some recommendations that you could use to help make the conferences smooth and successful for parents that need information translated.  In addition, she shared the directions to use the language line which is a way to get access to an interpreter by phone for the conference.
• Translate Written Summaries: Write a summary of what you plan to say during conferences ahead of time and translate it. Having a printout available for the parent to read in their requested Home Language can be extremely helpful.
• iPad Translation Tools: Use one of our translation tools available on the iPad during the meetings.  You can find more information about these tools at the bottom of the ML Resource Page.
• Language Line: This is a telephone service that gives you access to an interpreter. Click HERE to see the directions on how to use this service.

• Recess Injuries
• As much as we all try to make sure that students do not get hurt at school, sometimes accidents happen, especially at recess.  If an injury occurs, do your best to assess what the student needs. (I believe there is a first aid kit in the vestibule for minor things.) If there is a head injury that is beyond a small tap/bump, please send them to the office. We have a concussion protocol to follow and information to share with families.  We especially want head injuries to be assessed since sometimes concussion symptoms can come on later too. If you have questions about this, please let me know.

• Office Guests
• Sometimes students need to be sent to the office due to their choices/behaviors.  If this is the case, please make sure to let Ella know in the office that they are coming and send them with work (or send a student with it later) so that when they are regulated, they can return to learning and be productive.  When students are in the office for extended time periods with nothing to do, it becomes much more difficult to continue with the business of the office itself.  Thank you in advance for your help with this!

• Lost/Missing iPads
• If a student has lost their ipad and has truly spent time looking for it, the tech department should be contacted. However, we have some students that are using the tech department and the lost mode signal as a way to avoid trying to locate the iPad or truly using their best effort to find it on their own. This adds more work, time from learning and disruptions to multiple people in the system. The first time the device needs to be put into lost mode, the sound will not go off, but we will be able to determine an approximate location for them to look.
• Please notify me if a student says they have lost an iPad in their home and have not returned it by day 2. I will reach out to parents regarding this as this may result in a replacement cost for the parents. Let me know if you have any questions regarding any of these things!

TechKnow Tip

As you prepare for Parent/Teacher conferences, keeping a student’s information confidential is required. Teachers should not show a live PowerSchool Gradebook with parents. It is recommended that parents log into their Parent Access Account to view their students’ progress and grades. If they do not have access to PowerSchool, another option is using PowerTeacher Gradebook Reports. PowerSchool Reports can assist you with conversations with your students’ Parents/Guardians. Helpful reports may include “Individual Student Report” and “Missing Assignment Report” (reference the attached image). These reports are available for all your classes, but ensure you are only sharing specific student data with specific parents/guardians. Specific directions can be found here.

ML Information

Understanding Language Modes: Expressive vs. Interpretive Communication

When supporting Multilingual Learners in our general education classrooms, understanding how students process and generate language is essential for designing accessible, high-leverage instruction.

Rather than looking at language skills in isolation, the WIDA 2020 Standards Framework focuses on how students interact with language through two primary modes: Interpretive and Expressive.

Did You Know?

WIDA 2020 groups traditional language domains into two main modes:

• Interpretive Mode: How students construct meaning from input — Listening, Reading, and Viewing images/visuals.

• Expressive Mode: How students communicate meaning through output — Speaking, Writing, and Drawing/Representing.

Take It to the Next Level: Visualizing the Modes

Recognizing these modes allows us to scaffold learning by pairing an interpretive activity (e.g., viewing a visual or listening to a model) with an expressive outlet (e.g., drawing or oral sentence frames).

What This Looks Like in Practice Across Grade Bands

Grade Band	Interpretive Communication (Input)	Expressive Communication (Output)
PreK3 – K	• Listening to read-alouds with physical gestures • Pointing to visual symbols or illustrations to show understanding	• Drawing pictures to explain a concept • Using 1–2 word oral responses combined with gestures during share time
Grade 1	• Matching read-aloud sentences to story illustrations • Listening to peer explanations during partner turn-and-talks	• Labeling diagrams with key academic vocabulary • Using sentence frames to speak in simple compound sentences
Grades 2 – 3	• Reading short informational texts paired with visual infographics • Identifying main ideas from audio recordings or teacher demonstrations	• Writing short structured paragraphs using graphic organizers • Explaining a process orally using labeled sketches or models
Grades 4 – 5	• Analyzing complex texts, data charts, and digital media • Listening critically to draw conclusions and synthesize information	• Writing multi-paragraph responses using domain-specific vocabulary • Presenting research findings using multimedia, charts, or slides

Friday Funny

Does anyone else live in a house like us? You know, that house, where the dogs (pets) actually run the house. The picture below is what it looks like when the dogs are in charge and can get the humans to do their bidding! In fact, these 2 (Oliver and Molly) have Lexi wrapped around their paw. Oliver (the larger golden doodle) will bark at Lexi until she gets up to get him something. As soon as she gets up, he very quickly will jump up and take her seat. Molly is sneakier about it, but just as effective! It is unbelievable, but we tell her that they only do this to her. No one else. Hmmmm, what does that tell you!?

October 16, 2026

So, the Brewers going to the World Series was just too exciting for me and I didn't get this done last night.  My concentration was shot by the end of that game!  I did accidentally move chairs during the game.  What was I thinking?! :-)

My family and I can quote just about every line from this movie, Major League (1989).  While the main characters play for the Cleveland Indians (now the Cleveland Guardians who ironically could be our opponent in the World Series), the movie was actually filmed at County Stadium (which is the stadium before Miller Park was built) and the Harry Doyle character was played by Bob Uecker, who was Mr. Baseball, our famous Brewers' Radio Play by Play guy, so it also felt like it was our team!  The video above is exactly what I was feeling at the end of the game yesterday! 

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, October 19
• Packer Day
• Vision Screening Day (Grades 3K-5K, 1, 3, 5) - HERE is the schedule
• AM Duties
• Breakfast: Miller
• Big Playground: Stampfl, Oestreich, Vetter
• 3K/4K playground: Schuett, Vertz
• Lunch Duties
• 12:00: Haan
• 12:30: Greer
• 1:00: Barefield
• PM Duties
• Big Playground: Ryan, CaineT
• Circle Drive: Huelsman
• Lunch Detention Duties this week: Wagner, Juech, Knibbs
• 5K Collab mtg (Math) @ 11am
• Social Media posts due this week: Huso, Knibbs, Mook

• Tuesday, October 20
• 5th gr Collab mtg (Tech/DC) @ 8:35am
• Jenny in meeting from 9-11am
• 2nd gr Collab mtg (Rdg) @ 12:00pm
• School District Boundary Appeal Board hearing re: dissolution in Hustisford from 3:30-5:30 & 6:30-8:30pm
• Round 1 of  HS Volleyball Regional Playoffs at Dodgeland @7pm

• Wednesday, October 21
• Jenny in meeting from 8:30-10:30
• 4th gr. Collab mtg (Tech/DC) @11:35am
• Network system maintenance 4:15-6:15pm - CANCELED
• School District Boundary Appeal Board hearing (Night 2) re: dissolution in Hustisford from 3:30-5:30 & 6:30-8:30pm

• Thursday, October 22
• Jenny will be gone until 1:15pm
• 5K field trip to Ebert's from 8-11:30 (Kimi is covering the elem. office while Ella is on the field trip)
• 1st Gr Collab mtg (SEL) @ 9:35am
• 3rd Gr Collab mtg (Rdg) @ 2:05pm

• Friday, October 23
• 4K Collab mtg (SEL) @ 1:15pm
• World Series Start in Milwaukee @ 7pm

Nitty-Gritty

• Digital Literacy Week
• Next week (Oct 19-23) is Digital Literacy Week.  Christina will be working on social media posts for families for the week. This is another great time to emphasize all of the teaching/learning that they have been working on regarding using technology safely, appropriately and productively! Click HERE for some ideas from Common Sense Media to do with kids this week.

• Digital Signs
• If you have an announcement or information that you would like put on any of the digital signs around the elementary, please let Ella or myself know. We can add this to the rotation and then also put an end date to them as well.

• Milwaukee Public Museum opportunities
• The museum may be closing to work on the move, but they do have an outreach program where their educators will travel to classrooms.  I'm sharing this in case this fits with any of your classroom themes, topics, etc. Click HERE to learn more!

• Plastic Grocery bags
• If you have any extra plastic grocery bags, consider donating them to us!  Mrs. Disch could use some for snack packs each week and we can always use some in the office for the occasional accident!

• November Newsletter/Calendar
• Please get your information to Ella by Oct 26 for the November newsletter. Thank you!

Behavior Specialist Information

Conference Sign-up

If you would like me to attend a conference with you, please sign up HERE using the student initials and your classcode. For example if I was a student in Mrs. Neis’s class, it would be TC - 4N. If there is already someone at the time you need, please add it and I will do my best to split the time or come up with a plan.

Say Something/See Something

Please remember that campus security requires all of us to be vigilant of our surroundings and to pay attention to anything that may seem out of place both in and outside of our building. If you notice something that seems out of place, please notify the office (not an emergency) or use the Emergency Page procedures (emergency, or requires admin to report immediately) to get support. This is located on EVERY phone in our school building.

Recess Information

Bus Duty Recess

Gaga ball, 4 square, Basketball, and playground (when it is not too wet or icy) are open during bus duty recess. Kickball is not an option. When the system is functioning, towels should be between both sets of recess doors to dry the equipment. If you need towels and there are none out there, please radio Mrs. Chambers or the custodial staff. 

Help Please

One of the most frequent comments I’m getting when processing recess concerns with students is “______” lets me. While I fully know student perspectives are not always accurate, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE hold kids accountable to the recess rules including playing one of the core games or appropriate on the playground. They assume if one teacher lets them, the rule is no longer a rule. This would be a great place to use Integrity Tickets for those students always following the expectations.

ML Information

Supporting Multilingual Learners with WIDA’s 4 Key Language Uses

Did You Know?

WIDA groups all elementary academic language into 4 primary actions:

• Narrate: Storytelling and sequential accounts

• Inform: Categorizing and reporting facts

• Explain: Clarifying how or why things work (cause/effect)

• Argue: Stating opinions or claims backed by evidence

By explicitly identifying which action your lesson relies on, you can scaffold the specific language skills your Multilingual Learners need to succeed!

Key Language Uses in Action: Grade Band Examples

Grade Band	Narrate	Inform	Explain	Argue
PreK–1	Oral Storytelling: Re-telling the order of events in a read-aloud using sequence words (first, next, last).	Observation: Labeling parts of a plant (leaf, stem, root) and describing colors/shapes.	Cause & Effect: Describing why an ice cube melts in the warm sun using simple connections (The sun is hot, so...).	Preferences: Stating a favorite character or classroom book and giving one reason (I like... because...).
Grades 2–3	Personal Narrative: Writing a multi-paragraph personal account with sequence transitions and descriptive action verbs.	Fact Sheets: Grouping animals by traits (mammals vs. reptiles) using comparison language (both, unlike, have).	Process Descriptions: Explaining how the water cycle works (evaporation, condensation) using step-by-step logic.	Opinion Writing: Writing a paragraph claiming which playground equipment is best, supported by two reasons.
Grades 4–5	Fictional / Historical Narratives: Crafting stories with developed characters, clear pacing, dialogue, and temporal transitions.	Research Summaries: Organizing information into sections using subheadings, technical vocabulary, and definitions.	Scientific Systems: Explaining how ecosystems stay balanced using complex cause-and-effect structures (If X decreases, Y will...).	Evidence-Based Claims: Writing a persuasive essay on a school issue using evidence gathered from texts or data.

Take it to the Next Level

Learn how to spot these 4 actions in your curriculum and discover target language supports for each grade level using WIDA's Key Language Uses Guide.

TechKnow Tip

Apple Classroom is a digital teaching assistant app designed for iPad and Mac that helps educators manage student devices, guide instruction, and facilitate digital learning in real time. It provides teachers with visibility and control over student iPads without requiring complex setup.

Key Features:

• Class Creation: Classes are automatically created based on PowerSchool courses.

• Screen View: Monitor student screens in real time to keep everyone on task and offer instant support.

• App & Website Launching: Open specific apps and web pages on all student devices simultaneously.

• Resource Sharing: Seamlessly share web links, documents, and files via AirDrop, or collect work when students finish.

• Group Management: Organize students into small groups for collaborative work or differentiate activities.

• Focus & Attention Tools: Lock student screens or mute device audio to bring attention back to the teacher.

Common Troubleshooting Steps:

If a student appears offline, won't connect, or isn't responding in the app, check the following common issues:

1. Apple ID / Managed Apple Account Sign-In

• Both teacher and student must be signed in to their school-issued Managed Apple Accounts (or Apple IDs) on their respective devices.

2. Wi-Fi Network Connection

• Both the teacher and student devices must be connected to the exact same Wi-Fi network: DodgelandSD-S

3. Bluetooth Status

• Bluetooth must be turned ON in Settings or Control Center on all teacher and student devices, as Apple Classroom relies on Bluetooth for nearby device discovery.

4. Device Sync & Restart

• Restart both the teacher app and the student devices if connection errors persist.

Friday Funny

This weekend, I am celebrating a friend's birthday by attending a comedy show in Madison.  The comic is Pete Lee and he is a Wisconsin Native.  Here is a little snippet of him for your dopamine hit today!

October 9, 2026

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

Supportive, Encouraging, Positive

• Shout out to Jackson who stepped in to support me with a 4K student.  He was positive and encouraging to our little one and made my struggle easier because I had a positive colleague to support me.  PLUS, he also helped support our 4th/5th graders during the admin hold on Thurs.  Thank you for all the teamwork!

• I just want you all to know that I am continually impressed by the depth of the conversations in the collab. meetings each week.  I love to see the learning we are doing with and from each other.  We are also keeping students' learning at the forefront of the planning and modifications are made with a strong rationale and clear steps. 

• Shout out to Christina for giving Ella the support and guidance to get the copy machines "fixed" for us today.  She used the tried-and-true method of shutting it off and turning it back on again as the solution.  (Ella may have other versions of this story, but this is the one I am going with!)

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, October 12
• Happy Birthday Teresa!
• Mentor/Mentee Meeting in the IMC 3:15-4pm (for Teachers in year 1-2-3 and their mentors)
• 5K Collab Mtg @ 11am (SEL)
• AM Duties
• Big Playground: O'Toole, Fortmann, Arnes
• 3K/4K playground: Braunschweig, Houk
• Breakfast: Schellpfeffer
• Lunch Duties
• 12:00: Schulz
• 12:30: Vetter
• 1:00: BCaine
• PM Duties
• Big Playground: Huso, Jenkins
• Circle Drive: Rollins
• Lunch Detention Duty this week: Schuett, Miller, Neis
• Social Media Posts due this week: Miller, Vetter
• Special Board Meeting @ 6:30pm

• Tuesday, October 13
• 5th gr Rdg Collab mtg @ 8:35am
• Jenny in a mtg from 9-11am
• 2nd gr Math Collab mtg @ 12:00pm
• Jenny in a webinar at 3pm on Attendance.  Anyone is welcome to join me! :-)

• Wednesday, October 14
• 4th gr Rdg Collab mtg @ 11:35am
• Workout Wednesday
• Elem. Staff mtg from 3:15-4pm

• Thursday, October 15
• 1st gr. SEL Collab mtg @ 9:35am
• 3rd gr Math Collab mtg @ 2:05pm
• 2nd gr Field trip to Milwaukee Museum (8:15-2:45pm)
• Effectiveness Project forms are due in Frontline

• Friday, October 16
• Jenny in mtg from 9:15-10:30
• 4K Pyramid Model Collab mtg @ 1:15pm

Nitty-Gritty

• Juneau library
• The Juneau public library is looking for people that would be interested in serving on a strategic planning committee. The commitment is approximately an hour or so each month for meetings and drafting a written plan in the spring of 2027. If you are interested, please let Todd know.

• Integrity Tickets
• As students are bringing their tickets into the office, we have the privilege of praising them again. We started to ask each student (when we can) how they earned the ticket. Our goal is to reinforce the behaviors that show integrity. When you hand out the tickets, please be explicit with why you are giving them the ticket. The more they hear about the behaviors that show integrity, they more they will replicate it with or without a ticket.  Thank you for implementing this program with consistency and with students' well being and future in mind!

• Amazon Purchases Update
• There is a slightly new process in place for Amazon purchases. Still make sure to add a Purchase req number and your name to the Deliver to spot. (I know it says optional, but it is very helpful to us when it comes in and to pay the invoices.). The new part is that I will be able to approve the orders when you submit, so please make sure that the Purchase reqs get to me so that I can get them all in the right spot. Thank you!

• Inside Dodgeland Video Series
• Please consider being a part of the video series for our community that we will post online.  The videos will be short and will ask you questions about your role at Dodgeland, why you enjoy your work and the district and your hopes for the Dodgeland School District and its students.  Please contact me or Brad if you are willing and interested in being recorded for this series.  We would like to have 1 staff member for each month for the rest of the school year.

• Volunteers and Visitors
• With field trips coming up, please share with your chaperones/volunteers that they should stop in the office with their ID to sign in and get a badge.  If they have not completed a volunteer form online, please have them do this as soon as possible so that the background check can be done before the trip. Once they have used the Visitor Aware system (the iPad in front of Patti/Ella's computer screens) they will not need their ID each time. (If they had completed one previously, still have them do the volunteer online form so that they are in the system for checking in.) If you have questions, please let Ella, Brad or myself know.

• PTC Update
• At this month's PTC meeting, the group is moving forward to become a nonprofit, recognized PTO group. They updated the group on the Parent-Teacher Conference suppers.  One night they are providing soups/salads and the other is a Taco night.  Please help me express our gratitude for this incredibly generous and thoughtful gesture.  Second, the group is planning a Fun Run fundraiser to be held on Friday, May 7 during the school day.  More details come later, but wanted you to have this on your calendar.  Please do not plan a field trip for that day.

• Citizenship Grades
• Please make sure that citizenship grades have been added to Homeroom teachers' gradebooks for September.  For new teachers, please talk to your mentor if you need assistance with grading for each of the learning targets in our citizenship rubric. Click HERE to see the most recent grading rubric for citizenship that we have been using for our students.

• Project Energy Assembly
• Please mark your calendars for the Project Energy assembly that is sponsored by Juneau Utilities presented on Thursday, October 29.  Grades 4K-2 will attend the assembly at 8:30 in the Elem. gym and grades 3-5 will attend the assembly at 9:55am in the same place.  PE classes that are scheduled during these times will be in alternate locations.  Watch for more information regarding this later this month.

TechKnow Tip

Have you tried out Swank?! It is one of our district’s approved platforms for playing movies, documentaries, and instructional videos in the classroom! Personal streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, or Disney+ are strictly licensed for private, home use only, making it a copyright violation to show them on school grounds. Swank provides the public performance licensing required by law to legally show films for educational and extracurricular activities. You can access Swank through ClassLink today to search our curated film library and safely assign or stream content for your students. Feel free to request a specific video which gets approved by your building principal. Remember to include a detailed purpose for viewing it in the classroom.

Friday Funny

A staff member sent me this picture today and it made me laugh so much.  It was like the perfect illustration for how this week seems to have gone.  And today was the Thursdayest Thursday I have ever had!  (If this is your first year at Dodgeland, please ask someone about our trend of Thursdays at the elementary school! :-))

The metaphor of this picture is that it is just like an average week at school.  It starts out fine and then proceeds to the end of the week where it just ends in chaos and/or confusion. At this point is when you think, "Whatever!" throw up your hands and know that next week you can start fresh!  (There may have been more colorful language to describe it, but you get the gist!)