High school also awarded for participation in student exchange
By Michael S. Hoey
Correspondent
All five schools in the Delavan-Darien School District were recognized for their implementation of a positive behavior program at each school. The school board received the recognition June 14.
The Wisconsin Response to Intervention Center recognized the Delavan schools based on their implementation of the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program, also known as the Comet Code. Delavan-Darien High School, Phoenix Middle School, Turtle Creek Elementary School and Wileman Elementary School all earned School of Merit awards. Darien Elementary earned the School of Distinction award, one step higher than School of Merit.
Sara Halberg, director of pupil services and special education, said the district made it a goal to get recognized at the beginning of the school year. She said the recognition shows that all school staff in the district are aware of and are implementing the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program with fidelity. She said Darien Elementary received the higher recognition because that school is not only implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, it is also looking at and using data from the program to guide decisions.
“Congratulations and a job well done for the staff and students of Darien Elementary,” Carolyn Stanford Taylor, assistant state superintendent, said.
Taylor said Schools of Distinction were selected based on an application process that included team and meeting information, implementation and outcome data and a narrative that described the data, systems and practices of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports implementation. Darien was one of 162 schools throughout the state to be recognized as a School of Distinction.
Delavan-Darien High School also received the Top Global Learning School Award from American Field Service-USA for the district’s participation in hosting foreign exchange students. Superintendent Robert Crist said a lot of effort goes into participating by district staff and committee members, and the cultural awareness the program brings to the high school very much enhances the community.
“On behalf of Wisconsin’s First Congressional District, it is my sincerest honor to congratulate Delavan-Darien High School for receiving a Top Global Learning School Award from the American Field Studies-USA,” U.S. Rep. and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan wrote in a letter to Crist.
“Robert, the education of our youth is very important to the continued success of our community,” Ryan wrote. “It is through the efforts of educators at Delavan-Darien High School that we can have great confidence in future generations. I applaud and admire the staff’s continued efforts in advancing the lives of your students.”
Two D-DHS teachers were also recognized. Business Education teacher Kristine Slawson was recognized for completing the BizInnovator Teacher Certification Program for the Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship program at the University of Iowa. Students at D-DHS can now earn three credits from the University of Iowa for the class Exploring Entrepreneurship because Slawson is certified in the program. The credits can be transferred to other schools as well.
Accounting teacher Jodi Scott was also recognized for being awarded a Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants Educational Foundation Accounting Careers Awareness Grant for 2016 to further accounting education at the high school.
“Staff and student hard work is producing good results,” Crist said.
Replacing Chromebooks
The board discussed but took no action on a proposal to replace all of the district’s student-issued Chromebooks that make up the one-to-one technology initiative the district implemented three years ago. Director of Technology Brandon Curless told the board now is a prudent time to upgrade the technology students are using on a daily basis.
Curless said the past three years have shown the Chromebooks to be an excellent platform for student learning. He said they are cost effective, great for use on state-mandated assessments and are easy to manage and operate.
“They are a great tool to expand the knowledge of our students,” Curless said.
Curless said the machines have held up well over the past three years but have endured significant wear and tear and new machines could better use some of the curriculum being offered in the district. The new HP machine Curless was proposing would also have faster processors, more RAM, the ability to better take advantage of the district’s wireless infrastructure and come with more rigid cases that would protect them better than the bags the current Samsung Chromebooks come in.
Curless presented two options, one that involved replacing all Chromebooks at every grade level and the other proposing to replace some this year and some later. Curless said the district could get one more year out of the machines, but they will have to be replaced no later than next year as Google will stop supporting them in October 2017. Curless also said some of the cost of the upgrade, which could be as high as $517,000, could be made up by selling the current machines.
Board member Steve Logterman asked if replacing the machines is necessary now if the district could get one more year out of them. He said his own personal device is six years old and works fine.
“Do I need a Mercedes-Benz or can I get by with a Chevy?” he asked. Logterman said he is not opposed to upgrading the Chromebooks, he just wants to know where the money would come from to pay for it.
Board member Chad Kort agreed that if the district can get one more year out of the current machines, it should.
Board President Jeff Scherer said the technology is usually good for three to four years, so the district must be prepared to make upgrades on that schedule. Business Administrator Mark Powell said that while that might be true, costs could come down in the future and better-made machines could last longer down the road.
The board directed staff to provide more information at the July 11 board meeting at which time the board could take action.
Culinary Arts discussed
The board discussed exploring bringing a culinary arts program to the high school. Crist said many jobs are available in culinary arts and the district has no program.
Crist said the district could offer a program that includes a food science class that could serve as a third-year science equivalency class and some classes could provide transcripted credit at Gateway Technical College and dual certification with Youth Apprenticeship. He said the benefits of the program include hands-on practical experience, competitions and scholarship opportunities.
Crist said the program could be in place by fall 2017, though he also acknowledged the district would have to find a way to pay for implementing it.
Graduation day change
The board discussed the idea of moving graduation day from Thursday to Sunday. Scherer said a Sunday ceremony might make it easier for some relatives to attend, and he said this year the softball team was forced to miss the ceremony due to its participation in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association sectional game that was played that evening.
Logterman said local clergy would have to be consulted to see if churches object.
Retirements
Eleven staff members retired from the district this year and were honored at a reception before the June 14 meeting.
“If everyone would just reflect on the number of students, teachers and parents that these people had the opportunity to work with throughout their careers, you would see the enormous amount of people they have touched,” Crist said. “It shows how effective they were.”
Staff members who retired are:
- Peggy Behrens, Turtle Creek Elementary, 35 years with the district;
- Kerry Butitta, D-DHS, 20 years with the district, 27 total years in education;
- Doreen Grams, Wileman and Darien elementary schools, 31 years in the district;
- Lisa Jones, Wileman, 34 years;
- Tim Koepnick, Phoenix Middle School, 21 years;
- JoAnne Tully, Turtle Creek, 13 years with the district, 21 1/2 total years;
- Sandra Edmunds, Turtle Creek, 24 years;
- Barbara Pawlowski, school administration, 11 1/2 years;
- Ann Lewis, Phoenix, 12 years;
- Larry Thomas, district custodian, 18 years;
- Michael John, district custodian, 24 years.
