Dialogue
Neenah Joint School District Newsletter - December 2022
School Board Holding Informational Session on December 19
The Neenah Joint School District Board of Education will hold an informational session for anyone interested in learning more about a potential Board candidacy on Monday, December 19 from 6-7 p.m. at the Administration Building.
Board President Brian Epley will lead the session and cover such items as the roles of the Board, the time commitments for members and the structure and purpose of committees. The session will be in-person with no virtual option. There is no commitment to run for the Board by attending the session.
Three seats with three-year terms will be contested in an election on April 4, 2023. Individuals who reside in the District and are interested in running for the Board must file their Declaration of Candidacy by 5 p.m. on January 3, 2023. Nomination papers are available at the Administration Building at 410 S. Commercial St. during regular office hours.
De Deker One of Two Wisconsin Students Selected to US Senate Youth Program
Neenah High School senior Parker De Deker has been chosen as a Wisconsin delegate to the prestigious U.S. Senate Youth Program March 4-11 in Washington, D.C.
The program, which began in 1962, selects two of the highest-achieving students from each state to meet and learn from the highest level elected and appointed officials in Washington. The delegates attend briefings and meetings with senators, the president, a justice of the Supreme Court, cabinet members, federal agency leaders and senior members of the national media. At least 17 military officers, representing each of the military services and the Coast Guard, serve as mentors for the students during the week.
The students also receive a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship. The event has been fully funded by the Hearst Foundation since its inception. Selections are made through an extremely competitive merit-based selection process held at the state departments of education nationwide. This year’s other Wisconsin delegate is Harjasan Singh of Oak Creek High School.
De Deker is the reigning national champion in congressional debate and has participated in numerous national competitions. He is a four-year student representative to the Board of Education and also participates in orchestra and choir. DeDeker is president of Neenah High School’s student government and Key Club, while also serving as a leadership chair for the Wisconsin Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He has already completed an undergraduate degree in international studies from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
De Deker is the third Neenah High School student to be selected as a delegate in the 61-year history of the event, joining Jill Wuethrich in 1986 and Charles Kidd in 1988.
Interior Work in Full Swing at New Neenah High School
Learning Areas
Spirit Concourse
Four-Court Gym
NJSD Exceeds Expectations on State Report Card
The Neenah Joint School District earned an “Exceeds Expectations” designation on the latest state report card from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Three Neenah Joint District schools significantly exceeded expectations and eight others exceeded expectations on their 2021-22 school report cards.
Alliance Elementary, Lakeview Elementary and Tullar Elementary all earned the “significantly exceeds” designation, while Clayton Elementary, Coolidge Elementary, Roosevelt Elementary, Spring Road Elementary, Taft Elementary, Wilson Elementary, Horace Mann Middle School and Neenah High School all earned the “exceeds expectations” designation. Shattuck Middle School met expectations, while Hoover Elementary meet few expectations.
Report cards provide a score between 0 and 100, which is calculated by averaging the following priority areas: student achievement in reading and math, student growth, target group outcomes, and on-track readiness. Overall District report cards also include attendance and graduation data. It should be noted these scores are not a “percent correct” measurement.
The District earned an overall score of 71.8 to exceed expectations, improving upon last year’s report card by 2.2 points. Lakeview Elementary had Neenah’s highest score at 93.1 and ranked 17th among elementary schools across the state. Coolidge Elementary had the greatest single-year increase of any Neenah school, with an overall increase of 6.9 points to 81.8.
Each school’s report card may be accessed through the Department of Public Instruction website by clicking here: http://dpi.wi.gov/accountability/report-cards. The report cards are also posted on each school's webpage under the Academics tab.
Helping Others During the Holiday Season
Lakeview Helping Local Families
Horace Mann Fills its Blessing Box
Shattuck Feeds Seven Families
Helping Hands Craft Fair Raises Over $18,000 for NJSD Families
The 14th annual Helping Hands Craft Fair at Neenah High School was another resounding success in helping our community. Final proceeds were $18,749.41! Every penny is distributed to NJSD families in need during the holiday season and a scholarship for a graduating senior.
Thanks to all who volunteered and poured their time into the event as well as all of our vendors and especially our local community for their support!
Phase 1 Basketball Game Unifies High School Students
Neenah High School Special Olympics athletes competed alongside school peers in a unified basketball game on November 10.
The game, dubbed "Phase 1," marked the fourth time in the nine-year history of the event that it was a “unified” game where students with and without intellectual disabilities combine on the same team. The program was inspired by the simple principle that training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.
Special Olympics athletes warmed up with the varsity girls basketball team and pulled out a dramatic overtime win over a faculty all-star team. A unified dance team consisting of varsity girls volleyball athletes and Special Olympics athletes performed at halftime in front of a full student section.
One Act Play Sweeps State Awards
Neenah High School’s one act play won every possible award at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Theatre Festival recently in Whitewater for its performance of “Back Cover.”
The entire cast won a Critic’s Choice Award, which is the highest award a show can receive. The entire cast also received an outstanding ensemble award and a team of students received an outstanding technical theatre award in the State Technical Theatre Competition.
Advisors Sylvia Dums and Kaitlyn Bergmann received an outstanding directing award. Five students received individual outstanding acting awards: Sienna LaTonzea, Erin Heyes, Becca Konkle, Marcus Gallatin, and Jonathan Rieger. Three students also won individual event awards in the technical competition. Avery Cowell took first in the sound category, Owen Holecko took first in the lighting category and Maddie Lewis took first in the knot tying category. Neenah students swept the podium in the lighting and knot tying categories. Advisors for the technical crew are Aaron Hoffmann and Jason Stoll.
School Calendars Approved Through 2025-26
Calendars for the next three school years through the 2025-26 school year have been approved by the Board of Education. All of the calendars are posted on our District website and may be accessed by clicking here or clicking on "District Calendar" under the "About NJSD" tab.
The Board also approved changes to the 2022-23 calendar. March 3, 2023 will be a full day of school at all levels and will no longer be a staff Professional Learning Day as originally indicated. Additionally, the last day of school for grades K-11 will be May 31, 2023 and the final day for early childhood and four-year-old kindergarten students will be May 30, 2023.
High School Holiday Concert Tuesday
Upcoming Events
Dec. 22 - Wrestling Home vs. Kimberly, 7 p.m. (Pickard Auditorium)
Dec. 23 - Boys Basketball Home vs. Hortonville, 7:30 p.m. (Alumni Night)
Dec. 27-29 - Boys Hockey Home, Neenah Tournament (Fox Cities Champions Center)
Jan. 3 - Girls Basketball Home vs. Kimberly, 7:30 p.m.