Grant Gazette
December 10, 2021
Grant Elementary School
Principal: Colleen Berkhahn
Phone: 715-261-0191
Email Address: cberkhahn@wausauschools.org
Secretary: Erica Taylor
Phone:715-261-0190
Email Address: etaylor@wausauschools.org
What are the benefits of a Virtual Learning Day?
The biggest benefit of Virtual Learning Days is the continuation of learning and student achievement. This type of instructional delivery provides students the ability to interact with instructional content to develop and deepen understanding. A Virtual Learning Day also provides students needed exposure to a critical aspect of being considered College and Career ready, the ability to independently complete activities while leveraging available technologies. Additionally, Virtual Learning Days allow for a predictable school calendar as the need for added minutes or days is greatly decreased as inclement weather days will be counted as instructional days.
When can a Virtual Learning Day take place?
A Virtual Learning Day can occur anytime during the school year and can be used to continue student learning on days when it is not possible to be in the physical school building due to inclement weather, widespread illness, flooding, power outages, or other factors which would result in the closing of a school building.
How does a Virtual Learning Day work?
Students will follow a flexible schedule as directed by their teachers. This will include a combination of live instruction via Google Meet and independent/self-paced learning activities throughout the day. Staff will ensure students understand learning objectives, supporting activities, and the requirements for completion.
What if a student does not have access to a device at home?
All Wausau School District students (K-12) are issued either an iPad or Chromebook as a tool to use when interacting with instruction. In preparation for a virtual learning day, all students will be expected to bring their District issued device home for the purpose of completing work assigned.
What if a student does not have access to the internet at home?
If a family does not have internet access at home, a district issued hot spot can be issued from your school librarian. Please contact your child’s teacher for more information.
What will a virtual school day look like?
Student Guidelines
Grades K-5: Join a live Google Meet at times pre-established by your teacher.
(One in the morning, one in the afternoon)
PreK-2 - Up to 60 minutes of student engagement in independent/self paced activities
Grades 3-5 - Up to 2 hours of student engagement in independent/self paced activities
Grades 6-12: Follow your regular class schedule by logging into the Google Meet for each class at the beginning of each period.
All Grades: Use itsLearning and SeeSaw to engage in independent/self-paced learning activities as directed by your teacher.
All Grades: Communicate with teachers and peers, including asking questions and seeking support as needed.
Teacher Guidelines
Deliver instruction and learning opportunities aligned with curricular standards to support continued learning.
Use itsLearning, SeeSaw, and Google Meet for instruction, student support, and student/family communication.
Upload recordings of any direct instruction so that students can access it at a later time/as needed.
We value and appreciate your support and investment in Virtual Learning Days!
What is a Bridge Room?
We are so fortunate to have been able to add a BRIDGE Room to Grant School through the April 2021 Referendum funds.
BRIDGE Stands for:
Breathe
Reflect
Internalize
De-escalate
Grow
Exit
The Bridge Room is a physical space where learners can refresh, reflect, and reset in order to be able to return to their classroom ready to actively participate in their learning. It is meant to be a short-term alternative environment for a child who is not ready to learn, but is not exhibiting dangerous behaviors. All Grant students can access the Bridge Room when they need to through their teacher.
Mr. Randee Block, who has experience as a teacher and a paraprofessional for many years, is our new Bridge Room Coordinator. Mr. Block will be giving students breaks, helping them reflect on challenges, and assisting them to be ready to return to their classrooms ready to learn.
If you have any questions about the Bridge Room, please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Berkhahn for more information at 715-261-0190.
COVID-19 GUIDELINES
COVID-19 MITIGATION STRATEGIES UPDATE
If your child will not be coming to school please call the school office at 715-261-0190 or send an email to etaylor@wausauschools.org by 9:00 a.m. that school day. Feel free to leave a voicemail with your child’s name, grade and absence reason. If we do not hear from a family by 9:00 a.m. a phone call will be made to the parents inquiring about the absence.
Please note a student may not be excused by a parent for more than ten (10) days per school year. The student must complete any course work missed during the absence. Examples of reasons for being absent that can be counted under these 10 parent approved days include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. professional and other necessary appointments (e.g., medical, dental, and legal) that cannot be scheduled outside of the school day
2. illness without a medical excuse from a physician
3. attend a funeral
4. vacations
Click below for Food Allergy/Intolerance Policy.
Colleen Berkhahn
Principal
715-261-0191
Erica Taylor
Secretary
715-261-0190
Health Services
Health Aide - Jane Rasmussen - 715-261-0194 - jrasmuss@wausauschools.org
PUPIL SERVICES
Social Worker - Ashlee Karpinsky - 715-261-0196 - akarpins@wausauschools.org
Counselor - Lesley Simons - 715-261-0197 - lsimons@wausauschools.org
Psychologist - Caryn Casserilla - 715-261-0005 - ccasserilla@wausauschools.org
G2M and Enrichment Coordinator
Judy Kafka - 715-261-0201 - jkafka@wausauschools.org
Technology Department - 715-261-0833
CLASSROOM TEACHERS
Kindergarten
Chelsie Hiles – chiles@wausauschools.org
Ella Meyer – emeyer@wausauschools.org
1st Grade
Michelle Mertes – mmertes@wausauschools.org
Nicole Roy – nroy@wausauschools.org
2nd Grade
Samantha Lewandowski – slewandowski@wausauschools.org
Landon Maki –lmaki@wausauschools.org
3rd Grade
Susan Schmidt – sschmidt@wausauschools.org
Karissa Stotmeister – kstotmeister@wausauschools.org
4th Grade
Margaret Hoppenjan – mhoppenjan@wausauschools.org
Joelle Witter – jwitter@wausauschools.org
5th Grade
Sheri Fochs – sfochs@wausauschools.org
Stacy Lucht – slucht@wausauschools.org
ENCORE TEAM
Art – Rebekah Anderson – randerson@wausauschools.org
Library – Tonya Bauer-Strandberg – tstrandb@wausauschools.org
Music – Marshall DeLonay – mdelonay@wausauschools.org
Science – Kendy Selby – kselby@wausauschools.org
Phy Ed – Ryan Whalen – rwhalen@wausauschools.org
SPECIAL PROGRAMS TEACHING STAFF
Special Education
Maesa Streich – mstreich@wausauschools.org
Nancy Zygarlicke -nzygarlicke@wausauschools.org
Title I
Sara Sweeney – ssweeney@wausauschools.org
EL
Karen Carlson – kcarlson@wausauschools.org
Speech
Sally Check – scheck@wausauschools.org
GT
Cheryl Borta – cborta@wausauschools.org
Grant Elementary
Website: http://grant.wausauschools.org/
Location: 500 North 4th Avenue, Wausau, WI, USA
Phone: 715-261-0190
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/820400822072827/
The Wausau School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, sex (including transgender status, change of sex or gender identity), or physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability (“Protected Classes”).