Fox Prairie Enews
May 8, 2020
Thank you so much for all of the kind wishes during Staff Appreciation Week. We wanted to take a minute to share how much we appreciate everything you are doing at home too! We know this has been quite the adventure and we are happy to be able to work with you during this time. We are in this together!
Here are some important dates coming up:
May 22
May 22 was a previously scheduled Early Release for students. There will now be reduced assignments to reflect a shorter student day.
May 24:
Memorial day - No School
May 27 & June 3
Professional Development Days for Teachers
Grades K-5: Lessons posted for students; No Teacher Office Hours or Zoom Class Meeting
June 5:
Last Day for new work assigned to students
June 9 & 10:
Materials pick up at all buildings. Pick up details will be released closer to these days.
June 10:
Last day of school. Early release.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Krista and the Fox Staff
Thank You Fox Prairie WFK's!
These are such strange times for all of us for sure, and your kindness has truly touched our hearts!
Fox Prairie WFK's
Community Cupboard:
With the school building closed, our school's Little Free Library is also closed. Working for Kids has worked to relocate the books and expand the offerings. If you or your family are looking for some new-to-you books to use or could use a little help with food and personal hygiene items, please stop by our community cupboard. It is located at 1315 W. South Street (one block down South Street from Fox Prairie). We typically have canned and non-perishable food, many snack items, personal hygiene supplies and books for all ages. We utilize rigorous hygiene practices in the handling of items and encourage visitors to do the same.
This project receives ongoing funding support from Working for Kids and has received many donations of items from the community.
Fox Prairie Garden Committee
Hello Families!
There will be some trays of pots at the Community Cupboard at 1315 W. South St. Students can go there to get supplies if they would like to plant starts for our Fox Prairie Garden.
Soon we will be planting in the garden! Please make sure you contact Kathi Oettel at kathi.oettel@stoughton.k12.wi.us if you would like to plant in one of the garden boxes at school. We do not want to have our perennials pulled or plant where someone else has already planted. The garden is for all to use and enjoy so the produce would be available to all of our students!
We will also be looking for volunteers to care for the garden over the summer. This would involve pulling weeds, picking ripe vegetables, and planting if we have open boxes. Look for the sign up in our Fox ENews soon!
Thank you!
Fox Prairie Staff Parade
Summer Excel Update
It is with a heavy heart that the Summer EXCEL administrative team has decided to cancel the upcoming summer school programming, scheduled to run June 15 - July 10. After spending a considerable amount of time trying to find creative ways to provide a quality program while also considering the safety and wellbeing of our SASD families and staff, we feel the decision to cancel classes is the right decision. With that being said, we are already thinking ahead to Summer EXCEL 2021 and hope you will join us then for continued engaging enrichment and academic courses!
Fox Prairie Theme Days
May 26th - Draw a Badger document
Report Cards
Dear Families,
Thank you so much for your support, encouragement and feedback during our period of virtual learning. As you know, every feature of our instruction has looked different over the final trimester of our grading period.
Our priorities during virtual learning are connections with students, continuity of curricular content and flexibility of delivery and assessments. To reflect these priorities in our third trimester report card, we will provide feedback to you in the form of a narrative (comments) from your classroom teacher. This means that for this term there will be no proficiency grades (Proficient, Basic, Minimal). Given the complexity of this situation, there will be no grade or comment from specialty areas (Music, Art, PE). Our primary goal is to communicate our best understanding of who your child is as a learner, indicating strengths and areas for improvement relative to the end of year targets the best we can.
Report cards will be available for you to pick up with student supplies. We are still determining a plan for supply pick up and we will share that information with you as soon as possible. Please feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher or principal with any questions or concerns.
Many Thanks,
Krista
Sons of Norway 3rd Grade Contest
Even though we aren’t able to hold our annual 3rd Grade Cultural Event, Stoughton Sons of Norway Mandt Lodge invites all local students in third grade in the Stoughton School District to participate in our annual third grade contest. Draw or paint anything related to Syttende Mai on an 8.5 x 11-inch sheet of unlined, white paper. Include a wall text for your art. A wall text is a word wall including a collection of words which are displayed in large visible letters on a wall, bulletin board, or other display surface. Your wall text should include: your first name, date (May, 2020), title, and a two or three sentence long description. Your wall text may be handwritten or typed on an index card.
On the back, please put the participant’s full name, teacher’s name and school, parent/guardian’s name printed and signed name on back of art and wall text. Also add the student’s address and phone number so we can contact the participants! By signing, parents/guardians grant permission for their children’s entry, name and photo to be put online, displayed or printed for the public to view. Mail entry and a photo (optional) of the entrant to: Annual Third Grade Contest, Sons of Norway Mandt Lodge, 317 S. Page St. Stoughton, WI 53589. Entries must be received by May 17, 2020. Form of display for art to be determined. For more information, contact Darlene Arneson at 608-873-7209. The lodge also has a drop off box by our side entry. Walk down the driveway between the lodge and Livsreise and put the entries in the green box!
Social Emotional Learning Parent Connection
Activities for Home
Spending time outdoors is a way to support the physical, mental and emotional well being of our youth and of ourselves. It is a way for us to connect to nature, quiet our minds and reduce stress. We can do this in simple ways- by listening to birds, watching water lap on the shore, feeling soil between our fingers as we garden, or taking a leisurely walk.
A website to celebrate the great outdoors for youth and families is eek! Environmental Education for Kids. You will find several activities with the three components of connect, explore and engage. Your student can watch brief nature videos, find ways to conserve water, or create a sound map. These activities are not only educational, but also help to slow us down and encourage us to notice the beauty and wonder around us.
Get Moving
Multiple dance workouts can be found on youtube for movement breaks and exercise - check it out first for age appropriateness.
Parenting
The following articles are from Child Mind Institute and full of excellent information and ideas:
Coronavirus Parenting: Managing Anger and Frustration
Single Parenting During the Coronavirus Crisis: Strategies for managing it when you’re going alone
Family Gap Plan from NHA
Do you have a "gap plan" for your family?
During one of my forced breaks (did you know that you MUST get up from your screen or you will get physically ill???!!!! And that doesn't help anyone), I listened to an episode from Brene' Brown podcast from March 27th that I think everyone should listen to regarding this strange time we are living through.
Brene on Collective Suffering (28:00 minutes)
If you're a reader, here is a summary of the podcast.
After you listen, know that I'm (Amy) at 80% if there is a way that I can help you during this crazy time.
Stay healthy and I beg you to PLEASE take care of yourself!
To YOUR AMAZING AND CONTINUED Greatness, Humanity and Significance!
Amy, Karla and Maggie
Nuggets You May Have Missed
Most recent entry at the top.
Door-to-Door Meal Delivery
Our door-to-door meal delivery is up and running! Families who haven't signed up yet can do so here.
After signing up, families will receive a confirmation phone call within 24 business hours to let them know the first delivery date of their meals. More detailed information can be found at
What Can You Do to Stay Healthy at Home?
Stoughton Food Pantry Remains Open During COVID-19 Crisis
The City of Stoughton Food Pantry is open to serve households living in the Stoughton Area
School District. Eligibility for the pantry has changed during the COVID-19 crisis, allowing clients to declare their weekly income; therefore, someone who has recently lost their job would qualify at this time. The hours remain the same. (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; also, Thursday from 4:00-6:00 p.m., and the first Saturday of the month from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.). The pantry is located at 520 S. Fourth St. in Stoughton.
Everyone should call (608-873-8103) to make an appointment before coming to the pantry. At
that time, we will verify new and returning client eligibility, and take orders for the client's
preferred groceries. We are practicing a No Contact Protocol. Clients will be instructed to call
the pantry when they arrive, pull up to the door at their appointment time as well as stay in
their vehicle. A pantry volunteer will verify IDs through a closed window, then will bring the
groceries out and put them on a table. After the volunteer goes back into the building, clients
can get out of their vehicles and load their groceries.
The pantry voicemail is the best source of current information and will be updated as needed.
Clients are eligible to come in once each calendar month. Clients may also come in four times during the year for an emergency bag, which contains a limited amount of food. The monthly Senior Box program is available for seniors 60+ years old, who are income-eligible. This food is given in addition to the monthly pantry allotment.
Donations are still being accepted. Monetary donations should be mailed to the Stoughton City Hall (207 S. Forrest Street, Stoughton, WI 53589) C/O Stoughton Food Pantry. If wishing to make food and other donations, please call the pantry to set up a time to bring it in. At this
time, only large donations of 50# or more will be accepted due to the need for quarantining.
Receipts and letters acknowledging your donations will be mailed after the Stoughton City Hall reopens for business.
The pantry is practicing safety protocols for clients and volunteers. Handwashing, sanitizing,
using masks, and gloves are all part of the protocols, along with social distancing in and outside of the pantry. We are participating in weekly teleconferencing with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) and Community Action Coalition (CAC) in order to keep up with the latest information on COVID-19.
The Stoughton Food Pantry would like to thank everyone who is supporting the pantry. We
have many devoted people who are volunteering at the pantry, both now and before the
COVID-19 crisis. Also, thank you to all our new and sustaining donors.
Fox Prairie Distance Learning Site
A few refreshers if needed:
Here is a quick video on how to navigate the site.
The site can be found going to the district website (stoughton.k12.wi.us), then selecting Family in the top right corner, then Virtual Learning Resources under Family Portal, then selecting the Fox Prairie site.
You can also go directly to the site by using this address: https://tinyurl.com/wupywlh
Take Photos of Virtual Learning!
Photo call! We want to feature your kids learning virtually on our district social media channels.
Send your submissions to socialmedia@stoughton.k12.wi.us with your child(ren)’s name and grade. Photo ideas might be your child(ren) working on their device or packets or your child and their furry companion reading a book.
Family Resources
Stoughton Food Pantry
520 S 4th Street, Stoughton
Hours: Monday-Wednesday 10am-2pm
Thursdays 10am-2pm and 4pm-6pm
Closed Friday
First Saturday of the month 9am-11am
Call for an appointment: 608-873-8103
United Methodist Food Pantry
525 Lincoln Avenue, Stoughton
Hours: Tuesdays 9am-11am and 4pm-7pm
Call for an appointment: 608-873-3273 x 101
Personal Essentials Pantry
343 E. Main Street, Stoughton
Hours: 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month: 1pm-5pm
Call 608-620-3250
PRIMAL Pantry
PRIMAL Pantry at the gym located at 318 S. Forrest St. PRIMAL has partnered with Pancake Cafe in Stoughton and we are preparing 40 bagged meals each day for children. Each bag meal contains a cereal, milk, string cheese, granola bar, goldfish, sandwich, fruit snacks and a treat.
“Office Hours” With our District Nurse
Our district nurse Laurel Gretebeck is committed to supporting our students and families.
She will continue to hold daily office hours via phone and email, as well as checking emails periodically during the school day.
Office hours: Weekdays from 9 to 11 a.m.
Contact information: Laurel.Gretebeck@Stoughton.K12.WI.US; (608) 352-9305.
Technology - Zoom
We are using a program called Zoom to host virtual meetings. Zoom allows users to connect online in order to video chat. Here are the instructions on how to use Zoom.
School Closure Tab on the District Website
Continue to stay up to date with our School Closure Tab on the district website. This tab includes information on technology repair, meals, special education, resources for parents, mental health resources and more.
Fox Prairie Shout Outs
If you would like to recognize a staff member here at Fox, please complete this form. We love
to celebrate our great staff!
Fox Prairie Elementary School
Email: krista.huntleyrogers@stoughton.k12.wi.us
Website: www.stoughton.k12.wi.us
Location: 1601 W South St, Stoughton, WI, United States
Phone: 608-877-5100