October Newsletter
Inspire. Persevere. Grow.
Students (& Staff) in Action!
Celebrations
Summer cleaning not only takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of cleaning products, and lots of good ol' fashioned elbow grease! Though the regular school traffic is gone, the maintenance and custodial team has to work around summer construction repairs – such as new roof top units, classroom remodels, and exterior work that occurs over the summer.
We are fortunate enough to have a fantastic team in place, and the Board recognized this team on Monday. The team includes: Rick Croghan, Leah Erhardt, Anna Harwood, Will Harwood, Craig Reese, Erin Resheske, Sam Roznowski, Ty Roznowski, and Harrison Tomich. Below are photos from the Board meeting.
The Board continues to evaluate and reflect on their practices and discussed: Community Engagement, Championing Local Governance & Legislative Advocacy and Accountability at the most recent meeting. Each board member will facilitate one of the discussions. Thanks to Ms. Bunton, Mr. Gartzke, and Ms. VanDerGeest who have led the first three topics!
Now that our on-site covid testing is up and running, the Parent-Student Handbook was updated to include new language around illness-related absenses. Students who test negative for covid, but are experiencing a fever, vomiting, and/or diarrhea must stay home until they are 24-hours symptom-free without medication. All others who test negative, may return as soon as they would like. Anyone testing positive will receive additional information regarding length of quarantine, likely return date, and how this impacts their family members.
Over one hundred policies were discussed and approved. Most of these policies had to do with updates to legislation and/or statutes and involved discrimination. Two new policies were introduced: one on conduct in the virtual setting and one in regard to fees and fines for students experiencing homelessness. These two policies will be taken back to the board in October for adoption.
We have been working with GoRiteway to develop a timeline for updates to the bus route. They are currently training two drivers. When more information becomes available, we will send out an update.
The pandemic situation was discussed, and a full update follows in the Covid section.
Author Dan Gemeinhart was approved to visit later this month. Gemeinhart is the author of the all school book read at RMS, a heartwarming novel titled The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise which was named a 2019 Parents' Choice Award Gold Medal Winner.
Also approved at our last Board meeting was a Glee Club! Watch for more details from Ms. Pazen.
New Dashboard!
OCTOBER IS DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS MONTH
Here are a few facts about Down Syndrome
October is Down Syndrome Awareness month; its purpose is to raise public awareness of this common disorder and advocate for acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome.
Down syndrome is named for Dr. John Langdon Down, who wrote the most prominent paper describing the disorder in the 1860s. The name Down syndrome was not standardized until 1975.
Down syndrome is far and away the most common condition involving chromosomes, occurring approximately in one out of every 691 births.
More than 400,000 people are living with Down syndrome in the United States.
The most common type of Down syndrome is trisomy 21, which means an extra copy of the 21st .It is not hereditary. The other two types are translocation and mosaicism, which account for around 5% of cases.
Each person with Down Syndrome has different talents and the ability to thrive.
Individuals with Down Syndrome are living long, happy lives. The life expectancy for these individuals has increased from 25 years in 1980 to over 60 years today.
Students with Down syndrome are now included in many classrooms across the country. In the past, special needs classes were the only option for learners with Down syndrome, but today most experts recommend full or partial inclusion in many standard classes.
While individuals with Down Syndrome experience cognitive delays, they are often mild to moderate. Most people with Down Syndrome lead fulfilling and productive lives.
To learn more about Down Syndrome please check out these websites and their resources:
Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin https://www.dsaw.org/
National Down Syndrome Society https://www.ndss.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCCUIsct8Bw&feature=youtu.be
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention YouTube
Photo Retake Day: October 12th
Photo Retakes
Network Photography keeps your child's original image on file so if you participate in retakes and end up liking the first image more, you can choose this one!
STUDENTS THAT NEED TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED:
If students have not been photographed this school year, please be prepared to have a photograph taken on re-take day. All students must be photographed. Portraits will be needed for your school’s database.
STUDENTS THAT WOULD LIKE RE-TAKE PHOTOS:
If you want a re-take of your student’s original portrait, please return the original package in its entirety to the photographer on re-take day. A replacement package will be printed and delivered to the school with your student’s new image. If you did not purchase photos from the original picture day and want a re-take, please have the student’s picture taken.
STUDENTS WHO WANT TO ORDER SCHOOL PICTURES FOR THE FIRST TIME:
If you would like to order school pictures for the first time, you can print and use the order form .pdf that is attached or obtain one from the school office. Just fill out the order form and bring it with you to re-take day.
STUDENTS WHO DID NOT ORDER SCHOOL PICTURES AND WOULD LIKE TO ORDER AT A LATER TIME:
If you do not order your student’s portrait on re-take day, you will still be able to order online for the entire school year. Approximately 3 weeks after the portrait is taken your student will bring home a proof form with their own secure private gallery password. Online orders get mailed directly to your home and will include a shipping charge of $5.25.
DELIVERY OF RE-TAKE PORTRAITS:
Re-take photos will be delivered to the school approximately three weeks after the re-take day.
FLES Order Form
RMS Order Form
Thursday, October 14 · 5:00 – 6:30pm
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/pnb-ojfd-wya
Or dial: (US) +1 470-326-0292 PIN: 744 348 350#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/pnb-ojfd-wya?pin=4154035905910
Immunization Reminders
As we prepare our district immunization report for the health department, we ask that you please submit your child's immunization records to the health room if you haven't already. You may send these records to school with your child, fax to 262-628-2546 or scan/email back to Jodie Dietrich at dietrich@hhasd.org Families of students who are not up to date on their immunizations will receive a letter reminding them of the immunizations that are required in order for their child to attend school. Thank you.
Welcome New Hires!
Stephen Bhend, RMS Long Term Art and Paraprofessional/Guest Teacher
Christina Byerly, 4th Grade
Cassaundra Eggold, RMS Special Education 5-6
Deb Holz, FLES Paraprofessional
Cori Michalowski, Reading Specialist
Rachel Myers, RMS English 7
Cayla Pazen, RMS Music
Crystal Reinwand, FLES Paraprofessional
Micah Scheider, RMS Special Education 7 - 8
Jen Whyte, FLES Paraprofessional
Annie Zabel, FLES Music
Angie Gemignani, RMS Interventionist
Hi! My name is Angie Gemignani. (Jem-in-yanni) My students call me Mrs. Gem because it’s much easier to say! I have taught both middle school & high school ELA as well as middle school reading. My husband Kevin (also a former middle school teacher) is currently an administrator in the New Berlin School District. We have two children - Jackson who starts middle school in just a few weeks and Giana who will be in 3rd grade.
Outside of school, I love reading, being outdoors, and attending live music, theater, and sporting events. I am a huge Milwaukee Bucks fan, so this year’s playoff run and NBA Championship was an incredibly exciting time in our house. My son plays both basketball and baseball and my daughter is involved in dance and theater.
I have a true passion for working with middle school students and am incredibly excited to join the team here at Holy HIll School District!
Noelle Hegy, RMS Paraprofessional
Nicole Miller, FLES Paraprofessional
Nicole has worked as a Travel Specialist and Meeting Planning for Kohls Corporate for 21 years. Over the last several years, she has volunteered in classrooms in her child’s school in Slinger. She has great communication and collaboration skills, is highly organized, has a positive attitude, and has been reliable in her service. We are excited to have her join our team!
Helpful Hints for Parents & Students
Community Links and Events
Stay Connected!
Email: villalobos@hhasd.org
Website: https://hhasd.org/
Location: 3117 Holy Hill Road, Hubertus, WI, USA
Phone: (262)628-1032
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Holy-Hill-Area-School-District-2072560882756150/
Twitter: @villaloboshhasd