Fox Prairie Enews
April 17, 2020
Thank you so much for all of your support this week with Virtual Learning. Please see the following message from Dr. Onsager about the closure of school for the rest of the school year.
For the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year:
- Instruction will be virtual.
- All district-sponsored events (concerts, performances, conferences, field trips, etc.) are cancelled.
- All sports and other extracurricular practices and competitions are cancelled.
- All district facilities, including the pool, are closed for use by internal or external groups.
We miss the students so much! While we know this will keep everyone safe, it still breaks our hearts. As always we are eager to continue connecting with students. Families, please continue to talk to any of your child(ren)'s teachers and let us know how we can best support you!
Krista and the Fox Staff
A Message From Our District Administrator
Dear SASD Students, Families and Staff:
I want to begin by thanking you for your support and your flexibility during these truly extraordinary times. Today I write to you with a much-anticipated update from Governor Evers.
We know that this communication will not address all of your questions. Further details, including decisions around summer activities, will be coming. We appreciate your patience as we navigate the school closure together.
On Thursday, April 16, the Secretary of Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Andrea Palm, at the direction of Governor Evers, ordered the closure of all public and private K-12 schools and extracurricular activities for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. This announcement also extended the broader Safer at Home order to end on May 26.
While many of us had expected that this news was coming, it is not what any of us wanted. But I am confident that we will continue banding together to make this work. Among what may seem like few silver linings, one silver lining is that we have been doing what we need to do for three weeks now. We will continue what we have started with creativity, flexibility and empathy.
At this time, we will continue virtual learning with our 4K-12 students for the remainder of the year. Please watch your email closely for any virtual learning updates and guidance.
Class of 2020, please know that we are here for you. More information regarding graduation and other senior events is forthcoming.
With gratitude,
Tim Onsager
District Administrator
Summer Excel Message
Dear SASD Families & Staff,
Along with all of you and our SASD community, we are very hopeful that we can move forward with Summer Excel programming. Now more than ever, our students will be eager for the opportunities for connection, curiosity, and joy that Summer Excel offers. Thank you for your patience as we wait for any information that may help us make our decision. If we can safely offer Summer Excel, we will.
Right now, we are scheduled to begin registration on April 27th, which is two weeks after our original registration date of April 13. If we receive any information that impacts this decision, or Summer Excel programming in any way, we will let all staff and families know as soon as possible.
Thank you for your patience,
The SASD Admin Team
Fox Prairie Yearbook
If you haven't ordered a yearbook, and would still like to do that, please click here to order online.
From the Virtual Desk of Nurtured Heart Approach (NHA)
Greetings from Amy Ruck and Karla Cornell-Wevley coming to you from the virtual desk of Stoughton's Nurtured Heart Approach (NHA).
For those of you who don't know us, Karla is an 8th grade English Language Arts teacher at River Bluff Middle School with 30 years of teaching under her belt who loves succulents, reading young adult fiction, and her dog Wingo. Amy loves gardening, multimedia journaling, the work of Brene Brown and is a 27-year veteran teacher currently working with staff across the district. We have been friends for years and have a shared passion in the Nurtured Heart Approach. Over the past three years, we have done numerous staff and family workshops and seen the positive effect NHA has had on students in our school buildings and have received great feedback on improved family relationships from those who attended the workshops.
In this wonky time that we are living in, where your kitchen table has become the new brick and mortar schoolhouse, we will be translating the NHA workshops into bite-sized, actionable practices that we’re hoping will help you navigate this temporary “new normal” we find ourselves in through weekly communications. Our goal is that you can use the three stands of NHA to bring peace to your home while building “inner wealth” in your children, and relationships in your family.
If you have attended an NHA workshop, this will be a great reminder of the concepts you learned. If this is your first experience with NHA...WELCOME! We are so glad you are here. Click HERE for the first installment.
To Your GREATNESS, SIGNIFICANCE & HUMANITY...
Amy and Karla
Fox Prairie Theme Days
Door-to-Door Meal Delivery
Our door-to-door meal delivery started today. Families who registered before noon on
Thursday, April 16, received meals today. 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
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
Video Conferencing Opt-Out
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.
Grading for Virtual Learning
Virtual Learning for Our Students
- Please have your child(ren) login each day to complete lessons and activities. The number of hours needed will vary by age of the students.
- Let your teacher know if you or your child need help with anything or if your child is struggling to complete assignments.
- Don't forget to check-in using the Daily Attendance. We will record the attendance the following day so you can access the materials when it works for your family.
- Participate in Zoom meetings as it works for your family. We LOVE seeing their smiling faces.
- Check the Daily Announcements to keep informed.
Tips for Virtual Learning
- Stay Positive!
- Set a routine for each day. This does not need to be a set schedule. The kids are used to having certain things in the morning and afternoon. Work with your child to see what works best for your family.
- Take breaks between lessons/activities.
- Designate a space for learning.
- Keep your materials in one place so things you need don't get lost.
- Remember to charge your chromebook, laptop or tablet!
- Check in with your teacher if you need something :)
Virtual Learning Reminders & Technology Support
Thank you all so much for your patience as the district develops support systems for virtual learning.
By this time, most students should have received the necessary technology (hotspots and Chromebooks) to engage in virtual learning from home. If you still need to request technology, please contact your student's principal.
Technology Support Request Via the Internet
If your student experiences technology issues during their virtual learning, we are here to help support. To submit a technology support request, visit our district website (www.stoughton.k12.wi.us) and click on "Family" at the top of the page, and click on Virtual Learning Resources. From there, you will click on Family/Student Technology Support Requests. If you have trouble finding the form link, view a step-by-step guide HERE.
Technology Support Request Via Phone
If you do not have access to the internet, you can call (608) 877-5056, leave a detailed message describing the issue you are experiencing, and a member of the technology team will follow-up with you.
Chromebook Repairs
We will be open to exchange Chromebooks that are in need of repair by appointment only. After you complete the technology support form, you will be emailed instructions on how to make an appointment for repair.
On behalf of all the staff here at SASD, thank you for your continued support in making virtual learning an engaging experience for our students!
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
Fun Activities for Families
Fox Prairie Garden Committee
Hello Families!
Here is a great way to help our school and do a home science project!
Start some vegetable seeds at home in a window! We like to have broccoli, tomatoes, vine beans, peas, squash, watermelon, and many other things!
In May, we will plan to plant seeds and starts in the garden. You will need to schedule times and planter boxes with Kathi Oettel. Look for this in future newsletters.
Please contact kathi.oettel@stoughton.k12.wi.us with any questions.
“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.
Free Internet Offered from Spectrum
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.
Social Distancing Reminders from Public Health Madison & Dane County
Stay at home as much as possible, especially if you're sick.
Practice aggressive social distancing.
What does aggressive social distancing look like? Here are some ideas from PHMDC.
Cancel events and avoid groups, gatherings, playdates, and nonessential appointments.
Shop less often.
Explore your doctor’s virtual visit options.
Avoid handshakes.
Try online ordering.
Try remote options.
Spread out at work.
Continue strong every day preventive measures.
Avoid all nonessential travel.
You can view PHMDC's travel guidelines here under the headline "Travel".
Travel Reminders
At this time, Public Health Madison & Dane County is recommending that people avoid all nonessential travel.
PHMDC does not recommend any travel to areas with community transmission of coronavirus. This includes domestic travel to states with community transmission. If travel is essential, Public Health recommends a 14-day self-quarantine upon your return. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has more information about how to self-quarantine.
It is everyone’s responsibility to use common sense and exercise good judgment about travel.
One Way to Explain the COVID-19 Virus to Children under 7
Here is a link that one of our staff found that I wanted to share with all of you on how to explain the virus to kids under the age of 7.
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!
Follow Us on Twitter
You can find us @FoxPrairieK5 to see all the great things we’re doing at Fox!
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