Dialogue
Neenah Joint School District Newsletter - December 2023
Neenah Schools Score High on State Report Cards
The Neenah Joint School District earned an “exceeds expectations” designation on the latest state report card by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Five Neenah Joint District schools significantly exceeded expectations and five others exceeded expectations on their 2022-23 school report cards.
It marked the second straight year the District has reached the exceeds expectations category and fifth time in the seven-year history of the report cards. Alliance Elementary, Clayton Elementary, Lakeview Elementary, Roosevelt Elementary and Tullar Elementary all earned the “significantly exceeds” designation. Clayton Elementary, Coolidge Elementary, Spring Road Elementary, Wilson Elementary, Horace Mann Middle School and Neenah High School all earned the “exceeds expectations” designation. Shattuck Middle School and Taft Elementary met expectations, while Hoover Elementary failed to meet expectations.
The District has restructured for the 2023-24 school year with Roosevelt and Wilson combining to form Horace Mann Elementary and Horace Mann and Shattuck merging to form Neenah Middle School.
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. The District earned an overall score of 72.9, improving upon last year’s score of 71.8. Lakeview Elementary had Neenah’s highest score at 92.7, while Clayton Elementary had the greatest single-year increase of any Neenah school, with an overall increase of 4.7 points to 84.7. Each school’s report card may be accessed on their individual school homepage or through the Department of Public Instruction website by clicking here.
Superintendent Pfeiffer Announces Retirement
Dr. Mary Pfeiffer, who led the Neenah Joint School District through numerous significant changes over the past 15 years, has announced her retirement, effective June 30, 2024.
Hired in 2009, Pfeiffer was the District’s first female superintendent and, in 2021, became the only Neenah superintendent to be named the Wisconsin Superintendent of the Year. She completes her term with 20 years in the District, having also served as an Associate Principal at Neenah High School from 1998-2003. The Board of Education has begun the process of hiring a search firm to conduct a national search for a new superintendent.
“Dr. Pfeiffer led our District with integrity, compassion, and pride,” Board president Brian Epley said. “She faced many difficult challenges with grace and intelligence while choosing the right path, even when it wasn’t the easy path. Through her effective leadership, the Neenah Joint School District has been improved physically, financially, and culturally. She set the District on a solid course for continued success. The Board of Education thanks Dr. Pfeiffer for her dedicated service and wishes her well in her future endeavors.”
“The day-to-day interactions with our students, staff and families have been a highlight of mine throughout my years in Neenah,” Pfeiffer said. “Those moments are treasured and will be dearly missed, but I love this community and plan to continue attending many of the events and activities that make Neenah such a special place. I have been honored and so grateful to call this District home for two decades.”
Click here for a full rundown of Dr. Pfeiffer's accomplishments
Elementary Boundary Revisions Meetings Set for Dec. 13
Two informational meetings will be held on Wednesday, December 13 as part of the next steps in the elementary boundary revisions process. A virtual meeting will be held at 1 p.m. and an in-person meeting will take place at 6 p.m. in Room 128 of the Armstrong Wing of Neenah Middle School. The zoom link for the virtual meeting is available on the District website and may be accessed at the time of the meeting.
Several boundary change proposals will be presented at these meetings and administration will be seeking feedback on each of the proposals. The presentation for both meetings will be the same, so it is not necessary to attend both meetings. The Board of Education will consider the proposed changes at a scheduled, public meeting in January or February for implementation for the 2024-25 school year.
Initial meetings were held in October to describe the purpose and steps involved in this process. A page on our District website includes Frequently Asked Questions about the revisions process. There is also a link on the upper right of the page to submit any additional questions you may have.
Special Olympians Take the Spotlight in Phase 1 Game
Neenah High School's Special Olympics athletes were featured in the 10th annual "Phase 1" basketball game on November 9 in the high school gym. The event was a “unified” game where students with and without intellectual disabilities combined on the same team and took on a team of faculty members. The varsity girls volleyball team also led a unified dance team at halftime. The program was inspired by the simple principle that training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. The Special Olympians pulled out a tight victory in the closing seconds to remain undefeated in the 10-year history of the event.
One-Act Play Sweeps State Awards
Neenah High School's one-act play won every possible award at the Wisconsin Interscholastic State Theatre Festival on Nov. 17-18 in Green Bay.
The play, This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing, written by Finegan Kruckemeyer, won the Critic’s Choice Award, the highest honor that a show can receive. Additionally, the cast (pictured, left) won an outstanding ensemble award, the crew won an outstanding technical theatre award (pictured below, right), and Kaitlyn Bergmann won an outstanding directing award with the assistance of student director Aly Lamb. Four students won individual acting awards for their roles in the show: Annilee Molchaney, Rebecca Konkle, Marie Dums, and Aliza Perry.
At the state technical theatre challenge, Neenah took second place overall. Individually, Claire Nichols took first in the individual props category and Avery Cowell took first in the individual knot tying category. Abby Searl, Rowan Hansen, Samuel Davies and Avery Cowell placed first in the cable relay team event. Aaron Hoffmann led the technical challenge team
What's Happening in Our Schools
NHS Culinary Students Help Coolidge Families
High School culinary arts students used the new school's kitchen facilities after school to cook seven turkeys that were donated by Coolidge Elementary families. Donations included numerous items for a full Thanksgiving dinner for other Coolidge families.
Lakeview Continues Annual Tradition
Lakeview Elementary families and students came together to help those in need by collecting over 6,500 food items in the school's annual "Stuff the Turkey" event. Fourth grade students sorted, counted and boxed all of the donations, which supported Lakeview families as well as other families in Neenah.
Hoover Students Learn About Weather
Fourth grade students at Hoover Elementary have been learning about weather and showed off their knowledge to students from other grades with a Weather Fair. Students explained facts and information about blizzards, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and other weather phenomena.
Keep Reading During Winter Break
During school breaks, we encourage families to continue to read with their children. An outing to the public library can be inspirational. Check out the link to the Neenah Public Library website by clicking here.
The library has a wide range of offerings, including books, movies and more. Also, check out the drop-down tab: "Bookscription", which offers DVD binge bundles, and kids and teens book bundles.
Alliance Applications Accepted Through February 16
The application window for Alliance Charter School is now open for the 2024-25 school year for students entering grades 4K-6. Applications are accepted through February 16. If there are more applications than available openings, a lottery will be held. Current Alliance students do not need to re-apply.
Alliance is a tuition-free, public Montessori school in the Neenah Joint School District. For more information about Alliance and to submit an application, check out the Alliance Enrollment page by clicking here. Click the "Apply" button at the top of the page for the application.
Substitute and Support Jobs Available Across the District
Individuals looking for part-time or full-time employment and the chance to work with the children in our community have plenty of opportunities in a number of different support areas. Of greatest need are bus drivers, food service employees, substitute teachers and support staff at all grade levels.
Anyone interested in becoming a bus driver should contact Kobussen Buses at 920-722-8572. Those interested in food service positions can contact Chartwells at 920-751-6800, ext. 10152.
Part-time openings are also available as substitute teachers and elementary playground supervisors throughout the Neenah Joint School District. These positions all require a background check and offer rewarding experiences. For information about any of the teaching or assistant positions, contact the human resources office at 920-751-6800, ext. 10109.
Neenah High School Holiday Concert is December 19
The annual Neenah High School Holiday Concert is set for Tuesday, December 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the high school performing arts center. The event is free admission and features performances by the band, choir and orchestra. Tickets are still needed in advance and families of performing students will have the first opportunity for tickets. Any remaining tickets will be made available to the general public beginning on December 14 at rocketplayers.com.
Upcoming Events at NJSD
Here's a sampling of some key events over the next month:
Dec. 8 - Boys and Girls Basketball vs. Fond du Lac, 6 p.m. (NHS Gym)
Dec. 12 - Boys Hockey vs. Appleton, 5:30 p.m. (Fox Cities Champion Center)
Dec. 12 - Boys Swim and Dive vs. Appleton North/East, 5:30 p.m. (NMS Pool)
Dec. 12 - Girls Basketball vs. Kaukauna, 7:30 p.m. (NHS Gym)
Dec. 14 - Middle School Band Concert, 6 and 7:30 p.m. (Pickard Auditorium)
Dec. 15 - Boys Basketball vs. Appleton East, 7:30 p.m. (NHS Gym)
Dec. 19 - Neenah H.S. Holiday Concert, 7:30 p.m. (NHS Performing Arts Center) - tickets needed
Dec. 21 - Wrestling vs. Kimberly, 7 p.m. (Pickard Auditorium)
Dec. 22-Jan. 2 - Winter Break
Dec. 27-29 - Boys Hockey, Neenah Tournament (Fox Cities Champion Center)
Click here for a calendar of NJSD fine arts events