Cadott School Board; It’s all about being positive in the aspects of learning

By Ginna Young

With a new school year underway and new administration in each building, Cadott Schools are undergoing a change in how each student can get the help they need to be successful. As reported on at a regular board of education meeting Sept. 11, teachers are continuing to rework the curriculum to make sure it meets standards.

“There’s a tremendous amount of work,” said district administrator Josh Spaeth.

Karen Winchell, board member, asked what the summative assessment is for higher level classes, such as juniors and seniors.

“Is that pretty consistent among a college course?” she asked.

Nathan Steinmetz, high school principal, says college course work follows what AP offers, but that he has not reached out to universities to see what that looks like. However, he did reach out to the Cloverbelt Conference to see if those directives are being met.

Winchell also wondered, if the students need to, are they preparing for retakes of courses/tests? The answer is, yes, because the kids are still in high school, Cadott is making sure the students know the material before they move on.

If an incomplete arises, Cadott gives students one week after the semester ends, to complete their work.

Board member Rod Tegels also brought up that Skyward updates are woefully shy of where they need to be, as the online classes outside the district aren’t showing up for his child.

“Then, as a parent, you have to go through two different platforms to try to understand how your kid’s doing and it’s cumbersome,” said Tegels.

Steinmetz promised to talk with the teacher, to see what options they have to make it easier to view grades and classes.

Elementary principal Brad Rogers pointed out that they are trying to impress upon students that in real-world implications, do-overs aren’t always available or accepted. He’s also finding out that a lot of companies are not looking at GPAs, but of rigor of courses.

“It’s a shift in thinking, too,” said Rogers.

Cory LaNou, board president, requested that the district think about how to accommodate a student who’s been out sick and comes back, then suddenly has a test the first day back.

“Well, they’ve been gone for five days, they have no idea what they’re doing,” said LaNou, adding that it’s demoralizing to the student. “I’d like to see that addressed, so that doesn’t happen.”

Board member Brad Sonnentag also had a request, that the administrators track changes and that instead of an ongoing issue, the grading expectations become just a normal part of the student handbook in the coming years.

“I think at one point, if we fine tune this, it’s not really a work in progress,” he said.

Overall, the board is pleased with how things are going in just the short time since school has been back in session, and complimented the administration on their efforts and positivity.

If you’re a parent in the Cadott School District, your child may have come home with a Hornet Hooray – a special non-toxic little hornet stamp on their hand, that is given when they exhibit positive behavior. That’s just another way to encourage kids to be the best version of themselves they can be and to identify positive character traits.

When classrooms reach 100 Hornet Hoorays collectively, they’ll celebrate as a school, while a homeroom celebrates as a class when they reach 100 hoorays.

“It’s really not about that stamp, but it’s about that conversation,” said Rogers.

During the business portion of the meeting, the board accepted the resignation of science teacher and blended learning supervisor Kris Bertelsen.

I have enjoyed working for the Cadott School District and appreciate the support provided me during my tenure with the district, wrote Bertelsen.

Members also approved the hire of James Donnellan junior high science teacher and blended learning; Chelsea Marcoe, junior high language arts teacher; Jonathon Hanson, sixth grade teacher; Sherry Jasper, long-term sub for elementary guidance; Danyel Will, high school paraprofessional; Joy Dekan, food service worker; Rich Nordrum, assistant baseball coach; Allie Webster, assistant varsity softball coach; and Stephen Kelly, junior high boys basketball coach.

As a notice, a Strategic Planning Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 6 p.m., where the public is more than welcome to attend and offer input on what they want to see happen with the school facilities.

Following that, the annual meeting will take place Monday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m., in the high school auditorium, which is the public’s chance to voice their opinion or concerns about what’s going on in the district.

“I would like to see more people there,” said LaNou. “It’s a really important meeting.”