DeForest Area School District

DASD

News

WES "A Time for Giving" contest winners: (L-R): Kindergarten, Lucas Tanner; 1st gr, Jacob Tutaj; 2nd gr, Emmy Rauls; 3rd gr, Alaina Lopez; 4th gr, Blake Edge. Students wrote letters explaining what he/she would do with $25 to make the holiday season better for an individual or group. 
 
 For friends of the DeForest Area School DistrictJanuary 2014
School board hears results of facility study 

 

On January 13, Steve Kieckhafer from Plunkett-Raysich (PRA) presented to members of the Board of Education the results of a district-wide facilities study.

For each building, their results and recommendations included an analysis of:
  • existing facilities (architectural; safety and security; athletics; HVAC; and plumbing, fire protection, and electrical systems);
  • educational space (based on actual, target and maximum capacity formulas); and
  • traffic flow and parking availability 
PRA staff made several recommendations based on a priority system ranging from upgrading when the schedule permits, to making changes in the near future due to safety, code compliance or security.

The full report is available on the DASD website:  PRA Facilities Study Report
 
This facility study process began in October when the school board hired Plunkett-Raysich (PRA) to conduct the comprehensive review of DASD facilities. 
 
Read more, p. 2

 
DASD refinances debt to save $1.18M

 

dollar sign On December 9, the Board of Education passed a resolution to allow for refinancing of a portion of the district's current debt.  On January 13, the Board of Education passed a second resolution refinancing an additional portion of district debt.  In total, the two refinancing resolutions of $5,890,000  are anticipated to save approximately $1.18 million. 

 

Read more, p. 2
 
Framework for Our Future 2.5

School board seeks input on Thursday, February 20

 

  February marks the five-year anniversary of the 2009 Framework for Our Future conference where district stakeholders provided input about the future of DASD. The board of education invites the public to attend this upcoming event on February 20.  This meeting is a chance for school board 

members and district staff to "check in" with stakeholders, report on progress since 2009, and seek input to continue shaping the future of education in our school district.

 

Read more, p. 3 

 
DASD featured in Wisconsin E-newsletter

  

DeForest Area School District was recently featured in the January issue of the FarmLogix newsletter for using local food in an innovative and creative way.   In October foodservice production supervisor Tammy Bran wanted to bring attention to Farm to School month while also boosting breakfast participation.  So, Tammy ordered some local diced apple/blueberry mix for each school and organized materials for them to serve parfaits at breakfasts each week that month.  It was well received and some schools continued to serve the parfaits at breakfasts. 

  

Read more, p. 4

  

 
School and village partnership to grow edible park in DeForest  

American Transmission Co. (ATC) awarded the Village of DeForest with a $5,000 grant as part of their Tree Planting Program that encourages communities to grow trees and vegetation away from electrical transmission lines.  The grant will be split between two parks.  Part of the funds will be used to enhance Liberty Land Park in DeForest with five pear and fifteen apple trees, which will be planted adjacent to the existing community garden site.  Remaining funds will be used to plant trees in the new Marvin and Marie Schweer's Dog Park
 
Market Day Logo   Read more, p. 4
 
 
EPES peer mediators complete training

Eagle Point 4th grade Peer Mediators completed training and took their "pledge" on January 21.  Students voluntarily spent recesses training with school counselor Linda Bergh and will help other students find solutions to problems during portions of their future recess time.  According to principal Ann Schoenberger, "These children are leaders who will help build assets in other children, as well as their own." 
 
Congratulations to our DAHS fall athletic teams 
  • Girls Tennis: 2nd Place Badger North 
  • Girls Cross Country:  3rd Place Badger North
  • Boys Cross Country:  3rd Place Badger North (Kyle Cass & Ryan Spahn, State Qualifiers)
  • Football:  2nd Place Badger North; 5-1 Conference Record; 9-2 Overall; WIAA Playoff Qualifier Level 2  (Brock Allen 1st Team All-State Inside Linebacker)
  • Boys Soccer:  4th Place Badger North; 2-3 Conference Record; 12-9 Overall
  • Volleyball:  2nd Place Badger North; WIAA Regional Champions
  • Girls Swimming:  Badger North Conference Champions; WIAA Sectional Champions; WIAA Division 2 State Runner-up 

 
Students excel at geography and spelling
 
Congratulations to Kaitlin Durnen, 7th grader at DeForest Area Middle School, who will participate in the annual regional spelling bee on February 15 in Stoughton.  Kaitlin won the district spelling bee after nine rounds, which advances her to complete with other students in the more challenging regional competition.  Taking second place was 7th grade student Cole Bayer, who will serve as the alternate.  Forty 5th through 8th grade students participated in the district competition held on January 20 at the middle school. 
 
For the second year, Zach Alff, son of Martha and Tom Alff, moved one step closer to a $25,000 scholarship after winning the middle school's 22nd Annual National Geographic Society's Geography Bee. Zach won the bee on January 15 at the school-level competition. Sam Fisher, son of David and Erin Fisher was runner-up. Zach will take a written examination to determine if he is eligible to compete in the state Geography Bee in April.
Other students who won their classroom competition and advanced to the final school round after receiving top scores on a written test were: Jacob Kerl, Eliot Pickhardt, Henry Rohde, Mason Sonsalla, Shane Vandommelen, Adam Horton, Joseph Schadf, and Adrianna Duffrin 
 

Families can learn to write code together

 

On December 9th, DASD celebrated Code Week with lots of activities that either extended or started student coding skills. The date, selected for Admiral Grace Hopper Murray's birthday, brought students together throughout the country to code, create, and share--22.943,621 of us!

In DeForest, we'd like to extend that celebration into the rest of the year. We're planning a few more events for students and are working on one for parents and families

 

Read more, p. 6

 
American Legion Auxiliary sponsors essay contest 

 

The American Legion Auxiliary is once again sponsoring their annual "Americanism Essay Contest" for students in grades 3-12. 

Each year members of the local Olson Grinde Post #348 choose four local winners from those submitted, and send them on to the state level, with another chance to win at the national competition.
 
Read more, p. 6
 
District, police department recognize adult crossing guards 

 

In honor of Wisconsin's annual Adult School Crossing Guard Recognition, District Administrator, Dr. Sue Borden and DeForest Police Chief, Bob Henze visited with school crossing guards on Jan. 14. Borden and Henze thanked them for their service to the school district and community.


Nora Geach serves middle and high school students in the morning at Jefferson and S. Cleveland Streets.
Betty McMillin at the corner of E. Holum Street and Cleveland Street, near Eagle Point Elementary School. 
Suzanne Wentland is a crossing guard in the afternoon at Jefferson and S. Cleveland Strets.
 
In This Issue
Facility study
Refinancing saves $1.18M
Framework 2.5
Foodservice featured
Village-School partnership
EPES peer mediators
DAHS fall athletics
Geography & Spelling Bees
Write Code
Essay Contest
Crossing guards
Stay connected
Events calendar
Stay connected with DASD
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(page 7)
 

 

Upcoming events in the Madison area p. 7

 

February 1
DECA's annual Dad 'n Daughter Dance,
6:00-9:00 pm - DAHS

 

February 3-4

DAHS Winter One-Act Performances,

7:00 pm - DAHS PAC

 

February 19 

Community Blood Drive at DAHS, sponsored by NHS

 

February 24

DASD Parent-Teacher Conferences, 

12:30-7:30 pm 

 

February 24

No school for students

 

March 1

FFA Family Fun Night,

6:30 pm 

 

March 1

Badger Conference Solo & Ensemble Festival, 

8:00 am- 4:00 pm 

 

March 17

Two-hour Early Release for students


March 31 - April 4

No School, Spring Break

 

More at:


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Thank you!

Click here to download a PDF version of this DASD News issue (and previously versions).
Thank you for your support of the DeForest Area School District. 
Contact Information

Please contact me if you have any questions or if I can assist you in any way . . .
 
Debbie Brewster, School/Community Relations Coordinator
DeForest Area School District
520 E. Holum Street
DeForest, WI 53532
(608) 842-6581 phone
(608) 842-5492 fax
[email protected]
www.deforestareaschools.org