The teachers and staff of the Washington Island School District are missing the students as much as their students are missing them, so they found a creative way to reach out and say HELLO! Stay well, and push through, you are loved by all of us. Together we are stronger.
Student appreciation Week
Dress like a rock star day
Rockstar winner selection
Green Bay Packers virtual event for Washington Island Elementary
The Green Bay Packers and Brown County United Way are inviting you to meet Packers Linebacker Oren Burks to discuss character in the time of COVID-19. Oren will be sharing the story of his journey to the NFL and what has made the difference for him in his life.
Please join us!
What: Green Bay Packers and Brown County United Way Character Playbook Webinar
When: Friday, May 22nd at 10:30am CST -11:00am CST - sign on by 10:20am
Washington Island School has been recognized as a Sprout School! The Science Professional Learning Committee (PLC) has been working hard on determining what our goals is to be a Green & Healthy School. We determined goals in the areas of reducing environmental impacts and costs as a District, increasing health and wellness of students and staff, and improving our environmental and sustainability literacy. We emphasized on building our connection with Gathering Ground, the Island community, and to continue to develop our Forest Education program. Congratulations WISD - next stop is the status of a Seedling School! Go BUCKS!
Michele Gay, Co-founder and Executive Director Safe and Sound Schools
Alissa Parker, Co-founder and Director of Outreach, Safe and Sound Schools
Dr. CJ Huff, Former Superintendent Joplin Schools, MO and Advisor to Safe and Sound Schools
Additional videos from Mike McGowan
All, I wanted to send along the latest 2 videos I’ve done. The first addresses “Staying Positive”. In many counties in our state there has been dramatic increases in Emergency services due to Mental Health Issues, drug overdoses and suicide attempts. Southeastern Wisconsin we have seen a 70% increase in March and April of those Emergency responses form the same period last year. Not everyone is coping with the current conditions. (Handout attached)
The second video you may share with your Activities/Athletic Director. I know many of them do Code of Conduct talks and have heard they are looking for resources to share online if they cannot do those meetings in person. My “Leadership” video is a brief message to co-curricular students, coaches and families.
If there is anything specific you need me to do for you, simply ask. I have been asked by numerous districts to develop several videos for distribution during the summer leading up to the 2020-2021 school year. I will be doing those videos soon, and schools can distribute them as they wish during the next several months.
Thanks again for participating, and stay well. Mike
NNext Video Conferencing Program on Monday, May 18thext Video Conferencing Program on Monday, May 18th
Students will once again have the opportunity to actually tune into a live webinar hosted by the Hall of Fame. This time we will take a look at our program “Kanas Comet’s Roommate.” This program examines the relationship between Gold Jacket Gale Sayers and his teammate Brian Piccolo. Not only will students examine the historical implications of being one of the first black/white roommates in the NFL, but also the character traits each of these players displayed in order to overcome adversity both on and off the field. This webinar will take place Monday, May 18 from noon to 1 p.m. ET.
Heart of a Hall of Famer: Cris Carter
May 21st 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (CST)
During this time where students and teachers are learning and teaching from home, the Pro Football Hall of Fame will once again offer its highly popular Heart of a Hall of Famer series, powered by Extreme Networks, on Thursday, May 21st, 2020 at 12:00PM ET with Gold Jacket and Class of 2013 Inductee Cris Carter. The program provides students the opportunity to learn first-hand what it took beyond athletic ability to achieve success on and off the field.
Cris Carter, a fourth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1987 Supplemental Draft, started his pro career on a high note as his first NFL catch came on a 22-yard touchdown play in a game against St. Louis Cardinals. Carter's career started slowly as he showed occasional flashes of brilliance during his three seasons with the Eagles, but consistent success did not begin until after he joined the Minnesota Vikings in 1990. Over the next 12 seasons in Minnesota, Carter developed into one of the game's most prolific pass receivers. Carter set a then-NFL record in 1994 for receptions in a season when he hauled in 122 passes for 1,256 yards and scored 7 touchdowns. His finest season came one year later when, in 1995, he registered his second straight 122-catch season and amassed a career-high 1,371 yards and 17 touchdowns. His two-year total of 244 catches was the most in NFL history.
Known for his durability, Carter played full 16-game seasons in 13 of his 16 years in the NFL. He finished his 234-game career as the NFL's second all-time leading receiver with 1,101 receptions for 13,899 yards. A member of the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1990s, Carter had 10 or more touchdowns in a season six times and led the NFL in receiving touchdowns three times (1995, 1997, and 1999). He recorded 70 or more catches in a season 10 times and had 100-yard receiving games 42 times during his career.
We will be streaming the program LIVE on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Facebook page and will take questions from students throughout the program. To participate, all you will need to do is:
United Way of Door County wants to hear about child care needs!
Child care is an important community-wide issue, and United Way wants to hear from as many parents as possible in order to understand how the COVID-19 epidemic and "Safer at Home" mandate have impacted parents' needs and concerns.
The estimated amount of time it takes to complete the survey is 15-20 minutes. Please share the link with parents of children younger than 13 who live or work in Door County any time during the year (year round or seasonal)."
If you live or work in Door County and have one or more children younger than 13 who you would like to have child care for at least occasionally (or you expect to have a child in the next 9 months), please complete this survey.
If you have any questions, please contact United Way. We apologize if you receive this information more than once in the upcoming week, we are just hoping to get as many answers as we can.
CATCH Health at Home
Classroom teachers are working so hard to create excellent, interactive lessons online. I just learned about a great new web-based resource for teaching nutrition & health, CATCH Health at Home. The program offers free and evidence-based material from the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH). (There is also a piece that can be purchased as an extra, but the CATCH Health at Home is free) You can enroll as an educator or as a parent, and identify your audience as Pre-K through Grade 8 children. Materials are in English and Spanish.
What a perfect Teacher Appreciation Day email—free lesson plans!
Please see the Earth Day Letter Home for information on activities for Friday, April 24th.
Breakout EDU daily at 1:00 PM (updated 4/27)
Door County Schools - additional video
Mike McGowan has been asked by some younger students to help them with boredom and fatigue. Mr. McGowan answered these emails with this video - Student Backup Plan to Stay Active and Healthy. He indicated he directed this information to 3rd-12th grade students. The other three videos have been placed onto the WISD COVID-19 Resource Page. Again, please refer to his biography, as his contact email is in this. He is always available for you to share your concerns, questions and comments. Thank you.
Mike McGowan: biography and credentials:
Michael McGowan is President of McGowan and Associates, a training and consultation firm specializing in school, workplace and family issues. He works with helping agencies, companies, schools, parent groups, and students as a trainer, consultant and motivational speaker. Mr. McGowan has spent the last twenty-five years working with families and children. He worked as an educator, a family counselor, an addiction counselor, an administrator and trainer. He has directed state certified training programs and rehabilitation programs. During the last twenty five years he has given presentations to over one hundred thousand people each year and has trained thousands of social service workers, educators, students, parents, coaches and administrators worldwide. Additionally, he has worked with social service agencies, the department of corrections, professional athletes and teams from the NFL and MLB, and dozens of private companies as a trainer and consultant. His experience also includes numerous published articles and guest appearances on radio and television. Mr. McGowan is a renowned speaker whose presentations are personal and inspirational. Mike is available via his web page, if you want to connect with him directly. Please feel free to contact him at michael07@aol.com , if he can assist you in any way.
Pro sports leagues offer free tools for online learning
Brennan Scarlett (Zach Tarrant/Houston Texans)
The NFL, NHL and MLB are offering collections of learning activities designed to support remote instruction amid the coronavirus pandemic. Among the offerings listed in this blog post are mini workouts, science lessons and read-aloud sessions with players from the Houston Texans, including linebacker and literacy advocate Brennan Scarlett.
Here are three videos created by Mike McGowan, for Door County Schools. Mr. McGowan's time and expertise were a result of a United Way Grant, intended to assist school communities, students, as well as parents-guardians during this time. Thank you for taking the time to watch them, and discuss the content with your families and children. Mike is available via his web page, if you want to connect with him directly. Please feel free to contact him at michael07@aol.com , if he can assist you in any way.
Mike McGowant: biography and credentials:
Michael McGowan is President of McGowan and Associates, a training and consultation firm specializing in school, workplace and family issues. He works with helping agencies, companies, schools, parent groups, and students as a trainer, consultant and motivational speaker. Mr. McGowan has spent the last twenty-five years working with families and children. He worked as an educator, a family counselor, an addiction counselor, an administrator and trainer. He has directed state certified training programs and rehabilitation programs. During the last twenty five years he has given presentations to over one hundred thousand people each year and has trained thousands of social service workers, educators, students, parents, coaches and administrators worldwide. Additionally, he has worked with social service agencies, the department of corrections, professional athletes and teams from the NFL and MLB, and dozens of private companies as a trainer and consultant. His experience also includes numerous published articles and guest appearances on radio and television. Mr. McGowan is a renowned speaker whose presentations are personal and inspirational.
Here are some additional resources provided by the Brown County United Way:
United Way Worldwide and the NFL are now offering the Character Playbook, and Mental Wellness program for free to families, as a way to keep kids/families engaged during this time. THE WISD is passing this on to families and students to use. Here is the info:
Parents follow this link to access the online courses Character Playbook, Mental Wellness Basics, and other resources from @EVERFI. Visit CharacterPlaybook.com to learn more!
They also provided additional offline resources for parents and families for continued learning at home:
5th grade students have built their own underwater ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle), which they've nicknamed "Ramona" to compete in the National SeaPerch Competition. They will use their ROV to compete in two challenges, an underwater obstacle course, and a waterway cleanup mission. They have been practicing twice a week in the REC pool to prepare for competitions. They will be graded based on time and tasks completed. They are going to Green Bay on Feb 22 to compete against 20 teams to try and qualify for Nationals.
Too learn more about the National SeaPerch Competition, visit seaperch.org
Thank you to the Washington Island Observer for allowing us to post the Bucks Bulletin section of the paper on our website. Please visit the Bucks Bulletin tab to view the latest news.
Spelling Bee
Participants and winners from the Spelling Bee held Thursday evening, January 30, 2020
Geo Bee
GeoBee classroom winners, Alli, TJ, Emily, Julia, Cameron, Tommy, Jaxin, and Jocelyn, competed in the School Bee on Jan. 23. The winner of the school GeoBee was Julia who answered an incredibly hard question correctly! Congratulations, Julia!
The Washington Island School District is proud to announce that the district's After School science program will be featured this upcoming Tuesday, January 22nd, as part of Fox 11's S.T.E.A.M. educational recognition series. The story will air in Good Day Wisconsin between 6-8 a.m., Fox 11 News at 5 and Fox 11 News at 9. The full feature can be viewed on Fox 11's website by clicking the blue link above.
The highlighting of our District's innovative work in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (S.T.E.A.M.) is brought to you in a coordinated effort by our District, Fox 11, and CESA 7.
The Washington Island School District is proud to announce that the district's "ROV Program" will be featured this upcoming Tuesday, February 26th as part of Fox 11's S.T.E.A.M. educational recognition series. The story will air in Good Day Wisconsin between 6-8 a.m., Fox 11 News at 5 and Fox 11 News at 9. The full feature can be viewed on Fox 11's website by clicking the blue link above. The highlighting of our District?s innovative work in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (S.T.E.A.M.) is brought to you in a coordinated effort by our District, Fox 11, and CESA 7.
This link is to another video provided by CESA7 that documents the Day of Service provided by Death's Door Spirits this past Fall.
Washington Island School Named Wisconsin State Winner in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest
Here is a link to Mrs. Dahlke's Solve for Tomorrow page that gives an updated status and lists what we were able to purchase with the contest winnings:
Selected from thousands of entries nationwide, Washington Island School on Washington Island has been named the Wisconsin state winner in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest for its proposed plan to address Wastewater Treatment.
The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest encourages teachers and students to solve real-world issues in their community using classroom skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This year classrooms identified issues that are unique to their communities – such as contaminated water, emergency relief in the face of natural disasters, and access to proper food and resources – as well as critical societal issues that are impacting classrooms nationwide, such as the topics of mental health, school shootings, vaping, bullying, homelessness, and veteran care.
Washington Island School is among the nation’s 50 state winners (representing all 50 states) and will receive $20,000* in technology for its achievement. The school will also receive a Samsung video kit to create and submit a three-minute video showcasing their project development and how it addresses the issue in hopes of advancing to the next phase of the contest and win additional prizes and educational opportunities.
“The scale and importance of the issues addressed in this year’s contest reflect how students are taking responsibility for their role as change agents for the future,” said Ann Woo, senior director of corporate citizenship, Samsung Electronics America. “These state winners and trailblazing teachers and students are taking action to create tangible solutions and promote positive change. Samsung is proud to support their vision for a brighter future and looks forward to seeing how they will use imagination and creativity with complex technologies such as VR and 3D printing to bring these projects to life.”
About the School:
Wisconsin State Winner and Details:
Washington Island School District, on Washington Island (WI)
Teacher, Mrs. Miranda Dahlke, and her Eighth Grade students
About the School’s Project:
Local Problem: Washington Island is a year-round Door County tourist destination hotspot. The heaviest tourist traffic is felt during the summer-fall months. Winter’s tend to be quieter, with a number of tourists who visits during the colder season. This island way of life creates a “summertime season of waste” versus a “wintertime season of waste. The island community is challenged in terms of the treatment of greywater, sewage, and by-product management from septic systems.
Proposed Project: The team of students will need to consider what the Washington Island Wastewater Advisory Committee has proposed as solutions to treat wastewater, and the consideration of the short and long-term effects the impact of these solutions would have on the island.
Future Contest Phases:
All 50 state winners will work on their projects and submit their three-minute video in hopes of advancing in the contest’s remaining phases:
National finalists: 10 national finalists will be selected to attend a Pitch Event in the spring where they will present their project to a panel of judges. For achieving national finalist status, 7 schools will receive a $50,000* Samsung technology package. The other three will progress to the national winner stage
National grand prize winners: 3 national winners will be selected, and each will receive a $100,000* Samsung technology package
Community Choice Award: The general public will elect one winner from the 10 national finalists who will be eligible to win an additional $10,000 Samsung technology package
Interview Opportunities:
Mrs. Dahlke and her students are available for interviews about the local issue they’re working to solve and the importance of hands-on STEM learning.
Media Contact:
For questions about the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, please reach out to SamsungSFT@allisonpr.com. For questions about the school’s project, please reach out to miranda.dahlke@island.k12.wi.us
At the August 23, 2018 Board Meeting there were a few changes to the School Calendar. Attached is the new calendar. If you have any questions please call the school.
Washington Island School is the smallest 4K-12 public school in Wisconsin with 80 students. Students benefit academically, socially and emotionally from a variety of courses that are offered through experiential project based learning. Visitors are always welcome and encouraged to stop in.
Washington Island School
Mission Statement
Our mission as a caring, passionate community is to establish a foundation for lifelong learning. By entrusting our students to a highly trained staff and focusing on individualized learning, we generate a school culture of high learning expectations and engagement, intellectual independence, creativity, and mutual respect.
This is a Carousel of Images
Elementary Students
Students snowmobile to school
Mr. Grandy works with Karoline in Tech Class
Mrs. Foss and her Class
Evan putting the flag up
Racing their CO2 cars
Michael Gillespie playing the bagpipes in the Canterbury March
