Climbing Together - 8/8

With all of the moving parts, pieces, and complexities in the work to meet our mission as a school district, we recognize that communication and relationship building is a top priority. We are striving to be very intentional to utilize all means and modes of communication to reach all of our stakeholders to build strong and meaningful relationships. This “Climbing Together” communication serves as a district newsletter to parents and guardians of our students. This update will serve as our first edition as we hope to send one out at least monthly.

In this edition:

👋 An introduction from the superintendent

☕ Details on our very first 'Coffee and Conversation" series event

📚 Your back to school one-stop-shop

Because... We are Hilltoppers! To get to the top of any hill you must CLIMB. We will work together putting one foot in front of the other - digging and grinding to ensure high levels of learning for ALL. In tough times, CLIMB. In successful times, CLIMB. In times of uncertainty, CLIMB. In times of struggle, CLIMB. When life is stormy and dangerous, full of barriers and obstacles, we CLIMB. When life is full of sunshine and rainbows, when our path is free and clear, we CLIMB. Hilltoppers CLIMB. We are partners in the pursuit to prepare your children to thrive and meet their potential as individuals outside the walls of our schools in an ever changing world. Let’s work together to help our Hilltopper students achieve their hopes and their dreams. Let’s CLIMB together!

Our team members are energized to welcome your children back for another year of learning, growth, and discovery! We’re ready to open our doors to a new school year filled with opportunities for students to explore their interests, achieve their goals, and create lasting memories.

We are committed to creating an environment where every student feels welcome and valued, and that they belong. We know when they feel safe and supported, they are empowered to reach their goals, both academically and personally. This is why we continuously strive to create a culture of respect.

This commitment is strengthened by the partnership we share with you, our families. Your engagement and support make a world of difference in our community. Whether you’re volunteering, attending school events, or reinforcing the importance of education at home, your partnership and involvement are deeply appreciated. Together, we can ensure that this school year is one of the best yet. We are excited about all this year has in store and can’t wait to see all of our students back later this month. A friendly reminder the first day of school is on Monday, August 25th.

The first day of school is less than two weeks away! To help in your planning, the district has created a central hub where students and families can get all the information they need for their return to school in one place.

In an attempt to continue open communication with our families and community members, I am planning to hold regular events where anyone can stop by, grab a cup of coffee, and have a conversation with district leadership. Listening and learning from our students, staff, families, and neighbors has always been and will continue to be a top priority of mine. You can find the details for the first event below. Coffee will be supplied. While locations will vary from our schools to our community, this first event will be held at our district offices. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Excited to see you!

We wanted to let you know about an upcoming free event on how families and students can embrace important leadership and character development concepts. The program’s featured speaker, John Norlin, is the co-founder of CharacterStrong - one of the resources our district uses for the social-emotional learning curriculum. John has worked with our high school students in the past, and our leadership courses at Onalaska High School have been modeled heavily on the CharacterStrong elements for the past several years. John is a phenomenal, engaging speaker who works with schools, teams, and leaders across the globe.