VASD Newsletter

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The Verona Area School District (VASD) continues to share our heartfelt sympathy for the Abundant Life Christian School which experienced school violence in December. The students, staff, families, and the community impacted by the incident are on all of our hearts and minds. Abundant Life Christian School serves about 200 families from 56 different churches in the greater Dane County area. Their community and their connections are vast and far reaching.

We talked about school safety and gathered feedback from our Superintendent Advisory members at our December meetings. Middle school and high school students shared the following priorities and desires:

• Transparent and Inclusive Communication

• Provide timely and accurate updates directly to students, ensuring 9-12th grade students are included in all emails sent to families. This addresses situations where parents may not inform their children.

• Share updates about new policies or safety measures and involve students in discussions when appropriate.

Enhanced Safety Preparedness

• Expand safety drills to include all classrooms, core classes, and passing times, ensuring students are familiar with all emergency procedures.

• Consider and communicate any potential new safety measures, like weapons detection systems, based on community needs.

Accessible Mental Health and Emotional Support

• Offer more in-depth mental health resources and create safe spaces for open dialogue.

• Provide anonymous channels for students to share concerns and access support without fear of judgment.

Reassurance and Community Sensitivity

• Ensure communications comfort families and affirm the school’s commitment to safety.

• Acknowledge that incidents impact individuals differently and respond with care and inclusiveness, allowing space for students to engage or opt-out as needed.

Staff and Parent Advisory members shared the following priorities and desires:

• Safety and Security in Schools

• Balancing safety with a welcoming school environment (avoiding a "prison-like" atmosphere)

• Entry point management (weapons detection system)

• staffing needs

• Addressing potential gaps in security, such as unsecured entrances.

• Role of school personnel in responding to threats

• Long-Term Safety Vision

• Coordinating safety measures with broader initiatives like mental health improvement

• Developing a phased approach for secondary and elementary schools

• Establishing committees to evaluate and recommend systems

As part of our ongoing proactive efforts, each school is participating in a tabletop safety drill with a team of school staff, Central Office staff, and the Verona Police Department or Fitchburg Police Department. Tabletop drills are discussion-based exercise where the team talks through our responses to various emergency scenarios, allowing us to review and practice our emergency plans in a low-stress environment to identify potential issues and areas for improvement without actually enacting the full response in real-time. These exercises are just one part of VASD's comprehensive approach to being prepared to support our students and staff in any situation.

The Verona Area School District (VASD) is on a journey to becoming a national model of excellence grounded in equity. As we advance in this journey, we are engaging in opportunities to share our story and disseminate information with other school districts around the state. At the upcoming Wisconsin State Education Convention, the largest gathering of educational leaders in the state, VASD's Board of Education President Jen Murphy and VASD staff will collaborate with two other school districts on various presentations described below.

The Courage to Foster Equity and Inclusion

Middleton Cross Plains Area, Sun Prairie Area, and Verona Area School Districts

VASD will join two other dynamic school districts to share our transformative journeys in fostering equity and inclusivity—from the boardroom to the classroom to the living room. This session will explore the challenges, strategies, successes and struggles in the districts’ efforts to serve their students, families and caregivers. Attendees will discover each school district’s approach to cultivating equitable learning environments, shaping the work, and translating board policy into actions that serve and empower students, staff, and communities.

Proactively Leading Your Community Through Student Demographic Shifts

Middleton Cross Plains Area and Verona Area School Districts

Leaders from two suburban school districts will share proactive strategies being used to lead their communities through shifts in student demographics. From board policy to strategic goals and priorities, hiring and retention strategies, and community engagement, this session will give participants ideas that can be immediately put into practice.

Our Students Our Future: Empowering Boards with Governance

Middleton Cross Plains Area, Sun Prairie Area, and Verona Area School Districts

If you ran for the school board because you wanted to focus on student learning and helping your district continuously improve, this session is for you. Hear from three districts that have adopted governance models which ensure community voice is represented in board policies, district leaders are held accountable to clear expectations, and the board stays focused on student learning and the future health of the system. Each speaker will share their community’s unique story while leaving attendees inspired to stay focused on what matters most.

How do families and staff know if school is closed or delayed due to the weather?

Weather related school delay and/or closure information will be shared as follows:

• Families will receive an email and text message to your contact information on file in PowerSchool

• Staff will receive an email to your vasd email address and a text message to your contact information on file in Skyward

• on local TV stations

• on VASD’s social media

If your family’s contact information has changed, please call your child’s school office to inform them of the changes. Staff, if your contact information has changed, please update it in Skyward or contact Human Resources for assistance.

Closure and Delay Options

• Our 2024-25 calendar includes two built-in days for weather-related closures or closures due to other disruptions.

• If severe weather is expected only in the early morning, a delayed start may be an option.

• If closures exceed two days:

• Grades 6-12 will switch to virtual learning to meet the instructional minutes required by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

• Grades K-5 and Pre-K will not have school. Staff will be informed of professional responsibilities to complete.

For more information about winter weather protocols, check out the VASD Winter Weather School Closure Protocols and Information on our website here.

Canva is a graphic design platform that allows users to create visual content for presentations, events, and more. It offers a variety of templates, stock media, and design tools. Many students use this for school, co-curricular, and extra-curricular work. This is not the same as Canvas, VASD's online learning management system that helps teachers and students share course materials and communicate.

At some point, many students previously logged into Canva and joined Ms. Rita Mortenson's Team (the VAHS Educational Technology Coach) or had the option to pick it. To help keep everything organized, we are asking all students to move their files from Rita Mortenson’s Team to their own accounts. You can help by checking with your student to see if they have moved their Canva account. Again, this is different than Canvas and no changes need to be made to Canvas accounts.

All files will need to be moved by January 30, 2025. Students will be removed from Ms. Mortenson's team on that day and all files not moved will automatically get deleted. If your student needs help with this, they may contact their school's Educational Technology Coach.

School Technology Coaches

• Country View and Stoner Prairie - Mr. Geissal geissalb@verona.k12.wi.us
• Verona International and New Century Charter Schools - Ms. Konop konoph@verona.k12.wi.us
• Verona Area High School - Ms. Mortenson mortensr@verona.k12.wi.us
• Sugar Creek and Glacier Edge - Ms. Ruder ruderm@verona.k12.wi.us
• Savanna Oaks Middle School - Ms. Symes symess@verona.k12.wi.us
• Savanna Oaks Middle School Ms. Huttner huttnerk@verona.k12.wi.us
• Badger Ridge Middle School, Core Knowledge Charter School Ms. Urben urbens@verona.k12.wi.us

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How to Move Your Files from Rita Mortenson's Team to Your Own Canva Account

1. Log In to Canva
   Log into Canva on your Chromebook using your school account.
2. Go to Rita Mortenson’s Team
   In the upper right corner, will see a list of teams.
   Click on Rita Mortenson's Team.
3. Find Your Files to Move
   Look through the designs to find the ones you want to move.
   Look for three dots (… ) in the top right corner.
   Click on the dots, and choose Copy to Another Team (or Move)
4. Check Your Files
   Go back to your Home page, and you should see your files in your personal account! You might have to look under Projects (which is located on the left hand side).

VASD's Wellness Advisory Committee has been busy and productive over the past year. Their goal is to strengthen the district’s commitment to wellness. The Wellness Advisory Committee includes representation from Student Services, Pupil Services, Superintendent’s Office, Athletics & Activities, Buildings & Grounds, Elementary Education, Food Service, Human Resources, Operations, Parents, Board of Education, the Family, Staff, Community Engagement Liaison, and the Staff Wellness and Community Programming Coordinator.

Recently, each school within the district completed a Triennial Assessment to examine Nutrition Standards for All Foods in School, Nutrition Promotion, Nutrition Education, Physical Activity and Education, Other School-Based Wellness Activities, and Policy Monitoring and Implementation in alignment with Administrative Rule 518 - District Wellness. Administrative Rule 518 - District Wellness is available online here. This assessment, with a 0–4 point scale, provides a snapshot of the district’s current progress in wellness practices. We conduct it every three years and use the data to inform future action plans and ensure that wellness remains a priority. We also report the results to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). The district achieved an average score of 2.7 out of 3, reflecting a strong commitment to wellness practices and identifying areas for continued improvement. Nutrition Standards and Physical Education and Activity are two areas of strength within the district, scoring an average of 2.7 and 2.6 respectively. An area that the district will work on improving over the next year is Nutrition Education for students, staff, and families. The full assessment report is available here.

Looking ahead, one of the next steps for the VASD Wellness Advisory Committee is establishing school-based sub-committees. These sub-committees will bring together staff, students, parents, and community members, ensuring that wellness strategies are driven by those who are in the schools. These sub-committees will play a key role in implementing wellness programs and strategies at the local level, making sure that the specific needs of each school community are addressed.

Does your family have a child who will be five years of age on or before September 1, 2025? They are eligible to start Kindergarten on September 2, 2025. Families have educational options about where and how their child learns. VASD Kindergarten students will attend one of the following:

• Your neighborhood school based on the location of your home. You can locate your neighborhood school by entering your address into the SchoolSearch tool (or load this into your browser: https://www.verona.k12.wi.us/families/district-school-boundaries )

• A Two-Way Immersion (TWI) program

• A tuition-free, public charter school: Core Knowledge Charter School, New Century, or Verona Area International School. Check out the video below for a video tour of Verona Area International School!

Two-Way Immersion Program applications are being accepted January 6 - March 10

Placements are determined by a lottery.

Information on the registration process is available on the VASD website here.

Did you know that VASD's Community Education Program offers an array of engaging and exciting classes that encompass a wide range of subjects? Some examples include yoga, Zumba, cooking classes, Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, Canva, arts, gardening, swimming, tours of Verona Area High School, and more! You can register online or by mail for these fun, engaging classes. Sign up today! The Community Education Program guide is available here.

For the past eight years, the Verona Area Education Foundation (VAEF) has partnered with the City of Verona to create and install street pole banners downtown and on Verona Avenue. For 2025, new banners will fill in gaps along West Verona Avenue to replace the current banners which have become weathered over time. The winning artwork will also be available to purchase on commemorative items (mugs, t-shirts, etc.) and removed banners will be transformed into useable art (tote bags, aprons, etc.).

Contest Application

Contest Application (Spanish)

Join Dr. Clardy as he shares updates and interviews guests from around the district. On the latest episode, Dr. Clardy talked with Sidney Peach, VASD’s Staff Wellness and Community Programming Coordinator and Assistant Athletic Director, about the work of VASD’s Wellness Committee and how we embed wellness into VASD.

In the Loop with the Sup will be posted about every two weeks on Wednesdays. Listen here!

Episode 10: Supporting Students’ Mental and Physical Health

Episode 11: Wellness in the Verona Area School District

Harvest of the Month: Snow Peas

Snow peas are delicious and packed with essential nutrients. They are an excellent source of vitamins C and K, folate, and fiber. Incorporating these crunchy greens into our meals enhances both the flavor and nutritional value of the meals served in our school cafeterias.

Fun Facts about Snow Peas:

- Snow peas are picked before the seeds inside fully develop, making them sweet and tender.

- They can be eaten raw in salads or stir-fries, or steamed for a nutritious side dish.

- Snow peas are a good source of antioxidants, which help to protect your body from free radicals.

Menu Highlight: Dill Flavored Chicken Patties

Next month, we will be featuring featuring our scrumptious dill-flavored chicken patties! These patties are made from high-quality chicken and seasoned with a delightful dill flavor that kids love. Served on whole grain buns, this nutritious meal is sure to be a favorite.

Vegetarian Pasta Salad

We are excited about a new vegetarian pasta salad we have added to the rotation of our vegetarian meals! This colorful dish is made with whole grain pasta, fresh vegetables, and a light vinaigrette dressing. Packed with nutrients and flavor, it’s an excellent option for students looking for a meat-free meal.

The nutritional benefits of our featured menu items are as follows:

• Snow Peas: Low in calories, high in fiber, and keep kids full longer!
• Dill Chicken Patties: A good source of protein, essential for growing bodies.
• Vegetarian Pasta Salad: Rich in carbohydrates for energy, vitamins from vegetables, and a great source of plant-based protein.

Be on the lookout for more seasonal menu items and healthy options in the coming months. We are dedicated to providing nutritious meals that keep our students energized and ready to learn.