The 2024 - 2025 school year is off to a great start. We’ve added some new faces to our staff who are highly qualified and join a returning team that is fully committed to “Doing something BIG in a special little place”. Our entire staff is working hard to serve all students in academics, arts, and athletics.

As we continue to build a culture focused on citizenship, achievement, respect, and excellence, I can’t help but think of the many ways our students and staff display those qualities daily. This is truly a special place and we are just beginning to tap into the collective potential of our staff, students, families, and community.

The future is bright in the Albany School District!

Thank you for your continued support of our school district. It's a great day to be a Comet!

Go Comets!

Mr. Soderberg

It is my pleasure to be part of an amazing team of educators who serve the community’s most important resource, our children. Students come first in Albany. One of the first things I noticed (after the clean and well maintained facilities) is the high level of respect students and staff have for each other and our guests. It is truly inspirational to see the caring relationships that are woven into our K-12 building culture. The combination of our smaller class sizes and our dedicated staff contribute to a student focused learning experience.

One of my primary goals is to continue to foster an environment where students feel safe, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential. Respect and kindness will serve as the cornerstones of our school culture.

Our families and community are an integral part of the success here. Parents are always welcome and we encourage you to be involved. Your feedback and support are essential to our continued growth and improvement.

I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to serve as the Albany MS/HS principal. I look forward to getting to know all of our wonderful students and families this school year!

The 2024-2025 school year is off to a great start!

Elementary Updates:

• We have started a new reading program this school year - Amplify's Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA). Families will be getting information about the skills and knowledge units that your student is studying throughout the school year.
• Our elementary school focus is Kindness. We are working to show kindness to classmates, staff and others. We will have monthly assemblies to celebrate kindness and all of the other great things going on at the elementary level.

District Assessment Updates:

• Students have been working hard on our beginning of the year assessments for the STAR math and reading tests and other classroom assessments. We will use the information from these assessments to help target student growth areas. Students will take assessments again in the middle of the year to track their progress.
• The high school students have taken their fall PreACT test. This is an opportunity for them to practice the questions and format of the ACT test. Students will test again in the Spring - 9th and 10th graders will take the PreACT Secure and 11th graders will take the ACT.
• Over the summer, we received the scores from last spring’s Forward exam. These results were mailed to families earlier this month.

Please reach out to me throughout the school year if you have any questions or concerns about the Elementary School, Student Services or District Assessments.

STUDENT FLU CLINIC W/GREEN COUNTRY PUBLIC HEALTH - Tuesday October 15, 2024

BRIDGING BRIGHTER SMILES - Monday October 21, 2024

6th Grade Science- We’ve had a great start to the year, and it’s been fun getting to know everyone! The students have been learning about cells and their organelles. Soon, they’ll be creating a 3D cell model that incorporates everything they’ve learned. They can either use class supplies or choose to make their own edible cell model.

7th/8th Grade Science- The students have had a strong start, and we’re currently exploring electricity and static charge. They’ve already done a few hands-on activities with balloons, water, and straws. Next, we’ll be building electrical circuits and using terms like “series” and “parallel” to describe them.

If you any questions, please let me know!

Mr. Brandon Bakken

brandon.bakken@albany.k12.wi.us

The Career and Technology Education students are hard at work! Our 8th graders are wrapping up their Blue Birdhouse projects, showing creativity and craftsmanship. Meanwhile, Comet Media students are busy conducting interviews with our new staff members, which are set to appear on the school website. In Intro to Tech, students explore our 3D modeling program, Onshape, as they design and create CO2 cars. Additionally, our upper-level students are hard at work building picnic tables for the school play area, enhancing our outdoor spaces for everyone.

Thanks

Bryce Broughton

Career and Technology Education

6th & 7th Grade Ancient History: Students have been sorting through “tools of the historian” as they work on sorting through historical careers, primary vs. secondary sources, and utilizing historical mapping such as timelines. This first unit we have been focusing on the first humans, and distinguishing between Paleolithic and Neolithic humans. We will continue this unit to identify continuity and change as humans developed the first civilizations in Mesopotamia.

Modern U.S. History: Students have been working on identify causes and effects of the Cold War, both domestic and abroad. Students have been working hard to compare foreign policies for handling the thread of Soviet expansion between presidents. Our next unit will take us to the 1960s as we explore the challenges and successes of the Civil Rights Movement.

10th Grade World History: Students have been working diligently during our first unit: The Islamic Empires. Students have discussed the origins of Islam and how the religion affects Muslims and Arabs today. We have looked at what a theocracy entails and how it has affected the Middle East since the 600s throughout modernity.

8th U.S. History:
The eighth grade students started the first couple weeks of the year by working on a research project. For this project they were tasked with finding more information about a Native American tribe in Wisconsin. After doing research, they put this information together in a presentation, which they presented to the rest of their peers. For the remainder of September and into October, we will discuss European settlement of the Americas and the establishment of the thirteen American colonies.
9th U.S. History:
So far this year we have done a quick review on the American Civil War and Reconstruction, the time period right after the war. This review will help set the stage for our next few units that deal with a similar time period, but different context. Towards the end of September into early October, we will discuss American industrialization and the role of notable Americans in that time period.
Civics:
We have kicked off the year with a review of our founding documents and a review into the formation of our country. Through this time we discussed different types of governments and responsibilities and rights of American citizens. In the next couple of weeks we will wrap up our discussion on the foundations of our government with a unit assessment. In early October, we will begin planning for our annual veterans assembly and also start our unit on voting and political campaigns.
Psychology:
The Psych class has spent the past couple of weeks with an introduction to psychology. We have briefly covered the history of psychology, careers in psychology, and more modern concepts. We will look further into those modern concepts as the year progresses. We will end September and start October by discussing the way that psychologists use research and data in the field of psychology, with students participating in their own field research.
Law:
My law class has been hard at work discussing the foundations of law. For example, why do we need laws, the law-making process, and what happens when someone doesn't follow the law. Recently, we have been discussing the steps in a trial and legal terms that are commonly found in cases. Soon, we will begin our unit on family law.

Thanks,

Jeff Campbell

MS/HS Social Studies

Data Coordinator

Graduation Coordinator

Mrs. Doyle September Newsletter: Important Upcoming Events

Signe Doyle

Middle and High School Counselor

608-862-3135 Ext. 2117

"Every child deserves a champion-an adult who will never give up on them."

We are off to a great start in English! Students have been actively reading, writing, and speaking every day without exception. Here are the highlights by class!

• In English 9, we engaged with multiple short texts and focused on skills of claim, evidence, and paragraph writing. Plus, they just started To Kill a Mockingbird!

• In Adventure Lit, students just completed their personal narratives about life experiences that changed their lives or their outlook.

• Sci-Fi/Dystopia students have been analyzing science fiction as a genre and are wrapping their reading of Fahrenheit 451 by writing an argumentative essay on its prescience.

• English 10 reviewed and expanded their toolbox of literary analysis skills and are preparing for a Socratic seminar on a series of Ray Bradbury stories.

• Creative Writing Workshop finished character vignettes in which we focused on skills in describing with sensory details, dialogue, and strong verbs. On to writing a children's book!

ELA 6- Students have recently read the story, "Scout's Honor", in order to test their comprehension of this story, they are now working on creating a plot diagram to demonstrate key moments in the plot/

ELA 7- 7th grade students have recently began reviewing the plot diagram. This will lead us into to our next unit which involves students writing obb=jective summaries.

ELA 8- 8th grade students have also been reviewing the plot diagram. To practice this skill, students have practiced diagramming both Pixar shorts and short stories. Recently, they read the story, A Sound of Thunder" and learned about the butterfly effect.

The Family and Consumer Sciences room has already been a busy place this year! The 8th grade Exploratory class has been studying nutrition, food safety and common food allergens. In the lab the 8th graders were able to bake standard chocolate chip cookies and allergen-free chocolate chip cookies to compare the density, flavor and overall appearance. The child development class has been learning about developmental theories and the importance of play. Culinary Arts is developing their own Pop-Up shop restaurant while studying food costing, profitability and food service hospitality. Intro to Foods students were able to show off their knife skills in the lab by creating salsa and guacamole. The Confectionary Arts class has been baking up quick breads and yeast based breads.

5th Grade Band: This month the 5th grade band students learned how to assemble their instruments and started working on learning the first three notes. All of which leading to their first song, Hot Cross Buns!

5th Grade General Music: This month the 5th grade general music students started learning about different musical genres. They learned about the styles, instruments, and different musicians for various genres.

Middle School Band: This month the Middle School band learned our new warm ups for the year as well as how to play in a large ensemble. They are an excited group of 33 students in 6-8th grade!

High School Band: Over the summer the Band students participated in our summer band lessons program and performed in the Albany Riverfest Parade. This month the High School Band students will be performing alongside the Monticello and Juda High School Bands at the Monroe Cheese Days Parade. This will be the debut of the JAM Band and all 45 students across the three schools are excited and ready for the parade on the 22nd of September!

Life Skills Math: We have started the new school year right away with a review of many concepts we learned last year, and so far, so good! It is great to see how much the students remembered and how excited they are for the challenges to come. Right now, we are working on skills related to taking orders and handling money as part of the Comet Coffee Cafe, and understanding the concepts of profit vs. non-profit in regards to business.

Life Skills: Whether done during Math or LEARN or just as needed sometimes, students are reminded that sometimes "It's OK to. . ." No two people are exactly alike or will feel the same way at any one time and that's OK! There are reminders on the wall in the Resource Room to help students remember this every day!

Comet Coffee Cafe: We are excited for the Comet Coffee Cafe to reopen soon, with a tentative date of September 19th! Once again, we will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11-11:30 (LEARN time). Last year, we made over $1100.00, which we put back into the business for supplies. Our goal is for every student to have the opportunity to do customer service, which not only involves math skills but also people skills, which will be a challenge for some students. There is no doubt that they can succeed!

Resource Room: Outside my room is a sign that states that everyone is welcome in my room. In past years, the room was known as "the SPED room", where only students participating in special education programs came in. These days, the room is available for ALL students to work, chat, get assistance or play a great game of UNO during LEARN! It is wonderful to see that it is referred to as Mrs. Kolasch's room where EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Roxie Kolasch, M. Ed

Cross Categorical Special Education Teacher

Albany High School

608-862-3135, Ext. 2118

Geometry: Students have been learning about the three rigid transformations: rotation, translation, and reflection. They have been doing these transformations on graph paper to help understand what is happening to an image when it is transformed. Next students will be classifying shapes by their attributes and then studying angles and their relationships.

8th Grade: Students have been learning how to work well in teams and what teamwork should look, sound, and feel like. They have started studying scatterplots and used them to make predictions on if a roller coaster is safe for anyone to ride. Next they will start studying rigid transformations on grids.

7th Grade: Students have been learning how to work well in teams and what respect should look like while they are looking. They have started learning about proportional reasoning to determine how tall a person would have to be to use a large pencil and how tall a million pennies would be. Next they will start learning about working with integers.

6th Grade: Students have been learning how to work well in teams and what good teamwork looks like in class. They have started learning about number lines and double number lines and how they can be used to solve problems. Next they will start learning about histograms and dot plots to represent data.

Tim Koplin

6-8 Math and Geometry
Albany School District

608-862-3135 x2213

Middle School - Grade 6 - The students just finished their project called winding form. In this project they learnt about value scale and one point perspective. They used the one point perspective to make an illusion of objects floating around. The students are also working on their sketchbook page, where the students get time to look for a subject or a theme and work on it. The next project we started on is a product designing project.

High School - The students learned about one point perspective, value scale and patterns, We worked on 3 different elements of art in this project called word perspective. The students pick a word and use that word to create an illusion of it enlarging by using perspective and value scale. The high school students have started with a show design project and they are also working on their sketchbook page. Sketch book time is time that they can explore an art subject or a theme and work on it.

Thank you

Zaib Jiwani

Art Teacher - Albany School District

HS/MS Physical Education - It has been an awesome start of the year for our P.E. department. I am looking forward to having another wonderful year and having our students enjoy this first semester of classes. High school has two morning strength and conditioning classes and has been focusing on safety and the basics/routines for our course. In addition, I have the opportunity this semester to teach a small fall sports class. This group will be focusing more on individual and partner sports such as bocce ball for our first unit that the students have enjoyed so far. Lastly, my schedule has allowed me to teach 5th grade P.E. as well as 8th grade health and P.E. I have enjoyed seeing new faces and we have already begun fitness assessments paired up with invasion games. I am looking forward to all the great units I have planned and I believe that the students will really enjoy and learn many great skills during this semester!

It has been a busy month for the General Music and Choir classes! I have gotten to know

students well over the past few weeks and am excited to make more music with them

throughout the year!

K: Kindergarten students have been learning to keep a steady beat in music and moving to a

steady beat with our “Kangaroo Song” and chanting our names out loud. They have enjoyed

creating their own movements with our musical activities in class!

1st-2nd: These students are continuing to keep a steady beat in music while learning about

meters in music. We have learned about meters in 2, 3 and 4, discussing what types of songs

correlate with each meter.

3rd-4th: These students are counting out their own rhythms and identifying note names in a

treble clef. 4th graders learned about sixteenth notes and triplets, which they have been very

successful at identifying in our activities!

Middle School Choir: Students have been placed in a voice part and we are already diving into

music for the semester! Our upcoming performance will be in November with the Middle School

Conference choir in Monticello, where students will work with a clinician and sing in a concert

after a day of making music. They will join up with other middle school choirs in the conference,

which will be great for sharing their love for music!

High School Choir: Our high school choir students are doing a great job and hold their own in

three-part harmonies very well! These students are coming to class prepared and ready to sing,

and we have made some great music so far! We have been working on the Star Spangled

Banner and another piece in preparation for the Veteran’s Day Assembly in November, and will

soon start our repertoire for the Winter Concert in December (it’s sneaking up on us already!).

While practicing our music, we are also working on some fundamental music theory to better

understand what we are singing. It’s going to be a great year of music!

Our Algebra 1 class has gotten off to a great start in our second year with College Preparatory Math utilizing collaborative team building activities focusing on functions and graphs of functions.

The Algebra 2 class is adopting College Preparatory Math for the first time this year, and it is a tremendous opportunity for the students (and Mr. Schwab) to further enhance their education. Much of the content has reviewed previous Algebra concepts while adding some new families of functions to the mix.

Integrated Algebra has been working with number theory and strengthening foundation concepts about numbers as well as practicing their mental math skills.

In Precalculus, the students have been working hard to refresh the concepts they mastered in Algebra 2. Soon they will be registering with UW Green Bay in order to earn college credit!

For the first time ever, Calculus is being taught using telepresence from Albany. This means that students from Juda and Monticello are joining our Albany students to explore the amazing world of calculus using derivatives and integrals!

The students in Statistics have been studying the foundation of statistical analysis (sampling, experimental design, context, bias, etc.) and will soon start to develop mathematical methods to critically examine data.

Thanks!

Jim Schwab

Albany High School

Math Teacher

Anatomy and Physiology - Students are working on Anatomical terms, directional terms, body planes, body regions, body cavities, abdominal regions and quadrants

Chemistry - Students are solving calculations in scientific notation and learning significant figures, next up is the structure of atoms and counting moles.

Ecology - Students are working on their biotic and abiotic factor project

Physical Science - Students are working on measurements and scientific notation.

Biology - We are learning about the cell structure as well as Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells

We are jumping right in and keeping busy here in p.e. I have really loved reconnecting with all the students and hearing what they have been up to over the summer. We have been working on how to safely move in our space while being safe. The main focus this year is learning to play together with good sportsmanship and have fun with our peers.

I look forward to another great year here at Albany!

https://secure.smore.com/n/gfenju

Hala Ryan

Albany Agricultural Educator

Albany FFA Advisor

7th Grade Spanish:

We are learning to use phrases to express likes and preferences, reviewing geography and which countries speak Spanish, reading in Spanish about the origin of chocolate, and learning games. I am so proud of this class for practicing their leadership skills inside and outside of our class. They take turns leading activities during our lessons, and they are teaching Mrs. Searl's third grade class the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish! At the end of the quarter, they will be able to say the Pledge in Spanish at the beginning of the school day.

Spanish 1:

We started the year off by reviewing general knowledge information before moving on to Unit 1 - Los Pollitos Dicen. We have moved on and are in the unit El Canal de Panamá. We will be doing a reader's theater skit called "Cierra la Puerta" before learning in Spanish about the Panama Canal. We have really been working hard on creating a respectful, kind, and positive classroom environment. To build community, we discuss a question of the day that focuses on those themes.

Advanced Spanish:

This is a unique class as it is a blend of students who are in their third or fourth year of Spanish. There are also students who took a year off of Spanish and have decided to take it as Seniors. All students are learning the same material, although there are different assessment rubrics for third year students and fourth year students. We are doing a lot of vocabulary review and practice, as well as communicative activities to make sure all students have the foundation they need.

7th Grade Middle School Exploratory - For this month we learned about strategies and tips to help us with saving our money in our personal finance unit and then created geometric star quilts in our coding unit.

Entrepreneurship - For this month we have learned about What is an Entrepreneur, How to Start a Business, and the Challenges Entrepreneurs Face.

Intro to Computer Science - For our Intro to Computer Science class we have learned about how to "problem solve" computer issues along with the four key aspects computers do for us.

Accounting 1 - Our first two units have been introductions into the accounting world. The class has learned the Accounting Equation, the difference between credits and debits, and how to classify accounts into assets, liabilities, and owner's equity.

Personal Finance - Our month began learning about Behavioral Economics and will finish with learning important aspects of banking and financial institutions.

HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY

Saturday, October 5th ~ @ Platteville (UW Platteville Campus) 9:00am

Saturday, October 12th ~ (HOME) Baertschi Invite (Baertschi Farm) 9:00am

Thursday, October 17th ~ @ Riverdale HS (SWAL Conference Meet) 4:00pm

Saturday, October 26th ~ (HOME) WIAA Sectionals (Baertschi Farm) 11:00am

Saturday, November 2nd (State) ~ @ Wisconsin Rapids (Ridges Golf Course) 10:00am

MIDDLE SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY

Thursday, October 3rd ~ @ Monroe (Twining Park) 4:15pm

Saturday, October 5th ~ @ Platteville (UW Platteville Campus) 9:00am

Saturday, October 12th ~ (HOME) Baertschi Invite (Baertschi Farm) 9:00am

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Friday, October 4th ~ @ Randolph HS 7:00pm

Friday, October 11th ~ (HOME) vs. Johnson Creek HS 7:00pm

Friday, October 18th ~ @ Lourdes Academy (UW Oshkosh Titan Stadium) 4:30pm

WIAA Playoffs ~ October 25th, November 1st, November 8th, November 15th

WIAA State ~ November 21st & November 22nd

MIDDLE SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Tuesday, October 1st ~ (HOME) vs. Brodhead MS

• 7th Grade at 4:00 pm

• 8th Grade at 5:15 pm

Tuesday, October 8th ~ (HOME) vs. Edgerton MS

• 7th Grade at 4:00 pm

• 8th Grade at 5:15 pm

Tuesday, October 15th ~ @ Clinton HS vs. Clinton MS

• 7th Grade at 4:00 pm

• 8th Grade at 5:15 pm

Saturday, October 19th ~ @ Janesville Sports Complex

• 7th & 8th grades NOON

HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL

Thursday, October 3rd ~ @ Juda 6:00pm

Tuesday, October 8th ~ (HOME) vs. Black Hawk 6:00pm (Parent’s Night)

Thursday, October 10th ~ @ Pecatonica 6:00pm

Tuesday, October 15th ~ (HOME) vs. Monticello 6:00pm (Senior Night)

WIAA Regionals ~ October 22, October 24, October 26

WIAA Sectionals ~ October 31 & November 2

WIAA State ~ November 7th - November 9th

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,

Welcome back to another exciting school year at Albany! As the Albany Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO), we are thrilled to have you in our community, and

We look forward to working together to make this year unforgettable for our students and families.

Who We Are: The Albany PTO is a dedicated group of parents, teachers, and community members who work to support our school and provide fun activities for the family. Through various initiatives and events, we strive to create a positive and engaging environment for everyone.

Our Events: We are proud to host a variety of family-friendly events throughout the year. These events provide wonderful opportunities for families to come together, have fun, and build lasting memories. Some of our exciting events include:

• Bingo Nights
• Trunk or Treat
• Christmas Store
• And many more!

Our Initiatives: Our fundraising efforts go directly to support our school and community initiatives. Here are a few ways your contributions make a difference:

• Free Pantry: Providing essential items for families in need.
• Teacher Supplies: Ensuring our educators have the resources they need.
• Bus Transportation: Assisting with costs for class trips and other
• transportation needs.

Get Involved: We meet once a month at the school and are always looking for new members to join us. Whether you have a few hours to spare or can offer fresh ideas, your involvement makes a huge impact. Volunteering with the PTO is a great way to connect with other parents and contribute to our community.

Contact us with any questions using the information provided below.

Email: albanypto@gmail.com

Facebook: Follow us at Albany PTO

Thank you for your continued support. Together, we can make this school year the best one yet!

Warm regards,

The Albany PTO