#PointerNation News

Pencil us in! Classes begin in less than a month on September 3 for grades K-12 (EC & 4K start September 5). A reminder the 2024-25 district calendar can be found here: https://mineralpointschools.org/mpsd/district-calendar/

Let's hear it for these talented young #PointerNation artists! They participated in the Dodgeville Federated Woman's Club Helen Farnsworth Mears Art Contest and received well-deserved accolades!

-- Local Awards

1st Place: Class A Painting and Drawing: Bella Basting

1st Place: Class A Sculpture: Avalee Langreck

-- District Competition

3rd Place: Avalee Langreck

Great job!

These 8th grade students earned perfect attendance this past school year! Congrats to them for their dedication and understanding that school attendance is an important factor in overall academic success -- Adam Bonnell, Emmerson Burris, Reid Dochnahl, Carson Finley, Donna Hirsch, Logan Swinehart, and Breanna Tibbits.

Check out the latest column from Superintendent Mitch Wainwright: https://mineralpointschools.org/2024/07/investing-in-pointer-pride/

Let's give a big #PointerNation welcome (home) to Brianna Bennett, new Speech & Language Pathologist! Read more about her here:

Speech & Language Pathologist

Hometown: Mineral Point

High school graduated from: Mineral Point

College: Brianna earned her Bachelors from UW-La Crosse in Interpersonal Communication Studies with a minor in Technical Writing, an Alternative Pathway degree from UW-Eau Claire in Post Baccalaureate Program – Communication Sciences and Disorders, and her Masters from UW-Whitewater in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Previous employment: Most recently, Brianna has served as a Speech & Language Pathologist with Milwaukee Public Schools.

Family: Brianna is married and has a 2-year old daughter (Kacy) and a 4-month old baby (Benjamin) along with a 4-year old rescue-dog named Kobe.

Hobbies/free time interests: Brianna enjoys all that Wisconsin has to offer, especially enjoying the outdoors and is excited to be back in the beautiful driftless area.

What attracted you to apply in #PointerNation?: I was interested in joining the Mineral Point Unified School District because of the incredible support that the community provides its young people.

Quotable: “As a Speech-Language Pathologist in the school setting, I get to collaborate with talented teachers and support-staff and help students find success in their abilities to overcome and make sense of curriculum that was not necessarily designed for their unique learning systems. My skills and interests have been focused on neurodiversity; it’s crucial we continue to educate ourselves to promote more acceptance for neurodiverse individuals in the schools and the community. I specifically bring skills in working with non-speaking students, most commonly associated with autism spectrum disorder. I continue to place the highest value on relationship building with other professionals, families, and our students as well as making community connections and pathways for our students’ post-graduation success.”

Let's give a big #PointerNation welcome to Merrill Brunson, new 6th Grade Teacher! Read more about him here:

6th Grade Teacher

Hometown: Richland Center

High school graduated from: Richland Center

College: Merrill graduated from UW-Platteville with a Bachelors in Elementary/Middle School Education with a minor in Social Studies.

Previous employment: Prior to coming to Mineral Point, Merrill has spent his entire teaching career (21 years) at Platteville Middle School in 8th Grade History

Family: Erika (wife), children Calum (12), Lennie (11), Ruby (9), and Elyn (7)

Hobbies/free time interests: In my free time, I most enjoy spending time with my family. Our hobbies are fishing, hunting, spending time outdoors, and coaching them in athletics, to name a few.

What attracted you to apply in #PointerNation?: Professionally, I wanted to work in Mineral Point because of the high standards that are set for all students. I know that Mineral Point is a leader in education and I wanted a chance to be a part of the success. Personally, I was excited about an opportunity to teach my own children.

Quotable: “My educational philosophy is to have a classroom that is high in support and high in control. This is primarily evidenced by my belief in doing things ‘with’ kids, rather than ‘to’ or ‘for’ them. I believe in every kid having an opportunity to learn and every day being a new day. I believe building relationships with students is as important as the curriculum I teach. In my opinion, young people deserve your respect if you are going to expect it in return, and I believe in teaching this skill to them.

As a teacher, my goal is that students enjoy learning and coming to my classroom. I want them to ask, ‘What are we doing today?’ when they walk into my room. I want them to be curious, ask questions, and have meaningful discussions. I want them to know that I care about them and that my room is a safe space to express themselves. I want their confidence to grow and I strive to inspire and empower students to reach their full potential. I am enthusiastic about contributing to a collaborative team of educators and making a positive impact on the lives of my students.

More than anything, my educational philosophy is simple – kids need to know that you care.”

Let's give a big #PointerNation welcome (home) to Tasha Miller, new Middle School Reading Interventionist! Read more about her here:

Middle School Reading Interventionist

Hometown: Mineral Point

High school graduated from: Mineral Point

College: Tasha earned her Bachelors from UW-Platteville in Elementary Education with a minor in Inclusion and went on to earn her Masters, also from UW-Platteville, as a Reading Teacher and Specialist.

Previous employment: She began her education career as a 4th Grade Teacher at Holy Rosary School in Darlington and, most recently, has been serving as a Reading Specialist in the Mount Horeb Area School District for the past 20 years.

Family: Her husband, Travis, and her three kids: Brody who will be a Senior, Sadie and Sophie who will be Sophomores, and their pet yorkie, Brownie.

Hobbies/free time interests: When I am not busy in a gym watching basketball or volleyball, at a soccer field, or the golf course, I love to read books on my kindle, go golfing, and hang out with friends and family.

Quotable: “My family of educators believe in the highest standards for educators. All children deserve our very best so it is my duty to continue to grow and evolve to provide a model for our youth that learning never stops. I have a passion for helping all students develop a solid repertoire of strategies to help them achieve success. Building relationships with teachers and students is the foundation of trust that I use to motivate and learn from one another.”

Let's give a big #PointerNation welcome to Anthony Zilliox, new Middle/High School English Teacher! Read more about him here:

Middle/High School English Teacher

Hometown: Cuba City

High School Graduated From: Cuba City High School

College: Anthony graduated from UW-Platteville with a Bachelors in Middle Childhood/Early Adolescence Education with minors in Special Education and English.

Previous employment: Most recently, Anthony served as a Middle/High School English and Reading Teacher in the Belmont Community School District.

Family: Engaged and have one brother.

Hobbies: Motorcycling, kayak fishing, pickleball with Fiancé, walks with family.

What attracted you to apply in #PointerNation?: #PointerNation has always been the dream destination for me. The culture, values, and hometown feel of Mineral Point School District all align with everything I was looking for in a school district which is what drove me to apply.

Quotable: “Our classroom will be respectful of all students, willing to learn, and open-minded to new ideas. All students will be respected and allowed to express their views openly to allow for a safe and creative educational environment.”

A big congrats to Keri Radtke, 2nd Grade Teacher, who is one of this year's grant recipients from the Mineral Point Excellence in Education Foundation! Her "Charged up for Education" project received $450 from the Excellence in Education Fund.

"The goal of my project is to be sure that equal access is provided to each student in my classroom to the technology they need to be 21st century learners. The basic classroom tools they need to carry out daily learning, practice, and publishing will make an outstanding difference to the students in my class this year, but also for years to come.," said Radtke.

Grants from the Mineral Point EIE support educational programming outside of the boundaries of the school district budget. Thank you to all donors! To learn more about the EIE, visit https://cfsw.org/eie/mineral-point/

A big congrats to Denise Gorgen, 2nd Grade Teacher, who is one of this year's grant recipients from the Mineral Point Excellence in Education Foundation! Her "Kind Kids Campaign" project received $570 from the Excellence in Education Fund, and the Roger & Mary Ivey Excellence in Education Endowment Fund.

"By participating in the Kind Kids Campaign, our elementary students not only develop essential social and emotional skills but also cultivate a genuine sense of caring and respect for one another, laying the foundation for a more compassionate and harmonious school environment," said Gorgen.

Grants from the Mineral Point EIE support educational programming outside of the boundaries of the school district budget. Thank you to all donors! To learn more about the EIE, visit https://cfsw.org/eie/mineral-point/

A big congrats to Morgan Burris, District Special Education Teacher, who is one of this year's grant recipients from the Mineral Point Excellence in Education Foundation! Her "Life Skills" project received $1500 from the Burnell and Vivian Wang Excellence in Education Fund.

"My goal is to teach my students basic life skills so they can carryover the skills into their homes. In addition, the life skills they learn in my class will also help them secure a job in our community in the future. In order to teach these skills, I need to be able to purchase items to help my students bake and clean. We will also practice good hygiene, learn time and money management, practice social and communication skills, and prepare for household and occupational skills," said Burris.

Grants from the Mineral Point EIE support educational programming outside of the boundaries of the school district budget. Thank you to all donors! To learn more about the EIE, visit https://cfsw.org/eie/mineral-point/

A big congrats to Laurie Heimsoth, 5th Grade Teacher, who is one of this year's grant recipients from the Mineral Point Excellence in Education Foundation! Her "STEM" project received $375 from the Excellence in Education Fund.

"Students will all benefit from this project in which they will design, create, test,

modify, and discuss topics of science, technology, engineering, and math. This would help deepen their understanding of concepts and also grow their connection

between self and the world/environment in which they live. They will learn and

successfully use the design process they will also improve their written and verbal communication skills by working with a variety of peers and reporting to their classmates. Students will learn to ask and answer questions, learn to persevere through struggle and failed ideas, and learn how to create a presentation appropriate to the task," said Heimsoth.

Grants from the Mineral Point EIE support educational programming outside of the boundaries of the school district budget. Thank you to all donors! To learn more about the EIE, visit https://cfsw.org/eie/mineral-point/

Hello Pointer Families,

Mineral Point Unified School District Online Registration is open for the 2024-25 School Year! We are asking that you complete all info online by the end of the day Sunday, August 4.

Please read more important registration details here: https://mineralpointschools.org/2024/07/registration-2024-25/

Some highlights:

1. Student demographic information must be filled out online in Skyward Family Access.

2. There will be no in-person registration day to pay for students’ school fees. All fees can be paid through Fee Management, or you can still drop payment off at school if you prefer to not pay online.

3. Any Parent/Guardian with a student who is NEW to the district and has not yet enrolled can follow this link or contact Shelby Sporle at 608-987-0710 to set up an in-person appointment: https://skyward.iscorp.com/scripts/wsisa.dll/WService=wsedumineralpointwi/skyenroll

4. All students will complete a transportation form within online registration. If you have any questions regarding busing, contact First Student at 608-987-3911.

5. Please consider applying for free & reduced meals. To read more about income guidelines and apply, visit: https://mineralpointschools.org/mpsd/free-reduced-lunch-program-application/

6. K-5th grade families with full-time enrolled students may also complete the Pointer Kids Club Registration form within online registration for before and after school care, if interested.

If you have any registration questions, or need assistance with the process, please contact the District Office at 608-987-0740.

We look forward to another great year and are glad to have you joining us -- #PointerNation is a great place to be!

Miss Erin Sincox (High School Science Teacher) recently traveled to the University of Kentucky at Lexington for the Biennial Conference on Chemical Education where she attended workshops and seminars on teaching tips and methods, best practices, and advice from award-winning chemistry educators from around the nation!

Miss Sincox is currently the American Chemical Society Wisconsin Local Section Chair where she is working to connect chemistry educators of all levels in southern Wisconsin to best prepare high school students for success in college science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses and inspire students to enter the STEM field.

If you are a Mineral Point Alumni, or community member, who works in a STEM field, please feel free to reach out to Miss Sincox (erin.sincox@mp.k12.wi.us) as she hopes to grow a database that would be willing to speak to students about their field and connect them with real-world applications of chemistry and physics.

Micki Uppena (Elementary Librarian) had the honor to attend the Alane Adams Rise Up Foundation Impact Retreat in San Francisco, CA with 120 educators from around the country! Micki is a Between the Pages Literacy Ambassador. The purpose of the retreat is to celebrate teachers and their dedication to students while connecting them with educators to build a community of support.

This year's retreat began in San Francisco and ventured to Sonoma and Napa Valley. Highlights of the trip included team-building Olympics, learning about the Between the Pages resources, and a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. She extended her time in California with friends taking in a Giants game, visiting Alcatraz, hiking in Muir Woods and Yosemite, and riding the hills of San Francisco on a cable car.

Mrs. Ashley Calderon-McHugh (Middle/High School Choir Teacher) is celebrating her 12th season teaching at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan! This summer, she was Director of the Choir Minor, and taught Vocal Technique Classes and Choral Sectionals for middle school campers. She also served as a lecturer about Healthy Vocal Practices for the adult Life Learning Artists. Mr. Ray, her husband, also joined the Vocal Faculty this summer!

We have some news to share from our Communications department this summer!

1. The National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) has recognized our Homecoming Queen announcement photo as one of the best in the country with its top Award of Excellence! We know #PointerNation enjoyed this snapshot last fall of Regan Schuette, Breanna Goninen, and Malea Aschliman and now the rest of the country has, too.

2. Communications Director Joëlle Doye had the honor of presenting at the NSPRA Seminar in Seattle in July alongside three past national presidents -- Lesley Bruinton from Alabama, Cathy Kedjidjian from Illinois, and Julie Thannum from Texas. The group's session was titled, "Stuck in Second Gear? NSPRA Friends Are There For You!" and shared the importance of connection along the school pr journey. (Thank you to the Wisconsin School Public Relations Association for financially sponsoring her attendance)

3. Joëlle concluded her service as President of the Wisconsin School Public Relations Association July 1. During her farewell address, she said, "I felt compelled to join the WSPRA Board because a voice for the small, rural schools at our leadership table was lacking. Nearly 70% of Wisconsin’s 421 school districts are considered 'rural.' These districts service 44% of the state’s 860,000 public school students. With so many members of Wisconsin’s next generation learning in rural schools, it’s vital that we prioritize the unique needs of these educators and students.

This was my 10th year in Mineral Point -- when I started, I was the anomaly -- now, it’s not as uncommon for smaller districts to have followed in our Pointer paw prints and create positions for communications.

So, while I may be the first-ever small, rural school PR pro to serve as WSPRA President, I know I won’t be the last.

I don’t believe any zip code (be it rural, suburban, or urban) should determine whether the success stories of our schools, students, and staff are shared."

If you missed the first round of #PointerNation Football apparel, you can order again! The store has been re-opened until August 11: https://sportsworld.chipply.com/mpfootball24/

#PointerNation Volleyball apparel is available to order with a deadline of August 11! There are also some non-sport specific MP items available: https://mp-volleyball.itemorder.com/shop/home/

Run to order your Dodge-Point Cross Country apparel! Deadline is August 21. There are also some non-sport specific Dodge-Point items available: https://sportsworld.chipply.com/dpcrosscounrty24/

School supplies are starting to hit store shelves! Lists are available for the 2024-25 school year here: https://mineralpointschools.org/mpsd/supply-lists/

Please remember that if your family needs help with supplies, we have many community partners that have generously provided donations to the district. Regardless of the grades of your children, please reach out to Jane Barr at jane.barr@mp.k12.wi.us or 608-987-0710 if you need help obtaining supplies.

The Mineral Point Unified School District is hiring for the 2024-25 school year. Come join the great place that is #PointerNation where our mission is educating and inspiring our students for a bright future in a big world!

-- Part-time Elementary Instructional Assistant: https://wecan.waspa.org/Vacancy/214236

-- Full-time Speech & Language (SLP) Teacher: https://wecan.waspa.org/Vacancy/207983-- The Musical Theatre Club is searching for a Master Builder! The Master Builder is responsible for the procuring and/or building of backdrops, furniture, and other large set pieces during the majority of the fall musical season. Two weeks before the show opens, they help to move these pieces into the venue, and are in charge of managing the backstage crew of students. At the end of the show season, they help to strike the pieces and move out of the venue. Because of these duties, the Master Builder should have their own power tools, have access to a space to build prior to move-in, be willing to collaborate creatively with the other directors as needed, and keep student safety a priority. For the Fall 2024 season, we are producing "Big Fish: School Edition" at the Mineral Point Opera House. Move-in takes place on Sunday 11/10, shows will take place on Friday 11/22 7pm, Saturday 11/23 7pm, and Sunday 11/24 1:30pm, and move-out takes place directly after the final show. Contracted amount: $1,197.13. For inquiries, please contact Mrs. Ashley Calderon-McHugh at ashley.mchugh@mp.k12.wi.us

Having a class reunion this summer or fall? Send joelle.doye@mp.k12.wi.us your photos to share with #PointerNation!

We'd love to have you join our sub pool! You can get licensed in time for the new school year. There will be a Substitute Teacher Training held at CESA 3 in Fennimore at 9 am on August 8. This training is one of the requirements for a sub license in Wisconsin (including the minimum of an associate's degree). Participants can register here: https://cesa3.eventsmart.com/events/substitute-teacher-training/

Football Community Night, presented by the Gridiron Club, is just around the corner, scheduled for Thursday, August 15 at 5 pm! There will be:

- Youth games under the lights

- Punt, pass & kick contest

- Raffle

- Silent auction

- Face painting

- Poster signing by the 2024 Football Team

- Food will be available for purchase

Plan for 6th Grade Orientation Tuesday, August 20 at 6:30 pm. We look forward to seeing everyone -- welcome to middle school! Any questions, please reach out to brooke.mcgraw@mp.k12.wi.us or carrie.brinkman@mp.k12.wi.us

"Grounded by our history as one of the oldest publicly supported schools in Wisconsin, Mineral Point Unified School District is the heart of a small community that educates and inspires our students for a bright future in a big world."

Email: joelle.doye@mp.k12.wi.us
Website: mineralpointschools.org
Location: 705 Ross Street, Mineral Point, WI, USA
Phone: (608) 987-0740
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MineralPointSchoolDistrict