#PointerNation News

NHS 2nd Year Members, left to right, front row: Malea Aschliman, Robert Allbright, Derek Hottenstein. Middle: Elin Bowers, Julianna Cool, Addison Ryser, Breanna Goninen, Bryce Vamstad, Regan Schuette, Landon Thousand. Back: Gracelyn Foster, Estella James, MacClain Busser, Brady Radtke, Alex Ross, Morgan Lee. Not pictured: Elizabeth Dunn.

NHS 1st Year Members, left to right, front row: Addison Christopher, Brooke Paynter, Joss James, Eliza Ingwell, Matthew Goninen, Taitin Riley, Cole Hentrich. Middle: Jadyn Swinehart, Lila Thousand, Ella Kroll, Laci Lindsey, Isabella Dannenberg, Allyson Baehler. Back: Anna Robinson, Ellen Robinson, Eli Lindsey, Jacob Phillips, Atley Potterton, Lillianna Berget.

A big congrats to our National Honor Society members celebrated at the ceremony last Wednesday! #PointerNation is proud of you! Thank you also to Neil Argall for being this year's Alumni Guest Speaker.

- More photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=MineralPointSchoolDistrict&set=a.926948652740351

- Ceremony video link: https://youtu.be/4asAAaBZ1Yk?si=BrIc_0wzLt449UJB

We had a great Spring Garden Day last Monday! The whole elementary school was out working to get the garden ready for warmer weather. What a wonderful experience for us all. Thank you to all who volunteered their time to help make this possible! More photos: https://www.facebook.com/MineralPointSchoolDistrict/posts/pfbid02rhS7hRY3wkLXEMfyF3Ltwou8d6MqaTg9jqnxYE1Cks78an1Tky8yGggeWmWcNnAl

#PointerNation has a fine tradition of Forensics success and this year was certainly no exception! Congratulations to our State Speech participants this past Friday in DeForest:

🥇 Earning a perfect score of 25 and gold medals were:

-- Expository: Anthony Buleje Cadena

-- Farrago: Maci Muchow

-- Farrago: Regan Schuette

-- Group Interpretation: Drew Aschliman, Malea Aschliman, Eli Lindsey, Laci Lindsey & Landon Thousand

-- Group Interpretation: Brett Bossert, Jacob Phillips, Atley Potterton, Alex Ross & Jaxson Wendhausen

-- Impromptu: Kalea Biddick

-- Play Acting: Libby Dunn, Ryley Reichling, Tobin Shea

-- Poetry: Faye Schuette

-- Prose: Lilli Berget

-- Prose: Josie Dunn

-- Prose: Lila Thousand

-- Radio Speaking: Matthew Goninen

🥈 Silver (23-24 points)

-- Expository: Derek Hottenstein

-- Group Interpretation: Madisyn Heim, Morgan Lee, Sadie Miller, Sophie Miller & Ronica Thousand

-- Impromptu: Madelyn Steffes

-- Play Acting: Julianna Cool, Brooke Paynter, Finn Renwick & Taitin Riley

-- Poetry: Anthony Luu

-- Prose: Ella James

🥉 Bronze (20-22 points)

-- Expository: Bryce Vamstad

Congratulations, all!

Acting out a Spring mud-filled story feels kind of real this year! Oh, lovely mud! At least that’s what the animals think in "Mrs. Wishy-Washy."

A few students in our Sources of Strength program had the opportunity to attend a mental wellbeing leadership summit in Madison where they learned skills to reduce stigma, support someone going through a difficult time, and had a chance to network with students from 40 other school districts around the state!

1st graders had a fantastic Friday at the Heritage Center in Dubuque! Students loved watching the Git Hoan Dancers from southeast Alaska, representing Indigenous People of the Pacific Northwest and showcasing the culture of the Tsimshian Tribe.

Wisconsin had 24 All-Americans at Women’s Wrestling Nationals the other weekend in Spokane, WA and #PointerNation had two of them!

**U17**

6th - Dealya Collins (57kg)

**U20**

7th - Kylie Rule (59kg)

Way to go, ladies!

Kudos to our #PointerNation Softball Team for breaking into the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association State Rankings at #8 in D4 this week! Read more: https://www.wissports.net/news_article/show/1307219

Where's Libby? See if you can find Libby Dunn in the flute section of the UW-Platteville Symphonic Wind Ensemble, which performed for middle/high school musicians right here in #PointerNation Thursday! Libby is taking this class for college credit through UWP.

Can you spot Elliott? Last weekend, Elliott Webb had the honor of playing with the Brass Choir at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the beautifully new Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras (WYSO) building! You can check out the group's performance at the 22:30 mark of the video: https://www.youtube.com/live/7fnGBXH5Lok?si=g7vohdto03-7ek3F

Some of our students were able to tour ETC in Middleton last week! ETC manufactures theatre, film, studio, and architectural lighting. Thanks for the warm welcome!

Thank you to the IUOE Local 139 Wisconsin Operating Engineers Training Center in Coloma for welcoming our students last week at Externship Day! The event was an ideal opportunity to meet industry professionals and learn about the high-demand career path of an Operating Engineer.

Our youngest Pointers have been talking about worm weather, making their own worms out of pipe cleaners and beads, and getting to see real worms that will make their new home in our school garden!

A group of our students had the pleasure of visiting Madison College to check out their Vet Tech program! They were able to see lab spaces, surgery rooms, visit dogs, cats, rats, and mice, and even received a tour of the barn as well.

A big thanks to Mound City Bank for coming to teach our students about saving money. It was a great life lesson!

1st graders traveled to Gambia, Africa to learn about Isatou Ceesay. She turned trash into treasure. A great lesson with Earth Day here!

A big thank you to Vortex Optics in Barneveld for welcoming our students last week!

Mineral Point Community -- we will be having a mock accident learning demonstration for 8-12th graders at our middle/high school Thursday, April 25 beginning at 1:30 pm. Please do not be alarmed if seeing emergency personnel at school. Thank you!

Your help is needed! Each year, our #PointerNation Personal Finance class visits Southwest Tech in Fennimore to participate in SWIFLE: the Southwest WI Financial Literacy Event.

This year, we are short of community volunteers for the event Wednesday, April 24. If you'd be willing to help, we'd be very grateful! No experience necessary—materials will be provided.

SWIFLE is an interactive hands-on experience for high school students designed to demonstrate the importance of sound money management skills. This event provides an opportunity for over 400 local students to connect with community business representatives in an authentic situation where students test their budgeting skills.

To sign up, use the link here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0C4FA8AE28A5FE3-48495734-southwest#/

1st graders are super excited to perform their Earth Day Program! The event will begin at 2:30 pm Thursday, April 25 in the elementary gym.

Some of our Mineral Point Middle & High Schoolers who have qualified for the State Solo & Ensemble competition will be performing a recital at the Mineral Point Opera House Thursday, April 25 beginning at 7 pm free of charge. Come on out and support these talented musicians: Julianna Cool, Josie Dunn, Libby Dunn, Gracie Foster, Anthony Luu, Lilly Murn, Abby Webb, and Elliott Webb.

Unfortunately, the Snow Day prior to Spring Break on Friday, March 22 has caused us to be short on our required number of instructional minutes needed by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for our middle/high school (elementary students need less instructional minutes and are ok at this time). Please see below for the latest regarding both buildings.

ELEMENTARY

Friday, April 26 will still be a day off for students EC-5th grade. Teachers will report for a Work Day.

MIDDLE/HIGH

Friday, April 26 will now be a Virtual Day of classes for 6-12th grade students. Teachers will be on site. April 26 was a previously scheduled student day off for a Teacher Work Day.

BOTH BUILDINGS

If we need any additional full days off, we will need to conduct virtual learning (for all grades) instead of having a traditional Snow Day. We still have a couple hours to spare, should we need a late start or early release.

During a Virtual Learning Day, you would still receive a Skylert notification. Students do not report to school and Pointer Kids Club would be canceled. Expectations for student learning will vary by grade level and classroom and will be communicated by teachers.

These updates will allow us to keep June 4 as our last day of school.

We hope winter is done with us soon! Thank you for your flexibility and understanding with these changes.

Our MPHS Key Club is the proud sponsor of the upcoming Mineral Point Blood Drive this Friday, April 26 at St. Mary's/St. Paul's Church from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm. Give hope this spring!

You have several options to catch our talented middle/high school musicians in action this Spring!

- Wednesday, May 1: Large Group Festival at Southwestern (choirs only)

- Tuesday, May 7: Middle School Concert 7 pm

- Wednesday, May 8: High School Concert 6:30 pm

Mineral Point FFA plant sale will be coming soon! The group is looking to put plants out on wagons around May 2nd, depending on weather. Plants are looking good!

The Mineral Point High School Junior Class is proud to present Prom 2024 Saturday, May 4! This year's theme is "The Golden Hour." Doors will open at 8 pm with Grand March at 8:30 pm (cost is $2 for spectators). Prom ends at 12 am and Post Prom is from 12:30-2:30 am for all 9-12th grade students. Make plans to attend and see our Juniors in their finest attire!

#PointerNation events coming up this week -- join us! (Please note these schedules are always subject to change)

Monday, April 22

-- Special School Board Meeting (Oath of Office) 6 pm: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Organization/2067

-- SWAL Math Contest at Darlington

-- JV & Varsity Golf at Argyle/Pecatonica 4 pm

-- Softball at Darlington (Varsity 4:30 pm, JV to follow)

-- Baseball at River Valley (Varsity 5 pm, JV to follow)

Tuesday, April 23

-- Softball vs. Riverdale (Varsity 4:30 pm, JV to follow)

-- Varsity Girls Soccer vs. Richland Center 5 pm. Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/@DodgevilleSchoolDistrict

-- Varsity Baseball at Boscobel 4:30 pm. Livestream: https://www.facebook.com/WeAreBoscobel

-- Track & Field at Platteville 4:30 pm

Wednesday, April 24

-- Early release 2 pm (every Wednesday)

Thursday, April 25

-- State FFA Career Development Event Contest at Madison

-- Mock Accident Demonstration for 8-12th grade 1:30 pm

-- 1st Grade Earth Day Program 2:30 pm

-- State Solo & Ensemble Recital at Opera House 7 pm

-- Softball vs. Cuba City (Varsity 4:30 pm, JV to follow)

-- Varsity Girls Soccer vs. Edgerton in MP 6 pm. Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/@mptvpointers

-- JV Baseball vs. Potosi/Cassville 4:30 pm

-- MS Track & Field at Dodgeville 4 pm

Friday, April 26

-- Elementary: No Classes (Teacher Work Day)

-- Middle/High: Virtual Day

-- Key Club Blood Drive at St. Mary's/St. Paul's 11:30 am-5:30 pm

-- Varsity Baseball vs. Darlington 4 pm (double header)

-- Softball vs. Boscobel (Varsity 4:30 pm, JV to follow)

-- Varsity Girls Soccer vs. Monroe 6 pm. Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/@DodgevilleSchoolDistrict

-- JV & Varsity Golf at Fennimore 4 pm

-- Track & Field at River Ridge 4:15 pm

-- JV Baseball at Darlington 4 pm

Saturday, April 27

-- State Solo & Ensemble at UW-Platteville

-- Varsity Golf at Platteville 9 am

Please be aware of other companies claiming to livestream our games, especially if there are links different than posted above and ask for credit card and personal information -- these are scams. We will update this pinned post as available livestream information is relayed to 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