School Matters 4/22/2024

April 2024

• Mary Pribbenow, Board President, introduced newly elected Board member Carrie Van Thiel. Carrie, along with Ammie Ebben and Mary Pribbenow prevailed in the recent spring election. Pribbenow also confirmed that the oath of office was given by Board Clerk Debbie Roberts immediately following the April 9th canvass of the election. Mary Pribbenow, Ammie Ebben, and Carrie Van Thiel took the oath and will each serve a three-year term. Congratulations were conveyed to all.
• Mary Pribbenow, Board President, began the board reorganization process. Officers were nominated and elected by voice vote as follows: Mary Pribbenow, President; Tim Handrich, Vice-President; Penny Hoh, Treasurer; and Debbie Roberts, Clerk. All will serve a one-year term.
• Mary Pribbenow appointed Kell Bales to serve as the CESA (Cooperative Education Service Agency) Convention Representative at the annual meeting on Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
• Mary Pribbenow then appointed Tim Handrich to serve as the WASB Legislative Delegate for the 2025 State Education Convention.
• Mary Pribbenow appointed Carrie Van Thiel, Debbie Roberts, and Penny Hoh to serve on the District’s OPEB Committed for a one-year term.
• Bob Mayfield, Superintendent, recognized the Darboy Kiwanis Club for 25 years of service to the Community. Mary Pribbenow, Board President, presented a Bert Grover Child Advocacy Certificate of Recognition to Kiwanis Club President Ron Simonis. Other Kiwanis members, as well as students and advisors from the Kimberly High School Key Club (which is directly supported by the Kiwanis), were present to support and congratulate them on their long history as a service group.
• Holly Prast, Assistant Superintendent, along with a team of Principals and Teacher representatives from Janssen Elementary and J.R. Gerritts Middle School, updated the Board on the progress of the coaching and systems being used throughout the District to improve student behaviors. The group talked about behavior challenges post-COVID that schools everywhere encountered, and shared the strategies that are being implemented in the Kimberly Area School District, and the success they have realized so far. The District will continue to broaden the scope of these strategies which include student co-creation of expectations, routines and procedures, and teacher language strategies. Positive classroom behavior fosters belonging, increases safety and improves access to academics.
• Tim Doleysh, Principal of Woodland Elementary School, who also oversees the mentoring program for the District, gave an update on the Mentor program and requested approval of the Dane County New Teacher Project shared services contract. Doleysh also indicated that KASD is creating and piloting an in-house mentoring program which will be implemented fully in 2025-26. The Board approved the shared service agreement for 2024-25.
• Contracts were approved for Trey Tennessen, Health Teacher at Woodland & Mapleview Intermediate Schools; and Mackenzie Wagner, Special Education Teacher at Parkview Learning Center, both effective August 20, 2024. Resignations were approved for Angela Freund, Special Education Teacher at J.R. Gerritts Middle School; Kristin Dalen-Bard, Social Studies Teacher at Kimberly High School; Brooke Van Dreel, Special Education Teacher at Janssen Elementary School; and Katie Villagomez, Special Education Teacher at Woodland Intermediate School, all effective June 6, 2024. Also approved was the resignation of Robert DeLain, Principal at J.R. Gerritts Middle School, effective June 30, 2024.

More information about this meeting, including agendas, approved minutes and policy changes can be found on Boarddocs. For more information about upcoming board meetings, go to the District website.

Upcoming Board Meetings:

May 13, 2024

June 10, 2024

July 8, 2024

Learn about their achievements, ongoing projects, and how they're shaping future leaders at KHS at https://bit.ly/kiwanisdarboy25.

The Kimberly Area School District recently hosted a Women in Technology (WIT) Wisconsin - Microsoft Girls Workshop, open to all 5th through 8th grade girls in the District. The event was sponsored by Kimberly-Clark, who generously furnished the presenters, and provided Adafruits (a type of programming component/circuit board) for all attendees. Participants worked with new technology through the use of the Adafruits Playground Express Circuit Boards and heard from female role models in the tech world who shared their passion for computer science!

Kimberly Area School District
425 S. Washington St
Combined Locks, WI 54113
Phone: (920) 788-7900
Robert S. Mayfield, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Board of Education

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