SASD Newsletter: December 2023

Nyob Zoo Xyoo Tshiab! During Hmong New Year celebrations, people dress in traditional Hmong clothing and enjoy traditional food, dance, and music. It is a time to honor ancestors, welcome new beginnings, and take a break from the completion of harvesting. View photos of celebrations at Grant, Jackson, James Madison, Lincoln-Erdman, Longfellow, and Pigeon River Schools here.

Now accepting School Choice applications for next school year! One of the strengths of the Sheboygan Area School District is the variety of opportunities and choices offered to families. Every student is guaranteed enrollment in their neighborhood school, which is determined by the student’s home address. Through School Choice, families also have the opportunity to apply to attend a different school in the district. Learn more about School Choice.

In June 2022, the Sheboygan Area School District and Lakeland University signed an innovative agreement to expand access to college credit courses at no cost to high school students. SASD students now have free access to Lakeland Concurrent Academic Progress Program (CAPP) courses, which provide high school and college credits simultaneously.

Access to the free CAPP classes rolled out this fall, and the number of students enrolled for college credit has increased by over 35%, with 1,140 students enrolled in a Lakeland CAPP class at North or South High School in the first semester. Read the full story here.

Sarah Annelin, a teacher at Central High School, is an SASD Difference Maker! ⭐

“Mrs. Annelin has an amazing ability to develop relationships! She takes pride in getting to know students and understands that building relationships first opens the door to learning acceptance. She understands the unique needs that are presented at Central and works tirelessly to help them graduate. She is a highly skilled teacher, who will teach via Skype from home at times even when she is ill because she wants students to succeed.” -Anonymous

Thank you for all that you do, Sarah! Nominate an SASD staff member here.

Join the largest multi-generational learning event in history!

Bring your laptop, Chromebook, smartphone, or other electronic device and join us at South High as we join the largest learning event in history as we spend an hour coding! No experience needed.

Join us Thursday, December 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the South High School Commons. This event is open to ALL students, parents, staff and community members! Learn more here.

Are you interested in recieving text messages from the Sheboygan Area School District? When schools are closed due to winter weather, the SASD will send a phone call, email and text message regarding closures.

To easily opt-in to text messages, text 'Y' or 'Yes' to short code 67587.

Guardians can also update their preferred contact information for automated messages in Skyward Family Access by clicking on Skylert in the left side menu.

The school nutrition program recently revamped the serving lines at both North and South High Schools. The transformation included improved displays, graphics, decor and layout designs. Creating an open and inviting atmosphere can dramatically impact student participation at any grade level. When the eating environment is pleasant and appealing, students are more likely to eat their lunch and do better in the classroom!

Earlier this month, the WI Department of Public Instruction released report cards for districts and schools. The Sheboygan Area School District rating remains as Meets Expectations. As part of the District's goal of continuous improvement, the report cards are one measure the District will use, in combination with a variety of other school and district data, to determine the areas we are performing well and the areas where we need to focus improvement. More information, including a link to the database of district and school report cards, is posted on our website at https://www.sheboygan.k12.wi.us/about/state-report-cards

Highlights from the presentation:

• The SASD has seen increasing achievement in our schools' test scores this school year (as reported last month in the Forward and ACT test results).
• The Sheboygan Area School District report card score fell about in the middle of our comparable districts, which were selected using the parameters of student enrollment between 4,000-20,000 students and the percentage of economically disadvantaged students between 45-65%.
• Gradespan testing showed the 11th grade SASD cohort of students had greater growth than any of our comparable districts and was also greater than all but one of our county districts.

Sheboygan Area School District also compiles our own data to create College and Career Readiness Report Cards for students and schools. The SASD was one of the first districts to track data such as attendance, community service, workplace learning experiences, dual credit course enrollment, participation in co-curricular activities, GPA, and ACT scores and use it to measure students' readiness to enter college or a career after graduation.

The presentation to the Board of Education can be viewed starting on page 24 of agenda attachments: https://www.sheboygan.k12.wi.us/perch/resources/reg-brd-agenda-11-28-23.pdf

View the Educational Options required annual notice outling school state report card scores and educational options available to students in the Sheboygan Area School District.

The Human Growth and Development Citizens' Advisory Committee for the Sheboygan Area School District is seeking candidates to fill the position of Community Member. Learn more here.