We are excited to share stories and news with you in The Compass, the HSSD monthly eNewsletter for families and community members. The Compass is published the last Thursday of each month. Submit your story ideas for future editions here.

In this Issue:

• BIG Announcement!
• Board Briefs
• Staff Showcase
• Upcoming Events
• Student Stories
• Alumni Connections
• And More!

We are thrilled to share that the Howard-Suamico Education Foundation (HSEF) has been selected to be part of Give BIG Green Bay this year! Give BIG is a 24-hour online giving event designed to rally our community around local nonprofits. Thank you to the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation and the Green Bay Packers Foundation for helping to spread the word about HSEF and so many other deserving nonprofit organizations in our community. Please help us share the good news and follow HSEF on Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram!

17th Annual Taste of the Villages & Auction

You're Invited to attend the 17th Annual Taste of the Villages and Auction benefiting the Howard-Suamico School District Giving Tree! This year our event will be held on Thursday, April 10, 2025, from 5:30 - 9:00 p.m. at 1951 West / Rock Garden in Green Bay. This event is made possible by the generous donations of our kind and caring community friends like you. Monetary donations, gift certificates, gift cards to restaurants, businesses and events, volunteer services and silent auction items are needed and greatly appreciated. Please consider joining us on April 10 so you can enjoy “A Taste of the Villages” while helping children in our community! Thank you for your consideration of this worthy cause. Learn more and purchase individual tickets here.

Howard-Suamico Storm Breakers Pre-Competitive Swim Class

If your child loves to swim and is interested in exploring competitive swimming, the local club team, HSSB, will be holding a two week pre-competitive swim class this March. This class is for prospective new swimmers interested in learning about competitive swimming! Swimmers should be level 3 or higher in swim lessons or be able to swim the length of the pool without stopping or needing help. If your child is not level 3 or higher, they can be tested on the first day. Swimmers should be able to swim the length of the pool without any assistance. Instructors will NOT be in the water with the swimmers. If interested, please follow this link to the class registration page. The class will run Monday through Thursday from March 10-20, with the exception of March 13. If your child is not able to register, but would still like to try out for HSSB, tryouts will be held on March 20. If you have any questions, please reach out to head coach Connor Huff at huff.connor@gmail.com.

• The Board received financial audit results from KerberRose.
• The Board approved and received an informational update regarding E-3 Graduate Profile from Chad Buboltz, Asst. Supt. of Leadership and Learning.
• GP-8 Board Member Code of Conduct monitoring report was approved.
• Upcoming linkages: Bay Port students on February 12 and legislators on March 10.
• Rachelle Paulsen was presented with a plaque for 20 years of service to the Board of Education from WASB.

Mr. Shan Rowe is relatively new to teaching elementary music, but you would never know it by the confidence, passion, and positive energy he brings to his classroom every day. Shan is originally from California, and came to Wisconsin to study vocal performance and music education at Lawrence University in Appleton.

“Music gave me everything I’ve loved and cared about,” said Shan. “There are so many ways for my students to keep music in their lives as they grow, whether it’s singing, dancing, listening to music, or even the relationship between math and music. I hope they walk away from my class able to prioritize their own joy and know there is a space where they are cared for unconditionally.”

Shan is appreciative of the love and support for the performing arts from Meadowbrook Elementary School and HSSD. He plans to continue to empower his students and work collaboratively with them to inspire a lifelong love of music.

• February 7 - No School (Staff Professional Development)
• February 12 - The Giving Tree Food Pantry
• February 14 - Coffee with the Superintendent (7:30 a.m. at LaJava)
• February 19-20 - Give BIG for HSEF
• February 25 - Parent/Teacher Conferences
• February 27 - No School (4K Only) | Parent/Teacher Conferences
• February 28 - No School (K-12)

District and School Calendars | Bay Port Athletics Calendar

Hailey Hansen is a second grade student at Meadowbrook who loves to play imaginative games with her friends at recess. Hailey explained that one of their favorite games involves “trying to see if there is magic in the world and finding it.” Lucky for Hailey, she has all the magic in the world right within herself.

Hailey was born with a limb difference at birth, and recently got a new prosthetic arm and hand. She will be traveling to Nashville to speak at a conference about her new prosthetic, which will be attended by people from across the United States. Part of Hailey’s speech thanks her Meadowbrook classmates Layla, Natalie, and McKenna for “...being my best friends and telling me it’s okay to be different.”

When she grows up, Hailey’s career options are endless. “I want to be a surgeon, vet, doctor, a princess, the President, or a teacher,” said Hailey. “It’s hard to pick.” Whatever career path Hailey chooses to venture down, she will most certainly bring a healthy dose of bravery and magic to the job.

Peyton Garcia is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying Finance, Investment, and Banking. He worked at EcoWash, a Midwest-based exterior home maintenance company this past summer as a Division Manager in the Green Bay Area, generating over $100,000 in maintenance project revenue. He is now a Regional Manager overseeing all Minnesota and northern/central Wisconsin markets. Peyton plans to obtain his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation and work as a personal financial planner in the Green Bay area upon graduation.

• Access prior issues of The Compass on our website.
• Nominate a teacher, staff member, student, or alumni to be featured in The Compass.