Sugar Creek Elementary

This is Sugar Creek's Fall newsletter. Later in January you will receive our Winter newsletter, in April you will receive our Spring newsletter, and then just so you know our Back-to-School newsletter will come out next August. Enjoy!

Anytime you are seeking more information about upcoming news and events, lunch menus, bus information, contact information, or ways to get any other questions answered, please see Sugar Creek's new website at: https://sces.verona.k12.wi.us/

Hoping to mark your calendar for this year's school events? A great place to look for times and dates for many Sugar Creek events is on our PTO page on our website, and then go to 2023-24 Sugar Creek Events calendar. Do keep in mind that on occasion additional events might occur (such as our Math Night, Reading Night,, etc.) so separated messages about those are sent out.

Each month, Sugar Creek has a Community Gathering. To keep the audience smaller and the experience more meaningful, we have one just for Kindergartners, Second and Fourth Graders; and another just for First, Third and Fifth Graders. Topics may include special announcements, school behavioral goals, special performances (like the picture you see above, of an amazingly cute song from Ms. Gandia Perez' and Ms. Weisensel's Kindergartners), special guests, and more.

Families are welcome to attend. These run from 7:30 - 7:50 a.m. on the dates listed below, so you can park and enter the gym with your child (no need to sign into the office as there are lots of staff present to guide and supervise). Students sit by their teachers and families can sit on the bleachers.

The dates are as follows:

K / 2nd / 4th:

Nov. 8, Dec. 13, Jan. 10, Feb. 7, Mar. 13, Apr. 10, May 22.

1st / 3rd / 5th:

Nov. 9, Dec. 14, Jan. 11, Feb. 8, Mar. 14, Apr. 11, May 23.

Please join us for a night all about Math! We will have activities, games, snacks, and information about math learning here at Sugar Creek.

Questions? Contact Kirstin Houghan houghank@verona.k12.wi.us or Lori Martin martinl@verona.k12.wi.us

If any family would like to attend, but needs assistance with transportation to the event, please contact our school social worker, Trista Kaja at kajat@verona.k12.wi.us or 608-352-9401

Have you ever been curious about being a volunteer for a field trip and what that entails? What guidelines are there for birthdays and or special days? Wanted more information about attendance and if your child needs to come to school late or leave early? All this information and more can be found in the VASD Elementary Family Handbook. All elementary schools within VASD use this handbook to ensure that families are receiving the same information and experiences at all of our schools. The Family Handbook can be found on our Sugar Creek Website under Families and Students or by clicking this link. If you have questions about anything you read in our handbook don’t hesitate to reach out to either Mr. Brunner or Ms. Marquardt.

The great American educational reformer, John Dewey, said that children learn through experiences. At Sugar Creek, we try to give our students plenty of hands-on learning experiences, both at school and on field trips!

If you have been a part of our school for a while, you know that a few years ago we stopped charging families for field trips. Instead, we have worked hard to find the money in other places (grants, the Fun Run, our own small school budget, etc.) in order to reduce the costs of education for our families. Meanwhile, the cost of field trips has continued to rise.

Therefore, we are creating the Sugar Creek Elementary Field Trip and Enrichment Fund for donations we receive for field trips or other exciting learning opportunities. If you are someone you know is ever interested in adding to this fund, you may do so by following this link https://www.classmunity.com/vasd/view-fundraiser.php?fundraiser_id=2337 or, scanning/clicking this QR code:

You can gain access to all of your children's information in one spot!

• View grades
• View attendance
• 6-12 grade schedules and assignments
• Summer School sign up!

Sign up at https://vasd.powerschool.com or scan/click the QR code below.

Below is the link to the Sugar Creek PTO newsletter. It's the same link each week, and every week important information, events, and ways families can be involved at school are shared:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Ruo9aznJeNn7BFkkRjWVeaNny1vIuBR-6xuTI8cYgow/edit?usp=sharing

Helping Hands Holiday Gift Opportunity Sign Up / Formulario de Registro para Regalos de Invierno

VASD Social Workers, in collaboration with VASD FFA will once again be providing families with help for the holidays. If you are in need of holiday assistance, please see the flier for more details and click here to sign up. Deadline to apply is Friday, December 1st, 2023. / Los trabajadores sociales de VASD, en colaboración con VASD FFA, están brindando una vez más apoyo a las familias con los regalos festivos. Si necesita apoyo con los regalos, por favor haga clic aquí y llene el formulario. La fecha límite para aplicar es el viernes 1° de diciembre de 2023.

Don't forget, your child is never too old to be read to!

When you read aloud to your child, remember...

• All reading is good reading (books with commercial characters, comics, and nonfiction).
• Find a comfortable space to read together.
• Slow down, it takes time to process what's happening on the page, take time to look closely at pictures before turning the page.
• Ask and answer questions together. Talk about what unknown words or concepts mean.
• Be yourself.
• Don't worry about age or grade level.
• You don't have to finish a book. Don't make reading a chore, sometimes the best thing to do is to stop.

From our two amazing reading teachers, Ms. Hoffman & Ms. Doberstein

Books For Kids is a school wide event funded by PTO & Sugar Creek. Madison Reading Project donates books too! Every student receives free books! Books are offered in English and Spanish. Students will shop for books with their classroom during the event on Thursday, November 16th. Be on the lookout for these books selected by your child! Happy Reading!

Sugar Creek Library News:

Check out these awesome digital library resources for reading and research in English and Spanish at home: Sugar Creek 23-24 Library Databases and Passwords If you have any questions or need help accessing these resources, please feel free to email Sugar Creek's librarian, Ms. Vitela: vitelaj@verona.k12.wi.us

There is a 4th and 5th Grade optional activity at Sugar Creek called Battle of the Books. It's super! Please read all about it here: Battle of the Books Family Information Letter

We continue to address digital citizenship in our classrooms as it grounds us in our belief in teaching the whole child. Keeping our kids safe and happy, both offline and online, is so important! Last month your child learned about Relationships and Communication online using the Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship Curriculum.

In October your student will learned about Media Balance and Well Being (K, 1, 3) or Relationships and Communication (2, 4, 5) As a family, you can continue the conversation at home using these Family Activities (4-5) (Spanish), Kindergarten-2 (Spanish), and Grade 3 (Spanish) activities.

In November, your student will learn about Media Balance and Well-Being. The lessons and student work will be in Seesaw. As a family, you can continue the conversation at home using these Tips for Families and these Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3-5 activities. If you have any questions or are looking for additional resources, please reach out.

Thank you!

Melissa Ruder (Educational Technology Coach)

ruderm@verona.k12.wi.us

Bully Prevention Resources

Kindergarten - English, Spanish

1st Grade - English, Spanish

2nd Grade - English, Spanish

3rd Grade - English, Spanish

4th Grade - English, Spanish

5th Grade - English, Spanish

Emily Valdivia (right side of the above photo)

Bilingual School Counselor: Supporting TWI K-5 & ALL 4th grade classes.

Email: valdivie@verona.k12.wi.us Phone: (608) 845-4132 (hablo español)

A little bit about me: In my free time I enjoy DIY projects, reading, and adventuring with my husband and three children. I am looking forward to another great year of supporting your scholars in reaching their goals, managing their emotions, and applying interpersonal skills. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Jenny Waisbrot (left side of the above photo)

School Counselor: Supporting monolingual K-3, & 5th grade classes.

Email: waisbroj@verona.k12.wi.us Phone: (608) 845-4130 A little bit about me: I've worked in the VASD in many different roles for the past 7 years and spent the last two years in DeForest as an Elementary School Counselor. I'm starting my 5th season coaching VAHS Girls' Basketball and 6th season coaching Girls' Track and Field at Verona Area High School . In my spare time I love watching my kids play sports, being creative and just relaxing with my family. I'm very excited to be a part of the Sugar Creek family. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns!

Your Child Is Ill?

If your child is ill, please email sc-attendance@verona.k12.wi.us or call the Sugar Creek office to report their illness. If you take your child to the doctor, please provide us with a medical note.

Is Your Child Well Enough To Be At School?

Please review this document.

Medication at School

Does your child need to take medication at school? If so, please make sure to review the Verona Area School District’s medication policy. Please complete the Parent Medication Consent Form, and provide the form and medication bottle to the Health Office. This includes any over-the-counter medications:

• VASD Medication Policy and Procedure

• Parent Medication Consent Form English / Español

• Prescriber Form for Prescription Medication

Upcoming FREE Dental Care Treatment available at Sugar Creek- REGISTER NOW!

New this school year, Verona Area School District is partnering with Verona Smiles to provide free dental services (x-rays, dental exams, and treatment) to eligible students at school! If you have not registered your student for Verona Smiles this school year, you still can by completing this Google Form: Verona Smiles enrollment.

Register for Low or No Cost Preventive Dental Care at Sugar Creek!
Verona Area School District continues to partner with Bridging Brighter Smiles to provide preventative dental care at school. Registration remains active for 2-3 years. If you have not registered or re-registered recently on the Bridging Brighter Smiles website, your student may no longer be registered. You can still register or re-register your student to receive preventative dental care for this school year here: Bridging Brighter Smiles enrollment. If you have questions about the program or your student’s enrollment status, contact Bridging Brighter Smiles at wecare@bbsmiles.org.

Sugar Creek Health Office Presentations

Health Office presentations are underway in Kindergarten and 1st grades. Be sure to ask your Kindergarten and 1st grade students about how to listen to their bodies, and ways to problem solve their symptoms.

Fifth grade Human Growth and Development just ended and 2nd grade Winter Safety presentations will start up next week.

Concerned about your child’s hearing or vision?

Please email the School Nurse at borellik@verona.k12.wi.us, inform their teacher, or stop by the Sugar Creek office.

Looking for information about students taking medication at school, the latest illness guidance, or requesting dietary accommodations? Check out the updated Verona Area School District Health Services website: VASD Health Services.

Kelly Borelli, School Nurse

Cell Phone: (608)-354-1102

Health Office: (608)-845-4115

Email: borellik@verona.k12.wi.us

Heather Strang, Health Assistant

Health Office: (608)-845-4115

Email: strangh@verona.k12.wi.us

The past two years, all VASD schools have had a School Based Leadership Team. Ours is a super group of dedicated staff, including: Alexis Nass, Melissa Ruder, Nicole Real, Kirstin Houghan, McCaley Laube, Kaite Mohr, Linda Weaver, Justin Beirowski, Chris Westberg, Jen Maier, Ellen Hilger, Todd Brunner, Laura Marquardt, and Jackie Vitela.

We meet several times a month to develop and focus our school’s progress with our Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP), including supporting two key VASD goals of collaboration and disciplinary literacy. Sugar Creek has developed a monthly professional development plan to support staff around reaching these goals and continued learning. Our team focuses our efforts on how to best support our incredible teachers and their important work at their weekly Professional Learning Community meetings on late start Mondays. Additionally, our team assesses our work quarterly to determine our progress and next steps.

November 3 was VASD Professional Development Day, and for Sugar Creek staff it was incredibly powerful. In the morning, VASD staff all attended sessions at the high school, some of which were led by our own gifted staff including: Nicole Real, Kaite Mohr, Melissa Ruder, Kirstin Houghan, Kelly Borelli, and Lori Martin. Above is a picture of Ms. Mohr (standing on the left) leading classroom teachers, administrators and interventionists on how to use the latest in the science of reading to improve the way we teach students to read in VASD.

In the afternoon, our staff gathered for several hours of school-based professional development on ensuring our classrooms are meeting the academic needs of ALL, using student data to set goals, and creating strategies to address student learning needs, especially in English and Spanish literacy (and...we enjoyed some great snacks!)

On occasion, both Mr. Brunner and Ms. Marquardt are needed at district events and meetings during the school day. One of the leadership opportunities our school has long provided is for a teacher to become, after a period of training and support, a "Principal Designee" who then fills in for us at Sugar Creek in such situations.

For years, three amazing and gifted teacher leaders have been our Principal Designees: Ms. Laube, Mr. Westberg, and Ms. Castellanos. We thank them for all they do for our students and staff.

If you have been a part of Sugar Creek for very long, you have seen prior messages from me about staff retention. That's because, while we ensure that we hire very well here, even more importantly: we do our best to create a work environment where staff are treated well, listened to, respected, can grow as professionals, and feel safe and supported so they want to stay. How's this all going? Let them tell you:

*From a custodian: "I think ... the teachers here at Sugar Creek seem to be a nice, tight group and always helping the kids with whatever they need."

*From a cook: "I like everything. Love my job. Love the kids."

*From an educational assistant: "Leadership at the school and everyone else are very supportive.... We get to connect with kids, connect with staff, I feel very fortunate for that and for the people in this school. This creates a great environment for the adults which is then good for the kids."

*From a special education assistant: "We have a good team here...I also like that here we have open doors - whatever I need I can ask anyone. I like that people are looking out for each other and help, even if it's not part of their job."

Did you know: In the 2019 school year, Wisconsin served nearly 55,000 Multilingual Learners in K-12 schools; presently at Sugar Creek the number is well over 135. There are over 140 identified languages
spoken by Wisconsin students, with Sugar Creek students speaking about 12 languages other than English. This number includes languages from Asia, Africa, Europe, Central. and South America.

The Wisconsin Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages [WITESOL] annual state-wide Saturday conference, designed to support schools in doing their very best for Multilingual Learners and their families, was recently held at Verona Area High School. Some of our dedicated Sugar Creek teachers who attended this excellent conference were: Nicole Real, Geraldin Rivera, and Diana Castellanos.

Did you know: Sugar Creek has a super attendance rate! For the first 43 school days, our attendance rate has been a remarkable 95.79%. We carefully and diligently watch student attendance because attendance is important, and building attendance habits early can help students throughout their lives.

Did You Know?

• Missing 10%, or more than two days a month, can impact a child’s learning and establish poor attendance habits that are hard to break.

• Students can still fall behind if they miss 1-2 days every few weeks.

• Missing school can impact your child’s ability to create and maintain positive relationships with peers and staff.

• Absences and tardies can affect the entire classroom due to the teacher needing to slow down teaching to ensure the missing student is caught up.

• Parents are allowed to excuse only 10 days of school in a school year; any additional absence will be counted as unexcused.

How Can You Help?

• Connect with your school’s Student Services Team (Social Worker, Counselor, Psychologist, Nurse) if your child is feeling anxious about school.

• Establish a bedtime and morning routine. Lay out backpacks, lunches, clothing the night before. Ensure all electronics are turned off and put away during bedtime.

• Develop backup plans for getting to school if something happens (missed bus, etc.). Call on a family member, a neighbor, or even another parent.

• Do your best to schedule medical appointments and vacations for when school is not in session.

We are in our second year of the Reading Corps. program at Sugar Creek. The goal of this program is for K-3 students to become successful readers. We are fortunate to have two wonderful tutors at Sugar Creek. Since the start of the year, our tutors have tutored for 12,580 minutes, and held 629 tutoring sessions combined. We are grateful for the wonderful work of our tutors, Emma and Adam, and for the continued support of the program from our Sugar Creek Staff and Families.

Sugar Creek has two Reading Corps tutor positions, one of which will become vacant around Winter Break. Maybe you or someone you know might be interested in applying for this job? See here for more information, or email Ms. Kaite Mohr at mohrk@verona.k12.wi.us

On the Monday morning before the Fun Run, Ms. Cady's and Ms. Muench's classes earned Breakfast with the Principal based on the percentage of students registered to participate in the Fun Run. It was a great start to the day! A big shout-out to Mandy Auger, and Sarah and Mark Wirtz for organizing the celebration.

There were cheers and "thank yous!" at the First Student Bus depot in Verona at 6:15 am on a recent morning, when Sugar Creek staff dropped off dozens of pastries from Miller's Grocery. It was our way of showing appreciation for their dedication to Sugar Creek and our students!

The safety of every student and staff member, all day and in all ways, is our top priority at Sugar Creek. We recently hosted a visit from Verona Fire Department Battalion Chief Rebecca McCright (posing above by one of our fire extinguishers).

Chief McCright reviewed our fire evacuation procedures; our fire drill procedures; checked over our internal systems including fire doors, alarm system and a key system accessible to the fire department; did a walk-through of our school with us; and we discussed other important topics. We all were very glad we met and had this time together, and we thank Chief McCright for her visit!

"Old Sugar Creek," as we here all refer to our prior school (which three years ago became a new housing/retail development just west of Miller's Grocery Store), used to have some big, beautiful trees. Since relocating to this site in 2020, we have purchased and installed over 30 hardy trees (see picture) of a variety of styles, so that one day students here can enjoy the shade and beauty of large trees.

A big shout out to VASD Building and Grounds supervisor Brian Miller and K & A Greenhouse for helping support our plans!

Recently, "Grandma J" stopped by Sugar Creek to visit us, and say hi to her great grandchildren, pictured above. Years ago, Grandma J was a bus driver for Sugar Creek, and I can tell you: those kids were VERY lucky to Grandma J in their lives. She adored and looked out for every student who rode her bus.

When Grandma J was wrapping up her visit, she said, "What an amazing place. I could feel the love for others you all have the moment I walked into this school."

Sugar Creek is always looking for ways to support after school activities and opportunities for our students. One such activity is the season's Girls on The Run team and its coaches, Jonathan Jenkins and Kirstin Houghan. Two Sugar Creek parents, Nancy O'Brien and Julie Griessmeyer, helped coach this season as well. Pictured are many members of the present team, who on November 4 ran their big event: a 5K race! Way to go girls, and a big thank you to our fantastic coaches and staff like them at our school who find ways to support and lead students outside of the classroom!

Teachers are frequently sharing with you our PTO's newsletter, which is a great source of information. Anyone is invited to the monthly PTO meetings, where at each meeting "School Topics" are on the agenda. One of our principals is always there to answer questions, and in addition school staff come to present on topics, such as Math instruction, Reading instruction, PBIS, Food Service, our Two Way Immersion program, school and district budget and staffing information, and more. The next meeting is Monday, November 13, at 6:30 in our Large Group Instruction room (across from the offices.)