Happy Holiday from the SDMA!

Happy Holidays from the SDMA!
Posted on 12/15/2016

In a recent staff survey, School District of the Menomonie Area teachers, support staff members, and administrators indicated a high level of satisfaction related to feeling safe at work, being personally satisfied with their job, and feeling that their work contributes to the success of the school district. In a comparison with similar schools in Wisconsin, one of the highest marks noted by our staff was a feeling that our community supports education.Thank you to all of the students, parents, community members, and businesses that continue to make our school district a wonderful place to work, live, and raise children! On behalf of everyone in the school district, we wish all of our school district stakeholders Season’s Greetings and a Happy New Year.

As we approach winter break in the school district, there are a few scheduling reminders of which parents and community members should be aware. Schools will not be in session on Friday, December 23, as that is the first day of winter break. Winter break will extend through New Year’s Day, and school in the SDMA (along with several other schools in our region and state) will resume classes on Monday, January 2, 2017. While we hope and expect that students will be in school on the 2nd, parents have the ability to keep children home if the school schedule conflicts with family travel and other activities.

Earlier this week, the school board also approved the school calendar for the 2017-2018 school year, which is now available on the school district website. Much like this year, school will start on September 1, 2017, which is the earliest start date allowed by state law. Next school year is scheduled to end on Wednesday, June 6, a winter break will be held from December 23-January 1, and a spring break that aligns with the break at UW-Stout from March 10-18, 2018, is also included.

Even though both calendar options were quite similar, some stakeholders indicated preference with a calendar with less days off and an ending date of Friday, June 1, 2018.  Before voting on the final decision, some school board members discussed the importance of having more breaks for both the children and adults in the school district, the need for sustained professional development for staff, and concerns related to learning lost over the summer break. Ultimately, the school board approved the calendar option that they felt was best for accomplishing the school district’s mission of preparing ALL students to become lifelong learners, caring individuals, and responsible citizens.

Should school families or community stakeholders have any questions, concerns, or suggestions about the school district calendar, or anything else in our school district, I invite you visit me at the Administrative Service Center on Pine Avenue, or contact me at 715-232-1642. More information about our schools can be found on the school district website (www.sdmaonline.com), and I regularly post school-related information on Twitter (www.twitter.com/sdmaonline) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/menomonie.schools)