March 18, 2013 - Neenah Joint School District

NJSD Connection: March 18, 2013
A Communication for NJSD Staff Prepared by
Mary Pfeiffer, District Administrator
NJSD Strategic Focus
1) Foster a Sense of Belonging for All
2) Acquire 21st Century Skills
3) Relentlessly Pursue Improvement
District Administrator's Message
Today is the day after St. Patrick’s Day and only a couple of days before spring. For
the Irish in our District (or those who would like to be), it is my hope that this year is
filled with many rewards. Related to spring coming this week, I thought about our
work and the number of things on our plates. The following quote seems to sum it up
nicely.
It seems necessary to completely shed the old skin
before the new, brighter, stronger,
more beautiful one can emerge…
I never thought I’d be getting a life lesson from a snake.
- Julie Ridge
We have a lot to celebrate in our District and community as is shared in this edition of
the NJSD Connection. Enjoy reading about many great things happening and also
enjoy this week prior to spring break. My hope is that you and your family will find
time to relax and enjoy some down time. As always, have a great week in Neenah!
Five Students from Neenah High School Named Finalists in the 2013 National
Merit Scholarship Competition
At Neenah High School we have the privilege of announcing that five of our students
are Finalists in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically
talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for
approximately 8,200 National Merit Scholarships, worth more than $36 million, that will
be offered in March 2013. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award,
Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the
competition. An estimated 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain
Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit
Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title. NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that
operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to
conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten
by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 500 business organizations and
higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s
scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence. The
students at Neenah High School that have achieved this honor are: Kirk Lancaster,
Emily Peterson, Haley Rafferty, Ethan Weinaug, and Theodore Wiswall. The staff of

the Neenah Joint School District wishes to extend its congratulations to these
students for this remarkable achievement.
Veterans Present Flags at Coolidge
Veterans from Voiture 751 of Winnebago County Society of Forty and Eight visited
the three first grades at Coolidge School to present their Flags for First Graders
program. The veterans talked about flag history and etiquette. Students of Mrs.
Baumler, Mrs. Mielke, and Mrs. Stilp each received a small United States flag at the
conclusion of the presentation.

NHS Girls' Grantmaking Project
The following girls have been selected to serve on the Women's Fund Annual
Grantmaking Project: Courtney Ellisen, Madeline Hibbs-Magruder, Pa Chee Lo, Jenny
Recktenwald, Dallana Toledo, and Claire Young-Moxon. They will meet with other
young women from Menasha and St. Mary Central High Schools for a two-day
leadership training, community education, and grantmaking program. At the end of the
two days of training, they will be empowered to recommend $10,000 in grants to the
program(s) that they think will best meet the needs of girls in the Fox Valley. This will
be a several month long process culminating in the presentation of awards at the
September 2013 Women's Fund Luncheon. What a neat opportunity for these young
women of NHS to be part of!
NHS Finance Bowl Results
Congratulations go out the following NHS teams who participated in the Regional
Finance Bowl competition:
Team 3--2nd place Regionals and Advancing to State
Alex Kissel, Chelsea Golden, Sam Koerner, Austin Foster
Team 2--2nd Place Bracket
Nathaniel Penn, Devon Penn, Lauren Penn, Trevor Nelson
Team 1--2nd Place Bracket
Rylee Moder, Nick Brown, Bridget Blossom, Sara Taake
Students competed with 24 teams from 12 different schools. It is the third year in a
row that Neenah has placed in the top two and advanced to State. It is a continual
tribute to the quality of the Business Finance class and the Business and Information
Technology Department. The advisor is Kristine Labbus.
WSMA District Solo and Ensemble Festival Hosted at NHS on March 2
Neenah High School hosted the Wisconsin School Music Association District Solo &
Ensemble Music Festival on March 2. The day included over 800 performances by
students from Neenah, Menasha, Fond du Lac, and Oshkosh North and West High
Schools. The NHS Music Department was supported by over 125 parent and student
volunteers, organized by Neenah Music Parents and the NHS music staff. NHS was
well represented at the Festival, with over 260 solo and ensemble entries and 105
entries advancing to the State level, to be held at UW-Oshkosh on Saturday, April 27.
NHS Celebrates Read Across America
Neenah High School celebrated its first ever Read Across America Day by devoting an

entire day to literacy! The NHS Literacy Team worked very hard and put in a lot of
outside planning time to make the day a success. Literacy team members included:
Jon Fleming, Matt Smith, Kelly Truettner, Heather Larsen, Mary Shandonay, Sue
McCarthy, Cathy Chancellor, Deb Gauthier, Lynn Heyn, Sharon Krueger, Ann Hatch,
and Reenie Tetzlaff. The team planned for a Literacy Night to coincide with
Parent/Teacher Conferences and the Literacy Day. Literacy exhibits that provided
literacy resources, student work involving literacy, Battle of the Books, a prize
drawing, and treats provided by Mrs. Garbe’s food service class were displayed in the
gymnasium. The Neenah Public Library was also in attendance at the Literacy night.
The day and night were a great success!
Wilson Staff and Students Hold Trivia Challenge
Wilson fourth and fifth grade students competed in a trivia challenge. It was an entire
evening of events that included fast questions, engaging group activities, action
questions, and a short silent movie with a pizza snack. Fun was had by staff and

students!
Clayton Art Show
The art teacher at Clayton, Molly Baker, held an art show to coincide with
parent-teacher conferences and the book fair. There was a great display of artwork
from all of the students, kindergarten through fifth grade, in the hallway to the book
fair. The kids did a great job on their artwork and were really proud to show it off to
their families!

Dr. Seuss/Read Across America Week
Spring Road staff and students recently celebrated a week of activities for Dr.
Seuss/Read Across America Week. Special dress up days were held throughout the
week including "Grab your Hat and Read with a Cat Day", Thing 1 and Thing 2
say,"Reading is our Thing Twin Day," Wacky Wednesday is one of my favorite Dr
Suess stories day, and Reading Gives You Super Power Day. There were mystery
readers each day on the morning announcements and a special slip into reading
activity on Tuesday.