1. Art and Diseño

CLASSICAL COLUMNS
Classical School – Appleton, Wisconsin
Building a Just and Excellent Educational Foundation
January 29, 2015
Notes from the Dean~
Thoughts on the Badger Exam
Dear Classical Families,
You may have heard about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) over the
past few months. And if your primary source of information about the CCSS has
been the news, you’ve probably heard conflicting stories about what the CCSS are,
what they’ll do, and how they’ll affect schools and students. All this discordant
information has been confusing, but by now we at Classical have sifted through the
details, and we’re starting to get a better picture of what CCSS will mean for our
students.
The new state-mandated student assessment, the Badger Exam, is the most significant change for
Classical School coming with the CCSS. (The Badger Exam is Wisconsin’s version of the Smarter
Balanced Test created by the Smarter Balanced Consortium.) To put it simply, Badger is a different
type of test from its predecessor, the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam (WKCE), and on the
next page in the Notes from the Board, you will read about some of these differences and why the
Badger Exam is not a preferred method of assessment at Classical School.
My purpose is to introduce the Notes from the Board article on the next page, which outlines the
change to the Badger exam; I urge you to read it. I also want to assure you that the mission for
education at Classical School has not and will not change. Regardless of current and future state- or
federally-mandated student assessments, who we are and what we believe will not change. Badger
testing will not change our curriculum—our second graders will still learn about Greek mythology, our
fifth graders will still memorize Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, our seventh and eighth graders will still
practice logic, and all our students will keep learning Spanish. Badger testing won’t change our
students’ progression through the schools of Grammar and Logic—our students will still receive the
content-focused instruction that prepares them to handle tough critical thinking challenges throughout
their lives. And Badger testing won’t change our educational mission and philosophy—every
educational minute will continue to matter, and we’ll remain devoted to excellence, cultural literacy,
and civic virtue.
I’ll be honest, though: Badger will take up a lot of time--much more than the WKCE--and we may need
to sacrifice some academic content. We may have to shorten a unit here or condense a unit there.
While the Badger exam may force us to change some of our operations, it won’t change us. Classical
School graduates are critical thinkers, coherent writers, confident speakers, thoughtful leaders, and
responsible, compassionate, and virtuous citizens—and, insofar as we’re in the business of helping
them grow to earn all those titles, it’s business as usual.
Notes from the CCSA Board…
Badger Exam
In the midst of continuous shifts in educational policy and practices in our nation, Classical School continues to
stand firmly behind our educational program. We believe our curriculum, teaching methods, and civic virtue
training provide a solid foundation for future learning. As a public charter school, we are required to participate in
all state and/or federally mandated standardized tests. Classical School’s success on these tests has
demonstrated the success of our program.
Up until this year, the state mandated test was the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam (WKCE) for
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3 - 8 grade students. Classical students scored well on this paper/pencil exam. In fact, since the state
introduced the school report cards three years ago, our school has achieved the highest level: Significantly
Exceeds Expectations.
This year, Classical School has been asked to administer the Badger Exam. The Badger Exam is Wisconsin’s
version of Smarter Balanced, one of the federally mandated tests for states who have adopted the Common Core
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Standards. The Badger Exam will be administered to all 3 through 8 graders in April and May in the state of
Wisconsin in the areas of English Language Arts and math. Both WKCE and Badger are exams administered
distinctly for holding schools, and presumably teachers, accountable.
The CCSA Board has determined that the sharpest tool available for the assessment of student growth over time
and the efficacy of our educational program is the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) test. The CCSA Board
prefers tests that measure student growth over time because they provide teachers, school administration, and
parents with the most accurate picture of each student’s academic progress. Typically, we administer this test in
the spring to get a snapshot of individual growth during the past academic year.
The Badger Exam will take a longer time to administer than the WKCE; we estimate the test will take between 10-12
hours (maybe more) of class time. As we have a contractual obligation to AASD and a philosophical commitment to
our parents to complete our educational program, the CCSA Board has made the determination that we cannot
administer both Badger and MAP. Therefore, we will not be administering MAP this spring. Simply put, we
champion the idea that every educational minute matters. Teachers will be working hard to plan for this
interruption and minimize the impact to our educational program.
In addition to the class time required to administer the test, the Badger exam will also require some preparation
time. From an academic standpoint, we are confident that our rigorous classical program prepares students for the
content of Badger, as it did for the WKCE. But unlike WKCE, it is not a paper/ pencil test. The Badger Exam will be
taken on the computer and will require students to have, at a minimum, some navigational knowledge such as: use
of word processing tools, click & drag methods, typing text into fields, drag & drop, etc. We will update you within
the next couple of weeks to outline our plan for student test preparation.
The CCSA Board is committed to zealously advocating at the local and state level for the “right” to choose the
assessment tool that most accurately measures student growth and provides the best insight into the strengths
and weaknesses of our educational program. This statement is not meant to be provocative or political. We are
and will continue to be pro-classical education and have a strong desire to remain competitive in this ever-changing
educational marketplace.
We will provide more detailed information about the Badger Exam in the February edition of the Classical Columns.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Board if you have immediate questions about the exam or concerns about our
decision. Your opinion matters and will be thoughtfully considered as we contemplate next steps.
Please continue to check the website for news and information about our efforts to establish a School of Rhetoric.
Feel free to contact CCSA Board President, Anne Tretinyak, with questions and concerns [email protected] or
651-485-4804.
Up and Coming…
Rockin‟ „50s and „60s School Dance Tonight!
Please come and join us for this family fun night! Come dressed
to dance to „50s and „60s music, eat popcorn, and join in other
exciting activities. See you Friday, January 30th from 6:007:30pm for the Classical School Family Dance!
School Of Rhetoric Expansion Meeting
The SOR Expansion Committee will discuss the next steps in the expansion process on
Monday, February 2, at 6:30 pm, in Room 124 at Classical School. Everyone is welcome-Please come and hear what is happening!
The SOR Expansion Committee is also actively seeking volunteers interested in assisting
with curriculum determination and with development to help meet the financial needs of
the School of Rhetoric. Please contact Anne Tretinyak at [email protected] or 651485-4804 if you are able to assist in the expansion process.
Classical School Science Night
Classical School‟s Science Night will be held on Tuesday, February
24th, 2015 from 6:30 to 7:30pm in the Forum. The middle school
students will be presenting science project displays. Local scientists
from the community, along with parents from our school who have a
background in science, will be judging the displays and determining
awards.
Due to the nature of the planning, hard work, and perhaps some breakable or valuable
displays, children of all ages through sixth grade must remain with their parents for
this event. It will be an educational evening for all, so come and view scientific
principles in action, and show your support for the students who will be presenting their
experiments!
February Book It! Forms (K-6th graders)
Please do not forget to print the February Book It! form from the Classical School
website if you are interested in participating in this program.
Up and Coming…
Planning Ahead for Valentine‟s Day
Each classroom has its own practices for days that are celebrated.
If your child‟s classroom is participating in a Valentine‟s Day celebration,
we ask parents to observe the following requests:
 Please be sure to include a card for each student in the classroom to avoid hurt
feelings.
 Students may include one small, inexpensive treat or prize per Valentine card
such as a pencil, small set of stickers, or a small candy treat.
Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences
Spring Conferences will be held on Tuesday, March 3rd, Thursday, March 5th, and
Monday, March 9th. K-6th grade parents will receive reminders
indicating the evening you selected for your spring conference.
Parents of middle school students will be mailed a conference
night preference letter the week of February 9th. Please
indicate your preference and return this form to your student‟s
homeroom teacher by February 20th.
*Please see the conference schedule for the Spanish, music, art, phy ed teachers, and
support staff posted at the end of this newsletter.
Knowledge-A-Thon (KAT)
Kick off day is March 20th!
Classical School will soon begin its major fundraiser for the year known
as Knowledge-A-Thon (KAT). Classical School‟s Knowledge-A-Thon is
designed to be a low cost/high profit fundraiser with all of the
proceeds going towards our school‟s needs.
Please see the $$Fundraising$$ section of this newsletter for the
opportunity to advertise your business and support our school in the KAT question
booklet viewed by over 300 Classical families!
Summer School Registration
Classical School Summer School registration will take place on
March 11th from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. in the middle school wing.
Summer School 2015 runs from June 15th-26th & July 6th- 17th.
Watch for class descriptions and registration forms coming home
soon in the Pegasus Flyers!
NEWSWORTHY ODDS AND ENDS…
How Can You Keep up with Classical School Expansion Plans?
Subscribe to the Classical School Website “Latest News”
Subscribing to the Latest News on the Classical School Website will help you keep up with
what‟s happening at Classical School and with the School of Rhetoric Expansion process. After
you complete the subscription process, you will receive an email each time the Latest News is
updated.
The process to subscribe is simple:
Step 1:
Step 3:
On the Classical School website homepage,
scroll down until you can see the bottom of the
Latest News section and click on
“Go To News & Media Page”
A pop-up window will open;
confirm the text in the provided box.
Step 2:
Step 4:
Near the top of the News & Media page,
enter your email address in the subscribe field and
click the “Subscribe” button.
You will receive an email at the
address you entered in Step 2.
Click on the link in the email to confirm
your subscription. A browser tab will
open confirming your email subscription.
NEWSWORTHY ODDS AND ENDS…
From the Desk of Ms. Kemps, School Secretary…
CHANGE OF ADDRESS/EMERGENCY INFORMATION
It is essential that we have current home and emergency information for students.
With the new student information system, Infinite Campus, each parent/guardian
was supplied with a unique activation key to create a username and password. This
enables parents/guardians to log on to Infinite Campus to add all emergency contact
information and make any address and telephone changes. Please keep this
information up-to-date.
If you don‟t have computer access, please send any changes to the school office.
This helps to facilitate quick contact with families in case of illness, accident, or
other emergencies. Also, if there is some confidential information regarding your
child that the office should be made aware of, please let us know as soon as
possible. It is for the safety of your child that the school be kept informed.
From the Desk of Mrs. Olson, School Nurse…
Healthy Sleep
Like eating well and being physically active, getting a good night‟s sleep is vital to the
well-being of students and staff. A number of vital tasks carried out during sleep
help maintain good health and enable people to function at their best. Not getting
enough sleep can be dangerous and contribute to poor health.
Most adults need 7-8 hours of sleep each night. School-aged children and teens
need at least 9 hours of sleep a night. Both the amount and quality of sleep affect how well people learn
and remember as well as perform tasks like problem-solving and staying focused. Insufficient sleep
causes people to be irritable and adversely affects behavior. Poor quality sleep on a regular basis
increases the risk of having high blood pressure, heart disease, and other medical conditions.
GETTING A GOOD NIGHT‟S SLEEP:
 Stick to a regular sleep schedule.
 Exercise is great but not too late in the day.
 Avoid caffeine and nicotine which are stimulants.
 Avoid large meals and beverages late at night.
 Don‟t take naps after 3 p.m.
 Relax before bed by listening to relaxing music or by reading something soothing.
 Take a hot bath before bed.
 Turn off the TV, computer, and video games an hour before bed.
 Have a good sleeping environment (quiet, dark, and cool).
 Have the right sunlight exposure.
 Don‟t lie in bed awake.
 See a doctor if you have difficulty sleeping.
NEWSWORTHY ODDS AND ENDS…
New Classical Staff
Classical School welcomes Ted Tyvol and Mallory DePetro to our
staff! Mr. Tyvol is joining our paraprofessional staff and will be
assisting in the afternoon with lunch & recess duties and afterschool pick-up. He works at Ferber in the morning. Officer
DePetro, our new Police Liaison Officer (PLO), will be at Classical
School on Wednesdays. She also serves Einstein Middle School,
Fox Valley Lutheran and Celebration Lutheran 4K.
Sibling Enrollment—Don‟t Forget!
If you have children who are siblings of current K-7
students who you wish to enroll at Classical next year,
please note that an application must be filled out for
those students. Priority will be given in the lottery
drawing to siblings for enrollment placement or waiting
list order.
The enrollment period at Classical School for the 20152016 school year ends February 15, 2015. Applications received after February 15th will be
accepted in the order in which they are received.
Clubs & Activities…
“We Are Classical” Club
(4th-8th Graders)
“We Are Classical” is a club designed to help
provide support to our new students and assist
them in their transition to making connections
with their peers. The club is open to students in
grades 4-8. Meetings and activities are held once
a month after school. Classical staff members
Mrs. Herron and Señora Cihlar supervise the
club‟s activities.
In January, members of the
“We Are Classical” club got creative with duct tape! Students used duct tape to decorate
recycled containers and vases. Many of them plan on giving their projects as gifts or using them
to organize otherwise cluttered areas at home. Check out these awesome creations!
Clubs & Activities Continued…
Salsa Club
(5th-8th Graders)
Salsa Club will be starting up Wednesdays, February 25th-May 13th!
Interested fifth through eighth graders will learn to dance great salsa
routines. We will meet from 3:00-4:00 in the music room. Come join the fun!
Forensics
(5th-8th graders)
The practice meet for forensics took place at Classical School on Saturday,
January 24th. The Classical forensics students use this practice session to
ensure that they know what to do at the regional and state meets.
The practice meet is a great way for the forensics students to perform their
pieces without the fear of being graded low and not being invited to the Level
II meet. Instead, students are given a chance to see what they might need
to work on and fix before the actual Level I meet held at Classical School
this Saturday, January 31st.
Poster Contest Opportunity
(1st-6th graders)
If your child is interested in
submitting an entry, you can find this
flyer along with contest guidelines and
entry info in the mail slots outside the
school office.
Entries need to be postmarked by
February 23rd.
Music/Art/Drama Scholarships
(K-8th Graders)
Need help paying for music/art lessons for your child?
The Les & Dar Stumpf Arts Scholarship supports students
desiring to participate in lessons/ensembles/classes. Scholarship
info can be found in the mail slots outside the school office.
Applications are due April 4th by 4:00 pm.
Volunteer Appreciation…
Thank you to the many volunteers who give their time to Classical!
A special thank you is extended to Jill Delfosse, Tom Lemerande,
Lisa Jermain, Sarah Gerrits, Nancy Leschke, June Ding, and Wendi
Kohler for providing our staff with treats for our January Staff
Meeting. We really appreciate your efforts--Your special touches and
variety does not go unnoticed!
Thank you, Cindy Nelson-Singh, for all the work you are doing to
coordinate our Rockin‟ „50‟s and „60‟s Dance! This is Cindy‟s first year
coordinating our dance and she is doing an awesome job. Thank you,
parents and middle school students, for volunteering to help.
Thank you, Mrs. Campshure, for volunteering to moderate our Classical
School Spelling Bee! You did an excellent job preparing for and delivering
those challenging words! Thank you Mr. Lind & Mrs. Foley for
volunteering to be our Spelling Bee judges!
Thank you, Vivian, for photographing our Spelling Bee winners for our
Classical Columns and the yearbook!
Thank you, Classical teachers, for accommodating the many classroom observations and
tours for prospective Classical families during this busy
application window!
Thank you to Mrs. Crownhart, Mrs. VanRyzin & forensics
parents for all of your prep work and help in making our January 24 practice meet and
Saturday‟s Level I meet a success!
Musical Notes…
Mrs. Casey
K-6 General Music & 4-6th grade Orchestra
K-3rd Grade ~ Winter Choir Concert Reminder: Thursday, February 5th at 6:00pm, Forum

K-3 grade students should arrive to the forum by 5:45 PM to line up with their class.

Students should dress nicely to show pride in presenting their music to the community! School dress code
will be enforced.
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Boys: khakis/dress pants, button-down/polo shirt, dress shoes (if possible)
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Girls: skirt/dress/dress pants, nice shirt/blouse without words, dress shoes (if possible)
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The concert will start at 6:00pm and be under an hour. Please stay for the entirety.

The K-3 grade dress rehearsal will be Wednesday, February 4 from 1:00-2:45pm in the forum. (Concert
attire is not required for the dress rehearsal.)

This is our largest music assessment of the year and our chance to showcase to parents what we have
worked hard on in music class. Attendance is required and many of the students have special parts. Please
notify two weeks in advance of any non-illness absences. Contact Mrs. Casey:
[email protected]
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4th-6th Grade Strings
Important Dates:
 Solo & Ensemble Festivals (optional for Gr. 6-8)
o Thursday, Feb 19 5:00-8:00 PM, ¡PASTA! at and with Einstein
Middle School: solo performance practice night for students
participating in the festivals
o Saturday, Feb 28–Vocal/Piano–entries must be submitted by Friday, Jan 30
o Saturday, March 7–Instrumental–entries must be submitted by Friday, Feb 6
o Festival days will be held at East High School, students who are not performing are
still allowed and encouraged to come and support others
 Strings Festival at the PAC (5th-8th grade)
o Tuesday, April 14 at 7:00pm
ALL Strings Students and Families: THANK YOU for a great concert Thursday, Dec 11th.
I am very proud of the performance and hope you are too.  Our next Classical School strings concert will be
on Tuesday, May 19 at 7:00 PM. Please keep in mind how the practicing pays off as we start another concert cycle
and practice log cycle for second semester. Thanks for your support.
Ms. Olson
8th Grade Orchestra
Thank you for supporting your musician and attending our December concert. I was so proud of the students!
There were some very challenging passages in our pieces, and it all came together nicely. Now we are moving on
to our All City Strings Festival pieces—Farandole and English Folk Song. This concert is on Tuesday, April 14 at
7:00pm at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. More information about this concert will be coming home in the
future.
Physical Education Moves…
Mrs. Jadin
Kindergarten-6th Grade
K-2 is practicing tracking and catching and 3-6 is working on a
volleyball-related skills and net game tactics unit. Any extra practice
you can do with your child at home will make a huge difference, even
if it is only for 5 minutes!
We are hoping the weather is as nice to us as it was in January so the
students can go out to get some exercise at recess, but if this is not
the case, please help your child get active at home. We have learned
many different quick exercises they can do at home with no
equipment and minimal space, so please encourage them to get
some activity time in!
Core Virtue Focus – Courage
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
~Winston Churchill
Mr. Gilbert
7th and 8th Grade
We are just completing our Weight Training and Fitness Unit. The students
learned about exercise, lifting weights using proper technique, and learning the
muscles that are being used.
Our next unit will be Basketball and Floor Hockey. The
students will learn the skills, play lead-up games, and then
the regular games. Students will receive a study guide and
have a quiz at the end of the unit.
$$$ FUNDRAI$ING CORNER $$$
Knowledge-A-Thon (KAT)
Coming April 24th!
Classical School will soon begin its major fundraiser for the year known as Knowledge-a-thon
(KAT). Classical School‟s Knowledge-a-thon is designed to be a low cost/high profit fundraiser
with all of the proceeds going towards our school‟s needs. Kick off day is March 20th.
Students in each grade will be given a set of 100 questions after the KAT kickoff. The
questions are centered on our rich Core Knowledge curriculum and provide students with a
chance to solidify their learning and earn donations for studying their grade leveled questions.
Many fun activities will be planned during KAT week to help students study their KAT
questions.
To start…
We would love to showcase your business or your employer‟s business in our
Knowledge-A-Thon question booklet!
What? We will post your business card in the KAT booklet for only $25.
Why? 475 booklets (+/-) will be viewed during March & April by over 300
Classical families! This is wonderful exposure for your business and a great way
to support Classical School.
Thank you for considering!
When?
Submissions are due March 1st
How? Simply send in your business card and a check in an envelope to school
labeled “Linda Kemps (KAT).”
Please write check out to Classical School with KAT on memo line.
We would also be very grateful for the following contributions:

Matching Contributions from your employer

Donations of gift certificates, coupons or other useful prize items

$5-$10 gift cards for the KAT lottery activity
(Suggestions: Target, Walmart, Cousins, Subway, Paradise Island, Dairy Queen, Culvers, etc.)
We will be in need of many volunteers during KAT week!
Please consider being part of the KAT committee or helping out with one of the
events. More details to follow soon…
Important Attachments:
Classical School
2014-15 Spring Parent-Teacher
Special Conference Schedules
If, in addition to conferencing with your child’s homeroom teacher, you are also interested in speaking with your child’s
Art, Music, Spanish, or Physical Education teacher, please note the schedules below. Please feel free to stop by and see
these teachers during their scheduled conference times or make an appointment as indicated.
Art and Music Teachers
Ms. Melissa Casey:
Ms. Anastassia Leavitt
Ms. Angela Olson
Ms. Jaclyn Kottman
Mr. Eli Grover:
Ms. Jennifer Eastman:
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Kindergarten-6 Grade General Music
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Tuesday, March 3
Thursday, March 5th
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Monday, March 9
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4 -6 Grade Orchestra
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Tuesday, March 3
Thursday, March 5th
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Monday, March 9
4:00-6:15pm
4:00-6:15pm
4:00-6:15pm
L26
L26
L26
4:00-6:15pm
4:00-6:15pm
4:00-6:15pm
L26
L26
L26
4:00-5:00pm
Forum
4:00-4:40pm
Forum
4:00-5:30pm
4:00-5:00pm
Forum
4:00-4:30pm
4:00-615pm
Forum
Forum
4:00-5:15pm
4:00-5:15pm
4:00-5:15pm
L16
L16
L16
5:15-6:15pm
5:15-6:15pm
5:15-6:15pm
Forum
Forum
Forum
4:00-5:30pm
4:00-5:30pm
4:00-5:30pm
Forum
Forum
Forum
5:30-6:15pm
5:30-6:15pm
5:30-6:15pm
Forum
Forum
Forum
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7 Grade Orchestra
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Tuesday, March 3
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8 Grade Orchestra
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Tuesday, March 3
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7 & 8 Grade Chorus
Tuesday, March 3rd
Thursday, March 5th
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6-8 Grade Band Conferences
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Thursday, March 5
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Monday, March 9
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K-6 Grade Art/Art History Conferences
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Tuesday, March 3
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Thursday, March 5
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Monday, March 9
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7/8 Grade Fine Arts Conferences
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Tuesday, March 3
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Thursday, March 5
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Monday, March 9
Spanish Teachers
Ms. Sara Lariviere:
2-5th Grade Spanish Conferences
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Tuesday, March 3
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Thursday, March 5
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Monday, March 9
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7 Grade Spanish Conferences
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Tuesday, March 3
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Thursday, March 5
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Monday, March 9
Ms. Anna Cihlar:
Ms. Leah Zwiers
Ms. Norma Meidl:
K-1 Grade Spanish Conferences
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Tuesday, March 3
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Monday, March 9
4:10-5:30pm
4:15-5:30pm
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7th Grade Spanish Conferences
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Tuesday, March 3
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Monday, March 9
5:30-6:15
5:30-6:15
Forum
Forum
4:00-5:15pm
4:00-5:15pm
4:00-5:15pm
Forum
Forum
Forum
4:00-5:00pm
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6 & 8 Grade Spanish Conferences
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Tuesday, March 3
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Thursday, March 5
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Monday, March 9
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6 Grade Spanish Conferences
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Tuesday, March 3
Physical Education Teachers
Ms. Katie Jadin
Mr. Mick Gilbert:
Elementary Physical Education Conferences
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Tuesday, March 3
4:00-6:15pm
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Thursday, March 5
4:00-6:15pm
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105
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7/8 Grade Physical Education Conferences
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Tuesday, March 3
4:00-6:15pm
Forum
Other Staff Members
Ms. Elizabeth Pellinger
EEN Teacher
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Tuesday, March 3
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Thursday, March 5
Ms. Jean Herron:
Guidance Counselor
By Appointment
Ms. Jenny Fahrney:
Social Worker
By Appointment
Ms. Raeanne Albertson:
Speech and Language
By Appointment
Ms. Debbie Olson:
Nurse
By Appointment
Ms. Sue Davis
Psychologist
By Appointment
4:00-6:15pm
4:00-5:40pm
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