September 2022 Staff Newsletter

What's the buzz at MCPASD

September 2022

A Message from Superintendent, Dr. Dana Monogue

Dear Staff:

I hope the first weeks of the school year have been full of joy and the promise of a great school year ahead. Thank you for everything you have done to ready our buildings and make the start of the year so positive for our students and their families. I want to thank and recognize our building and district leaders for the thought and energy they put into the schedules and agendas for the first few days back before our students arrived. I have heard from many that the right balance between structured and unstructured time was achieved and that people had a lot of fun returning to their respective buildings!

Let's continue to rely on each other and lean into what's possible. I am hopeful and optimistic about 2022-2023!

With great fondness and appreciation,

Dr. Dana E. Monogue, Superintendent

Welcome Back to School!

Thank you for being you! Our amazing staff makes MCPASD a safe and fun place to learn. You are greatly appreciated!

Articles

Welcome to our new educators!

Our District believes in setting up our staff for success, which is why we welcomed nearly 100 new educators to our New Teacher Induction event. This year our educators had an opportunity to hear from District leaders, partake in various workshops and activities, and receive their equipment for the year.

They left with a swag bag full of goodies from our MCPASD Sponsors! Our District leaders, including Superintendent Dr. Dana Monogue and Director of System Improvement Percy Brown, gave a warm welcome and thanked the talented group for becoming part of the MCPASD family. School Board members Bob Hesselbein, Gail Shepler, Sheila Hibner, and Tabitha Hansen also stopped by to share a few words with our new educators!

Thank you to all who attended, and thank you to everyone who helped coordinate the event!

Thank you to our sponsors for helping make our New Educator Induction event possible!

Middleton McDonald's on Greenway

Middleton Culver's

Scooter's Coffee Middleton

CI Pediatric Therapy Centers

Spencer Realty Group

One Community Bank Middleton

Galin Education

2022-23 MCPASD Equity Institute

Late this summer, MCPASD staff had the opportunity to attend the 2022-23 Equity Institute The three-day event focused on educational equity and gave staff a platform to discuss, reflect, and learn in a supported and respectful space

Each day followed the theme of past, present, or future Staff participated in several guided activities, including selfreflection exercises, small group discussions, circles for building community, and presentations led by District leaders.

One segment that staff found particularly powerful was the student panel. The diverse and talented group of students represented non-dominant cultures and expanded on their personal experiences as they related to race and equity in school. The students were also welcome to participate in other activities and seminars to learn and reflect alongside staff.

Another aspect that made this year ' s event special was its flexibility. Although the institute follows strategic guidelines, several talking points and activities were reframed based on daily anonymous feedback provided by participants. This allowed presenters the ability to adapt to the needs and perspectives of the participants. "I came ready to take notes, but the organic setting made this experience unforgetable," wrote one participant.

Many staff members were excited to participate in the event following its brief hiatus due to COVID "So good to have this up and running again It has breathed life back into my belief in my colleagues and the possibility of the work we can do," a participant commented Aproximately 65-70 participants repeated the institute to deepen their learning

The event welcomed not only previous staff but many new hires as well "I have only worked for the District for a few months, but I feel like the Equity Institute has kickstarted my experience here and has filled me with more purpose, " a participant said.

The Equity Institute is just one of several ways our District maintains its commitment to equity. Strategic goals are specified in the 2022-23 school year strategy map, but our goal remains the same; to create a reflective and respectful community that is welcoming to all.

MCPASD Celebrates Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month

Join us in celebrating National Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month from September 15th- October 15th! Throughout the month, we will be sharing content on our social media pages to celebrate the history and contributions of the Hispanic/Latinx community to our schools, as well as honor the customs and traditions of our Hispanic/Latinx families, students, and employees

The Bilingual Student and Family Engagement Specialists (SAFE) go above and beyond to serve as resources for our bilingual students and families. Among their many duties, they support students outside of class, help run clubs and organizations such as the Latinx Student Union, communicate important information, and form trusting relationships with families.

MCPASD Is On The Road To A Referendum

The BOE unanimously voted to put a $24.9 million, non-recurring, operational referendum question on the November 8th ballot.

Q A What is an operational referendum?

How will the funds be used?

What happens if the operational referendum does not pass?

An operational referendum asks voters for permission to exceed the state-imposed revenue limit authority for the purpose of increasing revenue to fund day-today school operations. The Board of Education must approve going to referendum, along with the question that would appear on an election ballot for taxpayers to vote on.

Help keep class sizes lower and near the average in Dane County

Address competitive compensation to attract and retain highly qualified staff

Address operational needs across all departments and schools

Provide ongoing educational and extracurricular programming

A The District will have to look at all programs and services, along with staff, for areas to reduce. Class sizes, staff wage and benefit packages, facility maintenance, and transportation walk zones may be impacted All employee groups and all areas of the budget would be reviewed.

Engaging With The

MCPASD Is On The Road To A

R E F E R E N D U M

Community

The district has already conducted 12 engagement sessions with groups in our area, including school parent-teacher groups, staff meetings, and local community organizations Nearly 20 more sessions have been organized for the coming weeks, including three community conversations that will be open to all residents in the Middleton-Cross Plains Area.

During these conversations, led by Superintendent Dr. Dana Monogue, the community will receive more information about why an operational referendum is needed, what’s behind the District’s financial challenges, and how the District has saved more than $6 million over the past two years. Residents will also have an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.

Upcoming Community Conversation Sessions

Tuesday, September 20

6:00 - 7:00 p.m | Park Elementary School | 1209 Park Street, Cross Plains

Wednesday, September 28

6:00 p.m. | (Virtual Meeting)

Tuesday, October 25

6:00 p.m. | (Virtual Meeting)

Sign up to attend a session here

MCPASD Is On The Road To A

R E F E R E N D U M

MCPASD High School

Campus Stadium FAQs

Will the referendum fund the stadium project?

No, if the operational referendum is passed, the funds will be used to address educational and operational needs across departments/schools and to retain/attract highly qualified staff.

Who is paying for the stadium?

How do we compare to other Districts?

Other destination districts have used referendum funds for their stadium

Sun Prairie’s Multi-Purpose Stadium was $17.4 million from their 2019 referendum

Verona’s total athletic complexes project, including their stadium, was $12 6 million from their 2017 referendum

The District is using one-time monies from the sale of residential lots at the Pope Farm Elementary land to support the cost of renovating the stadium restrooms to ensure they are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. The rest of the stadium is privately funded by outside donors. No funds from the upcoming referendum will be used for the stadium project

Are you selling all the land at Pope Farm for residential lots?

No, the district still has land at Pope Farm for a future school. The lots being sold were zoned for residential purposes when the land was purchased.

Employee Referral Program

The district is pleased to announce an Employee Referral Program for the 2022-2023 school year. MCPASD is committed to hiring highly qualified employees to work with our students, families and our staff, and you can help! We believe our staff members are the best to share our story and attract new staff members and that is why we are excited to offer an opportunity to earn $1,000 through our Employee Referral Program.

How the Program Works:

If you know an individual who would be a great fit for our district, encourage them to apply for one of our open full or part time positions (excludes variable hourly positions such as event workers, coaches, advisors, seasonal employees, etc) for the 2022-2023 school year.

For every referral you make, if they are hired the first semester and work until the end of the school year, you will receive $1,000, and if they are hired starting the second semester and work until the end of the school year you will receive $500.

All certified and non-certified staff are eligible for the referral program (excluding Administrators and Supervisors). The new hire will report who referred them to the hiring supervisor and the hiring supervisor will report this to employee services.

Only one referral bonus will be paid for each new hire Referral bonus will be paid out on the June 30, 2023 payroll There is no limit to the number of referrals an employee can make

If you have questions, please reach out to our Employee Services team via email at employeeservicesmailbox@mcpasd k12 wi us

Hear From Successful Staff Referrals

Jannyce Rodriguez-Duverge | Bilingual Student and Family Engagement Specialist

"Inflation is REAL these days everything helps, so I decided to take advantage of this opportunity It's easy to do I just told a parent of a student that just happened to be job searching that the district had openings and once they applied, the district did the rest. It's a win-win situation for all involved."

Ciji Colegial | Personnel Specialist

"I referred my brother-in-law for the Elementary and middle school Administrative assistant. It's always nice to get recognized for putting in the effort to help the district especially when there is a need "

Welcome Rashard Griffith | MHS Head Girls Basketball Coach

We are excited to welcome Rashard to the Middleton High School Athletics team! He brings a wealth of knowledge to the winning team! Learn a little more about Rashard in an excerpt from his cover letter here.

Celebrations

Mr.Peanuts

Mr. Peanuts Celebrates his 58th First Day Of School

Mr Peanuts from Park Elementary celebrated his 58th 'first day of school' this year! He began his career when Park Elementary was still under construction, in 1964! When asked to give some advice about making your job the best it can be, he said " ATTITUDE and enjoy making a difference in people's lives I absolutely love building trusting relationships with staff, students, and parents! School and community involvement is what I'm all about I've never had a bad day at work; not a lot of people can say that."

Andrew Hartman is Named as a NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowship Member

Congratulations to Andrew Hartman at Middleton High School! As a fellowship member, he joins a team of 50 public school educators from across the country to participate in a year-long experience focused on educating and empowering students for global citizenship. As part of the year-long project, Andrew will also have the opportunity to participate in a field study trip to South Africa!

Andrew Hartman

Alexa Richardson is Named NFHS Coach Of The Year for a Second Time

A big round of applause to Alexa Richardson from Middleton High School! She is one of 1,000 coaches selected from across the nation to receive the 2022-23 National Federation of State High School Associations Coaches Association Cross Country Coach of the Year Award for Wisconsin Award recipients are selected based upon a variety of criteria, including their coaching record, background, coaching honors, and involvement in community and school organizations.

Join us in welcoming many new faces to the

M C P A S D L E A D E R S H I P T E A M !

Silvia Romero-Johnson

Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning

Silvia oversees all aspects of student support, including curriculum, testing, programs, and much more.

Jerrud Rossing

Assistant Superintendent of Operations

Jerrud oversees all non-instructional functions, services, and staff, including departments such as business services, employee services, facility services and transportation.

Chris Mand

Director of Student Services

Chris oversees multiple departments, including Health Services and Student Services (Mental Health, Homelessness, Counselors, Social Workers, School Psychologists.)

Brian Miles

Instructional Technology Coordinator

Brian’s focus is overseeing technology support for staff and students while leading the district’s network engineers and project analyst team.

Paul (Wally) Walton

Technology Operations Coordinator

Paul oversees all technology and logistical operations while leading our help desk system, which supports student and staff with technical needs.

Meet The Communications Team

The District Communication Team is proud to provide timely and effective communication to our staff, students, and families Our team is always looking for content to showcase our schools' amazingness You may find us at your school taking photos and videos Please know that all students are checked for their privacy settings before we post them on social media, or include them in district productions.

ShannonValladolid

Director of Information and Public Relations

Here to help with:

District/staff-wide communication

Marketing

News Media

Public Relations

Here to help with:

District/Staff-Wide communication

Social Media

District/ School Website(s)

Here to help with:

Graphic Design

Video Productions

Still Photography

Here to help with:

DSC Front Desk Attendant

DSC Facility Availability

Administrative duties

Here to help with:

Written translations requests

Verbal interpretation requests

Spanish Social Media

Save The Date

2022 Flu Clinic

MCPASDisworkingwithVaxProtobringyouthisyear'sStaffFluVaccinationClinic

Thursday,October6th

3:30-6:00pm

ElmLawnElementary-Gym

Learnmore

*Please note that the clinic is only available to MCPASD employees *

NAMI Mental Health Walk

October 8th | 10:30am-2:30pm

Olin Turville Park

Join the walk or donate here

UW Marching Band and West High Taiko

Drummers performance, food, DJ etc.

Join in on the effort to educate, support, and advocate for people affected by mental illness

MCPASD Women's Event

October 10 | 3pm-6pm

Dean West Clinic | 752 N. High Point Rd. Madison, WI 53717

Mamogram event available for all MCPASD employees and their spouses 40 years or older RSVP at 608-250-1560

Learn more

Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies

Early Learning Center/ Cardinal Academy

Thursday, September 29th

4:30pm-6pm

Formal ribbon cutting ceremony followed by self-guided tours

MCPASD High School Campus

Thursday, October 6th 5pm-7pm

Formal ribbon cutting ceremony followed by self-guided tours

A MESSAGE FROM BARB A MESSAGE FROM BARB

I hope you have had a great start to the school year! You will see me in your schools soon to give staff time to meet with me, chat, or share information that is on their minds. You will receive an email when I will be in your school. I am excited to see your faces, so please stop and say HI.

Read more

Thank you to all the staff who have pitched in while we fill our staffing gaps across the district If you are subbing in a classroom last minute, providing student support when it has not been part of your daily schedule, driving a District Suburban, or assisting with serving lunch -We appreciate you!!

Employee Roundtable Updates

Information regarding staff roundtables was sent last week. The structure will be the same as last year, with monthly meetings for certified, PSSP, and paraeducator staff. Meetings will start in October.

Employee Handbook Revisions

Employee handbooks will be revised this year following the schedule delineated in the certified staff handbook with input and feedback information from staff and a Thought Exchange by January 15th and the first committee to convene after Feb 1

Information will be sent later in the Fall regarding the committee membership and meeting schedule.

DPI licensing-compliance check on October 1st

If you have not already applied for your 22-23 provision (emergency) teaching or special education paraprofessional license, please do so immediately. It is vital that you do so to be in compliance with State law. If you need information on how to apply for your license, please click here and submit a help desk ticket. Enter your entity number with your question, as that seems to expedite the process with DPI Barb Buffington will contact you directly starting October 1st if you have not already applied for your license

Employee Benefits

Your benefits team is looking forward to a great year at MCPASD and are glad to answer any benefits and leave questions you may have

SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER

EMPLOYEE WELLNESS EMPLOYEE WELLNESS OPPORTUNITIES OPPORTUNITIES

As we begin this exciting year, here are some wellness highlights we invite you to check out:

Wellness overview - Want to learn more about all things wellness in the district? Click here to view a short video overview of the wellness website and offerings

Professional Development Day Wellness

Offerings - Based on feedback from teacher roundtables, there will be a soft start and hour lunch on PD days instead of formal wellness offerings this year

View all opportunities here

HOW TO HOW TO

CALCULATE YOUR CALCULATE YOUR PAYCHECK PAYCHECK

Salaried staff:

Total salary divided into *24 or 20 payrolls

Hourly staff:

Annualized staff: Custodians, Para Educators, PSSP (Hourly rate x Days per Year x Hrs per day) / *24 or 20

Non-Annualized staff: Food Service and Bus Drivers

Hours worked from the 1st to the 15th = Paid on the last day of the month payroll

Hours worked from the 16th to the last day of the month = Paid on the next 15th of the month payroll

*24 or 20 = If you are a 10-month per year employee, you completed a form to elect 24 pays or 20 pays

24 pays = 9/15 through 8/31

20 pays = 9/15 through 6/30 (no July or Aug pay)

PAYROLL PAYROLL

BEGINS SEPTEMBER 15TH FOR BEGINS SEPTEMBER 15TH FOR THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR

How To View Your Pay Stub

Log in to your Skyward Employee Access

You can access your check stub by clicking on Employee Information, then Check History

Click ‘Show Check’ (right side of the screen) to view check details

Double-check your pay and deductions! Learn More

SOLUTIONS SOLUTIONS STUDENT LOAN STUDENT LOAN

We’re excited to announce we have partnered with Horrace Mann to bring you Student Loan Solutions, a new program that can help you manage your student loan debt and apply for federal loan forgiveness.

Learn more about recent updates to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program

Determine your best repayment plan & calculate your loan forgiveness potential Receive ongoing support and guidance

This program is complimentary just for being a Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District employee

Learn more here

Accessing Benefit Information

On the 'Employee Benefits' page you can find pages for each benefit the district offers. You can also find a 'Life-Changing Events' page that gives information about how to make changes after an event, like having a baby or getting married Benefits Specialists Lori Krug and Chris Acker are available for any questions

Quick Tip

Remember