Milwaukee Magazine Ranks WAWM Schools #1

(March 12, 2012)  Milwaukee Magazine has ranked the West Allis-West Milwaukee Schools as the Number One Overperforming School District in the Milwaukee area.  According to the report just released by Milwaukee Magazine, the WAWM Schools were found to be the best district on a model that says “In this year’s ranking of Milwaukee-area schools, we’re offering a second approach that considers a district’s poverty level, as measured by the percentage of students receiving reduced-price lunch, alongside its Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination scores.  The result is an alternative ranking that identifies districts making the most of the cards they’ve been dealt.” 

The West Allis-West Milwaukee Schools earned this ranking in both the K-8 and High School levels.  This is an outstanding award and proves that all of the hard work that our entire teaching staff and support staff have done is paying off with positive results and recognition.  This ranking and recognition could not be achieved without the hard work done in all schools, at all levels, and by all staff. We also would like to take this time to thank the parents/guardians for all of their support.  Successful education is a true team effort, and we thank our communities for their support.  For more information please click on the link provided:  Milwaukee Magazine Ranking

WAWM Schools Receive 2012 Award

from The Daily Reporter

(May 10, 2012)   For the second time within a month the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District has been recognized for the District’s purchase out of receivership, renovation, consolidation, and repurposing the former Allis-Chalmers Executive Office Building and Tractor Factory Office Building located on South 70^th Street in the heart of downtown West Allis, and center of the School District, into revenue generating buildings.  This time The Daily Reporter, a trade publication for Wisconsin state-wide commercial construction, presented the WAWM Schools an award for “Top Projects of 2011”.  This is the 13^th consecutive year that this print publication has recognized top architectural and construction projects throughout Wisconsin.  The West Allis-West Milwaukee Schools were one of 30 projects state-wide to receive this award.  The West Allis-West Milwaukee Schools are in exclusive company, as other projects to receive the award this year include The Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Marquette University Engineering Hall, the Summerfest South End Development project, the UW-Parkside Rita Tallent Pickens Regional Center for Arts and Humanities, and the Zippin’ Pippin’ Roller Coaster at Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay, to name a few.  The South 70^th Street facilities house the School District offices, programs, and departments as well as the Recreation Department, Maintenance, MIS, Food Service, professional development, community meeting rooms, and the Alternative Learning Center.  A community room was also established, called the Allis-Chalmers Room, and is dedicated to the original builder and tenant of the facility and has a number of photos depicting the history of Allis-Chalmers in West Allis.  In addition, the lower floors of each of the facilities are rented out to agencies and businesses with a similar mission to the School District.  As we have noted in an earlier article, the revenue generated from these rentals covers the total operational costs of the entire facility but also generates over $600,000 in additional revenue which supports programs. This is extremely important especially during these very challenging financial times for education. 

WAWM Schools Receive 2012

1^st Place Business Journal Award

(April 23, 2012)   The West Allis-West Milwaukee School District has been recognized in the April 20, 2012 edition of the Business Journal Magazine.  The West Allis-West Milwaukee Schools was awarded First Place in the Best New Development or Renovation – Elementary/Secondary Education category of the Business Journal.  This award was received for the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District’s purchase out of receivership, renovation, consolidation, repurposing of the former Allis-Chalmers Executive Office Building and Tractor Factory Office Building located on South 70^th Street, in the heart of downtown West Allis and near the center of the School District, into revenue-generating buildings.  The South 70^th Street facilities house the School District offices, programs, and departments as well as the Recreation Department, Maintenance, MIS, Food Service, professional development, community meeting rooms, and our Alternative Learning Center.  A community room was also established, called the Allis-Chalmers Room, and is dedicated to the original builder and tenant of the facility and has a number of photos depicting the history of Allis-Chalmers in West Allis.  In addition, the lower floors of each of the facilities are rented out to agencies and businesses with a similar mission to the School District.  The revenue generated from these rentals not only covers the total operational costs of the entire facility but also generates over $600,000 in additional revenue which provides further support for the educational programs. This new revenue stream is extremely important, especially during these very challenging financial times for education. 

WAWM Students Excel in Fair Housing

Poster Contest

(April 4, 2012) Each year the Wisconsin Fair Housing Network holds a Poster and Essay Contest to commemorate Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968.  The City of West Allis Fair Housing Board sponsors the local contest for students in grades K-12 and special education students at all schools, private and public, in the City of West Allis and the Village of West Milwaukee. 

Traditionally, the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District students create posters and essays as part of this contest.  This year, like in the past, the WAWM Schools students have done well in this contest, with over 1,000 students in our school district entered the 2012 City of West Allis Fair Housing Poster and Essay Contest.  Our schools integrate this into their curriculum and use this contest as a learning opportunity in which students create posters and essays to enter into the annual City of West Allis Fair Housing Poster and Essay Contest.

In this year’s Poster Contest, students in the WAWM Schools earned 41 of a possible 42 awards while in the Essay Contest they earned 2 of the possible 3 awards. Congratulations to all of the students who earned awards in this contest.     

(February 2012)  Students from our eleven elementary schools and three intermediate schools competed in the annual All-District Spelling Bee held in the Nathan Hale High School Auditorium on January 26, 2012.  The top six finishers competed in the CESA #1 Regional Spelling Bee which was held on February 8, 2012 at the CESA #1 offices in Pewaukee.  For more information please access the link provided. 

WAWM All-District Spelling Bee Results

First Ever Future Chef Competition Held

(March 19, 2012)  The West Allis-West Milwaukee School District had numerous students submit recipes for the first ever Sodexo Future Chef Competition.  This competition was open to all Intermediate School students in our District.  Six of these entries were chosen for the finals competition where the students had to prepare and present their recipe to a panel of judges. Congratulations to Raven Thompson of Lincoln Intermediate for winning with her recipe of Breakfast Flower.  Raven received an iPod Touch for winning this competition and her recipe will now be entered into the Sodexo Food Service’s National Competition.  For a list of the six finalists please click on the link below.

Future Chef Competition Contestants

Survive Alive Training Teaches Life Saving Skills

(February 20, 2012)       The Survive Alive Program in the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District celebrated it’s 25th anniversary this past fall.  This program teaches students in 1st and 4th grade about fire safety, prevention, and what to do in the event of a fire emergency. 

The educational programs used at the Survive Alive House are designed for children of all ages, but especially for those in first and fourth grade.  The WAWM School District Children and those from 4 area parochial schools who participate at the Survive Alive House benefit from classroom training provided by the West Allis Fire Department including:  practice to escape from a simulated fire situation in the Survive Alive House, 911 telephone training to learn how to report a fire or other life-threatening emergency, and evaluation and testing of what child participants learned and retained. 

This school year alone over 56 Survive Alive classes have been taught to approximately 1,200 first and fourth grade students.  This includes approximately 380 total instructor hours for students in our eleven public elementary schools and 4 area parochial schools in the communities of West Allis, West Milwaukee, New Berlin, and Greenfield. 

The partnership of the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District, the West Allis Fire Department, and the West Allis-West Milwaukee Recreation Department in running the Survive Alive program has proven to be very beneficial to the students and families in our community.

WAWM Schools Now Offering

New Online Payment System

(February 9, 2012)   The West Allis-West Milwaukee Schools are now using a new Online Payment System.  This system offers:

• Pay Electronically Without Fees
• Get Low Balance Reminders
• Make Reoccurring Payments
• Pay by Debit or Credit Card
• Pay by Electronic Check
• Track Purchases

The West Allis/West Milwaukee School District is proud to announce a new partnership with e~Funds for Schools, an Online Payment System, offering the convenience of new services to its parents/guardians as they move forward to the future.

“More and more busy people turn to the Internet every month to pay their bills online, and we saw there was a need to upgrade our services for the parents and community members in our district.” says Deb Rouse, Director of Business Services.  

Through this system, parents can access e~Funds for Schools Globe link on the right hand side of the home page of the District’s web site www.wawm.k12.wi.us to pay for school-related fees and products online, either by e-check or MasterCard or Visa cards.  The parent will immediately receive an e-mail receipt confirming their purchase(s). 

e~Funds for Schools is extremely user friendly and gives Parents/Guardians who choose to make payments on-line the ability to have various school fees and lunch payments electronically withdrawn from their checking account or charged to their credit card and have the flexibility to make a payment at anytime through the school’s website. e~Funds for Schools is a secure payment system that uses industry standard data encryption for account information.  The School District does not request or keep records of family checking or credit card account information.  Schools save significant labor costs by reducing manual processing of payments and handling fewer checks. 

Five WAWM Schools Receive

State Recognition Award at the State Capitol

(October 14, 2011)

The West Allis – West Milwaukee School District had five schools receive 2011– 2012 Wisconsin Schools of Recognition Awards at the State Capitol in Madison.  Only 116 schools state-wide received this recognition this school year. 

The five schools that received this award are Horace Mann, Jefferson, Longfellow, and Wilson Elementary Schools along with Lincoln Intermediate School.  This is the fifth time that Lincoln Intermediate School and Wilson Elementary School have received this award and the fourth time that Jefferson Elementary School was honored, the third time Longfellow Elementary School was honored, and the first time for Horace Mann Elementary School to be recognized. Wilson Elementary received a special award for earning this recognition for five years in a row. This is the sixth consecutive year that the West Allis - West Milwaukee School District has had schools earn this recognition.

In order to be recognized, schools must be among those with the highest poverty rates in the state, have met AYP (annual yearly progress) goals under the federal government’s education law for the past two years, and have student achievement on state mathematics and reading assessments that is higher than schools with similar poverty levels and grade configurations.

This is another example of how not only the staffs at these schools but all of our staff members District-wide continue to put children first.

(September 1, 2011)     The West Allis – West Milwaukee School District has five schools named as “Wisconsin Schools of Recognition” for the 2011 – 2012 school year.  These schools are: Horace Mann, Jefferson, Longfellow, and Wilson Elementary Schools, along with Lincoln Intermediate School.  This is the highest number of schools by any district in the state according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. 

This is the fifth year in a row that the WAWM School District has had at least three schools receive this prestigious award.  Since 2006 the West Allis – West Milwaukee Schools have been recognized 29 times.  Wilson Elementary (5 consecutive) and Lincoln Intermediate (3 times as an elementary school) are receiving this award for the fifth time, Jefferson Elementary for the fourth time, Longfellow Elementary for the third time, and the first for Horace Mann Elementary.  Wilson Elementary will receive special recognition from the Department of Public Instruction for receiving this award 5 years in a row.  This prestigious award recognizes schools for their consistent achievement over time and closing the achievement gap that these schools face in light of ESEA: No Child Left Behind.  These schools must also meet certain additional academic and demographic criteria in order to qualify. 

The West Allis – West Milwaukee Schools are also home to three elementary schools that have been nominated as National Blue Ribbon Schools over the past four years.  Two of these, Walker and Wilson Elementary Schools, received this award within the past three years.  It is a great honor for our District’s schools to be recognized; in addition, it is a tribute not only to these schools but to ALL of our schools and ALL of our employees who continue to put children first with focus on student learning and achievement. 

The five schools listed above will be represented at the State Capitol building in Madison on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 to receive their “Wisconsin School of Recognition” award.

For More Information Click Here:  Wisconsin DPI Information

Annual 5th Grade Mile Run A Big Success

(October 13, 2011)

This was the 27th year that the West Allis – West Milwaukee School District held our annual All-District 5th Grade Mile Run.  This year the event was once again held at McCarty Park with nearly 70 students from nearly all of our eleven elementary schools participating.  For a list of the top 20 place finishers and photos from the Boys and Girls races please click on the links below.

Boys & Girls 2011-2012 Top 20 Results

Boys Race Photos

Girls Race Photos

West Allis - West Milwaukee Education Foundation

Back to School Raffle Winners!

West Allis-West Milwaukee Education Foundation held a Back to School Fund raiser at each of the 17 schools’ Forms and Fees Registration Days.  Over $3,500 was raised to help provide funds for grants to classroom teachers to support student enrichment activities and field trips beyond the support of tax revenues.  In just three years the Foundation has awarded over 70 grants totaling more than $35,000.  Winners of the Back to School Raffle were:

• Jeremiah Schultz (iPad)  Frank Lloyd Wright Intermediate School
• Judith Kruk (iPad)  Parent of Nicholas Kurk-Central HS, Michele Blewski-Frank Lloyd Wright IS, Angel Duewell-Franklin ES and Danielle Kruk-Central HS Graduate 2006.
• Megan Wanke (Dell Tablet) Parent of Logan Eldred-Perishing

              Raffle Winners Photos

WAWM High School Course Catalog

Available On-line

The West Allis-West Milwaukee High School 2011-2012 Course Catalog is now available on-line. To access this catalog please click on the link below.

  High School 2011-2012 Course Catalog

WAWM Schools Make AYP

(Annual Yearly Progress)

(June 10, 2011)    The West Allis – West Milwaukee School District has made AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) for the 2010 - 2011 school year in ALL schools, ALL Grades, and ALL areas.  Congratulations to our staff, students, and parents/guardians for all of the hard work and support in making this goal.

(May 11, 2011) The West Allis - West Milwaukee Recreation Department is one of only 15 agencies nation-wide to receive the SNAG (Starting New at Golf) Grant.  This $12,000 grant was awarded by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) to pilot a program for children ages 5 to 6 years old.  For more information please click on the link below.

SNAG G-Ball Grant Information

Memorandum of Understanding

Mutually Agreed Upon

The West Allis-West Milwaukee School District has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the West Allis-West Milwaukee Education Association. This Memorandum of Understanding is an effort to avoid significant teacher layoffs, over 200 to be exact, and allows a degree of certainty in a time of uncertainty for the 2011-2012 school year.

In January of this year, Governor Walker introduced a Budget Repair bill that would address a $3.6 billion shortfall in the 2009-2011 biennial budget, as well as address the collective bargaining process of public employee groups.  This bill was passed by the Wisconsin Legislature on March 9, 2011, and signed by the Governor on March 31 as Wisconsin Act 10. 

However, the process for approval of Wisconsin Act 10 has been in the court system, with it now going to the State Supreme Court for a hearing on June 6.  History tells us that if normal Wisconsin Supreme judicial timeline protocols are followed, it means we would not hear their determination until July at the earliest. 

In addition, the State Budget under discussion calls for an $834 million budget reduction to education in our state that translates to an approximate $9.5 million projected shortfall for our School District and is compounded by uncertainty in the budget at the State level.  This timeline does not allow us to prepare for the upcoming 2011-2012 school year, and thus the need to develop an understanding agreement between our teachers and our school district was imperative.

We want to make it clear that this is neither a new contractual agreement nor a contract extension.  This Memorandum of Understanding is a document that protects the District financially and honors the intent of Wisconsin Act 10.  It also allows teachers and the School District to move forward with a degree of certainty for the 2011-2012 school year.  We are able to avoid what would have been over 200 potential teacher layoffs and utilize the provisions of Act 10 while we are waiting for decisions to be made by the courts, the state legislature, and the Governor’s Office.

The Memorandum of Understanding for 2011-2012:

• Avoids 175 to 200-plus potential teacher layoffs due to a lack of a State Budget Repair Bill and a State Budget, and a pending June 1, 2011, layoff notice contractual requirement
• Requires one-half of the Wisconsin Retirement System payment to be paid for by the employee
• Implements a 10% employee payment toward health insurance premiums on a plan design change that saves 15% to 20% over our current plan
• Eliminates cash in lieu of health insurance
• Adjusts retirement benefits
• Creates a District-developed employee handbook in place of the current negotiated agreement for all items not addressed in the Memorandum of Understanding for 2011-2012
• Maintains the current 2010-2011 salary rate and creates a 1% salary increase for all teachers and a distribution of a pool of money equal to .5% of the total 2010-2011 base salary for all teachers who made less than $45,000 for 2010-2011
• Addresses by August 1, 2011, any layoffs that may stem from State or Federal unanticipated budget reductions for 2011-2012
• Allows for complete implementation of Wisconsin Act 10  if and when passage occurs

This is a very critical time for public education in the State of Wisconsin and, more specifically, our children and their future.

We are very proud of the commitment and partnership between the West Allis – West Milwaukee Board of Education and our teachers in putting “children first” so that we can provide certainty and ease anxiety in a time of uncertainty.

Sincerely,

Kurt Wachholz,

Superintendent of Schools

District Receives Prestigious U.S. Department of Education Javits Grant for Gifted, Creative and

 Talented Education Program

 (June 9, 2010)     The West Allis – West Milwaukee School District is the first and only Wisconsin school district to be awarded a Javits research grant from the U.S. Department of Education since congress first provided federal funding for the program several decades ago.

West Allis-West Milwaukee School District is proud to announce that our Gifted, Creative and Talented Education Program has been recognized by the United States Department of Education and has been awarded a three-year $450,000.00 research grant to evaluate ways to identify and serve students that exhibit gifted behaviors from underrepresented groups.

The purpose of the Javits program is to carry out a coordinated program of scientifically based research, demonstration projects, innovative strategies, and similar activities designed to build and enhance the ability of elementary and secondary schools to meet the special education needs of gifted and talented students. The major emphasis of the program is on serving students traditionally underrepresented in gifted and talented programs, particularly economically disadvantaged, limited English proficient (LEP), and disabled students (twice-exceptional) to help reduce the serious gap in achievement among certain groups of students at the highest levels of achievement.  Our specific project also places focus on students demonstrating gifted characteristics in the traditionally underserved domains of creativity, leadership and visual and performing arts. 

We would like to thank and congratulate all the students, parents, community members, staff, teachers and administrators that work with and for our children to ensure that all of our schools are sites for talent development.  We look forward to finding more and better ways to continue and strengthen the WAWM commitment to identifying and serving all gifted and talented students.  We also welcome the opportunity to contribute to the broader research base that informs our national commitment to excellence in education in the tradition of the Javits program.

If you have any questions regarding the project or, more importantly, are interested in helping us find and feed gifts and talents in our community, please contact Seth Sondag, Javits Grant Coordinator.  sondags@wawm.k12.wi.us

Project Lead the Way Update

(January 12, 2010)        The West Allis – West Milwaukee School District received some excellent news for Project Lead the Way.  The WAWM Schools we awarded a 35,000-dollar grant from the Kern Family Foundation as an initial funding source for Project Lead the Way.   In November we held an initial kickoff of this program at Summit Place where we received positive community input and support.  The WAWM Schools continue to pursue business partners and additional funding sources.

                   Project Lead the Way is curriculum which promotes pre-engineering scheduled to begin in the 2010 – 2011 school year at Central High School.  Currently in Wisconsin 83 public school districts offer Project Lead the Way.  Nation-wide this program is offered to approximately 275,000 students in 2800 High and Middle/Intermediate Schools. 

                  For more information on Project Lead the Way please contact

Deb Beyer at 604-3013.

West Allis Ranked as one of the Best Places to Raise Your Children in Wisconsin

(December 1, 2009)       According to a recent poll released by Business Week magazine West Allis has been named as one of the “Best Places to Raise Your Kids in Wisconsin”. This is due to our high-quality schools, park system, and amenities like the farmers market.  These allow the citizens of West Allis and West Milwaukee to enjoy a high quality of life. According to Mayor Dan Devine “Our location lets us have every benefit of a major city, yet we can keep our small-town feel.” 

For more information on this poll you can go to: http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/11/1117_best_places_to_raise_kids/index.htm

 Once you’re on this site you will want to go to page 50 to see Wisconsin’s ranking.

Walker Elementary Named 2009 National Blue Ribbon School

(November 4, 2009)                  For the second consecutive year the West Allis –

West Milwaukee School District is proud to announce that one of our schools has been recognized by the United States Department of Education as a “No Child Left Behind –

Blue Ribbon School.”  Walker Elementary School is the latest school in our District to receive this prestigious award.  This marks the third time in four years the District has had a school nominated for this award.  In 2007 Longfellow Elementary was nominated for the No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Award, and last year Wilson Elementary became the first WAWM School to receive it. 

              We would like to congratulate Principal Johnna Noll and her entire staff on being named a 2009 No Child Left Behind – Blue Ribbon School.  Only 341 schools throughout the United States received the award this year.  Walker Elementary School was honored at an Awards Ceremony on November 3, 2009 in Washington, DC.

              According to the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, “Blue Ribbon Schools are models of improved student achievement from which others can take inspiration.”  For more information please click on the links below.

Blue Ribbon Designation Letter

State of Wisconsin D.P.I. News Release

U.S. Department of Education News Release

Blue Ribbon School Fact Sheet

Blue Ribbon Background Information

Upcoming Community Events

Thursday February 2

• K4 & K5 Enrollment Period Begins for all incoming K4/K5 Students. Open until September 4, 2012.

Monday, February 6

• State Open Enrollment Program Period Begins and runs through April 30, 2012.

Thursday, May 10

• Pershing Elementary Spring Open House Event in the West Milwaukee Community Center from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. 

           For more details use this link:  Spring Open House

Thursday, May 17 & Friday, May 18

• Community-Based Transition Program Rummage Sale in the Irving Elementary School Field House from 8:00am to 4:00pm.  100% of the proceeds benefit this program for special needs adults.

Friday, May 18

• Hershey Track and Field Meet at the West Allis Athletic Complex at 6:00pm. For more information contact Linda Gritzmacher at 414-604-4911 or Cory Thompson at 414-604-4900 ext. 5903.

Monday, May 28

• Memorial Day-No School for Students.
• West Allis Memorial Day Parade 10:00am.

Wednesday, May 30

• Frank Lloyd Wright Intermediate Little Free Library Dedication at 2:00pm.

          For more information use this link: Little Free Library Dedication

Saturday, June 2

• Initial Morgan Grove Family Center 5K Run/Walk at Nathan Hale High School beginning at 10am.  For more information and to download an entrance form please view this link: Morgan Grove Family Center Run/Walk