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WAWM Calendar Survey for
Parents and Staff Members |
(January 13, 2012) We would like to thank you for taking the survey on the calendar for the 2012-2013 school year and subsequent years. Over 1,200 people provided feedback. This survey was available on-line until Friday; January 13, 2012. We will evaluate the input that was received and make our decisions based on this data.
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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. |
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Five WAWM Schools Earn State Recognition |
(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 |
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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 |
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West Allis - West Milwaukee Education Foundation
Back toSchool Raffle Winners!
West Allis-West Milwaukee Education Foundation held a Back to School Fundraiser 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 |
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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 |
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WAWM Schools Make AYP
(Annual Yearly Progress)
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(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. Congratuations to our staff, students, and parents/guardians for all of the hard work and support in making this goal.
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WAWM Recreation Department Receives Grant to Pilot Children's Golf Program |
(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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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. |
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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. |
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(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
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WAWM School District Education Foundation Awards Grants
(November 25, 2009) The West Allis – West Milwaukee School District Education Foundation has awarded $10,000 worth of grants for various programs throughout the District. The WAWM School District Education Foundation has also launched a new fundraising campaign called “WAWM 100” For more information please click on the links below.
Grants News Release
WAWM 100 Donation Form |
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- No School For Students, Teacher Work Day.
- WAWM Special Education PTA Meeting Room 710 at 1205 South 70th Street at 6:30pm. For more information please access this link: WAWM-SEPTA
- All District Spelling Bee at the Nathan Hale High School Auditorium 6:30pm.
- Central VS Nathan Hale in Boys & Girls Basketball AT Central H.S. 6pm & 8pm
- K4 & K5 Enrollment Period Begins for all incoming K4/K5 Students.
- State Open Enrollment Program Period Begins.
- Frank Lloyd Wright Intermediate School Open House for all 5th Grade Students in the WAWM School District 6:30pm.
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- West Milwaukee Intermediate School Open House for all 5th Grade Students in the WAWM School District 6:30pm.
- WAWM PTA Council Founders Day Carnival in the Field House at Central High School Noon to 4:00pm.
- Lincoln Intermediate School Open House for all 5th Grade Students in the WAWM School District 6:30pm.
- Elementary School Parent-Teacher Conferences 4:30pm to 8:00pm.
- Final Day for the State Open Enrollment Program.
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For more District news stories click here!
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Mission