Three Announce Candidacy for Open Swallow School Board Seats 
Posted 1-22-15

Aaron Dentz, Susan (Susie) Polentini, and John Stahl have filed appropriate paperwork to announce their candidacy for the two available seats on the Swallow Board of Education.  Current Board President Karen Trimble and Board Treasurer John Quast are not seeking re-election.  Look for candidate biographies and information to be posted to the website and included in the district newsletter in March.  The election will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Swallow School Welcomes Business Community 
Posted 12-23-14

In partnership with the Hartland Chamber of Commerce, Swallow School welcomed members of the local business community for the chamber’s December Bring Your Own Cards (BYOC) Event.  Members of local businesses were provided with refreshments and an overview of the district’s 170 year history, then taken on tours by student ambassadors.  At various stops along the tour, attendees got to learn first-hand from students about various programs available at the school.  Some of the stops included a demonstration of the 6^th-8^th grade Robotics course and club offerings and a chance to learn more about the district’s unique 30 minute intervention and extension block called SOAR time.  The tour also stopped in the Hawk’s Nest, a combination of three rooms in the school converted to support all students during SOAR time, in addition to their regular grade level classrooms, which was funded through an Innovation Grant from the School Board and Swallow Education Foundation.  Another noteworthy stop on the tour included the 1890s room, which is the original one room schoolhouse from which the rest of the building has grown to meet the needs of the increased student population. 

In response to the commentary of several attendees who remarked about the poise of the student ambassadors and quality of the demonstrations on the tour, Superintendent Melissa Thompson agreed that the event was a success stating that, “Any time we have the chance to have our students showcase their great work learning and growing, while celebrating with the community our longstanding tradition of success, it is a great day.”

 

 

 

 

      

Principal Kyle Moore Takes Pie in the Face for Charity
Posted 12-23-14

In collaboration with the Swallow Education Foundation’s Market Day sales team, Principal Moore agreed to take a ‘pie in the face’ at the hands of the class who purchased the most pies for charity.  Congratulations to Mrs. Ryczek's 2nd grade class who donated the most pies for this great cause and helped the school to provide 85 pies to the Hartland Food Pantry. Great work Swallow community!

 

 

 

Two Open Seats for Swallow School Board
Posted 12-22-14

Current School Board President Karen Trimble and Treasurer John Quast have both declared non-candidacy for the upcoming election for School Board in April 2015.  Both President Trimble and Treasurer Quast have served two terms each on the Swallow School Board. 

Any resident interested in running for these two open seats on the Swallow School Board is encouraged to contact the district office to receive paperwork required to declare candidacy for the election.  Each seat is for a three year term and the election will be held on April 7, 2015.  The deadline to declare candidacy is at 5pm on Tuesday, January 6, 2015. 

For more information, please contact Kim Zabel at 262-367-2000 x124 (zabelk@swallowschool.org) or visit the district’s website at:  http://www.swallowschool.org/schoolboardelections.cfm. 

 

 

 

Thankful for 170 Years!
Posted 11-16-14

The Swallow School District is thankful to have been a part of the community for 170 years!  To finalize the commemoration of this significant accomplishment, we are asking for alumni of our great district to contact the school to be interviewed about what the school was like when they attended. 

Currently we have participants from the 1950s, 1980s, 1990s, and present day.  We are looking for anyone who attended before 1950, during the 1960s and 70s, and during the early part of the 2000s.  If you or someone you know might be able to help with this short video interview process, please have them contact Melissa Thompson at 262-367-2000 x108 or Thompson@swallowschool.org

 

 

Join Us for the Holiday Concert Series and Breakfast with Santa
Posted 11-16-14

Looking for a great way to spend a wintery evening or a chance to meet with Santa?  Consider attending one of Swallow’s upcoming concerts to hear great performances by our students or Breakfast with Santa (pre-registration requested-click here for form).  Dates and times are as follows:

• December 4 at 6:30pm:  3^rd and 4^th Grade Concert
• December 9 at 6pm:  Kindergarten Concert
• December 11 at 6:30pm:  1^st and 2^nd Grade Concert
• December 13 from  8:30-11am:  Breakfast with Santa

 

 

Community Invited to Veterans Day Event at Swallow School
Posted 11-5-14

The Swallow School fifth grade students will proudly present Symbols of America on Tuesday, November 11 at 1:30pm.   All members of the community are invited to attend and pay tribute to America’s heroes.

The program will honor and recognize members of the United States military forces as well as everyday citizens for the sacrifices, skills, and heroic efforts used to serve our country.  Fifth graders learn about the early history of the United States and the significance of the symbols that are seen daily including the American flag, Bald Eagle and the Great Seal.   Additionally, they learn patriotic songs that underscore American values.  Come and see this learning applied in their production Tuesday.

For more information about this event, please contact Superintendent Melissa Thompson at Thompson@swallowschool.org. 

 

 

 

Capitol ceremony celebrates 2014-15 Wisconsin Title I Schools of Recognition
Posted 10-20-14

 

State Superintendent Tony Evers offered congratulations to Swallow School for being among 173 schools in the state that received Wisconsin Title I School of Recognition honors for the 2014-15 school year. “These schools are examples of the success we need in all of our schools to close the achievement gap,” Evers said.

 

The schools were recognized during a special Oct. 13 ceremony at the State Capitol in Madison hosted by Deputy State Superintendent Mike Thompson. Pictured with Thompson, from left: Melissa Thompson, Superintendent and Kyle Moore, Principal.   During the program, special recognition went to seven High-Achieving schools and 29 High-Progress Schools. Eight schools, including Swallow School, earned both High-Achieving and High-Progress honors. Three schools earned the award for a 10th consecutive year, while 10 schools earned the award for a fifth consecutive year.

 

“This award signifies the tremendous commitment to learning and growing on the part of our entire school community from staff to parents to each student here at Swallow.  It is an honor to receive formal recognition for this accomplishment,” said Superintendent Melissa Thompson.  

 

 

 

Referendum Update from the Swallow School Board
Posted 10-20-14

Over the last several months, the school board has discussed how a successful referendum to meet district maintenance and educational programming needs, relies on the strong participation of community members, far beyond just board members.

In developing the charge of a Facility Studies Committee, the board determined that if a sufficiently large number of volunteers did not step forward to be a part of the committee it would be an indication of community interest in pursuing a referendum to address the school’s facility needs.  This fall only nine community members stepped forward to participate.  As a result, the board determined earlier this month that the committee should not proceed and that the referendum effort should be tabled for now.

While the district’s facilities look to be in good order at first blush, there are maintenance and security issues and space/design constraints which limit educational offerings that are expected in schools of our caliber and are best for Swallow students.     

The school district’s fund balance and annual budget can only meet a fraction of the costs for the district’s most urgent needs in the near term which include becoming an accessible facility, having learning spaces to meet current student educational needs, having a more secure school building, and repairing the leaking foundation under the 1890s section of the building.  These highlight only a sampling of the needs which must be addressed and taken together, cannot be funded without the passage of a referendum. 

In the coming weeks the board will be discussing the short and long term capital needs of the district and determining how to best proceed, while potentially looking at ways to complete smaller projects tied to student and staff health and safety, as temporary measures until there is greater support for a referendum.

The school board remains committed to ensuring the needs of our students are properly met. Therefore, we look forward to a time when efforts to evaluate broader physical and learning environment needs can resume with strong community participation.  We welcome your calls and emails to discuss this with you further in the coming weeks.

Sincerely,

Karen Trimble, School Board President                 trimblek@swallowschool.org
John Fuhs, School Board Vice-President                fuhsj@swallowschool.org
Rebecca Morrison, School Board Clerk                      morrisonr@swallowschool.org
John Quast, School Board Treasurer                          quastj@swallowschool.org
Andy Anderson, School Board Member                     andersona@swallowschool.org

 

 

School Board Announces Creation of Facility Studies Committee
Posted 9-25-14

The Swallow School Board has announced the convening of a Facility Studies Committee, to be comprised of residents and staff, to review the district’s needs, consider alternative solutions, and ultimately provide recommendations to the board about a proposed solution.

The committee, which will begin its work on October 8th and meet weekly each Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., will conclude its work on November 12th. It will then make a formal recommendation to the school board on the 19th. Any district resident interested in participating should please contact Melissa Thompson at thompson@swallowschool.org or Karen Trimble at trimblek@swallowschool.org by Monday, September 29, 2014.

 

 

 

 

Hands on History Day Held to Celebrate District’s 170^th Anniversary
Posted 9-25-14

Swallow staff and community members held a Hands on History Day for all students on Thursday, September 18 to celebrate the district’s 170^th anniversary.  Students were welcomed to the day in an all school assembly where they heard about life in the 1800s from representatives of Old World Wisconsin.  Then, each student moved through three different stations of their choosing and learned a little about history while getting to try their hand at doing something—from butter making to playing baseball from 1865 to learning different dances from different eras and  practicing the use of stethoscopes.  Pictures of this day in action can be found on the district’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SwallowSchool.

This day would not have been possible without the support of dozens of parents and staff members, and the following businesses who donated time, passion, and take-aways for students: 

·         Home Depot-Delafield

·         Ten Chimneys

·         Empire Photography

·         Hartland Music

·         Old World Wisconsin

·         Name that Card

·         Boucher Cadillac

·         Oconomowoc Landscape Supply and Garden Center

·         WISN 12 News

·         Lake Country Reporter

For more information about this event, please contact Superintendent Melissa Thompson at Thompson@swallowschool.org.

 

 

 

Swallow School and District Earn 88.0 and Significantly Exceeds Expectations Rating on 2013-2014 State Report Card
Posted 9-16-14

Today the Wisconsin DPI announced that Swallow School earned an 88.0 and rating of Significantly Exceeds Expectations for the 2013-2014 school year.  The Swallow School District has earned the same score and rating and based on these measures, is the top performing school district in the state for the 2013-14 school year. 

While numbers and data are only a part of the picture of school performance and there are many other factors not included in this report card which are critical to understanding school and district performance, they do tell a part of Swallow’s story.  This recognition validates the exceptional work of our highly qualified teaching staff, dedicated students, and supportive school community under way at Swallow every day.  The district is committed to celebrating this accomplishment and the continued work of personalizing learning for each student to ensure their highest performance and growth during their years at Swallow.  To view Swallow School’s Report Card select this link.

Annually the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction releases School Report Cards measuring and reporting school effectiveness in four areas*.  Each School Report Card calculates a school's accountability index score (0-100) through the use of a complex mathematical formula.  Based upon this score, the school earns one of the five ratings: Significantly Exceeds Expectations, Exceeds Expectations, Meets Expectations, Meets Few Expectations and Fails to Meet Expectations.  Beginning with the 2012-13 school year, District Report Cards also became available.  Please follow the links below for additional information or contact Melissa Thompson, Superintendent, at Thompson@swallowschool.org.

DPI Press Release:  http://dpi.wi.gov/files/eis/pdf/dpinr2014_97.pdf

 

 

DPI Report Card Site to view any public school’s report card:  http://reportcards.dpi.wi.gov/

 

 

DPI Accountability Page for the context and changes to school accountability at the state level: 

http://oea.dpi.wi.gov/accountability

*Report Card accountability index scores are based on four criteria:

·         Student Achievement in reading and math on state tests

·         Student Growth as measured by year-to-year improvements in achievement

·         Closing Gaps in performance between specific student groups (English Language Learners, low-income, students with disabilities, members of racial or ethnic group with their peers)

·         On-tract/Postsecondary Readiness including graduation or attendance rates, reading and math achievement and ACT participation and performance

 

 

Swallow School District Named 2014-15 Wisconsin Title I School of Recognition
Posted 9-4-14

The Swallow School District has been named a 2014-15 Wisconsin Title I School of Recognition by the Wisconsin Department of Instruction as both a High-Achieving and High-Progress School, one of only eight schools in the state to earn both recognitions.  To earn the specific distinctions as both a High-Achieving and High-Progress School, the following was achieved:

High-Achieving Schools:

• meet all Annual Measurable Objectives for achievement
• have achievement gaps that are less than three (3) percentage points between student groups or show evidence of reducing gaps greater than three (3) percentage points
• demonstrate high achievement at the school level

 

High-Progress Schools:

• fall within the top 10 percent of schools experiencing student growth in reading and mathematics for elementary and middle school students
• have achievement gaps that are less than three (3) percentage points between student groups or show evidence of reducing gaps greater than three (3) percentage points

Additional criteria were met because Swallow students surpassed the required attendance and state test-participation rate thresholds for the prior school year and the district receives federal Title I aid.  

District Superintendent Melissa Thompson commented, “This recognition validates our commitment and work to ensure each student at Swallow is growing both academically and as a person.  Our teachers have worked collaboratively to develop a rigorous curriculum which is geared to what our students need and our community values.  Our entire staff appreciates this recognition and its significance.”

For earning this award, Swallow will receive recognition at a reception and ceremony in Madison on Monday, October 13th, 2014, $500 for school-related purposes, and the opportunity for Swallow teachers to participate in a Teacher Fellowship program.  Questions about this recognition can be directed to Melissa Thompson, Superintendent, at Thompson@swallowschool.org or on the DPI’s website at: http://news.dpi.wi.gov/files/eis/pdf/dpinr2014_91.pdf.   

 

 

Welcome to the 2014-2015 School Year!

Posted 8-29-14

Welcome to the 2014-2015 school year! This year continues the 170th year for our school community and we are already off to a great start with two successful registration days and a phenomenal Open House and tailgate under our belts!

We look forward to the first day of school Tuesday, September 2.  As a reminder, office hours are 7:30am-4:00pm and the front office can be reached either by calling 262-367-2000 x100 or emailing frontdesk@swallowschool.org.  Students may arrive at school beginning at 7:50am and the first bell rings at 8:05am with school starting at 8:10am.  School dismisses at 3:15pm.  We look forward to seeing you and your children here Tuesday!