Holiday Cheer

For those Cheeseheads that grew up in the 70s and 80s, there was not much to cheer for when it came to the Green Bay Packers.

My mom would make me go to noon mass on Sundays, and by the time I got home from church and turned on the game, the Packers were usually already losing.

That was until the truly magical year of 1989. In my lifetime up until that point, the Packers had been no more (and usually less) than average- never winning more than 8 games in a season.

However, the 1989 team, known as the "Cardiac Pack" for their close games and wild play, won 10 games that year, tied the Vikings atop the division, and only missed out on the playoffs due to a tie-breaker.

Don, "The Majik Man," Majkowski, led the Packers at quarterback that year, and because of that, has always held a special place in my Packer fandom heart.

Why is this important for a District Administrator's blog? Well, if you watch the video below, you will see that the Belleville Board of Education went above and beyond for a holiday gift and had "The Majik Man" record a personalized cameo for me.

The statement that they had him read shows why Belleville is a special place and why I dedicate myself to the district, its students, and its staff. It feels good to be appreciated, but for the board to research and present me with this thoughtful gift means more than I can put into words.

Happy Holidays!

State Soccer Championship

In my 15 years in school administration, I have had the opportunity to attend two other state championship games with my schools before this year- one for girls basketball (at DeForest) and one for girls soccer (at Belleville).

The Sugar River Raider boys soccer playoff run, which ended with a state championship on Saturday, was so fun to watch! It was a pleasure to work and celebrate with Dr. Thayer, Dr. Eichelkraut, and Athletic Director Mitch Cernek from New Glarus. Although we are rivals in some sports, soccer has once again brought the two communities together.

You could see that on the field, with the starters and contributors evenly split between the two schools. It was also evident how much the teammates enjoyed spending time with one another. Coach Gentilli asked for (and was granted) the opportunity to stay in Milwaukee from Wednesday to Saturday if the team kept winning...and they did! That camaraderie certainly seemed to help this team.

Congratulations to Coach Gentilli and his Sugar River Raiders! It is the first Sugar River state championship since the boys Division 2 Track & Field title in 2012.

Courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

New Teacher Orientation

The School District of Belleville hosted its first of two days of New Teacher Orientation this morning. The administrative team welcomed in 11 new professional staff to the district. In a competitive Dane County market with fewer applicants in each hiring pool, the district is fortunate to bring in such quality educators. They range from brand new teachers to those with more than 20 years of experience on the job.

They will be joined next week with 6 more supportive staff and administrative hires when all staff return for professional development sessions on Monday, August 28th.

One of our new staff members remarked, "I can sense that the School District of Belleville possesses a deep level of commitment to their students and community. I'm excited to be part of a team that shares my enthusiasm for public education!" That is the Wildcat Way!

Honoring 2023 Retirees

The School District of Belleville recognized its 2023 retirees- Susette Alsteens, Wayne Fell, and Sherri Jevne- at a celebration last night at Sugar River Lanes. These three served the district for nearly 50 years combined. As teacher, athletic director, and technology assistant, their diverse roles highlight all that is expected of education today: superior academic achievement with a wide-range of high quality athletic and extracurricular programs, all provided with the latest in technological know-how.

As good as Susette, Wayne, and Sherri were at their jobs, they are even better people and will be missed!

A special thanks to past retiree James Schneider for an impromptu Wildcat concert last night!

Promoting Neumann Night

I wanted to thank Big Radio's Kate Stuart for organizing this morning's "To the Point" interview with Mike Zweifel in studio in Monroe to help promote participation in Saturday's Neumann Night.

Neumann Night is a trivia fundraiser to support a Belleville High School scholarship in Ed Neumann's name. Ed was a Project Lead the Way Master Teacher in Engineering Design & Development (EDD) and a two-time Project Lead the Way national Teacher-of-the-Year. He passed away unexpectedly on Christmas day. Our efforts in funding this scholarship are to keep Mr. Neumann's legacy alive for years to come.

School District of Belleville Communications Director Marie Perry and I have worked with Kate Stuart on the "Belleville School Minute" for a number a years and appreciate her support of this cause. Mike Zweifel, brother to Belleville High School's boys' varsity basketball coach TJ Zweifel, was a fantastic host!

School Board Walk-throughs

On Thursday, April 13th, Belleville school board members continued their annual exercise of classroom walkthroughs throughout the district. The walkthroughs focused on:

1. Visiting Math teachers and classrooms implementing Bridges and Illustrative curricula.
2. Meeting new teachers.
3. Discussing the content area emphasis in 5th and 6th grades.
4. Learning more about the Wildcat Manufacturing course at Belleville High School.
5. Reviewing facility needs.
6. Monitoring the breakfast and lunch food service offerings.

As the video shows, you never know what you will see when stepping into a classroom and observing learning in action!

Splash pad construction

Although snow at the end of the week stalled progress, construction of the Belleville Aquatic Center's new splash pad began early this week. It only took a day to remove the kiddie pool, which in recent years had not been fully-functioning.

It is exciting to think that in three short months the finished product should be ready for use as the weather warms approaching Memorial Day! You can watch the progress on a livestream camera on the district's YouTube Channel.

4-Year-Old Kindergarten Screening

The School District of Belleville began screening for 4-year-old kindergarten on Thursday. Over two days, parents are encouraged to bring their child in to complete paperwork, perform some basic testing, have their vision checked, and become familiar with the 4K classrooms at Belleville Elementary School. The 4K staff (Mrs. Rear, Ms. Hoven, Ms. Jenny, Ms. Melody) and Mrs. Martin put a lot into preparing for these days.

Thank to the Lions Club for performing the vision testing. Thanks also to the Treder family for donating the t-shirts given to each new student entering the school system. For many, it is their first piece of Wildcat gear. Families have a photo opportunity at the end of their session.

The school district anticipates at least 84 new students next year in 4K. That will make it the largest class in the district in over a decade. The staff is excited about this growth. However, many are in disbelief when they find out that this group of students will graduate in 2037!