You're listening to Perspective on WFHR, 1320 AM, 97.5 FM.
I'm Melissa Kay bringing you news in our community.
During this interview, I'm talking with multiple people from the Wisconsin Rapids Public School District.
We'll start with Superintendent Ron Rasmussen.
This date is Friday, August 28th.
I didn't have that in my notes.
Thank you for joining me, Ron, and guests to bring the community an update from Wisconsin Rapids Public School District.
Hi, Melissa.
We're excited to be back with you this month.
And I'm excited to have you all here.
You brought with you, as I said, special guest.
This is Bill Oswald, the principal at Woodside Elementary.
Welcome, Bill.
Good morning.
Thank you.
And Taylor Mansell, kindergarten teacher at Woodside.
Good morning.
Thank you for having me.
And Herman Alvarez, parent and PTO member at Woodside.
Morning.
Thanks for having me.
Glad you are all here.
Let's just dive right in with you, Bill, and the special guest that you brought from Woodside.
You have some exciting things coming up when people are listening to this.
It is September 1st, the first day of school for students at Woodside as well.
And let's talk about some of your back to school events you have going on.
Yeah, absolutely.
We just had our open house a couple of days ago, which was very well attended.
A vast majority of students were very excited.
excited to be back and I can say all parents were very excited to have their students back at school but again very well attended and we're very excited to have everybody back in the building it makes all the preparation worth it and all the the anxiety of getting everything ready to go worth that as well when you see how excited they are to be back.
And the summer well it feels long at some times it's really short when you're trying to prepare all of these things to have
everything in place that's ready for the school year.
Yeah, we have quite a few and it's not just our own building, but a lot of people spend a lot of time over the summer sporadically coming in to make sure everything's ready to go to.
You think of that random thing you want to have ready to go by the beginning of the year and then it turns into four or five more things you want to have ready to go.
So yeah, so it's a pretty active place in the summer as well, but definitely all coming together at the right time to start the year.
Wonderful.
And as you're getting ready...
Taylor with your kindergarten class.
How many years have you been teaching?
This is my third year of teaching.
Okay, so do you have some things that you're getting into place that are going to be a little different than previous years, some different ideas?
Yes, I just switched classrooms.
So that's a change in itself, but I'm very excited to have a bigger class than last year and get to incorporate a new curriculum and just really excited to get to know these new students and families.
Because are you one of the teachers that will have a full day with your?
Oh, no, that's 4k.
4k, yes.
and is always full day.
And with some of these back to school, you said it's a new classroom and it's always new students.
Yes, very exciting.
And then Herman, if you could tell me what your role is as a PTO member parent, tell us about what you're doing with the Woodside.
Yeah, so like you said, I am a member of the PTO and I like to think that the PTO for Woodside is very active.
There's quite a few events that they participate in quite a bit.
A lot of opportunities get back into Woodside, interact with staff and students.
Just to name a few favorites, every third Friday, we do Popcorn Friday, which is a big hit.
Makes the building smell amazing.
Favorite part is delivering the popcorn to students.
Big distraction, but
Kids love it.
Oh, yeah.
Everybody gets excited about popcorn.
Oh, of course.
Winter Wonderland is also another favorite.
It's quite a few items that the PTO purchases.
Kids get to go home with their parents, make a list of things they want to buy for their family, for their friends.
It's always kind of cute to see what they choose for their family members and whatnot.
And do you want me to talk about Family Fun Fest?
Sure, let's dive right
into that, because that is a big thing that's coming up here, the Fall Family Fun Fest.
this year.
Is this new?
Is this something different?
Tell us about it.
Yeah, so we have done Family Fun Fest in the past.
We switched it to October, which should still be a good hit.
It's a good time.
Like I said, it's a great opportunity to get back into Woodside.
There's going to be a lot of games, carnival games, blow-ups, raffles.
to my favorite raffles that we participate in heavily are the opportunity to be able to throw a pie in the principal's face and the superintendent's face as well.
They're popular.
Do many of them land, principal Bill?
They are very in close proximity, so they land very well and forcefully,
which
is good.
But yeah, the kids absolutely love it.
They go wild every year when we do it.
And then we were able to incorporate Mr. Rasmussen being a good sport as well.
also jumping in so that adds another level because they see
Us in that role, specifically Mr. Asmussen in the superintendent role, walking through the buildings often, it gives us an opportunity to show that we are just as involved and collaborative with our students and staff.
We're not just somebody who's here once in a while.
So that was really cool to be able to jump in.
And selfishly, I like to spread that out too, if other people can have a pie.
It's a little less pointed at me,
if there's other people involved.
A little less concentration of pie on your face.
Yes.
What are the pies made of?
Are they just whipped cream?
Are they actual?
Yeah,
and the kids love it.
We get everybody outside and do that at the end of the year.
Typically, this year will be able to do it a little bit earlier.
And as you alluded to, as Herman was saying, and Taylor was, we're moving it up this year to October 1st.
So one month from today.
And really looking forward to using it as an opportunity.
Not only do we have our open house recently, but this is another opportunity for our families and our students to get together earlier in the year to interact and mingle a little bit to get to know each other after they've settled in a little bit.
It
really
helps us to kind of renew some of those relationships that started at the beginning of the year, but it also fosters some more of that interaction with their little brothers and sisters across grade levels and families.
And for our listeners and myself who don't know, what are the grade levels at Woodside?
So we have a AM and a PM 4K, and then full-time we have kindergarten through fifth grade.
Through fifth grade, okay.
And so everybody's involved in this family fun fest.
Do the classrooms, I'm gonna throw this one to you.
And I'm sorry, Taylor.
to keep looking at my notes.
Taylor, I'm gonna throw this one to you and ask you what your classroom specifically does to be involved in this fun fest.
Yes, so every year we try to get everybody from our class involved.
We send home raffle basket ideas and request raffle basket items so families can help provide raffle baskets that we can sell at the event.
And then we invite all of our students and staff to the event as well.
So this is a fundraiser for the school then as well?
Correct.
Okay, so what do those funds go for then?
Bill, I'll throw that one to you.
Yeah, so what we were doing last year is we have a great outdoor learning facility.
We call it the Lumber Lab.
It's a pavilion that was part of a very generous grant from some community organizations previously that had to do with our playground with the Encourage Foundation and others.
So we try to maximize then how do we best utilize those funds to help meet student need, right?
So obviously everything is student centered.
So in this case, that Lumber Lab that we have needed some furniture.
Interestingly enough, by opportunities that were afforded by being able to be on your program, but then also to have those conversations with community members throughout the year, we had Jay Klingforth come from the city to talk to us about Arbor Day.
We were in the lumber lab outside and he made a comment about, well, you know, the furniture, you know, what do you have going on with that?
He got me connected with Tim from Home Depot, shout out to Tim, who helped me with a grant and a nonprofit.
then they were able to donate some of that furniture.
So we're the outdoor lab.
So we now are kind of revamping what our fundraiser was for because that's how we were going to do that.
And we're still going to be looking at how do we supplement that and any experiences that we can for our students.
So we're working towards finishing that with this fundraiser as well.
And I'm looking forward to other projects in the future.
So that outdoor, it's like a lab area.
Do classrooms take like many field trips out there to do things?
Is it part of a curriculum?
What do you do with that area?
We
try to encourage everybody to get out there during, for example, reading time, especially when it's nice, if
you're
able to do your lesson outside.
The Optimist Club was kind enough to donate and generous enough to supply a whiteboard out there for us and assemble that.
So it's an outdoor classroom and so we're furnishing it as such.
We also have some sensory areas out there for our students who may need a little bit more of a break throughout the day.
That way they have an opportunity and a place to go.
as well.
So it's a very inclusive space and now we're just trying to make that the most robust as we can to meet all of our student need.
Okay.
And Taylor, when you get to take your kindergartners out there, what is their reaction to being outdoors and learning?
They love learning outside.
It gives them an opportunity to just get a different feel, different environment, helps them refocus.
They love reading.
We do a lot of chalk and math facts outside.
So anytime that we can get outside and use that learning lab, it's a great opportunity for the kids.
Do
you ever have to like fight for the time to be out there with other teachers?
Yes, there's a sign-up sheet, so it makes it very easy for us to request times to go out there.
Oh, that's good.
And then Bill, is there anything else in our last minute here that you want to share about the start of school and activities coming back?
Yeah, as I said before, we're very excited to come back.
I'm a very fortunate principal.
We have outstanding students and parents, and our staff members are great.
As you've heard too, our PTO is very active and very supportive of our students, and we have needs.
They're constantly looking for ways that they can help.
Throughout the year, our building, very honestly, has a very high and positive culture and climate.
Our goal is to be the place where we all learn and grow, and that goes for everyone, whether it's our students, our parents.
or our staff.
So we try to encapsulate that in everything that we're doing.
And then moving forward, we obviously will hope to continue to intentionally grow and maintain that climate and culture and then really making sure that we're focusing on that academic piece as well.
So to maintain the positivity, but then also look at how do we continue to grow academically and socially, emotionally as well in these events and folks like Hermann and Taylor and the other individuals that are involved with our
with our staff and action leadership teams are very much appreciated and super critical for making sure that that happens.
Wonderful.
Well, this is a perfect spot for us to take a short pause to hear from our sponsor.
I'm Melissa Kay talking with multiple members of the Wisconsin Rapids Public School District.
Bill Oswald, the principal at Woodside Elementary, Taylor Mansell, and Hermann Oliveris.
Thank you all for being here.
We'll take a short pause.
I'm Melissa Kay, and you're listening to Perspective on 1320 a.m.
97
WFHR.
Welcome, you're listening to Perspective on WFHR 1320 AM 975 FM.
I'm Melissa Kay bringing you news in our community.
I'm speaking with the Wisconsin Rapids Public School District today in this interview and now we have with us Superintendent Ron Rasmussen and we had spoke earlier of a whole lot about Woodside Elementary with the principal and the teacher and one of the parents of the PTO and
It's exciting to see all of the neat things happening at our elementary schools.
Yeah, I mean we've had a great week last week with our open houses kicking off at our elementary as I was able to make it around to all of our buildings that afternoon and just to see the excitement we had.
building standing up popsicles meeting with the principals we had dilly bars and good thing I did not eat all the dilly bars and all my stops but it was just great seeing all the parents and students back when our buildings and that excitement generally by all of our students and as Bill said earlier just the excitement of the parents to
I think to say, hey, here's school.
Here's my son and
daughter.
Yes,
back into a rhythm.
But also cool seeing all the new backpacks and the new school supplies and just that energy and the excitement that comes at the beginning of a new school year.
And as you're hearing this, it is obviously the first day of school for kids, except for
at the high school.
It's only freshman to me.
Yeah, at the high school, only freshman.
That's something we started last year just really to ease that transition to freshmen because at times that can be scary.
Coming over to Lincoln.
With such a full building.
It's a full building, but just that, you know, to just give the students a chance to go to the classrooms to follow their daily schedule.
We know that students who get involved in activities generally have higher grade point averages and attendance averages when they come to the high school.
So really it's a good opportunity.
show them all the clubs and activities.
I mean, 20 plus sports, 55 plus activities that students can enjoy.
That's a lot to choose from.
Yeah, you know, anywhere from, you know, FFA that, you know what, some of the listeners may be more traditional, you know, FFA, business, FBLA, DACA, but we also run a gamers club.
We have an e-sports club.
So just those other newer activities that students can also join.
And so we really want to provide that opportunity for them to see that all the things that Lincoln has to offer.
as a student because we think it's a phenomenal place for students to learn and grow.
And one of the other new things you're offering this year is full day 4k.
Yeah, the district is piloting two sections of full-day 4k.
One section is at Meet Elementary and the other is at Grant Elementary.
We do have a little waiting list of parents that wanted a full-day 4k.
So we have about 40 students enrolled in our full-day 4k program.
We have about 210 students overall in 4k.
And so there's a little bit of a waiting list.
We're really going to see the provide some neat opportunities.
We're a play-based 4k.
And that continues into the full day.
The advantage of the full day, those students will also get some fied, some art and some music, which were unable to fit into the half
day
program.
It is important for everybody to understand that, you know, part of this, the ability to move to a full day is support of the referendum.
that passed last spring.
The state only funds 4k at a 60% rate and so that additional 40% we're using the funds that our community is supporting us with to provide those further opportunities for students.
And we'll see where it goes from here on if it will become more of a full day option and many more of our sites or if we'll continue in just a few of our sites.
So we're gonna take the fall to really look at that and make some decisions moving forward.
And in your decision to include
this, was there research done about other full-day 4k programs in other districts?
Yeah, many other districts are looking at full-day 4k too.
I think there's a two-fold reason is, you know, just getting students more involved and when you run a play-based, full-day 4k is at
you know, you're not doing your reading and your math like you are later upper elementary or whatever, but you're incorporating more of those activities and some of those play based environments.
In addition, we all know that childcare is a difficulty in our community and not just in rapids, but in many community rural communities across Wisconsin.
So it's that support system as well for families to provide that opportunity for students to be in a safe environment, a learning environment, one that wants to nurture their students and their children.
and also provide that flexibility for some parents as well.
Wonderful.
Um, you also, uh, there's a big new parking lot over at how
I
actually took a tour of it
just the other day
and I spoke with some of the contractors out there.
It's looking really great.
Yeah.
We're, we're, um, this has been, I think a four year project since Emmanuel, um, has built their new church on the, on the east side of town and the district, um, worked out the agreement with Emmanuel to, uh, purchase that church for the expansion of the parking lot.
We've always been concerned about safety.
A streets, uh, it's a
It is a busy road.
And having students exit their vehicles along A Street.
So it's always been a goal of the district to come up with some safer mechanism for the safety and security of our students.
And that purchase of that property allowed us to expand.
And so there'll be a dedicated parent drop off and pick up lanes.
out there as well as an expanded parking lot but I'm also pleased of trying to be good neighbors you know there's gonna be more green space over there there's
more
trees over there and that's always important versus just
putting an asphalt parking lot in the middle of a neighborhood.
So we're excited about that for the neighborhood itself.
In addition, we're putting a pavilion up in that area too.
Really, that's for parents to be covered in case of inclement weather as they're waiting for their children to walk them back to their vehicles if they're not in the pickup line.
But we also look forward to that maybe being a community asset for the neighborhood as well.
There'll be some picnic tables in there.
a nice asset for the community in addition to the playground that we put in last summer.
And then you said the increased safety along 8th there.
There is a fence now between the parking lot and 8th Street.
Correct.
So you won't be able, a student won't be able to go from the parking lot and run straight across the road.
They have to use the crosswalk.
They have to use the crosswalk either on Saratoga or the new crosswalk that is directly across to the main entrance.
And that crosswalk across to the main entrance is now lighted very similar to what's been down towards Noodle's, accompanying a further south on 8th Street as in the, that was put in more recently.
recently as well.
So we're hoping that there'll be obviously a transition going through.
And Mr. Steve Thayer is the principal over there and he conducted a lot of sessions during the open house about how to navigate the new parking lot.
But we're excited for that opportunity as well.
So will the buses drop off then?
Buses won't.
Buses will drop off where they have traditionally on oak.
So we separate that traffic just for safety reasons as well.
There's some new fencing along oak as well.
to prevent students from running across that road.
Obviously that road's a little less traveled than A Street, but we are adding some additional fencing there as well.
Okay.
So then parents will have to go into the parking lot for dropping
off.
Correct.
Correct.
Okay.
Well, that sounds like it will be very, very beneficial for students and honestly for parents as well.
That was a bit of a interesting feat to navigate last year.
Yes.
Yes.
And our hope is that traffic obviously does not back up onto A Street.
So we added a, there's a kind of a two
lane entrance and to there that will go into a single lane pickup area but you know it's anything you know it's construction season in Wisconsin and red run property has been great a contract over there but in the transition if you've been over
Towards Gainer towards Wisconsin Rapids area middle school.
Yes, we
may as well where we are Gainer is a one-way street from the roundabout out to Rams So we encourage parents who are going to be dropping off at Rams to to use the sign detour along 17th and to get over towards 29th and then come back down and But that is a one-way street moving from Rams to the roundabout so
We just encourage parents to use their time.
Maybe add a little
extra time
in the morning.
Yes, because it will be busy.
And we know a lot of parents do drop off their students at Rams.
And that line, usually that first week or two, can be rather lengthy.
And just budget that extra time.
And if you can get your child up in the morning and on time, you might want to try to do it five to 10 minutes early.
But having former middle school students in my household, I know that as a task in itself.
Yes,
indeed.
And it'll be like this probably.
through into October, for
sure.
Into October, yeah.
I think we've been told kind of towards the middle to the end of October.
So it'll be about the first two months of school.
Okay, well, and then it'll feel like you get a little reprieve after that's done
and you
have a little more time in the morning.
Yeah, I just think this summer is a construction season, I think.
Everywhere where any of us are traveling in Wisconsin either in the Wisconsin Rapids area to plover obviously, but then anywhere else you're traveling in the state south on I-39 or anywhere else.
But some of that definitely needed infrastructure upgrades that we have needed for some time and we have a short window to do it
in.
Yes, yes, that is true.
Let's touch now on some of the new admin and new teachers you have joining staff.
Yeah, we've had a great week.
We have about 34 new teachers within the school district.
mostly retirements that have occurred within the district.
So we've had a great opportunity to spend about a week with them two weeks ago.
I'm getting them geared up to learn about our Wisconsin Rapids community and the school district.
A big shout out to the ridges who hosted our new staff for a luncheon on Thursday that week, just so they could learn a little bit about our community and one of our local supporters and businesses.
And then we have four, I want to say new admin in the district, but they've all been in the district.
Just they're kind of in different roles.
So Dr. Radwa.
Watson, who was the principal at Lincoln, is now the new principal at Washington.
Kelly Schaefer, who was at Washington, is now at Rams, so the middle school.
Kelly Zwicky, who was the associate principal at Lincoln, is now interim principal at Lincoln for the year.
And then lastly, Kim Ake, who was a student engagement facilitator and math coach at Meade.
is now the new principal at Meade.
So all familiar faces within the school district.
And we're excited for them to begin in their new roles as well.
I joked with Dr. Watts when I was at Washington for their open house.
I think his line was about 25 minutes deep.
But he had trivia and dilly-bar.
So that was a good reason.
There
was a
draw there.
But we're excited once again to have them in their roles.
But more excited as well to have our new staff.
Just the excitement of.
Probably about half of them are fresh out of college, but the other half are experienced.
And just to see that excitement of.
coming into the profession.
Yeah, and having mentors because if you've got experienced staff there to help the newbies.
Yes, exactly.
In our last minute here, let's touch briefly on the boundaries and buildings task force.
Yeah, starting in the last school year, we convened about 40 individuals from a cross-section of administrators, teachers, parents, community members in our boundaries and buildings task force, really looking at where is the district going to envision ourselves in five to 10 years with our physical plant of our
school district as we're well aware there's less births and the national birth rate has gone down.
We have less students and to maximize our resources.
And so this committee has been spending time.
We've met five or six times over the summer.
We have about five more meetings yet scheduled this early part of the fall touring our facilities across the district.
What are the needs of the school district?
What
are the
physical needs of the buildings?
Our newest elementary building was built in 1975 and that is Think Academy.
So what needs are needs?
in those buildings with the newest one being over 50 years old right within the district but also does the district need
All those does a district need 12 buildings and what if we redo boundaries where subdivisions are.
So this committee has been doing a lot of work looking at the physical plant and also looking at the the elementary boundaries that we currently have.
And we hope to that committee hopes to make some recommendations that task force probably by mid October, envisioning where the district will be hopefully in the future with boundaries and capital projects within our buildings.
All right.
There's a nice update on our website.
And that's
a big undertaking.
Yeah.
And so we encourage people to go visit our website for that update.
And if you go to our website, it's a brand new website this summer.
I noticed that.
And so we're excited about that.
A lot of video of our buildings and our projects.
And so it gives parents probably a better feel for our school district than the old website.
So I encourage you to go visit, www.
www.wrps.net.
All right.
And briefly, you said you got some donations to the athletic complex you wanted to
recognize.
Yeah, I just want to recognize.
First of all, the Rapids Area Soccer Incorporated worked with the Legacy Foundation.
So over at the Washington Soccer Complex, there's new lights over there.
And this fall, people will see some construction over there of a press box that will be going over there as well as an update to the storage building.
So we want to
thank Rassie and the Legacy Foundation.
And then
Lastly, if you attend a soccer game over at Lincoln on Wood Trust Bank Field or a football game, we were blessed with donations from the Legacy Foundation, the Torque Foundation, as well as the W.A.
State Event Workers to put a new lighting system over at.
that's complex as well.
So I want to thank all those individuals for their support.
And then lastly, just a noon Rotary Club in Wisconsin Rapids for their support and donations over the summer as well for some of our programming.
Wonderful.
It takes help from everyone in the community to make our school successful.
Yep.
And we're blessed by an excellent community that supports us.
Wonderful.
Well, I'm Melissa Kay speaking with Superintendent Ron Rasmussen.
Earlier, we had in Bill Oswald, principal of Woodside Elementary, Taylor Mansel, kindergarten teacher at Woodside and
and Hermann Oliveris, a parent and PTO member at Woodside.
And all with the Wisconsin Rapids Public School District, thank you for bringing everyone in today and speaking with me, Ron.
Thanks, Melissa.
Appreciate
it.
And thank you to listeners joining us for news in our community on Perspective 1320 AM, 97-5 FM WFHR.
You're listening to Perspective on WFHR, 1320 AM, 97.5 FM.
I'm Melissa Kay bringing you news in our community.
During this interview, I'm talking with multiple people from the Wisconsin Rapids Public School District.
We'll start with Superintendent Ron Rasmussen.
This date is Friday, August 28th.
I didn't have that in my notes.
Thank you for joining me, Ron, and guests to bring the community an update from Wisconsin Rapids Public School District.
Hi, Melissa.
We're excited to be back with you this month.
And I'm excited to have you all here.
You brought with you, as I said, special guest.
This is Bill Oswald, the principal at Woodside Elementary.
Welcome, Bill.
Good morning.
Thank you.
And Taylor Mansell, kindergarten teacher at Woodside.
Good morning.
Thank you for having me.
And Herman Alvarez, parent and PTO member at Woodside.
Morning.
Thanks for having me.
Glad you are all here.
Let's just dive right in with you, Bill, and the special guest that you brought from Woodside.
You have some exciting things coming up when people are listening to this.
It is September 1st, the first day of school for students at Woodside as well.
And let's talk about some of your back to school events you have going on.
Yeah, absolutely.
We just had our open house a couple of days ago, which was very well attended.
A vast majority of students were very excited.
excited to be back and I can say all parents were very excited to have their students back at school but again very well attended and we're very excited to have everybody back in the building it makes all the preparation worth it and all the the anxiety of getting everything ready to go worth that as well when you see how excited they are to be back.
And the summer well it feels long at some times it's really short when you're trying to prepare all of these things to have
everything in place that's ready for the school year.
Yeah, we have quite a few and it's not just our own building, but a lot of people spend a lot of time over the summer sporadically coming in to make sure everything's ready to go to.
You think of that random thing you want to have ready to go by the beginning of the year and then it turns into four or five more things you want to have ready to go.
So yeah, so it's a pretty active place in the summer as well, but definitely all coming together at the right time to start the year.
Wonderful.
And as you're getting ready...
Taylor with your kindergarten class.
How many years have you been teaching?
This is my third year of teaching.
Okay, so do you have some things that you're getting into place that are going to be a little different than previous years, some different ideas?
Yes, I just switched classrooms.
So that's a change in itself, but I'm very excited to have a bigger class than last year and get to incorporate a new curriculum and just really excited to get to know these new students and families.
Because are you one of the teachers that will have a full day with your?
Oh, no, that's 4k.
4k, yes.
and is always full day.
And with some of these back to school, you said it's a new classroom and it's always new students.
Yes, very exciting.
And then Herman, if you could tell me what your role is as a PTO member parent, tell us about what you're doing with the Woodside.
Yeah, so like you said, I am a member of the PTO and I like to think that the PTO for Woodside is very active.
There's quite a few events that they participate in quite a bit.
A lot of opportunities get back into Woodside, interact with staff and students.
Just to name a few favorites, every third Friday, we do Popcorn Friday, which is a big hit.
Makes the building smell amazing.
Favorite part is delivering the popcorn to students.
Big distraction, but
Kids love it.
Oh, yeah.
Everybody gets excited about popcorn.
Oh, of course.
Winter Wonderland is also another favorite.
It's quite a few items that the PTO purchases.
Kids get to go home with their parents, make a list of things they want to buy for their family, for their friends.
It's always kind of cute to see what they choose for their family members and whatnot.
And do you want me to talk about Family Fun Fest?
Sure, let's dive right
into that, because that is a big thing that's coming up here, the Fall Family Fun Fest.
this year.
Is this new?
Is this something different?
Tell us about it.
Yeah, so we have done Family Fun Fest in the past.
We switched it to October, which should still be a good hit.
It's a good time.
Like I said, it's a great opportunity to get back into Woodside.
There's going to be a lot of games, carnival games, blow-ups, raffles.
to my favorite raffles that we participate in heavily are the opportunity to be able to throw a pie in the principal's face and the superintendent's face as well.
They're popular.
Do many of them land, principal Bill?
They are very in close proximity, so they land very well and forcefully,
which
is good.
But yeah, the kids absolutely love it.
They go wild every year when we do it.
And then we were able to incorporate Mr. Rasmussen being a good sport as well.
also jumping in so that adds another level because they see
Us in that role, specifically Mr. Asmussen in the superintendent role, walking through the buildings often, it gives us an opportunity to show that we are just as involved and collaborative with our students and staff.
We're not just somebody who's here once in a while.
So that was really cool to be able to jump in.
And selfishly, I like to spread that out too, if other people can have a pie.
It's a little less pointed at me,
if there's other people involved.
A little less concentration of pie on your face.
Yes.
What are the pies made of?
Are they just whipped cream?
Are they actual?
Yeah,
and the kids love it.
We get everybody outside and do that at the end of the year.
Typically, this year will be able to do it a little bit earlier.
And as you alluded to, as Herman was saying, and Taylor was, we're moving it up this year to October 1st.
So one month from today.
And really looking forward to using it as an opportunity.
Not only do we have our open house recently, but this is another opportunity for our families and our students to get together earlier in the year to interact and mingle a little bit to get to know each other after they've settled in a little bit.
It
really
helps us to kind of renew some of those relationships that started at the beginning of the year, but it also fosters some more of that interaction with their little brothers and sisters across grade levels and families.
And for our listeners and myself who don't know, what are the grade levels at Woodside?
So we have a AM and a PM 4K, and then full-time we have kindergarten through fifth grade.
Through fifth grade, okay.
And so everybody's involved in this family fun fest.
Do the classrooms, I'm gonna throw this one to you.
And I'm sorry, Taylor.
to keep looking at my notes.
Taylor, I'm gonna throw this one to you and ask you what your classroom specifically does to be involved in this fun fest.
Yes, so every year we try to get everybody from our class involved.
We send home raffle basket ideas and request raffle basket items so families can help provide raffle baskets that we can sell at the event.
And then we invite all of our students and staff to the event as well.
So this is a fundraiser for the school then as well?
Correct.
Okay, so what do those funds go for then?
Bill, I'll throw that one to you.
Yeah, so what we were doing last year is we have a great outdoor learning facility.
We call it the Lumber Lab.
It's a pavilion that was part of a very generous grant from some community organizations previously that had to do with our playground with the Encourage Foundation and others.
So we try to maximize then how do we best utilize those funds to help meet student need, right?
So obviously everything is student centered.
So in this case, that Lumber Lab that we have needed some furniture.
Interestingly enough, by opportunities that were afforded by being able to be on your program, but then also to have those conversations with community members throughout the year, we had Jay Klingforth come from the city to talk to us about Arbor Day.
We were in the lumber lab outside and he made a comment about, well, you know, the furniture, you know, what do you have going on with that?
He got me connected with Tim from Home Depot, shout out to Tim, who helped me with a grant and a nonprofit.
then they were able to donate some of that furniture.
So we're the outdoor lab.
So we now are kind of revamping what our fundraiser was for because that's how we were going to do that.
And we're still going to be looking at how do we supplement that and any experiences that we can for our students.
So we're working towards finishing that with this fundraiser as well.
And I'm looking forward to other projects in the future.
So that outdoor, it's like a lab area.
Do classrooms take like many field trips out there to do things?
Is it part of a curriculum?
What do you do with that area?
We
try to encourage everybody to get out there during, for example, reading time, especially when it's nice, if
you're
able to do your lesson outside.
The Optimist Club was kind enough to donate and generous enough to supply a whiteboard out there for us and assemble that.
So it's an outdoor classroom and so we're furnishing it as such.
We also have some sensory areas out there for our students who may need a little bit more of a break throughout the day.
That way they have an opportunity and a place to go.
as well.
So it's a very inclusive space and now we're just trying to make that the most robust as we can to meet all of our student need.
Okay.
And Taylor, when you get to take your kindergartners out there, what is their reaction to being outdoors and learning?
They love learning outside.
It gives them an opportunity to just get a different feel, different environment, helps them refocus.
They love reading.
We do a lot of chalk and math facts outside.
So anytime that we can get outside and use that learning lab, it's a great opportunity for the kids.
Do
you ever have to like fight for the time to be out there with other teachers?
Yes, there's a sign-up sheet, so it makes it very easy for us to request times to go out there.
Oh, that's good.
And then Bill, is there anything else in our last minute here that you want to share about the start of school and activities coming back?
Yeah, as I said before, we're very excited to come back.
I'm a very fortunate principal.
We have outstanding students and parents, and our staff members are great.
As you've heard too, our PTO is very active and very supportive of our students, and we have needs.
They're constantly looking for ways that they can help.
Throughout the year, our building, very honestly, has a very high and positive culture and climate.
Our goal is to be the place where we all learn and grow, and that goes for everyone, whether it's our students, our parents.
or our staff.
So we try to encapsulate that in everything that we're doing.
And then moving forward, we obviously will hope to continue to intentionally grow and maintain that climate and culture and then really making sure that we're focusing on that academic piece as well.
So to maintain the positivity, but then also look at how do we continue to grow academically and socially, emotionally as well in these events and folks like Hermann and Taylor and the other individuals that are involved with our
with our staff and action leadership teams are very much appreciated and super critical for making sure that that happens.
Wonderful.
Well, this is a perfect spot for us to take a short pause to hear from our sponsor.
I'm Melissa Kay talking with multiple members of the Wisconsin Rapids Public School District.
Bill Oswald, the principal at Woodside Elementary, Taylor Mansell, and Hermann Oliveris.
Thank you all for being here.
We'll take a short pause.
I'm Melissa Kay, and you're listening to Perspective on 1320 a.m.
97
WFHR.
Welcome, you're listening to Perspective on WFHR 1320 AM 975 FM.
I'm Melissa Kay bringing you news in our community.
I'm speaking with the Wisconsin Rapids Public School District today in this interview and now we have with us Superintendent Ron Rasmussen and we had spoke earlier of a whole lot about Woodside Elementary with the principal and the teacher and one of the parents of the PTO and
It's exciting to see all of the neat things happening at our elementary schools.
Yeah, I mean we've had a great week last week with our open houses kicking off at our elementary as I was able to make it around to all of our buildings that afternoon and just to see the excitement we had.
building standing up popsicles meeting with the principals we had dilly bars and good thing I did not eat all the dilly bars and all my stops but it was just great seeing all the parents and students back when our buildings and that excitement generally by all of our students and as Bill said earlier just the excitement of the parents to
I think to say, hey, here's school.
Here's my son and
daughter.
Yes,
back into a rhythm.
But also cool seeing all the new backpacks and the new school supplies and just that energy and the excitement that comes at the beginning of a new school year.
And as you're hearing this, it is obviously the first day of school for kids, except for
at the high school.
It's only freshman to me.
Yeah, at the high school, only freshman.
That's something we started last year just really to ease that transition to freshmen because at times that can be scary.
Coming over to Lincoln.
With such a full building.
It's a full building, but just that, you know, to just give the students a chance to go to the classrooms to follow their daily schedule.
We know that students who get involved in activities generally have higher grade point averages and attendance averages when they come to the high school.
So really it's a good opportunity.
show them all the clubs and activities.
I mean, 20 plus sports, 55 plus activities that students can enjoy.
That's a lot to choose from.
Yeah, you know, anywhere from, you know, FFA that, you know what, some of the listeners may be more traditional, you know, FFA, business, FBLA, DACA, but we also run a gamers club.
We have an e-sports club.
So just those other newer activities that students can also join.
And so we really want to provide that opportunity for them to see that all the things that Lincoln has to offer.
as a student because we think it's a phenomenal place for students to learn and grow.
And one of the other new things you're offering this year is full day 4k.
Yeah, the district is piloting two sections of full-day 4k.
One section is at Meet Elementary and the other is at Grant Elementary.
We do have a little waiting list of parents that wanted a full-day 4k.
So we have about 40 students enrolled in our full-day 4k program.
We have about 210 students overall in 4k.
And so there's a little bit of a waiting list.
We're really going to see the provide some neat opportunities.
We're a play-based 4k.
And that continues into the full day.
The advantage of the full day, those students will also get some fied, some art and some music, which were unable to fit into the half
day
program.
It is important for everybody to understand that, you know, part of this, the ability to move to a full day is support of the referendum.
that passed last spring.
The state only funds 4k at a 60% rate and so that additional 40% we're using the funds that our community is supporting us with to provide those further opportunities for students.
And we'll see where it goes from here on if it will become more of a full day option and many more of our sites or if we'll continue in just a few of our sites.
So we're gonna take the fall to really look at that and make some decisions moving forward.
And in your decision to include
this, was there research done about other full-day 4k programs in other districts?
Yeah, many other districts are looking at full-day 4k too.
I think there's a two-fold reason is, you know, just getting students more involved and when you run a play-based, full-day 4k is at
you know, you're not doing your reading and your math like you are later upper elementary or whatever, but you're incorporating more of those activities and some of those play based environments.
In addition, we all know that childcare is a difficulty in our community and not just in rapids, but in many community rural communities across Wisconsin.
So it's that support system as well for families to provide that opportunity for students to be in a safe environment, a learning environment, one that wants to nurture their students and their children.
and also provide that flexibility for some parents as well.
Wonderful.
Um, you also, uh, there's a big new parking lot over at how
I
actually took a tour of it
just the other day
and I spoke with some of the contractors out there.
It's looking really great.
Yeah.
We're, we're, um, this has been, I think a four year project since Emmanuel, um, has built their new church on the, on the east side of town and the district, um, worked out the agreement with Emmanuel to, uh, purchase that church for the expansion of the parking lot.
We've always been concerned about safety.
A streets, uh, it's a
It is a busy road.
And having students exit their vehicles along A Street.
So it's always been a goal of the district to come up with some safer mechanism for the safety and security of our students.
And that purchase of that property allowed us to expand.
And so there'll be a dedicated parent drop off and pick up lanes.
out there as well as an expanded parking lot but I'm also pleased of trying to be good neighbors you know there's gonna be more green space over there there's
more
trees over there and that's always important versus just
putting an asphalt parking lot in the middle of a neighborhood.
So we're excited about that for the neighborhood itself.
In addition, we're putting a pavilion up in that area too.
Really, that's for parents to be covered in case of inclement weather as they're waiting for their children to walk them back to their vehicles if they're not in the pickup line.
But we also look forward to that maybe being a community asset for the neighborhood as well.
There'll be some picnic tables in there.
a nice asset for the community in addition to the playground that we put in last summer.
And then you said the increased safety along 8th there.
There is a fence now between the parking lot and 8th Street.
Correct.
So you won't be able, a student won't be able to go from the parking lot and run straight across the road.
They have to use the crosswalk.
They have to use the crosswalk either on Saratoga or the new crosswalk that is directly across to the main entrance.
And that crosswalk across to the main entrance is now lighted very similar to what's been down towards Noodle's, accompanying a further south on 8th Street as in the, that was put in more recently.
recently as well.
So we're hoping that there'll be obviously a transition going through.
And Mr. Steve Thayer is the principal over there and he conducted a lot of sessions during the open house about how to navigate the new parking lot.
But we're excited for that opportunity as well.
So will the buses drop off then?
Buses won't.
Buses will drop off where they have traditionally on oak.
So we separate that traffic just for safety reasons as well.
There's some new fencing along oak as well.
to prevent students from running across that road.
Obviously that road's a little less traveled than A Street, but we are adding some additional fencing there as well.
Okay.
So then parents will have to go into the parking lot for dropping
off.
Correct.
Correct.
Okay.
Well, that sounds like it will be very, very beneficial for students and honestly for parents as well.
That was a bit of a interesting feat to navigate last year.
Yes.
Yes.
And our hope is that traffic obviously does not back up onto A Street.
So we added a, there's a kind of a two
lane entrance and to there that will go into a single lane pickup area but you know it's anything you know it's construction season in Wisconsin and red run property has been great a contract over there but in the transition if you've been over
Towards Gainer towards Wisconsin Rapids area middle school.
Yes, we
may as well where we are Gainer is a one-way street from the roundabout out to Rams So we encourage parents who are going to be dropping off at Rams to to use the sign detour along 17th and to get over towards 29th and then come back down and But that is a one-way street moving from Rams to the roundabout so
We just encourage parents to use their time.
Maybe add a little
extra time
in the morning.
Yes, because it will be busy.
And we know a lot of parents do drop off their students at Rams.
And that line, usually that first week or two, can be rather lengthy.
And just budget that extra time.
And if you can get your child up in the morning and on time, you might want to try to do it five to 10 minutes early.
But having former middle school students in my household, I know that as a task in itself.
Yes,
indeed.
And it'll be like this probably.
through into October, for
sure.
Into October, yeah.
I think we've been told kind of towards the middle to the end of October.
So it'll be about the first two months of school.
Okay, well, and then it'll feel like you get a little reprieve after that's done
and you
have a little more time in the morning.
Yeah, I just think this summer is a construction season, I think.
Everywhere where any of us are traveling in Wisconsin either in the Wisconsin Rapids area to plover obviously, but then anywhere else you're traveling in the state south on I-39 or anywhere else.
But some of that definitely needed infrastructure upgrades that we have needed for some time and we have a short window to do it
in.
Yes, yes, that is true.
Let's touch now on some of the new admin and new teachers you have joining staff.
Yeah, we've had a great week.
We have about 34 new teachers within the school district.
mostly retirements that have occurred within the district.
So we've had a great opportunity to spend about a week with them two weeks ago.
I'm getting them geared up to learn about our Wisconsin Rapids community and the school district.
A big shout out to the ridges who hosted our new staff for a luncheon on Thursday that week, just so they could learn a little bit about our community and one of our local supporters and businesses.
And then we have four, I want to say new admin in the district, but they've all been in the district.
Just they're kind of in different roles.
So Dr. Radwa.
Watson, who was the principal at Lincoln, is now the new principal at Washington.
Kelly Schaefer, who was at Washington, is now at Rams, so the middle school.
Kelly Zwicky, who was the associate principal at Lincoln, is now interim principal at Lincoln for the year.
And then lastly, Kim Ake, who was a student engagement facilitator and math coach at Meade.
is now the new principal at Meade.
So all familiar faces within the school district.
And we're excited for them to begin in their new roles as well.
I joked with Dr. Watts when I was at Washington for their open house.
I think his line was about 25 minutes deep.
But he had trivia and dilly-bar.
So that was a good reason.
There
was a
draw there.
But we're excited once again to have them in their roles.
But more excited as well to have our new staff.
Just the excitement of.
Probably about half of them are fresh out of college, but the other half are experienced.
And just to see that excitement of.
coming into the profession.
Yeah, and having mentors because if you've got experienced staff there to help the newbies.
Yes, exactly.
In our last minute here, let's touch briefly on the boundaries and buildings task force.
Yeah, starting in the last school year, we convened about 40 individuals from a cross-section of administrators, teachers, parents, community members in our boundaries and buildings task force, really looking at where is the district going to envision ourselves in five to 10 years with our physical plant of our
school district as we're well aware there's less births and the national birth rate has gone down.
We have less students and to maximize our resources.
And so this committee has been spending time.
We've met five or six times over the summer.
We have about five more meetings yet scheduled this early part of the fall touring our facilities across the district.
What are the needs of the school district?
What
are the
physical needs of the buildings?
Our newest elementary building was built in 1975 and that is Think Academy.
So what needs are needs?
in those buildings with the newest one being over 50 years old right within the district but also does the district need
All those does a district need 12 buildings and what if we redo boundaries where subdivisions are.
So this committee has been doing a lot of work looking at the physical plant and also looking at the the elementary boundaries that we currently have.
And we hope to that committee hopes to make some recommendations that task force probably by mid October, envisioning where the district will be hopefully in the future with boundaries and capital projects within our buildings.
All right.
There's a nice update on our website.
And that's
a big undertaking.
Yeah.
And so we encourage people to go visit our website for that update.
And if you go to our website, it's a brand new website this summer.
I noticed that.
And so we're excited about that.
A lot of video of our buildings and our projects.
And so it gives parents probably a better feel for our school district than the old website.
So I encourage you to go visit, www.
www.wrps.net.
All right.
And briefly, you said you got some donations to the athletic complex you wanted to
recognize.
Yeah, I just want to recognize.
First of all, the Rapids Area Soccer Incorporated worked with the Legacy Foundation.
So over at the Washington Soccer Complex, there's new lights over there.
And this fall, people will see some construction over there of a press box that will be going over there as well as an update to the storage building.
So we want to
thank Rassie and the Legacy Foundation.
And then
Lastly, if you attend a soccer game over at Lincoln on Wood Trust Bank Field or a football game, we were blessed with donations from the Legacy Foundation, the Torque Foundation, as well as the W.A.
State Event Workers to put a new lighting system over at.
that's complex as well.
So I want to thank all those individuals for their support.
And then lastly, just a noon Rotary Club in Wisconsin Rapids for their support and donations over the summer as well for some of our programming.
Wonderful.
It takes help from everyone in the community to make our school successful.
Yep.
And we're blessed by an excellent community that supports us.
Wonderful.
Well, I'm Melissa Kay speaking with Superintendent Ron Rasmussen.
Earlier, we had in Bill Oswald, principal of Woodside Elementary, Taylor Mansel, kindergarten teacher at Woodside and
and Hermann Oliveris, a parent and PTO member at Woodside.
And all with the Wisconsin Rapids Public School District, thank you for bringing everyone in today and speaking with me, Ron.
Thanks, Melissa.
Appreciate
it.
And thank you to listeners joining us for news in our community on Perspective 1320 AM, 97-5 FM WFHR.