The North Crawford School District is leaping into the merry whirl of holiday happenings, offering several community events prior to their winter break from December 22 to January 2. Those events include a special lineup of holiday concerts, their ‘Northpole Breakfast with Santa and his Elves,’ and their holiday cookies fundraiser to supply the lunch program with local beef.
Their Winter Holiday Concerts kick off with Middle School Chorus and Band at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 10, followed by High School Chorus and Band at 7:30 p.m.
Grades 3-5 will perform on Friday, Dec. 12, beginning at 2 p.m., and according to Elementary Principal Amanda Killeen, the kids have something special planned for concert-goers.
“This year’s Holiday Concert will highlight winter celebrations around the world,” Killeen told the North Crawford School Board at their November 19 meeting. “Each grade is learning about a different cultural holiday, and performing a corresponding song, all connected through our central theme of light and peace.”
Killeen said the elementary special team has collaborated to make the concern a truly joyful event, with music, movement and visual art woven together. Student artwork reflecting each celebration will be on display, showcasing what students have learned about winter traditions across the globe.
Then, on Sunday, Dec. 14, there will be the district’s annual ‘North Pole Breakfast with Santa and his Elves,’ from 8-11 a.m. Participants will enjoy a delicious breakfast of pancakes with toppings and sausage links, fun games, festive crafts, a bake sale, and a special visit from Santa. Photos with Santa will take place from 8:30-10:30 a.m. – participants should bring their own camera. The event is a fundraiser for the senior class trip and a free will offering is asked.
Foodservice Director Jen Kapinus reports they’ve had amazing support for their cookie fundraiser, already selling 60 dozen. This puts them almost in reach of their fundraising goal. The last day to place an order is Friday, Dec. 5, and the last day to pick up cookies is Wednesday, Dec. 17. To order, go to: https://forms.gle/azXZbvJcjAmvxJVDA.
Cell phone policy
Superintendent Brandon Munson told the board he’d put the topic of the district’s cell phone use policy on the agenda for discussion, but no action. He cited two reasons for asking the board to discuss the matter. First, because some board members have asked whether the district’s policy is restrictive enough, and second because of Governor Evers signing a bill recently prohibiting cell phone use during instructional time.
“Current policies in the district are elementary no cell phones at all, in middle school they can’t have their cell phones out during the school day, and in high school no cell phones are allowed during instructional time, but they are allowed to use them during passing times, breakfast, and lunch,” Munson told the board. “As a result, we are already pretty well in alignment with the new law, so I don't think we're necessarily going to have to change any of our practices. The law doesn't take effect formally until July 1, 2026. We will have to put a formal policy into board policy before then, by June 30.”
Munson said that for all of these reasons, the district had conducted a survey among students, families, and high school staff, to obtain feedback on the topic.
“From a student standpoint, they're in favor of what we're currently doing, and overall, didn't seem to be really motivated to change or become more restricted,” Munson told the board. “Among families, while maybe not quite as overwhelming as with the students, data still seem to largely favor what we're currently doing. Among the 15 survey responses from staff, the results were more evenly split.”
Munson said there are two areas identified in the survey results that will be addressed moving forward:
• One area is consistency in enforcement of the current cell phone policy.
• An additional area of concern is the potential for continued distractions during instructional time if the cell phone remains on the student. Dr. Sailer and I will work with staff to figure out the best method for students to ‘check in’ their phone when they come into the classroom. In the event of an emergency, or if a student has the teacher’s permission, they would still have easy access to their phone.
CESA #3 also conducted a survey of school districts in their service area about their cell phone use practices. A total of 31 districts were surveyed, with 30 responding. Of the 30 districts, 23 allow cell phone use during non-instructional times. Prairie du Chien, Richland, Pecatonica and Darlington school districts require cell phones to stay in students’ lockers. At Argyle and Southwestern, students are allowed to keep the phone on their person. At Highland, students can use their phone during lunch. Munson said that Viroqua and La Farge have the same policy as North Crawford.
Munson said that if board members want to look at modifying the current district practice, they should work through board president Terry O’Donnell. He encouraged the board not to make changes mid-year, and to consider convening a special committee to discuss the topic during the spring semester.
“The biggest part that caught my attention was that a nice chunk of the high school teachers felt that the cell phones were impacting instructional time,” O’Donnell said. “Whether that's just due to the lack of implementation of the current policy, it sounded like there was a lot of messiness. Maybe we could clear that up. If the policy was a little more clear cut, or there was a better process for that and more consistency across the staff implementing that policy. I think that was the biggest thing that popped up, was that even with this policy in place, the teachers are still feeling that it's impacting instruction, which is concerning.”
Administrative updates
Elementary Principal Amanda Killeen reported that in the area of English Language Arts (ELA), Kindergarten through second grade have reached or exceeded the 80% proficiency benchmark, and third grade is at the 76% proficiency benchmark. Killeen said that in math, early results mirror the success with ELA.
Middle School/High School Principal Dr. Rob Sailer reports that middle school staff have been working hard to strengthen routines and maintain consistency across instruction blocks, and that teachers report improved engagement and smoother pacing. He said that in high school, homeroom has become an important time for students to monitor their progress, organize their classwork, and receive academic guidance from teachers. Teachers report this is helping students stay more accountable and maintain stronger academic habits.
Sailer said Career and Technical Education had experienced recent industry visits from BAPI, Crossing Rivers Health, Truvant and S&S Cycles. He said the Fab Lab continues to progress. He said Fine Arts students had performed well at the district’s Veteran’s Day ceremony, and are preparing for December holiday concerts.
Sailer told the board that the Middle School/High School, for the first time since the 2015-16 school year, earned a ‘Meets Expectations’ rating, with an overall score of 62.9. He said the score reflects strong gains in student growth, high graduation rates, and better attendance among target groups.
Student Services Director Amanda Wagner said her team has welcomed Adam Stenner to the team for a one-on-one winter boys basketball paraprofessional position. She said there had been some reallocation of current staff’s time to better meet the needs of current and incoming students as well.
Foodservice Director Jen Kapinus reported that the School Nutrition Team earned a perfect score on their most recent health inspection. She said that meal participation growth continues to rise, with total meals served in October up 15%. She said they’d introduced a daily alternate entree option for high school students in response to feedback requesting more variety.
In other business
In other business, the board:
• approved the first reading of School Board Policy Update 34-2 relating to School Support Organizations
• approved Vicki Campbell, Ashley Hady, Sheena Olson, Melissa Fradette, Larissa Stussy, Maria del Carmen Tinoco Diaz, and Leah Durst as chaperones for the 8th grade trip to Washington D.C.
• approved Andy Watters as high school assistant basketball coach, Russ Torgerson as assistant wrestling coach for the girls wrestling program, and Darci Jelinek, Shane Torgerson, and Jerrod Osterkamp as volunteer wrestling coaches
• approved an overnight field trip to Chicago for students involved with the North Crawford Playhouse
• approved overnight trips for the wrestling team to Madison and La Crosse in December, and to Wausau in January.
