Tri-County Area School District PRSRT STD Tri-County Area School District February 2015 409 S West Street P ageU.S. POSTAGE#1 PAID Plainfield, WI 54966-9608 Plainfield WI 54966 PERMIT #7

(715) 335-6366 CAR RT ST www.tricounty.k12.wi.us RURAL ROUTE OR POST OFFICE BOXHOLDER February 2015 Newsletter T-C Pep Band Plays at UWSP, Men’s and Women’s Home Games ELEMENTARY PARENT LUNCH Pictured below are Front row: Jake Kealiher, Garrett Femal, Payton LaPorte, Dawson Knutson, Emily Betro, Thomas Sachs and Isaac Kramer. We will once again be having “Invite Second Row: Josh Kealiher, Shannon Heath, Megan Nigh, Melinda Anderson, Eliza- your parents for Lunch” day for grades 4K- beth Kemnetz, Sarah Lauer, Briana Dickinson and band director Bill Femal. th 4 . The cost is $3.25 per adult. The dates are Third Row: Katie Guetzke, Emma Walker, Amber Baehman and Lindsay Knutson. Monday, March 2, 4k, Tuesday, March 3, -4k, Fourth Row: Heidi Ertl and Natalie Henriksen Wednesday March 11, 4th grade, Wednesday, Fifth Row: Ciera Mahal, Caitlin Eisner, Hannah Perez, Andrea’ Boyd, Brooke Hopkins March 18, Kindergarten, Friday, March 20, and Kenneth Becher. 1st grade, Tuesday March 24, 3rd grade, and Sixth Row: Shawn Kemnetz, Zach Truehl, Zach Bacon, Quincy Pfaff, Macy Klabunde, Friday, March 27th, 2nd grade. A flyer will be Victoria Boyd and Cody Eisner sent home with the dates also. If you have any Seventh Row: Chelsea King, Sarah Chojnacki, Dakota Lockhart, Makayla Beggs, questions, please contact Tammie Weis ext. Tomas Samaniego, Jon Koepke, Kenny Schuelke 5200 or Mary Cummings ext. 2920. Eighth Row: Ben Kramer, Isabella Weekly, Garrison Woiak, Elizabeth Nigh, Tyler Kramer, Ivy Klabunde, Eric Buechner, Tyler Doorn, David Femal, Brad Truehl, Claude Cleereman, Lyle Reid, Jake Kramer and Ben Ebben.

Photo Courtesy of Brianne Kotolski, Bri also posted you tube video’s of the pep band . Great Job T-C Pep band! Tri-County Area School District February 2015 Page #2 3rd Grade News By Mrs. Jagielo, Mrs. Ertl, and Mrs. Schroeder The third grade has been busy exploring all sorts of nonfiction literature to help us with our reading comprehension. Our cur- riculum focuses on bringing reading comprehension into all content areas. The students have enthusiastically taken to this new type of learning. One example was their “Celebrations Around the World” projects which involved independent research and presentation. We look forward to our spring research project that focuses on environmental awareness. We have finished reading the chapter book, Stone Fox , by John Reynolds Gardiner. This is a favorite story each year in 3 rd grade. During this unit we studied characters, setting and plot. For a writing project, we wrote our own chapter to add to the end of the story. Stop in and look at the variety of new endings to this story! Another reading unit focused on wolves, including habitats, life cycles, stereotypes and controversies. The Timber Wolf Alli- ance came to visit in October to present facts on the life of wolves and the history of the wolf in Wisconsin. The students learned many things about this magnificent creature! In English, the students have been learning about the parts of speech. We’ve covered the basics: nouns, verbs, and pronouns. We will soon be learning about adjectives and adverbs. The students will apply this knowledge in their creative descriptive stories. The kids really enjoy this unit and the stories are always a joy to read! In addition to that, we have been practicing basic grammar skills and writing complete sentences in English class and in our everyday work. The students need to continue to learn their multiplication and division facts in math. Thank you to the parents who are help- ing their children practice at home. It makes a big difference! The 3 rd graders will be taking some practice tests in Reading, Writing and Math in preparation for the new state test, the Badger Exam. This exam will take place later in the spring. Wish us luck! In science, we are learning all about the human body and its many functions. It is amazing to see how everything fits and works together inside of our bodies! We will then move on to the solar system, and learn a little about each of the planets. We hope to raise chicks and ducklings again this spring during our life cycles unit, and we work with the high school animal science class. In social studies, we have been learning about different types of communities. Most communities are built near crossroads, water, or the mountains for natural resources. Another important part of social studies is learning how to read maps, charts, and graphs. We will soon be learning about career options. Students will explore different types of careers; and they will begin thinking about an area that they are interested in pursuing. Don’t be surprised when your child brings home a note about speaking to the 3 rd graders about your career. We hope many of you will consider coming in to share your experience with us. We are anxiously awaiting some warm spring weather and upcoming field trips. The places we will visit include the UWSP Planetarium and Schmeekle Reserve, the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, and the Wild Rose Historical Museum and Fish Hatchery. We will also enjoy a dramatic performance of “The Teacher from the Black Lagoon” at the McComb/Bruchs Performing Arts Center in Wautoma. As you can tell, the third graders have been very busy. The school year is flying by, and there’s still so much to learn. We would also like to thank the parents for staying involved in their child’s education.

Tri-County Area School District February 2015 Page #3

The Tri- County FFA Chapter is again hosting the Ru- ral Youth Safety Day for the 4th graders from Tri-County, Co- loma, and Almond-Bancroft Elementary Schools. Safety is an important concept students need to learn at a young age, and we hope by hosting our safety day, we are making our students, safer students.

Our Safety Day will be held on Friday, May 22nd, 2015. It will be held at Veterans Memorial Park in Plainfield, located to the west of the Tri-County School. The different presentations in- clude: car and bike safety, ani- mal safety, machinery safety, fire safety, natural resources safety, home safety, and recrea- tional safety. The presenters plan an interactive presentation to maintain the interest level of nine and ten year old stu- dents. The students rotate through the stations throughout the day to learn about each safety topic.

Rural Youth Safety Day! May 22, 2015 Sponsorship deadline March 13, 2015

Thank you! Tri-County Area School District February 2015 Page #4 Students Write Book Mrs. Jagielo’s Class Students from Mrs. Jagielo’s class recently wrote a book called, “Our Book of Crazy Compound Words.” Their book was bound and printed through the Studentreasures Publishing Company. The students started with every day compound words, such as frogman, crabgrass, and rattlesnake. Then taking these words, students were to think of a ‘silly picture’ that their compound word seemed to sound like. For example: a starfish became a fish that was singing into a microphone; or a dragonfly became a flying dragon; and a rattlesnake became a snake shaking a rattle. Then the students used dictionaries and found the real meaning of their word. Once the students had their ‘silly picture’ and real meaning of their compound word, they developed a conversation to expose the real meaning in imaginary charac- ters. The students had a lot of fun, and created some very clever pictures. Their book of crazy com- pounds was published in December. Students received their copies early in January. There will be a copy on display at conferences.

Dear Parents and Guardians, January 29, 2015

The CDC has reported an outbreak of measles in the U.S. currently involving eleven states. The Tri-County Area School District would like to take this opportunity to provide some information about measles and how to prevent it.

Measles is the most deadly of all childhood rash/fever illnesses. It is a serious infection that causes fever, cough, a rash, sore eyes, and occasionally dangerous complications. Measles spread very easily, so it is important to protect against infection. Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent measles.

Specifically, to have the best protection against measles, two doses of MMR vaccine are required. As part of the childhood immunization program the first dose of vaccine is required between 12 -15 months and the second dose before entering school, at 4 – 6 years.

It is important for you to check your child’s immunization records to make sure he/she has received two doses of MMR vaccine. Measles can spread easily to and from unimmunized children. In addition to being at risk for getting sick if exposed to measles, children with one or zero doses of MMR will not be able to come to school for two weeks if exposed. If you believe that your child needs the MMR vaccine, please call your health care pro- vider or local health department.

A fact sheet about measles is included with this letter. If your child does develop a rash with a fever, they should not attend school and you should call your health care provider. It is important to call the clinic or hospital before taking your child in.

Please remember – the best way to protect your child is to ensure they have had two doses of MMR.

Sincerely , Patti Miller, RN, BSN School Nurse Tri-County Area School District February 2015 Page #5

WISCONSIN DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH Department of Health Services Measles (Rubeola)

Disease Fact Sheet Series

What is measles? Measles is a disease cause by measles virus and sometimes referred to as "hard", "red" or "10-day measles".

Who can get measles? Measles virus can infect any person of any age who has not previously had the disease or measles vaccine.

How is measles spread? Airborne droplets, from coughing or sneezing, spread the virus. It spreads easily and rapidly.

How soon do symptoms appear after exposure? It takes from 8-12 days for the cold-like symptoms to appear and 14 days for the rash.

What are the signs and symptoms of measles? The disease begins with cold like signs and symptoms including a cough, runny nose, high temperature and red watery eyes. By the second day after onset, a red blotchy rash appears at the hairline and spreads down the body to the arms and legs. The rash disappears in the same order of appearance (head to foot) in about 5-6 days.

How can parents be sure that their child’s illness is measles? The only sure way to determine if an illness is indeed measles is through a blood test.

When and for how long is a person able to spread measles? Measles can be spread from one day before the onset of cold-like symptoms, through the fourth day of the rash.

What are the complications associated with measles? Among children with measles, about 10% develop ear infections, about 5% develop pneumonia, about 0.1% (1 per 1000 cases) develop encephalitis (inflammation of the brain that can result in deafness or mental retardation), and about 0.1% to 0.2% (1 to 2 per 1000 cases) die from it.

Is there a treatment for measles? There is no specific treatment for measles.

Can measles be prevented? Yes. Measles vaccine (usually given in combination with rubella and mumps vaccine, called measlesmumps- rubella or MMR vaccine) is recommended for all children at 12-15 months of age and again at 4-6 years of age. The 2-doses of vaccine normally provide life long immunity.

Does a past infection with measles make a person immune for life? Yes

February 12, 2015 Family Reading Night, Come Meet Biscuit. More informa- tion in flyers that came home or you can find it on our website at

www.tricounty.k12.wi.us Hope to see you there! Tri-County Area School District February 2015 Page #6

School Closings are posted at/on ...

TV Channel 2 (WBAY) - Green Bay Come check out what is hap- TV Channel 5 (WFRV) - Green Bay pening at Tri-County. This TV Channel 7 (WSAW) - Wausau

TV Channel 9 (WAOW) - Wausau will be a great time for parents TV Channel Fox 11 (WLUK) - Green Bay and community members to TV Channel NBC 26/UPN 32

Green Bay/Appleton stop by and see all the great WAUH 102.3 FM - Wautoma things going on in our school. WBCV 107.9 - Wausau

WDEZ 101.9 FM - Wausau

WDKM 106.1 FM - Adams

Please save the date on your WDUX 92.7 FM - Waupaca

WFHR 1320 AM - WI Rapids calendars and stop by to help WGLX 103.3 FM - WI Rapids celebrate our school pride and WGNV 88.5 FM - Milladore

WIFC 95.5 FM - Wausau success. WISS 1100 AM - Berlin

WIZD 99.9 FM - Stevens Point

WKQH 104.9 FM - Marathon As always, Thank you for WLJY 106.5 - Marshfield your continued support for our WOFM 94.7 - Wausau

WRIG AM 1390 - Schofield great school community. WSAU 99.9 FM - Wausau

WSPT 1010 AM, 97.9 FM - Stevens Point

GO PENGUINS! WYTE 96.7 - Whiting Tri-County Area School District February 2015 Page #7

Tri-County Area School District February 2015 Page #8

Spelling right down to the wire…

Our annual 5th-8th grade Spelling Bee was held January 13th. We had 26 students spell their way through over 150 words in a thrilling finish! The students enjoyed healthy competition and cheered on their classmates as the numbers slowly dwindled to our final two contestants. Parker Femal won by spelling the words ‘sesame’ and ‘portrait.’ Madelyn Henriksen came in second place, and both will be advancing to the regional spelling bee in Wild Rose February 10th. Here they will participate in the usual spelling rounds as well as a vocabulary challenge round. We are proud of all the participants for their hard work and support of each other during the bee and wish all the best L-U-C-K to Parker and Madelyn at Regionals! Particpants: (Back L-R) Joseph Becher, Joey Wheeler, Sean Grueneberg, Alexis Cleland, Brianna Leib- sle, Baylee Woiak, Paige Hopkins, Allie Booth, Piper Dake, Ethan Walker, (Middle L-R) Madeline Creamer, Isaiah Buchberger, Christina Bartsch, Kaden Raatz, Alexander Wilkes, Gabe Detlor, Alec Dur- rant, (Front L-R) Abby Lee, Morelle Heiden, Parker Femal, Madelyn Henriksen, Trevor Procknow, Mag- daleno Ramirez, Cody Footit, LaCheya Pulliam, and Rebeccah Dowen.

We are pleased to announce that the students chosen to participate in the 2015 NBA Middle School Honors Band are, Anna Ertl-Clarinet, Haley Kramer-Flute and David Femal-Euphonium.

These students were selected from Directors recommendations and are some of the TOP MS students in the State.

The National Band Association concert was held at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln HS, Saturday Jan. 24th, at 7 PM..

Tri-County Area School District February 2015 Page #9

Shawn Kemnetz, 9 th grade, is a 10 th grader, Claude Cleereman, has Emily Wills, 11 th grade, has 12 th grader, Breauna Wade, has terrific student and a positive maintained excellent grades in sci- been a great asset to Mrs. steadily grown in her overall role model in the classroom. ence this year, according to Mr. Helmrick’s Chemistry maturity, her approach to For the past two years that Mr. Raboin. Claude is a student that is course this year. She has school and her preparation for Mesyk has worked with him in eager to learn, works well with oth- become a great advocate for the future. Mr. Mesyk has en- Algebra and Geometry, he has ers, and does a good job on assign- herself. Though the mate- joyed being her teacher in Alge- observed a dedicated learner ments. rial may be difficult to com- bra and Geometry. She has who always gives his best effort. prehend at times, she is added much to the overall Shawn has a very bright future willing to go the extra mile chemistry of the classroom and will make a positive impact to grasp the concepts. She through her effort and being a on this world. is not afraid to ask a ques- positive role model. tion and is always willing to help other students in class.

8th grader, Breanna Bauer, regu- Jose Martinez, Jr., 7 th grade, larly enters Mrs. Clark’s first was chosen because his hard hour English class with a big work and model behavior smile and loads of positive energy. deserves recognition, accord- Her exuberance is contagious and ing to Ms. Bechard. Jose not typically brings the early morning only demonstrates excellent class to life. Mrs. Clark said it is citizenship in my class, he difficult to be in a bad mood when also encourages others Breanna is in the classroom. around him to hold them- selves to a higher academic and behavioral standard. Jose serves as a positive role model in my class and lets his personality shine through class discussions, projects, and written work.

March 2015 Tri-County Event Calendar Tri-County Area School District February 2015 Page #10

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Blood Drive 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Daylight High School Quiz Bowl @ EDUCATION MS Savings Track Practice Amherst FAIR Solo & Time Starts Post Prom 5:00-7:00 Ensemble Meeting @ p.m. 5:30 p.m. Booster Club Meeting @ 6:30 p.m.

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 HS Softball Quiz Bowl T-C Got Practice Starts Championship Talent @Marion @7:00 p.m.

NHS TRIP

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 HS Baseball End of 3rd 4th Qtr. Practice Starts Qtr. Begins Math League- UWSP

29 30 31 1 2 3 4 High School Softball and Baseball vs. Wild Rose

SPRING BREAK

For further information or more up to date please refer to the All CWC Conference Athletic Schedules located on home page or at this link.

Tri-County Area School District February 2015 Page #11

Austin Conley and Ryan Applebee competed in the Ryan Applebee took 2nd Stevens Point Junior High place at Middle School Con- Wrestling Tournament. ference meet on January 30, Both Austin and Ryan 2015. Congratulations! medaled. Congratulations!

On Sunday, January 11-Monday, January 12, 3 choir students attended the Dorian Vocal Festival at Luther College in Decorah, IA. Jessica Jensen, Dakotah Lockhart and Alyssa Byers were part of a large 1400 voice choir under the direc- tion of Luther College faculty. These three students also had mini lessons with Luther College faculty to give them tips on improving their singing. The stu- dents got to attend a concert by the Luther College freshman women & men’s choirs, as well as a guest High School Choir from Rosemont MN. This experi- ence is one they are not sure to forget.

On Saturday, January 17, the high school choir students participated in the CWC conference All Star Choir in Port Edwards. The choir students worked all day on music they had prepared ahead of time with a professor from the University of MN. They joined other choir students from the conference to form a 200 member choir and performed a concert, along with the All Star Band at the conclusion of the day. It was an exhausting, but fulfilling day of making music.

Tri-County Area School District February 2015 Page #12

Senior Tile Class of 2015

Senior Tile by Ana Juarez, Brianna Shackelford and Hailey Anderson

For the fitness center.

Winners of holiday door deco- rating contest. Sophomores Myka Brown, Makayla Beggs, Misael Perez, Heidi Ertl, and Ben Kramer. Also Assisting Emma Czlapinski and Miguel Gonzales.

Congratulations!

Tri-County Area School District February 2015 Page #13

You may apply for Open Enrollment February 2, 2015—April 30, 2015 for the 2015-2016 School Calendar Year

Each family member For more information contact: must enroll separately Public School Open Enrollment Program Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction P.O. Box 7841 If open enrolled at T-C Madison, WI 53707-7841 already no need to do it Toll-free: 888-245-2732 again. If you are a tuition [email protected] waiver you must apply http://sms.dpi.wi.gov/sms_psctoc for open enrollment.

If you have any questions, please contact DPI at [email protected] or Wendy Hetzel at 715-335-6366 extension 1000. Tri-County Area School District February 2015 Page #14

ATTENTION Parents/Guardians of the Junior Class:

We will be having monthly organizational meetings to discuss fund- raising, entertainment, games and prizes. Our next meetings are set for Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. in the Elementary cafeteria. At the February meeting, we will be handing out the Butter Braids that were ordered.

We will also be discussing prizes and food. Please plan on attending. We need your support and ideas.

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

February 21 & 28, 2015 ~ We will be having a 9-Pin Bowling Tournament at Plainfield Bowl .

February 26 – April 18, 2015 ~ We will be participating in the Chili's Give Back Program . Please cut out the Chili's voucher in the newsletter and use it as many times as you want between these dates for us to earn 15% of your pur- chase towards Post Prom.

Prom is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, 2015.

If you have any questions or ideas and cannot attend the meetings, please feel free to contact: Tonya Nigh at 715-347-0444 or [email protected] Xanthe Walker at 715-249-5617 or [email protected]

Coming Soon to Tri-county, our first ever TRI-COUNTY’S GOT TALENT!! Friday, March 20 at 7 PM in the Lecture Hall

Mark your calendars for an event that is sure to entertain you! This year, the TC choir department is planning to put together a non-judged opportunity for all students to demon- strate and share their talents with the school and commu- nity. This event is scheduled to take place on Friday, March 20 at 7 PM in the Lecture Hall . For further informa- tion or questions, please contact Tawnia Mitchell at exten- sion 4210 or via email, [email protected] .

Come join the fun! Tri-County Area School District February 2015 Page #15

TRI-COUNTY FFA ATTENDS STATE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

Paige Moen and Felicia Ramirez of the Tri-County FFA Chapter attended the Wisconsin Asso- ciation of FFA Half-Time Leadership Conference held at the Holiday Inn & Convention Center in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, January 9-10, 2015. Over 450 FFA members, advisors and state FFA officers participated. The Half-Time Leadership Conference provides FFA chapter lead- ers from around the state the opportunity to set goals and prepare for the second half of their year of service in their local FFA chapters. FFA members attended workshops focused on leadership and personal development, membership and chapter development, and opportu- nities in FFA. They learned about preparing for FFA events and getting involved in community service.

The Half-Time conference has an over 29-year tradition for Wisconsin FFA members to bring top leaders together to assist in leader- ship development. This year’s leadership conference was designed and conducted by the 2014-2015 Wisconsin State FFA Officers. The theme of the conference was “Recipes For Success.” "Half-Time is one of the premier leadership conferences in our state and designed by student leaders. It allows FFA chapter leaders to develop their leadership skills, learn more about FFA activities and meet people while having fun," said Cheryl Zimmerman, State FFA Executive Director. “We are able to provide young people with an excellent ex- perience to develop their leadership skills and get them excited about Agriculture, Agricultural Education and the FFA so they can build their local programs.”

FFA advisors were also busy during the weekend as they attended training sessions in the areas of Meat Animal Quality Assurance, Award Applications and other key issues in agricultural education. Teachers were also involved in the Wisconsin Association of Agricul- tural Educators (WAAE) Board Meetings and Committee meetings.

The Wisconsin Association of FFA comprised of 250 local chapters in high schools across the state prepares over 19,000 students for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture. FFA activities and programs complement instruction in agriculture education by giving students practical experience in the application of agricultural skills and knowledge gained in classes. FFA's mission is to develop premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

(pictured left to right- Heidi Ertl, Shawn Kemnetz, Cody Lockhart and Garrett Femal) Local Musicians Chosen for All State Band

On Friday and Saturday, January 23 and 24, 2015, Heidi Ertl, Cody Lockhart, Shawn Kemnetz, and Garrett Femal from the TC High School Band performed in the National Band Association All-State Band. Their band director is Mr. Femal.

Membership in the band signifies a level of achievement which places these student musicians in the top percentile among all student musicians in our state.

This year's band will be conducted by Robert Szabo, Chief Warrant Officer 4 in the US Marine Corps and Director and Officer-In-Charge of the Quantico Marine Corps Band, Quantico, VA. He has performed in over 30 states, Canada and France. Szabo is the Principal Director of Music for the annual Greater Cleveland Ohio Police Of- ficer Memorial Tattoo, and the annual Virginia international Tattoo; comprised of 220 instrumentalists from our nation's Armed Forces Bands and military bands abroad, Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Children's Chorus, Norfolk and Virginia Beach Public Schools Chorus, and 125 bagpipers from the US and foreign countries.

The All State Band concluded the State Convention of the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Band Association with a Finale Concert at 7 PM on January 24th, in the Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln HS Auditorium.

February 21 & 28, 2015 ~ 9-Pin Bowling Tournament at Plainfield Bowl. Help Support the Post Prom committee.

Tri-County Area School District February 2015 Page #16

Fresh Homemade Dinner Rolls

Students in 7th & 8th were involved in character education lessons this fall delivered by Ms. Byrum. The process was simple, brainstorm character ed words and meaningful statements, create the scene with props and special outfits, present them to their class and let the voting begin. As a result, the final project was to create the winning scenes for the photographer from Inter State Studios and SMILE! Above are the nine Character Education posters that were created by the winning groups. The large posters will be displayed at the Education Fair in March and then permanently displayed in the hallways at Tri-County School.