FROM THE DESK OF: Superintendent, Laura Myrah
It is that time of year already … time to share Snow/Cold Day protocols!
When school is canceled for Arrowhead and its seven K-8 elementary feeder districts, it means all school-related activities (athletics, co-curricular clubs, performances, etc.) for that day and evening are also canceled, unless you hear different information directly from an Arrowhead staff member or coach.
Families are notified of school cancellations through the following means, typically in the order listed below. If the decision can be made the evening before, we will. Otherwise, the social media postings and automated phone call typically will occur between 4:30-5:15 a.m.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Arrowheadschool
Phone call through the automated Skylert phone service
District website: http://www.arrowheadschools.org
Television stations: TMJ4, Fox6, CBS 58, and WISN 12
Common questions from previous years:
Q. How do I know, or how do I change, the phone number Arrowhead uses for the Skylert automated phone call regarding school cancellation?
A. The phone number and email address you supplied during the online registration process this summer is the number/address pulled by the Skyward/Skylert system for the snow/cold day phone call, as well as for any school emergency that may arise. Parents can and should update any phone number/address changes by clicking on "account" in the upper right when you are in Skyward Family Access.
Q. What criteria and process are used in determining to cancel school for weather issues?
A. The cancellation of school as a result of a snowstorm involves gathering information from national and local weather services, neighboring school districts, and local resources (Dousman Transportation Co., Dept. of Transportation, law enforcement, etc.). Available data regarding the condition of local streets, school district facilities and grounds, busing services, and projected timing of the snowfall are all considered when canceling school for a snow day.
When considering the cancellation of school as a result of bitterly cold temperatures, the issuance of a wind chill WARNING (a sustained wind chill of around -35 to -45 degrees or colder), is the key decision-point for nearly all school districts in southeastern Wisconsin. Please note, a warning is different than a wind child advisory.
Finally, a 4 a.m. conference call is held with Waukesha County superintendents, as well as representatives from all of Southeastern Wisconsin to compare information and decisions. A top priority is the health and safety of our students, parents, and staff, while also preserving as much learning and work time as possible for all of those parties involved. When school is in session, parents certainly have the prerogative to determine the weather conditions are too risky to the health or safety of their own child(ren). Please remember to call in any absences, so it will not be deemed an unexcused absence on the record.
Here’s hoping for a mild, safe winter!
Laura Myrah, Superintendent
UPCOMING EVENTS
Nov. 24-26: No School - Happy Thanksgiving!
Dec.23rd-Jan.2nd: No School. Happy Holiday Break!
Jan.17th: No school for students - MLK Day
Jan.19th-21st: Midterm Exams - 1/2 days.
December 1, 7:00am B&G CommitteeDecember 1, 7:00pm Board TrainingDecember 2, 6:45am, Curric. CommitteeDecember 8, 7:00pm, School Board Mtg.December 15, 7:00am, Policy Committee
An AHS student who reads our newsletter (Maddy)), shared that it was "nicely informative, but boring." We were both shocked and excited that student took an interest in our newsletter. In an attempt to keep our student(s) happily engaged, please enjoy the Arrowhead Advisor November Edition Joke.
Why did the school resource officer arrest the turkey?...
Because it was suspected of foul play.
Parent Support and Information
Parent Information - Substitute Teacher and Staffing Shortage
Many have read or seen on the news the severe lack of substitute teachers available. Arrowhead is not immune to this struggle. We have some great and dedicated subs who work in our district, but spend most days trying to solve unfilled staff absences. Below is a snapshot of three consecutive November days showing the variation in absences and subs available. When positions go unfilled, we are forced to use staff within our building to cover those openings. For every absence we have, on average we are trying to patchwork seven classes. For example, the first image below shows six unfilled teacher absences. Typically, this means that about 42 (7 periods x 6 teacher absences) of our staff lose their prep period that day to teach those unfilled classes.
We have taken several steps to remedy this issues, but as shared, this is a national issue. At AHS, we have:
raised our substitute teacher pay in hopes of drawing more subs
posted positions through multiple venues
personally reached out to retirees
The primary solution has been to pull teachers from their planning and preparation period and place them in the classrooms as the substitute.
We share this information for two reasons. Primarily, any families who have the time and interest can sign up to become a substitute teacher for AHS. Having additional substitute teachers available would allow our teachers to return their focus to their own classrooms.
We also highlight that while much of this year feels like a return to normal, we are still facing lingering challenges. A teacher's prep time is typically used for connecting with families, and supporting students who are or were absent in catching up with their learning. With our student absences due to illness averaging about 3-4x greater than typical years, this is more important now than ever. When our staff lose that time, their evenings become time to grade/prepare/etc. for class which not only takes them away from their own families, but it also makes it more difficult for them to support our students who are or were absent, respond to parent emails, and delay communication responses.
Please consider working as a substitute if you have the time and interest, and also please continue to offer grace and understanding to our staff as they navigate these unique times in education. Thank you!
PARENT PERCEPTION SURVEY
Arrowhead parents received an email through Skylert on November 9 asking them to participate in a parent perceptions survey for Arrowhead. Please complete the survey by November 22. The survey is anonymous and should take about 7-10 minutes to complete. If you have any technical issues with the survey or have questions, please contact Donna Smith at smith@arrowheadschools.org
Mental Health at Arrowhead
On Wednesday November 17th, Freshman and Juniors participated in the annual mental health screener that provides families notice if their child is expressing elevated mental health symptoms. It is important to note that mental health services are provided to students all throughout the school year, not just on this day.
The cornerstone of care we provide with all students starts with Trauma Informed Care. The premise behind Trauma Informed Care is that we cannot possibly know everything that everyone is going through in a given moment. However, if we do three basic things with all students we will have supported all. Those three things are: Listen, Co-Plan, Build Rapport. Arrowhead Staff have participated in multiple trainings on Trauma Informed Care and strive to interact with all in this manner.
Additionally, below are some offerings and activities that Arrowhead engages in to promote mental health:
Positive Postcards
Student opportunity during Wednesday lunches to play board games with peers in order to form new relationships with common interests.
Anti-Bullying efforts (focus in October) including a new student Anti-Bullying video competition
Growth Group
Individual Meetings with School Counselors and School Psychologists
Peers 4 Peers - student group creating events and initiatives to support their classmates
Access to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Mental Health Services Navigator
Mental Health School Within a School model
Speak Up / Speak Out (SUSO) Anonymous Tipline
Finally, as we approach the holiday season, here is a webcast developed by the Student Services Department designed as a resource for families on Mental Health and Holidays
Progress Reports
Student Progress reports from Term 1 are now available in Skyward Family Access. You can access them by clicking "Portfolio" then clicking the hyperlink titled "2021-22 Term 1 Progress Report".
School Events
What better way to spread holiday cheer than to give the gift of reading!
Start your holiday shopping HERE!
This shopping page will go live on Cyber Monday (November 29).
Be sure to check out the dazzling Student & Staff Recommendations List.
Here’s a sneak peek!
Want a personalized recommendation from an AHS Book Club member?
Tell us a little bit about your reader!
Watch for updates on our Instagram: @ahsbookclub2022
Thanks for supporting the AHS Book Club!
Warhawk Manufacturing
Holiday Sale!!
Warhawk Manufacturing is a student-run business organized to teach students the real-life skills it takes to organize and manage a business for a profit. Students are challenged to mass produce items to sell along with assembling and engineering products for local companies. Please click on the "Shop Now" link to see our products.
CELEBRATIONS!
TEACHING AND LEARNING
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) produces annual report cards for every publicly funded school and district in the state. The report cards are intended to help schools celebrate successes and determine areas for growth and improvement in our efforts to prepare students for their futures.
For the 2020-21 school year, Arrowhead High School received a score of 85.2, which is Significantly Exceeding Expectations according to Wisconsin’s rating scale.
The current school report card is primarily based on last year’s performance during the 2020–21 school year, a year that saw challenges with COVID-19 disruptions. DPI encourages caution when interpreting scores and ratings on the 2020–21 report cards.
The report card measures the following priority areas:
•Achievement: Proficiency in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics on the annual state assessments
•Growth: Year-to-year progress in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics
•Target Group Outcomes: Outcomes for students with the lowest test scores, the Target Group
•On Track to Graduation: Reliable predictors of how successfully students are progressing toward completing their K-12 Education
The priority area scores are aggregated into an overall accountability score, from 0 to 100. This score is displayed on the front page of the school or district report cards. It is important to note that the 0 to 100 accountability score is not a “percent correct” measurement. Based on its score, a school or district receives one of five rating categories, from Fails to Meet Expectations to Significantly Exceeds Expectations, as well as corresponding one to five stars.
Below are the State Report Card scores from the previous five years:
School Year Scores Rating Category
2019-2020 No data due to COVID
2018-2019 89.7 Significantly Exceeds Expectations
2017-2018 82.8 Exceeds Expectations
2016-2017 81.7 Exceeds Expectations
2015-2016 82.4 Exceeds Expectations
We are proud of our students’ academic growth and success. This is only one measure of school performance. Arrowhead will continuously strive to improve learning for ALL our students across all school programs and continue to set high expectations for our students.
For further information or to review the district report card in more detail please go online to: dpi.wi.gov/accountability/report-cards.
Sincerely,
Sue Casetta, Director of Learning
Have a wonderful weekend and upcoming Thanksgiving Break!
FOLLOW AHS!
CONTACT INFORMATION
LAURA MYRAH- myrah@arrowheadschools.orgSUE CASETTA- casetta@arrowheadschools.orgADAM BOLDT- boldt@arrowheadschools.orgDONNA SMITH- smith@arrowheadschools.orgADAM KURTH- kurth@arrowheadschools.orgRYAN MANGAN- mangan@arrowheadschools.orgDEB PARADOWSKI- paradowski@arrowheadschools.orgBECKY GORDON- gordon@arrowheadschools.orgStaff Contact Website