The Oakfield DifferenceSchool and Community News

March 2015 Oakfield School District, PO Box 99, Oakfield, WI 53065

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COMMUNITY CONTACT LIST

Anyone interested in being on the phone call or email contact list for board meetings, community chats, special meetings, school concerts, or any other district wide community func-tions please email: info@oakfield.k12.wi.us or call 920-583-4117.

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Message from the Superindendent

Dear Oakfield Families,

We are reading and hearing a great deal about the 2015-2017 Governor’s Budget Proposal. There are many aspects of the proposed budget that could have a critical impact on our public schools. This message is intended to share information regard-ing that impact on the School District of Oakfield.The proposed budget imposes a cut of $150 in the per pupil categorical aid. For Oakfield, this will be a loss of nearly $73,000 in the 2015-2016 district budget. The proposed decrease will take school funding back to the rates that we had in Wisconsin in the 2009-2010 school year. As you know, over the past decade, Wisconsin’s funding formula has been extremely harsh on small, rural school districts like ours. The Speaker’s Task Force on Rural Schools fought hard to encourage the Governor to address the financial concerns of our rural schools. The proposed budget does provide us with some additional supports through a specific grant called Sparsity Aid for Rural Schools. There are many who feel that the elimination of the $150 per pupil aid in the budget more than offsets the gains made through the rural initiative. While we may not be as devas-tated financially as some of the other districts in Wisconsin, our overall budget will be reduced and we will be required to face some reductions and reprioritize our needs. We are extremely fortunate that the families and taxpayers in Oakfield stepped up to the plate last year to support our schools through the refer-endum process. We are committed to continue, even in very small steps, with the needs of our physical facilities. As good stewards of the taxpay-ers’ dollars, we must continue to take care of our aging building to main-tain a safe learning environment for our students. Not addressing these facility needs will lead to greater costs in our future. We are also fortu-nate that we were able to access specific funds to do the improvement projects this year to our middle school/high school facility. These funds were available to us only this school year and we are making the most of this opportunity. We are also fortunate that our district has a wonderful reputation and has attracted many families to our schools through the Wisconsin Open-Enrollment process, which continues to provide us ad-ditional funding.As educators, we have grave concerns over the expansion of the voucher program which will channel public school funds to private schools and privately-run charter schools. We feel strongly that these changes will have a severe financial impact on all public schools in the near future. Additionally, we support that we should have one assessment system that will measure achievement and growth with reliability and validity for any school receiving public funds.As educators, we support the current school report card system. It pro-vides five measures to determine whether a school or district is meeting the expectations of the State of Wisconsin in a clear and concise manner. As educators, we know that public schools are beginning to experience a shortage of teachers in Wisconsin. We support that all teachers should be certified and fully qualified to teach in our schools. We will support the development of a system that may bring in individuals who can help us with shortages, but will require them to become certified in our Wiscon-sin system of training and licensure.

Inside the issue:Page 2 School and Community NewsPage 3 Family Night/ Oakfield LibraryPage 4 JB Kenehan/ Meet Heidi KopfPage 5 School and Community NewsPage 6 State Solo Ensamble/ Reviews Page 7 Elementary School NewsPage 8 Elementary School NewsPage 9 Oakfield Rec MinutesPage 10 Middle High School NewsPage 11 Middle/High School NewsPage 12 Board Minutes

The High School Bandand Honors Band

Honors Band

High School Band

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School and Community News

Stan’s Service Center, Inc.

Com-plete

Automotive Service

Including front end align-ments

& A/C Repair (920)583-3058

ASE Certified MechanicsStan Ruplinger-Owner

W7573 River Road Oakfield, WI

53065

Stop in at Stan’s...We’ll get you going!

Session 1June 15 - July 2 (No School July 3)Session 2: July 6-24

As educators in Oakfield, we know the results of high student achievement through the implementation of the rigorous common core standards. We want the required state exam to measure our students’ efforts in a reli-able and valid manner to inform our students, their parents, and our staff. We appreciate that the state assessment is aligned to our instructional standards and provides us with valuable feedback. The Badger Exam was successfully piloted across Wisconsin last year and is viewed as a great improvement over the previous state required exam (Wisconsin Knowl-edge and Concepts Exam - WKCE). State and federal law requires a state exam for public schools. As educators, we support the continuation of the Badger Exam as determined by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Replacing it after one year of implementation will be a costly and unnecessary endeavor.Please consider contacting your legislators about the concerns in the pro-posed budget for our public schools. The short-term and long-term rami-fications will have a harmful impact on the students in the School District of Oakfield. We want the legislators to stand up for Wisconsin’s school children. Thank you for examining the details in the proposed budget and for any consideration you give to adding your voice in opposition to the budget as it stands.Sincerely,Mrs. Sue Green

Jeremy Thiesfeldt Rick GudexRoom 16 West Room 415 SouthState Capitol State CapitolP.O. Box 8953 P.O. Box 7882Madison, WI 53708 Madison, WI 53707-7882

Message from Ms. Green, continued from page 1

Our book club will meet March 30 at 6 p.m. Shotgun Lovesongs is the title to be discussed. Nicholas Butlers debut novel features four friends-all born and raised in a small Wisconsin town. Now they are men, coming into their own or struggling to do so. You can pick up a copy of the book at the library, or place a hold at catalog.winnefox.org Anyone interested in joining the book club is encouraged to attend. The group is casual, and meeting dates are flexible. Watch for upcoming dates for historical evenings featuring Oak-field Elevator and Seneca Foods. Remember we offer regular monthly programs aimed at different age groups. No registration is required for any of these activities. Preschool story time is each Tuesday at 10:15 a.m.Lego Club is held the fourth Wednesday of each month after school until 5 p.m. This month's theme is "Tools". Teen book club will discuss "My Life With the Walter Boys" by Ali Novak on March 19 at 6 p.m. Pizza and refreshments will follow the meeting. Middle-graders (grades four through seven) are invited each Monday after school. Participate in book discussion, enjoy crafts or other activities. Planning for our summer reading programs is underway. Any-one interested in volunteering during the summer for events are en-couraged to contact the library. We are planning on holding a BIG, BIG book sale in conjunc-tion with the community-wide rummage sales in August. Gently used books, movies and magazines are appreciated! Please no damaged items or textbooks. This is a great way to support your library! All funds raised go directly into our programming for our patrons. Please call or stop in with any questions. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1 p.m.-7 p.m., Tuesday from 10 a.m. - 5 pm. , and Fridays from noon until 5 p.m. Check us out online at www.oakfieldli-brary.org

Community Library Book Club Meeting

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School and Community News

Agents:

Tom HenkeWendy HounsellDennis Kemmel

Julie Franke

Insurance Policies:

HomeAutoLife

BusinessFarm

Oakfield Office:

Address: 102 S. Main St.

Oakfield, WI. 53065

Phone number: (920) 583-3010

Brownsville Office:

Address: 703 Main St.

Brownsville, WI. 53006

Phone number: (920) 583-3336

The Oakfield Library has worked to continue to offer programs and events for tweens and teens on a regular basis. Students and their parents welcome these activities as opportunities for them are limited within the village. Unfortunately, with these programs, a few issues have arisen.

While we welcome any students who wish to participate, we do ask that they use responsible, acceptable behavior at the library. Those not exhibiting reasonable behavior will be asked to leave. Many of our patrons come to use the library as a quiet place in which to work or study, and students need to be respectful of that. We love to see students using the library! Research for school, finding a good book to read, or grabbing a movie to watch with friends are all great ways to use the library.Parents please remind your students how they should behave while at the library. While kids are welcome after school, please set a time for them to be home or to be picked up. We ask that students (of any age) not be left for extended times periods unchaperoned.Please remind your child of the following...

Quiet voices in the building.No food or drink.No running.No loitering.No harassing of staff or other patrons.Staff areas are clearly marked-students should not enter.Computer use is limited to 1/2 hour. Exceptions may be made for school assignments.The behavior policy is posted at the library. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

We want to make the library a great experience for everyone, please do what you can to help make that happen! Thank you.

FAMILY NIGHT!March 18, 2015

4-7pmOakfield Elementary & Middle/High School

Elementary School Events4th grade Wax MuseumK-5 artworksGlow in the Dark GalleryBook FairDancingArt StationsFood/Drinks for sale

Middle/High School EventsFFA Petting Zoo6-12 artworksForensics presentationsTechEd projects displayedScience projects displayedMiddle School Book FairBand/Choir students showcasedFood/Drinks for sale

**FREE bag of popcorn if you visit the Middle School/High School

This event is open to the Oakfield Community and we hope to see many students, parents, grandparents, and friends/family of the Oakfield School District!

Ms. Bates shows her enthusiasm on President’s Day

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School and Community News

School District of Oakfield Child Care Center

Jenny ThompsonDirector

6:30 a.m - 6:00 p.m

jthompson @oakfield.k12.wi.us

Oakfield Elementary School200 White Street

Oakfield, WI

920-583-2648fax: 920-583-3820

Meet Heidi KopfHello, my name is Heidi Kopf and I am cur-rently running for a seat on the Oakfield School Board. By way of background, I am an Oakfield High School alumna, acted as the Oakfield PTO Secretary from 1998 to 2003 and also acted as a First Responder and Firefighter for the Oakfield Volunteer Fire Department from 2006 to 2013. I have two sons, Devin Schonasky and Logan Schonasky. Devin is a 2010 graduate of OHS and

Logan is currently a junior at OHS.

It is a privilege to have had the opportunity to send my children to an ex-cellent school district such as the Oakfield School District. Although it is a small district community, it provides the feeling of being a part of a close knit family. The one-to-one experience students receive at OSD assists stu-dents in achieving their academic goals as well as providing students with a purpose for a successful future.

The Oakfield School District has a strong academic background reflected in the many awards it has won through the efforts and commitment of its staff. It is my desire to continue to support the OSD staff members in promoting their extremely high capabilities.

The Oakfield School District has a strong Special Education Program and I would like to assist in making the program even stronger which in return may attract more families with children with special needs to our small district community.

Therefore, it will be my goal as a member of the Oakfield School Board to assist the School Board in assessing the needs of the Oakfield School District by being a proactive advocate in making the most accurate deci-sions that the School Board, as a whole, can make to continue promoting the school district's high standard of education for years to come.

Please vote for me on April 7, 2015. Thank you!

Oakfield Strong!

Heidi Kopf

The Oakfield Jazz Band!

TheOakfield High School Choir!

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School and Community News

Attention Oakfield Community Members and

FamiliesEric Samuel Timm strives to make a positive difference in the lives of young people, the communities they live in, and the world we share. Through painting and speaking, this man inspires millions of people do-ing school assemblies, corporate events, and disaster relief fundraising all across the world. The Oakfield School District has an outstanding op-portunity to welcome Eric Samuel Timm to our community for a Community Assembly.

Who: Families and Community Members of the Oakfield School District What: Attend a Painting Hope Assembly by Eric Samuel TimmWhen: Wednesday, April 8thWhere: Oakfield Elementary GymTime: 6:00 PM

This assembly is FREE! There is no cost to attend.

*During the school day, students in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade will attend an assembly appropriate to their age group. These as-semblies will be different than the Community Assembly.

Unscramble the Words

Unscramble the different words below. Be the first person to solve this puzzle and have them all correct. Then bring it to Mr. Wedel, the business teacher. Next, you will receive a prize for being the first person with them correct. The theme is animals!

komeny ____________________

peheatnl ____________________

mhkcipukn ____________________

pimthpoaus ____________________

slypptua ____________________

azrbe ____________________

mngofali ____________________

kensa ____________________

gltailaro ____________________

gtrie ____________________

School revenues under state budget proposal

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Wisconsin Taxpayers AllianceState school aid is the largest part of the state budget and probably the most watched. So, when Governor Scott Walker (R) unveiled his proposed 2015-17 budget, attention turned to K-12 education and funding for Wisconsin’s 424 public school districts.The world of school finance is complex. Districts operate on a com-bination of state general aid, categorical aid (for special programs), local property taxes, and smaller amounts from other sources, includ-ing from the federal government. To complicate matters, the state limits the per student amount of state general aid and local property taxes districts can collect (revenue limits). The revenue limit does not include categorical aids.The new budget does several things, including:• No increase in general aid in 2016 and a $108 million increase in 2017;• No increase in revenue limits in either year; and• Eliminating in 2016 and restoring in 2017 a special categorical aid payment.So what does this mean for local school districts? First, the $108 mil-lion general aid increase in 2017 provides no additional money to schools. Since school revenue limits are not increasing, school dis-tricts must reduce property taxes by a similar amount to stay within the limits. Second, schools will see a $127 million cut in 2016 due to loss of the special categorical payment mentioned above. Third, res-toration of that categorical payment at a slightly higher level increases school revenues by $142 million in 2017.The impact of the Governor’s proposed budget for an “average” school district is shown below. This year, the typical district is allowed to collect $9,815 per student from a combination of state general aids and local property taxes. It also gets a $150 per student payment—from the $127 million figure mentioned above—for a total of $9,965 per student. With the categorical payment eliminated next ar,revenue in the typical district declines 1.5% to $9,815 per student and ap-proaches 2009 levels. In 2017, the payment is restored at about $165 per student and the district’s total rises to $9,980, or $15 above 2015 levels.

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School and Community News

Band Solo and EnsembleOn Saturday, February 21st, Oakfield band students traveled to Osh-kosh Lourdes High School for the Trailways North Conference Solo and Ensemble Festival.

Five brave sixth grade musicians participated for the first time ever – after less than a year learning their instruments. Distinctive congratulation goes to the following Oakfield High School students who will be performing at State Festival in April.

Great job Brain Sheahan, Cara Wiczek, and Brenna Wiczek!

A complete list of the ratings follows:

Class A IBrian Sheahan – alto sax solo

Class A IIKate Beulen – trumpet soloOlivia Newton – clarinet soloIzzy Tweedale – flute soloKatey Mulholland, Olivia Newton, Ethan Tapp, and Cara Wiczek clarinet quartet

Class B IOlivia Newton – alto sax solo

Class B IIEddie Hoddel – trumpet soloSean Maurer – French horn soloOlivia Newton – bass clarinet soloEthan Tapp – clarinet soloKate Beulen and Mikayla Newton – trumpet duet

Class B IIIBilly Altangerel – clarinet solo

Class C IAlex Chiavetta – baritone sax soloNoah Duke – trombone soloBrandon Grider – euphonium soloAndrea Langholff – clarinet soloYasmin Nickols – clarinet soloEmily Reynolds – oboe soloEthan Zuelsdorf – trumpet soloOlivia Newton and Brenna Wiczek – alto sax duet

Class C IIBo Jacob – euphonium soloTaylor Liebenow – piccolo soloMason Tapp – bassoon soloIzzy Tweedale – piccolo soloNoah Duke and Bobby Mischker – trumpet/trombone duet

Congratulations to all of these band students on a very successful day!

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) | A+By: Ben AschakerBirdman is 2014’s best picture (according to the Academy Awards); it’s a self-aware film about the differences of art and entertain-ment. It repeatedly pokes fun of films like Marvel’s The Avengers and the use of CGI in films. It’s filmed to look as though the entire movie was done in one take with the use of brilliant cinematography and editing.

Birdman is an excellent movie for critics and art film connoisseurs alike, but Michael Bay fanboys wouldn’t have such an enjoyable time since it’s pretty much a visual insult to their particular taste. It also has a distinct hatred for critics who take ad-vantage of their power, for example: some critics who just try to get a quote on a Blu-ray cover or those who make up their decision before watching a movie.

This movie was filled with great performances, even Zach Galifianakis was perfect. Ed Norton portrays an actor who is the best at what he does but is incredibly difficult to work with. Michael Keaton is a washed up actor who is constantly recognized as the superhero he played in a movie years ago, that’s also the character he portrays. He tries to reclaim is credibility with a broadway play adaptation of one of his favorite books, what follows is a series of problems with the cast and crew.

Besides perfect casting and Emmanuel Lubezki’s beautiful cinematography, Birdman is simply an amazing piece of cinema that any film lover has to see. In a nutshell, Birdman gets an A+ because it’s the visual poetry you’d expect out of the greatest movie of the year.

Book of the MonthBy: Ally Kosterman

The Maze Runner by James Dashner is a perfect book for a young adult who loves thrill and adventure. In this chilling story Thomas awakes somewhere he does not recognize, he sees so many faces but can not place names, then he stops and realizes he does not even know his own. He comes to learn he and all the other boys have been placed in “the glade” which is surrounded by a maze… the only way out. He is also told of the eerie beasts that live in the maze who will kill whoever is left out there in the night, these beasts are called Grievers. Some boys have been stuck there for about three years while others are newer. Each one has experi-ence the loss of memory as did Thomas. They have been trying to track the maze and find a way out since day one but all have failed at success. Now it is up to Thomas to gain the trust of the Gladers, become a runner, and find the way home.

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Elementary School News

On Feb. 2nd, the 4K students came to school to find their classroom had been transformed into an enchanted castle. They learned all about the people who lived in a castle while reading many neat stories and complet-ing a variety of projects. The end of the week concluded with a Royal Ball and Treasure Hunt! They were even surprised with a special visit from Elsa of Frozen!!! 4K really is a magical place to learn!

4K Enchanted Castle

JUMP ROPE FOR HEART AT OAKFIELD ELEMEN-TARY A SUCCESS! After our February early dismissal, 120 students jumped all over heart disease and stroke by participating in Jump Rope for Heart. The students had fun and raised $ 6,303 for the American Heart Associa-tion. The AHA funds research, programs and education to fight heart disease and stroke, our nation’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers. “I am awed by the success of this year’s event,” said Karen Albert, physical education teacher and Jump Rope for Heart coordinator. “We had a lot of fun, and the students enjoyed learning about the importance of physical activity and how they can play a role in saving lives. We had another great year of participation, in large part due to the growing pop-ularity of ducks!” Students could earn “Splatter Duck” just for raising a minimum of $5. This year we had 108 students that chose to raise funds. The goal for Oakfield Elementary School was to raise $5,882 in order to make Mrs. Albert dress up like a duck at school. That goal was easily met, and students will be delighted to see “Mrs. Cool” duck in March. Mrs. Albert is especially grateful for those who contributed donations and gave of their time to volunteer at the event. Taher, our school’s food service, donated apples, carrots and oranges to keep the students energized. Over fifty jumpers also won door prizes and chal-lenge prizes during the event. “We couldn’t have done it without the parental and teen support. It helps to have those with a bit more expe-rience turning the long ropes for our younger students.” Mrs. Albert would like to put out a special thank you to the many middle and high

Principal Message March 2015Message From Mrs. Doyle-Oakfield Elementary Principal

As we welcome March, we are ALL hoping for warmer weather! Students have enjoyed a lot of indoor recesses the last two months, so teach-ers celebrate anytime students can get fresh air and work off some energy outside. February also brought the end of our mid-year assessments. Our students in kindergarten to fifth grade have had reading benchmark assessments, NWEA assessments, and possibly PALS assessments. The as-sessments gave teachers important information about each child’s growth from fall to winter this school year. Teachers use the data to plan their curriculum for the second semester of the school year. Oakfield Elemen-tary staff were thrilled with the growth in the winter test scores. It shows the hard students and families have put forth even during the busy holiday season.

March also brings more exciting events to Oakfield Elementary School. We dedicated a day to celebrate reading and Dr. Seuss’s birthday with school-wide activities on Feb. 27th. On Wednesday, March 18th, artwork will be on display, a Book Fair will be set-up, and some dancing will be performed in the gym; so stop by to join in on the fun. The Art Show/Book Fair will be from 4:00 – 7:00 PM at the Elementary School. We welcome families, friends, and community members to see all the amaz-ing things at our school. On Friday, March 20th, Grandparents’ Day will be celebrated in our school as grandparents and/or special family friends are invited to be a part of the school day. Oakfield Elementary School students welcome grandparents to observe the hard work that happens in their classrooms. It is a day to enjoy spending time with your grandchild in school and participating in school activities. We hope you can be a part of the special day.

Bring on Spring!

school students for their help. Top fund raisers for Oakfield Elementary School were Lucas Swanson ($240), Logan Steinke ($214), Beau Draves ($205) , Flynn O’Laire ($205), Jakoby Nickerson ($201), Meredith Steinke ($200) and Emily Thomas ($200). There were many students with over $100 in dona-tions as well. Jump Rope for Heart is a program that promotes physical activity and heart health through jumping rope. It is co-sponsored by the American Heart Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

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Oakfield Elementary School Special Grandparent’s Day Presentations: The Oakfield Brickyard and The

Oakfield Ledge During Grandparent’s Day at Oakfield Elementary School on Fri-day, March 20th, two special presentations will be given. For the 2014-2015 school year, the theme at Oakfield Elementary has been Commu-nity. Various aspects of the Oakfield Community have been highlighted. On March 20th, two presentations will be given. Al Messner, a retired Oakfield High School teacher, will present information on the Oakfield Brickyard. The Oakfield Brickyard was once a thriving business in the Village. Mr. Messner has previously done his presentation at a few other locations and we felt our students could learn about this business. We also felt it would be nice for Grandparents to listen to the presenta-tion to bring back memories of the Brickyard. The Oakfield Brickyard presentation will be held in the Oakfield Elementary gym from 9:30 to 10:00 A.M. The other presentation that day will be given by Joanne Kluessen-dorf.Ms. Kluessendorf has written a book on the Niagara Escarpment (The Ledge) along with being a professor and the head of a museum on the college campus. It was felt that our students did not appreciate the sig-nificance of the Ledge even though it is in their backyard. The Ledge is an important part of Oakfield’s heritage and Ms. Kluessendorf will provide an expert’s view on it. This presentation will take place from 10:30 to 11:00 in the Oakfield Elementary gym. Obviously, all Grandparents will be invited to attend the presenta-tions. Also, all area residents are more than welcome to attend. If you’re interested in either of both of the topics, we would love for you to come and visit the school. Take a stroll around the school to see what is hap-pening at Oakfield Elementary. We hope to see you on March 20th!

Elementary School News

Introducing GlogStar – Alyssa Morell

No sooner did we set out on our mission to grow Glogpedia than our users started creating some of the highest quality content that Glog-ster has ever seen! While Glogpedia is a fantastic source for inspiration, we thought some glogs deserved a special mention due to the hard work and creativity that set them apart from the rest. We had the pleasure to ask some of our most ingenious gloggers about their creations, and now we have the privilege of sharing them with you. Each month we will introduce you to another GlogStar – the creative individuals who are inspiring our users to create great glogs. This week we will kick off the series with Fifth GraderAlyssa Morell from Oakfield Elementary School, who created a heartfelt and informative glog on chimpanzee conservation:Alyssa’s teacher, Aaron Schepp, told us that he chose Glogster as the medium for a class project on endangered animals. “Alyssa spent a lot of time working on this project,” he tells us, and it only takes one look at the glog to see the proof of that!

From the well-presented information boxes filled with interesting links, to the perfectly laid-out (and rather adorable) pictures of chimpanzees, this glog immediately grabs the atten-tion. Not only is it informative about the behaviour of this endangered species, but also very powerful with an overarching call for people to protect these magnificent creatures, and a lot of resources to help us do so.Alyssa’s favourite subjects at school are social studies and science, and you can see a bit of both in this glog, with scientific facts and charitable thoughts going hand-in-hand. When asked about the glog, Alyssa told us that everyone in her class made a glog about an endangered ani-mal, “I looked at the list and immediately chose chimpanzees,” she said, “I hope people learn that chimpanzees need our help!” When asked if she enjoyed using Glogster, this young animal lover told us that it gave her a chance to really use her imagination in different ways, and that “using Glogster is better than creating a poster, because of the ability to link to websites and include videos.”

363 S. Main St., Fond du LacFlexible/variable hours available

Childcare for children 4 weeks to 12 years old5:30am-9:00pm Monday through Friday

Saturday 6:30am-3:30pmContact us for a tour at 920-923-5750.

“The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world, there hasn’t been, and until the end of the world there will

not be, another child like him.”--Pablo Casals

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Oakfield Recreation Minutes

Oakfield Recreation AssociationJanuary 22, 2015 – Meeting Minutes

Present:Board Members: Brian Sabel, Katy Flury, Scott Liebelt, and Deb NewtonOthers: Josh Marschie, Sarah Laning, Lisa Bornick, Jay Newton, Tim LamonskaMeeting called to order at 7:30pm.Baseball / Softball / T-Ball Tournaments: We have tentatively set the 2015 summer Baseball and Softball Tournaments as follows:

Girls Softball Tournament – June 19 – 21 *** John Ryan Memorial Baseball Tournament – July 8 – 12

We have to contact Gary Collien to confirm the dates and about redoing the floor in the concession house. Our original offer to help pay for this

project was $1,500. We are considering upping the offer to $3,000 so we can get it done before our tournaments this summer.

Umpire Coordinator: Chris Holz has agreed to be the Umpire Coordinator again this year. Thank you Chris!!!Registration: Registration is tentatively set for Sunday 3-15-15 (only one day because most people use the online form) – with a dead line of 3/23/15

Hitting Clinic: We would like to run a hitting clinic again this spring - more information to follow.Policy: A formal policy will be written prior to the Baseball/ Softball season. This policy will state who will or will not be allowed to play in our

Oakfield Rec League. It will also include rules on how it is decided to move players up to a higher level if needed. Tryouts (skills evaluation) will take

place if needed. All Oakfield School District children will take first priority. Bases: The village purchased one new full set of bases. We also are going to ask Glen Perry to build a box or shed of some sort by the Pony and East

diamonds to store rakes, chalkers, and umpire sets. This will help during the tournaments to have a set of maintenance equipment at each diamond.

Fire Department: The Fire Department is still looking for someone to take over running the concession stand for the league games during the sum-

mer. Basketball League: League is going well. There is one change for 02/07/15. We now host 6 games that day.

Home Tournaments: The tournaments are going well. We had a few minor complaints – like Gatorade bottles and cans left under the bleachers

and the Admissions price. We are also getting many compliments. Such as the concessions, not making visiting teams provide a person to run the

clock or book, giving actual trophies and medals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. A few of the tournaments were not completely full, but Josh found a way

to make them work just fine. The rest are full. So far in our home tournaments the 4th grade girls took 1st place. The 5th grade girls and 7th grade

girls took 2nd. And the 6th grade boys took 3rd. Congrats to everyone involved.

Concessions: The concessions for league is grossing a much higher profit this year. We are hosting more games and word of mouth – people know

we have it now and will buy it from us. Hoops Club: We will be sending a email out to all the coaches to encourage the kids to participate in the Hoops Club this year. We only had one

participant last year. We will do it one more year and consider changing the shot levels a bit. 10,000 may be too much.

State Bound: We would like to say Good Luck to the 5th grade boys and the 7th grade girls. They will be competing in the 2015 State Basketball

Tournament this year.

School Donation: We did purchase a DVD player and a mop bucket for the school. Glen Perry will build a shelf under the TV to hold the DVD

player.

Extras

Wrestling: Mark Morell contacted Brian to see if the Rec would be interested in helping out with a Wrestling program. He is hoping to be more

competitive if the kids start out at a younger age. He is hoping to have about 14-16 kids sign up and would like the Rec to pay for singlets – around

$25 each. He would have the parents do a fund raiser to help pay back the cost. He would also like the Rec to send out a blast email to everyone ask-

ing for help in running the program, since he can’t be in charge if it because he is the high school varsity coach. We will need to contact our insur-

ance company to see if this type of program is covered and discuss further at a future meeting.

Thank you: Thank you to the Madonna Schaefer family for giving a $312 donation to the Oakfield Rec Association. This is really appreciated. Thank

you again.

Election: The positions of President and Treasurer are up for re-election at our next meeting. If anyone is interested in either position please let a

board member know prior to the next meeting so your name can be added to the ballot and a formal vote can take place.

Next Meeting: February 19, 2015 @ 7:30pm

Meeting adjourned @ 8:31pmRespectfully Submitted,

Deb NewtonSecretary

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Middle/High School News

Students of the MonthAaron Kosterman (Senior)Aaron, a senior at Oakfield High, is an avid reader of Sci Fi and graphic novels. His favorite author is J.R.R. Tolkien. In addition to reading, Aaron also loves writing short stories. His favorite thing about school is beating everyone in his gym class because he enjoys winning. Aaron participates in multiple clubs such as DECA, freelancing for Key Club, and serves as the current president of the Art Club. After he finishes high school Aaron will be attending Marian University. He is interested in obtaining a degree in Education. Aaron stated the thing he will miss the most are the friends he has made with the underclassmen. He said that he will come home and visit his friends as much as he can.

High School Student of the Month - Johnny BoveeJohnny Bovee is a sophomore at Oakfield High school and he says loves Math. He says it’s easy to learn because of Mrs. Vaughn. His favorite part about school hanging out with friends, he says he loves to joke around with them and it makes school more interesting. Johnny is in Baseball, Basketball, DECA (secretary), the President of his Class and on the Math Team. He is not sure what he wants to do in the future but is definitely looking at going to a four year college.

Middle School Student of the Month - Caylee GrahamCaylee Graham is an 8th grader at Oakfield Middle School and she loves Language because she likes to read. Caylee’s favorite thing about school is seeing her friends because it helps her see her friends more often and they make school fun. Caylee is in Soccer and Volleyball. She plans on going to college but doesn’t know what she wants to do yet.

High school parents, mark this date:

May 2, 2015 is Prom. Questions call Ms. Conger @ 583-3141 Exten:2034

Principal Message March 2015Message From Mrs. Klassy-Oakfield Middle/High School Principal

The Importance of Community in Successful Schools After a successful night with Donkey Basketball, at least in terms of the number of fans who showed up and not in terms of a staff vic-tory, I am reminded again of what a special place Oakfield is. On a random Monday night in February we had students, parents, com-munity members and staff all come together to just to support two of our school organizations and the effect was awesome. The research about how much students benefit from a supportive community is endless. An article written by the Student Support Services Center in the state of New York sites all of the following as examples of how students benefit from a positive school-communi-ty partnership: Higher grade point averages and scores on standardized tests.More classes passed.Higher enrollment in more challenging academic classes.Better attendance.Improved behavior at home and at school.Upgraded school facilities.Improved school leadership and staffing.Higher quality learning programs for students.New resources and programs for students.New resources and programs to improve teaching and curriculum.New funding for after school programs and family supports. Obviously, as we continually seek to improve, your role as the com-munity in the education of our students is paramount. Thank you for all you do to support our schools and our students. Source: "Community Involvement." Community Involvement. Stu-dent Support Services Center, n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2015.

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Middle/High School News

Art ClubMiddle School Art Club students have been busy creating these salt paintings. They are currently busily making melted crayon art and designing the canvas it lays on!

Oakfield Releases 2015-2016 School Calendar

ARC shoots hoops with the girlsLast moth the ARC program teammed up with the Oakfield girls varisty basketball team to have some fun during halftieme. The ARC memebers also stayed and helped cheer on the girls to a great perfor-mance. It was a wonderful time for everyone!

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Board Meeting Minutes

BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING SCHOOL DISTRICT OF OAKFIELD OAKFIELD MS/HSWednesday—January 26, 2015• Clerk, Mrs. Murphy-Steinke called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m.• Roll Call o Members: P. Kottke (5:43), A. Patterson (left 7:26), J. Nyhuis, Meg Murphy-Steinke, E. Kraft, T. Wusterbarth – Absent: P. Dercks, T. Marcoeo Staff: S. Green, C. KLassy, D. Mock, B. Doyle, J. Hungerford, S. O’Malley, M. Liebelt, K. McCarty, A. Schepp, T. Kind, A. Kintzler, M. Wedelo Community: S. Laning, L. Sheahan, B. Sheahan, B. Deer, M. Sabel, A. Sabel, H. Kopf, K. Flury, E. Liebelt, M. Hayes, A. Kamenski, R. van der Zwan

• Mr. Kraft, seconded by Mrs. Patterson, moved to approve the January 12, 2015 school board minutes. Motion carried: 4 ayes, 0 noes, 3 absent.• Mrs. Patterson, seconded by Mr. Nyhuis, moved to approve the warrants through Januarry 26, 2015. Motion carried: 4 ayes, 0 noes, 3 absent. • There was no public input• A. Sabel, on behalf of the junior class, presented details on the May 2, 2015 post prom. Mrs. Patterson, seconded by Mrs. Murphy-Steinke, ap-proved to have the School District of Oakfield pay the bowling costs for each participant at the 2015 post prom event. Motion carried: 4 ayes, 0 noes, 3 absent.• Mrs. Murphy-Steinke, seconded by Mr. Kraft, moved to add the Pledge of Allegiance to the beginning of each board meeting. Motion carried: 4 ayes, 0 noes, 3 absent.• Principal Klassy presented a donation from the Skills USA club, to purchase two TV’s to hang in the student halls to allow the students to see the daily announcements. This would scroll all day long. Mrs. Patterson, seconded by Mr. Nyhuis, moved to accept the donation of two TV’s from the Skills USA club. Motion carried: 4 ayes, 0 noes, 3 absent.• B. Sheahan, Key Club President, presented to the Board information on the 2015 Key Club District Conference being held on March 13 – 15, 2015 at the Hyatt in Green Bay. All fees will be paid for by the student and there will be chaperones going along on this trip. Mrs. Patterson, seconded by Mr. Nyhuis, moved to approve the students and chaperones to attend the 2015 Key Club District Conference. Motion carried: 4 ayes, 0 noes, 3 absent.• Mr. Wusterbarth, Student Representative, reported a new semester has started with semester finals being the previous week.• Mrs. Kottke, seconded by Mr. Kraft, moved to accept the spring coaches as presented. Aaron Schepp-Varsity Baseball Corey Rickert- MS BaseballJeff Ogle- JV Baseball Kirk Tapp- MS BaseballMatt Schaefer- VolunteerMike Urban- Varsity Softball Kasey Cook- JV SoftballChris Cook- Volunteer Brian Sabel- VolunteerKatie Murphy- VolunteerMark Anderson- Golf Cody Veleke- VolunteerAly Uttendorfer will be coaching 7th grade volleyball starting in February.

Motion carried: 5 ayes, 0 noes, 2 absent. • Administrator Green, Mrs. Patterson and Mr. Nyhuis reported on their attendance at the 2015 State Convention. Resolutions presented at the January 12, 2015 School Board Meeting passed. • Administrator Green presented the updated quotes on the sale of the John Deere Tractor. The current high bid is with Ballweg at $11,500. Mr. Kraft, seconded by Mrs. Kottke, moved to sell the tractor to Ballweg Implement. Board discussion took place. Mrs. Murphy-Steinke, seconded by Mrs. Kottke, moved to table the sale of the tractor until the February 9, 2015 School Board Meeting.• Mrs. Patterson reported on her attendance at the CESA 6 meeting. • Principal Klassy reported on the progress with the MS/HS remodel. The locker colors have been picked out and ordered with a gray frame and a black crackle door. At the girls basketball game against WLA on Tuesday, January 27, 2015, it will be a pink out night to help support Agnesian Healthcare with the fight against cancer. T-shirts were available for purchase. • Strategic Planning took place. • Next meeting is Monday, February 9, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. at the Oakfield Elementary School.• Mrs. Murphy-Steinke, seconded by Mr. Kraft, moved to adjourn at 7:45 p.m. Motion carried: 5 ayes, 0 noes, 2 absent.

Respectfully submitted by:Jackie Hungerford, School Board Secretary