Schools

MIDDLETON–The Middleton-Cross Plains School District (MCPASD) Board of Education reviewed the latest preparations and changes in the district’s plan to return to in-person instruction. A blended in-person/virtual instruction model for students in grades PK-4 begins Feb. 1, grades 5-8 begins Feb. 22 and 9-12 begins Mar. 11, while the fully virtual instruction will continue to be offered through the end of the year with some changes.

Superintendent Dana Monogue said the district has every intention to fully open schools in the fall, but at this time there is still the need to be responsive to the pandemic.

“We are encouraged by the vaccine distribution schedule for our staff and the downward trajectory of COVID-19 in Dane County and we hope this trend continues,” Monogue said. 

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Cross Plains Area School District Board of Education reviewed the latest developments implementing a blended in-person/virtual instruction model for students in grades PK-4 beginning Feb. 1, grades 5-8 beginning Feb. 22 and 9-12 beginning Mar. 11.

Superintendent Dana Monogue said despite passionate and divergent opinions about how and when to reopen schools she is confident the model the district is developing will benefit most students and their families.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Board of Education is poised to adopt a new plan for students to return to in-person instruction in light of new guidance released for schools by Public Health Madison Dane County (PHMDC) at its Dec. 21 meeting. District administration asked the board for one week to review the guidance and develop a virtual/in-person blended model for all students.

The guidance from PHMDC was released hours before the board’s Dec. 7 meeting and shifts the direction the district will go in implementing a virtual/in-person blended instruction model. The change comes one week after the board approved a half-day blended model for students in grades 4K-2.

Superintendent Dana Monogue said the newly released guidance is significantly different than the guidance the district has been operating under since August.

MIDDLETON–A petition to recall Middleton Cross Plains Area School District (MCPASD) board members Minza Karim and Bob Hesselbein has fallen short on signatures. 

Angela Rachidi, one of the organizers of the group Parents for Change who filed to begin the petition for recall, said the group gathered about half of the 6,200 signatures it needed to force a recall election. “Pandemic-related restrictions on gatherings really hampered our efforts,” Rachidi said. 

Parents for changed organized and filed paperwork for the petition with the Wisconsin Elections commission on October 8 and had 60 days to collect the necessary signatures, which is equivalent to 25 percent of the electors in the last gubernatorial election. 

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Cross Plains Area School District Board of Education voted unanimously to direct district administration to develop a half-day blended instruction model for students in 4K through 2nd grade when they return to in-person learning. The board is expected to vote on the final plan and timeline at its next meeting on Dec. 7.

Superintendent Dana Monogue reviewed two blended learning models.

Under the half-day model students are divided into morning and afternoon cohorts. There would be a 7:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. morning session and a 12:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. afternoon session.

Each cohort would attend in-person instruction focused on literacy, math and social/emotional learning. The other half of the school day students would have asynchronous virtual instruction.

MIDDLETON–To get ready for her classes each morning, MHS English teacher Kris Cody-Johnson settles into the workspace she’s set up in her basement, pulls up a greenscreen curtain as a backdrop, onto which she will cast a photo of her classroom, and starts a Zoom meeting. This is how she opens the door to her classroom before the bell for class rings this year.

But before she does this, Cody-Johnson spends her morning responding to emails from students and colleagues, grading, and doing prep and planning.

Glacier Creek sixth grade math teacher Amy Imoehl goes to school to start her day in her classroom. “I get my computer on and check my email, which to be honest I usually check at home in the morning before I even get here as well. Depending on what kids were working on in the evening, I sometimes can head something off before they’re waiting too long for me to get into school,” she said.

MIDDLETON–In a year in which district students have less access to clubs and activities, Middleton High School (MHS) Theatre has been working to center student self-expression during uncertain times. Like so many educators and artists, MHS Theatre Director Katrina Williams Brunner, Performing Arts Center Director Zane Enloe and frequent MHS Theatre guest director Tim Gittings of American Players Theatre find themselves in the position of learning flexibility.

“Our goal,” says Brunner, in her third year as MHS Theatre Director, “is to stay creative and collaborative along the way.”

The 2020-21 MHS Theatre theme “Out of Chaos” references Steven Sondheim, the lyricist and composer who has explored a rich diversity of material in his complex productions. Sondheim himself experienced some very difficult events in his childhood, later reflecting that, “Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.”

MIDDLETON–The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Board of Education reviewed the district’s virtual instruction model as the first quarter comes to an end. The board also reviewed the latest COVID-19 local health data, discussed establishing a medical advisory board and approved wage increases for all district staff. 

Superintendent Dana Monogue said the district is doing the best it can to respond to feedback from students and families about virtual instruction and tweak the process along the way.

“This pandemic has put another spotlight on the inequities that are present in our schools and has demanded that we work together in some ways to make sure we are reaching every student in our care,” Monogue said. “Our resources are being maximized, our educators are working very long hours and we are all feeling the impacts of this pandemic.”

Monogue acknowledged the significant burden virtual instructions puts on families. 

MIDDLETON–Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District (MCPASD) Board of Education member Bob Green asked Superintendent Dana Monogue to comment on the closure of Elm Lawn Elementary following three individuals testing positive for COVID-19 at the board’s regular meeting Oct. 12. 

Monogue said three staff members tested positive at the building and all quarantining and contact tracing protocols have been used. The district is working with Public Health of Madison and Dane County (PHMDC) to determine the best course of action.

The building is closed through the end of the week for deep cleaning. All staff at the building have been alerted, Monogue said. The families of a small number of students attending Elm Lawn in-person were also contacted.

Green said going forward he would like any cases and closures included in the pandemic planning discussions.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Cross Plains Area School District (MCPASD) Board of Education voted to continue virtual learning through the semester or until health metrics for returning to in-person learning put out by Public Health Madison Dane County (PHMDC) are met. The board will revisit the decision at its Dec. 7 meeting or schedule a special meeting in the event PHMDC metrics are met.

Superintendent Dana Monogue presented two options for the board to vote on at its Sept. 28 meeting: 

Option one: Remain in virtual model until PHMDC/CDC guidelines are met.

Option two: Bring PreK through second grade students into schools in a blended model starting on Nov. 2 and delay bringing 3-12 students into schools until PHMDC/CDC guidelines are met.

On Aug. 21 PHMDC released health metrics for in-person instruction, which the board committed to following at its Aug. 24 meeting.