Survey Results #2

There was a tremendous amount of information and feedback for us to digest from the high school study.  We asked UNI’s Strategic Marketing Services to identify the themes.  Our intention is to release information around those themes in a series of blog posts.  The following were identified: 

1. There is an appreciation for the strong sense of community, small school environment and school safety. 

2. Teacher involvement and the positive learning environment are seen as a plus. 

3. External academic opportunities are seen as overwhelmingly positive while also being a cause for concern.  

4. Cultural improvement at all levels is viewed as a need with cliques mentioned as a concern.

5. Consistency with discipline is viewed as an area needing improvement.  

6. There is a desire for increased rigor and enhanced college preparation.    

7. A larger emphasis on life skills is suggested.

The first themes we will explore and expand upon are THEME #3 and THEME #6..  The external opportunities offered for academics through Waverly-Shell Rock, the Waterloo Career Center and local colleges and universities are viewed positively by some, while the lack of those opportunities being offered on campus is viewed negatively by others.  Academic rigor, course offerings and college preparation were frequently mentioned across the four reports.  We will provide information, next steps and things to look forward to in the future.  

Some anonymous survey responses related to these themes are included below.  

“As we continue to grow, hopefully more teachers are added so we can focus on students and not be stretched so thin.”  

“Bring back some of the classes like shop.  Have more hands-on activities throughout the year.” 

“I think there were some great opportunities, as in college credit.  They gave us a chance to take college credits and some upper level classes at WSR. That was a great option. But I don’t know, I guess this isn’t quite their fault, but it would have been nice to not have to leave other classes early so I can show up to WSR on time.  Hopefully as they keep growing, they can start offering more of those advanced classes.” 

THEME 3: External academic opportunities are seen as overwhelmingly positive while also being a cause for concern.  

Course Offerings

Our high school students have access to the majority of their core instruction and many electives on campus.  This includes math, science, social studies, English, Spanish, business, art, vocal music, band, technology, core area electives and online classes through Edgenuity.  Due to our location we are fortunate in our ability to offer access to academic opportunities through Waverly-Shell Rock, The Waterloo Career Center, Hawkeye Community College, The University of Northern Iowa and Wartburg College either onsite at those locations or online.  Finances weigh heavily on what courses we can offer at Janesville and what makes sense to access through other educational institutions.  Here is a look at the cost associated with the classes students took outside of our district during the 2021-22 school year. 

Waverly - Shell Rock finances for 2021-22 school year:  Students  (24) - Different Classes  (27) - Number of Credits (55 ) -  Cost to Janesville ($24,842.95)

Waterloo Career Center finances for the 2021-22 school year: Students (10) - Different Classes (11) - Number of Credits (14) - Cost to Janesville ($6,300)

Hawkeye Community College/Concurrent finances for 2021-22 school year: Students (37) - Different Classes (48) - Number of Credits (134) - Cost to Janesville ($49,510)

The total cost of the 203 credits earned by our students through other educational institutions was $80,652 (plus transportation cost to WSR). The cost of employing one teacher, including salary and benefits is between $55,585 - $87,545.  The salary portion of this figure depends upon their experience and education level. In one school year, a teacher’s schedule would allow them to teach up to 14 different classes.  However, we would not ask a teacher to have 7 different preps/different classes every single day.  The wide variety of courses our students are able to access through other local institutions is a significant cost savings to us in comparison to hiring teachers for each of those content areas. 

Staffing

Survey results included a shared belief of the district being understaffed as a factor in limited course offerings.  We know we are currently understaffed.  For the 2022-23 school year we believed enrollment was going to be up about five students, however we ended up with an additional 27.5 students.  Many new families and students came to us in August spread out amongst the grade levels.  This was a direct result of the new open enrollment rules and regulations.  A wonderful issue to face, but logistically challenging.  A history of staffing levels (teachers) since the 2013-14 school year is provided below. 

School Year -  FTE (Entire District) -  Certified Enrollment -  Served Enrollment

2013-14                  27.188                              374.8.                             358.8

2023-24                  42.438                            441.92*                           443.32*

***K-12 Enrollment, preschool not included***

*23-24 enrollment information is from October 1, 2022

We have added significantly to our staff since 2013.  The largest student enrollment increase has been at the elementary and middle school level which is where the majority of staff have been added to date.  We have increased staffing from 6 elementary teachers to 12 and 3 core middle school teachers to 6 for the 2023-24 school year.  Although this is a high school study, having the information about how our growth has impacted staffing as a district is important.  As larger classes make their way to high school we are addressing the need to increase high school staff as soon as next year with the intention of continuing to add in the future.  

High School staffing changes and rationale for the 2023-24 school year: 

English 1.0 to 2.0 FTE  - Two full time teachers allow us to split all grade levels for English, while also adding Advanced Placement Literature and Composition, Advanced Placement Language and Composition and new English electives.  English was given first priority because it is the only core class requiring 4 years to meet graduation requirements

Band 1.0 FTE to 1.5 - Mrs. Limyao conducts 5 bands (5th grade, 6th grade, 7th-8th grade, high school and jazz band).  Due to the number of students taking band and the time it takes to work with each large group she is unable to offer lessons to all band students.  Mr. Rouw, who student taught with Mrs. Limyao last year, was hired to join the band department part-time.  

Art 1.0 FTE to 1.5 - Mrs. Hamil currently teaches K-12 art.  Our art numbers at the high school level have increased significantly the last few years.  Four periods of her day are currently dedicated to elementary and middle school art.  This leaves 3 periods for high school.  It is not possible for all students who want to take high school art to make it work in their schedule with the limited number of offerings.  The result is students who want to take art are unable, or they request to take art while she has another class.  This is less than ideal.  Next year Mrs. Graham will teach elementary art in order to provide more opportunity and flexibility for high school students to take art.

HS Spanish online to 1.0 FTE - We started the year with online Spanish.  Mr. Friedrich returned to the country and is back offering Spanish 1-4 in person.  We are grateful for his return and this opportunity for our students. 

We recognize the need to increase staffing with the continued growth of our high school student body.  Ideally we will increase the number of staff who teach advanced placement courses and have master’s degrees allowing them to teach courses for college credit on campus.

THEME 6: There is a desire for increased rigor and enhanced college preparation.  

ACT Preparation

Survey results indicated some students felt unprepared to take the ACT and desired more resources to support their preparation.  ACT data from 2019 to the present is provided in the table below. 

Year Number of Students Tested Average Comp Score

19-20 9 23.9

20-21 12 22.6

21-22 6 23

22-23 2 29

A concern we are addressing currently is the lack of ACT preparation support offered.  We contracted with The Doorway to College Foundation and are offering a 5 hour ACT course at the school on Saturday, April 1st at a cost of $95 per student.  Students will walk away with information and materials to help them prepare.

Low participation in the ACT with a significant drop in recent years is a concern.  In order to increase participation we are now offering every high school student the opportunity to take the ACT free of charge one time in our building.  Our goal is to make it accessible to all students to increase opportunities for postsecondary education.  

The annual school report card is a tool which tells us how students are performing and growing in various subcategories and allows us to compare ourselves to other schools.  The report card includes a measure of postsecondary readiness.  One metric which contributes to the overall score within the category of postsecondary readiness is the number of students who take the ACT and SAT.  As indicated above our participation rate is low with a decline in participation the last few years.  One way we are addressing this is by helping students prepare and removing any financial or logistical barriers to taking the ACT.  

The school report card information can be found here  Janesville Junior/Senior High School performed quite well the past five years, however there is always room for improvement.  Our scores are included below.

Reporting Year School Rating School Raw Score Average State Raw Score

2022 Commendable 56.36 54.65

2021 Acceptable 53.22 54.7

2019+2020* Commendable 59.97 54.94

2018 High Performing 63.12 54.91

*COVID canceled testing. We received the same score two years in a row

Academic Rigor

Some of the feedback in the surveys related to rigor was rather specific to individual circumstances and it will not be possible to respond to all of the feedback with the same specificity.  All academic courses within the school are designed to align with the Iowa Core Standards or national academic standards specific to elective content areas.  Teachers use a curriculum design process and collaborate with others to write their units based on these standards.  When possible, a curriculum written by a publishing company which meets the standards in both content and rigor is adopted by the district. 

As a school we have content specific leadership teams for literacy, math, science and social studies.  These teams are made up of teachers K-12.  Each of these teams has developed a set of shared beliefs around curriculum and instruction.  Each of these teams is responsible for making decisions regarding curriculum and instruction.  When we review curriculum for adoption we use a three step process.  Our first step is to research best practices and review shared beliefs.  We often do this in collaboration with our AEA consultant in the specific content area, resources from the DOE and by reaching out to other known experts in the field.  Next we locate and review curricular resources aligned with core standards and our shared beliefs in both content and instructional practice.  Our last step is to select a curriculum, often by first completing a pilot and then making a final decision on selection.  Once a new curriculum is selected teachers engage in professional learning to learn evidence based practices and strategies for implementation.  This learning includes but is not limited to workshops, conferences, courses, instructional coaching cycles, book studies, collaboration with peers, learning labs and feedback and reflection from formal observations.  

In addition to the courses offered through local colleges and universities as previously mentioned, we are adding Advanced Placement courses in English.  Writing was one area mentioned as a concern by former graduates in preparation for college.  Our goal is to add more AP courses and opportunities for earning college credit on campus.  

We plan to further evaluate and review specific content or instructional concerns mentioned in the survey related to rigor and instructional practice.

Leading By Example

Janesville CSD had the privilege of hosting a group of 20 instructional coaches from all over Central Rivers AEA.  The instruction, led by our very own Heather Howland, was focused on learning the Student-Center Coaching model as a framework for working with teachers and for improving instruction. Student-centered coaching is a highly-effective, evidence-based coaching model that shifts the focus from 'fixing" teachers to collaborating with them to design instruction that targets student outcomes. 

Ms. Howland states, “I enjoy sharing our teacher leadership and coaching philosophy with other educators.  It gives us an opportunity to showcase all the great learning we have going on with teachers and students at JCSD.”

This is another prime example of how Janesville staff are leading by example and paving the way to excellence.

Murals Brighten the Halls

The art students at Janesville CSD have been working hard this year to create murals around the school. The project is designed to help build a better culture and environment. Students have painted murals outside of classrooms, down the hallways, and on any open spaces available. Creating these murals throughout the school helps bring more personality and color to what once was just a bunch of gray walls.

Next time you are at the school, wander around and check out the incredible art work done by our many talented students.

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

UPDATE: The sun will NOT come out tomorrow!! Due to the weather forecast for Thursday into Friday, the musical performances of Annie Jr. will be postponed to Thursday, March 23 at 7 pm and Friday, March 24 at 530 pm.

The JCSD Music Department will present the musical “Annie” to the public on March 9 and 10. For the past few months, the junior high and high school students have been practicing lines, rehearsing songs, and learning choreology to prepare for the upcoming performances. The cast and crew have been working hard and are looking forward to showcasing their talents.

Tickets are available at the door for $8. The show starts at 7 pm. Be sure to get there early as concessions/snacks will be sold prior to the start of the show.

Please come support these students. You can bet your bottom dollar that it will be a good time.

Casino Night at JCSD

The High School Lighthouse Team sponsored a Casino Night on Friday, March 3 for all students grades 9-12. The Lighthouse Team wanted to offer something fun and different instead of the typical winter formal. Many students got into the spirit of the occasion and dressed the part of high rollers.

Casino games such as Texas Hold ‘Em, quarter horse racing, Black Jack, BINGO, board and card games were offered. Prizes were given out for winners of the different games. Mr. Ludwig and Mr. Monroe also looked the part as they helped deal cards and run games.

On To State

Individual District Speech contests took place on Saturday, February 25 at Union Middle School in Dysart. The following students participated in these categories: Hayleigh Heiser in Prose, Kaylen Lehman in Poetry, Aleah Limkemann in Public Address and Spontaneous Speaking, Hailey Limkemann in Prose, Danika Moulds in Acting, Parker Opperman in Improvisation, Ashleigh Panning in Acting and Musical Theatre, Eve Seedorff in Radio News Announcing and Musical Theatre, and Kiley Voshell in Spontaneous Speaking.

Coach Cavalier states, “I am so proud of every student that performed for getting out of their comfort zone. Each of them amaze me with their talent, poise, and positive attitude. Most importantly, I was so happy to see them have fun and support each other as a team!”

The following participants are moving on to State Competition on March 11 in Starmont: Aleah Limkemann in Public Address and Spontaneous Speaking, Hailey Limkemann in Prose, and Ashleigh Panning in Acting and Musical Theatre.

Congratulations to these talented students and Coach Cavalier!!

6th Grade DARE Education

Earlier this fall, the JCSD 6th graders participated in D.A.R.E. Education. The focus of D.A.R.E. is to teach students decision making for safe and healthy living.  D.A.R.E. envisions a world in which students everywhere are empowered to respect others and choose to lead lives free from violence, substance use, and other dangerous behaviors. 

Deputy Kyle Shores is the SRO and D.A.R.E. Instructor in Bremer County.  He has been with the sheriff’s office since 2009 and has 15 years of law enforcement experience.  Shores is a member of the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), and D.A.R.E. Iowa.  He completed D.A.R.E. Officer Training in 2018 and Basic School Resource Officer Training in 2019. Officer Shores is our school resource officer and he makes appearances at the school on a regular basis.

Each year, high school students are chosen to be D.A.R.E. role models. They attend Q&A with the 6th graders and talk about their own experiences. This year’s role models include: Keegan Eastman, Heather Alberts, Bryce Jensenius, Noah Muller and Laney Eibey.

At the end of the program, 6th graders participate in an essay contest. This year’s winners are: 1st place - Anna Sanderson and Rilynn Lawson, 2nd place - Jacob Foelske and Nichols DeHart, 3rd place - Kendall Kerker and Alayna Leibold. Congratulations to these students!

Graduation was held in late November.

Elementary Lighthouse Teams Plan Events

On January 20, the 4th Grade Lighthouse team (Carli Blake, Jon Schellhorn, Kenzie Kerker and Aleigha McEnany) hosted an Elementary Sock Hop.  Each class was able to attend for a portion of the time scheduled. Students from grade K-5 gathered together to enjoy some music, games and snacks. A few students even dressed up. It was a fun way to end a busy week in January. 

The 5th Grade Lighthouse team (Elliott Schmidtke, Alice Timion, Carter McMorris, Carter Pontasch and Austin Lukehart) hosted a Nerf War after school on January 20.  The cost was $5 with the proceeds from this event donated to the Janesville Public Library.  Participating students stayed after school went to the Elementary Gym. Nerf guns were able to be brought to school and left in backpacks until the end of the day. Students had to provide their own nerf bullets and make sure they were labeled with their name. Students also had to bring their own eye protection (safety goggles). This event was a great way to have fun and interact with local law enforcement and to raise money for a great cause!

The Results Are In

We would like to thank everyone who participated in our high school study over the past 18 months.  The feedback has been tremendously helpful to us in identifying strengths and areas of needed improvement in our high school and the district as a whole.  We would also like to thank Mrs. Christy Ryken and UNI’s Strategic Marketing Services for leading this project.  The scope of their work was comprehensive.  From developing a timeline, creating interview and survey questions, carrying out interviews, summarizing the findings and meeting with us to help process the results, they have been amazing to work with and incredibly professional!  We are grateful to them for their expertise and work with us on this journey.

We read through all the feedback, which amounts to 122 pages from four different survey groups and have started planning next steps.  We feel it is important to communicate the themes, both positive and negative and address things we can to the best of our ability.  There were some specific situations mentioned in interviews or surveys we will be unable to address due to the sensitive nature of those responses, however, we will do our best to be as transparent as possible while honoring the confidentiality of the survey respondents, staff and the student body.

Our plan will be to release a series of blog posts breaking down the 8-10 themes identified by Strategic Marketing Services.  Some of the responses and next steps will be quite lengthy, and others will be fairly short.  

Again, thank you to those who took the time to complete surveys or participate in interviews with Strategic Marketing Services. We truly appreciate it!

Coaches Vs Cancer Event is a Success

The Janesville High School Student Lighthouse Team hosted a Coaches vs. Cancer event at the home game against Clarksville on Tuesday, January 31st.

Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. This year JCSD teamed up with the mission to increase cancer awareness and support a local Janesville family. All funds raised this year will go to the family of Paul “Oscar” Britt and his wife, Donna. Paul was recently diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer and passed away on December 28th. Paul and Donna are lifelong Janesville residents and avid supporters of our Janesville community and basketball teams. Paul graduated from Janesville in 1968. Donna currently works at the school as a preschool associate. Their children and many of their grandchildren have attended Janesville schools and been involved in basketball including our current jr. high boys basketball coach, Tori Hazard (‘17), and current high school boys basketball player, Daniel Britt (So).

There were many activities for all ages. Fans enjoyed a Chili Supper sponsored by the Janesville PTA, raffle prizes, baked goods, and carnival games. A Wall of Hope was displayed to honor those who have battled cancer.

Profits from the games, raffles, bake sale, chili supper, and concession sales totaled over $2900. The Lighthouse Team would like to thank everyone who participated in the festivities.

JCSD Student to Attend Stanford University Law Seminar

Janesville junior, Aleah Limkemann, has been invited to take a ten-day Intensive Law and Trial seminar through the partnership of Envision and Stanford University. This seminar will take place at Stanford University. Aleah has worked hard to maintain her 3.9 GPA throughout her high school career. She has taken many college courses that has allowed her the opportunity to graduate a whole year early.

Aleah states, “I believe that going to this seminar will allow me to truly get a better grasp on how being a lawyer will help people.”

In an effort to raise money to allow Aleah to participate in this “once in a lifetime opportunity", Aleah is asking for sponsors and has decided to fundraise enough money to cover the cost. She has set up a GoFundMe to pay for some of the expenses for the class.

If you would like to contribute, please use the link below. Aleah would like to thank you for your support.

https://gofund.me/5ce406ed

State Speech Results

Janesville CSD sent two teams to compete at the State Speech Competition this past weekend. Short Film received 2-2-1 ratings and Group Improv received 2-2-2 ratings. A “2” rating is a fair score and a “1” rating is a perfect score. Congratulations to Coach Cavalier and the Speech Team!

On Saturday, January 21, Janesville students traveled to Turkey Valley High School to compete at IHSSA District Large Group Contest. Students were entered in several categories. The following entries received a II rating: choral reading (Kiley Voshell, Olivia Hjelmeland, Gabe Meaney, Kole Haan, Hailey Limkemann, Blake Porter, Carson Foelske), television newscasting (Blake Porter, Daniel Britt, Danika Moulds, Jayden Butler, Abi Foelske, Carlie Rupe, Eve Seedorff, Hayden Pugh, Tarynn Shepherd), and one act play (Hayleigh Heiser, Olivia Hjelmeland, Eve Seedorff, Ashleigh Panning, Marshall Davison, Zoey Barnes).

Group improv (Marshall Davison, Ashleigh Panning, Hailey Limkemann)and short film (Kole Haan, Carson Foelske, Jayden Butler, Daniel Britt, Zoey Barnes, Dawson Graham, Gabe Meaney, Abi Foelske, Carlie Rupe, Hayden Pugh) received a I rating which qualifies them to advance to state competition at Waterloo West High School on February 4th.

Congratulations to Coach Cavalier and all these talented students!!

Preschool Teacher Retires After 30 Years of Service

After graduating from UNI, Stacey Mack was the Head Teacher at the Waterloo Child Care Center. A kindergarten position had become available mid-year at the Plainfield School. Stacey accepted the position and taught there for 4 years. After having her first child, she decided to stay home. Stacey ended up doing daycare in her home for the next 8 years. After both children were in school, she decided to sub in the school system. That lasted one year. In 1993, Janesville CSD entertained the idea of starting a preschool at the school. Principal Chris Thompson asked Mrs. Mack if she would be interested in running the program. Stacey accepted and has been teaching at JCSD ever since.

Thirty years later, Mrs. Mack still feels preschoolers are easy to motivate. She states, “They are so full of life, eager to learn and please. You  just need to make it fun and keep them moving and engaged! It has been a great ride with mixed feelings. I will definitely miss the kids and co-workers.”

Stacey’s family consists of husband Mick, son Dustin (Appleton, WI) with his wife Chelsey and 3 sons: Jensen, Bryant, and Kyler, daughter Lindsey (Waverly) with her husband Ryan and 2 daughters: Mackenzie and Maya.

Her hobbies are spending time with family, reading, camping, sports (especially watching St Louis Cardinals & UNI), and cooking. Upon retirement, Stacey hopes to volunteer, travel, and spend more time with family.

JCSD would like to thank Stacey for her years of service and we wish you a happy retirement!

Potential Track Project at JCSD

JCSD is in desperate need of a new track. The current track has been here for at least 30 years. In those years, there has been minimal work/maintenance done. In addition to being decades old, the track does not meet current specifications.

The track is currently measured in yards. In 1978, track and field moved to meters. At our junior high meets we are currently running events such as the 220 yard dash, the 440 yard dash, etc. These are races that are similar to the 200 M and the 400 M, but will be different on our track due to where the curves and straight aways are for the race.

The track has remained a cinder track over the years. This type of track requires quite a bit of maintenance to ensure that it is in good shape for track season. This will include raking up of tree debris and dragging the track multiple times to fill in low spots and smooth the surface. We often have standing water on the track also when it rains which will also will compromise the surface of the track.

Space is limited, especially when it comes to practicing field events such as high jump and long jump.

With the current condition of our track facilities, our students are at a disadvantage compared to their peers with all-weather surfaces. All high school competitions, including district and state competitions, are held on all-weather surfaces, so the only experience our students get with those conditions are at their meets.

Superintendent Meaney states, “I would love to redo the track to provide our students with a 6 or 8 lane track with a proper surface. Our students are at a competitive disadvantage by having to practice on one surface, and compete on another.  We often bus our kids to other surfaces on occasion for practice, but that is not a good solution.”

Mr. Meaney has met with an architect but the preliminary numbers he was given were not even close to something that the school could afford. There would be work that the school would need to do before a more firm number could be given. It is safe to assume that this potential project would cost around $900,000.  When we dropped the PPEL after our GO vote, we were left without a lot of wiggle room for facilities/buses/leases out of our PPEL/LOST.  

In order for this project to happen, it would have to take a community fundraising effort.  Mr. Meaney is seeking a community committee chair and leaders to spearhead the fundraising effort to make a new track a reality!

JCSD Student Lighthouse Team Honors Local Family

The Janesville High School Student Lighthouse Team is hosting Coaches vs. Cancer at the home game vs. Clarksville on Tuesday, January 31st.

Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. This year we are teaming up with the mission to increase cancer awareness and support a local Janesville family. All funds raised this year will go to Paul “Oscar” Britt and his wife, Donna. Paul was recently diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer and passed away on December 28th. Paul and Donna are lifelong Janesville residents and avid supporters of our Janesville community and basketball teams. Paul graduated from Janesville in 1968. Donna currently works at the school as a preschool associate. Their children and many of their grandchildren have attended Janesville schools and been involved in basketball including our current jr. high boys basketball coach, Tori Hazard (‘17), and current high school boys basketball player, Daniel Britt (So).

There will be many activities for all ages during the event on January 31st.

4th Grade Kindness Challenge

The 4th grade lighthouse group, The Wildcat Creators, introduced a "Kindness Challenge" to the whole elementary school. Students had from Thanksgiving to Christmas break to complete a "Kindness Bingo" or a "Kindness Tic-Tac-Toe" sheet and received a prize if they turned one in. The lighthouse team visited each classroom to explain the challenge, and they've been returning to hand out candy as a reward and check in with each grade on their progress.

They want to say "Thanks for being KIND!"

The Wildcar Creators would also like to thank the team of media specialists (Cian Hansen, Tamsyn Ledtje, and Bentley Johnson) who captured the event.

Science Olympiad Teams Excel at Competitions

Science Olympiad is a competition where team members compete in a variety of specialized events. Some are engineering events such as Bridge and Wheeled Vehicle, some are lab events such as Crimebusters or Experimental Design, some are knowledge events such as Anatomy and Meteorology, and some test students' ability to think on their feet such as Fast Facts (like Scattergories) or Picture This (like Pictionary). The program has grown from 10 team members the first year (2018-19) to 25 team members participating for the 2022-23 school year.

Traveling to out-of-state competitions provides important opportunities for the team members to test the projects they built and their skills under competition conditions early in the year, as well as learning from observing other teams and interacting with tournament volunteers. There will not be any competitions in Iowa until February. The competition in Iowa in February is only running 12 events in each age division (MS and HS) whereas 28 events were run in each age division at Boyceville and Belleville.

Team member Izee Burch has this to say, "In Chem Lab and Crimebusters, we are able to work with different powders and liquids to see how they react to each other. For Anatomy, we get to learn what parts of the respiratory system and the digestive system do and what they are."

Initially, the PTA sponsored our registrations. Since that time, the Booster Club has provided tremendous support for registration fees and equipment expenses such as buying a good launcher for the Ping Pong Parachute event. The team has also raised money through gift card sales, working concessions, the "Want to Build a Snowman" contest, and donations from families.

A huge thank you also goes to Alytheia Barnes for embroidering our team sweatshirts, Mr. Monroe for getting the van from Tripoli for us so we could leave for Boyceville sooner, and all the parents who have helped with practice and/or chaperoned our trips to competitions! Chaperones this year were Brad Hjelmeland, Holly Benning, Carl & Katie Limyao, Kelley Gregorsok, and Brian Foelske. Also, Star Rupe, Brad Hjelmeland, and Kelley Gregorsok helped run events at Belleville, which lowered the cost of our registration.

Here are the results from our fall invitationals:

Belleville Invitational in Belleville, WI -- November 12

• 20 students in grades 6-12 competed at the tournament.

• The Middle School team placed 9th out of all middle schools. (All middle schools were in one division.)

• Bryce Jensenius and Elliot Foelske were the event champions in Write It / Do It, an event in which one team member writes instructions for building something (such as a Lego creation or craft) and then the other team member tries to build it as close to the original.

• Medalists: Jillian Anderson (3), Dalton Brinkman (3), Izee Burch, Elliot Foelske (3), Jacob Foelske (2), Noah Gansen, Anna Gregorsok, Kale Gregorsok, Bryce Jensenius (3), Carter Limyao (3), Wyatt Maassen (3), Austin Oltmann. Number in parentheses is how many medals they had for students who medaled in multiple events.

• This was the first competition experience for most of our new 6th grade team members: Caeson Cross, Brady Eastman, Jacob Foelske, Addison Krogmeier, Alayna Leibold, Kensi Limyao, Keilee Porter, Jace Rupe.

Boyceville Invitational in Boyceville, WI -- December 3

• 18 students in grades 6-12 competed at the tournament.

• The Middle School team placed 3rd in the small schools division and brought home a trophy.

• Noah Gansen was the event champion in Green Generation (an environmental science event)

• Medalists: Danica Brinkman (5), Izee Burch (2), Caeson Cross, Elliot Foelske (4), Jacob Foelske (3), Noah Gansen (3), Kale Gregorsok (4), Aidan Heiser (4), Carter Hjelmeland (3), Bryce Jensenius (4), Alayna Leibold (2), Carter Limyao (3), Kensi Limyao (2), Wyatt Maassen (3), Keilee Porter (3), Emmet Reed (2), Mercy Reeves (2), Jace Rupe.

The Janesville community should be very proud of how well these teams represented both our school and our state!

Field Trip to the State Capital

Janesville Seniors recently had the opportunity to visit the State Capital in Des Moines. This trip evolved after learning about Iowa topics and the recent election. The main goal was to see how our government works. With recent readings and videos, going to see the government building and learning about the history helped the seniors round out their experience.

JCSD students also had the privilege to meet Governor Kim Reynolds. Government teacher Anna Logsdon states, “She was very welcoming to us. The senior class had a blast and cannot wait to continue this tradition for years to come!”

JCSD Middle School is On A Roll

The middle school team at JCSD created a goal around student agency to boost student motivation and get students to be more aware of and accountable for their learning.

The staff has made changes to the Standards-Based Grading scale this year to align it closer to traditional grading. This was done in effort to make grades more meaningful and help students and parents understand Standards-Based Grading better.

Here is a breakdown of the new scale:

4-A (Demonstrates thorough understanding of course or grade level standard)

3-B (Demonstrates basic understanding of course or grade level standard)

2-C (Demonstrates a developing understanding of course or grade level standard)

1-D (Demonstrates minimal understanding of course or grade level standard)

0-I/Incomplete (Demonstrates no understanding of course or grade level standard)

The goal for the school year is to have 80% of middle school students recognized by Honor Roll or On A Roll by the end of each quarter. The criteria is as follows:

Honor Roll: Students have scored a “3”, “3.5”, and/or “4” on all priority standards assessed in the quarter. 

On-A-Roll: Students have reassessed on any assessment score below a “3” and improved the score to a “2” or above.

The middle school team provided a movie and popcorn celebration to reward the students who made Honor Roll or On A Roll.

Janesville Students STACK UP!

On November 15th, 16th, and/or 17th thousands of participants will take part in the 2022 STACK UP! through sport stacking. It’s an exciting sport where students up stack and down stack 12 specially designed cups called Speed Stacks in predetermined sequences as fast as they can. Stackers race against the clock, compete in relays and often combine sport stacking with fitness challenges as part of physical education classes, Janesville CSD included.

Each year, the World Sport Stacking Association provides more than half a million participants around the world to set the WSSA World Record for "The Most People Sport Stacking at Multiple Locations" also known as the STACK UP! In 2019, 638,503 stackers participated to break the previous STACK UP! record of 624,390.

This year the organization hopes to have over 650,000 stackers contribute their sport stacking skills from across the United States and around the world. 

According to Bob Fox, WSSA Founder, “Sport stacking is an activity enjoyed by all ages and cultures. It promotes hand-eye coordination, brain activation, fitness, teamwork, speed and lots of fun. We’re excited to have another shot at setting a WSSA World Record.”

Speed Stacks is easy to learn but challenging to master. Students can improve reaction time, hand-eye coordination, concentration and focus. Those interested can compete in meets, leagues and tournaments around the world.

Janesville CSD students are registered. Once a group completes the 30 minutes of stacking, PE teacher Erin Norton will send in an online verification of the school numbers for official recognition.