2019-2020 MPSD Accomplishments and Awesome Activities

The Manitowoc Public School District has daily reminders of the many accomplishments and

awesome activities that makes the MPSD outstanding. Here are some of the great things happening

in our schools.

DISTRICT WIDE AWESOMENESS – We are even better together!

MPSD staff spent countless hours collaborating to perfect a grade realignment in time for

the start of school. The change reconfigured the 6 elementary schools into K-5 (formerly

1-6), the 2 junior highs became middle schools that now service grades 6-8 (before they

were 7-9), and Lincoln High School Ships are now grades 9-12 (instead of 10-12th). Students attending

McKinley School moved to the Stangel Learning Community building and the majority of Stangel

students moved into the Riverview School, transforming it into a K-5 elementary.

The MPSD was featured on the Transition Improvement Grant Webpage.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/inno6ju2ksiuf50/MPSD%20Transition%20Incentive%20Grant%20write-up.pdf?dl=0

The MPSD partnered with the Friends of the Manitowoc Public

Library (MPL) to promote reading by welcoming public library staff

to visit Jefferson, Jackson, Madison, and Franklin summer schools

and give each child enrolled a free book. In addition, the Riverview

STEAM summer program visited MPL for hands-on STEAM

activities and each child also received a free book. Over 700 books

were distributed in this joint effort!

Retired Monroe Principal Bill Bertsche

just can’t say farewell to the MPSD.

He decided to do some long-term

subbing as a phy ed teacher at

Washington Middle School. Here’s a

picture of Mr. Bertsche playing a game

of Asteroids with students.

The Manitowoc Professional Police Association donated Bleeding Control Kits to the MPSD. These kits

are designed to provide essential equipment that empowers an individual to take action as immediate

responders in stopping life threatening bleeding. (Pictured: Manitowoc Professional Police Association

Representative Officer Cooper Schmidt, MPSD Nurse Jennifer Hinz RN, BSN, School Resource Miranda

Check, Crime Prevention Sgt. Andrew Trilling, Training Lt. Paul Behrendt).

MPSD Art Teacher Leeann Klein was awarded the Wisconsin Art

Educators Association (WAEA) President’s Award. This award is given to

art educators who have gone notably above and beyond in their work within

the WAEA.

The MPSD started an Instagram Account

follow us @mpsdrocks

The property tax rate for the MPSD will decrease by

1.09% to the lowest level since 2010, under a 2019-

20 budget approved by the Board of Education.

MPSD received the Good Citizen of the Year award from the Noon Rotary because of the implementation

of a safety response system from the I Love U Guys Foundation.

FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – FANTASTIC FALCON FUN!

Franklin students learned about each other by sharing their

“personality bags” with the class that were filled with all of their

favorite things.

Franklin students created a self-portrait that was displayed in the art room to

make an adorable arrangement of Franklin Family photos!

Franklin 4th graders creatively learned

by playing Wisconsin State Symbol

bingo.

Franklin students created a group graph of how they get to school each day.

A Franklin Grandmother donated pumpkins for

students that they decorated on a rainy Fall day.

Franklin students learned

how to make op art that

really pops.

Franklin PTA sponsored a family fun night filled with magic and escape rooms that had a HUGE turnout.

Franklin students

worked as a team

to take 20 small

pieces of paper and

determine a way to

build the tallest

free-standing

tower. The winning

group’s tower was

13”.

Franklin students combined the Halloween season with learning. They talked about the parts of a

skeleton by creating a skull that mimicked the way jaw bones work.

They also made pumpkin predictions…

-How many seeds do you think will be in the

pumpkin?

-What do you think the pumpkins weigh before

and after being carved?

They even created paper mache pumpkins in art!

Franklin students received books monthly thanks to “book sponsors” from the community.

Franklin students donated over 200 food items during a food

drive for Peter’s Pantry.

Franklin students operated on nonfiction books to find different text

features to cut out and paste (surgically dissect).

Franklin students braved the cold temperatures to ring bells for the

Salvation Army. They sang Christmas carols to help stay warm.

Franklin families enjoyed a Reading in Winter Wonderland event where they read

together, ate a snack and got to pick out a new book to keep.

Franklin students spread holiday joy to their neighbors by bringing them

candy canes and cards.

Franklin students learned imaginative ways to use

ordinary items to make sculptures in art class.

They also used transparency sheets to paint flowers

on.

JACKSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – JUMPING FOR JOY WITH THE JAGUARS!

Jackson students

celebrated “Healthy

Living Week” by taking

exercise breaks, walking

to school together,

wearing clothes that are

the same color as their

favorite veggie and

dressing like their future

careers.

Jackson students exceeded their goal by raising $10,116.54 during

the Jackson Fun Run.

Jackson students enjoyed

Flashlight Friday’s where

they read in the dark!

Jackson students traveled on the city bus to

visit the public library.

Jackson students whittled in soap just like the main

character in the “Tiger Rising” book that they read. Talk

about some clean fun!

Jackson students were visited by Police Detective

Erik Kowalski who helped them be “Word

Detectives” as they learned word strategies to use

while reading.

Over 180 Jackson students competed 10 reading

challenges over winter break, earning them a hot

chocolate party.

Jackson students showed their support for a fellow Jaguar who has Moebius Syndrome by wearing purple

to honor MS Awareness Day.

Jackson’s Destination Imagination team earned 1st

place at Regionals and advanced to the State

competition.

JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – GRIFFIN GREATNESS!

Jefferson teachers Mrs. Bauer & Mrs. Foytik won the

James Patterson and Scholastic Book Club giveaway

for $250 worth of books for their classroom libraries.

Jefferson teachers used their imagination to help students practice their

spelling words by writing in flour – how unusual!

Jefferson students read “Stone Soup” and

worked together to add a different ingredient

to a snack mix to demonstrate the power of

collaboration.

Jefferson students baked up some math problems using cookies for inspiration.

Jefferson students

marched in the

Homecoming parade to

show you’re never too

young to be Ship.

Jefferson students took a journey back in time by attending class at

a one room school house at Heritage School.

Jefferson Inspirational Painting Club

students helped create four-square courts,

hopscotch, and an alphabet snake.

Jefferson STEM club students designed tin foil boats with the goal

of which boat could hold the most pennies. 187 was the winning

boat float.

Jefferson students left spooky treats for their

neighbors as a special surprise.

Jefferson Inspirational Painting Club students painted the bathroom

stalls.

Jefferson students celebrated National

Kindness Day by wearing cardigans in

honor of Mr. Rodgers and sprinkling

the hallways with post-it notes filled

with kinds words to each other.

Jefferson celebrated 50 days of learning with a 50’s themed dress up day and activities. The Queen of

Ten visited K-2 classrooms working on decomposing a 50 into equal groups.

Jefferson students learned how to stand at attention, at ease and about

face from a former member of the U.S. Army in honor of Veteran’s

Day.

Jefferson students made paper

snowflakes and then wrote a how-to

book to teach others to make them. Talk

about creative writing!

Jefferson students visited with Felician Village residents to play “I Spy” and word search games.

Jefferson families

played BINGO and

READO together.

Jefferson school hosted an online safety and vaping parent info

meeting to help families keep their students safe.

Jefferson students learned about Ground Hog Day and made their

own special treat to honor him.

Jefferson students used their math and engineering skills to build bridges to

see which could hold the most weight.

Jefferson students showed their Valentine’s love for

animals at the Lakeshore Humane Society by hosting a

pet supply drive.

Jefferson 4th grade students learned about early Wisconsin explorers and the use of trading posts. Students

designed their own store fronts where they bartered their goods with their classmates.

Jefferson held its first Math

and Bingo Night that

included stations of

learning.

LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL – TRADITION NEVER GRADUATIONS

Lincoln welcomed freshmen back to the halls for the

first time since 1937.

Lincoln students were visited by U.S. Senator Ron Johnson where they were

able to ask questions about politics.

Lincoln marching band visited elementary schools to

excite the next generation of musicians by their

performance.

Lincoln Sting Cancer Club raised money to make care packages for

cancer patients and survivors in our community.

Lincoln students wrote who they will

inspire this year on red, white and blue

papers that transformed into a flag

mural on the cafeteria wall.

Lincoln ships football team qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2014 when they defeated

Notre Dame 37-0 on October 18th.

Lincoln Boomerang students visited with elementary students monthly to explore

what it means to be kind by being

positive role models.

Lincoln began a chess club.

Lincoln students adopted several elementary classrooms throughout the

District to enhance relationSHIPS with future Ships. The high schoolers

spent time making and reading out of book boats with them.

Lincoln Sports and Marketing class attended the Green & Gold Career

Expo at Lambeau Field to meet industry experts in the accounting,

catering, IT, human resources, digital media and marketing departments.

Lincoln Brass Ensemble students

performed as part of the Wisconsin

School Music Association (WSMA)

Exemplary Performance Recital on

October 24th at the Annual WI State

Music Conference in Madison.

Lincoln held the 3rd annual Veterans Day Honor ceremony that was inspiring and humbling to all in

attendance. What a great reminder of how we can never say THANK YOU enough.

Lincoln students partook in the annual mock

interviews to give them an opportunity to gain

valuable feedback from industry experts. This

event is made possible thanks to 35 volunteers

and participating businesses.

Lincoln fall athletes helped raise over $2000 in the annual

Breast Cancer Awareness campaign where the donations will be

split between Aurora and the John Dixon Scholarship fund.

Lincoln Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) spent Halloween collecting

canned goods from neighborhoods to be donated to the Salvation Army.

Lincoln band students performed at

Tender Reflections Assisted Living

Community on Veteran’s Day to

honor those who served.

Lincoln students explored in-demand healthcare careers at the Bellin College

Hands on Healthcare Mobile Lab featuring a virtual anatomy table, CPR, nursing

simulation, and more!

Lincoln Freshman Lia Haile received the Lion’s Club 74th

Annual Distinguished Service Award for her work to

better our community. She was the youngest recipient to

be honored.

Lincoln students organized a

winter gear clothing drive and a

toy collection at basketball

games this season and donated

the items to those in need.

Lincoln students in honor of Computer Science Week

made holiday related projects such as programming

Christmas lights, music boxes and creating light shows.

Lincoln Key Club organized a food drive where they

gathered over 2000 items to donate to the Salvation

Army Food Pantry.

Lincoln culinary students cooked and served a

Thanksgiving meal to community members.

Lincoln High School Class of 1964

donated a plaque to LHS commemorating

the 100-year anniversary of the MPSD

Board of Education decision on

September 26, 1919 to design and build

LHS. The sign is hung near the office at

Lincoln.

Lincoln students honored 2015 LHS

Graduate Payton Hynek who recently

passed away due to complications of Type 1 Diabetes by challenging one

another to participate in #piesforpayton which is a fundraiser to build

awareness and donations for Juvenile Diabetes Research.

Lincoln National Honor Society Members created over 20 blankets to

donate to the Salvation Army.

Lincoln students Sophia Winget and

Belinda Yang won 2002 Scholastic Art

Silver Key Awards for their artwork.

Branden Berry, Nyomi Brantley, Alexys

Fischer, Bruce Thao, Riley Thomas,

Dayana Valdez Vargas and Desiree

Zimmerman earned honorable mention

for their skill.

Lincoln woods students used traditional woodworking tools to create

picture frames that incorporated lap joints, bridle joint, mortise and tenon,

and dovetail.

Lincoln Health Occupation

students created clay anatomy as

they studied the digestive

system.

Lincoln High and UWGB collaborated to provide LHS students the

opportunity to get a head start on earning college credits through

the Rising Phoenix program. Students will be enrolled at LHS and

UWGB Manitowoc Campus concurrently.

Lincoln teacher Bonnie Proszenyak earned the 2019 Educator Impact

Award.

Lincoln IB Environmental Science students toured the Wastewater Treatment Facility.

Lincoln senior Cody Konik became the second high school student in

Manitowoc County history to start a Registered Apprenticeship

before graduation. He will specialize in automation and robotics at

Kaysun Corporation.

Lincoln’s Russian Club visited the Milwaukee Folk Fair to learn about various cultures.

Lincoln students visited with Monroe students to

celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The high schoolers created flip-books for each 1st

grade student.

Lincoln English students simulated the Capulet Ball from Romeo and Juliet and learned the “Pilgrims and

Saint’s Dance.”

Lincoln students Carson and Jose made skate trainers for the elementary physical education classes.

Lincoln student Peyton Larsen competed in the FCCLA Interior

Design STAR event where she earned a gold medal and

advanced to the State competition.

MADISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – COUGARS ON THE CREATIVE LEARNING PROWL!

Madison students resisted the urge to eat chips and

instead worked as a team to make a loop out of them.

Talk about a lesson in self-restraint and teamwork!

Madison students dissected owl pellets to determine

their diet.

Madison students marched in

the HOCO parade showing

their school spirit.

Madison students alphabetized authors by last names.

Madison students enjoyed fun sock

Fridays!

Madison students cozied up with a good book during

“Fireplace Fridays.”

Madison students enjoyed math night, where games and

learning added up to a lot of fun.

Madison Better Tomorrow Club students took the time to take out the trash they found around school.

Madison students were reminded by school nurses of the importance of

thorough hand washing. They rubbed on lotion and then washed the lotion

off. A black light revealed how much lotion remained, symbolizing germs

and how easily they spread.

Madison students turned their room into a bookstore to

celebrate the end of their show and tell unit.

Madison students applied the

scientific method by predicting the

number of passengers (pennies) that

can fit in a boat (styrofoam cup).

Madison students created salt dough maps of Wisconsin.

Madison staff had a surprise CPR drill to make sure they would be prepared for a real emergency.

Madison students hosted a book lounge where visitors heard students

share their how-to books.

MCKINLEY ACADEMY - SMALL CLASSES FILLED WITH BIG THINKERS!

McKinley students moved into the former

Stangel Elementary building, which is

now the Stangel Learning Community.

The new building allows for more space

to learn inside and out.

McKinley students used virtual reality equipment to travel anywhere to

learn about the past, present and future.

McKinley students traveled to the School Forest to become one with

nature.

McKinley and Lincoln

Alternative Program

(LAP) students

enjoyed their new

gym by playing a

game of good ‘ol

volleyball.

Stangel Learning Community students joined the Stand for the Silent

(SFTS) program. Members pledged to be committed to change and

helping to stop bullying through self-discovery, understanding of feelings,

positive games and giving compliments to help build self-esteem.

McKinley students collected donations for the Lights

of Christmas Penny war. This friendly competition

helped raise funds for a great cause. Every penny

counts in a penny war!

McKinley and LAP students

attended a CPR/AED training ran

by school nurses.

McKinley and LAP students learned about the college application process courtesy of LTC, UWGB, and

Holy Family College employees that visited with them to explain the process.

McKinley and MCCP students rang bells to help raise funds for the Salvation Army drive.

McKinley and MCCP students enjoyed a holiday bowling outing.

Stangel Learning Community became recognized as a Project Adam

Wisconsin Heart Safe School.

Mckinley students held their first ever Spaghetti dinner fundraiser for an

upcoming trip.

Stangel Learning Community created a clothing and hygiene boutique to help students feel confident in

their appearance so they can focus on their school day.

MONROE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – MARVELOUS MUSTANGS!

Monroe teachers have bright ideas when it comes to engaging students in

reading. They offer Friday Flashlight time so kids can cozy up in the dark

with a book.

Monroe PTA

sponsored

family pancake

breakfast was a

delicious way

to start the

school day.

Monroe students spiced up their learning style by celebrating their plaid wardrobe.

Monroe students were taught how to

stop, drop and roll by visiting

firefighters.

Monroe Mustangs proved a little Halloween snowstorm never scared any kid away from having fun.

Monroe students used their

building skills to create

gingerbread homes while

refraining from eating their tasty

creation.

Monroe students in collaboration

with the Manitowoc County UW-

Extension grew lettuce, herbs and

chard in a hydroponic grow tower

in their classroom.

Monroe 5th graders started a pen pal exchange with students in Manitowoc’s Sister City, Kamogawa,

Japan.

Monroe 4th graders became famous by appearing on Action 2 News with Meteorologist Steve Beylon.

Monroe 4th graders showed their love on Valentine’s Day by making Valentine’s Cards for the Veteran’s

home in King, WI. They also showed their love of sledding by taking to the hills.

RIVERVIEW SCHOOL – READY TO BE ROCK STARS!

Riverview School transitioned to a 4K-grade 5 school filled

with many former Stangel Elementary School students.

Riverview Running Club

wrapped up their first season

with the Riverview Cross

Country Invitational.

Riverview students traveled to Bookworm Gardens to expand their love of reading and outdoor education.

Riverview students joined Lego Club,

Coding Club and Games Galore Club this

year to mix learning and fun.

Riverview students read their personal

narratives by candle light.

Riverview students were visited by Brandt Bus Company staff to learn

about bus safety, kind words, and inside voices.

WASHINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL – WOLVES ARE WILD ABOUT WISDOM!

Washington Junior High became Washington Middle School and welcomed 6-8th graders instead of 7-9th

graders.

Washington students celebrated

Homecoming week by having a

Twins Day.

Washington students in APP

Creators class programmed micro

bits to play rock, paper, scissors.

Washington students practiced writing their name in cuneiform onto clay

tablets as they studied scribe from ancient Mesopotamia.

Washington 6th grade students

decorated rocks they found at

the School Forest and scattered

them around the base of the new

school sign to symbolize the

foundation of Washington

Middle School is built on

memories of new experiences.

Washington students received “code sparkle” treatment when they were pulled

from class by an administrator and walked into a room where other students

surprised them with a confetti canon made by the science enrichment class and

celebrated them for being great role models.

Washington 6th graders celebrated Christmas Movie Character Day by re-

enacting “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.”

Washington students enjoyed reindeer races as part of their

enrichment classes.

Washington hosted a Family Art Night where creative juices

flowed.

WILSON MIDDLE SCHOOL – #WeAreWarhawks

Wilson Junior High became Wilson Middle School

and welcomed 6-8th graders instead of 7-9th

graders.

Wilson had over 60 students join soccer this year!

Wilson students participated in a scavenger hunt

to familiarize themselves with the school and

each other.

Wilson (and Washington) 6th grade students continue the camping tradition at the School Forest.

Wilson started a Battle of the Books Club where students can compete with others from across the state.

Wilson began a cooking club to entice young bakers and chefs to

enhance their yummy skills.

Wilson Learning for All Students developed ROV’s

that ran obstacle courses.

Wilson staff installed LEGO walls in the lunch room.

Wilson 6th graders finished their Egyptian unit by dressing in traditional

clothing, learning about mummification and enjoying food from Egypt.

Wilson students joined 835,571,513

students online on December 12th in a

global movement representing more

than 180 countries for an Hour of

Code to introduce students to computer science.

Wilson students collected over 3,300 items during the holiday

food drive.

Wilson Holiday Horns students brought joy to River’s Bend residents and other places in the community.

Wilson 7th graders learned how to

demonstrate courage every day during a

Youth Frontiers Retreat.

Wilson celebrated Foreign Language Week with engaging activities, dances and food tasting.

Updated 3/11/2020