Thursday, February 28, 2013
Each week, Brookfield Patch is working with the Elmbrook School District to spotlight district teachers.
What’s the best part of teaching in the Elmbrook School District: I believe the best part of teaching in the Elmbrook School District is desire to attain excellence on the part of staff, students and families. This strong desire to meet the needs of all students is evident throughout the community. I value the relationships I have built over the years with staff and also the students and their families. I have appreciated the many opportunities to grow as a teacher. Why I wanted to be a teacher: I loved learning and going to school each day! In fact, I still do. I learn something new each and every day! If I wasn’t a teacher, I’d be: I would love to be a home organization consultant. My least favorite subject in high school was: Earth …
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Each week, Brookfield Patch is working with the Elmbrook School District to spotlight district teachers. This week, two teachers at Swanson Elementary School are highlighted.
What’s the best part of teaching in the Elmbrook School District?: Teachers are supported with quality resources, and are supported by a committed parents/community. Why I wanted to be a teacher: I wanted to impact the lives of young learners and to be a positive male role model for children. If I wasn’t a teacher, I’d be: An architect/builder My least favorite subject in high school was: Chemistry My favorite school lunch menu item was: Corn dogs?! What’s the best part of teaching in the Elmbrook School District?: The Elmbrook School District is committed to excellence. It is gratifying to work for a district that articulates high expectations for all learners and consistently provides tools and training to help teachers facilitate their …
Monday, January 28, 2013
Promoting Empathy and Compassion Everywhere teaching young students positive behaviors and how to handle conflict among their peers.
Swanson Elementary School is seeing the number of behavioral referrals from bus and on-school conduct decrease significantly — and the school staff is attributing it to the implementation of its P.E.A.C.E. program. P.E.A.C.E stands for Promoting Empathy and Compassion Everywhere. The school is using the approach to cut down on bullying and other destructive behaviors among the young children. The program is in its sixth year. “I firmly believe it is the fabric of who we are at the school,” said Wendy Ruhland, a Swanson teacher who helped implement the program. The P.E.A.C.E. program was “birthed out of tragedy,” Ruhland said. The program started in another school district after a high school student took his own life after never fitting in…
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Elmbrook plans to have teaching assistants help fifth grade teachers instruct classes with 30 or 31 students.
A summer surge in elementary school enrollments has caused fifth grade classrooms at two Elmbrook schools to hit maximum desired class sizes. The Elmbrook School District budgets for "placeholder" teaching positions to address such summer fluctuations — and thought six such placeholders would be enough, said Kristi Foy, district director of human resources. Due to a larger than normal increase, it wasn't. Swanson Elementary enrolled 59 new students between June 11 and the first day of school Tuesday. "That's unprecedented," Foy said. The surge prompted the district to add new sections for kindergarten, first and second grade at Swanson, hiring three teachers. At Tonawanda Elementary another third grade section was opened and at Dixon, …
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
A 2011 UW - Milwaukee graduate, Graves taught in Shorewood last year before joining Elmbrook. He's an art lover, avid bicyclist and gardener.
- BACK TO SCHOOL
- Lisa Sink
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Tuesday, September 4, 2012
About 30 new teachers are joining the Elmbrook School District this year, and Brookfield Patch is introducing some to the community as the 2012-13 school year gets underway. You can read their stories here. Today, we feature Jesse Graves, who will be teaching art at Burleigh, Swanson and Tonawanda Elementary Schools. Teaching assignment: I will be teaching Art at Tonawanda, Burleigh and Swanson. Hometown, current community: I grew up in Cross Plains and went to high school in Middleton. I currently live in Milwaukee. Education, experience: I attended UW Milwaukee and double majored in Art Education and Jewelry Metalsmithing. I graduated in the Spring of 2011. Last year I taught in the Shorewood School District. Hobbies: I am a practicing …
Monday, April 2, 2012
At a school assembly, students participated in an interactive presentation by Good Friend Inc. on how to show awareness, acceptance and empathy for peers with autism.
Swanson Elementary School students learned about autism Monday at a presentation by Good Friend Inc., a nonprofit organization in Waukesha that educates youth on autism and how to be "good friends" with all classmates. More information about Good Friend Inc. can be found on its website. The students donned their school color — blue — as part of a national "Light it Up Blue" effort on World Autism Awareness Day.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Brookfield Patch blogged live throughout Tuesday's Elmbrook School Board meeting as members decided to close Hillside Elementary School. Check out a replay from our real-time blog.
- SCHOOLS
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Tuesday, October 25, 2011
After nearly two years of discussion and debate, the Elmbrook School Board voted Tuesday to close Hillside Elementary School to address the district's financial crunch and declining enrollment. Here is a replay of Patch's live blog from the meeting.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Elmbrook School Board members said they were not in favor of closing Swanson or Burleigh elementary schools.
Closing Hillside, Tonawanda or both elementary schools are the three options still on the table after the Elmbrook School Board Tuesday ruled out closing the larger elementary schools of Swanson and Burleigh. One board member — Bob Ziegler — said he wasn't convinced Elmbrook should close any of its six elementary schools. He urged his colleagues to consider ideas from former School Board president Bruce Nattinger, such as restructuring the schools so some house grades K to 2 and others grades 3 to 5. Elmbrook also should explore ways to increase revenues, including adding 4-year-old kindergarten, attracting new families and holding a voter referendum seeking to collect more property taxes to fund district operational costs. "Right now I'm …
Swanson Elementary School's new principal, Kori Hartman, taught first grade for 14 years and loves getting back in the classroom.
After teaching first grade for 14 years, Kori Hartman didn't want to fully give up teaching when she became an elementary school principal in Janesville. "I miss the classroom sometimes so what I do is I get in the classroom," Hartman said. "I read to all the classrooms at least once a year. I like to get in and sub as needed. "I think it's important for the students to know I'm a teacher. That's the one thing I like to tell the kids," she said. It's a message she'll take to her new school — Swanson Elementary, where she succeeds Anne Kreul. Hartman knows it's a tough act to follow. Kreul was Swanson's principal for 17 years before retiring in June. But Hartman said the Swanson community has been incredibly supportive since she arrived in …
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Students at Hillside and Swanson Elementary Schools got back in the swing of school on their first day Thursday.
Did you notice how many buses were out again today? After weeks without them, yellow suddenly seemed everywhere. Brookfield Patch went to Hillside and Swanson Elementary Schools to capture how the first day went. The kids were excited, but maybe not as much as the parents. Please feel free to add your own children's photos to the gallery — just hit "add photos" to upload. For more back-to-school coverage, see a feature story on a group of mothers who continued their annual tradition of walking to Panera to celebrate the first day of school.
Meg Sier
9:27 pm on Thursday, September 13, 2012
Wait a minute. They have 30 plus an assistant??? OMG. Try 40 to one and then try to understand why Milwaukee teachers were a bit "upset" last year. more ›