2022.Falls Pride Fall Magazine (9) - Flipbook - Page 2
FALLSSCHOOLS
POINTS OF PRIDE
HEALTHY CHOICES
Balanced nutrition contributes to
student success throughout the day
in and out of the classroom. SDMF is
committed to serving quality,
nutritious meals to students and
staff. We've recently added more
fresh fruit and vegetable options
that offer vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Studies have
demonstrated that school meal programs play an
important role in supporting obesity prevention,
overall student health, and academic achievement by
improving children's diets and combatting hunger.
SDMF prepares many items in-house from scratch,
uses 100% ground beef, offers a variety of fresh fruits
and vegetables, and has increased its healthy menu
items.
MENTAL WELLNESS
The SDMF Student Services team, including school
counselors, school psychologists, and school social
workers, has also developed the SDMF Mental
Wellness & Resources web page. This resource
provides our school community with important
information and resources to help navigate and
support the mental wellness of our students and
families. Additionally, the student services teams at the
elementary schools and North Middle School (NMS)
student services team have created separate online
resources to support students
CAREER ACADEMIES
At Menomonee Falls High
School we provide course
offerings clustered in an
academy model for highdemand job markets. The
Career Academy program
provides students with
rigorous academic courses, access to early college
credits and industry certifications, and personalized
and career-specific learning experiences. Students
get hands-on experience in the career fields that
interest them and provide valuable job and
mentorship opportunities that give them a leg up
when they head off to college, tech college,
apprenticeships, and the workforce. MFHS offers five
career academies:
1. Business Academy
2. Design, Communications and Media Academy
3. Educator Academy
4. Healthcare Academy
5. Science Technology Engineering & Math Academy
EARLY LITERACY
The School District of Menomonee Falls adopted a strategic priority to be the best in 4K-2
Early Literacy; it matters. Research shows that being on track in literacy at third grade is a
critical benchmark that predicts a student's success in school and beyond. The SDMF
values the responsibility to get kids ready for success beyond school, and we have
dedicated teachers who are passionate about teaching kids to learn to read.
We make sure that early elementary schools are getting what they need for reading and
literacy because it impacts their school experience and sets the foundation of the rest of
their lives. Multiple research sources identify young learners with a high level of exposure
to books will absorb rhythms, and language patterns and also mirror the language and
gestures of caregivers. These emerging skills provide a foundation for emerging literacy.
Our two lower elementary schools, Ben Franklin Elementary and Shady Lane Elementary
have prioritized digging deep and immersing our students in literacy with an all-in team
approach. "They are truly learning to read at Ben Franklin and Shady Lane," said Tina
Posnanski, Principal at Ben Franklin Elementary. "When they leave us and go to third grade,
they are reading to learn. This is why it's so critical that we get that foundation set before
they move to third grade." Students who fall behind with literacy in third grade could
struggle to catch up. Research shows that 16% of kids struggling in third grade will struggle
to graduate from high school.
The formal commitment to literacy starts with our youngest scholars in 4k. However, the
work of language acquisition starts at birth and we are actively connecting with families to
support this development. "It's really about building that partnership with families and so
that way what we're working on at school they can be working on at home," said Brad
Hoffman, Principal at Shady Lane Elementary. "In an elementary school, we are really
getting kids excited about reading, and if we can get kids excited to read, that helps to
spread that to the family, and then the hope is that those younger siblings are benefiting
from that as well."
The focus on early literacy is a community effort. We partner with Collective Impact of
Menomonee Falls to offer Brain Bags for residents of Menomonee Falls. Brain Bags, are
available at the public library, and include resources on language acquisition for families
that caregivers can do with their babies. The SDMF Early Literacy team also partners with
Collective Impact to produce Ready Readers, a quarterly digital publication which offers
resources to support literacy and language development.
The best advice for parents is to read with their children at home, talk with them, play with
them and interact with them. Parents and caregivers are a child's first teachers, making a
world of difference.
Open your phone camera and scan QR code
for more information.
FALLSPRIDE | SPRING 2022
To better meet the fundamental
health needs of our students, SDMF
collaborates with independent
counseling centers to provide
branch office locations within all of
our schools, offering students and
families access to additional mental
health support services.
The in-school clinics function as outpatient counseling
clinics, and the student’s insurance is the primary
payment method for these services.