The Buzz Around Town for April 2

Jane Wonderling

Jane Wonderling, Fennimore Schools District Administrator

Fennimore Times

Published: Apr 9, 2020, 4:28 PM

When a community comes together there is no challenge we cannot overcome! So it is in the face of COVID19. Life is an adventure full of personal success, challenges, smiles, laughs, hugs, and tears. Each of us can think of a time when we have felt each of these emotions. During those most challenging times, a person finds out who they trust and the inner strength they have to overcome roadblocks and become stronger.
   It is now time for each of us to call upon our inner strength. This virus has challenged each of us; coming together as one voice and one community will create the strength and support needed to help our families, neighbors, and communities. The road to defeat this virus is long, difficult, and uncharted. WE are up to the challenge through kindness, generosity, patience, and the undeniable belief that together we will defeat this virus. There will be times we will struggle, be afraid, and not understand why this is happening. During these times, know your neighbors and family are there for hope and understanding. Together our fears will fuel our strength in believing in each other through kindness, hope, and encouragement. The more difficult the challenge the brighter the light when success arrives; it will arrive and we will be stronger!
   The school district and city of Fennimore have partnered to keep the community informed. Below are resources to assist during these challenging times. If you need something or know of anyone who does, please reach out for support.
Fennimore School District Latest Post
   Dear Parents and Guardians,
   Thank you for your understanding and support during this difficult time. We recognize that this is a time of uncertainty and stress for many families. We recognize the importance of maintaining a balance between student learning and family commitments.
   The district will be moving to a pass/fail grading system for all students in grades 4K-12. The teachers are going to check in on the students and their progress each week. Teachers will continue to share assignments and projects with students as well as feedback on their progress.
   High school students will receive credit for a passing grade, however, this will not impact their grade point average.
   Third-quarter report cards for grades 1-12 will be available next week on Family Access. 4K report cards were previously sent home. Kindergarten will mail home report cards. If you have difficulty accessing your child’s report card in Family Access contact:
   •Elementary School: Carrie Friederick at 822-3285 ext 2100 or Carol Jozefowicz ext 3601
   •Middle/High School: Renee Nelson at 822-3245 ext 3101 or Carol Jozefowicz ext 3601
City of Fennimore Voter
Message from Debi Heisner,
City Clerk
   We are now nine days away from Election Day. I want to remind you the SAFEST way to cast your ballot is by absentee ballot. This will keep your risk of exposure to the COVID19 virus at its minimum as well as the risk to our poll workers. To request an absentee ballot, go to myvote.wi.gov.
   Feel free to contact me, Debi Heisner, with any questions by calling 608-822-7271 any day of the week. Please share this information with your neighbors and your friends and get the word out. If you know of anyone without internet connection, please tell them to call me. I can help them get an absentee application with little to no worries.
   If you would like to receive your ballot by email please email the following information to your City Clerk, Debi Heisner at cityclerk@fennimore.com: name, address where registered, email address if different from the email you are sending from, the election(s) you wish to receive ballots for (April 2020 or all elections for 2020) and include a picture of your Photo ID (driver’s license). There are specific instructions for printing and returning the ballot so please pay attention to the details.
   You must return your ballot by mail or deposit it in our drop box in front of city hall. Ballots must be received by April 7 at 8 p.m.
Fennimore Community
Food Ladies Post
   Please visit their Facebook page for additional information.
   Fennimore community members understand that during this difficult time families and community members of all ages in the Fennimore School District will be in need of food services. Fennimore Community Schools, Fennimore Community Food Ladies pantry, and the Fennimore Food Pantry Depot Exchange are working in partnership to provide FREE food to families and community members during the Stay at Home mandate by Governor Evers. To assist, the Fennimore Schools are providing free food to the pantries, and the pantries are also accepting donations from community members.
   To avoid contact and adhere to the mandate and social distancing, call to make arrangements for a FREE delivery of food to your home. Call 608-822-3782 to contact the Fennimore Community Food Ladies Pantry. This is all CONFIDENTIAL, we’re all helping one another. People need to do social distancing and stay at home, and times are difficult. Upon delivery, no contact will be made between the recipients and the delivery person. Safety precautions are in place for our volunteers, as well as those receiving food and donating food. The first scheduled delivery date is Thursday, April 2 and will be between 2-4 p.m.
   The Fennimore Community Food Ladies Pantry has a Facebook page with pantry information and updates. They are located in the Fenway House Hotel Banquet Hall, 1096 Lincoln Avenue, Fennimore, only open at specific times for donations. The Fennimore Food Pantry Depot Exchange is located on Lincoln Avenue in Fennimore and is open the first and third Wednesday of the month from 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Fennimore Police Department, Chief French
   Fennimore Police Officers spend a lot of time training and preparing for community emergencies, but a global pandemic was not the emergency we expected. We have been monitoring best practices guidelines and implementing them as they evolve to keep officers and the community healthy.
   FPD will continue to provide 24-hour law enforcement coverage. Social distancing practices may cause us to respond by phone, ask to meet with you outside or we may wear personal protective equipment (PPE) during our contact. Our goal is to keep the community safe and healthy.
   We would like to thank all the businesses, schools, and private citizens who have donated or made available to us hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, N-95 masks and other PPE. These items have become critical supplies to first responders as medical facilities are being re-supplied first.
   We appreciate your voluntary compliance with Governor Evers’ Safer at Home order. We understand many businesses and citizens in our community have been severely affected and we all look forward to returning to normal community interaction as soon as the guidelines are lifted.
Additional Resources
   Grant County: https://socialservices.co.grant.wi.gov/
   City of Fennimore: https://www.facebook.com/mayorboebel/
   https://www.fennimore.com/city-government/coronavirus-updates-covid-19/
   Wisconsin Department of Health Services: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/index.htm
   Governor Tony Evers COVID19: https://evers.wi.gov/Pages/Home.aspx

Fennimore Community Schools: Elementary, Middle and High School Facebook pages. Skylerts to parents, guardians, and students.

Special Education has a primary importance

At North Crawford

THE NORTH CRAWFORD special education department is an integral part of the district and a point of Trojan pride. The department staff is made up of, from left, Christopher Finnell, Erin Konichek, Olivia Gabrielson, Jen Pedersen, Cara Wood, Sara Troshynski-Fredelake, Melinda Biege, and Emily Patti, as well as Tracy Morovits-Feye and Andrew Watters, who are not pictured. - photo by JORDAN DERRICK

Special Education — THE NORTH CRAWFORD special education department is an integral part of the district and a point of Trojan pride. The department staff is made up of, from left, Christopher Finnell, Erin Konichek, Olivia Gabrielson, Jen Pedersen, Cara Wood, Sara Troshynski-Fredelake, Melinda Biege, and Emily Patti, as well as Tracy Morovits-Feye and Andrew Watters, who are not pictured. - photo by JORDAN DERRICK

JORDAN DERRICK

Crawford County Independent & Kickapoo Scout

Published: Mar 12, 2025, 7:42 PM

It seems these days, special education plays a vital role in supporting student equity and equality.

In the North Crawford School District, the special education department is extremely important to the staff, students, and community.

At North Crawford, 18.8% of the student population require special education services, according to the 2023-24 district report card. This is a similar figure to most nearby districts.

Despite having similar numbers, the school’s special ed department is often considered one of the best in the area.

“Our department is really dedicated to making sure we get the best out of the kids, and that they get the best out of us,” high school special education teacher Andrew Watters said about the program. “We are willing to try new things and are always adapting our program.”

The purpose of the department is to provide better access to education for students who need more support.

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) is a federal law that outlines special education in public schools. It is described as a law that “makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children.”

The Act was reauthorized and renamed in 1990, from the EHA or Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The EHA was originally put into place in 1975, to protect the rights of and require meeting the needs of disabled youth.

Since the EHA, and now the IDEA, schools and services have become much more inclusive and beneficial for disabled students, with nearly 7.3 million students receiving special education services in the 2021-22 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

North Crawford Student Services Director Cara Wood says that she has noticed the negative feelings that many families have toward special education in public schools.

This stigma makes it harder on the students, as they or their families may fear mistreatment or poor services. Wood says that North Crawford is working to fight these fears and continue to provide the best services they can.

Public schools must comply with IDEA, otherwise they may face legal action and/or loss of federal funding.

“Special education is not optional,” North Crawford Superintendent Brandon Munson said about funding the program. “We cannot turn down high needs students, so we pay for the services, whether we have the budget or not.”

The disability groups covered under the act include:

• autism;

• deaf-blindness;

• deafness and hearing impairment;

• emotional disturbance;

• intellectual disability;

• orthopedic impairment;

• other health impairment;

• specific learning disability;

• speech or language impairment;

• traumatic brain injury; or

• visual impairment (including blindness).

With such a broad range of students, many who qualify for the special education program choose not to participate, as not all qualifying students and their families feel they need the support.

Often times, students with certain disabilities can even grow out of the program.

“Students learn as they function and grow, and, especially with disabilities like autism, certain students may outgrow special education,” Director of Student Services Cara Wood said.

Special education from the district ranges from students ages 3-21. Children with developmental disabilities can participate in the Wisconsin birth-to-3 program, where they offer speech, occupational, and physical therapy before the children begin attending school.

The end of a student’s K-12 services doesn’t end their access to services. Once students reach the end of their K-12 career, they have a right to disability accommodations in many higher-education institutions and workplaces.

Adapting is extremely important for the entire special education department, students and staff alike, whether it is to the next chapter in their life or their next student.

“There is constant change. No day is exactly the same, no student is exactly the same,” Watters said.

The basis of any special education program is the IEP, or Individualized Education Plan.

Every student in the special education program has an IEP. Its purpose is to evaluate the circumstances of and plan for each student’s year.

The meeting includes the parent or guardian and teachers of the student, along with the director of special education. As described by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, “an IEP is a program designed to meet the unique and individual needs of a student that qualifies… under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).”

The IEP is a written guideline, which is revised yearly, for the special education team to follow. It serves to ensure students are receiving the necessary services and are continually meeting their educational goals throughout the year.

Superintendent Munson says that IEPs can be a key to keeping communication between the district and the students’ families open and consistent.

As the parent of a student in special education, Emily Patti feels that the program at North Crawford has done great work with her son.

Patti’s child is enrolled in North Crawford Elementary School. Throughout his time in the district, he has received an array of services, including extra instruction, emotional regulation, and help with adjusting to the school environment.

“Everybody wants to work with these kids and understand them on a really deep level,” Patti said about the program. “There isn’t one set curriculum that works across the board, in general or special education. Everyone is really adaptive and really cares.”

The feelings Patti has toward the department’s staff are not uncommon.

“We have really great teachers and assistants,” Director of Student Services Wood said. “They are always here and so committed to their roles; it’s what makes the program work.”

North Crawford's special education department has come to be highly regarded because of their relationships and communication with the families of students and their quality of services provided.

The staff works incredibly hard to create a safe and comfortable learning environment for each student, and hopes to continue evolving the program for the better.

A unique aspect of the North Crawford department is the Trojan Brew Company, a mini coffee shop run by high school special education teacher Christopher Finnell.

Finnell started the program three years ago with his students, selling coffee to a handful of teachers in the building, and they have worked to expand it to be much larger since.

“The students involved in Trojan Brew Co. are learning valuable skills, such as managing check registers, budgeting, inventory, self-advocacy, and more,” Finnell said.

North Crawford works hard to support growth and provide a great education for every student.

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