Newsletters

October/November 2019

October/November 2019

Washington Wavelength

October / November 2019

From the Principal

Dear Washington Families,

It’s hard to believe that it’s already October! Students and staff have been working hard and we are off to a very promising start to the year. September was a busy month with students engaged in new learning, meeting new staff members and friends, and getting accustomed to new routines and procedures. We have also completed the STAR assessment, hosted exchange students from China, and practiced our safety drills and procedures. We look forward to continuing to provide high quality learning experiences for our students and are excited about the months ahead. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at 743-7205.

Sincerely,
Mr. Matt Peerenboom, Principal

Important Events

Oktoberfest October 17 5:30-7:30
Parent/Teacher Conferences October 23 (PM) & 24 (All Day) No School October 24, 25
Teacher Professional Development Day No School November 22
Thanksgiving Break No School on November 27, 28, 29

Reminders:

Please complete the online registration for your child if you have not done so yet this school year.
Remember to pay your child’s consumable fees ($32.00/child)
Supervision begins at 8:00 a.m. outside before school starts. For the safety of everyone, please arrive after 8:00 a.m.
Please remember…Janesville City ordinance forbids dogs, cats, horses or other animals from being on playgrounds or school grounds. Please keep your pets at home or in the car when you drop off or pick up your child.
Do not park and leave your vehicle in this area. After you Stop and Drop, please remember to GO…Many children are being dropped off and your child will join these children walking to the playground and doors.
- If you feel more comfortable you can park your car outside of the Stop-Drop & Go area and walk your child to the appropriate area.
- Also for safety reasons, please drop children off at the Street. DO NOT pull into the parking lot.

P4J

It has been wonderful getting to know our P4J students and families! In October and November, we look forward to many exciting events! P4J will go on their first field trip to Hinchley's Dairy Farm on Thursday, October 10th. I also look forward to meeting with families at Parent - Teacher Conferences at the end of the month. In November, P4J will celebrating with a Thanksgiving Feast. For this event, we ask a family member to join us and will be asking for donations to make the event a success. More details for the Thanksgiving Feast will be coming at Parent-Teacher conferences. P4J provides a family activity each month for all P4J students in Janesville. In September, we had a blast exploring Rotary Gardens. Please mark the dates of the future events that you received on your calendar. These events are FREE and a lot of fun for the family!

Kindergarten

Kindergarten is off to a great start! We are finishing up reviewing colors and learning our classmates’ names. We will soon begin our curriculum with Jolly Phonics, My Math, and the Journeys reading program.

For the children’s safety, please help them with learning to tie their shoes and also make sure sweatshirts, jackets, backpacks, etc. are labeled with your child’s name.

Watch for the fall family project to be coming home soon! They are always fun to see in the hallway. We are looking forward to seeing you at conferences at the end of October.

Grade 1

Our first graders are off to a fantastic start! We have been working on establishing classroom routines, expectations, and getting to know the students. We are now off and running with Reading groups and diving into Math. Writing is also a big focus in 1st grade. During Trimester 1, we will be focusing on Personal Narrative Writing.

There are some things you can do at home to help your child have a successful year. Please check your child's Home Folder every night and take out finished work. If there is any homework, please make sure it gets completed and returned to school. On Mondays, a set of flashcards will come home. We work on them everyday at school but your child may need some practice at home as well. The children should know how to read these words on sight (not sounding them out) and should be able to spell them. Math homework also will be coming home. These are workbook sheets and have "MY HOMEWORK" printed across the top. Finally, a few times a week, a small paper book comes home. Please encourage your child to read these books several times. This will help build fluency and confidence in your young reader.

We are really enjoying the firsties and look forward to a great year of learning!

Grade 2

Welcome back returning and new families to Washington School. We are so excited to get to know your child. It was great to see such an awesome turnout at Open House and your children certainly enjoy using all of their new supplies!

During the first few weeks of school, second graders were introduced to and practiced second grade routines. During the first trimester, second graders will be learning about their community, history, consumerism, interpersonal relationships, and geography. Math topics will include addition and subtraction through 18 (practice those facts nightly), number patterns, as well as double digit addition (Did we mention practice those math facts? J)

Students are encouraged to read at least 20 minutes nightly to build their fluency and comprehension. Encourage your child to return his/her library books weekly and to check out books they can read independently.

Grade 3

It’s been a fun and busy start to the school year. We are continuing to learn about each other and reviewing Growth Mindset. During the first week of school, we even had a chalk artist come visit! Math-we are reviewing Place Value and will get started with Multiplication soon. Reading- we are working on comprehension strategies and building our reading stamina. Social Studies-we are learning about government and map skills. Science-we are learning about life cycles and will be going to Rotary Gardens to learn more about pumpkins and take a tour.

Grade 4

Fourth grade is off to a great start! We have started reading in our Journeys book and taking a close look at grade level text. In math we are learning about place value and practicing our multiplication facts. Reading and understanding maps is our focus in Social Studies. Structures and functions of plants are being explored in science and as a part of that we will visit the Janesville Schools Outdoor Lab in October, so be looking for information to come home about that. Keep practicing your math facts and reading at home each night!

Grade 5

Fifth graders have enjoyed getting to know their teachers and classmates as they start up the year. For math they are tackling geometry and graphing as we continue mastering our math facts. For reading and Language arts, fiction is the focus and strengthening their personal narrative writing skills. In Science they are learning about the web of life, specifically ecosystems and the food chain. Social studies they are studying early explorers. Our theme this year as a fifth grade unit is work ethic and grit in striving for excellence. We are excited for what these students are going to achieve in their final year at Washington!

News from the Music Room

Save the date: This year the Washington performances will again be all in one day, and they will be held on Friday, March 20th, right before Spring Break. Times of the performances will be given at a later date!!

Kindergartners are working on steady beat, and we are learning fun songs, games, and stories to help us get the beat! We’ve also been talking about how rules help us and keep us safe!

First graders are also working on steady beat, and we have been ‘getting the beat in our feet’ as we march and use rhythm sticks and boomwhackers to play along. We are also learning to count beats in a meter of 4. We’ve been singing about using our ‘magic words’, or good manners, and we even learned some sign language for some of those magic words!

Second grade is working on beat and rhythm, and we have been so excited to use rhythm sticks, as well as many other kinds of rhythm instrument to plan along with beat and rhythm. We will be using Oreos soon to learn about rhythm and note values! How tasty!!

Third grade is learning how to read Treble Clef Staff pitches using the tools, Every Good Boy Does Fine, and FACE to help remember the pitch letters that the 5 lines and 4 spaces stand for. We wrote quarter notes on staff paper to practice writing notes on these lines and spaces. We will be playing melodies written on the Treble Clef Staff on xylophones, metallophones, and Glockenspiels!

Fourth graders have been reviewing how to read Treble Clef Staff pitches using Every Good Boy Does Fine and FACE, and we will be reviewing rhythm/notes so they can begin working on their recorder unit. I promise I will work hard to teach them to blow softly so that the recorder sounds nice, instead of squeaky so dogs in the neighborhood don’t run away!!

Fifth graders get to have three music classes this year, with one of those three classes getting them ready to make an educated choice when choosing their required music class for middle school. We are learning about instruments from the orchestra and band. We are also using one of the three music classes to learn more about singing in a choir and reading and singing two-part music along with the instrumental music. Our third music class of the week focuses on all the skills they’ll need to sing as well as play melody and rhythm instruments.

10/3/19

Dear Parents and Families,

Reading for pleasure unlocks the power of information and imagination and helps children discover who they are. Reading also increases knowledge and vocabulary, lowers stress, and supports your child’s emotional growth. Here’s what you can do to help children develop stronger reading skills and a love for reading:

Set the example. Let children see you read.

Have a collection of books in your home. Update this collection routinely to keep up with changing tastes and reading skills.

Support our school’s Book Fair. Allow your children to choose their own books to read.

Our Scholastic Book Fair is a reading event that brings the books kids want to read right into our school. It’s a wonderful selection of engaging and affordable books for every reading level. Please make plans to visit our Book Fair and be involved in shaping your child’s reading habits.

Book Fair dates: 10/23/2019 and 10/24/2019
Shopping hours: Wednesday, October 23rd: 4pm - 6:30pm and
Thursday, October 24th: 8:30 am - Noon and 2:00pm - 6:30pm
Visit our Scholastic Book Fair with your child to discover new books together!

We hope to see you and your family at our Book Fair! Remember, all purchases benefit our school.

*Scholastic update: Due to new Wisconsin laws, there will be taxes added to your scholastic purchase. Plus you can choose to “round-up” at the cash register, which will provide extra dollars and cents for the school to purchase more books!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Biege /Mrs. Miller

Innovation Specialist

743-7236

Washington Elementary School

PE NEWS

The year has gotten off to a fantastic start! All of the grades have been learning the classroom procedures and expectations for physical education class. Our Physical Activity Rules are: Active eyes and ears, Helpful hands and words, Follow directions, and Move safely. This will ensure a great learning environment for all students that enter the gymnasium. We have also been discussing the importance of being active not only physically but what it does for us mentally as well. Being active at least one hour a day is our goal at this age!

Our younger students at Washington have been learning about several bones and muscles. The cardiac muscle (heart) is our most important muscle in our body. Without a strong, healthy heart our daily tasks would be very difficult and we would not feel our very best. Our gluteus maximus muscle, which the students love to say, is the second muscle that they have learned. In physical education class we try to stay off of that muscle as much as possible, the goal is to keep our feet moving as much as possible! Ask your students about their phalanges, patellas, and cranium. They will be able to fill you in on the location of those bones as well as some catchy sayings to help them remember where they are located on their body.

Kindergarten students through 2nd grade have been practicing their locomotor skills. These movements skills are so important for our students to know how to slide, gallop, skip, leap, hop, jump. They are the basis of all of our movements. The students have also been wearing and using a pedometer during class. They are learning how to use this tool to help increase physical activity throughout the thirty-minute class period. There is a great deal of information to be learning while wearing and using this device so this will continue using them throughout the school year. Various recess games have been introduced so that students may have many opportunities to increase their activity time plus socialize with their friends. Lastly, the students are working on a variety of motor skills such as overhand and underhand throwing skills, kicking and foot dribbling with a ball, catching, and basic invasion games.

Grades 3rd, 4th and 5th have completed various recess games, wearing and using pedometers, plus beginning to learn about nutrition and calories. The students are also learning how to convert calories into steps to find out how many steps they must take to burn off those calories. Motor skills such as overhand throwing, kicking, punting, guarding an opponent (defense strategies) and working cooperatively in teamwork situations are being practiced during the first few months of school. Various lead-up games that involve using a soccer ball, a football, and a unit in lacrosse will take us to the end of the month.

In late October, early November grades 3rd, 4th, and 5th will be focusing on where and how to take their pulse plus figuring out what their own personal target heart rate zone is for when they exercising in the gym. This will ensure that each student will be working their hearts out at the appropriate level to keep it healthy and strong. Each student will also be finding out what their resting heart rate zone is which is the very beginning step in finding out what their own target heart rate zone numbers are. Lastly, each student will be using the Heart-O-Meter on the gym wall plus using a hand held insta pulse wand to check periodically during class if they are working in their proper zone and on occasion the students will be wearing a heart rate monitor. Many technology devices will be used throughout the year for our older students to monitor themselves during our activities.

I look forward to a wonderful, active, and “learning many new concepts” year in physical education. If you should have any questions or concerns, please contact me using the information listed below.

“Every Child Stronger, Every Life Longer!”

Mrs. Sherry Hintz

Physical Education

Washington Elementary

608-743-7248 direct line

shintz@janesville.k12.wi.us

A Few Lines from Washington’s Art Studio

Within the first few weeks of school students had already created art with visiting chalk artist Leigh Alfredson, talked and viewed our migrating Chimney Swifts, set free a monarch butterfly that had transformed from a caterpillar, and created artwork inspired by The Dot.

Students are definitely ‘making their mark’ at Washington!

During the fall months students have the opportunity to create entries for PTA Reflections. The theme for 2019-2020 is “Look Within”. Projects will be due in early January 2020. Be looking for information to go home with your child. Information is also available at https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections.

Our annual Ishful Arts Event will happen on Tuesday, March 31st, 2020 (the first Tuesday evening after Spring Break). We will have activities throughout the lower level that evening from 5:30 - 7:30 PM.

Follow Washington’s Art Studio on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/washingtonscreativeartists. Please know that we do not use the names or grade levels of our students. It is always fun to share, but me must keep our students safe! Mrs. Gee Gee Jannene, Art teacher

STEAM Statements

Returning Coding Club students have been invited to participate in our First Lego League Robotics Club. Those that have accepted the invitation are currently working their way through the “City Shapers” missions.

Invitations will be offered at conferences for students to join our Art Themed Coding Club. The first session will be offered to our 4th and 5th Graders. Thank you to our Third Graders, as your invitations will be offered after that.

Mrs. Gee Gee Jannene and Ms. Valerie Griffith

Coats for Kids

September 23th – October 14th 2019

Please donate warm winter wear for needy families in Janesville and North Rock County,

Needed: Clean chlidrens & adults’ winter jackets & coats, snow pants, gloves, scarves, hats & boots – Please no adult dress coats. No broken zippers No sweatshirts or fleece jackets or summer clothing.

Thank you

Locations for donations:

Dan’s Creston Park Laundromat	IGA/Sentry East	Milton Piggly Wiggly	Shopko
1630 Randolph Rd	2822 E. Milwaukee St.	727 S. Janesville St.	Highway 14

Sentry West	Schnuck’s Super Market	1st Community Bank of Milton	Premier Bank
2501 West Court	1501 Creston Park Dr.	202 Merchants Row, Milton	1400 Blackbridge Dr.

Woodman’s Market

Festival Foods

Choice Cleaners

2819 N. Lexinton

2233 Humes Rd

610 E. Memorial

2919 N. Lexingtion

1926 E. Milwaukee

And ALL Janesville Elementary Schools

Distribution :

The Salvation Army on the corner of Glean & Southerland on Saturday, October 27, 2018 from 9 am – 3 pm. Children must be present to receive a coat. Proof of residence is necessary. All coats/items are free, clean and available to all ages. This is a community service project of The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary.

MOVING???

If you will be moving from your current home address, please contact the Washington school office at 608-743-7200 as soon as possible to determine what paperwork you will need to fill out for your child to continue attending his/her current school. Please note: if you are moving to an address outside the School District of Janesville in most cases your child is eligible to continue attending the School District of Janesville as long as you complete the appropriate paperwork within the required timeline.

If you have any questions about school placement for a particular address, please contact Open Enrollment Specialist Deen Hartley at 743-5152. The New Student Enrollment Office is open year round.

If you are the parent of an elementary student and will be moving over the summer months when the elementary schools are closed, please contact Open Enrollment Specialist Deen Hartley at 743-5152 or the New Student Enrollment Office at 743-5072 or 743-5153 to complete the appropriate paperwork.

Request for School Transfer/Placement (Intra District Transfers) within the School District of Janesville Attendance Areas

Due to Move:

If you move within the School District of Janesville during the school year and wish to remain at your current school, please ask the school office for a Request to Remain in Current School Following Move to New Attendance Area Form (blue). Complete the form and return it to the school office.

Due to Parent Choice:

If you wish to apply to have your student transferred/placed in another school within the district next school year (2020-2021), please ask the school office for a School Transfer/Placement Within the School District Form (yellow). Completed forms will be accepted from December 1 through December 15, 2019 only. Submit your Request for School Transfer/Placement Within the School District Form (yellow) to your home school attendance area office. Parents applying for a Request for School Transfer/ Placement Within the School District will be notified of approval or disapproval by January 15, 2020. Parents applying for a Request for School Transfer/Placement Within the School District for incoming Kindergarten students will be notified of approval or non-approval after they have enrolled their child during the Kindergarten Enrollment period with the New Student Enrollment Office. If you have questions, please contact the school office of your home school attendance area.

Open Enrollment or Public School Choice

If during the school year, you move outside the School District of Janesville and you wish to remain at your current school please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743-5152 and request a tuition waiver form within two weeks of your move. This will allow you to be eligible to attend your current school for the remainder of the current year tuition free. To continue attending the School District of Janesville after the 2019-2020 school year, you will also need to complete an open enrollment application. Application instructions are provided to the School District of Janesville by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and should be available by late January 2020. This year applications will be accepted February 3 – April 30, 2019.

If you have questions regarding Open Enrollment or Public School Choice, please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743-5152.

Public School Open Enrollment Timelines

The State of Wisconsin has announced the application period for open enrollment (also known as public school choice) begins in February for the following school year. Open Enrollment laws permit children to attend a public school in a school district other than the one in which they live.

The open enrollment application period for the 2020-2021 school year is from February 3, 2020 – April 30, 2020. Parents are encouraged to apply on-line at dpi.wi.gov/open-enrollment. Although on-line application is recommended, paper applications may be obtained from the Department of Public Instruction or any school district after February 3, 2020 and must be delivered (hand-delivery is recommended) to the nonresident school district during the application period. Paper applications to attend Janesville must be submitted to the Open Enrollment Specialist in the New Student Enrollment Office no later than 4:00 p.m. on April 30th (a postmark does not constitute timely submission). Applications turned in prior to February 3rd will be returned as not valid and must be resubmitted after February 3rd but before April 30th at 4:00 p.m.

Enrollment in a requested school or program is subject to space and other limitations and is not guaranteed. Transportation is the responsibility of the parent. Habitual truancy may result in recommendation for the student to return to their home district.

Under School District of Janesville board policy, students who attended the district under open enrollment the previous year are not required to reapply for the following school year.

An application is required for each sibling in the family. For example, if a family has one child in elementary school that has been approved for open enrollment and a new student entering kindergarten next year, the student entering kindergarten must apply for open enrollment in order to attend the School District of Janesville.

Parents will be informed in June whether their open enrollment applications have been approved or denied. The student’s school or program placement will be provided in June.

If you have questions, please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743-5152.

Kindergarten Enrollment

2020-2021 School Year

School District Residents

If you have a child turning 5 (five) years old prior to September 1, 2020 and they are not currently enrolled in a School District of Janesville Pre-school for Janesville (P4J) or Early Childhood (EC) program it is time to enroll in the Janesville Public School District. Enrollment will take place at the Educational Services Center located at 527 S. Franklin St. (administration building) in the New Student Enrollment office. You may enroll anytime during the two-week period.

Weeks of December 2–6 and December 9-13
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. M/W/F both weeks
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m Tuesday, December 3, 2019
8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Thursday, December 5, 2019
8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 10, 2019
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m Thursday, December 12, 2019

If you cannot attend the enrollment period please come in as soon as possible to enroll after December 13, 2019. Enrollment in the district is required for participation in orientation. When you enroll, you will need your child’s birth certificate for proof of age, proof of residency (top portion of a utility bill, or current lease) to determine school assignment, immunization records and photo identification. If you have questions on general enrollment, please contact the New Student Enrollment office at 743-5072 or 743-5153 during regular office hours, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Requests for School Transfer/Placement within the School District (yellow forms) for incoming kindergarten students should be submitted through the enrollment process. Forms are available at all schools, as well as at the Educational Services Center. If you have questions regarding this process contact Deen Hartley at 743-5152. The status of requests will be determined by January 15, 2020 if they are turned in by December 13th. If you have a student currently attending a school under a School Transfer/Placement within the School District, it does not automatically qualify your kindergarten student for attendance at the same school; however, siblings are generally assigned to the same school. In order for your kindergarten student to attend the same school as a sibling, you must submit a request during the Kindergarten Enrollment time frame.

If you know of a child in your neighborhood or from community activities that would be entering kindergarten for the 2020-2021 school year, please pass this enrollment information on.

Non-District Residents

If you are a non-resident of the School District of Janesville and have a child turning 5 (five) years old prior to September 1, 2020 and would like your child to attend the School District of Janesville you must also apply for OPEN ENROLLMENT. The timeline for Open Enrollment is February 3 to April 30, 2020. Currently open enrolled non-residents in a P4J or EC program do not need to re-apply. If you have questions regarding the Open Enrollment process, please contact Deen Hartley at 743-5152.

School District of Janesville
CONFIDENTIALITY OF PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH CHILD FIND ACTIVITIES

The School District of Janesville is required to locate, identify, and evaluate all children, with disabilities, including children with disabilities attending private schools in the school district, and homeless children. The process of locating, identifying, and evaluating children with disabilities is known as child find. This agency conducts the following child find activities each year in the form of Early Childhood and Speech and Language Developmental Screenings. This notice informs parents of the records the school district will develop and maintain as part of its child find activities. This notice also informs parents of their rights regarding any records developed.

The school district gathers personally identifiable information on any child who participates in child find activities. Parents, teachers, and other professionals provide information to the school related to the child’s academic performance, behavior, and health. This information is used to determine whether the child needs special education services. Personally identifiable information directly related to a child and maintained by the school is a pupil record. Pupil records include records maintained in any way including, but not limited to, computer storage media, video and audiotape, film, microfilm, and microfiche. Records maintained for personal use by a teacher and not available to others and records available only to persons involved in the psychological treatment of a child are not pupil records.

The school district maintains several classes of pupil records.

"Progress records" include grades, courses the child has taken, the child's attendance record, immunization records, required lead screening records, and records of school extra-curricular activities. Progress records must be maintained for at least five years after the child ceases to be enrolled.

"Behavioral records" include such records as psychological tests, personality evaluations, records of conversations, written statements relating specifically to the pupil's behavior, tests relating specifically to achievement or measurement of ability, physical health records other than immunization and lead screening records, law enforcement officers' records, and other pupil records that are not "progress records." Law enforcement officers' records are maintained separately from other pupil records. Behavioral records may be maintained for no longer than one year after the child graduates or otherwise ceases to be enrolled, unless the parent specifies in writing that the records may be maintained for a longer period of time. The school district informs parents when pupil records are no longer needed to provide special education. At the request of the child's parents, the school district destroys the information that is no longer needed.

"Directory data" includes the student's name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, photographs, degrees and awards received, and the name of the school most recently previously attended by the student.

"Pupil physical health records" include basic health information about a pupil, including the pupil's immunization records, an emergency medical card, a log of first aid and medicine administered to the pupil, an athletic permit card, a record concerning the pupil's ability to participate in an education program, any required lead screening records, the results of any routine screening test, such as for hearing, vision or scoliosis, and any follow-up to the test, and any other basic health information, as determined by the state superintendent. Any pupil record relating to a pupil's physical health that is not a pupil physical health record is treated as a patient health care record under sections 146.81 to 146.84, Wisconsin Statutes. Any pupil record concerning HIV testing is treated as provided under section 252.15, Wisconsin Statutes.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and section 118.125, Wisconsin Statutes, afford parents and students over 18 years of age ("eligible students") the following rights with respect to education records:

The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of receipt of the request. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal [or appropriate school official] a written request that identifies the records(s) they wish to inspect. The principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. The school district will comply with the request without unnecessary delay and before any meeting about an individualized education program, or any due process hearing, and in no case more than 45 days after the request has been made. If any record includes information on more than one child, the parents of those children have the right to inspect and review only the information about their child or to be informed of that specific information. Upon request, the school district will give a parent or eligible student a copy of the progress records and a copy of the behavioral records. Upon request, the school district will give the parent or eligible student a list of the types and locations of education records collected, maintained, or used by the district for special education. The school district will respond to reasonable requests for explanations and interpretations of the records. A representative of the parent may inspect and review the records.

The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the parent or eligible student believes is inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask [Name of] School District to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the district decides not to amend the record, the district will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and the right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.

The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information in the student's education records, except to the extent that federal and state law authorize disclosure without consent. The exceptions are stated in 34 CFR 99.31, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regulations; Sec. 9528, PL107-110, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; and section 118.125(2)(a) to (m) and sub. (2m), Wisconsin Statutes. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosures to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the district as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the school board; a person or company with whom the district has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the district discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. Also the district discloses "directory data" without consent, unless the parent notifies the district that it may not be released without prior parental consent.

The right to file a complaint with the U. S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the District to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20202-4605.

Child Find Notice

“The school district must locate, identify and evaluate all resident children with disabilities, including children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disabilities.” The school district has a special education program to locate and screen all children with suspected disabilities who are residents of the district and who have not graduated from high school. Upon request the school district will screen any resident child who has not graduated high school to determine whether a special education referral is appropriate. A request may be made by contacting Kimberli Peerenboom, Director of Pupil Services for the School District of Janesville at 743-5061, or by writing her at 527 S. Franklin St., Janesville WI 53548.

Annually the district conducts developmental screening of preschool children. Each child's motor, communication and social skills are observed at various play areas. Each child is weighed and measured, and the child's hearing and vision is checked. The information is used to provide the parent with a profile of their child's current development and to provide suggestions for follow up activities. Parents learn about community services available to them and speak with representatives of agencies serving families. The information from screening is also used to determine whether a child should be evaluated for a suspected disability. When school staff reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability, they refer the child for evaluation by a school district Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. Developmental screening will be a part of the kindergarten screening this Spring. Watch for dates at your local school.

A physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker or administrator of a social agency who reasonably believes a child brought to him or her for services is a child with a disability has a legal duty to report the child to the school district in which the child resides. Before referring the child, the person making the referral must inform the child's parents that the referral will be made. The referral must be in writing and include the reason why the person believes the child is a child with a disability. Others who reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability may also refer the child to the school district in which the child resides. A referral of a child residing in the School District of Janesville may be sent to Kimberli Peerenboom at the school district address above."