Working like a dog! Savanna Oaks Middle School 6th-grader Ashley Frommherz coaches Max through "the tunnel" as Mary Schroeder stands by for support, at the last day of class for the VASD Middle School Summer Program at SOMS. The dog is one of the two male cairn terriers that four 6th-grade girls at SOMS helped train with Principal Stephanie Edwards.

VASD survey responses

The VASD survey of district residents last fall asked if the district should spend nearly $200,000 annually to boost programming for gifted and talented kids. In the comments section, more people said schools should increase gifted programming, but many argued there was too much already. Some examples follow: Thursday, September 02, 2010

What's new for this school year

A new charter school, tight restrictions on class sizes in grades K-3 and the perennial battle over budget cuts are sure to be big stories for the 2010-11 school year, which officially begins today in the Verona Area School District. But before more than 4,700 kids hit the books in the district’s 10 schools, officials had some cleaning up to do. Two weeks ago, staff found patches of mold inside several classrooms at Country View Elementary School and Badger Ridge Middle School, prompting a hurried clean-up last week in 60 rooms, superintendent Dean Gorrell said last week. Fortunately, what was found wasn’t a “black mold” that can pose health problems. But the white mold – aspergallis penicillium, to be exact, which is similar to what forms on old food in your refrigerator – can still irritate people with respiratory problems. Sunday, September 05, 2010

District hires 23 new teachers for 2010-11

As of last week, Verona Area School District had hired 23 new teachers, though 11 of those had worked in local schools before at a different position. The district was still looking to fill three more vacancies. Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Kidz Place reopens after summer hiatus

After a two-month hiatus, Kidz Place is back. The free, twice-a-week program for parents with kids up to age 5 opened in Sugar Creek Elementary School in June 2008. But with Sugar Creek expecting a space crunch next year, it became clear this summer that Kidz Place needed to move from the school’s step room to another location. Wednesday, September 01, 2010

What are 4K program models?

The programs can be located in a variety of settings, including licensed child care centers, private preschools, faith-based preschools, Head Start programs, in public schools or at home with support. A question for communities, then, is how to deliver care and education to all four-year olds and where should 4K be placed. Monday, August 23, 2010

VASD budget gets approval at annual meeting

The annual meeting of the Verona Area School District was once again a quiet affair. Friday, August 20, 2010