Community Connections 

June 2024

Message from the Superintendent

527 S. Franklin St. Janesville, WI 53548 | 608-743-5000 | janesville.k12.wi.us

It was a busy and productive year at the School District of Janesville. In addition to a successful launch of the school year last September, we completed some important tasks that directly impacted the long term
direction and goals of the district.

One major task completed was our long-range facilities needs assessment. Our buildings' average age is 63 years, with many sites having antiquated, inefficient, or deteriorating building systems that are at or beyond their service life (electrical components, mechanical systems, etc.). We also noted that our schools lack breakout areas, and our career & technical education and family & consumer science labs are out-of-date.

After identifying our facilities' needs, we reached out to the community to learn more about their thoughts via a community-wide survey. With more than 3,000 responses to our survey, we are grateful that the Janesville community understands and supports addressing our operational and facility needs, and investing in our schools and students’ education is investing in our community.

On a more school-centered level, we are incredibly proud of the more than 780 seniors who graduated in the Class of 2024. We offered 26 Advanced Placement courses, with more than 1,000 students taking advantage of these options! We’ve had hundreds of students participating in Career and Technical Student Organizations and
apprenticeships. And we continued our partnership with local builders so our advanced construction students could learn the trades associated with building a home! 

Throughout SDJ, our team is working hard to ensure students are inspired, empowered, and achieving at high levels. We continue working to engage the greater Janesville community, sharing the many great things happening in our schools!

With Gratitude,
Mark Holzman, Superintendent

Our 2024-2027 Strategic Plan

• Student Academic Excellence: Foster a culture of learning focused on growth and unlocking every student's potential.
• Staff Excellence: Incest in a culture of professional growth to cultivate a skilled, motivated, and connected workforce.
• Operational Excellence: Align our resources to provide modern and relevant environments to support students, staff and community successes.
• Family & Community Partnerships: Engage families and the community Partnerships: Engage families and the community in students' education to enhance the student experience and promote our stories of success.

Collaboration
Critical Thinking
Curiosity
Empathy
Resilience

Congratulations to the Class of 2024!

The School District of Janesville offers its most sincere CONGRATULATIONS to the Class of
2024, the next great group of leaders who will make a great impact on the world! Nearly
800 students earned diplomas this school year, and we cannot wait to welcome the next
group of seniors—our Class of 2025—when things kick off in the fall.

• ARISE Virtual Academy – 16 grads
• Craig High School – 340 grads
• Parker High School – 219 grads
• Rock River Charter School – 191 grads
• Rock University Charter School – 21 grads

Kindergartners Learn About Careers

In May, P4J-Preschool for Janesville (SDJ’s 4-year-old Kindergarten program) hosted a “Look to the Future” career exploration event at Parker High School. Students and families learned about career options such as dentist, musician, farmer, veterinarian, artist, baker, construction worker, mail carrier, zookeeper, and many more!
The event was made possible with help from community partners such as Hedberg Public Library, Janesville Police Department, Janesville Fire Department, Children's Wisconsin-Rock County Family Resource Center, 5 Star Barbershop, and SHINE Technologies.

Monroe Elementary Celebrates Blue Ribbon School Designation

In April, staff and students from Monroe Elementary School gathered to celebrate their National Blue Ribbon School designation during a special event at the Janesville Performing Arts Center!

Monroe was one of just eight schools in Wisconsin to receive the honor in 2023—and among 353 schools nationwide. The celebration started with a police/fire department escort of buses from the school to the JPAC. Once students were seated in the JPAC auditorium, they enjoyed a short performance by the Craig High School band and cheerleading squad.

Next, Monroe Principal Sally Pope introduced a series of short speeches by several guests, including Superintendent Mark Holzman and U.S. Congressman Bryan Steil. Congratulations to the entire Monroe Mustangs family!

Senior Stories: Marlene Romero Martinez

Designation Meet Marlene Romero Martinez, a senior at Rock River Charter School! Inspired by a dream of one day entering the construction management field, she plans to continue her education in the trades through a carpentry apprenticeship. When asked what her greatest challenge was in getting to graduation, Marlene said, “I had a lot of personal obstacles that were difficult to overcome, but I decided that I wasn’t going to let that stop me from achieving my goal. I knew

I had to make a change and receive help in order to continue. My parents and teachers were always there to motivate me to continue and not let my past affect my future."

Congratulations, Marlene - and best of luck!

Senior Stories appear on the district’s website and social media pages. To read them, visit www.janesville.k12.wi.us/about-us/our-stories/senior-stories.

Parker Students Get Glimpse of Transportation Industry

Parker High School automotive students got a revved-up lesson when Mr. Dettman's class met with
representatives from Lakeside International Trucks to learn about career and training opportunities in the
automotive field. Students got to climb aboard a semi-truck and explore the engine and cab. It was a great
way to show students the exciting possibilities that exist in the automotive and transportation industry!

Cleaning Up Debris from the Summer Tornado

The June 22 EF-2 tornado that ripped through Janesville's south side did extensive damage to many homes in the neighborhood near Jackson Elementary School. Although the school itself escaped major structural damage, many of the established trees that stood in Jackson's front yard weren't quite as lucky.

On June 23, efforts aimed at clearing away fallen trees and picking up debris got underway. Among the many volunteers who gathered to help families in their attempt to recover was a collection of Jackson staff members.

This past spring, our community was invited to tour the 2024 Student Home Build project, which involved a collaboration of students from the School District of Janesville and members of the South Central Wisconsin Builders Association (SCWBA)!

High School Students Build Home in Arbor Ridge Engineering

This past spring, our community was invited to tour the 2024 Student Home Build project, which involved a collaboration of students from the School District of Janesville and members of the South Central Wisconsin Builders Association (SCWBA)!

The house, located at 1813 Arbor Hills Way in the Arbor Ridge subdivision, sits on .34 acres and features nearly 3,000 square feet of finished space. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home offers a three-stall garage, floor-to-ceiling fireplace, modern kitchen appliances, quartz countertops, ceramic tile flooring, and more. What a terrific hands-on learning opportunity for students interested in the construction field! For additional photos, see MLS #:1977822.

Engineering Toy Cars for Families in Need

During the second semester, the district partnered with Shine Medical Technologies to participate in the The Go Baby Go project. The program has student teams modify electric toy cars to be used by families with children who have spina bifida to assist with their mobility.

The cars were donated by Blain's Farm & Fleet and assembled by STEM students throughout the district. They got mentoring help from engineers at SHINE Technologies. Students from Arise Virtual Academy, Franklin and Marshall Middle Schools, and Parker High School took part.

Community Survey Helps Drive Facilities Planning Process

The district conducted a community-wide survey in spring 2024 to gather input on the district’s operational and facility planning work. The community’s input will help guide next steps, including potential referendum questions on the ballot in November 2024.The district conducted a community-wide survey in spring 2024 to gather input on the district's operational and facility planning work. The community’s input will help guide next steps, including potential referendum questions on the ballot in November 2024.

A total of 3,273 community members provided input via the survey. A majority of respondents support renewing a $14.5 million operating referendum for two years, which would not be expected to increase the district’s tax rate.

Survey results also show that while the community understands the need for district facility maintenance and improvements, the facilities' base plan did not receive majority support at this time. However, the district and board could consider presenting a revised facilities plan at a reduced cost and tax impact to voters in November.

We are hiring

As one of the largest employers in Rock County, the School District of Janesville strives to provide its employees with a challenging yet fulfilling and enjoyable work environment - and we're hiring! We have a variety of full - and part-time positions that could be a perfect fit for those in the market for their first job, someone looking to re-enter the workforce, or anyone looking for a new work experience. Learn more at www.janesville.k12.wi.us/departments/ human-resources

Students Get In-Person Look at Heavy Equipment Operation Careers

The district took more than 30 students from Craig High School, Parker High School, and Rock River Charter School to the Operating Engineer Training Facility in Coloma. There, they received a hands-on exploration of careers in heavy equipment operation!

Students toured the facility, tested their skills on heavy equipment simulators, learned about apprenticeship opportunities, and even got behind the controls of real excavators! SDJ students interested in this field can get a head start by enrolling in the Highway Construction Academy offered at their high schools right here in Janesville.

Janesville Students Among World's Best at Coding Quest Competition

Students from Craig and Parker High Schools recently teamed up to finish as the top team in the United States—and the No. 10 school district IN THE WORLD—in the 2024 CodingQuest programming competition!

CodingQuest is an annual competition specifically for secondary students to showcase their knowledge and understanding of algorithm design, data structures, and computational thinking. Each competition runs across two weeks, where participants must solve a series of problems. 

Congratulations to all involved in bringing this honor to the School District of Janesville! Team members were:

• Chris Causey, Parker
• Alex Cooper, Parker
• Kevin Duong, Craig
• Logan Flippin, Parker
• Kelsey Gunderson, Parker
• Ryan Hahn, Parker
• Alex Nouansacksy, Craig
• Daylen Schilling, Parker
• Noah Sookraj, Craig

It is the policy of the SDJ, pursuant to applicable State and Federal law, that no person shall be subject to discrimination in employment on the basis of age, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender expression, gender identity, gender nonconformity or change of sex, marital or parental status, national origin, disability or handicap, creed, color, pregnancy, citizenship, ancestry, arrest record, conviction record not substantially related to the nature of a person’s job or activity in the school, membership in the National Guard state defense force of any other United States or Wisconsin reserve component of the military forces, or any other reason prohibited by state or federal law. 

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS 

August 2023

EMAIL: INFO@JANESVILLE.K12.WI.US
HTTPS://WWW.JANESVILLE.K12.WI.US
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EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CENTER - 527 S. FRANKLIN ST. - JANESVILLE - WI - 53548 608-743-5000

 

SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE Mr. Mark Holzman

We are in the waning days of Summer, and it is an exciting time to be in the School District of Janesville! We are one of the largest employers in Rock County, and yet we realize that not everyone has a direct connection to our school community. With that in mind, we are providing you with this newsletter to share some updates and information about our schools. Our district is more than just a place of learning; it is a vibrant community that also fosters friendship, understanding, and success. This school year, we will continue to provide enriching, safe, and supportive learning environments. Our driving emphasis will continue to be reading and math, and with the community’s help, focus on the importance of regular school attendance for student success. Parents, your involvement is crucial to your child's success, and we value your partnership and appreciate the support you provide to our school community. The start of school can be a busy time, and we have spent many months planning to make it a smooth transition. Looking ahead, we are starting a strategic planning process to help guide our District forward, with the intent to find the best way to meet the needs of current and future students. Janesville is a great place to live, learn, work, and play, and I am grateful to be a part of that. With gratitude, Mark Holzman, Superintendent

DISTRICTWIDE FACILITIES STUDY UNDERWAY

The School District of Janesville is undertaking a comprehensive assessment of its facilities, which consist of over 2.25 million square feet across 20 sites, totaling 250 acres within the City of Janesville. The facilities assessment is an important next step following our successful Secure Pathways projects from 2020, which further enhanced the safety and security of our schools. Once complete, the facilities assessment will establish the baseline conditions within each of the district’s buildings. The average age of our school buildings is 62 years, with 4 buildings nearing 90 years of use by generations of Janesville students, staff, and community. As we look into the future of our school system, it is critical we gather objective data to guide and inform the development of a long-range facilities plan. In the coming months, consultants will assess the conditions inside and outside our facilities. They will review the plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and other critical systems that help run our buildings. This professional team will help us understand how well our educational environments support our current and future educational, co-curricular and athletic priorities. We look forward to sharing the results of our facilities study late this fall and gathering your input as we begin to consider solutions to address identified facility’s needs. Stay tuned!

DID YOU KNOW?

The School District of Janesville (SDJ) is the 9thlargest district (by enrollment) in Wisconsin, with 9,537 students (2022- 23). SDJ has 2 comprehensive high schools, 3 middle schools, 12 elementary schools, 3 charter school options, and a robust 4-year-old kindergarten program at sites across the community. The average age of our buildings is 62 years (newest Kennedy Elementary -1999). In 2023, 838 seniors graduated and received their high school diplomas from the SDJ. In 2022-23, SDJ served 667,326 breakfasts and 838,901 lunches to students in our schools. SDJ is one of the largest employers in Rock County with around 1,600 full and part-time employees. Re-investing in our communities, 88% of SDJ employees make Rock County their home (71% live in Janesville). DISTRICTWIDE FACILITIES STUDY UNDERWAY

JSRI STUDENTS BATTLE BACTERIA

No one knows where the next great science breakthrough might occur. But if students in the Janesville Summer Research Institute (JSRI) have any say, it might be in a Parker High School classroom! Since 2019, students have spent part of their summers with Parker biology teacher Zach Pratt investigating how antibiotic resistance evolves in certain bacteria and how once-feared viruses might help mutate or kill stubborn microbes. In Pratt's program, which is partially funded by the Carbone Cancer Center in Madison, students collect samples from various sources in search of bacteriophages - viruses capable of killing targeted bacteria without harming humans, animals, or plants. Once students discover these "phages," they then expose the phages to a lab strain of E. coli bacteria to see if the bacteria develops a resistance. To learn more about this, check out https://www.janesville.k12.wi.us/ about-us/our-stories/past-stories

KTD PROFILES HELP INTRODUCE SDJ EMPLOYEES

We might be a little biased, but we think the people who work for the School District of Janesville are more than a little AMAZING! And once you get to meet them, we think that you'll agree! With a workforce of 1,600 employees, getting to know each and every one would be just short of impossible. In an effort to get things started, SDJ introduced a question-and-answer profile series in 2022-23 titled "Know the District." In addition to teachers, principals, and paraprofessionals; those featured included counselors, food-service workers, IT professionals, and more. The goal was to provide not only information about employees' professional backgrounds and accomplishments but to also share a glimpse into who they are as people. New interviews are on the way for the 2023-24 school year, but we invite you to check out last year's features at: https://www.janesville.k12.wi .us/about-us/ our-stories/know-the-district

SUMMER SCHOOL MUSICAL WRAPS "LEGALLY BLONDE

Students taking part in the School District of Janesville’s Summer School Musical program recently wrapped their production of "Legally Blonde: The Musical." In addition to exposure to acting, singing and dance, participants gained exposure to the inner workings of sound and technical production. And because the program is open to students in and out of SDJ, it also offers chances to make new friends! If your child is interested in the arts, be sure to also check out the offerings at Parker Arts Academy by visiting www.Parker-Arts.com

BAGS OF HOPE PLANS CONCERT FUNDRAISER

Put on your dancing shoes and get ready to rock when Rod Tuffcurls and The Bench Press hit the Janesville Performing Arts Center for a concert benefitting the School District of Janesville's Delivering Bags of Hope program! A popular band from Chicago, Rod Tuffcurls and The Bench Press, has entertained at clubs and festivals throughout the Midwest. They recently sold out the Majestic Theater in Madison and regularly perform at the House of Blues in Chicago. Tickets to the Janesville show are $35 each and can be purchased online at https://janesvillepac.org/box-office. Delivering Bags of Hope is a goodwill initiative that involves hundreds of volunteers who bag and deliver two weeks’ worth of groceries to 50 Janesville senior citizens and 350 of the district’s neediest families during winter break. Initially conceived nearly 40 years ago by workers at the Janesville General Motors plant, this storied program has been coordinated by employees in the School District of Janesville since 2008.

GET YOUR FREE SENIOR PASS!

Did you know that the School District of Janesville (SDJ) offers a Senior Citizen pass that provides FREE entry to any athletics event (excluding WIAA tournament games), and theatrical or musical performances at either Craig or Parker High Schools? This benefit is available for SDJ residents over the age of 65. To obtain a Senior Citizen pass, visit the Educational Services Center, (527 South Franklin St.) and bring a photo ID and proof of residence.

DIGITAL TICKETING FOR SDJ ATHLETIC EVENTS!

The School District of Janesville (SDJ) is adopting a digital platform called GO FAN for tickets to all athletic events. This means we are asking all students and fans to purchase digital tickets and passes for this year’s events. The benefits of moving to the all-digital ticketing system include saving time at event gate entrances, reducing paper-ticket waste, and providing savings when purchasing sets of event tickets. To learn more about the Digital Ticketing for SDJ athletic events, visit: https://www.janesville.k12.wi.us/departments/athletics/purchase-digital-tickets

ROCK UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL HELPING SDJ STUDENTS GO FARTHER!

Located on the Blackhawk Technical College campus (BTC), Rock University High School (RUHS) is a charter school offering unique opportunities to students. Part of the School District of Janesville, RUHS provides students with a post-secondary educational atmosphere -- but that's not all. Thanks to a partnership with BTC, five 2023 RUHS seniors graduated with Associate degrees while also receiving their high school diplomas. Credits from those Associate degree can transfer to colleges/universities to give these students a head start on obtaining a Bachelor's degree (likely lowering the cost of that degree). These amazing opportunities are only a few of the things that set RUHS apart. Students also can pursue any degree program BTC offers, such as a technical certificate in welding or a one-year diploma in BTC's health sciences programs. To learn more, visit https://rockuniversity.janesville.k12.wi.us/apply-now.

Important Dates:

Thursday, Aug. 31: Back-to-School (Elementary) and Read-Set-Goal (Middle Schools) conferences. Thursday, Aug. 31: 9th-grade orientation. Friday, Sept. 1: First day of school for all students. Monday, Sept. 4: No School (Labor Friday, Sept. 29: No School (Teacher Professional Development Day). Wednesday, Oct. 25: Parent-Teacher Conferences (4 - 7 PM). Thursday, Oct. 26: Parent-Teacher Conferences ( 8 AM - 7 PM), no Friday, Oct. 27: No School. Important Dates: Day Holiday). School for Students. The full district calendar can be found at: www.janesville.k12.wi.us/aboutus/calendar

ADVANCED CONSTRUCTION CLASS - STUDENT HOME BUILD!

One of the many hands-on learning experiences the School District of Janesville offers students is the Advanced Construction class, and the Student Home Build Project. Since 1992, this effort coordinated by the South-Central Wisconsin Builders Association (SCWBA) and the School District of Janesville provides on-site training for students interested in careers in the skilled trades.
This past May, their latest effort was completed – a four-bedroom, three-bathroom home with more than 2,400 finished square feet, a three-car garage, and tons of storage. The home, located on the west side of Janesville, sold in July for $509, 900.

Congratulations to all of the students who worked on the home, and a special thank you to the school district’s educator, Joe Kruser; general contractor Naatz Construction, and volunteer Tom Griffin for their expertise in guiding our students through this project!