Peshtigo School Board Welcomes New Employees

The Peshtigo School Board met on Wednesday, Sept. 14 with Superintendent Patrick Rau proudly announcing several newly hired teachers. Rau also announced that the the District had a great first 2-1/2 weeks of school, with lots of smiles, mixed with a lighter atmosphere, without students or staff cringing about what tomorrow or next week may bring, with Covid being not as much of a concern as last year.
Josh Razmus was hired as an English Teacher: Razmus stated “My career began in 1999 and I spent that last 15 to 20 years in California, I spent time on the border of Mexico and then ended up near the Oregon border for the last 10 years. When I had this opportunity to come back and be closer to family I couldn't pass it up. I am very excited to be back and very blessed and thankful for giving me this opportunity”.
Stephanie Nohr will be filling the position of School Psychologist. Nohr said, “I grew up in the Green Bay area and worked in the Marinette School District for the past nine years and was ready for a change. This opportunity brought me here. I heard a lot of positive things about the District and that is what attracted me to here”.
Liz Monnette will be a new Kindergarten Teacher. Monnette stated, "I graduated from Peshtigo and grew up in the area. I had the opportunity to do substitute teaching at Peshtigo while I was going back to school to get my teaching degree. I did my student teaching here with one year as a third grade teacher in Marinette and now had this opportunity to come back and teach Kindergarten and am very excited to be be back. I am loving every day of it”.
Rebecca Chaltry was hired as Middle School Science Teacher. She commented, “I am a Peshtigo graduate and have been teaching in Coleman for the past 13 years. Two months ago I would have been standing here worrying about this move, but I have to say this is the best decision I have made in my adult life. I am incredibly happy in Peshtigo and I can write you pages of how much better I like it here rather than in Coleman. I love every moment of it. It has been wonderful”.
Stephanie Gardner,  Middle School Social Studies new hire:  said, “I am from the Appleton, Kimberly area and am a graduate of UW-Stevens Point and I am now in DePere. My family has land in Peshtigo so I have been here and saw the posting was up so for my first year teaching I am happy to be here”.
Jamie Carriveau will be a new fourth grade teacher and she stated, “I am loving it here and I have the best class that I have had in many many many years. I worked in the Marinette School District for 20 years and grew up in Marinette for 20 years. I had a bunch of co-workers that came here and told me how awesome it is and I needed to be here. I have heard it was amazing here and just the community and academic part of it as well. My daughter and I both came here and she is loving it as much as I do. It is the best thing I have ever done for Kaylee and I”.
After their welcoming presentations, all new hires were approved by the board, but not before Rau had the Board Members introduce themselves to the incoming new teachers, starting with Adam Buyarski: "I am originally from Menominee and moved to Peshtigo about five years ago. I like it here". Josh Seefeldt: “I am a Peshtigo graduate and been on the board for about five years. I have been here my whole life but moved out for a little while. I like it here, its a nice place to be and I wanted my kids to go to school here"; Joe Nault: "I coached here for a lot of years in track, I married a girl that graduated from here so I am a transplant. I echo a lot of what Jamie Carriveau said and totally agree”. Rebecca DeMarce hesitantly said, " ‘I am a Coleman graduate’, we lived in Menominee for quite a while and moved to the Peshtigo area about 12 years ago to get our children in the Peshtigo School District. I have one son who has graduated and one son that will graduate next year”. Gary Larsen: "I am a Menominee graduate and we moved here about 30 years ago and I have been on the board for about 20 years and my sons have both graduated from Peshtigo and they also both graduated from UW-Oshkosh. I love it here”! Jenny Schwittay: “I am a Peshtigo graduate, was born and raised  here, married my high school sweetheart and we have a farm that is not mobile so here we still are. I have four boys that have gone through or are in school here in Elementary, Middle and High School and a graduate so I see the district from all angles. I am a former teacher for 23 years so you have a little educational representation on the Board as well";  Miranda Seefeldt: “I grew up in Oconto and married my husband and then moved to Peshtigo. We have two children in elementary school and they love everything about their teachers”. Kevin Roeder: "I was born and raised in Peshtigo and was newly elected. This is my first year and not quite completed yet. I have two children in the District, one in fourth grade and one is a Sophomore. I am liking it here and plan on staying".
Three new volunteer  Soccer Coaches were approved including, Tim Warulga, Kristof Katzbeck and Ethan Visintinbe.
Donations for the month consisted of $503.81 from Eagle Express/Spirit Pump to be used for Senior Banners, $750 from Waupaca Foundry to benefit Skills USA and $250 in the amount from M&M Youth Soccer Association to benefit the Girls Soccer Program.
Director of Student Services Julie Williams, provided a short recap in her Seclusion and Restraint Report stating, "There were 12 incidents last year with seven students involved in those 12 incidents".
Josh Seefeldt provided the Capital Improvement Projects update for the 2022-23 school year with continuing to work on the remodeling of five classrooms. The exterior door in the shop area needs to be replaced. There will be seal coating being done at the PELC (Peshtigo Elementary Learning Center) as part of the preventative maintenance that we do. We are looking into getting fans for the PELC with the air being very stuffy. Another important project that IT is working on, is networking of video cameras that can interface between the Middle School/ High School  and the PELC. We can possibly re-use the existing cameras. At present the cameras between the two buildings do not communicate and it is well worth the security cost to have them communicate with each other. We can add more cameras onto the server and are working on an assessment of outdoor cameras as well.
Board Member Joe Nault advised that there are door jam cameras that flush mount in each room and are a lot cheaper than external mounted cameras. Brian Williams said he will talk to Nault and get more information on those type of cameras.
Rau referenced as stated in the PSD (Peshtigo School District) Referendum Talking Points report: Why are we here? and the answer....Because the facility needs are still present, HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing and Exterior repairs are still needed. The programming needs include Tech Ed expansion, classroom additions, gym space and remodeling of Science labs. There is a need for safety and security for secure entrances, additional egress windows on the north side of the building and the hallway by the Tech  Ed Classrooms and the need for ADA and Title IX compliance.
Community support has shown that 93% of those surveyed supported a referendum and 54% of non-parents support a tax impact of up to $85, of which if the referendum passes, the tax impact would be $65 per $100,000. The projected mill rate will be lower than $8.00 which could even be lower yet, pending finalization of equalized value of properties.
Rau referenced the two important focus topics are Reconstruction and Remodeling. In Reconstruction, the configurations will include: Reconfiguration of existing space to adapt to new uses and layouts with Career technical labs and classrooms, Life Skills, Toilet rooms and locker rooms for ADA compliance, Administration and guidance, and Media Center and Commons for contemporary flexible learning environments. There would also be complete building infrastructure systems replaced including new heating, ventilation and air conditioning  systems, new plumbing supply and waste, new fixtures, new electrical lighting and devices, all to accommodate new layouts as well as new fire sprinkler systems.
Remodeling of Classrooms would consist of new cabinetry, flooring, ceilings, paint, marker boards, tack boards and lighting. New Corridors would include polished floors, replacement of ceilings and lighting, repair and repaint of walls and refurbishment of lockers. The Kitchen would get floor repairs, replacement of ceilings and lightings and refinishing of walls and the Science area will include replacement of the floor and ceilings, refinishing of walls and replacing of cabinetry.
With these examples from PSI of what this means, this will help the Board to hone in on both. There will also be a summary page as questions come up and answers will be posted on the school web page. If any of the Board members have any questions we will get in contact with PSI and provide information via phone call, email or have them come in person.
The expansion would include building additions to enhance security and expand programs with additions of secure vestibule, two story, four classroom addition, expansion of career technical labs, Girls locker room expansion for boys’ and girls’ equity, food service support expansion and two station competitive gymnasium, outfitted for use as a performance space and new fitness room. There will also be new parking to replace some parking displaced by building additions.
Rau announced with Historical Days on Saturday, Sept. 24, there will be a table there manned by Board members  for the public to ask questions from noon to 4 p.m., along with a myriad of information for the public. Rau advised Board members to work with each other on a schedule of the time frames they can attend throughout the day.
Next months meeting will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. and will include topics of goals of the Board, policy readings and the preliminary budget.