News

The Mequon-Thiensville School District is pleased to announce that Mr. Kevin Deering has been named as the District’s incoming Executive Director of Educational Services.
Mr. Deering’s hire was approved by the Mequon-Thiensville Board of Education at their May 16 Regular Business Meeting.

Deering replaces the outgoing Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Dr. Jeridon Clark, who accepted the Superintendent position in the Cedarburg School District earlier this year. Mr. Deering is currently completing his sixth year as Principal of John Long Middle School in the Grafton School District and has prior experience as an Assistant Principal, Athletic Director, and high school science teacher in the Fond du Lac, Pulaski, and Appleton School Districts.

“Mr. Deering’s enthusiasm and spirit for providing students with the resources, supports, and systems they need to succeed is infectious,” said Dr. Matthew Joynt, Superintendent of Schools.  “His collaborative approach and past leadership experiences will provide our teams with fresh perspectives in alignment with our mission and vision for the future of education.”

Throughout his educational career, Mr. Deering has created a positive school culture through his use of strong communication, relationship building, and use of teamwork with school leadership teams. Evident during the interview process was Mr. Deering’s strong student-centered focus on creating a continuous improvement culture, rooted in the belief of collective efficacy and that all students can learn at high levels.

"I am excited and honored to be joining the MTSD team,” said Deering. “I look forward to working with staff, students, and families to continue the tradition of excellence and find new ways to grow our instructional resources and practices."

Mr. Deering will formally begin his tenure with MTSD on July 1, 2022.

 Homestead High School is proud to announce that seniors Adam Garsha, Siyu (Sarah) Li, and Ethan Wang have been named 2022 National Merit Scholarship Winners. Li was the recipient of a corporate National Merit Rockwell Automation Scholarship. When the National Merit Semifinalists were announced in September, Homestead boasted the greatest number of semifinalists of Ozaukee County public high schools with eight total semifinalists.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. Recognition is based on a student’s performance on the Preliminary SAT exam. Among all students who entered the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program, only about 16,000 were named Semifinalists. They were designated on a state representational basis, in proportion to each state’s percentage of the national total of graduating high school seniors.

“We are proud of the achievements of these outstanding students,” said Homestead Principal Eric Ebert. “These three scholars have maintained the highest level of excellence throughout their time at Homestead and have shown an unwavering dedication to achieving their goals both in and out of the classroom. I am thrilled to see what the future holds for these exemplary Highlanders.”

In order to advance in the competition and be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, a Semifinalist had to become a Finalist by fulfilling several requirements that included submitting a detailed scholarship application and presenting a record of very high academic performance. All winners of about 7,500 National Merit Scholarships are being chosen from the group of approximately 15,000 distinguished Finalists.

More information about National Merit Scholarship Corporation at: http://www.nationalmerit.org.

On May 5, 2022, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) announced that the state plan for ESSER III funds has been fully approved by the US Department of Education.  ESSER III is the Emergency and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund grant program authorized under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act.  It provides additional funding to schools to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19

The final ESSER III amount allocated to MTSD is $2,937,259.  This funding will fall into the following three categories:

Title I Allocation

As required, DPI calculated ESSER III allocations to school districts using the 2020-21 Every Student Succeeds Act, which is based on the number and percentage of children from low-income families. While the Title I calculation was used, Title I spending requirements do not apply to ESSER III. MTSD’s Title I portion was made available in March 2022. The final amount is $607,387. 

Additional Funding to Raise to $578 Per Pupil for EBIS

In the state of Wisconsin, there were approximately 172 districts that did not receive $578 per pupil in their title allocation, MTSD being one of them. ESSER III will provide additional funding to attain the $578 per pupil level. These funds are to be used for evidence-based intervention systems (EBIS) to address learning lost due to Covid.  The final amount is $1,431,219.  

Funding Based on In-Person Instruction

Districts that received less than $400 per pupil from the initial ESSER III allocations and that reported providing in-person instruction for at least 50% of the 2020-21 school year. MTSD easily exceeded the 50% benchmark, qualifying us for these funds. The final amount is $898,653.

Similar to other grants the district accesses, the district must first incur the expense and submit a claim for reimbursement. The ESSER III grant performance period is March 13, 2020-September 30, 2024.

The Mequon-Thiensville School District (MTSD) is proud to announce that Steffen Middle School paraprofessional Donna Cardarelle has received an honorary award from
the Wisconsin Council of Administrators of Special Services (WCASS). WCASS is a professional organization of over 350 members who administer and support special education programs throughout the state of Wisconsin. Ms. Cardarelle has served as a paraprofessional with the Mequon-Thiensville School District for eight years, working across Donges Bay Elementary School, Oriole Lane Elementary School, and Steffen Middle School during her tenure.

“Mrs. Cardarelle is a gem,” said Steffen principal Dr. Deborah Anderson. “I have an opportunity to observe her dedication and commitment each and every day. The positive connections she makes with students and adults alike strengthen the fabric of our learning community.”

MTSD Director of Special Education Mike Mooren informed Donna on Tuesday, April 12 that she would be receiving the award. A representative from WCASS presented Donna with an honorary plaque at Steffen Middle School on Friday, April 29, 2022.

“Donna has been incredibly dedicated to the support and growth of students and colleagues alike during her time here at MTSD and she is more than deserving to receive this award,” said Mooren.

Mrs. Cardarelle was nominated for the paraprofessional award by her colleagues. Noted in the nomination letter was Donna’s steadfast support of her students, always with a consummate smile and positive attitude. The nomination also notes, “Through Donna’s journey, she has become a leader for other paraprofessionals by modeling effective strategies, coaching others on student medical needs, mentoring colleagues at her new building, and sharing her optimistic outlook on all students. Each day, she is truly changing lives for the better with every interaction with students and colleagues. The Mequon-Thiensville School District is incredibly fortunate to have such an amazing person in our organization!"
 

Congratulations to Homestead seniors Adam Garsha, Jacob Schmidman, Eric Wan, and Ethan Wang, champions of the Mathworks Math Modeling Challenge. The team
previously placed in the top 6 of more than 600 participating teams across the U.S. and United Kingdom in a preliminary competition.

Mathematical modeling refers to the process of creating a mathematical representation of a real-world scenario to make a prediction or provide insight. The math modeling paper submitted by the Homestead team underwent rigorous and intense scrutiny in order to achieve the championship honor. The final paper, along with judge commentary, can be viewed here.

The Homestead team, led by parent coach Weizhong Wang, advanced to the final presentation, which was held on April 25 in New York City. Top prize was a $20,000 scholarship, which will be evenly distributed among the four team members. Homestead High school has a long history of participating in this challenge, winning three honorable mentions over the past five years.

“Some highly recognized STEM high schools are among the participating schools [in this competition],” said Coach Wang, “[The Homestead team] worked very hard to prepare for the competition and performed well in the final event presentation. Homestead High School and MTSD prepared our students well.”

To find out more about MathWorks, visit: www.mathworks.com

Homestead High School is proud to announce that senior Ellie Sprinkmann is a 2022 recipient of a Herb Kohl Education Foundation Scholarship. Sprinkmann is one of 174 high school seniors across the state of Wisconsin who were selected to receive the award and $10,000 scholarship.

Student Excellence recipients have demonstrated excellence in the academic arena and high motivation to achieve, have displayed a broad range of leadership outside the academic setting, and have shown a strong promise for succeeding in college and beyond.

"Ellie exemplifies what it means to be a mighty Highlander, with her incredible commitment to excellence in academics, outstanding involvement in co-curriculars, and inspiring passion to serve others in everything she does,” said Homestead Principal Eric Ebert. “We are so proud of Ellie's accomplishments and she is so deserving of such a prestigious honor."

In addition to maintaining outstanding academic achievement, Sprinkmann is an active leader in several co-curricular activities. She is an elite athlete and captain of Homestead’s varsity tennis and lacrosse teams. Ellie also has a dedicated commitment to service, working as a counselor at Camp Interlaken, where she has spent most summers since 2011. In addition, Ellie is an active member of Homestead’s National Honor Society where she also participates in community service projects in the Milwaukee area.

“I have been actively volunteering for the past six years at Friendship Circle, an organization designed to help disadvantaged children and adults foster long-lasting friendships,” said Sprinkmann. “I am currently serving as the Executive Chief Financial Officer; prior to this, I served as the Cafe and Art Studio Ambassador. I began my journey mentoring a disadvantaged eight-year-old girl; she is thirteen. It is organizations like Friendship Circle that have incentivized me to pursue a future in becoming a child psychologist; I want to help individuals reach their potential by overcoming life’s obstacles.”

Ellie has been elected for five board positions in the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization including the Regional Treasurer and is currently serving as the Regional Head of Recruitment for the Wisconsin Region. She is also a Milwaukee Jewish Teen Philanthropy Board Member, and a Wheelchair Tennis Volunteer. She plans to attend UW-Madison to study psychology.

The Herb Kohl Educational Foundation has been recognizing educational excellence since 1990 by annually awarding scholarships to nearly 200 graduating high school students throughout Wisconsin.

Currently, in its 32nd year, the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation, established by the well-known Wisconsin philanthropist and businessman, has awarded over $28.3 million to Wisconsin students, teachers, principals, and schools.

Homestead High School is proud to announce that junior Nathan Moldavsky recently placed first in the Wisconsin School Music Association’s (WSMA) Statewide
composition competition. Hundreds of student compositions were submitted from all across Wisconsin. Nathan's composition Delphis was selected in the High School instrumental division.

"Music has been a big part of my life ever since I was young, and I've thoroughly enjoyed the creative process involved in composing for string orchestra,” said Moldavsky. “In the future, I plan to experiment with different forms and styles of composition, and I hope to pursue music in college as well."

This is Moldavsky’s first year at Homestead High School after moving from Virginia last year. He plays viola in the Homestead Chamber Orchestra and also studies piano at a high level. According to Homestead Director of Orchestras John Emanuelson, Moldavsky has already made a significant impact on the program in his short time at MTSD, serving as Co-Principal viola and also participating in the orchestra for a recent musical production.

“I am very proud of Nathan’s recognition by the WSMA of his beautiful and evocative composition for string quartet, Delphis,” said Emanuelson. “He is also well-liked by his peers in the Chamber Orchestra, and is respected for his leadership and obvious love of making music. We are so glad to have Nathan in our orchestra community this year, and hope to perform his next composition at one of our concerts in 2023.”