Volunteers donated their time to work on the concession stand this fall at the new community ballfields on the school grounds.
affecting the quality of education,” said Neutz.
Thomas chose to run for the school board because he values the benefits of the Maple Lake community and schools, and he would like to give back to the community.
“I am keeping an open mind to what seems overwhelming, but I am comfortable in seeing other board members relaxed and competent to give me confidence to be brought up to speed,” said Thomas.
Maple Lake School Board Chair Chris
Dombrovki resigned from
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the board in June because she no longer resides within the school district. The board appointed board member/vice chair Arnie Machalicek as new board chair and Neutz took over as vice chair.
Dombrovski was presented with an engraved clock with her picture in it as Redemske expressed deep appreciation for her services, and she emotionally thanked the board for the opportunity to serve.
“I gained a lot of knowledge,” she said. “It’s been very enjoyable.”
The board selected Dennis Klug to fill the open school board position.
In January of 2012, Shelley McAlpine was elected as the new board chair, with Neutz continuing as vice chair and Ed Trager as clerk.
Technology updates With the vast changes in
technology related to schools these days, the district approved a quote from MP Integrated Solutions for installation of a wireless system in the elementary and the high school at a cost of $17,625. This will ease the obligations of the technology department to keep up with what’s new and what’s coming with today’s fast-paced innovations. Another big reason for integrating this new technology is to allow access to computers during testing mode, and to allow students more references.
Items added for student use were 32 laptops on a mobile cart that travels from class to class as needed and four ipads in teachers’ hands in the high school. Also purchased were 30 ipads for the elementary students to use on a checkout basis which have been tested and explored by the teachers.
The high school students are now allowed to occasionally use their smart phones in class in efforts to make this advancement more affordable for the schools. The next step will be to make Google Apps available and accessible sometime after spring break.
Building improvements One significant building
project over the past year was the replacement of the elementary cafeteria/gym floor from vinyl to an upgrade of a marmolium material. The board approved spending of $26,900 upon deciding to go with this material, which costs about $10,000 more than vinyl, because it is more durable and can withhold heavy rolling loads and lots of foot traffic. Plus, it is a natural “green” product and the performance is enhanced over time, potentially giving the floor an even longer life. After a safety inspection,
a construction consultant was brought in and volunteers prepared the site for new and improved playground equipment. Among the new items are a spring swing and platform swing for handicapped children. Also, a “wave rider” rocking mechanism for multiple kids was purchased by Partners In Education (P. I. E.), the district’s parent involvement organization.
Three new slides replaced the old metal ones. Now, there is a 30-inch spiral tube slide, a medium wave slide, and a narrow tot slide, in addition to new playground game equipment.
Community ball fields There has been great
progress in the completion of the Irish Diamonds ballfields, which includes two softball fields and a baseball field constructed east of the football stadium on school grounds.
The concession stand is up, although some work is still needed to complete that building. Also, tar has been laid on the walkways, the anchors for the bases are in, the foul poles are up, and the flag pole is standing.