The Wave – North Lake School District

WAVE 11-14-25

Dr. Ackley’s Message . . .

SHINING BRIGHT!

Thank you to the NLEF Community Fellowship Committee for the exceptional Veterans Day brunch and Quilts of Valor presentation.

MIKE STEGER ~ COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT

At the Veterans Day Program, the keynote speakers were Aubree Hoffmann, August Barke, Martin Hughes, and Ava Hansen. The students did a presentation on the history of the VFW and taught us about Buddy Poppies. The presentation concluded with Mr. Mike Steger receiving the 2025 North Lake School District Community Award for his good works.

Mr. Steger is a past commodore and officer of Marshall Johnson Post 5158. He has given back to our school community through his leadership with the Patriots Pen Contest and participation in the HONOR GUARD‘s posting of the colors at our Vet’s Day ceremonies over the past decade. Congratulations to Mr. Mike Steger and the VFW Marshall Johnson Post 5158 located at 231 Goodwin Avenue, Hartland.

Mike Steger is located first in line in the center of the picture above.

Veterans Day Photo Gallery

VETERANS DAY PROGRAM & BRUNCH PHOTO GALLERY

Located at the end of the WAVE

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE NORTH LAKE

U.S. News and World Report recently released their 2026 rankings for middle schools in the state. North Lake continues to receive high accolades with the rank of 9th. Learn more about the top Wisconsin schools in the U.S. News & World Report and thank your child’s teacher.

TECH TALK WITH OFFICER CHOCHOLA

On Thursday, the 7th and 8th graders participated in a tech talk on safety and smart usage with Officer Steven Chochola of the Chenequa Police Department. Officer Chochola has a specialty background in digital evidence and was an SRO at his former agency so this presentation was right in his wheelhouse. The topics covered included sextortion, evils of group texting, and social media smarts.

Parents, please take a moment to check in with your middle schooler on this informative presentation.

CLOSED FOR THE WEEK

There will be no school November 24-28 for Thanksgiving Recess.

School will resume on Monday, December 1st.

COATS & CONCERTS

North Lake School is partnering with Lake Country Caring to collect gently used or new children’s coats. There is an immediate need in our community, and the North Lake Lakers always step up for those in need!

We will be collecting children’s coats through Friday, December 5th. Please drop off your donations at the table by the office and at the K-4 Holiday Concert.

The holiday concert season is just around the corner. Mark your calendars!

K-4 Holiday Concert – Friday, December 5th at 5 p.m.
5-8 Holiday Concert – Thursday, December 11th at 6 p.m.
LCK Holiday Concert – Wednesday, December 17th at 5:30 p.m.

NLEF HOLIDAY SHOP – COMING SOON!

The NLEF will once again hold the Christmas Shop on December 9, 10, and 11 for students to purchase Christmas gifts.

More information will be sent home with students after Thanksgiving break, and flyers are located at the end of the WAVE.

NEW AFTER SCHOOL CLUB

Dungeons & Dragons Club begins Monday, November 17th. D&D will be available for all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday in the Lakers Library.

The Dungeon Master is our very own 8th grader, Alex Underwood.

FORENSICS SIGN UP

Forensics season will be starting December 10th for middle school students in grade 6th, 7th, and 8th.

If you are interested in participating, please see the informational flyer at the end of the WAVE for more information.

LET IT SNOW…SKI CLUB INFO!

Good news, Sara & Mike Kretschmer are once again working with Little Switzerland for the North Lake Ski Club. Sign up links are listed below.

Sign up link: https://shop.littleswitz.com/groups

Group Code: NORTHLAKE2526

See the Ski Club Flyer located at the end of the WAVE

Upcoming WAVE Dates

December 5

December 19

A Note from Ms. Meister...

The scores are in. The 2024-25 DPI School Report Card has arrived! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) school and district report cards for 2024-25 are now available on the DPI Report Cards website. I am happy to report that North Lake School significantly exceeds expectations with an overall score of 86.3.

Results for the Wisconsin Forward Exam

Percentage of North Lake School students scoring meeting or advanced

If you have comments, questions, concerns please contact me.

Email: meinan@northlakeschool.org

Phone: (262) 966-2033

Counseling Corner

Hello North Lake Families!

With Thanksgiving around the corner, we talk a lot about being thankful, but did you know the many benefits that gratitude brings to you?

Opens the door to better relationships
Improves physical health
Increases happiness
Improves sleep
Fosters resiliency
Improves self-esteem

What if we all took some time to practice gratitude deliberately with our families all year long? I wonder what a difference it would make in the moods in our homes, our friendships, and our school!

The students came up with some ideas of how to practice gratitude all year long:

Have a gratitude journal next to their beds to write in each night
Write notes to people to thank them for being important in their lives
Have a family gratitude jar or journal to add to at dinner time

As always, let me know if there is anything I can do to support your child!

Jill Lesch

School Counselor

lesjil@northlakeschool.org

November Dates to Remember

17

NLEF Raise Right Gift Card Fundraiser – November 17th – December 5th

Coat Drive – November 17 – December 5

19

NLEF Poinsettia Sale Ends

School Board Meeting in Conference Room – 5:30 p.m.

20

6th Grade Girls Basketball – Swallow at NLS – 4:30 p.m.

7th Grade Girls Basketball – North Shore at NLS – 5:30 p.m.

24-28

Thanksgiving Recess

December Dates to Remember

1

6th Grade Girls AMSAC Tournament – December 1 to December 6

5

K-4 Holiday Concert – 5:00 p.m.

8

7th Grade Girls AMSAC Tournament – December 8 – December 13

Culver’s Night – 5:00-8:00 p.m.

9

NLEF Holiday Shop

10

NLEF Holiday Shop

11

NLEF Holiday Shop

5-8 Holiday Concert – 6:00 p.m.

12

Mismatch Day

15

Blood Drive – 2:00-6:00 p.m.

17

LCK 3K & 4K Holiday Program – 5:30-6:30 p.m.

18

Ugly Sweater Day

19

Pajama Day

12/22 -1/2

Winter Break : December 22-January 2

School Resumes: January 5

Veterans Day Photo Gallery

WAVE 10-31-25

Dr. Ackley’s Message . . .

CHANGE FOR CHANGE

Thank you for your support of our “Change for Change” project. North Lake School raised an amazing $3,315.45! With the help of the Bartosz family, this money will be given to Beat Childhood Cancer and the Little Warrior Foundation to support a recently approved trial benefiting kids with Ewing sarcoma as well as other cancers (neuroblastoma, pediatric brain tumors, and osteosarcoma). Approved trials are rare for childhood cancers and the timing of North Lake’s successful Penny Wars couldn’t be better. We are so proud to be a part of this important work.

Winners were…

Kindergarten: Had the most positive points at $419.58

3rd grade: Raised the most overall money at an amazing $798.60!

The winners receive a breakfast buffet hosted by the Leadership Group.

We are so proud of all of you for having fun AND helping people!

END OF 1ST QUARTER

It has been a successful start to the 2025-2026 school year. Believe it or not, today is the last day of the 1st quarter. Report cards will be posted in Skyward, Friday, November 7th. As a reminder your child’s report card will be posted in Skyward under the Portfolio tile. If you need help with your Skyward login, please contact the office.

THANK YOU!

Center Oak 4H once again provided the beautiful fall decorations in the front of our school.

Awesome job!

NLS & AHS SCHOOL STORE

The following links are for the NLS & AHS school stores to purchase spiritwear. This is not a fundraiser.

https://bsnteamsports.com/shop/NLfall25

https://bsnteamsports.com/shop/NLAHS25

Shipping and handling fees will be charged on all orders; however, all items will be delivered to NLS not individual homes. Items will be given to students if a homeroom is selected. If you do not want this to go home with a student, please enter the following information.

Recipient Type: Parent

Enter Distribution Group: Other

Pickup time, date, and location will be determined at a later date for orders not sent home with students.

Please make sure to have your orders in by November 7th to ensure Christmas delivery. Orders will not be accepted after November 7th.

If you have questions regarding the school store, please contact Kari Staus at kstaus@bsnsports.com or Sara Wesemann.

VETERANS DAY PROGRAM – CORRECTED START TIME

The Tuesday, November 11, 2025 Veterans Day Program will begin at 8:00 a.m. The program will last just under an hour and parents are welcome to attend the program.

The entire student body will participate in the program and should dress up in patriotic colors – red, white, and blue.

The brunch honoring veterans and their adult family members will immediately follow in the Lakers Library. Thank you in advance to the CFC for its festive decorations and beautiful brunch!

HURRAY, HURRAY…WILL THERE BE A SNOW DAY?

Traditional snow days still exist at North Lake School. This tradition means it is a day off of school to stay home in your nice warm pajamas with hot cocoa. North Lake School follows the Arrowhead Union High School closures for inclement weather. Parents will receive an automated phone call and an email when school is closed.

LET IT SNOW…SKI CLUB INFO!

Good news, Sara & Mike Kretschmer are once again working with Little Switzerland for the North Lake Ski Club. Sign up links are listed below.

Sign up link: https://shop.littleswitz.com/groups

Group Code: NORTHLAKE2526

See the Ski Club Flyer located at the end of the WAVE for more information.

NLEF Fall Fest

More NLEF Fall Fest Photos at the end of the WAVE!

Happy Halloween from K-4th

Halloween Parade

More Halloween Parade Photos at the end of the WAVE!

Upcoming WAVE Dates

November 14

December 5

December 19

Counseling Corner

Hello North Lake Families!

We’ve been spending some time talking about bullying prevention in all grades recently. We talk a lot about the power of being an UPSTANDER when we see something happening that is unkind. We practice different strategies and talk about how much power we can have to make someone’s day better.

Take a minute to talk to your child about what you do when you see something happening that is unkind. It could be as simple as changing the subject or supporting the target of the bullying. It might also mean telling someone who can help or saying “Stop – I don’t like that” in an assertive way.

This is a great website you can use as a prompt for some discussion.

Bystander Revolution

As always, let me know if there is anything I can do to support your child!

Take care-

Jill Lesch

lesjil@northlakeschool.org

November Dates to Remember

3

7th Grade Girls Basketball – NLS at Swallow 5:30 p.m.

4

6th Grade Girls Basketball NLS at Swallow – 5:30 p.m.

5

NLEF Poinsettia Fundraiser – November 5th – 19th

6

6th Grade Girls Basketball – Richmond at NLS – 4:30 p.m.

7th Grade Girls Basketball – Richmond at NLS – 5:30 p.m.

10

6th Grade Girls Basketball – NLS at Swallow – 4:30 p.m.

Culver’s Night 5:00-8:00 p.m.

11

Veterans Day Celebration: Program 8:00 a.m. – Brunch 9:00 a.m.

6th Grade Girls Basketball – NLS at North Shore – 4:30 p.m.

7th Grade Girls Basketball – NLS at Stone Bank – 6:30 p.m.

14

Stuffy Spirit Day

17

NLEF Raise Right Gift Card Fundraiser – November 17th – December 5th

19

School Board Meeting in Conference Room – 5:30 p.m.

20

6th Grade Girls Basketball – Swallow at NLS – 4:30 p.m.

7th Grade Girls Basketball – North Shore at NLS – 5:30 p.m.

24-27

No School – Thanksgiving Recess

NLEF Fall Fest Photo Gallery

Halloween Parade Photo Gallery

WAVE 10-17-25

Dr. Ackley’s Message . . .

GUESS WHOOOO?

The North Lake School District received a most generous gift from Paige and Lexi Anderson’s grandparents, Debra and Dave Parkhurst. There is a unique story to accompany this gift, and the proper channels were taken to accept this donation for educational purposes. This will help enhance our curriculum units on life science, ecology, and more specifically, food chains and animal adaptations. Paige and Lexi are planning an all school naming contest for the new NLS Great Horned Owl.

“NOW WHAT?” NOT “WHAT IF?”

You heard about the evacuation drill in the last WAVE. The 5th and 6th graders were very thoughtful and engaged during the drill. I encouraged the students to talk with parents about their questions and response in the event of an emergency. During school safety training, staff practices the “NOW WHAT?” in various scenarios. You can spend all day asking “WHAT IF?” However, law enforcement teaches us to think about “NOW WHAT?” better protecting the students and staff.

North Lake School conferences will be held on Thursday, October 23, 2025 from 12:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. with a 30 minute teacher dinner break at 4:30pm. Click on the name/s below to reserve your spot. We look forward to seeing you at school.

Kindergarten: Mrs. Giesie Ms. Orendorff

1st Grade: Mrs. Tarkowski Mrs. Toczyski

2nd Grade: Mrs. Brittnacher Mr. Ray – Contact via Dojo

3rd Grade: Mrs. Flannery and Ms. Kudis

4th Grade: Ms. Dankmeyer and Mrs. Richman

5th and 6th grade: Sign up with your child’s homeroom teacher**

Mrs. Andorfer Mr. Kaczor Mr. Byrne Mrs. Ruck

7th and 8th grade: sign up with the teacher(s) of your choice

Miss Mays Mr. McConville Mrs. Minor Mrs. Wagner

Special Education, Specials and Elective teachers: Mrs. Clauer (Phy. Ed.), Mr. Krieger (Music), Mrs. Lesch (School Counselor), Mrs. Lyons (Art), Ms. Westcott and Mr. Wood will all be available for drop-in visits. Feel free to stop by their classroom or office.

**Grades 5-6**

If you would like to meet with teachers in addition to your child’s homeroom teacher,

please contact that teacher directly to schedule a time slot.

REPORTING ABSENCES CORRECTLY

DAILY ABSENCES MUST be reported via PHONE CALL/VOICE MAIL to the SCHOOL OFFICE at 262-966-2033 for state reporting purposes prior to 7:30 a.m.

Please do not email or text individual staff members. This is important because the staff member may not be present to record the information. If you are Dojoing or emailing teachers, this is a courtesy, but does not fulfill state reporting purposes nor guarantee that the teacher is informing the office.

Please CALL THE OFFICE to report attendance for your children at 262-966-2033.

LOST AND FOUND

Cooler weather may have you thinking sweatshirt time! Can’t find it?

Please remind your child/children to check the lost and found in the commons and come take a look when you are at school for parent teacher conferences next week.

HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS

All Halloween celebrations will be on Friday, October 31st. K-4 families are invited to attend the parade at 8:00 a.m. in the MPR. The majority of classroom parties at North Lake School are student led. Homeroom teachers will communicate party specifics.

SKI CLUB

The Ski Club will be returning this year and will once again be at Little Switzerland.

More info will be coming soon!

Fire Prevention Week

Upcoming WAVE Dates

October 31

November 14

December 5

December 19

A Note from Ms. Meister...

Temperatures dropping and sunlight waning make it a wonderful time of year to curl up with a good book. Perfect time for a book fair! Research shows children who choose books that interest them are more motivated and empowered to read and learn even more. Thank you Mia Stremcha and the volunteers for making this happen at North Lake School.

Counseling Corner

Hello North Lake Families!

We are getting ready to celebrate Red Ribbon Week here at North Lake during the week of October 27-October 31. Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco, and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign observed annually in October in the United States. Here at North Lake School, we focus on healthy choices and decision making with the younger students. The older students also talk about decision making, refusal skills, and drug/alcohol facts.

Here are the topics that we discuss at each level:

Kindergarten and 1st grade: Identifying safe/unsafe things to put in our body

2nd grade: Medicine safety

3rd grade: Peer pressure strategies

4th grade: Decision making

5th grade: Peer pressure resistance strategies

6th grade: Natural High – building resiliency

7th grade: Peer influence – making good choices even when it’s difficult

8th grade: Drug/alcohol information and resistance strategies

Activities will take place in Guidance class, Health class, announcements, and discussions in homerooms. We will also have a Wear Red Day on October 29th. Please join us in wearing red that day – it will let your children know that you support healthy choices, also!

Please stop by and see me at conferences!

Jill Lesch

School Counselor

lesjil@northlakeschool.org

Riding the WAVE of Wellness

I would like to take a moment to address a current health concern, in some of our classrooms, as there have been questions about policies. Please take a moment to read a release from Beth Gatzow, our district nurse:

“We have noticed an increase in cases of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease going through a few of our classrooms. Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease presents with fever/cold symptoms first, followed by blisters/sores in the mouth, palms of hands, and bottoms of the feet. It is spread for the 24 hours leading up to the fever and for the 24 hours after the fever has broken (without the use of fever-reducing medications).

Students must be fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications before they return to school. If students have open sores on their hands, please contact the office as return criteria may be different due to infectious disease risks.

At the present time, there is no exclusion criterion for a student who is fever-free, but still has open sores in his/her mouth. If the number of cases continues to rise, this may change.

Please ensure that you are not sending your students to school with a fever and you are waiting a FULL 24 HOURS fever-free WITHOUT the use of fever-reducing medication.”

I would like to add that the fevers generally associated with Hand, Foot, and Mouth are low grade (under 102°F) and that even after the fever is gone and the blisters dry up- the virus can still be spread through feces/stool for weeks. It’s of paramount importance to reinforce washing your hands properly with your children.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call us- but in reinforcing our theme of “Count Me In” for the 2025-2026 school year, can I “Count YOU in” to help keep our student body as healthy as possible?

Becca Soya – Health Room Aide

October Dates to Remember

17

Sports Day

NLEF Book Fair

Kindergarten Field Trip, Glacier Rock Farm – 8:30-1:00 p.m.

NLEF Fall Fest – 6:00-8:00 p.m.

20

NLEF Book Fair

21

NLEF Book Fair

6th Grade Girls Basketball at NLS – 4:30 p.m.

7th Grade Girls Basketball at NLS – 5:30 p.m.

22

NLEF Book Fair

7th Grade Girls Basketball at Richmond – 5:30 p.m.

School Board Meeting in Library – 5:30 p.m.

23

11:30 Dismissal

Parent Teacher Conferences – 12:00-8:00 p.m.

24

No School – Teacher Inservice

27

Red Ribbon Week

6th Grade Girls Basketball at NLS – 4:30 p.m.

7th Grade Girls Basketball at NLS – 5:30 p.m.

29

Wear Red Day

7th Grade Girls Basketball at Erin – 4:30 p.m.

30

Red Ribbon Week

6th Grade Girls Basketball at NLS – 4:30 p.m.

31

Red Ribbon Week

End of 1st Quarter

WAVE 10-3-25

Dr. Ackley’s Message . . .

NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD WEEK – OCTOBER 6-10

The North Lake School Board helps make decisions that have a tremendous impact on your children’s future and the quality of life in our community. Please thank the North Lake School Board for their service and dedication. School board meetings are typically the third Wednesday of the month, and the dates are located in the calendar on the North Lake School website.

North Lake School Board Members

Marty Iverson – President

Debra Schaber – Vice President

John Marchek – Clerk

Bob Gatchel – Treasurer

Rich Hawkins – Member

SCHOOL SAFETY

The 5th and 6th grade students and staff practiced a school evacuation drill on Wednesday, October 1st. Students exited the building as they would during a fire drill and proceeded to the designated evacuation area, St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish Center. This site provides secure shelter in the unlikely event of an all school evacuation. The 5th and 6th grade group was purposefully selected to provide ongoing leadership for future years.

Building access and visitor management continue to be top priorities for the District. There are systems in place to control access, promote purposeful observation, and work closely with law enforcement. School doors are locked. Visitors are screened and limited. All staff are trained to use common sense, be observant, and demonstrate vigilance during the school day.

Finally, all local law enforcement including Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department, Village of Chenequa Police Department, and Town of Merton’s contract with Village of Lac La Belle Police Department have fob and master key access to North Lake School in case of emergency.

FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS

Daily attendance information has been falling through the cracks this school year.

ABSENCES MUST be reported via phone call/voice mail to the school office at 262-966-2033 for state reporting purposes prior to 7:30 a.m.

Please do not email or text individual staff members. This is important because the staff member may not be present to record the information. If you are Dojoing or emailing teachers, this is a courtesy, but does not fulfill state reporting purposes nor guarantee that the teacher is informing the office.

Please CALL THE OFFICE to report attendance for your children at 262-966-2033.

BUMP – SET – SPIKE

Thank you to the Meisner family for the recent addition to the playground. The volleyball net is being enjoyed by the students.

Staff Spotlight

I am Danielle Herzog, and I am delighted to be joining the North Lake School team as an Interventionist, working with students in grades 4-8. I’m looking forward to collaborating with my new colleagues and the North Lake families to support our students in achieving their goals.

For the past 16 years, I have been dedicated to education in the Brookfield, WI area, with experience teaching both 2nd and 6th grade. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Education with a minor in Mathematics from Mount Mary University. Now, I am excited to bring my skills to North Lake School to assist small groups and individual students in math and literacy.

My family and I are already part of the North Lake community, with my son attending the school and my two daughters at Arrowhead High School. In our free time, we enjoy paddle boarding, puzzles, watching soccer, hiking, and spending time outdoors.

I am enthusiastic about this new role and look forward to contributing to the success of North Lake School.

7th Grade Camp Whitcomb Field Trip

Change for Change

Kindergarten Teachers Totally In Sync

Upcoming WAVE Dates

October 3

October 17

October 31

A Note from Ms. Meister...

The partnership we build together between school and family is important for student success. Parent Teacher Conferences are a great way to share information about your child and receive information from teachers about academic performance and progress.

Mark your calendars to save the date.

North Lake School conferences will be held on Thursday, October 23, 2025 from noon to 8:00pm with a teacher dinner break from 4:30 to 5:00pm.

Counseling Corner

Hello!

In many classes this month we are talking about The Zones of Regulation to help students understand and manage their feelings. This is a concept that students seem to connect with quickly. Please ask them about it! They should be able to tell you about each of the zones and their “Get to Green” strategies.

The Zones help your child describe how they are feeling:

Color	Zone description	Feelings
Blue Zone	Low and Slow	Sad, sick, tired, bored
Green Zone	Go!	Calm, happy, focused, ready to learn.
Yellow Zone	Slow Down!	Stressed, frustrated, worried, nervous, silly, overly energetic
Red Zone	Stop!	Angry, terrified, aggressive, overwhelmed.

Look for worksheets coming home with your child in the next few weeks. Those will help you know what your child’s “get to green” tools are for each zone. This simple language helps them to know that all feelings are okay – we just need to figure out how to get ourselves back to calm. If you would like more resources, let me know!

Take care –

Jill Lesch

October Dates to Remember

6

Fire Prevention Week

School Board Appreciation Week

9

Leif Erickson Day Observed

13

Christopher Columbus Day Observed

NLEF Coffee & Tea Fundraiser – October 13-31

Culver’s Night – 5:00-8:00 p.m.

16

NLEF Book Fair Begins – October 16-22

17

Sports Day

NLEF Fall Fest – 6:00-8:00 p.m.

22

School Board Meeting in Library – 5:30 p.m.

23

11:30 Dismissal

Parent Teacher Conferences – 12:00-8:00 p.m.

24

No School – Teacher Inservice

27

Red Ribbon Week

29

Wear Red Day

31

End of 1st Quarter

WAVE 9-19-25

Dr. Ackley’s Message . . .

FOUR SEASONS

Thank you to our artist in residence, Carrie O’Malley, for her outstanding mosaic mural in the upper school mural hallway. Students 3K-8th grade participated in this all school art installation titled Four Seasons. The mural depicts the four seasons and honors Mr. Bruce Budde with nods to nature. See the Mosaic Mural Photo Gallery at the end of the WAVE for more images and the new Four Seasons mosaic mural.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

We love to celebrate birthdays at North Lake School. Students are welcome to bring in birthday treats to share with their grade level. To ensure student safety and account for medical concerns like allergies, students are not permitted to walk all around the building handing out treats. We would like to keep the celebration class centric. Thank you for your cooperation.

SCHOOL SAFETY DRILL

Every September, North Lake School conducts a school safety drill. Students participated in a lockdown drill on September 16th. All school safety drills are announced drills as recommended by the Department of Justice – Office of School Safety. Later this month, 5th and 6th grade students will practice an evacuation drill to the evacuation site: St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish Center. North Lake School works closely with the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department and Village of Chenequa Police Department to keep our students safe.

PARKING LOT SAFETY REMINDERS

Please be PATIENT and RESPECTFUL during drop off/pick up times. And always, adhere to the Parking Lot Rules below to keep our school children safe.

SLOW DOWN as children are present

WALK with your child TO and FROM your parked vehicle

STAND on the sidewalk to greet your child

Students will meet parents in the carline in the pink striped “CANDY CANE LANE”

No parking on Park Road or Hwy VV per Town of Merton Highway Department

Highway VV is EXIT ONLY – Enter the parking lot via Park Road

Staff crossing guards are identified with high visibility vests and signs

Please report all parking lot safety concerns immediately to the staff crossing guards

DROP OFF – PICK UP

Students are allowed in the building beginning at 7:00 a.m. and are to go directly to the Multi-Purpose Room (MPR) for direct supervision. Students in grades 4th-8th may also go to the learning lab for computer access if necessary. All students accessing the building early must enter through Door A. Only bus riders are allowed to enter the building through Door G.

NLEF Auction Winner

Grandparents Day Lunch

Grandparents Day Photo Gallery located at the end of the WAVE.

A Note from Ms. Meister...

It is critical for teachers to know all about their students and our North Lake teachers get to know their students in many ways. One important way every September is with formal assessments.

All students in grades 1-8 take the adaptive, online, i-Ready Diagnostic assessment for reading and math.
Students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade participate in aimswebPlus Early Literacy Screening to comply with Wisconsin ACT 20.

This data along with classroom assignments, assessments and observation provide the information needed to make the best instructional decisions for our students.

Be on the look out as the results for these assessments and the Spring 2025 Forward Exam will be sent home with your student in the coming weeks. For any questions about these assessments you may always contact your child/children’s classroom teacher or me.

Nancy Meister

meinan@northlakeschool.org

262-966-2033 Ext. 1134

Counseling Corner

Hello North Lake Families!

The 5th – 8th grade Leadership Group spent a day before school started learning about leadership and getting some plans ready for the year.

Here are the highlights:

New Student Committee: Made signs to welcome our new students

School Community Committee: Prepped for the Harvest Fest parade

Service Committee: Worked on planning a service project to work with Heritage Senior Living AND a penny drive to raise money for Beat Childhood Cancer Foundation

Spirit Committee: Planned our spirit days for the year

Date	Spirit Day	Date	Spirit Day
9/26	Gold Day	2/19	Pajama Day
10/17	Sports Day	3/20	Crazy Hair Day
10/29	Wear Red Day	4/24	Arrowhead and North Lake Day
11/14	Stuffy Day	5/22	Anything but a Backpack
12/12	Mismatch Day	6/4	Color Day – stay tuned for colors!
1/9	Kids dress as teachers – teachers dress as kids	Have fun showing your school spirit!

Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help your child find success academically, socially and emotionally. We are all in this together!

Take care-

Jill Lesch

lesjil@northlakeschool.org

September Dates to Remember

20

North Lake Harvest Fest

23

Students & Staff Retake Picture Day

All NLS & LCK Students& Staff

24

Bullying Awareness Day

AHS Grade School Cross Country Run

26

Gold Spirit Day

29

7th Grade Camp Whitcomb Field Trip

Girls Basketball Practice Begins

Frances Willard

Mosaic Mural Photo Gallery

Grandparents Day Lunch Photo Gallery

WAVE 9-5-25

Dr. Ackley’s Message . . .

WELCOME BACK

It has been a fun filled return to the new school year. Mr. Krieger is teaching our students the school song, Lakers’ Pride, in his classes. Parents may read the lyrics on the school website.

The 2025-2026 core value is Character: “We will model character through integrity, mutual respect, good conduct, positive attitudes, caring, and kindness.” Our theme is Count Me In!

Beginning on Monday, September 8th the entire 3K-8th grade student body will participate in the artist in residence mosaic mural with Carrie O’Malley. The mural will represent the four seasons and includes a baseball diamond!

Speaking of count me in, North Lake School will once again recognize those students and staff with perfect attendance by raffling off a brand new Trek bike.

SCHOOL SAFETY UPDATE

The parking lot and playground has been seal coated and striped. Highlights include: United States map, pickleball courts (BYON), basketball courts, four square, and CANDY CANE LANE.

What is Candy Cane Lane?

Candy Cane Lane is the pink striped pedestrian walkway used mainly at dismissal time. The pink is a visually safe place to walk for kids unescorted. White walkways need adult escorts/crossing guards. The goal of Candy Cane Lane is to continuously improve parking lot safety.

Other major updates include completed critical response mapping, Raptor Visitor Management System, and mandated staff trainings.

As always, I encourage parents to contact me with any concerns or questions regarding their child’s safety at school.

BRING YOUR OVER THE COUNTER STUDENT MEDICATIONS TO THE OFFICE

Students are not allowed to self medicate over the counter medications at school. These items should not be in student lockers. All medications must be stored in the office and given by the healthroom staff.

Non-prescription (over-the-counter) medications will be administered when parents have provided the Medication Administration Authorization Form AND the over-the-counter medication. The office does not stock over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, Pepto-Bismol, etc. Please drop off your own medication in the office. Thank you for your cooperation.

GIRLS BASKETBALL PAPERWORK DUE

This is a reminder that all 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th grade girls basketball paperwork is due Monday, September 8th to the office or Mrs. Tarkowski.

AI Summit

Teachers participated in the AI (Artificial Intelligence) Summit held at WCTC to explore the uses of AI in education.

A Note from Ms. Meister...

LEARNING LAB

Beginning Monday, September 8, 2025 our school library will be open Monday through Thursday from 7:00-7:30 a.m. and 2:35-4:00 p.m. This is a community project and we welcome students, parents, and guardians to join us in the school library for homework help and computer usage. This program is not for childcare. Students younger than 4th grade must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The space is open for quiet reading, individual or group assignments and projects, specific study and research purposes. Parents and guardians are asked to pick up their children promptly at 4:00 p.m. at Door G

Counseling Corner

Hello North Lake Families!

It’s been a great week. I love getting the students back in the building!

Each year, I like to remind families and students of my role here as School Counselor. I am here as an advocate for students and a support for families and teachers. I see all students throughout the year as I deliver Developmental Guidance and 7th/8th grade Health lessons. Students will also have opportunities to take part in small groups on various topics, as well as to request to see me individually. I am here to be a resource for you, also! If you have questions or concerns about your child socially or emotionally, please let me know. If you would rather that I do not meet with your child individually or in a small group, please let me know as soon as possible.

We’ve been spending time this week as a school reviewing the expectations of the Wave Way. You can find these resources under the “PBIS” section of the North Lake website – School Counseling page.

Our Leadership Group spent time together before school started planning for this year. I will update you more on that, but wanted you to know that we have planned our first spirit day already!

GOLD DAY

9/26

Wear your gold to show your support for ending childhood cancer!

Show your spirit and have fun!

We are excited for a great school year at North Lake! Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help your child find success academically, socially and emotionally. We are all in this together!

Take care-

Jill Lesch

lesjil@northlakeschool.org

Riding the WAVE of Wellness

Welcome back Lakers- it is wonderful to see all the smiles in the hallway again!

There’s a lot of new faces out there so it’s an important time to give students/parents a reminder of the following:

Wash your hands
Don’t share personal items such as brushes/combs, hats, makeup, water bottles
Cough/sneeze into your elbow or a tissue- not on your classmates
Students with a temperature over 100.3 will be sent home and are to remain there until fever free for 24-hours without the use of fever reducing medications.
Please see the 2025-2026 Parent/Student Handbook for additional information

Health Issues in the News:
Wisconsin has 24 reported cases of measles that are confined to Oconto county. The current risk to our community remains low. DHS has created a measles dashboard that is updated on Tuesdays and Fridays that you can view here: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/immunization/measles.htm

Please be aware that if your children have a vaccination exemption/unvaccinated, they may need to stay home for up to 21 days each time they are near someone who has measles.

Signs/symptoms of measles:

Runny nose
High fever (may be greater than 104°F)
Tiredness
Cough
Red, watery eyes, or conjunctivitis (“pink eye”)
A red rash with raised bumps that starts at the hairline and moves to the arms and legs three to five days after symptoms begin

I am hoping for a happy and healthy year for all of our staff and students!

Becca Soya
Health Room Aide

September Dates to Remember

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Culver’s Night – 5:00-8:00 pm

11

September 11th Observance Day

12

Grandparents Lunch – 11:00-1:00 pm

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Mildred Fish Harnack Observance Day

17

Wisconsin Day

U.S. Constitution Day

Budget Hearing – 5:30 pm

Followed by Annual Meeting & Regular Board Meeting

19

POW-MIA Recognition Day

20

North Lake Harvest Fest

23

Students & Staff Retake Picture Day

All NLS & LCK Students& Staff

24

Bullying Awareness Day

26

Gold Day

29

7th Grade Camp Whitcomb Field Trip

Category: The Wave

Dr. Ackley’s Message . . .

Veterans Day Photo Gallery

Upcoming WAVE Dates

A Note from Ms. Meister...

Counseling Corner

November Dates to Remember

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20

24-28

December Dates to Remember

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5

8

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12/22 -1/2

Veterans Day Photo Gallery

Dr. Ackley’s Message . . .

NLEF Fall Fest

Happy Halloween from K-4th

Halloween Parade

Upcoming WAVE Dates

Counseling Corner

November Dates to Remember

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4

5

6

10

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19

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24-27

NLEF Fall Fest Photo Gallery

Halloween Parade Photo Gallery

Dr. Ackley’s Message . . .

Fire Prevention Week

Upcoming WAVE Dates

A Note from Ms. Meister...

Counseling Corner

Riding the WAVE of Wellness

October Dates to Remember

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20

21

22

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24

27

29

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Dr. Ackley’s Message . . .

Staff Spotlight

7th Grade Camp Whitcomb Field Trip

Change for Change

Kindergarten Teachers Totally In Sync

Upcoming WAVE Dates

A Note from Ms. Meister...

Counseling Corner

October Dates to Remember

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