Dr. Ackley’s Message . . .
SCREEN FREE IN 2026
North Lake School is committed to screen free indoor recess! I recently met with teachers and we discussed how to cut back on screen time at school, especially during unstructured times. At this time, all teachers are committed to screen free indoor recess time and are implementing learning activities that promote social interaction such as classic board/card games.
5K through 2nd grade already have an outdoor morning and lunch recess totaling almost 60 minutes. You may have heard about the draft legislation for 60 minutes of recess time in K-6th grades. Although that is a lot of recess for older students in an already packed school day, know that your kids are getting brain breaks and snack times in grades 3 through 6. Teachers are striving to read aloud, promote student conversation, and provide movement breaks during these times. Please consider donating your gently used games to support this mission! I am also interested in your insight and willing to listen to parent input on this important topic.
TREK BIKE UPDATE
As the second semester starts on Tuesday, January 20th, this is a reminder of the Perfect Attendance Trek Bike Raffle. The Trek Bikes will be custom fit for the winners.
Number of Students/Staff Eligible for Perfect Attendance:
Kindergarten – 1
1st grade – 1
2nd grade – 2
3rd grade – 0
4th grade – 2
5th grade – 3
6th grade – 3
7th grade – 0
8th grade – 2
Teachers – 2
There will be two bikes: 1 for students and 1 for staff.
ENROLLMENT ROUND UP FOR 2026-2027
Next week, the North Lake School Board will approve open enrollment seats for the 2026-2027 school year. If you or someone you know is interested in attending North Lake School whether in district or open enrollment, we would love to hear from you! Please contact the office to get the process started and to arrange a tour.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Lake Country Kindergarten Open House for incoming 3K and 4K families: January 29 – 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Open Enrollment begins February 2nd and ends April 30th. Please click on the link Wisconsin DPI to enter your applications beginning on February 2nd.
U.S. MAP QUILT DONATION
Thank you to Kathleen Hughes, grandmother of 7th grade student Martin Hughes, for the colorful United States Map Quilt. The quilt is a wonderful addition to the upstairs cafe area and complements the Social Studies curriculum in both 5th and 8th grade.
SCHOOL CHAMPION – VOTE NOW!
Our very own Mrs. Donna Andorfer, 5th and 6th grade Social Studies teacher, has been nominated for the School Champion Award given by the Hartland Chamber of Commerce.
The School Champion Award recognizes an outstanding educator, administrator, or school staff member who demonstrates exceptional commitment to education and community involvement, making a lasting impact on the lives of students and the Hartland area.
To vote for Mrs. Andorfer…
Click here to vote: Kudos Awards
Click here for more information: Website/more info.
Voting is open until January 30th. Congratulations on the nomination Mrs. Andorfer and Good Luck!
Upcoming WAVE Dates
January 30
February 13
February 27
A Note from Ms. Meister...
January is the time for mid-year assessments. Your child may have talked about aimswebPlus or i-Ready. These assessments are teaching tools. They provide valuable data for instructional planning, measuring student progress, and identifying needs. Best practice dictates using current information about students in order to plan instruction. Mid-year is a good time to gather more information while there is still plenty of time in the school year to make a difference.
Family support is a significant factor in student success. Look for results coming home in the coming days. The results from these assessments provide families with information about student performance in the content areas of reading and math.
As always, if you have questions or concerns, talk with your child’s teachers and please feel free to contact me at school. Call: (262) 966-2033 Ext. 1134 or email: meinan@northlakeschool.org.
Counseling Corner
Hello North Lake Families!
Do you know what the word GRIT means? The dictionary defines it as courage and resolve; strength of character. We work on grit with students daily here at school. To them it looks like working through the discomfort of doing something that is difficult, sticking to a task even when it is frustrating or they don’t understand it the first time. How can you talk about grit with your kids at home? It’s hard to let them struggle but that is where confidence is built and learning takes place!
We are lucky to have the opportunity to nominate students for the Optimist Club’s True Grit award each year. This year we honored two of our 8th graders. Some things that their teachers said about them include things like:
- Always pushes herself and is up for a challenge
- Faces challenges with courage and confidence
- Always a self advocate
- Positive attitude while being kind hearted and polite
These words describe AraBella and Meira – our two “True Grit” award recipients. We are so proud of them!
As always, please let me know if there are any ways that I can support your child!
Take care-
Jill Lesch
Riding the WAVE of Wellness
We will be holding an eye exam Wednesday, January 28th in partnership with the Stone Bank Lions Club. Grades 4K-2 will be tested and families with students in grades 3-5 can choose to opt-in. Please email me at: soyreb@northlakeschool.org if you would like your 3-5th grader to get tested or have any questions. Please see attached link for more information on the importance of vision screenings.
Vision Screening Parent Resources
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Becca Soya
January Dates to Remember
16
End of 2nd Quarter
Kids Swap w/Teachers Spirit Day
19
No School for Students – Teacher Inservice & Staff Meeting
20
Literacy Night Workshop-2:30 pm
5 Boys Basketball
NLS vs Merton White—4:30 pm
6 Boys Basketball
NLS vs North Shore—4:30 pm
8 Boys Basketball
NLS vs Lake Country—4:30 pm
21
7 Boys Basketball—Teal
Swallow vs NLS Teal-4:30 pm
7 Boys Basketball—Black
Merton vs NLS Black-5:30 pm
School Board Meeting in the Conference Room —5:30 pm
22
5 Boys Basketball
NLS vs North Shore-4:30 pm
6 Boys Basketball
Stone Bank vs NLS—4:30 pm
8 Boys Basketball
North Shore vs NLS—5:30 pm
23
NLEF Mother/Son Magic Show—6:00-8:00 pm
26
5 Boys Basketball
Swallow vs NLS—4:30 pm
6 Boys Basketball
Richmond vs NLS—5:30 pm
7 Boys Basketball
NLS Teal vs Richmond Purple—5:30 pm
Erin Green vs NLS Black—6:30 pm
8 Boys Basketball—NLS vs St. Bank—4:30
27
Literacy Night Workshop
2:30 pm
5 Boys Basketball
NLS vs Richmond—4:30 pm
28
Vision Screening —8:30 am
5 Boys Basketball
Merton Blue vs NLS—4:30 pm
7 Boys Basketball
NLS Black vs Swallow—4:30 pm
NLS Teal vs North Shore Black-5:30pm
29
6 Boys Basketball
NLS vs Merton Silver—5:30 pm
7 Boys Basketball
NLS Teal vs Erin White—4:30 pm
