Dr. Ackley’s Message . . .
NORTH LAKE SCHOOL CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH
The Goodie Gals (8th grade school service group) planned and presented multiple lessons to Kindergarten, 4th grade, and 6th grade this past week. Important lessons were learned through literature, reenactment, and art activities. Students connected with the historical Civil Rights Movement and the practical day to day social experience. There were heartfelt discussions at every level and a genuine interest in respect for all. The 8th graders demonstrated maturity and facilitated critical thinking and reflection especially in 6th grade. This K-8 connection is a great opportunity for students to mentor younger students.
SCIENCE FAIR CLUB PRESENTATIONS
We are excited to invite you to our Annual Science Fair, where creativity and curiosity come to life! Our talented students have been hard at work on amazing projects, and we can’t wait to share their discoveries with you.
Join us for a morning of fun, learning, and innovation. We will have water, coffee and donuts courtesy of Kwik Trip! Don’t miss this opportunity to see firsthand the incredible projects our students have created. We hope to see you there!
When: 2/8
Time: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Where: Multi purpose room (cafeteria) at North Lake School!
5 YEAR OLD KINDERGARTEN ROUND UP
If you or your neighbor knows of a rising five year old kindergarten student, please contact the school office so that we can plan for the upcoming school year. We are currently enrolling students for the 2025-2026 school year in all grades, 5K-8th.
OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD FOR 2025-2026
The open enrollment period for non-district residents runs from February 3-April 30. If you know of anyone who is interested in applying to the North Lake School District, please use the links below to apply online and submit directly to DPI. Families who are currently open enrolled, do not need to complete this process.
YEARBOOK ORDERS
This is the first and only opportunity to order yearbooks for the 2024-2025 school year. No yearbook orders were taken during registration at the beginning of the year.
Information for ordering the 2024-2025 North Lake School yearbook will be emailed directly to you by Empire Photography, February 8th.
Yearbooks are $14.50 each, and payment is made directly to Empire Photography via the yearbook store. Orders may also be placed through the yearbook store link below or QR code located at the end of the WAVE.
The last day to order your 2024-2025 yearbook is March 15th.
Mother & Son Bingo Night
4K Kindness Cart
At Your Service
Front: Dr. Liesl Ackley, Superintendent; Julie Westcott, Special Education Director
Back: Janelle Osowski, District Secretary; Cindy Lofy, Speech Pathologist; Katie Daugs, School Secretary & Health Room Aide; Kelley Berlin, School Psychologist; Jen Sellhausen, Business Manager; Nancy Meister, Director of Teaching & Learning
Missing: Becca Soya, Special Education Aide/Health Room Assistant
February Dates to Remember
8
Science Fair Club Presentations – 9:00-11:00 pm
10
Bus Driver Appreciation Week
Culver’s Night – 5:00-8:00 pm
5th Grade Boys Basketball – NLS vs North Shore Green – 4:30 pm
6th Grade Boys Basketball – Lake Country Blue vs NLS – 4:30 pm
7th Grade Boys Basketball – Lake Country Blue vs NLS – 5:30 pm
11
Bus Driver Appreciation Week
5th Grade Boys Basketball – Lake Country White vs NLS – 4:30 pm
8th Grade Boys Basketball – Merton White vs NLS – 5:30 pm
12
Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday Observed
Bus Driver Appreciation Week
7th Grade Boys Basketball – North Shore vs NLS – 4:30 pm
8th Grade Boys Basketball – North Shore White vs NLS – 5:30 pm
13
Bus Driver Appreciation Week
5th Grade Boys Basketball – NLS vs Swallow Gold – 5:30 pm
6th Grade Boys Basketball – NLS vs Swallow Gold – 6:30 pm
14
Susan B. Anthony’s Birthday Observed
Bus Driver Appreciation Week
17
5th Grade Boys Basketball – Merton vs NLS – 6:30 pm (make up game)
7th Grade Boys Basketball – Richmond vs NLS – 4:30 pm
8th Grade Boys Basketball – Stone Bank vs NLS – 5:30 pm
18
5th Grade Boys Basketball – NLS vs Swallow Black – 5:30 pm
6th Grade Boys Basketball – NLS vs Swallow Black – 6:30 pm
19
School Board Meeting in Conference Room – 5:30 pm
5th Grade Boys Basketball – NLS vs Swallow White – 4:30 pm
7th Grade Boys Basketball – NLS vs Erin – 4:30 pm
20
George Washington’s Birthday Observed
11:30 Dismissal – Parent Teacher Conferences – 12:00-8:00 pm
21
No School – Mid-Winter Break
24
AMSAC Boys Basketball Tournaments – February 24 – March 1
5th Grade – Merton
6th Grade – Erin
26
Stuffy Day
A Note from Ms. Meister
North Lake School conferences will be held on Thursday, February 20th from 12:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. with a 30 minute teacher dinner break at 4:30 p.m. Click on the name/s below to reserve your spot. We look forward to seeing you at school.
Kindergarten: Miss Hoehnen Ms. Orendorff
1st Grade: Mrs. Tarkowski Mrs. Toczyski
2nd Grade: Mrs. Brittnacher Mr. Ray
3rd Grade: Mr. Budde and Ms. Kudis
4th Grade: Mr. Byrne and Mrs. Flannery
5th and 6th grade: Sign up with your child’s homeroom teacher**
Mrs. Andorfer Mr. Kaczor Mrs. Richman 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.
Counseling Corner
Hello North Lake Families!
In Guidance this month we have been talking about growth mindset in most classrooms. This would be a great time for you to talk about it with your child!
We talk about:
Growth mindset: the belief that intelligence and abilities are not static
- Failure is a chance to learn
- Effort and practice help you overcome obstacles
Fixed mindset: the belief that abilities are predetermined
- Challenges and failures are seen as signs they aren’t “good enough” or that they simply aren’t capable of improving.
What can you do to encourage a growth mindset?
Praise Effort, Not Just Results: Instead of saying “You’re so smart,” try saying, “I’m proud of how hard you worked on that.”
Embrace Mistakes as Learning Opportunities: “What did you learn from that mistake?” or “How could we try a different approach next time?”
- Model a Growth Mindset Yourself: “This is tough, but I know with practice I can improve.”
- Encourage Problem-Solving: “What could you try next?” or “What’s another way we could solve this?”
By fostering a growth mindset at home and school, we give our children the tools to face life’s challenges with confidence, grit, and a belief that they can grow and improve.
As always, please let me know if there are any ways that I can support your child! I will be around for conferences, so let me know if you’d like to set up a call or Google Meet.
Take care-
Jill Lesch
Riding the WAVE of Wellness
REMINDER: will be holding an eye exam Thursday, February 13 in partnership with the Stone Bank Lions Club**
4K and Kindergarten will be tested and families with students in grades 1-5 can choose to opt-in. There is still time to sign-up.
Please email me at: soyreb@northlakeschool.org if you would like your 1-5 grader to get tested or have any questions. Please see attached link for more information on the importance of vision screenings.
___
Becca Soya
Special Education Aide and Health Room Support
