Appleton Area School District families,

This family message includes a reminder about tomorrow’s Charter School Fair, next year’s school calendar, 2025-26 charter school application window information, a notice about the upcoming Ballard Road Interchange project, an event for special education parents/guardians, winter clothing drive information, helpful guidance to help determine if your student is well enough to attend school, a reminder of resources for homeless students, information about high school programs, an overview of weather-related school closures and Snow Day Partner Programs, an opportunity to provide feedback on materials, and Community Opportunities for Students.

Important Upcoming Dates

• Saturday, January 11, 2025: AASD Charter School Fair
• Thursday, January 16, 2025: End of Semester 1
• Friday, January 17, 2025: No School 
• Monday, January 20, 2025: No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 

(Find our yearly calendar here.) Charter schools and Appleton Central programs may follow their own calendar, please refer to your school or program calendar.

Only in the AASD Charter School Fair

Join us tomorrow from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in the Appleton West Emmanuel Gym (610 N. Badger Ave). The event is free and open to the public. Interpreters will be available for families whose home language is Spanish or Hmong. Stop by the Fair for a convenient and easy way to learn more about each of our 15 different, tuition-free, public charter schools in one day and one location. Learn more.

2025-26 School Year Calendar Approved

The AASD calendar for the 2025-26 school year was approved by our Board of Education on December 9, 2024. Meeting all State requirements, the calendar ensures instructional minutes and a post-September 1st start date. The approved calendar allocates surplus minutes to accommodate the potential cancellation of two school days due to severe weather conditions and ends the academic year during the first week of June. Learn more here.

Application Window Now Open for AASD Public Charter Schools

Our charter school application window for the 2025-26 school year closes on February 21, 2025. AASD charter schools are tuition-free, public schools that offer unique, innovative programming such as environmental education, online learning, project-based, engineering, manufacturing, fine arts, bilingual learning, and Montessori education. Learn more about our application timeline and what is needed to apply here.

I-41 Interstate Improvement Project Impacting AASD Northside Schools

According to the latest information from the Department of Transportation, the Ballard Road Interchange project will significantly impact several AASD northside schools in 2025, including Appleton North High School, Einstein and Kaleidoscope middle schools, Huntley Elementary School, and Appleton Public Montessori. 

The Ballard Road overpass will be completely closed for most of the year, with reopening anticipated in "late fall." Additionally, all four interstate ramps at the Ballard Road interchange will be replaced between summer and fall, along with E. Capitol Drive between Ballard and Commerce Court. To determine if an alternate route will be necessary for you or your student, please visit the WISDOT I-41 Project - Ballard Road Interchange website for updates. 

Special Education Parent Panel & Social
Join us for an evening of connection and learning with fellow parents of students with disabilities. This event provides a unique opportunity to ask questions, share experiences, and gain valuable advice in a supportive environment. The event will take place on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. in the Einstein Middle School Cafeteria (324 E. Florida Ave). Beverages and light snacks will be provided. This event is free but requires registration for each attendee. If you have any questions, please contact Amy Steiner. 

Help Keep AASD Students Warm This Winter

We are collecting new winter items to support our students in need. The collection will run from December 11 - February 28, 2025, with donations accepted on school days between 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. at the Welcome Center, Family and Community Engagement Office, (2701 N. Oneida Street, Appleton). Items needed include gloves, boots, shoes, warm hats, headbands, coats, jackets, snow pants, and warm or heavy-duty socks. Please consider donating waterproof and warm items to help our students stay comfortable during the cold winter. If you have any questions, please contact Julie Bargholtz. Thank you for your generosity and support! Learn more.

Health Guidance for Going to School

We know it is not always easy to decide if your child is sick enough to stay home or well enough to be in school. We also know that showing up every day is critical for children’s well-being, engagement, and learning. We encourage our families to send their students to school if they are generally healthy and well and are participating in usual day-to-day activities. Learn more about if your child is well enough to attend school here.

Support for Students Experiencing Housing Transitions

Under the federal McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act, AASD has support available to students and their families when they are experiencing housing instability. Our McKinney Vento Liaison, Molly McGregor, is available to help ensure students experiencing housing instability have the education services they need and connection to community resources. Learn more here.

Start College Now/Early College Credit/Request for High School Credit Program Deadlines

AASD offers three programs for eligible high school students wanting to enroll in courses through two- or four-year participating colleges or universities in Wisconsin. The deadline to enroll in a fall semester course is March 1 of each academic school year. The requirements are included below:

Start College Now Program (To learn more, click here.)

• Available to 11th and 12th-grade students.
• Enrollment within Wisconsin Technical Colleges
• Students must have a cumulative high school grade point average of at least 2.0 at the time of the determination.
• Summer courses are not eligible.
• Students cannot participate in the Start College Now Program and the Early College Credit Program simultaneously.

Early College Credit Program (To learn more, click here.)

• Available to 9-12 grade students.
• Enrollment within University of Wisconsin System institutions, tribally controlled colleges, and private nonprofit institutions of higher education. Does not include Wisconsin Technical Colleges.
• Students must have a cumulative high school grade point average of at least 2.0 at the time of the determination.
• Summer courses are eligible.
• Students cannot participate in the Start College Now Program and the Early College Credit Program simultaneously.

Request for High School Credit (To learn more, click here.)

• Learning happens outside of the school day on a student's own time and at their own expense.
• AASD will analyze the student opportunity and determine if and how much High School credit will be awarded.

If you have any questions please reach out to your School Counselor.

School Closure Information

When the weather is bad, we follow a process for deciding if schools will be open or closed. The district must make a decision that is best for all students. We encourage and strongly support you in making the decision that is best for your child(ren). You are always the best judge of your child’s health and safety. If you do decide to keep your child(ren) home on a day when school is in session, please be sure to contact your child’s school to report the absence.

How can I find out if schools are closed? Families will be notified via Infinite Campus alerts with robocalls, emails, text messages, or a combination to reach all families in case of school start delays or closures. Please ensure that your Infinite Campus contact preferences are up to date. On days when the weather is questionable, families can always check the District website or their school's website. Families can also listen to any local radio station or watch many local television stations for information about school closings.

We will stagger notifications to ensure timeliness while minimizing early-morning disruptions.

• Website and social media posting will be completed as soon as possible
• Email notification as early as possible, starting no earlier than 5:00 a.m.
• Text notification as early as possible, starting no earlier than 5:30 a.m.
• Phone calls at 5:45 a.m., to allow enough time for 10,000+ calls to be completed by shortly after 6:00 a.m.

A note about robocalls: We serve more than 15,000 students and our call-out system cannot call all of our families at the same time. It may take a few minutes to reach your family after the notification is sent. For that reason, we also post to our website and social media accounts as soon as we know the District will delay or close for the day.

Snow Day Partner Programs

When severe weather strikes and our schools are closed, our partners at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley and YMCA can help! Both programs offer care options for families on these days. From structured activities to nutritious meals, they provide a safe and nurturing environment for students when schools are closed due to severe weather or other unexpected situations. Learn more here.

Feedback Requested on Instructional Materials

The Board of Education, as the governing body of the District, is legally responsible for all educational materials utilized within the instructional program of the AASD. The selection of educational materials is delegated to the professionally trained and certified personnel employed by the school system. The responsibility for coordinating and maintaining qualitative standards in the selection process rests with the Assessment, Curriculum, and Instruction (ACI) department.

We are currently soliciting feedback on the instructional materials for:

• Middle School Social Studies

As part of the adoption process, AASD staff members, students, parents, and residents are provided with the opportunity to examine and contribute feedback on the recommended instructional materials. The feedback collected will be considered by the committee to determine the final list of instructional materials recommended to the AASD Board of Education. Learn more about Materials Review in the AASD.

Community Opportunities for Students

Each month the AASD shares local, community opportunities for students. These community opportunities for students include upcoming events and activities such as art and music camps, youth athletics, cultural events, enriching programs, and more. We encourage our families to review these opportunities for students of all ages. Check out this page at any time for a current list of opportunities. 

Did you receive your copy of the District Digest, our Community Newsletter, sent last month? Check it out here.

Miss a Family Communication? Find them all here.