#PointerNation News

Hip hip hooray! A big congratulations to our #PointerNation Forensics Team for earning the Excellence in Speech Award from the Wisconsin Interscholastic Speech & Dramatic Arts Association, placing us in the top 5% of all schools at the state meet! This is the second year in a row we have earned this prestigious accolade and are one of only 15 schools in the entire state to be recognized. Way to go! Congratulations to our State forensics participants, both in-person and virtual! Read about all of our State winners here: https://mineralpointschools.org/2023/05/excellence-in-speech-award-earned-at-state-forensics/

We'd like to give a special shout out to our four entries who achieved elite status at the recent Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) State Solo & Ensemble competition! Earning prestigious Exemplary Soloist recognition were:

Winners:

-- Libby Dunn, Piccolo Solo

-- Woodwind Ensemble (Abby Backes, Oliver Benson, Gena Byrnes, Julianna Cool, Libby Dunn, Treityn Garcia, Sidney Goldthorpe, Gracie Foster, Nolen Fox, Cheyenne Halvorson, Ella James, Logan Johnson, Anthony Luu, Lilly Murn, Morgan Palzkill, Brooke Paynter, Merisa Paynter, Cooper Thompson, Lila Thousand, Abby Webb, Ella Wilson)

Nominated:

-- Gena Byrnes, Music Theater-Soprano/Alto Solo

-- Julianna Cool, Soprano Solo

At the end of the festival day, each adjudicator may select up to two award recipients from the nominated events in their festival site.

A huge congratulations to our middle and high school musicians who brought home some serious hardware at the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) State Solo & Ensemble competition last Saturday at UW-Platteville! 13 entries earned gold and an additional four earned silver. Read about all the medalists and view some photos here: https://mineralpointschools.org/2023/05/gold-at-state-solo-ensemble-3/

Kindergarteners, with help from their 3rd Grade Buddies, put on a fun Car Show Wednesday for family and friends! More photos here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=MineralPointSchoolDistrict&set=a.696001565835062

April was Library Month and our elementary school has been celebrating with Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics! The Mr. Lemoncello series is written by Chris Grabenstein. It takes place in a fantastical library where children encounter a myriad of clues, games, and collaborative challenges. Mineral Point Elementary is fortunate to have a similar magical library. The 4th and 5th grade Student Book Budget Team wanted to plan a reading celebration and helped plan many of the games. A Donors Choose project was written for Mr. Lemoncello's book club sets, decorations, and elevated games. Chris Grabenstein himself even donated to our celebration! Students have enjoyed participating in challenges that included written code, robotics, puzzles, book activities, library cart races, and more! View photos here: https://www.facebook.com/MineralPointSchoolDistrict/posts/pfbid02HPPDYby1LCPXURA7CtfZRrL2Ta3jQ4FpYvi5QSW2q1JocoQiPiEHZ4cptBmn8ei1l

Our May Students of the Month for the 2022-23 school year were honored Tuesday at a Mineral Point Kiwanis meeting -- a big congrats to Brody Lee and Kennedy Wenger! These are the final Students of the Month for this school year. Read more about these star Seniors here: https://mineralpointschools.org/2023/05/lee-wenger-are-students-of-the-month/

(Lee photo by Lifka Bennett, Wenger photo by Robin Wiegman)

4K students were so excited to perform for Parents' Day last Friday! We are so grateful for family support of #PointerNation! More photos here: https://www.facebook.com/MineralPointSchoolDistrict/posts/pfbid0ZJ6ntvytifQtuAi3DZLgHZgqXCwDnfSUwMczvq2jR3waaKttTHZXtRBLTenKk6Zgl

Thursday night was special for our Senior musicians! Congrats to those earning prestigious honors:

- John Philip Sousa Band Award: Gena Byrnes

- National School Choral Award: Marcus Cool

- Louis Armstrong Jazz Award: Abel Logue and Tyler Nordstrom

- Musical Theatre Award: Livie Poad and Sophia Stephenson

- Music Boosters Award: Gena Byrnes

Congrats to Margot Fretard (2nd place) and Kalea Biddick (1st place) for their winning submissions in the Penny Smart & Earth Wise story contest from the Driftless Area Land Conservancy! Kalea won $250 for her solar energy at school proposal and Margot won $150 for her school lunch composting proposal. Great job!

3rd graders did a great job with their Grandparents' Program Friday! There was so much love and pride in our gym! Find more photos here: https://www.facebook.com/MineralPointSchoolDistrict/posts/pfbid0ULsuZ9fiwpCZ1iiMgUC7rmMMavAZgHeTprM1fR8jJHcjKLVqtckh8DUjsMYzLyWMl

#PointerNation was proud to host a Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) Large Group Festival Wednesday! The Pointers had a fine showing, earning two One Ratings and two Two Ratings. Congrats to:

-- One Rating: High School Concert Band, Class A

-- One Rating: Middle School Concert Band, Class C

-- Two Rating: High School Mixed Choir, Class B

-- Two Rating: Middle School Mixed Choir, Class B

Early Childhood is enjoying their circus unit and were so amazed by Mrs. Ingwell's juggling skills!

Our Middle School's Kindness Club is promoting and creating a culture of kindness in our school. Each week we will be giving a 'shoutout' to students caught being kind. Congrats to Tessa Carey! There was a day that morning announcements weren't on and someone needed to do the Pledge of Allegiance. Tessa was the first one to say "I'll do it'" when asked and did a great job! Thank you, Tessa!

Our middle school bands and choirs did a fantastic job at their concert Tuesday! Make sure to check out their song selections: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7XiVEayzpE

View more photos here: https://www.facebook.com/MineralPointSchoolDistrict/posts/pfbid02GF6LkMChyLpByoKmjJs2eTXKoEUSzcimJrZcf1n5Srz6vpx3j2y6p65BXzCTuFUql

Jeopardy! tournaments are a thing of legend in #PointerNation. Congrats to this year's World Today team champion: Bobby Allbright, Byron Buroker, Landyn Moellers, and Gibsen Sporle!

Thursday evening produced another high-quality musical performance by our high school ensembles! If you couldn't make it, or if you'd like to watch it again, check out the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NGHWlrE7KA

More photos here: https://www.facebook.com/MineralPointSchoolDistrict/posts/pfbid0eoYK2yDn3HyrN65TDmGsT5CCrZsmjfKn7onfENja5RCP7Gv3wzWqM9RqMqwBSrdul

For National Bird Day, 1st grade explorers ventured out to the oak savanna and used field guides to identify different species!

1st graders traveled to New Zealand with the help of Mrs. McDonald's daughter, Bethany, to share about life there!

We are celebrating Staff Appreciation Week in #PointerNation! We can't say thank you enough to our amazing staff for all they have done, and continue to do, for every student every day. As our mission statement says, "Grounded by our history as one of the oldest publicly supported schools in Wisconsin, MPSD is the heart of a small community that educates and inspires our students for a bright future in a big world."

Please follow this link to sign your student up for our summer sports camps. These camps are offered to our current Kindergarten - 11th grade students. You will use the current grade your student is in when making your selections. Please save the confirmation email that you will receive upon completion, for future reference. The deadline to register is May 19th.

Our 4K-4th grade Pointer Adventure Camp registration will be coming soon. The dates for this camp are July 10th-27th, Monday-Thursday 8 am - 11 am.

Please contact Jane Barr at jane.barr@mp.k12.wi.us or 608-987-0710 with any questions.

The FFA has put wagons out at Triple P Express and Casey's! Plants look good and are ready for their new homes.

We have several openings for the 2023-24 school year -- come join the great place that is #PointerNation!

-- Head Varsity Girls Basketball Coach: apply to Athletic Director Vickie Dahl (vickie.dahl@mp.k12.wi.us) by May 17

-- School Psychologist: https://wecan.waspa.org/Vacancy/172019

-- Middle/High Assistant Principal with Middle School Focus: https://wecan.waspa.org/Vacancy/172116

-- Middle/High Activities Director & Physical Education Teacher: https://wecan.waspa.org/Vacancy/171573

-- Middle/High Business Teacher: https://wecan.waspa.org/Vacancy/171625

-- Elementary Special Education Teacher: https://wecan.waspa.org/Vacancy/172035

-- Long Term Substitute Teacher (Middle School Special Ed): https://wecan.waspa.org/Vacancy/172542

The Mineral Point Unified School District is searching for a full time Night Custodian. To apply please reach out to Maintenance Director Dave DeVoe at dave.devoe@mp.k12.wi.us or 608-987-0740.

Our middle/high school has an immediate opening for a substitute custodian during the day shift. Come join the great place that is #PointerNation! Contact Dave DeVoe, Maintenance Director, at dave.devoe@mp.k12.wi.us or 608-987-0740 if interested.

#PointerNation events coming up this week -- join us! (Please note these schedules are always subject to change)

Monday, May 8

-- School Board meeting 6 pm: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Organization/2067

-- POSTPONED: JV & Varsity Softball vs. Boscobel

-- JV & Varsity Golf at Pecatonica/Argyle 4 pm

-- POSTPONED: Varsity Baseball at Belleville

-- Varsity Girls Soccer at Lodi 6:45 pm

-- MS Track & Field at Boscobel 4 pm

-- Beginning Band Meeting 7 pm

Tuesday, May 9

-- Varsity Baseball vs. Southwestern 4:30 pm

-- Softball at Pecatonica (Varsity 5 pm, JV to follow)

-- Track & Field at Fennimore 4 pm

-- JV Track & Field at River Valley 5 pm

-- MS Track & Field at Lancaster 4 pm

Wednesday, May 10

-- Early Release 2 pm (every Wednesday)

-- 3rd Grade MaSpa Event 12:30 pm

-- Varsity Golf at New Glarus 10 am

-- Varsity Softball at Darlington 4 pm

Thursday, May 11

-- Elementary Art Show 3:30-6:30 pm

-- Varsity Baseball at Iowa-Grant 4:30 pm

-- Softball at Cuba City (Varsity 4:30 pm, JV to follow)

-- Varsity Girls Soccer at Prairie du Chien 5 pm

-- MS Track & Field at Darlington 4 pm

Friday, May 12

-- State Civics Games at Madison

-- High School Community Service Day

-- Track & Field at Oregon 4 pm

-- JV Baseball at Iowa-Grant 4:30 pm

Saturday, May 13

-- JV & Varsity Golf at Dodge-Point 9 am

-- JV & Varsity Girls Soccer at Sugar River 10 am

-- JV Baseball at Prairie du Chien 10 am

Please be aware of other companies claiming to livestream our games, especially if there are links different than posted above and ask for credit card and personal information -- these are scams. We will update this pinned post as available livestream information is relayed to us.

If you would like to donate to the Mineral Point Middle/High School Care Closet, please reach out to Social/Emotional Learning Coach Dani Robb (dani.robb@mp.k12.wi.us) or School Counselor Erika Brunson (erika.brunson@mp.k12.wi.us). We are in need of snacks for students and personal hygiene items. Monetary donations will also be accepted which will be used for specific student and family needs.

If you would like to donate to the Elementary Students in Need Fund, please reach out to School Psychologist Katelyn Oellerich (katelyn.oellerich@mp.k12.wi.us) or School Counselor Alex Welsh (alex.welsh@mp.k12.wi.us). We are in need of boys pants children’s sizes 4T up to 14/16 and undergarments for boys and girls in all children's sizes 4T up to 14/16. We are also in need of snacks for students and monetary donations which will be used for specific student and family needs.

Est. 1829

"Grounded by our history as one of the oldest publicly supported schools in Wisconsin, Mineral Point Unified School District is the heart of a small community that educates and inspires our students for a bright future in a big world."

Email: joelle.doye@mp.k12.wi.us
Website: mineralpointschools.org
Location: 705 Ross Street, Mineral Point, WI, USA
Phone: (608) 987-0740
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MineralPointSchoolDistrict