Other Initiatives Attendance Improving student attendance was a primary initiative at ICS because student achievement and whole child wellness have a direct correlation to school attendance. ICS developed multiple programs to educate and support students and families about the effects of chronic absenteeism and the importance of good attendance. Efforts included awareness with families through letters, calls, emails, parent-teacher conferences and lead stories in each week’s family newsletter, classroom attendance contests with the winners being celebrated weekly, (monthly winners received a pizza party and a traveling trophy), attendance certificates were sent home for students who had 96% or better attendance, extra encouragement was provided for students who showed the greatest improvement, a school dance, and special events such as Bucks player Marjon Beauchamp, or Division One Lacrosse players, including Marcus Thundercloud, who made surprise visits to our school to reinforce attendance. We also did monthly check-ins with students and offered Eagle Bucks and shopping for additional incentives. We improved attendance for K4 by 5% and K5 by 4% during the 2023-2024 school year. We have found that students who attend our K4 and K5 programs are more successful as their educational journey progresses, so attendance in those early years is extremely important. The ICS Family Resource Center worked closely with our K4 and K5 teachers and families to help us achieve these gains. Through these efforts, attendance improved by: • 4% in months when attendance was the lowest from the previous year • 2% school-wide over the previous year
Awards / Placements ICS is proud to announce the following honors and awards for the 2023-2024 school year: - Our Dean of Students, Ms. Cheryl Weber, was awarded Girls Division 2 Diving Coach-of-the-Year from the Wisconsin Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (WISCA).
8th Grade Graduate Honors for 2023-2024 were: - Macyne Potack-Rettler was our Valedictorian. - Tessa Tollefson was our Salutatorian.
- Mason Jellan and Natahlia Ross were selected as Our Ways Representatives by their peers for incorporating their cultures and languages into all their classes, for demonstrating the Seven Sacred Gifts, putting others first, tending to their path and working on their gifts, helping others when needed, and using their Native languages. Community Organizations Indian Community School worked with a number of community organizations that benefited our students, school and community. We are grateful for the following community organizations: - Electa Quinney Institute • Participation on our Language Revitalization Committee. - Wehr Nature Center • Provided hands-on environmental lesson plans to our teaching staff and hosted our Maple Sugar Camp on their grounds. - Repairing Together • A program of the Milwaukee Jewish Day School (MJDS), began in 2016 connecting students from different cultural backgrounds in K-8 schools in the Milwaukee area through thematic cultural, social and environmental action programming. The program was developed in response to racism and anti-Semitism being on the rise worldwide, especially here in the U.S. Together, we develop a solid framework for empathetic leadership in today’s world. - Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center • We have had a deeply collaborative relationship for many years and currently have a memorandum of understanding between our organizations that focuses on our work to improve the mental health of our students and families, and we regularly coordinate on the delivery of suicide prevention services. - Franklin School Sports • Competitive team experiences in Football and Lacrosse for ICS students. School Campus Improvements Lighting Retrofit: Over the past year, Indian Community School completed a total lighting system retrofit, enhancing visibility in learning spaces, saving on energy costs, and reducing the school’s carbon footprint. The new LED lighting is more energy-efficient, toxin-free, requires fewer fixtures, and has a longer lifespan. Prairie Burn: ICS conducted it’s first controlled burn in April, to maintain the health of our prairie spaces and to control invasive species. Prairie burns are an indigenous practice that we are committed to carry forward. Painted Playground Surfaces: In October, 2023, we painted our playground surfaces with different games and mindfulness symbols to encourage students to be active and develop more social skills. With these colorful additions, students have been able to enjoy recess time playing four-square, an obstacle course, labyrinth, hopscotch and more. Tot Lot Additions: We added an early childhood Tot Lot to expand developmentally appropriate opportunities for children in our birth to 5 program, and to connect and play outdoors. The Tot Lot is used by our FRC early childhood programming and by our K4 and K5 students.
Dennis Bonneville / Devin Bonneville / Noah Larson / Wyatt Rush / Joah Thompson / Kai Reed / Jared Dashner / Ian Zhuckkahosee / Brayden House Head Coach: Andre Beamon
• 5% for K4 • 4% for K5
Living in a Good Way ICS has adopted and implemented a school-wide initiative called Living in a Good Way, which focuses on positive student behaviors. We also developed behavior expectations based on being good for our minds, good for our bodies, good for our spirits, and good for our hearts. We also emphasize “our” because it is our work to support the entire community. Students are expected and responsible to follow these behavior expectations during school, after school, and at any school related events. This program is meant to align our behavioral supports with cultural ways of being, so that all students can demonstrate their strong responsibility to themselves and their community.
Howa Kāēqten-āēq?
Wow! Howaa ó•tshe•
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