January 2025
Shapiro STEM Academy
"Empowering Hearts and Minds"


Courtney Willert, Principal
courtney.willert@oshkosh.k12.wi.us
Kelsey Berg, Secretary
kelsey.berg@oshkosh.k12.wi.us
Staff Directory
A LETTER FROM MRS. WILLERT
Happy Winter Break to you all!
January brings a chance for fresh starts and re-grounding habits. The focus at Shapiro will be to reteach and reinforce expectations across our building to set us up for success for the months to come. Consider opportunities for this at home including wake-up/bedtime routines, habits with electronics and plans for continuing to get to school on time. We love having all our students healthy, well-rested and at school to learn and grow safely every day.
Wishing you well,
Courtney Willert
JANUARY GOAL
Each month our students are working towards a goal where they earn leaves for our kindness tree, when the goal is met, there is a whole school celebration. This month the goal is: I can be respectful by walking in the hallway quietly.
When students reach their goal, they will earn a whole school afternoon of play!
A NOTE FROM MUSIC
Congratulations to all Shapiro students for a wonderful winter concert earlier this month! Bravo!
K-2 students are listening and moving to the music from The Nutcracker ballet by Tchaikovsky. 3-5 students are learning about Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet and comparing and contrasting it with Duke Ellington’s Jazz Nutcracker Suite.
MESSAGE FROM THE NURSE
Sick Season is upon us! The health office would like to send a friendly reminder that if your child isn’t feeling well please keep them home to recover. Please reference the guidelines below.
As general guidelines, keep your child home from school if:
- They have a fever above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit within the past 24 hours
- They have had episodes of vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours
- They have symptoms that prevent them from participating in school.
- They have an undiagnosed rash.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Nurse Shea or Kendra regarding your child’s health needs.
If you are questioning whether your student should be attending school click here for additional guidelines.
We are looking for clothing donations! We are needing boys pants sizes 4-8!
Oh no! Remember spills and accidents can happen! It is helpful to have a change of clothing at school to avoid calling home for extra clothes during the school day.
YEARBOOK
You can now order the 2024-2025 school yearbook! You can order online by clicking on the attached link Shapiro Yearbook Flyer.
Yearbooks will be available to order through March 10, 2025.
Each student needs their own separate order. Make sure you are ordering under the correct school. We cannot refund any yearbook purchase.
ADVANCED LEARNING PROGRAM
Hello Shapiro parents!
The application for ALPs (Advanced Learning Program) is open! ALPs is a unique program designed to serve self-motivated learners in Grades 4-8 located within Perry Tipler Middle School. The application is open through March 1st. Please submit if you are interested!
https://perry-tipler-middle.
eACADEMY ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN
OASD K-12 eAcademy Mid-Year Enrollment Now Open!
This is an opportunity for K-12 students to enroll in the district’s free, full-time online schooling for the second semester.
- Enrollment Period: Open through January 8 at 11:59 PM.
- Application: Available via Infinite Campus.
- Notification: Families will be notified by January 15. Approval decisions made by the student's building principal.
- K-8 Families: Mandatory in-person orientation for new elementary and middle school students on January 21 (daytime and evening options). More details to come.
Learn more: https://www.oshkosh.k12.wi.us/district/school-curriculum/oasd-eacademy
MLK DAY CELEBRATION
SAVE THE DATE: OASD MLK Day Celebration
Date: Monday, January 20, 2025
Time: 8 AM
Location: Vel Phillips Middle School - Attrium
Join us for the inaugural MLK Day Celebration hosted by the Oshkosh Area School District on January 20, 2025. (See Flyer.) This community event will include:
- Continental Breakfast
- Community connections
- Keynote speaker
- MLK essay contest winners
- And more!
RSVP Required: While the event is free, guests must RSVP in advance for planning purposes. Students and children must be accompanied by a guardian.
Complete the registration form here: RSVP: OASD MLK Day Celebration 2025
For additional details, visit oshkosh.k12.wi.us/MLK-Day.
Questions? Contact Anthony Miller Jr., OASD Director of Community Engagement & Equity, at anthony.miller@oshkosh.k12.wi.us or 920.718.4309.
We look forward to celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy with you!
JOIN US AT THE HERD GAME
Join friends, family, and community members with Shapiro STEM Academy for a fun night out with the Wisconsin Herd! Shapiro students and families will be invited to participate in exclusive experiences provided by the Heard, and a portion of the ticket sales will be donated back to the PTO!
January 12th @12:30 PM
Click here for more information about the Herd game!
To purchase tickets visit: https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/Shapirostem2
VOLUNTEER INFORMATION
If you are looking to participate in any volunteer activities at our school (field trip chaperone, events, field day, etc.) you MUST have a background check submitted. This needs to be completed yearly. Once your form is approved, you will be set for the entire school year. The process is simple: 1) submit your background check by following THIS PROCESS 2) If an opportunity is available that you would like to volunteer at, just let your student's teacher know that you have submitted a form. From there, the office will be notified and the approval process will begin. Once your background check has been approved, your student's teacher will let you know!
THE COLD SEASON IS HERE
Here are the District's Outdoor Temperature Guidelines:
Below 50°F: Students must wear long sleeves while outdoors.
Inclement Weather: If the playground is icy or there's heavy rain or snow, the principal or staff on duty will determine whether students should stay indoors.
Winter Attire: When playing in the snow, students must wear snow pants, boots, hats, and mittens. Those without proper attire must remain on a visible blacktop or in designated shoveled areas. A notice will be sent to all families when winter gear is no longer required.
Temperature Guidelines: the principal or staff on duty will determine whether students should stay indoors.
- 10°F or below: Stay indoors.
- Wind chill 0°F or below: Stay indoors.
In line with district policy, and due to severe allergies within our school family, we ask that all dogs remain off the school grounds, with the exception of service animals. We ask that all service animals are not in contact with our students and staff.
School safety and the wellbeing of our students and staff are our top priorities. We recently have implemented SPEAK UP, SPEAK OUT. This system was created by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of School Safety (OSS). Speak Up Speak Out is a comprehensive, one-stop place to turn with important concerns.
Students, parents, school staff, or any community members can submit a school safety concern or threat via our website, their website (https://speakup.widoj.gov/) mobile phone application (available on their website), or toll-free number (available on their website). Staff work around-the-clock to respond to tips and to deploy a response locally by communicating directly with school administrators, law enforcement, and counselors.
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