Black Creek Elementary & Middle School

Black Creek Elementary & Middle School
"Where Everybody is Somebody"
Address
308 East Burdick Street Black Creek, Wisconsin, Outagamie County 54106 United States
Information
Type	Public, Coeducational
Opened	1954
School district	Seymour Community School District
Superintendent	Peter Ross
Principal	Jason Wesenberg[1]
Staff	51[2]
Grades	Pre K - 8th
Age	4 to 14
Number of students	431 (2014-'15)[3]
• Pre-kindergarten	45
• Kindergarten	50
• Grade 1	51
• Grade 2	40
• Grade 3	49
• Grade 4	56
• Grade 5	44
• Grade 6	35
• Grade 7	35
• Grade 8	30
Student to teacher ratio	16:1[4]
Hours in school day	7
Classrooms	31.5
Campus size	8 acres (32374.9m2)
Color(s)	White & navy blue
Athletics conference	Bay Conference
Sports	Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Swimming, and Wrestling through Seymour Middle School. Formerly Boys' and Girls' Basketball and Girls' Volleyball at Black Creek Middle School.
Mascot	Bobcats
Communities served	Black Creek, Black Creek, Binghamton, Center, Center Valley, Cicero, Nichols, and Twelve Corners.
Alumni	2,500 (approximate)
Website	Black Creek Elementary & Middle School

Black Creek Elementary & Middle School, Black Creek School, or Black Creek Grade School, is a grade K4 through 8 school in Black Creek, Wisconsin. It is the only school located within the village of Black Creek. The facility is a feeder for Seymour Community High School and part of the Seymour Community School District (SCSD).^[5]

History

Original Public school c.1909

Former community auditorium c. 1922

School Growth Diagram (1954 - 2014)

Black Creek's first school was built in 1874 and condemned in 1900. A two-story school built in 1900 was used until 1937. A community food pantry now lies in its footprint. Because of lack of space, the school rented the now demolished village hall, next to the historic Hotel Arlington from 1937 to 1954. Black Creek's current school was constructed in 1954. In 1958 the one-room schoolhouses in the surrounding vicinity closed and their students transferred to the current day village school, doubling the enrollment. Kindergarten, art, music, and physical education programs were also added that year.^[6] The village school became part of the Seymour Community School District after losing the high school bid in 1963.^[5]

The current Black Creek Elementary & Middle School was constructed in 1954 and has had numerous additions, one in 1957, 1969, 1987, and 2008.

Towards the end of the 2008 - 2009 school year, the school district decided to disband all of Black Creek's basketball, softball, and volleyball teams due to lack of participation. All extracurricular sports are now done through Seymour Middle School.

Leadership

Black Creek School has had a number of school principals throughout the years. The current principal, installed in 2013, is Jason Wesenberg. Former principals include Otto Kluth, Orville N. Sell ( - 1991), Michael Flaherty (1991 - 2006), Susan Kaphingst (2006 - 2012), and Kim Benson (2012-2013).^[7][8]

Testing

The school currently partakes in the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination - WKCE (grade 3 - 8), NWEA Measures of Academic Progress - MAPS, Standardized Testing and Reporting - STAR (grade K - 8), Next Generation Assessment - NGA (grade 8 only), and the ACT Explore Test (grade 8 only).^[5]

Wisconsin Student Assessment System (WSAS) Results^[9]

Result Data from Fall of 2012*

Demographics

As of 2011, the gender gap was male 58% and female at 42%. The racial makeup of the school is as follows: White 93%; Hispanic 3%; American Indian/Alaskan Native 1%; Black 1%; and Asian/Pacific Islander 1%.^[10]

Also, 30% of students enrolled at Black Creek Elementary Middle School were eligible for reduced price lunch.^[11]

Middle School

Courses

Black Creek Middle School students are offered a variety of related arts courses throughout 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. Grade 6 students are offered World Diversity and Lifetime Wellness and Fitness. Practical Living and Foreign Language Exploratory (FLEX) are only pitched to 7th graders. While individuals in grade 8 are offered Kitchen Chemistry, Career Management, and two high school based classes, Algebra I and Spanish I. Classes that are available to both 7th and 8th grade students are Research and Development, Engineering and Construction (Tech. Ed.), Health, and Service Learning. However, all enrolled middle school students are offered Band, Choir, Art, ICT (Information Communitcation and Technology), and Physical Education.^[12]

Athletics

Numerous athletics are available to Black Creek Middle School students through Seymour Middle School. These include, but are not limited to Boys' Basketball, Girls' Basketball, Cross Country, Track, Volleyball, and Wrestling. ^[13]

Organizations

Teachers and Families for Education

Main Entrance of Black Creek School

Teachers and Families for Education, T.A.F.F.E., is the school's Parent - Teacher Organization. The group established over 30 years ago signifies teacher and family collaboration with each other to help benefit the students and school community as a whole.

T.A.F.F.E. organizes and sponsors many events including Back to School Ice Cream Social, Spaghetti Dinner and Family Fun Night, Grandparents Day Grab Bag, Teacher's conference meals, Entertainment Book sales, 4K Build-A-Bear Family Outreach, and Kids December Shopping Day. They also sponsor Doughnuts for Dads, Muffins for Moms, Staff Appreciation Week, 8th Grade Graduation, Monthly Family Movie Nights, Weekly Backpack Program, Annual smartboard and playground fundraiser, and Bobcat Spirit Wear sales.

The organization also collects, sorts, and submits milk caps, Box Tops for Education, Campbells's Labels for Education, Target Rewards, and others.

With the money raised, the PTO has provided the school with SMARTBoards, Apple products, a traverse wall, computer programs, and playground equipment. Additionally, flash drives, sound systems, kiln/pottery wheel, and new stage curtains have been donated by T.A.F.F.E.^[14]

Community Family Resource Centers

Community Family Resource Centers in both Black Creek School and Rock Ledge Primary Center is a non-profit organization. Programs that are offered include family education, family events, Parent And Child Enrichment (PACE) groups, and "Me & My Family" nights.

Family education workshops are offered throughout the year to help enhance quality of life for families. Various topics are covered by presenters who give advice to parents on different family issues.

Family events sponsored by Community Family Resource Centers include Family Game Night, Family Reading Night, Halloween Party, Visit with Santa, Autumn Extravaganza, Winterfest Family Carnival, Easter Egg Hunt and Family Daze.

Parent And Child Enrichment (PACE) groups are for parents and their children up to five years old. This program focuses on developing social skills, learning, and parental education through different activities.

"Me & My Family" helps promote each family member to spend individual time with their children. Programs are offered for moms and kids, dads and kids, and grandparents and kids often going to various low cost entertainment places in the area.^[15]

Student Council

The Black Creek Student Council is advised by a middle school teacher. However, Black Creek Student Council is governed by an annually elected president, vice-president, and a secretary/treasurer with various committees.

The council puts together monthly middle school dances and hosts a Hot! Hot! Hot! Rally incentive. The student council also holds a "Halfway There" staff appreciation breakfast and sells ice cream to students every Friday. In partnership with Community 2000, the student council holds a canned food drive and a money drive competition between school homerooms and the community every November.^[16]

References

External links

• School Website
• School Apparel Store