UPPER ELEMENTARY STAFFING UPDATE FOR THE NEW YEAR
December 20, 2023
Earlier today we received the news that fourth grade teacher, Ms. Bartels, is resigning her teaching position with the district and will not be returning to AGS to complete the rest of the school year. Ms. Bartels has been with the district for several years and this news is no doubt as shocking to students and families as it is to our staff. We have come to understand that this information was shared with the students in class today and that many students are upset by the situation. While I do not know exactly what was shared, I am disheartened to hear that this is the way that students and their families learned of Ms. Bartels pending departure from our district.
After school today, the administration met with the other upper elementary teachers to develop the best plan moving forward. We felt it was important to get this information out to you as quickly as possible to help alleviate concerns and anxiety that you or your children might experience over break. The team’s goal was to formulate a plan that would be the least disruptive to our students and staff, while operating within the structures of the district. Many factors had to be considered, including: shared staff between multiple buildings, classroom capacity, specials like band and PE, and class size.
The plan that we have developed will start on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2024 and is as follows:
The two fifth grade sections, previously taught by Mrs. Wilk and Ms. Anderson, will be merged into one section, taught by Mrs. Wilk in her classroom.
The two fourth grade sections, previously taught by Mr. Bartlett and Ms. Bartels, will remain intact, with Mr. Bartlett’s class being unaffected entirely, and Ms. Bartels’ class now being taught by Ms. Anderson in her classroom.
The vacated classroom will be used for intervention and small group instruction for the rest of the school year.
Student lockers will remain the same, with the shift in locations just down the hall from each other.
This plan was created with some key points in mind. When the original sectioning was performed during the summer, two fifth grade sections were created and our total number of students was much higher. Since that time we have had several families move out of the district. The fourth grade class, however, has remained a consistent number, and is larger in the total number of students than the fifth grade group. Combining the fifth grade into one section of 28, with a teacher they are already familiar with and have a common PE and band time with, makes more sense than combining the fourth grade sections, combined numbering 33, with separate PE times.
While we realize that this change affects more total students, we believe that the familiarity that Mr. Bartlett, Ms. Anderson, and Mrs. Wilk already have with the students they will be working with will provide the greatest opportunity for our students to make a smooth transition and continue the success that they have built to this point in the 2023-2024 school year.
We recognize that change can be difficult, but in this case it is necessary. The good news is, the staff of Au Gres-Sims are dedicated to the care and learning of your students. If you have questions or concerns please do not hesitate to reach out to me, the administration, or the teachers named above that have come together to put this plan in place for your children.
Mr. Ming (mingc@ags-schools.org)
Mr. Zeien (zeienc@ags-schools.org)
Mrs. Steinbauer (steinbauera@ags-schools.org)
Ms. Anderson (andersone@ags-schools.org)
Mr. Bartlett (bartlettj@ags-schools.org)
Mrs. Wilk (wilks@ags-schools.org)
Sincerely,
Christopher G. Ming Superintendent |
