WORK HARD ~ BE RESPECTFUL ~ BE THERE ~ BE READY ~ BE SAFE
February 17, 2017
PRINCIPAL – Tammy Steckbauer
[email protected]
SECRETARY – Sara Lenzner
[email protected]
2701 Robin Lane
Wausau, WI 54401
Phone – 715-261-0220
Fax- 715-261-2752
SCHOOL SCHEDULE
IMPORTANT LINKS
Rib Mountain School Website: http://ribmountain.wausauschools.org/
Rib Mountain Parent Handbook: http:/click here
Health Forms: http://www.wausauschools.org/cms/one.aspx?pageId=3701117
Twitter: @WausauRibMtn
District Handbook: http:/Click here
E-Flyers: http://www.wausauschools.org/e-_flyers
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Message from Tammy Steckbauer (Principal)
Rib Mountain FAMILY Movie Night
Friday, March 10, 2017
6:00 pm- 8:30 pm
Would you like a fun and FREE family event for you and your family? How about planning to
attend a “MOVIE NIGHT” at Rib Mountain Elementary School on March 10?
Declan McCarthy, a former Rib Mountain Elementary School Mustang, is part of a local
leadership program from Wausau West High School. His group approached the school with an
idea for a service learning project that would better the Wausau community.
The idea is to host a family movie night at our school. The price of admission would be to bring
one non-perishable food item (if you are able) to be donated to the Salvation Army. Families
would be invited to bring along blankets and pillows, and enjoy a juice pouch or water and
freshly popped popcorn (compliments of Rib Mountain Elementary School) while watching a „“G”
rated movie in the gym. All students would need to attend the event with an adult
chaperone.
Feel free to come in PJ‟s and get comfortable. The theme of the night will be Wausau West so
represent with blue and gold!
Students were polled and offered up their top 3 favorite ideas for a great “G” rated movie to
show. Votes were tallied and the winning film will be Finding Nemo.
The front doors to the school will be open at 5:45 pm. Please enter through those doors to
drop off your non-perishable food item with one of the high school leaders, grab some popcorn
and a drink, and head down to the gym to find a spot for your family. The movie will be started
at 6:15 pm.
The event will end by 8:30 pm or as soon as the movie concludes.
QUESTIONS MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE SCHOOL OFFICE AT 715-261-0220.
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
Tammy Steckbauer, Principal
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Parent/Teacher Conferences
Have you scheduled your child's conferences yet??
Go online now at:
https://www.ptcfast.com/parentlogin.php
Enter the student code this information was sent home on
Friday, February 10th.
2017-2018 OPEN ENROLLMENT
The open enrollment application period for the 2017-2018 school year is from
February 6 - April 28, 2017 The application period closes at 4:00 PM on
April 28, 2017.
Late applications will NOT be accepted for any reason.
For more information
click here.
Parents may apply at: http://dpi.wi.gov/oe
SCHOOL SPIRIT DAYS
MARCH 3
MARCH 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 28
MAY 12
MAY 26
Please wear your "Mustang" shirt or red and white!
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PTO Minutes
PTO Meeting, Thursday February 9, 2017 (postponed from Tues. Feb. 7 due to snow day)
In attendance:
Stephanie Zingler, Roxi Denzine, Tamara Sillars, Rhonda Mathias, Jill Brillhart,
Ann Nygaard, Tammy Steckbauer
Meeting opened: 6:15 p.m.

Principal Report
o Tammy distributed two new handouts intended for parenting support, one from the
Behavioral Health Clinic regarding co-parenting, and one from 4K principal Kara
Rakowski regarding kids’ emotions. Both will be made available to Rib Mountain
families. Here is a link for more Parent Tips from Kara Rakowski: Parent Tips
o Decade Dance parent volunteer feedback has been good; student signed forms are
coming in. When students turn in their form, their name is entered in a raffle for 6
small prizes.
o High School student and Rib Mountain alum called and offered to organize a family
movie night as part of his leadership group’s community service project. Mar. 10
will be the date for this, 6 of their leaders will plan and run the event. Families can
attend together, bring pillows and blankets; water/juice/popcorn will be provided.
West students are willing to pop the popcorn, but will need coaching on using the
PTO popcorn machine. Admission is free with a donated food item.
o Tammy asked the PTO to consider what if any welcoming gestures can be done for
the 41 new students who will become Mustangs this fall due to the redistricting. It
was suggested that we give each new student a Rib Mountain drawstring bag with a
few goodies inside. It was brought up that it might be nice also to recognize the 36
outgoing Mustangs who will be leaving us after this year, perhaps at the end of the
year assembly.

Teacher Report
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
100th day of school is tomorrow!
PBIS Technology Celebration was very well-received (QR code scavenger hunt).
Next goal will center around playground guidelines.
Conferences are Mar. 2 and 6.
Vice President Report
o Roxi has read the PTO survey results as they came in. Many mixed results were
discussed. Rib Mt. families do not seem to want fundraisers where trinkets/gifts are
sold. Nor did the Fall Bazaar have overwhelming support. Mixed views on the need
for an electronic sign.
o The idea was given to have a display at the Decade Dance regarding the need for a
new electronic sign. Rhonda will type up something to this effect and get it to Roxi
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before the Dance. Different ideas about the funding of a sign (quotes at $10,000+)
were discussed. Wausau West funded theirs through donors.

Treasurers Report
o The check for the coupon books finally came through – around $3100 will be added
to our $5648.95 balance.
o Upcoming expenses are: $425 for the Decade Dance, Spring Fling, West
scholarships.
o Square Art fundraiser is coming up – a display with these items will also be at the
Decade Dance. Artwork needs to be done by Feb. 20, orders in by 3/20, and the
products will be delivered in April (in time for Mother’s Day).

Upcoming Events
o Decade Dance – raffle items still needed. Tamara will distribute a request letter for
PTO members to take around to local businesses. Tammy found a box of school
letterhead/envelopes for PTO members to have so they can print letters off at home.
o Book Fair – Books will be delivered 2/22 and picked up Mar 8 or 9. Book Fair will be
open 3:30 – 8 on both conference nights, and one afternoon for kids after school 3:30
– 4 (day to be determined by Denise Lang).
o Parent Teacher Conferences – Tamara will e-mail Carol Betancourt to get the ball
rolling on setting up volunteers to bring in teacher meals on conference days.
o Breakfast with Buddies – Tamara brought up the idea for students to have donuts
with a parent/guardian/friend one morning before school. Friday before Spring
Break was picked, Mar. 24 at 8:00 a.m.
o Spring Fling – The date of June 2 was chosen for Spring Fling – a later date than
usual, in order to space it out from the Art Fair in late May and to hopefully have
warmer weather. It was decided that the letters to Rib families requesting raffle
basket donations would go out in April, with a donation deadline of May 19 to give
enough time for volunteers to assemble the baskets before June 2. Tammy offered
to brainstorm the grade level basket themes.

Other
o Ann Nygaard gave another fundraiser idea, explaining how Applebee's does a
“Short Stack” breakfast option from 7:30 – 10:00 a.m. (Wausau West band doing this
now). Other restaurant fundraisers (Culvers, Texas Roadhouse) do the same, and
this is a good option to explore next year.
Meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.
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Disadvantages to our old,
manually-changed sign:
 Each time the sign is changed, a volunteer must spend 45 –
60 minutes changing it (choosing each letter of the new
message, putting them in order, unlocking the stubborn lock
on the very old sign casing, sliding out the old letters and
putting in the new) – often impeded greatly by snowdrifts
and ice encasing the letters that have frozen in place.
 Due to WI winter weather and the time it takes to change the
sign, information displayed is often past date, or not as
thorough in details/times/dates as it could be.
 The sign looks outdated, and does not project to the
community the forward-thinking, excellent instruction that is
indeed happening inside the building.
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Advantages to a new, electronic sign:
 If Rib Mountain had an electronic sign, the information
displayed could be changed in mere minutes and therefore kept
up-to-date daily, keeping parents much more informed of school
events.
 The sign could foster a unique sense of community in our Rib
Mountain Mustang family in a variety of ways:
o congratulations or messages given to various sports teams
or extra-curricular groups (“Good Luck today, Book Bowl
Team!”)
o Jokes or trivia questions given in the morning, with the
punch line or answer shown in the afternoon –
communicating that our school is a fun place to be!
o Perhaps recognizing staff members or fifth-graders’
birthdays as a special touch!
 The changing of an electronic sign would not be impeded by
weather, as our current one is.
 The sign would add a nice, modern aesthetic look to the front of
our school.
Electronic signs are very expensive, but will have a lasting impact on
Rib Mountain Elementary School’s future. It is the hope of the PTO
that we could see this happen soon! There will be new opportunities
coming soon for Rib Mountain families to get involved in making this
dream a reality!
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Dates to Remember
February
February 20th
February 22nd
February 23rd
February 24th
Puppeteer Visit (1:00 -1:45 PM) Gym
Cub Scouts Pack 453 (Blue & Gold Banquet) 6:00 -8:00 PM) Gym
Good News Club (7:50 - 8:25 AM) Music Room
Book Bowl Celebration (3:30 - 4:30 PM) Library
4th & 5th Grades @ Grand Theater (1:00 PM)
March
March 1, 8, 15, 22
March 2nd
March 6th
March 7th
March 9th
March 10th
March 13th
March 14th
March 16th
March 20th
March 22nd
March 23rd
March 24th
March 27 - 31
April 3rd
Good News Club (7:45 - 8:25 AM) Music Room
Conferences (4:00 - 7:30 PM)
Conferences (4:00 - 7:30 PM)
Stand for the Silent Meeting (3:30 - 4:30 PM) Library
PTO Meeting (6:15 PM) Library
Girl Scouts (Cookie Sort) (3:30 - 7:00 PM) Art Room
Daisy Troop 7406 Meeting (3:30 - 5:45 PM) Art Room
Family Movie Night (6:00 - 8:30 PM) Gym
3rd @ Grand Theater (1:00 PM)
Bear Den Meeting (5:30 - 7:00 PM) Art Room
Cub Scout Meeting Pack 453 (6:00 - 7:30 PM) Gym
Daisy Troop 7150 Meeting (3:30 - 5:00 PM) Art Room
Girl Scouts Troop 7181 Meeting (6:30 - 7:30 PM) Art Room
Brownie Troop 7031 Meeting (3;30 - 5:00 PM) Art Room
Cub Scouts Pack 453 Meeting (6:00 - 8:00 PM) Gym
Spring Pictures
5th Visit to John Muir (12:45 PM)
3rd Qtr Ends (11:30 Dismissal)
SPRING BREAK
Class resumes
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