Board recognizes New Berlin West Academic Decathlon; Elmwood Elementary highlights maker projects and new robotics plans

The Board of Education of the School District of New Berlin recognized the New Berlin West Academic Decathlon team for state and national performance and heard Elmwood Elementary staff and students present classroom projects and a proposal for a district LEGO robotics team.

Nicole Zasky, head coach of the New Berlin West Academic Decathlon team, told the board that the team won the Division 3 state championship in March and represented Wisconsin at the U.S. Academic Decathlon national competition in Des Moines, finishing 13th in Division 2. Coach Zasky said New Berlin West students earned 57 individual medals at state; senior captain Vivian Dinn earned two individual awards, was the team’s top scholar and was voted most valuable by teammates. Coach Zasky introduced the nine students on the final competition team and recognized their work over the season.

In a separate administrative report, Elmwood Elementary Principal Jamie Beal and Associate Principal Ryan Sams presented highlights of the year, focusing on hands‑on maker work and computer science projects. Sixth‑grade teacher Megan Wuerl brought students Tess Verbaten and Stella Strelo to describe a makerspace lunar lander project that tied to Women’s History Month and a coding project using Scratch. Students described building and testing lunar landers, using chomp saws purchased with grant funds from the Education Foundation, and coding Sphero robots to navigate obstacle courses.

Beal and Sams told the board they secured an Education Foundation grant to start a LEGO robotics team for grades 4 through 6 next year. They also described expanded use of Redbird and ALEKS in math instruction and small‑group interventions that led to 28 students meeting exit criteria from targeted interventions this year.

The board did not take action on either recognition or the Elmwood presentation; both were informational.