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District highlights donations, launches One District One Book and outlines oral‑language focus in school improvement plan
Summary
Administrators told the Port Washington‑Saukville board on Feb. 24 that Milwaukee Tool donated $42,433 for technical education and Riot Games provided 10 gaming monitors, the district will launch One District, One Book in March, and Sockfield Elementary outlined a reading improvement plan focused on oral language.
During the Feb. 24 Port Washington‑Saukville School District board meeting administrators reported recent donations and described school programs and a reading‑focused continuous improvement plan.
Donations and recognition Superintendent Michael McMahon thanked Milwaukee Tool Corporation for a $42,433 donation to the district’s technical education program to update instructional equipment. He also reported that Riot Games — contacted via a district alumnus — donated 10 gaming monitors (reported value $500 each) to support the district eSports program; administrators said teams were using the equipment in upcoming state competitions. The donations will be publicly acknowledged and thanked by the district.
Community programs and events McMahon announced the district launch of “One District, One Book” starting the first Friday after the meeting: all elementary families will receive a copy of The World According to Humphrey and district staff and local partners will provide read‑alouds and activities during March. The district also reminded families about an on‑campus annual blood drive on March 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., open to students 16 and older, staff and the public.
School presentation: Storybook Theater Staff from Sockfield Elementary — Kala Piantek (physical education), Becky Grover (art) and Katie Martinez (music) — presented highlights from Storybook Theater, a multi‑generational program at Sockfield since 1991. The program involves roughly 80 second‑through‑fourth‑grade students who rehearse multiple times per week; the school invited the public to performances of “We Are Monsters” on Friday, Feb. 28, at 1:15 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. in the high school PAC.
Continuous improvement: reading and oral language Sockfield’s principal summarized the building’s school learning objective: 80 percent of students will show a year’s growth in reading from fall 2024 to spring 2025 as measured by the i‑Ready diagnostic. The school described a district‑supported focus on the science of reading (Act 20 implementation) and identified oral language (vocabulary, syntax, listening and speaking) as a foundational component for reading comprehension.
To support that objective the school has implemented instructional walkthroughs calibrated to two prioritized indicators: evidence of planning for oral‑language activities that promote deep reading, and teacher use and encouragement of complex syntax. The building leadership team (BLT) will perform rotating walkthroughs on a five‑week cycle through spring break and conduct a second cycle April 14–May 19; data from the walk‑through tool will guide targeted professional development and grade‑level coaching. Teachers completed a self‑assessment to identify areas for growth, and administrators described plans to share building‑level findings with staff after data analysis.
Why it matters: The donations support vocational and extracurricular pathways; the One District, One Book program is a community literacy initiative; and the school’s focus on oral language aligns with statewide reading legislation and the district’s stated reading growth target.
Sources: Superintendent’s donation report, Sockfield Elementary presentation and Q&A during the Feb. 24 board meeting.
