Becki Schmitz, a 7th grade English Language Arts teacher, and Bryan Fonferek, a 6th grade teacher, both from Silver Lake Intermediate, earned the teaching profession’s top credential by achieving their National Board Certification. They were recently honored at the Oconomowoc Area School District (OASD) School Board Meeting for earning their certifications from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).

The founding mission of the NBPTS is to advance the quality of teaching and learning. Recognized as the “gold standard” in teacher certification, the National Board believes higher standards for teachers mean better learning for students.  Earning the National Board Certification is no easy task. It can take up to three years to complete and includes four components that the educator must show mastery of, including content knowledge, differentiation in instruction, teaching practice and learning environment, and effective and reflective practitioner.

Silver Lake Intermediate School Principal Jill Marr celebrated their achievement by saying, “This is a significant accomplishment that demonstrates Becki and Bryan’s commitment to excellence in teaching.  They are both passionate about the content they teach and the students they serve. ”  She went on to highlight their work by saying, “Becki enjoys digging into standards and loves a good data dig to gauge student progress toward meeting those standards.  Bryan had to master all the math content through the high school level to earn his certification, which is impressive.  What’s even more impressive is that they both earned their certification while teaching and juggling their lives outside of school.”  Marr concluded her comments by adding, “Both of these amazing educators focus on creating a culture of learning and rapport each and every day with their students.  I am incredibly proud of both of them and look forward to their continued growth as educators and their impact with students. We are fortunate to have such talented and dedicated educators at Silver Lake and our district.”

Schmitz shared her motivation for attaining National Board Certification when she said, “I’ve been teaching for 15 years and wanted to pursue board certification to reinvigorate my work.  I thought the process would challenge me as an educator and allow me to reflect on my practice and find ways to improve.  Board certification took two years.  During that time, I was most challenged by the depth and detail of the content because the program is self-guided and requires you to teach yourself while also reflecting on your practices.  I sought help, and am grateful,  for my mentors within the district who helped me work through those challenges.” She went on to say, “The most rewarding part of the process was the times I collaborated with my students to feature their work in the components. They were always proud to see their growth and felt special for being featured.”

Fonferek reflected on his experience by saying, “The National Board process is rigorous and time-consuming, and at times, I felt like it was more than I could handle. However, this was time spent valuably. It has enhanced and honed my skills as an educator and allowed me to become a more reflective practitioner. I’m grateful for my colleagues and family for continuing to support and push me through this process.”

National Board Certification is a voluntary process; teachers who earn this advanced teaching credential are among the best qualified in the nation to improve instruction, raise student achievement, and improve teaching practices in their classrooms, schools, and districts.

The staff of the Oconomowoc Area School District and the  OASD School Board would like to congratulate Bryan Fonferek and Becki Schmitz for their outstanding achievement in education, earning their National Board Certifications!

The Oconomowoc Area School District (OASD) is pleased to announce the promotion of Sarah Lang from her role as the curriculum coordinator for the OASD to become the new Principal of Ixonia Elementary School.  Lang accepted the position last week and was formally approved by the OASD School Board at a special school board meeting on March 19.

Lang joined the OASD in 2009 as a 6th-grade teacher at Nature Hill Intermediate then shifted to the Greenland Elementary School team as a Reading Specialist.  She then transitioned to becoming the curriculum coordinator for the entire school district where she’s served for the last 11 years.  During her time as a curriculum coordinator, she also took on the additional responsibilities of serving as an Interim Associate Principal at Silver Lake Intermediate School, as the Principal of the Ocon Virtual Learning Community, and most recently as an Interim Co-Principal at Ixonia Elementary School.  Lang holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UW-Stevens Point, a master’s degree in literacy from Concordia University, and she completed the educational administration and leadership program at Concordia University.

Upon accepting the principal position, Mrs. Lang shared her excitement by saying, “I am honored to join the Ixonia Elementary School community as principal and am eager to collaborate and work alongside the students, staff, and families to build upon the already strong foundation. Over the last two months as an interim co-principal, I have been overwhelmingly impressed by the Ixonia community’s commitment to fostering a vibrant learning environment where all students can grow and thrive.”

In announcing Lang’s new role, OASD Superintendent Mike Sereno said, “Sarah has had a tremendous impact on our school district in her role as a curriculum and instruction coordinator, and she is uniquely equipped to lead Ixonia Elementary School.  I am excited for the Ixonia community as they continue on our journey to becoming an unrivaled learning community under Sarah's guidance.”

Mrs. Lang will formally begin her new role on March 31, 2025.

In 2022, the Oconomowoc Area School District began the process of obtaining StormReady Supporters certification through the National Weather Service (NWS).  StormReady Supporters are organizations, businesses, facilities, or local government entities actively engaged in weather safety and preparedness.

A StormReady Supporter School promotes the principles and guidelines of the StormReady program in its severe weather safety and awareness plans. A team made up of school safety officials and the local NWS review the safety and awareness plan and track the completion of StormReady guidelines. The team works together to enhance the safety plan and ensure the school or district participates in awareness programs and drills.

With the support of Mark McGinnis of Fair Skies Consulting and Tim Halbach of the National Weather Service, the OASD began to audit, analyze, and improve our severe weather safety plans and shelter locations. This began with several site visits at each school to survey the existing storm shelter locations and weather safety plans.  Some school storm shelter locations were added or relocated and all schools were able to practice their severe weather drills with these locations in fall.

With these enhancements to our safety plans, OASD satisfies the NWS requirements for the StormReady Supporter School certification.  Learn more about the StormReady program at www.weather.gov/stormready.

Pictured: James Wood, OASD School Board President, Greg Maroo, OASD Director of Buildings and Grounds, Tim Halbach, National Weather Service, Mark McGinnis, Fair Skies Consulting, Mike Sereno, OASD Superintendent