Brookfield/Elm Grove Monthly

Page 4A • Freeman Brookfield & Elm Grove JANUARY 2015 241927003 236555034 DOCTORS' Denture SYSTEMS Dr. Mark J. Kneepkens and his in-house lab have made over 18,000 dentures. 601 N. Grand Avenue Waukesha 262-542-6170 $ 100 OFF ANY NEW Denture or Partial* FREE CONSULTATION *must present coupon before treatment. One coupon per patient. GENERAL DENTISTRY • Cleaning • X-Rays • Fillings • Crowns • Extractions UPPER OR LOWER RELINE $295 REPAIRS Starting at $80 BEAUTIFUL CUSTOM DENTURES Starting at $695 18 Full-size Doors On Display, Our Installers Are Licensed & Bonded 16'x7', 25 Gauge...Non Insulated Steel $ 725 Lifetime Door Co. TRUCKLOAD SALE on Garage Doors & Door Openers Installed Tax Included $ 895 • Lifetime Warranty • Other Sizes Available • 2000 Garage Doors in Stock Special! - Take down and haul away old door for FREE! 16x7 SAVE $ 240 NOW Model 3265 ORDER A LIFTMASTER 1/2 HP GARAGE DOOR OPENER & GET 2 REMOTES & KEYPAD. $ 325 BONUS – DOOR SECURITY MONITOR While Supplies Last! Installed Tax Included • Two-Sided Pre-Finished Galvanized Steel • R-10 Insulated • 5 colors to choose from 12645 W. Townsend (2 blocks N. of Burleigh, enter off 124th St. only) Free Estimate 262-783-4004 Mon. - Fri. 7am-5pm • Sat. 8am-12pm www.lifetimedoor.net 2 4 1 8 8 9 0 0 7 Full Year Warranty, parts and service on installed operators. By Lauren Anderson Freeman Staff WAUKESHA — With a new state mandate requir- ing all juniors to take the ACT now in effect, the Waukesha School District will offer a course in hopes of better preparing stu- dents for the assessment. The Waukesha School Board recently approved a proposal to create a half- credit elective ACT prep course next year at Wauke- sha North, South and West high schools. District staff are recom- mending the course out of a "sense of urgency around making sure our kids are prepared for the ACT," Waukesha North High School Principal Jody Lan- dish told Curriculum and Instruction Committee members. This year, every public high school junior in Wis- consin will take the ACT exam, including a writing component and job skills assessment. For Waukesha North, the new requirement will mean an increase in participa- tion by nearly 40 percent among juniors. "North's ACT participa- tion rate over the last few years has been 62 percent and 63 percent, so having a participation rate of 100 percent will be a very new experience for us," Landish said. Offering a prep course would provide "equitable opportunities" for all stu- dents, she said. Currently, an ACT tutoring program held at Waukesha North costs $100. "This allows someone, anyone, to be able to take a course free and have credit for it at any time," Landish said. "So it just puts all kids at any grade level on an equal playing field." Science teacher Kirsten Wiesneski noted that stu- dents would still need to pay $26 for access to the online component of the prep course, which includes two practice tests and a diagnostic test. After students take an initial pre-assessment — which measures their per- formance in reading, writ- ing and science — teachers would tailor instruction to the needs of the class. The plan is to roll out the course at all three high schools next year but, Lan- dish said, Waukesha North would first pilot it in the evenings next semester. Committee member William Baumgart expressed some hesitation regarding the prep class, questioning whether the district should offer stu- dents credit for a course to prepare them for a test. Landish said there is a precedent for such a class, noting that Pewaukee High School offers a prep course similar to the proposal. District Superintendent Todd Gray supported the idea. "I think this is a great start to something we real- ly need to put in place," Gray said. "And now that all juniors are taking the ACT, I think it becomes a pretty important program for us." While Waukesha North's projected hike in ACT par- ticipation is higher than that of many area high schools, every school is preparing for an increase in its pool of students being tested next spring. The Elmbrook School District's high schools added a new opportunity this year to help students who might not ordinarily opt to take college entrance exams. Students who chose not to take the PSAT in the fall were instead offered a self-scored practice exam on the same day. "It allows them to see what test day feels like, and what the test looks like," said Emily Greiber, direc- tor of data and assessment for the district. It's an effort Greiber hopes will prepare students for the ACT test day this spring. "We don't want our stu- dents on Mar. 3 to have their first look at the test," she said. "So this way, hope- fully when the day arrives, they're really ready and can focus on the test." Elmbrook's high schools boast some of the highest participation rates in the area, with 86 percent of stu- dents taking the exam last year. "We're typically at about 85 percent or higher in the last five years," Greiber said. "We really encourage our students to participate and we have a focus on career and college readi- ness." "Still, we will be interest- ed to see what happens when that 15 percent that hasn't taken it partici- pates," she added. Pewaukee High School's participation rate was 87 percent for its class of 2014. In addition to an online prep course, Pewaukee High School offers content- specific ACT prep sessions in school and a practice ACT test for all juniors, Principal Marty Van Hulle said. Both Van Hulle and Greiber said the most effec- tive test preparation comes in the classroom, when instruction is centered on building critical thinking and problem solving skills — not just test-taking tips. "It's so tricky because you don't want to just teach students to the test," Greiber said. "Obviously, we want to prepare them for the skills and knowl- edge they will need to be successful beyond our doors. So we don't want the focus to be so much on test prep, but instead on the content and skills they'll need so that they can apply those skills when they need to." Email: landerson@conleynet.com By Matt Masterson Freeman Staff BROOKFIELD — Newly appointed Milwaukee Bucks President Peter Feigin said his team needs to become a magnet for the city, region and state, and new owners Mark Lasry and Wesley Edens are willing to spend the money needed to do so. Feigin was one of four regional participants in the Waukesha County Business Alliance's Key Industries Panel discussion Dec. 11 at the Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel. The former vice president of marketing for the New York Knicks was joined by Froedtert Health President & CEO Cathy Jacobson; Neal Glaesar, president of Denali Flavors Inc.; and EmbedTek LLC Chief Tom Fotsch in the 45-minute discussion. It focused on stimulating growth and prosperity in Waukesha County and south- eastern Wisconsin. Feigin — who became Bucks president in October — said he has both a short- and long-term agenda for turning the team into a worldwide brand. "We have to really provide best-in-class service," he said. "We have to provide best-in- class experience on the court and off the court. We have to make a reason for you to come to the area. We have to make a reason for you to watch on TV." He said there must also be a new arena, which he believes will be a catalyst for job devel- opment in the region. No concrete plans have been made for the arena, and finances for it remain up in the air. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walk- er, who gave the keynote speech at the event, told reporters he has spoken with state legislative leadership and there appears to be "some interest," in the new arena on their part, but only if it isn't paid for through a new sales tax. "We are certainly interest- ed," Walker said. "We think the Bucks are an important part, not only of Milwaukee's economy, but I think it is important to have a strong Milwaukee to have a strong Wisconsin." UWM poll re. financing arena A recent poll by the Univer- sity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee showed residents split over one financing option for the arena, which features tax dol- lars coming from the players themselves. The plan, which proposes to finance the arena with a $150 million bond backed by diverting income tax rev- enues paid to the state by Bucks athletes and employ- ees, evenly divides Wisconsin voters, with 47 percent opposed and 47 percent in favor. But supporters out- number opponents 52 to 44 percent within the seven- county metro Milwaukee region. Lasry and Edens have con- tributed $100 million to the project, as has former owner and recently-retired U.S. Sen- ator Herb Kohl. The Bucks have until 2017 to get con- struction underway on the arena, otherwise the NBA can buy back the team. Meanwhile, Feigin said the front office knows there is a two- to three-year window until a new arena will be ready. Therefore, the owners are focused on the team's cur- rent product and are attempt- ing to create an improved fan experience at the BMO Har- ris Bradley Center by pour- ing money into the team's current facilities to "make the most of the next few years." "That's in food service, game presentation, retail," Feigin said. "I think our own- ers have committed a tremen- dous amount of capital already to do what I call 'make fixes.' The people we bring back into the fold have to be content and happy, and know they are getting a good product at a great price." Walker said he has not yet attended a game this season, but his two sons have told him there is much more going on with the team this season — and not only on the court. Feigin remains confident that not only would an arena be built, but that it would help kickstart an even larger vision the team's front office has for the future. "They have global vision," he said of Edens and Lasry, "and it seems out of this world, but the city of Milwau- kee, the Milwaukee Bucks, the development of an enter- tainment center, the region of the five counties and the state of Wisconsin will be on the world map. We want to start that." www.nba.com/bucks www.waukesha.org Email: mmasterson@conleynet.com Area high schools gear up for new ACT exam requirement Submitted photo Neal Glaesar, president of Denali Flavors Inc., was one of four guest speakers last month at the Waukesha County Business Alliance's Key Industries Panel discussion in Brookfield. He was joined by EmbedTek COO Tom Fotsch, Froedtert Health President & CEO Cathy Jacobson and Mil- waukee Bucks President Peter Feigin. Walker, Bucks president Feigin speak at Business Alliance event Discuss possibility of new Milwaukee arena

• Cover