Plymouth School District Report Card

o ACT indicates that our seniors are prepared for college at a higher rate than the state average, with a composite average of 22 for college-bound students.

o More than 80 college credits are available to PHS students during the 2022-23 school year.

o Members of the Class of 2021 graduated PHS with 9.25 college credits on average.

o The Class of 2022 earned a total of $1.5 million in scholarships.

o Three 2020 Plymouth High School graduates formed the student panel for a LAB Midwest Webinar Wednesday program on the topic of “Tech Ed Gives University Students a Competitive Edge.”

o PHS follows a Laude system similar to that used by many universities. The levels are, in order of increasing rigor, Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Summa Cum Laude.

o PHS has added 16 cum laude classes since the 2014-15 school year, including Accelerated Area Studies, Accelerated Citizenship, Advanced Art, Music Theory, and Statistics.

o Kyle Kraus, 2019 National Merit Finalist
o Dallas Kreisa, 2019 National Merit Finalist
o Alexander Oty, 2019 National Merit Finalist
o John Nugent, 2019 National Merit Commended Student
o Gwen Nytes, 2017 National Merit Commended Student
o Cooper Ebbott, Zach Holden and Mark Novak, 2014 National Merit Commended Students
o Rebecca Ebbott, 2013 National Merit Semifinalist
o Charlie Martin, 2012 National Merit Finalist

o PHS students earned 23 industry-based certifications (Certified Nursing Assistant, Microsoft Office Specialist, etc.) during the 2021-22 school year.
- PHS students have earned 126 certifications since the 2014-15 school year.

o 42 PHS students had Youth Apprenticeships and other work-based experiences during the 2021-22 school year.

o We plan to address multiple factors that will result in higher scores in the category of “college readiness,” as scored by the American College Testing Program (ACT).

o We plan to develop achievement/learning measures of student success at the elementary and middle-school levels.

o 116 of our 173 teachers -- or 66% -- hold master's degrees.

o 61 Plymouth School District educators have received master’s degrees from UW-Green Bay, thanks to an innovative partnership that provides the district with a unique in-house master's degree program.

o Rather than purchasing boxed curriculum from national corporations, we invest time and resources that allow our staff to create and develop meaningful curriculum that meets the needs of our students.

o Explore the Plymouth School District Curriculum.

o Nourish Good Food Champion 2022: Caren Johnson, Food Service director
o Kohl Teacher Fellow 2022: PHS agriculture teacher Tracy Heinbuch
o Plymouth Education Foundation Spirit of Innovation, Leadership, and Service Award 2021: Riverview teacher Tyler Gruett
o Wisconsin Global Educator of the Year 2019-20: PHS Spanish teacher Laura Koebel
o Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association Service Award 2019: District technology coordinator Mike Briggs
o Spirit of Innovation, Leadership and Service Award from Plymouth Education Foundation 2018: PHS world languages teacher Laura Koebel
o Academic and Career Planning Award from Lakeshore Technical College 2018: PHS technology education instructor Jake Sherman
o Vision of Education Award from UW-Green Bay 2018: Plymouth School District
o Wisconsin School Public Relations Association Award of Excellence 2017: District Report Card
o Wisconsin Technology Education Association Technology Special Recognition Award 2017: Plymouth High School Principal Jennifer Rauscher
o Lakeshore Technical College Top Tech Award 2017: Plymouth High School business teacher June Winkel
o Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association Service Award 2017: Plymouth High School Coach Scott Richards
o Pioneer Athletics Fields of Excellence Award 2016 and 2017: Head groundskeeper Ryan Rusch for three PHS fields
o NorthEast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance Tech Ed Teacher of the Year 2015: Greg Gritt
o Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce Golden Apple Award 2015: Plymouth School District
o NorthEast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance Education Innovation Award 2014: Plymouth High School
o Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce Golden Apple Award 2013: PHS teachers Greg Gritt and Jake Sherman

o National Board-certified teachers:
Heather Thompson

o Invited to present at professional conferences:
Amy Bogenschuetz
Anne Gamoke
Megan Hummitzsch
Victoria Lamb

o Dena Budrecki, for UW-Green Bay
o Amy Bogenschuetz, for UW-Green Bay
o Dave Coley, for Lakeland University
o Jack Daniels, for Lakeshore Technical College
o Todd Hunt, for UW-Green Bay
o Amy Kolpin, for UW-Oshkosh
o Connie Lund, for Lakeshore Technical College
o Dan Mella, for UW-Green Bay
o Billie Rau, for Concordia University
o Kay Tharp, for UW-Green Bay

o This state-of-the-art facility allows PHS students to gain experience with all phases of the design process, taking projects from conception to completion.

o Facility highlights include CNC mills, a CNC router, a CNC plasma cutter, 3-D printers, an industrial robot, a welding training facility, engineering/CAD Labs, laser engravers, and an automotive lab with hydraulic hoists.

o The facility has received strong support from the business community:
-- The Kohler Foundation donated $65,000 to launch a robotics and automation program.
-- The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation has awarded Plymouth High School a $25,000 Fab Lab grant to help fund a high-tech router.
-- Sargento donated a high-speed packaging machine and a laser engraver.

o Learn more about this innovative facility, which serves students in engineering classes as well as those learning skilled trades, LTC students and community members.

o This modern research facility better provides students and community members with skills needed by key local industries.

o Facility highlights include a 30-by-90-foot greenhouse, a 30-by-80-foot attached classroom with 6 state-of-the-art lab stations, hydroponics (where plants are grown in water), aquaponics (a growing system with fish and plants), and refractometers (which measure sugar levels in produce).

o Learn more about this innovative facility, which serves students in seven academic disciplines.

o We were the first district in the area to offer nationally recognized Project Lead the Way engineering courses, which feature a hands-on, project-based and problem-based approach that adds rigor to traditional technical programs and relevance to traditional academics.
o Our PLTW-certified program has an “exemplary school” designation. All PHS classes carry credit from either the Milwaukee School of Engineering or UW-Green Bay.
o We offer seven Project Lead the Way courses at the middle and high school levels, taught by science and technology education teachers.

o PHS Technology Education and Engineering Club activities include:
- Formula High School
- High Mileage Vehicle
- Project G.R.I.L.L.
- Beat the Heat
- Manufacturing Job Co-Op

o Riverview Middle School added a high-tech laser engraver, thanks in large part to a grant from the Plymouth Education Foundation.

o Plymouth was one of the models used by the DPI for its Global Scholars Program, which requires 4 credits in one world language; 4 credits in courses with global content; reflections on 8 books with global content or up to 4 reflections on art, music, or film; participation in schoolwide global activities; and at least 20 hours of global service learning.

o 13 PHS students have earned the Certificate of Global Competence or its predecessor, the Wisconsin Global Education Achievement Certificate, since its inception in 2014.

o In-person students seeking classes not offered at Plymouth High School can take courses through Wisconsin Virtual School.

o The district prizes its Summer School program as an excellent opportunity for students to keep learning through the summer, with 75-80 classes offered each summer.

o All students have access to a technology device to enhance their learning.
o Plymouth High School has offered a laptop computer to every student since 2011.

o Soft skills are non-academic skills that increasingly are seen as valuable by employers, college admissions officials and scholarship award committees. Plymouth focuses on these three: collaboration, respect and work habits.

o Learn more about our soft-skills evaluation, including a list of student employers who support the initiative and have agreed to ask applicants for their soft-skill scores.

o PHS student travel opportunities include regular trips to Germany and Costa Rica; plus recent trips to Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Spain, Mexico, and Botswana.
o An anonymous donor gave $25,000 to launch a World Language Travel Scholarship for PHS students going on school-sponsored trips.

o PHS enjoys regular visits by students from Germany, Colombia, and Thailand, as well as a very active AFS program.

o Since 2016, 37 Plymouth High School students have been awarded Global Navigator Scholarships from the Council on International Educational Exchange for summer travel abroad.

o 76% of PHS students earned college credits during the 2021-22 school year.
o PHS students earned dual credits (high school and college simultaneously) 940 times during the 2021-22 school year.

o 79 percent of our graduates go on to higher education.

o Plymouth High School inducts new members into its Alumni Hall of Fame each year.
o 2022 Hall of Fame inductees: Keith Abler and Scott Richards
o 2021 Hall of Fame inductees: Ed Brinkman and David Peters
o 2020 Hall of Fame inductee: Chuck Schumacher
o 2019 Hall of Fame inductees: Stan Struve and April Doebert-Fischer
o 2018 Hall of Fame inductees: Ralph C. Stayer and Allen Nohl
o 2017 Hall of Fame inductees: Gary Gritt, Joel Dudley, Beau Hoopman.
o 2016 Hall of Fame inductees: Dar Blanke, Thomas Kestell, Lisa (Peplinski) Jaster.
o 2015 Hall of Fame inductees: Gilbert G. Gilman, Roger Boeckmann, Sharon (Blanke) Chappy.
o 2014 Hall of Fame inductees: Luther F. Schriefer, David G. Wacker, Joan Vorpagel.
o 2013 Hall of Fame inductees: James Hemauer, Nancy Blick Jusky, Bill Miller.
o 2012 Hall of Fame inductees: Lou Gentine, Wayne Huberty, Laura Schwartz.
o 2011 Hall of Fame inductees: Anthony Evers, Philip Krueger, Barbara (Koehler) Lavallee, Kathryn Schilling.
o 2010 Hall of Fame inductees: Carol Edler Baumann, Kazuhiko Maekawa, Timm A Zimmermann.

o 2022 Army ROTC - Mason Brill-Meerdink
o 2019 West Point appointment - Max Hassel
o 2019 admittance to The Citadel - Wilhelm Birkholz
o 2017 West Point appointment - Kalei Hering
o 2016 Air Force Academy appointment - Ryan Holec
o 2016 US Navy ROTC - Abigail Nicholson
o 2015 US Navy ROTC - Izack Ohman
o 2012 US Army ROTC - Dustin Schulz
o 2011 US Naval Academy appointment - Lukas Ohman
o 2010 US Naval Academy appointment - Greg Poser
o 2009 US Naval Academy appointment - Logan Roy
o 2005 US Naval Academy appointment - Marshall Witkowski

o Admiral Luther F. Schriefer – Class of 1955 - went from PHS homecoming king to a 37-year Navy career. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy, the Naval War College, and received a master’s in international affairs from George Washington University. He was trained as a carrier-based pilot, and served two tours in Vietnam. Over the course of his long Navy career, he was promoted to various command posts – including an aviation squadron, two carrier air-wings, an anti-submarine warfare wing and two naval ships. Admiral Schriefer spent 23 of his 37 years in sea assignments. In his last naval position, he commanded the San Diego Naval Base, which included two air bases, a submarine base and a naval station. After retiring from the Navy, Admiral Schriefer held a variety of high-level positions for the U.S. Defense Department.

o Lisa Peplinski - Class of 1996 - was accepted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. She graduated with a degree in civil engineering, and, as an officer, was deployed in both Afghanistan and Iraq in 2002-2003. She stepped down from active duty in 2007, but returned to the Army in 2012 as a reservist, and three years later made national history by becoming one of the first three female graduates of the Army’s Ranger Program.

o PEP Talks (short for Plymouth Educational Plan Talk) are meetings between a counselor, a student and his or her parents or guardians, held during the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 8th, 9th and 11th grades. The focus of the talk varies somewhat with the student's age, moving from focusing on individual strengths in the lower grades to career exploration in the middle grades to career preparation in high school. But the emphasis is always on each student's talents and plans for the future.

o Each fall, students are encouraged to Plan Your Future through a week of engaging activities to reinforce the district vision that all students graduate with a plan.

o Students find your passion, shape your path through our Academic and Career Planning.
o Students also develop a plan for their futures using Xello.

o We plan to incorporate data demonstrating post-secondary persistence and beyond.

o Students involved in extracurriculars have an average GPA of 3.14, eight-tenths of a point higher than non-participants.

o 68 percent of PHS students were involved in at least two extracurricular activities during the 2021-22 school year.

o With the addition of Girls Golf in 2021 and Girls Hockey in the future, Plymouth High School supports 22 WIAA athletic teams.

o Plymouth High School currently offers 54 academic and service extracurricular teams and clubs.

o Riverview Middle School students can participate in 31 academic clubs and athletic opportunities.

o Fairview: Building Club
o Horizon: Cross Country Ski Club, Garden Club, Knitting Club, Number Ninjas
o Parkview: Girls Run Club, LEGO League Jr.

o State titles:
- Wrestling: Silas Dailey at 170 pounds, 2023

o In the past 10 years, PHS has produced:
- 56 Conference Champs
- 17 Regional Champs
- 9 Sectional Champs
- 10 Team State Qualifiers

o The PHS Varsity Dance Team took first in Division 2 Hip Hop at the 2020 Eastern Division Regionals and fourth at the State Dance Championships, sponsored by the Wisconsin Association of Cheer/Pom Coaches.

o Business
- PHS inducts members into its chapter of the National Business Honor Society each spring.
- PHS Future Business Leaders of America placed second at regionals in 2021, as 46 students qualified for state competition in 26 different events, with 4 events advancing to national competition.

o Culinary Arts
- Five of the eight finalists in the 2022 Fox Valley Technical College Ultimate Burger Challenge were from Plymouth High School.
- PHS had two finalist teams in the 2021 Whipping Up Wellness Student Chef Competition, one of which was named state champion.
- A PHS team placed second among 18 teams at the 2020 State ProStart Competition held at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee.

o FFA
- A PHS team took first in the 2021 Wisconsin Meats CDE and advanced to Nationals.
- A PHS team placed second in the 2020 National FFA Agriscience Fair for their work on “The Effects of Adding Hydrogen Peroxide to a Water Culture Hydroponic System to Grow Lettuce.”
- Eleven PHS students earned American Degrees - the highest honor FFA bestows upon members - since 2020.
- The PHS Horse Evaluation Team took first place at the 2019 state FFA Career Development Event competition and 13th at Nationals.

o Other PHS successes
- Quit-Qui-Oc, the Plymouth High School yearbook, has been named a Jostens’ National Yearbook Program of Excellence in 2019 and 2022.
- The PHS Forensics Team earned 12 awards in 2022 state competitions and claimed the conference title in 2019, 2020, and 2022.
- The Plymouth Equestrian Team was named Grand Champion in Division B at the 2021 Wisconsin Interscholastic Horsemanship Association State Show. This is the third time in a row that Plymouth has won its regional competition and advanced to state.
- A Plymouth High School team took first or second at the 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 Lakeland University High School Math Meets.
- Four members of the Math Team earned medals in the 2021 State Math Meet sponsored by the Wisconsin Mathematics Council.
- The Plymouth High School student newspaper, Hi-Lights, received a 2020 Red Ribbon and 19 additional awards from the Northeast Wisconsin Scholastic Press Association.

o Elementary successes
- A team of students from Horizon Elementary School took 11th place in the 2022 Wisconsin Battle of the Books, earning a spot in the Honors Club.

o PHS varsity coaches average 20 years of coaching experience; freshmen and JV coaches average 9 years.

o 65 percent of PHS coaches are current or retired teachers.

o Our schools and Community Education & Recreation program offer a wide range of activities for youth and families.

o We collaborate with the City of Plymouth and many community partners on the Plymouth-Area Info Hub, a website (and companion Facebook page) that strives to be the go-to source for information about Plymouth-area recreation and family-friendly activities.

o We are working to increase the number of district-based extracurricular opportunities at the elementary level.

o We won’t be satisfied until we have all students involved in at least one extracurricular.

o We will continue our initiative to become the hub of community activities.

o Elementary school winter concerts
o Elementary school spring concerts
o Horizon Talent Show
o Riverview Musical
o Riverview Band
o Riverview Choir
o Riverview Show Choir
o PHS Concert Band
o PHS Symphonic Band
o PHS Jazz Ensemble
o PHS Wind Ensemble
o PHS Concert Choir
o PHS Mixed Choir
o PHS Treble Ensemble
o PHS Show Choir (Momentum)
o Mistletones (Holiday Acapella Group)
o PHS Improv Comedy Shows
o PHS One-Act Play
o PHS Fall Play
o PHS Spring Musical
o PHS Musical Pit Band
o PHS Drama Classes
o PHS German Band
o PHS Marching Band
o Solo and Ensemble competitions
o Summer School performances

o Student travel opportunities include alternating band trips to Disney World and chorus trips to New York.

o Plymouth High School had 49% of students enrolled in at least one arts class in 2020-21.
o All Riverview Middle School students take an arts class.

Solo & Ensemble
o PHS students earned medals in 131 events and Riverview Middle School students another 15 at the Wisconsin School Music Association-sanctioned district musical festival, qualifying 38 events for the 2022 State Solo & Ensemble.
o PHS qualified 114 events to the 2020 State Solo & Ensemble, among the highest representations from a single school and tying a school record.

o State music honors
- Five students represented the Plymouth School District in the 2021 State Honors Music Project.
- Eight Riverview Middle School students participated in the 2021 Wisconsin Choral Directors Association All-State Choir.

o Band honors
- Riverview Middle School seventh- and eighth-grade bands were selected to perform the National Anthem at the Milwaukee Brewers baseball game June 9, 2022 at American Family Field.

o Drama honors
- PHS One-Act garnered 6 state awards for its 2022 one-act play: Outstanding Ensemble, All-State, Outstanding Director, Outstanding Technical Theatre, and two Outstanding Actor Awards.

o Visual arts honors
- The works of Plymouth High School students were included in the 2021 and 2022 “The Big Idea” shows at the Latino Arts gallery in Milwaukee.

o Only high-school German Band in the United States

o Only area school participating in the ComedySportz High School League, the PHS Jolly Pranksters

o We plan to elevate the impact of our visual arts program so that it is on par with our performing arts offerings.

o We are expanding into the technical side of arts, creating opportunities for student experience with music and stage composition and production.

o ... and now a garden house on site filled with tools, and a garden coordinator to offer guidance to students and community members.

o Horizon planted its first Golden Garden in 2009.

o Plymouth High School, which has long had a greenhouse, added a garden in 2012 and the Food Science & Agriculture Center in 2015.

o The Riverview/Youth Center garden has been growing since 2013.

o Parkview installed its first two garden boxes in 2015, then fourth-graders added six more in 2016, and a seventh was added as an Eagle Scout project.

Parkview added its Secret Garden in 2021, thanks to a Plymouth Education Foundation grant and the efforts of Plymouth High School technology education classes.
o Fairview created a garden area with six raised boxes and a long row in 2016.

o Regular participant in farm-to-school events, including Apple Crunch Day

o Mulberry Bush: For children 6 weeks until they enter 4K; open 6:30am to 5:30pm Monday through Friday year round; located at Horizon Elementary School.

o Berry Branch: For 4K and 5K students; open before and after school from 6am to 6pm weekdays and during the summer; located at the elementary schools.

o Extra Mile: For students in 1st through 4th grades; open before and after school from 6am to 6pm weekdays and during the summer; located at the elementary schools.

o Youth Center: For students in grades 5-8; open after school until 5 p.m. with at least one adult present at all times.

o Community Ed & Rec offers more than 100 fitness & wellness opportunities each year. Learn more about current opportunities.

o Community members can get exercise at PHS by walking the halls and/or indoor track or by joining the Fitness Center.

o The Wellness Council of America and Wellness Council of Wisconsin awarded the Plymouth School District a Gold Well Workplace Award, recognizing the district as one of “America’s Healthiest Companies.”
o We especially were praised for:
-Collecting Meaningful Data
-Crafting an Operating Plan
-Evaluation, Communication, Celebration & Iteration
-Committed & Aligned Leadership
-Collaboration in Support of Wellness

o In 2019, our schools were the first in the county to achieve the Heart Safe designation, which indicates to the public that the school’s staff is trained and prepared to respond to a cardiac emergency. The current 3-year designation is good through Jan. 24, 2025.
o More than 100 of our faculty, staff, and coaches are certified in CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

o We plan to extend our farm-to-school initiatives and our homemade meals further into the elementary level.

o We want to see continued impact from our staff wellness program, as we explore new initiatives for keeping our employees healthy.

o Our teachers belong to at least 51 community organizations.

o Nearly half of our teachers are involved in at least one community organization.

o About two dozen teachers have leadership roles in community organizations.

o Parents, grandparents and other community members are encouraged to volunteer their time in Plymouth schools, either on an ongoing basis or for a one-time event.

o Hundreds of special guests visit our classrooms each year to share their expertise and enthusiasm with our students.

o For years, Plymouth Lions Club volunteers have put in countless hours to screen Plymouth students for vision problems.

o Entire district helps:
- All five schools embraced the Cereal Box Domino Kindness Chain Reaction Challenge, collecting about 800 boxes of cereal for the Plymouth Food Pantry in February 2023.
- Our schools, staff, students, and families take time during the holiday season to help others.
- Plymouth students help Project Angel Hugs in various ways, including making dozens of valentines, hosting a toy drive at Riverview, and a team competition at the Highway 23 Basketball Tournament.

o Each year, Plymouth High School hosts:
- A Homecoming Celebration, with many events open to the public
- A Veterans Day program for the public
- Panther Greenhouse Plant Sale, featuring student-grown plants for sale to the public
- Blood Drives, organized by the PHS Student Council and conducted by the Red Cross.

o Other ways Plymouth High School students give back to the community:
- Beginning with the Class of 2026, students must complete 25 hours of community service during their high school careers in order to graduate.
- The PHS Building Construction class worked with local contractor Buteyn-Peterson Construction Co. to replace the riding arena at the Wade House Historic Site.
- The PHS Elements of Construction class builds projects for community members.
- AFS students studying at PHS share presentations about their home countrieswith the public.
- The PHS Pi Day celebration annually raises thousands for others while honoring a key mathematical concept.
- PHS students helped build a Habitat for Humanity house in Plymouth.

o Riverview gives back:
- The public is welcome to use the disc golf course on school grounds.

o Elementary schools help:
- The Parkview Bird Club hosts an annual World Migratory Bird Day observance, which helps maintain Plymouth's Bird City designation.
- All elementary schools collect used markers for the Crayola ColorCycle recycling program.

o Kohler Co. sponsors Lego League, encourages job shadowing, hosts high school interns, offers STEM tours, and donated a $65,000 robot to Plymouth High School. Company employees also demonstrate problem-solving methodology for the capstone engineering class at PHS and support the school's Formula High school efforts.

o Sargento has donated a high-speed packaging machine and a laser engraver to the LTC-Plymouth Science & Technology Center at PHS.

o Curt Joa, a manufacturer based in nearby Sheboygan Falls, offers instructors summer employment to help them gain better insights into what is expected of students going into industry. The company also has provided students with industry blueprints and parts, as well as tours of its manufacturing facility.

o The Food Science & Agriculture Center is testing hydroponic foam for Plymouth Foam.

o The Science & Technology Center used its 3-D printer to print parts for TruNorth, which in turn brought a portable FARO Arm to show students how the coordinate-measuring device provides highly accurate measurements and quick reverse engineering.

o 61 teachers have earned master's degrees thanks to an in-house program created in partnership with UW-Green Bay.

o Plymouth High School has agreements with numerous colleges -- including the Milwaukee School of Engineering, Lakeland University and Lakeshore Technical College -- to offer college credit to PHS students.

o At least 3,151 individuals of all ages participated in Community Ed & Rec programs during the 2021-22 school year.

o Community Ed & Rec partners with the Plymouth Public Library on the One Book One Community - the Plymouth Chapter Community Book Read each year.

o We want to broaden our connections to more individuals and organizations throughout our community.