District Administrator Michelle Meronk, Ed. D., MBA
District News and Updates
Announcements
Superintendent Message
From our Superintendent, Michelle Meronk, Ed. D., MBA:
To our Palmyra-Eagle Area Staff, Parents, Students and Community members. As many of you are aware, DPI released “Education Forward” on June 22nd, with guidelines for school districts to use as we plan our return to school in the fall. We want to assure you that we are in full stages of planning and reviewing the document as we come to a decision for how school will begin in the fall. We plan to make the best decisions for our students and staff in regards to health and safety while still ensuring they receive a high quality education.
2020/21 School Calendars
The calendar for 2020-21 school year has been set. Click the links for the Family Calendar and the Calendar at a Glance.
Please join us any of the following dates, for more information on our new 4K program taking place in the fall! July 9th, July 23rd and August 6th, from 6-7 p.m. These will take place at Eagle Elementary, and please contact our new Principal, Katie Robertson with any questions regarding this event.
Announcing Our New Public Relations Coordinator
Palmyra Eagle Area School District would like to announce the new Public Relations Coordinator, Caitlin Kirchner. Kirchner grew up in our district, from Kindergarten at Eagle Elementary,until she graduated from high school. She is receiving her degree from UW-Whitewater in the fall with a degree in Interpersonal Communication and a minor in Journalism.
Kirchner keeps busy with her husband and three children and enjoys reading and true crime podcasts in her free time. She is excited to be back where she went to school and to help promote the district and everything it has to offer. Palmyra-Eagle has so many positive things going on now for our students and our community and we are here to stay! People need to be aware of the awesome opportunities for all students pre-k through 12 and the extra added value that a small rural district like ours can provide. Caitlin will be quite busy getting the good news out as much as possible! The school board and administration feel very fortunate to have Caitlin come alongside us and help with our efforts to make district changes and improvements known.
New EES Principal
Palmyra Eagle Area School District would like to announce the new Principal of Eagle Elementary, Katie Robertson, starting July 1st. Robertson is a UWM grad who has spent nearly 14 years working in classrooms from PreK-8th grade. A kindergarten teacher at heart, she considers becoming a principal an amazing opportunity to serve a school community.
Robertson lives in Burlington with her 4 year old son, Zachary. She enjoys being outdoors and plays six different instruments. She is thrilled, honored, and excited to be joining the Palmyra Eagle Area School District. Robertson believes that "We learn from ourselves, from others, from our mistakes and from our successes!” Her progressively increasing administrative experiences working with teachers as an instructional coach, curriculum leader and dean of students have allowed her to develop the necessary expertise and relationship-building skills that it takes to become an effective educational leader. She fully believes that all students can learn, and deserve a great place to learn, with great teachers, great staff, great programs and great attitudes!She says this is going to be an exciting year filled with new challenges and she can't wait to meet all of the students, families and community members.
A Message from PEASD
The NEW Solution, no dissolution, PEASD is here to stay!
After watching PEASD go through one of the toughest school years I can possibly imagine; from the dissolution process, to the loss of some beloved long term staff, to the Covid19 impact, they survived. The students, staff and community have been put through a horrendous experience. They have weathered it all and the majority have stayed loyal and hopeful for the future.
It is with confidence that I proclaim that the school district has made a variety of changes and are in a position to not only operate fully for the 20-21 school year, but the picture is very positive for years to come. While financial adjustments have taken place, (none bigger than teacher salary reductions) no services nor programs impacting students have been eliminated. In fact, the curriculum has expanded to better meet the needs of students as well as families and the community as a whole.
From the addition of wrap-around care and the choice of all-day or half day 4K instruction to the drastic expansion of course selection offerings to the high school, our students will be better served. With the closure of Palmyra Elementary we now will return to a two track offering in Eagle Elementary while retaining the advantage of small class sizes. With the 6th grade moving to the middle school, they will remain in a two section setting but gain the expanded offerings of elective experiences.
The surrounding districts are all larger than PEASD, but none will prove to be more personal, nurturing or responsive to the needs of our students. Palmyra-Eagle does have a rich history not ignoring some bumps in the road to where we are today. The new leadership of District Administrator Michelle Meronk, along with her team of Kari Timm, Katie Robertson and Alfredo Balmaseda are assembling a forward thinking teacher pool that will take the district to new heights. The school board with some returning veterans from golden years, coupled with the creative and passionate new blood, fought to save the district, and now will insure the future.
For those who chose to open enroll out, you may want to take a second look at what you have left behind. Bigger is not always better. It is just different. While there will still be people who want to pronounce the end of PEASD, they will soon discover that this unique little school district continues to have shining stars in its hallways and beyond. Purple Pride is back and here to stay.
Jeff Tortomasi
Consultant for Palmyra-Eagle Area School District
Introducing Alfredo Balmaseda
Palmyra-Eagle Area School District would like to announce the new Business Manager, Alfredo Balmaseda, who began on May 18th. Balmaseda was born in Mexico City, but has lived all over. He lived in Illinois before moving to Wisconsin six years ago. He has a Bachelor’s in Business, specializing in finance. From there he received his M.P.A., his M.B.A., and finally his M.S.B.A.
Balmaseda comes to the district after working in banking, for non-profits, industries, for the government and for schools. He was a teacher for seven years, and a financial manager for 17. He has managed financial information for over 12 countries.
He has been away from teaching for seven years, and is excited to be back in a school district setting. He feels a strong commitment to the community, and to the students. Balmaseda feels empathy towards those who are in need, and believes that when communities work together it leads to health and wealth for everyone involved. He states that “Best thing you can do for your community is to support your school district.“With an extensive background in both finances and education, the Palmyra-Eagle Area School District believes that Balmaseda will be a great asset to us, and can help move our district forward not only in the next few years, but well into the future for the hundreds of students we can continue to serve. Balmaseda has the confidence PEASD can continue to grow and looks forward to working with our staff and our community and to helping everyone have a great 2020-2021 school year!
Introducing Superintendent Michelle Meronk, Ed. D., MBA
The Palmyra-Eagle Area School District School Board has hired Michelle Meronk, Ed. D., MBA to be the school’s new District Administrator, effective July 1, 2020. Although she doesn’t officially start until then, she is already well-involved with district projects such as the hiring of our new elementary school principal and attending other meetings to get a head start.
Michelle is armed with a wealth of experience in not only school settings, but also finances, making her a sure asset to the district. She has a B.S. in Education, an M.B.A. and a doctorate in Educational Leadership, and is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified. A business professional trained as a green belt has the training and ability to improve businesses, implementing new strategies because of its basis in data, using the skills of DMAIC: define, measure, analyze, improve, control. A native of Muskego, she currently resides in Hales Corners after many years spent in Washington and traveling abroad.
Aside from education and finances, Meronk likes to spend her time volunteering. Currently, she is on the board for the Kids from Wisconsin, a program that works with teenagers who show talent in the arts, and helps to professionally train them to perform for 120,000 people annually. Michelle also is a sponsor professor at Bethel University, where she sponsors prospective principals. Prior to that, she was the former President of Alumni Relations for UWM, and spent her time getting students interested in majoring in Education and helped to raise money for the School of Education. As a former elementary education teacher, with experience as a principal for all grade levels, the school board is very much looking forward to what Michelle will bring to our district in moving us forward in a positive and educationally exciting way. Michelle is excited to join the Palmyra-Eagle Area School District and says to “Develop a passion for learning, if you do you will never cease to grow.”
All-School Alumni Reunion Cancelled
Palmyra-Eagle All-School Alumni Reunion Cancelled
We are all facing new challenges and difficult decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. That being said, the all-school alumni reunion committee has unanimously decided to CANCEL the alumni luncheon scheduled for July 25, 2020 at the 841 BrewHouse in Whitewater. Please pass this information onto other alumni and friends.
Stay safe and be well.
2020-2021 Elementary School Consolidation
At its regularly scheduled March 11, 2020 school board meeting the Palmyra-Eagle Area School District school board voted to consolidate its elementary schools beginning with the 2020-2021 school year. As a result of this determination, all incoming four-year-old kindergarten through grade 5 students will be enrolled at Eagle Elementary School. While a difficult decision to make, the advantages of assigning all elementary grade levels at one school site are many.
Benefits to students include the coordination and sequencing of common curriculum experiences within and across grade levels, collaborative efforts among multiple teachers of the same grade level, targeted learning experiences for all learners, and the alignment of interventions created to support and expand student growth and achievement. The school setting has ready access to a natural conservatory which offers "nature's classroom" to both teachers and their students. A strong partnership exists with the local library which is a brief two minute walk from the school through a serene, wooded area.
Future communications will address new and expanded program offerings at Palmyra Middle/High School which will house students in grades 6th through 12th next year.
