IMMS Family Flier

Dear Indian Mound Middle School Students and Families,

One more week until Winter Break. We have a really fun week ahead with our School Dance on Wednesday after school and Spirit Week (see below for more information). We had our middle and high school combined choir concert last week. It was an incredible event and a packed house at the PAC. Our next Family Newsletter will be in 2025! It will go out on January 5th. If anything comes up between now and then, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for your continued partnership.

Warm regards,

Jamie Thomas, Principal

Brett Jondle, Associate Principal

Daily Schedule

Daily Announcements

Day A/Day B Schedule

Student Services Support Contacts

McFarland School District Website

McFarland School District App

McFarland Youth Center Website

McFarland RADAR (Relevant Alcohol & Drug Awareness Resources) Coalition Newsletter

IMMS Athletics Calendar

Family information on IMMS Expectations

IMMS Sports and Clubs Eligibility Criteria

• December 16: 7th and 8th Grade Girls Basketball Registration Meeting at IMMS 6-7 pm
• December 18: Monthly School Safety Drill (Hold)
• December 18: School Dance 3:30-5:00 (See below for More info)
• December 20: Monthly Celebration Assembly @ 8:30am.
• December 23: No School. PD Day
• December 24: January 1: No School. Winter Break (January 2nd - RETURN to school)

School safety is a priority in the McFarland School District. At Indian Mound Middle School (IMMS), we take several steps to ensure your child is safe and our school is secure. This week, IMMS will conduct a Hold Drill. We will prepare your child for the drill during our school announcements, also allowing for students to follow up with their teachers about any questions that they may have before the drill.

As with each of our safety drills, prior to the drill, we will make an announcement that clearly explains to students that a drill will be occurring. The entire procedure should last around 10-15 minutes. Students are reminded (as we will do during each of our drills and safety discussions) that schools are often some of the safest places to be and that these skills students and staff learn about safety can be applied anywhere, both in school and out of school. Our goal is always to make this experience a useful practice of the procedures, without alarming students.

If you have any questions about the drill, please feel free to contact Ms. Thomas or Mr. Jondle at any time at 838-8980.

Thank you to Deputy Saha for the insightful presentation on internet safety last week. Here are some key takeaways: Start by reviewing your own social media posts/LinkedIn/public resumes profiles. Consider whether personal information—such as your address, number of children, or town of residence—might be visible to strangers. This kind of information can be used by online predators to form connections or target individuals, including children. Predators often exploit details they find online and use them to gain trust, presenting themselves as deeply understanding and being the “only” person who truly cares.

Another critical topic discussed was the risks of online job offers. Always trust your instincts—if something seems too good to be true, it’s likely a scam. Lastly, fostering open and honest communication with your children about online safety is essential. Encourage them to come to you if they make a mistake or feel unsure about something. Fear of getting in trouble can lead children to try to resolve issues on their own, which might escalate situations into blackmail or other dangers. Helpful resources shared during the presentation included Spectre (password management), DeleteMe.com (online privacy protection), Discord Family Connect, and NetSmartz resources (tons of online safety info and kid friendly classes to do with your child)

If you would like a copy of the presentation please email noriegl@mcfsd.org

Student Services is looking for donations of student backpacks that are either brand new or gently used, and preferably a basic color and look. We occasionally have students who are in need of a new or replacement backpack, and we are almost out of them. Donated backpacks can be brought to the Student Services office. Thank you for considering this request.

We will gladly accept donations of snacks that we can give to students who may not be able to provide their own. We are specifically looking for nut-free, nonperishable, healthy snacks. You can drop off donations at the IMMS Student Services office. We will also accept donations for menstrual hygiene products.

Every year we join forces with the American Legion to provide an opportunity for our 8th grade students to participate in an essay writing contest. Eventually, two 8th graders receive the American Legion Award. All 8th graders are eligible to participate. All students who complete an essay will receive an honorable mention certificate and the 2 winning students will be invited to participate in the Memorial Day parade.

To apply for this award, students need to write an essay based on the tenets of the American Legion: Courage, Honor, Leadership, Patriotism, Scholarship, and Service. THIS google slide presentation will shown to 8th graders during Social Studies class and THIS google document gives details about the essay contest.

8th Grade students had an opportunity to learn more about the contest from Mr. Bartman during lunch on Friday. We will also run some essay writing workshops during ASR in January. You can reach out to the 8th grade counselor, Mr. Bartman, with any questions about the essay contest.

If you are looking for a way to support the staff here at IMMS during our Wisconsin winter months, we are always looking for donations of coffee. We are especially in need of cans/bags of ground coffee of any kind, as long as it has caffeine:) We are not in critical need of K-cups at the moment, but will gladly accept them as well.

Thank you in advance.

As the weather continues to cool down and the seasons change, we wanted to provide a few reminders that we will/have been sharing with your scholar:

• Students should take their coats/sweatshirts/hats with them to lunch to avoid having to have to go to their locker/backpacks after being dismissed from lunch to recess
• To allow students the chance to eat at their own pace, there are two waves of dismissal from lunches. The first wave of dismissal happens 15 minutes into lunch (for those who are finished and want to get outside right away). The second wave of dismissal occurs twenty minutes into lunch (lunch/recess is thirty minutes total).
• The expectation is that at this point, all students must go outside for recess. Please continue to encourage this with your scholar

Below you will find "Hubs" (aka Task-List) for each grade level and Related Arts. You can click on the "Hub" to get information on what your scholar is doing in class, assignments, and assessments.

• McFarland School Libraries Scholastic Book Fair - Shop Online December 9-22

• McF Girls Basketball Boosters Little Spartan Dribblers - Register by December 20

• E.D. Locke Library Santa Storytime - December 21

• McFarland United Church of Christ Community Christmas Meal - December 25

• E.D. Locke Library Noon Year’s Eve Party - December 31

• ACT Prep Plus - Registration Open

• Badger Bots School Day Off Camps - October 24-December 31

• McFarland Youth Hockey Learn to Skate Program - Register by January 8

• E.D. Locke Library Grades 3-5 LEGO Club - September-May

• E.D. Locke Library Grades 3-5 Graphic Novel Book Club - September-May

• E.D. Locke Library Grades K-2 Magic Tree House Book Club - September-May

• Free Triple P Positive Parenting Online Program for WI Families

McFarland Recreation Aquatics & Play (MRAP) and the McFarland Performing Arts Center (MPAC) offer a wide variety of recreation and aquatics programs for community members of all ages. To learn more, visit MRAPNews.com

Questions about specific MRAP or MPAC programs?

Reach out to the staff contacts listed below:

Stu Schaefer, Director of Community Services

schaefs@mcfsd.org | 608-838-3168

Kayla Eliasson, Aquatics Supervisor

eliassk@mcfsd.org | 608-838-3168

Alisha Fix, Recreation Supervisor

fixa@mcfsd.org | 608-838-4666

Zachary Franczak, Performing Arts Supervisor

franczz@mcfsd.org | 608-838-4461

With the cold and flu season in full swing, please review our Guidelines for sending your child to school. Remember, if your child is sick please keep them home and seek medical evaluation as needed. Students will be sent home with the following symptoms:

• Temperature above 100.4°F

• Vomiting or diarrhea

• Frequent uncontrollable cough

Your child should remain at home until fever, vomiting/diarrhea has stopped for 24 hours without the use of medication. If they have been prescribed antibiotics, please see the MSD Health Services Handbook and DHS Wisconsin Childhood Communicable Disease guidelines for when they may return to school. As well, please notify the School/Health Office if your student has tested positive for a communicable disease such as: Pneumonia, Influenza/Flu, RSV, Covid 19, Strep Throat, Pertussis (Whooping Cough).

Thank you for your partnership as we work to keep our students and staff healthy and safe each day!

Does your child have a food allergy? Reminder, if they take hot lunch please visit NutriSlice for menu/ingredient information. Menus are subject to change based on product availability but families will be notified in advance. Please reach out to School Nutrition with any questions.

If your child has a Life Threatening Food Allergy and EpiPen Prescription please send their Epipen to school. This can be kept in the health office or if your student is in grades 6-12, they can self carry it. All prescription medications, including emergency medicine, must have an MD order and Parent Signature, even if self-carrying. Consent forms are required every year and are available here, in the health office and on the District website. An Emergency Health Plan is then created and shared with all staff, including the Kitchen staff. Please reach out to Health Services with questions.

Is your student missing school due to illness, injury or health-related appointments? Providing a medical note or appointment card will prevent these types of absences as counting towards your students' allotted 10 days of excused absences for the school year. Please reach out to School Nurse, Lauren Neesam at NeesamL@mcfsd.org or immsattendance@mcfsd.org if you have additional questions about this process. You can also find more information about absences and attendance in the IMMS parent handbook located on the school website.

November is...

• Spartan Diversity & Difference

December 25 to January 2 - Hanukkah

December 25 - Christmas

December 26 to January 1 - Kwanzaa