G-E-T Middle School Update
News and highlights from the 2024-25 school year
Welcome
I will try to update this newsletter weekly with some important things at the middle school along with some highlights of what students are doing.
October 13
CBG
Congrats to this week's Caught Being Good winners. Way to go middle school students!
Fall Fun Day - Classroom Olympics.
This last Friday our students participated in the Term-1 Fun Day. This day had students broken up into teams with lots of different type of games to score points.
FCCLA
We wanted to take a moment and thank our middle and high school FCCLA students who represented the G-E-T school district at the Apple Affair this weekend. They demonstrated the values of our school community through their hard work, enthusiasm, and professionalism. Several community members shared positive comments with me about how impressed they were with our students' behavior and engagement. Overall, the chili cook-off was a success.
Digital Citizenship Week
Dear Families,
October 14th through the 18th is Digital Citizenship Week. This is an important time to recognize the importance of our students learning how to be responsible, safe, and respectful online and with the digital devices they encounter every day. Our goal is to help them navigate the digital world with confidence, understanding how to protect their privacy, make informed decisions, and treat others with kindness online. This year we have started an initiative to be more mindful in our approach of teaching these lessons to our students.
We encourage you to take part in these conversations at home, too. Below are some helpful resources to support your child in becoming a responsible digital citizen:
- Common Sense Media: Digital Citizenship for Families - Tools and tips for parents on navigating technology and media with their children.
- Family Media Agreement: Create Your Own Family Media Plan - Use the appropriate Common Sense Media Family Media Agreement to set boundaries and discuss digital media with your children.
- Google's Be Internet Awesome: Family Guide - Fun and engaging activities to help your child learn the fundamentals of digital safety.
Thank you for supporting our efforts to promote safe and positive digital experiences for all students!
Badges for Adults
October 16th at 6:30 in the Community Room at the Trempealeau Library, Trempealeau County Detective Erica Koxlien and Internet Crimes Against Children Investigator Ross Huson will hold a one-hour session designed for Adults to help keep children safe & their adults informed. See flyer for more details.
Upcoming
October 14 - 4:30 8th Football @ LaCrosse Longfellow
October 14 - 4:15 7th & 8th Volleyball @ Aquinas
October 15 - 4:30 7th Football @ LaCrosse Longfellow
October 6
CBG
Congrats to this week's Caught Being Good winners. Way to go middle school students.
Sewing Fun!
Check out the amazing sewing skills of our 8th grade students. These FCS students, taught by Ms. Burritt, worked hard to prepare their tote and draw string bags.
Tech-Ed Class
Students are working hard in the shop this week. After learning and passing the safety test on our power equipment, they are getting to use them.
Manufacturing Month
In support of October being manufacturing month, 6th grade students from G-E-T had the opportunity to learn more about Ashley Furniture Industries. Students toured Ashley’s advanced manufacturing operations, highlighting the implementation of the many technological advancements in robotics and automation. While touring they heard various manufacturing employees speak on various areas of Ashley Furniture including automation, fabrication, assembly, quality, and more.
Special Fester
Last week a group of students attended the Special Fester Carnival during the Oktoberfest opening. Special Fester Carnival is designed for community members with special needs and abilities. They also stopped at McDonald's for lunch to practice skills that they have been learning about, such as ordering from fast foods as well as calculating prices to stay within a budget.
Free & Reduced Meal Applications
Free & Reduced meal applications can be filled out at any time during the school year. Pick up an application from any school secretary or download it from the district website.
Picture Retake Day
Picture retake day for the middle school is scheduled for October 8th.
Lost and found-
Please check out the pictures below of our lost and found. Items may be reclaimed by students or parents. Here is a link to a video showing the items. A big thanks to Rhonda Jenkins for putting this all together.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Just a reminder that parent-teacher conferences are October 8 + 10. Here is the link to sign-up. It will go live Monday, September 30 at 8:00 a.m. This is a great way to not only get information on how and what your child is doing but learn about how the middle school works.
Upcoming Events
October 8+10- Parent Teacher Conferences.
October 7 - 4:15 7th & 8th Volleyball @ West Salem
October 8 - 4:30 7th Football home vs. Baraboo
October 10 - 4:30 8th Volleyball vs Winona @ Middle School
October 10 - 4:30 7th Volleyball vs Winona @ Ettrick Elem/
October 10 - 4:30 8th Football home vs. Baraboo
October 12 - Cross Country @ Arcadia
October 14 - 4:30 8th Football @ LaCrosse Longfellow
October 14 - 4:15 7th & 8th Volleyball @ Aquinas
October 15 - 4:30 7th Football @ LaCrosse Longfellow
September 29
CBG
Congrats to our Caught Being Good Winners. We had an extra drawing this month for students that allowed them to put their tickets in for a gift card. Way to go middle school students!
Website- Information
Please take a few minutes and watch this video about our new website. This is replacing last year's Parent Hub and gives you lots of access to important information. Video
Food Drive
During homecoming week, our middle school organized a food drive. Students, staff, and families rallied to donate non-perishable food, resulting in an impressive collection of over 600 items. The generosity of our school spirit not only celebrated homecoming but also made a significant impact by providing much-needed supplies to the local food pantry.
Shark Tank Pictures
Pictures from the first session of business class taking part in their Shark Tank Project. Students get the opportunity to design and develop their own product.
Technology Ambassadors
These two students are getting a certificate from Rob Kamrowski, district technology integration specialist, for being great technology ambassadors. Mr. Kamrowski came and talked to the applied communications class about analyzing internet sources and evaluating credibility using the SIFT method in Applied Communications. Then these two students taught the class how to find and use a “true and trusted” website they found through BadgerLink that had many useful features for our inquiry project. Way to go boys!
Just Surviving! 6th Grade Social Studies
We are just beginning Unit 2: Early Peoples, in which we will focus our studies on answering the essential question of “Why was the invention of farming revolutionary?”. This week, sixth-graders explored factors that contributed to the formation of early human societies in a multi-day activity. To “survive,” they needed to secure food (hunting or farming), shelter, and water within a limited amount of time, first as individuals and then as members of a group.
While most students “survived” on the individual day, the majority of students seemed to find the group day to be less stressful and much easier to secure food, shelter, and water by working together. Many students discovered that geographical factors, such as distance from the river, could have a significant impact on the time available to complete all the tasks. They also experienced how the invention of the pottery wheel could assist with daily survival tasks. Please ask your child about their experiences gathering water, finding food, and building shelters this week.
Upcoming Events
September 26 - 4:30 7th Volleyball vs Longfellow @ Ettrick Elem
September 26 - 4:30 8th Volleyball vs Longfellow @ Middle School
September 27 - No School - Teacher In-Service Day
October 1 - 4:15 7th Football at Holmen Middle
October 1 - 4:15 7th Football at Holmen Middle
October 1 - 4:30 G-E-T Staff/Parents vs. MS CC Team
October 4 - 4:15 8th Football at Holmen Middle
October 8 & 10 - 4:00-8:00 Parent Teacher Conferences
September 22
ALICE LETTER
Dear Parent or Guardian:
Our school district implements a safety plan for how we conduct lockdown or security drills. Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau Middle School will be practicing with the training and techniques in the weeks to come.
Schools drill for various scenarios throughout the year. For example, we run a fire drill nine times a year and also practice tornado drills.
We also have had procedures in the unlikely event of an intruder at the middle school. We are looking at ways that could make our staff and students safer should we ever have to face this type of crisis.
We will continue to have the entire building locked during the school day and require visitors to be buzzed into the office. The office staff will continue to have to allow anyone through the office into the rest of the building.
We will also begin preparing our staff and students for other scenarios. The drills will be determined by situations that could possibly happen during the school day such as an upset person in the classroom or at recess, an upset person in the hallway or office, or an unsafe situation happening in the surrounding community.
The focus of our drills is on safety and is not intended to scare the students. Before we conduct a drill, we will clearly explain that it is a drill and not a real situation. We do all drills so that we are safer should a real situation occur, and that just like a fire or tornado drill, our chances of ever doing the drill in a real situation are very minimal; however, we want to be prepared.
Here is a brief description of some of the terminology we may use with students and the acronym ALICE. Alert means to let people know of the situation and to be ready. Inform means to keep letting each other know what is going on and where an intruder might be located or direction they are moving. Evacuate will consist of students leaving the building and running to a rally point. Lockdown is traditionally what has been done in the past; however, students will learn not just to hide in a corner of a locked classroom, but other places in their rooms that are not within view of an unsafe person entering. Barricading will teach students to place items in front of their classroom door to prevent an unsafe person from entering the classroom. Counter has the intent of doing something unexpected. For example, we will be teaching middle school students to throw small classroom items at an unsafe person to distract their thinking, thus allowing more time to evacuate the room.
We hope students and parents know that the focus is on staying safe and empowering students and our staff to make quick decisions, like we do in fire drills and tornado drills. If you believe that your child has had prior experiences that might make these procedures and training difficult, please don’t be afraid to contact us.
As always, please feel free to call me with any questions at 608-582-3500.
Best regards,
Pete Peterson
Principal
Check out the pictures of our Homecoming Week
Mrs. Schacherl
Retired band teacher Kim Schacherl was the parade marshall this year. The students loved to see her back in the building.
Upcoming Events
September 23 - 4:15 7th & 8th Volleyball vs Onalaska @ Eagle Bluff Elementary
September 24 - 4:15 Cross Country @ Blair-Taylor
September 24 - 5:00 7th Football home vs West Salem
September 24 - 6:15 8th Football home vs West Salem
September 26 - 4:30 7th Volleyball vs Longfellow @ Ettrick Elem
September 26 - 4:30 8th Volleyball vs Longfellow @ Middle School
September 27 - No School - Teacher In-Service Day
October 1 - 4:15 7th Football at Holmen Middle
October 1 - 4:15 7th Football at Holmen Middle
October 1 - 4:30 G-E-T Staff/Parents vs. MS CC Team
October 4 - 4:15 8th Football at Holmen Middle
October 8 & 10 - 4:00-8:00 Parent Teacher Conferences
Caught Being Good
Congrats to this week's Caught Being Good winners. Way to go middle school students!
Target Time
Dear Middle School Families,
The goal at Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau Middle School is to achieve high levels of learning for all students. This directly correlates with our Middle School mission - “Every Student, Every Need”. As we work toward meeting the needs of all of our students, we are adding some additional time for math and English Language Arts (ELA) called Target Time. The happens once a day for thirty minutes for ELA and a second thirty minutes per day for math.The purpose of this time is to give students the right support for their current level of understanding and proficiency.
Reflecting on the data from our STAR and Forward assessments, we have realized that there are student needs at every level. That being said, Target Time provides us a foundation to work closely with students to provide them support to enrich their knowledge in the math and ELA content areas. During this time, students will get to work in small groups with other students at their proficiency level on specific skills and concepts to support end of year mastery. We strongly believe that this allotted time will be very beneficial as it offers students a smaller student-to-teacher ratio, more time to develop understanding and confidence, varied explanations, etc. Target Time is an extension of the core math and ELA classroom; the work that students will do is a continuation from the power standards that stem directly from classroom instruction. Enrichment, additional practice of core instruction, or intervention support will all take place during this time depending on student needs – all students will be receiving something “on target” to achieve the goal of students working towards proficiency and beyond in our power standards.
On Wednesdays this year, that Target Time is a little different. It is a larger block of time at the end of the day. That time (about 45 mins.) will be used for large group band or choir along with other engagement opportunities for students. We will also utilized that time to help students catch up with school work.
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out.
Pics from Wednesday's Target Time
These are pictures from this last Wednesday's Target Time.
School Photos - Empire Photography
School photos are now accessible! The proofing emails have been sent out. If any families have not received an email from Empire and want to, please either call Empire at 608-257-2941 during normal business hours, email at customerservice@empirephotos.com or fill out this form: www.empirephotos.com/proofrequest.--
Hispanic Heritage Month
Sept 15th marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. During this time we acknowledge the contributions, achievements, histories, and celebrate the many diverse cultures of people of Hispanic or Latinx ancestry who come from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
Upcoming Events
September 16 - 4:15 Volleyball @ La Crosse Logan
September 17 - 4:30 7th Football @ Tomah
September 17 - 6:00 8th Football @ Tomah
September 19 - 4:15 7th Volleyball vs Longfellow @ Ettrick Elem
September 19 - 4:15 8th Volleyball vs Longfellow @ Middle School
September 20 - Homecoming
September 27 - In-service - No School
September 8
CBG
Congrats to this week's Caught Being Good Winners. Way to go middle school students!
6th Grade Lab
This week in 6th grade science, students are working on a lab to learn about the effects altitude has on the atmosphere.
Band + Choir
Band and choir lessons, along with large group practice, are started back up this week. It was great to hear the music pouring out into our hallways.
7th Grade Science
In 7th grade science, today students are making qualitative and quantitive observations.
Library
Every Friday, all students go to the library to check out some amazing books. A big, "Thank You", to Mrs. Campbell for all the help with this.
Tech-Ed
Students are working on ruler measurement in Tech Ed. It is great that all middle school students are able to experience this class and its curriculum.
Upcoming Events
September 10 - 5:00 7th Volleyball Scrimmage w/Arcadia @ Ettrick
September 10 - 5:00 8th Volleyball Scrimmage w/Arcadia @ Middle School
September 12 - 4:15 Home Cross Country meet @ Ettrick Golf Course
September 12 - 4:15 7th Volleyball vs Holmen @ Ettrick
September 12 - 4:15 8th Volleyball vs Holmen@ Middle School
September 16 - 4:15 Volleyball @ La Crosse Logan
September 17 - 4:30 7th Football @ Tomah
September 17 - 6:00 7th Football @ Tomah
September 19 - 4:15 7th Volleyball vs Longfellow @ Ettrick Elem
September 19 - 4:15 8th Volleyball vs Longfellow @ Middle School
September 20 - Homecoming
September 3
September's Lunch Menu
FCS-2 Group Fun
Students in Family and Consumer Science- (FCS-2) class worked on some group teamwork activities this last week.
Dress Code
Do you have questions about our school dress code. Please check out this link for a detailed explanation.
Possible Trip for 8th Grade Students -Summer 2026
Please see the opportunity below. Note this is a non-school sponsored trip through Education First
Dear families,
We’re going to Ireland, England, Wales and France in Summer 2026, and you G-E-T student is invited!
We’re excited to tell you more about the trip we’re planning with EF Tours, our educational travel partner. Please be sure to register for this info session to be considered for this opportunity: https://rsvp.eftours.com/f95hc3n
When students travel, they expand their knowledge of the world around them, discover more about themselves, and grow more confident. These skills are critical for creating the global citizens of tomorrow, and we would love to have your student join us on this adventure.
In this info session, we’ll talk about:
How this opportunity will benefit your student
What we’ll see and do on our trip
Everything that’s included in this experience
How your child can earn academic credit
How we’re keeping this safe and affordable
How to enroll on this trip (before it fills up!) during EF’s risk-free enrollment period
There are limited spots on this trip, so we would love to have you attend this meeting to learn more about this exciting opportunity!
Thanks,
Jalena Peterson
Pete Peterson
Please, again, note this is a non-school sponsored trip.
Upcoming
September 5 - Middle School Cross Country @ C-F-C 4:30 p.m.
September 27- Inservice- No school
August 26, 2024
Back to School
Launch Days- To facilitate a smooth opening to the year, help students learn our policies, and to get to know each other a little better, we will have half the students attend on August 27th and the other half on August 28th. This gives all of us the opportunity to go over school procedures in detail. If your child’s last name starts with A- K please plan on attending on the 27th. If the last name begins with L - Z please plan on sending your children on August 28th. If you are a family that has children with different last names please contact us and we will arrange that they attend the same day. On Thursday, August 29 we are planning for ALL students to be at school. A reminder there is no school on Friday, August 30.
School Supplies
School Supplies - We are supplying most of the students' school supplies this year. Students will need to bring a pencil bag, headphones or earbuds.
Middle School Sports
First practice dates for the Middle School are as follows. Athletes should come in athletic attire to the first practice.
Football: August 28 (equipment hand out) 3:30-4:30 pm and practice to follow. The coach is setting up Gamechanger App- Team name is: G-E-T Middle School Football '24
Volleyball: August 27 - 3:30-5:30 pm
Cross Country: August 26 - 3:30-5:30 pm - They will be inside, if needed, due to the weather.
Girls Golf: September 3 - 3:30-5:30 pm
Attendance
Dear Families,
During the 2024 -2025 school year, we are deeply grateful to each and every one of you for your invaluable contributions in restoring a routine for showing up to school and supporting students and families. School attendance continues to be a significant concern across our nation; we will again this year look to engage students and families in helping reduce chronic absenteeism.
Your efforts to ensure regular school attendance when your child is healthy not only play a significant role in their academic and social development but also empowers them. Please continue to encourage them to show up to class when school is in session, as this is a responsibility we all share in their growth and success.
Every school day is a precious opportunity for students to learn and connect with their peers and teachers. Your role in ensuring their regular attendance is crucial in making these opportunities count. We have provided a list of our days off to help with your school-year planning. We encourage you to plan vacations around these days to help with prolonged absences.
We thank:
● Our students and their families who do their best to show up daily, even when it isn’t easy.
● Our teachers who go above and beyond to make school a welcoming and safe place for all students to learn.
● Our administrators who help us work together to ensure we create a physically and emotionally safe and engaging learning environment.
● Our many, many healers and helpers - the support staff and community volunteers who provide the extra hands and attention our children need.
If your family or your child needs support, please reach out to your school counselor or principal. This information can be found on getsd.org
Thank you for partnering with us!
Sincerely,
Pete Peterson - G-E-T Middle School Principal
Save the Date -Parent Teacher Conferences
Fall parent teacher conferences will be October 8 + 10 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. More information will get sent out as we get closer.
6th Grade Orientation
8th Grade WEB Leaders welcomed the incoming 6th grade students to the middle school during orientation. Students had fun learning all about middle school.
Technology Usage
The Surgeon General has issued new advisory about the effects of social media use on youth mental health. To help combat this, we will be sending out some friendly suggestions/ideas on things we can do to help.
Welcome Back Letter
Hello G-E-T Families,
Welcome back to the middle school! We hope you and your family have had a great summer and your child is ready for the new school year that is quickly approaching. I am very excited to continue our work here as the middle school principal. We have lots of new changes and are ready to get to work having a great school year. For those of you who don’t know me, I will be starting my 21st year in the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau School District. I have taught at both the elementary and middle school level and also have experience as an elementary principal and athletic director. I have an amazing family who support me: my wife, Jalena, and three sons Ben (19), Braden (15) and Blake (11).
Our staff has been meeting and planning for the upcoming school year. You will be getting detailed information in your online registration packets. Some upcoming important events are:
Red Hawk Registration Days Similar to last year, we are using online registration for the necessary paperwork. Parents were sent these directions in an email. Please let me know if you didn’t get it. New this year is that we are holding our registration day as well as our open house at the same time. We will have registration paperwork available during the open house if needed.
The Back to School Open House is scheduled for Wednesday, August 21 from 2:00-6:00 p.m. Please look for more information to come on this event. Most of the paper work again will be completed online but please come to our building during the time for the opportunity to take school pictures, pay for milk or lunch, iPad insurance, sports paperwork and to meet our teaching staff while touring classrooms! Remember to bring your checkbook. We will have a 6th grade parent meeting at 6:00 p.m. in the middle school gym.
“Web Crew” Orientation – 6th grade students will meet at school on Wednesday, August 14th from 9:15 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. This program is to help make the transition from elementary school to middle school a positive one. Lunch will be served for all students. Busing will be provided from certain locations on this day. Look for more information to be sent home. 8th grade Web leaders will have training on Aug 12 and 13th. Please look for more information from Ms.Weibel and Mrs. Walker on this. An updated bus schedule for that day is posted at the bottom of this letter.
Launch Days- To facilitate a smooth opening to the year, help students learn our policies, and to get to know each other a little better, we will have half the students attend on August 27th and the other half on August 28th. This gives all of us the opportunity to go over school procedures in detail. If your child’s last name starts with A- K please plan on attending on the 27th. If the last name begins with L - Z please plan on sending your children on August 28th. If you are a family that has children with different last names please contact us and we will arrange that they attend the same day. On Thursday, August 29 we are planning for ALL students to be at school. A reminder there is no school on Friday, August 30.
School Supplies - We are supplying most of the students' school supplies this year. Students will need to bring a pencil bag, headphones or earbuds.
Athletic Information- Please read the backside of this letter. - See you soon!
“Education is the most Powerful Weapon which you can use to change the world”- Nelson Mandela
Continued on the back side
Hello Red Hawk Athletes and Parents,
Along with school starting, fall sports also begin. Before starting practice at the Middle School, you will need to have the following papers filled out and turned in to the Middle School office. These forms can be picked up at school starting August? Or at the middle school/high school parent and student sport meeting.
Sports Physical Form (Green form filled out by a doctor, good for 2 years, per the WIAA, a physical examination taken April 1 and thereafter is valid for the following two school years. Physical examination taken before April 1 is valid only for remainder of that school year and the following school year.) or Alternate Year Card (tan card filled out by parent opposite year of physical)
Pledge Form (signed by parent and athlete)
Fee Envelope (family max $100 per year)
Parent and Student Sport Meeting -This is for both middle school and high school students and parents.
Date: July 31,2024 - Time: 6:30 PM - Location: Performing Arts Center
First practice dates for the Middle School are as follows. Athletes should come in athletic attire to the first practice.
Football: September 3 - 3:30-5:30 pm August 29 (equipment hand out) 3:30-4:30 pm
Volleyball: August 27 - 3:30-5:30 pm
Cross Country: August 26 - 3:30-5:30 pm
Girls Golf: September 3 - 3:30-5:30 pm
Thank you,
Middle School Office & Athletic Department
Student Orientation Bus Schedules
Bus #1: Leaves Trempealeau Elementary School at 8:30am, proceeds east on Hwy 35 to Bemis
Addition, then Timberwolf Lane, North on Co Rd M to Co Rd K, North on Co Rd T, east on West
Ridge (upper table) to the High School ending at the Middle School
Bus #2: Leaves Trempealeau Elementary School at 8:25 am proceeds to Park Road to Canar to
Kribs Road, south on Hwy 35 to 10 th street to Co Rd K , north on Schubert Road to Prairie Bluff
Addition. The bus will cut through Fairway Lane to Hwy 35 and head north to Centerville with a
stop at the curling club, then travel east on 93/54 into Ridgeview Drive and Barbara Lane to
Hwy 54 to Winnebago road, then High School and ending at the middle school.
Bus #3: Leaves Ettrick Elementary School at 8:40 am proceeds on Dopp Road to Truax Road,
then Hwy 53 south with a stop at Frenchville. Traveling down county road T to TTT then north
to Sunset Valley Road then Sunset View Lane back to Hwy 53 south to the High School and
ending at the Middle School
School Schedule
Below is the planned school schedule for the 2024-25 school year.