Pardeeville Middle School

It's hard to believe, but the new school year is almost here! It is my honor and pleasure to serve students, staff and families as I begin my third year as the Principal of Pardeeville Middle School. I would like to welcome all of our new families - we are excited to share with you all that our school has to offer and believe you will soon feel as we do, that Pardeeville Middle School is a special place for all children. Our educators, support staff, families, and other education partners are ready to welcome you into the #Pardeevilleproud community! I look forward to the start of the new school year and to continuing our collaboration of providing your children with an effective and engaging educational experience. As always, we will look to our families to be positive partners in their children’s educational journey. The PMS staff has always made a priority of working together as a caring and compassionate learning community with professionalism, teamwork, action, and expertise. We will always put the best interests of our students at the center of our purpose - join us in ensuring the success of all students. As always, my door is open and our team welcomes your input. Please feel free to contact me via email at the address at the bottom of this newsletter or call to make an appointment to speak with me to discuss any ideas you feel will make this the best year yet!

Our school day begins at 8 am - the doors open at 7:45 am. If you drop off or pick up your child, please do so at Door #1 on the north side of the building. Please use extra caution when dropping off/picking up. Many students are walking to or from school on the sidewalks near the main entrance. The school day ends at 3:20 pm. Students are expected to leave the building at the end of the day unless they are part of an extracurricular sport or club or are attending homework club or detention. Busses drop off and pick up students at door #18 on the south side of the building each day.

It looks like the weather will be quite warm as we begin the year. Please review the dress code with your child (in the agenda planner p. 8) to ensure that there is no confusion regarding what is appropriate for school. If a student's attire does not meet dress code standards, the student will be asked to change, which may involve calling home for clothing. Thank you for your cooperation with this matter.

Any medication (nonprescription or prescription) needs to be kept in the middle school office. If you need a medication form, please contact Mrs. Black.

In today's classrooms, chromebooks are a like a pencil, notebook or folder. They are necessary learning tools. Students should charge their chromebooks at home each night and bring them to school each day. Students who habitually forget their chromebook or do not charge their chromebook will be required to leave it at school each night. Thank you for helping your student remember to bring their charged chromebook every day!

Pardeeville Middle School students will receive a student agenda planner at the start of the year. In order to encourage good habits, we ask that students use the planner to write assignments for each class and show their planner to you at least once a week. Our trimester incentive trips are tied to the planner. In order to earn points, students must fill out the planner each day for every class, get it signed (signature, not initials) by a parent or guardian once a week, complete assignments on time, arrive to class on time and not receive discipline referrals. Students who accumulate 80% of the possible points will be eligible to attend the incentive trips. Planners are checked by homeroom teachers every Monday during homeroom. If you have questions about the planner, the points or the incentives please reach out to your child's homeroom teacher or to Mrs. Denure.

If your child will be absent, please call Mrs. Black at 429-2153 extension 386 before 8:30 am and leave a message. If the absence is for a medical purpose, please send a doctor's note so we can excuse it. If the absence is pre-planned and will be 3 days or longer, please request a pre-planned absence sheet from the office. Per Wisconsin state statute 118.15, children can miss up to 10 days of school for any reason. Beyond that, districts are obligated to notify local law enforcement regarding truancy. Students must be in attendance all day in order to particpate in any/all extracurricular activities.

The more research that is conducted regarding the impact of devices on kids, the more we understand that it is good to have time away from them. At Pardeeville Middle School, we do not allow the use of cell phones from 8 am through dismissal at 3:20 pm. Students who use their phones without permissin will be asked to turn them over to staff and will be turned into the middle school office. Repeated violation of the cell phone policy will result in appropriate consequences. While they're at school, we want kids to focus on learning and face to face time with classmates and staff.

Please contact Smith's Bus Service directly if you have questions about bussing. Their number is 429-2732.

The fall sports calendar can be accessed by clicking on this link: RSchools. Please remember that middle schoolers who attend athletic events to cheer on their fellow students should be supervised by an adult. School staff supervision at after school events is limited. Thank you for your cooperation.

No one escapes troubles in life — no one. Some, however, experience more than their fair share.

Kids who experience a traumatic moment can have a variety of responses. In simple terms, they will often respond in ways that are either overt or covert.

When a kid goes through a potentially traumatic experience like the divorce of their parents, abuse, natural disaster, or physical harm, they may have an overt fight response. Their nervous system is doing its job to protect itself from further harm or pain.

That might show up through physical symptoms like shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, digestive issues, difficulty sleeping, or outbursts of anger.

Covertly, though, it might present itself differently.

This is considered more of a flight or freeze response, which is also a protective mechanism instigated by the nervous system. You might notice a kid who’s suddenly more withdrawn, has faraway looks on their face, or does not want to engage in their typical activities. They might spend more time disengaging from social interactions, more time gaming or on their smartphones, or binge-watching shows. Maybe they sleep a lot more or quickly shut down conversations.

Regardless of how trauma is showing up, kids who are suffering from the effects of trauma need support.

They need an adult to guide them in addressing, processing, and resolving the pain that’s baked into their systems. Otherwise, out of their pain and lack of perspective or maturity, they might go down paths to numb, escape, hide, or run from their pain. That choice inevitably leads down an unhelpful, unhealthy path that will catch up with them eventually.

How do we understand the effects of their traumatic experiences, and what can we do to help kids who go through them?

According to a licensed therapist and nervous system coach/consultant, Charlie Ruce, parents (and adults) who pay attention to the inner lives of kids will provide a more supportive, rich environment to offer resilience and recovery. That starts with modeling, he says, in a recent interview for The YouSchool podcast.

He recommends parents share their common, ordinary everyday experiences from two perspectives:

1. Share about the what: the circumstances, the events, the words that were spoken, and the observable details. Let them see how normal it is for you to reflect on your day, where you went, who you saw, and what you did.
   
2. Share the why and the how: talk about what’s below the surface. Share why you responded the way you did, and how you felt throughout the experience. This is the part that is teaching the good stuff: you’re showing kids how important it is to process and explore what’s underneath the surface.

Teaching kids to reflect on their experiences, whether positive or negative — their participation, uncovering their motivations, examining their responses, and processing the effects — will serve as an asset for life and a protective factor against making poor and unhealthy choices.

Natural High. “Guiding Kids through Hard Things.” Natural High, 12 Jan. 2023, www.naturalhigh.org/guiding-kids-through-hard-things/?inf_contact_key=6ccd5dabc50e9dc70444404bb673a1a37e470d92b8b75168d98a0b8cac0e9c09.

September 1 - 1st day of school for 5th graders ONLY

September 4 - Labor Day NO SCHOOL

September 5 - School begins

September 11 - 8th grade Washington D.C parent meeting 6:30 pm

September 13 - field trip to A Wrinkle in Time

September 18-22 - homecoming week

September 22 - 7th grade field trip to Upham Woods

"A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination." -Nelson Mandela

Email: denuam@gmail.com
Website: pardeeville.k12.wi.us
Location: 120 South Oak Street, Pardeeville
Phone: 608-429-2153 extension 265