IMMS Family Flier

Dear Indian Mound Middle School Students and Families,

As we wrap up January and begin a new semester, we want to take a moment to celebrate all the hard work and accomplishments of our students and staff so far this year. The start of a new semester is a fresh opportunity for growth, new challenges, and continued success.

Now that we have closed the first semester strong we are putting our focus on the second half of the school year. Please encourage your students to reflect on their progress and approach the new semester with excitement and determination.

Thank you for your partnership and support as we continue to nurture a positive and enriching learning environment for all. Let’s make this semester our best yet!

Warm regards,

Jamie Thomas, Principal

Brett Jondle, Associate Principal

2-hour delay schedule

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

Jan. 27: Start 3rd Quarter

Jan. 30-Feb. 1: IMMS Musical @ PAC

Feb. 5: World Read Aloud Day

Feb. 7: Monthly Celebration Assembly

Feb. 14: No School - Conference Release Day

Feb. 19: 7th-12th Jazz Ensembles

Feb 24: Orchestra Spring Fling

Students of IMMS will be presenting Bye Bye Birdie, the youth production this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Come on out to the PAC to enjoy the show and support students of IMMS show their talents in singing, dance, acting and tech/production crew.

The PTO is looking for input on meeting topics and activities that are of interest to families! Hearing directly from you will help us identify topics that are interesting to you and how best to communicate about meeting dates, times, and locations. We appreciate you taking the time to provide your thoughts! Please fill out this SHORT SURVEY

The school year is half over!!! 1st semester has come to an end and on Monday, students start 2nd semester! This makes now a great time to clean out backpacks, folders, and lockers. Throw away old handouts/assignments, get new folders, and get everything organized. Parents can help by going through your child's backpack with them and asking them to explain their organizational system. Empower them to use a system that works best for them.

This week 8th graders will start learning and talking about high school registration. The start comes on Wednesday when high school counselors come to IMMS to talk with all students during their Social Studies class about the high school transition process. Below are some key dates that you should keep in your calendar. Please reach out to Fred Bartman, School Counselor with any questions you may have.

High School Registration Timeline:

• Jan 21: High School Counselors Talk w/ 8th graders during school day
• Feb 5: Advisory Night at MHS
• Feb 10: Registration sheets due to IMMS Social Studies Teacher
• Week of Feb 17: 8th graders register online for classes during Social Studies Clas

The IMMS Art Ambassadors designed Valentine's Day postcards. This beautiful pack of cards is only $5 and proceeds will support McFarland's Food Pantry. You can purchase them through the Classmunity fundraiser link and then the cards will be available for pick up in the IMMS lobby starting January 29th Monday - Friday 8:30 - 4:00.

Use this LINK to order!

For More Information

Contact: Sandy Schoen

608 838-4500 ext. 4805

SchoenS1@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.

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 also now in need of K-cups and appreciate any donations.

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.

• Spartan Headquarters Donations for Feb. Vintage Sale to Benefit Food Pantry

• E.D. Locke Library Teen Crochet Party - January 30

• McFarland Dance Team Winter Kids Clinic 2025 - Registration closes February 7

• MHS DECA Superhero Training Camp - February 8

• CESA 2 MHS Driver Education Program

• ACT Prep Plus - Registration Open

• Futura Grades K-2 Spanish Language Program

• Spartan Headquarters Vintage Sale to Benefit McF Food Pantry - February 11 & 13

• E.D. Locke Library Self-Defense Classes - February 15

• E.D. Locke Library Teen After Hours Karaoke Party - February 21

• E.D. Locke and Galin Education Free ACT Diagnostic Test Day - March 11

• McFarland Youth Baseball Organization 2025 Season Registration Open

• McFarland Youth Softball 2025 Season Registration Open

• i9 Sports 2025 Spring Season - Register by March 28

• McFarland Soccer Referee Course - April 19

• E.D. Locke Library Teen Dungeons and Dragons One-Shot Adventures - January-April

• E.D. Locke Library VolunTeen Program - January-April

• E.D. Locke Library Teen S.T.E.A.M. - January-April

• E.D. Locke Library Teen Hangout - January-April

• E.D. Locke Library Teen UnBook Club - January-April

• E.D. Locke Library Teen Snack & Chat - January-April

• 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

Welcome to winter in Wisconsin! With the cold weather here, the Health Services Team wants to remind families of some cold weather safety tips. You can help by reminding your student of the importance of wearing weather-appropriate clothing, especially in these below zero temps. Your student should be wearing several layers of clothing on very cold days including a coat, hat, mittens/gloves and water-resistant boots. Please see the following links for more information and resources. Reach out to Health Services with any questions. Stay warm!

WI DHS - Climate and Health: Winter Weather and Extreme Cold

WI DHS - Cold Weather-Related Health and Safety Tips (Hypothermia)

CDC - Winter Weather: Before, During, and After

National Weather Service - Understanding Cold Weather Alerts

Your student’s school health assistant will be sending out email notifications shortly for students who are still in process or not compliant with WI School Immunization Requirements, in preparation for the 2025-26 school year. Please follow up with your Primary Care Provider to ensure that your child becomes up-to-date with vaccinations for their age/grade for next school year, WI Student Immunization Law by Age/Grade Requirements. If you have updated immunization information or would like access to a waiver (for personal, religious or health reasons - see step 4) please submit a student immunization record (English, Spanish) to your students school health office.

Vaccine Clinics: Public Health Madison & Dane County is partnering with Madison Metropolitan School District and SSM Health to offer more school vaccine clinics to get students up to date on their school vaccines. These clinics will take place at the below dates and times in Madison.

• Saturday, February 8th – 10am-2pm – at Holtzman Learning Center

• Saturday May 17th – 10am-2pm – at Holtzman Learning Center

To find out more information and to schedule an appointment, see the attached flyer, or visit publichealthmdc.com/schoolclinics.

Dear Families,

Recent national conversations regarding immigration enforcement may have raised concerns within our community. I want to assure you that the McFarland School District is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all students and families, regardless of immigration status. To uphold this commitment, I am writing to clarify the district’s approach to handling requests from immigration officials:

1. Commitment to Privacy and Safety:
   The McFarland School District values the privacy of its students, families, and staff. We will not share information about a student’s or family’s immigration status unless required by law (e.g. valid judicial warrant or court order).

2. Access to Schools:
   Even though the Trump Administration has rescinded previous guidance that prohibited federal immigration officials, such as those from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), from arresting individuals in schools, schools can still prohibit ICE from accessing school property unless they have a valid judicial warrant. A warrant is considered valid if it is signed by a Judge or U.S. magistrate and specifies access to the school to apprehend named individuals. Administrative warrants signed by an ICE official are different and schools may comply with an administrative warrant. If this were to occur here, we follow District Policy 5540- The Schools and Government Agencies and not comply in order to preserve the educational environment of the school.

3. Clear Protocols:
   If an immigration official contacts or visits a school, district staff have been instructed to notify the superintendent’s office immediately. Legal counsel will be consulted to ensure all actions comply with federal and state laws while protecting the rights and safety of students and families.

4. Support for Students and Families:
   We understand that immigration concerns can affect our students’ ability to learn and thrive. We will continue to provide counseling and support services for those impacted. Please reach out to your school’s principal or student services staff member if you or your child need assistance.

The McFarland School District remains steadfast in its commitment to education and equity for all students. We stand together as a community to ensure that our schools remain safe spaces where every child can succeed.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at tarnuta@mcfsd.org.

Sincerely,

Aaron Tarnutzer, Superintendent
McFarland School District

January is...

• January 29 - Lunar New Year