Notes from the Nest

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! The dates and information in this newsletter will identify some important items and answer common questions to help you get the school year and our students’ first day, Tuesday, September 3rd, off to a successful start. Have a wonderful long weekend! We can't wait to welcome our students on Tuesday morning!

Meet Hoosier, part of Mrs. Apel's Family. Hoosier loves to chase squirrels and rabbits but never has luck catching them.

Meet Homer, part of Mrs. Beck's Family. Homer is a 5 year old Boston Terrier who thinks he is more human than canine. Everyone always comments on how his eyes are two different colors. His favorite activities are snuggling with his family and playing fetch. He also proudly serves on the Neighborhood Watch committee!

Meet Winnie, part of the Socha family! Winnie is 3 years old and full of energy. Winnie loves walks, swimming, carrying stuffed animals (her babies), but mostly, playing ball is life.

• Headphones and devices streaming music may be used on the bus; however, they may not be used during the school day unless under supervision of a teacher during classroom activities. These must be turned off and stored in lockers.
• During the school day, cell phones must be turned off and stored in lockers (7:30- 2:38). A two-hour detention will be assigned and the phone will be taken from the student if this rule is not followed. A parent will need to pick-up the phone from the school’s office.
• Cell phones and photographic devices are prohibited in locker rooms and lavatories at ALL times.
• Please note, Smart devices (such as a watch) being utilized as a cell phone would fall under this policy.

This year, Slinger's Homecoming is scheduled for September 27th. Slinger Middle School will dismiss at 2:20 PM on Friday, September 27th to allow students time to make it to Homecoming festivities. Go Owls!

Please review this letter from our School Nurse, Annie Sommers, if your child has medication administered during the school day or needs an action plan on file. After reviewing this information, please submit any medications/forms/action plans applicable for your child to the office before school starts. Please remember that all medications for the 24/25 school year need to have a medication consent form completed and medications need to be in their original bottle. Prescription medications do require a doctor's signature on the medication consent form.

As we get ready to start the new school year we want to emphasize the critical role that regular attendance plays in your child's academic success and overall growth during their time in elementary school. Each day of school provides important opportunities for learning, growth, and social development. Consistent attendance helps establish positive routines, discipline, and a conducive learning environment that allows students to fully engage in classroom activities and interact with their peers.

It's important to highlight the impact that missed school days can have on your child's learning journey. Each absence represents a missed chance for your child to learn, understand new concepts, and acquire essential skills that are building blocks for their future academic achievements. Furthermore, frequent absences can disrupt the continuity of learning, making it challenging for students to keep up with their classmates and grasp new material.

As we work together to support your child's learning, we kindly urge you to prioritize regular attendance and minimize unnecessary absences. Vacation days during the school term can create challenges for both teachers and students, as missed lessons require additional time and effort to catch up on. By fostering a culture of consistent attendance, we can create a positive and supportive learning environment that benefits all students and lessens the strain on our dedicated teachers. Some trips are inevitable due to special once in a lifetime opportunities (ie. wedding, funeral, etc.). In the events you do have a vacation, it is paramount that you assist your child with completing missed lessons and assignments so they can keep pace with their class upon return.

Here are a few additional resources on school attendance:

• Building the Habit of Good Attendance Early
• School Avoidance: Tips for Concerned Parents

Thank you for your partnership in your child's education. Your commitment to encouraging regular attendance will greatly contribute to your child's success in elementary school and beyond. Should you have any questions or need further support, please feel free to reach out.

• Buses arrive and unload in the lower lot at 7:15. Typically, parents drop-off children in the upper level between 7:00 and 7:25, but if needed, students may be dropped off as early as 6:15. Early arrivers will sit in the cafeteria until the first bell at 7:15, which gives students plenty of time to get ready and in class by the 7:30 start bell (official start time). The day ends at 2:38, and all students who do not have a scheduled meeting, activity or practice must leave the school at dismissal, as there is no supervision provided for students.
• Parents are encouraged to have their children ride the bus for the first few days in lieu of picking them up. This will allow students to become acclimated to pick-up and drop-off areas.
• In the morning, only drop off students in the upper level. Cars should form a single line nearest the building; please plan on pulling up along the sidewalk as far as possible to allow for traffic flow.
  
• NEW THIS YEAR!!! PLEASE READ FOR A CHANGE IN PM PICK-UP PROCEDURES: Parents/families can pick-up students in the upper level only; there will be no buses in the upper lot this year. Families can also utilize local street parking as in years past. Only buses will be allowed in the lower lot after school for pick-up; if you intend to pick-up your student(s), you will not be able to get in/out of the lower lot until after the buses leave at 2:50 each day. We are hopeful this will eliminate safety concerns with students exiting the building. A video detailing our drop off and pick up procedures can be found here. Thank you for your help and cooperation with this.

GoRiteway Transportation provides bus transportation for the district’s students and will notify each family qualified for busing during the week of August 26th. Please confirm your child's bus route with them prior to the first day of school. Route information can be found under the Bus tab in Skyward. If you do not receive route information or have any questions regarding your child's bus transportation, please call GoRiteway at slinger@goriteway.com or (262) 644-5016.

We utilize an automated debit family account system. Families can deposit money into their family accounts via RevTrack or by dropping cash or check off in dropbox which is located in the hallway right outside the SMS main office. Families can apply for free/reduced lunch assistance online or by completing a fillable application. Meal assistance applications can be found on our website-Families-Food and Nutrition Services-Meal Assistance. Menus can be found on the website. For SMS, lunch is $2.85 and the reduced price $.40.

To check your student’s account balance, complete a Free and Reduced-price Meals Family Application, or to access your students ID number, please go to your Family Access Account.

Attendance is taken first thing every morning so we can accurately verify students who are present. If your child is absent, Mrs. Spaeth starts clearing those absences at 8:00 a.m. by checking voicemail and email messages. Please help with this by reporting your child’s absence as quickly as possible.

The automated District Voice Mail System can be used to report an absence by dialing (262) 644-9307. Select “choice one” and follow the voice prompts to report the absence. This system will allow you to report an absence any time of the day or night so you may call and not be concerned if the school’s office is open or closed. You can also email dawn.spaeth@slingerschools.org by 8:00 a.m. informing her of the absence.

If your child is absent and the school wasn’t notified, Mrs. Spaeth will send you an email requesting verification of the absence. You may respond by email or phone. If the school doesn’t hear back from you, Mrs. Spaeth will call the numbers provided in Skyward in an attempt to verify the absence.

Slinger Middle School is a closed campus, so students may not leave the school grounds without authorization from the school office during any part of the school day. Students who need to leave during the school day have two options.

1. Parents may email dawn.spaeth@slingerschools.org by 8:00 a.m. (preferred method)

2. Students bring a parent’s written note to the office before 8:00 a.m.

Please make sure to include the reason for the early release regardless of the option you choose.

Families are required to pay the $75.00 annual student fee that is due by September 30th, 2024. You may make payment via RevTrak for school online payment, or cash/check (payable to Slinger School District). If you have any questions about your child(ren)'s fees, please contact Kimberly Gehring at kimberly.gehring@slingerschools.org.

All students will be issued a Chromebook during the first week of school. Chromebooks will be picked-up by the student in the morning, transported from class to class and returned by the student at the end of the day. Chromebooks are not allowed to leave the SMS Campus.

All Slinger Middle School students have access to the Internet for educational purposes. The district has software in place that is designed to screen out inappropriate sites. In addition, the middle school has software that can assist or guide the student to appropriate sites based upon the area of study. However, it should be noted that these systems are not perfect. Students who misuse the computers or the school’s Internet policy may have their computer privileges revoked. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Lutter or Mr. Baker.

Pet of the Week is back! If your pet is chosen, your pet and child(ren) will come to the main office on a chosen day (which will be communicated with you ahead of time). Their picture will be taken and rumor is your pet might even get a little treat during his/her visit! Their picture will be shared on our SMS TV's as well as our parent and staff newsletters.

If you are interested in signing up for Pet of the Week, click on the link below. Please note, due to the high interest and the limited amount of weeks we have in a school year, we will have to keep the responses to the first 60 families who fill out the form. We look forward to getting to know your families!

One of the aims at our school is to equip young people for all the realities of today’s world. With that in mind, we have partnered with CharacterStrong – an organization that provides training for educators and curricula for students. Their work focuses on 3 main outcomes: increasing a sense of belonging for all students, improving skills that support student well-being, and deepening student engagement in their academics, in their school, and in their community.

Students will be engaged in these lessons on select Wednesdays throughout the year during their GRIT time. These lessons will be shared out with families monthly so that you can engage in conversations around these characteristics with your child. In addition, sessions will be covered in the Health 6/Health 7/Life Skills 8 classes.

Below are some links for families to use to learn more about Character Strong. If you have any questions related to Character Strong, please email kelly.pokrzywa@slingerschools.org or kylie.carbol@slingerschools.org.

Introduction Letter to Families

Health 6/Health 7/Life Skills 8 Lessons

Grade Level Scope & Sequence with Descriptions

Individual Book Selections from Classroom Libraries

Classroom Libraries are small, cultivated collections of materials that are housed in the classroom environment to provide immediate access to materials for student reading at appropriate reading levels. If you would like your child to be limited to specific materials or genres please contact their classroom teacher.

Individual Book Selections for Personal Use (Library Media Center Collection)

Families can ask their child to login or use their child’s login credentials to access the library’s online resource database to view any book in the collection as well as their child’s currently checked-out books. If the family would like to restrict access for their child, they should contact the school library/media center staff.

In the district’s ongoing effort to save resources, we do not mail home copies of report cards or newsletters. The school year is divided into four equal quarters, each lasting nine weeks. We will post all report cards online. Mrs. Lutter emails parents “Notes from the Nest” every other Friday, an update of happenings around SMS. If you need hard copies of any correspondence electronically sent, please call or email Mrs. Cauwels at (262) 644-5226, sarah.cauwels@slingerschools.org. She will get you set-up to receive paper copies of this information.

9/3: First Day of School!

9/12- 3:45 Cross Country vs Thomas Jefferson MS @ Brigs & Stratton testing grounds

9/13: Band Night- SHS

9/16- 3:45 7th & 8th Girl's Basketball @ Templeton Middle

9/17- 3:45 7th & 8th Girl's Basketball vs North Middle @ SMS

3:45 Cross Country @ Kennedy MS

9/19- 3:45 7th & 8th Girl's Basketball vs Thomas Jefferson MS @ SMS

3:45 Cross Country vs Whitefish Bay MS @ Kletzch Park

9/23- 3:45 7th & 8th Girl's Basketball vs Webster Middle @ SMS

9/24- 3:45 Cross Country @ Webster Transitional MS

9/25- 3:45 7th & 8th Girl's Basketball @ Thomas Jefferson Middle

3:45 Cross Country @ Centennial Park, Grafton

9/26- 3:45 7th & 8th Girl's Basketball vs Badger Middle @ SMS

9/27: HOMECOMING- EARLY DISMISSAL @ 2:20 PM

9/30: 7th & 8th Girl's Basketball vs John Long MS @ SMS

Email: kari.lutter@slingerschools.org
Website: slinger.k12.wi.us
Location: 521 Olympic Drive, Slinger, WI, USA
Phone: 262-644-5226