Spartan Scoop Oct 21

Parent Teacher Conferences are Wednesday, October 23rd, from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm. Please watch your email for more specific information regarding teacher locations, contact information, and building map.

No school - teacher professional development day

No school

For the upcoming WIAA tournament games, admission will be $6 for regionals and $7 for sectionals. Service Fees may apply. No passes will be accepted.

Pictures are due November 30th. Email photos to yearbook@mcfsd.org. Contact Ms. Fay (fays@mcfsd.org) or Ms. Lindy (wiesmal@mcfsd.org) with any questions.

Thank you everyone who helped make our 2024 DECA Family Tailgate season such a success! We were able to raise $1,693.51 for Make-A-Wish throughout these events and had so much fun while doing it!

McFarland High School hosted the 10th Annual Autism Football Camp recently! Members of the varsity football team volunteered to help teach various football skills to the participants. This was a terrific experience for all who were involved and a great way to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon!

Referendum Information Session - 6 p.m. MHS Performing Arts Center

On October 30, 2024, McFarland DECA will be hosting Trick or Can!

On the night of October 21st, McFarland High School students will be going around town handing out flyers to houses promoting this event.

If you receive a flyer, please help your #McFarlandStrong community by laying out non-perishable food items on your doorstep on the night of October 30th so McFarland DECA can come around and collect those items to help stock our local McFarland Food Pantry.

• McFarland DECA Trick or Can - October 21-31

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

• McFarland High School Presents: Elsewhere - November 1-3

• Free Triple P Positive Parenting Online Program for WI Families

Parents, PLEASE REPORT ALL ATTENDANCE IN INFINITE CAMPUS. You are able to enter your request directly into IC at any time of day, even for short notice or late requests. (Instructions). If you are concerned that the office staff is not receiving your IC absence request, please make sure you allow push notifications for the Infinite Campus app on your phone. Once the IC request is processed you will get a notification.

As a back-up, you can leave a message on the attendance line, 608-838-4657, or email mhsattendance@mcfsd.org.

‼️ Please review DHS update regarding increased Pertussis cases in Wisconsin‼️ You can also find information and resources linked in the article. Please reach out to your medical provider with questions, Thank you!

With the cold and flu season in full swing, please review our Guidelines for sending your child to school. Flu/Cold medication is not available in the Health Office (only Tylenol & Ibuprofen). 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: Influenza/Flu, Covid 19, Pneumonia, Strep Throat, RSV, Hand Foot & Mouth, Pertussis, etc.

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

Public Health Madison & Dane County is partnering with surrounding school districts and SSM Health in a few weeks to offer more school vaccine clinics to get students up to date on their school vaccines in time for the 2024-25 school year. These clinics will take place at multiple locations and dates. Find more information and to schedule an appointment see the attached flyer (English, Spanish), or via publichealthmdc.com/schoolclinics.

Football: Had a very competitive game on Friday night vs. Edgerton but came up short in the end. Thank you to all the athletes and managers for a good season. I would also like to thank the following coaches for their time and commitment to our football players and program: Brian Hawn, Brain Hellenbrand, Ryan Rothwell, Mitch Rogness, Derek Sweger, Robert Cunningham, Joe Cordio, Lance Hudgens, and John Seidl. An additional thank you goes out to our volunteer coaches who give so much of their own time to our program: Jeff Crull, Tyler Wedel, Derek Schwarting and Cory Mackey. Thank you again to all the athletes and coaches for a fun season.

Volleyball: Had a very busy week with a close loss to Milton in the Badger Challenge, but came back with a nice win over Monona Grove to keep the M&M cup. They also competed well in a very competitive tournament this weekend in Luxemburg-Casco beating Pewaukee and Wisconsin Lutheran. They are getting ready for the WIAA tournament this week. We would also like to recognize the JV and JV2 players for a very good showing at the Badger Small JV/JV2 conference match at Reedsburg. Thank you to the following coaches for all their time this season Camillo Castelnuovo & Rachel Burke - JV and Don Schutt and Erinn Kolk - JV2.

Girls Swimming: Was on the road this week with a tough conference loss to Monroe, but came back with really nice performances at the Shorewood invitational, the team took 10th over all.

Boys Soccer: Had a conference tie to Stoughton and a tough loss to Fort Atkison this past week. They are getting ready for the WIAA tournament this week.

Cross Country: Had a very good showing at the Badger Small conference meet in Mount Horeb on Saturday. Both teams took 3rd place overall. CONGRATULATIONS TO ISAAC EWING for taking 1st Place in the boys race and being the Conference Champion. Also a big congratulations to all the JV runners this Saturday, they all were able to improve their times throughout the season.

MHS Dance: Had another great performance at the football game on Friday night. They are getting ready for the Edgewood Showcase this upcoming week.

In this fast-paced digital era, our children are growing up surrounded by technology and the vast opportunities it brings. While this presents incredible potential for learning and growth, it also raises important concerns about their safety in the online world. In today's society, ensuring our children are equipped with the knowledge and tools to navigate the digital landscape safely has become more critical than ever. On average, kids with a smartphone received it by age 8, and those without one can expect to receive it by age 13 (FOSI Online Safety Across the Generations, 2018).

• Technology agreements. It is important for adults and kids to agree on how personal devices and technology will be used to ensure safe behavior and a positive online reputation. The Family Online Safety Institute offers helpful resources and talking points for families when establishing guidelines for device and internet use in the home.

• Family Online Safety Agreement: Ages 13 and under

• Family Online Safety Agreement: Teens

• Familiarize yourself. Among our student community, the most commonly used apps include Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. However, the landscape is constantly evolving with new apps and games emerging regularly. If you have reservations about a particular app or game, take the time to research and perhaps even test it out firsthand before reaching a conclusion. Included below are a variety of resources to delve into when assessing whether an app or game aligns with your child's needs, along with discussion points regarding digital citizenship and online safety.

• Common Sense Media

• Entertainment Software Rating Board

• Family Online Safety Institute

See something, say something. Lastly, should you or your student come across any possible threat or safety issue on social media, we urge you to promptly report it. You can do so by informing a school staff member, reaching out to law enforcement, or utilizing this provided link, even if you feel it may not be that serious or may have already been reported.

In September, families of students in grades 3-8 and 10 received information about their children’s Forward Exam scores from last Spring. On October 9th, data about Forward Exam scores were released across the state and included in articles like this one from the Wisconsin State Journal.

We know that the Forward Exam is just one measure of what McFarland students know and are able to do, but we do look at the results carefully to find areas of celebration and growth as a District. Our District strategic plan puts literacy achievement front and center with a specific focus on closing gaps between students in various demographic groups (for example, between students with and without disabilities).

When looking at the Spring 2024 Forward Exam results, we noticed:

• More students are meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA, math, science and social studies than in previous years.

• In all subjects and grades, McFarland students perform better than the State average.

• When comparing our results to the rest of Dane County in most grades and all subjects McFarland improved or maintained their ranking in the county.

• McFarland School District had the #1 rank in Dane County in the following areas:

• 8th grade Math, Science and Social Studies (Congratulations Class of 2028!)

• 4th grade Social Studies

We will continue our work to close achievement gaps between students at our school and focus on research-based instructional practices in all subjects to help us meet our strategic plan goals.

If you have questions about your child’s Forward Exam results, please contact your child’s principal. If you have questions about McFarland’s Forward Exam results overall, please contact Melissa Pfohl, pfohlm@mcfsd.org

COMING UP:

The next School District of McFarland School Board meeting is scheduled for October 21, 2024 at

6:00 p.m. - Regular Meeting

7:00 p.m. - Annual Meeting and Budget Hearing

Click HERE for a link to the McFarland School Board agendas and minutes.

Click HERE for a link to the McFarland School Board meeting recordings and upcoming YouTube live streams.

October is...

• Bullying Prevention Month
• LGBTAIQ+ History Month
• National Physical Therapy Month