Principal News
November is a season for gratitude and reflection. This month is perfect for students to reflect on this month's character traits. For November, our school-wide focus is respect. At the all-school assembly, students were taught that upstanding students exemplify respect by treating others with kindness, listening attentively to teachers and peers, appreciating others' diverse viewpoints, and respecting everyone.
As we shift to November, we look forward to hosting Parent-Teacher Conferences on November 7th and 12th from 3:00-7:00 pm. If you haven't signed up for a time, please do so! Conferences are a great time to connect with your child's teacher on academics and social-emotional learning, which helps connect home and school.
Our Jim Falls PTO has been busy fundraising and planning to kick off phase one of the outdoor classroom, as well as planning upcoming family events. We are all so thankful for the support of the PTO and families that make these events and projects possible for our Jim Falls family.
Lastly, I invite you to read this newsletter carefully to stay informed about the specific literacy updates our school is implementing in accordance with Act 20. These updates are designed to enhance your child's reading and writing skills, and the newsletter will provide more details about these changes each month.
As always, thank you for everything you do daily for our students.
Soaring with Eagle Pride,
Kari Koenig
Jim Falls Principal
Upstanding Students All-Around - SEB
Welcome to fall! This month in SEB, we will be focusing on being respectful. This includes following the rules, and treating others with kindness in and outside of the classroom. Some things to look forward to are:
1. the Veterans' Day presentation on November 11th, where we will pay our respects to those who have served our country
2. World Kindness day on November 13th, and
3. dress in blaze orange or camo day on November 22nd.
Elementary schedule for 2024-2025:
Start of Day:
- Student Drop Off Begins: 7:20 am
- Student Day Begins: 7:43 am
- Breakfast Served: 7:30 - 7:43 am
- Students arriving after 7:43 am will be marked tardy
End of Day:
- Bus Dismissal - 2:35 pm
- Students getting picked up will be dismissed after busses have left school grounds
Important Dates
November
1st - No School (staff work day)
4th - PTO Meeting 6pm
4th, 11th, 18th - On Site Chiropractic
7th & 12th - Parent/Teacher Conferences 3-7pm
8th - PTO Family Craft Night 5:30-7pm
11th - Veteran's Day - Program here 8am
13th - Upstanding students take care of each other: Bring in a canned food item for our community pantry
13th - CCF Bank Day
19th - Regular School Board Meeting 7pm @ District Office
22nd- Dress-up: Blaze orange or camo
25th - 29th - No School
December
2nd - PTO Meeting 6pm
2nd, 9th, 16th - On site Chiropractic
10th - Deck the Halls 6-7:30pm
11th - CCF Bank Day
17th - 5th Grade Volleyball Tournament
17th - Bright Smiles - Fluoride Day
17th - Music Programs: 2nd Gr @ 1:00 & 1st Gr @ 1:45
17th - Regular School Board Meeting 7pm @ District Office
23rd - 31st - No School
January
1st - No School
6th, 13th, 27th - On site Chiropractic
8th - CCF Bank Day
16th - Jump Off to qualify for Bloomer Competition
20th - No School (staff work day)
28th - Regular School Board Meeting 7pm @ District Office
Notes from the Office
If your child is going to be absent or tardy for any reason, please call the office by 8:00 am Instructional time starts at 7:43 am. Any student who arrives after 7:43 am is considered tardy.
If you need to change your child's transportation for the end of the day, please send a note to your child's teacher. Phone calls are discouraged but if a change needs to be called in, PLEASE call the office by 1:30 pm to insure that the message gets delivered to the classroom.
If you need to pick your child up early, please check in at the office. Parents will need to sign their child(ren) out and then we will call your child down to the office. Students will not be waiting in the office so make sure to give yourself enough time prior to appointments.
BUS TRANSPORTATION CHANGES
All student rerouting requests will originate at Chippewa Yellow Bus Company. Student rerouting requests require a 24 hour notice and approval by the bus company. This includes one time and/or occasional rerouting requests. Please call 715-726-2454 if you have any questions or concerns. Please click here for more information regarding rerouting requests.
If a student's afternoon transportation plans vary week to week, please provide the teacher, the office, and the bus company a monthly calendar to insure that your child gets to their intended location.
Attendance Review
The principal reviews school attendance monthly and contacts families if there are issues. Elementary school families will be contacted in the following ways (phone calls may also occur):
If there are 3 unexcused absences in a semester, a Start Time Notification Letter may be sent. An unexcused absence occurs if the parent does not call in with a reason for the absence within 24 hours or the reason for the absence does not meet the guidelines for acceptable absences as outlined by the district (see attendance policy).
If a student receives 5 unexcused absences, tardies, or left early marks in a semester, a 5-Day Truancy Letter may be sent.
If a student is absent for more than part or all of 5+ days unexcused, a Habitual Truancy Notification Letter may be sent via certified mail. The school team will complete an assessment with the student and/or family and develop a plan with all parties involved at a meeting. A truancy referral may be initiated by the team.
If a student receives 8 excused absences, a Medical Concern Letter may be sent.
Principal may meet with the student and/or family after 5 days of absences (excused and/or unexcused) to better support the student and family with school attendance.
*THE STATE OF WISCONSIN ALLOWS ONLY 10 DAYS OF EXCUSED ABSENCES.*
For more information about the attendance policy, please refer to the student handbook online or request a hard copy from our office. These procedures may be used differently on a case-by-case basis (as determined by the principal, school counselor, and school social worker).
Handle with Care
As always we are a TEAM and we want to help your child thrive in our Jim Falls family.
Medical Absences
Food Service Payments and Menus
Payments can be made on the Infinite Campus portal under the food service tab. The free and reduced lunch application is also located on your Infinite Campus parent portal by selecting "more" then "meal benefits". Here is a list of the CFAUSD Meal Prices.
Winter/Cold Weather Attire
- All students need to wear proper attire - warm coat/jacket, hat, gloves/mittens, and boots and snow pants when the snow arrives.
- We will have a poster at each doorway with the suggested clothing you should wear to keep students safe and warm. Snow pants and boots must be worn to play in the snow.
- Please label all items so they don't get lost!
- You may want to send a plastic/reusable bag for carrying wet winter items home as needed.
We do go outside everyday for recess as long as it is not raining or below -6
SUSO
Students, parents, school staff, or community members can submit a school safety concern or threat via the Speak Up Speak Out WI website, mobile phone app, or toll-free number. For More information, click here!
Chiropractic Care at school
November is the month of thanksgiving & gratitude. One of the things we are grateful for is to be able to provide chiropractic care in all of the CFAUSD public schools, four of the Chippewa 4K locations & the Osseo/Fairchild school district. We love to hear the amazing comments that students make about their chiropractic care.
One student shared, “I am always so tired on Mondays but after I see you I am ENERGIZED!”
Studies have shown that gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity and build strong relationships. Thinking of at least 3 things you are grateful for every day and remembering to say thank you is a great mood-booster. And when thanking others, don’t forget to thank yourself, too, for all of the amazing things you do!
Happy November & Happy Thanksgiving! If you have any questions about chiropractic care for students please contact us at onsitechiroinfo@gmail.com.
Classroom Treats
The health office requests that any treats brought in to school for birthdays, parties, or any other special occasions should be store bought with a clear nutrition label.
Weekends Kids Meals
The Jim Falls Community Food Pantry has been providing food assistance to the families of the Jim Falls school for over 15 years. One of the services we provide is "Weekend Kids Meals." Each Friday, we make available an assortment of non-perishable healthy food products geared toward the children to send home with them for the weekend. If this is something you would like to participate in, please enter your information here.
Potential School Closure Days & Inclement Weather closing Protocol
Dear Families,
We are writing to remind you that the District moved to a remote model of learning for students when inclement weather or other emergencies force school closures. This means that students will be able to continue their learning from home on days when school buildings are closed.
We believe that in-person instruction is the best way to deliver education, but we also know that there will be times when school closures are necessary and appropriate. By implementing a remote learning model, we should be able to avoid having to make up days for these school-day closures and the focus will be on continuing learning and connecting with teachers through modern means in these modern times.
Here are the major points to keep in mind as we prepare for inclement weather and other emergencies:
DISTRICT-WIDE
Two inclement/emergency closure days are already incorporated into the 2024-25 school year calendar.
If a high chance of inclement weather is predicted well in advance and there is high confidence from the National Weather Service (NWS) that the prediction will hold true, the District may make the call at a sooner time to have a "REMOTE LEARNING DAY" and bank a school closure day. This would allow the District to save for two unplanned school closure days when those calls have to be made unexpectedly or without advance notice.
CARDINAL 4K
All CFAUSD 4K programming at all community partner sites will be canceled for the full day in the event of either a 2-hour delay or a cancellation. In the event that more than one 4K contact day is canceled due to inclement weather, additional contact days will be added to the 4K calendar on selected Fridays that are available throughout the rest of the school year. Four contact days have already been designated in case they are needed due to cancellation on the 4K Calendar; January 24, February 7, March 28, and May 2, 2025.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
The elementary schools will develop consistent independent study packets for each grade level to send home when potential school closures occur, except on the two designated inclement weather/emergency closure days. Packets will include reading, math practice, writing prompts, and activities from our specialists.
Teachers will be remotely available those days to aid students with their assignments during the regular school day hours; however, school electronic devices will not be sent home with the independent study packets.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
For school closure days beyond the two built-in days, middle school teachers will develop independent work for students to access asynchronously via Google Classroom.
Teachers and classroom aides will be remotely available those days to aid students with their assignments during the regular school day hours.
Assessments will be in-person only upon return to school.
CHI-HI
For school closure days beyond the two built-in days, students will work asynchronously to complete Canvas lessons at their own pace.
Teachers and classroom aides will be remotely available throughout the regular school day hours to answer students' questions through email.
Students will check school district email and use Canvas to access curriculum and assignments; students should be working on those materials independently during the regular school day hours.
Assessments will be in-person only upon return to school.
CVHS
For school closure days beyond the two built-in days, students will work asynchronously to complete Google Classroom and Edgenuity lessons.
Teachers will be remotely available throughout the regular school day hours to answer students' questions and facilitate learning.
Students will check school district email and use Google Classroom and Edgenuity to access curriculum and assignments.
Assessments will be in-person only upon return to school.
FOR BOTH HIGH SCHOOLS AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL
Students should contact the technology help desk for any problems with school-issued devices - helpdesk@chipfalls.org or call 715-726-2417 Ext. 5555
As an evolving change to our past protocols, we are still committed to making it a productive learning experience during challenging situations. Our individual schools will be providing more information about their remote learning plans in the coming days or weeks. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact your child's school if you have any questions.
INCLEMENT WEATHER CLOSING PROTOCOL
Weather can change quickly in the Chippewa Valley. When inclement weather strikes, there are three options for adjusting our days:
Cancellation: If the weather is too severe, school and other activities may be canceled altogether.
Two-hour delay: If the weather is bad but not severe enough to cancel school for the day, classes may be delayed by two hours.
Early release: If the weather worsens during the school day, school may be dismissed early.
Cancellation -- If we cancel school due to inclement weather, we will make the decision by 6:00 AM. All schools, Head Start, Early Childhood, 4K Cardinal programs, after-school programs, and public use of buildings will be closed.
Two Hour Delay -- If we delay school due to inclement weather, the school day will start two hours later than normal. Buses will also run two hours behind schedule. Breakfast will not be served, but lunch will be served near normal time. 4K Cardinal, Early Childhood, and Head Start will be canceled for the day. After-school programs and public use of buildings may still occur. If the delay is later changed to a cancellation, the decision will be made by 8:00 AM.
Early Release -- If we dismiss school early due to inclement weather, the decision will be made by 10:00 AM. Elementary schools will dismiss at 12:00 PM, and secondary schools will dismiss at 1:00 PM. Lunch will be served at the normal time. High school students with open campus lunch may leave at 12:00 PM. Afternoon 4K Cardinal, Head Start, and Early Childhood are canceled. After-school programming and public use of buildings are canceled.
When there is inclement weather in the Chippewa Valley, we may have to change the school schedule. We will let you know by 6 AM if we are canceling school or starting school two hours late; by 10 AM for letting students out early. We will tell you via radio, TV, our website, social media, and by email or text message. We want to keep our students safe, so we may have to make last-minute changes. We will try to make the best decision we can based upon the weather and/or other information available to us.
Sincerely,
Jeff Holmes, Superintendent
New from Nurse Caitlin
Tips on preventing and controlling the spread of Head Lice:
Avoid head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact during play and other activities at home, school, and elsewhere (sports activities, playground, slumber parties, camp).
Do not share clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, hair ribbons, or barrettes.
Do not share combs, brushes, or towels. Disinfect combs and brushes used by an affected person by soaking them in hot water for 5–10 minutes.
Do not lie on beds, couches, pillows, carpets, or stuffed animals that have recently been in contact with an affected person.
Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items that an affected person wore or used during the 2 days before treatment using the hot water laundry cycle and the high heat drying cycle. Clothing and items that are not washable can be dry-cleaned OR sealed in a plastic bag and stored for 2 weeks.
Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the affected person sat or lay. However, spending much time and money on house cleaning activities is not necessary to avoid reinfestation by lice or nits that may have fallen off the head or crawled onto furniture or clothing.
Check your child's hair at home for head lice and nits regularly. If crawling lice or nits are found on your child, all household members should be examined for crawling lice and nits every 2–3 days.
You should examine your child’s head, especially behind the ears and at the nape of the neck, for crawling lice and nits if your child exhibits any symptoms of a head lice infestation.
Persons with live (crawling) lice or nits within ¼ inch or less of the scalp should be treated.
Your health care provider will likely recommend a medication available without a prescription that kills lice and some of the nits. These medications may not kill recently laid eggs. Therefore, an appropriately timed second treatment is usually necessary to kill nymphs after they hatch but before they become adult lice.
Some studies suggest that re-treating 7 to 9 days after the first treatment is the ideal time for a second treatment, but other re-treatment schedules exist. Ask your health care provider for written instructions for a recommended treatment schedule.
Head Lice: What Parents Need to Know
Head Lice Treatment: Myth and Realities
WINTER HEALTH TIPS
Exposure to cold can lead to injury or serious illness such as frostbite or hypothermia. Follow these tips to keep your children safe in cold weather:
Dress your children appropriately before coming to school. The air temperature does not have to be below freezing for your child to experience cold emergencies such as hypothermia or frostbite. Wind speed can create dangerously cold conditions even when the temperature is not that low.
Dress your child in layers so they can adjust to changing conditions from indoors to outdoors.
Most of your child’s body heat is lost through their head, so they should wear a hat, preferably one that covers their ears.
Mittens provide more warmth to a child’s hands than gloves.
Your child should wear waterproof, insulated boots to help avoid hypothermia or frostbite by keeping their feet warm and dry and to maintain their footing in ice and snow.
CFSD Illness Protocol:
Keep your student home if any of the following apply:
Temperature over 100.4 degrees in the last 24 hours before medication (Tylenol/Ibuprofen)
Vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours
They have been diagnosed with a contagious illness (e.g.; strep throat, pink eye) and have been on medication for less than 24 hours if medication is required
Have an unexplained rash of unknown origin
Caitlin Maranell BSN, RN
Chippewa Falls Area Unified School DistrictDistrict Wide Registered Nurse
715-738-2660 ext. 3543
Spirit Of Christmas
The Spirit of Christmas program is currently accepting applications. This program is designed for Chippewa County residents who are in need to receive gifts for children 0 through 17 years of age during the holiday season. There is not an income level requirement and the applicant’s personal family information is kept confidential. Their goal is to simply make this holiday season a little brighter for everyone.
Applications are available at their website: www.thespiritofchristmasofchippewacounty.com
OR
Feel free to send me an email at: siverlcw@chipfalls.org and I will drop off an application for your child to take home.
Completed applications are due by November 25th, 2024 and can be mailed to:
Spirit of Christmas of Chippewa County, Inc.
PO Box 831
Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
Veterans Day
We will be adding a Veterans Day display to our school TV slideshow. If a family member or friend has served in the military and you would like them honored on our TV, please submit a photo via email to koenigkn@chipfalls.org. The photo will be included in our display as a tribute to their service. When sending the picture, please include the name of the person you are honoring. Please submit your photo by Thursday, November 7th so it can be included in our display in time for Veterans Day.
Also, on Monday, November 11th, there will be a short Veterans Day presentation. The presentation will run from 8:00 to 8:15. All are welcome to attend. It will be in front of the school by the flag. All families are asked to stand behind the students and teachers near the front sidewalk. There will be a cone designating where to stand.
Thank you!
Jim Falls Elementary
Email: wilsonsm@chipfalls.org
Website: https://cfsd.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/jimfalls/
Location: 13643 198th Street, Jim Falls, WI, USA
Phone: 715-720-3260