IMMS Family Flier
September 2, 2024
A Note from Ms. Thomas and Mr. Jondle
Dear Indian Mound Middle School Students and Families,
Welcome to the start of a new school year at Indian Mound Middle School! We are thrilled to have each of you as part of our school community, and we can't wait to embark on this exciting journey together.
This first week is all about getting to know one another, settling into routines, and building the strong, supportive community that makes our school so special. Whether you’re a returning member of the IMMS family or new to our school, we want you to know that you are a valued part of this community.
As we begin this school year, we encourage everyone to approach each day with curiosity, kindness, and a willingness to learn from one another. Together, we will create an environment where everyone feels safe, respected, and inspired to achieve their best.
Let’s make this year at Indian Mound Middle School one of growth, learning, and unforgettable experiences!
Here’s to a fantastic first week and an amazing school year ahead.
In Service,
Jamie Thomas, Principal
Brett Jondle, Associate Principal
Important Dates
- September 3 : 6th Grade Only: First Day of School
- September 4 : All grades 6-8 Back to School
- September 27 : No School (Staff Development)
- September 25 : IMMS Picture Retakes 8:30 - 11:00 am
McFarland Youth Hockey Association Try Hockey for Free Event - September 10
Free Sale for Families - September 14
McFarland Girls Youth Basketball - Registration open through September 15
McFarland Cub Scouts Space Derby Recruitment Night - September 17
INFO FOR ALL GRADES
Student Expectations: More to come on this in next week's Family Flier
- Cell phones and air pods "Off and Away"
- Beverages: School appropriate beverages are allowed (water, flavored water, Gatorade). We will not allow any drinks with caffeine including soda (whether it is caffeinated or not).
- Snacks: each grade level will have a designated snack time for their students. Healthy snacks are permitted (no nut products or candy).
🚧👷CONSTRUCTION👷🚧
Families are encouraged to choose an alternate drop off / pick-up spot for your scholar, but our driveway will be open for drop-off and pick-up. Please follow the marked detour and access the school via Highland drive. LINK for map. Buses will drop-off and pick-up at the high school and students will walk the path to get to their destination. We will help them :)
🔒Locks/Lockers🔒
If you have a 7th/8th grade student who wants a lock/locker, but did not get one, they need to fill out this form with their school email.
Remember!
- 7th and 8th graders: Bring your Chromebook charger the first day - it is needed to get Chromebooks out of storage mode (click HERE for Chromebook Info)
- September 3th: First Day of School for 6th Grade ONLY
- September 4th: ALL Students attend school
- Students are welcome at IMMS after 7:55 and can play basketball or volleyball or sit in the bleachers in the gym, or eat breakfast and talk with friends in the cafeteria.
- School begins at 8:20 and ends at 3:30
- Bike racks will be located on the path between the middle school and the high school and in the cement area by the gym.
6th GRADE ONLY
😀6th: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL on 9/3 from WEB Coordinators
Hello 6th Grade Families!
We are very excited that your child will be attending Indian Mound Middle School, and we look forward to seeing them at our 6th Grade Orientation Day on Tuesday, September 3rd at IMMS. Our WEB Program will help get your 6th grader off to a great start!
WHAT IS WEB?
WEB is a nationwide program designed to welcome and support 6th graders by connecting them with WEB Leaders, who are positive, responsible, hand-selected 8th graders. Your student's WEB Leaders will help them feel more comfortable as well as help them achieve success in their first year of middle school. Doesn't that sound great? It is!
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
A week before orientation, your child will receive a phone call from their WEB Leader personally inviting them to orientation day and giving the details of where to be and what time. The Leaders can also answer any questions they may have.
Your student will not be using their locker on this first day. We will have a spot to place backpacks/lunches.
Here is the link to the menu. Grab-and-go options will be listed soon.
Because the day is active, please make sure that your student wears comfortable clothing that does not restrict movement.
Cell phones must be Off and Away.
WEB Orientation is for students only. Students should come in the A doors (near the office) and wait in the cafeteria. There will be lots of adults there to help out in any way! We look forward to a great orientation day!
WEB Coordinators
🍎6th: Schedule for 9/3
🎒Schedule for 9/4
- 8:15-9:00 am Students will go to their locker and then to their ARRE time
- 9:10-9:45 We will have an assembly where volunteers will participate in a contest to see what grade level will start the year with the "Spartan Trophy."
- 9:45-3:10 Modified Schedule with lunch and going through their schedule (shortened classes)
- 3:10-3:30 Finish the day with ARRE time/Homeroom
- Students are dismissed at 3:30. If your child rides the bus you can expect that they will be coming home late for the first few days as our drivers become familiar with the process and the routes.
⛺Camp Timberlee
Our 6th grade students will be attending an outdoor education experience at Camp Timber-lee on October 7 and 8. We will be spending one night at Camp Timber-lee! We will leave school on the morning of Monday, October 7th, and return to school in the evening on Tuesday, October 8th.
7th/8th GRADE ONLY
❗❗❗NEW❗❗❗ 🔒LOCK and LOCKER Info for 7th and 8th grade
🔒Locks/Lockers🔒
If you have a 7th/8th grade student who wants a lock/locker, but did not get one, they need to fill out this form with their school email.
🎒Schedule for 9/4: (6th, 7th, and 8th)
- 8:15-9:00 am Students will go to their locker and then to their ARRE time
- 9:10-9:45 We will have an assembly where volunteers will participate in a contest to see what grade level will start the year with the "Spartan Trophy."
- 9:45-3:10 Modified Schedule with lunch and going through their schedule (shortened classes)
- 3:10-3:30 Finish the day with ARRE time/Homeroom
- Students are dismissed at 3:30. If your child rides the bus you can expect that they will be coming home late for the first few days as our drivers become familiar with the process and the routes.
💻7th/8th: Bring your Chromebook charger on the first day of school
Your charger is needed to reboot your Chromebook.
Worth Repeating
School Arrival and Dismissal Information- New start and end times!
*Additional details on bussing will be emailed out closer to the start of the school year.
Please view this document for details on Student Drop Off and Pick Up Zones
Arrival:
IMMS has new start and end times this year 8:20 am-3:30 am. HERE is our daily schedule.
- ❗ NEW ❗ Students can arrive after 7:55am. We encourage students to arrive as close to 8:00 am as possible, but no later than 8:20am!
- Students will enter the A Doors (secure, main entrance) after 7:55am. This is a change this year.
- Bike racks are located near the MHS Stadium and by the IMMS Gym
- Breakfast will be served in the cafeteria starting at 7:55 am
- Students can choose to stay in the cafeteria or play in the gym until the first bell at 8:15 am
- 8:15 am = Cell phones/Airpods "off and away"
- 8:20 am = All students in ARRE Time
Dismissal:
- Dismissal is at 3:30 pm
- If your child rides the bus, you can expect that they (buses) will be late the first few days
- Please follow the cones/directions of staff outside at dismissal (buses will use the large loop and cars will use 1/2 loop).
- Students may not cross the parking lot to enter their car; students are only to be picked up on the School Forest side of the parking lot.
- Students may walk to the MHS Pool parking lot or to Exchange Street to get picked up
- Please DO NOT use the Legion Parking Lot nor Burma Road to pick up your children.
Phone and Air Pod/ Headphone Policy
The IMMS school culture prioritizes face to face communication. Our school culture does not include student cell phone nor AirPods/headphone use. Please help foreshadow this to your scholar before the start of the school year. Here are some quick reminders:
Sports and Clubs
For your child to participate in a Fall sport, the steps shown below need to be completed.
If you have any questions, please contact Leah Poulos at poulosl@mcfsd.org or 608-838-4505.
IMMS Sports Registration will open August 6th: Fill-out IMMS Sports Registration - Fall online sports' registration information via Infinite Campus.
Pay the $90 sports fee via Infinite Campus. (Dance does not have a fee as there are no transportation costs for this team.
- Have current WIAA Medical Clearance/Eligibility Form on file with the athletic office which is dated after 3/31/2023. Please make sure to have a doctor's signature, date of the exam, and parent/guardian signature included on the physical form. Forms are available using this link WIAA Medical Eligibility Form. Once the form is completed, please email it to Leah Poulos as a PDF attachment at poulosl@mcfsd.org. We will update Infinite Campus with your child's physical date and file the form. Physical forms are good for 2 school years.
If you have questions regarding the upcoming Fall Sports Season please feel free to reach out to your athlete's head coach listed below.
- Cross Country = Jennifer Jefferson jefferj@mcfsd.org
- 7th Grade Volleyball = Missy Burke BurkeM@mcfsd.org & Amanda Mackey mackeya@mcfsd.org
- 8th grade Volleyball = Samantha Brogan samanthajobrogan@gmail.com & Kristi McConkey mcconkk@mcfsd.org
- Dance = Lily Gallegos immsdance@mcfsd.org
NOTE: All steps need to be completed before an athlete can practice.
Health Services
District News
Progressive Behavior Response Plan
This plan is a tool designed to offer consistency across the district so that responses to student behavior reflect best practices and are provided equitably from school to school when student behavior requires a corrective, restorative, and/or instructional response or consequence. Through this plan we will maintain a safe and positive learning environment that fosters student belonging, positive and trusting relationships, and student growth. The goal of the plan is to provide staff, students and adults a clear framework that includes our beliefs, expectations, and commitments for responding to student behavior. The full plan can now be found on our website.
