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Isanti Middle School

Back to School Parent/Family Newsletter 2024-25

Isanti Middle School Back to School Parent/Family Newsletter 2024-25

September 13, 2024

Thank You!!

Hi everyone,

A couple of well deserved Thank You's!!

  • Parents and Guardians: THANK YOU for the efforts you have made to make the start and end of each school day go so smoothly. The parking lot redesign is a HUGE change from what we had in the past and the efforts you have made to adjust habits has resulted in a very smooth transition. The flow of traffic, especially at the end of the day has been exceptional! Thank You!!
  • Students: THANK YOU for the OUTSTANDING start to our year. Staff have been very impressed by all three of our grades to start the year. For example, I had the opportunity to go around and meet with all of our 6th grade students on Thursday morning and I can echo our teachers comments...the kids are doing well.
  • Staff: We've incorporated several changes into our school day and made some adjustments to how we kick-off the school year and I am very, very thankful to all of our staff who have helped make this an exceptional start to the school year.


Have a GREAT weekend!

Mr. Pauly

Traffic Flow - Drop-off & Pick-up

Drop-off & Pick-up Traffic Flow

After School & Event Parking

Be a Good Neighbor

We ask, please do not park at the church or along Oakwood. It is not safe for students to be crossing the road to get into your vehicle.

A SMOOTH Start to the Day

The changes to the before school routine have made the start of the school day much smoother. A year ago we had 50-60 students getting to Advisory late due to late arrivals, breakfast crush, and student socialization. The changes below have allowed us really get every day off to a great start. The photo above was taken on Sep. 4 just before the 8:30 bell to start the day. All of the students are IN class!

Changes that have worked to make this possible.


  • IMS is now the hub for Isanti Tier 2 bus routes. All Isanti secondary students first come to IMS before going to their school. This means ALL of our middle school students have one bus to school.
  • Students now have the option to be in the cafeteria or the gym before school starts.
  • We now start breakfast at 8:05 and have it open to 8:25.
  • Cell phones in the cafeteria go away with the 8:12 bell.

Spark / GOAL / Reading & Math Plus

Spark

Spark is an innovative class designed to ignite students' curiosity and drive by blending structured work completion with passion projects and flexible learning opportunities. The course emphasizes personalized learning experiences and encourages students to explore subjects of interest. Due to the nature of this course, no two Spark classes are the same. Please reach out to your child’s teacher to learn more about what they are doing in class.

FastBridge

Students completed FastBridge Reading and Math testing this week. These short assessments are used as a screening tool in combination with other classroom indicators to help create a picture of each child's performance in math and reading. We take these assessments three times each year, in the fall(Sep.), Winter(Jan.), and Spring(May).

Reading Plus

Reading Plus is a reading intervention class either on days 1 or 2 which works with students to accelerate development of their reading skills. In this class, the two main areas of focus are fluency and comprehension. Fluency is how quickly words can be decoded so that they can be read quickly. When students spend a lot of time and energy decoding words, they have a hard time understanding what they've read. Comprehension is the ability for a student to understand, and make sense of, what they read.

GOAL

GOAL Time is a class that is either on day 1 or day 2 and is opposite gym. This class teaches students the basics of how to be a student (send emails, technology, planning) and provides space for teachers to check in with students individually. This class varies week to week, so please reach out to your child’s teacher to learn more about what they are doing in class.

Math Plus

Math Plus is an intervention class either on days 1 or 2 which helps students who need extra support to master important math concepts. In this class, students work on specific skills in which each of them need assistance. The specific topics that a student may experience are multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, rate, ratio, percent, functions, equations, and linear relationships.

This year all students have Phy-Ed every other day, either Day 1, or Day 2. On the opposite day, most students will have either GOAL, Reading Plus, or Math Plus.

IMS Course Offerings 2024-25

Hello, It's been great to meet our new students and connect with former students. Please contact us with any concerns or questions. Just as a reminder, Ms. Emmons works with students whose last name begins with A-L and Mrs. Foley works with students M-Z. Our goal is to help your child have a successful year.


ENCORE is Here!

ENCORE program provides free tutoring, internet access, and opportunities for students to improve their academic and study skills.

  • ENCORE is open to all IMS students.
  • Students will work on assignments and work to improve academic skills.
  • Transportation is the responsibility of the family
  • Afternoon (Monday thru Thursday)
  • ENCORE Brochure

Attendance

Attendance Procedures

If your child will be absent for the day, please notify the school by calling the attendance line at 763-691-8661 or emailing IMS-attendance@c-ischools.org. For early pick-ups, make sure to call as soon as possible so we have enough time to get the information to your child.


Parents should call to explain every absence on the day of the absence or send a note when the student returns to school giving the reason for the absence.


Attendance Intervention Meeting (AIM)

AIM meetings serve as the initial intervention for students facing attendance challenges. AIM represents a collaborative effort between C-I Schools, Isanti County Probation, and Isanti County Attorney's offices. When students accumulate three unexcused absences, we refer the student to the Isanti County Probation Department and they are invited to attend an AIM meeting held at the courthouse.

Scenes from the Week - 8th Grade Science

School Day Schedule

6th Grade

7th Grade

8th Grade

Repeat Information

Immunizations

Immunizations are required by Minnesota law and must be completed before students can start school in the fall. Kindergarten, 7th grade and 12th grade students have several requirements. 7th grade students need to show proof of a Tetanus Diphtheria booster shot and meningococcal vaccine after the age of 11. These are required for all students grades 7-12. New in 2021, schools are required to report a second meningococcal vaccine for 12th grade students. This immunization can be given as soon as students are 16 years old.


A copy of the student's current immunization record must be on file at school PRIOR to the first day of school. Parents may file a medical exemption signed by a healthcare provider or a conscientious objection signed by a parent/guardian AND notarized. Please submit your child’s forms to the health office at their school.

  • Use this chart as a guide to determine which vaccines are required for school (online, home school, public, or private).

  • For a current copy of your child’s vaccination record call the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC) at 651-201-3980 or your primary care provider.

  • If you need an exemption information, the Immunization Form (Immunization and Exemption Form) is available on the MDH website.


IMPORTANT - By law, students will be excluded 30 days after the start of school, which means if students do not have current immunizations or a conscientious objection on file, they will not be able to attend school after October 16, 2024.


Isanti County Public Health has low cost immunizations available for infants, children, and adults who are eligible for Medical Assistance/MinnesotaCare, uninsured, under insured, or otherwise unable to access services. To schedule an immunization appointment at Isanti County Public Health or for more information, call 763-689-1711 or email ICPH@co.isanti.mn.us.

We Need You!

Volunteer Opportunities

We Need You! Each volunteer contributes to the success of our learners and our staff. We have many volunteer opportunities throughout the school year {please customize to some examples appropriate for your school - i.e. take home projects, classroom opportunities, field trip chaperones, school events, activity nights, etc} and more. Please watch for an email from our Volunteer Coordinator later this month with more information about volunteering at our schools. We greatly appreciate our volunteers and we are looking forward to seeing you soon!

We are Hiring!

Community Education is hiring for full and part time Program Assistant positions to work with students ages three years old through fifth grade in our preschool and Adventure Center programs. These positions provide on the job training and can be flexible to work around other positions and commitments. For more information visit our website or contact us at 763-689-6180.

Skyward Family Mobile App

Download the Skyward App to keep school information at your fingertips. Follow the steps below to get access to your child's grades, missing assignments, email teachers and more!

Upcoming Dates

Sep. 16: Washington DC Parent Meeting (7:00-7:30 PM)

Sep. 20: Fall Pictures

Sep. 20: WEB Activity Night

Sep. 27: No School - Teacher Professional Development

Sep. 30-Oct. 4: Bluejacket Homecoming Week

Oct. 4: CIHS Homecoming Game

Oct. 8: Fall Conferences

Oct. 10: Fall Conferences

Oct. 11: IMS Color Run

Oct. 17-18: No School - MEA Break

Oct. 24: Picture Retakes

Student Handbook & Schools Calendars

Food Service Updates

Our school offers healthy meals each day. Starting school year 2023-24, we are joining Minnesota’s Free School Meals Program. All students can get one breakfast and one lunch free of charge each day at school. Although no application is required to receive this free meal benefit, filling out the Application for Educational Benefits is still important! Your child(ren) may qualify for other benefits like reduced fees at school. Your application may also help the school qualify for education funds, discounts, and other meal programs.


Cambridge-Isanti Schools encourage all families to apply for discounted or free meals. It’s easy. How to Apply

There are three ways to apply.

  1. Educational Benefits Forms have been mailed to every student household in the school district. Complete the form and return it via mail or email.
  2. Forms are also available at each school office, as well as the C-I Schools district office, 625A Main Street North, Cambridge, MN 55008.
  3. Online, visit https://www.c-ischools.org/ and click on Skyward Family Access, log-in, and complete the Educational Benefits Form.
Our office staff is available to assist you, Monday - Thursday, 7:30 - 4:30 p.m. Call 763.689.6210 with questions or email: dknickerbocker@c-ischools.org.


Deb Knickerbocker
dknickerbocker@c-ischools.org
763.689.6210

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