IMMS Family Flier

Dear Indian Mound Middle School Students and Families,

I hope everyone got the opportunity to enjoy the warmer weather at the end of the week. Spring is coming! That means, FORWARD exam is coming up as well. Please be sure your scholar is well rested, has a healthy breakfast, brings headphones, and has a fully charged chromebook on the days they are testing.

FORWARD EXAM DATES:

• March 19 and 20: Science (8th only)
• April 2 and 3: Social Studies (8th only)
• April 9 and 10: ALL School ELA
• April 16-17: ALL School Math

Thank you for your continued partnership in making IMMS a place where all students feel supported and empowered. As always, please reach out if you have any questions or thoughts to share. We are grateful for your involvement and look forward to a great month ahead!

Warm regards,

Jamie Thomas, Principal

Brett Jondle, Associate Principal

2-hour delay schedule

Daily Schedule

Daily Announcements

Day A/Day B Schedule

Student Services Support Contacts

McFarland School District Website

McFarland School District App

McFarland Youth Center Website

McFarland RADAR (Relevant Alcohol & Drug Awareness Resources) Coalition Newsletter

IMMS Athletics Calendar

Family information on IMMS Expectations

IMMS Sports and Clubs Eligibility Criteria

March 24-28: No School, Spring Break

April 4: End of 3rd Quarter

April 7: Start of 4th Quarter

April 16: Bandorama 6:30 practice, 7:30 performance @ MHS A Gym

FORWARD EXAM DATES:

• March 19 and 20: Science (8th only)
• April 2 and 3: Social Studies (8th only)
• April 9 and 10: ALL School ELA
• April 16-17: ALL School Math

First Row - 6th Graders: Hailey Lau, Roman Hagen, Alivia Nielsen, Mimi Meyers, Anna Halverson & Aoife Gallagher.

Second Row - 7th Graders: Sophia Genovese, Cooper Mascotti, Natalie LaPean, Bode Stenman, Amanda Sprang & Kai Rivera.

Third Row - 8th Graders: Talya Kulp, London Furst, Noelle Oldenburg, Liam Nienstedt, Gavin Yerges and Zoe Hoppman.

6th to 7th Grade Course Selection (Overdue): Please fill out THIS form below for your current 6th grader going into 7th grade if you have not already. Please reach out to Caleb Holzman with questions.

7th to 8th Grade Course Selection (Overdue): Please fill out THIS form below for your current 6th grader going into 7th grade if you have not already. Please reach out to Lauren Noriega with questions.

School safety is a priority in the McFarland School District. At Indian Mound Middle School (IMMS), we take several steps to ensure your child is safe and our school is secure. This upcoming week, we will be holding our seventh "School Safety Drill" of the school year, in which we will be conducting a "Hold" drill. During this drill, students will remain in their classrooms with "business as usual". As a reminder, a Hold is put into place due to a medical situation or student crisis that requires students to remain in their classroom to protect the privacy of the individual involved in the situation. We have been preparing your child for the drill during the past week during our school announcements.

During this week's drill, we will make an announcement that clearly explains to students that we are about to conduct a drill prior to the drill beginning. The entire procedure should last approximately ten minutes with minimal impact on student learning. Before the drill, and following drill, students will be reminded (as we have done during each of our previous drills and safety discussions) that schools are often some of the safest places to be and that these skills students and staff learn about safety can be applied anywhere, both in school and out of school. Our goal is always to make this experience a useful practice of the procedures, without alarming students.

If you have any questions about the drill, please feel free to contact Ms. Thomas or me at any time at 838-8980.

Thank you,

Brett Jondle, Associate Principal, Jamie Thomas, Principal

Here are a few tips for reading while on Spring Break:

1. Read for fun: Encourage your child to read a favorite magazine, author, genre or book.

2. Read together: Read a family favorite, or an author that you both may like.

3. Make the most of travel time: If you are traveling during break, look for local books, travel brochures, maps about your destination. Maybe try an audiobook that everyone can listen to during the ride.

4. Stock up on books at the local library.

5. Check out IMMS library webpage for a wide selection of tools to help you find your next read.

6. Try out one of the BEST Books of the year from School Library Journal!!

Also as a reminder, we are using IXL to support our ELA curriculum this year, in particular our language standard, which focuses on grammar and mechanics. Your child has access to this online program at home.

How Do Students Access IXL at Home?

• Click on IMMS Favs Folder via their school issued chromebook

• Find IXL, click on it

• Sign in via their google sign on

Top Ways to Use IXL at Home:

• Encourage your student to visit their Recommendations wall for helpful review or new challenges. These skills are picked just for your student!

• Check on your student’s progress by clicking on Analytics in their account. This allows you to see what they have been working on and their progress.

What is IXL’s SmartScore?

The SmartScore is the best possible measure of how well your child understands a skill. It factors in question difficulty, answer accuracy, and consistency. Students should aim for a SmartScore of at least 80. This is NOT a percentage. Unlike percentage-based scoring, the SmartScore is truly smart. Even if a student gets a question wrong, it’s always possible to reach a 100. A SmartScore of 80 - 90 shows that the student has a strong understanding of a skill. All progress in each area is always automatically saved allowing students to pause their practice.

Teachers AND Parents will be doing a combined book study of the book "Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine, by Michele Borba." In her book, Dr. Borba explains that the difference between kids who thrive vs. strive comes down not to grades or test scores, but to seven character traits that set Thrivers apart—confidence, empathy, self-control, integrity, curiosity, perseverance, and optimism. We will explore how we can work with our students/kids to help build these traits and become BOTH healthy and successful!

You can find more information HERE. The book study will start the week of April 7th and run for 8 weeks. Please use THIS FORM to indicate an interest. When you fill out the form, Fred Bartman (school counselor) will reach out with details. Filling out the form simply says you are interested in getting more information.

The School Psychology Training Clinic (SPTC) at UW-Madison will be offering a four-week long evidence-based anxiety intervention program this summer. There will be three different groups for children entering grades 2-4, 5-8, and 9-12. Sessions will take place on UW's campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-5pm or 5-6pm from June 17th - July 17th. The registration deadline is May 1st.

Check out their website for more information about the groups and their clinic: https://edpsych.education.wisc.edu/clinics/sptc/

Dane County Human Society is offering a wide range of camps for kids ages 7-14. They will run from June to August and campers will dive into awesome themes such as: Pet’s Mini Weeks, Wild Things, Pet-tacular Professions, and Animal Allies. Visit giveshelter.org/wildside for more details.

Triple P Online is a fully self- guided online parent education and support program. It is research based, accessible 24/7, flexible and easy to tailor, engaging, and free for all families living in the state of Wisconsin. Each program goes through modules with tips and strategies for parents to prevent challenging behavior, promote positive behavior, and build stronger relationships with their child.

Parents and caregivers can choose from four options to fit the needs of their family:

0-12: For parents with children ages 2-12

Teen: For parents with teens ages 12-16

Fear- Less: For parents with children showing symptoms of anxiety

Baby: For parents-to-be and parents with babies 0-12 months

REGISTER HERE– Triple P Online link - https://www.triplep-parenting.com/wi-en/triple-p/

We may not be jumping into a frozen lake, but we are gearing up for an icy good time to support Club Unified & Special Olympics! Instead of the traditional Polar Plunge, we’ll be taking on water balloons, ice buckets, &/or super soakers – because why freeze alone when we can share the chill?

If you’d like to support our brave (and slightly crazy) participants, we’d love donations! Every dollar helps us continue building an inclusive community at IMMS. Click HERE to donate.

Thanks for helping us make a splash for a great cause!

Stay warm (we won’t),

We are so excited to say that TWO of our teams qualified for the Robotics State Tournament!

We will be competing in Appleton this weekend with the McFarland High School teams. State will be in mid-March. Link to Fundraiser (You don't have to donate, but check out our great video!)

Below you will find "Hubs" (aka Task-List) for each grade level and Related Arts. You can click on the "Hub" to get information on what your scholar is doing in class, assignments, and assessments.

• Spartan Volleyball - Girls Spartan Spikers Registration Open

• Spartan Volleyball - Boys Spartan Spikers Registration Open

• Oregon Lacrosse Club Spring Season Registration Open - March 17

• E.D. Locke Trinity Irish Dancers - March 17

• ACT Prep Plus - Early Bird Registration through March 20

• E.D. Locke Teen After Hours Nerf Night - March 21

• E.D. Locke Library Card Design Contest - March 1-April 4

• E.D. Locke Library All Ages Poetry Contest - March 1-April 1

• CESA 2 MHS Driver Education Program

• McFarland Youth Baseball Organization 2025 Season Registration Open

• McFarland Youth Softball 2025 Season Registration Open

• Badger Precollege Grades 6-8 Latino Youth Summit - March 24-25

• E.D. Locke Library Bad Art Afternoon - March 28

• i9 Sports 2025 Spring Season - Register by March 28

• MSD Raising Resilient and Responsible Kids Virtual Parenting Course - April-May

• MHS DECA Big Little Dance & Getting Ready with Royalty - April 12

• McFarland Soccer Referee Course - April 19

• IMMS McFarland Spring Craft Fair - April 26

• Free Sales for Families Free Sale - May 3

• Dane County Humane Society Camp Wildside 2025 Day Camps and Summer Camp

• E.D. Locke Library Teen Dungeons and Dragons One-Shot Adventures - January-April

• E.D. Locke Library VolunTeen Program - January-April

• E.D. Locke Library Teen S.T.E.A.M. - January-April

• E.D. Locke Library Teen Hangout - January-April

• E.D. Locke Library Teen UnBook Club - January-April

• E.D. Locke Library Teen Snack & Chat - January-April

• E.D. Locke Library Grades 3-5 LEGO Club - September-May

• E.D. Locke Library Grades 3-5 Graphic Novel Book Club - September-May

• E.D. Locke Library Grades K-2 Magic Tree House Book Club - September-May

• UW Madison Summer Anxiety Group for Kids Grades 2-4 - June 17-July 17

• Dane County Humane Society Summer Camp Pawprint

• Free Triple P Positive Parenting Online Program for WI Families

• WI School of Business - Grade 8 & 9 Free Precollege Summer Camp: Business Basics

• Badger Bots Kids Summer Camps

McFarland Recreation Aquatics & Play (MRAP) and the McFarland Performing Arts Center (MPAC) offer a wide variety of recreation and aquatics programs for community members of all ages. To learn more, visit MRAPNews.com

Questions about specific MRAP or MPAC programs?

Reach out to the staff contacts listed below:

Stu Schaefer, Director of Community Services

schaefs@mcfsd.org | 608-838-3168

Kayla Eliasson, Aquatics Supervisor

eliassk@mcfsd.org | 608-838-3168

Alisha Fix, Recreation Supervisor

fixa@mcfsd.org | 608-838-4666

Zachary Franczak, Performing Arts Supervisor

franczz@mcfsd.org | 608-838-4461

Emergencies can happen at any time, so it is crucial that school staff, especially Health Services staff, are able to get in contact with a parent/guardian or an emergency contact during the school day. Please take a moment to review your students' listed emergency contacts in the IC parent portal to ensure the information listed is the most current. If there are special circumstances where you know you will not be available for calls during a specific time of day or if school staff should utilize an alternate phone number such as an office line, please ensure that this is communicated and/or make sure that your listed emergency contacts are aware of this, as health office staff may need to contact them if your student is seen in the health office and parent/guardian notification is required. To make changes to your emergency contacts please see here for steps to update contact information. Thank you for our partnership in helping to keep our students safe and healthy!

For those who like to plan ahead, here are the dates and times of the welcome back night for August

All schools Welcome Back Night are on Wednesday, Aug 27th, 2025

• CEPS 5:30 - 7:30

• A-K 5:30 - 6:20

• L-Z 6:40 - 7:30

• WIS 5:30 -7:30

• L-Z 5:30 - 6:20

• A-K 6:40 - 7:30

• IMMS 5:00 - 7:00

• A-K 5:00 - 5:50

• L-Z 6:10 - 7:00

• MHS 4:00 - 7:00

The Village of McFarland is in the process of drafting a new mission, vision, and value statements. We believe that your opinions, insights, and values are key to making sure these statements are reflective of what really matters to us all within the McFarland community. This is not just about goals and priorities, but about crafting a vision that truly represents who we are and where we want to go as a Village.

To that end, we hope you’ll take our Vision and Mission Statement Community Survey to offer your own insights and input. Whether your feedback relates to the spirit of the community, the issues you care about most, or what you hope to see in the future, we want to hear it all to help better inform the project. The survey will remain open until the end of March.

We have also scheduled an additional Village Visionaries Workshop, to be held in the Training Room at the McFarland Municipal Center on Thursday, March 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. if you would like to participate in person.

Please consider filling out the form or attending the workshop whether you live within the Village or not. We welcome all of the input from residents and our surrounding neighbors. Let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, and thank you in advance for your participation and support.

Upcoming School Board Meeting: Facilities Naming Committee Recommendation

Join us for the School Board Meeting on Monday, March 17, at 7:00 p.m., where the Citizens Advisory Facilities Naming Committee will present their recommendation on whether to rename Conrad Elvehjem Primary School. If you can't attend in person, you can watch live online here or view the recording here.

The School Board will vote on the name change during their April 7 meeting.

How to Share Your Perspective:

• Speak during public comment at the start of either meeting

• Email the Superintendent and School Board Members

Your voice matters!

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.

March is...

Women's History Month

Youth Art Month

Music In Our Schools Month

• February 28 to March 30 - Ramadan
• March 17 - The Great Hunger in Ireland
• March 29 to March 30 - Eid al-Fitr

The McFarland School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, sex, (including gender status, change of sex or gender identity), or physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability (Protected Classes) in any of its student program and activities.