
IMMS Family Flier
November 17, 2024
A Note from Ms. Thomas and Mr. Jondle
Dear Indian Mound Middle School Students and Families,
We hope your family had a wonderful week/end. We are one week in to the second quarter of the school year. Your voice is very important to us. Please click HERE for a 1-minute survey to give feedback on Fall Family Conferences.
Next week in the Family Flier, I will share detailed information about how to check your scholar's grades. In the meantime, check in with your scholar about their new quarter class (tech ed, music, family and consumer ed, art, futures).
There are some fun field trips planned for the coming week. Our 6th and 7th grade orchestra students are headed to the Overture Center to see the Madison Symphony Orchestra. Our 8th graders are headed to Future Quest on Wednesday, November 20th. Future Quest is held at the Alliant Energy Center and is a career exploration event where students have the opportunity to learn about various careers.
Thank you again for your continued support and involvement in our school community. We look forward to continuing our journey together!
Warm regards,
Jamie Thomas, Principal
Brett Jondle, Associate Principal
Important Dates
- November 19: 6th and 7th grade Orchestra Field Trip
- November 20: 8th Grade Future Quest Field Trip
- November 27-29: No school- Fall Break
- December 11: Choir Concert 7-8 at the PAC
- December 23: No School. PD Day
- December 24: January 1: No School. Winter Break
Veteran's Day (Nov. 11)
IMMS would like to recognize the Veterans within our school family. During ARRE time last week, our scholars created stars to post on this bulletin board to honor the Veterans in their lives.
Outdoor Recess and Weather
As the weather continues to cool down and the seasons change, we wanted to provide a few reminders that we will/have been sharing with your scholar:
- Students should take their coats/sweatshirts/hats with them to lunch to avoid having to have to go to their locker/backpacks after being dismissed from lunch to recess
- To allow students the chance to eat at their own pace, there are two waves of dismissal from lunches. The first wave of dismissal happens 15 minutes into lunch (for those who are finished and want to get outside right away). The second wave of dismissal occurs twenty minutes into lunch (lunch/recess is thirty minutes total).
- The expectation is that at this point, all students must go outside for recess. Please continue to encourage this with your scholar
Monthly Celebration Assembly
The following students we're honored at the Optimist Monthly Celebration Assembly.
First Row - 6th Graders: Niko Anderson-Raney, Addison Walenton, Manaen Yeun, Lucy Vezina and Devontae Carlisle.
Second Row - 7th Graders: MYC Winner Caleb Moran, Molly Rodesch-Phillips, Amelia Plankers, Daniel Leaf, Kullen Parks, Henry Rattmann and Emma Carmichael.
Third Row 8th Graders: Michael Byrne, Serafina Modest, Teddy Hackel and Elizabeth Loy.
Student Services
Internet Safety - Parent Learning Opportunity
Parents, join us on Wednesday, December 4th, at 5 PM for an essential presentation on Internet Safety, led by an expert from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). This session is designed to help you protect your children online, with practical guidance on navigating social media, gaming platforms, Discord, and other digital spaces. Learn how to recognize online risks, set healthy boundaries, and foster safe online habits for your family. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable tools and insights to keep your kids safe in today’s digital world. More information to come in next week's family flyer about location of presentation.
Apple & Pumpkin Donation for FACS
Thank you to the generosity of the Pottinger Family! They donated 20 pie pumpkins and over 100 pounds of apples from their gardens. The 6th, 7th and 8th grade students processed the pumpkins into puree and made pumpkin cookies, bars and muffins! The apples were used for applesauce, apple crisp and apple tarts.
Students learned about the importance of buying locally, in-season fruits and vegetables and practiced many new culinary skills.
New Math Whiteboards - Funded by the McFarland Education Foundation Gannon Grant
At IMMS we have seen many positive outcomes because of the whiteboards that were funded with the Gannon Grant. Our students are more engaged and excited to problem solve in teams with their peers. We have been able to get students out of their seats and moving around while their learning is happening because of the whiteboards. In their teams, students are respecting others' ideas, taking turns contributing and are able to see more than 1 way to solve problems. Making mistakes is the best way to learn; students are analyzing the “best mistakes” made on whiteboards, as they are so visible to all. Learning how to respectfully note mistakes and fix them is a great learning skill. We appreciate and thank you for the grant and can already see our students’ learning grow in new ways because of it."
- IMMS Math TeamFamily Information Regarding Student Learning
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.
THIS WEDNESDAY 11/20
If you’re interested in advocating for improvements to our school community or learning about important district topics, we invite you to join our upcoming meeting on November 20th from 6:00 to 7:30 PM at WIS in the Multi-Purpose Room. Everyone is welcome!
Athletic Director, Paul Ackley will be joining us to provide an update on student participation and what is being done to combat harmful language followed by a Q&A.
To Submit A Question Use This Form
To receive more detailed information about MSEC, join our mailing list by completing this form.
For upcoming meetings, check out our calendar of events for the year.
ACT Prep Plus - Registration Open - Early Bird Discount by November 22
Oregon Lacrosse - Try Lacrosse Event - November 17
McFarland Girl Scout Troop 8063 Winter Clothing Drive - November 18-29
Ryan’s Roundup Basketball Games - December 5 & 6
St. Nick's Shop at McFarland Municipal Center - December 7
Stoughton Health Safe@Home Program for Grades 4-6 - December 13
Badger Bots School Day Off Camps - October 24-December 31
E.D. Locke Library Grades K-2 Magic Tree House Book Club - September-May
Free Triple P Positive Parenting Online Program for WI Families
Donations
We will gladly accept donations of snacks that we can give to students who may not be able to provide their own. We are specifically looking for nut-free, nonperishable, healthy snacks. You can drop off donations at the IMMS Student Services office. We will also accept donations for menstrual hygiene products.
Looking For More Things To Do?
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
Health Services
Medical Attendance
Is your student missing school due to illness, injury or health-related appointments? Providing a medical note or appointment card will prevent these types of absences as counting towards your students' allotted 10 days of excused absences for the school year. Please reach out to School Nurse, Lauren Neesam at NeesamL@mcfsd.org or immsattendance@mcfsd.org if you have additional questions about this process. You can also find more information about absences and attendance in the IMMS parent handbook located on the school website.
Free COVID-19 tests available
U.S. households are eligible to order four free COVID-19 tests through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at COVIDTests.gov. The COVID-19 Tests will detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through the end of the year.
Many COVID-19 tests have extended expiration dates, so you may be able to use your COVID-19 tests after the expiration date that is printed on the box. To find out if your test has an extended expiration date, check the FDA’s list of extended expiration dates.
Pneumonia on the Rise
Per WI DHS and CDC Mycoplasma pneumonia (M. pneumoniae or walking pneumonia) activity is increasing nationwide and in Wisconsin. Every three to seven years an increase in M. pneumoniae cases are identified in the United States. People of all ages are at risk for getting M. pneumoniae infection, but it is most common among young adults and school-aged children. There is no vaccine to prevent M. pneumoniae infection. For moderate to severe cases, antibiotic therapy can be prescribed by a clinician. Please view the CDC website for additional information and resources. If you have a cough, fever, run down/extremely tired, difficulty/painful breathing we recommend that you contact your healthcare provider.
Please review our Guidelines for sending your child to school and MSD Health Services Handbook. Remember, if your child is sick please keep them home.
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. 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!
District News
Interested in Becoming A School Board Member?
Learning more about serving on the school board including how to run during an informational meeting at 6 p.m. on November 18. See this flier for more information.
🎓McFarland School Board
District Recognition Days
November is...
- Native American Heritage Month
- Veterans and Military Families Month
- Youth Homelessness Awareness month
November 20 - Education Support Professionals Day
November 22 - Substitute Educators Day