Spartan Scoop Sept 25

Please note, if you know your student is present at school or has an off campus delegated block and does not have to be here, do not be alarmed by the automatic attendance email message that goes out multiple times a day. Your student will have the opportunity to clear their attendance with their teacher or Carli at the front desk. Students who have been mismarked or have an issue with their attendance are notified, and it is their responsibility to clear this absence. Speak with your student and encourage them to check with Carli in the front office before calling. If your student has work release, youth apprenticeship, senior release or an off-campus college course and was marked absent for advisory, please be aware that their absence will be cleared before the end of the day. Your student has to be marked absent for safety purposes in the case we have an emergency.

Homecoming is the week of October 2nd-7th, and is here a schedule of events with links to sign up for Dodgeball & Kickball (deadline to sign up is NEXT WED 9/27).

Freshmen: Honolulu

Sophomores: Miami

Juniors: Hollywood

Seniors: New York City

Monday: Favorite sports team/jersey/uniform

Tuesday: Super Hero or Villain

Wednesday: Class City (or order a class city shirt from Spartan Headquarters ORDER HERE

Thursday: Anything But a Backpack (be sure to see the rules!)

Friday: Spartan Gear

Monday after Homecoming: Pajama Day!

Saturday, September 30th from 12-4 in the Tech Ed bays and parking lot outside.

- Bring your own tools/supplies

- NO GLITTER

- All painting must be done outside and have cardboard or paper underneath it

- You may pre-build items beforehand

- Each grade gets $100 to spend!

The annual Dodgeball tournament will take place Mon/Tues and Thursday during Advisory in the A gym. SIGN UP HERE if you would like to play! Student Council will put together the teams and make the brackets! Winners receive a trophy and a medal during the championship game at the pep rally on Friday!

The parade is Wednesday, October 4th, at 6pm! Starting at IMMS, down Exchange Street, left on Farwell to the HS Parking Lot.

After the parade, come be a part of the Kickball Tournament! The first 30 people from each grade level to SIGN UP HERE will play for their grade! 3 innings will be played, 10 people per inning/rotate. 9th grade vs 10th grade and 11th grade vs 12th grade. The winners will play in the championship for the first ever Kickball Trophy AND medals!

Friday, October 6th, from 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm!

Saturday, October 7th, 7:30 pm -10:30 pm in MHS B GYM

**Forms to bring students from another school will be available at the office front desk on Monday, 9/25, and are DUE BY 3:15 on 10/4.

Senior pictures are due by November 30, 2023. They can be emailed directly to yearbook@mcfsd.org.

All questions or concerns regarding attendance/absences should be directed to Carli Cherek at cherekc@mcfsd.org or 608-838-3166 x4762.

There are three ways to report your student's absence, appointment, leaving early/arriving late:

1. Enter your request directly into IC. (Instructions) -
   • If you are concerned that the office staff is not receiving your IC absence request, please make sure you allow notifications for the Infinite Campus app on your phone. Once the IC request is processed you will get a notification.
2. Call the attendance line directly at 608-838-4657 and leave a message. These are sent directly to our email, so we see them in real time.
3. Email mhsattendance@mcfsd.org

• September 27
• School picture retake day from 9:00 am - 2:15 pm in the student learning center.
• UW Whitewater Admissions here during lunches

Suicide Prevention

September is Suicide Prevention Month. Suicide can affect anyone of any age, gender, or background. It’s the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-34.

Know the Signs

Suicide doesn’t usually happen out of the blue—most often, there are warning signs for others to see or hear. Get the FACTs (Feelings, Actions, Changes, Threats) and know the signs of suicidal thinking in your students, friends, and family members.

Feelings: Hopelessness, Rage, Uncontrolled anger, Seeking revenge, Feeling trapped, Having no sense of purpose in life

Actions: Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities, Withdrawing from friends, family, society, and typical activities, Increased use of alcohol or drugs, Giving away prized possessions

Changes: Decline in quality of school work, Dramatic mood changes, Anxiety, Agitation, Change in eating/sleeping habits

Threats: Threatening/talking about hurting self

Resources

The District currently partners with CareSolace. Care Solace helps individuals find mental health care providers and substance use treatment centers. Students, staff, and families may access Care Solace services in three ways:

• Call (888)515-0595 at any time. Support is available in 200+ languages. A dedicated Care Companion will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments, and follow up to make sure it is a good fit.

• For anonymous search, answer a few questions to get matched with an extensive list of care providers at caresolace.com/mcfarland.

• Contact a Student Services Team member

If you are interested in learning more about suicide prevention the Department of Public Instruction has many resources including emergency resources on their website.

🎓McFarland School Board

Summary from the 9/18/23 School Board Meeting:

In addition to their regular duties of approving minutes, staffing, and expenses, here are some highlights from the meeting:

• McFarland Youth Center annual report on the great programming that the MYC provides for our middle school students.

• MHS Principal Brett Jacobson presented a recommendation that the MHS Connect Club continue to serve as student representatives to the Board of Education and later in the meeting the Board approved that recommendation. MHS Connect Club will be invited to present a report from the MHS student body during each regular meeting of the Board.

• Aaron Tarnutzer provided a regular Superintendent’s report and Jeff Mahoney presented an update on the 2023-24 budget and shared information on the upcoming Annual Meeting scheduled for October 23, 2023.

• Action items that were acted upon included:

• Approving the 2023-24 memorandum of understanding between the McFarland Youth Center and McFarland School District

• A request for early graduation for a student at McFarland High School,

• Approved the notice of annual meeting and budget summary that is necessary for providing appropriate notice to the public of the October 23, 2023 Annual Meeting and Budget Hearing.

• One of the McFarland School Board’s biggest responsibilities is to set policy for the District. The September 18th meeting included discussion regarding two policy packets.

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

📰McFarland School District is in the news!

• McFarland School District introduces new staff members

• Teachers speak out as Wisconsin educator turnover spikes (featuring Angie Bazan)

• 'Significantly taxing on teachers': Area schools race to find substitute teachers

- Girls Tennis: Had a busy week with wins over Reedsburg and DeForest, CONGRATULATIONS to the team for taking 2nd place at the Badger Conference Tennis tournament on Friday and Saturday. Very nice showing by our team.

- Girls Golf: They competed well at the Badger Small Conference Meet this past week and are getting ready for the WIAA regional on Wednesday.

- Football: Football had a very exciting comeback win over Edgerton.

- Volleyball: Had another busy week with a conference win over Reedsburg and a 2nd place finish at the Westosha Central invite on Saturday.

- Girls Swimming: Hosted Edgewood and Mount Horeb on Tuesday, they beat Mount Horeb and lost to Edgewood.

- Boys Soccer: Had really nice conference wins over Sauk Prairie and Mount Horeb this week and a tough loss to Sun Prairie East on Saturday.

- Cross Country: Had the weekend off and they are getting ready for the Platteville Invite next Saturday.

- Dance: Had a really nice pregame and halftime performance at the football game on Friday night.

September is Attendance Awareness Month

September 15 - October 15 National Hispanic Heritage Month

• It's time to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month! Let's take time to learn about the cool histories, amazing cultures, and awesome contributions of Hispanic people from places like Spain, Mexico, and more. It is always fun to discover how wonderfully diverse our world is!

September 24 - 25 Yom Kippur

• Yom Kippur is considered the holiest day in Judaism. Those who observe are encouraged to right wrongs and seek forgiveness.

*September 27 Bullying Awareness Day

• Bullying negatively impacts student connection, engagement, and their sense of self. Let's work together to create a school where everyone feels safe and respected.
  

*September 28 Frances Willard Day

• Frances Willard was an educator and women's rights activist from Janesville, Wisconsin.
  

* Wisconsin Public School Observance Days