SAUK PRAIRIE MIDDLE SCHOOL
Middle Level News - September 2017
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Website: http://www.saukprairieschools.org/schools/mid/
Location: 207 Maple Street, Sauk City, WI, United States
Phone: 608 643-5500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saukprairiems/
From the Principal's Desk
Dear SPMS Learning Community Member,
The 2017-18 school year is upon us! We are very excited about the arrival of our students on September 5th . We are ready to have all the energy and excitement that a building of 600+ middle school students provides!
We have a few new staff members to welcome to the team this year! Replacing Colleen Fitzgerald in 7th Grade ELA we have Chelsey Larson. Also, Elizabeth Heiser will be joining us in 6th Grade Math replacing Amanda Hering who was here for Christie Nelson who decided not to return from her 1-year leave of absence. Over the summer, both Heidi Braden and Heather Lee left us to pursue other adventures! They are replaced by Shannon Johnson in 6th Grade ELA and Rebecca Anderson as a 6th Grade Specialist. Laura Cody has been hired to replace Pam Frey the district nurse housed here at SPMS. Last but certainly not least, Shelly Ziegler joined us last mid-year, as a new night custodian, but I wanted to officially welcome her as a new staff member!
Hopefully you have marked your calendars for our Supply Drop-off/Back-to-School event on Tuesday, August 30th! Students and parents can come and drop off school supplies, get schedules, meet teachers, and attend Core team presentations to learn more about curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
IMPORTANT SAFETY MESSAGE: Please read the transportation note in this newsletter to learn the proper procedures for drop-off and pick-up of students! The traffic in front of the school in the mornings and afternoons is heavy. Following the right procedures and the directions of our Safety Patrol helps keep all of our students and parents safe. And don’t forget about the drop-off area in the back! I encourage you to use that drop-off area, as it can relieve traffic in the front of school. Just like in the front on Maple Street, please only drop off on the school side of the street to prevent students from having to cross traffic.
As always, we will be emphasizing some shared values here as citizens, role models, and leaders at SPMS. Students will be expected to be safe, respectful, responsible, and resourceful, and we will be spending time talking about exactly how they can meet those expectations! We will ask each student to, “take care of yourself, take care of each other, and take care of SPMS!”. Key topics we will be covering in a variety of ways are handling anxiety and other emotions, standing up to and reporting bullying, navigating social media and treating each other with respect.
Thanks for taking the time to look through the newsletter. We are always interested in developing good communication with our learning community members so that we all stay informed and connected. As we start the year, if you have any questions or concerns, please call me or any other staff member so we can be of assistance. I look forward to another great school year!
Yours in education,
Ted Harter
A message from Mr. Erlandson
From the Desk of the Assistant Principal
SPMS Learning Community,
I want to add my own welcome to you for what is going to be an outstanding 2017-18 school year. One of many fun things I get to view in my role as an administrator is the tremendous excitement and enthusiasm that students and staff bring to the start of a new year. Like my boyhood favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs, it doesn’t matter what did or didn’t happen last year, the now is what is important as every year offers new opportunities for success. As a staff, we look forward to helping your son/daughter have a great middle school experience.
The core of our mission at SPMS is to promote academic, social, and emotional growth of all students. We have four shared values that our staff will be both explicitly teaching to students and referencing throughout the school year in order to promote growth. These shared values/expectations of students are:
Be Safe
Be Respectful
Be Responsible
Be Resourceful
As middle school students seek to find their own identity and walk the bridge from childhood to young adulthood, these shared student values and expectations will help them find the way. In our roles as educators we look forward to partnering with you as parents in helping students successfully navigate their own pathway to success. You will hear more throughout the school year on different activities that we have utilized in engaging students to promote growth.
If at any time you have any questions or concerns that I can be of assistance with, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours in Education,
Scott Erlandson
Assistant Principal/Athletic Director
(608) 643-5507
scott.erlandson@saukprairieschools.org
- Know what bus you ride
- Remember the Sycamore drop off/ pick up area!
- Walk safely!
Transportation News
Drop Off/Pick Up
Last year a cement pad was added Just down the sidewalk behind the Middle School. This is on Sycamore Street and can be used as an alternative to the busy front door location. When dropping off your child at school, please drop off and pick up students on the side of the street that is closest to the school. Please do NOT drop off or pick up students in the south parking lot. The parking lot and Maple Street are too dangerous at the beginning and end of the school day.
If you drop off or pick up your child in the front of the middle school please note: Right Turn Only on to Maple Street from 7:30-8:30 and from 2:45-3:45. The Right Turn Only helps with the congestion of cars and the safety of our middle school students.
Please be careful when driving directly in front of our building. There is a crosswalk for walkers coming across the boulevard from Maple Street. Please stop before the crosswalk.
Also a reminder that there is no parking in front of school on the right-hand side. That area is designated as a fire lane and violators will be ticketed.
Busing
Transportation services for the Sauk Prairie District Students are provided by Lenz Bus Company, 643-8252. If students have any changes to their usual end of the day busing plan they must have the Bus Request Form filled out. The form needs to be stamped in the school office and given to the bus driver. If students do not have this form they will not be allowed to get off at a different stop.
http://www.saukprairieschools.org/cms_files/resources/Dismissal%20Change%20Form.pdf
Bikes
There is a bike parking area on the northeast corner the building (high school side) and on the island in front of SPMS. All bikes must be parked in these areas. Remember bikes should be locked.
Please be careful when driving directly in front of our building. There is a crosswalk for walkers coming across the boulevard from Maple Street. Please stop before the crosswalk. Also a reminder that there is no parking in front of school on the right-hand side. That area is designated as a fire lane and violators will be ticketed.
School Counseling
The school counselors want to welcome our SPMS students and parents to the 2017-18 school year! We know it will be a great year! Counselors are Jane Busler (Grade 6 & 8th Grade Team L) and Mindy Breunig (Grade 7 & 8th Grade Team M).
As parents, you know that while children mature there are a number of different emotional, physical and academic challenges that present themselves. As a school counseling department, our job is to support all children and families to ensure success in school. We are available to all students individually, in small groups, and through classroom presentations.
Classroom lessons are delivered to students in grades 6, 7, and 8. Some of the topics we will address are: study skills, academic & career planning using the internet based program Career Cruising, conflict resolution, bullying, transition, and brain development.
Students may participate in small group activities. The small groups fall into two categories:
1. “Growing-Up” concerns, such as: Learning to make and keep friends, adjusting to middle school, getting along with brothers and sisters, and understanding feelings.
2. "Situational" concerns, such as coping with stress, anxiety and anger using mindfulness techniques, and family change due to separation, divorce, loss of a loved one, coping with a health concern, alcohol or drug use by someone close to the child.
The above issues may also be addressed through brief, individual counseling. Please let us know any specific need your child may have. If you would prefer that your student not participate in small group, individual or classroom meetings, please let us know. We look forward to working with you and your child this year!
Jane Busler, Counselor / Mindy Breunig, Counselor
Grade 6 & Grade 8 (Team L) / Grade 7 & Grade 8 (Team M)
jane.busler@saukprairieschools.org mindy.breunig@saukprairieschools.org
608-643-5511 / 608-643-5512
School Pictures
All students will have school photos taken by Lifetouch National School Studios on Thursday, September 14th during the school day.
Save time and hassle on Picture Day and order your school portrait package online now! Simply click on the link below.
School Lunch Options
- Hot Lunch - Includes Meat/Meat Alternate, Grain/Bread, Fruit, Vegetable, Milk
- Grab & Go - May include individually boxed salads, wraps, assorted deli sandwiches, or PBJ packs. (Includes Fruit, Vegetable and Milk)
- Specialty Line - Offers a variety of meal choices with Fruit, Vegetable and Milk.
The Lunch and Breakfast Menus are available in the middle school office or you can view these menus online using the link below:
LUNCH PAYMENTS
Students can drop off lunch payments before school or at milk break. Payments can also be made online https://eps.mvpbanking.com/cgi-bin/efs/login.pl?access=55177.
There is a $1 fee per transaction or a percent of credit card payments.
SPMS YEARBOOK
MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETICS
Currently Middle Schoolers can participate in two sports: Cross Country for boys and girls grades 6-8 and Volleyball for girls grades 7-8. If you’d like to register, you can go to Skyward family access to do so. Registration is $45 per sport.
Later this fall, 7th and 8th grade Boys Basketball starts and boys and girls in grades 6-8 can join Wrestling. In January, 7th and 8th grade Girls Basketball starts in January and Track for 7-8 grade boys and girls is in April. Watch your emails for when these registrations will open up.
Please contact Alyssa Ziegler with any question 608-643-55010 or alyssa.ziegler@saukprairieschools.org
SCHOOL NURSE - STUDENT HEALTH
Below is the nursing contact information:
Laura Cody, RN
Office at the MS (643-5509)
laura.cody@saukprairieschools.org
Martha Allan, RN
Office at the HS (643-5628)
martha.allan@saukprairieschools.org
According to the Sauk Prairie School Board, certain criteria must be met in order for any medication to be dispensed at school. Before any medication can be dispensed, a Medication Consent Form must be completed and returned to the SPMS office. This form is necessary for both over-the-counter and prescription medications and requires both a parent and physician signature. For example, if your child suffers from migraine headaches, we will NOT be able to distribute medication to him/her without a Medication Consent Form on file. The Medication Consent Form is also available at the SPMS office or online at:
https://www.saukprairieschools.org/district/HR/Medical%20Concent%20Form.pdf
In order for medication to be distributed, pills must be in a prescription bottle with proper labeling or original packaging for over-the-counter medication. Students may carry inhalers with them, however, a Medication Consent Form must be on file in the office.
Immunizations
Please update the school nurse’s office with your child’s immunization records, if you have not already done so. Incoming 6th graders are required to receive the newly required vaccines (Tdap and Varicella #2) prior to school attendance.
T-Shirt Order Form
PLC- EARLY RELEASE DAYS
Builders Club
Builders Club is a Sauk Prairie middle school organization that builds leadership and community for students in grades 6-8. We have been in existence for 15 years. Active members of Builders Club come to weekly meetings held on Thursday's after school until 4:30. Students are not required to come to every meeting but are encouraged so that they are up to date on current and upcoming activities.
Currently, Builders Club members maintain and assist with operating the school store, sponsor the Halloween Dance, manage the Birthday Board and support school and community activities. If your child is interested in being a part of SPMS Builders Club they should attend the first meeting (an ice cream social) on Thursday, Sept. 14. After a short presentation on what Builders Club is all about. Meetings are done at 4:30 pm. Any questions should be directed to 643-5566 or cindy.quam@saukprairieschools.org.
ATTENDING HIGH SCHOOL SPORTING EVENTS
- This is a reminder that back packs/ carry in food & drink/ skateboards/balls, etc are not allowed at sporting events.
- If these items are brought to events, they will be left at the main gate at the responsibility of the owner (gate workers are not responsible)
- If you have any questions, please contact the high school athletic office.
Enjoy the season!