In partnership with the community, the Iowa-Grant School District will empower all students to reach their full potential as responsible individuals who strive for life-long learning to successfully compete in an ever-changing global society.

The mission of the Iowa-Grant School District sets our aspirations to provide the highest quality education for the community’s children. In the February edition of the Panther Press, I highlighted “In partnership with the community" as a key phrase of the mission statement and pointed to the many generous donations the district regularly receives from the community. This community partnership goes beyond monetary donations and is evident in the high number of volunteers we have in helping us to achieve our mission. This month, I am asking your willingness to consider what we want our students to become in reaching their full potential as responsible individuals. Although the words of our mission are not explicit here, to me becoming a responsible individual implies participation as a citizen.

Each morning as our students start the day with the Pledge of Allegiance, I am often fortunate enough to join our IGEMS students in the hallway, when they stop mid-stride, face the flag and recite the pledge. This is a great start. As our students move into adulthood, the idea of citizenship should become more mature and more demanding. We develop a responsibility to one another to live in communities in a civil society, and to not only actively participate in our democratic institutions, but to make a meaningful contribution. I am pleased to report that these values for participation, service and contribution permeate all aspects of the educational environment in the Iowa-Grant School District. Our student clubs and organizations are visible and contributing not only here, but beyond the boundaries of the school district. Recent examples include the students from Leo Club who participated in the Polar Plunge in support of Special Olympics or students working and/or donating for the Blood Drive, and the large number of high school students interested in the teaching profession, desiring to replicate what has been modeled for them by our dedicated and loyal teachers and staff.

What we model does have an impact on the students we serve. On April 4, we have an opportunity to participate in the democratic process as responsible individuals (citizens) by voting. Locally, we have two seats open on the school board. Angela Kieffer and Jeffrey Speth are the two candidates for the Area 3-Montfort seat; and to-date, Liz Lenz has registered as a write-in candidate for Area 7-Cobb, Linden, Rewey (At-Large). A Meet the Candidates Forum is planned for Thursday, March 16th at 7:00 PM Room 100 at IGEMS. The intent of the forum is for the public to have an opportunity to make an informed decision when they go to the polls on Tuesday, April 4th. Please consider attending this forum and voting on April 4, 2023, as we model part of what it means to have the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

Michael Shimshak

Beginning 4th Quarter (04/03/2023), all student electronic reports can only be accessed by entering their Unique Student Number. This number can be found on all previous progress and reports cards in the Upper Right-Hand corner. Please make a note of this number for future reference.

The Iowa-Grant Parent/Teacher Club & Iowa-Grant Education Association are hosting a Board Candidate Forum. The Forum will be held on Thursday, March 16th beginning at 7 pm in IGEMS (498 County Road IG, Livingston, WI 53554) Room 100.

Candidates invited to appear are as follows: Angie Kieffer, Liz Lenz, and Jeff Speth.

Stakeholders are welcome to attend in person. It will also be live-streamed/recorded on Zoom with the following link: https://zoom.us/j/3942383423.

For fairness to both in-person and virtual attendees, please plan to submit your questions prior to the forum, no later than Wednesday, March 8 at 5 pm. You can submit a question using the following methods:

1. Using the linked anonymous online form: https://forms.gle/4Tfg4DpA4FVh4aoz7
2. Dropping off a question at the District Office located at IGEMS
3. Mailing a question to the District Office located at 498 County Road IG; Livingston, WI 53554
4. Calling 608-943-6311 x 3020

Please note: due to duplication and time constraints, not all questions submitted may be asked of the candidates during the forum. The event is expected to last approximately an hour.

The election is Tuesday, April 4. Voters will be asked to select the candidate for the Area 3 Montfort seat (Angie Kieffer or Jeff Speth). Currently, there is no candidate on the ballot for Area 7 (Cobb, Linden, Rewey at large). However, Liz Lenz has recently decided to establish a write-in campaign for the seat. The elected candidates will each receive a three-year term on the school board commencing Monday, April 24, 2023.

Greetings Panther Families,

March is a busy month for the Iowa-Grant Food Service department. We will be celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday on Thursday, March 2 . This is a good day to “Try something new!” Ask your student if they liked the Grinch Roasted Corn Dogs and Sweet Cindy Lou’s Carrots. Oh, the things you will hear!

Friday , March 3rd is Soup it Forward Day. National Soup it Forward Day brings people together to spread kindness with a bowl of soup. Share a warm bowl of soup with your friends and family and spread smiles and kindness.

March 6-10 has been proclaimed National School Breakfast Week. During the 2021-2022 school year, Wisconsin served 44 million school breakfasts. Studies indicate that students who eat breakfast have improved mathematics grades and reading scores, enhanced classroom attentiveness, reduced absenteeism and tardy rates, fewer nurses’ visits, reduced childhood hunger, and improved social and emotional well-being. Let’s “dig into breakfast” and enjoy the benefits.

Here is a friendly reminder: Iowa-Grant Families can use the following link to check their lunch account balances https://iowagrant.totalk12.com/

If you have any questions regarding your lunch account or if you would like to fill out a free/reduced meals application, please contact Barb Hugill at 608-943-6311 ext. 3013 or bhugill@igs.k12.wi.us

Have a great month and Think Spring!

Barb Hugill

Iowa-Grant Food Service Supervisor

03/03 Basketball: Boys Varsity Regional vs TBD @ TBD

03/03 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM American Red Cross Blood Drive

03/04 11:00 AM Gymnastics: Varsity State Tournament @ Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln HS

03/04 Basketball: Boys Varsity Regional vs TBD @ TBD

03/04 Basketball: Girls Varsity Sectionals vs TBD @ TBD

03/04 Fruit Pasty Making @ IGEMS

03/07 4:30 PM SWAL Forensics Competition @ Darlington HS

03/09 Basketball: Girls Varsity State Tournament vs TBD @ TBD

03/09 7:00 PM LEO Club Banquet

03/10 Basketball: Girls Varsity State Tournament vs TBD @ TBD

03/11 Basketball: Boys Varsity Sectionals vs TBD @ TBD

03/11 Basketball: Girls Varsity Tournament vs TBD @ TBD

03/13 6:30 PM Board Meeting

3/14 4:00 PM Track & Field: Boys Varsity Invitational @ University of Dubuque

3/14 7:45 PM Spring Concert

3/16 Basketball: Boys Varsity State Tournament vs TBD @ TBD

3/17 Basketball: Boys Varsity State Tournament vs TBD @ TBD

3/18 Basketball: Boys Varsity State Tournament vs TBD @ TBD

3/18 9:30 AM Track & Field Varsity Invitational vs Multiple Schools @ UW-Platteville

3/18 12:30 PM District Forensics Competition @ Barneveld

3/20 5:00 PM Softball: Varsity Scrimmage vs Argyle (Away)

3/20 6:00 PM Music Parents' Meeting

3/21 5:00 PM Softball: JV vs Dodgeville (Home) (Livingston Field)

3/21 5:00PM Softball: Varsity vs Dodgeville (Home) (Cobb Field)

3/24 NOON RELEASE - End of 3rd Quarter

3/24 5:00 PM Softball: Varsity vs Barneveld (Away)

3/24 6:30 PM Softball: JV vs Barneveld (Away)

3/25 Solo & Ensemble @ Darlington

3/27 NO SCHOOL - Spring Break

3/27 5:00 PM Softball: JV vs Lancaster (Home)

3/28 NO SCHOOL - Spring Break

3/28 4:30 PM Baseball: Varsity vs Potosi (Away)

3/28 6:30 PM Baseball: JV vs Potosi (Away)

3/29 NO SCHOOL - Spring Break

3/30 NO SCHOOL - Spring Break

3/30 5:00 PM Baseball: Varsity vs Belmont (Away)

3/30 5:00 PM Softball: Varsity vs Wisconsin Heights MS/HS (Home) (Cobb)

3/30 5:30 PM Track & Field: Varsity Invitational vs Multiple Schools @ UW-Platteville

3/31 NO SCHOOL - Spring Break

3/31 4:30 PM Varsity vs North Crawford (Home) (Livingston)

3/31 5:00 PM Softball: Varsity vs Pecatonica (Away)

3/31 7:00 PM Softball: JV vs Pecatonica (Away)

Each year the Scenic Rivers Energy Cooperative (SREC) sponsors area high school students who attend the Youth Leadership Conference (YLC). The 3 day event is held on the UW-Stout campus in Menomonie on July 11-13. This is FREE to students and their families. SREC pays for travel, tuition, meals, and misc. expenses. We also provide an adult chaperone.

In order to be eligible to apply, students must have a parent or grandparent who is a member of the SREC along with being a sophomore, junior, or senior for the school year 2023-24. While this conference includes leadership training, it includes so much more and is run by teens for teens. It gives students the opportunity to see what college life is like and will include a schedule packed with speakers, games, entertainment, and time to meet other kids from all over Wisconsin.

If you are a member of the Scenic Rivers Energy Cooperative and have a child or grandchild who will be a sophomore, junior, or senior next year at Iowa-Grant, please talk to Ms. Jackie Benish, IGHS Guidance Counselor to get an application. They must be received by June 7th. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact Judy Mims at jmims@srec.net or call her at 800-236-2141, ext.554.

Happy March! Hopefully, we will have great weather and can get in some fantastic days of school before it is time to break for spring break.

Summer Recreation Forms were due in February. Please call our office if you missed this deadline. Teams and coaches will be shared sometime around the middle of March. Please call Jennifer Gallagher if you have any questions.

Summer School sign-ups will be held beginning the Monday following spring break and will run from April 3 - April 28th. To help with planning, the weeks of the summer school will be:

• 1st session: June 12-15 (2 sections 8:15 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.)

• 2nd session: July 10-13 (2 sections 8:15 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.)

• 3rd session: August 7-10 (2 sections 8:15 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.)

There will be a snack/recess in between sections.

We also offer T-ball and Coach pitch softball and baseball. This runs in the evenings on Mondays and Thursdays from July 10 - August 3 with:

T-Ball 5:30 - 6:15 p.m.

Coach Pitch 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

The Wisconsin Forward Exam will begin at the end of March 20th - April 28th. Testing will be held in the following grades:

• grades 3-8 in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics,

• grades 4 and 8 in science,

• and grades 4, 8, and 10 in social studies.

This exam will assess your child’s achievement in grade-level standards and will be used as part of Iowa-Grant Elementary Middle School’s state report card. We appreciate your support of our efforts.

There is some helpful information regarding the Forward Exam: https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/assessment/pdf/Forward_Brochure_for_Families.pdf

Some recent happenings in the library include the addition of a library telescope! Mr. Shimshak has been instrumental in laying the groundwork for an Astronomy Club at Iowa-Grant and involving both the High School and IGEMS libraries in the Library Telescope Program. We will also be adding a few binoculars for night sky viewing! We anticipate these and the telescope will be available in the future for a parent to check out for family use at home. Stay tuned for more information!

Second-fourth grade students took part in a Mock Caldecott Medal Unit during their library classes. We read four picture books through the lens of the Caldecott Committee, which were published in 2022 and had an American illustrator (two criteria for the 2023 Caldecott). We enjoyed the excellent illustrations and how the pictures helped to tell the story in the following books: The Three Billy Goats Gruff, retold by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen; Gold!, written and illustrated by David Shannon; Gravity, A Tall Basketball Tale, written and illustrated by Charly Palmer; Farmhouse, written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. Ask your child which one was their favorite. The American Library Association’s Caldecott Committee chose the book, Hot Dog, written and illustrated by Doug Salati as the 2023 Caldecott Medal winner. I’m looking forward to adding this book to our school library collection.

Save the date: Reading Under the Stars-An IGEMS Family Event will be held on Thursday, April 27th from 5:30-7:00 PM. There will be a planetarium, books for sale, a ventriloquist, information about the library telescope, and a staff skit. I hope to see you there!

Keep reading, Panthers!

Mrs. Bast

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Immunizations (also called vaccines or shots) are one of the most important ways to protect children from diseases. Immunizations are especially important for school-aged children because children in school are regularly in close contact with others who may be able to spread these diseases.

For the 2023-2024 school year, all students will need the following immunizations or an appropriate waiver.

Kindergarten-6th grades

• 4 doses of polio

• 3 doses of hepatitis B

• 2 doses of varicella (chickenpox) or history of disease documented by a qualified healthcare professional

• 4 doses of DtaP/DT/Td

7th-11th grades

• All the previously required vaccines, plus:

• 1 dose of Tdap

• 1 MenACWY-containing vaccine

12th grade

• All the previously required vaccines, plus a booster dose of a MenACYW-containing vaccine. Those students who have not received their first dose by age 16 should only receive one dose.

For more information, please talk with your child’s doctor or visit the DHS website.

What should I do?

Make sure your child is up to date on their vaccinations by checking your child’s immunization record. To get your child up to date on their vaccinations:

1. Make a vaccine appointment with your doctor or the Iowa/Grant County Health Department.

2. Ask the health care provider to complete the Student Immunization Record form and Return the form to Amanda Linscheid, District Nurse.

3. You can also visit the Wisconsin Immunization Registry to see if your child is missing or coming due for any immunizations.

Immunizations are covered by most health insurance plans. If you do not have health insurance, or your health insurance does not cover immunizations, the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program may be able to help with the cost of immunizations. For more information on the VFC program visit: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/immunization/vfc-parent.htm.

Please contact Amanda Linscheid, District Nurse or visit the DHS website for more information on school vaccine requirements.

Amanda Linscheid, RN

District Nurse

Iowa-Grant School District

Phone: 608-943-8752

Fax: 608-943-8438

ajlinscheid@igs.k12.wi.us

Where: Iowa-Grant Elementary

When: Wednesday, March 15th 12:00-3:30

Who: Any child in the district born between Sept 2019 and August 2020

The Iowa-Grant School District is holding a Child Development Day for any child in the district born between September 2019 and August 2020. This is an exciting opportunity for you to bring your child to school to check his/her preschool readiness skills. Through play we will explore colors, shapes, counting, following directions, and language development.

If you would like to bring your child to the Child Development Day please call (608)943-6313 ext 0 to sign up!