Mr. Warzecha's Weekly Newsletter

August 7th: Student Schedules available (3 PM)

August 12th: 6th Grade Parent/Guardian Meeting- CLMS & Wolf Ridge Information (6:00-7:15)

-CLMS Multipurpose Gym

August 17th: 6th Grade Sneak Peek (6-8 PM) (Click here for more information)

August 25th: CLMS Open House (3-7 PM) (Click here for more information)

September 1st: 1st Day of School

September 7th: Labor Day (No School)

October 6th: In Person Conferences (3-7 PM)

October 8th: Virtual Conferences (3-7 PM)

October 15th- October 16th: No School (MEA)

October 26th -October 30th: Wolf Ridge Week

Dear Parent/Guardian(s) of all Incoming 7th grade students:

Minnesota State Law requires all students to have documentation of specific immunization updates before entering 7th grade. Please fax (651-213-2051), email (jnielsen@isd2144.org), or deliver in-person on or before September 1, 2026. Contact your clinic to obtain the necessary vaccination(s), or to obtain immunization records, if your child is up to date. Enclosed is a Student Immunization Form for your use.

ALL INCOMING 7TH GRADERS WILL NEED:

• Tdap (adult tetanus-diphtheria-attenuated pertussis): One booster dose is required. **Tdap is a vaccine for adolescents and adults containing the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine. Tdap is now required instead of Td for adolescents at 11-12 years of age.

• Meningococcal (MCV4): One dose required.

**Please check with your health care provider for all vaccine requirements.

Other vaccinations that are recommended by the MN Dept of Health, but not required are: Human papillomavirus (HPV), Influenza, and COVID-19.

State law requires children enrolled in school to be immunized against certain diseases or file a legal medical or conscientious exemption. Students will be excluded from school if immunization documentation is not received by September 1, 2026.

Click here for form: Are Your Kids Ready? MN Immunizations

This is the online form for incoming 7th grade students regarding immunizations.

Kori Severson, RN/LSN, 651-796-8676 or kseverson@isd2144.org

Schedule Changes

You may see some changes on your child's schedule in the upcoming weeks as we will continually look at class sizes as new enrollments are coming into the office.

Schedule Questions

Student schedules will be available for parents today at 3 PM. CLMS has two Middle School Counselors to help support our students, staff, and parents. Mrs. Tinjum and Mrs. Kerridge will be your point of contact on questions connected to your child's schedule when they return to school next week.

6th grade students & 7th (last name: A-M)

Mrs. Melinda Tinjum mtinjum@isd2144.org (651) 213-2409

8th grade students & 7th (last name: N-Z)

Mrs. Deborah Kerridge dkerridge@isd2144.org (651) 213-2417

CLICK HERE for the 2026/27 school supply lists

I would like to have all forms completed by all families prior to the 1st day of school.

6TH GRADE FIELD TRIP PERMISSION FORM

Please CLICK HERE to fill out our field trip form.

Field Trips: Wolf Ridge, Fort Snelling, Whirlyball

7TH GRADE FIELD TRIP PERMISSION FORM

Coming to the newsletter on 8/14.

Field Trip: Wild Mountain

8TH GRADE FIELD TRIP PERMISSION FORM

Coming to the newsletter on 8/14.

Field Trip: Wild Mountain

Chisago Lakes School District is Bring Your Own Device for grades 6-12. What this means is that for the next six years, your child will be using their own device to enhance their learning at Chisago Lakes Schools. BYOD is a well established program and has been in place at Chisago Lakes since the Fall of 2014.

What device is recommended?

Chromebook

1. 11” screen or larger.

2. At least 4GB of memory (RAM).

3. At least 16GB of hard drive storage.

4. 8 hours or more of battery life.

5. Power adapter.

Financial Hardships: Any student who attends Chisago Lakes Middle and/or High School will not go without a device for the 2026/27 school year. If you feel you will need assistance, please (click here to fill out our Device Agreement Form).

If you have any questions please reach out to Katie Spooner (kspooner@isd2144.org) who oversees and supports technology at Chisago Lakes Middle School.

Together we can accomplish great things,

Todd Warzecha

CLMS Principal

twarzecha@isd2144.org

651-213-2401

If you have not created an account, please CLICK HERE for information on how to create an account.

CLMS parents and guardians can use ParentVue to report attendance. Families will also continue to have the option of calling or emailing. Click here to explore the steps to utilizing this option.

6th Grade: All 6th grade students will be purchasing a logbook for this upcoming school year. These will be available for purchase during Sneak Peek.

The cost is $7 (Cash/Check to: CLMS).

Any logbooks not picked up during Sneak Peek will be available for purchase during Open House.

7th & 8th Grade: These students have the option to purchase a school logbook, a planner, or use Google Calendar to stay organized throughout the year. Specific information on how to use Google Calendar will be provided in Advisement lessons.

Minnesota Free Meals Program Continues for the 2026-27 School Year

Chisago Lakes School District continues to participate in the Minnesota Free Meals Program which provides reimbursement to schools so that students can have one breakfast and one lunch at no cost during the school day. Although no application is required to receive this free meal benefit, filling out the Application for Educational Benefits is necessary to qualify for exemption from class fees and to be considered for free/reduced athletics and technology. Families must complete the educational benefits application AND the waiver form to be considered for free/reduced fees.

What is NOT included in the MN Free School Meals Program?

Students must have a positive balance in their account or cash to purchase non-reimbursable items

Single-item purchases and non-reimbursable meals are not free. Some examples include:

• Extra carton of milk (One carton of milk is included in the free reimbursable meal. If a student brings a lunch from home or would like an additional milk, it must be purchased)

• Second breakfast or second lunch

• Extra portions (mega bites)

• Snack Items/a-la carte

.

Special Diet Accomodations

Please note that diet accommodations remain in effect from one school year to the next unless we are notified otherwise. If your student no longer requires a previously approved diet accommodation, please contact Laura Cierzan @lcierzan@isd2144.org or 651-213-2506 so we can update our records and discontinue the accommodation.

Click here to access complete Food & Nutrition Services information, including menus, access to PayPams, special diet/allergen information and the Application for Educational Benefits form/waiver form.

Introducing Wolf Ridge…

October 26-28, October 28-30, 2026

Our sixth-grade students have an exceptional learning experience awaiting them this fall. They will travel to the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center near Finland, Minnesota. You will continue to receive more specific information in the coming months, but we wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to Wolf Ridge - our 29th annual trip, and our FIRST trip in October vs January.

Students will attend:

October 26-28 (Lieske & Nelson), or 28-30 (Beduhn)

That’s right, this is a three-day field trip! Classes offered include: Animal Signs, Beavers, White-tailed Deer, Voyageur Life, Ojibwe Life, Lake Superior Hike, Lake Study, Adventure Ropes, Weather, Rock Climbing, GPS and several others. Students take six different classes during our stay. We will have three very full days in one of the most beautiful settings Minnesota has to offer.

Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center is 65 miles north of Duluth, with a fantastic view of Lake Superior and the north shore uplands. It is located on 2000 acres of forest wilderness that include miles of cross-country skiing and hiking trails. Wolf and Raven Lakes, the Baptism River and Sawmill Creek are all areas of study for students. The rocky cliffs along Wolf Lake are home to Peregrine falcons while wolves, bear, deer, moose and beaver are also known to inhabit the grounds.

Why are we taking our students to Wolf Ridge? For those students and parents that have gone the last 28 years, there are numerous enthusiastic responses to this question. Here are some of the comments from parents that came with us last year

“This trip is a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ experience for each student.”

“I was totally impressed with the trip. There were some real challenges at camp that kids just wouldn’t run into at home. It showed them how to work as a team and with each other. These skills are essential in the real world.”

“Fantastic experience… I can't wait for my other two kids to go.”

Wolf Ridge’s Mission Statement clearly answers this question as well.

•Foster awareness, curiosity and sensitivity to the natural world.

•Promote social understanding, respect and cooperation.

•Model values, behaviors and technologies which promote a sustainable lifestyle.

•Develop a citizenry that has the knowledge, skills, attitudes, motivation and

commitment to act together for a quality environment.

•Rekindle the concepts of conservation and stewardship.

As we stated above, you will receive more detailed information in the coming weeks. A few items that you should know to help you begin planning are:

-The cost of the trip will include the coach bus transportation to and from Wolf Ridge, classes and room and board. We are awaiting to hear the cost of transportation to get you the full price of the trip. (Last year’s trip was $255/person. We are hoping to keep it as close to that cost as possible! The official amount has yet to be determined.)

-Chaperones pay the same price as students (if you chose to drive yourself, you will still have to pay the whole price)

-We have room for LOTS of parent chaperones. Parents signed up at orientation for this, if you want to be added to the chaperone list, please let your child’s science teacher know!

-If you are interested in coming as a chaperone, you do not have to attend this meeting. All chaperones are required of having a background check. This background check will be emailed to all 6th grade parents/guardians the end of August. It is an online form that can be completed at home.

-We are conducting an OPTIONAL fundraiser (calendars and chocolates) this summer (more info to come) to help students raise the trip fee.

If you have questions, please plan on attending our parent meeting on August 12th. This meeting will cover information about CLMS & Wolf Ridge. If you can not attend this meeting, my power point presentation will be shared with all families following the end of next week.

These forms will be available at our August 12th meeting as well as at Sneak Peek.

Wolf Ridge ELC- Fundraiser Information

This letter will give you information about the fundraiser we have organized to help students raise funds for their Wolf Ridge trip in the fall. This is an OPTIONAL fundraiser and is separate from the Step-It-Up fundraiser.

Wolf Ridge Calendars: They are beautiful 12x14 calendars showing beautiful North Shore Wilderness photos by photographer Dominique Braud. See handout for the pictures on this year’s calendar. The calendars will sell for $20 and each student will earn $10 towards Wolf Ridge for each one sold!

World’s Finest Chocolate bars The bars sell for $2 each and students earn $25/box (each box has 30 candy bars = $60) Students wanting to sell chocolate will need to commit to selling the whole box candy bars - they will need to bring in $60 as a deposit for their first box. Once that box is sold they can turn that money in to get another box (or you keep your deposit). Once the boxes are opened, we can’t return them and the student is responsible for it.

All calendars and boxes must be pre-bought before they can go with a student. This way once the box or calendar leaves our classroom it is owned by your student. They are responsible for selling and keeping the $ safe. If they would like to purchase another box, the sales from box 1 can be turned in and another box will be given to them. The last box that your student wants to sell that money then goes back to you (since you already pre-bought the 1st box).

Last year’s fee for Wolf Ridge was $255 and we are hoping to keep this year’s fee similar. For a fee of $255, a student could fund their entire trip by either selling 26 calendars or 11 boxes of World’s Finest Chocolate bars (or a combination of the two items). Students can attempt to fund the entire trip or part of the trip through the fundraiser. Our fundraiser is set to begin Friday, August 17th (Sneak Peek), and end on Friday, October 2nd.

We will keep a separate account for each student so that the money they earn in the fundraiser goes directly towards paying for their own Wolf Ridge fee. If you are coming with as a parent chaperone, you will also be responsible for a separate fee equal to the student fee. The fundraiser can also be used to raise money for a parent’s Wolf Ridge fee!

Chisago Lakes Area Schools have a policy restricting door-to-door fundraising sales. Students should sell to neighbors, relatives, and friends accompanied by an adult. Students should not be going door-to-door by themselves to houses where they do not know the people living in those residences.

Questions?

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My student ______________________ has permission to sell chocolate. The box is to be pre-paid and then my student “owns” that box. (please send $60 for 1st box box with this permission slip)

Signed _________________________________________________________(parent signature)

Are you in need of some Chisago Lakes clothing as we are set to begin the 2026/27 school year?

If you answered "Yes", look no further. Our CLMS PTO is offering an online store for the 2026/27 school year. The process is simple. You look through the clothing and accessories, choose an item you'd like to purchase and then customize it with one of the six designs available. The site offers direct shipping for customers convenience.

CLMS PTO gets a small percentage of items that are purchased. All proceeds of PTO sales goes directly back into supporting our students and staff at CLMS. Please check out the link below

https://www.chisagolakesspiritwear.com/

If you are interested in being a part of this organization please email Chisagolakesmiddleschoolpto@gmail.com.

PTO Link: https://linktr.ee/clmspto

Your Guide to the Wildcat Community Center (WCC)

As we get ready for another exciting school year, we want to welcome all of our middle school students to the Wildcat Community Center (WCC)! Whether you're looking to shoot hoops, work out, swim, hang out with friends, or participate in one of our many programs, we're excited to see you this school year.

• Before You Come to the WCC

To help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone, please review the following requirements before your first visit.

• Student Age Requirement

Students must be at least 12 years old to use the Wildcat Community Center without a parent or guardian present.

• Parent Permission Required

If your child will be visiting the WCC without a parent or guardian click one of the blue links below, we must have one of the following on file before they are allowed to enter independently:

• A completed Daily Use Form signed by a parent or guardian, or
• An active WCC Membership with the parent/guardian authorization completed during registration.

Having one of these completed ahead of time will make check-in quick and easy!

If you have any questions, please contact the Wildcat Community Center. Our staff is always happy to help.

Have a safe and amazing school year—we'll see you at the WCC!