IOWA-GRANT PANTHER PRESS

My Dear Friends at Iowa-Grant:

I am having to take some time off due to a serious medical condition, which compromises my immune system and causes fatigue. In the immediate future, all superintendent issues may be directed to Mr. Winders until such time as the board of education develops a more formal plan to address my unexpected absence.

I will be missing everything about Iowa-Grant, the best district I have ever served. I will especially miss our students and wish them the best in their promising futures. The strength and values of the Iowa-Grant community are above all. The board of education is dedicated to the success of all children. The teachers, staff, and students make Iowa-Grant a destination district. While I will be absent physically, in spirit, I live by “Once a Panther, always a Panther” and offer my deepest appreciation for the work you do every day. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve here for the past four-plus years, and if we are better off than we were, mission accomplished: “together we make a difference”.

Sincerely,

Michael Shimshak

Check out BOUND for our Sporting Events and Activities Calendar

GO PANTHERS!!!!

11/02 NO SCHOOL

11/02 6:00 PM Iowa-Grant Booster Club Meeting - Biddick, Inc.

11/02 6:30 PM Special Board Meeting

11/05 6:00 PM Girls Basketball Parent/Player Meeting - Mr. Raimer's Room

11/07 6:00 AM - 4:00 PM I-G Music Department Pasty Making - IGEMS

11/09 6:30 PM Board Meeting

11/10 4:00 PM - 7:30 PM Parent / Teacher Conferences

11/11 10:15 AM Veteran's Day Program - IGHS Gymnasium

11/12 4:00 PM - 7:30 PM Parent / Teacher Conferences

11/13 NO SCHOOL

11/13 7:00 PM IGHS Drama Production - 46 Plays for 46 Presidents

11/14 7:00 PM IGHS Drama Production - 46 Plays for 46 Presidents

11/15 2:00 PM IGHS Drama Production - 46 Plays for 46 Presidents

11/20 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM IGHS Blood Drive

11/23 4:30 PM Music Parents Meeting - IGHS Band Room

11/25 NO SCHOOL

11/26 NO SCHOOL

11/27 NO SCHOOL

The IGHS Student Council hosted a Halloween Costume Contest on Friday.

1st place winner was Addeline Elg

2nd place winners were Alayna Enloe & Isabella Neevel

3rd place winners were Evie Linscheid, Chelsey Mueller, Breanna Dowell, and Michelle Quiahua

Evie Koss was selected last Spring to participate in the WSMA 2026 State Middle School Honors Choir in Verona. The concert was held on Saturday, October 31st. Congratulations Evie on your accomplishment.

FFA:

October was a very busy month for the Iowa-Grant FFA Chapter! To start the month, we had our Chapter meeting and sent out the IG FFA Fruit Sale order forms which are due on November 4th. The UW-Platteville CDE Workshops were on October 7th, they gave our CDE teams an opportunity to learn more about their competition and gain further skills. Members attended Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Ag Day on the 13th and it was a great event for members to learn about different parts of the agriculture industry as well as learning more about SWTC. Farm to School Day was the 16th and was an opportunity for the high school FFA members to teach IGEMS classes about farm animals and give them an opportunity to see the animals up close! To end the month, the Iowa-Grant FFA sent 6 members to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. These members had the opportunity to tour the agriculture industry, attend informative sessions, meet representatives from colleges all over the US and meet FFA members from other chapters!

Fire Safety:

During the second week of October; Mrs. Bodway’s, Mr. Pronschinske’s, and Mrs. Linscheid’s classes joined Lead Fire Instructor at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Karl Sandry, for a Fire Safety & Fire Extinguisher Lab. Students gained practical experience that supports their Tech Ed, Food Science, and Welding classes and teaches an important safety skill for life! A big thank you to Karl and Southwest Tech for making this possible!

In Anatomy class, students were challenged to create an edible model of the integumentary system (skin). But the real learning started before the baking. Students used their notes to design a recipe in which each ingredient represents a specific structure or function of the skin. From the epidermis and dermis to hair follicles, sweat glands, and more, students must think critically about how their ingredients connect to the anatomy and physiology of the skin. The goal was to create meaningful analogies that help them understand and remember what each structure does.

The students in Mrs. Kramer's class enjoyed the fall weather by visiting Vesperman Farms on October 23rd in Lancaster. A great day for adventures and pumpkins!

The Iowa-Grant Student Council and LEO Club will be collecting old pairs of eyeglasses and old cell phones throughout the school year again. Please send them to Mr. Boland. Thank you for supporting the IGHS Student Council and LEO Club!

November is a month of gratitude, and I am so thankful for the outstanding students, parents, and staff we have at Iowa-Grant Elementary Middle School! Everyone works together to make a difference in the lives of students across our beautiful rural communities, and I am grateful to be part of such a wonderful school community. It is not often that principals get to go into the cornfield to retrieve a ball that landed there - before a farmer finds it with the combine. I truly love where I work.

There is a lot happening around us! Our boys have started middle school basketball, and we have wrapped up the first quarter of the school year. Parent-teacher conferences will be held on the evenings of November 10 and 12, and there will be no school on November 13.

Please also remember that there will be no school November 26–30 for the Thanksgiving holiday.

As always, please feel free to reach out if you need anything. I hope you and your families have a wonderful November filled with gratitude, joy, and time spent with those who matter most!

IGEMS is proud to announce Rachel W. is the first Reading Millionaire of the school year!

Rachel achieved this goal by reading a total of one million words and passing the A.R. quizzes over each book of her reading journey. Congratulations, Rachel! You have demonstrated dedication and outstanding achievement as a reader! You make us Panther Proud!

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming! The week of Parent Teacher Conferences (11/9-11/12)

The IGEMS first graders will once again be sponsoring a CHRISTMAS STORE. This store allows all elementary students to buy two gifts for only 50 cents each. If you have any gently used items that you would like to donate to our store, we would gladly accept your donations. We will need gift donations to be no bigger than 8X4 inches. We will be placing our gifts into homemade gift bags made by our students. Donations can be dropped off in the office or with Ms. Lynch & Mrs. Leibfried any time before the first week in December.

Thank you for your generosity!

Britany Lynch & Molly Leibfried