Eagle's Post - 4/24/26

Hello Middle School South Families,

I hope you’ve had a wonderful week! As we head into the weekend, I want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible success of Writers Week. It was truly inspiring to see our students engage so deeply with the various activities, sharing their voices with Mr. Nicky! Seeing that spark of creativity shine was truly a highlight! I want to extend a huge thank you Mrs. Eberle and Mrs. Richardson for planning, organizing, and ensuring everything went so well. It is because of the two of them that this week continues to be a highlight of our school year and school community!

We have a very busy stretch ahead of us as we approach the end of the year, so please take a few minutes to review this week’s newsletter. You will see some information regarding MAP & PreACT9 testing next week, fourth quarter progress reports, health information, and more.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Anthony Dengler

Please take a moment to send a note of appreciation to one of our incredible staff members here at MSS! Use the link above to access our form and we will present them with a physical note!

Tuesday May 12, 2026

May PTO Meeting (7:00 pm)

Friday, May 15, 2026

Early Release for Students

RSVP NOW for the 8th Grade Bash! <https://forms.gle/fHBX7we8rnE5ZjUU6>

All 8th Grade Students are invited to attend on Friday, May 15th from 7:00pm - 9:00pm at Middle School South.

• FREE ADMISSION (sponsored by the PTO)

• Pizza & Treats will be served

• DJ, Photo Booth, Games, Yearbook Signing, Surprises!

• Outdoor & Indoor Event (weather permitting)

Dressy summer attire encouraged—wear what makes you feel comfortable and party-ready (think sundresses with tennis shoes, polos, khaki shorts, or similar)

Next week all of our 6th and 7th grade students will be taking the MAP assessment. The reading test will take place on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, and the math test will take place on Thursday, April 30, 2026. Tests will begin right at 7:20 AM and conclude at 9:20 AM. Beginning at 9:20 AM we will follow a delayed start schedule for the remainder of the school day.

All of our 8th grade students will be taking the Pre-ACT9 assessment through the Progress Learning Platform. The English and reading sections will take place on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, and the math and science sections will take place on Thursday, April 30, 2026. Tests will begin right at 7:20 AM and conclude at 9:20 AM. Beginning at 9:20 AM we will follow a delayed start schedule for the remainder of the school day.

Please help us ensure that your student(s) are on time and come with a fully charged iPad. This will help ensure a successful testing environment.

For more information on both assessments, please reference emails sent by Mrs. Aubrey Allen, Director of Curriculum, Assessment, & Data on Monday, April 20, 2026.

As we approach the end of the school year and are spending more time outdoors as a learning community, I wanted to share some important health information - as we have observed ticks in our area this spring, and are receiving more reports regarding ticks in our Health Offices district-wide. Please see the article HERE for more information on ticks and Health Office Support.

Please note that the district Facilities Department will be applying Ortho Insect Killer granules to all campuses of District 95 schools from Saturday, April 25 through Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 (weather permitting). These insecticides are being applied due to an increase in ticks in the local area.

The SDS information is available upon request through the Facilities dept. Please contact lyle.erstad@lz95.org for the SDS information.

Progress Reports for quarter four are available in ParentVUE. To view your student’s progress report click on the "Report Card" tab on the side menu. If you have any questions regarding your student’s grade, please reach out to their teacher.

Our MSS PTO is currently looking to fill all executive positions for 2026-2027 school year. President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer roles are available. Please sign up now if you are interested using this link. There are two sign up slots for each position in case some want to share it.

If a board position is not your calling, please check out the various committees and hopefully you'll find a position that best suits your time and interest level.

Online registration for the 2026–2027 school year is now open. All families must complete the registration process through ParentVUE as soon as possible to ensure their student is registered for the upcoming school year.

Timely registration is important for class placement, scheduling, and staffing.

• Returning Families: Log into ParentVUE, select Online Registration, and review/update your student’s information.

• New Families: Create a ParentVUE account to begin the registration process.

• New Students: Proof of residency* and birth certificate verification must be completed in person at your child’s school.

Fees & Health Forms: Once registration is accepted, fees can be paid in PushCoin, and required health forms can be uploaded in ParentVUE.

Instructions are available on the district website under Parents → Registration.

*Some exceptions apply in cases of homelessness. Families with questions should contact their school office for assistance.

As part of our D95 Strategic Plan and in partnership with our Sustainability Committee, we’re launching a “Recycling Refresh” campaign to ensure everyone—students and staff alike—understands how to “recycle right.”

D95 partners with Waste Management (WM) for single-stream recycling, which means all recyclables go in one bin—but only if they’re clean and correct!

Let’s model the way for our students by remembering WM’s Three Golden Rules of Recycling:

• Recycle bottles, cans, paper, and cardboard.
• Keep food and liquid out of your recycling. (Empty first!)
• No plastic bags — ever! (Don’t bag your recyclables.)

In the coming weeks, we’ll refresh signage, reteach and model expectations with students, and share quick reminders during morning announcements. Thank you for helping keep our recycling stream clean and our school green! Below are our slide decks to utilize in the classroom for reteaching.

• Early Childhood - 5th grade - Recycling Hero slide deck (speaker notes)
• 6th - 12th and YAC - Recycling Refresh slide deck

Looking for information on the clubs/activities available at MSS. You can find out seasons and contact information by clicking here.

Needed Forms Prior to First Day of Activity/Tryout:

For students interested in trying out and participating in a sport, students must have the following:

• Physical: All students participating in tryouts and a sport must have a current physical or sports physical on file. Physicals are good for one year and one month from the date the physical was conducted. Please check to make sure your physical is current prior to tryouts or the start of an athletic activity. The physical should be turned into the Nurse’s Office.

• Emergency Information Form: Students must have a completed and signed Emergency Information Form for each activity they are trying out for/participating in. They will need to turn this form in to the coach or sponsor at the time of tryouts. If try-outs are not required, then the form should be turned in at the first meeting of the sport or activity.

All registration for activities will be in ParentVUE and information about registration will be sent later this summer.