Smore logo
remove_red_eye 693
page background
Logo

IOWA-GRANT PANTHER PRESS

May 2026

IOWA-GRANTPANTHER PRESSMay 2026

IOWA-GRANT DISTRICT OFFICE IOWA-GRANT DISTRICT OFFICE

From the Superintendent...

As we enter May each year, there is an ever-increasing sense of time just flying by faster and faster. The high school students enjoyed a wonderful prom. Spring sports and activities are in full swing. Our elementary students are headed out on field trips to the state capital and other venues. And it won’t be long before our kindergarten students lead the seniors on their procession through IGEMs the day before graduation. We are approaching the completion of another successful year at Iowa-Grant. One by one, long-standing traditions are brought to life in the cycle of the seasons.

While we are steeped in tradition, we are also flexible as change promises to knock at our door. One of those changes is the announcements of retirements of our long-serving teachers and staff. Congratulations to eighth grade language arts teacher Angie Boldt, first grade teacher Brenda Wasley, and interventionist Shirley Buss. And while not leaving us, our early learning principal Jodi Bast will be going to part-time as the district's librarian. Ms. Gallagher will assume all the duties of principal for IGEMS. Your service and dedication to our students is very much appreciated and you will be missed. We wish you well in retirement. Also letting us know of their plans to retire are our high school special education aid Sheila Campbell, our bookkeeper Loretta Reimanapp, and our district food service director Barb Hugill. Thank you for all your contributions to our students over the many years each of you have served. You leave us with huge challenges to fill your positions. And of course, we remind you, “Once a Panther...always a Panther.”

Another change in front of us is the expanding co-operation with Highland Community Schools for athletics. For the 2026- 2027 school year, new co-ops have been established for baseball, softball, golf, and track. As we work together more and more with Highland, it is heartening to see the focus from everyone on how we can best serve all students. We are hopeful that these new co-ops will grow and function as well as the long-standing co-op for wrestling.

It has been quite noisy around the high school as the locker room renovation project gets underway. We understand that we have one more week of the biggest interruptions, and then the work will be quieter. And finally, we are awaiting the insurance report on the southwest corner of Hazel Dell, which was damaged in the recent storm. We have salvaged all the original siding. Fingers crossed, there is talk of starting a preservation fund pending what our insurance adjusters conclude.


Michael Shimshak

IGSD Calendar of Events
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size

April 22nd Happy Administrative Professional Days

Happy Administrative Professionals Day!


We celebrate the incredible administrative assistants who keep our schools running smoothly every single day. From welcoming families to supporting staff and students, your organization, kindness, and dedication make a difference! We appreciate all you do for the Iowa-Grant School District today and every day!

User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size

National School Principals' Day on May 1st

We recognize Mr. Gotto, Mrs. Gallagher, and Mrs. Bast for their leadership, dedication, and heart. Thank you for supporting our students and staff, and for creating a positive environment where everyone can succeed.


We appreciate you!

User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size

IOWA-GRANT HIGH SCHOOL IOWA-GRANT HIGH SCHOOL

IGHS Calendar of Events

5/02 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM Prom

5/02 8:30 PM Grand March

5/06 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM FFA Plant Sale - VIP Sale- Invite Only

5/07 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM FFA Plant Sale - Opening Day for the Public

5/08 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM FFA Plant Sale

5/08 7:00 PM FFA Banquet - IGHS Cafeteria

5/09 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM FFA Plant Sale

5/11 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM FFA Plant Sale

5/11 6:30 PM Board Meeting - IGEMS IMC

5/12 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM FFA Plant Sale

5/13 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM FFA Plant Sale

5/13 5:00 PM Senior Awards Night - Presenters to arrive at 4:45 PM - HS Office to Check-In

5/19 6:00 PM Fine Arts Night

5/19 7:00 PM Pops Concert

5/21 Last Full Day of Class for Seniors

5/22 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM Graduation Practice

5/22 8:30 AM IGEMS Graduation Walk

5/23 1:00 PM Graduation

5/25 NO SCHOOL

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 Congratulations to the Class of 2026

IGHS 2026 Graduation

2026 Graduation

Saturday, May 13th at 1:00 PM

IGHS Gymnasium

User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size

2026 Iowa-Grant Prom - Saturday, May 2nd

This year's prom was themed "The Great Gatsby". 2026 Prom Queen was Abigail Droessler, and Prom King was Landon Friesen.

Photo Credit - Southern Wisconsin Photography

User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size

2026 SWAL HonorS Banquet

The 2026 SWAL Honors Banquet was held on Sunday, April 19 in Fennimore, bringing together valedictorians and salutatorians from eight districts along with their families, administrators, and mentors to celebrate their incredible achievements.

Congratulations to Noah and Will on this well-deserved recognition—we are so proud of you both! 🎉👏

User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size

Congratulations to the Iowa-Grant Forensic Team

The Iowa-Grant Forensics team brought home 15 gold, 27 silver, and 3 bronze medals. Congratulations to the team and to the coaches, Mrs. Linscheid and Mrs. Wetter.

User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size

Ecology Students Celebrate Earth Day at Devil's Lake

Mrs. Yelinek's ecology class celebrated Earth Day with a trip to Devil’s Lake for a geocaching adventure! Students explored the outdoors, practiced navigation skills, and learned the importance of observation, teamwork, and environmental awareness. It was a great day to connect with nature.

User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map

Calling for All Old Cell Phones and Eyeglasses

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!

State Solo & Ensemble at University of Wisconsin-Platteville

State Solo & Ensemble was held on April 24th at UWP. Iowa-Grant students came home with 10 gold medals and 8 silver medals. Congratulations to all the participants and to Mrs. Gile and Mr. Zwick on a job well done. Panther Proud!!

User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map

Iowa-Grant High School FFA Update

On April 2nd, all officer and degree applications were due to Mrs. Bodway. April 10th was our Chapter Meeting, we recapped the month of March and discussed our upcoming fundraiser: Seeds and Suppers. April 17th, the middle school CDE team competed at state. The 18th, was our Seeds and Suppers fundraiser, our current officers and officer candidates ran this together! We’d like to thank everyone who supported our chapter! Officers for 26-27 were announced and will be inducted at our banquet in May. On April 24th, Livestock Eval, Dairy Eval, and Milk Quality competed at the State CDE Competition. The Banquet date is Friday May 8th at 7pm in the IGHS Cafeteria all members and their families are encouraged to attend!

User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size

IOWA-GRANT ELEMENTARY / MIDDLE SCHOOL IOWA-GRANT ELEMENTARY / MIDDLE SCHOOL

User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size

From the Desk of Mrs.Gallagher

The end of the school year is quickly approaching! We have many fun activities planned for the month.


A recap of last month's highlights: The 3rd grade had a successful Wax Museum and Family night held on April 7th. The 2nd grade held a wonderful Grandparents' afternoon. Thank you to everyone who helped make all of these events happen! It has been a busy few weeks.


Now for May: May holds teacher and staff appreciation week, May 4th - 8th, with May 6th as Nurses’ Day. We want to thank our school nurse and teachers for everything they do for our students!


There are many upcoming field trips in May! We look forward to the students getting these experiences outside of the classroom.


Middle School Track Upcoming Meets:

May 5 @ Fennimore

May 12 @ Lancaster

May 14 @ Platteville

May 21st @ Richland Center



The Middle School Student Council will host a dance in the cafeteria from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. on May 8th.


The eighth-grade promotion date will be Tuesday, June 2nd, at 7:00 p.m. in the gym.


Summer recreation is off and rolling, and summer school, along with T-Ball/Coach pitch, will be held on the dates below:

  • July 6th - 9th 1st session: (2 sections 8:15 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.)

  • July 13th - 16th, 2nd session: (2 sections, 8:15 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.)

  • July 20th - 23rd, 3rd session: (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. All dates will be in July due to the gym floor getting refinished.


We also offer T-ball, coach-pitch softball, and baseball. This runs in the evenings on Mondays and Thursdays from July 6th to July 30th with:

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

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


It will be a fast finish to the school year and a busy summer at IGEMS!

From the Desk of Mrs. Bast

For Iowa-Grant School District families who may not yet have heard, I would like to share that after a decade serving as Early Learning Principal and Library Media Specialist, I will be transitioning out of the principal role for the 2026–2027 school year. I will, however, continue to serve staff and students at both school libraries in the upcoming year.

While this change is bittersweet, I am grateful for the opportunity to continue supporting our students, staff, and families as a librarian. I also look forward to a bit of extra time with my growing family outside of school, while remaining part of my Panther family here each day.

It has truly been an honor and a privilege to serve the incredible IGEMS staff and school community as an administrator. I am deeply thankful for the relationships built, the memories shared, and the growth we’ve experienced together. Our students inspire me daily, and I am excited to stay connected and cheer them on in this next chapter of my journey as an educator.

As children’s author Dr. Seuss wrote, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” While this is not a goodbye, but a transition, the sentiment feels especially fitting. I’d like to close by wishing our staff retirees and our graduating high school seniors my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes for what lies ahead for each of them.

User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size

Lumberjack Day

Fourth grade students explored lumberjacks as part of Wisconsin’s heritage. On April 24th, our culminating “Lumberjack Day” included dressing up, enjoying flapjacks and cookies, and following an “absolute quiet” rule while eating. Students also participated in a tug-of-war competition, listened to fiddle music, and learned about tall tales. In addition, they applied math skills by calculating board feet and working with decimals in the context of coins.

User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size

Wanted

Seeking Housing! The Iowa Grant Theatre Club is looking for someone willing to provide housing for our directors during the Missoula Theater week. Hosts must be willing to provide 2 private, clean, and safe rooms from August 2nd through August 9th. For more information please contact Heather Mayne at hmayne@igs.k12.wi.us or Darcy Breuer at dbreuer@igs.k12.wi.us. Thank you for considering!

Source of Strength

The IGHS Sources of Strength Peer Leaders paired up with Mrs. Sander's and Mrs. Nelson's 4K students to enjoy a program called "Reading Buddies". The peer leaders love serving as role models to the 4K students by reading to them, creating activities together and sharing some play time!

User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map

PE Fun with Mr. Reuter

In April, the 5th and 6th grade students got to complete their pickleball tournament and we're awarded prizes! The top 3 teams and the "best dressed" all earned a prize. The best thing was that every student improved their skills during the unit

User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map

MONEY

Jen from Royal Bank and Members at Community First Bank came in and taught our students about money and savings.

User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map
User uploaded image
zoom_out_map Show in original size
Iowa-Grant School District
https://www.igs.k12.wi.us/
Loading indicator

close

Created with

Communicate quickly and effectively with interactive newsletters.

Smore empowers educators to connect with their community, streamline school communications,
and increase engagement.

Create a newsletter