FAMS Family Updates

FAMS Families,

We officially have our first week of school under our belts, and I couldn't be more proud of our students!

Middle school is a unique and exciting journey, and seeing our halls filled with energy, smiles, and growing confidence this week has been wonderful. Thank you for your incredible partnership, patience with drop-off/pick-up routines, and support in helping your students arrive ready to learn. You helped us establish a strong foundation this week that sets the stage for a fantastic school year ahead.

Highlights from Our First Week:

• Mastering the Basics: Students tackled their class schedules, navigated the hallways, and conquered those middle school locker combinations.

• Building Community: Classrooms focused on setting positive routines, establishing expectations, and helping students build strong connections with peers and teachers.

• Settling In: The initial first-day jitters quickly gave way to curiosity, teamwork, and great conversations.

Looking Ahead to the Long Weekend:

Middle school takes a lot of mental and physical energy, especially during week one! As we head into this long Labor Day weekend, I hope your student takes time to truly relax, unplug, and celebrate a successful start to the year.

Thank you again for entrusting us with your children and for being such a vital part of our school community. Enjoy the three-day weekend, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed on Tuesday morning!

Warmly,

Matt Wolf

9.8 FAMS Open House 5:30-6:30pm

9.9 Picture Day

9.17 SDFA Board Meeting 5:30-8:30pm @ Luther

9.21 Early Release Schedule

10.1 Q1 Progress Reports Posted

10.8 Picture Re-takes

10.12 Early Release Schedule

10.20 SDFA Board Meeting 5:30-8:30pm @ Luther

10.20 Family/Teacher Conferences 4:30-7:30pm

10.22 Fall Band/Orchestra/Choir Concert 7:00pm

10.23 Activity Night 6:00-8:00pm

10.28 Family/Teacher Conferences 4:30-7:30pm

10.28 Q1 Ends

10.29 No School

10.30 No School

OUR GOAL: To help parents/guardians meet their student’s teachers, see their classrooms, gain a better understanding of the teacher’s general expectations for each class, and become more familiar with the middle school building. We believe that this event provides our school and parents/guardians with a crucial initial contact for the school year.

In order to help you become more familiar with your student’s teachers, daily schedule, and school building, we are pleased to invite you to the FAMS Open House from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 8th. At the FAMS Open House you will have the opportunity to meet your student’s teachers, pupil services staff, and the building administration.

We encourage you to bring your student(s) and let them show you around their school and meet their teachers. One hope for this event is that students will be able to bring their parents/guardians closer to their learning. As in the past, all teachers will be in their classrooms, feel free to drop by any and all of your student’s classrooms.

This event promises a great opportunity for Fort Atkinson Middle School and parents/guardians to establish the beginnings of a healthy home/school communication. We are looking forward to seeing your students and all parents/guardians. We are anxious to work together in an effort to make your student’s educational experience very productive and meaningful.

Fall picture day will be held on Wednesday, September 9th.

As in the past, when photos are processed, you will be able to view your yearbook image and have the opportunity to order your school photos - all online.

To view and order photos from Picture Day: You’ll receive an email with instructions when your images are ready to view online.

This is a friendly reminder that our next scheduled early release day is Monday, September 21st.

Throughout the year, we have eight early release days dedicated to professional learning for our staff. This time is essential for our teachers to collaborate, refine their teaching practices, and analyze student data to better support learning in the classroom. This investment in our staff directly benefits every student.

On these days, school begins at the regular time of 7:50 am, but students will be dismissed at 1:30 pm. Lunch will be served on a modified schedule, and buses will run accordingly.

Please mark your calendars with all of the early release date for the school year:

• September 21

• October 12

• November 9

• December 14

• February 15

• March 8

• April 12

• May 10

We appreciate your partnership and support, which allows our staff this valuable time to grow professionally. Thank you for making arrangements for your student's early dismissal.

Report something about our school or any FAMS student or staff member who had gone above and beyond to help make yours, your student, or another's day better.

Whether you’re looking for a cozy hoodie for those chilly Wisconsin mornings or a fresh t-shirt for the upcoming Spring weather, we’ve got you covered.

This new platform offers a wider variety of designs and sizes, delivered directly to your doorstep.

You can browse the collection and place your orders by clicking the link below:

FAMS Online Store

We can’t wait to see our students (and parents!) sporting their new gear around town. Thank you for your continued support of our school and for making Fort Atkinson Middle School such a vibrant place to learn.

Student Pick-up and Drop-off

Please help by passing this message on to those who may be transporting your student but may not get our emails (grandparents, siblings, etc).

For student and staff safety we ask that you do the following:

• Do NOT pick-up or drop-off on 4th street between the water tower and the middle school before or after school.
• Please use any areas marked in Yellow to pick-up and/or drop off students.
• Do not use the school parking lot to pick-up or drop off your student.
• Do not stop in a marked Bus Loading Zone.

Thank you for your help with this issue.

Want a quiet place where you can work on your homework?

Want some space to work on a group project?

Want a place where you and your classmates can study for an upcoming test together?

Come to Homework Club!

If you have not had the opportunity to check out our FAMS Pupil Services' website, please take a few minutes to do so. They have pages with community and mental health resources, and a student opportunities page that has some information about how students can get involved in their community.

Please take some time to explore the information on our school's website. Here you will find all of our up to date information and learn of all the happenings at the middle school.

In addition, we quarterly update our family newsletter that we will email out and post on our website. Please take a few minutes to read these as there will be information in there that will not be duplicated in other places.

Want your students to enjoy school lunch and breakfast meals, but having trouble affording it? Consider applying for our Free & Reduced meal program.

This program is provided through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and allows families to enjoy breakfast and lunch meals, at a reduced or no cost to the families, among other benefits. If you feel this would be beneficial to your family, please use the link below to apply online, or fill out a paper application and submit it to your child’s school or directly to the SDFA district office.

Click the link here to be taken to the district website page for school nutrition services. This page offers a link to the online application and also has downloadable forms.

STUDENT NUTRITION.