Let's Go, 2025 - 2026!!

Dear Students and Families,

Welcome back to a new school year! On behalf of the entire Metropolitan School District of Steuben County, I am excited to welcome each of you to the 2025–2026 school year. Whether you're returning or joining us for the first time, we are thrilled to have you as part of our school community.

Each new school year brings fresh opportunities for growth, learning, and connection. Our staff has been working hard over the summer to prepare classrooms, update technology, and refine curriculum to ensure that every student receives the highest quality education. We remain committed to academic excellence, student well-being, and providing a safe, supportive learning environment for all.

This year, we are particularly focused on continuing to build strong partnerships between school and home. We know that student success is strengthened when families and educators work together. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s school with any questions or concerns throughout the year—we’re here for you.

As we begin this journey together, let’s remember that each new day offers a chance to grow, explore, and achieve. We look forward to an amazing year of learning and celebrating the many accomplishments of our students and staff.

Here’s to a fantastic 2025–2026 school year!

With appreciation,

Dr. Matt Widenhoefer
Superintendent of Schools
MSD of Steuben County

The schools opened back up on July 21 for teachers and administrators to begin getting their classrooms and schools ready for a successful school year.

• Angola High School................................................................................260-665-2186
• Angola Middle School............................................................................ 260-665-9581
• Ryan Park Elementary.............................................................................260-668-8873
• Carlin Park Elementary........................................................................... 260-665-2014
• Hendry Park Elementary..........................................................................260-665-3215
• Pleasant Lake Montessori.......................................................................260-475-5055

We are excited for the start of another great school year here at MSD of Steuben County. Below you will find the administrators for each school.

Keeping Our Students and Staff Cyber Safe!

In today’s world, keeping our schools safe goes beyond locked doors and cameras; it means protecting our technology, too! That’s why MSD of Steuben County is continuing to invest in strong cybersecurity tools, training, and programs to help keep our students, staff, and data safe.

One of the ways we’re doing that is by partnering with CyberNut, a program that helps staff and eligible students learn how to spot and report dangerous phishing emails. These emails often try to trick people into clicking harmful links or sharing personal information. Since we started using CyberNut this spring:

• 166 staff members have completed training

• 441 fake “phishing test” emails were spotted by staff

• 138 real suspicious emails were reported and handled by our technology staff

We are also using CyberNut to provide this same important training to students in grades 8–12 who can receive emails from outside our school system.

But that’s not all! Our district is taking several more steps to protect our schools:

• We are installing a new firewall, which acts like a security guard for our internet network.
• We are participating in a CyberTrack Assessment, provided free of charge by the Indiana Office of Technology, to help us identify ways to strengthen our cybersecurity.
• At Angola High School, students interested in technology careers will soon have access to a new IT graduation pathway, thanks to our partnership with K12 Tech. Students will gain hands-on skills and even help repair some of our Chromebooks!
• We continue to use the Trusted Apps Management Suite to make sure any websites or apps used by students and staff meet the highest standards for student data privacy.

We are proud to take a proactive approach to cybersecurity, keeping our school community protected while preparing students for future success in an increasingly digital world.

Elementary Schools--August 4, 2025 @ 5:00pm

Middle School--August 5, 2025 @ 5:00pm (6th Grade)

Middle School-- August 5, 2025 @ 6:00pm (7-8th Grade)

✅ Missed Lessons = Missed Opportunities
Even one day out can mean falling behind on key lessons, activities, and class discussions.

📈 School Today, Success Tomorrow
Consistent attendance is one of the strongest predictors of academic progress—and opens doors to future opportunities.

💪 Resilience in Action
Being present every day builds habits of responsibility, perseverance, and grit.

👯 Stronger Friendships
Daily attendance helps students form strong social bonds and feel more connected at school.

🧠 Healthier Habits
A consistent routine supports mental and physical wellness—for kids and families.

Let’s make 2025–2026 a year of growth, connection, and daily learning—for every student, every day.

Ashley Biddle is the new Director of Special Education. She comes with many years of experience in special education. She trained this past year under the previous Director of Special Education, Kathy Bahr.

Wondering if Your Child Needs Extra Support?
If you have concerns about your child’s progress in areas like learning, speech, behavior, or development, don’t hesitate to start a conversation with their teacher or school administrator. You can also contact the school’s special education coordinator to learn more about the support options available. Together, you can decide whether an educational evaluation would be appropriate. If your child qualifies for services, the team will work with you to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) tailored to their unique needs. Our goal is to partner with families to help every student thrive.

📂To discuss/request/file an IEP or 504 plan

📩Ashley Biddle abiddle@msdsc.us

Breakfast is offered daily in each building. Students eligible for free or reduced meal assistance may participate daily at no charge. Paid students may purchase a breakfast for $1.50. Please encourage your child to start each day with a nutritious breakfast at home or with us.

Reminder to families that free and reduced meal applications must be completed each school year. New applications for the 2025-2026 SY may be completed online at steuben.familyportal.cloud once released in July. A paper copy will also be sent home on the first day of school. IF you receive a letter of approval for the 2025-2026 SY after July 1st you do not need to complete an application.

Food Service also has full-time, part-time and substitute positions available. Take advantage of our great schedule, which includes no evenings, weekends or holidays!

Apply online at msdsteuben.k12.in.us/page/applications

2025-2026 SY Meal Prices

Elementary

Breakfast: $1.50

Lunch: $2.40

Middle School

Breakfast: $1.50

Lunch: $2.55 & $3.00

High School

Breakfast: $1.50

Lunch: $2.75, $3.00 & $3.25

All students eligible for reduced meals will receive breakfast at no charge and be charged $.40 each day for lunch.

To add money to lunch accounts, please visit steuben.familyportal.cloud

School Smiles dental team will continue to visit all the schools for the 2025-2026 school year. New forms will be sent home at the beginning of school. Students need to sign up yearly for the program. This program has been a huge success and the dental team sees about 150 students per year for cleanings, fillings, crowns and extractions.

If you have questions please use my email at jadkins@msdsc.us or by phone at 260-665-2854 Ext 1215.

Need Before School Care? SCLC will be offering FREE before school care for all MSD of Steuben County students (K-8) students for the 2025-2026 school year! Register now to secure your spot. Space is limited.

Before school programming will begin at 6:30 am, Monday-Friday at Angola Middle School for all MSD students (K-8).

Breakfast will be available for students to purchase. MSD students will be bussed to their respective schools at no cost prior to the start of the school day.

Click this link for online registration for BEFORE SCHOOL CARE 2025-2026 Before School Registration

From work to home to school, our phones are a key tool to how we each navigate and communicate throughout the day. The custom-built MSD of Steuben County app makes it easy to stay up to date with district news and events.

Now, MSD of Steuben County is making it easier to stay in touch with teachers and class information from that same app. Using the MSD of Steuben County app you can easily switch from district and school information to Rooms where you can see your student's classes and engage directly with teachers.

Rooms can be accessed via the web and from our district app, which is available for free and can be used from both Apple and Android phones. To access Rooms, you will need to create a login and password.

Link to MSDSC App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apptegy.msdsteuben

FAQ: https://www.msdsteuben.k12.in.us/page/rooms-support