IOWA-GRANT PANTHER PRESS

As we enter the holiday season, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for all the contributions from everyone in the Iowa-Grant community, which make this such a wonderful school district. Thank you to all the parents and volunteers who make our booster clubs work and who show such great support for our students in all their activities. As we approach Veterans Day next week, thank you to our Veterans for not only their service to our country, but also to the continued community support and role model you provide for our students. Thank you to our teachers and support staff who give endless time beyond the normal workday and teach lessons of life beyond the curriculum, things like honesty, commitment, hard work and civic responsibility. These appreciations extend to our coaches and advisors too. Our athletes and students in extracurricular activities are receiving great guidance and mentorship through you. We have strong leadership here also, both formal in our principals and informally throughout our schools. Thank you to our benefactors, who demonstrate monthly support with donations to Panther Packs and food pantries. Thank you to all of our businesses, who are asked perhaps too frequently for extra help, but never fail to support us, nonetheless. Thank you to the Iowa-Grant Educational Foundation and all the support for scholarships and educational grants. It’s my observation that all these efforts create a true partnership and the results are visible everywhere.

While perhaps only a small example, I cite a case in point. Most days of the week, I leave my office to be present in the lunchroom either at the high school or at IGEMS. I am appreciative of all the well-mannered students expressing, “please, thank you, and have a good rest of the day” as they are served lunch. Over the weekend, as the Livingston Lions Club hosted a trick-or-treat station at the library, I saw this politeness again as our community’s children made their way through in their costumes and added some candy bars to their Halloween collection.

My point is that the Iowa-Grant Community is a special place where community values are reinforced and apparent every day. It is very much appreciated. I feel so fortunate to be in the position of superintendent and to have been given the opportunity to serve in a leadership capacity at Iowa-Grant. In challenging times, I hope we can all take a moment to appreciate the good we have right in front of us. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and savor the time with those closest to you.

Michael Shimshak

The Iowa-Grant School District Veterans Day Program will by on Tuesday, November 11th at 10:15 AM at the Iowa-Grant High School gymnasium.

11/10 6:30 PM Board Meeting

11/11 Armistice Day

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

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

11/13 4:00 PM - 7:30 PM Parent / Teacher Conferences

11/14 NO SCHOOL

11/14 5:00 PM Basketball: Girls Varsity Scrimmage vs Multiple Schools @ River Ridge HS

11/14 7:00 PM Opening Night of the musical Hades Town

11/15 7:00 PM Hades Town Musical Performance

11/16 2:00 PM Hades Town Musical Performance

11/17 6:00 PM Music Parents Meeting

11/20 IGHS Band Playing at the Milwaukee Bucks Pre-Game

11/21 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM IGHS Blood Drive

11/21 5:00 PM Basketball: Boys JV Scrimmage vs Multiple Schools @ Highland

11/21 8:00 PM Basketball: Boys Varsity Scrimmage vs Multiple Schools @ Highland

There were a lot spooktacular costumes walking around the I-G High halls on October 31st. The annual Halloween Costume Judging Contest produced 3 winners, definitely not an easy decision.

The music department will be making 3,000 pasties on Saturday, November 8th! This is a reminder that pasties will be sent home with the seller unless Mrs. Gile hears otherwise in advance. All staff orders will remain at school unless you've instructed Mrs. Gile otherwise. For community members who placed their order with Mrs. Gile or students not helping make pasties on Saturday, please be sure someone picks up your order between 1:00-3:00 from the IGEMS cafeteria! Please bring coolers, boxes or laundry baskets to assist in getting your order home! We can not store pasties!

Come see Iowa-Grant's performances of Hadestown! Opening night is Friday, November 14th at 7 PM. You can also see it on Saturday, November 15th at 7:00 PM and Sunday, November 16th at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $5 per person. You don't want to miss out on this incredible performance.

Agriculture Day at SWTC: Five members from IGHS attended Southwest Wisconsin Technical College for Agriculture Day! They learned about meat quality, agribusiness, and even sampled cheese and tested out the SWTC Golf Simulator.

Farm to School Day: We hosted the 1st Annual Farm to School Day at IGHS. Students from IGEMS spent valuable time learning about the importance of animals in our society. A big thank you to all who participated!

FFA Middle School CDE Competition: Eight of our Middle School FFA members competed in the Fall FFA Middle School CDE competition and took home 1st place as a team, with all members scoring in the top 15 individuals! We are incredibly proud of their hard work and determination.

Floriculture Workshop: Four IG FFA members recently participated in a Floriculture Workshop hosted by UW-Platteville, where they learned new skills and procedures to prepare for the Floriculture CDE in the spring.

Fruit Sale: It is that time of year again! The Iowa-Grant FFA Fall Fruit Sale! To order contact your favorite FFA member. All orders due November 3rd!

Our Zoology class had an unforgettable field trip exploring Timbavati Wildlife Park in Wisconsin Dells! Students got up close with exotic animals from around the world — learning about species behavior and habitats.

Afterward, the group headed to Devil’s Lake State Park to enjoy the fall colors, hike the scenic trails, and discuss Wisconsin’s native ecosystems in action.

It was a perfect mix of science, adventure, and appreciation for the natural world!

The Iowa-Grant LEO Club sponsored the 2025 Homecoming Poster Contest at IGEMS. The winning classes were Mrs. Frisbie's Kindergarten class, Mrs. Leix's 3rd grade class and Mrs. Boldt's 8th grade class. They all received monetary prizes for their efforts that can be used for treats for the class. The posters were hung in the high school to promote spirit. Thanks to all the classes and homerooms that participated at IGEMS!!

Iowa-Grant Choir students had their first concert on Tuesday! Our audience enjoyed hearing performances of spirituals, contemporary choral music, barbershop, and even some music from the movie KPop Demon Hunters. Our concert helped set the pace for more fantastic music to come this school year! Great job to all our singers!

Will Fulton, Calvin McHone, Stevie Pelton, Makenna Riemenapp, Freddy Rodriguez, and Mr. Amenda attended the Sources of Strength Peer Leader Retreat on October 13th at CESA 3 in Fennimore. Along with Blackhawk, Highland, Boscobel, and Barneveld School Districts, students came up with ways their districts can be a Source of Strength for all students.

The Skills USA and construction kids attended UW-Platteville 7th Annual Construction Career Day event on Wednesday, October 8th.Students had the opportunity explore many aspects in the trades as well as operate and see equipment in action used in industry.

On Thursday, October 23rd, Mrs. Bodway's and Mr. Pronschinske's classes participated in an invaluable fire safety training session. With expert guidance from the Lead Fire Instructor at SouthWest Technical College and two dedicated firefighters from the Cobb Fire Department, all 50 students learned the proper techniques for using fire extinguishers and important safety facts. This hands-on experience, where students extinguished a real fire, highlights the importance of practical skills in education. Thank you to Karl and the Cobb Fire Department for your commitment to student safety!

Mr. Amenda along with students Leah Nelson, Quinn Hoeper, Trenton Pelton, Cole Schauff, and Landon Friesen had a great opportunity to represent Iowa-Grant High School at the Upland Hills Health Leadership Summit conference at Mount Horeb on October 15th. There they attended several sessions designed to encourage leadership and equip them with tools to help them and others through their time at Iowa-Grant and beyond.

November. The month of gratitude. I am so grateful for the outstanding students, parents, and staff we have at Iowa-Grant Elementary Middle School. Everyone works together to make a difference for the students in these beautiful rural communities.

Many things are happening all around us. The boys have started middle school basketball, and we finished 1st quarter. Parent-teacher conferences will be the evenings of November 11th and 13th and there will be No School on November 14th. There will be a babysitting class offered on November 14th so please look for that information or contact the office if interested. Remember that there is also no school from November 26-30 for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Gina Peat was featured in the Dodgeville Chronicle under the title Best Teacher! We appreciate the work she does for our IGEMS students. We appreciate all of our fantastic staff and are grateful for all of them!

As always, feel free to reach out if you need anything, and have a fantastic season of gratitude.

Did you know November is National Family Literacy Month? What an excellent time to celebrate reading together as a family! Additionally, Family Literacy Day is recognized on November 1st and Children’s Book Week is November 3rd-9th.

Below are 5 ideas for parents and caregivers to inspire and encourage kids to become avid, lifelong readers. Many of these literacy activities are perfect to do as a family.

#1 Create a cozy reading nook at home. Soft pillows and blankets, decorative lighting, or flashlights, make for a special and comfortable reading experience for all ages.

#2 Choose a chapter book to read, which everyone in the family will enjoy. Consider classic stories from favorite authors like Beverly Cleary, E.B. White, and Laura Ingalls Wilder, or select a book which has been made into a movie your children like, such as The One and Only Ivan.

#3 Buy or borrow audiobooks to listen to together while you’re in the car. Whether it’s a short trip or a long one, listening to audiobooks is a great way to spend time in the vehicle together as a family.

#4 Visit your local public library to borrow books or exchange a book from home with one from a Little Free Library in your community. Weekly visits to the library to check out books or to participate in library programs is not only fun for the family, it’s also free!

#5 Let your children see you reading! Whether it is a book, a magazine, or a newspaper, when parents make time for reading, children learn it’s a worthwhile and enjoyable way to spend time.

I hope to see you at Parent/Teacher Conferences on November 11th and 13th. If you’d like to schedule a time to meet with me, please contact our school office to make an appointment.

Another reminder: The 4K Thanksgiving Program for families will be held on Tuesday, November 25th @ 2:15 PM in Room 100. I look forward to seeing you there for the “Turkey Pokey!” and other terrific entertainment!

Our IGEMS Panther Packs program has been helping to ensure that our students have proper nutrition at home on the weekends and to help our families that may be experiencing food shortages. If your family is in need of a Panther Pack backpack please contact the IGEMS office.

The success of the Panther Packs program depends on the generous donations of our community. If you are interested in donating to the Panther Packs program please drop off donations of money or food in the IGEMS office. Useful items include snacks such as granola bars, fruit snacks, or crackers, breakfast items such as cereal or oatmeal (preferably individually packaged), lunch items such as mac and cheese cups, chef boyardee cups, or cups of noodles, and fruit cups. Thank you for continuing to support the Panther Packs program!

PTC hosted an Inflatable Run on Halloween to raise money for a new Panther Mascot. IGEMS raised $319.10 to go towards purchasing a new Panther Mascot for the district. The popular vote amongst the students was COW, and the race winner was Dino. Thank you to all of the participants and teachers for helping this event happen.

The month of October was a fun one in Phys Ed class! The kindergarten and first grade students got to test out their scooter skills by completing an obstacle course. Everyone earned their "scooter driver's license," showing that they are safe and responsible drivers.

5th and 6th grade students had the chance to show off their skills in the pickleball tournament. There were lots of close matches, and all the students improved their skills over the unit. The top 3 teams in each grade earned a prize.

To celebrate their hard work, each student earned a free small bucket of popcorn from Rural Route 1.

A big thank you to Rural Route 1 for supporting our 2nd-grade students and encouraging a love of reading!

This event allowed students from IGEMS to spend time learning about the importance of animals in our society! Thank you to all of those who participated in this years event

Iowa-Grant 4K-3rd Grade Students “Charged into Fire Safety” with the help of 12 local firefighters on Friday, October 11th. The students learned about safe charging locations for their devices, explored the tools and gear used by firefighters, and had the opportunity to get up close with fire trucks. Thank you to the Cobb-Eden, Linden, Livingston, and Rewey Fire Departments for sharing your knowledge and time with the students of Iowa-Grant during Fire Safety Week.

A Scholastic Book Fair will be held during the IGEMS Parent-Teacher Conferences on November 12th and 14th from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Students will also have the opportunity to purchase books at school. Keep an eye out for updates on the Book Fair from your classroom teachers.

The Parent-Teacher Club will be adjusting its meeting schedule in November. On November 25th at 4 pm, PTC will start decorating the IGEMS hallway for the holidays. This year's theme is Gingerbread. We hope to see you at the meeting to help bring the holidays to IGEMS. If you would like to help with decorations and can't come to decorating night, please let Christi Kennicker know. ckennicker@igs.k12.wi.us We are always up for volunteers dropping decorations off before the day of.