IMMS Family Flier

Dear Indian Mound Middle School Students and Families,

As we head into the final stretch of the school year, the excitement is building here at Indian Mound Middle School! Our staff is working hard to plan a variety of fun and meaningful end-of-year events that celebrate our students' growth, foster connection, and finish the year on a high note.

From field trips and celebrations to classroom showcases and school spirit activities, there are plenty of opportunities for students to stay engaged, reflect on their accomplishments, and make lasting memories with their peers.

We remain focused on creating a positive and inclusive environment where every student feels seen, supported, and inspired to finish strong. Thank you for partnering with us throughout the year — we’re grateful for your continued support and look forward to celebrating the end of the year together!

Thank you for all you do to support our school community!

Warm regards,

Jamie Thomas, Principal

Brett Jondle, Associate Principal

1.7th Grade Community Day May 19th (see important info below)

2. Grade level track meets this week (to volunteer please sign up here: Sign Up Genius)

3. Orchestra 8-12 on 5/19 and 5th-7th on 5/22

4.Final Money Unit Market on Friday 5/23 and Staff v Student Basketball game on 5/23

5. 8th Grade Families- see below end of year info

2-hour delay schedule

Daily Schedule

Daily Announcements

Day A/Day B Schedule

Student Services Support Contacts

McFarland School District Website

McFarland School District App

McFarland Youth Center Website

McFarland RADAR (Relevant Alcohol & Drug Awareness Resources) Coalition Newsletter

IMMS Athletics Calendar

Family information on IMMS Expectations

IMMS Sports and Clubs Eligibility Criteria

May 19: 7th Grade Community Day

May 19: 8th - 12th Orchestra Concert 7:30 @ PAC

May 22: 5th-7th Grade Orchestra Concert 7:00 @ PAC

May 29: 6th Grade Band Concert 7:00 @ PAC

June 4: 8th Grade Recognition / 8th Grade Dance (more info to come)

June 5: Last day of school (full day for 6th and 7th ; early release for 8th grade.. more info to come)

Dear IMMS Families,

We’re excited to remind you that our 7th Grade Community Day is coming up Monday morning, May 19th!

This meaningful event gives students the opportunity to read with first graders and participate in local service projects—all within walking distance of IMMS. For many of our scholars, this will be a new and powerful way to experience community engagement. We encourage you to talk with your student about how their actions can make a positive impact!

👟 What to Bring & Wear:

• We’ll go rain or shine (unless there's heavy rain or thunderstorms), so please dress for the weather.
  
  

• Wear clothes that can get dirty or pack a change of clothes.
  
  

• Closed-toe shoes are a must.
  
  

• Bring gardening gloves if you have them!
  
  

Students will begin their day as usual by reporting to ARRE time, where they’ll receive further instructions.

We’re looking forward to a fun, impactful day—thank you for supporting this valuable experience for our students!

Our 7th Grade Class is Giving Back!
7th Graders at IMMS are participating in their second annual Community Day on May 19, 2025. As part of this special event, we are creating meal kits for the McFarland Food Pantry — and we’d love your help to make it a true community effort!

The 7th grade class has partnered with each McFarland school to assemble a specific meal kit. We are hoping that IMMS could help us to donate our Movie Night Kits, and our goal is to donate 20 full kits from our school!

Can you help us make it happen?

We’ve created an Amazon Wish List with all the items needed to complete these Movie Kits.

Click here to donate: Movie Kit

Each donation brings a meal to a local family — and brings our school community closer together.

Let’s show how big-hearted our school family can be!

Welcome to the Physical Education Grade Level Track Meet Sign Up! Each year students get to take part in a track meet with others in their grade. To help make this a success, we need your help in the areas of high jump, long jump, shot put, discus and timers. Stay for part of the time, or whole time. No experience necessary!

Please see the Sign Up Genius to join us for this super fun event!

• 8th Grade Recognition Wednesday, June 4th. LINK for detailed information.
• Students arrive at High School A gym at 5:30 pm
• Recognition Ceremony: 6:00-7:00 pm (High School gym B)
• 8th Grade Dance Wednesday, June 4th after the recognition.
• The dance is immediately following the recognition from 7:00-8:30.
• Students can walk up the path to IMMS. There will be light refreshments, DJ and open gym.
• Students must be picked up promptly at 8:30.
• Chaperones are needed for supervision, serving food and clean up. Please see Sign Up Genius LINK
• Last Day of School Thursday, June 5th:
• Field Trip - The 8th grade students will be taking a field trip together to Urban Air. Please see this LINK with the detailed information about the day. Deadline for sign up, permission forms and payment is 5/28/25.

• There has been a long standing tradition that our eighth-grade students have the opportunity to leave earlier than the sixth and seventh graders on the last day of school. This year, the 8th grade students will be dismissed at 1:00 pm on Thursday, June 5th upon the return of their field trip, unless the student’s parent/guardian wants them to stay at school until regular dismissal at 3:30 pm. Our bus times will remain at the typical time for all students. If eighth graders do leave upon return from the field trip at 1:00 pm, they will be expected to be picked up from school or leave school grounds at that time.

  Please fill out this form if you do NOT want your eighth grader to leave school at 1:00 pm on June 5th and wish to have them dismissed at regular dismissal time (3:30 pm).

Summer Orchestra program in McFarland, Aug 4-7 and 11-14 - Grades 5-8

Summer Band program in McFarland, Aug 4-7 and 11-14 - Grades 6-8

We've become aware of some concerning TikTok trends that encourage inserting graphite or other metal objects into the USB ports of Chromebooks, often with the intent to cause sparks. If you haven't done so yet, please have a conversation with your child about the serious damage this can cause to their school-issued devices and the potential safety hazards involved. It's crucial to understand that any damage resulting from such intentional misuse will lead to families being charged for the necessary repairs and lead to additional school consequences. We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring the proper care and safe use of these valuable learning tools.

Oh The Places You Go:

• We know some families ask teachers to write in the Dr. Suess book "Oh The Places You'll Go" at the end of the school year to save for graduation. Our teachers love to take part in this tradition but are asking that if you are requesting them to write a note in the book for your child, could you please get the book to the teachers ASAP. Sometimes, the requests come in the last few days of school and it is often difficult for our staff to give them the attention they deserve. Thanks so much!

Below you will find "Hubs" (aka Task-List) for each grade level and Related Arts. You can click on the "Hub" to get information on what your scholar is doing in class, assignments, and assessments.

LOOK OUT FOR SIGN-UPS COMING SOON:

• Annual 6th, 7th, 8th Grade Track Meets (during the school day)
• 6th: May 20
• 7th: May 21
• 8th: May 22

• 8th Grade Dance (following 8th grade recognition)
• June 4th

• Memorial Day Parade - May 26

• Madison Mallards MSD Night - June 4

• McFarland Learn to Skate Summer 2025 - Register by end of May

• Future 2025-26 Spanish Program at MPS - Early Registration by June 6

• Futura 2025-26 Spanish Program at WIS - Early Registration by June 6

• McFarland Soccer Club Fall/Spring Soccer - Register by June 20

• Dane County Humane Society Camp Wildside 2025 Day Camps and Summer Camp

• E.D. Locke Library Grades 3-5 Graphic Novel Book Club - September-May

• McFarland Soccer Club Summer Camp - Register Through June 20

• Hamline University Summer Reading Skills Programs

• UW Madison Summer Anxiety Group for Kids Grades 2-4 - June 17-July 17

• McFarland Summer Orchestra Program Grades 5-8 - August 4-14

• Camp Jorn YMCA Performing Arts Specialty Summer Camp

• Dane County Humane Society Summer Camp Pawprint

• Free Triple P Positive Parenting Online Program for WI Families

• WI School of Business - Grade 8 & 9 Free Precollege Summer Camp: Business Basics

• Badger Bots Kids Summer Camps

McFarland Recreation Aquatics & Play (MRAP) and the McFarland Performing Arts Center (MPAC) offer a wide variety of recreation and aquatics programs for community members of all ages. To learn more, visit MRAPNews.com

Questions about specific MRAP or MPAC programs?

Reach out to the staff contacts listed below:

Stu Schaefer, Director of Community Services

schaefs@mcfsd.org | 608-838-3168

Kayla Eliasson, Aquatics Supervisor

eliassk@mcfsd.org | 608-838-3168

Alisha Fix, Recreation Supervisor

fixa@mcfsd.org | 608-838-4666

Zachary Franczak, Performing Arts Supervisor

franczz@mcfsd.org | 608-838-4461

Thank you to the 541 parents/guardians who participated in our annual survey this March—our third year running! Your feedback plays a vital role in shaping our district’s future. Results help us set priorities, align resources with our strategic plan, and continuously improve. Our leadership teams review the data and share findings with the school board.

📈 Overall Highlights

Survey scores continue to rise across nearly all categories. Our results outpace similar districts, showing strong progress in student behavior, bullying prevention, and communication.

🌟 Key Strengths

High Satisfaction Levels:
Over 80% of families agreed or strongly agreed with positive statements about their child’s school experience.

Index Score Growth:
All key areas—Informed, Included, Educational Excellence, Atmosphere, and Experience—scored above 4 out of 5 and ranked in the 82nd–93rd percentile compared to peer districts.

🏫 Category Highlights

Facilities

• 98% say schools are clean and well-kept (97th percentile)
  
  

Climate & Safety

• 96% say their child feels safe at school
  
  

• 95% say their child is treated with dignity and respect
  
  

• 93% feel welcome in their child’s school
  
  

Parent Involvement

• 91% know how to support their child’s learning (85th percentile)
  
  

• 88% say schools provide opportunities for involvement (89th percentile, +1.25%)
  
  

• 87% feel comfortable reaching out to staff
  
  

Discipline

• 95% say discipline is fair (97th percentile, +1.18%)
  
  

Student Support

• 92% say their child gets help when needed (95th percentile, +2.42%)
  
  

Communication

• 90% feel well-informed about their child’s progress (96th percentile, +1.48%)
  
  

• 88% rate communication as “Great” (41%) or “Good” (47%) (92nd percentile)
  
  

Learning

• 90% are satisfied with what their child learned this year (87th percentile)
  
  

District Direction

• +4.72% increase in agreement that "The District is headed in the right direction"
  
  

• 111 comments praised caring, skilled staff
  
  

🔍 Areas for Growth & Next Steps

Bullying & Behavior

• 85% are satisfied with anti-bullying efforts (+5.36%, 92nd percentile)
  
  

• 61 comments called for more consistent discipline
  ➡️ Continuing to implement and improve district-wide behavior and bullying plans.
  
  

School Culture

• 87% agree the school has a healthy culture (+3.08% from last year)
  ➡️ Focus remains on fostering positive, inclusive environments.
  
  

Feedback Opportunities

• 85% feel they can share feedback with schools/teachers (+1.26%)
  ➡️ We’re expanding opportunities for parent input.
  
  

Streamlined Communication

• 87% feel they can reach at least one staff member with concerns (68th percentile)
  
  

• 197 comments requested simpler, more unified communication
  ➡️ Ongoing work to refine our communications plan and clarify school, classroom, and district-level updates.
  
  

📺 Want to Learn More?

Check out the April 21 School Board Meeting video or read the full report here.

We’re halfway through our five-year strategic plan! At the May 12 Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Aaron Tarnutzer shared a progress update on the plan’s goals and achievements to date.

[View the update document]

[Watch the board meeting video]

🎖️ Memorial Day Parade starts lining up at 10:00 a.m. at the Catholic Church parking lot.

Parade starts at noon with Memorial Day services at 1:00 p.m.

COMING UP:

The next School District of McFarland School Board meeting is scheduled for May 19, 2025.

Click HERE for a link to the McFarland School Board agendas and minutes.

Click HERE for a link to the McFarland School Board meeting recordings and upcoming YouTube live streams.

May is...

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Mental Health Awareness Month

The McFarland School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, sex, (including gender status, change of sex or gender identity), or physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability (Protected Classes) in any of its student program and activities.