IMMS Family Flier

Jamie Thomas, Principal

Brett Jondle, Associate Principal

• Grades/progress reports will be available in Infinite Campus on November 18
• Outdoor weather/recess
• Swim Unit

• Nov 19: Frog and Toad Day (Optional: Wear Frog and Toad Gear or Green and Brown)
• Nov. 19: Choir/Orchestra Solo/Ensemble @ IMMS 4:15-8:00
  
• Nov. 26-28: No School - Fall Break
• Dec. 2: 7th-8th Orchestra Concert 7:00 @ PAC
• Dec. 8-11: FastBridge Testing
• Dec. 10: Choir Concert IMMS/MHS 7:00
• Dec. 12: Makeup FastBridge Testing
• Dec. 19: Monthly Celebration Assembly
• Dec. 22 - Jan. 2: No School - Winter Break
• 25-26 IMMS Sports: LINK

School safety is a priority in the McFarland School District. At Indian Mound Middle School (IMMS), we take several steps to ensure your child is safe and our school is secure. This week (November 17-24) IMMS will conduct a Shelter Drill (a.k.a Tornado Drill). We will prepare your child for the drill during our school announcements, also allowing for students to follow up with their teachers about any questions that they may have before the drill.

As with each of our safety drills, prior to the drill, we will make an announcement that clearly explains to students that a drill will be occurring. The entire procedure should last around 10-15 minutes. Students are reminded (as we will do during each of our drills and safety discussions) that schools are often some of the safest places to be and that these skills students and staff learn about safety can be applied anywhere, both in school and out of school. Our goal is always to make this experience a useful practice of the procedures, without alarming students.

If you have any questions about the drill, please feel free to contact Ms. Thomas or Mr. Jondle at any time at 838-8980.

Here is a letter to families to learn how to check progress grades starting November 18th.

As the weather continues to cool down and the seasons change, we wanted to provide a few reminders that we will/have been sharing with your scholar:

• Students should take their coats/sweatshirts/hats with them to lunch to avoid having to have to go to their locker/backpacks after being dismissed from lunch to recess
• To allow students the chance to eat at their own pace, there are two waves of dismissal from lunches. The first wave of dismissal happens 15 minutes into lunch (for those who are finished and want to get outside right away). The second wave of dismissal occurs twenty minutes into lunch (lunch/recess is thirty minutes total).
• The expectation is that at this point, all students must go outside for recess. Please continue to encourage this with your scholar

Upcoming Swim Unit Info:

November 10-21

6th Grade

• Ms. Madeiros’ Classes

• Mr. Wilberg’s Classes

7th Grade

• Mr. Wilberg’s Classes

8th Grade

• Ms. Madeiros’ Classes

Students need to bring:

Swimsuit (no 2 piece suits/t-shirt over swimsuit is ok)

Towel

Sandals for walking on the pool deck is a good idea

Hair tie for long hair is preferred

Goggles are option but encouraged

Lotion is optional but encouraged

One of the most exciting things about IMMS is that we have multiple clubs and activities for students to be a part of. Check out our Daily Announcements LINK for clubs and co-curriculars. Try something that interests you!

1. How We Talk Makes a Difference
   Communication style matters. The way parents speak to teens will affect whether the message is heard, resisted or accepted.
   

2. Let Teens Own Solutions
   Teens respond better when they feel ownership over the decisions/solutions. Lecturing or controlling tends to backfire, teens may reject what you’re saying.
   

3. Different Types of Thinking
   

• Concrete thinking: Young children see things very literally / immediately.

• Abstract thinking: Adults tend to think more in terms of future consequences, nuance, shades of meaning.

• Adolescents: are in-between: they’re developing the ability to think abstractly, but may still rely on more concrete reasoning, especially earlier in adolescence.
  

4. Stress Impacts Thinking
   When teens (or people in general) are under stress, they revert more toward concrete thinking, even if they’re capable of abstract thinking. That means under pressure they may have difficulty seeing long-term consequences or nuances.
   

5. Why Lectures Often Miss the Mark
   Long warnings (“If you do X you’ll end up with Y… then Z… and then danger!”) can feel overwhelming / confusing to teens. They may tune out because the sequence is too abstract or complex.It can feel condescending or remove their sense of control, which shuts down communication.
   

6. Ways to Communicate
   

• Break complex ideas into smaller concrete steps.

• Use questions rather than lectures: “What do you think might happen if…? Have you seen anything like that before?”

• Pause between steps: allow them to think / respond, rather than rushing ahead.

• Stay calm. If you’re not calm, it may not be a good time for difficult conversations.

Why It Matters

• Respecting a teen’s developing reasoning ability builds trust and gives them agency.

• When you communicate in a way that matches how they think (and where they are developmentally), you’re more likely to be heard.

• It shifts the relationship from “parent telling / controlling” toward “parent guiding / facilitating.”

Do you or your student need a bike? If you’re interested, please fill out this form. Bikes are donated by Bikes for Kids Wisconsin, and pickup will be scheduled later in the spring. Pick up will happen at their Madison location. Bikes are free. Helments are required to pick up the bike. Helmets at Bikes for kids cost $25, you are able to bring your own. Deadline to apply is December 10th 2025.

To request a bike fill out this form. Any questions reach out to Lauren Noirega at noriegl@mcfsd.org

Below, you will find the "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. As always, please use Infinite Campus to look up progress grades and turned in assignments.

Here are some helpful tips and videos that may be useful:

• How to log-in to Infinite Campus (38 second video) or HelpDoc

• How to check your scholar’s missing assignments (2 min. video) or HelpDoc

• What are Conduct and Effort Scores? (2.5 min. video)

• How to check your scholar’s Conduct and Effort Scores (3 min. video) or HelpDoc

• IMMS Standards Based Grading Presentation

• Be on Time! School starts at 8:20am. Students who arrive after 8:20am (without a medical note/appointment note, etc.) will be marked as tardy. After five tardies in one quarter, a check in meeting with the student, as well as contact home will occur to partner on ways to get the student to school on time.
• Off and Away! Cell phones and headphones must be off and away starting at 8:15am.
• Caffeinated Drinks: students may not consume caffeinated drinks at school from 8:15am-3:30pm.
• Respect the Bubble: An area of focus this year is to teach and re-teach the importance of having students keep their hands, feet, and objects to themself. If you see this behavior, please continue to reinforce the "Respect the Bubble" expectation

More to come...

• E.D. Locke Special Storytime with Water Protector Misty Jackson - November 20

• E.D. Locke Royal Stuffed Animal Sleep Over - November 20

• MHS DECA Young Entrepreneurs Event - November 21

• Wobble Before You Gobble Free Community 5K Run/Walk - November 27

• A Celtic Christmas by A Taste of Ireland - November 28

• MEF Silent Auction - December 5-6

• St. Nick's Shop at McFarland Municipal Center - December 6

• Madison Ballet: The Nutcracker - December 12-21

• Madison Ballet 2025-26 Academic Year Information

• Futura 2025-26 Spanish Program at MPS and WIS

• E.D. Locke Library 500 Books Before Middle School Program

• E.D. Locke Library K-2 Magic Tree House Book Club - 2nd Tuesdays

• E.D. Locke Library K-5 Lego Club - 2nd and 4th Wednesdays through December

• E.D. Locke Library 3-5 Graphic Novel Book Club - Third Tuesdays

• E.D. Locke Library Teen Snack & Chat - Mondays

• E.D. Locke Library Teen UnBook Club - First Thursdays

• E.D. Locke Library VolunTeen Program - Third Tuesdays

• Free Triple P Positive Parenting Online Program for WI Families

Join Spartan Headquarters as they host the 5th Annual McFarland Craft & Vendor Fair on December 6th from 9am–2pm!

Shop from 100+ amazing vendors in the A and B Gyms and check out our 2nd Young Entrepreneur Craft Fair in the Cafeteria, featuring talented student creators!

Plus, enjoy the annual 4H Brat Fry and swing by Spartan Headquarters for special sales on Spartan Gear—perfect for holiday gifting!

Mark your calendars—you won’t want to miss it!

With the cold and flu season approaching, your partnership is essential in keeping our school community healthy and safe. Please take a moment to review our health policies and the necessary steps to take if your child becomes ill.

When to Keep Your Child Home: If your child is sick, please keep them home. Students presenting with the following symptoms at school will be sent home:

• Temperature above 100.4°F

• Vomiting or diarrhea

• Frequent, uncontrollable cough

Return-to-School Policy: Your child must remain home until they have been free of fever, vomiting, or diarrhea for a full 24 hours without the use of medication. We adhere strictly to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Communicable Disease Guidelines for exclusion criteria.

Notifying School Health Services: We rely on timely communication from families to track and prevent the spread of illness. Please notify the School Attendance or Health Office if your student has tested positive for a communicable disease, including: Influenza/Flu, COVID-19, Croup, RSV, Strep Throat, Hand Foot & Mouth, Chicken Pox, Pertussis, etc. We track all reported cases and monitor health patterns across the school. In instances where multiple cases of the same illness are confirmed within a specific classroom or grade level (e.g., several strep throat cases), we will issue targeted, case-by-case notifications to the affected families.

For detailed information on these guidelines, please review the district's comprehensive MSD Health Services Handbook and Guidelines for sending your child to school. Thank you for your ongoing partnership. Together, we can ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for everyone!

Dear Parent(s) and Guardian(s),

As in years past, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has issued a District Report Card for each district in Wisconsin and School Report Cards for each school. McFarland report cards are available on our school website and all Wisconsin school’s report cards are available on DPI’s website.

Each public school and district earns an overall accountability score, from 0 to 100 based on each district’s 2024-25 performance in the following four priority areas:

• Student Achievement

• Student Growth

• Target Group Outcomes

• On-Track to Graduation

Based on these scores, districts and schools are placed into one of five categories, from Fails to Meet Expectations to Significantly Exceeds Expectations.

Here are some highlights from the results:

• McFarland’s District Report Card score is 80.1 and our rating is “Exceeds Expectations.”

• McFarland had the 5th highest rating out of the 16 school districts in Dane County!

• All rated schools earned the a rating of “Exceeds Expectations” (Waubesa Intermediate School, Indian Mound Middle School, and McFarland High School)!

• IMMS had the 5th highest score out of 31 middle schools in Dane County, which is the 84th percentile!

• McFarland Primary School received the highest rating possible of “Satisfactory Progress.” (Their rating is different as those grades Early Childhood do not participate in state testing).

• Strong student achievement in English Language Arts and Math

• Notable student growth in English Language Arts

• Consistently high graduation rates

These School and District Report Cards help our School District continue to identify and celebrate our strengths and effectively address our challenges. Additional information about school report cards along with a list of educational options available to McFarland students is available on our website. Please feel welcome to contact us with your ideas and questions.

Cordially,

Aaron Tarntuzer

Superintendent

tarnuta@mcfsd.org

Emily Kintzer

Director of Teaching and Learning

kintzee@mcfsd.org

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

IMMS Athletics Calendar

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.