Middle School Matters

Website: lodi.k12.wi.us

Phone: (608) 592-3854

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LodiSchoolsWI/

Quick Links:

Middle School Absence Form

Breakfast Menu - Menu de desayuno de la escuela secundaria

Lunch Menu - Menu de almuerzo de la escuela secundaria

Staff Directory - 6th Grade Homework - 7th Grade Homework - 8th Grade Homework

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2. Busque un cuadro blanco y haga clic en "Translate"

3. En el cuadro que aparece, selecciona "Spanish".

4. Su boletín está ahora traducido.

Dear Lodi Middle School Students and Families,

We are excited to share outstanding news from our most recent school report cards. Once again, all schools in the School District of Lodi earned an “Exceeds Expectations” rating, with the district overall receiving “Significantly Exceeds Expectations.”

Lodi Middle School also earned “Significantly Exceeds Expectations,” highlighted by a perfect 100/100 in Math growth and an 83.1/100 in English Language Arts, both well above the state average of 66.0. These results reflect the hard work, growth, and collaboration of our entire school community.

Success at LMS truly takes a village. Every member of our school community plays an important role in creating an environment where students can learn and thrive. From maintaining a clean and welcoming building (thank you, Pat Miller), to keeping our daily operations running smoothly (Dawn Maier and Lesli Falk), to providing essential student support (Jenna Zurbuchen, Teisha Damit, Cindy Dominick, Lori Schmidt, Julie Schwartz, Dan McChesney, Sam Reese, and Yolanda Schroeder), to supervising and connecting with students at lunch (Tim Klade), to caring for student health (Janelle Sivam and Nisha Rai), to delivering high-quality instruction and maintaining high expectations (our teachers)—each role matters.

Thank you for helping make Lodi Middle School such a special place. We are proud of our students, proud of our staff, and proud of what we continue to accomplish together.

Work Hard - Be Kind

Derek Pertzborn

Principal, Lodi Middle School

pertzde@lodischoolswi.org | (608) 592-3854 ext. 3202

While the fish don't always cooperate, Mr. Pertzborn enjoys spending winter days ice fishing.

• Tue, January 6 - 8th Grade Course Scheduling Night - HS PAC - 6 PM

• Tue, January 13 - Spelling Bee

• Fri, January 16 - End of Term 2

• Mon, January 19 - No School - Teacher Work Day

• Thur, February 12 - Parent Teacher Conferences (3:30-7:30)

• Fri, February 13 - No School - Teacher Work Day

• Tue, February 24 - Parent Teacher Conferences (3:30-7:30)

Speak Up, Speak Out is a confidential tip line where anyone can anonymously report safety concerns within our school.

Reports may include threats to the school, concerns about a student’s safety, bullying, or any situation that doesn’t feel right. Every tip is taken seriously, and administration will follow up on all reports.

Speaking up helps keep our school community safe for everyone.

To submit a tip, click the link below.

Thank you to band teacher Ashley Gulbranson and choir teacher Angela Roberts for putting on an amazing show for the Winter Concert. The band and choir members played for nearly a full house at the Lodi High School Performing Arts Center. We are so proud of the students for the show they put on and of Ms. Gulbranson and Ms. Roberts for all of the time and effort they put into getting our students ready for the show.

It’s hard to believe, but it’s already time for our 8th grade families to begin planning for the transition to high school. To help guide this important next step, Lodi High School is hosting an information night for parents and guardians.

📅 Event Details

• Date: Tuesday, January 6

• Time: 6:00 PM

• Location: Lodi High School Performing Arts Center

🎤 Presentation Highlights

• The session will be led by Lodi High School Principal Joe Jelinek and will include information about:
• Schedules
• Courses
• Grading
• Student support
• Co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities

👪 Who Should Attend?

• All 8th grade parents and guardians

• Families looking to better understand the transition to high school

• Anyone wanting to learn how to support their child’s success in 9th grade and beyond

💬 Why This Night Matters

• This evening will help families feel more confident and informed as their student prepares to enter high school. We hope to see you there!

Lodi Middle School students kicked off December with an all-school assembly full of fun, energy, and excitement!

Students enjoyed an action-packed game of Wall Ball, bringing the room to life with teamwork, laughter, and friendly competition. Assemblies like this bring our community together, spark school spirit, and celebrate student achievements. They're a perfect way to foster connections, boost energy, and create memories that last all year long.

Congratulations to the 6th grade, who scored the most points and took home the middle school trophy!

Our district is proud to offer a hiking club in every school building, supported by an incredible partnership with the Lodi Valley Chapter of the Ice Age Trail Alliance. This collaboration makes our community the first K–12 Ice Age Trail Campus in the nation. We truly live in a special place—let’s celebrate our trails, our students, and our community together.

• Trail Trekker Clothing - https://bluedevilhikingclub.cms-4youshop.com/
• Store Closes January 7

Your role in fostering confidence in your student is invaluable. By openly communicating encouragement and modeling self-assurance, you help them navigate challenges and build resilience. Express belief in their abilities, celebrate their efforts, and remind them that mistakes are a natural part of growth. However, it's equally important to offer support when needed, creating a safe space for them to share concerns and seek guidance. Your balanced approach of confidence and empathy teaches them to approach life with courage while knowing they are never alone in their journey.

Here are three questions to ask your teen this week to get them to open up:

• Is there a class where you felt successful or proud of yourself lately?
• If you could change one thing about your school day, what would it be?
• Who do you spend the most time with at school today?

As winter approaches, here’s a quick reminder about inclement weather plans. The district will use up to two traditional snow days; any additional days may shift to virtual learning to meet instructional requirements. Students will review virtual learning expectations in December, and teachers will ensure they bring home Chromebooks and materials as needed.

Here is the link to our Lodi Middle School Virtual Learning Expectations for Students and Staff.

Please remind your child to charge their Chromebook each night so it’s ready for learning the next day.

If a charger has been misplaced or lost, please contact techsupport@lodischoolswi.org for assistance.

Keeping devices charged helps our students stay focused and prepared for class each morning!

Although family vacations are of great importance and a valuable experience, please know they create a major disruption in learning for many of our students and burden our staff with getting students caught up. School attendance is a major factor in academic achievement. Keep this in mind when planning future vacations.

If your child will be missing school, please remember to report the absence.

Families can easily complete the Absence Form using the button below—no need to call or email! However, if you have questions or are unable to complete the form, you can still contact us by:

📱 Calling the attendance line: (608) 592-3854 ext. 0
✉️ Emailing the office: msoffice@lodischoolswi.org

You can also find the Report an Absence link right on the Lodi Middle School homepage for quick access.

Students enrolled in Blessings in a Backpack receive a discreet bag of non-perishable, kid-friendly food every Friday to support weekend meals. If there's no school on Friday, bags are placed in backpacks on Thursday.

Enroll: Please complete the Blessing in a Backpack Google Form.

Professional dental services provided right at school for students and families in need.

Enroll: http://enrollment.bbsmiles.org/

Questions? Call 262-896-9891 or email coordinator@bbsmiles.org.

The Free and Reduced Lunch program is income based. Applications are available on the district website under Our Families - Food Service (English) or (Spanish).

Need help? Contact Ariel Andrews at 608-592-3855 ext. 1017 or andrear@lodischoolswi.org.

Happy New Year! We hope everyone enjoyed a restful and refreshing winter break.

• January Harvest of the Month (HOM):
• Look for menu items featuring these ingredients and let us know what you think!
• Fruit: Blood Orange
• Vegetable: Kale
• Spice: Rosemary
• Breakfast and Lunch Meal Reminder:
• A reimbursable breakfast requires 3 items, with at least one fruit
• Students who do not select all required items will be charged à la carte, which may cost more.
• Foodservice staff will encourage students to take all required items but cannot require it.
• À la Carte Guidelines:
• Students with an à la carte block must take a reimbursable meal.
• Students with a negative account balance may not purchase à la carte items until the balance is paid.
• Limited Time Offering:
• Chicken Shawarma Sandwich - give it a try and share your feedback!

Click here to red the full Food Service Newsletter for more details.

Frostbite:

Frostbite is an injury to the body that is caused by freezing. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and color in affected areas. It most often affects the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, or toes. Frostbite can permanently damage the body, and severe cases can lead to amputation.

Warning signs of frostbite include:

• Numbness and a white or grayish‐ yellow color to the affected skin, which may feel unusually firm or waxy.

• People with frostbite are often unaware until someone else points it out because the frozen tissues are numb.

• At the first signs of redness or pain in any skin area, get out of the cold or protect any exposed skin—frostbite may be beginning.

Treatment for frostbite:

• If you detect symptoms of frostbite, seek medical care.

• Frostbite and hypothermia both result from exposure to cold. If you suspect someone has frostbite, also check if the affected person shows signs of hypothermia.

• Symptoms of hypothermia may include shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss and slurred speech.

• Hypothermia is a more serious medical condition and requires emergency medical assistance.

• If there is frostbite but no sign of hypothermia and immediate medical care is not available: Get to a warm place as soon as possible. Unless absolutely necessary, do not walk on frostbitten feet or toes as this increases the damage. Immerse the affected area in warm—not hot—water (the temperature should be comfortable to the touch for unaffected parts of the body).

• Or, warm the affected area using body heat. For example, the heat of an armpit can be used to warm frostbitten fingers. Do not rub the frostbitten area with snow or massage it at all. This can cause more damage. Don’t use a heating pad, heat lamp, or the heat of a stove, fireplace, or radiator for warming. Affected areas are numb and can be easily burned.

Prevention:

• Adults and children should wear:

• A hat, scarf or knit mask to cover face and mouth

• Sleeves that are snug at the wrist

• Mittens (they are warmer than gloves)

• Water‐resistant coat waterproof and insulated boots or shoes.

Illness:

Keeping students home when they are ill helps to reduce the spread of illness. The link from CDC is a quick guide of what you can do to help reduce the spread.

CDC Respiratory Virus Guidance

• Quick guide to returning to school

Resource(s):

• CDC: Information About Teens (ages 12-19)

• Wisconsin Wayfinder: Children’s Resource Network helps assist families, caregivers, professionals, and organizations in finding a wide array of supports and services.

• Link to Wisconsin Wayfinder webpage or toll-free number 877-947-2929

• Wisconsin Wayfinder Brochure - English

• Wisconsin Wayfinder Brochure - Spanish

• Wisconsin Wayfinder Brochure- Hmong

• Columbia County Public Health

I hope you stay warm and safe. Please reach out if there is change in your student(s) health or if you have any questions.

Janelle Sivam RN, BSN

District School Nurse

sivamja@lodischoolswi.org

Missing a sweatshirt? Can’t find that water bottle? Each month we’ll post photos of items from our Lost & Found.

If you recognize something, email Dawn Maier (maierda@lodischoolswi.org) or have your student stop by the office to claim it.

The middle school staff directory is located on the Lodi Middle School homepage under Contact Us. Here is a link to the staff directory.