Mt. Horeb Intermediate Center
2013-2014
PARENT HANDBOOK
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome From the Principal...... 4
Unity...... 5
School District Personnel...... 6-7
SCHOOL DAY
Arrival/Dismissal...... 8
Traffic Around School...... 8
Car Riders...... …...... 8
Walkers/Bike Riders...... …...... 8
Bus Riders...... …...... 8
Skateboards/Roller Blades/Roller Skates...... 8
Attendance...... 8
Excessive Absences...... …...... 9
Excessive Tardiness...... …...... 9
Truancy...... 9
Leaving the Building During the School Day...... 9
School Withdrawal...... 9
Closing of Schools...... 9
Dress Code...... …...... 10
Recess...... 10
Playground Safety...... 10
Windchill Outdoor/Indoor Recess Plan...... 10
Requests for a Child to Remain Indoors at Recess...... 10
Visitation...... 10
FOOD SERVICE
Morning Nutrition Break/Lunch/Milk Break Program...... 11
Morning Nutrition Break...... 11
Lunch Purchase Procedures...... 11
Lunch Prices...... 11
Free and Reduced Lunch...... 11
Milk Breaks...... 11
Milk Substitution ...... 11
Lunchroom Management Program...... 12
Lunch and Playground Schedule...... 12
MT. HOREB SCHOOL DISTRICT
BEHAVIOR STANDARDS...... 12-13
I.C. BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT PLAN...... 13
Overview...... 13
Positive Consequences...... 13
Negative Consequences...... 13
SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS
Student Assistance Program...... 14
Talented and Gifted Program...... …...... 14
Volunteer Program...... 14
I.C. Site Council...... 14
Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)...... 14
Student Council...... 15
Safety Patrol ...... 15
Field Trips...... …...... 15
Lost and Found...... 15
General Mills Box Tops for Education...... 15
Assignment Notebooks...... 15
School Board Meetings...... 15
ACADEMIC PROGRESS/CONFERENCES...... 15-16
Preparation for Parent/Teacher Conferences...... …...... 16
Report Cards...... …...... 16
Response to Intervention (RTI) Program.....…...... 17
Summer School (Booster)Programs...... 17
Promotion Policy...... …...... 17
ACCIDENTS/ ILLNESS/SAFETY...... 17-18
First Aid...... 17
Administration of Medications...... 17
Medications...... …...... 17
Ambulance/Physician Contact...... 18
Home Referral...... 18
District Nurse...... …...... 18
Head Lice...... …...... 18
Ticks...... …...... 18
Student Immunization...... …...... 18
Life Threatening Allergies (LTA)...... …...... 18
Fire/Intruder/Tornado Drill Procedures...... 18
Insurance...... …...... 19
MOUNT HOREB AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATIONPOLICIES PERTAINING TO CHILDREN 19
Notice of Student Records ...... 20
Legal Name Change...... …...... 20
School Board Meetings...... …...... 20
Student Pictures...... 21
Problem Solving Team (PST)…...... 21
School Website...... 21
WELCOME TO THE
INTERMEDIATE CENTER
August 2013
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Welcome to the 2013-2014 school year at the Intermediate Center. Entering our 20th year as a school, our entire staff is looking forward to the learning opportunities the year has to offer. With your help, we know it will be a successful year for everyone!
Please read this Parent Handbook carefully, make note of the information it contains and keep it in a visible location. A calendar of events is available on the Intermediate Center website ( to notify you of important events already scheduled for this school year. If you have any questions or ideas you’d like to share, please call me (437-2400, ext. 4101). Working together, there are no limits to what we can accomplish.
Sincerely,
Ann Fenley
Principal
Our mission at the Mount Horeb Intermediate
Centeris to work togetherto promote lifelong
learning skillsin an encouraging environment
where everyone feelssuccessful.
UNITY
I dreamed I stood in a studio
And watched two sculptors there.
The clay they used was a young child’s mind
And they fashioned it with care.
One was a teacher -- the tools she used
Were books, music and art.
The other, a parent, worked with a guiding hand,
And a gentle, loving heart.
Day after day, the teacher toiled with touch
That was careful, deft, and sure,
While the parent labored by her side
And polished and smoothed it over.
And when at last, their task was done,
They were proud of what they had wrought.
For the things they had molded into the child
Could neither be sold nor bought.
And each agreed they would have failed
If each had worked alone.
For behind the parent stood the school,
And behind the teacher, the home.
Author Unknown
1
SCHOOL PERSONNEL
DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION
Deb Klein...... Superintendent
Theresa Daane...... Director of Staff Development & Pupil Services
Jarred Burke...... Director of Curriculum
Stephanie Spoehr...... High School Principal
Stefanie Stair...... Asst. High School Principal
Mike Beranek...... Asst. H. S. Principal (A.D)
Jeff Rasmussen...... Middle School Principal
TBD...... Asst. M.S. Principal & Guidance Counselor
Ann Fenley...... Intermediate Center Principal
Rachael Johnson...... Primary/Early Learning Center Principal
Ryan Curless...... Technical Coordinator
Gary Wilkinson...... Building & Grounds Coordinator
Michelle Denk...... Food Services Coordinator
Randy Schulz...... Director of Transportation
TEACHING STAFF/STUDENT SERVICES
Karen Erickson...... Grade Three
Diane Farnsworth...... Grade Three
Nicole Fehrmann...... Grade Three
Andrea Grover...... Grade Three
Lisa Lawson...... Grade Three
Jennifer Maier...... Grade Three
Susan Messmann...... Grade Three
Mike Umberger...... Grade Three
Annie Beier...... Grade Four
Rebecca Gustafson...... Grade Four
Jacqueline Fredrickson...... Grade Four
Erin Keating...... Grade Four
Becky Kleppe...... Grade Four
Ashley Micheal...... Grade Four
Megan Van Veghel...... Grade Four
Kristina Wortz...... Grade Four
Jordan Durst...... Grade Five
Rob Farnsworth...... Grade Five
Molly Follmer...... Grade Five
Melissa Gervasi…...... Grade Five
Melissa Ledford...... Grade Five
Dustin Schuhmacher...... Grade Five
Pam Stencil...... Grade Five
Kathy Thronson...... Grade Five
LuAnn Wichlacz...... Art
Kent Arneson/Jack Prehn...... Phy Ed
Barb Brown...... Music/Orchestra
Margaret Howard...... Music
Cheri Janssen/Amy Green...... Reading Specialist
Preston "Buddy" Sigmon ...... Guidance
Jenifer Rudolph...... Media Specialist
Christine Parmley...... Learning Specialist/TAG
Patrick Kumke...... Psychologist
Linda Carlson...... Speech Therapist
Jaci Schantz...... Speech Therapist
Jaimie Ariss...... EEN
Catie Greene...... EEN
Mara Johnson...... EEN
Jill Richter...... EEN
Heidi Mancusi...... District Nurse
Pam Schaal...... District Nurse
CLASSIFIED STAFF
Christine Swiggum...... Head Secretary
Alice Allen ...... Office Paraprofessional
TBD...... Paraprofessional
Chris Coffin...... Paraprofessional
Pam Haack...... Paraprofessional
Joanne Haglund...... Paraprofessional
Nancy Heindl...... Paraprofessional
Geoff Johnson...... Paraprofessional
Tami Moyer...... Paraprofessional
Tammy Brey...... EEN Paraprofessional
Alana Collins...... EEN Paraprofessional
Rebecca Cullen...... EEN Paraprofessional
Cindy Downs...... EEN Paraprofessional
Barbara Morkri...... EEN Paraprofessional
Linda O’Connell...... EEN Paraprofessional
Robert Tucker ...... Head Custodian
Deb Boehnen/Myron Nelson/Connie PetersonCustodians
Rhonda Klarer...... Head Cook
Lisa Miles ...... Cook
Julianna Ruiz...... Cook
ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL
Parents are to call the Intermediate Center's office before 8:00 am each day a student is absent or tardy (437-2400, ext. 4000). If no contact is made, a "safe call" will be made to make sure a child is safe.
Students are to use sidewalks during arrival and dismissal to school. Parents are asked to drop off and pick up students in front of the Intermediate Center on Hanneman Boulevard. (Children should not be on school grounds before 7:45 a.m.)
School hours are posted below:
Students arrive7:45-8:00 amA tardy slip is given when a student arrives after 8:05am
Students report to classroom 8:00 amBuses load at 3:23 pm & depart at 3:35 pm
Instruction ends 3:23 pm
Traffic Around School
Car drivers are not able to turn right onto Garfield Street from Hanneman between 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Garfield Street is heavily congested with bus traffic, high school & middle school traffic, as well as students who walk or ride bikes. Village and school district staff put up the signage regarding “no right turn” in an attempt to divert additional car traffic away from this area for the safety of all students.
Car Riders
Students in grades 3-5 should be dropped off in front of the school each morning. Parents can pull up into the loop in front of the building, but should not park there. If you need to run into the school, we ask that you park in the lot in front of the building or in the side parking lot next to the playground. Students can wait in the front or on the basketball court until doors open. On days when it is raining or during winter months, students will wait in the cafeteria after 7:45.
After school, students in grades 3-5 can be picked up in front of the school (in the loop or front parking lot). Again, we ask that you do not park in the loop if you need to come into the building. We appreciate parents not double-parking in the loop or on Lincoln St. Our students have had a very safe experience due to your consideration!
Walkers and Bike Riders
Studentsshould continue to cross streets at the crosswalks. Legally, all motorists should stop for pedestrians in these walkways. Students are to walk their bikes while on school property. Bike racks are located near the bus parking on Garfield Street and we recommend children lock their bikes. Students can wait on the basketball court until doors open.
Bus Riders
Students riding the bus to &/or from school will be dropped off and/or picked up in the bus parking lot of the Intermediate Center (Garfield Street). This parking lot should only be used by buses. Please do not drop off or pick up your child/ren here.
Students can wait on the basketball court until doors open.
Skate Board/Roller Blades/Roller Skates
Use of skateboards, roller blades and roller skates on school property is prohibited. However, if students use skateboards, roller blades or roller skates as a means of alternative transportation, it is required those students carry these types of "transportation" while on school property. The school is not responsible for damage or theft of these items.
ATTENDANCE
Students are expected to be at school each and every day unless they have an excused absence. It is important that students take pride in their attendance record at Mount Horeb Middle School. If a student cannot attend school, a parent/guardian should call the middle school office at 437 2400, ext. 3000 before 8:00 a.m. If no contact is made, a "safe call" will be made to make sure the child is safe. If a phone call cannot be made, students should bring a written excuse explaining their unanticipated absence/tardiness on the first day they return to school. This note should include the following information:
- Date(s) of absence/tardy.
- Reason(s) for absence/tardy.
- Parent/guardian signature
***Following the return from a medical appointment, students should provide a note from the medical provider.
Absences are divided into the two categories of excused and unexcused. Excused absences may include, but not be restricted to, illness, family emergency, medical appointments, and family vacation. School Board Policy 431 & 431.1 further spell out the conditions of school attendance policy.
Up to 10 days per year will be excused as “illness” days. These will be counted in half day increments. Absences due to illness or appointments, without a medical provider’s note, beyond a total of 10 days are considered unexcused. Absences due to illness or appointments with a medical provider’s note will be excused and do not count towards the aforementioned 10 total days. Students reporting to school after 8:30 or leaving before 3:00 will be marked as absent for the respective half day increment.
Students are allowed up to 10 parent request days per year. These are pre-arranged absences and will be counted in half day increments. Wisconsin State Law (S. 118.15.3.c) provides for parents excusing their child's absence for up to 5 consecutive school days to a total of 10 school days in a given school calendar year providing advanced notification has taken place. Parent request days beyond 10 are considered unexcused.
Unexcused absences are assigned when parent/guardian notification of the absence to the middle school office does not take place within an acceptable amount of time (usually three school attendance days). Extenuating medical circumstances may dictate changing unexcused attendance days to excused days with doctor notification of condition turned into the middle school office by parent/guardian.
Excessive Absences
It is widely recognized that any pattern of excessive absence (excused, unexcused or a combination) has an adverse effect on the learning process. The Mount Horeb Area School District believes early intervention is most successful in making a positive difference in a child’s school experience. Because of this philosophy, all schools in our district make formal responses to situations involving excessive or unexcused absences. If problems are suspected, a parent meeting will be held to discuss reasons for the absences and to determine an action plan designed to improve school attendance and the child’s educational program.
Excessive Tardiness
Parents/Guardians will be notified if their child has received three or more tardies per quarter. Timely follow up is particularly important in those cases in which the late arrivals have negatively affected the child’s educational program.
Truancy
Truant and habitual truant are two classifications used by the Intermediate Center when Wisconsin State Law (S.118.16) maximum days of excusable absences are passed. Absences that are not called in and/or not excused for any of the above reasons are considered unexcused. Furthermore, once students become truant, absences for part or all of one day will be considered full day unexcused absences and count towards truancy. The Mount Horeb Intermediate Center is obligated to refer truant and habitual truant students to local, county and state agencies.
Leaving the Building During the School Day
There may be occasions during the school year when a student needs to leave the building during the school day. Students must have permission from their parent/guardian and should get a pass from the office prior to leaving the building. Students are required to report into the office when they return to school.
School Withdrawal
Parents are to notify the school office if students are withdrawing from school, so a release of information form can be completed. This form, along with other school records will then be sent to the student’s new school.
CLOSING OF SCHOOLS
As soon as the district administration determines schools must be closed or delayed due to inclement weather or special circumstances, they will call select radio stations. The announcement will be made over the following radio stations before the start of the school day. Announcements will also be made over these stations during the day if school must be canceled or dismissed early because of bad weather or a building emergency.
WMAD92.1 FMWDMP 810 AM
WHLK93.1 FMWTSO1070 AM
WJJO94.1 FMWIBA1310 AM
WOLX94.9 FMWTDY1480 AM
WCJZ96.3 FMWTUX1550 AM
WMGN98.1 FMWTDY1670 AM
WIBA101.5 FM
WNWC102.5 FM
WZEE104 FM
WYZM105.1 FM
WMMM105.5 FM
WWQM106.3 FM
Parents must have arrangements in place in advance for the care of their children in the case that school may be closed, delayed or dismissed before the end of the day.
DRESS CODE
Students are expected to attend school wearing appropriate attire. Dress or grooming that could cause a health problem, a physical danger, a disruption or distraction to others or that sends a negative message will not be allowed. Teachers will contact the building principal for assistance with cases that are questionable. Students are expected to come to school prepared for outdoor play. It is the student’s and parent’s responsibility to make choices that ensure physical safety and well-being. Following are recommended guidelines:
Rain: rain gear, boots and/or umbrella
Cold: hats, mittens/gloves, boots, snow pants/suit, coat
Warm: no halter tops and appropriate length shorts
Please remind your child(ren) to dress appropriately for the weather. If the outdoor thermometer reads 40 degrees or higher (regardless of wind-chill), students may go without coats. Supervisors cannot send students back to classrooms, so students should take coats with them on chilly days. Teachers will periodically review dress expectations with students and will send written reminders to parents in the case of chronic dress code concerns.
RECESS
Students have two, 25-minute, grade level recesses each day.
PLAYGROUND SAFETY
In order to insure a safe recess, students need to follow these rules:
1.Use playground equipment properly.
2.Be respectful of others (no hitting, pushing, etc.).
3.Include others in games and share equipment.
4.Follow directions of duty staff.
5.Adhere to the rules of sports/activities and exhibit good sportsmanship.
WINDCHILL OUTDOOR/INDOOR RECESS PLAN
The wind-chill/temperature is determined by our NBC weathernet satellite located on the Mt. Horeb High School. Wind-chill may vary slightly from that setting due to the location of the IC campus as well as less shelter from high winds on the playground. Therefore much consideration is given when an indoor recess is called.
REQUESTS FOR A CHILD TO REMAIN INDOORS AT RECESS
Based on consultations with medical professionals, our position with regard to students staying in from recess is that if students are properly dressed and well enough to attend school they will go out for recess. A note from the child’s physician will be required in those cases in which parents’ request that a child needs to stay in from recess for an extended period of time due to an illness or injury.
VISITATION
Parents are encouraged to visit and/or do volunteer work in our classrooms. Contact your child’s teacher to make arrangements for your time at school. All visitors and volunteers should sign in and out at the office. For safety purposes, we also require that you wear visitor identification, which is available in our office.
Students are allowed to bring school-aged visitors to school with permission from their classroom teacher. Parent/Guardians should discuss the visit with their child’s teacher at least 24 hours before the visit. Guests may attend for half a day when the class is not in a related arts class.
FOOD SERVICE
MORNING NUTRITION BREAK/LUNCH/MILK BREAK PROGRAM
Morning Nutrition Break
A Good Breakfast = Better Learning. Is there a connection? Absolutely! Studies have shown that children who have stomachs full of long lasting carbohydrates and protein are more attentive, better able to stay on task, and actually score higher on achievements tests. Even children who ate breakfast are often hungry again by 9:00a.m.
We will continue to offer Nutrition Break at the IC for the 2013-2014 school year. Every morning in the cafeteria, students may choose up to three items and a milk for $1.10 or a milk only for $0.40. Individual items are $0.50 per item as a la carte so please encourage your students to take at least three items. The morning nutrition break is free for those who qualify for free OR reduced price meals but they must take at least three items to count as a reimbursable meal.