Ithaca School District

There will be a football booster club meeting at 6:00 pm tonight in the commons.

The PTSO Winter apparel order is in! Please plan to pick your order up in the commons this Thursday, December 12 after school until 5 P.M. If you cannot pick up at this time please contact Karia Brown at joekariabrown@gmail.com.

Members of the High School Band will be Christmas Caroling on December 15, 5:00 - 7:30 pm, in the Ithaca, Keyesville, and Sextonville areas. If you know of any community member who would enjoy us stopping to play for them, please let Mrs. Behrens know.

Farmers in our community are facing extraordinary challenges. The Richland County Extension Office is coordinating "Stronger Together", a series of sessions addressing current challenges in the farming community. Sessions are free and a lunch is provided. The first session is tomorrow, December 10th. Contact Chelsea Wunnicke, Family Living Educator for information or to register at 608.647.6148 or email chelsea.wunnicke@wisc.edu https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/dairy/events/stronger-together/

Middle Schoolers are invited to attend the Winter Luau Dance Party on December 13, 2019 from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. in the Ithaca Community Gym (“Old Gym”). Admission is $5, and new at this dance: Competitions ~ Hula Hoopin’, Musical Chairs, and Limbo! Winners get a Prize. Snacks and beverages provided.

The annual food drive put on by Student Council and the NHS starts December 9 and goes through December 20. Have your children bring their donations to their classroom and student council members will collect items during the week. The coordinator from Passages stated that our donations help them out for almost a year! This year we are making the food drive competition a school wide event. The top three classes throughout the elementary, middle, and high school who collect the most pounds of food will get a pizza party during lunch. Along with these changes, water will not be accepted as a donation. Thank you for your support and donations to the less fortunate people in our community! Here is a list of common needs at Passages: ~Soups, ~Tuna ~Spaghetti Sauce & Noodles ~Canned Ravioli & Other Pasta ~Egg Noodles ~Salt & Pepper ~Mac & Cheese ~Cake & Brownie Mixes ~Baked Beans, Black Beans, Refried Beans ~Taco Shells & Flour Tortillas ~Hamburger & Tuna Helper ~Ketchup, Mustard, Mayonnaise ~Instant Potatoes ~Rice, Spanish Rice, etc. ~Peanut Butter ~Jelly & Jams ~Sugar, Brown Sugar, Powder Sugar, Flour ~Ramen Noodles ~Canned Vegetables ~Canned Fruits, Fruit Cups ~Applesauce ~Cereal

The weekend winners in the Band Parent's Calendar Raffle were: Susan Meyer - $50, Eric Hoffman - $75. and Braeden Freestone - $50.

Just a friendly reminder that we are now taking appointments for our Developmental/4K Screening in January. If your child will be 3-years-old or 4-years-old on or before September 1, please call the school office at (608) 585-2311 to reserve your spot!

Our music departments are in the holiday spirit! Upcoming events are: Winter Choir Concert (Middle and High School) in the High School gym tonight, December 9th at 7pm. The High School Band is Christmas Caroling on Sunday, December 15th. Winter Band Concert is Tuesday, December 17th at 7pm in the High School gym. Elementary Winter Program in the Community Gym on Thursday, December 19th at 1:30pm.

Are you aware of the Pioneer Pledge Program? The Pioneer Pledge program will cover the cost of tuition and fees (not including room and board) for all new freshmen who are Pell eligible. Requirements: • Be a new freshman admitted to UW-Platteville (branch campuses are not eligible) by May 1 • Submit a FAFSA and be Pell eligible • Be a resident of Wisconsin for tuition purposes • Enroll as a full-time student in the Fall 2020 General renewal criteria will include: remain in good academic standing, successfully complete 30 credits per academic year, and remain Pell eligible. Students who meet the renewal criteria will remain eligible for the program for up to eight consecutive semesters.

Looking for a gift for that “hard to buy for” person? Consider purchasing a personalized brick from That’s My Brick. Bricks are once again being sold to help fund the student patio, to add features to the playground, and to beautify the school grounds. Anyone can purchase a brick, for just about any reason: Class spirit, graduation, memorials, groups, clubs, advertisement, family pride/heritage... Orders can be placed at https://www.thatsmybrick.com/ithacawi. Order deadline date is Dec 20, 2019. Questions? Contact Jenna Wipperfurth at Ithaca Schools 585-2311 or jenna.wipperfurth@ithaca.k12.wi.us

There will be a football booster club meeting at 6:00 on Tuesday December 10 in the commons.

Softball girls, please come and see Mrs. Boland about the Softball Camp.

Thursday's winner of $100 in the Ithaca Band Parent's Calendar Raffle was Dale Tydrich of Cazenovia with ticket #319.

TONIGHT! From 4:00-7:30 pm, let the Horse Club make supper for you--tacos!! Walking tacos, taco salad or soft shell tacos--$5. Proceeds for scholarships and entry fees. Plan to attend!!

Dear Parents/Guardians, In light of recent events at various high schools in Wisconsin where law enforcement personnel were called upon to intervene in situations for the safety and well-being of students and staff, we are reminding all families that the Ithaca School District and Richland County Sheriff’s Department have a strong partnership in place. We are grateful for the in-school support we receive from the officers that work closely with our schools and for the open lines of communication that exist between us and both the sheriffs’ and police departments. Today, December 5, 2019, Ithaca had an unplanned lockdown for the entire district. There was an altercation with a student at lunch, and we needed to clear all the students from the halls so that the officers could do their work. As soon as we felt the students were safe, we released the lockdown to resume normal activities. I am proud to state our county sheriff’s department not only assisted but came back to make sure we were all OK. In the Ithaca School District’s mission, it states that we will “ensure the highest levels of learning in a positive, safe, community-rich environment.” Our administrators work with city and county authorities on emergency safety training and simulations, and all of our employees annually review safety procedures and practice drills. Unfortunately, with the recent news from other Wisconsin districts, we are reminded that we must continually remain vigilant. The Ithaca School District maintains a variety of active security measures at all times, including locked exterior doors, mandatory check-in procedures at school entrances, video surveillance, and the shot detector alarm. In recent years, we have invested grant funds to enhance security at school building entrances, numbering doors and windows, installing new security cameras, installing equipment to improve communication within our buildings, and more. A comprehensive emergency response plan guides our response to emergency situations at the district and school levels. Staff are trained to implement emergency procedures and participate in practice drills throughout the year. Students receive training as well, including participation fire drills, severe weather drills, and lockdown drills during the year. The Richland County Sheriff, Richland Emergency management, and Richland Police Department personnel regularly participate in the review of our security and emergency procedures. Additionally, there is a county safety team consisting of members of all area schools, EMT, fire, and emergency management. We know in an emergency, we will have the assistance of the entire county. Of course, we cannot do the work of keeping everyone safe alone. We need students, parents, and community support. We encourage parents to speak with their students to emphasize the role that they have in maintaining safe schools by following school safety guidelines (e.g. not providing building access to strangers, reporting strangers on campus, reporting threats to school safety made by students or community members, etc.), and communicating any personal safety concerns to school administrators or other trusted adults. Ithaca Schools uses the Safe Schools Alert as an Online Tip Reporting System. This is linked in our Ithaca App, on the webpage, and there are posted links in the building. We recognize that recent events have raised concerns and we want to assure you that we have taken steps and continue to implement measures to ensure the safety of students and staff. Please contact your school principal or your child's school counselor if you have any questions or would like additional information. Sincerely, Julie R. Prouty Ithaca School District Superintendent

The PTSO Gingerbread House Family Fun Night is back! Join us on Friday, December 6 in the Commons starting at 5 PM to build a gingerbread house! Frosting, graham crackers and milk cartons will be provided; all you have to bring is a base like cardboard or a cookie sheet, candy decorations, and your imagination! Free hot cocoa will be served as well. First, second, and third place houses will receive prizes! Hope to see you then!

The 7th grade Life Science class has been studying plant and animal cells. As a final assessment they build models of cells to show the types of organelles in cells.

Wednesday's winner of $50 in the Band Parent's Calendar Raffle was Kim Auz of Richland Center, with ticket #370.

Basketball Open Gym for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls. Old Gym, this Sunday, December 8th from 6-7:30 pm. Come and work on your shooting. Pass the word!