Eagle Express Newsletter
March 22, 2023
From the Office
Dear Parents,
Spring Break starts at the end of this week! Here is what that looks like by level:
ECE: No school on this Friday, March 24th. ECE will be open for ECE & 4K Wraparound students that have pre-registered for the whole week of the 27th-31st.
K-8: No School Friday, March 25th – Friday, March 31st. School resumes on Monday, April 3rd.
We are all looking forward to having a little time off from school. We hope that your family has some extra time to spend together, and everyone comes back revived and refreshed for the end of the school year!
Our SAC (School Advisory Committee) is offering an After-School Extra: Girls On Track. Girls in grades 3-5 are invited to participate in this running-based fitness program emphasizing virtue education and service. We are in need of one or more additional coaches to run the program. Girls grades 6 and above may register as student mentors. Get more information and register in English at forms.gle/2Rey8J3jxjR74JHJ7 or in Spanish at forms.gle/VEAoWSAvuDKQQKDYA . Registration due April 5.
Our amazing chef Mrs. Walters is looking for a school lunch volunteer who can help every Monday between 10:45-12:45. This is a great way for parents or grandparents to help the school and see their students once a week during the school day! Please email Mrs. Walters at hwalters@ihm-school.org if you can help!
Our Family Handbook policy on Cell Phones/Other Electronic Devices has included smart watches as one of those “other devices”, but because we are seeing an increase in distractions due to smart watches in our classrooms, we are adding that specific term to our policy. Please see the policy, with smart watches specifically mentioned, below. This policy will apply going forward. You can help us enforce this policy by not texting your children and calling or answering their calls and/or texts during the day.
Please talk with your students about these school rules, we appreciate your support!
“We recognize that parents provide their children with cell phones and smart watches for safety reasons, therefore we understand that students will bring their cell phones and smart watches to school. Students can call or text parents immediately upon arrival or at dismissal, while outside of the school building. Other than that, because cell phones, smart watches, and other electronic devices are distractions in the school setting, they must be turned off and remain in the student’s book bag or their locker, not on the student’s person during the school day including lunch, recess, in the bathroom, locker room, field trips, safety drills, and during exams.
Students are not permitted to use cell phones, smart watches, or electronic devices at the before school program, during school, or during afterschool and/or homework club programs, for any reason (texting, talking, photos, gaming, etc). Students are not to call, text, or message their family members or friends during the school day using their phone or watch. If students need to reach a member of their family, they can use the phones in the main office or classroom.
If a student is found possessing or using a cell phone, smart watch, or electronic device during school hours it will be confiscated and held in the office, and will be returned only to the student’s parent or guardian at the end of the school day. Students who continue to act in violation of this policy may receive a detention or office referral.
**For the purpose of this policy, “smart watches” refers to watches that can send and receive texts. Those that only tell the time or count steps are not included, but can be confiscated if they become a distraction.”
Wednesday Faith Formation tonight, Wednesday March 22nd: Lay Witness Testimony in Marian Hall at 6pm. Our speaker will be Jenna Snider. Please join us there!
Catholic Schools provide a firm foundation for the growth and development of your child. Pray for a year filled with faith and learning. Let us be a community of service to one another and to our world. On behalf of Fr. Chad, the teachers and staff of Immaculate Heart of Mary School, God bless you for choosing Immaculate Heart of Mary School!
Peace & Blessings,
Callie Meiller, Principal
Office Reminders
Sr. Sue and the Student Council are asking for donations of small, individually wrapped candies to fill Easter Eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt that the Student Council will be running for students in April. Please have your students drop the candy off with Sr. Sue!
IHM school is pleased to offer a 4-week swing dance lesson series for current 5th-8th Grade Students! Wednesdays from 3:15 to 4:30 on April 5, 12, 19, 26 in Marian Hall. Registration: https://forms.gle/nK2NVanZQGLNS1dy7.
Tuition assistance is available for students in grades K-8 whose families qualify. Apply for assistance for the 23-24 school year here: https://online.factsmgt.com/aid . We encourage you to apply if you feel you need assistance; 20% of our current students are receiving some form of financial aid, and most of families that apply some level of financial aid. Please fill out the form by May 15th, 2023. Spanish-speaking families that prefer a Spanish language tuition assistance form, it will be available very soon. Please watch the Eagle Express for that form soon!
The sign-ups for our Summer Programs are now open! IHM has two summer programs:
*ECE Summer Program for students entering 3K, 4K, or Kindergarten in the Fall
*IHM Summer Camp Program, for students entering grades 1-6 in the Fall.
There is a lot of information on the sign-up forms, links below. Of course let us know if you have any questions!ECE Summer Program Sign-Up: https://forms.gle/5VK8EmfqA252yd9i9
IHM Summer Camp Sign-Up: https://forms.gle/DGEppJW4EbA2xPwP6
If you need to find out how much you paid in tuition or child care last year for tax purposes, please follow these steps:
1) Log into your FACTs tuition account at www.factsmgt.com
2) Click the “View Details” link just to the right of “Payment Plan & Billing”.
3) Use the drop down menu to make sure the box below the words Transactions says “All”.
4) Click the box “View Payment Summary”. The screen will give you a total of what you paid in each category.
5) If you need more help, please email Bernie Heit at bheit@ihmparish.orgThe IHM federal tax ID number is 39-0828125
IHM Covid Policy is: The first day of symptoms or date of a positive test, whichever comes first, is DAY ZERO. They can return to school on DAY SIX, as long as symptoms are improving and they have been fever-free withough medication for 24 hours, and must mask until DAY TEN. If you need help with the dates, let us know! Please report any positive home test directly to Madison Dane County Public Health here: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7062626/PHMDCSurvey22-23.
Thank You
Many thanks to Mr. Joe Stilson, who managed the kitchen during our Fish Fries for many, many years, long after his own children and grandchildren graduated! We greatly appreciate his dedication to IHM, and hope he enjoys his well-earned Friday night retirement!
HSA News
Nothing this week!
IHM Sports
We have one Spring team this year, the 7/8th grade boys Volleyball team! Their first games are in April, listed below:
Saturday, April 15th
1:00 7/8th Grade Boy’s Volleyball at Country Day
Sunday, April 16th
2:00 7/8th Grade Boy’s Volleyball at St. Dennis
3:00 7/8th Grade Boy’s Volleyball at St. Dennis
This week’s links (at the bottom of the email)
April Menu
This week’s hard copies (in your child’s backpack)
Talent Show Recording, if ordered
The IHM Dress Code states that uniform shorts and capri pants can be worn starting on April 1st, if the weather is appropriate – which means those items are OK after Spring Break! But watch the daily forecast, because we all know that Wisconsin weather is fickle, and students will need to go outside for recesses, even if they feel they aren’t dressed for the weather.
April-2023-Menu.pdf
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