Pardeeville Middle School

The month of December was short and sweet - the excitement of the holidays on students' faces was pretty special and helped keep us all in the spirit. As we begin the month of January, our thoughts turn to cold and snow. In the event that bad weather causes a delayed start or cancelation, please tune in to any of the local news stations: WISC-TV 3, WMTV 15, and WKOW 27. You should also receive a message via email and/or text. This is a quiet month in our school year before we begin to think about state testing in March and April. I hope you are able to enjoy the winter weather and the fifty minutes of sunshine we will gain this month. Stay warm!

Our middle school musicians, led by Mrs. Larson and Mr. Spicer, put on a great band and choir concert December 19th. The next concert is the spring concert on Monday, May 13th.

What a great year for wrestling at Pardeeville Middle School!! We had the most participation since we started the MS wrestling program in 2017. We had a total of 17 MS wrestlers and two managers. This team had many new students wrestle with the most females we have ever had in our program. We competed in nine competitions that all featured four different schools. After tallying all the matches, our wrestlers had 314 wins and 78 losses. The most important attributes of this team is that they always cheered each other on, worked hard, had fun, and improved each week.

The eighth grade boys' basketball team played the staff in their annual basketball game on December 22nd. The outcome was not what the boys hoped for, but everyone had a lot of fun!

Student council sponsored a door decorating contest in December - there were many fantastic entries! The winner of the contest was Mrs. Bleich's homeroom. Mrs. Bell's, Mrs. Thomas' and Mr. Wagoner's homerooms all tied for second place.

Please remind your students to bring their chromebooks in each night and to keep the battery charged above 50 percent. The cold weather is hard on electronics; we want to make sure that everyone has a working chromebook each day at school.

Daily announcements are read over the public address system every morning during breakfast/homeroom time. We also recite the pledge of allegiance at this time. If you'd like to view middle school announcemnts, please bookmark the link and check back each day after 9 am. LINK to MS Announcements

Unfortunately, as we shut our windows and stay inside, illness begins to spread among students. The school policy is if your student is ill, they should stay home. There are many viruses out there for instance influenza (flu), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Covid, Strep Throat, and so many more. It is important to remember if you take your child to the doctor or if your child is absent 3 days or more, that you get a medical note for attendance purposes. We have had several inquiries regarding Covid due to the past policies of the school board in conjunction with the CDC. However, at this time, if your child is ill, please keep them home and if they are not ill they may come to school.

If your child will be absent, please call Mrs. Black at 429-2153 extension 386 before 8:30 am and leave a message. If the absence is for a medical purpose, please send a doctor's note so we can excuse it. If the absence is pre-planned and will be 3 days or longer, please request a pre-planned absence sheet from the office. Per Wisconsin state statute 118.15, children can miss up to 10 days of school for any reason. Beyond that, districts are obligated to notify local law enforcement regarding truancy. Students must be in attendance all day in order to particpate in any/all extracurricular activities.

The winter sports calendar can be accessed by clicking on this link: RSchools. Please remember that middle schoolers who attend athletic events to cheer on their fellow students should be supervised by an adult. School staff supervision at after school events is limited. Thank you for your cooperation.

If you want to teach a kid how to live well, showing them is infinitely more important than telling them. Talking, though, has its place.

Resolving conflict is an essential life skill for family, friendship, and work. It’s also a crucial protective factor for kids to make healthy, wise choices. Learning it will help them not only in their relationships and identity formation, but also in their academic and professional success.

Besides modeling it in your own life, though, what can you do?

We have outlined 4 opportunities for teaching conflict resolution.

1. Celebrate conflict resolution:

A common phrase says, “What gets celebrated gets repeated.” If you notice a kid making steps to resolve a conflict they’re facing, do whatever you can to praise and affirm them. When you do, they and their friends will start noticing what’s important to adults and feel proud of themselves and empowered to keep going.

2. Point out and challenge:

It’s hard to be around an adolescent for any length of time without hearing about a conflict they face. You’ll often notice what they’re doing to avoid rather than resolve that conflict. Maybe they’re talking about someone in a negative way. Perhaps they talk about how the friendship is over. You have an opportunity to act like a mirror, point out the conflict they’re in, and challenge them to move through their hurt feelings to preserve their friendship. Let them know that if a friend is important, there are always ways to find forgiveness and understanding.

3. Share case studies:

Drawing upon stories from your own life or other kids you’ve been around, you can share the details of a real-life conflict and ask kids to give their advice on how they would resolve it. Don’t let avoidance, or becoming hateful or hurtful, be options. Rather, ask them if resolving the conflict was necessary and what steps they could take to get there. Explore with them different tactics they could try and the results of each of the possible scenarios.

4. Play the mediator:

When you notice a conflict, perhaps between siblings or students in your classroom, step in and help facilitate resolution. Best practices recommend spending a few minutes with each person before bringing them together. Let them express their hurt feelings with you, rather than the other person. Help them explore what’s underneath their feelings and examine ways they might have contributed to the conflict, either directly or indirectly. Then, bring them together, facilitate a way for both parties to share their experiences and feelings, and help them explore forgiveness, reconciliation, or a resolution.

Conflict resolution isn’t a set of skills someone can learn through a worksheet or a teaching video. It’s something you have to experience for yourself. It helps to see it in real-time as a neutral party. It helps to have someone guide you through the process, too.

The more a kid can learn how to resolve conflict in a healthy way, the better every aspect of their life will be.

Article credit: https://www.naturalhigh.org/4-steps-to-teach-conflict-resolution/?inf_contact_key=3db4416d13a24b61bd21d324c8d01b91cc0558ed5d4c28cbfab114022b1ec50d

January 1 - No School, Vacation

January 2 - No School, District Inservice

January 3 - School resumes

"A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination." -Nelson Mandela

Email: denuam@gmail.com
Website: pardeeville.k12.wi.us
Location: 120 South Oak Street, Pardeeville
Phone: 608-429-2153 extension 265