2023 Back To School Magazine

BACK TO YOUR SUCCESSFUL FUTURE

Board of Education

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year It sure has been quiet around here without you!

A new school year is exciting for so many reasons, as it’s an opportunity for a new beginning for students, staff, and families I hope that all of our students have plenty of opportunities to build their own academic achievements and experience the vast array of clubs, sports, and activities that are offered Relationships among students and teachers and all the other people who support our children are the most important parts of learning I hope that those relationships support and sustain you

As a school board, we are honored to partner with our school and community stakeholders. We work hard to ensure that our schools are safe, that we attract and retain the best possible staff, that we handle our fiscal responsibilities with great care and that we offer academic and personal support.

Our school district is at the heart of our community and we honor and value that relationship Best wishes for a school year that fulfills all your hopes and dreams

our three new MCPASD Board

Board of Education President

members!

Sheila Dahmen Hibner

MCPASD

of Education

Catherine Kells Treasurer Area II

Marni Ginsberg Board Member Area IV

Todd Berry Board Member Area IV

W A R M W E L C O M E to

the 2023-2024 School Year from

Superintendent Dr. Dana Monogue

Dear Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Community,

I am thrilled and overjoyed to welcome you all back to the 2023-2024 school year! With great excitement, we ring in this new academic year, full of endless possibilities, new beginnings, and wonderful opportunities.

OUR TEAM of brilliant and compassionate educators and staff have worked tirelessly over the summer months to ensure we provide the most exceptional and safe experience for your student(s).

OUR DEDICATED STAFF members are committed to empowering every student on their love for learning while supporting their mental health and overall well-being. Through our innovative teaching methods, personalized instruction, and advanced educational resources, we aim to make the learning journey an enriching and engaging experience for all our students.

WE ARE ALSO excited to announce that our district has worked diligently this summer to ensure we are fully staffed for the new school year. We have conducted numerous open interview events and have hired new talented professionals to join our team. These individuals bring fresh perspectives and expertise that will further enhance the educational experience for your student(s), ensuring they receive the highest quality instruction.

I AM HONORED to be able to journey with you all this new school year, and I am confident that together, with the dedication and commitment of our entire staff, we can make this year a success. Your trust in our team is deeply appreciated, and we remain committed to being the stewards of your children's education.

THANK YOU for being a valued member of our community, and let us all embrace this new school year with enthusiasm and optimism.

Yours in service,

Dr. Dana Monogue

Dr. Dana Monogue Superintendent, Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District

NAV GATINGTHEMCPASDHOMEPAGE

Quick Links:

These buttons are available for commonly searched items and resources

News:

Continue scrolling down the main page to read about exciting things happening in our District.

Events: View a snapshot of a few upcoming events. You can view more events on our calendar page.

Banner:

This features district highlights and important reminders

Our communications team is working with our schools to share their school story! Check out your school website to see your "My School Story" tab.

ALL MCPASD Schools will have their own "My School Story" by the end of 2024

Account Q&A For Your online payment system

MyPaymentsPlus offers parents and guardians 24/7 access to effortlessly manage school accounts for students at their respective schools. Experience the convenience of receiving low balance reminders, tracking your student's purchases, and enjoying a range of additional features.

Q: How do I access the site?

Go to www.MyPaymentsPlus.com

Who can I contact if I need help with my account?

My Payments Plus has a dedicated parent support team. They may be reached by phone at 1-877-237-0946 or email at support@mypaymentsplus.com

You may also live chat M-F 7:30AM-5:30PM EST.

Q: Is there a mobile app for My Payments Plus?

The mobile app is available for Android or Apple users. Once you’ve created an account online, download the mobile app for account management on-the-go!

Q: How do I set up a new account for making payments for meals or fees/activities?

Go to the main log-in page, click on “Register Now” and follow the prompts

You will need to know your student’s ID number for this step

j g p

Proud sponsor of the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District

www.nonns.com

INFINITE CAMPUS

Tips!

Infinite Campus serves as our district's portal for collecting and storing student information. This platform is the go-to source for accessing and staying updated on your student's progress.

PARENT/STUDENT PORTAL

Once enrolled, new families will be given a temporary password and username. If you haven't received your login information yet, don't hesitate to reach out to the district's hotline at 608-829-9600 or send an email to portal@mcpasd.k12.wi.us for assistance.

Tip 01

PARENTS & STUDENTS CAN LOG-INTO THEIR ACCOUNTS!

Every parent has the opportunity to create their own individual account.

Tip 02

The Parent Portal is available in multiple languages including English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. To switch to your preferred language, simply select the language from the dropdown menu located at the bottom of the portal after signing in.

tip 03

Once logged into Parent Portal select <TODAY> in the Message Center Here you can find your student(s) information!

tip 04

Click the <MORE> tab under Message Center to update your contact Information.

Select <UPDATE> to SAVE!

Hello Students, Families, Staff, and Friends!

I hope you have been having a summer filled with ALL of the wonderful things!

There are definitely some exciting things happening in the Technology Department that I would like to share

T E C H N E W S

NEW APP ROLL OUT!

Middle and High School students who do not currently have access to a Chromebook will receive their new devices on or around the first day of school. Please be patient as we hand out over 1,700 NEW devices this fall!

THE MCPASD TECHNOLOGY SERVICES WEBSITE

can be viewed at mcpasdtechnology This website will constantly expand and offer a range of resources to cater to the needs of staff, students, and families. Make sure to visit the 'families' tab to find valuable information on topics like internet safety, digital citizenship, and other district-supported resources.

The District introduced a new parent/family app called Qustodio in August This app provides visibility to parents and families into students' use of district-issued Chromebooks and other school applications. Enrollment details have been communicated by MCPASD Technology Services. Additional information about Qustodio can be found at www.qustodio.com. Further updates will be posted on the MCPASD Technology Services webpage as they become available. T H A N K Y O U

to our talented Technology Services Youth Apprentices!

As of now, we have five Youth Apprentices actively assisting us in our summer projects, and soon they will play a crucial role in supporting our student help desk at the High School I want to take this opportunity to personally thank them for their hard work and dedication to supporting our department.

As we near the end of the summer, the folks in our department become more and more excited to welcome students and staff back to school to help support them with all of their technology needs We look forward to seeing everyone soon!

The MCPASD Technology Services Department fielded 9,576 Help Desk tickets between September 1st, 2022 and June 30, 2023!

Brian Miles

WhodoI contact with questions

TRANSPORTAT

OT SURE IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR RANSPORTATION?

NTER YOUR ADDRESS IN NFOFINDER HERE!

Submit a helpdesk ticket!

Our transportation team is happy to help! You can submit any questions you may have to the Transportation Helpdesk. A Transportation representative will review your ticket and get back to you shortly via email or phone B U

For additional information and resources, check out the transportation services website linked here.

S T A G S / Z - P A S S

In order to ride the bus, students who are eligible for transportation must have their bus tags with them When boarding and exiting the bus, students will need to scan their bus cards using our Z-pass system This helps our transportation team maintain an accurate count of the number of students on the bus during each ride

Bus passes will be distributed to students in August during their back-to-school night or on their first day of school. If a student already has a bus pass from the previous year, they can continue using the same one.

Health Services

Our mission is to provide exemplary, collaborative health care and health education to MCPASD students in order to optimize their health, wellness, safety, and contributions to their school community

The vision for MCPASD Health Services Team is to promote students’ physical and emotional health through health education, advocacy, and partnerships with students, caregivers, educators, and community organizations.

We look forward providing the best possible care for your child. Let's have a healthy and happy school year!

Help

Annually completing the Student Verification Form accurately and thoroughly.

This is emailed to families in August before the start of school. Report past and present health information If your child needs a medication or medical procedure at school, be sure to complete the required paperwork and contact your child's school nurse prior to school starting School Nurses are back in the District by mid-August Providing current phone numbers for work, home and cell so if your child is injured or becomes ill, health staff are easily able to get in contact with you

Listing other individuals on the enrollment form who may be notified if school staff can't reach you Inform these individuals that you have listed them as emergency contacts on your child's school enrollment form Please arrange with them that they are to act on your behalf when you are not available This includes transporting and caring for your ill or injured child

Contact your school nurse

RN, MSN, APNP Health Services Coordinator

View the Health Services Website

Kendra Deja,

us provide the best possible care for your child by:

Girls on the Run inspires girls of all abilities to recognize their individual strengths while building a sense of connection in a team setting.

Meal Prices

Breakfast Lunch

Elementary: $1 60

Middle: $1.90

High: $2.15

Adult/guest: $3.05

Reduced: $0 00

Milk: $0.45

Elementary: $2 65

Middle: $2 95

High: $3.20

Adult/guest: $4.00

High: $3.20

Reduced: $0 00

Pay online at MyPaymentsPlus.com

Free and Reduced Meals

Application forms are available to all parents or guardians

Additional copies of the forms can be found at the principal's office in each school The information provided on the application form will be used to determine eligibility and can be verified by school or program officials. Applications can be submitted at any time during the year.

LearnmoreaboutFreeand ReducedMeals here!

Nutrition Servic

Check out the nutrition se additional information inc classroom milk pricing, we and other forms and reso

Learnmorehere!

Food and missio strong nu for ALL M

My Payments Plus Learn more!

Your one-stop shop for purchasing meal plans, paying for school activities/clubs, and more!

Free/reduced price meals

Amy Gundeck 608-829-2344

Student accounts

Rhonda Kalscheur 608-829-2343

Student Health & Allergies / School Menus

Amy Jungbluth | NS Coordinator

ajungbluth@mcpasd.k12.wi.us

TAKE A NOTE

It's the little things that make a successful school year!

Privacy & Technology

Every year, parents/guardians must complete an Annual Student Verification form for each student One of the sections includes Privacy and Technology This document provides parents with a list of the items they have selected for each student

Please review the items where you would allow or not allow your student's directory data to be released.

"Directory data" means the pupil records, which includes: the pupil's name, address, telephone listing, date & place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, photographs, degrees and awards received and the name of the school most recently previously attended

DISTRICT WEBSITE/SOCIAL MEDIA:

When checking no, this means your student cannot appear on any district website and/or social media site.

When checking yes, this means your student can appear on any of our district website pages and/or social media sites including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok, Linkedin, etc

DISTRICT MEDIA PRODUCTIONS

When checking no, the student cannot appear in any district media productions

When checking yes, the student will be able to appear on any district media productions, including postcards, magazines, video productions, and any marketing materials for the district website and social media Please note that some of these materials can be shared with the entire community For example, our Back to School and Community Connection Magazines are sent to over 20,000 households in our area For clarification, when checking yes to District Website/Social Media, this means our team can only use the photos, and videos for the district website and social media, not for a wider audience

COMMUNICATION TOOLS

Infinite Campus Messenger/Thrillshare

Infinite Campus is an email communication tool we use to stay in touch with families Starting from the 2022-2023 school year, our district has introduced another platform called "Thrillshare" Thrillshare is specifically used to send out critical updates like school closures or crisis events During emergencies, we rely on Thrillshare because it enables us to send alerts through email, text, and voicemail to all parents and staff in just 4 seconds

Call You can expect to receive a call from your student's school or the district in specific situations These include student absences, emergencies, or school closures caused by inclement weather. In these cases, you will receive a call to keep you informed.

Text In an emergency, families will receive a phone call and text message All families will be automatically enrolled using the contact information list on their infinite campus profile

If you would like to update your contact information, please do so via the Infinite Campus website/app

NEW FACES!

t ff members ugas Student, Family, gement

Tony comes to MCPASD with an impressive 25-year career in education, marked by transformative achievements and exceptional success across various levels in public, traditional, and non-traditional schools.

As Tony joins our inclusive team, we are confident that his unwavering dedication will uplift all students, especially historically marginalized students and families Please join us in extending a heartfelt welcome to Tony Rivera Dugas Jr

guez

r head as

been an incredible asset to the Athletic Department by way of his leadership, relationship building, and work ethic within the department

We are honored to have him step into this role

As our District Translator and Interpreter, Soly, plays a crucial role in ensuring that all members of our community have access to important information and resources She will be responsible for facilitating written materials, such as newsletters, announcements, and forms, as well as providing interpretation services during meetings, conferences, and events

Feel

District Translator and Interpreter

Stadium Complex Project Stadium Complex Project

A unique public-private partnership aimed to inspire current and A unique public-private partnership aimed to inspire current and future generations in Middleton-Cross Plains. future generations in Middleton-Cross Plains.

Become part of this exciting journey to build one of Wisconsin’s Become part of this exciting journey to build one of Wisconsin’s most innovative high school stadiums most innovative high school stadiums.

PURCHASE YOUR BRICK TODAY TO LEAVE A LASTING LEGACY!

would you like to volunteer?

before you can start,

Please complete the following steps and requirements:

First, please contact your student’s school office.

After speaking with a staff member, please submit a background check request.

NOTE: Not all volunteer opportunities require a completed background check with the school first.

After you have submitted your background check, please allow 2-3 weeks for processing before you can begin to volunteer.

Please contact your student’s school office two-three weeks before your volunteering event. Background checks can take up to two weeks to be reviewed. Once your background check has been completed, it is valid for 5 years. Review all of this information by visiting the “Volunteering In Our Schools” tab on any school website menu.

TIPS

NERVES NERVES NERVES 2help EASE

Back To School time isn’t just about getting the kids ready, parents have to be prepared too! The earlier you start, the less stressed you’ll be.

Get Organized

Make a list of tasks you need to complete including:

Making sure all forms that are needed are signed

Checking if there are any fees due on MyPaymentsPlus

Note down the amount and the deadline for payment

Confirm that your student's health forms are complete

Ensure all required immunizations are up-to-date

Check if there are any additional health forms needed

Make sure your student's annual physical is up-to-date

Schedule an appointment with the doctor if needed

Start Preparing Early

Before the school year starts:

Set up a homework station

Create a calendar for your child to use. Create a calendar so all in the household can see important school dates and activities.

Ease into the routine.

Make a list of what supplies your child needs for school.

Take your school supply list with you.

Set a budget and stick to it

For school supply help, click here!

These steps are crucial in protecting not only your child but also their classmates and school staff.

If you need assistance please contact your schools main office.

GET INVOLVED!

Encourage your student(s) to explore new possibilities. High school is the perfect time to expand their horizons.

The High School is proud to offer OVER 70 STUDENT ACTIVITIES that extend learning outside the classroom for ALL students in the high school community.

CHECK OUT THE MHS WEBSITE UNDER STUDENT ACTIVITIES!

MHS BACK TO SCHOOL Information and Helpful Links

TIPS TO MAKE THE TRANSITION

MIDDLE SCHOOL A LITTLE EASIER!

Take advantage of your school’s open house or back-to-school night. Plan out their new route to school.

Speak positively about the change.

It’s important to acknowledge their concerns.

Check their agenda daily. Be the other bookend of the accountability equation.

Have them be their own advocate.

TO

Dom Ricks KMS Principal

Kenneth Metz GCMS Principal

Please visit the WECAN website, where you will be able to view our open positions and apply!

Joinus!TheMCPASDseekstoattracttop-tier teachers,administrators,andsupportstaff whoarededicatedtoupholdingthehighest standardsofeducationalexcellenceand embodythediversebackgroundsofour students.