Ithaca School District

Learners Today, Leaders Tomorrow Announcements: Tue Feb 13, 2024 Today is a Day 1 Lunch for today - First Choice: Orange chicken w/rice, Second Choice: Polish sausage w/bun, Cowboy beans, pineapple, WG roll From Mrs. Burnley: FBLA Members, please check your email today. You were sent information about the hockey game and about registering for the State Leadership Conference. We need to register contestants and Leadership Academy participants by Thursday this week. After reading the email, reply to Mrs. Burnley's email with the answers to the four questions. Your responses are needed by the end of the school day on Wednesday, February 14. From Mrs Kershner: FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) will gather for Morning Huddle on Thursday, February 15. Join us for breakfast and devotion. All are welcome! The Big Brother/Big Sister RISE Program will meet again this Thursday, Feb 15. Student mentors, please check your email for an update and if you have any questions please see Mrs. Kershner. From Forensics coaches: Be sure you’re keeping up with emails and working regularly with coaches this week. Our first contest is Monday, February 19th at Riverdale Elementary. The Ithaca FFA is selling strawberries again this year. The students will be collecting orders until Feb 20 and the strawberries will arrive the week of March 11. To order, please contact a FFA member, Ms. Sprecher or find an order form on the Ithaca FFA and Ithaca Schools facebook page. From Ms. Ernzen: Hoping to discuss your latest read or find your next amazing page turner? Then join Book Club! Our first meeting will be on Wednesday Feb, 14 during ATTACK in Ms. Ernzen’s room. Treats will be provided. From Ithaca Music Boosters: The Ithaca Music Boosters have kicked off the spring fundraiser featuring Brewhaha Roasters Coffee and Racine Danish Kringles. Find your favorite Ithaca Musician to support their spring music trips or other events. Money and forms are due to Mrs Thompson no later than February 23rd. Projected pick up date will be March 14th. BIRTHDAYS: none

Get to know our Ithaca Staff! Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting our staff, both newly hired and old hands! Please enjoy our "Get to know you" posts. Today's featured Ithaca employee is Samantha Hilby, MS Spec Ed Assistant .

Congratulations to the Ithaca/Weston High School Boys Wrestling team on an exciting Regional Saturday at Mineral Point. Podium results are Ethan Stowell 5th, Ashtin Bennet 3rd, Nolan Waldner 3rd, Logan Anderson 5th, Caleb Birkrem 5th, and Mac Neefe 4th. Overall, the team tied for 6th among some of the state’s toughest competition. Advancing to Sectionals Saturday at Mineral Point are Ashtin Bennet, Nolan Waldner, and Mac Neefe. Good luck!

Ithaca Families! Don't forget that tomorrow is a scheduled Early Release. Elementary students will begin being released at 12:15 p.m. and Middle and High School students will release when the final bell rings at 12:34 p.m.

Local and fresh? Yes, please! Today Ithaca students enjoyed beef gravy over biscuits made with beef from the Richland Meat Locker. Mmmmm....

It's School Bus Driver Appreciation Week! Show our spectacular bus drivers some extra appreciation this week as we thank them for all they do for our students, school, and community. When you see them next, thank our regular route drivers Mike Hutchison, Bill Kloehn, and Frank Schuh, as well as substitute drivers Troy Clary, Tammie Fry, Crystal Layton, Rick Manning, and Ron Richards. In Wisconsin, there are more than 12,000 school bus drivers who safely transport more than 400,000 students to and from school each school day and travel a total average of 144 million miles a year. School Bus Driver Appreciation Week is an excellent opportunity for parents, students, teachers, motorists, school bus operations, school administrators, and other interested parties to show their appreciation to school bus drivers. These drivers are true heroes ensuring Wisconsin’s students have a safe and reliable ride to school and home every day.

Learners Today, Leaders Tomorrow Announcements: Mon, Feb 12, 2024 Today is a Day 2 Lunch for today - First Choice: Hamburger gravy w/ WG biscuits, Second Choice: Hot dog w/bun, Carrots, blueberries, milk From Mrs. Deitelhoff: It is the start of FCCLA Week! The first day of FCCLA week is Member Monday. To celebrate Mrs. Deitelhoff would like to take a moment to acknowledge our FCCLA Members. If you are an FCCLA member please stop in to Mrs. Deitelhoff’s room sometime today to get your treat. From Ithaca/Weston Wrestling Boosters: Congratulations to the Ithaca/Weston High School Boys Wrestling team on an exciting Regional Saturday at Mineral Point. Podium results are Ethan Stowell 5th, Ashtin Bennet 3rd, Nolan Waldner 3rd, Logan Anderson 5th, Caleb Birkrem 5th, and Mac Neefe 4th. Overall, the team tied for 6th among some of the state’s toughest competition. Advancing to Sectionals Saturday at Mineral Point are Ashtin Bennet, Nolan Waldner, and Mac Neefe. Good luck! From Ms Schoen: Ithaca and Richland Horse Club would like to thank everybody who supported our Spaghetti dinner and pie and dessert auction. From Mrs. Kershner: The Pistons to Pathway Automotive Technician Academy will host an open house on Fri, Feb 16 at Fillback Ford. Students currently in 10th or 11th grade may attend this field trip tour. The sign up is posted on Mr. Nee’s classroom door. Register no later than today Monday Feb 12. Any questions please see Mr. Nee or Mrs. Kershner. Thank you. From Mr. Andresen: The Math Team will meet during ATTACK Time on Monday Feb 12 in Mr. Andresen’s room. Team T-shirts and future competitions will be discussed, so attendance is important. If you cannot attend, please reach out to Mr. Andresen directly. From PTSO: Our next PTSO meeting will be Feb 13 at 3:45pm in the LMC. We hope to see you there! From Forensics coaches: Be sure you’re keeping up with emails and working regularly with coaches this week. Our first contest is Monday, February 19th at Riverdale Elementary. The Ithaca FFA is selling strawberries again this year. The students will be collecting orders until Feb 20 and the strawberries will arrive the week of March 11. To order, please contact a FFA member, Ms. Sprecher or find an order form on the Ithaca FFA and Ithaca Schools facebook page. From Ms. Ernzen: Hoping to discuss your latest read or find your next amazing page turner? Then join Book Club! Our first meeting will be on Wednesday Feb, 14 during ATTACK in Ms. Ernzen’s room. Treats will be provided. BIRTHDAYS: none

Get to know our Ithaca Staff! Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting our staff, both newly hired and old hands! Please enjoy our "Get to know you" posts. Today's featured Ithaca employee is Youth Apprenticeship Career Coach Monica Kershner.

Learners Today, Leaders Tomorrow Announcements: Fri, Feb 9, 2024 Lunch for today: First Choice: Baked fish Second Choice: Chicken strips Peas, mandarin oranges, WG roll From Ms Schoen: Ithaca and Richland Horse Club is hosting a spaghetti dinner tonight starting at 3:45pm. Price for students, $5; adults $8. Carry outs available. There will also be a pie auction-winners announced at half time of the varsity game. We hope the student body and staff will support the horse teams. From Ms. Sprecher: Thank you to all the FFA students and all the staff that helped to make the District 10 LDE contest a success! I really appreciate your hard work and commitment to our school and FFA organization. Congratulations to our FFA students advancing to Sectionals! Quiz Bowl -Autumn McBain, Alyssa Olson, Ashlynn Fowell, Ellie Otto, Aydin Kloehn, Lyvia Pickel, Jasmine White, Emma Birkrem Creed - Aleyah Swenson Prepared Speaking - Annabeth Sprecher Parliamentary Procedure - Violet Dilley, Logan Anderson, Josie Laue, Caleb Birkrem, Hewsten Garcia-Boland, Katie Fry From Ithaca Basketball Boosters: Ithaca Alumni Basketball games and 3-pt contest will be held this Saturday, Feb 10th in the High School gym. Doors open at 4:00pm and will start with the open 3-pt contest at 4:30pm. Alumni games will begin at 6:00pm with the women's games and men to follow. Players should bring a light and dark shirt. A silent auction will start at 4:00pm and conclude at the start of the second half of the men’s game. Concessions available all night. Proceeds benefit the Ithaca Basketball Boosters. From PTSO: Enjoy an afternoon with your family and friends at Symons Recreation Complex for FREE!!! Feb 11 from 1:30-3:45 p.m. the PTSO will be holding their Swim for Free Family Day. All you have to do is come to Symons and let them know at the counter that you are for the Ithaca PTSO Swim Day. We hope to see you there! From Mrs. Kershner: The Pistons to Pathway Automotive Technician Academy will host an open house on Fri, Feb 16 at Fillback Ford. Students currently in 10th or 11th grade may attend this field trip tour. The sign up is posted on Mr. Nee’s classroom door. Register no later than Monday Feb 12. Any questions please see Mr. Nee or Mrs. Kershner. Thank you From Mr. Andresen: The Math Team will meet during ATTACK Time on Monday Feb 12 in Mr. Andresen’s room. Team T-shirts and future competitions will be discussed, so attendance is important. If you cannot attend, please reach out to Mr. Andresen directly. From PTSO: Our next PTSO meeting will be Feb 13 at 3:45pm in the LMC. We hope to see you there! From Forensics coaches: Be sure you’re keeping up with emails and working regularly with coaches this week and next week. Our first contest is Monday, February 19th at Riverdale Elementary. The Ithaca FFA is selling strawberries again this year. The students will be collecting orders until Feb 20 and the strawberries will arrive the week of March 11. To order, please contact a FFA member, Ms. Sprecher or find an order form on the Ithaca FFA and Ithaca Schools facebook page. From Ms. Ernzen: Hoping to discuss your latest read or find your next amazing page turner? Then join Book Club! Our first meeting will be on Wednesday Feb, 14 during ATTACK in Ms. Ernzen’s room. Treats will be provided.

Get your swim on! Enjoy an afternoon with your family and friends at Symons Recreation Complex for FREE!!! This Sunday, Feb 11th from 1:30-3:45 p.m. the PTSO will be holding their Swim for Free Family Day. All you have to do is come to Symons and let them know at the counter that you are for the Ithaca PTSO Swim Day. We hope to see you there!

It's a basketball - spaghetti TRIPLE HEADER! Join us at HOME TONIGHT for a conference BOYS / GIRLS BASKETBALL DOUBLE HEADER as the Ithaca Bulldogs host the Desoto Pirates AND a fundraising spaghetti dinner! Come out, eat dinner, and CHEER on the Bulldogs, TONIGHT!

Get to know our Ithaca Staff! Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting our staff, both newly hired and old hands! Please enjoy our "Get to know you" posts. Today's featured Ithaca employee is 5th grade teacher Olivia Preuss.

Edit: Tickets are cash-less only. Catch the first step as our Ithaca-Weston High School wrestlers work their way to the state tournament! The 2024 post-season kicks off with Regional action this Saturday, February 10th at Mineral Point High School. Skip the line with digital tickets or purchase yours at the door. Good luck wrestlers and coaches! https://gofan.co/event/1383823?fbclid=IwAR1j_MPoKwBPeOTEvI50l2M0_oVRB_rWG7W-LI-Bv6Cjul8mlGtYfEBLemI

On February 7th, published author Erin Soderberg Downing visited Ithaca’s 3rd-8th grade students for a school assembly. Downing has written more than 100 books for children and teens. During the presentation, Downing discussed her newest novel, Just Keep Walking and shared many behind-the-scenes secrets from her writing process. Students learned about how she generates ideas from her real experiences, how she creates memorable characters, and how she researchers for her books by living as much of the experience of her characters as possible. Many students expressed excitement about reading the books featured in this presentation. If your student is interested in ordering books, Amazon provides the fastest service. Titles on Amazon that were featured in the presentation include: Just Keep Walking Controlled Burn The Great Peach Experiment #1 Thanks to Ithaca’s Emily Zorea for spearheading this event, and the entire Ithaca Education Staff for helping our students enjoy this time. And THANKS to Author Erin Soderberg Downing for sharing her talent with Ithaca!

Enjoy our story and pictures concerning 4K screening at Ithaca, held in January. (pictures and stores below in this email) You can also enjoy the entire story in THIS Ithaca YouTube Featured Presentation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQmLTlaQ564 The screening team welcomed three- and four-year-old children and their families to participate in the screening. The goal of early screening is to identify areas of strength and possible areas of concern in communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social developmental domains. During the event, parents receive information on community resources for young children and families, such as Richland County’s Birth-to-Three and Headstart programs while their child is screened in a play-based screening scenario. Families meet with our school nurse, Mrs. Wilson, to prepare for the next school year if their child has any medical concerns, and children are generally assessed for wellness during their visit. Parents also receive activities they can do at home with their child to encourage the child’s development in the domains above, and the children go home with a well-stocked goodie bag as a welcome to Ithaca School District and free books. School staff members involved in the screening event include Deb Manning (4K Paraprofessional), Amanda Meister (Speech and Language Pathologist), Andrea Newkirk (Title I Reading Specialist and Instructional Coach), Brittany Penfield (4K Teacher), and Jenna Wipperfurth (Elementary Special Education Teacher). Special thanks to Ithaca PTSO for donating goodie bags and all participants who make this event a success each year!

Learners Today, Leaders Tomorrow Announcements: Thu, Feb 8, 2024 Today is a Day 2 Lunch for today - First Choice: Mozzarella Sticks, Second Choice: Rib on a sub bun, Baked beans, apples, WG roll From Mrs. Stellner and Mrs. Pluemer: Sources of Strength will meet Thursday, Feb. 8th, during ATTACK. High School will meet in the LMC and Middle School will meet in Mr. Kelly’s room. From PTSO: Popcorn Friday will be this Fri, Feb 9. Elementary students, your classroom teacher will take your order and money. Middle School and High School students you will be able to purchase yours during breakfast, at the end of your hallways. Cost is $0.50 per bag, limit 2 bags per person. Help support the 1st grade class! From Ithaca Basketball Boosters: Ithaca Alumni Basketball games and 3-pt contest will be held this Saturday, Feb 10th in the High School gym. Doors open at 4:00pm and will start with the open 3-pt contest at 4:30pm. Alumni games will begin at 6:00pm with the women's games and men to follow. Players should bring a light and dark shirt. A silent auction will start at 4:00pm and conclude at the start of the second half of the men’s game. Concessions available all night. Proceeds benefit the Ithaca Basketball Boosters. From PTSO: Enjoy an afternoon with your family and friends at Symons Recreation Complex for FREE!!! Feb 11 from 1:30-3:45 p.m. the PTSO will be holding their Swim for Free Family Day. All you have to do is come to Symons and let them know at the counter that you are for the Ithaca PTSO Swim Day. We hope to see you there! From PTSO: Our next PTSO meeting will be Feb 13 at 3:45pm in the LMC. We hope to see you there! From Forensics coaches: Be sure you’re keeping up with emails and working regularly with coaches this week and next week. Our first contest is Monday, February 19th at Riverdale Elementary. The Ithaca FFA is selling strawberries again this year. The students will be collecting orders until Feb 20 and the strawberries will arrive the week of March 11. To order, please contact a FFA member, Ms. Sprecher or find an order form on the Ithaca FFA and Ithaca Schools facebook page. From Ms. Ernzen: Hoping to discuss your latest read or find your next amazing page turner? Then join Book Club! Our first meeting will be on Wednesday Feb, 14 during ATTACK in Ms. Ernzen’s room. Treats will be provided. WORD OF THE DAY: vivacious happy and lively in an appealing way. Our vivacious host’s bubbly humor and welcoming spirit quickly set everyone at ease. THIS DAY IN HISTORY: An idea floated by a Hollywood business leader in 1953 comes to fruition on February 8, 1960, when construction begins on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—today one of the Los Angeles area’s main tourist attractions. BIRTHDAYS: Elementary - none Middle School - Juana Gomez High School - none Faculty & Staff - none

Second graders have been learning the steps of the writing process, and how to write a persuasive letter. As a culmination of the unit, they wrote letters to Annette and discussed their favorite lunch menu choices with her. Additionally, they presented letters to Mrs. Schoen regarding their ideas for the playground. The students were very proud to share their thoughts and suggestions!

Get to know our Ithaca Staff! Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting our staff, both newly hired and old hands! Please enjoy our "Get to know you" posts. Today's featured Ithaca employee is Christine Schmitt.

Popcorn Friday will be this Fri, Feb 9th! Elementary students, your classroom teacher will take your order and money. Middle School and High School students you will be able to purchase yours during breakfast, at the end of your hallways. Cost is $0.50 per bag, limit 2 bags per person. Help support the 1st grade class!

Get to know our Ithaca Staff! Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting our staff, both newly hired and old hands! Please enjoy our "Get to know you" posts. Today's featured Ithaca employee is Paula Boland.