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August/September/November

August/September/November

Back-to-School Dance!
September 7th, 6:00 — 8:00
$5.00 at the door Sponsored by Edison PTA

2018-2019 Parent Handbook available online at the school district website:janesville.k12.wi.us

Edison Spirit Wear Sales Spirit wear sales will begin on 9/5/2016 and end on 9/30/2016. Order forms are available in the front office.

Short-sleeved shirts
Long-sleeved shirts
Flannel pants

The Edison Connection September 2019

We welcome all returning and new students and their parents/guardians to the new school year!

Edison Middle School is designed to meet the unique needs of young adolescents. We are committed to academic excellence and to providing opportunities for student growth and success. We plan and organize excellent projects and provide exciting learning experiences for our students.

Experience tells us that to receive the most benefit from what we offer, your child must be an active participant in the life of the school. This includes taking part in classroom activities, completing assignments, stretching his/her mind, and becoming involved in some of the extra-curricular offerings. Very importantly your student must attend school on a regular basis. Research shows a clear relationship between regular and punctual attendance with academic achievement and later success in the real world.

We also know that family involvement in education is crucial. Family involvement benefits students’ academic performance, enhances family-school relations and increases the understanding and support for students in the home as well as in the school.

We, in the best interest of your child, request your involvement and support in the educational process. Please feel free to contact us to resolve any questions or issues you may have.

We look forward to a great School year!

Sincerely, Edison Administrators & Staff

BRAND NEW AIR CONDITIONING AND LIGHTS!

It was a busy summer at Edison as construction crews worked tirelessly to install new air conditioning and lighting throughout our school. Students and staff will truly enjoy the cool and pleasant environment that this extensive project as offered.

We greatly appreciate the patience that our Edison community has shown throughout the summer, as the building was closed down! All the hard work has truly paid off for the comfort of our students and staff.

Title 1

Edison Middle School is a school-wide Title 1 school. What does that mean for your child? It means access to highly qualified teachers, including a Title 1 teacher to support students in reading and math. Title 1 services can include, but are not limited to, extra support in the math and reading classrooms, small group instruction, and targeted interventions. Here at Edison, our Title 1 teachers are shared with Franklin Middle School.

They are: Mrs. Steele (lsteele@janesville.k12.wi.us), and Mrs. Skrzypchak (dskrzypchak@janesville.k12.wi.us).

Being a Title 1 school also increases funding for teacher professional development, technology upgrades, family nights, and other resources for students, staff, and parents.

Athletic Department Information

Registration for Season 1 Sports ends September 6th. Parents: Check the Edison website for up-to-date sports information and upcoming sporting events. Our calendar can be found at https://edison.janesville.k12.wi.us/calendar.

Edison Middle School Sports

Season 1 sports offered to Edison Middle School students are as follows:

Football (Grades 7-8)
Co-Ed Tennis (Grades 6-8)
Girl’s Softball (Grade 8)
Co-Ed Golf (Grades 6-8)

Welcome from the Student Services Staff!

Student Services Office 743-5926

The Student Services staff welcomes you to Edison Middle School. We encourage you to contact us if you have any information we need to know to help make your child’s year a success.

We ask that you make an appointment, if you need to see us, so that we can reserve time for you. Please feel free to call the Student Services office at (608) 743-5926 for an appointment or any other questions you may have.

Student Services Staff

Mrs. Murphy 743-5928
Mrs. Tyrrell 743-5929
Mrs. Behm, Secretary, 743-5926

First Day COnferences

For the past fourteen years, Edison Middle School has kicked off the new school year with First Day Conferences (previously known as Ready, Set, Goal Conferences). These conferences give parents, students, and teachers an opportunity to discuss work done in a student’s portfolio and expectations for the upcoming school year.

Like previous years, this day is not a typical day of school for students. You and your student will schedule a time to come to Edison on Tuesday, September 4th, 2018. We have time slots from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. You and your student are only expected to be at school during the time you scheduled for this conference. If you have any questions about First Day Conferences, you may call the main office at (608) 743-5900.

Please remember, the only required attendance on the first day of school (Tuesday, September 4th) is during a student’s scheduled conference time.

Sign-up for conference times will be done electronically this year so keep a lookout for an email from your child’s teacher

Lunch Account Information A reminder to parents/guardians: Parents/Guardians may place spending limits on their student’s spending in the school cafeteria.

Possibilities could include:

Limiting the spending to full meals only (no a la carte)
Limiting the a la carte spending to a specific amount
Limiting the entire day’s spending to a specific dollar amount (both full meal and a la carte combined)

If you have any questions, please contact the Secretary to the Manager of Food Services at 743-5132.

Here are a few guidelines indicating how the Janesville School District will handle the lunch accounts for the 2018-2019 school year. If you have additional questions about the lunch program and free or reduced lunches, please contact our staff in the cafeteria at 608-743-5908.

There will be a staff member readily available (in the cafeteria) during First Day Conferences (September 4) to deposit money into student lunch accounts and answer any questions you may have about the lunch program. Also, at this time, parents may place spending limits on a la carte purchases from student lunch accounts.

Breakfast at Edison Middle School

Edison offers a free breakfast program to ALL students. Students may enter the cafeteria at 7:30 a.m. to receive a breakfast. Breakfast items must be eaten in the cafeteria before school starts.

Edison Class Schedule
1st Hour	8:00 - 8:44 am
2nd Hour	8:48 - 9:36 am
3rd Hour	9:40 -10:28 am
4th Hour	10:32 - 11:20 am

GRADING SCALE

The standards are aligned with the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Math, and the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards in all other subject areas. Student achievement is measured based on student ability to meet the standards put in place for specific content areas. Depending on the level at which a student is able to meet a standard, the student achievement will be evaluated on a 4,3,2,1 grading scale. These numbers do not correlate with letter grades. The grading scale is similar to the Janesville Elementary Schools and is detailed in the chart below. It is the objective of the District for students to obtain 3’s, while offering them the chance to demonstrate higher level thinking, resulting in 4’s. Teachers will determine if a standard is met through a variety of assessments. In addition, specific teacher comments regarding life skills such as responsibility and attitude will also be reported by subject area. Parents will be able to view ongoing progress on Family Access, and report cards will be sent home with students at the end of each quarter. The last report card of the year will be mailed to parents.

4.0	In addition to 3.0 performance, demonstrates in-depth understanding and application that goes beyond the learning goals.
3.0	Demonstrates mastery regarding the information and/or processes (simple or complex) of the learning goals.
2.0	Demonstrates mastery regarding the simpler details and processes, and demonstrates partial understanding regarding the more complex ideas and processes of the learning goals.
1.0	With help, a partial understanding of some of the simpler details and processes and some of the more complex ideas and processes of the learning goals.

Are you Moving??? If you will be moving from your current home address, please contact Edison Middle School’s Student Service’s Secretary at 743-5926, as soon as possible, to determine what paperwork you will need to fill out for your child to continue attending his/her current school. Please note: If you are moving to an address outside the School District of Janesville, in most cases, your child is eligible to continue attending the School District of Janesville as long as you complete the appropriate paperwork within the required timeline. If you have any questions about school placement for a particular address, please contact Administrative Services Secretary Tami Carlson at 743-5006. The Administrative Services Office is open year round.

Tornado Warning When the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning, it means that an actual tornado has been signed by a trained spotter or a radar reading shows conditions are right for a tornado to develop in the immediate area. When a tornado warning is issued for the immediate Janesville area, the emergency sirens will be activated. Twice each school year, Edison Middle School practices the response the school would use if an emergency siren is activated for a tornado warning during the school day. Edison Middle School has designated safe areas for all students and staff to go to when a tornado warning is issued. Because all doors to Edison Middle School are secure during the school day, they will remain locked during a tornado warning.

Staff are not encouraged to respond to door buzzers, knocks on doors, or phone calls, but rather to remain in their designated safe zone until the tornado warning is canceled. We also encourage parents and family members of students to seek safe shelter during a tornado warning. Parents or family members should not come to Edison Middle School during a tornado warning to pick up their child.

Once the tornado warning is canceled, Edison Middle School will return to usual operations. At that time, staff will be able to respond to door buzzers and phone calls. Thank you in advance for working with Edison Middle School to keep your child safe during a tornado warning. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this information, please call the Director of Safety and Student Services at 743-5078.

Release of Pupil Directory Data Information Wisconsin Statutes provide that schools or school districts may legally release a pupil’s name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of member of athletic teams, dates of attendance, photographs (The School District of Janesville will consider videotapes the same as photographs), degrees and awards received, name of the school most recently previously attended by the pupil.

Such information may be withheld if the district is advised by the parent, legal guardian, or eligible student (18 years of age or older) to do so. If it is your wish to not allow such information to be released, and if you are the parent, legal guardian, or eligible student, you need to sign a “Request to Withhold Directory Data” form at the school office. If we have not received the request form to withhold information within 14 days of the publication of this newsletter , then we are to assume that directory data may be released if requested.

Child Find Notice

“The school district must locate, identify and evaluate all resident children with disabilities, including children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disabilities.” The school district has a special education program to locate and screen all children with suspected disabilities who are residents of the district and who have not graduated from high school. Upon request, the school district will screen any resident child who has not graduated high school to determine whether a special education referral is appropriate. A request may be made by contacting Barbara Kelly, Supervisor of Special Education Services for the School District of Janesville at 608-743-5061, or by writing her at 527 S. Franklin St. Janesville, WI 53548.

Annually the district conducts developmental screening of preschool children. Each child’s motor, communication and social skills are observed at various play areas. Each child is weighed and measured, and the child’s hearing and vision is checked. The information is used to provide the parent with a profile of their child’s current development and to provide suggestions for follow up activities. Parents learn about community services available to them and speak with representatives of agencies serving families. The information from screening is also used to determine whether a child should be evaluated for a suspected disability. When school staff reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability, they refer the child for evaluation by a school district Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. Developmental screening will be a part of the kindergarten screening this Spring. Watch for dates at your local school.

A physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker or administrator of a social agency who reasonably believes a child brought to him or her for services is a child with a disability has a legal duty to report the child to the school district in which the child resides. Before referring the child, the person making the referral must inform the child’s parents that the referral will be made. The referral must be in writing and include the reason why the person believes the child is a child with a disability. Others who reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability may also refer the child to the school district in which the child resides. A referral of a child residing in the School District of Janesville may be sent to Barbara Kelley at the school district address above.

It’s the Law in Wisconsin Kids Need Shots for School! To attend school in Wisconsin, students must show they’ve had immunizations. The following table lists the minimum required immunizations for students in grades 6-9.

Immunization Requirements for the 2018-2019 School Year

Age/ Grade	DTP/Dtap	Tdap	Polio	Hepatitis B	MMR	Varicella
Grade 6-10	4	1	4	3	2	2

STUDENTS ON SCHOOL GROUNDS

Supervision after school is until 3:30 PM. Students need to leave school grounds by 3:30 PM since there is no supervision after this time. If special arrangements have been made with a teacher for a student to stay later than 3:30 PM or to work with a teacher for extra help, that is an exception. We appreciate your help and support to provide a safe environment for your student and others.

ATTENDANCE OFFICE

When calling your student out of school for an illness or permission to leave school early for an appointment or for tardiness, please speak SLOWLY and SPELL the student’s last name, grade, and reason for the absence. Also when writing notes for student absences or for a student to leave school for an appointment, please include student’s first and last name, their grade, the date, and the reason for leaving school. Please remember, if the last name is different from the parents, please include the student’s last name on the note.

MEDICATIONS

We DO NOT stock any over-the-counter medicines. If you wish to send Ibuprofen, Tylenol, or any other over-the-counter medicine, it must be in its ORIGINAL bottle and the Attendance Office must have a signed parent consent form on file. If we don’t have the form, we will call home and the parent will need to come to school and administer the medicine to the student. All prescription medicines must be accompanied by a signed doctor’s form AND a parent consent form and must be in the ORIGINAL bottle. These forms can be obtained in the main office. We are not permitted to accept any other forms.

If your child is sick please tell them to come to the Attendance Office and call home. We do not want them calling from a classroom or using their cell phones. Thank you!