December 2024

 

From the Principal: Mr. Meyers

Sand Lake Families:

The season of giving is upon us and it is a great opportunity to reflect on the wonderful things that we have accomplished this past year. As a Sand Lake staff, it is our privilege to partner with you to support your child’s academic and social emotional learning. The time, attention, and thoughtfulness you give to your child and our school during this season and always is ever appreciated!

December brings busyness to all of our lives and there’s no shortage of that within our schools. We hope to see you and your family at our many upcoming events, including schoolwide concerts for our 2nd and 4th graders. Classrooms will have special activities taking place as well and we’ll be thrilled to see you if it works in your schedule!

We hope that you each have the time you need to enjoy the season with your family. On behalf of the office staff at Sand Lake, we send you warm holiday wishes!

In Partnership,

Matt Meyers

Keep up with all of our happenings by following us on Facebook!

Like us @ Sand Lake Elementary

From the Music Teacher: Mrs. Heerts

Our holiday programs are quickly approaching. Here are the details:

Second Grade Program - Our House Is A Holiday House: December 5th at 6:00 p.m. in the Sand Lake Cafeteria. Concert dress is nice clothes. Students will meet in their classrooms at 5:45 p.m. and be picked up after the concert in their classrooms.

Fourth Grade Program - A Holiday of Music: December 5th at 7:00 p.m. in the Sand Lake Cafeteria. Concert dress is nice clothes. Students will meet in their classrooms at 6:45 p.m. and be picked up there after the concert.

Since we are having two concerts this year on December 5th, please be aware of arrival time and that there might be parking constraints. We can’t wait to share our holiday spirit with all of you!

From the Art Teacher: Mrs. Staige

Congratulations Sand Lake Elementary Pump House Participants!

The Pump House Regional Art Center hosts our annual Elementary Art Show this year from November 14th – January 4th. The show features students artwork from Sand Lake, Viking, Evergreen, and Prairie View. All are welcome to attend our Artist’s Reception Open House which will be held on Wednesday, December 11th from 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm.

Congratulations to the following Sand Lake artists who were selected for the art show!

First Grade: Amelia Vue

Second Grade: Everett Kindschy, Arynn Wing, Stetson Fogel

Third Grade: Ivy Farmer, Brooklyn Dailey, Piper Damrow, Hudson Boylan

Fourth Grade: Lincoln Dwyer, Bennett Strelow, Macy Zietlow, Jocelyn Huiss, Dani Brudos, Brooke Stevenson, Becca Stevenson, Dominic Gleason, Lylah Gerken

Fifth Grade: Luxann Copus, Ellie Farmer, Kashia Vang, Dylan Puent, Lexi Love, Faith Dreyer, Jada Thomas, Addy Kiel, Teagan Tauscher, Aaron Bronk, Aubrey Henthorn, Adria McDowell, Elliana Kerr, Soren Iverson, Emma Genz, ­­Ike Beckstrom

From the Health Office: Emily Hanes BSN, RN

When to Keep Your Child Home:

1. Any temperature of 100 degrees or higher requires exclusion from school. If your child is requiring Tylenol or Ibuprofen to keep the fever down, they should stay home. They should be fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of medication to maintain a normal temperature.

2. Cold symptoms are serious enough to interfere with the child’s ability to learn.

3. If your child has diarrhea and/or vomiting, keep them home until their bodies have had time to recover. Sometimes, children return too early and end up having a relapse or infecting more students.

4. Coughing that causes difficulty breathing, moderate to severe chest pain and/or vomiting.

5. Headache severe enough to interfere with learning.

6. Abdominal pain accompanied by elevated temperature, vomiting, or diarrhea.

7. Sore throat serious enough to interfere with swallowing or accompanied by a fever or rash.

8. Pink eye-if fever present, behavior changes or unable to avoid touching the eyes.

9. Certain bacterial conditions which are prescribed an antibiotic, such as strep throat and impetigo, require a student to be on the antibiotic for 24 hours prior to returning to school.

10. Unknown rash.

From the Sand Lake PTG:

It's the season of gratitude and the Sand Lake Parent-Teacher-Group (PTG) is incredibly grateful for the families who participated in our Fall Into Giving fundraising drive. We are pleased to announce that our community gave over $2,300 as of November 26! With this funding, we'll have more opportunities to host upcoming community events next semester. Thank you everyone!

What's for lunch at Sand Lake? 

Find our December menu here! 

Our menus can always be found on the Holmen School District website 

by first clicking the Menus icon in the top bar of the home page, 

then clicking Sand Lake Elementary.

October 2024

From the Principal: Mr. Meyers

Hello Sand Lake Families!

We are grateful for the opportunity to have you visit during Parent Teacher Conferences this week and meet with our staff to discuss your child’s progress. This newsletter also outlines the great things happening here at Sand Lake during the month of October. We hope you are able to participate in some of these events that are available. More details can be found below!

Thanks for all you do to support your child!

In Partnership,

Matt Meyers

Keep up with all of our happenings by following us on Facebook!

Like us @ Sand Lake Elementary

Title I Annual Notice

Sand Lake receives federal funds through Title I. One requirement of that program is to provide certain information to families. Here are a couple of annual notices that were not included in our K-5 Elementary Family Handbook, but are important for you to know about Sand Lake:

• Families may request information regarding state or local district policy regarding student participation in mandated assessments.

• Families may request information regarding the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teachers.

From the School Counselor: Mrs. Lamprecht

Happy Fall, Sand Lake Families! This month in classroom counseling lessons, students are completing a Unity Day project to "color Sand Lake with kindness". We are exploring ways we can show kindness and include others here at school. The students have such great ideas! You'll be able to see the student's project on display during Parent Teacher Conferences. In addition to kindness, we are practicing a variety of coping strategies, exploring tools to use when someone treats us in an unkind way, and learning the difference between mean behavior and bullying behavior.

Wishing you a wonderful October,
Mrs. Lamprecht

From the Health Office: Emily Hanes RN

Hearing and Vision Screenings: Hearing screenings will be done for kindergarten and 1st grade students this fall. Vision screenings were completed earlier this month for EC, 4K, Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, and 5th graders. We had the Lion’s Club return again this year to help complete the vision screenings. Vision and/or hearing problems can affect a student’s educational success and their ability to learn. Parents/guardians or teachers may request screenings for any student at any time during the school year if concerns arise. If you have questions about your child’s vision and/or hearing, please contact the health office.

Prescription and Over-the Counter Medications: Medicines such as cough drops, pain relievers, and other over-the-counter remedies to be administered at school require the completion of a School Medication/Treatment Form by a parent/guardian before the medications can be administered. A parent must sign the form, and if it is a prescription, the doctor must sign it as well. Forms may be obtained from the health office, the district webpage, or from your healthcare provider. All medications must be in the original container and labeled with the child’s name. ALL medications must be brought to the health office by an adult, they cannot be transported with students.

From the Sand Lake PTG:

Thanks to your ongoing support, we are able to offer teachers and staff a nutritious meal before Parent & Teacher Conferences held later this month. Your contributions continue to make a huge difference and are greatly appreciated!

New for this year, we are also offering a Snacks N’ Social as a way to help foster community. When you attend the conferences, be sure to stop in the cafeteria, grab a cup and our helpers will scoop trail mix of your favorite treats. Tables will also be set up with activities and an opportunity to mingle with other Sand Lake families.

We do need helpers of all kinds to make this new event a success: trail mix contributors, volunteer scoopers, and homemade/bought desserts for teachers. Please visit: https://tinyurl.com/SLPTG2024Fall to see if we still need help and to sign up.

Thank you so much for your support!

Sand Lake Elementary PTG

You can also shop the online book fair through October 18th here:

 https://literati.com/store/?school=sand-lake-elementary-school-holmen-wi

23rd Annual Food Drive

Guess the Weight of the Pumpkin Contest!

From October 15 - October 29, students at Sand Lake will have the opportunity to guess the weight of our large, artfully decorated pumpkin!

For every non-perishable food item or 25 cents students bring to school, they will be allowed to make one guess. The student closest to the correct weight will win the pumpkin! Mr. Meyers will deliver the pumpkin to your home during the week of Halloween.

All non-perishable contributions and cash donations will be given to Holmen area food pantries.

What's for lunch at Sand Lake? 

Find our October menu here! 

Our menus can always be found on the Holmen School District website 

by first clicking the Menus icon in the top bar of the home page, 

then clicking Sand Lake Elementary.

Yog nej muaj lub nug, hu rau Kelly Vang pem tsev kawm ntawv 608.526.1313. Us tsaug.

Sand Lake Elementary Newsletter - September 16, 2024

 

From the Principal:

Mr. Meyers

Sand Lake Families:

We hope that you have found the start of the year successful for your student. Our staff have been working hard to develop relationships with all of our learners, deliver new and exciting curriculum experiences, and learn where student academic talents currently are so that we can continue planning for growth.

As we hit the middle of September, we’ve been through three full weeks of school and are beginning to hit our rhythm. We are celebrating Homecoming this week and keeping the learning going with opportunities to learn in our new English Language Arts curriculum, as well as state determined assessment windows opening up. This important information will be one piece of the puzzle that we use when determining what additional intervention and extension supports students need to further their learning. 

Students are also getting a chance to show off their skills in being Sand Lake Proud. Ask your child what it means to be Safe, Respectful, and Responsible in different areas of the school like the hallways and lunchroom. We build on these expectations throughout the year and celebrate student achievements. You can also ask your child if they’ve earned any Sand Dollars. Students can earn these Sand Dollars if a staff member “catches” them doing the right jobs. All of our classrooms set a Sand Dollar goal to work towards which culminates in some sort of classroom celebration!

As the leaves begin to turn colors, we hope you get a chance to enjoy the season with your family as we continue being Dedicated to Excellence here at Sand Lake!

In Partnership

Matt Meyers

Attendance Information

State law allows parents to excuse their children for up to ten days of school per school year. While state law allows this, we believe that using 10 days of absences is not in the best interest of students. Sometimes, we know these absences are unavoidable or part of a once in a lifetime experience for students. 

In any cases when students meet predetermined absence number thresholds, you will receive an attendance letter indicating the number of absences along with a variety of attendance statue related information. In addition, our teachers, student services staff, or myself may reach out to learn more. If there is a barrier to your child attending school, we want to play a role in removing that barrier so that students can be here as often as possible. If you submit a special absence request form, Mr. Meyers will review it, and determine if the absence is excused based on your allowable parent days. However, you may still receive an absence letter after the vacation, indicating for example that your child has missed 5 days of school, even if it has been pre-arranged. This helps the school and your family monitor how many days your student has been absent.

Handbook Link

The Elementary Family & Student Handbook is always available at the following link. Should you ever need a paper copy of the handbook, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office staff. If you have any questions, you can also contact the office.

Keep up with our happenings by following us on Facebook!

Like us @ Sand Lake Elementary

From the School Counselor:

Mrs. Lamprecht

It has been so great getting to know students over the last two weeks of school! As students continue to adjust to new schedules, interacting & making friends and the extended periods of learning, we want to work with you to support their needs. If your student is having a tough time, please do not hesitate to reach out for support. My contact information is (608) 781-0974 ext. 3400 or lamhal@holmen.k12.wi.us. During the month of September, our school counseling lessons will focus on self-regulation. Self-regulation is an important foundational skill that can positively impact your student's ability to be available for learning, form strong relationships and develop problem solving skills. Students will learn how to recognize feelings within themselves and others as well as coping strategies for when our feelings get big. 

I look forward to continuing to get to know the students and families at Sand Lake! 

Mrs. Lamprecht

School Counselor

From the Health Office:

Emily Hanes RN

Prescription and Over-the Counter Medications: Medicines such as cough drops, pain relievers, and other over-the-counter remedies to be administered at school require the completion of a School Medication/Treatment Form by a parent/guardian before the medications can be administered. A parent must sign the form, and if it is a prescription, the doctor must sign it as well. Forms may be obtained from the health office or your healthcare provider. All medications must be in the original container and labeled with the child’s name. ALL medications must be brought to the health office by an adult.

Physical Education: 

Ms. Franzen

The year is off to a great start in PE class! 4th and 5th graders are kicking off their target games unit with bocce ball and will explore more games as the unit continues. 2nd and 3rd graders are working together to complete team challenges and learning how to be supportive, positive teammates. Kindergarten and 1st graders are playing games to learn fundamental movements like skipping, galloping, running, and more! The 3rd graders will begin their biking unit towards the end of September, so keep an eye out for a letter home about bringing helmets to school for PE.

We are excited to announce the adoption of the Amplify CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts) program for K-5 English Language Arts instruction in our district. This comprehensive curriculum is designed to build students' reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills through engaging and knowledge-rich content. We are working on providing individual student access at home, which will be available soon, allowing your child to continue learning outside of the classroom. In the meantime, for more information about the CKLA program, please visit the Amplify CKLA Caregiver Hub.

From the Sand Lake PTG:

Thanks to all who supported our summer fundraiser event with the La Crosse Loggers last month! We raised $159.00 and sold 22 tickets in total.

As Homecoming is fast approaching, a friendly reminder that you can purchase Holmen Vikings apparel at our Spiritwear store in which 10% of proceeds go directly back to Sand Lake. Available in both youth and adult sizes, design options include our 25th Anniversary logo, our school logo in both maroon and black, and newly released designs which all can be placed on multiple garments (see examples below). Shop Now! To date we have sold a told of 26 products with earnings of $54.09.

Both fundraisers recently helped to provide $5 food truck vouchers for our teachers at Open House as well as popsicle freezies for every student during the new playground celebration last week.

And lastly, we have looked at our PTG survey results from the 2023-24 school year. More details will come next month as we prioritize next steps from what we learned. Thank you for participating! If you have interest in supporting PTG feel free to reach out any time at sandlakeptg@gmail.com or come to our next meeting scheduled at 6pm on Monday, September 16th.

What a great start we have had to the school year so far,

Sand Lake PTG

What's for lunch at Sand Lake? 

Find our September menu here! 

Our menus can always be found on the Holmen School District website 

by first clicking the Menus icon in the top bar of the home page, 

then clicking Sand Lake Elementary.

Sand Lake Elementary Newsletter - August 23, 2024

Sand Lake Families:

It was so great to see each of you and our students throughout the month of August for Picture/Registration Day and Open House! We hope that you found Sand Lake to be a welcoming place and are so excited for our adventures ahead this school year!

Contained within this newsletter, you’ll find some updates, dates, and information needed to start the school year. Our school office will send this newsletter on a regular basis so that you are aware of key events and information happening at Sand Lake. As with past school years, timely information will still come through in individual eblasts. If at any point in the school year, you are concerned that you aren’t receiving this communication, please reach out to Melissa Lacasse at lacmel@holmen.k12.wi.us

In Partnership,

Matt Meyers


Kindergarten Families
Kindergarten families, please note that your child will have an introductory conference with their teacher on August 26th. Your scheduled orientation time was given to you on picture day and at registration a reminder was provided. Please reach out to your teacher if you have any questions.


1st-5th Grade Students
The Board of Education for the School District of Holmen has officially established Monday, August 26th as the first day of school. The school day at Sand Lake is from 8:40-3:40. We are so excited to begin school after the weekend!


Drop-Off/Pick-Up
Students can be dropped off at school as soon as 8:10 when our staff is available to supervise. When students are dropped off, they can either go into school and eat breakfast or play outside with staff supervision.

The school day officially ends at 3:40. Please know that we’ll take great care when dismissing students to ensure that everyone is on the right bus or following their designated after school plan. We will only alter student’s after school transportation plans if we hear directly from their parents. That means you should contact the office and your child’s teacher if the plan changes during the day. Also, as routines are being established and we take time to get students where they belong at the end of the day, it may take a few extra minutes to get our buses on the road at the beginning of the year.


Connection with Caregivers
Communication between home and school is essential for student success. In addition to newsletters, grade level communication, assignment notebooks, meetings, e-mails, and telephone conversations, the Sand Lake staff is extending to you a year-long invitation to visit the school. This may include attending student programs, eating lunch with your child(ren), and/or volunteering. Your partnership in the educational process is extremely valuable.


Support Available
There are a variety of opportunities through the Sand Lake Kidz Kloset or community programs in the event that you need assistance with school supplies, clothing, or other needs for your students. Please contact our school office, our school counselor, Haley Lamprecht (lamhal@holmen.k12.wi.us), or our school social worker, Erin Noll (noleri@holmen.k12.wi.us), if you need assistance at any time.


Transportation Updates
This summer, our transportation department emailed your child’s bus route and information to you. If you have any questions about your child’s transportation, we encourage you to contact the transportation department at 608-526-4752. If you have any questions about transportation safety procedures at Sand Lake, please contact the main office at 608-781-0974.

Sand Lake families who are dropping off and picking up students at school, please be aware that more Sand Lake students will be walking to school. Please drive safe, stay alert, and follow posted signage and instructions from our staff who supervise the parking lot.

Introducing (most of) our 2024-2025 Sand Lake Staff!

What's for lunch at Sand Lake? 

Find our August school menu here! 

Our menus can always be found on the Holmen School District website by first clicking the Menus icon in the top bar of the home page, then clicking Sand Lake Elementary.

Yog nej muaj lub nug, hu rau Kelly Vang pem tsev kawm ntawv 608.526.1313. Us tsaug.

Sand Lake Elementary Newsletter - August 2024

 

August 2024 Newsletter Update Topics:

Sand Lake Families:

We look forward to seeing you and your Sand Lake students at Picture/Registration Day on Wednesday, August 7th. We are here from 7AM-7PM and are eagerly awaiting the day! In order to best prepare for the day and some upcoming events, we wanted you to be aware of a couple changes.

Registration Updates:

• While we are sad to see some staff members leave us for new opportunities over the summer, we are excited to welcome our new team members!

• In Kindergarten, Mrs. Seidel is replacing Mrs. Larkin. We also welcome Ms. Brekke as an additional teacher as a result of increased enrollment within Kindergarten.

• In 3rd grade, Mrs. Harris has joined our team. Mr. Elsen and Mrs. Gappa have departed and we’ll soon be finalizing another excellent addition to our 3rd grade team!

• Mrs. Lamprecht is now our school counselor. She will be available in the morning at registration if you’d like to introduce yourself or your student or if you have anything you’d like to discuss. If you’d like to reach out ahead of time, you can contact her at lamhal@holmen.k12.wi.us. 

• Mrs. Lamprecht and Ms. Yassini can also assist if you have any needs with our Kidz Kloset. We do have clothing, backpacks, and school supplies among other things available for our students.

Along with all other grades, 5th grade students will receive their class placements. Fifth grade classrooms are not departmentalizing this year, meaning students will have ELA and Math taught by their classroom teachers. This is the case in all of our District elementary schools as we implement a new literacy curriculum to best meet all students’ needs. As always, relationships between 5th grade students and all teachers will continue to be a priority. 

Upcoming Events:

• August 10th - Thanks to our wonderful PTG for hosting a Back-to-School night at the Loggers’ game. We hope to see many Sand Lake students and their families there. Please see the flyer below for more details!

• August 20th: Open House takes place from 4:00-6:00. You are welcome to be at the school as soon as 3:30, as our PTG has arranged for food trucks to be at the school. We’ll have Taco Broz and Schindoggies as well as some ice cream available for purchase. School doors will not open until 4:00 for our official Open House and staff will be available until 6:00.

In Partnership,

Matt Meyers