Sand Lake Elementary Newsletter - March 2026

 

From the Principal: Mr. Meyers

Sand Lake Families,

March has long been one of my favorite months of the year. As the snow and colder weather begin to fade, we gain a little more daylight, and our school calendar is filled with exciting opportunities for students, families, and staff to participate in together.

During our upcoming progress conferences, teachers will discuss student growth, strengths, daily work habits, assessment results, interactions with classmates, and areas for continued growth. Time will also be provided for parents to ask questions. Prior to your conference, it may be helpful to talk with your child about how they feel their school experience is going. Sharing what they believe is going well, along with where they may need additional support, can help guide a meaningful conversation with their teacher. We have wonderful students at Sand Lake, and this is a great opportunity to celebrate your child’s progress.

Our third, fourth, and fifth-grade students are also preparing for the Wisconsin Forward Exam this month. While this assessment is just one measure of student progress, it provides important information for both families and our school. Please watch for communication from your child’s teacher regarding testing schedules, and help set students up for success with positive encouragement, plenty of sleep, and nutritious snacks ahead of testing days.

Finally, the School District of Holmen has an operational referendum question on the April 7, 2026, ballot. The official ballot question reads:

“Shall the School District of Holmen, La Crosse County, Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, by $4,525,000 per year for five years, beginning with the 2026 to 2027 school year and ending with the 2030 to 2031 school year, for nonrecurring purposes consisting of expenses for operations and maintenance, safety, and educational programming?”

I encourage each of you to stay informed by visiting the district’s referendum website and reaching out with any questions. I am happy to answer what I can or connect you with additional information. In short, the referendum prioritizes three focus areas: educational programming, safety, and operations and maintenance.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns about Sand Lake or the upcoming referendum. I look forward to seeing many of you in the coming weeks.


In Partnership,

Matt Meyers

Principal

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

Like us @ Sand Lake Elementary

From the School Counselor: Mrs. Lamprecht

We are welcoming Coulee Council to Sand Lake during March and April! Coulee Council will be teaching lessons in all Kindergarten through 4th grade classrooms on topics such as responsibility, refusal skills for healthy drug-free living, and interpersonal skills to resist peer pressure through the Too Good For Drugs Program. You are encouraged to ask your child about what he or she has learned throughout March and April. This program is part of the school counseling and health curriculum.

From the Music Teacher: Mrs. Heerts

Our music programs are quickly approaching, so we wanted to get you all the information you need to prepare for an amazing show!

All concerts will take place in the Sand Lake Cafeteria. Concert dress is nice clothes.

March 5th - 3rd & 5th Grade Concerts

• Third Grade Program: We Sing: 6:00 p.m. Students will meet in their classrooms at 5:45 p.m.and be picked up there after the concert. 

• Fifth Grade Program: What A Wonderful World: 7:00 p.m. Students will meet in their classrooms at 6:45 p.m. and be picked up there after the concert.

March 19th - Kindergarten & 1st Grade Concerts

• Kindergarten Program: The Muffin Man and Friends: 6:00 p.m. Students will meet in their classrooms at 5:45 p.m. and be picked up there after the concert.

• First Grade Program: I'm Grateful: 7:00 p.m. Students will meet in their classrooms at 6:45 p.m. and be picked up there after the concert.

We know that many of you will arrive early to be ready for the big show! We kindly ask that if you are arriving early, please be mindful of supervising your children so that the performers can have a calm environment to prepare in and enter into. 

Additionally, please be aware of your arrival time and that there might be parking constraints on these nights. Additional parking is available at Coulee Life Church, next door to Sand Lake.

We can't wait to share our hard work with all of you!

From the Sand Lake PTG:

Our Valentine’s Bingo was filled with smiles, laughter, and so much LOVE! It wouldn’t have been the same without all of you! Thank you to every family who came out, played along, cheered each other on, and made the night so special. Seeing our school community together is what it’s all about! We are so grateful for your continued support!💗 

We will have two PTG meetings this month: 

• Tuesday, March 3rd, at 5:30 PM
• Monday, March 30th, at 5:30 PM

Both meetings will be held in the Sand Lake Elementary conference room. We hope you will join us! 

You can find the Sand Lake building calendar on the school district website HERE.

What's for lunch at Sand Lake? 

Find our March menu here! 

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

by clicking the "Lunch Menu" icon on the landing page.

Sand Lake Elementary Newsletter - February 2026

From the Principal: Mr. Meyers

Sand Lake Families:

Welcome to the official start of our 3rd quarter and the second semester of the 2025-2026 school year. Once again, thank you for all you do each day to help your child be successful here at school. We appreciate your partnership and are beyond excited to transition into the busy months, with school events and activities taking place on a regular basis!

To aid in your planning and to highlight a few of the upcoming events, there are some dates that we wanted you to be aware of:

February 4 – Global School Play Day (GSPD)
February 4th is Global School Play Day, a worldwide celebration—and one we proudly observe at Sand Lake! The goal of GSPD is to give students time for unstructured, spontaneous play that fosters creativity, problem-solving, and social interaction. Our teachers will facilitate environments where students can explore, collaborate, and let their talents shine.

February 13 – Valentine’s Day Bingo
On February 13th at 5:30 PM, our PTG will host Valentine’s Day Bingo. Some info is shared below in the PTG message, but further details will be shared in a separate email.

February 20 – Trio of Treats
On February 20th, our Related Arts and Nutrition Services team will host Trio of Treats for our 4th and 5th grade families. Families will be invited to sign up for breakfast and enjoy viewing student artwork and reading books in the LMC.

March Music Programs
We are excited to host several upcoming music programs:

• Thursday, March 5
• 6:00 PM – 3rd Grade Music Program
• 7:00 PM – 5th Grade Music Program

• Thursday, March 19
• 6:00 PM – Kindergarten Music Program
• 7:00 PM – 1st Grade Music Program

Conferences

Parent/Teacher conferences will take place in March. More detailed information will come your way as the dates approach:

• Tuesday, March 17
• 4:00 - 8:00 PM
• Thursday, March 26
• 2:00 - 8:00 PM

Of course, our students and staff are hard at work, having just wrapped up our winter assessment window. We use this information to determine students’ progress, adjust our instructional plans, and ensure that Every Student, Every Day is provided with the opportunity for meaningful learning.

We continue to work through the ACT 20 implementation, which started last year and has certain requirements for schools and students. If your child has a reading plan, and you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher or myself. This is a chance to celebrate progress, reflect upon any necessary instructional changes, and provide students with the support that they need.

If you ever have any questions or would like to connect, please don’t hesitate to email (meymat@holmen.k12.wi.us) or call 608.781.0974 ext. 3110.


In Partnership,


Matt Meyers
Principal

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

Like us @ Sand Lake Elementary

From the Sand Lake PTG:

Sand Lake PTG is thrilled with the turnout at our McSchool Night - what a fantastic time! Thank you to those families that were able to participate, and to our Sand Lake staff who volunteered to work. We hope many McMemories were made! As an added bonus, we were able to secure $600 from McDonald's, which means we'll be able to begin the process of selecting a vendor and designing our very own Sand Lake book vending machine!

We also want to invite families for a night of fun and prizes at our Valentine BINGO night - Friday, Feb 13, 2026, at 5:30-6:30pm in the Sand Lake Elementary Cafeteria. Come for the game, take pictures at our Photo Booth, and enjoy an evening of camaraderie. Let's have fun!

Interested in hearing what our PTG is planning next? Join us for our next meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, March 3, at 5:30 pm in the Sand Lake Elementary conference room.

What's for lunch at Sand Lake? 

Find our February menu here! 

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

by clicking the "Lunch Menu" icon on the landing page.

4K enrollment will open on February 9!

Sand Lake Elementary Newsletter - January 2026

 

From the Principal: Mr. Meyers

Sand Lake Families:

We hope that you enjoyed a restful break with your family and friends over the holidays. We appreciate working together with each of you and for everything you do to ensure your child's success here at school. As we approach the end of the first semester, on Friday, January 23rd, we want to reiterate our thanks for your continued partnership.

In looking ahead, we have many exciting things planned for the winter and spring! Whether these be school-wide events, such as our end-of-semester PBIS assembly, classroom celebrations, or the upcoming February highlights of Global School Play Day and Valentine’s Day, there will be plenty to look forward to!

Academically, our classroom teachers will be completing winter benchmarking assessments in both reading and math. This information is one piece of the puzzle that helps evaluate how all students are learning and progressing. Our teams regularly review data and adjust plans for students as needed, a core part of our dedication to Every Student, Every Day!

In Partnership,

Matt Meyers

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

Like us @ Sand Lake Elementary

From the Sand Lake PTG:

The Sand Lake PTG successfully awarded our first batch of mini-grant requests totaling close to $3,500! This money goes directly to supporting students by providing classroom resources, memorable experiences, and life skill development. Watch for our Facebook posts for more details on how this is divided among grades and programs. Staff will have another opportunity to apply for our second round of minigrants this month. We plan to provide this each semester, every year moving forward.

Looking for an easy dinner night and a chance to support our school? Stop at McDonald's on Tuesday, January 27th, from 5:00-7:00 PM for our McSchool Night fundraiser! Sand Lake staff and PTG members will be on hand to assist with serving that evening! See the graphic below for more information.

We are also hosting a BINGO night again this year, so save the date for Friday, February 13, 2026! Get out of the house, win some prizes, and build community with your besties. It's sure to be a fun night! 

To join us in planning this and other great events, come to our next meeting, which will be held on Monday, February 2, at 5:30 pm in the Sand Lake Elementary conference room.

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 clicking the "Lunch Menu" icon on the landing page.

Bridging Brighter Smiles will be visiting our school soon! Sign your child up for free preventive dental care at school by completing this quick online form: www.bridgingbrightersmiles.org

Sand Lake Elementary Newsletter - December 2025

 

From the Principal: Mr. Meyers

Sand Lake Families:

This time of year allows us to reflect on the wonderful things that we have accomplished so far at Sand Lake. Therefore, we wanted to highlight the amazing achievements of our students, staff, and families with our recent Wisconsin DPI School Report Card. Our school received a 73.8, formally classified as Exceeds Expectations. This is the result of our teams reviewing data, implementing universal and intervention plans, and our students rising to the occasion. Notably, our 5.4 point growth was exceptional from one year to the next and the result of tons of hard work! Thank you for all that you do to support your children.

Over the course of the next month, there will be several celebrations and events happening within our school. We kick off the festivities this week with our 2nd and 4th grade concerts taking place on Thursday, December 4th. It is always a great way for friends and families to come together and enjoy the hard work our students put into these performances!

While December is a busy time for everyone, we hope that you each find time to enjoy the season. 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 - Forty Winks: December 4th 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 - Jingle Bell Jukebox: December 4th 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 hosting two concerts this year on December 4th, please be aware of your arrival time and that there may be parking constraints. Additional parking is available at Coulee Life Church, which is located next to Sand Lake Elementary.

We can’t wait to share our holiday spirit with all of you!

From the Sand Lake PTG:

Sand Lake PTG is busy taking in applications from teachers and staff for mini-grants - these are ways that we can directly impact and support the needs your classrooms have as a result of your fundraising efforts! We will share all those amazing experiences in the coming months. 

Additionally, we'll be looking to build more community with a McDonald's night in January. More information will be heading your way soon! 

If anyone would like to help with this or anything we do, please join us at our next meeting on January 5, 2026, at 5:30 pm in the Sand Lake Elementary conference room.

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 clicking the "Lunch Menu" icon on the landing page.

Have you ordered your yearbook yet? Use the QR code below or visit https://shop.yearbookmarket.com/sandlakeelementaryschool