Friday, August 29, 2025

Sand Lake Elementary Newsletter - August 2025

 

From the Principal: Mr. Meyers

Sand Lake Families:

It was so great to see each of you and our students throughout 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!
Our schoolwide theme this year is “Wild About Learning at Sand Lake!” . This theme is set forth by our school's Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports team and is designed as a fun and exciting way to unite our school community. Our talented staff have already spent time decorating the school and their learning spaces with wildlife scenes as we get ready to get Wild About Learning this year!

We are also fortunate to begin the year anew with some exciting changes!
  • We are grateful for the School District of Holmen community for their support with our November 2022 Capital Referendum. As a result of this project, last summer our playgrounds were updated and this summer our Discovery Centers were transformed into STEM Labs. We hope you had a chance to check them out at Open House!
  • We are thrilled to welcome 4K students to our building for the first time. Emily Brekke is our 4K teacher, and she will be joined by Kaitlyn Forester as a 4K educational assistant in the classroom, along with other support staff. Sue Eitland is our District’s 4K principal, and I’ll be working with our 4K students, staff, and families as well.
  • We have a few new additions to our Sand Lake Staff and will be highlighting their roles on our Sand Lake Facebook page throughout September!
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 email messages. The school district is moving towards a new messaging platform called Finalsite, so in the future, you will find the eblasts from our school coming from the email address sandlake@holmen.k12.wi.us. 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


Pickup and Dropoff Safety
In the past three school years, we’ve seen significant changes in the volume of pickup and drop-off students, and students who walk to school. New this year, we’ll also have 4-year old students riding our buses to get to and from school. We’ve worked this summer to enhance our safety procedures for pickup/dropoff, within the parking lot, and for students getting off the buses. It is my expectation that our staff are actively working with any drivers in the parking lot to ensure they are being safe and following our procedures. We are confident that if we work together, we can meet our primary goal of keeping all students, staff, and family members safe.

4K and Kindergarten Families
Kindergarten families, please note that your child will have an introductory conference with their teacher on September 2nd. Your scheduled orientation time was given to you on picture day a reminder was provided at Open House. Please reach out to your teacher if you have any questions or concerns.

1st-5th Grade Students
The Board of Education for the School District of Holmen has officially established Tuesday, September 2nd, 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 next week!

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

The school day officially ends at 3:40 PM. 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 students’ after-school transportation plans if we hear directly from their primary caregivers listed in Infinite Campus. 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.


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


From the 4K Principal: Ms. Eitland

Holmen Public Preschool staff are pleased to welcome you and your child to the School District of Holmen’s 4K Program!

Orientation sessions will be held on September 2nd, during which you and your child will meet with their classroom teacher for a 30-minute session. The first full day of 4K will be on September 3rd.

We look forward to partnering with you in providing a year filled with meaningful opportunities for your child to play, learn, and grow.

4K through 5th Grade School

This year marks an exciting change, as all 4K classes are now housed in each elementary school. As a result, Sand Lake Elementary is considered a 4K–Grade 5 school, and events taking place at Sand Lake are open to 4K students and families.


Family Outreach Events/Staff Collaboration - No School for Students 

In addition to scheduled Sand Lake events, the Holmen Public Preschool Program (4K and Early Childhood) will host several Family Outreach Events designed specifically for 4K children and their families.

Please refer to the Holmen Public Preschool Calendar for the dates of these Family Outreach and Staff Collaboration Days. You can find the calendar by visiting:
holmen.k12.wi.us → Schools → 4K and Early Childhood → Parents → 2025–26 School Year Calendar.

On the calendar, these days are highlighted in light blue with a line through them. Please note that on these dates, 4K and Early Childhood students do not have school. However, staff members will be working and will participate in the Family Outreach Events. All other School District of Holmen students will have school as usual on these days.

Additional details about each Family Outreach Event will be shared with families as the events approach.

September Family Outreach Event

On September 25, all Sand Lake 4K students and their families are invited to Ms. Brekke’s 4K classroom for our Sip and Sculpt Family Outreach Event.

During this event, you and your child will have the opportunity to spend time in the classroom, connect with staff, and create a clay sculpture together to take home. Beverages will be provided—coffee, juice, or water. We look forward to seeing you at this special event and hope you can join us for this informal and engaging time in 4K!

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us:

Ms. Brekke – 4K Teacher: breemi@holmen.k12.wi.us 
Ms. Kaitlyn – 4K Educational Assistant: forkai@holmen.k12.wi.us 

Ms. Vanessa – Early Childhood Teacher: jagvan@holmen.k12.wi.us 

Ms. Kelsey -  Early Childhood Educational Assistant: wilkel@holmen.k12.wi.us  

Ms. Katie – Early Childhood Educational Assistant: rutkat@holmen.k12.wi.us 

Ms. Eitland – 4K/EC Principal: eitsue@holmen.k12.wi.us

We are honored to be part of your child’s early learning journey and look forward to an outstanding school year together!


Introducing the Sand Lake Elementary Staff 

for the 2025-2026 School Year!




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.









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