Hello Hawk Families,
Welcome to November! It’s feeling like fall now. This past month was a month full of learning for both students and staff. Our students have much less review work and a lot more new content in October. I love seeing the students’ writing and art projects hanging in the hall and listening to the wonderful discussions they are having in class. And how about those Brewers?! Their big win sure brought a lot of excitement and joy to our school.
November is when the Wisconsin State Report Cards are released to the public and I know the results will prove that our students and staff are topnotch! Look for a notification about this to come later this month.
November brings us a lot of big events. This month we . . .
- adjust to the time change! Make sure to turn those clocks back if you haven’t already!!
- have parent/teacher conferences on the 5th and 10th.
- have a Veteran’s Day program on November 11th
- enjoy the Thanksgiving break! If your family hunts please stay safe and best of luck to you!.
Please give your best effort to get your child here on time in the morning. Just being 15 minutes late means your child’s teacher has to call the office to adjust the attendance, our cooks have to adjust lunch count, and your child might miss their breakfast and welcoming activities. All of these things begin at 7:35. We want your child here to experience the full day and learn as much as they can! |
November 2nd: No School for Students November 4th: Picture Retake Day November 5th: Parent/Teacher Conferences November 10th: Parent/Teacher Conferences November 11th: Veterans Day event at Halmstad November 23-27: Thanksgiving Break, no school |
REMINDER: If your child will be late, needs to be picked up early, is sick, or needs to take a different route home, PLEASE call the office, do NOT reach out directly to their teacher.
Teachers often are busy in class and do not see messages. They might also have a sub that day. Always call Ms. Lindsay for any changes.
FRONT OFFICE NUMBER: 715-726-2415 |
- Compulsory Age: Children between ages 6 and 18 are required to attend school regularly under Wisconsin Statute § 118.15.
- Parent-Excused Absences: Under Wisconsin Statute § 118.15(3)(c), parents/caregivers can excuse their child for up to 10 days per school year for any personal reason (including family vacations or illness) without needing a medical note.
- Medical Documentation: Absences backed by a doctor's note or medical documentation typically do not count toward the 10-day parent-excused limit.
- Truancy Definitions (Wis. Stat. § 118.16):
- Truancy: An unexcused absence for part or all of one or more days.
- Habitual Truancy: Unexcused absences for part or all of 5 or more days within a single semester.
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ParentSquare is our new way to communicate and has replaced Class Dojo this year. On ParentSquare, you can message staff, check out past newsletters, sign up for conferences, and more! Scan the QR code to sign up or click HERE. |
Picture Retake Day is November 4th! If your child missed picture day or needs their picture retaken, please fill out the form HERE. There is no additional charge for retakes.
If you already ordered a photo package, you do NOT need to reorder anything.--Just make sure to send your original photos back with your child.
If you haven't ordered photos yet, you can do so online. Follow the instructions below.
If you have questions about the Code Lookup or are having difficulty navigating the site, reach out to the Customer Service team via the Live Chat on their website, www.strawbridge.net |
The Cardinal Community Learning Center is excited to share a special opportunity for Halmstad students to receive a FREE haircut provided by CVTC Cosmetology students on Thursday, November 19th!
Pre-registration is REQUIRED! Parents/guardians must pre-register their student by Friday, November 13th to participate. Register on this link!
Please see the attached flyer for additional details. We encourage interested families to sign up before the deadline!
We’re grateful to CVTC Cosmetology students for partnering with us to provide this wonderful opportunity for our Halmstad students! |
Temperatures 50 degrees or higher
- No jacket required
- If the temperatures are close, send your students outside with their long sleeves and pants; if the temperature rises to 50 degrees, the students can put their items in the classroom line just like they do with their backpacks in the mornings.
Temps 32 - 50 degrees
- Outerwear required (Outerwear is defined as a hoodie, sweatshirt, 1/4 zip, fleece, windbreaker, jacket, etc) Just cannot be the student's base layer. Students should also be wearing pants.
- Students may wear shorts in the building during the colder months. They should put pants on when they go to recess if temperatures are below 50 degrees
Temps below 32 degrees
- Winter jacket required
- If snow is on the ground students are to wear snow pants and boots at all times in order to play in areas other than the blacktop. If students do not wear snow pants and boots with snow on the ground they will be required to stay on the blacktop.
Temps below -6 degrees
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The PTO has a new fundraiser this year that is replacing Club's Choice!
Butter Braids come in a variety of flavors for $17 and each serves 11 people. Great for the upcoming Holidays!
Order forms were sent home with students. Orders are due by November 9th, and can be picked up from Halmstad on November 18th.
More information on the products can be found HERE.
Thanks for your support! |
Please keep an eye out for our "Whose is it?" Wednesday posts where we show all the clothes and other items that have been collected in our Lost and Found!
If you see an item that belongs to your child, tell them to grab it from the lobby or reach out to Ms. Lindsay in the office! |
Head Lice - Tips on preventing and controlling the spread Unfortunately school-aged children are at an increased risk of contracting head lice due to the close physical proximity between elementary-aged students during school activities. During cold weather months there is added risk as kids often wear hats, scarves, and coats that are shared, increasing the risk of lice transmission. To help prevent an infestation, here are some tips: - Avoid head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact during play and other activities at home, school, and elsewhere (sports activities, playground, slumber parties, camp).
- Do not share clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, hair ribbons, or barrettes.
- Do not share combs, brushes, or towels. Disinfect combs and brushes used by an affected person by soaking them in hot water for 5–10 minutes.
- Do not lie on beds, couches, pillows, carpets, or stuffed animals that have recently been in contact with an affected person.
- Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items that an affected person wore or used during the 2 days before treatment using the hot water laundry cycle and the high heat drying cycle. Clothing and items that are not washable can be dry-cleaned OR sealed in a plastic bag and stored for 2 weeks.
- Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the affected person sat or lay. However, spending much time and money on house cleaning activities is not necessary to avoid reinfestation by lice or nits that may have fallen off the head or crawled onto furniture or clothing.
- Check your child's hair at home for head lice and nits regularly. If crawling lice or nits are found on your child, all household members should be examined for crawling lice and nits every 2–3 days.
- You should examine your child’s head, especially behind the ears and at the nape of the neck, for crawling lice and nits if your child exhibits symptoms of a head lice infestation.
- Persons with live (crawling) lice or nits within ¼ inch or less of the scalp should be treated.
- Your health care provider will likely recommend a medication available without a prescription that kills lice and some of the nits. These medications may not kill recently laid eggs. Therefore, an appropriately timed second treatment is usually necessary to kill nymphs after they hatch but before they become adult lice.
- Some studies suggest that re-treating 7 to 9 days after the first treatment is the ideal time for a second treatment, but other re-treatment schedules exist. Ask your health care provider for written instructions for a recommended treatment schedule.
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Medications at School: Friendly reminder that if your child requires any prescribed or over-the-counter medications at school, ALL medications and refills must be dropped off at the school by an adult. Students are not allowed to carry any prescription OR nonprescription medications in their backpack or on their person. This includes cough drops, tylenol, ibuprofen, topical creams/ointments, etc. This requirement is to ensure medication safety and proper supervision of all medication administration at school in order to prevent potential misuse or the sharing of medication. As a reminder, all prescription medications require a medical order that includes both a physician and parent signature. Nonprescription medications require only written permission from a parent/guardian. Please reach out to the school health office to request a medication permission form if your child will require medication administration at school.
Encourage Frequent Handwashing! As we start to enter the cooler months, we will start to see a rise in viral and bacterial illnesses. Please remind your child to wash their hands frequently as we enter cold/flu season! Handwashing is the single most important means of preventing the spread of infection. Both your example and encouragement are essential!
Handwashing should be performed: - Before and after eating
- After using the toilet
- After sneezing, coughing, and wiping their noses
- After playing outside
- After playing with shared toys
- After touching animals
- When they come home from school.
Follow these steps for proper handwashing: - Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Scrub your hands for at least 15 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
CFSD Illness Protocol: Students are required to stay home if any of the following apply: - Temperature of 100.4 or higher. Need to be fever-free for 24 hours without any fever-reducing medication (Tylenol, Ibuprofen) before returning to school.
- Vomiting in the last 24 hours - Must be asymptomatic for 24 hrs before returning to school.
- Diarrhea (3 or more loose stools in a 24 hr period) - Must be asymptomatic for 24hrs before returning to school.
- Diagnosed with a contagious disease (strep throat, impetigo, etc) and have not been on antibiotics for 24 hours.
- Has an unexplained rash that is widespread or is draining and unable to be covered by a bandage.
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2026–2027 Budget & Levy Approval
Like many public school districts across the state, our district continues to navigate a challenging financial landscape shaped by state funding structures and rising operational costs. Despite these challenges, we take pride in our fiscal management, ensuring the budget is aligned to School Board expectations and to support our schools.
We extend our gratitude to our dedicated teachers, administrators, staff, and board members, who work every day to provide the highest quality education for our students.
Thank you for your continued support and investment in our children's future. |
Mentor Chippewa is proud to partner with the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District for the 2026-2027 school year and bring our school-based mentoring program to their students!
Be the Mentor You Wish You Had! Think back — what if you’d had one consistent, caring adult during your school years? Now, you can be that person for a local student. With Mentor Chippewa, mentoring is easy: 🕒 30 minutes a week 📅 Once a week during the school year 🏫 Right in a local school, during the school day You don’t need teaching experience. Just life experience. You don’t need a perfect schedule. Just a willing heart. 💚
Mentorship isn't about perfection — it's about presence. Your steady encouragement could help unlock a student's confidence and future. 📝 Apply today for 2026-27 at mentorchippewa.org 📣 Know a grandparent, neighbor, or retiree who might love this? Tag them! @MentorChippewa #MentorChippewa #BeTheDifference #RetireesGiveBack #OneDayOneStudent #MentoringMatters
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Location: 565 E South Ave. Chippewa Falls, WI 54729 |
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