Resources - Mount Horeb Intermediate Center

Attendance

Report an absence

Call 608-437-7200 and select Option 3 to report student absences, appointments, or parent requests.

This line is available 24/7: When leaving a message, please include your name, your child's name and homeroom teacher, along with the absence reason.

Expectations

Students are expected to be at school each and every day unless they have an excused absence. If a student cannot attend school, a parent/caregiver should call the school office at 437-7606 before 8:00 am. A message may be left on that line. If no contact is made, a "safe call" will be made to verify the child is safe. Parents may send in a note in advance of planned absences. This note should include the following information:

Date(s) of absence/tardy
Reason(s) for absence/tardy
Parent/guardian signature

***Following the return from a medical appointment, students should provide a note from the medical provider.

State law requires that all absences be recorded as excused or unexcused, and it permits up to 10 days of student absences.

Why School Attendance Matters

Research shows that students who miss 9 or fewer days of school in one academic year in Kindergarten and 1st grade are more likely to be reading on grade level by 3rd grade. Building the habit of good attendance early on is key to academic and social emotional success long-term. Said another way, by letting your child miss today, you give them permission to ditch later. Missing school in the early grades teaches them it's okay to miss school when they are older.

Here is a resource to help your family build healthy school attendance habits.

Absences

Excused absences may include, but are not restricted to: illness, family emergency, medical appointments, and family vacation. School Board Policy 431 and School Board Policy #431.1 further spells out the conditions of the school attendance policy.

Parents and guardians may excuse their child for up to 10 days per year without a medical excuse. These days may be taken in ½ day increments according to the Full Day Attendance Policy #431.1 and will be calculated as follows:

Students who receive at least 90% of district-supervised educational services will have been considered in attendance a full day;
Students who receive 33-89% of instruction will accrue 0.5 of attendance; and
Students who receive less than 33% of instruction receive no attendance accrual for the day

Said another way:

Students reporting to school after 8:05 a.m. will be marked tardy.
Students arriving after 8:45 a.m. will be marked absent for a ½ day increment.
Students leaving school before 2:40 p.m. will be marked as absent for a ½ day increment.
Students leaving after 2:40 p.m. will be marked tardy.
Students gone for more than five hours of the day will be marked absent for the entire day.

Absences beyond a total of 10 days are considered unexcused. These absences may only be excused if a medical provider’s note is provided. Absences that are medically excused do not accrue toward the 10 allowable absent days. Families are encouraged to seek and provide a professional note in order for an absence to be marked as medically excused.

Unexcused absences occur when a parent does not contact school to report the absence or a student exceeds their 10 allowable absent days without a medical excuse.

Family Vacations

Please keep in mind that much of the work completed during the school day will not be able to be duplicated. It is recommended that families take trips that match the vacation schedule within the school calendar. Students are expected to bring a note from their parents/guardians a minimum of one week before a family vacation. It is the student and parents’ responsibility to see his/her teacher to inquire in advance about missed schoolwork.

Excessive Absences

It is widely recognized that any pattern of excessive absences (excused, unexcused or a combination) has an adverse effect on the learning process. The Mount Horeb Area School District believes early intervention is most successful in making a positive difference in a child’s school experience. Because of this philosophy, all schools in our district make formal responses to situations involving excessive or unexcused absences. If problems are suspected, a parent meeting will be held to discuss reasons for the absences and to determine an action plan designed to improve school attendance and the child’s educational program.

Truancy

Truant and habitual truant are two classifications used by the Intermediate Center when Wisconsin State Law (S.118.16) maximum days of excusable absences are passed. Absences that are not called in and/or not excused for any of the above reasons are considered unexcused. The Intermediate Center is obligated to refer truant and habitual truant students to local, county and state agencies.

Breakfast and Lunch

Prices

Check prices on our District's School Nutrition page.

Breakfast

Breakfast is offered daily from 7:40-8:00 AM. Students must take at least 3 items and one must be a fruit. If a student chooses to have only milk, it is available for purchase.

Lunch

Lunch is served daily to all students. Each grade level has a 25-minute lunch period after their first recess. Lunch menus and prices are posted for families here. Each lunch provides a well-rounded meal and includes access to the salad bar (note: students must take a fruit or a vegetable with their meal). When available, Food Service will also offer an alternative meal choice. To ensure a safe eating environment for all students, including those with allergies, no food may be shared at lunch.

Free and Reduced Meals

Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications are necessary every school year. They may be printed off this website. Please return your completed application to Michelle Denk by email or mail to the Bus Garage, 421 W Garfield St., Mount Horeb, WI 53572. Applications can be filled out at any time during the school year as income changes.

Please complete the Permission to Share Information form if you would like us to share your information for fee waivers, High School Scholarships, and the Giving Tree Program.

School Nutrition Payments

Payments may be made online via LINQ and made at any school office at no cost or mailed to MHASD High School, 305 S. 8th Street, Mount Horeb, WI 53572. We discourage cash payments.

Paying by Check: Each student has their own account so you must include all names of those you want the check to be applied to. If you would like it split, please indicate the names of the student(s) in the memo section of your check. We will split it evenly among family members if you do not indicate amounts.

Bus Line Up

Community Pledge

Clever Login

Co-Teaching

The IC is an inclusive community that welcomes all identities. To best support our students' academic and social-emotional growth, our instructional specialists have shifted their service delivery method to push into the general education classroom the majority of the time. The general education teachers and instructional specialists plan their lessons together and differentiate strategies to meet all students' needs and work as a team to flexibly group students. This is called co-teaching. Currently, our specialists who are co-teaching include our English as a Second Language teacher, our reading specialists, and our special education teachers.

Instructionally, it is more effective for student learning to have a team of teachers work together rather than isolating each teacher and leaving one person to meet all student needs in their individual classrooms. Students get the benefits of all of the team's strengths and skills, and teacher teams can accomplish more differentiation across the spectrum of student skill level. Social-emotionally, students get the benefit of feeling fully included in the classroom community which is foundational to being able to succeed in school.

FAQs

What Is Co-Teaching?

What Are the Benefits?

There are many proven benefits of co-teaching. Students frequently have different learning styles and preferences. Co-teaching allows those different needs to be more easily met because the teacher-to-student ratio is reduced. Combining our expertise creates opportunities for all students to be successful. Lastly, co-teaching allows for an inclusive setting where students remain in class and instruction is differentiated for all learners.

What Does Co-Teaching Look Like?

Multiple teachers in the same classroom looks different depending on the activity and the needs of the students. Sometimes, teachers will split the class into groups with each teacher teaching one of the groups; this allows for a smaller teacher-to-student ratio for more complex topics. Occasionally, one teacher will pull a small group aside for additional instruction while the other teachers assist students with an extension assignment. This way, students receive additional help when needed or they receive meaningful extension activities led by a teacher instead of work to complete independently at their desk. If you are interested in learning more about the different co-teaching strategies, this website offers quick summaries of each strategy: http://www.marilynfriend.com/approaches.htm.

Who Is The "Head" Teacher?

Drop Off and Pick Up

Review our Traffic Guidelines here.

Transportation To and From School

Students are to use sidewalks during arrival and dismissal to school. Parents are asked to drop off and pick up students in front of the Intermediate Center on Hanneman Boulevard. Children may not be on school grounds before 7:40 a.m.

Arrival and Dismissal Times:

7:40 am Students May Arrive
8:00 am Students Report to Classroom
8:05 am Instruction Begins (A tardy slip is given when a student arrives after 8:05 am)
3:25 pm Instruction Ends and Buses Load
3:35 pm Buses Depart

Traffic Around School

Due to traffic congestion, vehicles are not able to turn right onto Garfield Street from Hanneman Boulevard between 7:30 - 8:30 am and 3:00 – 4:00 pm to improve the safety of students traveling to and from school.

Car Riders

Students need to be dropped off in front of the school each morning. Parents can pull up into the loop in front of the building but should not park there. If you need to come into the school, we ask that you park in the lot in front of the building. Students wait in the front until doors open at 8:00 am. On days when it is raining or during winter months, students will wait in the cafeteria/step room after 7:40 am.
After school, students may be picked up in front of the school. Again, we ask that you do not park in the loop if you need to come into the building. Please do not double park in the loop or on Lincoln St and do not park in the lot near our gym or playground. Follow all posted signs.

Bus Riders

Students riding the bus to and/or from school will be dropped off and/or picked up in the bus parking lot along Garfield Street. This parking lot may only be used by buses. Students will wait on the basketball court until doors open.

Temporary Bus Riding Change Form “BLUE NOTE”

This electronic form is required to be filled out and submitted by a parent/legal guardian requesting and giving permission for their child/ren to ride a different bus other than what they are assigned.
This form must be completed for each student and for each day an alternative bus plan is being requested. Longer bus changes must be documented by the district’s transportation department and notification must be given to your child’s school.
Complete the fillable form and submit it by noon on the day the bus change is requested (9:00 am on early release days). If you are unable to access the online form or it is after noon, please contact the district’s transportation department (437-7056) or the IC office (437-7406) to submit a request.

Walkers and Bike Riders

Students must cross streets at crosswalks for their safety. Students are to walk their bikes while on school property. Bike racks are located near the bus parking on Garfield Street, and we recommend children lock their bikes. Students will wait on the basketball court until doors open.

Skateboard/Roller Blades/Roller Skates

Use of skateboards, roller blades, and roller skates on school property is prohibited. However, if students use skateboards, roller blades or roller skates as a means of alternative transportation, it is required that they carry these types of "transportation" while on school property. The school is not responsible for damage or theft of these items.

Grading Scale

Please view our Profiency Level Descriptions here.

When your child's graded work starts coming home, when we talk at conferences, and or on the report card, you will see letters instead of numbers representing their grade. Please click here to review what the letters mean and how it relates to your child's proficiency level. Note that there are proficiency levels for both academics and lifelong learner behaviors.

K-5 PTO

The purpose of the Mt. Horeb Parent Teacher Organization is to advocate for teachers, schools, and children to create a closer working relationship between home and school, and to enhance communication between parents, teachers, and community.

Formed in the fall of 1989 this organization is open to all parents of elementary children as well as elementary teachers and community members. The PTO continues to grow in membership, as in its contributions.

The PTO will sponsor several activities for families and students this year. Please check this calendar for specific dates, times and locations.

www.mhk5pto.com

Medications at School

All medications (over-the-counter and prescription) are administered in the health office. The Medication Consent Form is required to be filled out by the child's guardian. Before sending any medications to school, please look over the following document for further information.
Medication Procedure

The form that needs to be filled out and brought to school:
Medication Consent Form

Newsletters

Recess

Students have two, 25-minute, grade level recesses each day.

Playground Expectations
In order to insure a safe recess, students need to follow these rules:

Use playground equipment properly.
Be respectful of others (no hitting, pushing, etc.).
Include others in games and share equipment.
Follow directions of duty staff.
Adhere to the rules of sports/activities and exhibit good sportsmanship.

Dressing for Recess

Students are expected to come to school prepared for outdoor play. It is the student’s and parent’s responsibility to make choices that ensure physical safety and well-being. Coats are recommended any time the temperature is below 40 degrees.
Supervisors cannot send students back to classrooms, so students should take coats with them on chilly days. Teachers will periodically review dress expectations with students and will send written reminders to parents in the case of chronic dress code concerns.

Windchill Outdoor/Indoor Recess Plan

When the windchill or temperature is below zero, indoor recess will be held. It may also be called due to precipitation.

Requests to Remain Indoors at Recess

A note from the child’s physician is required to request that a child needs to stay in from recess for an extended period of time due to an illness or injury.

Student Links

General Links

Math Links

Reading and Language Arts Links

Typing Links

School Supply List

Temporary Bus Change (Blue Note)

Is your child going to take a different bus home with a friend? Is your child not going to his child care provider today? Don't forget to fill out the "Blue Note Form" so the bus driver is aware of the change.

The district will allow for a temporary (one time) change in ridership provided space is available on the bus and the request is to an existing stop on an existing route. To request a temporary change, a BLUE NOTE must be filled out per student, per day.

Time Schedule

Intermediate Center Daily Schedule

Students go to classrooms at 8:00 a.m. Instruction begins at 8:05. Students arriving after that time are considered tardy. Classes end at 3:25 p.m.

Recess Schedules

Grade 3

1st Recess: Group 1 - 10:30 to 10:55, Group 2 - 10:35 to 11:00
2nd Recess: 12:45 to 1:10

Grade 4

1st Recess: Group 1 - 11:15 to 11:40, Group 2 - 11:20 to 11:45
2nd Recess: 1:20 to 2:45

Grade 5

1st Recess: Group 1 - 12:00 to 12:25, Group 2 - 12:05 to 12:30
2nd Recess: 2:20 to 2:45

Lunch Schedules

Grade 3 -- Group 1 - 10:55 to 11:20, Group 2 - 11:00 to 11:25
Grade 4 -- Group 1 - 11:40 to 12:05, Group 2 - 11:45 to 12:10
Grade 5 -- Group 1 - 12:25 to 12:50, Group 2 - 12:30 to 12:55

Visit Our School

Please see our District "Visiting Our School" for details about our school visit prerequisites you need to complete. The safety of our students and staff is among our primary responsibilities. We consistently seek ways of improving our processes. Starting with the 2025-2026 school year, the Mount Horeb Area School District has added a new visitor management system, Visitor Aware, to the robust criminal background check we already employ.