Ezekiel Gillespie Middle School has a culture that promotes social, emotional and physical safety where bullying is not tolerated. We encourage our students to contribute to this culture by reporting all bullying and supporting classmates who are bullied. Students, parents or guardians are asked to make a verbal or written report of bullying to teachers, student services staff or administration. Reporting forms are available in the office and can also be found on the MMSD website.

In an effort to promote a healthy lifestyle, prevent distractions from learning and protect kids with allergies, we discourage parents from bringing in cupcakes, cookies and other sweet treats to celebrate birthdays and other big occasions. Balloons are not permitted in the classroom and will be kept in the office until the end of the school day.

MSCR (Madison School & Community Recreation) provides after-school recreational and enrichment opportunities for students Monday through Thursday. This schedule may vary week to week. Programs such as Homework, Cooking, and Art Club bridge a connection between the school day and MSCR. Many sports such as basketball, flag football, volleyball and tennis provide students with the opportunity to be active, part of a team, and have fun. MSCR also offers seasonal programs such as Horseback Riding and Ski Club. Participation in general MSCR programming is free.

Dress for success at Ezekiel Gillespie. There is a close relationship between student attire and attitudes towards school. General Not Allowed: Coats, bare feet, chains on pants, sunglasses, slippers, visible underwear, revealing clothing, clothing that carry a profane, obscene, gang-related slogan or offensive picture, hats, scarves, “do rags”, etc. Religious headgear is allowed. Tops Not Allowed: Muscle shirts, spaghetti straps, mesh shirts, backless, halter, and tube tops, stomach exposure, sleeveless shirts that expose the side. Bottoms Not Allowed: Short shorts, sagging pants; hems of shorts/skirts should reach fingertip length. Please review the dress code with your student and contact the school if you are unsure what is acceptable.

Electronic devices must remain stored, powered off and unused during the school day. Simply stated: “off and away.” Any device used in a manner that violates this school rule shall be subject to consequence.

We are committed to partnering with families as our young adolescents make meaning out of the major events of their middle school years. We encourage academic and social-emotional development by developing and nurturing strong relationships. We consider these relationships a cornerstone for supporting the growth of your middle school child, and look forward to partnering with families and community. There are events throughout the school year that create opportunities for families to engage in the school community.

To report a student’s absence or late arrival, please call 663-6403 and select the attendance option. This automated line is checked regularly throughout the school day. Even if you’ve talked to the classroom teacher, call the office. In order to get an absence excused, you must call each day your child will be out. You can also report absences online.

Planned absence from school: If you are planning an absence of three or more school days, you will need to submit a Planned Absence request to the Principal. Forms are available online.

Please attempt to schedule appointments at times other than during school hours. Only medical and other appointments that are absolutely necessary and impossible to schedule at other times should be made during the school day. Students who need to leave the building during school hours should bring a signed note from their parent/guardian to the office before school on the day the pass is needed so that your student will be waiting in the office when you arrive. Please help us avoid unnecessary office and classroom interruptions by sending a note to school.

If you are picking a child up for an appointment, please arrange to meet them in the office. Students returning to school after an appointment need to check back in with the office. A parent does not need to accompany their child to the office when they return.

Families play a key role in school safety. You can read about school-specific resources for helping keep students safe. You’ll find more information on district safety and security, including how we communicate with you in an emergency, at madison.k12.wi.us/safety.

Emergency situation procedures:

The District has a comprehensive crisis plan, and district administrators coordinate closely with city emergency management officials and law enforcement representatives to monitor and update plans on a regular basis. In addition, Ezekiel Gillespie Middle School has well-established security measures to ensure the wellbeing of students and staff. These include: visitor check-in procedures, locked exterior doors during the school day, surveillance cameras and a security guard.

Breakfast is available fifteen minutes prior to the school day. USDA hot lunch is served daily with nutritional a la carte items and beverages available for purchase. Students may also bring a sack lunch with beverages available for purchase. Students use their ID number to receive their USDA meal or access their personal lunch account. Information regarding menus and pricing can be found on the district website. Signing up for free or reduced meal plan is part of the online enrollment process. Breakfast and lunch account payments can be made online or students may bring payment to the lunch room.

Student messages from parents are delivered during lunch period or again before the end of the school day. Unless it is an extreme emergency, messages will only be delivered during those designated times.

Please make sure that your student knows what to do after school each day. If plans are unclear, arrange to have your child call you during their lunch period or at the end of the day. Students are able to use the office phone for this purpose.

School supervision begins 15-minutes prior to the start of classes at 8:25 a.m. Classes start at 8:40 a.m. Students have the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities and clubs after the bell rings at 4:10. However, students must be under the supervision of an adult or take part in our after-school program if they are going to be in the building after school.

The social worker, guidance counselor and psychologist are core members of the integrated pupil services team that works collaboratively with staff, families and community organizations to deliver supports so that students are college, career and community ready. Specifically, the social worker monitors attendance and coordinates interventions and supports for students with social/emotional needs, attendance or truancy concerns. The guidance counselor supports academic and behavioral needs, and academic and career planning. The psychologist assesses students and engages in collaborative practices to inform IEP development, interventions for social/emotional and behavioral success.

Social Worker:663-6434

Psychologist:663-6433

School Counselor:663-6473

Health Office:663-6439

Nurse:663-6440

Families should avoid dropping off or picking up on the north side of the building as this is the bus pick up/drop off area. Families should follow the marked traffic flow on the south side to drop off and pick up students.

Transportation

Transportation is provided by First Student through yellow bus routes with stops that are placed at centrally located intersections within an acceptable walk distance by students. Riding the bus is a privilege that requires respectful behavior at all times. Specific times and routes can be found at: https://transportation.madison.k12.wi.us/bus-routes. Generally, students who live more than 1.5 miles from the school and within the school’s attendance area meet the criteria and are eligible to ride.

Supervision

The building and grounds are supervised by school personnel fifteen minutes before classes begin in the morning and during the day when students are participating in scheduled school activities until school is officially dismissed. School personnel do not supervise playgrounds after classes are dismissed in the afternoon.

In accordance with Board of Education policy, the following shall not be allowed on school grounds:

1. Hardball or tackle football
2. Throwing of stones, snowballs or other missiles
3. Tripping, shoving, unwanted touching, fighting or other disturbances
4. Thoughtless running or chasing through other activity areas
5. Climbing on fences, buildings, ledges, fire escapes, downspouts, swinging gates, etc.
6. Making snow or ice slides on walks
7. All powered vehicles, including go-karts, powered bikes, mini-bikes, motorcycles, snowmobiles, etc.
8. Dogs or other pets.

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