About Middle School U

Goals

The goals of the program are to offer youth an opportunity to explore new ideas, learn and develop skills, gain experience, and foster interest in life-long hobbies.

Ages

Middle School U is for all middle school students including those who are entering sixth grade in the fall of 2010.

Course Design

The courses are based on ideas generated by focus groups of middle school students. The instructors and collaborating organizations are selected for their expertise and/or experience in working with older students, and take the student beyond the basics into the next level of experience in the courses offered.

Base Locations and Schedule

The location for Middle School U Madison is at Jefferson Middle School, 101 S. Gammon Road, Madison, WI 53717.

The location for Middle School U in Waunakee is at Centennial Park, 901 S. Holiday Drive, Waunakee, WI 53597. Some courses are offered at off-site locations, but transportation is provided from the base location. Students may arrive as early as 7:30 a.m. for morning courses and stay as late as 5:45 p.m. following afternoon courses. Free choice activities are available during this time at no additional charge and a space for lunch hour is provided for students staying for afternoon classes.

Students who stay for the full day need to bring their own lunches that do not need refrigeration. Middle School U staff members are on site during these time periods. Milk is provided for lunch, and snack is available mid-morning and mid-afternoon.

Transportation

NEW! Shuttle Service from Cherokee Middle School: Shuttle bus service will be provided daily from Cherokee Middle School
to Middle School U at Jefferson and back. Students utilizing the shuttle option must ride the shuttle both to and from Jefferson.
For the safety of all students, parents must contact the attendance message center if a student will not use the shuttle on a given
day. If students who are riding the shuttle are not at Cherokee by the time the shuttle leaves, students and their families will be
responsible for their own transportation to Middle School U. Fee adjustments for course absence due to missing the shuttle will not be considered. The shuttle will be at Cherokee at approximately 8 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 5 p.m. Travel arrangements from the base location to all course locations are arranged for and provided by Middle School U. Transportation schedules for specific courses will be available each week at the sign-in table. Many courses are instructed off-site, and Middle School U provides all transportation by shuttle bus or van. Due to the number of courses and students being transported, be aware that the bus or van schedule may vary 10 to 15 minutes. A weekly transportation schedule will be posted at each site for the convenience of students and parents.

Course Schedule

Middle School U courses begin the week of June 14 and run through August 20, 2010. Students have the option of attending half-day or full-day sessions from one week up to ten weeks.

Morning courses are 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Afternoon courses are 1:00-4:00 p.m.
All day courses are 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

*Courses the week of July 5 run one-half hour longer each day due to the 4th of July holiday. No courses will run on July 5.

Course Structure and Fees

Middle School U courses are enrichment based and designed for the interested student; therefore, the number of participants in each course is limited and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Fees are based on course selection and will be updated soon for 2010 on the course description page.

Community Collaboration

Middle School U is excited about the opportunity to collaborate with many area businesses and organizations in offering courses as part of Middle School U this summer. Courses conducted and supervised by collaborating organizations require a signed "Acknowledgment of Risk" form in order for the student to participate. The necessary forms will be mailed with your confirmation letters.

Courses offered in conjunction with area businesses are usually held at the business location. It is very important that students are punctual in order to be transported to the location. Please make note of the course location listed with the course description.

Student Participation

Middle School U is interested in the welfare of all participants and believes that each is entitled to a safe and cooperative group experience. Each student is afforded the opportunity for full participation in the courses offered, including all planned activities and trips, unless limited by a special need that cannot be accommodated. We acknowledge that Middle School U may not meet the individual needs of all students enrolling. The first week of a student's attendance in the program is probationary. If it is found that a student is experiencing difficulty due to a special need or inappropriate behavior, the staff will work with the student and family to help retain the student in the program.

Program Policies

Wisconsin Youth Company has developed and authorized program-related behavior policies that govern operational activities. These include conduct and discipline standards, and guidelines that must be maintained to support effective programming. Middle School U reserves the right to dismiss participants who do not abide by the policies, or those who have special needs considerations that cannot be accommodated within the normal staffing pattern. Dismissal from a course may jeopardize future attendance.

How to Register

Complete a registration packet for each student you wish to enroll in Middle School U. Please complete all forms entirely or registration may be delayed or returned due to insufficient information. Registration forms and booklets are downloadable from the links below:

2010 MSU Registration Forms - Madison 998 kb

2010 MSU Booklet - Madison 696 kb

2010 MSU Registration Information - Waunakee 142 kb (coming soon)

You may download Adobe reader here.

Student Registration Form

Check the desired departure procedure and list persons other than parents who are authorized to pick up the student. Indicate the Middle School U courses for which the student is registering. A minimum of two emergency contacts other than parents must be listed on the registration form, or it will be returned unprocessed.

Health History/ Emergency Information Form

If the student's immunization record is on file with Wisconsin Youth Company, provide updated information only. Please indicate any special needs on the health form.

Fee Payment/Parental Agreement

Be sure to read the Parental Agreement thoroughly before signing. There is a down payment to be submitted for each course and each student. This down payment is non-refundable and is applied towards the course fee. The down payment must accompany the completed forms. Make checks payable to Wisconsin Youth Company.

Send registration forms and down payment to:

Wisconsin Youth Company
1201 McKenna Boulevard
Madison, WI 53719

A letter confirming the course(s) in which your student is placed will be mailed to you along with your copy of the registration agreement.

Please Note: A written two-week advance notice must be received by the administrative office to cancel any course. Failure to submit written cancellation of a course two weeks prior to that session will result in the liability of all fees paid and owed for that course. You may add courses at any time, provided space is available.