Welcome to the Middleton-Cross Plains Middle School Advanced Learning Website

Please find contained within information relative to Advanced Learning programming and opportunities in the middle schools.

Here are the links to our programming dates for the 2023-2024 school year

Glacier Creek Dates 

Kromrey Dates 

Maria Nygard is the Advanced Learning Specialist for Glacier Creek and Kromrey Middle Schools.

She can be reached at mnygard@mcpasd.k12.wi.us

Our Programming

The Middleton-Cross Plains School District strives to offer experiences appropriate to each student’s individual needs, interests and capabilities.  Advanced Learning programming options include differentiated curriculum, enrichment and/or acceleration.  The classroom teachers are primarily responsible for implementing these curriculum modifications with support from the Advanced Learning Specialist, parents and administrators.  Our curriculum committees focus on selecting curriculum that can be differentiated within the classroom.  

 Additionally, our middle schools offer a variety of programming to support and encourage academically talented students.

Accelerated Math Program Math Acceleration Criteria 

Students are selected for accelerated math classes based on a number of criteria including standardized test scores, previous classroom performance and curriculum-based assessments. 

Academy Classes

Students in grades 6-8 are selected to take a course for one quarter through our association with the Center for Advanced Academics.  These courses run for one quarter and generally replace the literacy curriculum for that quarter.  Students who consistently have a STAR score 97% (or higher) and very strong teacher recommendations are candidates for this opportunity.

Battle of the Books Program

Both district middle schools run Battle of the Books programs.  Interested students in teams of three or four undertake reading the books on the booklist, and participate in weekly meetings culminating in a school-wide competition.   The winning team will have the opportunity to compete against other teams across our state in late February.  

Greater Dane Anthology Writers Contest

Each fall semester many English teachers and the Advanced Learning Specialist work with students to create pieces for the Greater Dane Anthology writing contest Students may enter this contest with short stories, cartoons, editorials art, or poetry. 

Math 24 Club

Students in 5th and 6th grade can participate in Math 24 clubs during January - early March.  Students will compete against other students in a building competition.

MATHCOUNTS Club

MATHCOUNTS Club is for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. This club meets from early October until the District MATHCOUNTS Competition in Feburary.  Ten students from each middle school will advance to the Regional Math Counts Tournament in early February and can continue to the state level, and possibly national level if they continue to do well.

Spelling Bee

This academic competition is open to all middle level students.  Generally students participate in qualify based on a screener in their classrooms first.  Then selected students move to the School Bee and can advance to the Regional, State and National competitions.

Math Meets

Our district runs District Math Meets for 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th graders.  Interested students may take the qualifying screener for this opportunity.  Based on District Meet performance, students can advance to Regional and Mega Math Meets.

Science Bowl

Science Bowl is for students in grades 6 -8. The science bowl club meets from early November until the State Bowl Competition at the beginning of February. Each school sends three teams comprised of 4 members who compete to advance to the National Tournament. This event is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. At the state level, the University of Wisconsin-Madison sponsors the event.

These opportunities are staffed by many teachers and can vary from year to year.

Art Club - Students are given on additional projects to extend their skills in art.

Drama Club - Students learn and perform one act plays.

World Language Club - Students expand their cultural knowledge of French, Spanish, Chinese and/or German.

Journalism Club - Student create a school newspaper.

Student Council - The club meets all year long and develops a variety of school & community activities

Yearbook Club - Students work to assemble the Yearbook.

Chess Club - Students enjoy chess matches with other students and adults.

Look at all the great events currently taking place at the middle schools!

Battle of the Books

Coached by Maria Nygard

The Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association (WEMTA) sponsors a statewide Battle of the Books program for students every year. Battle of the Books is a fun, academic-based competition that has been very successful in school districts throughout the state in encouraging students to read and expose them to a variety of authors. Feel free to use these lists for summer reading even if your children are not participating in the Battle of the Books.

WEMTA sponsors three divisions. The elementary division reads the nominated Golden Archer winners for the primary and intermediate levels plus a variety of other award winning titles. The middle level participants read the nominated titles for the intermediate and junior high level plus ten other titles which are determined by media specialists throughout the state. The senior division reading list aims to expose students to current award winning literature. The list incorporates awards such as: Golden Archer, Newbery, Printz, Siebert and others.

In our district, we have run a Book Club/Battle of the Books program for middle level students for many years. Our 5th-7th graders read the middle level list. Eighth graders read the senior division books. Building level competitions will take place in February.

Here are the booklists for 2023-2024:

Middle Level 2023-2024

1. All Thirteen : The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat 

2. Allies by Alan Gratz 

3. Alone by Megan E. Freeman

4. Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

5. Before the Ever After  by Jacqueline Woodson

6. Blackbird Girls, The  by Anne Blankman 

7. Esperanza Rising  by Pam Munoz Ryan

8. Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson 

9. How I Became a Ghost  by Tim Tingle

10. Lightning Thief, The  by Rick Riordan

11. My Side of the Mountain  by Jean Craighead George 

12. Out of My Heart by Sharon M. Draper 

13. Prairie Lotus  by Linda Sue Park

14. Ride On  by Faith Erin Hicks

15. Selection, The  by Kiera Cass

16. Truth As Told by Mason Buttle, The  by Leslie Connor

17. Unteachables, The  by Gordon Korman

18. War That Saved My Life, The  by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 

19. Wink by Rob Harrell 

20. Wishing upon the Same Stars by Jacquetta Nammar Feldman

Senior Level 2023-2024

1.  Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate 

2.  All American Boys by Jason Reynolds 

3.  All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown 

4.  American Murderer: The Parasite that Haunted the South by Gail Jarrow 

5.  Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester 

6.  Crumbs by Danie Stirling 

7.  The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander 

8.  Five Survive by Holly Jackson 

9.  From Dust, A Flame by Rebecca Podos

10. Girl On Fire by Alicia Keys 

11. Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

12.  Hometown Victory: A Coach’s Story of Football, Fate, and Coming Home by Keanon Lowe 

13.  The Hunger Between Us by Marina Scott

14.  Nothing More to Tell by Karen McManus

15.  The Roof Over Our Heads by Nicole Kronzer

16.  Run on Your New Legs, Vol 1 by Wataru Midori

17.  A Thousand Steps Into Night by Traci Chee 

18.  Vinyl Moon by Mahogany L. Browne

19.  Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

               20.  What We Harvest by Ann Fristat 

MATHCOUNTS 2024

Math Counts Competition to be held on Saturday, February 10th at Kromrey Middle School.

Glacier Creek -  Coached by Sarah Steele      

 Kromrey - Coached by Ben Saltzman

Greater Dane Anthology Writing Project

Both Glacier Creek and Kromrey Middle school will once again participate in the Greater Dane County Anthology Writing Project. 

All entries are due by Tuesday, December 19th, 2024. 

Here is a link to a slide presentation  that contains all of the information. 

Also, here is a link to a recording.

Author's originality statements do not need to be completed at this time.

Winners will be notified in January if their piece has been selected to represent the district at the next level.

Science Bowl Teams 2024

Tournamenet to be held Saturday, February 3, 2024 at UW Madison.

Glacier Creek-Coached by Sarah Pflasterer

Kromrey- Coached by Jen Reed

Spelling Bee 2023-2024

Sponsored by Maria Nygard

Classroom screeners to qualify for the school spelling bee will be held in October in literacy classes. 

Kromrey School spelling bee will be held December 5th at 8:45 in the Dining Commons.

Glacier Creek School spelling bee will be held December 13th at 8:45 in the Dining Commons.

Math 24

Glacier Creek- Coached by Brett Batura

Kromrey- Coached by Barbie Pietz

CTM Young Playwrights