Farnsworth Middle School is one of four middle schools in the Sheboygan Area School District. We have a student body of about 460 students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Our staff is dedicated to providing a safe and encouraging learning environment for every student.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 7:40 a.m. - 3:03 p.m.
Wednesday 7:40 a.m. - 1:48 p.m.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 7:00am - 4:00pm; Wednesdays 7:00am - 2:00pm
Starting middle school is a time of great excitement, of growth and discovery. Most students look forward to middle school because it means they are growing up and gaining independence. At the same time, the transition into middle school can be a little scary. Students may be apprehensive about meeting a lot of new people, getting lost in a large school or having a hard time with their locker combination.
At Farnsworth, we make sure students learn in a safe, supportive and fun environment. To make a large school feel smaller, each school year our students belong to a team made up of their grade-level peers and a teacher from each academic subject area. Additionally, each student is assigned daily time with a supportive adult that will remain with them throughout their time at Farnsworth to support and encourage them. These are just a few examples of how we help students to build relationships with their teachers and each other.
We offer innovative, quality educational opportunities at Farnsworth. Our top-notch academic courses are taught by a highly qualified teaching staff. We constantly strive to improve student achievement at Farnsworth. Each year we have met or exceeded the expectations on the Wisconsin State Report Card. This is a testament to the work of the students, families, and staff that comprise Farnsworth Middle School.
We also know that school is about a lot more than just academics. Therefore, we provide a large variety of sports and clubs for our students. Many activities are offered every year and others change based on what our students or parents want. It is important to us that our school community drives what we offer!
We welcome you to visit the rest of our website and our regularly updated Facebook page to learn more about what opportunities await for your child at Farnsworth Middle School. Please call our school office at (920) 459-3655 if you would like to set up a personal tour with me or have any questions.
Sincerely,
Todd DeBruin, Principal
To develop a smaller, family-like atmosphere, all students belong to a team. The team approach organizes students and teachers into smaller learning communities which help students get to know their teachers and each other. Common planning periods and team meetings are opportunities for teachers to plan instruction and discuss issues concerning students on their team.
Students begin the day with a brief Homeroom period. This is a time to have breakfast, talk with classmates about important questions posed by Project Wisdom, and make connections with a teacher in a less formal setting than regular classes.
Students are exposed to new courses in middle school through the Allied Arts program, which offers a wide variety of courses in art, music, health, physical education, business, technology, family and consumer education, and world languages. Students also are encouraged to get involved by participating in some of our many after-school activities. Not only do students learn new skills, they also develop their teamwork and cooperation while building confidence and self-esteem.
Regular communication between school and families is essential for student success.
Over the years Farnsworth has earned a rating of meeting or exceeding expectations on its Wisconsin School Report Card.
In surveys of how they feel about their school, Farnsworth students give responses that show our dedication to building teacher-student relationships is paying off. Although all our district middle schools scored well on these measures, in last year's survey a higher percentage of students at Farnsworth than any other district middle school agreed with the statements "Students have a trusted adult that they can talk to" and "Teachers treat me in a way that is respectful."
1931 | Sheboygan's South Side Junior High School is completed. Sheboygan's first junior high included students in grades kindergarten to 9th. Enrollment of 862 students and staff of 24 full-time and 4 part-time teachers. |
1958 | Elementary classes are transferred to the new Wilson School, leaving a student population of 662. |
1960 | We became Farnsworth Junior High School, named for William S. Farnsworth, the man who is credited with founding Sheboygan |
1975 | A major remodeling took place providing space for science, music, art, technology education and the library |
1982 | We became Farnsworth Middle School as the concept of middle schools was adopted in Sheboygan |
1997 | Another major remodeling and additions are built to improve physical education, library, classroom and cafeteria spaces |
2005 | Remodeling converts the former auditorium space into two floors of classrooms, small instructional areas, and meeting spaces |
Otto H. Lowe | 1931–1946 |
Otto F. Huettner | 1946–1959 |
Erwin J. Bach | 1959–1969 |
Perry Gaalaas | 1969–1974 |
James H. Arentsen | 1974–1985 |
Roland Alger | 1985–1989 |
Al Calabresa | 1989–1999 |
Dave Williams | 1999–2008 |
Todd DeBruin | 2008–Present |
Please don't hesitate to call us if you have any questions or concerns.
Bear in mind that teachers are not able to receive phone calls while they are conducting classes. If you need to get in touch with a specific teacher, emailing will usually get you the fastest response. Email can be used to arrange a time for a phone or in-person discussion if that is what you prefer.
You can find staff contact information by checking our Staff Directory, or by checking Team pages in our Academics tab. If you're not sure who to get in touch with, our Who Do I Ask? chart below can steer you to someone who can help.
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Please call our school office at (920) 459-3655 to set up a tour. For our students' safety, visitors are required to enter through the main doors, sign in at the office, and obtain a visitor's pass. The visitor's pass should be displayed throughout your visit to make it clear that you are an authorized visitor.
Farnsworth is located at 1017 Union Avenue on the south side of Sheboygan. It is only a few blocks from Lake Michigan.
For the safety of our students, city traffic ordinances limit parking, stopping, and standing near the school. There is no parking on the Farnsworth side of any of our surrounding streets from 7-4 on school days. In addition, stopping/standing by cars is prohibited in certain bus-only areas shown in red in the picture. Please use the green areas when dropping off or picking up your students.
Because regular school attendance matters, Farnsworth has put several interventions in place in order to encourage everyday attendance.
State law allows no more than 10 excused absences per school year. As students begin to accumulate excused absences, the following interventions/consequences may be implemented:
After 10 excused absences, a doctor’s excuse may be required to excuse any absences for the remainder of the school year. If the doctor’s excuse is not provided, the absences will turn to unexcused absences and further interventions/consequences will occur.
Wisconsin State Statue 118.15, compulsory school attendance, and school district policy considers a student to be habitually truant if he/she was absent from school without an acceptable excuse for either part of or all of five or more days on which school is held during a semester.
For any absence that is unexcused, your child will need to make up missed learning time with detention.
Other additional interventions/consequences that may be implemented include:
Being tardy to school is also a form of an unexcused absence and truancy. The tardy policy below has been developed in order to encourage being on time.
UNEXCUSED TARDY TO 1ST PERIOD OR ARRIVAL AFTER 7:40
All students who arrive to school late will get their tardy pass from the tardy station located outside the main office. Students who are late will be marked as unexcused unless they come with a signed note (from a parent, guardian, or doctor) or a parent/guardian calls the school.
1-9 Tardies → No consequence
10th Tardy → 30 minutes of after school detention assigned
15th Tardy → 30 minutes of after school detention assigned
20th Tardy → 30 minutes of after school detention assigned
25th Tardy → 60 minutes of after school detention assigned
30th Tardy → 60 minutes of after school detention assigned
35th Tardy → 60 minutes of after school detention assigned
40th Tardy → 60 minutes of after school detention assigned
* Number of tardies reset the first day of every quarter; detention minutes do not reset
UNEXCUSED TARDY TO PERIODS 2-10 (NOT INCLUDING STUDENTS ARRIVING TO SCHOOL LATE)
At the classroom teacher’s discretion - see teacher for specifics
Farnsworth has earned a rating of Meets Expectations on its 2022-23 School Report Card. This rating is based on student growth, achievement, attendance, and more. Please see the full report for more details.
Learn about the activities at Farnsworth Middle School.
Activities