MMSD and MSCR to Replace Cabins at Madison School Forest Following 2025 Summer Camp Season

MADISON, Wis.—The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) and Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR), will begin construction this fall on a major upgrade to the Madison School Forest campground in Verona, replacing four cabins that have served generations of students and community members for more than 60 years.

The new cabins will feature frost wall foundations, thermal insulation, metal roofing and engineered siding—enhancing year-round durability and allowing for extended-season programming in both early spring and late fall. The project—scheduled to begin after August 15, 2025—will replace the aging cabins with modern, energy-efficient structures designed by Zimmerman Architectural Studios. 

“The Madison School Forest has given thousands of MMSD students a chance to experience nature, community and hands-on learning,” said Mary Roth, executive director of MSCR. “These new cabins ensure that the tradition of providing these programs can continue for generations to come.”

The 307-acre Madison School Forest, located 20 miles outside of Madison in the hilly terrain of the Driftless Area, is owned by MMSD and operated by MSCR, in collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. 

“For more than six decades, these cabins have supported outdoor education in Dane County,” said Scott Chehak, MMSD’s senior executive director of building services. “Our investment in these cabins will not only last for decades, it’ll continue to support flexible programming in every season for our community to enjoy.”

The Board of Education awarded the construction contract to Iconica Inc. in the amount of $846,648, funded through MSCR’s maintenance budget. Demolition of the existing structures will begin after the conclusion of MSCR’s 2025 summer camp season.

Annually, MSCR provides environmental education, overnight camping and day camp opportunities to more than 7,500 MMSD students and community members. Please visit mscr.org for more information about the Madison School Forest and MSCR outdoor programming.  

###

About the Madison Metropolitan School District: The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is the second-largest school district in Wisconsin, serving more than 25,000 students across 52 schools. The district’s vision is that every school will be a thriving school that prepares every student to graduate ready for college, career and community. With more than 6,000 teachers and staff, MMSD is committed to ensuring the district’s goals and core values are held at the center of its efforts, so students can learn, belong and thrive. For more information, visit mmsd.org.

M3 Insurance Releases Annual Employee Benefits Trend Report

MADISON, WI – M3 Insurance has released the 2025 edition of its annual employee benefits report, now reimagined as Momentum: An M3 Employee Benefits Trend Report. More than just a name change, Momentum represents a meaningful shift in focus, reflecting the evolving realities of today’s employee benefits landscape.

For more than two decades, M3’s trend report has served as a trusted resource for employers, traditionally centered around plan design benchmarks and regional premium comparisons. But in today’s environment marked by rising costs, expanding point solutions, and strategic complexity, employers need more than static data points.

“As the benefits landscape evolves, so must the tools we use to navigate it,” said Ryan Barbieri, Executive Vice President of Employee Benefits and Partner at M3. “Momentum is built to spark strategic conversations. It’s forward-looking, data-informed, and rooted in what employers need to understand to stay competitive not just today, but tomorrow.”

Key themes in the 2025 report include:

• The rising impact of pharmacy trend, including GLP-1 medications and gene therapies
• The shift toward direct primary care and high-performance networks
• Emerging focus on social determinants of health and care navigation
• The decline of one-size-fits-all wellness programs and standalone telehealth

The full report is now available on the M3 Insight Center.

M3 developed Momentum to meet the growing demand for forward-looking strategic insight, while complementing the real-time, personalized data delivered through its analytics platform, BenchmarkPRO. To learn more about BenchmarkPRO, visit m3ins.com/broker-analytics.

###

About M3

M3 is a top insurance broker and risk management firm in America. We’re leaders in the products we represent and the industries we serve. M3’s people are an extension of your team, providing world-class resources to help you manage risk, purchase insurance, and provide employee benefits. And our focus on community builds better places to live and work. For more information on M3, visit www.m3ins.com.

Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) ER for Pets seeking support for VEG Cares 5K

Hi Animal lovers!

I hope this message finds you well! My name is Daniel Darrow, and I’m reaching out on behalf of VEG ER
for Pets – Wisconsin Market (Madison, Brookfield, and (Green Bay coming soon!)) to share an exciting
opportunity to support pets and families in need through our local fundraiser, the VEG Cares 5K.

This family-friendly event will take place on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at Brandt-Quirk Park in
Watertown. This event is more than just a 5K; it’s a celebration of community and compassion, bringing
people together to help fund life-saving veterinary care for pets who might otherwise go without.

We partner with the nonprofit Veterinary Care Foundation through our VEG Cares program to ensure
that cost isn’t a barrier to critical care. With the help of donations from families, fundraisers, and
partners like you, our emergency veterinarians and nurses can say “yes” to treatment when a pet’s life is
on the line — whether it’s a neighbor’s dog needing urgent surgery, a shelter cat struggling to breathe, or
a local family facing financial hardship.

We’re reaching out to ask if you might be able to help support this event in one of the following ways:

1. Make a monetary donation — we are kindly requesting contributions of $500 or more from local
   businesses. In return, you’ll receive sponsorship recognition at the event, including space to set
   up a tent and connect with over 300 expected attendees from the Wisconsin community.
   • If you’re unable to attend in person, you can still take part by providing coupons, brochures, or promotional materials that we’ll include in participant registration bags — a great way to get your name in front of our guests.
2. Donate an item for our silent auction — if a monetary donation isn’t feasible, we’d be so grateful for a product, service, or gift card we could feature in our event auction. This is another great way to support local pets while showcasing your business to event participants.

All donations are tax-deductible, and 100% of proceeds will go directly to supporting pet families in our community through VEG Cares.

I’d love to chat more about how we can partner to make this event a success. Please feel free to reach
out to me directly at 262-267-8240 or danieldarrow@veg.com.

Thanks for supporting the VEG Cares 5K! Help us reach our $50,000 goal to make a difference for
people and their pets in our community when they need it most!

Warm regards,
Daniel Darrow – Hospital Manager
Veterinary Emergency Group – Brookfield | danieldarrow@veg.com | 262-267-8240

Apply for Midwest Mujeres Spanish Story Time Training Program

Are you a creative, playful person who loves to work with children? Are you passionate about sharing the richness of the Spanish language and la cultura latina with the next generation? Buscamos hispanohablantes to present Spanish story time programs for young children in the Dane County public libraries. Bicultural heritage speakers preferred. This is an excellent opportunity for those with flexible schedules and reliable transportation looking for fun and rewarding part-time work.

Join our FREE 6-week training program and apprenticeship to learn:

• The building blocks of pre-literacy and early literacy
• Elements of library story time programs
• Sharing Spanish language, stories, songs, and culture with diverse audiences
• How to develop your personal presentation style
• Entrepreneurial skills, including marketing your program and writing contracts

After the initial training period, partner with Spanish story time presenter Ricardo Marroquin of Dane County Library Service to visit Dane County public libraries. The apprenticeship period will include three phases: observation, co-presenting, and solo presenting with support and feedback.

At the end of the training and apprenticeship, you will receive a certificate of completion. Beyond the Page will provide support to connect you with presenting opportunities in the Dane County public libraries, but you will be qualified to take your program anywhere (museums, community centers, YouTube, etc.).

Apply here by July 25. 
¡Gracias por su interés!
Thank you for your interest!

This application process has two parts:
1. Answer the required questions in this Google Form.
2. Submit a video file of yourself reading a children’s story or singing a children’s song in Spanish
(Here is a sample children’s story you can use. Here is a sample children’s song you can use.)

When submitting your application, below are the requirements to keep in mind:

Required:

• Confident speaking and reading in Spanish and English
• Minimum 1 year of experience working with kids (doesn’t need to be formal)
• Comfortable with public speaking
• Interested in early childhood education and literacy
• Independent self-starter comfortable with leading a project and a group
• Creative
• Reliable access to transportation

Strongly Preferred:

• Interested in passing on cultural traditions (songs, stories, dances, games…)
• Native or heritage Spanish speaker

If you have any questions at all about the program or the application process, we are only too happy to help! Contact Alicia Treviño-Murphy at trevino-murphy@dcls.info or call/text (608) 217-0451.

Kickoff Event for Incoming Trainees: Tuesday, August 19th, 6-7:30p

Training dates: Tuesdays, September 9th – October 14th, 6-8pm

Training location: Dane County Library Service (1874 S. Stoughton Rd. Madison, Wisconsin 53716)

WisDOT Seeking Input on US 51 (Stoughton Rd) South Study

WisDOT is conducting a study along US 51 (Stoughton Road) South from Voges Road/Terminal Drive (just south of the Beltline) to north of Milwaukee Street (just south of WIS 30).

WisDOT held a public involvement meeting for the US 51 (Stoughton Rd) South Corridor Study on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Meeting materials, including details about the proposed intersection conceptual alternatives and an online survey, can be found on the study website: tinyurl.com/US51SouthPI.

Those who could not attend are encouraged to provide feedback by filling out the survey which will remain open until August 15, 2025.