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| A message from our new Assistant Principal, Ms. Bri Marcum |
| Dear Bay View Montessori Families,
I am thrilled and grateful to join the Bay View Montessori community as your new Assistant Principal. My first week has been wonderful, filled with smiles, kind conversations, and a warm welcome from students, staff, and parents alike. Thank you for making me feel at home so quickly!
My journey in education began in Maine, where I spent my college summers and early teaching years as a camp counselor and director. That foundational experience led to a decade in teaching, including eight rewarding years at Clement Avenue School. For the past four and a half years, I have served as the Assistant Principal at Cass Street School. During my time there, I was proud to help lead improvements in academics, attendance, and student behavior by cultivating a culture where children felt welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed.
As a proud Bay View resident with a daughter at Fernwood Montessori, I am especially excited to bring my experience back home to our neighborhood. I view our school through two lenses, as an administrator and as a Montessori parent, and I am personally invested in the success of the community where my own family lives and grows.
When I’m not at school, you’ll likely find me with a book in my hand, tending to my garden, or staying active through sports and travel. I am truly looking forward to getting to know your children and partnering with you all to make this a fantastic remainder of the year.
In partnership,
Bri Marcum |
| SEC Meeting | March 11th at 5:30 pm |
| 2025-2026 Yearbooks can be ordered until March 15th. Order here: BVM Yearbooks |
| Help preserve a bit of our school’s history |
| We recently came across several wonderful pieces of our building’s history – some dating all the way back to 1922! We would love to put these items on display so our students and families can enjoy this glimpse into BVM’s past. To help preserve and display these pieces, we are looking for a few frames in the following sizes:
• 24″ × 48″
• 14″ × 17″
• 10″ × 14″
• 6″ × 8″
If you happen to have a frame in one of these sizes that you would be willing to donate, please drop it off at either office. We would love to showcase these pieces of our school’s history for the community to see! |
| Summer Camp Interest Form |
| Families interested in summer care with BVM Camp are asked to please fill out the Summer Camp Interest Form. Ms. Kristen, our Camp Director, is collecting responses to help determine enrollment and staffing needs.
Camp Dates: June 22 thru August 7, 2026
Hours: Monday – Friday, 7:00 am to 5:30 pm
Camp will include a variety of activities throughout the summer, including at least one field trip each week. Field trips are typically all-day events. In order to participate in field trips, students must attend camp at least three days during that week and follow the camp code of conduct in accordance with MKE REC camp policies. Please note: All students, including K3 and K4, must be fully (100%) potty trained in order to attend camp. Camp staff are not licensed to provide toileting assistance.
Submitting the form helps the camp team keep all interest in one central place. After completing the survey, families should watch their email for a confirmation of a camp spot or notification that they have been placed on the waitlist.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete the form if your family may need summer care. |
| BVM Camp is hiring for Before & After School Camp! |
| BVM Camp offers:
-Professional Development Opportunities
-Paid training events
– Free Childcare for staff
Hiring for:
– Instructors: $15 – $18 per hour
– Door Monitors: $15 – $16 per hour
Apply online today: mkerec.net/camps
If you apply, please email your name to me or Ms. Kristen Antoine, the Camp Director, at antoink@milwaukee.k12.wi.us, to ensure your application can be pulled specifically for the Bay View Montessori.
This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone who enjoys working with kids and wants to be part of our school community. |
| Parent Teacher Conferences |
| Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Monday, March 16 and Wednesday, March 18 from 4:30–8:00 PM.
If you have not yet done so, you may schedule your conference here:
BVM SPRING 2026 CONFERENCES |
| Wonderland Bookshop is returning to Bay View Montessori, this time at Upper Campus! All Upper Campus students will have the opportunity to visit and shop the book fair during the school day on Friday, March 13. The bookshop accepts cash and credit cards.
Families are also invited to browse and shop the book fair during Parent-Teacher Conferences. We’re excited to welcome Wonderland Bookshop back and hope you find some great new reads! |
| Girl Scout Cookie season is here! |
| Several BVM Girl Scout troops will be selling cookies during Parent-Teacher Conferences, with booths set up at both campuses. Be sure to stop by and support our students!
Monday – Upper Campus: Troop #11378
Monday – Lower Campus: Troop #37842
Wednesday – Upper Campus: Troop #37825
Wednesday – Lower Campus: Troop #38165
Families also have the option to pre-order cookies for pickup during conferences:
Upper Campus pickup (only on Monday): https://digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/troop11378c497?fpkp=1
Lower Campus pickup (only on Wednesday): https://digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/troop38165c497?fpkp=1
When ordering online, enter 53207 and select Bay View Montessori Upper Campus (Monday pickup) or Lower Campus (Wednesday pickup). |
| Chess Club is co-hosting a tournament! |
| Bay View Montessori’s Chess Club is proud to co-host the MPS Arpad Elo Memorial Cup Chess Tournament on Saturday, March 14 at Ronald Reagan High School. Our Chess Club will be running the concession stand to help keep the players nourished throughout the day. If families would like to help out (whether or not your student participates in Chess Club) you are welcome to donate items for the concession stand or volunteer during the tournament. Please sign up here: Chess Club Concession Stand Sign Up
Tournament Details
Preregistration: https://www.kingregistration.com/register/MPS2026
Location: Ronald Reagan High School
4965 S 20th St, Milwaukee, WI 53221
Schedule:
On-site Registration: 9:00–9:30 a.m.
Round 1: 10:00 a.m.
Round 2: 11:15 a.m.
Additional rounds will begin shortly after the completion of the previous round.
Thank you for helping support our BVM chess community! |
| Spring Sports Registration is now open. |
| BVM SPRING SPORTS REGISTRATION FORM
Registration will close on March 14th so that rosters can be finalized. The form will not be reopened after this date. If your child is interested in participating, please be sure to complete the form before the deadline. We understand schedules are busy, but in order to organize teams, secure field space, and communicate with MKE REC, we must adhere strictly to the March 14 deadline. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE.
If you are interested in coaching or have questions, please reach out to Kate Sommerville, BVM Sports Coordinator at bvmsportco@gmail.com.
Thank you for helping us make spring athletics a success! |
| Congratulations to our strings students! |
| We are thrilled to share that all of our Bay View Montessori Strings students received a rating of 1 at the Wisconsin School Music Association Solo & Ensemble Festival this past weekend! A “1” is the highest rating possible, and it reflects the outstanding preparation, dedication, and musicality these students brought to their performances.
Congratulations again to Natalie Mathy (violin), Mariam Abdallah (violin), and Tessa Mallmann (viola) for representing our school so beautifully.
A heartfelt thank you to Ms. Gretchen Leanna for her continued dedication to our music program and the incredible support she gives our students. We are so proud of all of you! |
| We are so proud of Ben Keto (6th Grade), who represented Bay View Montessori at the CESA 1 Regional Spelling Bee this week! Ben made it through eight rounds of competition and was among the final four spellers remaining – an incredible accomplishment. Congratulations, Ben! |
| A local Irish dance school is currently hosting a shoe drive and welcoming donations from community members. The drive is collecting gently worn, used, and new shoes. Donated shoes help raise funds for the dancers’ upcoming performance experience while also keeping shoes out of landfills and supporting small entrepreneurs in developing countries who resell them to support their families.
While we are not able to host a collection at school, families who would like to donate can drop off shoes at:
Jen’s Sweet Treats | 4745 S Packard Ave, Cudahy, WI
The drive runs through March 24. Thank you for considering supporting this community effort! |
What is the Wisconsin Forward Exam?
The Wisconsin Forward Exam is designed to gauge how well students are doing in relation to the Wisconsin Academic Standards. These standards outline what students should know and be able to do, in order to meet grade level expectations and be on track for future learning. The Forward Exam is administered online in the spring of each school year for students in:
• grades 3-8 in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics,
• grades 4 and 8 in science, and
• grades 4, 8, and 10 in social studies.
Accommodations and supports for students with disabilities and English learners are built into the system so that the progress of students can be accurately measured.
What does this mean for my child?
The Forward Exam is a summative assessment that provides a broad measure of your child’s achievement in the content areas tested. The results provide one measure of achievement and should be used along with local measures such as report cards, school-wide assessments, and other information about your child’s progress in school.
When does the Forward Exam take place?
The Forward Exam will be given to students in schools between March 16 and April 24, 2026. Districts and schools choose their own testing dates within this window. Bay View Montessori students will be taking their forward tests March 23 thru March 27.
The estimated time for test administration in each grade is approximately:
• 125 minutes for ELA,
• 90-115 minutes for mathematics,
• 105 minutes for science, and
• 70 minutes for social studies.
These estimated times are for the purpose of scheduling, as the Forward Exam is not a timed test. It is important to note that students may take more time or less time to complete the test based on effort and ability levels.
What type of scores will be provided?
Students receive a score based on their performance in each content area. Each score will fall in one of four levels:
Advanced – The student demonstrates a thorough understanding of the knowledge and skills described in the Wisconsin Academic Standards for their grade level and is on-track for future learning.
Meeting – The student is meeting the knowledge and skill expectations described in the Wisconsin Academic Standards for their grade-level and is on-track for future learning.
Approaching – The student is approaching the knowledge and skill expectations described in the Wisconsin Academic Standards for their grade-level needed to be on-track for future learning.
Developing – The student is at the beginning stages of developing the knowledge and skills described in the Wisconsin Academic Standards at their grade-level needed to be on-track for future learning.
Where can I find sample or practice test questions?
The Forward Exam Practice Test provides students, families, and educators, with a sample of the type of content and questions students will encounter on the Forward Exam. Students should use the Practice Test to familiarize themselves with the question formats and online testing platform, including the tools available to them during testing. The Practice Test is not scored and does not cover the full range of content on the exam. The Practice Test is approximately two-thirds the length of the actual Forward Exam and is intended to provide all students with the opportunity to become comfortable with the Forward Exam platform prior to testing. The Forward Exam Practice Test is available for student use online at http://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/forward/sample-items.
For more information about the Forward Exam contact the Office of Educational Accountability at osamail@dpi.wi.gov or visit
https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/forward. |
| BVM Big Fundraiser – Auction Items Needed |
| The annual adults only Big Fundraiser is coming up in May, and planning is already underway! In previous years, this special event was organized by the BVM Fund. Last year, the Fund joined forces with the PTO and we’re excited to continue that partnership as we shift gears into a new, more inclusive theme: Donate Through the Decades. While you’ll still be able to enjoy “the greatest two minutes in sports history” during the Kentucky Derby, this year’s event will also feature games, trivia, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow BVM parents.
A key part of the evening is our silent auction and we need your help! If you (or someone you know) would be interested in donating a service (prepare a special meal, dog sitting, babysitting, tutoring, etc.), gift cards to local businesses, or tickets, experiences, or unique items families would love to bid on please contact Ms. Ania or you can also reach the PTO directly at bvmptoinc@gmail.com.
And if event planning is more your style, we’d love that too! Let us know if you’d like to join the planning team. Thank you for helping us make this year’s fundraiser a meaningful and memorable event for our entire BVM community. |
| Enrollment at BVM for 2026-27 |
| To account for student enrollment for next Fall, we must determine seat stability and availability. To help us plan, please fill out the form below to indicate whether your child will be returning to Bay View Montessori School for the 2026-27 school year.
If you enrolled a younger sibling online (mpsmke.com/EnrollMPS) but have not yet let the office know, please fill out this form for the new K3 student as well. (Please select “Yes” for “Will your student be returning to BVM for the 2026-27 school year?”)
BVM 2026-27 Enrollment Form |
| March 9 | Primary Book Club
March 11 | SEC Meeting
March 13 | Book Fair
March 16 & 18 | Parent Teacher Conferences & Book Fair
March 17 | PTO Meeting
March 20 | No School
March 23 – 27 | Forward Testing
March 30 – April 3 | Spring Break
April 15 | Early Dismissal Day
April 22 | District Community Meeting at BVM
April 25 | Arts and Crafts Day
May 2 | Decades Themed Adults Only Event
May 6 | BVM 3rd & 4th Grade Spelling Bee
May 13 | BVM 5th & 6th Grade Spelling Bee
May 14 | Spring Strings, Orchestra and Band Concert
May 25 | No School for Memorial Day
May 27 | Spring Showcase
June 11 | K5 Moving Up Melody Concert
June 11 | 8th Grade Completion
June 15 | Last Day of School
Overnight Fieldtrips
April 13 – 17 | NCI – Ms. Jen and Mr. Tomter’s Classes
April 20 – 25 | NCI – Ms. Emma and Mr. Bryan’s Classes
April 15 – 17 | Upham Woods – Ms. Cathy and Ms. Jamie’s Classes
April 22 & 23 | Camp Minikani – 3rd grade students |
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