Fernwood Family Newsletter #18, 1/2/24 

~Thursday, January 4th, 6pm, Fernwood Arts Fest Meeting, Sugar Maple Bar

~Tuesday, January 9th, 6:30pm, Fernwood Fund Meeting, Fernwood Library and Virtual-email benjaminmstocks@gmail.com for meeting link

~Thursday, January 11th, 5:30pm, PAC Meeting, Virtual

~Thursday, January 11th, 6:30pm, Music Parents Meeting,  Virtual https://meet.google.com/fpf-rvca-uuk

~Tuesday, January 16th, 6:00pm, PTO Meeting, Fernwood Library and Virtual http://meet.google.com/isc-jfjq-zow

~Wednesday, January 17th, 4-5:30 pm, Conversations about Race, Fernwood Library 

~ Friday, January 19th, 5:30pm-7:00pm, PTO Trivia Night, Fernwood Cafeteria 

~Tuesday, January 23rd, 5:30-6:30pm, Adolescent Trip Info Meeting, Fernwood Auditorium

~Monday, January 29th, 5:30pm, SEC Meeting, In Person, Fernwood Library

~Friday, February 2nd, 5:30pm-7:00pm, Soup and Chili Supper, Fernwood Cafe

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Link to Fernwood Family-School Manual 2023-2024: Family-School Manual 2023 2024 SY.docx

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Family Budget Survey for the 2024-2025 School Year

Please take a moment to fill out this short survey to help us understand preferences on the Fernwood budget for the 2024-2025 school year.  There will be a district wide budget shortfall next year and Fernwood administration would like family input on priorities for funding within our building.  The survey allows you to rank your preferences for how money is spent and it also explains what will be impacted by the shortfall.  The survey will be open until Friday, January 12th.  

Fernwood Parent Budget Survey 2024-2025

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Announcing the May 2025 Adolescent (7th/8th) Field Trip to Washington DC

Washington D.C, are you ready for some pirates!?  Please join us in the Fernwood Auditorium on January 23rd at 5:30pm for an informational meeting about the adolescent field trip to Washington D.C. in May 2025. The trip is open to all interested students who will be in 7th or 8th grade during the 2024-2025 school year.  Topics covered will include the itinerary, logistics of the trip, cost, fundraising, and time for Q and A.  This trip will be offered through a company called Explore America/EF.

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MPS Goes to One Calendar for 2024-2025

The MPS calendar has been released for the 2024-2025 school year.  Milwaukee Public Schools will move from two school calendars to a single, districtwide calendar, beginning with the 2024-25 school year.  School will start on 9/3/24 for all students at all schools.

MPS 2024-2025 Calendar

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January 12: Important Attendance Day

Please try to have your student at school on January 12th.  This is an additional day in the school year when we are asked to track our attendance for budget purposes.  Thank you for your cooperation!

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Martin Luther King Jr. Writing Contest Winners

In addition to the citywide speech contest, each year the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association (MTEA) and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel sponsor a writing contest to honor the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. 

This year, three Fernwood students took the top three prizes at the 6th grade level!   Over 900 essays were submitted from K – 12th grade.  “Whatever Affects One…Affects All” was the theme for this year’s essay.

Congratulations to all participants who created amazing work!

1st Place Meadow Mertes: Meadow wrote about the importance of free school lunches in MPS.

2nd Place June Rickman: June explained the stolen rights of America’s Indigenous People and Orange Shirt Day.

3rd Place Layla Parker: Layla highlights that safe driving matters for other drivers and pedestrians as well as the emergency response staff.

Here’s a link to read their essays. Please wish them congratulations if you see them!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F45m_Tkd3eJzqX5oPPYdcngAOmnX4dbeaHagg9V_Nxc/edit?usp=sharing

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Fernwood PTO Trivia Night on January 19th 

Please join us for this FREE family event, sponsored by PTO!  Everyone is welcome. Mx. Botsford, Mr. Nikolai and Mr. Jerabek will be our trivia hosts. More information is coming soon!  Event will be held on January 19th from 5:30-7pm.

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Montessori at 50 T-shirts for Sale

Please see the link below if you are interested in buying a Montessori at 50 t-shirt.  Orders are due January 4th.

Montessori at 50 T-shirts

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Fernwood Soup & Chili Supper is back!!!

Mark your calendars for Friday February 2nd, as we are bringing back, by popular demand, our soup and chili supper and social event.  The Fernwood Café will be turned into an all you can eat soup buffet with dozens of soups prepared by your fellow Fernwood families.  Soups will be served from 5:30pm until 7pm and will cost $2 for students and $5 for adults (children 3 & under are free).  If you would like to contribute by cooking and serving a soup please visit this link: www.mealtrain.com/potlucks/wdg9lq

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Sign Up: Conversations about Race

Please register for a Conversation about Race with Coach Nikki Janzen on January 17th at 4pm-5:30pm in the Fernwood Library. 

Conversations About Race Sign Up

Children are never too young to learn about race. In this 90 minute session, you can grow your knowledge on healthy ways to talk to your children about race and equity using children’s books and videos as an anchor for discovery and discussion. This session will be lead by social justice educator, Milwaukee Public Schools restorative practices coach, parent of one of our students and founder of Beloved Healing LLC, Nikki Janzen. 

Nikki will use restorative shared agreements to create a brave, caring space and guide us through researched best practices to help us cultivate children that are racially aware, empathetic and proud of who they are while supporting those in their community. We will watch videos, read children’s books as well as talk through resources and close with a question and answer opportunity. 

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Music Information from Mr. Miller

There is LOTS of information from Mr. Miller about Choir and MANY other music opportunities for our students.  Please see the link for his update which includes ways to sign up.

Fernwood Music 2023-24 ______________________________________________________________________