Fernwood Family Newsletter #12, 11/12/24 _________________________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents Schedule of Events Popcorn this Friday, 11/15! School Event Calendar and Meeting Notes AFTER SCHOOL THEATER...
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Share Your Voice as MPS Seeks Its Next Superintendent
MPS is searching for its next superintendent! This individual will lead the district to deliver a high-quality education for students, support families, inspire staff, and enhance the community. The Milwaukee Board of School Directors has selected Hazard Young Attea...
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Fernwood Family Newsletter #9, 10/22/24
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Table of Contents
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Schedule of Events
~Friday, October 25th, 2024, 5:30-7:00pm, PTO Halloween Dance and Parade, details below
~Thursday, October 31st, 2024, 5:30pm, School Engagement Council (SEC), virtual https://meet.google.com/tir-huzv-ikc
~Tuesday, November 5th, 2024, NO SCHOOL and NO CAMP-Voting Day
~Thursday, November 7th, 2024, 6:00pm, PTO Meeting, Fernwood Library and virtual https://meet.google.com/xyc-wwnz-czu
~Thursday, November 14th, 2024, 6:30pm, Music Parents Meeting, virtual https://meet.google.com/fpf-rvca-uuk
~Tuesday, November 19th, 2024, 6:30pm, Fernwood Fund Meeting, Fernwood library and virtual, email brett.mytys@gmail.com for link
~Thursday, November 21st, 2024, 5:30pm, School Engagement Council (SEC), virtual https://meet.google.com/tir-huzv-ikc
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Interim Report Cards
Interim Report Cards for Grades K5-8th are now available on the Parent Portal. Enjoy!
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Music Program Update and Winter Concert Announcement
As shared in previous newsletters, Fernwood’s full time music teacher resigned right before school started. We still have a full-time music teacher vacancy, and would appreciate if our families spread the word; we cannot hire any music teacher in MPS unless it is during hiring cycles (the next one will be in late March for the following school year).
As of right now, Mr. John Saller is subbing most days in the music room, though he does occasionally get pulled to cover classrooms due to a substitute shortage. Ms. Amanda Marconi, Fernwood parent and former music teacher, has been volunteering her time to come and support some days in the music room.
Ms. Molly Brown, Fernwood parent and choral director and Dr. Sharon Morrow, Fernwood grandparent and former music teacher, have been supported by the Fernwood Fund to come in and teach Upper El Choir twice a week.
Mr. Zhang, our part-time orchestra, string, and piano teacher is working hard with our 4th-8th grade students. Our spring concert will feature these students.
Ms. Mary Keppeler continues to work with some students grades 4-8 on their harp skills. Her traveling music time is paid for by the school budget.
We will continue to keep our community updated with new information as it becomes available.
Winter Concert
This year, our Winter Concert will feature our Lower Elementary after-school choir students and Upper Elementary during-the-day choir students. The concert will be held on 12/12 at 5:30pm at Fernwood. Please stay tuned for future newsletters where we will be looking for volunteers to ensure the concert is a success. Special thanks to the Music Parents for taking on the coordination of this event.
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MPS Superintendent Search Needs Parent Input
Milwaukee Public Schools is engaging in a search for its next superintendent! This individual will lead the district to deliver a high-quality education for students, support families, inspire staff, and enhance the community. By developing students as the leaders and workforce of the future, Milwaukee can thrive and offer an exceptional quality of life.
The Milwaukee Board of School Directors has selected Hazard Young Attea Associates (HYA), a national consulting firm, to gather input from Milwaukee residents at all levels, recruit candidates, and guide the search.
Please check the website below for updates as the search moves forward. You will have the chance to participate in public meetings, fill out a survey, learn about candidates and their qualifications, and follow along as we get closer to meeting our next superintendent.
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PTO Halloween Event for K3-3rd
Attention Fernwood Ghostbusters: If you collect spores, molds, and fungus like Egon Spangler, then the PTO has an event for you! Students and families in grades K3 through 3rd are invited to the PTO Halloween Parade Event on October 25th. The parade will go around the block and starts at 5:30 at the Falling Heath Doors. A short dance party in the gym will follow! The event concludes at 7:00pm.
The Fernwood Cross Country team will be selling slices of pizza as a fundraiser for their group. Please bring cash if you want to buy pizza!
See the flyer below for more details.
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The Acceptance Club (GSA) for Students
As Fernwood is dedicated to making our school a safe and inclusive space for all students, we have a new club returning for the second year! The Acceptance Club, previously known as the GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance), offers a safe and supportive environment for students who identify as: LGBTQ+, allies of the LGBTQ+ community, neurodivergent, or any other student looking for a space where they can be themselves without fear or judgment. Activities of the club will be driven by student interest but may include: social activities, field trips, resources and education, awareness and activism, etc. The club is open to 5-8th grade students and meets bimonthly during lunch & recess; our first meeting will be held towards the end of October. Students will need signed parent consent to participate. If your student is interested, please email Christina Chahal, School Social Worker at chahalcr@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
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District Parent/Guardian School Engagement Survey
Please take a few moments to provide some feedback to the district and our school! The District Parent/Guardian School Engagement Survey is your opportunity to provide the school with information on how you might like to get involved and barriers to involvement. The school is provided with the data and it helps us to plan for our year. The survey takes just a few minutes and is available in many languages. Survey and flyer are linked below.
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Our School is Cool!
There’s always something COOL going on at Fernwood! Recently, two very lucky students got to be the Fernwood Montessori Vice Principal for the day! This COOL experience was auctioned off at our Fernwood Flights event at the end of last year. VP Delaney and VP Claire ate pizza, they blew the whistle at recess, and they got to feel official with ID badges and clipboards. I am not sure how much the winning bid for this experience was but the giggle at the end of the video below is PRICELESS! Thanks to Delaney and Claire for keeping things orderly and running smoothly on the day they were in charge! Thanks to the Fernwood Fund for bringing some extra fun into a regular old school day AND for everything else you do!! See below for some pictures and video of the day that students ran the school!