FERNWOOD FAMILY NEWSLETTER #17, 12/17/24

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

POPCORN THIS FRIDAY, 12/20!

PAC Apparel Sale

A Caffeinated Thank You!

Congratulations, Titania and Celeste!

Cookie Thank You!

Winter Concert Thank You!

Fernwood Soup & Chili Supper is back!!!

Updated Recess Weather Guidelines

Winter Sports Bag Policy

Learn to Speed Skate at the Pettit

Reminder from Nurse Gretchen

Arts Fest Planning Meeting

Lost and Found Clean Out with NEW VISUALS!

Fernwood Parent Budget Survey

PTO Upper El Escape Room Event

Upper El Escape Room Registration

Boy Scout Book Drive

Ski/Snowboard Club Sign Up

Camp Fernwood Seeking Director

After School Theater Classes – Winter Session

OUR SCHOOL IS COOL!

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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

~Tuesday, December 17th, 2024, 6:30pm, Fernwood Fund Meeting, Fernwood library and virtual, email brett.mytys@gmail.com for link

~Saturday to Wednesday, December 21, 2024-January 1, 2025, NO SCHOOL, Winter Break 

~Tuesday, January 7th, 2025, 5:30pm, PTO Meeting, Fernwood Library and virtual https://meet.google.com/xyc-wwnz-czu

~Thursday, January 9th, 2025, 6:30pm, Music Parents Meeting, virtual https://meet.google.com/fpf-rvca-uuk

~Friday, January 10th, 2025, 5:30pm, PTO Upper El Escape Room Night, Fernwood Cafeteria

~Monday, January 20th, 2025, NO SCHOOL

~Tuesday, January 21st, 2025, 6:30pm, Fernwood Fund Meeting, Fernwood library and virtual, email brett.mytys@gmail.com for link

~Friday, January 24th, 2025, NO SCHOOL

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POPCORN THIS FRIDAY, 12/20!

Just in time for Winter Break, the adolescents students will be offering a special seasonal popcorn flavor!  In addition to offering the classic (for a reason!) butter and salt flavor, you can now also get salt and butter flavor!  Wow!  Available for $1 at the Falling Heath doors after school.  

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PAC Apparel Sale

The Fernwood Parent Athletic Council Sale items will be sent home this week!  Items will go home with students.

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A Caffeinated Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who ordered for the PTO Coffee Sale!  We raised over $2500 for the Fernwood PTO.  Amazing! ☕☕☕

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Congratulations, Titania and Celeste!

Titania McHenry, 7th grader at Fernwood, won the district MLK Jr. speech contest for 7th and 8th grade.  Celeste Ziegler, grade 6, room 32 got 3rd place in the MPS MLK Jr. writing competition.  Winners will be showcased at the free Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Citywide celebration on January 20, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. at the Marcus Performing Arts Center.  We are so proud of you, Tania and Celeste!

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Cookie Thank You!

Nothing says lovin’ like something from the oven!  Thank you to all the Families who donated cookies and tins so that we could show some appreciation to our crossing guards, bus drivers, engineers, and delivery drivers.  These folks do a lot to keep Fernwood going!  

Another thank you to 4th Grader Deeksha Kancharla in Room 32 for contributing the beautiful and festive art for the cookie tins and to Ms. Makula for facilitating the project!  See below for a photo of Deeksha’s work!

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Winter Concert Thank You!

Thanks to all our parent volunteers for making our Winter Concert a success!  

It was beautiful to hear the music from the Lower El choir under the direction of Ms. Molly!  Dr. Sharon and Ms. Molly joined musical forces for our Upper El choir which was also outstanding!  

Ms. Makula and her adolescent art students contributed decorations with support from students in Mr. Jeremy’s class.  There was also a last minute assist from the Snowflake Squad (Mabel Mertes and Penny Krutsch).  See below for pictures of some of the magic!  The decorations were too good (GLITTER!) not to share! 

Extra thanks to the Fernwood Fund for providing a grant to cover costs to make the Upper El choir possible this semester!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Fernwood Soup & Chili Supper is back!!!

Mark your calendars for Friday February 7th, as it is the return of our annual 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 7:15pm 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:  https://www.mealtrain.com/potlucks/ldg1n4

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Updated Recess Weather Guidelines

Last week, updated guidelines were sent to families that now includes wind chill in the decision to keep children inside.  Please see the updated guidelines that Fernwood will be following.  If you need any winter items, please contact Parent Coordinator Meredith,  genricm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us or Social Worker Christina, chahalcr@milwaukee.k12.wi.us

Updated Recess Weather Guidelines

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Winter Sports Bag Policy

Please see the attached document for the policy on bags at winter sporting events.  This is important information if you will be watching your child play sports this winter.

MCC Bag Policy flyer.pdf

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Learn to Speed Skate at the Pettit

Did you know The Pettit is one of only two indoor long-track speed skating facilities in the country? And The Petitt is only 13-minutes from Fernwood? Registration is now open for Youth Skating and Learn To Speed Skate lessons. The Learn to Speed Skate program teaches students progressively more difficult moves through six levels of skating for short-track or long-track skating. The first class is used to gauge their skill/ability and place them with the best class for the remainder of the lessons. Classes are open to all ages 3+ to adult. Speed skate rental is available, or participants can bring their own hockey or figure skates. All lessons take place on the 400m Oval which is home to an official Olympic Training Facility.

Age: 3 to Adult. 3+ Tot ‘N Me. 4+ for other programs. 6+ for Learn To Speed Skate. Coordinator: Carolyn Spiewak, Director of Speed Skating, cspiewak@thepettit.com Fernwood Parent: Ryan Lent, rlentgroup@gmail.com

Instructor: Pettit National Ice Center Staff

Cost: $99 per session

Session #3 Dates: January 7 – February 18, 2025 (Tuesdays or Thursdays at 6:15pm)

*No classes January 28 – February 2, 2025

Session #4 Dates: February 15 – March 26, 2025 (Tuesdays or Thursdays at 6:15pm)

Location: Pettit National Ice Center, 500 S. 84th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53214

Pettit Learn to Speed Skate.pdf

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Reminder from Nurse Gretchen

Please see the attached document on return to school guidelines for students after illness.  Reach out to Nurse Gretchen if you have questions at kuhnenga@milwaukee.k12.wi.us 

24-25 Sick Guidelines.pdf

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Arts Fest Planning Meeting

ArtsFest is an annual event held in May of each year at Fernwood!  It features vendors selling arts and crafts, food sales, student art for sale, music performances, and more!  The first planning meeting is happening on January 8th at 5:30pm at Anodyne Coffee Roasters on KK.  This is a super fun day which raises tons of money for the Fernwood PTO and the Music Parent group.  If you are a planner, a doer, an idea generator, or a helper, we want you!  

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Lost and Found Clean Out with NEW VISUALS!

Great News!  I “organized” the Lost and Found in anticipation of the MANY visitors that I know are going to be stopping by.  Someone put some nail polish and a lip gloss in there which means the lost and found now features a Health and Beauty section!  It’s like a Sephora but with bad lighting!  See a VIDEO below for a taste of the lost and found experience that is available to you between now and the clean out deadline of the MORNING OF DECEMBER 18th.  The lost and found is located in the north east corner of the building in the basement.

Lost and Found 12/6.MOV

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Fernwood Parent Budget Survey

Hello Parents!  It is budget time for our school administration.  Please take a moment to fill out this quick survey to let administrators know your values as they relate to our school budget.  When Ms. Kristy makes budget decisions regarding staffing, facilities, and programming, she can use this information to guide outcomes.  The budget process can be complicated but this information is vital in the decision making!  The survey will be open until 8 am on January 6th.

Fernwood Parent Budget Survey 24-25

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PTO Upper El Escape Room Event

The Fernwood PTO is hosting an Upper El Escape Room Event (this is completely different from a regular school day where you have to learn stuff in order to escape the building and go home every day)!  The event is on January 10th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at Fernwood.  See below for details!

🐇🐍🐁🐌🐢🦎🐠

OH NO! The Fernwood class pets are in trouble! An evil imposter has snuck into school and released all the pets…

CALLING ALL 4-6TH GRADERS and their families!  YOUR MISSION: Solve puzzles & break codes to guide our pets back to their classroom homes. Will they make it back to safety in time?

 

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED:  Register in teams of 4-5. One parent captain per team is required to attend. You will be assigned a time for your code breaking challenge — check your email so you don’t miss it!

>>>REGISTER BY JANUARY 3!<<<

Upper El Escape Room Registration

 

Additional games, music, and photo station provided. Pizza available for purchase with cash.

The PTO is also in need of volunteers for this event.  Please consider volunteering an hour of your time to help make this fun event happen.  You can volunteer and still have time to enjoy the fun with your family!

Escape Room Volunteer Sign Up

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Boy Scout Book Drive

Fernwood’s Lion Cub Scouts are holding a book drive for the Next Door Foundation, a non profit organization that helps Milwaukee families build their home libraries.  There is a drop box placed in the atrium by Falling Heath.  Please consider donating new or gently used children’s books that will be donated to families in need.  The book drive will be held through the month of December.  Check out this flyer for a link to their book wishlist!

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Ski/Snowboard Club Sign Up

Fernwood is excited to have ski/snowboard club return!  

Rule 1: You do not talk about Ski Club.  

Rule 2: You do not talk about Ski Club. 

Rule 3: Ski club will meet 4 times throughout the winter at Little Switzerland in Slinger (approx 40 minutes from Bay View). 

Rule 4: Parents, friends and siblings can be part of the ski club, too. Open to all levels. 

Rule 5: The cost of ski club varies depending on what you need (it is set up a la cart to make sure people pay for only what they need).   

See the attached document for details.

2024-25 Ski Club

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Camp Fernwood Seeking Director

We are currently looking for a new director for Camp Fernwood.  Please see the attachment and information about applying below.  In addition to applying, please reach out to Ms. Kristy Lowell, Fernwood Principal at lowellkm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us so she can alert Milwaukee Recreation.

Where to apply?: https://milwaukeerecreation.net/rec/Programs/Before-After-School-Care/Child-Care-Camps.htm 

(Director application towards the bottom of the page)

Director Pay Rate Range: $17/hr – $20/hr 

Ms. Ofelia, Assistant Director, will help with operations and billing in the interim.

Director JD -9.13.2023.pdf

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After School Theater Classes – Winter Session

Join Character Kids for our fun-filled After School Theater Classes at Fernwood! Students will explore new stage skills, theater games and performance material; so new and returning students are welcome at each session. Parents are invited to a special performance on the last day of class. 

WINTER SESSION DATES:

Grades 1-3: Mondays, 2:30 – 3:30 pm (December 9 – March 10 (no class 12/23, 12/30, 1/20, 2/17)

Grades 4-6: Wednesdays, 2:30-3:30 pm (December 18 – March 12 (no class 12/25, 1/1)

Focus is put on developing imagination, social skills and a positive self-image through the performing arts. Visit our website for more info or to register. We hope to see you there! 

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OUR SCHOOL IS COOL!

There’s always something COOL going on at Fernwood! This winter break your COOL school has a suggestion for some COOL activities.*  Let me explain…

During break, you might want to go an art museum to fill the time as you are thinking that exposing your 3 year old to priceless works of art is GREAT parenting….until you realize that exposing priceless works of art to your (impatient and impulsive) three year old is maybe NOT GREAT parenting on certain chaotic days (there is probably a “Bluey” episode about this). 

An alternative is to visit the many COOL outdoor murals and sculptures that are on display around Milwaukee (that are also too far away to touch)!  Seriously, we are so lucky that all this exists right in our community and there is much, much more than the Bronze Fonz (respect to Arthur Fonzarelli though)!  

See below for some resources to track down some of these amazing art works.  Personal favorites include the Shepard Fairey mural on 759 N. Milwaukee St, the Giannis mural (Obvi!) on 600 E. Wisconsin Ave, and the Tannery murals.  

https://findmasa.com/city/milwaukee

https://mkemuralmap.com/

https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2024/09/27/friday-photos-new-murals-adorn-the-tannery/

https://milwaukeeriverwalkdistrict.com/river-sculpture/

https://www.sculpturemilwaukee.com/

If you need some extra motivation to get the adolescents in your life out of their rooms, you could also swing by Canary Coffee on the way to grab a hot chocolate or a coffee and support a business owned by a Fernwood parent (canarycoffeebar.com).  

There is also a special mural at the Ivy House (https://ivyhousemke.com/) that was painted by a Fernwood parent (the super talented, John Chirillo) and offers some words of wisdom to reflect on as we close out 2024 and look forward to 2025….

Enjoy the Journey .jpg

Finally, a sincere thanks to you all for making this little corner of the world the strong community that it is and for sending your twinkling, hilarious young people to school every day.  Community and laughter are truly the best and COOLEST gifts you can give!  Peace!  💜

*If this is too much to do, ignore me and just try to sleep a lot!