Please click the link to read the Fernwood Family Newsletter #23, 2/17/26
News
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Fernwood Family Newsletter #22, 2/10/26
Please click the link to read the Fernwood Family Newsletter #22, 2/10/26
Fernwood Family Newsletter #21, 2/3/26
Please click the link to read the Fernwood Family Newsletter #21, 2/3/26
Fernwood Family Newsletter #20, 1/28/26
Please click the link to read the Fernwood Family Newsletter #21, 1/28/26
Fernwood Family Newsletter #19, 1/20/26
Please click the link to read the Fernwood Family Newsletter #19, 1/20/26
Fernwood Family Newsletter #18, 1/13/26
Please click the link to read the Fernwood Family Newsletter #18, 1/13/26
Fernwood Family Newsletter #1, 8/26/25
Fernwood Family Newsletter #1, 8/26/25
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Table of Contents
Arrival and Dismissal Procedure
Essential Attendance Information
Attendance Recapture for Illness
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Schedule of Events
~Wednesday, August 27, 2025, 5:00-6:30pm, Fall Open House (Returning K4-8th grade students and families), Fernwood Montessori School
~Thursday, August 28, 2025, 9am-10am, New K3-K4-K5 Orientation, Fernwood Auditorium and Classrooms
~Tuesday, September 2, 2025, First Day of School, all returning K4-8th Students (New K3 and K4 students should follow phase in start date)
~Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 6:00pm, PTO Meeting, Fernwood library
~Saturday, September 13, 2025, 10am-12pm, Fernwood Fest, West Playground
~Tuesday, September 16, 2025, 6:30pm, Fernwood Fund Meeting, Fernwood library and virtual, email brett.mytys@gmail.com for link
~Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 7:45am-12pm, Picture Day
~Thursday, September 25, 2026, 5:30pm, School Engagement Council (SEC), virtual
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Welcome!
Greetings Fernwood Families! My name is Kari Hanson and I am a fellow parent (my son is in K4 in Ms. Anna’s class), and I am also delighted to be your new Parent Coordinator! I ask that you please have patience with me while I learn the ins and outs of our community and my role in it, and I encourage you to please stop me in person, send me an email, or call to say hello and introduce yourself.
Please read below for information about staying connected at Fernwood and feel free to reach out to me with questions at hansonks@milwaukee.k12.wi.us. I am here to coordinate with all of you and if I don’t know the answer yet, I will find out!
Each Tuesday a newsletter will be sent out to the email address you have listed in your Parent Portal account. Weekly newsletters will have information about upcoming events in our school, resources for families, and information about ways to get involved in the Fernwood community. If you need to update your email address, please reach out to our school secretaries. New topics will be listed at the top and older topics will move down the document. There will always be a schedule of events at the top of each page and a table of contents.
Our newsletter can also be found on our website. The website is also a great resource for staff contact information, agendas from School Engagement Council meetings, and a Fernwood calendar.
Fernwood has a Facebook group for current Fernwood families to communicate with other Fernwood families called Fernwood Montessori Community. Please note that this group is not for communicating with Fernwood staff or administration, but to speak with other families. Please keep topics relevant to Fernwood and lead with kindness.
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Fernwood Calendar & Events
Fernwood Montessori follows the MPS Districtwide calendar. This calendar is linked below and can also be found online in many languages. You will also find scheduled Fernwood meetings and events for the school year (subject to change and updates will be in future newsletters).
https://mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/en/Families/Resources/School-Calendars.htm
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Fernwood Family/School Manual
Fernwood Montessori has updated our Fernwood Family School Manual. This manual has tons of information about family engagement, procedures, dress code, staff contact information and so much more. It can also be found on the homepage of our website.
Fernwood Family-School Manual 2025-2026.docx
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New K3, K4, K5 Orientation
Parent Orientation for K3, New K4 and New K5 Students: K3 and new K4/K5 parents will drop their child off at their classroom on Thursday, August 28th from 9:00-10:00 a.m. and then proceed to the auditorium. We will offer a 45-minute orientation for parents while children are being acquainted with their teacher, assistant and the classroom environment.
Phase-in attendance for K3 and new K4 students will be explained during orientation; you should have received letters with your child’s teacher and phase-in date at the beginning of August. New K5 students will begin school on the first day, Tuesday, September 2nd. Orientation will be your opportunity to take “First Day of School” pictures with teachers.
If you have not done so already, please bring proof of address, a copy of your child’s birth certificate, and immunization records for enrollment purposes. If you have questions regarding your child’s start date, please contact the office at (414) 294-1300.
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Arrival and Dismissal Procedure
Daily Schedule:
Office Hours 7:00 a.m.-3:15 p.m. Office Phone: (414) 294-1300
Student Start Time
School begins promptly at 7:15 a.m. each morning.
Early Arrival
Children are not to be dropped off at school before 7:15 a.m. There is no supervision for children before 7:10 a.m. unless they are coming in for breakfast at 7:00 a.m. Students who arrive early to school and are not eating breakfast will have to wait outside unsupervised.
Student Entry Procedures
Students will be allowed to enter the building at 7:15 a.m. To alleviate congestion when entering the building please have your student enter the correct door associated with their room number. Please assist your child in making a smooth transition to school in the morning by saying “good-bye” at the door to the school. Staff will be available to help your child find his/her classroom. We ask that parents refrain from entering the building with their students during the morning entrance.
~Lower and Upper Elementary students in Rooms 21, 22, 24, 31,32, 33, 34, and 35, will enter through Door #1 (Northeast entrance) in order to avoid the first floor.
~Lower and Upper Elementary Students in rooms 250, 251, 252, and 253 will enter through Door #6 (Northwest entrance).
~Upper Elementary students (in rooms 25, 27, 37) and the Adolescent students will enter through the Falling Heath Place entrance (Glass Doors).
~Primary students (K3-K5) will enter through Door #2 (Southeast entrance) with siblings, if needed. For the first couple of weeks, primary students will line up on their classroom numbers and be escorted into the building by their teachers.
***After 7:15 a.m. the Falling Heath Place entrance will be used for parents and visitors to enter the school. All people entering the building must report to the office to sign in and receive a visitor’s pass.*****
Students in room 26 will be escorted by staff to their room in the morning from the bus, or should be brought directly to class if being dropped over by parents.
End of the School Day for K3 and K4
K3 and K4 children end their school day at 10:15 a.m. Please wait on the East playground to pick-up your child(ren). The teacher will escort each group out of the building. Families must be on time as primary teachers have a quick turnaround before their lunch and recess.
Because recesses begin shortly after dismissal, we ask that K3 and K4 students not use the tot lot directly after school. Thank you for your cooperation.
End of the Day/Dismissal K5-8th
K5 through 8th grade students finish at 2:15 p.m. Parents of children who do not ride the bus meet them on the East playground. Do not park on Pennsylvania Avenue or Falling Heath Place. This is dangerous and interferes with the safety of the children who ride the buses. Students start boarding buses from 2:10 p.m. to 2:20 p.m. Buses will begin pulling from the school at 2:25 p.m. Our school’s primary responsibility is to ensure the safety and well-being of your children. We need your cooperation, assistance and support to ensure students’ safety especially during arrival and dismissal.
Fernwood parking/driving guidelines:
*Do not park or drop off students on Pennsylvania Avenue or Falling Heath Place. These spaces are reserved for buses only.
*Please have your student cross the street at the intersections with a crossing guard.
*To ensure the safety of all students please avoid double parking, which causes heavy traffic congestion. It is unsafe for your child to run between vehicles.
* We need to respect the rights of our neighbors. Do not park or drop off students in front of their driveways.
*The school parking lot is restricted and not open to the public. The parking lot is for staff members only. Please do not have students walk through the parking lot or use the parking lot as a space to pick up students.
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Essential Attendance Information
Please review the attached letter from Ms. Kristy regarding attendance for this school year.
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Attendance Recapture for Illness
If your child is sick, please do not send them to school. Please follow the sick child guidelines that will be sent in your opening week paperwork. We need our staff and community to stay healthy and illness spreads very quickly. We appreciate your diligence. If your child is ill and feels able to complete some work, we are able to recapture their attendance by applying a special code (UADI for illness and PEBT for COVID related illness). You can recapture attendance and see work options here: https://forms.gle/EPrsaqcnS9LRx7Uj6 We are not able to use the UADI/PEBT code for any vacations, doctor’s appointments, or injuries. We are only able to recapture a missed day up to 2 weeks after the missed day, so please be sure to get in your evidence.
Note that we are not a virtual school and that the best learning takes place in school, in-person. Recapturing is an option for illness but is not meant to be used regularly (with a few exceptions and extenuating circumstances). Conversations will be held with school administration/social worker if this attendance code is being over-utilized to develop a plan to have students at school.
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Fall Open House
This will be held on Wednesday, August 27 from 5:00-6:30 pm. We invite returning students and families in K4-8th grades and all new families in 1st-8th grade to school to visit classrooms and teachers, drop off supplies, and reconnect with other Fernwood families and friends.
The Gymnasium will also have tables where families can learn about our family groups, learn about sports teams, register for some after-school activities, and meet our mental health support staff.
A parent meeting will take place in the auditorium from 5:30-6:00pm for all 6th-8th grade families whose child would like to participate in Cross Country. Please see the Cross Country tab below for more details.
Secondary (7th-8th)
Secondary teachers will offer drop in information sessions so families can learn more about how to support their students. Students will also receive in-depth instruction and communication from teachers during the first week of school about expectations. The sessions will be offered at the following times:
5:00-5:20
5:25-5:45
5:50-6:10
6:10-6:30
Room 150: Infinite Campus Tell All: Ryn Botsford and Jason Jerabek
Learn how to navigate the Parent Portal with Infinite Campus to see grades.
Room 152: Google Classroom: Family Dos and Don’ts: Annie Zimmers
Each teacher uses Google Classroom differently. Work with your child to understand Google Classroom expectations and uses.
Room 153: Planners, Schedules, Newsletters, Oh My!: Chelsea Bussewitz and Karen Gervais
Fernwood’s Secondary Program has five teachers teaching five subjects, specials, electives, and homeroom. Organization and communication are *key* parts to the secondary program.
Library: Library Sciences, We Video/Coding Specials
Our awesome librarian, Mr. Grant, will be giving a run down of expectations for some of the specials and electives offered this year
Offered at 5:50-6:10 and 6:10-6:30 only
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Camp Fernwood is Hiring
Camp Fernwood is hiring for the following positions:
-Camp Instructor*
-Door Monitor*
*positions can be part time
Please contact Nichole Abresch, Fernwood Camp Director if you are interested and please spread the word. abrescn@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
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Futura Spanish Enrollment
See the attached flyer for details on the program and enroll now! A representative will also be available in the gym at Open House to assist with enrollment and answer any questions.
Fernwood Spanish 2025-2026 flier.pdf
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Character Kids Enrollment
See the below information about after-school theater classes and register now! A representative will also be available in the gym at Open House to assist with enrollment and answer any questions.
CHARACTER KIDS
AFTER SCHOOL THEATER CLASSES
Come explore the wonderful world of theater with Character Kids! This fun-filled after school class takes place right at Fernwood Montessori on Mondays (Grades 1-3) and Wednesdays (Grades 4-6). Students will play theater games, build stage skills, learn music and choreography from musicals and act out a short script…all while developing imagination, social skills and confidence. Parents are invited to a special performance on the last day of class! Visit our website for more info or to register.
Grades 1st-3rd: Mondays, 2:20-3:20 pm, September 22 – December 1 (10 weeks, no class 10/20)
Grades 4th-6th: Wednesdays, 2:20-3:20 pm, September 17 – December 3 (11 weeks, no class 11/26)
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Cub Scout Pack 179
Is your K5-5th grade child interested in outdoor exploration, hands-on learning, and fun? Then consider learning more about Cub Scout Pack 179. We are a co-ed Pack that serves Greater Bay View Neighborhood families and children. Cub Scouts is a great way to strengthen family bonds, learn valuable life skills, foster an appreciation for nature, and build community. There are two upcoming opportunities for you to learn what Scouting is all about:
Wednesday, September 10th at 6:30pm at Nojoshing Trail for a night hike. Meet in the parking lot of the Saint Francis Civic Center ( 3400 E Howard Ave, St Francis, WI 53235).
Wednesday, September 17th at 6:00pm on Fernwood’s West Playground, attend New Scout night and parent orientation. Scouts and interested children will rotate through stations learning camping skills like knot tying and setting up a tent while parents learn what scouting is all about.
If you have any questions, please contact info@fernwoodpack179.org
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Breakfast and Lunch
All MPS students are eligible for free breakfast and lunch each day.
Breakfast
Students that would like to eat breakfast may report to Door 2 or the Falling Heath Doors between 7:00am and 7:25am to be buzzed in by the secretaries. Students will report directly to the cafeteria for breakfast. Breakfast will be served from 7:00am-7:35am. Students will not be allowed into the building until 7:00 or after due to supervision.
Lunch
If a student would like to have a hot lunch, they will sign up each morning in their classroom. The menu can be found on the MPS home page. Please note that the meal served may be different than the planned meal due to supply issues.
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Fernwood Fest!
The PTO is excited for our annual back to school family fun event! This year Fernwood Fest will be held on Saturday, September 13th from 10am-12pm. There will be popcorn, face painting, bounce houses, Pete’s Pops, a coffee truck, and a special appearance by the Milwaukee Fire Department! All families are invited to come to meet new families and connect with old friends.
We are looking for lots of volunteers to make this day a success. Please consider volunteering – we have 30 minute shifts so you can sign up for the whole event or just the part that works for you! https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/70A0944A5A922A3FF2-58166136-fernwood
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Sports at Fernwood
Welcome back Fernwood Families! This will be my second year as Sports Coordinator for Fernwood Athletics and I am excited for the new school year and the Fall season to get underway. I have been a Fernwood parent and fellow coach for the last 13 years so know firsthand how important sports are for our children and community.
Beginning in 1st grade, there are lots of great opportunities to participate in sports at Fernwood. All opportunities will be listed in the Tuesday newsletters at the start of each new season (Fall, Winter and Spring). Fernwood sports programs are coordinated by Milwaukee Recreation Youth Sports. Each team is led by a volunteer parent coach(s) who determines the weekly practice location and time(s). Games are usually on the weekends starting the third week of September (schedule TBD).
We are no longer utilizing paper registration forms. The electronic registration link for co-ed soccer (grades 1-3/4-5), and girls’ basketball* (grades 4-5/6-8) will be available in the next newsletter. Teams fill up fast and we do have a limit so please turn in registration and payment as soon as you are able. The payment can be cash or check (made out to Fernwood) and delivered to the school office. All athletes/parents will have to fill out a MPS rec packet that includes the concussion protocol, however, that will all be in electronic form and sent from the individual coaches.
*Please note that if you join fall girls’ basketball you will not be able to play winter coed basketball. Coed basketball and Volleyball registration will open mid-October so please keep a look out in upcoming newsletters.
Cross Country information was sent directly to eligible grade level families (Grades 6-8) on August 25th and can also be referenced below.
We are in need of soccer coaches for 1-3rd and 4-5th. If you are interested in coaching any of the sports teams, please reach out to me for more information. Without our parent volunteers we wouldn’t be able to offer sports to our students.
Thanks for making Fernwood Athletics such a success!
Chanda Miller
chandamiller@hotmail.com
Cross Country- Grades 6-8
Message sent to 6-8 grade families on 8/25/25
Fall Cross Country Season (Grades 6–8)
The official Cross Country season kicks off the first day of school Tuesday, September 2nd.
- Registration will be capped at 60 athletes—no late registrations accepted. Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScH80R5Tfg5ytHn3jtn66OHjWeJ_F_PY1a4aERLkoG5KvH95Q/viewform?usp=header
- Registration: Monday, August 25th-Thursday, August 28th (forms were sent out on August 25th via email to eligible families). First come, first served.
- Practices will be held at South Shore Park from 5:15–6:15 PM Monday-Wednesday and races will be Thursdays.
- We’re excited to welcome our new coaches Marisa Mytys, Ben Brannan and Jessica Farah. Amy Ward will also be returning as a coach.
- This is a commitment-based team. Athletes must arrive on time, stay for the full practice, and prioritize cross country.
- A mandatory parent meeting is scheduled during our Open House from 5:30-6:00pm for all prospective runners. This will be held in the auditorium.
We’re looking for runners ready to work hard, have fun, and be part of something great! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Coach Heather @ 414-940-5420.
Kindest Regards,
Coach Heather Ward & Sports Coordinator Chanda Miller
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Our School is Cool!
There’s always something COOL going on at Fernwood! Stay tuned for all the cool things we do this school year.