Fernwood Family Newsletter #24, 02/14/23

~Wednesday, February 15, 5:30pm, PTO Meeting, Library and https://meet.google.com/gog-iqtt-hbw

~Friday, February 17th and Monday, February 20th, No School

~Tuesday, February 21st, 6:30pm, Fernwood Fund Meeting, Library and email benjaminmstocks@gmail.com for link

~Monday, February 27th, 5:30pm, SEC Meeting, https://meet.google.com/srb-wjae-xko?hs=122&authuser=0 

~Monday, February 27th, 5pm, Music Parents Meeting, Library and https://meet.google.com/fpf-rvca-uuk

Family Teacher Conferences

Family teacher conferences will be held in person March 13 and 15th from 3-6:45pm.  Sign up genius links will be available in the next newsletter to select your conference time.

Classroom Placements for 23-24 School Year

Fernwood Montessori has highly trained, qualified teachers and values equity in following the tenets of Montessori.  We know your children well and appreciate your trust in our staff, school and community.  Therefore, we will not be taking parent requests regarding future classroom placements.  

Order Your Yearbook and Yearbook Pictures Needed

It is time to order your 22-23 yearbook.  All yearbook sales will be online only though the Lifetouch website.  Yearbooks are $12.  Yearbook sales will be through preorder only.  We expect yearbooks to be delivered at the end of May.  

To order a yearbook, please go to ybpay.com.  Fernwood’s yearbook ID code is 14852523.   (If you have already ordered a yearbook through Lifetouch for this school year, no need to take any additional action.) 

Are you a wonderful family volunteer who is working with a Fernwood club, troop or sports team? (Thank you!!)   If you are, please submit a picture of your group to our Fernwood yearbook.  Please label your picture with grade level and group name.  We would also love to have pictures of your groups in action.  All pictures should be submitted to FernwoodYearbook@outlook.com by February 15th

Thank you to Amanda Lavoe, Fernwood parent, for volunteering to create our yearbook.  

K3 and K4 Fernwood Enrollment!

Online enrollment for new K3 and K4 students will begin in MPS on February 4th and run through March 5th.  The application is online through the MPS website. Enrollment website.   Click “the online application” near the bottom fourth of the page.   

Please share this information with any potential families who are interested in attending Fernwood in the Fall.  Students must be 3 by September 1st, 2023 to be eligible to apply.   

~If your new to Fernwood K3/K4 student has a sibling currently enrolled at Fernwood, a spot is guaranteed.  However, in order to get a spot, an application must be submitted during the application window and the current student’s name should be included in the application.

~Applications can be submitted throughout the application window.  There is no advantage to completing the application on the first day of the process.  

~Current Fernwood students do not need to reapply.  They are automatically re enrolled.

Spring Lower Elementary Choir

Spring Lower Elementary Kids Choir is returning! 

WHEN: Wednesdays (2:25-3:10pm) March 15th – May 10th

WHERE: Fernwood Auditorium

WHO: Intended for Lower Elementary Students (1st-3rd)

PRICE: $40 per student (8 meeting sessions total)

Looking for committed children who enjoy singing and would value the benefits of being part of a choir. Each child will take home and sign an attendance and behavior contract.  Culminating performance at the end of the session!

Deadline for signup is Wednesday, March 1st, 2023.

Your spot is guaranteed once you’ve paid in full and complete this link. Venmo (to @molly-pufall) or check delivered to the main office (made out to Molly Pufall-Brown) are best options. 

Two parent helpers are needed for management, bathroom/water breaks and dismissal. Please contact me if you are available at mpufall@gmail.com.

Director: Molly Pufall-Brown, a Fernwood parent, has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in music, specializing in voice. She is insured and thrilled to be offering Kids Choir at Fernwood for the 4th year.

Camp Fernwood Updates

Camp Fernwood will be closed on Friday, February 17th and Monday, February 20th.  

Camp Fernwood will be open in the Summer from Friday, June 16th through July 28th.  We will not be open on Tuesday, July 4th. 

The exact times that Summer Camp will be open have yet to be established. Please note that current waiting lists will not be honored as those are specifically for the current school year. All children that would like to attend Summer Camp at Fernwood Montessori will need to enroll just as you do during the Fall. If you currently attend camp, your spot is not guaranteed; you will need to enroll again for Summer Camp. More information, such as enrollment dates, will be available at a later time. Thank you for your patience. If you have further questions, please contact Michelle Stehlik at 414-294-1313 or stehlim@milwaukee.k12.wi.us.

Additionally, Fernwood will be hosting a MPS Montessori summer school program. Enrollment information will be available soon.  Enrollments for summer school and the camp Fernwood summer program will be two separate enrollments. 

Upcoming Elections

Milwaukee Spring elections will be held on April 4th.  This is during Spring Break for MPS.  If you are going to be out of town for this election, please click on the link to learn more about how to request and submit an absentee ballot.  City of Milwaukee Voter Info

Seeking Paper Grocery Bags

Fernwood is seeking brown paper bags for composting in the cafeteria.  We only need bags that are the size of grocery bags.  Please send any you may have around your house to Jenni in the office.  Thank You!

Music Lesson Opportunity

Civic Music Milwaukee is offering a scholarship to provide private lessons to students new to private music study. Click  here to learn about eligibility, application, and audition process. Feel free to email Mr. Miller with questions or for a recommendation. 

Brandon Miller, Fernwood Music Teacher, millerbm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us 

MPS Reads

Each month, MPS provides a list of recommended books for preschool through grade 12 that allows students to see themselves, explore other cultures, and discover more about the world in which they live.

 Help ignite a passion for reading! Access the February book list on the MPS Reads page.

ACE Lower Elementary Program

All eight Lower Elementary classes received a visit from visiting artists DanceCircus on the morning of February 10th! They got to be immersed in artistic, meaningful responses to the concepts of earth, water and air through movement. The students were captivated by the performers’ movement and asked a number of wonderful questions at the end.

Visiting artists like this are part of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra ACE program, and it exists at Fernwood because of the advocacy of Music Parents and financial support of the Fernwood Fund.