Fernwood Family Newsletter #32, 4/16/24 

~Tuesday, April 16th, 2024, 6:00pm, PTO Meeting, Fernwood Library and Virtual http://meet.google.com/isc-jfjq-zow

~Wednesday, April 24th, 2024, 5:30pm, Race Talk with Nikki Janzen, Fernwood Library 

~Friday, April 26th, 2024, 8:45-10:00am, Special Friends Day, Fernwood Montessori Classrooms

~Monday, April 29th, 2024, 5:30pm, SEC Meeting, Virtual https://meet.google.com/hnp-uhmu-wpr

~Sunday, May 5th, 2024, 10am-4pm, Fernwood Arts Fest, Fernwood Montessori School

~Wednesday, May 8th, 2024, 7:00-7:20am, Bike Walk and Roll to School Day, Fernwood East Playground and Falling Heath Doors

~Thursday, May 9th, 2024, 6:30pm, Music Parents Meeting, Virtual https://meet.google.com/fpf-rvca-uuk

~Tuesday, May 14th, 2024, 5:30pm, Spring Concert, Bayview High School Auditorium

~Tuesday, May 14th, 2024, Fernwood Fund Meeting, Fernwood Library and Virtual-email benjaminmstocks@gmail.com for meeting link

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

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Volunteer Appreciation Week is Next Week!

It takes an army to pull off this much learning, fun, and community!  At Fernwood, we love our volunteers and quite honestly couldn’t do much of what we do without them!    In honor of volunteer appreciation week, we invite our volunteers to stop by the office annex to grab a small token of appreciation.  Please stop by starting on Monday, April 22 after school.  Gifts will be available until Friday, April 26th.

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Chive Sale! April 19th!

Our prolific school greenhouse has chive plants for sale!  Please stop by the Falling Heath Doors on April 19th to purchase your chive plant!  The sale will happen at 10:25am and again at 2:25pm on that day.  Plants are $2 (cash only and exact change appreciated).  Proceeds will go back to our greenhouse program which benefits all students.  Need inspiration?  See below for recipes with chives from Montessori-educated Chef, Julia Child!

Vichyssoise Recipe

Julia Child’s Herbed Biscuits

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Student Art at Beans and Barley

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Come see the Fernwood Montessori and Maryland Ave. Montessori Collaborative Student Art show the month of May at Beans and Barley restaurant (https://www.beansandbarley.com/).  Artwork from K5-Adolescent students will be featured.  Special shout out to Fernwood parent Jim Neumeyer for giving our students this wonderful opportunity.

See you there,  🙂

Ms. Makula

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Paper Towel and Toilet Paper Rolls Again!

Ms. Makula is again requesting paper towel and toilet paper rolls.  Please drop them in the main office if you have any to contribute!  Thank you!

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May 8th is Bike Walk Roll to School Day

Bike Walk Roll to School Day will be on May 8th right before school.  We are in need of a couple volunteers to help!  Please email Ms. Meredith at genricm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us if you are interested and available. Thank you!

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Fernwood Summer Camp Enrollment 

Starting Wednesday, April 17th, families are allowed to pick up an enrollment packet for all children interested in attending Fernwood’s Summer Camp 2024! Packets are due no later than 3PM on Friday, April 26th. Packets should be filled out completely and returned to the main office for each individual child. Please keep the following in mind:

-No late or incomplete packets will be accepted. 

-Students will be enrolled via a lottery system on May 6th (details to follow) and we will not rely on a first come first serve basis.

-Number of children enrolled will be based on staffing levels and availability.

-There is no deposit due until you are accepted. 

-Camp is $150/week.

-Camp will run from 8AM-5PM Monday through Friday.

-Camp will run from June 17th through August 16th.

-Students must attend at least 3 days per week to be eligible for enrollment.

-Students cannot miss more than 2 consecutive weeks to be eligible for enrollment. 

-Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner service provided.

Any further questions should be directed to Michelle Stehlik at stehlim@milwaukee.k12.wi.us.

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Save the Date: Spring Concert

Announcing the Spring Concert!  The concert will be held on May 14th at 5:30pm (performers and volunteers arrive at 5:00pm) in the Bayview High School Auditorium (2151 S Lennox St).  Performers include Adolescent Guitar, Percussion, and Rock Band; Upper Elementary Percussion and Choir, the Lower El Choir that is run by Ms. Molly, Harp Students, and 3rd Grade Recorders.  The Lower Elementary choir that is run by Mr. Miller will not perform.  Please consider taking a volunteer shift to help make this event happen!  Hope to see you there!  

Spring Concert Volunteers  (Use the Spring Concert tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet)

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Strong Families Forum at the Bayview Community Center 

On Saturday, April 20th at 10am the Bayview Community Center is hosting a Strong Families Forum. This event features workshops and information to help support healthy families.  Childcare is available.  See flyer for details.  

Forum Flyer 2024.pdf

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St. Francis Football League

The St. Francis Recreation Department is running a football league this summer.  See below for details about participating.

St.Francis Youth Football Flyer 2024.docx

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South Milwaukee Summer Tennis

See below for an opportunity for summer tennis lessons in South Milwaukee.  

South Suburban Milwaukee MYTT Flyer 2024 (1).pdf

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Save the Date: FERNWOOD ARTS FEST!

Please mark your calendars for the Fernwood Arts Fest on May 5th from 10am to 4pm!  This fun event raises money for the Fernwood PTO and is a great celebration of the Arts and our community!  Please bring cash for the door and for shopping (some vendors will take cards).  

This event is only possible if we have lots of volunteers to support it!  Please consider taking a volunteer shift using the Sign Up Genius below.

Arts Fest Volunteer

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Arts Fest Performers Wanted!

Calling all Students that take lessons on an Instrument and/or Voice!  We want YOU to be a part of the Arts Fest Fernwood Recital.  

Fernwood Music Parents want to let as many students studying an instrument and/or voice share their work with the Fernwood Community! 

On Sunday May 5th during Fernwood’s Arts Fest, there will be a Fernwood Student Recital in the courtyard (or Auditorium if weather is inclement) between 1pm-2pm.  Sign up by filling out this quick form here by April 26th.  Thank you for encouraging your child to share their talents, no matter what developmental stage they are at currently.  Any questions, email Molly Pufall-Brown at mpufall@gmail.com.

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Special Friends’ Day

April 26th is Special Friends’ Day at Fernwood.  This is a wonderful opportunity for students to invite guests (Grandma! Grandpa! Auntie! Your Mailman!) to visit their classrooms during one of two morning sessions, 8:45-9:15am or 9:30-10:00am.  Students will be able to share work that they are proud of and demonstrate some of their lessons. 

We ask that all guests enter through the glass doors on Falling Heath Place.  Please send in an RSVP form to your student’s teacher by April 22th if your student has a guest that will be attending.  RSVP forms will be sent home next week and the form is also linked below.

Special Friends’ Day 2024.docx

We will be looking for volunteers to help make this fun day a success.   Please consider coming in to help!      

                                                                Volunteer Sign Up-Special Friends’

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Race Talk 

Please register for Session 2 of a Conversation about Race with Coach Nikki Janzen on April 24th at 5:30pm in the Fernwood Library. 

Conversations About Race Sign Up

Session Two: Exploring Stages of Racial Identity and Loving Ways to Interrupt bias. 

This one and a half hour session will look at the research on how people move through different stages of racial identity development. We will look at skills to call people into the work versus calling people out to avoid blame and shame. 

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MPS Summer Academy/Summer School

Please see the attached flyer for details on MPS Summer Academy.  This year Fernwood was not selected as a site for this program but there are lots of options available.  

ElementarySummerAcademyFlyerEnglish.pdf

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SAVE THE DATE – FERNWOOD FLIGHTS END OF YEAR CELEBRATION

Mark your calendars and start arranging your childcare for this year’s Fernwood Flights on Sunday, June 9th (11am-3pm) at The Sugar Maple.  Fernwood Flights is the annual end-of-year celebration where Fernwood parents and community members gather to meet new people, laugh with old friends, enjoy some good food and beverages, win some great auctions, and have fun raising money to enhance the learning experience and environment at Fernwood Montessori.  Tickets are on sale now at https://events.readysetauction.com/mpsfdn/beerscheers24. 

P.S. If you would like to learn more about donating auction items, being a corporate level sponsor, or getting involved as a parent volunteer with the Fernwood Fund, please send an email to Brett at brett.mytys@gmail.com.

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Our School is Cool!

There’s always something cool going on at Fernwood!  Haircuts?  In the classroom?!?  You heard it right!  Ms. Kelsey lovingly grew her locks super long.  Then, Ms. Andi (who was a stylist before she was a teacher*) came into her classroom and chopped it off!  This was all supervised by a room full of students who then measured the hair and mailed it off to be made into a wig for people who have lost their hair during cancer treatments.  This was some class project!  How cool are these teachers and how cool that the students got to see it!  Attached are some before and afters of Ms. Kelsey!

*Ms. Andi is retired and only cuts up flashcards now 🙂

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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 to help.

Fernwood Music 2023-24 _________________________________________________________________________________________