Families are encouraged to set a time with teachers to discuss their child’s progress. Teachers send progress reports to parents and guardians and hold conferences. Teachers and staff are ready to help our families with extra meetings or reports.

Join your child at school events and activities. We love getting to know our Fernwood families by collaborating and celebrating together during special events.

Fernwood Montessori School is fortunate to have a dedicated parent coordinator on staff to answer questions about parent engagement, family events, and school resources, in addition to several active parent and family groups that help support extracurricular events, fundraisers, and more. You can meet Meredith Mertes in our Parent Resource Center, or contact her at genricm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us.

Family Events

• Fernwood Fest – September
• Fall Open House – October
• Halloween Event – October
• Winter Concert – December
• Fernwood Family Game Night – January
• Spring Open House – April
• Eighth Grade Completion Ceremony – June
• Fernwood Flights – June

Family/School Committees

• Fernwood Fund – Meets from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. the second Tuesday/month
• Music Parents – Meets from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. the second Thursday/month
• Parent Athletic Council – Varies
• Parent Teacher Organization – Meets from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. every third Tuesday/month
• School Engagement Council – Meets from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. every last Monday/month

Montessori Advisory Committee

The Montessori Advisory Committee (MAC) began in early 2018 as a working group of MPS Montessori parents and now includes teachers, paraprofessionals, principals, district administrators, and community partners.

Supporting Your Student

Family involvement leads to better grades, better attendance, improved test scores, higher self-esteem, and better behavior for children. Helping your child succeed at Fernwood Montessori School includes practices and priorities like:

• Make sure your child arrives at school on time every day (7:25 a.m.).
• Call the school attendance line when your child will be absent: (414) 294-1360. We must be sure every student has arrived safely and follow up with any who are absent. We must also record absences correctly.
• Ensure that your child gets at least nine hours of sleep every night.
• Dress your child appropriately for the weather. Please tell us if your student needs a coat or other outerwear.
• Check your child’s bookbag every day for important messages.
• Help your child with their studies. At home, have a quiet time and place for studying.
• Read with your child every day.
• Volunteer in the classroom.
• Ask how you can join our field trips.

Supply Lists

• Primary Supply List (2024 – 2025)
• Lower Elementary Supply List (2024 – 2025)
• Upper Elementary Supply List (2024 – 2025)
• Adolescent Supply List (2024 – 2025)

Montessori at Home

Your student(s) will complete most of their assignments and projects during the school day, working with special learning tools and stations that are part of every well-stocked Montessori classroom.

You can be a partner in your child’s Montessori education by nurturing their natural independence, creativity, and desire to help right at home. Familiarize yourself with simple Montessori-at-home practices. Your child’s school library or parent resource center may have other Montessori parenting resources that you can explore.

Learning at Home

At home, your child can easily access the same online programs they use in class. Have your student log in through Clever to find learning programs like Smarty Ants, Discovery Education, Flocabulary, and others.

To access additional homework resources for your student, find out if your child’s classroom teacher uses Google Classroom or Seesaw as their preferred interactive learning platform.

Communicating With Your Child’s Teacher

Stay in touch with your child’s teacher and you’ll be up to date on your child’s academic goals and accomplishments. Students feel extra motivated when they see teachers and parents working as a team to reinforce high expectations and positive learning strategies. Here are some tips for building a strong parent-teacher relationship to support your child.

• Collect current school/teacher contact information at the beginning of each school year. You can gather this information from teacher handouts, during open-house events or visit our staff directory.
• Attend parent-teacher conferences in person or virtually. Students are proud to “show off” their school and feel supported when teachers and caregivers make time to meet at a conference or school event.
• If a scheduled conference time does not work for you, contact the teacher to choose a different time. Or schedule a virtual appointment or phone call with the teacher. Ask if your child should attend.
• Send your child to school with a bookbag every day and check the bookbag when they come home at night. Important paperwork travels from school to your home – and back again – in your child’s bookbag: permission slips, classroom updates, and school calendars.
• Use digital communication apps like ClassDojo or Class Messenger. Teachers and coaches use these apps to communicate easily and directly with families. Your child’s teacher should provide you with log-in information at the beginning of the school year or sports season.
• Volunteer for a field trip or family event at school. Fernwood Montessori School needs volunteers during and after school. Ask a teacher or school staff member how you can get involved in a way that fits your schedule. Learn more about volunteering with MPS.