Fernwood Family Newsletter #1, 8\/26\/25<\/b><\/p>\n
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Table of Contents\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
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Schedule of Events<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Welcome!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Fernwood Calendar & Events<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Fernwood Family\/School Manual<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n New K3, K4, K5 Orientation<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Arrival and Dismissal Procedure<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Essential Attendance Information<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Attendance Recapture for Illness<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Fall Open House<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Camp Fernwood is Hiring<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Futura Spanish Enrollment<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Character Kids Enrollment<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Cub Scout Pack 179<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Breakfast and Lunch<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Fernwood Fest!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Sports at Fernwood<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Cross Country- Grades 6-8<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Our School is Cool!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n ______________________________________________________________________________________________<\/b><\/p>\n ~Wednesday, August 27, 2025, 5:00-6:30pm, Fall Open House (Returning K4-8th grade students and families), Fernwood Montessori School<\/span><\/p>\n ~Thursday, August 28, 2025, 9am-10am, New K3-K4-K5 Orientation, Fernwood Auditorium and Classrooms<\/span><\/p>\n ~Tuesday, September 2, 2025, First Day of School, all returning K4-8th Students (New K3 and K4 students should follow phase in start date)<\/span><\/p>\n ~Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 6:00pm, PTO Meeting, Fernwood library<\/span><\/p>\n ~Saturday, September 13, 2025, 10am-12pm, Fernwood Fest, West Playground<\/span><\/p>\n ~Tuesday, September 16, 2025, 6:30pm, Fernwood Fund Meeting, Fernwood library and virtual, email <\/span>brett.mytys@gmail.com<\/span><\/a> for link<\/span><\/p>\n ~Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 7:45am-12pm, Picture Day<\/span><\/p>\n ~Thursday, September 25, 2026, 5:30pm, School Engagement Council (SEC), virtual<\/span><\/p>\n ______________________________________________________________________________________________<\/b><\/p>\n Greetings Fernwood Families! My name is Kari Hanson and I am a fellow parent (my son is in K4 in Ms. Anna\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n Please read below for information about staying connected at Fernwood and feel free to reach out to me with questions at <\/span>hansonks@milwaukee.k12.wi.us<\/span><\/a>. I am here to coordinate with all of you and if I don\u2019t know the answer yet, I will find out!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 If you need to update your email address, please reach out to our school secretaries.\u00a0 New topics will be listed at the top and older topics will move down the document.\u00a0 There will always be a schedule of events at the top of each page and a table of contents.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Our newsletter can also be found on our <\/span>website<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 The website is also a great resource for staff contact information, agendas from School Engagement Council meetings, and a Fernwood calendar.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fernwood has a Facebook group for current Fernwood families to communicate with other Fernwood families called Fernwood Montessori Community.\u00a0 Please note that this group is not for communicating with Fernwood staff or administration, but to speak with other families.\u00a0 Please keep topics relevant to Fernwood and lead with kindness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ______________________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n Fernwood Montessori follows the MPS Districtwide calendar.\u00a0 This calendar is linked below and can also be found online in many languages.\u00a0 You will also find scheduled Fernwood meetings and events for the school year (subject to change and updates will be in future newsletters).<\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us\/en\/Families\/Resources\/School-Calendars.htm<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Fernwood Events 25-26 <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n ______________________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n Fernwood Montessori has updated our Fernwood Family School Manual.\u00a0 This manual has tons of information about family engagement, procedures, dress code, staff contact information and so much more.\u00a0 It can also be found on the homepage of our website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fernwood Family-School Manual 2025-2026.docx<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n ______________________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n Phase-in attendance for K3 and new K4 students will be explained during orientation; you should have received letters with your child\u2019s 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 \u201cFirst Day of School\u201d pictures with teachers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you have not done so already, please bring proof of address, a copy of your child\u2019s birth certificate, and immunization records for enrollment purposes. If you have questions regarding your child\u2019s start date, please contact the office at (414) 294-1300.<\/span><\/p>\n ______________________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n Daily Schedule:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Office Hours 7:00 a.m.-3:15 p.m. Office Phone: (414) 294-1300<\/span><\/p>\n Student Start Time<\/b><\/p>\n School begins promptly at 7:15 a.m. each morning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Early Arrival<\/b><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Student Entry Procedures<\/b><\/p>\n 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 \u201cgood-bye\u201d 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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ~Lower and Upper Elementary<\/b> students in Rooms <\/span>21, 22, 24, 31,32, 33, 34, and 35<\/b>, will enter through Door #1 (Northeast entrance) in order to avoid the first floor.<\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n ~Lower and Upper Elementary Students<\/b> in rooms <\/span>250, 251, 252, and 253<\/b> will enter through Door #6 (Northwest entrance).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ~<\/span>Upper Elementary students (in rooms 25, 27, 37<\/b>) and the <\/span>Adolescent<\/b> students will enter through the Falling Heath Place entrance (Glass Doors).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ~<\/span>Primary students (K3-K5) <\/b>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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ***After 7:15 a.m. the Falling Heath Place entrance will be used for parents and visitors to enter the school.\u00a0 All people entering the building must report to the office to sign in and receive a visitor\u2019s pass.*****<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n End of the School Day for K3 and K4<\/b><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 Families must be on time as primary teachers have a quick turnaround before their lunch and recess.<\/span><\/p>\n Because recesses begin shortly after dismissal, we ask that K3 and K4 students not use the tot lot directly after school.\u00a0 Thank you for your cooperation.<\/span><\/p>\n End of the Day\/Dismissal K5-8th<\/b><\/p>\n 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\u2019s primary responsibility is to ensure the safety and well-being of your children. We need your cooperation, assistance and support to ensure students\u2019 safety especially during arrival and dismissal.<\/span><\/p>\n Fernwood parking\/driving guidelines:<\/b><\/p>\n *Do not park or drop off students on Pennsylvania Avenue or Falling Heath Place. These spaces are reserved for buses only.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n *Please have your student cross the street at the intersections with a crossing guard.<\/span><\/p>\n *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.<\/span><\/p>\n * We need to respect the rights of our neighbors. Do not park or drop off students in front of their driveways.<\/span><\/p>\n *The school parking lot is restricted and not open to the public. The parking lot is for staff members only.\u00a0 Please do not have students walk through the parking lot or use the parking lot as a space to pick up students.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ______________________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n Please review the attached letter from Ms. Kristy regarding attendance for this school year.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Attendance Letter 25-26<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n ______________________________________________________________________________________________<\/span><\/p>\n If your child is sick, <\/span>please do not send them to school.<\/b>\u00a0 Please follow the sick child guidelines that will be sent in your opening week paperwork. <\/span>\u00a0We need our staff and community to stay healthy and illness spreads very quickly.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0 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).\u00a0 You can recapture attendance and see work options here: <\/span>https:\/\/forms.gle\/EPrsaqcnS9LRx7Uj6<\/span><\/a> We are not able to use the UADI\/PEBT code for any vacations, doctor\u2019s appointments, or injuries.\u00a0 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.<\/span><\/p>\n 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).\u00a0 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.<\/span><\/p>\n ______________________________________________________________________________________________<\/span><\/p>\n This will be held on Wednesday, August 27 from 5:00-6:30 pm. \u00a0 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 Please see the Cross Country tab below for more details.<\/span><\/p>\n Secondary (7th-8th)<\/span><\/p>\n Secondary teachers will offer drop in information sessions so families can learn more about how to support their students.\u00a0 Students will also receive in-depth instruction and communication from teachers during the first week of school about expectations.\u00a0 The sessions will be offered at the following times:<\/span><\/p>\n 5:00-5:20<\/span><\/p>\n 5:25-5:45<\/span><\/p>\n 5:50-6:10<\/span><\/p>\n 6:10-6:30<\/span><\/p>\n Room 150: Infinite Campus Tell All: Ryn Botsford and Jason Jerabek<\/span><\/p>\n Learn how to navigate the Parent Portal with Infinite Campus to see grades.<\/span><\/p>\n Room 152: Google Classroom: Family Dos and Don’ts: Annie Zimmers<\/span><\/p>\n Each teacher uses Google Classroom differently. Work with your child to understand Google Classroom expectations and uses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Room 153: Planners, Schedules, Newsletters, Oh My!: Chelsea Bussewitz and Karen Gervais<\/span><\/p>\n Fernwood’s Secondary Program has five teachers teaching five subjects, specials, electives, and homeroom. Organization and communication are *key* parts to the secondary program.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Library: Library Sciences, We Video\/Coding Specials<\/span><\/p>\n Our awesome librarian, Mr. Grant, will be giving a run down of expectations for some of the specials and electives offered this year<\/span><\/p>\n Offered at 5:50-6:10 and 6:10-6:30 only<\/span><\/p>\n ______________________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n Camp Fernwood is hiring for the following positions:<\/span><\/p>\n -Camp Instructor*<\/span><\/p>\n -Door Monitor*<\/span><\/p>\n *positions can be part time<\/span><\/p>\n Please contact Nichole Abresch, Fernwood Camp Director if you are interested and please spread the word. <\/span>abrescn@milwaukee.k12.wi.us<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ______________________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n See the attached flyer for details on the program and enroll now!\u00a0 A representative will also be available in the gym at Open House to assist with enrollment and answer any questions.<\/span><\/p>\n Fernwood Spanish 2025-2026 flier.pdf<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n ______________________________________________________________________________________________<\/span><\/p>\n See the below information about after-school theater classes and register now!\u00a0 A representative will also be available in the gym at Open House to assist with enrollment and answer any questions.<\/span><\/p>\n CHARACTER KIDS\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n AFTER SCHOOL THEATER CLASSES<\/b><\/p>\n 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\u2026all while developing imagination, social skills and confidence. Parents are invited to a special performance on the last day of class! <\/span>Visit our website for more info or to register.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Grades 1st-3rd: <\/b>Mondays, 2:20-3:20 pm, September 22 – December 1 (10 weeks, no class 10\/20)<\/span><\/p>\n Grades 4th-6th:<\/b> Wednesdays, 2:20-3:20 pm, September 17 – December 3 (11 weeks, no class 11\/26)<\/span><\/p>\n ______________________________________________________________________________________________<\/span><\/p>\n 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:<\/span><\/p>\nSchedule of Events<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n
Welcome!<\/b><\/h1>\n
Fernwood Calendar & Events<\/b><\/h1>\n
Fernwood Family\/School Manual<\/b><\/h1>\n
New K3, K4, K5 Orientation<\/b><\/h1>\n
Arrival and Dismissal Procedure<\/b><\/h1>\n
Essential Attendance Information\u00a0<\/b><\/h1>\n
Attendance Recapture for Illness<\/b><\/h1>\n
Fall Open House<\/b><\/h1>\n
Camp Fernwood is Hiring<\/b><\/h1>\n
Futura Spanish Enrollment<\/b><\/h1>\n
Character Kids Enrollment\u00a0<\/b><\/h1>\n
Cub Scout Pack 179<\/b><\/h1>\n