November 30, 2023

Upcoming Events / Meetings

HIGH SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH DROP IN SESSIONS – Every Friday until Jan 12th

12:00-12:30 pm – during High School lunch

Room 20

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL / HIGH SCHOOL WINTER CONCERT

Wednesday, December 6

6:00 pm 

MacDowell Auditorium

 

DAC MEETING 

Thursday, December 7

6:00 pm

Virtual – DAC Zoom Link 23-24

 

MPS BATTLE OF THE DRUMLINES

MPS drumlines will roll out their best performances when the 21st Annual MPS Battle of the Drumlines crowns a new City Champion. Eight high school and two middle school groups will compete. Seven MacDowell students will be competing with Mr. Ash.

• Saturday, December 9, 2023
• Rufus King International High School

1801 W. Olive St., Milwaukee, WI

• Tickets are $3 at the door
• Doors open at 11:30 am and competition begins at 12:00 pm

 

PRIMARY / ELEMENTARY WINTER CONCERT

Wednesday, December 13

6:00 pm 

MacDowell Auditorium

 

LOU MALNATI’S PIZZA – PTO FUNDRAISER

Thursday, December 14th

4:00-10:00 pm

Greenfield and Brookfield locations – dine in does not qualify

 

HIGH SCHOOL FINAL EXAMS

*Please note these are early release days

December 18th, 19th, 20th

 

CALENDAR CHANGE:

** December 21, 2023— Student Attendance Day for MacDowell K-6th Grade

This date was previously a non-attendance day for students. MacDowell students in Kindergarten through 6th grade on the early start calendar will now attend school on Thursday, December 21, 2023.  

*This is a non-attendance day for MacDowell Middle and High School students (7-12th graders).

 

WINTER BREAK – NO SCHOOL

December 22 – January 1 

Classes resume January 2, 2024

---

Important School Calendar Survey: Notification sent from MPS to emails on file, keep an eye out for this communication and a separate survey sent from Qualitics. 

MPS administrators are preparing to recommend a single calendar for all schools in the district for the 2024–25 school year. Please take the survey to vote for your preferred calendar. 

A single calendar for all schools will be presented at the meeting of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors on December 21, 2023.

Three calendars are being considered. Take the survey to vote for your preferred option. All calendars will have the same number of school days.

• First day of school: Week of August 12; Last day of school: Week of May 19

• First day of school: Week of August 26; Last day of school: Week of June 2

• First day of school: Week of September 3; Last day of school: Week of June 9

Moving to one calendar will increase efficiency and be more convenient for families with multiple children in the district. MPS has operated under two calendars since the 2018–2019 school year.

*You will receive email through a program called Qualitics with your unique survey link. This link will only work once and cannot be shared.

The survey closes December 3, 2023.

Thank you for participating!

---

Weather Closing Information ❄️

With the arrival of winter, please be alert for school closings due to weather. The decision to close school will be posted on the MPS website, MPS X and Facebook pages, and on all major television and news stations.

COLDER WEATHER: As the season begins to turn colder, please remember that younger students should have spare clothing for colder weather in their backpack/bookbag. If you have not already done so, now is the time to replace their clothing with colder weather attire. 

!!! PLEASE LABEL ITEMS !!!

~Students have outdoor recess unless the temperature is below a feels like temp of 11°~ 

Please send your child prepared for the colder weather. If possible, an extra pair of pants or sweater is helpful to leave in their locker. Hats, gloves, mittens, scarves and snow pants are easily misplaced. Please label all items so they can be returned to the child!

 

*Families that are in need of Holiday support, warm weather gear, food, etc. are encouraged to contact Ms. Rachel Jacobson, School Social Worker. Desk (Office) Number: (414) 935-1432 

Text/Cell (Google Voice): (507) 384-9078, jacobsr@milwaukee.k12.wi.us

---

Student Absences Due to Illness

To All Parents and Guardians:
When a school has been notified by a parent that their child is not able to attend due to illness, the student attendance will be marked as Absent Excused. But, absences due to illness do not have to negatively affect your student’s attendance. If your student completes the assignment(s) or work missed on the date of absence and you notify the teacher, the attendance can be updated from Absence Excused to Unable to Attend Due to Illness (UADI). Remember, the student may only have their excused absences updated after they have submitted instructional work. 

*Students that have the UADI code will not have those days calculated into their absence percentage. 

Please make sure you discuss with your child the importance of submitting assignments after an excused absence due to illness so that the attendance can be updated accordingly.

If your child will be out of school for any reason make sure to call our attendance secretary at 414- 935-1460. 

If you have further questions please speak with the attendance secretary.

 Thank you,

Principal Corona

---

Save The Date!

 

MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOL Winter Concert  December 6, 2023 – 6:00pm, Auditorium

• Required for middle and high school Modern Band, Orchestra, and Choir students

 

K5-6th PRIMARY / ELEMENTARY Winter Concert December 13, 2023 – 6:00pm, Auditorium

• K5-6th music students
• Folk Fair Education day participants
• Friday Music Engagement students

*Be sure to stop by the Middle Years Garden Club plant sale and DIY Occupations table during the winter concerts. 

• • Succulent plants
  • Candles
  • Bracelets

 

 

*Senior IB Student Bake Sale

Cash only

Prices under $10

*Donate Pop Tabs for The Ronald McDonald House – drop in any bottle

---

PTO  November Minutes: https://tinyurl.com/3ntvm33f

~NO December Meeting

Reminder: MacDowell’s PTO helps fund events not in the school’s budget: field trip transportation, prom, teacher reimbursement for classroom needs, Senior gifts, and other events 

KRISPY KREME FUNDRAISER – ongoing until December 23

Order online and receive a voucher to redeem at any participating Krispy Kreme location. 

Milwaukee area location : 2900 S. 108th St, West Allis, WI 53227 

https://www.groupraise.com/oc/16201/5T6XBK

 

PTO FUNDRAISER – LOU MALNATI’S NIGHT

December 14th

4:00 – 10:00 pm 

20% of your meal’s price will be donated to MacDowell PTO

*Not eligible for dine in

More details in FLYER

---

HIGH SCHOOL TAB WARS IS ON

November 20th – January 25th

9-12th graders compete to win a pizza party and drinks while helping support the Ronald McDonald House. Anyone can participate – place tabs in the grade’s bottle you’d like to support.

---

High School Final Proficiency Schedule

Fall – Semester 1 2023

December 18, 2023

8:00am – 9:25am       Final 1      Block 1A

9:30am – 10:45am     Final 2      Block 2A

10:50am – 12:05pm   Final 3      Block 4A

December 19, 2023

8:00am – 9:25am       Final 1      Block 1B

9:30am – 10:45am     Final 2      Block 2B

10:50am – 12:05pm   Final 3      Block 4B

December 20, 2023

8:00am – 9:25am       Final 1      Block 5A

9:30am – 10:45am     Final 2      Block 5B

 

---

FAFSA Is Moving to December!!

Attention seniors and families–if you had planned on filling out the FAFSA on opening day, breathe easy! Access to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is moving to December. The FAFSA is your gateway to find out what grants and loans are available to help you pay for college. 

FAFSA has not yet announced an official opening date. You can check for updates in late December at fafsa.gov. Be sure to watch for the 2024–25 FAFSA application.

Changes to the FAFSA will provide an easier application process, expanded eligibility for federal financial aid, reduced barriers, and a better user experience. When it opens, access the application online at fafsa.gov.

Help is available! Your school counselor, Ms. Bruce-Konuah, and College and Career Center staff, Julie Schneider, can help you complete your forms and upload documents.

---

Sports and Activities Update

ELEMENTARY / MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM MEMBERS : 

PLEASE JOIN REMIND

Parents please join Remind to receive updates about your students’ sports and clubs. Here are the current Team & Club links.

Schedules have been released and shared to team members:

• 🏀1-3 Basketball Team 1-Coach Glenn https://www.remind.com/join/ead63a 
• 🏀1-3 Basketball Team 2-Coach Shawn https://www.remind.com/join/b2d448 
• 🏀6-8 Boys Basketball https://www.remind.com/join/34cgf3 
• 🏐6-8 Volleyball Team 1-Coach LJ https://www.remind.com/join/ggahg8h 
• 🏐6-8 Volleyball Team 2-Coach Maiter https://www.remind.com/join/dhc274 

Schedules have NOT BEEN released yet:

• 📣6-8 Cheerleading https://www.remind.com/join/ecfb6h6 
• 🏀4-5 Basketball https://www.remind.com/join/g898dbg 

 

!! High School Basketball Season Has BEGUN !!

 Note: tickets must be purchased by 12:00pm day of the game  

JV / Varsity Schedule HERE

---

Donation Request:

Hello Parents and Friends!

Senior IB students Selah Whaleysmith and Anna Heffernan are fundraising for their Community-Action-Service Project.

We need your help with baked goods donations!

Items requested: 

• Cookies
• Cupcakes
• Brownies
• Muffins
• Rice Krispie treats
• Be creative! 

All baked goods can be homemade or store bought. Items may be individually wrapped or in a package to be wrapped by the students. 

Bake Sale will take place Wednesday, December 13 from 5:30 – 6:30pm, on the night of the Elementary Winter Concert. 

Please drop off items to the main office on the 11th-12th of December. 

All profits will be donated to Anna and Selah’s projects, which are curated to benefit the MacDowell Montessori School!

---

Volunteers Needed !!!!!

🏀CONCESSIONS AT BASKETBALL GAMES: 🏀

High School Athletic Director Ms. Schenk is looking for volunteers to work the concession stand at High School basketball games this winter season. The season begins November 28th.            

See the sign up here : https://tinyurl.com/MacD23-24Concession

---

CHECK THIS OUT 👀 – Watch MacDowell JV and Varsity boy’s team play at the Wisconsin Herd Arena AND stay later for the Wisconsin Herd vs Greensboro Swarm

January 6, 2024

1:00pm / 2:30pm

Herd vs Swarm 7:00pm

View FLYER for more information

---

PRE ORDER YEARBOOKS

We are taking preorders for our school yearbooks! All students who had their photo taken will be in their classroom / grade level layout in this yearbook. We create two separate yearbooks, one for K3-6th grade students & one for 7-12th grade students. Yearbooks are delivered at the end of the school year. There are separate yearbook order links for each yearbook, please see order information below:

• K3-6th grade yearbooks will cost $15 – order online at ybpay.com code is 15140624
• 7-12th grade yearbooks will cost $25 – order online ybpay.com code is 14324524

---

MacDowell Spotlight

DIY OCCUPATION (Do It Yourself) – Ms. Linares

In our DIY Occupations advisory students brainstorm together ideas of what type of crafts they would like to make. Then we talk together about the materials we will need, how much they will cost and how much we will have to sell the items for to make a profit. We then use that money to work on our next project. So far we have made 20 candles(which we sold at parent teacher conferences) and we are now creating more candles, and we have started to make bracelets. We are eager to sell them all at the upcoming Winter Concert (Dec. 6th). The students really enjoy this advisory and it is a great way for students to be creative and to create things they may not normally create on their own. This next semester Principal Corona is ordering us a Cricut Machine and we are going to perhaps make mugs, t-shirts, and we are hoping to team up with the Green Team to decorate pots for plants.       

HOLIDAY FOLK FAIR INTERNATIONAL

On November 17th Ms. Benthien, Ms.Kiki, and Ms. Emily took students to perform at the Holiday Folk Fair Education Day. Students choreographed and performed dances from West Africa, Ireland and the Philippines. On Education Day students have the opportunity to personally experience global connections through ethnic displays, workshops, mini-language classes, demonstrations, music and dance performances, foods and a marketplace.

NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH – In the Library

Freshman, Kari Anderson, was inspired by the award-winning picture book, We Are Water Protectors, written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade. 

Senior, Neveah Brown, created this colorful display to commemorate a traditional annual Mexican celebration, Day of the Dead, a time when families gather to honor and remember deceased loved ones.

Our librarian, Ms. Raasch, displayed a Land Acknowledgement poster from the First Nations Studies Department and provided resources and book titles to support teachers in their classrooms. 

---

📷Do you wish you could see pictures of your child highlighted in MacDowell’s Newsletter?  Be sure they have a current media release on file for the 2023-2024 school year. Feel free to print and return filled out forms to school. There are so many great things happening in our school we love to share with the community. Any questions, or if you need assistance, contact Parent Coordinator Gail Jaeger. Media Release Form SY23-24

---

All school newsletters will be sent via email and text on Thursday and will not be sent as a paper copy unless requested. If families would also like to receive a paper newsletter for red folders, please fill out this form HERE:   https://forms.gle/qtgUbEcjqSx3sae47

!! OPT-IN TO TEXT MESSAGING ! To receive a newsletter link via text message be sure to OPT-IN to text messaging from MPS. Text “Y” to 67587 to receive school notifications, transportation updates, newsletters and important messaging.

---

How To Reach Me
If you need to reach me, my phone number is 414-935-1339 and my email is: mossergj@milwaukee.k12.wi.us 

~ Ms. Gail Jaeger 

 

QUICK LINKS:

Lunch Menu – December

MPS School Calendar

School Website

MacDowell School Handbook

IB October Newsletter

HS Athletics Newsletter – October / November

Unit 3 Letter to Parents

---

Resources & Events

FIRST STAGE – The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical

TONIGHT November 30, 2023 

7:00pm

First Stage is committed to broadening our reach and deepening our impact throughout our community.  As part of this commitment, First Stage offers Pay What You Choose performances for select productions.

Pay What You Choose seats are available on a first come, first served basis with a minimum suggested ticket price of $10 per person. Doors open one hour prior to the start of the Pay What You Choose performance. Patrons are encouraged to arrive early. You may pre-order your tickets by phone only at (414) 267-2961. To find out how to reserve tickets for your community organization, contact us at ticketmanager@firststage.org. 

Ticket availability is limited, and seat location is subject to availability. There are no refunds or exchanges available for Pay What You Choose performances, and the special rate cannot be applied to previously purchased tickets or in combination with other ticket offers, or towards a Family Package or Family All-Access Membership purchase. Please note, Pay What You Choose performances and dates are subject to change. 

 

WINTER WONDER WOODS

Celebrate winter in style with Milwaukee Recreation’s Winter Wonder Woods! Join us to experience seasonal serenity in the city while creating lasting memories and new traditions.

See Hawthorn Glen in a new light as you stroll through our trails that are twinkling with holiday cheer. Tens of thousands of lights will illuminate the beauty of the Glen, winding you through the woods and past displays. Winter Wonder Woods will feature a selfie station, hiking Santa, educational facts along the trail, and more!

• Where: Hawthorn Glen
• Dates: Dec. 8, 9, 15, & 16
• Cost: $4 per person (free for children that are 2 years old or younger)
• Register Here

Note: Please arrive at your scheduled time. Parking is extremely limited in both the Hawthorn Glen parking lot and on the street on the adjacent Martin Dr.

Street parking is not permitted on 60th St. Carpooling and ride-sharing is greatly appreciated!

 

Milwaukee Parent Institute Campus Tour

Join us for a campus tour and presentation at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM). Parents will have the opportunity to visit two great institutions of higher education — right here in our city!

Discover the programs and resources available at MATC and UWM for a variety of career paths and college options.  

Saturday, December 16, 2023

9:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Register by December 4 at bit.ly/mpitourfall23

 

Download a flyer in English and Spanish!