January 18, 2024

Upcoming Events / Meetings

 

FSA ID Parent Virtual Session (needed for FAFSA application)

Tuesday, January 23rd

3:30 – 6:00 pm Open Forum

See flyer below

 

PERSONAL PROJECT SHOWCASE – presented by MacDowell 10th graders

Open to ALL

Wednesday, January 24th

12:30 – 3:00 pm

MacDowell Gymnasium

 

SEC-School Engagement Council MEETING

**This will be a Budget proposal and feedback session

Please join us for this important engagement !

Wednesday, January 31st

5:00 pm 

Room 103B

OPEN TO ALL

 

PTO- Parent Teacher Organization MEETING

Wednesday, January 31st

Room 103B

5:30 – 6: 30 pm

 

50 YEARS OF MONTESSORI OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, February 10th

1:00 – 4:00 pm

MacDowell Montessori

More about the event : 50 Years Montessori

 

NO SCHOOL  – 

Friday, February 16th and Monday, February 19th

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION

Thursday, February 22nd

6:00 – 7:30 pm

MacDowell Auditorium

 

FAMILY LITERACY NIGHT 📚

NEW DATE – Friday, March 1st

6:00 – 7:30 pm

See Flyer Below

---

Winter weather has arrived! As winter conditions continue, please be alert for school closings. 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.

 

!! OPT-IN TO TEXT MESSAGING ! To receive notices 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.

---

LAST CALL for POP TABS

TAB WARS IS ON !  

Let’s see how much money MacDowell can raise for The Ronald McDonald House

NOW until January 25th

**Send your Kindergartener, your 3rd graders, your 8th graders with pop tabs…All grade levels and families can participate – place tabs in the grade’s bottle you’d like to support**

 

9-12th graders compete to win a pizza party and drinks while helping support the Ronald McDonald House.

 

---

Elementary FAMILY LITERACY NIGHT- 

RESCHEDULED TO MARCH 1ST

We hope you can still join us!

6:00-7:30 pm

Family friendly crafts, storytime, display/demonstration of sandpaper letters, moveable alphabet, grammar boxes and sentence analysis. 

Volunteer : https://tinyurl.com/MacDLiteracyVolunteer24

RSVP: http://tinyurl.com/MacDLiteracy2024

         

---

UPPER EL NATURE’S CLASSROOM TRIP:  February 26 – March 1, 2024 (4th-6th grade)

If your child will attend Nature’s Classroom, please complete both the NCI online registration and the MPS Field Trip Form as soon as possible. Please return the MPS Field Trip Form to your child’s teacher.

Payment does not need to be made immediately, please see the deadlines below.

PLEASE NOTE: We require a copy of medical insurance cards – you can send a photo of the front and back via email to your child’s teacher, or attach a copy with the paperwork.

 NATURE’S CLASSROOM DEADLINES:

• Both registrations (NCI online and MPS Field Trip) must be completed no later than Monday, February 12th.

• Insurance card must be included with registration.
• We will accept payment (cash or check made out to MacDowell Montessori, to the main office) no later than Tuesday, February 20th.

FORMS/INFORMATION:

Cover Letter

NCI Registration – online

MPS Registration / Field Trip Form 

Packing Information

---

MPS Kindergarten Enrollment – Save the Date!

 

Will your child turn 3, 4, or 5 by September 1, 2024? Don’t forget to enroll them at MacDowell! 

 

Kindergarten Enrollment for the 2024-25 school year will begin Saturday, February 3, 2024, and will end March 4, 2024. Current MacDowell students need not reapply. We will send enrollment directions closer to the enrollment date. 

---

Save the Date – 50 Years of Montessori Open House

 

---

DON’T FORGET TO PRE ORDER YEARBOOKS! All students who had their photo taken will be in their classroom / grade level layout in this yearbook. Our yearbooks also feature team / club photos and candids. We create two separate yearbooks, one for K3-6th grade students & one for 7-12 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

---

Sports and Activities Update

 

ELEMENTARY: 🗣️Call For Coaches

The Spring season is right around the corner, and we are looking for coaches. The more coaches we have, the more kids can participate. Coaches are paid through Milwaukee Recreation. We are currently looking for a 5th-8th Track coach, and 1st-3rd/4th-5th Soccer coaches. Please contact Ms. Wanta if you are interested or have any questions: wantalm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us.

All schedules for the winter sports season are posted on Remind.

• ♟️ Chess Club-Tuesday https://www.remind.com/join/c68gd4
• ♟️ Chess Club-Thursday https://www.remind.com/join/g7b2kf2
• 🏀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 
• 📣6-8 Cheerleading https://www.remind.com/join/ecfb6h6 
• 🏀4-5 Basketball https://www.remind.com/join/g898dbg

 

---

In Case You Missed It: 

Cyber Civics- LEVEL 1, UNIT 4

Our Middle Years program has just begun their fourth unit of Cyber Civics “digital citizenship” lessons. This series of lessons will teach them how to apply their emerging ethical thinking skills to a digital world. The attached letter has some suggested at-home activities that will support what they are learning in school. Remember, it takes a village to raise ethical, safe, and productive digital citizens.

---

STAR testing dates are 1/8/24 – 1/26/24.  

This involves Grades 1- 10.  Please have students get plenty of sleep and eat breakfast either at home or at school. 

~Ms. Wetzel

---

FAFSA Is Moving to January!!

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.

Parents need to create an FSA ID in order for their child to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which is a graduation requirement. Please complete this form to receive the link to the zoom session on 1/23/24. Ms. Schneider will be available during this session from 3:30pm-6:00pm

https://tinyurl.com/FSAIDMAC 

---

        MacDowell Spotlight

 

Peace Learning Center – Lower Elementary

MacDowell’s Lower Elementary classrooms have begun their experience at the Peace Learning Center. The Peace Learning Center of Milwaukee offers Peacemakers’ Workshops. These workshops encourage and engage students and adults alike to build communities of mutual respect, cooperation, personal accountability and tolerance. Through cooperative games, small group study, and role-play, students are challenged to think differently about conflict and to practice healthy ways of communicating with peers through the use of six peace tools. 

Students in Ms. Heidi’s class learned the 3 C’s : Compromise, Cooperation and Communication, while doing some activities to build on those concepts. They finished their day with a beautiful nature walk along the trails of the property.

 

MYP Ecology Children’s Books

Ms. Schertz MYP Science classes are finishing up their Ecology Unit. Students took a book from the new Ecology set that Ms. Raasch, our school librarian, received from the district. Students then read the book, used it as their research text, and then created their own children’s book from it!

---

REMINDERS: 

We are always looking for volunteers! Contact Parent Coordinator Gail Jaeger if you are interested in volunteering. There are opportunities available as classroom reading and math support, coaching, special events and library assistants. 

 

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 – January

MPS School Calendar

MPS 2024-2025 School Calendar

School Website

MacDowell School Handbook

IB December Newsletter

Highschool Juneau Boys Basketball Schedule

Unit 4 Letter to Parents

---

Resources & Events

Milwaukee Rec Dept – Daddy/Daughter Dance

Save the Date! The 2024 Daddy/Daughter Dance is right around the corner!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, Feb. 17 as we celebrate fathers, daughters, and father-figures in this classic Milwaukee event.

Event Information

• Date: Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024
• Where: North Division HS Community Center
• When: 5-8 p.m.
• Dinner & Dance Option: $30 per adult, $10 first child, $5 each additional child
• Dance Only Option – $20 per adult, $5 each child (limit three children per adult)
• Register Here! 

Adult registration includes a complimentary photo.

Doors open at 5 p.m. for pre-registered dinner & dance guests only. Dinner will be served from 5:15-6:15 p.m. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. for dance guests only.