September 12, 2024

School Hours:

K3-K4,  8:00 am – 11:25 am, dismissal beginning at 11:15 am

K5-6th grade,  8:00 am – 3:00 pm

7th–12th grade,  8:00 am – 3:25 pm

Please take the time to fill out the MPS School Engagement Survey– takes 5 minutes.

Your responses help identify improvement areas in our school’s engagement efforts and can provide valuable insights into family involvement, satisfaction, and connection with MacDowell. Let your Parent Coordinator know your family needs. https://mpsresearch.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8vthsN2BBv09xpY

TOMORROW September 13th Milwaukee Rec Dept is holding their ULTIMATE SPORTS DAY on MacDowell’s playground. MacDowell students will be participating after their lunch period. Show our school pride and stand out from the crowd – WEAR YOUR MACDOWELL GEAR OR RED TOPS. 

Upcoming Events / Meetings

THIRD FRIDAY COUNT DAY

Friday, September 20th 

On this day the State of Wisconsin will count all students to determine the amount of funding provided to schools this year. Help MacDowell by making sure your child is in attendance on September 20! It is vitally important for our school funding. 

BACK TO SCHOOL PICNIC

Saturday, September 21st

1:00-4:00 pm

Hawthorne Glen

See flyer below for more information, to RSVP, and sign up to volunteer. 

COUSINS FUNDRAISER

Wednesday, September 25th

4-8pm

1150 Miller Parkway

15% of sales to MacDowell’s PTO – FLYER

FUNDRAISER – CLUB’S CHOICE

September 26th – October 14th

Forms coming soon

Pickup TBD

NO SCHOOL

Friday, September 27th

HOMECOMING WEEK

October 7 – 11

7th – 12th grade students

More information to come

WELLNESS DAY

Friday, October 11th

7th – 12th grade students

More information to come

HOMECOMING DANCE

Saturday, October 12th

Middle school students 5:00-7:00 pm

High school students 7:30-10:00 pm

MacDowell Gear Swap: 

Do you have used and too small or not worn MacDowell Gear?? Bring them to the picnic and offer it to other families. Maybe your family will find some gear to start the year.  

~Watch later this fall for our MacDowell gear sale through Dunn’s Sporting Goods.~

SAVE THE DATE – FAMILY-TEACHER CONFERENCES

Family-Teacher Conferences will be held on the evening of Monday, 10/14 and Wednesday, 10/16. 

There will be no school on Friday, 10/18 and Monday 10/21.
Please stay tuned for more information, including Conference sign ups!

 From the Parent Coordinator’s Desk

SCHOOL COMMUNICATION BASICS:

• I send school newsletters via email every week, on Thursday evening. You will receive this via email and also text message if you have opted into text messaging. School newsletters often include timely resources, school information, events, meetings, photos of our students, and so much more. If you want to receive this link via text message you must opt into the system. To opt in, families should send a text message to the number 67587 with “Y” in the message.
• Other school messaging is pushed out to families as needed, so please continue to check your emails.
• In addition, for K3-6th grade families, red folders are sent home weekly on Thursday. These Thursday folders may include schoolwork, field trip permission forms, extracurricular permission slips, teacher letters, homework, and other school communication. Please help your student remember to be responsible for sharing this information and bringing the folder back to school promptly.

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

• Please also follow and like us on Facebook HERE
• Please join our MacDowell PTO Facebook group, which you may request to join HERE. Let us know your child’s name and teacher when you request to join.

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

Welcome Back – I look forward to a fun and exciting year! ~ Ms. Jaeger 

**As we begin this school year please take time to review our MacDowell School Handbook and review important information with your child. Link to the handbook is HERE. 

SCHOOL FORMS: 

Please make sure you return our school forms to your child’s teacher or the main office as soon as possible:
–MPS Media Release Form
– Census Verification Report
–MPS Protocol Medical Consent Form
–Alternative Household Income Form –– It is vitally important that we receive the Household Income Form, as it is tied to funding for our school. Families who are still missing this form were sent a hardcopy home in Thursday folders and received messaging from school. 

General Reminders

PRIMARY AGED CHILDREN (K3-K5) should wear clothing that is easy for them to manage on their own when using the bathroom.  Pants with elastic waistbands are easier to manipulate than buttons, zippers, snaps, and belt buckles. Rompers and overalls are also difficult to take off and on for most students.

DROP OFF AND PICK UP SAFETY – Traffic moves North to South. Be sure to pull over to the curb to allow students to exit a vehicle. Encourage the child to exit car doors on the curbside. For the safety of all and allow for our Hug and Go space to continue to flow for all families, DO NOT stop in the middle of the road to drop off or pick up children. The road also needs to be clear for the Milwaukee Fire Department at the south end of 64th St. Midday families shall exit your vehicle and join the classroom pick up lines along the grass (name card in hand). You may greet the child as teacher’s dismiss them to staff waiting at the gate.  

Parents should not drop off students prior to the entrance doors opening at 7:55am.  There is no staff available to supervise students prior to that time.

TRANSPORTATION CHANGES – If a student needs a change to end of day transportation please call the main office BEFORE 2:15pm so that communication can get to the teacher in a timely manner. In addition please be sure to communicate to the child’s teacher any ongoing pick up instructions. Teachers are not to rely on the child’s communication alone. In relation to early pick up for appointments etc, call the main office ahead of arriving for the student to be ready in the office when their ride has arrived.  

MacDowell Main Office : 414-935-1400

LOST AND FOUND – **Parents are strongly encouraged to label their child’s belongings, including water bottles, lunch boxes, sweatshirts, jackets, and backpacks. Young and older children have a tendency for backpacks and other personal items to be misplaced. The Lost and Found has already started to grOW. 

NEW PASSWORDS – AS OF SPRING 2024 – All students have started to use a newly formatted password. Many students became familiar with their new passwords in May. Staff that have access to a student’s password are only your child’s specific teachers and administrators. Parents / guardians can find the child’s password in the Parent Portal of Infinite Campus: under the menu option ‘MORE’ – select the ‘Password’ tab. 

You may access the Parent Portal by downloading the app or from the MPS homepage Parent Portal shortcut, or FAMILY tab. To gain access as a first time user guardians must acquire a GUID number from the main office. Be prepared to show ID to the office staff to obtain the child’s specific code. Don’t remember a password or other technical issues with a parent portal account? > Contact MPS Parent Portal tech support at (414) 475-8159.

NEW BREAKFAST PROCEDURES K-6 – New this school year breakfast will not be served in the classroom. When students arrive they should report to their classroom. Upon entering the room they will be asked if they have eaten breakfast and given the option to take the pass to a designated breakfast room on their floor. Breakfast rooms are open 8:00-8:30 am. Be sure to arrive at the 8:00 am start of the day to allow children ample time to eat breakfast, if they require, and get back to class for their studies.

TEST RESULTS: Parents be on the lookout in the coming weeks for last year’s test results sent home in either the mail (7th-10th grade) or in student red folders on Thursday (3rd-6th grade).

The results are from The Forward Exam, from last year’s 3rd – 8th & 10th graders.

Lower Elementary Families

FOODRIGHT is ready to begin sessions in our lower elementary (1st-3rd) classes. We are looking for volunteers to assist with FoodRight workdays. The commitment will be for the full 3 hour time frame (8:30-11:30am). Multiple classrooms will participate on each given day, more than just your child’s class will visit the FoodRight station. Responsibilities will include overseeing small groups of students, supervising their activities, and assisting with tasks from the FoodRight instructors. We are asking for single day volunteers or repeat helpers. One to 2 volunteers are needed per day.

Here are the dates for Fall FoodRight workdays (Tuesday and Thursdays): 

Lesson 1 – Harvest

• Tuesday, September 17th 
• Thursday, September 19th

Lesson 2 – Preparing the Harvest 

• Tuesday, September 24th
• Thursday, September 26th

Lesson 3 – Maple Tree Mapping

• Tuesday, October 1st
• Thursday, October 3rd

Lesson 4 – Preparing the Harvest 

• Tuesday, October 15th
• Thursday, October 17th

Lesson 5 – Preparing the Harvest 

• Tuesday, October 29th
• Thursday, October 31st

Please let Ms. Jaeger (mossergj@milwaukee.k12.wi.us) know if you are available to volunteer for any of these dates, give specific requests. We will also have sessions in winter and spring. Depending on your level of commitment a Volunteer Waiver Form will need to be completed or for ongoing support we will initiate an MPS volunteer application. 

Thank you for your interest in our community and helping bring this beneficial program to our students.

~Lower Elementary Staff & Ms. Jaeger

BLACK ARTS MKE OPPORTUNITY (2nd-5th Grade)

  We are continuing our FREE after-school arts program through “Black Arts MKE” and an MPS program “Partnership For The Arts and Humanities”. This year we are accepting students in grades 2nd through 5th. 

• Mondays & Wednesdays 
• 3:00pm – 4:30pm (Students must be picked up by 4:30)
• September 30, 2024 to December 4, 2024 (10 weeks) with the final mandatory performance on December 4, 2024

There are 20 openings available in Dance of the Americas (Artist – Karlies Kelley)

There are 15 openings available in African Drumming (Artist – Mrs. Oju)

Students must be able to attend both Mondays and Wednesday from September 30th to December 4th. This is a commitment we take seriously. If you are unable to participate both days, maybe session 2 after our winter break, is a better fit for your family. → This is a popular program so please understand that we will be using a lottery to choose students. Watch for interest forms in the coming weeks. 

ATTENTION K4, K5 AND 5TH GRADE PARENTS!! 

The Lion’s Club will be hosting a vision screening for our K4, K5 and 5th grade students in October (tentatively October 16th) during the school day. There will be a passive consent form sent home via Thursday folders in the next couple weeks. The form is an opt out only, meaning you only have to return the form if you DO NOT want your child screened. If you have any questions regarding the vision screening, please feel free to reach out to Nurse Sarah. gruettsd@milwaukee.k12.wi.us

💉VACCINES – ALL STUDENTS

School Required Vaccines Include:

K-6                                                                                                    7th thru 12th

DTaP                                                                                                 ALL those in K-6 AND

MMR                                                                                                 Tdap Booster

Polio                                                                                                  Meningococcal

Hep B

Varicella

The following clinics will be held for MPS students ONLY to get them caught up if they are behind:

• September 20th, 2024 from 9am-1pm at Bethune
• October 4th, 2024 from 9am-1pm at Greenfield
• October 11th, 2024 from 3pm-6pm at Northwest Health Center 7630 West Mill Road
• October 12th, 2024 from at 10am-2pm at Southside Health Center 1639 South 23rd Street

Please continue to watch the weekly newsletter for a potential vaccination clinic at MacDowell Montessori during parent-teacher conferences. 

Thank You! 🙂 – Nurse Sarah

Middle and High School Families 

The school day starts at 8:00am. New this school year – any 7th-12th grade student arriving after 8:10am will need a tardy slip.

MacDowell Montessori Middle and High School Tardiness Policy

Parents, we are working to establish a strong culture for learning here at MacDowell Montessori. That starts with students being to class on time and being ready to learn when the bell rings. Please review our procedure for tardiness with your 7th-12th grade students as we are also discussing it with them in grade level meetings.

1. If a student arrives late to class they will get marked tardy in the computer.
2. 5 or more tardies = “No Pass’ list for the following week”

1. List is generated by the principal and sent to teachers weekly.
2. Consequences  —>

Food delivery is not allowed per MPS district guidelines in the Family Manual. This includes…

• No family members are allowed to drop off or deliver food from fast food or other restaurants during the school day.
• No services such as GrubHub, DoorDash, etc.

All deliveries will be turned away by school staff.

*Please review the DRESS CODE policy for MacDowell 

• Clothing that exposes private areas will not be allowed at school. 
• Tube tops, bra style tops, undershirts (beaters) are prohibited.
• Swimsuits are not permitted for wear outside of the pool area.
• Sheer or see-through clothing is not permitted. 
• All clothing with inappropriate language or imagery is prohibited.  For example, clothing with references to alcohol, illegal drugs, weapons, gang paraphernalia, nudity, or foul language are prohibited. 
• Ski masks and gaiters are prohibited.
• Shoes with rollers or wheels are prohibited.
• Wearing heavy wallet chains is prohibited.
• Heavy coats, heavy jackets, blankets, and raincoats are not approved items and are not to be worn during the school day.

Chromebook Distribution for Grades 7-12 is underway

A parent or guardian must complete the online Chromebook Agreement via Permission Click before a student can check out their Chromebook. There is a $30 fee to obtain a case and charger, which can be paid for in the main office. Returning MacDowell students can bring their case and charger from last year to avoid the fee. 

Sports and Activities Update

High School Fall Sports:

Fall sports are in full swing!  There is still time to register for volleyball and cross country (Juneau), football (Marshall), and boys’ soccer (King).  Registration is fully online and must be fully completed before a student-athlete can start practice. The registration link, schedules, ticketing information, and other items can be found at the following link:  https://mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/en/Programs/Athletics.htm. 

**The DEADLINE to register and participate in fall sports is TOMORROW-  FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13.

Athletic Schedules:  https://www.mccathletics.org/public/genie/1190/school/64/

Purchase Online Tickets:   https://gofan.co/app/school/WI19445 

Winter sports season (basketball, cheer, and wrestling) will begin in November. Stay tuned for more details in upcoming newsletters.  If you have any questions, reach out to the athletic director, Ms. Schenk at schenkao@milwaukee.k12.wi.us

Elementary & Middle School Fall Sports:

**Please return any uniforms from last school year.

Fall sports available this year are: 

• ⚽1-3 Soccer (2 teams)
• ⚽4-5 Soccer
• 🏐4-5 Volleyball
• 👟5-8 Cross Country
• 🏀6-8 Girls Basketball – tryouts

The sports lotteries were drawn today Thursday September 12th. If your student was selected registration packets will be handed out by the end of day Friday September 13th. Please check those backpacks!!! 

 Questions about your students’ sports teams? Join the Remind group where all practice and game information is updated regularly, or email Ms Wanta at wantalm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us 

Fall Sports Remind LInks

• ⚽1-3 Soccer Team 1: https://www.remind.com/join/e74hh6h 
• ⚽1-3 Soccer Team 2: https://www.remind.com/join/h62e48 
• ⚽4-5 Soccer: https://www.remind.com/join/b9ad44e 
• 🏐4-5 Volleyball: https://www.remind.com/join/2d3de7 
• 👟5-8 Cross Country: https://www.remind.com/join/eehh64 
• 🏀6-8 Girls Basketball: https://www.remind.com/join/ga3dh8 

Assistant Coaches needed! 6-8 Girls Basketball is in need of a volunteer assistant coach. Please contact Ms Wanta at wantalm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us for more information.

OUR 2023-2024 YEARBOOKS ARE STILL AVAILABLE!

Extra copies are available in the main office on a first come first serve basis.

Elementary Yearbooks – $15, 

Middle / High School Yearbooks – $25

QUICK LINKS:

MPS School Calendar

School Website

Lunch Menu – K-8th September
Lunch Menu – 9-12th September

Community Resources and Opportunities

Girls Who Code Club- registration for fall is OPEN!

A UWM program empowering girls in grades 5-12 to learn about computer science and how to write computer code while making connections with other girls who also think creatively. Led by female computer science faculty and college students in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Classes are free, though donations are welcome for food, supplies, t-shirts and instructors. 

Visit UWMs website for more information and to register HERE

SLEEP MATTERS: Why we ALL need good sleep and how to get it!  Our bodies and brains NEED sleep to heal and renew. Sleep is when the brain processes information and strengthens memory. This helps us learn, function, and create!  More information HERE

RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THAT GOOD SLEEP = BETTER…

• Emotional control 
• Outlook
• Relationships 
• Communication
• Attention
• Problem solving & learning
• Safety and driving
• Physical health and weight
• Motor skills

HOW MUCH SLEEP? 

Ages   : Hours per night

3 to 5   : 11 to 13 hrs

6 to 13 : 9 to 11 hrs

14 +     : 8 to 10 hrs

Milwaukee Rec Dept Music Lessons

!!! MacDowell is one of the locations for this session. 

Mr. Colin will be offering percussion lessons at MacDowell for the first time this fall !!!

Registration: Visit mkerec.net for details and to sign up

Fall Music Lessons Flyer