January 16, 2025

MPS SCHOOL CALENDAR: There have been some questions lately on the correct school calendar and accurate student days off. A calendar created 12/2023 was originally distributed, but since 5/2024 a revised calendar has been advertised. Be sure you are referencing the correct calendar (revision date in bottom right corner). MPS District Calendar

Upcoming Events / Meetings

MIDDLE and HIGH SCHOOL WINTER CONCERT  

TONIGHT – Thursday, January 16th 

6:00 – 7:15 pm

PERSONAL PROJECT SHOWCASE –

Presented by MacDowell 10th graders : Open to ALL

Friday, January 17th

12:30 – 3:00 pm

MacDowell Gymnasium

NO SCHOOL

Monday, January 20th AND Friday, January 24th

HIGH SCHOOL FINAL EXAMS

January 21st – 23rd

*Please note these are early release days

ELEMENTARY FANCY DANCE

Friday, January 31st

6:00 – 7:30 pm

Details and RSVP below

MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL WINTER DANCE – Love is In the Air

Saturday, February 1st

MS: 5:00 – 7:00 pm

HS: 7:30 – 10:00 pm

FLYER

KINDERGARTEN ENROLLMENT FAIR -District Event

Saturday February 1st and 22nd

9:00am – 12:00pm

FLYER

February PTO Restaurant Fundraiser – COUSINS SUBS

Wednesday, February 5th

4:00 – 8:00 pm

Miller Parkway

DISTRICT ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING

Thursday, February 6th

6:00 – 7:00 pm

Virtual

MORNING WITH MONTESSORI – DISTRICT EVENT

Saturday, February 8th

9:00am – 12:00pm

MacDowell

FLYER

DEER DISTRICT PREP SHOWCASE –

JUNEAU BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM

Fiserv Forum

Saturday, February 8th

2:00 PM

MacDowell vs Racine Park

To order tickets click HERE

WASHINGTON DC TRIP – HIGH SCHOOL

February 10th – 14th

*watch for snack contribution signup

NO SCHOOL

Monday & Tuesday, February 17th – 18th

LOST AND FOUND

At the end of the month, and each following month, any unclaimed items in the lost and found will be donated. If your child is missing clothing, hats, gloves, water bottles- stop in the front lobby and check out our lost and found table across from the main office. Items currently in the lost and found will be boxed up after January 31st. Label all of your child’s items, it helps us find their homes.

Middle and High School Updates

HIGH SCHOOL TAB WARS IS ON

December 16th – February 28th

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.

TOMORROW:  

10th Grade IB Personal Project Showcase – Friday January 17th

The IB MYP Personal Project is the cumulative project of the IB Middle Years Program (grades 7-10). Students will display and celebrate their semester-long learning projects! Everyone is welcome.

24-25 Semester 1 HIGH SCHOOL Exam Schedule

Times	Tuesday, Jan 21st (A Day)
8:00am – 9:25am	Final 1	Block 1A
9:30am – 10:45am	Final 2	Block 2A
10:50am – 12:05pm	Final 3	Block 4A

 

Times	Wednesday, Jan 22nd (B Day)
8:00am – 9:25am	Final 1	Block 1B
9:30am – 10:45am	Final 2	Block 2B
10:50am – 12:05pm	Final 3	Block 4B

 

Times	Thursday, Jan 23rd (A Day)
8:00am – 9:25am	Final 1	Block 5A
9:30am – 10:45am	Final 2	Block 5B

 

Friday January 31st

6:00 – 7 :30 pm 

For MacDowell K3 – 6th grade families

RSVP – https://tinyurl.com/56ntzee4

~Please take the time to fill out the MacDowell School Engagement Survey– takes less than 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 The Learning Team

know your family needs.  After submissions have been received we will share results and allow feedback at a spring School Engagement Council meeting. Please respond by February 28th. 

https://forms.gle/jG1vj7Uodt39f94s8

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 14324525
• 7-12th grade yearbooks will cost $25 –  order online at ybpay.com code is 15393925

Save the Date!

MPS Kindergarten Enrollment – 

Will your child turn 3, 4, or 5 by September 1, 2025? Don’t forget to enroll them at MacDowell! 

Kindergarten Enrollment for the 2025-26 school year will begin Saturday, February 1, 2024, and will end March 3, 2025. Current MacDowell students need not reapply. We will send enrollment directions closer to the enrollment date. 

District Enrollment Fairs will be held February 1st and February 22nd. FLYER

Morning with Montessori

Enjoy an open house event to learn more about Montessori programming in MPS! Tour classrooms, attend breakout sessions, and visit booths featuring all MPS Montessori schools. 

Saturday, February 8, 2025

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

MacDowell Montessori School

6415 W. Mount Vernon Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53213

FLYER

Find out more about Montessori schools in MPS!

Sports and Activities Update

DEER DISTRICT PREP SHOWCASE – JUNEAU BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM

Fiserv Forum

February 8, 2025

2:00 PM

MacDowell vs Racine Park

To order tickets click HERE

MERCHANDISE – For those interested in purchasing t-shirts to be worn at the event.  The deadline to order is 1/19/25 and the shirts are customized in your school colors and will be drop shipped in time for the event.

 https://prepshowcase25.itemorder.com/shop/home/

ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS

Please return any uniforms from last season and last school year.

6-8 Volleyball Announcement 

All games will now be played at Hi-Mount Community School (2167 N. Hi-Mount Blvd., Milwaukee, WI 53208) Door Entrance: Door #7 (On Hi-Mount Blvd)

Call For Coaches!

🎾We are looking for a 5th-8th grade Tennis head coach and assistant coach for the Spring season. If interested please contact Ms Wanta at wantalm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us 

⚽ We are looking for a 6th-8th grade Soccer head coach and assistant coach for the Spring season. If interested please contact Ms Wanta at wantalm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us 

Winter Sports Remind Links

• 🏀1-3 Basketball Team 1: https://www.remind.com/join/ha9843a 
• 🏀1-3 Basketball Team 2: https://www.remind.com/join/36f428 
• 🏀4-5 Basketball: https://www.remind.com/join/82h96g 
• 🏐6-8 Volleyball Team 1: https://www.remind.com/join/cghdh6 
• 🏐6-8 Volleyball Team 2: https://www.remind.com/join/7fdfcgg 
• 📣6-8 Cheerleading: https://www.remind.com/join/29f846 
• 🏀6-7 BOYS Basketball: https://www.remind.com/join/74af88a 
• 🏀6-8 BOYS Basketball: https://www.remind.com/join/ce2kk4

 Clubs Remind Links 

• ♟️Tuesday Chess Club: https://www.remind.com/join/c68gd4 
• ♟️Thursday Chess Club: https://www.remind.com/join/g7b2kf2 
• ♟️MS/HS Chess Club: https://www.remind.com/join/chessmsh 
• 🎲Tabletop Adventure Gaming: https://www.remind.com/join/8e39k3f 

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

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

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

Notes From Your Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)

Next Meeting – February 19th 5:30pm 

(after the SEC meeting led by Principal Corona)

December PTO meeting minutes : https://tinyurl.com/ms9z4fze

COMING SOON: 

Restaurant Fundraisers

Cousins Subs – February 5th

Saz’s State House – March 12th

Artisan Ramen – April 8th

Save The Date

ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, JR – MUSICAL PRODUCTION

Concert Dates: March 12 and 14, 2025  – 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

In Case You Missed It

STAR testing dates are 1/27/25 – 2/7/25  

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

~Ms. Wetzel

🔊  REQUEST REQUEST 🔊

Mr. Schwarten is looking for diorama / research visual aid box donations. The best size is a shoe box and small Amazon delivery boxes. Please send any donations with your child to bring to the art room. Mr Schwarten and our students thank you!

Ms. Nancy is still accepting newspaper donations for high school art class. Papers can be placed in the box outside room 110. 

WEATHER CLOSING INFORMATION ❄️

Winter weather has arrived! As winter conditions continue, please be alert for school closings. The district has added a new webpage about winter weather and potential school closings, with information and tips for families and staff during weather events. Please become familiar with this page linked: mpsmke.com/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.

!! 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:

MPS School Calendar

School Website

IB November Newsletter

Lunch Menu – K – 8 January

Lunch Menu – 9-12th January

MacDowell  Spotlight

CHESS – Elementary

Our group of beginner chess players worked for many weeks prior to winter break gaining practice and strategy. Students can then use those skills in their classes, and some studies show students who play in after-school or in-school chess clubs tend to get better grades in math. The next session of Beginner and Experienced Chess started this week. 

There are many benefits to playing chess:

• Improves Cognitive Function
• Boosts Creativity
• Patience and Perseverance
• Develop Social Skills
• A Healthy Form of Entertainment.

Community Resources and Events

NOTE: 🔥 Any Milwaukee residents who are in need of a smoke alarm can call the city’s smoke alarm hotline, at 414-286-8980, to arrange a free installation.

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Welcome to the 2025 Great Library Treasure Hunt in Milwaukee County! By playing this game, you will explore all our incredible libraries. You can pick up a map at any Milwaukee County public library (find the closest library here). January 18 – May 3, 2025

Step 1:

Pick up a Treasure Hunt map at any public library. You can find the closest library here.

Step 2:

Visit as many libraries as you can! You won’t believe all the fun spaces and unexpected programming and resources you’ll learn about. You’ll agree that our libraries are a real TREASURE!

If you’re not sure where to start, check out the routes page for easy ways to visit multiple libraries in one trip.

Step 3:

Find Your Treasure! At each library, you’ll take a walk around, and write down your favorite feature — your TREASURE —  on the back of the map. Then take your map to a librarian to get it stamped.

Step 4:

For every NINE libraries you visit, you’ll get an entry into a drawing for great prizes! 

If you visit all 27 libraries, you get an extra entry, PLUS a golden ticket entry into a special drawing for the Grand Prize!

For more info visit : https://www.mcfls.org/treasure-hunt/