Upcoming Events / Meetings

WINTER CONCERT – ELEMENTARY

TONIGHT, Thursday, December 18th

6:00 –  7:30 pm

K4 – 6th grade music students

WINTER BREAK – No School

December 22 – January 2, 2026

Classes resume January 5, 2026

KRISPY KREME DIGITAL DOZENS FUNDRAISER

Now – December 31st

More info below

PERSONAL PROJECT SHOWCASE

Presented by MacDowell 10th graders : Open to ALL

Tuesday, January 13th

12:45 – 3:00 pm 

MacDowell Gymnasium

COUSINS SUBS FUNDRAISER →

Tuesday, January 13th

4:00-8:00 pm

State St Location

SEC / PTO MEETING

Wednesday, January 21st

5:00 / 5:30 pm

HIGH SCHOOL FINAL EXAMS

January 21st – 23rd

*Please note these are early release days for high school students

ELEMENTARY FANCY DANCE

Friday, January 16th

6:00 – 7:30 pm

Details and RSVP below

https://tinyurl.com/v3vjvw2c

**All children MUST have a guardian present. **

SAVE THE DATE

High School Winter Fun Fest

January 16th 4:00-6:00pm

Middle School Winter Dance

January 17th 5:00- 7:00pm

Our drumline is playing at a Milwaukee Bucks Game!!!!!! 

The game is February 3rd at 7:00pm

MPS and the team at the Milwaukee Bucks have generously put together a discounted group ticket order form for any parents who want to attend the games where students from your schools will be performing. Come enjoy a Bucks game at a discounted rate and see MacDowell students drumline, lead by instructor Omar Colin.

General Reminders

Proofs for photos taken on Retake day have arrived. Check those folders and backpacks. Photos can be ordered until the end of the school year at www.mylifetouch.com.

From our Lifetouch Rep:  To thank you for your partnership as Lifetouch heads into our 90th year, I’m including a Shutterfly Friends and Family code. Feel free to share it with your school community – this code can be used through the end of the year for 50% off site-wide to help them make something that means something this holiday season.  

• Code: Lifetouch90
• Offer: 50% off site-wide

• Additional Info: 
  • Codes are good through 12/31/25 for 50% off of the regular list price
  • Codes stack with free shipping codes or free offers, does NOT stack with other % or $ off codes

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 14324526
• 7-12th grade yearbooks will cost $25 –  order online at ybpay.com code is 15502426

Middle and High School Families 

10th GRADE PERSONAL PROJECT SHOWCASE – Tuesday January 13th

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!

PARENTS: ** Be sure to check in with your 10th grader and see that their project is progressing and they are on track to complete their presentation in time for the showcase.

HIGH SCHOOL TAB WARS IS ON

December 8th – February 13th

7-12th graders compete to win a pizza party and drinks while helping support the Ronald McDonald House. New this year: the staff will have a container for collecting their own tabs!!!!! Staff would get bragging rights, but the grade with the most tabs will still earn the prize of pizza party and drinks. 

Anyone can participate – place tabs in the grade’s bottle you’d like to support.

Sports and Activities Update

♟️2nd-6th Grade Beginner & Experienced Chess Club

Keep an eye out after winter break for information for the upcoming winter sessions.

♟️Middle School & High School Chess Club

The middle school & high school chess club has ended for the season. There will not be any more meetings after winter break.

There are a number of families that have not joined their students’ team Remind group. Remind is the way that any team updates will be communicated. 

Winter Sports: Join Remind!

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 

Youth 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 Boys Basketball: https://www.remind.com/join/ce2kk4 
• 🏐6-8 Girls Volleyball: https://www.remind.com/join/cghdh6 
• 🏐6-8 Coed Volleyball: https://www.remind.com/join/7fdfcgg 
• 📣6-8 Cheerleading: https://www.remind.com/join/29f846 

Elementary Chess Clubs Remind Links

• ♟️Tuesday Chess Club: https://www.remind.com/join/c68gd4 
• ♟️Thursday Chess Club: https://www.remind.com/join/g7b2kf2 

High School Winter Sports

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

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

Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)

The next PTO meeting of the year is January 21 at 5:30pm. After the 5:00pm SEC Meeting

November PTO minutes : HERE 

The PTO would like to plan a new event for this spring: the Fun Run! But we need a few people to help. We’re looking for fresh ideas to make this event great!  We anticipate a few virtual meetings and email to organize. If you are interested in joining the committee please email ptomacdowell@gmail.com 

KRISPY KREME DIGITAL DOZENS – $15 STILL TIME TO BUY AND SUPPORT

Doughnuts for a great cause!! MacDowell PTO is giving you the best reason to indulge in a dozen (or two) Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Purchase vouchers until December 31, 2025.

 50% of your order will be donated back to MacDowell PTO when you purchase via our fundraising sales page! Simply buy online, visit your local store & redeem using your code. Treat yourself or even gift them to friends and family here:

grouprai.se/krispykreme66300ma

Milwaukee area location :

2900 S. 108th St, West Allis, WI 53227

SAVE THE DATE: Upcoming Restaurant Fundraisers

Krispy Kreme online voucher purchase NOW – December 31

Cousin’s Subs (State St) – January 13

Papa John’s (115th & North) – February 11

Saz’s State House – March 11

In Case You Missed It

JUNEAU GEAR WEBSITE

High School Athletic Director Ms. Schenk operates a Juneau gear site year round. Purchases can be shipped or picked up at a Burghardts location. Items can be customized for an extra cost. Many more options available. https://bsg.chipply.com/MILWAUKEEJUNEAU/ 

DIRECT ADMIT – Junior Families

Junior students can apply to 10 Universities of Wisconsin and MATC with just their MPS ID and a signature! Direct Admit is a streamline application that connects MPS transcripts directly to the schools of their choice. 

• Follow this link to help your student apply – it takes less than 5 minutes: https://mpsresearch.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cRPg7JJz6G3lg8e 
• Check out the MPS website for more information: mpsmke.com/directadmit 
• If you would prefer a paper form, your students will receive one before the end of the semester. Reach out to Ms. Beazley with questions, beazleka@milwaukee.k12.wi.us

REVIEW THE MPS VISITOR POLICY

 MPS welcomes families in our buildings. To maintain a safe, productive learning environment, we have policies to ensure visits do not interrupt teaching and learning during the school day. When you are visiting a school, please remember:

• Families are always welcome to observe their child’s classroom and meet with school staff during non-instructional time. These meetings must be scheduled in advance to avoid disruptions to the school day. Please contact the office to schedule a visit. 
• During meetings, conferences, and classroom visits, each student may have TWO visitors present, unless additional visitors are approved in advance.
• Visitors must always be accompanied by a staff member.
• When visitors are dropping off items at school, students will be called to the office. 

Read the full Visitor Policy in the Parent/Student Handbook on Rights, Responsibilities, and Discipline at mpsmke.com/rights.

LOST AND FOUND: Please check the lost and found when you are in the building. Please label items! Jackets and hoodies are often a large part of our lost and found – labeling these items will help us return lost items to their owner. At the end of the month and each subsequent month we will box up all items to prepare for donation. November items have been bagged and will be donated January 6th. 

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°~ 

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

QUICK LINKS:

MPS School Calendar

School Website

Lunch Menu – K-8th December

Lunch Menu – High School December

November IB Newsletter

Staff Preferences 25-26

Enjoy the Winter Solstice – 

longer daylight hours ahead!

Sunday,  December 21st  9:03am

MacDowell Spotlight

HOLIDAY FOLK FAIR

The upper Elementary had the opportunity to explore the world of music, Food Dance, and Arts. They represented MacDowell school at the 82nd Annual Holiday Folk Fair International held on November 21-23, 2025. The majority of our students’ participants are from Rm. 310 and some were from Rm 328, 330, 300, 302. 

The Middle School Choir and the upper elementary Choir performed a Filipino Folk song and dance entitled “Paru Parung Bukid” which means “Butterfly in the Field ” during the Education Day held on Friday, Nov. 21 at the State Fair Park Exposition Center.  The Theme was “Celebrate The Culture of Traditional Music. ” The Holiday Folk Fair is America’s premier multi-cultural festival. 

MIDDLE SCHOOL / HIGH SCHOOL WINTER CONCERT – December 11th

Community Resources and Opportunities  

District Montessori Advisory Committee Meeting (MAC)

Join us at Central Services, 5225 W. Vliet Street, 

Monday, January 5, 2026

5:30 to 6:30 pm

Room 210–211

The Montessori Advisory Committee (MAC) needs your thoughts, ideas, and voice. Join us to help strengthen Montessori education in Milwaukee. Be part of a committee working to make MPS a global leader in Montessori practice.

Upcoming FREE SANTA AND GIFTS EVENTS –

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service: Where your child can meet Santa and get free gifts in Milwaukee