May 2, 2024

Upcoming Events / Meetings

50th MPS BIENNIAL MUSIC FESTIVAL

May 2nd

UWM Panther Arena

6:30 – 8:00 pm 

SPRING OPEN HOUSE / END OF YEAR PICNIC

TOMORROW Friday, May 3rd 

Classroom Visits 4:30 – 6:00 pm

Potluck and Frozen Treat Social 5:30 – 7:00 pm

RSVP here – https://tinyurl.com/2vt9374c

ELEMENTARY SPRING CONCERT

Thursday, May 16th

6:00 – 7:00 pm

HIGH SCHOOL ALL SPORTS BANQUET

Friday, May 17th

5:00 – 9:00 pm

MacDowell Gymnasium

HIGH SCHOOL EXAMS:

Friday, May 17th, 8:00 AM – 12:05 PM

Monday, May 20th, 8:00 AM – 12:05 PM

Tuesday, May 21st, 8:00 AM – 10:45 AM

8th GRADE COMPLETION CEREMONY

Tuesday, May 21st

5:00 – 6:00 pm 

MacDowell Auditorium

STUDENT LAST DAY

Tuesday, May 21st

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

Wednesday, May 22nd

6:00 – 7:00 pm

MATC Cooley Auditorium

              

The OPEN HOUSE is an opportunity for families to get a glimpse into the classrooms and for children to guide their family through a few special lessons. Students will be encouraged to present work(s) to their family. It could be something that they recently completed and are proud of, or it could be their favorite material. Our 7th-12th grade students will be showcasing their MYP Design projects, IB Design projects, Theory of Knowledge projects and cross curricular projects. Classrooms will be available for families transitioning into 7th grade and 9th grade.

Please RSVP HERE: https://tinyurl.com/2vt9374c

END OF YEAR PICNIC – After visiting the classrooms join our community in the cafeteria for a potluck and treat. MacDowell’s PTO will supply a main dish and frozen dessert. Please bring a dish to pass.

Please RSVP and Sign up to help here: https://tinyurl.com/2vt9374c

Library News from Ms. Raasch: TOMORROW: Last day to check out books

End of Year Library – Student and Family Responsibilities

All students have been notified about the books and other resources they owe to MacDowell Library by the end of the year. K-6 students have received paper notices and 7-12 students receive a weekly email on Monday at 11 AM that details their current library and resource checkouts. Families are responsible for resolving lost/missing library books with Ms. Raasch by Friday, May 17th. Families have options: 1) pay the listed fine to the main office. 2) donate a gently used hardcover book as a replacement. Please attach a note to the book indicating the student’s name. 3) contact SSW, Ms. Jacobson, to have the fine waived if your family cannot resolve it another way. Watch this 2-min video for more details: What if students lose a library book?

Contact Ms. Raasch via email: raaschTL@milwaukee.k12.wi.us OR join her Remind Group for MacDowell Library to contact her via Remind App: https://www.remind.com/join/hfg68e

STUDENT ENROLLMENT FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 2024-25

As we look toward the next school year, for our planning purposes it is important for us to know whether your student(s) will continue at MacDowell next year.  Please take a moment to complete our short Enrollment Form at your earliest convenience so that we can plan efficiently.  If you have multiple MacDowell students, please complete the form for all your children. Thank you in advance.  

Complete the form here: https://forms.gle/hcTowuAgnzRhRWHUA

VOTE FOR MR. ASH – MANILOW MUSIC TEACHER AWARD !!

The Manilow Music Teacher Award recognizes an outstanding music teacher who helps to bring music to life for his or her students. The top vote recipient in each city will receive $10,000 — a $5,000 cash prize and a $5,000 Manilow Bucks credit that can be used to purchase instruments for their classroom. Vote DAILY for your favorite outstanding teacher and help spread the word by sharing the link below! Voting ends JUNE 15!

“I am humbled to be nominated for this award.  Voting has opened, and you can vote once per day.  If you somehow remember to do this amidst everything else, I’d appreciate it!  I’d love to buy some computers for our music room so we can do some more advanced music tech stuff.”

Thanks all! ~ Mr. Ash

 VOTE NOW:  https://on.barrymanilow.com/tb_app/500663

Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)

**We’re looking for new families to join and support our efforts! **

The 2024-2025 PTO will restructure our organization away from elected officers and towards an executive committee format. Our vision is to make light work with many hands by sharing tasks amongst the group. We want to make it easy and accessible for many families to be involved in our planning efforts. We’re a pretty fun group!  ptomacdowell@gmail.com Let us know what you can add to the group 🙂.

See April meeting minutes HERE. The first meeting of the new school year will be 9/11/24. 

Start by volunteering to make our End of Year Picnic a success : sign ups in the RSVP –

https://tinyurl.com/2vt9374c

MPS RUN/WALK BACK TO SCHOOL REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

(You don’t have to Run to join our team!)

Celebrate the start of the 2024-25 school year with MPS and Milwaukee Recreation at the 17th annual MPS Run Back to School! This is an annual tradition for MacDowell families and a wonderful way to get together and enjoy a beautiful walk/run through the Washington Park neighborhood.

DETAILS:

• 5K run/1.5-mile walk through Washington Park
• Date: Saturday, Aug. 24
• Start Time: 9 a.m. (please arrive no later than 8:40 a.m.)
• Start & Finish Line: MPS Central Services Building, 5225 W. Vliet St.
• Cost: $5 for youth / $15 for adults (adult fee increases to $20 after July 31)
• Fee includes an event t-shirt and race bag

If our school’s team has a minimum of 25 participants by July 31, we will be able to walk/run in our very own team t-shirt color. In addition, we will be eligible for a $500 grant to go towards a recreation and/or wellness need at MacDowell! If we have the most registered participants, we are eligible for a $1,000 grant towards recreation/wellness programs. Let’s do this, MacDowell!

TO REGISTER FOR THE RUN/WALK BACK TO SCHOOL

• Register online by visiting mkerec.net/RBTS  When asked the question, “If participating with a school group, please list the school”, enter our school’s name. 

• Register over the phone until August.16 at 4:30 pm by calling (414) 475-8410  (please have credit card information ready, be sure to mention what school you are running/ walking for)

• Register by mail by sending a registration form to: MPS Run Back to School, 5225 W. Vliet Street, Room 163, Milwaukee, WI 53208 (registration form can be found on mkerec.net/RBTS) until August. 16 at 4:30 p.m.

INFO: Milwaukee Recreation: Run Back to School

QUESTIONS? Contact our RBTS School Captain Angela Pryor angelamariepryor@gmail.com

OUR 2023-2024 YEARBOOKS HAVE ARRIVED!

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

7-12th grade yearbooks needed a reprint and will be ready this week.

Elementary Yearbooks – $15, 

Middle / High School Yearbooks – $25

MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL NEWS

CHROMEBOOK RETURN EXPECTATIONS & PROCEDURES

All Middle and High School students are responsible for returning their Chromebooks and all other library books and textbooks before they leave MacDowell for the summer. We expect students and families to clear their Destiny account with MacDowell each spring as items and associated fines follow students to other MPS schools. Invoices will be sent home over the summer for unpaid fees. All fines must be paid to graduate.

Middle and High School students receive an automated email at 11:00 AM every Monday that details their current status with Destiny. An email receipt from Destiny is sent once they have returned their Chromebook. 

• High school students must return their items at one of the two Return Stations available on the 1st floor during all exam days. Students should return their Chromebook after their last exam. Exempt students can return before the exam days in Room 116 to Ms. Rogers. 
• Middle school students will turn their devices in on Monday, 5/20, during their Advisory Block from 1:00-2:00 PM at a Return Station in the Middle School Hallway. 
• NOTE: Students KEEP their chargers and cases to bring back in fall for Chromebook distribution. When a case and/or charger is not present at distribution, students are charged $10 for a charger and $20 for a case.

ATTENTION JUNIORS: Class of 2025

Applying to a two-year or four-year college can seem complicated. But MPS, UWM and MATC have partnered to make the application and admission process simple and stress-free.

The Milwaukee Direct Admit program lets all MPS high school juniors apply – for free – to MATC and UWM with just one five-minute form. Students who apply and graduate from high school are guaranteed admission to either college.

The only information needed is the student’s name, their student ID and where they want to apply. After completing the form, students will hear from MATC and/or UWM in about a month regarding next steps and hear of acceptance in September 2024.

A parent/guardian will need to also assist with completing this form and the link to apply is here: https://mpsresearch.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eD4n3Dx7QGyKzAy

See Flyer HERE

Frequently asked Questions HERE

Sports and Activities Update

JUNEAU ATHLETICS:

April / May Athletics Newsletter HERE

• Student athlete of the month
• Spring Sports
• Sports Banquet
• Looking ahead to Fall Sports
• Uniforms

Save the Date: High School All Sports Banquet : May 17, 2024. Please return RSVPs by May 10th

SPRING ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETICS:

~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.

~The most up to date schedules are also available at milwaukeerecreation.net from your mobile device. Press the 3 lines on the top right corner, Sports, Youth Sports, League Information, Spring League, then the corresponding sport, age group, & location. Our team name is MacDowell-Juneau.

Spring Sports Remind Links

⚽1-3 Soccer: https://www.remind.com/join/fkhbfdf Sijan Field AM

⚽4-5 Soccer: https://www.remind.com/join/7cfg78 Sijan Field AM

⚽6-8 Soccer: https://www.remind.com/join/4k9kk9 Early Start, Jimmy Banks AM

🏃5-8 Track: https://www.remind.com/join/ed8eg7 

MPS NEWS

MPS SUMMER SCHOOL

2024 Online Registration: Download the 2024 Summer Academy Enrollment Guide.

K5–grade 8 – MacDowell is the Montessori location for Summer School 

High school

Specialty programs

More information HERE – 2024 Summer Academy

QUICK LINKS:

Lunch Menu – May

MPS Early Start School Calendar

MPS 2024-2025 School Calendar

Juneau Athletics Apr/May Newsletter

MAD HOT DANCE COMPETITION

Congratulations to our Mad Hot Rhythm Dancers, who put on an amazing show at the UWM Panther Arena last week!

• Our Samba Group placed 1st overall
• Our Swing Tap Group placed 1st overall
• Our Fusion Hip Hop Group made it to the finals

Congratulations to all of our dancers!  We are so proud of their hard work, poise, and dedication.

Also, Thank You to all those who were able to attend, cheer them on, and support their hard work! 

AG DISCOVERY DAY

This week Ms. Lee brought her lower elementary students to Ag Discovery Day, an immersive agriculture learning experience at the Wisconsin State Fair.

This event featured hands-on stations focused on diverse areas of Wisconsin agriculture. Learning stations will included:

• Dairy Cow Milking Simulation
• Wool and Fiber Production
• From Sap to Syrup
• Hands-on Experiments

Summer Opportunities

ARTS @ LARGE VIEWFINDERS SUMMER CAMP 2024: ENTERING GRADE 3 – 8 (FREE)

Arts @ Large Summer Camp is back again this summer!

At the A@L Viewfinders Summer Camp young artists will explore multiple arts mediums, perspectives, and careers in the arts to inspire them to use their personal viewfinder. These young artists will stretch the boundaries of the learning process and become immersed in creative flows of various art forms and the meaning of their works.

This year, they are accepting 50 campers total. Each camper will participate in all 4 classes offered over the 5-week session. With limited capacity we ask that your camper be available for no less than 17 of the 19 sessions. Consideration and acceptance for camp is on a first come – first serve basis of application submission.

Camp begins on Monday June 24th, 2024 at 8:00 am and will conclude on Thursday July 25th, 2024 (note: There will be no camp on Thursday July 4th, 2024) 

– Activities are held 8:00AM – 1:15 PM on Monday, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Full details and registration HERE

WISCONSIN CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC: ENTERING GRADE 3 – 12 (FEE BASED)

The music doesn’t stop when the sun comes out. WCM has exciting summer camp opportunities for people of all ages and experience levels. Make new friends, prepare for school year auditions, learn new skills, and perform for your family and friends at one (or more!) of their awesome camps this summer.

Class descriptions and registration HERE. 2024 Summer Flyer HERE

DISCOVERY WORLD: ENTERING GRADE 1 – 8 (FEE BASED, SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE)

Explore everything, acquire abilities, find a passionate pursuit, design, and make at Discovery World! Camps for kids entering 1st-8th grades run June 10th through August 23rd. Camp registration closes at 5:00pm on the Thursday prior to the start of each camp week.

For details and registration HERE

Resources & Events

MPS TEXTBOOK REVIEW:

MPS Community/Parent Advisory Group: Math K-12, and English as a Second Language (ESL) 9-12 Textbooks/Instructional Materials Evaluation 

Milwaukee Public Schools is in the process of adopting new textbooks for Math K-12, and English as a Second Language (ESL) 9-12.  We would like to have community/parent insight and perspective in this important process.  Therefore, we would like community/parent members to participate in an advisory capacity. The community/parent advisory group shall serve to review the materials and make recommendations. The advisory will not be a final decision-making body but will offer suggestions as to which textbooks they believe would best support student learning. The community/parent advisory group will have access to  review materials virtually or in-person.

If you would like to view the materials in-person please contact Ja’Quita Murphy murphyj1@milwaukee.k12.wi.us,  414-212-0130 to schedule an appointment.  

If you are interested in participating, please complete the form for additional information. 

MPS Textbook Adoption Interest Form