January 22, 2026

DUE TO THE PREDICTED COLD CONDITIONS MPS SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED TOMORROW JANUARY 23RD.

Upcoming Events / Meetings

HIGH SCHOOL FINAL EXAMS

January 27th Final Day of Exams – change due to school closure Friday 1/23/26 

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

NO SCHOOL

Monday, January 26th

MPS KINDERGARTEN ENROLLMENT FAIR – District Event

Saturday, January 31st

9:00 – 12:00pm

South Division High School

MORNING WITH MONTESSORI – DISTRICT EVENT

Saturday, February 7th

9:00am – 12:00pm

MacDowell Montessori

February PTO Restaurant Fundraiser – PAPA JOHNS

Wednesday, February 11th

10:00am – 10:00 pm

115th & North Ave

PARENT EDUCATION SESSION – MATH

Wednesday, February 11th

7:45-9:45am, presentation begins at 8:15am

AND

Thursday, February 12th

5:30-7:30pm, presentation begins at 6:00pm

FLYER

WASHINGTON DC TRIP – HIGH SCHOOL

February 9th – 13th

NO SCHOOL

February 16th – 17th

SEC MEETING- School Engagement Council

Wednesday, February 18th

5:00 – 5:30 pm

ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND ALL SEC MEETINGS – every month, this is your opportunity to contribute to the school and have a voice.

PTO MEETING

Wednesday, February 18th

5:30- 6:30pm

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION

Thursday, February 26th

6:00 – 7:30 pm

Black Arts MKE Spring Session is starting!

Sessions start back up on 2/2. This program allows students to choose to participate in either dance or drumming. Black Arts MKE programing is designed to help youth express their creativity and take risks, while learning important social emotional skills.

Open to students grades 2nd-5th.

• Mondays & Wednesdays
• 3:00pm – 4:30pm (Students must be picked up promptly by 4:30). **3-3:30 is a transition and snack/bathroom break time, 3:30-4:30 is the actual dance and drumming session**
• Sessions run from February 2nd to April 22nd, 2026 (final performance on 4/22/26)

Sign up for the Black Arts MKE program using this link (**if your child participated in the Fall Session and you already re-registered, no need to additionally fill this out**). The deadline for registration is 1/29, or once the session is full. 

Save the Date – Morning of Montessori

Saturday, February 7th

9:00am – 12:00pm

MacDowell 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. 

More info: https://www.milwaukeepublicschools.org/academics/montessori/open-house

Find out more about Montessori schools in MPS!

General Reminders

MPS Kindergarten Enrollment – Save the Date!

Will your child turn 3, 4, or 5 by September 1, 2026? Don’t forget to enroll them at MacDowell! 

Kindergarten Enrollment for the 2025-26 school year will begin Saturday, January 31, 2026, and will end March 2, 2026. Current MacDowell students need not reapply. We will send enrollment directions closer to the enrollment date. 

District Enrollment Fairs will be held January 31st and February 21st.

Middle and High School Families 

HEALTHCARE EXPO

We have an awesome field trip opportunity coming up for any high school students interested in Healthcare Careers. We are attending the Healthcare Expo Event on Tuesday 2/3 9:30-11:30am where students can get hands on interaction with over 50 different healthcare careers. Please talk to your student and check out the sign up link below. A permission slip will be delivered to them once they sign up. Thank you!!!

http://tinyurl.com/macacpevents

💲💲💲MacDowell will be a Money Coach site and will need volunteers on alternating Fridays 11am-12pm in the second semester. If parents are interested, Contact Stephaine Crosley, Volunteer Recruitment Specialist, stephaine@securefutures.org, (414) 273-810, and mention they would like to work with MacDowell!💲💲💲

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.

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

Sports and Activities Update

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 February 18 at 5:30pm. After the 5:00pm SEC Meeting

December PTO minutes : HERE 

        

 

SAVE THE DATE: Upcoming Restaurant Fundraisers

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

Saz’s State House – March 11

In Case You Missed It

PRE ORDER YEARBOOKS-  DUE April 29th

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

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°~ 

!! 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

QUICK LINKS:

MPS School Calendar

School Website

Lunch Menu – K-8th January

Lunch Menu – High School January

November IB Newsletter

Staff Preferences 25-26

MacDowell  Spotlight

ELEMENTARY FANCY DANCE

What a blast! We had an amazing turnout with so much fanciness. Thank you to Ms. Heidi and Ms. Heather for organizing a fun and fluid event. Major accolades to Jayson Muzame for DJing our dance. We hope everyone in attendance had a great time. We are so happy to continue this annual event. 

SENIOR IB DIPLOMA PROGRAMME CANDIDATES

Over the next three weeks we will showcase our Seniors completing the full IB Diploma. International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP), is a comprehensive two-year international college-preparatory curriculum. Students have the option of being Full Diploma candidates, or they may take selected IB courses as Certificate candidates. Successful completion of an IB course may lead to college credit and/or advanced placement. At MacDowell Montessori School, the DP spans a student’s junior and senior years of high school.

Community Resources and Opportunities  

🔥 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. 🔥

It is Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and there is a virtual caregiver training available to parents and caregivers of students being held on Tuesday, January 27th, from 11:30am-12:30pm in effort to teach about the vulnerabilities youth experience and how they connect to grooming tactics. Registration is required. Those in attendance will have a chance to enter into a raffle to win one big “Family Fun Night” gift basket, with games, movie tickets and snacks. To be entered in the raffle, caregivers must attend for the full hour, with their cameras on.

https://milwaukeemps.zoom.us/meeting/register/JcONgnqsQYmMf_6ipZCzOw#/registration

DISTRICT ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING

Thursday, February 5th

6:00 – 7:00 pm

Virtual