Cheese curds, frozen custard, the Packers, and … kindergarten?

Yes, Wisconsin has made remarkable culinary and cultural contributions to society, including kindergarten. The year was 1856 when America’s first kindergarten opened in Watertown, Wisconsin, for five German-speaking children. Milwaukee’s first public schools opened in 1846 in simple, wood-frame structures on North Water Street and North Third Street.

Today, Milwaukee Public Schools’ K3, K4, and K5 classrooms offer Montessori, language immersion, special education, and other programs that prepare the city’s littlest learners for grade school. An MPS education includes the adolescent and high school years in schools across our city. MPS staff support and educate more than 65,000 students, ages 3 to 21, in 156 schools.

Without further ado, let’s celebrate! From February 24 to 28, the City of Milwaukee and MPS will participate in Public Schools Week. Rolling out across Wisconsin’s 421 school districts and nationwide, the week is an opportunity to honor the history and impact of publicly funded education.

MPS and City of Milwaukee celebrations begin with a proclamation from Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and a ribbon cutting at Greenfield Bilingual School on Monday.

Here’s how you can join Public Schools Week festivities.

• Share your public school success story on social media.

• Wear your school gear or MPS colors (blue and gold).

• Thank a teacher, principal, school staff member, coach, building engineer, or other MPS employee.

• Fans and alumni of MPS can make a gift to an MPS school or program through the MPS Foundation.

All week: Share your story

Pick your favorite social media platform and show your pride. Talk about teachers who mattered to you, a class that changed the way you see the world, or the high school gymnasium that made you the athlete you are today.

Don’t forget to tag us: #MPSProud!

• https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeePublicSchools/

• https://www.instagram.com/milwaukeemps/

Monday, February 24

Mayor Cavalier Johnson will attend a ribbon cutting ceremony and deliver a proclamation at Greenfield Bilingual School at 1:00 p.m. Mayor Johnson is a double public school alumnus, with a Bay View High School diploma and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Greenfield Bilingual School is home to more than 550 K3 to grade 8 students. A federally funded expansion project brings four new classrooms, dedicated conference spaces, and a full-service kitchen to Greenfield’s southside campus. Ribbon cutting festivities include Greenfield’s redeveloped schoolyard, which opened last fall in partnership with the environmental education nonprofit Reflo.

Tuesday, February 25

Milwaukee food truck Tots on the Street will be parked in front of Central Services from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. so staff can make grab-and-go lunch purchases.

Trivia Tuesday takes off on MPS Facebook and Instagram at noon. The first person to correctly answer three trivia questions about Wisconsin’s largest school district wins a bag of MPS swag.

Wednesday, February 26
Milwaukee food truck Piña Mexican Eats will be parked in front of Central Services from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. so staff can make grab-and-go lunch purchases.

Thursday, February 27

Keep sharing your public school pride on social media and tag us: #MPSProud!

Friday, February 28

Break out the school colors and do it with denim. Central Services staff can wear jeans and sport the official MPS colors of gold and blue, or select spirit wear and colors from any public school close to their heart.