Fernwood Family Newsletter #13, 11/17/2020
Important Dates:
- November 17th-20th is a B week
- Anodyne Coffee Sale final day, Tuesday, November 17th
- Forensics Meeting, November 19th, 5:30pm, see information below
- No School November 25-November 27
- SEC Meeting November 30th, 5:30pm https://meet.google.com/rye-pqbh-shj
PTO Updates
- Today, Tuesday, November 17th, is the last day to place an Anodyne Coffee order. If you are interested in purchasing a gift card, please do so by the end of the day today. Thank you to all the Fernwood families who have made purchases thus far.
https://anodynecoffee.com/collections/fernwood-fundraiser
- The PTO would like to gather some feedback from Fernwood families about how to be most helpful during virtual learning. Please take a moment to complete this short (3 question) survey. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NK8Q5YV
- A note from Mrs. Jen Sarnowski “I am so grateful to the PTO for the $250 to spend on our classrooms each year. This year, being virtual, we’ve all had to get creative and come up with new ways to engage the children while online. I have been able to purchase a giant volcano model, lots of activities to supplement my Montessori lessons (especially since we don’t have all the materials!), and books to share at read-aloud with my PTO funds. The children have enjoyed their new activities and materials so much. Thank you to everyone who supports the PTO!”
Fernwood (Virtual) Chess Club
Fernwood’s Chess Club will be all virtual this year. We will continue to offer this optional club to 2nd-8th grade students. Students can be continuing club students or new to the game…. but new students should be able to navigate a web based program for instruction (and practice) for how to play.
As a special offer for MPS chess teams, the Wisconsin Scholastic Chess Federation (WSCF) is offering discounted Chesskid Memberships, recognition for progress made in Chesskid, opportunities to play in tournaments, and Chess School. Chess club members who used this program in the past were able to increase their skills by completing levels, doing puzzles, and playing other chess kid students in online games. Please contact Elaina Sullivan at sullivem@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
If you are interested in participating in Virtual Chess Club this year.
Note: There will be 3 virtual tournaments per weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). The fee for entering these tournaments is $10 for the entire year. There will also be a special tournament on the 4th Saturday of each month. This will be hosted by a school and the fee for entering will be $10 for each tournament.
FORENSICS INFORMATIONAL MEETING
Greetings Families of 6th-8th grade students!
Does your child have a flair for the dramatic, a love of verbal communication, seems to enjoy commanding the attention of a crowd? Or, does your child want to conquer a fear of public speaking? Then your child should consider being a part of Fernwood’s Fantastic Forensics Family!! We will be having an informational meeting for interested students and parents on Thursday, Nov. 19th from 5:30-6:30 pm on Google Meet (https://meet.google.com/zmc-itzq-ytd). You will learn what Forensics is, some of the categories, how we will conduct practices and meets (competitions), the commitment involved and about volunteer opportunities. Hope to see many of you there! Please email Mx. Botsford (botsfokm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us) or Ms. Guzman (guzmannr@milwaukee.k12.wi.us) with any questions.
Updated Art Map
Dear Fernwood Families,
My name is Kristin Bates, I am a student teacher from UW-Milwaukee working with Ms. Makula. I have been enjoying working with your child(ren) and getting to know them for the last two weeks and I am excited to do more! I will be at Fernwood until Jan. 22. I want to thank you for supporting your child(ren) with art materials and helping them every week during virtual learning.
The following is the Art Map for Weeks 13-18. Please see below for information on upcoming Art projects so that your child(ren) can have art materials ready for their art projects. District Art Kits (full of art supplies for students to use at home) are still delayed with no set distribution date, so we will continue to rely on whatever art materials students already have available at home to complete their art assignments.
| Week | Project | Description | Materials Needed: |
| Week 13:
Nov. 23-27th |
Gratitude | Reflect on what you are thankful for and create a piece of art in relation to this | Paper, pencil, coloring utensils such as markers, crayons, or colored pencils. |
| Week 14:
Nov. 30- Dec. 4th |
Masks or Headdresses | Create a 3D mask or headdress out of paper | Paper, scissors, glue, tape, stapler, coloring utensils such as markers, crayons, and/or colored pencils. |
| Week 15: Dec. 7-11th | Maps | Create a map that relates to something in your life | Paper, drawing utensil, coloring utensils such as markers, crayons, and/ or color pencils. |
| Week 16:
Dec. 14-18 |
Comic Book | Create your own comic book story and/or character | Paper (several pieces), pencil or pen, coloring utensils such as markers, crayons, and/ or colored pencils, ruler (optional). |
| Week 17:
Dec. 21-22 |
Super Sleds | Design a sled with these requirements: Who is the driver? What fuel does it run on? and How does it land? | Paper, pen or pencil, coloring utensils such as markers, crayons, and/or colored pencils. |
| Week 18:
Jan. 4-8th |
Heroic Portraits | Create a portrait of someone you admire. | Paper, pencil, coloring utensils such as markers, crayons, and/or colored pencils. |
Free Fresh Produce for Families November 19th
MPS will offer bags of fresh fruits and vegetables to families on Thursday, November November 19th through the federal Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. Each bag will contain nutrition facts and recipes so families can enjoy new healthy food options. Eating Better this Thanksgiving is the theme for this week’s bag.
Families can pick up a produce bag at Stop, Grab, and Go locations during regular meal distribution hours of 11:00 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. Read more about free produce for families!
Community Feedback on Classroom Conduct
MPS continues to evaluate and revise practices that impact classroom conduct. The district has ongoing efforts to foster a positive climate, respectful interactions, and thoughtful engagement. We invite families and community members to participate in these important discussions.
- Share experiences regarding behavior and communication
- Discuss approaches, actions, and attitudes to build trust
- Suggest ways to strengthen school culture
- Address concerns on discipline practices that deter learning
- Provide ideas to enhance the learning climate/environment
Share your comments at: http://tinyurl.com/mpscommunityinput
Or attend a virtual meeting to take part in the discussion. The following sessions are scheduled on Wednesdays from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Connect at https://tinyurl.com/y6snd3tz Please let email Jenni at navidaj@milwaukee.k12.wi.us if you plan to attend the meeting. We hope several families can attend and share their input.
- December 9, 2020
- January 13, 2021
- February 10, 2021
Download a flyer for more information.
Girl Scout Drive Through Event
The Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast is holding a pop up style event and wanted to invite Fernwood girls. The event will be outside the Cudahy United Methodist Church (5865 S Lake Drive) on Saturday, November 21 from 10am-12pm. They will be handing out activity bags for girls and information on how to join Girl Scouts for families. This is a free event and no RSVP is required. Please click on the FLYER for more information.
