Students and families can pick up packaged breakfasts and lunches plus a Winter Break Meal Bundle ahead of the scheduled holiday break at MPS Stop, Grab, and Go locations. Distribution will take place on December 21 and 22, 2020. MPS recognizes the importance of school meals for students and nutritional support during the holiday break and is working to support those needs.

On Monday, December 21, families can pick up two breakfast and two lunch packages for each student or child age 18 and younger.

On Tuesday, December 22, Winter Break Meal Bundles will be available. Every child age 18 or younger can receive a bundle, which includes recipes. Because several items are refrigerated or frozen, families are recommended to make space in the refrigerator and freezer for safe storage.

Winter Break Meal Bundles will include the following items. Items cannot be substituted in the meal bundles.

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1 large can peaches
• Frozen items:
• 1 pound diced chicken
• 1 quart sliced carrots
• 1 quart green peas
• 1 quart blueberries
• 8 4-oz. cups orange juice
• 16 pancakes
• Refrigerated items:
• 8 8-oz. cartons 1% white milk
• 8 8-oz. cartons skim chocolate milk

The ongoing Stop, Grab, and Go meal distribution remains popular with Milwaukee families. Distribution of packaged breakfasts and lunches will resume Monday, January 4, 2021.

Milwaukee Public Schools wants to hear from families about virtual learning this school year.

Your feedback is important to us! Please take our survey and offer input about your child’s virtual learning experience this semester, along with your thoughts about returning to face-to-face learning.

As we navigate virtual learning, family feedback is more important than ever. The best way to help us serve students is to take part in our survey as soon as possible.

Please complete our Roadmap to Readiness Survey to help us adapt and plan. The survey takes about 10 minutes and will remain open until Friday, January 8, 2021.

Access the survey at Roadmap to Readiness Survey.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

Milwaukee Public Schools students should get ready to enter the art, speech, and writing competitions that are part of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration. The program is open to students in kindergarten through grade 12. Winners will be recognized during the virtual celebration on January 17, 2021.

Next year’s celebration will be the 36th annual event hosted in our community. Milwaukee is one of only two cities that have celebrated the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. annually since 1984.

Students should begin planning their entries to reflect the theme for 2021: Keep Moving Forward. These words were chosen from King’s address given at Spelman College on April 10, 1960. In their entries, students should reflect on this theme and how it relates to themselves or their families, schools, neighborhoods, or world.

The art, speech, and writing contests are open to students who live in the city of Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, or West Bend or are enrolled in a public or private school within the city of Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, or West Bend.

Entries in the writing contest must be submitted by 5:00 P.M. on Monday, November 16, 2020.

Entries in the art and speech contests must be submitted by 5:00 P.M. on Friday, November 20, 2020.

To read more about this celebration and to find the complete rules for the art, speech, and writing contests, visit the MLK Birthday Celebration page on the Marcus Performing Arts Center website.

Milwaukee Public Schools wants to understand how we can best support student learning and family needs. We also want families to know about opportunities to offer input to schools and the district. Your opinions are important to us!

As we navigate virtual learning and we anticipate ongoing changes, family opinions are more important than ever. The best way to help us serve students is to take part in our survey as soon as possible.

Please complete our Family Interest Survey to help us understand your needs. The survey takes about 10 minutes and will remain open until October 31, 2020.

Access the survey at Family Interest Survey 2020.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

The new school year is almost here! MPS wants to celebrate the start of the new school year, which will take place through online learning. To kick off a fresh start, students, families, and the community are invited to take part in Welcome Back-to-School Spirit Week!

During the week of August 10 to 14, fans of MPS are encouraged to have fun and show school spirit on social media. Each day of the week offers a different theme to promote creative activities. Students and families are reminded to stay safe and maintain social distancing while making their photos and videos.

We want to see your spirit! Post your photos and videos using the hashtags #MPSspiritweek and #MPSProud, tag MPS in your social media posts, or email your photos and videos to comm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us Be sure to include your name and the name of your school. Have fun, and welcome back to school!

Spirit Week Daily Themes

• Monday—Motivational Monday! Share a quote or message that inspires you.
• Tuesday—Show Your School Spirit! Post photos wearing your school colors and/or clothing.
• Wednesday—Welcome Wednesday! Make a video telling why you are excited for school to start and welcoming students, staff, and friends back to school.
• Thursday—School Picture Day! Post a new or throwback school picture.
• Friday— What are you Looking Forward to Friday? Post a picture or video of what you are looking forward to about the new school year. 

Milwaukee Public Schools’ (MPS) phased-in reopening recommendation for the 2020-21 school year was unanimously approved by the Milwaukee Board of School Directors. The Board, in a 7-2 vote, also approved to maintain the early and traditional start calendars for the school year.

The phased in approach includes, Phase 1-full remote learning, Phase 2-hybird learning, and Phase 3-face-to-face learning with virtual option.

MPS will start the school year with virtual learning for all students. As the spread of COVID-19 decreases, students will return to schools for two days each week for face-to-face learning and virtual three days each week. Phase three will allow all students to return to the classroom five days a week, when conditions are healthy to return. MPS will monitor public health conditions to determine movement between each phase.

“To help preserve the health and well-being of our students and staff, we believe virtual learning is the best scenario at this time,” MPS Superintendent Dr. Keith P. Posley said. “This was a difficult decision but a necessary one as we work diligently to provide the best education for our students. We look forward to returning to in-class instruction but only when we can do so safely.”

As details continue to develop, the district will provide information to students, families, and staff regarding the upcoming school year. Families are encouraged to stay up to date with information about the fall semester by visiting the MPS website, downloading the MPS App on their smartphones, and following MPS on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

To enroll, visit mpsmke.com/enroll, call 414-267-5100, or take part in Curbside Enrollment at MPS Central Services on August 3 and 4.

Help your child keep learning! With schools closed due to coronavirus, it’s important for students to learn while at home. MPS will be closed for at least three weeks of regular class time.

MPS is currently offering instructional learning materials at all 20 “Stop, Grab, and Go” locations along with packaged meals for students. Learn more about this program on the MPS COVID-19 Update page. These instructional materials are filled with activities to support and enrich learning during the extended closure.

Students and families can also access a number of online resources selected by the MPS Office of Academics. Online access to websites for enrichment in reading, writing, math, science, and more for all grade levels are provided below.

Accessing the Student Toolbox

Step 1: Click Student Toolbox from the MPS webpage OR Go to clever.com/in/milwaukee.

Step 2: Click ‘Log in with Google’ (Use your MPS Google login).

Students first will be asked for their Google login. Students should enter their S# followed by @milwaukee.k12.wi.us; for example, s1234567@milwaukee.k12.wi.us.

Students then will be asked to enter their password. Students should enter their date of birth in the format of mm/dd/yy; for example, 03/10/05.

Step 3: Select a program and start learning!

The vision of Milwaukee Public Schools is to provide an equitable educational environment that is child-centered, supports achievement, and respects and embraces diversity. The district is launching a community survey designed to gather input about important education topics and is seeking the input of students, families, educators, staff and all community members. The results of the district survey will be used to determine how we can strengthen our students’ academic experiences and enrich opportunities for them.

Everyone in the city is encouraged to take the survey and attend a listening session. The survey, which takes about 10 minutes to complete, can be accessed at mpsmke.com/survey. Survey responses are confidential, and the survey will remain open until September 12, 2019.

MPS encourages attendance at a series of listening sessions designed for the community to provide feedback and help guide MPS in creating a learning community that achieves a vision. Please plan to attend one or more sessions.

• Thursday, September 19, 2019 at Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning (WCLL; 1017 N. 12th Street) from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, September 21, 2019 at Reagan High School (4965 S. 20th Street) from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
• Monday, September 23, 2019 at North Division High School (1011 W. Center Street) from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at Vincent High School (7501 N. Granville Road) from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

For questions regarding this process, please contact MPS at 414-475-8388 or feedback@milwaukee.k12.wi.us. We look forward to hearing from you!