MACDOWELL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Vol. 4 | October 2, 2020

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES!

Please note that our Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on 3 different days this year. Conferences will be on the following dates: Monday, October 12th, Wednesday, October 14th, and Wednesday, October 21st.

All conferences will be held from 3:30-6 PM. 

We will ask families to sign up for a timeslot via SignUpGenius – the sign-up links will be shared on our school website and via email very soon.  School staff will email you the virtual Google Meet link prior to the conferences. Adolescent and High School families are strongly encouraged to meet with each of your child’s teachers.

UPCOMING DATES:

• MAC Meeting (Montessori Advisory Committee): October 5th @ 5:30-6:30 PM

The Montessori Advisory Committee (MAC) needs your thoughts, ideas, and voice. Join us to help strengthen Montessori education in Milwaukee. Be part of a committee working to make MPS a global leader in Montessori practice.  Everyone is welcome at all meetings!  Our first virtual meeting of the school year will be October 5 @ 5:30 pm-6:30pm. To access the meeting, please register to receive a link: https://milwaukeemps.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5NolSXvhTjWv8WMgT5mAIA 

• Title 1 Family Engagement Meeting: October 14th at 5:30 PM. Come learn about our Title 1 budget, discuss our curriculum, testing, and services to students in need. We will discuss our school’s goals and School-Parent Compact and you will have an opportunity to share your feedback. All families are encouraged to attend. Google Meet link: https://meet.google.com/brx-pdkx-rkw

Join by phone: (US) +1 617-675-4444‬ (PIN: ‪105 559 433 0206‬#)

• SEC (School Engagement Council): October 21st from 5:00-5:30 PM

The SEC meets every month and is open to anyone who wants to attend. Some of the topics we discuss include our school improvement strategies, staffing needs, the school budget, and student achievement. Everyone is welcome! The Google Meet link will be shared soon.

• PTO: October 21st from 5:30-6:30 PM. Join us for our PTO meeting of the year! Our PTO is a volunteer organization made up of parents, teachers and staff. Everyone is welcome! The Google Meet link will be shared soon.

NO SCHOOL: October 23 and October 26

SURVEY

Thank you to all who attended our Open House last week. We have asked our families for feedback on Virtual Learning. If you have not already completed this short survey, please do so here: https://forms.gle/bvhKcMmKxLLtHPwM8

MPS Nutrition Services is excited to announce that all Stop, Grab, and Go distribution sites will be participating in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) grant during virtual school. Children can participate in this program by picking up a fresh bag of produce, every Thursday during the month of October, at any MPS Stop, Grab, and Go location (http://mpsmke.com/stopgrabgo).

This October, the FFVP produce bags will Celebrate Culture Though Food. Each produce bag will celebrate a different culture by providing: fresh fruits and vegetables from around the world, nutrition facts about the fresh fruits and vegetables provided, and ethnic recipes parents can make, with their children, by using the produce items. One produce bag will be provided per family, while supplies last.  The four cultures being celebrated in the month of October are Hispanic, European, Asian, and African American.

The first produce bag celebrates Hispanic Culture and will be available for pickup on Thursday, October 8th, 2020.

The Milwaukee Public Library is BACK! 

Currently, in-person library service includes Wi-Fi, 2-hour access to computers, picking up reserved items (holds), quick reference assistance, item requests, copying, printing, scanning, and faxing. Please see the MPL letter for more information here: https://tinyurl.com/y5phszoj

CHROMEBOOK CARE

A reminder: School Chromebooks are to be handled carefully. Here is some guidance and information from MPS about best practices for keeping your Chromebook in tip-top shape: https://tinyurl.com/y4hseqkr

10-12th GRADE STUDENTS – ACT PREP

UW Milwaukee has a series of ACT prep classes for the fall of 2020 or the spring of 2021. For details please go to: https://tinyurl.com/yb36pnem

TENNIS COACH NEEDED:

Juneau Athletics is in need of a varsity tennis coach!  This is a paid position in the spring and the salary is roughly $3,100 with a bump up in pay after the initial year.  

The posting will be open until 10/9/2020.

To apply – go to this link here: MPS COACHING VACANCIES

Click on ‘MPS Coaching Vacancies’ under the heading Coaches’ Information and then search for ‘MacDowell’.

Please see Ms. Schenk if you have any questions: schenkao@milwaukee.k12.wi.us

• Tutoring sessions are available weekdays between 3:30pm and 6:30pm and are completely free of charge!
• Tandem has ample outdoor space and masks to make for a socially distanced and safe learning environment.
• Each free tutoring session lasts 90 minutes, includes a hot meal, and pairs students one-on-one with qualified tutors.
• Students will also receive cool prizes for every five sessions they attend!
• Computers, internet access, and basic school supplies provided, just bring your thinking hat and be on time!
  

  For more details, or to register please go to: http://tandem.mke.center/

FALL BLACK ARTS MKE VIRTUAL ART PROGRAM – STILL ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!

We are still taking applications for our FREE after school arts program through “Black Arts MKE” and an MPS program “Partnership For The Arts and Humanities”.

We are offering Multicultural Dance OR Choir. See details below.

For students in 2nd through 6th grade.
Classes begin September 28th.
Full details and Black Arts MKE flyer here: https://tinyurl.com/MacBAMKE
Link to the application here: https://forms.gle/QtBYU6z6UQUasg6K6
Applications will be first come, first served.

• Does your student love music? Does your student enjoy singing? “Lift Every Voice and Sing” with Ms. Brandi Reed, experienced vocal instructor and musical director. In choir, students will learn the fundamentals of singing exciting material from musical classics to songs from some of today’s most popular artists. Students will find Ms. Brandi’s fun and easy teaching style and upbeat personality will leave them feeling confident in their vocal abilities. Together MacDowell students can have a great time exploring the world of performance, while improving their vocals.
• Does your student love to dance? Join Ms. Karlies Kelly, experienced dance instructor and choreographer, in a multicultural dance exploration of the Americas. This class will focus on dances and music from the Caribbean, Central and South America. Ms. Karlies’ classes and performances are energetic and fun, yet challenging and informational. Students will have fun learning to express themselves while building self-confidence and self-discipline.Link to our choir and dance application here: https://forms.gle/QtBYU6z6UQUasg6K6

GIRL SCOUTS EVENT INFORMATION

Events for families interested in Girl Scouts.

GIRL POWER DRIVE THROUGH

• October 3 at 10:00 a.m.-noon &
• October 4 at 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Drive-thru and pick up three FREE take-and-make activity kits and find out all the AMAZING things you could do in Girl Scouts!

This event is open to families with girls in grades K-5.
Bring a nonperishable food item to donate to a local food pantry.
Multiple drive-through locations – see below
LOCATIONS and DETAILS here: Girl Power Drive Thru

GIRL SCOUT PARTIES

• Various dates and times (see below)

Come find out about all the cool things you can do as a Girl Scout at these virtual parties.

Join for an Animal Dance Party or a Robot Building Party.
This event is open to families with girls in grades K-3.
Various dates and times
See DETAILS here: Girl Scout Parties

FAMILY INTEREST SURVEY: Please click on the MPS Family Interest Survey below to help our school and our district better understand your needs, your opinions, and how we can improve family and community engagement. This survey is voluntary and should take you less than 10 minutes to complete. The survey is open until October 31, 2020. Click on the survey here: https://tinyurl.com/MPSFI2021

MACDOWELL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Vol. 2 | September 10, 2020

THIRD FRIDAY is September 18th. Our school receives funding based on attendance on the third Friday of the traditional school year calendar, which is Friday, September 18th.
Please make sure that your MacDowell student is present on Friday, September 18th so that our school can receive full funding. Please remember: If a student logs into a Google Meet, or submits any work they are considered present for the day.

FALL BLACK ARTS MKE VIRTUAL ART PROGRAM
We are pleased to announce that MacDowell is hosting a FREE after school arts program through “Black Arts MKE” and an MPS program “Partnership For The Arts and Humanities”. This year we will be offering Multicultural Dance OR Choir.

Only students in 2nd through 6th grade are eligible to participate. Participation is expected weekly. Non-participation will result in losing your space to another student.

Space is limited to 20 participants in each group for this virtual arts experience.
Classes begin September 21st and run through November 23, 2020

Please note: applications are FIRST COME FIRST SERVED

Dance, open to 2nd – 6th grade students
20 slots available (please choose either dance or choir, not both)
Meets on Monday from 3:15-4:15 PM

Choir, open to 2nd – 6th grade students
20 slots available (please choose either dance or choir, not both)
Meets on Wednesday from 3:15-4:15 PM

Full details and Black Arts MKE flyer here: https://tinyurl.com/MacBAMKE
Link to the application here: https://forms.gle/QtBYU6z6UQUasg6K6
Applications will be first come, first served.

BIG BROTHER BIG SISTER
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) has been a part of our MacDowell community for the last 15 years. Big Brothers Big Sisters school-based mentoring program is a one-to-one, where Bigs come to school to meet for at least one hour a week, during a school year, and commit for at least two school years.

At this time, BBBS is matching virtually. All virtual meetings are hosted by a BBBS staff person.
BBBS is accepting new applications for students in 1st-7th grades. There are no household guidelines or qualifiers to enroll. Matching is done based on common interests and personality.

The link to apply is https://bbbs.tfaforms.net/f/youthenrollment-school-0405

For questions about BBBS at MacDowell, please reach out to Pam Hinton. Her email is: phinton@bbbsmilwaukee.org or she can be reached at 414-831-4573.

BIG BROTHER BIG SISTER MENTOR 2.0 PROGRAM
High School students – MacDowell is fortunate to have a partnership with BBBS through their 2.0 mentor program, which pairs our high school students in the program with a one-on-one mentor. If your high school student is interested in being matched with a mentor this fall, please complete the application here: https://bbbs.tfaforms.net/f/youthenrollment-m20-0405
Please note: The mentor 2.0 program is for HS students only.

FAMILY INTEREST SURVEY: Parents and guardians, please click on the MPS Family Interest Survey below to help our school and our district better understand your needs, your opinions, and how we can improve family and community engagement. This survey is voluntary and should take you less than 10 minutes to complete. The survey is open until October 31, 2020. Survey here: https://tinyurl.com/MPSFI2021

HOUSEHOLD INCOME FORMS: We are still missing some Alternate Income Household Forms from families. If we have contacted you about returning this very important form, please return it as soon as possible. This form is tied to our school funding.

A copy of the form can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/y24o3vuz

UPCOMING DATES:

• SEC (School Engagement Council)
  September 16th, 5:00-5:30 pm

–> Click on the SEC meeting link here: https://meet.google.com/owq-ebzg-cxg

• PTO
  September 16th, 5:30-6:30 pm

–> Click on the PTO meeting link here: https://meet.google.com/ocb-eqpr-fbq

• OPEN HOUSE: Save the Date!
  Thursday, September 24th from 5:30-7 pm.
  Links for the teacher’s virtual Open House Meets will be posted in their Google Classrooms in the near future.

MACDOWELL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Vol. 1 | September 3, 2020

MacDowell families,

I want to begin by congratulating all of you on the successful completion of the first three weeks of school! We know that you, our families, are the reason that our implementation of virtual learning has been successful. It is with your support and encouragement that so many of our students are engaged in their lessons and classes each day. I want to thank you for your understanding of some of the beginning of the year technical difficulties that we may have experienced, and continue to exercise patience with our staff as they embark on this virtual learning journey. At MacDowell, we have an absolutely fantastic staff, and they have been working day and night to try to provide the best education possible for our students. One of the technical hurdles that we are still trying to figure out is regarding the recording of Google Meet lessons. Initially, we were told by the district that this would be possible, however, this policy was changed at the district level due to parent concerns about student privacy and recording students in their homes. We as a school have been researching other ways to record lessons for our Google classrooms. We have not yet found an appropriate or manageable solution to this problem.

Nearly every aspect of our daily lives has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and virtual education is yet another way we have been asked to modify our daily routines and engage in unfamiliar ways. As a result, our school staff has had to do a lot of planning and work to develop lessons that are engaging and still true to our Montessori curriculum and philosophy. At MacDowell, we truly believe that engaging with our students each day is a vital part of our mission. Teachers are providing ongoing synchronous learning opportunities, and working to utilize Montessori Materials and the Montessori philosophy in their daily practice, even in this virtual setting. In order to support our students, we believe fully that students should have access to the materials that they need to be successful. We have made and purchased Montessori materials, purchased novels and other curriculum resources, and provided textbooks for students in order to ensure that they can work with their hands to manipulate materials, turn pages in physical books, and document their work in regular journals just as they would in the classroom. While technology is essential in our virtual learning delivery, we want to make sure that children are engaging with their hands and are able to complete tasks without the need for additional screen time. We will provide pick up opportunities for materials on an ongoing basis as our virtual learning continues. Please monitor our school messenger communications, as we will let you know if there are additional materials or resources that your children need as we move through the school year. In addition, please encourage your children to keep their materials organized in their home workspace.

We recognize that there are other ways that our families have been impacted by this pandemic. We know that families have suffered personal losses as well as family and economic hardships. Please know that our MacDowell support staff is here for you. Our school psychologists, social workers, and school nurse have created Google classrooms where families can access the curriculum to support the mental health of our students during this crisis, community resources to pursue if families are struggling with access to food and housing, and information about protecting your family’s health and safety. Please feel free to reach out to our support staff if you or members of your family are in need of their support.

We will be hosting our first virtual school event of the year; we cordially invite all families to participate in our fall open house, which will take place on Thursday, September 24th, 2020 from 5:30-7:00pm. Parents will have the opportunity to learn more about our Montessori classrooms, including expectations for work as virtual learning continues.

Again, thank you for your ongoing support of our MacDowell family; we are all in this together, and we are all we need! Let’s work together to make this school year a memorable one for our students!

Andrea Corona

Principal

MacDowell Montessori School

MACDOWELL VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE 101

• Attendance is taken daily.
• Logging in to the live Google Meet, or completing any work is considered present for the day.
• Submitting work in the evening is acceptable to be marked as present.
• If students will be absent, call the school office otherwise they will be marked unexcused.
• Any issues with technology or other problems that keeps your child from “attending” school for that day MUST be reported to the teacher or the school office in order to be excused.
• After 5 unexcused days a child is considered truant.
• If you are not sure how to log in or submit work, reach out to your teacher through email.
  Any questions regarding attendance can be directed to the School Social Worker Rachel Jacobson at (507) 384-9078

The MacDowell Support Staff team is available to help you and your student(s) during this time.  Google classrooms have been created specifically for families to use. They are filled with resources, community support, social/emotional activities, and other useful information. Check your email for information on the Google Classroom codes.

Parents/guardians will need to join any of these classrooms through one of their student accounts.

School Office Hours and Staff Contact:

The school office is open from 7:00 am-4:00 pm Monday through Friday. Tel: 414-935-1400.

If you need to email a teacher or staff member, our email addresses can be found on our school website here: http://www5.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/school/macdowell/staff/

Textbook/materials pick up: Did you miss the pick up for K3-6th grade material packets or the 7-12th grade textbooks? These items can still be picked up from the school between the hours of 8-11 am and 12-3 pm. No appointment is necessary. A mask is required. We will have new packets ready for K3-6th grade families in the coming weeks and will send out another SignUpGenius when that is finalized. Thank you.

Thank you to all of our students and families that registered and participated in the MPS Run Back to School: Virtual Challenge. Macdowell was #1 with the most registered participants and as a result, we earned a $1,000 mini-grant towards our recreation/wellness programs at school. Great job, MacDowell!

Extra special thanks to our fantastic team captain Lauren Simmons for coordinating this event for our school.

Thank you again for your participation and support!

Family Interest Survey: Parents and guardians, please click on the MPS Family Interest Survey below to help our school and our district better understand your needs, your opinions, and how we can improve family and community engagement. This survey is voluntary and should take you less than 10 minutes to complete. The survey is open until October 31, 2020. Click on the survey here: https://tinyurl.com/MPSFI2021

Fall Athletics–Suspended Until Further Notice: To maintain the health and safety of athletes, teams, coaches, and spectators, MPS is suspending all school-based fall sports indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students, families, and staff will receive updates as new decisions are made.

Milwaukee Recreation is offering a variety of safe and socially distanced Youth Sports clinics for 3rd-8th grade students as an alternative to traditional leagues this fall. Registration is open now! Registrations will be processed in the order in-which they are received. Clinics include: soccer, volleyball, flag football, tennis, girls’ basketball, and cross-country fun runs. Unlike the standard school sports registration process, these clinics/lessons will require students to register and pay fees individually to Milwaukee Recreation. In the event financial assistance is needed, families are encouraged to apply for an Everyone Plays! Scholarship. (see below) Spaces for these opportunities will be very limited to keep group sizes to a minimum, so registering early is strongly recommended. Masks/Face Covering are required for all participants, spectators, staff, and instructors during all Youth Sports programming. All clinics are coed unless otherwise noted. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/yxes7rgk

Everyone Plays! scholarship information and application here: https://tinyurl.com/y6fg576p

UPCOMING DATES

SEC: September 16th, 5:00-5:30 pm

Join us for our first School Engagement Council (SEC) meeting of the year! The SEC meets every month and is open to anyone who wants to attend. Some of the topics we discuss include our school improvement strategies, staffing needs, the school budget, and student achievement.

Our virtual meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 16th from 5:00-5:30 PM.

Click on the meeting link here: https://meet.google.com/owq-ebzg-cxg

PTO: September 16th, 5:30-6:30 pm

Join us for our PTO meeting of the year! Our PTO is a volunteer organization made up of parents, teachers and staff. We work to improve the educational experience for our MacDowell students by organizing community events and fundraising for items that are not otherwise in our school budget.

Our virtual meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 16th at 5:30PM.

The meeting link is here: https://meet.google.com/ocb-eqpr-fbq

If you have any ideas, comments, or suggestions but cannot attend a PTO meeting, we want to hear from you! Email us: ptomacdowell@gmail.com

You can also join our PTO Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1210806135671324

OPEN HOUSE

Thursday, September 24th from 5:30-7 pm.

Links for the teacher’s virtual Open House Meets will be posted in the near future.

TECHNOLOGY

IMPORTANT!! Opt in to Receive District Text Messages.

MPS is now using School Messenger to send text messages to families with the latest updates, safety alerts, school closings, and more. Families should send a text message to 67587 to connect to the new system. In the message, send Y or YES to ensure that you continue to receive important texts MacDowell and the district.

FAMILY TUTORIALS: The district has prepared a number of video tutorials to assist families with online learning. Visit the MPS School Reopening website and click on Family Tutorials to learn about Google Classroom, Seesaw, and more!  https://mymps.org/?page_id=962

CHROMEBOOK SUPPORT: If your student’s Chromebook is not working properly, do not try to repair it yourself. Email the MPS Technology Support Center at tsc@milwaukee.k12.wi.us immediately. Please include a phone number, school name, student name and ID number, and description of the problem in the email so we can contact you.

Do you still need a Parent Portal Account?  For assistance with setting up a new Parent Portal account, parents/guardians may call (414) 475-8159 or email parentportal@milwaukee.k12.wi.us

MacDowell Families,

Please take some time to review this communication from our MPS Transportation Department related to the new 3-Tier bussing plan for Milwaukee Public Schools. In the plan, which was passed by the MPS Board of School Directors, MacDowell will be a 2nd Tier school.  Our new school day will start at 8:05am.  The elementary and primary will begin their dismissal at 3:05pm and the middle and high school dismissal will occur at 3:20pm.

We will have child care available before and after school through our CAMP MacDowell Program.  We miss you all, and can’t wait to start the new school year!

Andrea Corona

Principal

MacDowell Montessori School