Please view the Black History TMJ4 news story created and produced by MHSA students Matiana Hernandez and Alexander Eberhage. Excellent work, you make us MHSA Proud!
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Virtual Learning Post Archives
Good Evening MHSA Families
Thank you for your engagement with our opening day of school. We appreciate everyone’s effort in helping our students connect with their teachers and peers this morning. To help address some of the technical difficulties that occurred across the district today we are recommending students take the following actions tomorrow:
1. My Chromebook is frozen and I cannot type or move the mouse?
• Press and hold the On/Off button until the screen goes black. Close the Chromebook screen and open it. Login as usual.
2. My Chromebook is too slow?
• Get close the Wi-Fi router/hotspot
1. Turn off any other devices using your Wi-Fi. All these devices are using all your bandwidth: Netflix, Online games, Gaming Console, Amazon Prime, Streaming movies/videos, Etc.
2. Turn off your Chromebook and restart it. This will refresh the device’s RAM and clears all cached information.
3. I cannot login to my Chromebook?
• Students use this interchangeably: login to Chromebook/initial login to Chromebook AND login to Google Classroom/Meet. It is better to restart the process from the beginning with hard Shut Down of Chromebook
• Hard Shut Down: Press and hold the On/Off button until the screen goes black. Close the Chromebook screen and open it. Login as usual.
4. If you were unable to log in to your google classrooms today, please email your teacher. The teacher emails are on the school website under staff directory.
Website: http://www5.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/school/mhsa/
5. For additional technical assistance, please reach out to theMPS Technology Support Center at tsc@milwaukee.k12.wi.us or at 414-438-3400.
Thank You MHSA Teachers!
Congratulations to the MHSA Class of 2020!
To view the MHSA Class of 2020 graduation, please click here or on the link below.
Graduation Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAfKBJ8VQY8
To view the MHSA Slide Show for the Class of 2020, please click here or on the link below.
Class of 2020 Slideshow- https://www.wevideo.com/view/1705815041
Bell Schedule Changes for the 2020-2021 School Year
Dear MPS families,
After years of careful consideration and feedback, the Board of School Directors approved a modified 3 Tier Bell Schedule in May of 2020 beginning in the FY21 school year. All MPS schools will fall into one of 3 school time frames for FY21:
- Tier 1 K5/K8 Schools (7:20-2:20p)
- Tier 2 High Schools (8:05a-3:20p)
- Tier 3 K5/K8/Traditional Middle Schools (9:00a-4:00p)
The specific bell schedule for MHSA can be found by clicking here.
This model was enacted to improve the efficiency and quality of transportation services for its stakeholders by reducing the total number of buses serving the district significantly, thereby addressing the nationwide driver shortage and its impact related to the challenges in adequately staffing school bus drivers to service MPS. This reduction also allows bus companies to be more selective during the employment and retention aspects of their staff decision making and serves to increase the attractiveness of school bus employment by offering more daily hours for drivers as well as a livable income by transforming driver employment from part time to full time.
The re-tiering reduces the daily ride time for students, thus shortening the overall school day when considering the bus ride. Ride time reductions in turn also have positive correlations with behavior management on school buses.
The change also serves to reduce ridership counts on each route by offering more routes per tier overall. For example, 1000 buses currently service 2000 routes under our 2-tier system. In a 3-tier model, 800 buses can do 2400 routes. This provides increased flexibility that may be necessary for social distancing considerations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
From an efficiency standpoint the bus reduction that results from a 3-tier bell schedule equates to an overall reduction in transportation cost. The bus and the driver represent the largest cost components of student transportation. A reduction in bus staff combined with a reduction in equipment needs translates to a reduction in overall transportation expenditures for the district. The SAME services can be provided under a 3-tier model for millions of dollars less annually. These transportation savings will be redirected to fill the needs in the classroom.
We understand this change may be a challenge for your family. MPS is committed to providing the supports necessary to make the transition should you need them and to minimize the adverse impact. The Office of School Administration’s Department of Business & Transportation Services and Department of Student and Family Services will have staff dedicated to assist with any questions or concerns you may have to ensure that supports such as before and after school programming, changes in busing pickup/drop-off points, or alternate enrollment options are readily available should families need to consider such arrangements. Please call 414-475-8922 with any questions or concerns
MPS remains committed to assisting families with any and all questions related to this bell schedule change. We appreciate your support and look forward to providing an improved transportation service delivery model in FY21.
Sincerely,
David Solik-Fifarek
David Solik-Fifarek
Director of Business & Transportation Services
Milwaukee Public Schools
COVID-19 Updates
COVID-19 Update
May 18, 2020
Dear MHSA Families,
I hope that everyone is continuing to stay safe and healthy during our school closure. As we near the end of the school year we wanted to make sure that everyone is aware of our closing procedures.
- Final Grades
All students will receive either one of two grades for their final grade for the spring semester. A “P” for Pass and a “U” for Unsatisfactory. All students will receive 0.5 credits for “P” grades and will not receive any credit for “U” grades. “P” grades will have neither a positive or negative impact on students cumulative GPA’s.
- Chromebooks
If a family checked out a Chromebook for their student they are due back to the school when the student comes to the school to return textbooks and to pick up remaining items. If a student is participating Virtual Summer School they will need to show proof that they are enrolled in Virtual Summer School to keep their Chromebooks during the summer sessions in which they participate.
- Graduation
MHSA’s senior class will participate in a Virtual Graduation Ceremony on June 3, 2020 at 11:00am via the MPS You tube channel. Once the graduation ceremony airs it will be available thereafter for families and communities members to view.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCanKJb8Yeg1tg3KicJNqHdQ
- MHSA Student Locker Content Pick-Up Procedures & Textbook Return
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Students that have items in their lockers can pick them up on May 27th during the scheduled times below. All locker content materials will be placed inside of a bag and will be labeled with the student/students name who are assigned to that locker. Upon arrival at the school, parents remain in their car and provide their student’s name. School staff will retrieve the bag and bring it to the car. Some MHSA students share lockers. If you are the first to arrive to pick up items from a shared locker, a staff person will hand you a new bag. The staff person will open the bag and show the items in the bag. The claimed items will be placed in your new bag. The remaining items will be resealed. Students should return all classroom textbooks, library books, uniforms, sports equipment, musical instruments, etc., when they come to retrieve locker/desk items from school.
Students not attending the virtual summer session, should return the Chromebook issued for remote learning. Students attending virtual summer sessions should retain their device.
Items will be available for pick-up from MHSA until June 30, 2020 by appointment only. Unclaimed items will be discarded as of July 1, 2020.
Please see designated pick-up/drop-off times below:
| Wednesday, May 27, 2020 | Last Name | Time |
| A-E | 8-9 am | |
| F-J | 9-10 am | |
| K-O | 10-11 am | |
| P-T | 12-1 pm | |
| U-Z | 1-2 pm | |
| Any letter | 2-3 pm |
Arrival/Pick-Up Diagram
Drive-through Pick-Up/Drop-Off on the North side of the building on W. Juneau Ave. at Exit 6.
| Highland Ave. | ||
| 22nd St, | MHSA
Exit 6 |
24thSt. |
| Juneau Ave. |
Stop
Grab
Go
Drop-Off Chromebook
Respectfully,
Larry Farris
Principal
Milwaukee High School of the Arts
(414) 934-7005
2300 W HIGHLAND AV
Milwaukee, WI 53233
COVID-19 Updates-Archive
April 20, 2020
Greetings MHSA Community,
I hope this letter finds you and our families healthy and safe at home. It is hard to believe that we have been away from school for a month. I would like to thank you for being patient while our district and staff work hard to ensure continued student learning opportunities and supports are in place to aid our students. Please know that the MHSA staff is committed to the success of each child. MHSA teachers will continue to provide online learning opportunities to reinforce academic skills, minimize instructional loss, and provide routine to help students stay engaged and connected during this extended school closure.
Included in this correspondence are topics and questions that have been most frequently communicated to me from families around continuing educational opportunities for students. I hope that the responses provided assist you in navigating your child’s education from home through the remainder of the year. If you have additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, Larry Farris, at farrisld@milwaukee.k12.wi.us or the other MHSA administrative team members: Kara Felsman (Administrator in charge of 9th grade) at felsmakm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us , Justin Henze (Administrator in charge of 10th and 11th grade) at henzejm@milwaukee.k12.wi.is , and Kim Abler (Administrator in charge of 11th and 12th grade) at ablerka@milwaukee.k12.wi.us , and we will do our best to provide you with the most current and applicable information. I would also encourage you to continue visiting the MPS website for important information and resources. Again, please know that we are working to ensure that our families have all the information needed and will continue to update you as more information becomes available.
Thank you to all of the families who came in last week to pick up Chromebooks to assist your students with staying engaged in their learning during this time. Please make sure that all of our students are reaching out to their teachers through Google classroom for work that can be completed as evidence toward learning of content area standards.
Thank you for your support, cooperation, and patience through this longer than expected school closure. On behalf of the MHSA staff we hope that you are all staying safe and healthy at home.
Respectfully,
Larry Farris
Larry Farris
Principal
Milwaukee High School of the Arts Phone: (414) 934- 7005
Email: farrisld@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND TOPICS
- Technology- MHSA recently completed Phase One of the MPS technology device distribution on April 16th and 17th. Families who received these devices completed the MPS survey and that data was then communicated to Principals at the school level. If you did not complete the technology survey, and your student is in need of a device, please complete the technology survey, listed below, by April 23rd, to be considered for a Chromebook device during Phase Two. The survey website can be found here:https://mpsresearch.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bINb61jo7DkTCN7.
- Curriculum Supports and Updates – MPS recently released an Online Learning Resource page for parents and students. Please visit this website https://mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/en/District/About-MPS/District-News/Covid-19- Updates/Online-Learning-Resources.htm to see grade-specific information, community support, and virtual experiences offered for our students. These resources are designed to continue enrichment learning experiences for your children. Students in grades 9, 10 and 11 have all been assigned MathIA accounts. Students should utilize those resources, as teachers can frequently monitor for progress. This program not only supports student mastery of grade level math standards but also provides opportunities for Math acceleration.
- AP Testing – Students who have been enrolled in AP (Advanced Placement) courses throughout the year SHOULD take the AP exams scheduled in May. Students and teachers have worked hard over the course of the year to acquire knowledge that will lead to successful completion of these exams. Ms. Dean, AP Coordinator, has been in contact with students regarding the change in format for AP exams. If you have any questions regarding AP classes and/or exams, please reach out to the teacher of the course or Ms. Dean atdeansx@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
- Standardized Testing – There will be NO additional standardized testing this year (STAR, Forward, ACT Aspire).
- Report Cards- Term 3 report cards are available to view on the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Because the district is closed, report cards were not able to be mailed out to families. As soon as we have the capability, we will mail the report cards to your homes. If you are unable to access the Parent Portal and need a copy of your child’s report card, please email Ms. Soto at sotos1@milwaukee.k12.wi.us and she will assist with obtaining this information.
- Teacher Communication and Grading – Beginning today, Monday April 20th, online learning opportunities and remote contact with students and families will begin consistently from all MHSA teachers. Teachers can be reached via email during school hours (8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.). You should expect to receive a response within 24 hours. It is recommended that students check Google Classroom daily for information communicated from teachers. All students have access to Google Classroom, so please ask your child to share these codes with you, if you have difficulty accessing a class, please e-mail the teacher directly (e-mail addresses are listed in the “Staff” section of the school website).
During the next few weeks, MHSA staff will also be reviewing student grades and student data to make decisions about learning based on student proficiency levels. The online learning opportunities provided by the district will be supported by school staff with the goal of meeting academic proficiencies and completion of graduation requirements.
- Personal Belongings- We realize that many students still have personal belongings at school. Due to Governor Evers’ “Safer at Home” order, we want to ensure it is safe to pick up your personal items. MHSA is waiting to receive guidance from MPS and the state, as to when we will be able to allow students in to retrieve these items. Again, we appreciate your patience with this process.
- Graduation Ceremonies –At this time, MPS has communicated that graduation ceremonies are postponed, we do NOT have any additional information beyond that at this point but will continue to update the families of our seniors once we’ve received new information.
- Updates – Please remember to check the MHSA Website and the MPS Website for the most recent updates regarding Stay At Home Orders and your child’s edu