Our cheerleaders at Saturday's game.

Westside wins 33-30on Saturday, March 3rd

K5 classes attend the circus!

Westside Academy has a fund-raiser starting in February!

UPDATE! We raised a total of $1,481.68!!! Way to go WESTSIDE! Westside Academy will be participating in a fund-raiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma society starting in February and going into March. The classrooms will have PENNY-WARS to see which class and grade will raise the most. Special prizes will be awarded to the winning rooms and grade-levels.

I trust this letter finds you well. Students began 2012 with a good focus on their studies. Is it possible there were New Year’s resolutions on the part of some children to study more and make homework a priority each evening? I hope so!

This week our principals are learning what the financial picture looks like for their schools next year. In coming weeks there will be administrative work sessions, reviews and school governance council meetings that will help school leaders shape their spending plans. You will soon hear more detail about the proposed budget and our efforts to begin to ensure a citywide standard of care for all our schools.

Over the past several weeks I have been growing more concerned with student safety. I am talking about safety in all aspects of our students’ lives, including the hard reality of trouble on the streets. I was jolted by the loss of three students recently; two of them were the victims of gun violence in their neighborhoods. We extend our sympathies to the families.

Please know that as a result of our concerns for the challenges in our students’ lives, and concerns for the safety of all children, I convened a meeting of high-level local officials, including the Chief of Police and the County Sheriff, to discuss ways in which we can work together to keep kids safe. It is unfortunate that we have a handful of students who are disruptive in school, on buses and in the community. Some of our children need seats in alternative settings so we might provide them with supports they need. As a result, I am adding additional alternative school seats. I will continue to monitor this challenge and will update you from time to time.

Finally, I wanted to share a few words on enrollment. We are in the middle of our annual “three-choice” enrollment process (now through January 27) – and I hope that you’ll share your support of MPS with friends and neighbors. Encourage them to enroll their children as well. You may wish to try our online registration.

We are one of the first districts in the state to put enrollment on the internet! Look for the gold and purple “ONLINE REGISTRATION” button on our website www.milwaukee.k12.wi.us.

Thank you for your partnership. Let’s have a great year!

Gregory E. Thornton, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Download this letter in Spanish

Download this letter in Hmong

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Westside students at the Marquette game.

As a PBIS reward, some of our students went to a Marquette University basketball game. They had a blast!

Here we are, at the holiday time, and our winter break is only days away.

If I could give you a holiday present, it would be a large, beautifully wrapped box full of time. Time is a precious gift, now and all through the year.

The time I would give you would allow you to take a breath during your hectic day, and read a book with your child, and of course, to watch a Packers game or two. There are few things better than watching football together. After all, green and gold are holiday colors! You may wish to use your time to get outside and visit Milwaukee’s Cathedral Square to see the trees decorated by students in many of our schools.

These 2nd grade students from Humboldt Park were selected to take part in the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival. They made all of the ornaments and then went to Cathedral Square in November to decorate their tree. All of this was done under the supervision of art teacher Dolly Klar.

I would give you time to visit your child’s classroom during the school day and have a chat with the teacher. I would give you time for holiday concerts and basketball games and forensic competitions. There would be more time to sit quietly and talk with your boy or girl about what happened each day in school.

I plan some quiet time, too, and a little exploration of technology, thanks to my 8-year-old granddaughter. She has an electronic reader, so the books we will read together will be digital books. She may be a little old for “Astrojammies” by Demibooks, but I hear that’s a popular interactive story this year.

In my big, beautiful gift box of unlimited time, I would give you all the extra minutes you need to make the most of your parenting years. Boys and girls become teenagers and then adults before you know it. Thank you for sharing your children’s precious time with us!

Happy Holidays,

Gregory E. Thornton, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

[Download this letter in Spanish ] [Download this letter in Hmong]

Principal Walker and Santa get ready for the Holiday Bazaar at Westside Academy 1.