EC-5 Elementary Express
December 2016
December At-A-Glance...
December 1 - 1st and 2nd Grade Breakfast program begins at MPS from 7:25am-7:45am.
December 2 - PTO Science Night in WIS gym, 4K-5th grade from 5:30pm-7:30pm
December 3 - Christmas in the Village
December 5 - 5th Grade Planetarium Trip - Mr. Grenzow and Ms. Eversoll Homerooms
December 6 - 5th Grade Planetarium Trip - Mrs. Wilson and Ms. Butorac Homerooms
December 7 - 5th Grade Planetarium Trip - Mr. Wells and Ms. Meulemans Homerooms
December 8 - 5th Grade Planetarium Trip - Mrs. Litz and Mrs. Frank Homerooms
December 6 - 4K Winter Craft Night, 6:30pm-7:30pm, CEELC Gym
December 21 - Waubesa School Buddy Activity
December 22 - IMMS Choir and High School Blue Notes visit all schools
December 22 - Red/Green Day at MPS and CEELC
December 23 -January 2 - NO SCHOOL: Winter Break
Dates to look forward to in January...
January 3 - Winter Break Ends - Classes Resume
January 3 - Kindergarten Breakfast starts - At MPS from 7:25am-7:45am
CEELC/Primary/WIS Cold-Weather Dress Code
The playground area behind our schools are quite open and therefore very windy. This can make it feel very cold when students are outside for recess or before school. Please help your child to enjoy recess time by providing them with appropriate winter clothing.
Please help us keep your child safe, warm, comfortable, and dry by sending them to school dressed in the following outerwear:
- Boots are required outdoor wear during the snowy winter months. Boots should be at least high enough to cover the ankle. Boots provide warmth, traction on ice and snow, and have the ability to keep your child’s feet dry. A common sense approach will be used to monitor the wearing of boots. We will require students who do not have boots to stay on the blacktop if clear of snow and ask students to stand by the wall if the blacktop is snow covered.
- Hats or earmuffs are required winter wear. They should cover the ears to prevent frostbite. Seventy percent of a person’s heat loss is from the head, so hats are essential for conserving warmth.
- Mittens or gloves are required. Mittens that provide water resistance are preferred, especially when children play in the snow. Dry hands are warm hands! Wet hands are very, very cold!
- Snow pants are required for any student who wishes to leave the blacktop and play actively in the snow. Those who do not have snow pants are not able to play actively in the snow (e.g. lay down and make snow angels, etc) and may be restricted to the “blacktop only” depending on the conditions.
- Please label all of your child’s outerwear with their name. Many children have the same or similar items. In addition, coats, gloves, and hats are frequently left on the playground and if they aren’t labeled they go into the Lost and Found where they are often forgotten.
The Reading Team is looking for gently used portable Walkman CD Players. If you have one (or more) you'd like to donate, please send them to the attention of Sandra Taylor-Marshall at WIS.
Thank you!
December 3 - 5:30pm-7:30pm / FREE EVENT!
Join us on Friday December 3, 2016 from 5:30pm - 7:30pm for the annual PTO Family Science Night. This is located in the Waubesa Intermediate School Gym and it is for the entire family to enjoy! You won't want to miss this event!
We will be welcoming the wonderful students from the UW Madison Science Department as they show off some incredible science experiments! It is a fun and interactive evening. We hope to see you there!
CEELC & Primary News
CEELC and Primary Building Information
Interim Principal: Ann Schroeder
Building Administrative Assistant / CEELC: Emily Broome
Building Administrative Assistant / Primary: Sheryl Leemon
Website: http://www.mcfarland.k12.wi.us/schools/elementary/
Phone: 608-838-3115
A Note From Interim Principal, Ann Schroeder...
Dear CE/MPS Families:
I have been so impressed with working in such a caring community! Thanks for all the donations to the Food Pantry Drive--boxes were filled with pie crusts, pumpkin, and evaporated milk; children enjoyed adding their contributions and seeing the boxes fill. That's a very nice visual example to children about what caring about others looks like. Additionally, the Bowls for Hunger event is another example of a caring community. Staff members who worked with Mrs. Tuttle, Art Teacher, to design bowls for the event enjoyed taking part in something that is a big community event in McFarland.
Along the line of caring for others, thanks to Business Services Director Jeff Mahoney, Food Service Director Barb Waara, and Social Worker Lily Hlavacek for putting their energies behind getting a breakfast program started at CE/MPS. To ensure a smooth transition, we'll do a stagger start. Starting December 1, first and second graders will be able to eat breakfast starting at 7:25 in the MPS cafeteria. On January 3rd, kindergarteners will be able to join in for breakfast at MPS. Breakfast is a healthy start to the day!
December brings colder weather, which means children will be wearing boots, snow pants, etc. Please work with your child to be able to have him or her put these items on by themselves. Help them manage what goes on first, second, third, etc., as well as how to keep items together when taking them off. Our lost and found bins tend to fill up rapidly during winter months. Also, labeling items with your child's name helps stray clothing find its way back to the owner.
Our teachers have been working on goals related to student behavior and school climate, professional learning community focus on math, reading, and writing student skill needs, and learning the new reading program. The teachers are a "can do" group of people who work hard to help students grow and meet academic and behavioral goals.
Enjoy the busy month of December!
Ann Schroeder
CE/MPS Interim Principal
Spartan Time is a Great Time!
- Thank you to the PTO and McFarland families for providing such a great lunch for staff on the Elementary Campus on the day of Parent-Teacher Conferences.
- Thank you to families who contributed food during the recent Food Pantry drive.
- Thank you to parents who make sure their children arrive to school on time, every day. Children who arrive on time benefit immensely by capturing the announcements, directions, daily activities and assignments that are shared with students at the start of each school day.
- The high level of parent participation at the recent Parent/Teacher Conferences is another indication of the strong home-school partnership that exists in our community.
Waubesa Intermediate School News
Building Information
Email: MurphyS@mcfsd.org
Website: http://www.mcfarland.k12.wi.us/schools/intermediate/
Phone: 608-838-7667
A Note From Principal Sue Murphy...
The leaves are off the trees and cold temperatures have arrived. Please take a few minutes to read through the winter dress requirements included in this month's news.
This year, winter break starts December 23 with classes resuming on January 3, 2017. This is a perfect time for children to enjoy family and friends, as well as to read a good book (or two), and practice math on Dreambox.
Finally, I hope all of you enjoyed your Thanksgiving Holiday. There is always so much to be thankful for. I know I appreciate my family and friends and am grateful for the terrific staff here at Waubesa. We also have so many great children here in McFarland. This is such a supportive community and I feel lucky to work here with you.
As always, feel free to call with any questions, comments, or concerns.
Stay warm,
Sue Murphy
Principal
Be On Time!
7:52am - First Bell
8:00am - Tardy Bell
2:55pm - Dismissal
Please note : Supervision begins at 7:30am on the playground and at 7:15am for breakfast.
The Waubesa Word
Red Oak Trail Lot: Pick-Up & Drop Off Lot
When dropping off or picking up your children at Waubesa, please use the drive-thru parking lot off of Red Oak Trail. This drop-off area has been expanded for your convenience and the safety of students. Simply pull over near the front of the yellow zone, let your child safely exit on the passenger side and leave. There is no need to wait for the car ahead.
Leanne Lane Lot: Buses and Daycare Vans Only
Please do not use the Leanne Lane parking lot for drive-thru or pick-up of students. This parking lot is for buses, daycare vans, and all those who need to park and enter the school with their student(s). WHEN DROPPING OFF OR PICKING UP CHILDREN AT WAUBESA, PLEASE USE THE DRIVE-THRU PARKING LOT OFF OF RED OAK TRAIL.
Ice Skating Gym Unit - Waubesa Students
Students will once again have the opportunity to participate in ice skating at the McFarland Ice Rink, during Phy. Ed. classes. Students will travel by bus during regular related arts block, during the school day! We are sending field trip permission/fee sheets home to each child, requesting families to pay $3 per child. On this sheet there is the opportunity to request assistance with payment or donate extra for students in need.
*The times for each of these 3 days would be the same: (9:10-10:24= 4th) (10:54-12:10= 5th) (1:10-2:32= 3rd)
Wed. Dec. 14: Grades 3, 4, and 5- RA groups A and B
Thurs. Dec. 15: Grades 3, 4 , and 5- RA groups C and D
(Groups C and D orchestra students will NOT attend orchestra practice today).
Fri. Dec. 16: Grades 3, 4, and 5- RA groups E and F
All students MUST have a helmet to be on the ice.
We are asking students to bring a hockey, bike, or other safety helmet to school. Please label their helmet clearly with a first and last name. There will be no extra helmets available at the rink. If, for any reason, your child doesn’t have a helmet please contact Mrs. Johnson or Mrs. Foley immediately and we will make arrangements to find a helmet. Students will be encouraged, but not required to wear skates.
Students should wear appropriate clothing.
Long socks and warm clothing, and jackets/gloves are encouraged as well!
Volunteering:
If you are an interested parent/guardian, who would like to come on the bus, help supervise and help with skates, please contact Holli Johnson at JohnsoH@mcfsd.org, so that a volunteer form can be checked for, or completed. If you are interested in meeting us at the rink to help Aaron Babcock (our rink contact) with skates etc., please e-mail Aaron directly at babzz53558@yahoo.com
Please Note:
Students are not allowed to bring their own skates to school. Anyone wishing to have "their own" skates, must have a parent/guardian take them to the rink, marked with their name, before their skate time, and parent/guardian(s) are responsible to pick them up after!
A huge thank you goes out to Mr. Brad Pommerening for his help and organization in past years, Mr. Aaron Babcock for his help and organization, and for allowing our P.E. classes this incredible opportunity!
As always, please contact Mrs. Tracy Foley or Mrs. Holli Johnson if you have any questions or concerns.
**Thank you to WIS Parents who volunteer for field trips and school events. We appreciate your support!**
E.D. Locke Library Events
Christmas Craftapalooza - Saturday, December 3 @ 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. As part of Christmas in the Village, the library will be holding a “craftapalooza” featuring holiday crafts for the whole family. Come decorate gift bags, create owl ornaments, design cards, and more.
Third Thursday PJ Storytime – Thursday, December 15 @ 6:30 p.m. Third Thursday storytime this month shall journey to the North Pole on the Polar Express. We will have a winter themed storytime, crafts, activities, and treats. This is a family storytime so all ages are welcome to attend.
STEAM Saturday: Balloon Science - Saturday, December 17 @ 1:30 p.m. In December we will be exploring the science behind hot air balloons and balloons filled with gasses such as helium. Participants will then design and build baskets that can convey different materials using helium filled balloons. Registration appreciated but not required. You can register by stopping at the circulation desk or by calling 608-838-9030.
Afternoon Movie: Secret Life of Pets - Wednesday, December 28 @ 2:00 p.m. Join us for a fun afternoon enjoying one of this year’s most popular movies—The Secret Life of Pets.