Lowell Elementary Newsletter
November 2022 - We are proud of our pride of Lowell lions!
From Ms. Franzone...
Dear Families,
It was a joy to see many of you during our fall conferences! Thanks to those of you who stopped to share some of the things your family is grateful for. Among the hundreds of submissions, our community is grateful for “my kids learning new things”, “health”, “art”, “beautiful fall weather”, “my kids being leaders”, and the ever-important “Pokemon”! And, there were countless notes of gratitude for our amazing Lowell educators! We’ll continue to foster a ‘Attitude of Gratitude’ and grow our paper chain in the coming weeks!
Winter has definitely arrived and we will be going outside for recess almost every day! We will stay in when the temperatures or wind chills drop to less than ten degrees. Please make sure to send your students with all their winter gear - coat, hat, mittens/gloves…and boots and snowpants once they are needed! If your student needs winter gear, please let us know and we will make sure they get some. For our youngest students, it is very helpful if you practice their independence with gear at home - zipping zippers, pulling on snowpants, and putting on boots. Thanks for your help with this!
I hope all of our Lowell families are able to enjoy an extended break this week. As a reminder, there is no school November 23-25. Please know that I am so very grateful for this community and your partnership. Thank you for sharing your children with us, and I hope all of our Lowell families are able to enjoy some time with loved ones over the break.
Warmly,
Ellen
Upcoming Important Dates
November 23-25: No School - Fall Break
December 3: Lowell Winter Craft Fair, 9am-2pm
December 5: No School - Staff Only Day
December 14: 4K/5K Vision Screening
December 21 - January 3: No School - Winter Break
January 4: School Resumes
January 16: No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 20: No School - Grade Reporting; End of 2nd Quarter, 1st Semester
January 23: Beginning of 3rd Quarter/2nd Semester
January 27: Goodman After School Program Closed
Save the Date!
8:00am: 4th and 5th Grades
10:00am: 2nd and 3rd Grades
1:00pm: Kindergarten and 1st Grades
Stoplight on Maple Ave
Please read this important information from the City of Madison Traffic Department regarding the stoplight at Maple Ave:
We would like to remind motorists in this area that the crunch of traffic occurs in a twenty minute window and there is only so much that can be done when everything happens all at once. If there are 6-10 cars waiting to exit Maple Avenue, not all motorists on Maple and S Fair Oaks will able to clear the intersection in one light cycle. Patience will be key here. It’s no different than when everyone in the store decides to make their way to the check out at approximately the same time - only so much traffic at any one time. There have been some adjustments to the stoplight that should help, but if many people arrive at the intersection at the same time, it will take longer.
New At Lowell - Cub Clubs!!!
Lowell has begun an exciting, new endeavor to build community and increase connections across grade levels. Every other Friday students spend the last half hour of the day in small, multi-age groups of 9-12 students and one or two adults. These groups engage in fun activities to get to know each other and increase the number of positive relationships in our school. Each group will come up with a unique name for themselves and create a flag that represents their club. Ask your learner about Cub Clubs!
From the Health Office
Respiratory Viruses on the Rise in Wisconsin
Our community is seeing a rapid increase in respiratory illnesses. Other than Covid-19, we are seeing significant levels of rhinovirus and RSV, according to surveillance data from the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene. Influenza rates are also increasing week by week across the country. About 50% of common colds are caused by some kind of rhinovirus. Read more about Rhinovirus and RSV here.
Though most people will only experience mild to moderate symptoms from a respiratory virus, some people may get seriously ill. Those with weakened immune systems, infants, older adults, and those with existing lung or heart conditions are at a higher risk of developing severe illness.
Respiratory symptoms often overlap between several different viruses. CDC guidelines recommend ruling out Covid-19 when respiratory symptoms are present. Respiratory symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throats. If symptoms appear, please fill out the symptom screener that is sent out by the district every Sunday night. This link does not change. Be sure to bookmark this for future use.
As a reminder, your child will need to be tested for Covid-19 if experiencing:
Any one of the following: Cough (new onset or worsening of chronic cough), Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, or New loss of taste or smell;
OR Any TWO of the following: Fever or chills, Muscle pain or body aches, Headache, Fatigue, Congestion or runny nose, Sore throat, vomiting, or diarrhea.
If testing is declined, they must stay home for at least five days. See our most recent Covid guidance here.
Key takeaways:
Stay at home while you are sick and keep children out of school while they are sick.
Avoid close contact with others, such as hugging, kissing, or shaking hands.
Move away from people before coughing or sneezing.
Masks highly recommended.
Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
Disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as toys, doorknobs, and mobile devices.
Get vaccinated and boosted (for COVID & FLU!!!) CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older should get an annual flu vaccine, ideally by the end of October.
There is no vaccine to protect you against the common cold.
More information about respiratory viruses:
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p03082.pdf English
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p03082s.pdf Spanish
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p03082h.pdf Hmong
State Report Card Information
On November 15, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) publicly issued annual report cards for schools and districts across the state. Released each fall per state statute, report cards are part of the state’s accountability system, with schools’ ratings based on prior year’s data from standardized state assessments.
Last year, MMSD continued to have many students opt out from state assessments that make up report card scoring, which may affect the rating. Additionally, discrepancies were identified in the data used by DPI; DPI reported MMSD high schools having no students taking advanced courses or industry-recognized learning credentials, and limited dual enrollment and work-based learning, which is inaccurate. While this does not affect the overall report card rating, District staff are working with DPI to correct these discrepancies for next year’s state report cards.
DPI calculates four priority area scores into an overall accountability score, from 0 to 100, and stresses it is not a “percent correct” measurement. Based on its score, a school or district receives one of five rating categories, from Fails to Meet Expectations to Significantly Exceeds Expectations, as well as corresponding one to five stars. The four priority areas are:
Achievement - proficiency in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics on the annual state assessments
Growth - year-to-year progress in ELA and math achievement
Target Group Outcomes - outcomes for students with the lowest test scores: the Target Group
On-Track to Graduation - reliable predictors of how successfully students are progressing toward completing their K-12 education
Overall, MMSD earned a report card rating of “Meets Expectations” or a three-star rating, with the majority of schools rated as meet, exceed, or significantly exceed expectations. Our school received a rating of “Exceeds Expectations.” You can view our report card, and all MMSD schools, at mmsd.org/schoolreportcards.
While schools are continuing to focus on accelerated learning and social-emotional support for scholars, efforts toward full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic are ongoing across the nation. Additionally, our district remains committed to our priorities of full-day 4K, early literacy and the Science of Reading, daily world language in middle school, arts education, and strategic equity projects.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Principal Franzone. Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support.
Arrival and dismissal procedures
What to do if your child is sick or if you have to pick them up early
MMSD Health and Safety information
And much more!!!
Helpful Links
Madison East Area Resources: Food, Housing, Mental Health, Utilities, Internet