Muskego Lakes Family Newsletter
September 15th, 2023
Dear Muskego Lakes Families,
Did you know that here at Muskego Lakes, we have over 30+ clubs/athletic opportunities for our Muskies? We are proud to share that last year, over half of our student population participated in one or more club/sport, and we hope to surpass that this year!Today during lunches, we had our Muskego Lakes Co-Curricular Fair to ensure students had a chance to learn more about the different clubs and athletics we offer, and pick up information sheets. We loved being able to see the excitment students had about the clubs and connections some students were making with one another!
Middle school is the perfect time for students to explore, discover their passions, try something new, and connect with others with similar interests. Because of this, we work hard to offer students a wide range of opportunities. By participating in clubs or sports, students grow their self-confidence, practice healthy risk-taking, develop friendships, and learn about their strengths beyond the classroom. In fact, many staff are running clubs based on students' requests.
So, we highly encourage all students to check out at least one club or athletic opportunity this year. If you haven't yet, please ask your child if he/she picked up any of the handouts over lunches this week. We've also included a list of the clubs/athletics in this newsletter, along with links to the flyers for more information.
In partnership,
Rachel and Nancy
Muskego Lakes Principals
Open Gym Cancelled for Saturday, September 16th
Co-Curricular Fair at Muskego Lakes
This past week, students had a chance to learn about all the fantastic co-curricular options we have here at Muskego Lakes. Click HERE to see all the flyers shared with students today! We love that there is truly something for everyone!
Culture of Respect at Muskego Lakes
At Muskego Lakes, our students deserve to be part of a community where everyone is treated with respect.
Because it is a priority for us, we take time to make sure our students understand what we mean by respect in our school community.
So this week, homeroom teachers made sure students understand what respect looks like here at school. The expectations we made sure our Muskies understand (also found in the Muskego Lakes Handbook) are as follows:
Any negative remarks about any other person’s race, ethnicity, gender, disability, religion, or sexual orientation will not be tolerated in this school.
We will not tolerate language or symbols that are dehumanizing to people or groups of people.
We consider racism, specifically, to include racial comments, racial slurs, racial stereotypes, racial jokes, and any other references to one’s race. (This also includes references to anyone looking like an animal or animal noises even if not directed at anybody in particular).
No one student can give any other student permission to use racist language at school, on the bus, on social media, or anywhere else that impacts the school community.
Students understand that the words they choose to use reflect their personal character and values as a person.
Students understand that they are accountable for the language that comes out of their mouth and/or that they use on social media.
Students understand that if they don’t fully understand what a word means and/or the full weight of what a word carries with it, they should not use it.
We continue to work with students to understand our expectations for respect within our school community. And we continue to intervene with disciplinary action should a student or students conduct themselves in a way that is not in line with our culture of respect here at school.
Important Dates Ahead
- September 25: No School
- October 3: Make-Up Picture Day
- October 19: Fall Conference Night
- October 23: Fall Conference Night
Shown above are the upcoming co-curricular events at Muskego Lakes!
If a change occurs from the date of this newsletter, we post on Infinite Campus in the announcement section. We commit to letting students/families know about changes and updating Infinite Campus announcements as soon as possible once we've been notified of a change.
Check out all MLMS events here which includes more detailed information!
Tips For Supporting Relationships in Middle School
Middle school can be a tricky time for friendships. Students at this age are trying to figure out where they fit in, which may include drifting away from peers they were friends with in elementary school as they learn more about themselves. As they continue to learn important relationship qualities, they may "test out" new friends. It's common for friendships to change frequently at this age.
As a parent, there are some ways you can help support your child with friendship issues during these years:
- Normalize that some friendships will end, some will start new, and some will change and evolve. And that's okay. Each time there is a change, that's another opportunity for your child/tween to learn about themselves, too.
- Have conversations to help them realize which qualities are important for them to look for. This is a more effective way of steering them toward quality friendships without feeling they were "told" who to hang out with.
- Remind them that even if a friendship ends (for now), that's not a reason to start ignoring or bad-mouthing that person.
- Watch your reactions to friendships changing. Avoid comments like, "I never liked him/her anyway". Many times, friendships circle back. You can stand with your child and show care without unintentionally modeling negative social behavior.
- Encourage them to get involved in extracurriculars; these are spaces where there is some adult guidance to help foster connection but also plenty of time for authentic socialization. The common interest can lead to easier times starting conversations as well.
- If social media is allowed, make sure it's monitored and that you talk with your child about safety on different apps.
- Be a non-judgmental listener. What might seem small, silly, or overly dramatic to you, is very real and potentially emotional for them.
Most of the time, tweens can work through social changes using their own adaptability and resilience. However, if you feel more support/guidance is needed, you can always encourage your child to reach out to a member of our student services team or you can do so on their behalf.
Reminder of Superintendent Focus Groups & Survey
The Muskego-Norway School Board invites your participation in developing a desired Profile to inform the search and selection of our next Superintendent of Schools to begin on July 1, 2024.
The New Superintendent Profile will be based on both survey and focus group participation and responses. The online survey, linked below, will be on our district website through September 29 and the focus groups with various stakeholder groups will be scheduled at convenient times during the month of September. Parent and community member focus group dates, times, and locations are listed below. Based on the survey and focus group results, the New Superintendent Profile will be presented to the School Board for approval on October 9, 2023.
Responses to the survey and focus group questions will help to inform the “greatest strengths” of the district to sustain and continue to grow, and the “greatest challenges” of the district to prioritize and address. Your responses will also seek input on the projected initial priorities/goals of the new superintendent and the “most important characteristics/skills” needed to make the connections to address the priorities/goals together.
So, your participation in the online survey, linked below, and the in-person focus groups during the month of September is essential to informing the search - both as an encouragement for qualified candidates to apply and as an encouragement for the school board in their vetting process to discern the most qualified candidate to continue to lead the continuous improvement steps of our sought after Muskego-Norway Schools.
SURVEY LINK HERE - available through September 29, 2023
Parent and Community Member focus group meetings will be held at the Educational Services Center, S87 W18763 Woods Road, Muskego, WI at the following dates and times:
Tuesday, September 19, 2023, at 9:00 AM at the ESC
Tuesday, September 19, 2023, at 10:30 AM at the ESC
Wednesday, September 20, 2023, at 6:30 PM at the ESC
Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at 6:30 PM at the ESC
Christmas Clearing Council
The 2023 Christmas Clearing Council Client Application is now available online! Parents struggling financially may apply for Christmas gift assistance for their children this season. Deadline to apply is Nov. 15, 2023, at 11:59 p.m.
http://www.christmasclearingcouncil.org/application
If you have questions or are looking for other resources please reach out to Stacy Pawlak, School Social Worker (stacy.pawlak@muskegonorway.org).
Get Involved By Joining The Muskego Lakes PTO!
Please consider joining the Muskego Lakes PTO. We meet monthly in the MLMS library at 6:30pm. We always welcome new faces and would love to hear your ideas on how we can make this an amazing school year ahead!!
Meeting Dates for the 23-24 School Year:
- October 11
- November 8
- January 10
- February 14
- March 13
- April 10
- May 8
Pastries with Parents
It was wonderful to have so many families join us this morning for Pastries with Parents! A huge thank you to our PTO for putting on this great event, we loved having so many families stop in this morning.
Pumpkin Spice Fest 2023 Sign Up Today!
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/FPiTbauBC9cQiBgn7
After completing the form, a confirmation email with payment instructions will be sent within 48 hours. Our Muskego Lakes PTO is Looking forward to another great event!
Clinical Psychology Associates Services
We are proud to continue to partner with Clinical Psychology Associates (CPA) to offer on-site counseling services through the summer months for students enrolled in Lakeview Elementary, Mill Valley Elementary, Bay Lane Elementary, Lake Denoon Middle, Muskego Lakes Middle, and Muskego High School. For information about CPA’s services and therapists or to get started with an appointment, please visit our website. Therapeutic services will continue into the 2023-24 school year as well.
Annual Calendar
Please make note of days off and important events on the 23-24 calendar. It is ideal to make dentist and doctor appointments on days we do not have school whenever possible.
Thank you!
Reminders for the Lunchroom
In an effort to ensure students can move through the lunch lines efficiently, we ask that you remind your student to ensure that they bring their school ID card with them to lunch daily or ensure that they have gotten your finger scanned.
For you ease, we have linked the August menu below with other helpful resources. You can always find the link to updated lunch menus, at the end of this newsletter.
2023-24 Lunch Prices:
- Elementary Lunch: $2.55
- MS Lunch 1: $2.95
- MS Lunch 2: $3.50
- MS Creation Station: $3.90
- Milk Carton: $.50
- MHS Ala carte meal rates as noted on the monthly menu will apply.
Questions related to the food service program can be directed to Benny D’Epiro, Food Service Director at 262-971-1790 x4522.
Muskego Lakes Middle School
Website: https://www.muskegonorway.org/schools/muskegolakes/
Location: W124 S8009 North Cape Rd.
Phone: 262-971-1860
Twitter: @MLMSmuskies