McKinley PTO Newsletter
May 22, 2016
Co-Presidents' Update
Thank you to everyone who bid on the masterpieces in the McKinley Art Auction! You can pick up your artwork in the office beginning Monday, May 23. Pay online via Paypal or pay via check in the office to eliminate the fees the PTO pays for online payment.
The clock is ticking closer to the end of the brick sale. Purchase a brick and have your family become engraved into McKinley history. Brick orders are due June 1st. Be sure to buy a brick while you still have the opportunity to become a legacy at McKinley.
Please note the PBIS team added a new Spirit Day to the Calendar. Thursday, May 26th is now Patriotic Day. Please have your students dress in patriotic colors.
We hope you have a great week!
Molly Hannan and Chris Riley
PTO Dates to Remember
Make sure to put the following dates on your calendar!
May 26 - Patriotic Day- wear patriotic colors
May 26 - Plant Sale pick up
May 27 - No School
June 1 - Brick Sale Ends
June 8 - Dine Out Event at Yo Mama
Hats Off To.....
Thank you to art teacher Jenny Leigh and the K5 through 5th grade students who made the amazing artwork for our first art auction. Thank you, too, to the families who bid on this artwork. Our auction raised $1242 to help fund future composting at McKinley!
Thank you to Beth Thuli and Melissa Mann for another fantastic Scholastic BOGO Book Fair! Thank you to their volunteers: Amy Standal, Monica Deluhery, Katie Farwell, Barbara Klein, Molly Hannan, Megan Hambrook, Sarah Lerand, Beth Lehman, Cara Schwantes, Emelia Arana, Heidi Engbring, Katie Juzenas, Carri Brewer, Dylan Mann, and Nick & Jacob Thuli.
Thank you to Renee Michel for organizing the Fire Safety House. Thank to you the volunteers who helped make it a success: Kristin Marlier, Katie Wick, Joe Nencka, Sarah Scharlau, Jen Janowski, Kate Nugent, Lori Hagopian, Teri Uden and the Wauwatosa Fire Department for another successful day with the Fire Safety House. It is a great day of learning fire safety for our 1st and 3rd grade students. Also, a thank you to Sarah Lerand and Allison Byrne for helping out with the lasagna lunch and fresh fruit for the volunteers.
Thank you to Lisa Reetz for volunteering to help with graphic design on the PBIS signs.
Plant Sale is Coming Up, and Volunteers are Needed
Plant sale pickup is from 3-4:30 PM on Thursday, May 26 on the North playground. Volunteers are needed to help with sorting plants from 12-2:30. Email Terri Holzen (tmholzen@yahoo.com) if you have questions or if you can help out.
Make Your Mark on McKinley
The bricks are available in two sizes, 4x8 ($27) and 8x8 ($52). Symbols can be added to the bricks for an additional $5.00 charge.
There are numerous reasons to purchase bricks:
- Mark your family name down in history at McKinley
- Document each of your children that attended McKinley or will attend McKinle
- Honor your favorite teacher
- Support the PTO
- Advertise your business with the Company Name on a brick
- Inspire the McKinley community with your favorite quote
- Graduation present
- Memorialize the loss of a loved one
Please click on the link below to order a brick. The website allows you to see what your brick will look like and pay for your bricks online using a credit card.
http://mckinleypto.donationbricks.com/
Don't miss out on leaving your Mark on McKinley. Order your brick today. The brick sale will go through June 1st.
Destination Imagination is coming to McKinley Elementary 2016/17 School year!
Destination Imagination (DI) has been creating a lot of buzz in Wauwatosa- This year the Wauwatosa School District had 35 teams at the Elementary, Middle and High School level. Five of those teams will compete in the Global DI finals on May 25-28th.
So, what is this “DI”?? DI is an international program that allows students of all ages to be involved with creative problem- solving. Next year, McKinley will form teams based on student interest. Students in 1st and 2nd grade can join as “Rising Stars”; 3rd-5th can join a competitive team.
DI participants will join a small team with other McKinley students to solve an open-ended problem, or “challenge.” Each group will pick a “challenge” from one of 6 categories - Technical, Scientific, Engineering, Fine Arts, Improvisational, and Service Learning. There is no right or wrong answer. It’s up to the team to solve their challenge! Each team will have two adult co-team managers supervising the work, but the adults have a “hands off” role in helping the students with their challenge.
What do you do once you have solved your challenge?
Each team will present your solution in a live performance at a tournament. The first tournament will be in March of 2017. The competitive teams (Grades 3-5) will have a chance to advance to the state tournament.in April and possibly the Global tournament in May.
Why should I want to participate in DI?
Students who are involved in DI say it benefits them in lots of ways. They believe it helps them do better in school, improves their communication skills, develops their self-confidence, and helps them have more respect for others. DI allows kids to be creative, make new friends, and learn about working together as a team. Most important, DI is fun!
Who can participate?
DI is open to ALL interested McKinley students in 1st-5th grade provided there is parent support. Teams will generally consist of 5-6 students. All teams will have 2 co- managers. Parents of students in DI will rotate each week as an additional “support” person. In general, teams meet from October to March on a weekly basis. Team meeting times will vary depending on student and adult availability. The minimum cost is $75, with additional cost for snacks and supplies. Financial support is available through McKinley PTO and Friends of DI so that cost should not be a barrier.
What to do next?
Check out the these websites to learn more:
https://www.destinationimagination.org/why-di/
https://www.youtube.com/user/DIGlobalFinals
https://www.facebook.com/WauwatosaDI/
Watch for “McKinley Elementary Destination Imagination Expression of Interest Form” in next weeks Tuesday folder.
Contact Sarah Lerand, sjlerand@yahoo.com or 414-841-3576 with questions. A presentation was given on May 12th at McKinley. Another group presentation will not occur this school year. Interested individuals will be contacted this summer/early fall and given more information.
End Of The Year Art Request
Spirit Wear Donations Needed
Do you have any clean, gently-used McKinley spirit wear that your child has outgrown that you'd like to donate? Miss Kumferman will take it! These items are then distributed the following year to new, move-in students or students who may not be able to purchase their own. Please consider donating any student-sized items through the end of the school year! You can drop them off in the main office with my name attached, or have your child bring them to my office. Thank you!
Reducing Sugar In The Classroom
Labels for Education - Turn Your Labels In By June 1st.
In the past few years participation in Labels for Education® has declined and as a result, Campbell has come to the very difficult decision to wind down the LFE program.
The program will continue exactly as is for the remainder of the 2015-2016 LFE program year. There will be changes for next year’s program starting August 1, 2016. As the Coordinator for our school, my goal is to ensure that we maximize our opportunities to earn points before the conclusion of the program. Continue to Clip and Submit UPCs and Beverage/Sauce Caps, as all participating products listed are still accepted through July 31, 2016. The deadline for schools to trade points for products is July 31, 2016.
Therefore, I ask that you please submit all your Labels for Education Beverage/Sauce Caps and UPCs by June 1, 2016. This will allow enough time to count, process and redeem the points for products for the school. Thank you for all of your help and for being a part of the LFE program. Please reach out with any questions on LFE program changes or timing.
Thank You!
Carolyn Callahan