CEPS Express
February 2021
Conrad Elvehjem Primary School Information
School Principal: Greg Nelson, nelsong1@mcfsd.org,
608-838-4602
Associate Principal: Brooke Hauser, hauserb@mcfsd.org,
608-838-4595
4K/CEPS Building Administrative Assistant:
Emily Broome, 608-838-4652, broomee@mcfsd.org
CEPS Administrative Assistant:
Sarah Goecks, 608-838-3146, goeckss@mcfsd.org
A Note From Our Principal
Dear Families,
During the school year, our goal is to have four formal opportunities to hear how your child is doing in school. In the fall, families attended Parent-Teacher Conferences over Zoom as the first opportunity. In January, teachers prepared the first-semester report cards for parents to view on Infinite Campus this month. Report cards communicate how your child is developing academically, behaviorally, and socially/emotionally. The third opportunity to learn about your child's progress will be in March at the spring Parent-Teacher Conferences, which will likely also be held over Zoom. Lastly, the second-semester report cards will be available on Infinite Campus after school lets out in June. A strong home-school connection helps our students be successful, and I thank you for your partnership.
Our EC-8 Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) does a LOT to support our schools. Please take a minute and check out the PTO Website. They are always looking for members and ideas, and I encourage you to explore the information on their page and contact them if you are interested in becoming involved in any way. Their next large meeting, where all parents and guardians are invited to attend, is scheduled for February 17th at 6:30 PM over Zoom, with speakers from the McFarlanders for Racial Equity and Justice organization; look for details to come soon!
Can you believe we are already thinking about next school year? Although we cannot anticipate what the spring and summer months will bring, we will start by planning for what a “typical” year looks like, and adapt our plans as necessary as guidance about the pandemic is updated. We anticipate, as long as things continue to go well here, that at a minimum we would be able to start next school year in something comparable to our current hybrid model, if not more! Of course, it is too soon to share details about August picture day, supply drop-off plans, school schedule, etc., but we will keep you posted throughout the spring and summer as best we can. One thing we will begin planning for this spring is classroom placement, so be sure to look for the information in this newsletter about that.
On a similar note, I understand that COVID-19 has affected all of us in many ways, and for some of us that means we have had to put travel and vacation plans on hold for almost a year now. I strongly encourage you to continue this trend and consider safe spring break plans. We have excellent procedures and precautions in place here at school, and I appreciate you completing the daily screening of your child for symptoms before sending them to school...we would like nothing more than to keep school open for the rest of this year! I ask that, for the safety of our staff and students, you please do your part over spring break to stay close to home and avoid coming into close contact with people outside of your household. Good Housekeeping offers a list of over 40 virtual tours that are fun for the whole family to do, from museums, zoos, farms, aquariums and more...check it out HERE.
Be sure to continue checking the COVID-19 MSD Parent/Guardian FAQ for information from the district, which is updated weekly. To search by topic or keyword, use “Control + F” (“Command +F” on an Apple). If you have a specific question you would like answered, do so by clicking here, and if you have feedback or suggestions to provide, do so by clicking here.
Finally, a quick “Lost ‘N Found” reminder: as our collection of lost items grows, please have your child stop by the lost and found items outside of our library (or come check it out yourself). Every couple of months, we “clean out” the current items that remain and donate them to a local nonprofit.
At CEPS, our mission is: Working together to grow and empower responsible, kind, and curious thinkers, learners, dreamers, and doers! Thank you for all you do to support your student(s) and our learning community.
Sincerely,
Greg Nelson, CEPS Principal
CEPS February Dates At A Glance
February 12 - Red/White/Pink day
February 15 - NO SCHOOL - Staff Professional Development Day
February 17 - PTO Meeting, 6:30 pm - zoom
Coming Up in March:
March 8 - NO SCHOOL- Staff Professional Development Day
March 10 - Kindergarten Virtual Orientation, 10 am - rsvp required
March 17 - Kindergarten Virtual Orientation, 2 pm - rsvp required
March 23 - 4K Parent Virtual Information night, 6 pm - rsvp required
March 29-April 2 - NO SCHOOL/Spring Break
April 5 - NO School - Staff Professional Development Day
1st Semester Report Cards
https://mcfarlandwi.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/mcfarland.jsp
Remember that you don't need to wait for report cards for an update on your child's progress. Feel free to get in touch with us at any time to discuss how your child is doing!
2021-2022 Enrollment Information for 4K and Kindergarten!
Classroom Placement for 2021-2022
The process for determining class placement for the 2021-2022 school year occurs during the spring and summer, with final decisions shared with families as a part of fall registration in August. Many factors go into this complicated and time-consuming process as great care is taken to establish class rosters that support the unique needs of all learners.
Please note that while we do NOT take family requests for placing their child(ren) with a specific teacher or peer(s), we are open to families that desire to share details about teacher characteristics or classroom environments that we might consider when determining a student's best placement for next school year. If you are interested in sharing preferred teacher traits or other student needs (without specific teacher names), please send an email with the information you would like considered by Friday, March 5th using the following contact information:
2021-2022 Kindergarten, First, and Second Graders: email CEPS Principal Greg Nelson at nelsong1@mcfsd.org
2021-2022 Third Graders: email WIS Principal Corey Shefchik at shefchc@mcfsd.org
Please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Nelson or Mr. Shefchik with questions about this process.
Reminder, McFarland Mobil App Available!
We are happy to roll out the McFarland School District Mobile app which is tied to our website. You can easily access News, Events, staff contact info and more.
You can customize what alerts you receive by selecting the 'My Alerts' option!! This is an additional tool we will use to inform families and students of important developments like school closures so make sure you have your Emergency Alert activated!
The app is available from the Apple App Store, Google Play as well as any device using this URL.
Attendance Information and Policies: Kindergarten-5th Grade
Conrad Elvehjem Primary School (K-2) 608-838-3146
Waubesa Intermediate School (3-5) 608-838-7667
MVP (Step 2)
School Hours
AM Session: 8:00-10:35
PM Session: 12:00-2:35
Hybrid (Step 3)
School Hours
AM Session: 7:45-10:45
PM Session: 12:15-3:15
Drop Off Start (Step 3)
AM Session: 7:45
PM Session: 12:15
Tardy After
(Step 3)
AM Session 8:05
PM Session 12:35
Please call your student’s school office to report an absence or tardy, even during virtual learning. If we do not hear from you regarding your child’s attendance, we will call you to verify your child’s absence. If we are unable to reach you to verify your child’s whereabouts, a member of the student services team may make a home visit to ensure the student is safe and accounted for.
COLD WEATHER GEAR
Both CEPS and Waubesa use Channel 3000 Weather to monitor the temperature.
Families can update their contact information via the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.
CHANGES TO THE FREE MEAL PROGRAM BEGIN ON January 26!
PICK UP WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE AT MCFARLAND HIGH SCHOOL. Pick up will no longer be available at Waubesa Intermediate School after January 22
LOCATION CHANGE AT MCFARLAND HIGH SCHOOL – POOL/AUDITORIUM ENTRANCE LOCATED OFF EXCHANGE STREET.
TIME CHANGE – 11:00-1:00
WAUBESA LUNCH ORDERS - Starting February 4 families with children at Waubesa Intermediate School can order cold meals to be sent home with their students.
ORDERING CHANGE -
You will continue to use the same link to the google form.
All orders have to be placed before 7 am to be included on that day’s report.
If you select an indefinite meal, you will receive a meal for each day there is school along with weekend meals. If you select no, you will fill out the form each week. We are asking IMMS students to not use the indefinite option at this time as their Core teacher changes each term.
Select the school your child attends. (Please do not place an order in a section that states unavailable.)
Enter the required information.
You can enter meals for younger children who do not attend school. If you have children who attend another building, please enter their meals under their school.
Parents and Staff have the option to order the cold entrée or a specialty salad.
Students and Parents still have the option to order a hot meal to be pick-up at MHS.
Please email martina@mcfsd.org (Amie Martin-CEPS Librarian) if your CEPS student needs help logging into our library search app on school devices. We love that students are getting library books this year!
Practice builds independence! Help build your child’s literacy muscles by:
Encouraging your child to work on their Weekly Checklist EVERY day.
Set a regular time every day for reading.
Determine a place for reading, practice of snapwords, etc.
Encourage your child along the way. Be a cheerleader and celebrate every day!
Promoting literacy in your home: 5 simple ways you might consider:
Reread favorite books together again and again.
List off on your fingers a number of facts learned after reading about a topic together.
Use silly, exaggerated voices when reading.
Retell or act out stories after you've read them.
READ TOGETHER!
The PTO has been busy planning teacher/staff appreciation meals. Watch for a sign-up genius in late February to help donate food, snacks and beverages.
The No Hassle Fundraiser is starting soon. Please watch for more information. This an easy way to donate to the PTO without having to sell items. Donations can be made by check or online via PayPal. Please see if your employer matches contributions as we are designated as a non-profit 501c3 organization.
Mark your calendars for our at large meeting on February 17, 2021(6:30pm) via Zoom. The McFarlanders for Racial Equity and Justice will be the guest speaker, followed by principal and PTO updates. The PTO also meets the second Thursday of the month for PTO advisory council meetings. To join us please email Michaela Voeck (PTO president) at mcfarlandptoprez@gmail.com to be added to the Zoom meeting invite.
You can see all our updates by following our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/McFarlandPTO or visiting our website www.mcfarlandpto.org
CEPS Families: Share the Love! McFarland Food Pantry Donation Opportunity
Dear CEPS Families,
We invite you to participate with us as we “Share the Love!” with the McFarland Food Pantry. Please consider making a donation to this local organization that supports many of our village residents.
Dates: February 8th-12th
How: Bring your donation items to your AM or PM drop-off time; there will be collection bins right outside the entrance doors to place donated items as students leave their car or bus
Items seeking: shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and nonperishable food items
In addition, we would like to share information about who is eligible to use the McFarland Food Pantry: Any resident of the McFarland school district is eligible to get food from the local pantry. To sign up, just stop by during their open hours with an ID and a bill or document (lease) to prove your residence. They will ask for the size of your household, and give you a list of items that are available. After selecting the items that you would like, the volunteers will fill your order, and it will be delivered to your vehicle. It is safe, free, and there for you when you need it. Once in a while, or every week. Registration not required after the first visit.
Hours for pick-up: Mondays from 3:00-6:00, and the third Saturday of the month from 9-10:30
Located: Behind Spartan Pizza, downtown McFarland
Thank you for your consideration!
CEPS Staff
Futura Aventures Spring 2021
Greetings Conrad Elvehjem,
As we look to Spring 2021 we are excited to continue our LIVE Virtual Spanish offerings. We have found much success with our offerings this Fall and families have been enjoying the ability to learn Spanish in a safe and comfortable learning environment each week.
Attached is our Spring 2021 flier highlighting the new courses
Live Interactive Spanish in a Virtual Setting!
ALL NEW MATERIAL THIS SPRING. . . Join Futura for a live, interactive Spanish class in real time! From the comfort and safety of your home, your child will learn Spanish in a dynamic, lively manner that incorporates songs and games. There are two options for learning: ‘Vamos a Explorar’ is a theme based class where students will “explore” all in Spanish. ‘Essential Spanish’ will include all the basics to create an amazing language foundation for years to come. Various times and days to choose from to fit your family’s needs for language learning. Please check our website for course details and offerings. https://futuraadventures.com/virtual-learning-registration/ Enroll today! Space is limited.