Welcome to October! We are one month in and going strong. I want to start by sending out a huge thank you to David Farwell for his amazing organization of this year’s McKinley Mile! We started with uncertainty as to if it could even occur, but it happened and was so much fun! Thanks to the PTO for supporting this event, to Corey Boldt and Double-Boldt Real Estate for sponsoring the finisher’s bags, to all of the families (and McK alumni!) that pitched in to make this family event such a success. Oh, and I would be remiss to forget to mention Susan Zeimet for her guest appearance as the warm up lead! It takes many hands to run a major event and after last year where all gatherings were off limits, it feels good to be back in community for things like this. Dave is already planning for next year!

September is always focused on relationship building and includes a focus on learning where students are academically, socially, emotionally, even physically! We are now finishing up Star and PALS assessments to help classroom teachers get a sense of where students are academically. All teachers are well into establishing routines and making adjustments based upon what they see that students can do. They use formal and informal data to help identify needs for extensions or interventions for individuals and classes. This year is different for many of our learners given the various experiences last year. I feel that we are moving forward and gaining the necessary knowledge to make this a truly fabulous year!

Keep an eye on the calendar for our many October events. Next week Wednesday, October 6th, we will participate in the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Walk to School Day. Our SRTS volunteer Maura Riorden will provide additional information in next Monday’s PTO newsletter. We will have walking school buses and, of course, Mrs. Merriman is working with students on the Pedestrian Safety Dance to be held at 8:10 on the west side blacktop. The weather forecast for Wednesday looks good!

Tuesday, October 12 Author and illustrator Bob Shea will virtually visit Sk-2nd grade students. The PTO will purchase Shea's newest book for each SK-2 classroom and two for the library so all students will have access. Keep an eye out for information about purchasing a book if you are interested.

Conference Signup Genius links will be coming out soon. Conferences will be the evenings of October 21and October 26th and during the day October 22nd, 8:30- 3:00. In response to families who preferred the Zoom conferences last year and also to be sure to welcome families who prefer the in-person experience, we will offer a choice of Zoom or in- person conferences. It will be crucial to indicate which choice you are making, since teachers may need to prepare differently for the differing modes. I also want to encourage you to visit Phy Ed, Art, Music, and Spanish teachers and any special educators or specialists that your children work with. All of our teachers and staff have knowledge to share with you about how things are going, plus you will have the opportunity to see the new learning spaces that our staff and students are enjoying.

Also, Thursday and Friday the 21st and 22nd, you will have the opportunity to visit the Scholastic Book Fair if you do choose to come to school. Students will be able to visit the Book Fair on Wednesday and Thursday with their classroom teachers.

And lastly, news about the character/costume parade at the end of October. Yes! We are planning to hold it on October 29th at 1:15-2:15. Yes! The Tosa West Band plans to send a group to lead our parade! Yes! We will still insist that no weapons come to school, that costumes are not TOO scary, and that sensible shoes are worn for the walk. Classrooms may choose to have a fall-themed special time together after the parade. Because we are still in a “3” mitigation level, we will not be encouraging food or treats to share or energetic games in the classrooms. In grades 1-5, teachers may ask for a volunteer or two to help with organizing students before the parade and help with an activity after; Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten may need more hands, so three volunteers might be needed.

Please reach out to me at any time if you have any questions, information, or wonderings. I am your partner in education!

Have a wonderful autumn everyone!

Dr. Hoffmann

The Wauwatosa Recreation Department partners with Tosa Cares and holds an annual Fall Food Drive.

We will be in the Fisher Administration Building parking lot (12121 W. North Avenue) on Saturday October 23rd from 9:00am - 12:00pm. Come wave hi to our Tosa Rec Turkey and donate food to those in need!

See our flyer here.

Ms. Kumferman’s Korner- News from your School Social Worker

Hello! September was filled with connecting with some students and caregivers, talking with teachers, communicating with other student services staff and organizing current resources (see important links below if you need assistance). It is also the busiest time for my additional responsibilities as Homeless Coordinator for the Wauwatosa School District. I communicate with all schools, help to identify eligible students, and secure necessary resources to help break down barriers so all students can be successful at school. I have also started scheduling social-emotional lessons like bullying prevention and Zones of Regulation in some of the classrooms to begin in October. I always enjoy sharing these lessons and students seem to remember a lot from year to year while enjoying the new videos and activities.

Brain Food Snack Drive

McKinley does not currently have a breakfast program and not all students are able to bring a daily snack to school, so we like to have emergency snacks on hand. These are also available if a student forgets his/her snack on a particular day. We had some staff members donate snacks to get our year started and we are almost out of items. We could use some additional foods to replenish the supply. If you would like to donate some snacks, please put my name (Kumferman) on them and send them with your child to the school office. Thanks in advance! Individual snack bags only.

-Pretzels -fruit snacks -Goldfish crackers -Cheez-Its -vanilla wafers

-Animal crackers -graham crackers -squeezable applesauce -popcorn

Here is a link to some important Milwaukee County resources including Emergency Shelter/Housing, Emergency Food sites and distribution, and a 24-hour crisis hotline:

https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/COVID-19/Coronavirus-Community-Business-Resources

Energy Assistance Benefit Season Is Here!

If you’re worried about paying your utilities bills this winter, the Milwaukee County Energy Assistance Team has you covered. The benefit season begins October 1, when eligible We Energies customers can get a once-a-year break on their bills. The amount of the benefit varies and depends on a number of factors, including household income and size, as well as heating bills. But, even better, if you qualify for this benefit, you also qualify for other services and benefits, such as the weatherization program, emergency furnace repairs, payment plan options, and more. Some landlords are eligible for weatherization upgrades, too.

Please access this website for additional information:

https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/DHHS/Housing/Energy-Assistance

This is an unprecedented and challenging time for us all. But together, we will get through this. Taking care of your mental health is equally important as your physical health during this time.

Student and Family Assistance Program: District students and their families have access to six free counseling sessions through our Student and Family Assistance Program. They are teleservice at this time. Learn more.

DHS Counseling Hotline: Call 1-800-985-5990 to speak with a trained crisis counselor 24/7 provided through the Department of Health Services.

DHS Coronavirus Resources

211 Info Hotline - Dial 211 for information about COVID-19 in Wisconsin

CDC Hotline - Get facts by calling 1-800-CDC-INFO

CDC Website

This is a rapidly changing situation and we will continue to keep you updated as information is shared.

For now, Stay Safer At Home and remember, we’re in this together.

The Wauwatosa School Libraries invite our staff and students to read digitally anywhere and anytime using Overdrive on your web browser or Sora on your mobile device. The app can be used online for teaching purposes as well! Students log in with their google credentials and staff log in with your district generated password which is usually a set of random numbers. If you don't know what yours is, search your email or submit a helpdesk ticket in Incident IQ. Happy Reading!

Overdrive LINK

Sora LINK

Our libraries are part of the Wisconsin School Libraries Digital Consortium. Enjoy!