McKinley Monthly
July 2020
Dear McKinley Families,
I hope you are well and having a wonderful summer, despite the challenges that face us at this time. I know that you are wondering what fall will bring, and with the uncertainties continuing, it will be difficult to provide solid information at this point.
On Monday, July 13, Dr. Ertl and the assistant superintendents presented to the School Board ideas, options, and suggestions for the coming school year based upon the work that many teams have engaged in so far this summer. The questions from the Board showed their deep concern and desire to do what is right for Wauwatosa School District families. They are committed to creating the best possible plan in an extremely complex situation. There will be much discussion and further work based upon the ideas presented, and we hope to have a stronger determination by the next Board meeting on July 27th with a communication to parents in early August. Since the situation is ever-changing, it is so difficult to make concrete plans at this time. If you are interested in watching the presentation, it is available on the Wauwatosa School Board’s YouTube channel. The entire meeting is posted, and specific segments of interest have been cut and posted separately for ease of access.
As is my summer ritual, I have spent time reading through and reflecting on the School Perceptions Surveys that you filled out this spring. I thank you all for your input. It was good to see that the results continue to show a strong sense of love for and commitment to McKinley with our strongest results in the areas of creating a culture of excellence, establishing relationships, and providing a safe and healthy learning environment. The comments that I received about our equity work were encouraging. They indicated that while we continue to have work to do, it is evident that we are on the right journey. I especially appreciate the very specific comments about “misses” and areas to focus. These will be helpful as I work with our Equity Coach and Equity Team later this summer to create our agenda for staff professional learning and family outreach this upcoming school year.
The survey also included a few new items in regard to the emergency learning during our last trimester. The responses indicated a high level of satisfaction in regard to handling work-school-life balance and managing stress; however, the results also showed that some obstacles were faced with technology. The question “Overall, how is your family dealing with the challenges presented by the COVID-19 outbreak?” was actually the lowest scoring item on the whole survey with 16.7 percent of respondents choosing “fair” and 73% choosing “good”--I think a reminder to all of us that we need to continue to support one another.
If you haven’t been around school lately, you might want to take a stroll past the construction site. The foundations are coming along and should be complete next week. The elevator shaft is visible and should be set by the end of this week. Steelwork is starting on Monday. “Underslab” plumbing and electrical are coming in soon, and the new gym will begin to take form. Also, Buildings and Grounds crews will create more south playground space for us later this summer, pushing the fences out to the east and west sidewalks, and we will have more bike racks in place by September 1st to replace those that were removed for the construction.
Once August hits, I hope to have specific information about what to anticipate for fall to include in the August McKinley Monthly. In addition to that, Charlotte Garder will be sending out information about online registration either the week of August 3rd or 10th, and we plan to have class placement available for you through Infinite Campus on August 17th. So keep an eye on your email inbox! Until then, I encourage everyone to keep reading, keep playing, and keep practicing safe measures out in the community. I wish you all the best this odd, historically significant summer of 2020!
Mrs. Hoffmann
Upcoming Dates
Early Aug - Registration forms will be emailed home
Aug 17 - Check Infinite Campus for teacher assignments
Aug 26 - Back to School Celebration
Sep 1 - First Day of School
Girls on the Run
JK Registration
Kindergarten Registration is underway! Children who are currently enrolled in our Junior Kindergarten (4K) do not need to register for SK as they are already enrolled in the district.
We are also offering an online registration option for NEW students via our student information system, Infinite Campus.
Registering online can be done here.
A step by step guide on how to register online can be found here.
Information about documents required to register can be found here.
You will need to upload the required documents when prompted or you can complete all the registration information online and bring in the documents to your child’s school for verification.
Registration is not complete until all required documents are submitted.
*** Please share this info with your friends, family, and neighbors. ***
Register Now for Lynden’s Summer Workshops for Children
In lieu of our summer day camps, Lynden is offering small group, standalone art and nature workshops that integrate our collection of monumental outdoor sculpture and temporary installations with the natural ecology of our hidden landscapes and unique habitats. Led by Lynden education staff, these one-day workshops, lasting from one to three hours, are built around themes that suggest imaginative possibilities and promote intimate discoveries in art and nature through collaborative (but well-distanced) inquiry and hands-on artmaking. Workshop activities will change from day to day within each two-week period, so sign up for one or several. We invite you to make use of all of Lynden's 40 acres to create a joyful, all-senses-engaged, outdoor experience. Workshops begin July 13.
For more information and to register: https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/education/in-the-garden
Lynden is committed to making its programs available to all. Need-based tuition waivers are available. Contact Jeremy Stepien at (414) 446-8481 or jstepien@lyndensculpturegarden.org for an application form.
Anti-Racism, Social Justice and Diverse Book Lists
Children's Book List for Anti-racist Activism
E-book/digital sources with diverse books from Diverse Book Finder blog.
Family Resources
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.
211 Info Hotline - Dial 211 for information about COVID-19 in Wisconsin
CDC Hotline - Get facts by calling 1-800-CDC-INFO
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.
Junior Trojans Basketball
Check out information on participating in Junior Trojans Basketball for 2020-2021.
Teams are available for boys and girls. Check out their website for more details.
www.jrtrojansbasketball.com
* * Tosa Cares * *
Mt. Zion Lutheran Church is closed. Food will be distributed by drive-thru only. Due to the logistics of organizing such an event, appointments will be required.
Please call, text, or email to leave a message to schedule a food pick up. Appointments will be scheduled over several weeks. We will be happy to provide your household with a food box.
Call: (414) 258-0456 x 410
Call or text: (414) 861-4725
E-mail: tosacares@gmail.com
Visit: https://www.tosacares.org/post/tosa-cares-and-covid-19 for more information.
Let’s kick READING into...
OverDrive is a free library collection for all elementary students to check out ebooks and digital audio books on personal devices.
It’s as easy as 1,2,3
1. Visit https://wsdlcwi.libraryreserve.com/ or open the app
Sora on any smartphone, tablet, mp3 player, e-reader, or computer. Choose Wauwatosa School District from the dropdown.
2. Login: Library card number is your school username
(same as logging onto your chromebook)
Pin is your password (same as logging onto your chromebook)
3. Read in your browser or download the epub/kindle book!
Happy Reading!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact:
Meegan Archambo, Elementary Library Media Services Coordinator
Wauwatosa Avenue
Office Max / Office Depot Gives Back
McKinley contact info
Website: https://www.wauwatosa.k12.wi.us/McKinley
Location: 2435 N 89th St, Wauwatosa, WI, United States
Phone: (414)773-1500