March 2024 Madison Memo
March 2024
Principal's Message
Dear Madison Families,
It is hard to believe the third trimester of school begins in March! Second trimester report cards will be visible on Parent Vue starting Monday, March 25. These remaining months of school are busy ones.
Thank you to everyone who attended Parent-Teacher Conferences in February. This was a great opportunity for families to connect with school and learn about the progress your child is making at Madison.
"I Love to Read Month" is going to wrap up with a family event the evening of February 29 from 5:30-7:30 PM. Each week during February we have had fun things planned to build community and foster the joy of reading.
"Cooperation" is our word of the month for March. It is defined as "working together and helping others." Cooperation at school may look like working with a small group in math to solve a problem. Cooperation at home might be working together to get jobs done.
Have a need for more sunshine? Spring Break is March 11-18.
Your principal,
Dorothy M. Olsen
Citizen of the Month
These students display the core character values of Respect, Responsibility, Compassion, Integrity and Appreciation of Diversity. Teachers select one Citizenship winner from their classroom each month.
Avery Hanson - KD, Uthmaan Ally - KH, Nardos Teferi - KJ, Aralyn Lor - KK
Katelyn Kern - 1F, Daisy Stevenson - 1K, Nahom Teferi - 1P
Ronan Xiong - 2A, David Zamitis - 2C, Rui Weng - 2J
Olivia Vue - 3D, Ryan Grausam - 3G, Ehsan Ahmed - 3I
Alivia Moores - 4P, Kylie Lamb - 4S, Aria Braun - 4W
Martha Velasco Gonzalez - 5B, Graham Huso - 5H, Kieran Delliger - 5L
Calendar
February 29, I Love to Read Family Event, 5:30-7:30 PM
March 5, No School, PLC/Staff Development
March 11-13, No School, Spring Break
March 14 -15, No School, District closed, Designated Holiday
March 18, No School, Staff Planning and Grades
March 29, No School, Staff Development
Reading is Snow Much Fun Family Event
Tomorrow evening, Thursday, February 29, Madison is hosting our “Reading is Snow Much Fun” event. This event is for all students and their families in grades K-5. There will be many fun things happening around the building and an opportunity for families to support Madison by purchasing dinner from Acapulco in the cafeteria. Invitations went home in the Wednesday packets. Here is a digital copy of the “Reading is Snow Much Fun” Family Night Invitation as well. We hope to see all of you here tomorrow at 5:30 PM!
New Madison Principal Named for 2024-25
Paul Anderson, the current principal at Sand Creek Elementary School, has been named the new principal at Madison Elementary School. Mr. Anderson will begin his service July 1, 2024, when Dorothy Olsen begins her retirement.
Paul has a strong record of service and leadership in the Anoka-Hennepin School District, serving as the principal at Sand Creek Elementary School the past 18 years.
Mr. Anderson will begin meeting with a leadership transition committee, composed of Madison Elementary School staff and families in the coming weeks. We congratulate Paul Anderson on his new position, and welcome him to the Madison Elementary School community.
Madison Schoolwide Title I Update
As a Schoolwide Title I building, everyone on staff at Madison is working to increase math and reading achievement, support students socially and emotionally, and increase student engagement in learning.
Reflecting on the first half of the year, there is much to celebrate:
- In Kindergarten and First Grade, students recently completed the FAST reading assessment and the Concepts of Math assessment. Approximately 75% of Kindergarten students and 67% of First Grade students scored in the low risk range on the winter FAST reading assessment and are working hard to ensure they are able to meet the end-of-year grade level benchmarks. In the area of math, both grade levels have approximately 70% of students scoring in the low risk range on the Concepts of Math assessment.
- In Grades 2 and 3, almost 70% of students are reading grade level text with fluency and accuracy. They are also making progress in math with 61% of students in Grade 2 and 69% of students in Grade 3 predicted proficient on the winter MAP math assessment.
- The Spirit Space at Madison, a break room for students who need it throughout the day, has been key to helping students stay engaged in learning and decreasing the number of behavior referrals at school compared to last year at this time.
At Madison, there are areas where much work still needs to be done:
- In Grades 3-5, we are working to increase proficiency to 66.8% in reading and 69.1% on the MCA-III assessments this spring.
- Many students have been absent from school due to a variety of reasons. Although absences are sometimes unavoidable, attendance is key to being successful at school. Madison continues to work with families to ensure students are at school and ready to learn.
During conferences, teachers reviewed Madison’s Family-School Compact. Madison’s School Improvement strategies, Family Engagement Plan, and the Annual Meeting presentation that shares more of what it means to be a Title I School, can be found on our school website. Please reach out to kimberly.jacobs@ahschools.us or karen.thompson@ahschools.us if you have questions or would like to offer any feedback.
Spelling Bee Winners
Congratulations to these grade-level Spelling Bee champions!
Left to right: Niharika Rawat 1P, Tenzin Kunsang 2C, Markon Fasil 3G, Natnael Alemayehu 4S and Renasa Xiong 4S, Kailyn Garner 5L and Robel Fasil 5L.
Reminder
Here are the guidelines for cell phones and smartwatches (devices that can link to a cell phone for texting/calling/browsing):
- Students may not use cell phones or smartwatches at school.
- All student cell phones and smartwatches are to be kept in students' backpacks.
- If a staff member sees a student's cell phone or smartwatch, it will be brought to the office and a parent will be required to come to Madison to pick it up.
- Any student that uses an electronic device which disrupts the educational process may also be subject to disciplinary action.
Character Strong = Purposefull People
This month’s focus is Cooperation. One way to think about cooperation is working together on a team or group towards a common goal. Please visit the Character Strong website for more information on what Character Strong is and how educators use it to create effective learning environments.
Volunteering at Madison
Thank you to our volunteers who helped during the month of February! It was a busy month. Volunteers helped at the book fair, cleaned student devices, helped with breakfast and lunch, assisted in classrooms, stapled packets, made hundreds of copies, distributed meals and so much more. We appreciate all you do!
We have volunteer opportunities to fit any interest and time commitment. Join us! It’s never too late to fill out your volunteer application and get started. View our current volunteer opportunities to see what fits your interests and schedule.
Thank you for your support!
Emily Massey / Volunteer Services Coordinator (VSC)
emily.massey@ahschools.us, 763-506-3340
PTO
The PTO wants to thank everyone for their help so far this year. HOWEVER, we are not done yet! Our Spring Carnival is coming on April 25, and we will need a lot of help. If you would like to get involved, please attend our next meeting on Thursday, March 7 at 6:30 PM in the Library or via Zoom.
PLEASE NOTE: Order your 2023-2024 yearbook today! Yearbooks are $12.00 and can be ordered online through March 22. Yearbook distribution will take place at the end of the school year. A limited supply will be available to purchase for walk-up sales, so guarantee your child a yearbook by ordering online.
Important Numbers and Links
Attendance
Any time your child will be absent from or late to school, please report the absence by 9:15 AM.
Reporting options:
- Call the Attendance Line at 763-506-3306
- Use a web browser (view the instructions)
- Use the ParentVUE app, which is free and can be downloaded to your mobile device.
Please provide the reason for the absence. If due to illness, please give the specific symptoms, such as fever, congestion, etc. If no contact is made, the student absence will be considered unexcused. Please note, if your child is experiencing a fever, diarrhea, or vomiting, the district policy states that the student may not return to school until 24 hours after the last episode.
PTO
- Join the Madison PTO group on Facebook for the latest updates and reminders!
- Everyone is welcome to attend our monthly meetings! In person in the Madison Library or via Zoom.
Volunteer at Madison
- To start the process, please complete the Volunteer Application Form and the Criminal Record History Release Form.
- You will be contacted once the paperwork is processed. Please note some volunteer activities require additional processing, which can take up to two weeks.
- We appreciate that you share your time and talents with us. Thank you.
- Please contact Emily Massey, Volunteer Services Coordinator (VSC), if you need assistance or have questions.
Contact Information
Main Office: 763-506-3300
Absence Line: 763-506-3306
Fax: 763-506-3303
Website: www.ahschools.us/madison
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AHMadison Elementary
Additional Resources
This e-newsletter is published by Madison Elementary School. Questions, comments or concerns about the school e-newsletter? Contact us.