Madison Memos
The Madison School PTA Newsletter / October 29, 2021
Madison School
Email: memos@madisonschoolpta.org
Website: http://www.madisonschoolpta.org
Location: 1620 Mayo Ave. , Wheaton
Phone: 682-2095
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/653462651407851/
Fall Social Event Planned for Madison Parents
New to Madison? Or looking for an opportunity make connections with other Mountain Lion parents? The Madison PTA is excited to host a fall social event exclusively for parents of Madison students. This adults-only event provides an opportunity to meet and netwrok in a fun, casual and outdoor (heated tent!) venue.
Hosted at 302 Wheaton (302 W Front Street) on Sunday, November 7 from 12-4 p.m. A $15 ticket includes lunch (one main course item and one side item). A cash bard and additional food/drinks will be available for purchase, as well as an optional 50/50 cash raffle.
Please register HERE by November 1. Contact Diana Benoist with any questions.
Looking forward to seeing everyone there!
PTA Shares Ways to Stay Updated, Get Involved, Support the Organization
The Madison PTA Facebook page is a great resource for real-time information and a wonderful community forum to ask questions and see the latest from the Madison community. We encourage you to follow. Anyone can post an update!
Get Involved
Multicultural Programming Chair
We are looking to evolve our traditional Multicultural Day and seeking a program chair willing to coordinate volunteers to help highlight various cultures throughout the year. Please contact Lauren DeReus via email at president@madisonschoolpta.org if you have any questions.
Explore More Day
Held the Friday before Memorial Day. Daylong program of learning from parents, guest teachers and hands-on activities. We are in need of a Committee Chair to coordinate the overall event and Sub-committee volunteers. Sub-committee volunteers are also needed for each grade, along with volunteers to teach classes, and help instructors in class. Please contact Lauren DeReus via email at president@madisonschoolpta.org if you have any questions.
Click here to volunteer today!
Support PTA!
- Becoming a member is the easiest way to support our PTA. A membership is $20 for new or renewing members. Not a PTA member yet? Join Today!
- Make Madison PTA Your Amazon Smiles charitable organization! Did you know that Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to a chairty of your choice? For more information go HERE and search "Madison PTA" as your choice.
Spotlight on Art Appreciation: It's Valuable to Volunteer!
The PTA is looking for volunteers for Art Appreciation for the following classrooms:
- Bailey
- Fowler
- Karlsson
- Mical
- Rebholz
- Fraser
- Emma
To give you insight into how it works, please see below from a past Art Appreciation volunteer:
My name's Debbie McCraw, and my son, Finn, is in 4th grade. I've been an Art Appreciation volunteer since he was in kindergarten, and we both love it! I was already familiar with the Art Appreciation program from when I was in elementary school, and I truly believe it built a foundation for my love of art and artists.
Once a month (or less if more than one parent volunteers for the class), I go into the classroom to share 1-2 famous artworks with the students, and then we do an activity. The PTA Art Appreciation chair sets the schedule and there's a folder for each lesson, making planning very easy. You can certainly do your own research and share your own knowledge and experiences, but the folders generally contain everything you need for the lesson and activity ideas. Some people will print off worksheets for students to take home, and there are examples of that in the folders. (P.S. The PTA can use the copier at school and has a code - if you need the code, just ask!)
I usually spend about an hour preparing for the visit, writing notes about the artist, the work and the techniques used. I also plan an activity related to the piece. Art Appreciation is more about understanding artists and techniques and learning about famous works than it is about actually doing art projects, so you don't need to be an artist - you just need to have an interest. In the past, we have drawn, colored, written stories, read books and even played games - something fun and engaging related to the artist or artwork. If you plan ahead, you can coordinate with the teacher to borrow supplies from the art room. This photo is from when I taught Finn's kindergarten class about Kandinsky. Each student drew concentric circles, and I put them on a posterboard so Mrs. Bailey could display them.
I love having this opportunity to go into the classroom regularly. It helps me get to know my son's classmates and teachers. I also love sharing my passion and interest in art and hope it helps the kids develop their own interest and appreciation. Finn looks forward to my visit each month, and it gives us an opportunity to talk more about art at home.
Interested in helping? Click here to volunteer today!
District 200 Brings National Speaker to Community
In the Bag: Madison Cares Event Drives Donations for Stuff the Truck
The Madison community continues to amaze us! Thank you to everyone who donated to the October Madison Cares event. Thanks to your generosity, the school stuffed the truck for People's Resource Center with 210+ bags of canned goods, high proteins, whole grains, personal items and household cleaning supplies.
Madison worked with District 200 to provide a total donation of 17,400+ pounds - the district's most successful Stuff-A-Truck ever.
National PTA Resources Available for Madison Community
Looking for more information or help to create the best school experience for your family? National PTA offers a host of channels, materials and toolkits. From a "Backpack Podcast" to Our Children Magazine, health, safety and special education - the organization regularly updates resources to help parents and students. Bookmark HERE.
Programs offered include the Family Reading Experience as well as STEM + Families - both offer interactive activities to explore. Also available on the site, find and learn information about healthy lifestyles. Take advantage of these great resources HERE.
2021/2022 Madison PTA Leadership
- President: Lauren DeReus
- President-Elect: Debbie McCraw
- Membership: Keri Widmer
- Ways and Means: Kate Kessler and Diana Benoist
- Treasurer: Meredith Sharpee
- Secretary: Heather Graf