December 2023 Madison Memo
December 2023
Principal's Message
Dear Madison Families,
It's hard to believe we are nearing completion of the first trimester of school. Report cards will be available to view online at A-HConnect or ParentVue starting December 13. They will not be printed and sent home this year.
Madison was once again recognized as being a school in the top quartile with our MCA results compared to other schools with similar economic status. We were in the top quartile in all three areas of reading, math and science. We were first with similar schools in reading and second in math. Madison was the only Anoka-Hennepin elementary school to have consistently scored in the top quartile in all three areas over the past four years. These great results are due to our wonderful staff at Madison and your partnership as parents!
Thank you to all who were able to attend the Halloween Dance. This was a great family event provided by the Madison PTO. Thank you, too, to everyone who brought canned goods or non -perishable items to support a food shelf in our community. Nine boxes of food items were collected.
Madison students and staff recognized our veterans on November 10 with a program and reception. Veterans have our greatest respect and gratitude for their service and sacrifice.
"Empathy" is Madison's word of the month for December. The holidays are a perfect time to show kindness by understanding and connecting to other people's feelings. Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person's life.
Thank you for your dedication to Madison Elementary, and may your holidays be happy!
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.
Scarlett Mol - KD, Lucas Lai - KH, Axel Flores - KJ, Ysabella Guallpa - KK
Emilio Sanchez-Covarrubias - 1F, Zoya Dzyuba - 1K, Duke Fletcher - 1P
Mila Halling - 2A, Yzelle Guallpa - 2C, Hope Wernimont - 2J
Nolan Wernimont - 3D, Addison Root - 3G, Ananya Rawat - 3I
Jakob Manuel - 4P, Renasa Xiong - 4S, Tenzin Nyarpatsang - 4W
Mason Sukut - 5B, Krystal Hernandez Lugo - 5H, Mariah Olmanson - 5L
Calendar
December 1: No school, staff planning and grades
December 4: No school, staff development
December 14: PTO Meeting, Madison Library, 6:30 PM, in person and via Zoom
December 25 - January 2: No school, holiday and winter break
Report Cards are Going Green
New for the 2023-24 school year, elementary school report cards will be available online and will no longer be sent through postal mail or student’s backpacks. Families will be able to view report cards by logging into A-HConnect OR on the ParentVUE mobile app.
Madison student report cards will be viewable online starting December 13. Parents, guardians and any person with educational rights to a student will be able to access the student’s report card online.
How to view report cards from A-HConnect or the ParentVUE app.
If you need assistance logging in or forgot your password, call 763-506-HELP (4357) or email 506help@ahschools.us. For questions about the report cards, please call the Madison Main Office at 763-506-3300.
Kindness Poster Contest Winners
Congratulations to these Kindness Poster Contest winners at Madison. The theme this year was “Make Kindness Your Purpose.”
(left to right) Francesca Liang KH, Niharika Rawat 1P,
Jax Boehne 2C, Luke Dorsey 3G, Dinela Kadric 4W,
Kayden Grafnitz 5B
Parent Education Series
Anoka-Hennepin is hosting three Parent Engage 360 community and parent education events during the 2023-24 school year. These events aim to provide resources for parents and guardians to support their students and others in the community. Topics range from mental health, chemical health, internet safety, and more. Parent Engage 360 forum events are offered both in-person and in virtual formats and are free and open to the public.
The first Parent Engage 360 event will be held on Tuesday, December 5 at 6:30 PM at the Coon Rapids High School auditorium and will feature author and co-founder of TILL360, Joe Beckman. Over the last 20 years, Beckman has spoken all over the world with one mission, to reclaim human connection.
Beckman is an engaging and dynamic speaker who combines humor, authenticity, heart, and soul that will help attendees find self-worth, resilience, confidence, joy, and human connection. Beckman is the author of Just Look Up: Five Life-Saving Phrases Every Kid Human Needs to Hear. Attendees at this event have the chance to win one of four free copies of Beckman’s book.
Event registration is not required, but helps with planning. The 2024 events will be held on February 29 and April 1.
Yearbook Cover
These wonderful students competed in the cover design contest for the Madison Yearbook. Elizabeth Yefimenko was the winner and her design will be on the front cover. The other entries will be on the back cover. Congratulations, students!
(back left to right) Kailyn Garner 5L, Mariah Olmanson 5L, Elizabeth Yefimenko 5B, Tyler Ngo 5H, (front) Elsie Schwagel 5H
Character Strong = Purposefull People
In December, we will be focusing on empathy. One way to think about empathy is “understanding and connecting with other people’s feelings.” Empathy is a practice that can help us grow strong relationships.
Volunteering at Madison
There have been over 800 hours of volunteer service at Madison so far this school year. Thank you to our dedicated volunteers who have given their time and energy to making our school a better place!
Our current volunteer opportunities include lunch help, Every Meal distribution, Staple Club, field trip chaperones, workroom help, PTO and Watch D.O.G.S. If you are interested, please let me know or take a look at our current sign-ups.
Do you, a grandparent or your high schooler want to get involved? Today is a great day to sign up! Thank you for supporting our school, students and staff. Have a happy holiday season!
Emily Massey / Volunteer Services Coordinator (VSC)
emily.massey@ahschools.us, 763-506-3340
PTO
We want to congratulate the staff and students for putting Madison in the top 25% of MCA test results for like-schools. Way to go! The PTO greatly appreciates everyone's support this year. We are a small group and every little bit of help we get counts.
We look forward to seeing everyone at the next PTO meeting on December 14 at 6:30 PM in the Madison Library or via Zoom.
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.