Muskego Lakes Family Newsletter
November 18, 2022
Dear Muskego Lakes Families,
Earlier this week, the Department of Public Instruction released report cards for every publicly funded school and district in the state of Wisconsin (per Wis. Stat. 115.385).
While the State Report Card is just one measure of how we are doing as a school, we are extremely proud of our results.
At Muskego Lakes, we increased our Overall Report Card score from 88.6% in 20-21 to 91.4% in 21-22.
In addition, we have once again earned the highest rating of “Significantly Exceeds Expectations.”
We are proud to share that we are now ranked #6 in the state in comparison to the other 339 middle schools in Wisconsin.
In addition, Muskego Lakes ranked #1 in Waukesha County (out of 21 middle schools) for our Overall Math Growth and #4 in Waukesha County for Overall ELA Growth.
We want you to know that your child’s learning is a high priority to us, and we do our best to ensure that our students have every opportunity to succeed.
That being said, we are very aware of how blessed we are to have such supportive, engaged families who partner with us every day.
Stay warm with the frigid temperatures ahead and have a blessed Thanksgiving.
With love,
Rachel Rydzewski & Nancy Pasch
Muskego Lakes Principals
Important Dates Ahead
November 23rd - 25th: No School - Thanksgiving Break
November 28-30: Winter Literacy iReady
November 30th: MNS Choral Festival
November 30th: Co-Curricular Group Photo Day
December 6th-8th: Winter Math iReady
December 8th: ML Winter Band Concert at the PAC
December 16th: 6th Grade Science Fair
December 22nd: PBIS Assemblies
December 23-Jan 2: Winter Break
January 25th: Last Student Photo Day
Quarter 1 Report Cards are on their Way
As shared last week, Quarter 1 Report Cards are in the mail as of this week. Please be on the look out for your child's report card in your mailbox.
We strongly encourage you to review your child's scores and the personalized comments teachers made regarding how well your child is learning.
If you'd like to review your child's report card before it arrives in the mail, you can check out the directions below:
Learn About How We Responded to Your Feedback
Thanks to those of you who provided us with feedback in our fall Family check in survey. In order to be transparent, we are sharing the next we took with you below.
- Added weekly grade level folders to provide more printed communication.
- Made a plan to not release buses as quickly so students don't feel stress at the end of the day.
- Communicated to club/co-curricular leads so that after school activities are not canceled class minute.
- Met with Taher our food service partners to problem solve so more students get ala carte items that otherwise have been running out.
- Adjusted our office phone configuration so families can access our office team during the day.
- Regularly provide feedback for Dairyland based on concerns we receive from families.
- Surveyed 8th grade to learn their preference for the date and timing of the 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony.
- Despite request from vendor to increase the cost, we have maintained the yearbook price to honor parent feedback.
- Provide wifi for families when internet is not accessible to ensure student learning not impacted.
- Traffic cones added to limit two way traffic during pick up.
8th Grade Career & Community Fair Ahead at Muskego Lakes
If you or someone you know would be interested in sharing about your career with our 8th graders, please let us know.
We are looking for a wide range of speakers in order to ensure we have representation across the U.S. Department of Education's 16 clusters:
- Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
- Architecture & Construction
- Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications
- Business, Management & Administration
- Education & Training
- Finance
- Government & Public Administration
- Health Science
- Hospitality & Tourism
- Human Services
- Information Technology
- Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
- Manufacturing
- Marketing, Sales & Service
- Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
- Transportation, Distribution & Logistics
If you or someone you know might be interested, please reach out to Rachel Rydzewski, Principal, who can provide more information. Thank you for considering!
Would your Child Benefit from Homework Support?
Ensuring that your child has support in their learning is important to us. We are proud to share that we offer two different opportunities for students to get assistance!
Homework Center
What is the Homework Center?
A quiet space where students can access during their lunch hour to accomplish any task from a class. In addition, there will be a staff member present who can help answer student questions about work that they are stuck on.
Reasons Students Might Visit the Homework Center:
- The student is struggling with an assignment or studying for an upcoming assessment and would like some extra help.
- The student wants a quiet, focused space to work or read.
- The student cannot stay after school to attend our afterschool Homework Club or have extra-curricular activities after school.
- Homeroom isn't quite enough time to finish your work.
- The student is looking for someone to give them a little more guidance on a specific task.
- A teacher has asked the student to go to get caught up on work
Homework Club
If you child is looking to stay after and get assistance, encourage them to stop by homework club. Homework club meets weekly from 3:10 to 4:15 pm in Room 56 (Ms. Rodriguez) room every Tuesday. Students can attend weekly or as needed; they need to sign in when they arrive and need a ride home. Homework club is a chance for students to have a quiet and support time to complete homework or get assistance as needed.
Look for the Parent Experience Survey Ahead
Therefore every year, our partners at Studer Education provide an opportunity for you to provide feedback.
Look for an email in the coming week with the survey link.
The Parent Experience Survey will remain open through Wednesday, December 14th. Your feedback will be used to celebrate our successes and to create action plans for improvement. Your input is valuable to us, so thanks for watching for the survey link next week in your email.
Long-Term Guest Teachers Needed
5th Grade Math/Science
- Estimated dates December 19, 2022 - March 21, 2023
- Interested? Apply HERE
Special Education
- Estimated dates April 13, 2023 - June 9, 2023
- Interested? Apply HERE
Matilda Jr. Coming Soon to Muskego Lakes
Save the date so you don't miss out!
The Miracle Cast will perform Friday, March 17th at 7pm and Saturday, March 18th at 2pm.
The Naughty Case will perform Saturday, March 18th at 7pm and Sunday, March 19th at 2pm.
Navigating Friendships in the Middle School Years
Middle school can be such a hard time because every student is unique developmentally. Some young people in middle school spend most time outside of school with their family, while some spend time with peers outside of school. You can best support your child by:
Having regular conversations about what qualities they look for in friends
Encourage them to be themselves, keeping an eye on when you notice a shift in personality, disposition or attitude around particular peers
Focus on the importance of quality versus quantity when it comes to trustworthy friends
Encourage your child to join a co-curricular to help meet other students with common interests
Challenge your child to think about what kinds of choices they make around different peers or peer groups
If you are concerned about your child not having a friend or two at school, please reach out to our school counselors who can help partner with your child to foster relationship building aligned to common interests.
Notice for 7 & 8th Graders Attending MHS
On December 15, 2022, all middle school students who have classes 1st & 2nd Hour at MHS will report to their Middle Schools and not to Muskego High School - due to the Career Fair at MHS.
Connect Academy at Muskego Lakes
Students in every encore class at Muskego Lakes get to access experiential learning opportunities to help broaden their understanding of potential career pathways ahead.
Some Fast Facts about Connect Academy at the middle level:
- MNS's Connect Academy was launched in 19-10
- 2,177 middle school students have participated in experiential learning opportunities as part of the work of Connect Academy.
- There are six levels of The Connect Academy (Career Fair, Professional Panels, Job Shadows, Micro-Internships, Training/Certifications, & Career Internships)
- The areas that have been explored the most by our middle school students through Connect Academy have been business management, marketing, manufacturing, graphic design, and engineering
- Middle school students have been able to attend Kids Build Wisconsin, Career Pathways Expo Manufacturing, Many Futures in Healthcare Careers Expo, Mini Business World, and many more.
Winter Wonderland Middle School Dance
National Junior Honor Society Coat Drive
All childrens and adult sizes are needed. A collection bin is set up in the Muskego Lakes cafeteria. Brand new hats, scarves, and mittens can be donated as well. Thank you for considering.
Staff Member Spotlight - Mrs. Flasch
Meet Mrs.Flasch! She is one of our Library Assistants here at Muskego Lakes. She has been with us for 10 years. She started her career at Bay Lane and Country Meadows and moved to Muskego Lakes when it opened! Mrs. Flash loves working with middle school students and is proud of her connections with students. We asked her what she was most proud of working at Muskego Lakes and she said:
"I love being a "place" students can go to when they need someone to talk to."
Here is a little more to help you get to know Mrs. Flasch
Favorite Coffee Drink: Cafe Mocha, but you'll usually see her with an energy drink in the morning instead of coffee.
Favorite Subject When In Middle School: My favorite class was Art, and I still love being artistic today!
Fun Fact About Me: When I was younger, I really struggled with reading, but as I have grown older, I've learned to love reading, and you can often find me reading a spooky Thriller book!
My Dream Vacation: A Mediterranean cruise or Rome, Italy
My Students Would Describe As: Kind, Welcoming, Fun
Staff Member Spotlight - Mr. Hasey
Mr. Hasey is one of our physical education teachers here at Muskego Lakes. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh where he was a student athlete in track and field and maintained high honors academically. Mr. Hasey was then introduced to the Muskego-Norway School District when he completed my student teaching at Lake Denoon Middle School. He immediately felt a strong sense of belonging and began my job search in the district. Since joining our school, he has been a 5th-8th grade Physical Education Teacher at Muskego Lakes, Co-Cross Country Coach, Head Wrestling Coach, Head Pole Vaulting Coach for Muskego High School, and 7th-9th grade Musekgo Power Coach. We asked him what he was most proud of working at Muskego Lakes and he said:
"I love this district and all the connections I make with my students; as well as, developing young athletes."
Here is a little more to help you get to know Mr. Hasey
Favorite Coffee Drink: White Chocolate Mocha (Starbucks)
Favorite Subject When In Middle School: Phy. Ed and Strength/Conditioning
Fun Fact About Me: I was the "skater boy" in middle school...long hair and all.
My Dream Vacation: Restaurant tour in Italy
My Students Would Describe As: Fun and energetic, but high expectations for respect and safety in the classroom.
Did you know we have On-Site Mental Health Counseling at Muskego Lakes?
We are proud to continue to partner with Clinical Psychology Associates (CPA) to offer on-site counseling services at Bay Lane Elementary, Lakeview Elementary, Mill Valley Elementary, Muskego Lakes Middle School, Lake Denoon Middle School, and Muskego High School. For information about CPA’s services and therapists or to get started with an appointment, please visit our website.
Christmas Carnival Lights to Support the MLMS PTO
Option #1: December 7th, 2022 use promocode MLMSLIGHTS
Option #2: December 26th - 30th, 2022 use promocode MLMSLIGHTS2
Make sure you secure your tickets/appointment today!
PTO No Fuss Fundraiser Update
Thank you to everyone that contributed to the MLMS PTO No Fuss Fundraiser. We appreciated every one helping to make this a success.
Homeroom Winners:
5th Grade - Mazola
6th Grade - Vlasaty-Smith
7th Grade- Schaller
8th Grade - Lehmann
Raffle Winners
Choir: Esayas Vanness, Brielle Hurley
Band: Julia Slawny, Melissa Theesfeld
8th Grade Graduation: Tina Marine
Student Council Happenings
Open Gym at Muskego Lakes
Do you want to be a Building Guest Teacher?
At Muskego Lakes, we are looking for someone to report to school every day from 7:15am-3:15pm. This role steps in anytime teaching staff are unable to be at school due to illness, attending a conference, medical appointment, etc. This position requires a minimum of an Associates degree but does not require a teaching license. If interested, please apply here Building Guest Teacher.
Holiday Assistance Is Available
Hope Center
They offer a free shop and will help you find winter clothing, hats, gloves, etc., to prep for the cold weather. They have meals served on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 5:30 PM for those in need. In addition, they also accept once-yearly applicants for financial assistance if they are in the low-income population.
Reach them at:
502 N. East Avenue, Waukesha WI 53186
P: (262) 549-8726
Love Inc.
They provide holiday assistance along with many other resources. Please contact at (262) 763-6226 to inquire about their "Thanksgiving Dinner Program" and "Adopt-a-Family Christmas Program." They also provided gently used coats, hats, scarves, and mittens for winter warmth.
If you have questions about any of the mentioned resources, don't hesitate to get in touch with Stacy Pawlak (stacy.pawlak@muskegonorway.org), School Social Worker.
Yearbook Ordering Information
If you're not certain if you've already ordered a yearbook, please search your email for "Jostens" and look for a confirmation of sale. Or, if you created an account when ordering, you may login to Jostens.com, and view your purchase history.
To inquire about financial assistance, please reach out to Stacy Pawlak, Social Worker.
Get Involved By Joining The Muskego Lakes PTO!
Please consider joining the Muskego Lakes PTO. We meet monthly in the MLMS library at 6:30pm. We always welcome new faces and would love to hear your ideas in how we can make this an amazing school year ahead!!
MLMS PTO Meeting Dates for 2022-2023
- January 18
- February 15
- March 15
- April 19
- May 17
PTO Mid-Week Munchies
Community Events
Speak Up Speak Out Wisconsin
Health Services - Reporting of an Illness/ Reporting of COVID
Reporting of Illness
If your student is ill please keep them home and notify us at 262-971-1860 ext 5000. You may also use the Campus Parent App to report the illness.
Reporting of COVID
If your student has a positive COVID test please keep them home and Report your student's COVID ISOLATION using the COVID-19 SYMPTOM OR STATUS NOTIFICATION.
Please refer to the Health Services website for additional information.
Muskego Lakes Associate Principal
Muskego Lakes Principal
Muskego Lakes Middle School
Website: https://www.muskegonorway.org/schools/muskegolakes/
Location: W124 S8009 North Cape Rd.
Phone: 262-971-1860
Twitter: @MLMSmuskies