November 2023 Madison Memo
November 2023
Principal's Message
Dear Madison Families,
Happy Fall! This is a fun time for anything involving apples and pumpkins! I hope you have been able to enjoy our beautiful autumn weather.
Our new Bingo Palooza events provided by Madison's Schoolwide Title Program on September 14 and 21 were great successes! Mathnasium Math games, literacy activities, Anoka County Library information, tools for school success and a free meal were provided.
Madison students raised $18,528 through the PTO's Mustang-a-thon on September 29 to support educational opportunities and a future playground project at Madison. We surpassed our goal of $14,000 thanks to your donations. We also thank the Madison PTO for their work in organizing this event.
We are happy to have the WATCHDOGS program back at Madison again this year. This is a national program using the positive influence of fathers and father-figures to provide a presence in schools and be a positive and active role-model for children. The Pizza Night kick-off was Sept. 26.
We had a great turnout for parent-teacher conferences and the Book Fair on October 2, 3 and 10. Parent involvement is an important factor for academic achievement, and your commitment to conferences is much appreciated.
"Gratitude" is the Character Strong word of the month for November. This is defined as "choosing to notice and appreciate things in our life, things in others, and things in the world."
As we approach the time of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for your support of Madison Elementary!
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.
Zach Pribbernow - KD, Ayelen Romero Quinones - KH, Amelia Loveland - KJ, Zoey McGough - KK
Hazel Ekert - 1F, Johanna Weldeys - 1K, Ellie Huseth - 1P
Colby Sanders - 2A, Dexter Palm - 2C, Muaaz Ally - 2J
Sidra Alkatout - 3D, Giulietta Reyes Garcia - 3G, Jackson Norman - 3I
Evelyn Repinski - 4P, Jameson Gillespie - 4S, Anna Kline - 4W
Luke Vang - 5B, Jakob Walton - 5H, Robel Fasil - 5L
Calendar
October 27: Halloween Dance, 6:00-8:00 PM
November 9: PTO Meeting, Library, 6:30 PM, in person and via Zoom
November 10: Madison Veterans Day Recognition
November 22-24: No School, Thanksgiving Holiday
Veterans Day Recognition
On Friday, November 10, 2023, Madison Elementary School will be celebrating Veterans Day. Veterans associated with Madison students are invited to Madison to attend a school wide assembly which will take place at 9:05 AM in the school gym. Following the assembly, refreshments and a raffle will take place in the cafeteria for veterans, family members and associated student(s).
Please RSVP by November 1, 2023, if you are planning to attend. Thank you.
Character Strong = Purposefull People
In November, we will be focusing on Gratitude. One way to think about Gratitude is “choosing to appreciate the people and things in our lives.” Practicing Gratitude can increase our well-being and even our happiness!
Title 1
Since Madison is a Schoolwide Title I building this year, we are now able to invite all families to our family events. This fall we hosted Bingo-Palooza on two separate nights. Grades K-2 Bingo-Palooza was held on September 14 and grades 3-5 Bingo-Palooza took place on September 21. We had great attendance on both nights. There were grade level specific activities for families and their children. The goals for each evening were to teach families ways they can support learning at home, provide them with the tools that they need to do the activities and to have fun.
These family events are one of the ways Madison is able to partner with families to support learning and achieve our school improvement goals. Families should have received a Family-School Compact at conferences as well as Madison’s School Improvement strategies and Family Engagement Plan. Additionally, 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.
Volunteering at Madison
Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers who have helped at Madison this fall! It’s because of you that we had a successful Mustang-A-Thon, book fair and picture day. We also had consistent help with breakfast, lunch, workroom projects, classroom assistance, Staple Club and Every Meal distribution. Your time and talents are very much appreciated!
The Halloween Dance is coming up this Friday, October 27 from 6:00-8:00 PM. It’s not too late to volunteer for this event! If you would like to help, please reach out or view the sign-up.
Take a look at our current volunteer opportunities to see how you can get involved. Thank you for supporting our staff and students!
Emily Massey, Volunteer Services Coordinator (VSC)
emily.massey@ahschools.us, 763-506-3340
PTO
The PTO would like to thank all the staff and volunteers for helping make our 2023 Mustang-A-Thon a huge success. We raised over $18,000 this year, one of our biggest fundraisers ever!
We look forward to seeing everyone at the next PTO meeting on November 9 in the Madison Library at 6:30 PM 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 Media Center 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.