Madison Memo
October 2021
A Message from the Principal
As we finish our first month of school and turn the calendar to October I am proud to share what a great first month of school we have had. The teachers are engaging the students in their learning and working to meet each student where they are academically and move them forward in their learning. Our Madison staff has been working hard to support all students. We appreciate all the support you are giving your son/daughter at home to support their learning.
Not only are we focused on academic learning, but we continue to do things the "Madison Way" while in the building. We are focused on being respectful, responsible, and safe in all areas of school. Your child's teacher has been teaching and reviewing these expectations with students. We also continue to incorporate the Kids at Hope philosophy in all that we do. The Madison staff believes all students are capable of success - no exceptions. We work hard to connect each student to a caring adult and we think about our future in multiple areas - home & family, education & career, community & service, and hobbies & recreation. One way we do this is through our I Matter pledge each morning.
I matter.
I am talented, smart, and capable of success.
I have dreams for the future and I will work hard and try my best every day to reach these goals and dreams.
We are excited this month to have a visit from the Kids at Hope Board of Directors to see our work in action. Make sure to ask your child about the I Matter pledge at home this month.
Keep reading and stay Madison proud!
Mrs. Opahle
Upcoming Dates
- Friday, September 24th - Monday, October 11th - Club's Choice Fundraiser
- Monday, October 4th- Thursday, October 24th - Dental Clinic
- Wednesday, October 6th - Picture Day
- Friday, October 15th - No school for students - Staff Development
- Monday, October 18th - PTO Meeting - 6:30p-7:30p.
- Tuesday, October 19th - KG field trip to School Forest
- Friday, October 22nd - 2nd grade field trip to the School Forest
- Friday, October 29th - End of 1st quarter
Coats for Kids Donation Drive
Picture Day is Wednesday, October 6th!
Welcome to Madison!
Mrs. Vickie Hang - EL Teacher
Hello, Madison families!
My name is Vickie Hang and I'm excited to join the Madison team this year. I have worked in many different buildings in MPSD over the years and I'm very excited to be a Madison Cougar for the second time! I've been working in MPSD since 2005 as an ELL (English Language Learner) teacher. I have the amazing opportunity to work with students that speak more than one language each and every day. I love being a teacher because there is nothing better than spending my days watching learning happen in young minds!
When I'm not at school, I love to spend time outdoors with my kids and husband. We love to go on bike rides, play at the park, and play on the beach near our house.
I can't wait to get to know all of the staff and students here at Madison. Let's make it a great year!
Mrs. Bridget Hebert - EL Aide
Hello Madison Families!
My name is Bridget Hebert. I will be sharing my time between Madison and Jackson Elementary Schools as the EL Aide.
I was born and raised in Manitowoc. My husband Nathan and I have 3 kids; Hailey, a senior, Austin, 8th grade, and Brooklyn, 3rd grade. We have 2 dogs, Stanley who is 9, he is a long haired chihuahua and Luna, who is not quite 2, she is a Cheagle. Our family likes to go camping in Door County every chance we get. All 3 of my kids play basketball and my husband and I enjoy going to their games. My youngest also enjoys competitive dance, softball and piano lessons. We love going to Disney! I have been there 10 times!
Mr. Russell Budzisz - Special Education Paraprofessional
Hello Madison Families!
I enjoy (watching now more these days) SPORTS ... baseball, basketball, football, hockey, tennis, golf, track and field, etc. I coached youth baseball for 8 years. I also enjoy being with my family as much as possible, especially my grandchildren.
Mrs. Karen Litz - Special Education Paraprofessional
I am new to Madison Elementary this year. I worked at Ascend Services for the past 10 years. I am excited to work with the children at Madison Elementary. I love to spend time with my family and one of our favorite things to do is go camping. I love to walk my dogs and do Jazzercise in my spare time.
Sign Up for 5th Grade Band and Orchestra Online
The Counselor Corner - October is Bullying Prevention Month
What we do
Each year all elementary students receive classroom lessons on bullying through our Second Step curriculum. The 4th and 5th graders are currently learning all about how they can recognize, report and refuse bullying happening to themselves or to others. The K-3rd graders will be having these lessons in the coming months. The definition of bullying is as follows:
Bullying is when someone keeps being mean to someone else on purpose. The person it's happening to hasn't been able to make it stop. It is unfair and one-sided.
I’m sure that you noticed that a few of the words above are underlined. We, as a district, take a strong stance against bullying. Having the students, as well as parents, understand what constitutes a true bullying situation helps us to respond appropriately to those instances. In true bullying situations the behaviors happen more than once, they keep happening. The behaviors are also happening on purpose. This means that the behaviors are intentional. Bullying is one-sided, meaning that only one person is participating in the mean behaviors, and the other person is not doing them back.
Recognizing a situation as bullying is the first step taught to students in school. If a situation is happening over and over, intentional and one-sided, the situation may be bullying.
After it is recognized that the behavior may be bullying, we teach students to Report or Refuse. Reporting bullying means that the situation is brought to the attention of an adult or staff member so that steps can be taken to ensure the safety of the student. Refusing bullying is assertively telling the person to stop. It is important to note that even if the student reports or refuses a bullying situation, they can report or refuse it again if it continues. Students can also Report or Refuse if they see or know about bullying happening to someone else.
What you can do
Helping your child practice these skills can be as simple as watching a show together. If something “mean” happens, use the definition to check if it’s bullying or something else. Ask:
Is it happening repeatedly?
How can you tell if it was on purpose?
Is the person it’s happening to not doing anything mean or hurtful back?
If it’s not bullying, what could we call that? (it might be a problem, a conflict, an argument, a mean moment).
From there you could practice what to do.
Refuse and stand up to them using a strong, respectful voice.
Report to a caring adult to get help.
Practicing what that sounds like and looks like can be really helpful because these real life moments can be difficult. The practice may come in handy when they see something like this happening to someone else too. When we recognize bullying happening, the most effective way to stop bullying is for everyone to work together to end it by doing something to help, either reporting or refusing.
Sara Schultz
Madison Elementary School Counselor
email: schultzs@mpsd.school
office phone: 920.663.9662
mobile phone: 920.320.1211
Greetings From the Madison School Library
As you have noticed we have resumed lending books to students. Every week, your children will bring home books they have selected themselves. Encourage your child to read their book selection. If your child is in grades K-2, consider carving out time to read the books together. We have many fantastic books to choose from and we want to showcase a few of them. This month we are focusing on celebrating families. Each family dynamic is special and we recognize that by purchasing books that reflect that diversity. We have books about families with foster children, multi-generational families, single parents, grandparents, and more. Here are a few books that we are excited to share with you.
If you are interesting in having any of these books sent home to be read, please call Ms. CC, the school librarian, at 920-663-9350. She will ensure that they end up in your child’s backpack, as soon as they are available.
Madison Mathematics
The language we use with children is critical in fostering a growth mindset, so they see themselves as doers of mathematics. Our words have the power to help shape their math identity and help foster a growth mindset.
When we praise effort or behavior, we’re helping the child take pride in something they can control. The next time they aren’t successful, they’re more likely to work to overcome the obstacle rather than decide they just can’t do it.
Check out the resources below to learn a little more about a few things you can do at home to encourage a growth mindset for your student.
Helping at Home: Using Language Intentionally (en Español)
Helping At Home: Promoting a Growth Mindset
A few reminders from the School Nurse…
Vision screening was completed school-wide on September 30th with assistance from the Manitowoc Lions Club. If your child did not pass the screening, you will receive a letter in the mail in the next 1-2 weeks with further recommendations. If you do not receive a letter, your child passed the screening.
Per the State of WI Immunization Law, all students must be up to date on their required school immunizations by the 30th day of school (October 11th) or they may face exclusion from school. If your child is not up to date, you have already received both a call and a letter from the school office. Please take care of these immunizations ASAP or contact the school office to discuss signing a waiver.
Cold and flu season will be here before we know it. Here’s a few things to keep in mind:
Please consider having your child get a flu shot this fall. The flu shot is readily available in our community, either through their medical provider’s office, local pharmacies or Lakeshore Community Health Care.
Please keep your child home when they are not feeling well. This is the biggest way to keep illness from spreading in our schools. Children should not return to school until they have been free from fever, vomiting or diarrhea for at least 24 hours without the use of medications and are generally feeling better. Feel free to contact the school office if you have any questions regarding student illness.
It’s no secret that Covid is still very prevalent in our community. Please do not send your child to school if any of the following are true:
The child has been in close contact with an individual who has tested positive for Covid.
The child has tested positive for Covid.
The child has been tested for Covid and is awaiting results.
In any of the above situations, please call the school office to report their absence and further direction will be given regarding when it is safe for the child to return to school. The cooperation of everyone is necessary to help keep our schools open.
The Reading Corner
Hello Madison Families,
Today I am writing to inform you of an exciting opportunity here at Madison Elementary! Last year, the Reading Department purchased some literacy and math games that are designed to be sent home so that families can play them together! These games not only will foster family relationship building, but also the skills your student needs to be successful!
We would like to invite families of students from grades K-2 (or younger!) to Madison Family Game night to learn how to play these games with us! The evening will begin at 5:45 on Monday, October 18th, in the gym with light refreshments beforehand. There will be a brief presentation by Reading Teacher Sarkis Wentland about practicing reading at home, and then the games will begin! After about 30 minutes of play, we will wrap up, just in time for the PTO meeting to follow at 6:30.
Eventually, these games will be available at the Madison Library Media Center for checkout by families! You’ll be able to request games through Destiny, our online library catalogue, or by speaking with your student’s classroom teacher.
Please remember that masks are required in all MPSD buildings.
We hope to see you all at our Madison Family Game Night!
Clothing Closet Needs
Madison Elementary School
Website: https://madison.manitowocpublicschools.org/
Location: 701 North 4th Street, Manitowoc, WI, USA
Phone: 920-663-9540
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MPSDmadison