WAUWATOSA MONTESSORI SCHOOL

Hello Montessori families!

We had our monthly Grace and Courtesy assembly this week, where we celebrated students with perfect attendance as well as those who were nominated to receive the monthly virtue award for October, which focused on Empathy! In November, our monthly virtue is Thankfulness!

Please see Nora's email about our overflowing lost and found! If your house is also overflowing, consider donating to our first ever Montessori Marketplace! See the PTSA section below for details.

Lastly, we are axiously awaiting Monday! Our Upper Elementary students will be departing for a week away at camp at Nature's Classroom Institute! It is a long-standing tradition at our school! We hope they have the best week!!

Thanks and have a great weekend!

Elizabeth

Donations needed for Montessori Marketplace! 🛍️

Our first ever community rummage sale! All proceeds raised will go towards sprucing up the school bathrooms and purchasing items from staff wish list.

Drop off donations from October 27-November 14 at three convenient locations. Note that the PTSA is coordinating a possible parking lot drop-off date. More details to come.

Volunteer to support this event by signing up here. We need support with setup on Friday afternoon and during the event on Saturday—your time and energy will make a big difference!

Next PTSA Meeting: Tues. Nov. 18, 7-8:30 p.m. 🗓️

Our next meeting is coming up on Tuesday, November 18, 7-8:30 PM, Room 30. Join us in person (enter through gym doors) or virtually.

Thank you 📖

We appreciate all who participated in our book discussion on The Anxious Generation last night! The group had some insightful ideas on ways to change – both at school and at home – to ensure that our kids grow into resilient adults.

Some personal change ideas to help promote having a play-based childhood:

💡Allow kids to do one new thing alone each week or month

💡Set cell phones up or out of sight when at home

💡Have students help make dinner or engage in other household activities

💡Consciously give kids opportunities for independence

Purchase the book from Rooted MKE, on Amazon or anywhere books are sold; through the library; or listen to the audio book.

The new Destination Imagination season is almost here, with exciting new STEAM-based challenges and many opportunities for creativity, problem solving, collaboration, personal growth, and FUN! Students work in small teams on open-ended challenges from November/December through at least March (longer if they advance to state and international competition), and teams set their own meeting schedules so it’s easy to flex around other activities.

Wauwatosa has a long and proud DI tradition and has even had teams advance to DI’s Global Finals. But more important, DI is a great way for kids to build confidence and lifelong skills. DI is open to students in grades K-12, at any Tosa school. Last year, Wauwatosa had 24 teams—the most of any school district in the state!

The participation fee of $125 for students in grades K-2 and $165 for students in grades 3-12. Full and partial scholarships are available. Financial need should not be a barrier to participation! To learn more, or to sign up your student for the 2025–26 season, visit FriendsOfTosaDI.org or email FriendsOfTosaDI@gmail.com.

Resources:

Hunger Task Force - 414-777-0483 - 5000 W Electric Ave. West Milwaukee, WI 53219

Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin - 414-931-7400 - 1700 W Fond Du Lac Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53205

Interchange Food Pantry - 414-551-2184 - 120 E Juneau Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53202

Jewish Community Pantry - 414-967-8353 - 2900 W Center St. Milwaukee, WI 53210

Kinship Community Food Center - 414-301-1478 - 924 E Clarke St., Milwaukee, WI 53212

School-Based Pantries & Community Drives:

Jefferson Elementary has reopened its pantry, located just outside the school entrance on Maple Terrace. It will be open at all times. A school-wide donation drive is underway, and volunteers will stock the pantry.
Montessori School maintains a pantry stocked with nonperishable food and household and hygiene products. It is not accessible during school hours but is supported by the local Fisher Woods neighborhood.
Roosevelt, McKinley, Underwood, and Eisenhower schools have active or planned pantries. Some are managed by student councils and open outside school hours. Others are awaiting district approval but have strong community support.

Community Food Pantries:

Tosa Cares (Mt. Zion Lutheran Church) – Currently not accepting new registrations but remains a key resource for registered families.
Tosa Community Food Pantry (Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church) – Serves specific zip codes and requires ID and proof of residence.
Mayfair Road Food Pantry – Serves additional zip codes and requires registration and documentation.
COA Food Pantry at the Goldin Center – Not zip code restricted, making it accessible to families outside Wauwatosa.

See the City of Wauwatosa website for more resources as well.

Montessori Food Pantry

Our school has a food pantry located right by the entrance! It is open before and after school hours. You may donate or take nonperishable food or household and hygiene products.

Sewing Mentors Needed

I'm looking for a few kind souls to mentor AP Inc students in sewing.

Times: Mondays- 1:15-2:30

Thursdays- 2:00-3:10

Jan 22 - April 20th

Interested? Email Charise Dawson dawsonch@wauwatosa.k12.wi.us

Charise Dawson

Adolescent Program Teacher, Wauwatosa Montessori

IMPORTANT DATES!

November 10th-14th - Upper Elementary Students at NCI!
November 15th - Montessori Marketplace
November 18th - PTSA Meeting in Room 30 7-8:30pm
November 26th-28th - No School - Thanksgiving Break
December 1st - No School - Professional Learning Day for Staff

STEM Class Donations Needed

Upper Elementary and AP STEM Classes are in need of some donations to use for class projects and activities. Please begin to collect the following items and send them into school no later than Nov. 7th. Thanks for your help!

Cardboard Pieces and Boxes (all sizes and shapes)
Paper Towel/Toilet Paper Rolls
Bubble Wrap or other packing materials
Bottle Caps/ Plastic Lids
Small Recyclable Containers (cleaned and safe. examples: yogurt containers, other single serve containers)

Gardeners Needed

Our school is working on becoming a certified wildlife sanctuary.

We have already had a donation of a bat box from the Berka family. Thank you!!!

We are also looking for a few gardeners to help with seasonal weeding/ summer watering/ planting/ turning and prepping raised beds.

Currently we are looking for a water source that we can place into the rain garden in the form of a gently used bird bath. If you have one to donate please reach out to Shannon at Kobinssh@wauwatosa.k12.wi.us.

Other items that will help are:

bird seed for our feeders
mulch
potting soil (6 bags needed)

Thank you,

Shannon Kobinsky
Children's House Directress

Raiderette Mini Cheer Camp

Fresh Hot Popcorn every Tuesday

We will once again have the opportunity to order popcorn on Tuesdays. The price is $.75 per bag. Students order it on Tuesday morning and the Next Steps crew make the popcorn and deliver it same day. So yummy!

Popcorn Order Form

Prepared Environment

In my Montessori class last weekend, we discussed a prepared environment. In a Montessori setting, we prepare the environment to allow the child to develop their own learning. Adults watch for the development of the child and watch for predictable patterns. After observing the child, the adult adapts the environment to support the next level of work for the child. This is different than in a traditional classroom where children follow the same curriculum at the same time. Here are some key components to a Montessori prepared environment:

Child-sized and accessible furniture and materials:
Everything from tables and chairs to learning materials is scaled for the child, making them easy to use independently.
Order and organization:
Each item has a specific place, and materials are neatly displayed and in pristine condition to create a sense of logic and calm. This order helps children internalize the structure of the universe.
Freedom of choice and movement:
Children are free to choose their own activities from the available options, move around the classroom, and interact with their peers, promoting self-direction and social skills.
Beauty and tranquility:
The environment is intentionally beautiful, calm, and uncluttered, often featuring natural light, plants, and art to create a peaceful and inviting atmosphere.
Reality-based materials:
Materials are often made of natural elements like wood, glass, and cotton, and are designed to teach real-world skills through hands-on experience.
Dedicated learning areas:
The classroom is organized into specific sections, such as Practical Life, Sensorial, Math, Language, and Geography, each with its own set of materials.

November Choice Board

Attendance Request in Infinite Campus

Please take a moment to review this document explaining how to enter attendance into Infinite Campus. This is used for appts, sick, vac, etc. You can still call the attendance line but the new procedure is what the district would like you to use.

Infinite Campus Fee Payment

Use these directions to pay fees online in Infinite Campus. This is for ALL fees, not just lunch.
Mainly used for field trip payments.

DROPOFF / PICKUP MAP

Please review the map for a safe morning drop off and afternoon pickup. When pulling up to the school, please go forward to the next available spot; as to not keep cars waiting behind you. Thanks so much.