WAUWATOSA MONTESSORI SCHOOL

Hello Montessori Families!

Trivia is tonight! This is one of our most fun events for adults! Feel free to join us - we're even accepting last minute registrations. See below for more details!

We are happy to welcome Kelly Betz as our long-term Art Substitute to finish the school year! She will begin on March 9th. She is a veteran art teacher and has several years of experience!

While it's only March, we did have a few questions come up at conferences about next school year. For students in K5 and 3rd grade, the school will decide which classroom they will enter for next school year. Students are placed in a classroom and then stay in that classroom for the duration of the level. Class placement decisions are driven by many factors to keep classes evenly split and ensure all students are supported as needed. Some factors we look at are even distribution of gender, students with academic or social/emotional supports, or siblings. We do not place siblings into the same classroom with the exception of our Adolescent Program, as it is one class. As a school team, we begin to draft class placements near the end of the school year, however placements are not final until August. If students leave the school over summer, we do accept new students from the waiting list, and sometimes this changes draft placements. While we do not take parent requests for teacher, I am happy to speak to anyone with questions about our process!

Have a great weekend!

Elizabeth

Adult Trivia TONIGHT, 7-9 p.m.

You can still register for our annual adult trivia night, hosted by the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA). Join us at a new location (Urban Ecology Center - Washington Park).

Want to join a team to meet others? We can connect you with a team! Registration can be done online or in-person: https://www.givebacks.com/causes/wauwatosamontessori/events/trivia26

PTSA Meeting: Tues. March 10, 7-8:30 p.m.

Our next meeting is coming up on Tuesday! Join us in person (enter through gym doors) or virtually via Zoom. More details on topics we'll cover to be provided.

This week offers an opportunity to highlight the positive contributions of the profession. School Social Workers are the link between home, school, and community providing direct as well as indirect services to students, families, and school personnel. School Social Workers are uniquely qualified to advocate for social justice, foster inclusive environments, and promote students’ academic and social success.

Meet Montessori’s School Social Worker:

Libby Quinn

414-773-3312

quinnli@wauwatosa.k12.wi.us

We have many students who love soccer at our school, and we are fortunate enough to have a connection to the Milwaukee Wave! Head Coach, Marcio Leite, sends his kids to our school! We will be having a WMS night out to the Wave Game on March 15th at 2:05pm! Families are welcome to purchase tickets in our section and enjoy a night together watching soccer! To purchase tickets, click here. Tickets are $27.05 each and include a gift!

PE Update: Thank you to all the families who supported our Kids Heart Challenge by registering and completing Finn's Mission! Your efforts empowered our students to take care of themselves and be part of the solution when others struggle. We also raised almost $3000 to help kids with special hearts!

Because of our efforts, we earned money to buy new equipment for our PE curriculum and those who participated will be invited to vote on our purchases. Congratulations to our children for their determination and investment in our community!

Our traverse wall is now installed! We will start climbing next week, thanks to the efforts of many over this past year. Thank you to Haylee Wong and her family for initiating this Capstone project. Climbers, don't forget to bring gym shoes for the rock wall next week!

Head Lice: What You Need to Know and How to Manage it

As part of our ongoing effort to keep families informed about health-related topics, we are including important information about head lice in this month’s newsletter.

Head lice are small insects that live on the scalp and are spread mainly through head-to-head contact. While lice can be an inconvenience and cause itching, they do not spread disease and are not a sign of poor hygiene. They are more commonly passed at home during close contact, rather than at school. In fact, it’s rare for lice to spread at school, as they cannot jump or fly.

If your child has head lice, they can stay in school until the end of the day, then be treated at home. Once treatment is started, kids can return to school. They should avoid head-to-head contact with other children until they’re lice-free. It is important to follow treatment of lice through to completion. Often, more than one treatment is necessary. More information about lice can be found here.

Remember, head lice are common and anyone can get them, regardless of cleanliness. If you have concerns or need help with treatment, please contact your school nurse.

We understand how concerning lice can be for families, and appreciate your care and vigilance. We are not able to share case information by specific class or grade levels in order to protect student privacy. Notices don’t prevent additional cases, and they can compromise student privacy: families and students are often able to figure out who was affected and cause unnecessary stigma. This approach is consistent with recommendations from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and public health guidelines. We do encourage all families to continue following the recommended preventive measures.

If you find head lice on your student, please inform your school nurse or school health aide.

Chess Club meets on Mondays from 3:30-4:30pm. Please bring your own chess board if you have one! This club is open for students in grades 3-8. The club will meet until Spring Break and then end at the end of March.

Dragon Club is open for Lower Elementary students. The club meets on Mondays during recess.

The Tosa East Players are hosting their sixth annual Youth Clinic for Wauwatosa elementary and middle school students on Saturday, March 21st. The clinic will be held from 9am until 12pm in the Wauwatosa East Theatre and will give students the opportunity to work on singing, acting, and dancing through the music of The SpongeBob Musical (our spring production). Families can use the link below to register.

We would love to have as many Tosa students as we can. Thanks for your support - we hope you come see the show!

Link to Register:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeL9EQYfgy21Eie8VgaRmFoVY4t4yxbijrxWZgUcRSeocs5Dw/viewform?usp=header

IMPORTANT DATES!

March 6th - PTSA Trivia
March 10th - PTSA Meeting 7-8:30pm in Room 30
March 18th - All City 5th Grade Band Concert
March 25th - All City Choral Festival
March 30th - April 3rd - Spring Break

This week in class, I learned more about Montessori's concept of Cosmic Education. Here is a short video that hits on parts of what she means by that!

What is Cosmic Education?

Cosmic Education is crucial in Montessori elementary because it provides a holistic framework that connects various disciplines, helping students understand how different aspects of knowledge are interrelated. This approach fosters a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world, encourages independent exploration, and nurtures critical thinking skills. By emphasizing the interconnectedness of all things, Cosmic Education instills a sense of responsibility and global citizenship, preparing students not only for academic success but also for meaningful and compassionate participation in the world.

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

March 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.

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.