Lowell Newsletter March 2024

February 26: Online enrollment begins for Kindergarten/4K (see below for more information)

March 04: Staff available for Kindergarten/4K enrollment support, 2pm-6pm

March 05: National Day of Reading

March 08: Movie Night, 6:30pm

March 12: Music Concerts (see below for schedule)

March 25 - 29: No School - Spring Break

April 01: School Resumes

April 05: End of 3rd Quarter

April 08: Dismissal at 10:40am, NO 4K

April 08: Beginning of 4th Quarter

April 11: Elementary Evening Conferences

April 12: No School for Elementary Students - Conferences

April 15: No School - Staff Only Day

National Day of Reading: A Celebration of Stories Supporting Non-Binary and Transgender Youth

Lowell participated in this event once again! This national event organized by Welcoming Schools asks schools, communities, libraries and others to read a book on March 5 that is written by and about non-binary and/or transgender people.

Our hope is that these readings will inspire caring community members to join together to advocate for the rights of transgender and non-binary youth and ensure that every child has the support needed to thrive and be their whole self in their school and community. Every reading matters and can make a difference in the life of a transgender and/or non-binary youth.

More information

Explore booklists

Please join us in the gym on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, for grade level concerts showcasing our achievements in music class this year.

9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. 4th and 5th grade

12:45 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. 2nd and 3rd grade

1:45 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Kindergarten and first grade

Hello families of 5th Grade String Orchestra students!

The 57th Strings Festival at EAST High School is in 2 weeks! If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Jenkins at 608-466-2965 or cwjenkins@madison.k12.wi.us.

Practice recordings are here.

Map and instructions

Online enrollment is now open for 4K and 5K students new to MMSD.

Families can complete the application online starting February 26. At the end of the application, families receive an email confirmation with next steps to complete the student’s enrollment.

Families need to use the Enrollment Checklist as a guide to ensure they have all their enrollment documents ready prior to accessing the online enrollment application at mmsd.org/enroll.

You have the choice to complete and/or verify your student's enrollment documents:

• By uploading your documents to the Online Enrollment Application before you submit it; as long as your documents are complete and correct, your registration is complete. Your attendance area school will contact you if they have questions, OR
• Verification can be completed with your designated attendance area school following the online application submission. Call or email the school to schedule an appointment for a Zoom meeting or an in-person meeting.

Mark your calendar for August

In August, parents will need to complete the Free and Reduced-Price Lunch application and pay fees, if applicable. Families who have completed the enrollment application prior to August, but have not provided proof of birth and/or address, must provide proof at this time.

Additional Information can be found here.

This year in 5th grade, we are learning and talking about how to affect our community in positive ways. We did some brainstorming about different ways we could help our community and causes we cared about, and we narrowed it down to Underdog Pet Rescue, right across the street from Lowell.

Please go to THIS LINK to find out how you can help. Thanks!

Hello Lowell Families,

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Sheila Henry. I am the school nurse at Lowell Elementary. I grew up a little west of here in Black Earth, WI. I moved to Madison when I was 18 years old and have lived here for the last 28 years. I live on the east side of Madison with my family. My son is a 7th grader at Sennett Middle School. My daughter is a 5th grader at Elvehjem Elementary. This is only my 2nd year as a school nurse. Before working in the school district, I was an oncology nurse and inpatient care team leader on the cancer unit at UW Hospital. I also worked in the infusion/apheresis center at UW Hospital. The last year and a half at Lowell have been so much fun. I want to thank all our families for their patience as I figure out my role and learn about our students. I look forward to continuing my work with our school-based student services team in supporting the teachers and students here at Lowell Elementary.

Health Office Update:

We are continuing to see a lot of conjunctivitis aka “pink eye” in the health office at Lowell. The policy at MMSD in conjunction with the CDC states that, although very contagious, a student cannot be excluded from school for pink eye alone. When a student is referred to the health office for pink eye, we will check the student’s temperature for a fever and assess the severity of the eyes and other symptoms. We will communicate the concern with the parent/guardian. If the student has a fever or has symptoms preventing them from participating in class or is unable to comply with prevention practices such as handwashing, controlling their cough or controlling any drainage on their own, it will be recommended, go home until symptoms improve.

That being said, please assess your student’s handwashing skills and remind them that good handwashing goes a long way in keeping them and their classmates healthy.

Here is a link to the CDC guidelines for pink eye. https://www.cdc.gov/conjunctivitis/index.html.

Here is a cool handwashing video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9xQJNGoy6I.

If you have any questions, please reach out to me or Deena in the health office. The phone number is (608) 204-6655 or email me at smhenry@madison.k12.wi.us.

If you have any old newspapers lying around, please bring them to the Lowell office. Art class needs them for paper mache projects. Thanks!

The Lowell Community Organization needs volunteers to help make our spring events a success. These are a great way to get involved with the school community and meet other families. Here are current volunteer opportunities:

1. Spring Movie Night at Lowell, March 8

Like our fall Movie Night, we need help with setup/cleanup, popping corn and monitoring the halls. Sign up here or email scmurra1@gmail.com if you can help.

2. Planning for Staff Appreciation Week

We're looking for at least 2-3 people to help us plan for Staff Appreciation Week (May 6-10) and other ways to say thank you to our great Lowell teachers and staff. The LCO has a budget for this, but needs help planning how to spend it and potentially soliciting some donations (like baked goods) from local businesses. This would likely involve a couple of meetings and some emails over the next few months. Email scmurra1@gmail.com if you're interested or would like more info.

3. Planning for Carnival

We need at least 3-4 people to help plan for this year's event (May 18). This would involve some meetings/emails to divide up tasks over the next month or two, and more meetings/individual tasks closer to the event. The time commitment can vary depending on the tasks each person takes on, and how many people we have. Email scmurra1@gmail.com if you're interested or would like more info.

MSCR Summer Program and Summer Camp registration begins Monday, March 11 at noon for MMSD Residents and Monday, March 25 at noon for non-MMSD Residents. Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) is a department of the Madison School district and offers many recreation programs for all ages and Summer Camps for (K-9 grades) at affordable prices. Fee assistance is available for those who qualify. For information about programming and summer camps and to register – please visit mscr.org.

There is a new, convenient way for families to request an absence through their Campus Parent Portal. Beginning the first day of the second semester, January 29th, absences can be requested via the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.

If you have multiple children who will be absent, including students at different schools within the MMSD, this feature will allow you to select and request absences for multiple students at one time.

Entering an absence request is quick and easy, and can be done using your desktop computer or the Parent Portal app on your mobile device. Follow these simple steps:

1. Log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account.
2. Select More from the Navigation area.
3. Select Absence Requests.
4. Fill in the required information, including the date and reason for the absence.
5. Submit your request.

For a quick look at what steps to take, check out our quick guide graphic. For more detailed instructions, visit this Absence Request Guide.

Our staff will be notified of the absence. While you may continue to request absences by calling the attendance line at 608-204-6602, requesting absences via the Parent Portal is an easy way to process the request from your phone, computer, or tablet.

Please note that even though an absence can be requested via the portal, it does not mean that the absence is excused until it has been reviewed by school staff. If you have any questions, please reach out to the main office at 608-204-6600.

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