Dear Families,
Spring has sprung and we are thrilled! There is nothing better than getting rid of the winter gear at an elementary school and being able to run out to recess with a light jacket! As we approach June, we are also celebrating our ABC Countdown to the end of the year; you can see more information below. And while we are winding down on the year, we also still have lots of learning to do. Classrooms will stick with their routines as much as possible so that students have a predictable environment.
Last week, we had the opportunity to celebrate Hmong Heritage Month, Arab American Heritage Month, and Asian American Heritage Month. We had students representing the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Korea, Afghanistan, Syria, and Hmong culture. 4th and 5th graders shared information about their heritage through presentations and performances. What a wonderful assembly it was, and how lucky we are to have such a diverse population at Lowell!
Thanks always for your partnership and reach out with any questions! I hope everyone is able to enjoy the newness of spring with their children!
Warmly,
Ellen
May 03: Spring Gallery Night, 5pm-9pm
May 07: LCO Meeting in the auditorium, 6:30pm-8:00pm
May 15: Incoming Kindergarten Families: Meet & Greet with the Principal (VIRTUAL), 5pm-6pm
May 18: Lowell Carnival, 10am-2pm
May 21: Incoming Kindergarten Families: Meet & Greet with the Principal (VIRTUAL), 8:30am-9:30am
May 24: No School - Staff Only Day
May 27: No School - Memorial Day
May 30: Lowellabration at Worthington Park, 5pm-7pm
June 04: 5th Grade Celebration, 8:30am
June 06: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!
June 17: First day of Summer School
Spring Gallery Night is this Friday, May 3rd, from 5pm - 9pm!
All Lowell students are invited to open the night in song. We're looking forward to another fabulous and memorable community sing! Please join us Friday, May 3rd at 5 PM, at Plymouth Congregational Church on Atwood Avenue. Then stay awhile to enjoy the beautiful artwork that Lowell students have created. This event is part of MMoCA’s citywide Gallery Night.
Please join us May 17th at 6pm at MYArts Starlight Theater, 1055 E Mifflin St.
The eleventh annual citywide recital will feature West African & Brazilian drum & dance performances by students from Lowell and Leopold Elementary Schools, O'Keeffe Middle School, and the Drum Power advanced group, with guest artists from Limanya Drum & Dance Ensemble.
This event is FREE. They welcome donations to support summer camp scholarships (suggested $10 adults, $5 youth).
The garden workgroup will be hosting our annual spring planting day on Thursday, May 30. Students will fill the Lowell garden beds with seedlings grown and donated by Oakhill Correctional Institution and explore the sights, sounds and smells of spring! Volunteers are most welcome to help with this event. If you have completed the MMSD volunteer training and are free for all or part of that day, be in touch with Melissa (mspleblanc@gmail.com). We would love to see you in the garden!
Celebrate Smiles is scheduled to come to Lowell from May 23rd through June 5th. Celebrate Smiles is a dental clinic operated by Access Community Health Centers. They offer a mobile dental clinic and provide dental care to students in school. The mobile dental clinic offers services such as screenings, sealants, fluoride varnish, cleaning and prophylactic care, fillings, and extractions. Celebrate smiles is led by a licensed dentist and a staff of 3-4 hygienists and 2 program assistants, as well as the MMSD Family Health Liaison.
There is no cost to participate in Celebrate Smiles, but the program will bill BadgerCare and private dental insurance for treatments if families have dental coverage. Students with private dental insurance are eligible for sealants and fluoride varnish if needed.
If you wish for your child to participate please fill out the online fillable consent form at the MMSD Health Services website. There is an option to print a copy and return it to school if you choose to do that instead. Please reach out to Sheila or Deena if you have any questions.
Head Lice
We are still seeing a significant number of students in school with head lice so we wanted to send out a reminder to check your students at home for head lice and nits. Please remind children to …
Avoid head-to-head (hair to hair) contact during play and other activities at home, school and elsewhere (sports activities, playground, slumber parties, or camp),
Not share items such as hats, scarves, coats, hair ribbons, combs, brushes or towels.
You can find more information about head lice in this letter.
Measles in Dane County
Dane County had its first case of measles over the weekend. Measles is a very contagious virus. If your child is not up to date on their measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccination, they are at high risk of contracting measles if they are exposed. During the last major U.S. measles outbreak in 2019, nearly 90% of cases were in people who weren’t vaccinated or didn’t know if they were vaccinated. Here is a link to more information about the measles: Copy of 40.2220 Measles.
Most students in school are up to date with the MMR vaccination because two doses are required to go to school unless parents have opted out with a waiver. One dose is usually given at 12–15 months of age, and a second dose is given before the start of kindergarten at 4–6 years of age. Measles can have some devastating consequences for our students that are immune compromised or are unable to receive the vaccine.
MMSD is hosting a vaccination clinic on May 11th from 10am-2pm at 333 Holtzman Rd here in Madison. Appointments ARE required. See the following link for more information about our vaccine clinics.
https://sites.google.com/madison.k12.wi.us/mmsdhealthservices/immunizations?authuser=0
Please reach out if you need help figuring out if your child is vaccinated or if you need help getting vaccinated. Thank you and have a good week.
Sincerely,
Sheila and Deena (Lowell Health Office)
