Dear Lowell Families,
We are looking forward to seeing everyone at conferences next week! If you have not yet scheduled a conference, please reach out to your child’s teacher or call the main office at 204-6613. We can get you connected with your child’s teacher. We want every family to participate in conferences this fall!
I also want to highlight two important events coming in December. This year, we are combining our annual music concert with an opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning! On December 3 (for grades kindergarten, first, and second) and December 10 (for grades third, fourth, and fifth), families are invited to our Fine Arts and Literacy Showcase! The schedule for the morning will be:
8:30-9:30 - Music concert in the gym
9:30-10:30 - Literacy showcase in classrooms
Throughout the morning, students will also take families on a tour of Lowell student artwork.
Finally, I hope all Lowell families plan to take the opportunity to vote in next week’s election. Information about the election and your polling place can be found here: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/. Information related to MMSD’s referenda can be found here: https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/about/2024-referenda.
Warmly,
Ellen
October 28-November 04: Scholastic Book Fair
November 01: Lowell Dismissal at 10:35am (No 4K)
November 04: No School for Elementary - Fall Conferences
November 05: No School - Staff Only Day
November 06: Start of Quarter 2
November 14: Parent Empowerment Meeting at Carbon, 5:30-7pm
November 15: Picture Retake Day
November 21: Vision/Hearing Screenings for 4K/Kinder/3rd/5th
November 27-29: No School - Fall Break
December 02: No School - Staff Only Day
December 03: Fine Arts and Literacy Showcase K-2, 8:30am-10:30am
December 07: Lowell Craft Fair, 9am-1pm
December 10: Fine Arts and Literacy Showcase 3-5, 8:30am-10:30am
December 19: 5th Grade Field Trip to Planetarium, 10am-12pm
December 23-January 03: No School - Winter Break
The garden workgroup had a lovely time hosting Lowell students and staff outdoors during the annual Fall Festival on October 16. The temperature started off chilly, but smiles were warm as students enjoyed snacks, garden harvesting, leaf jumping, crafting and color changing chemistry. Special thanks to Atoms to Apples for donating apples for this event, to the bakers who donated muffins, and to the many volunteers who led activities like nature crowns and potato stamp bookmarks, served snacks, raked leaves and connected with students from 17 classrooms throughout the day. Happy Fall from the Lowell Garden Workgroup!
Please use this QR code if you'd like to order Lowell Lionwear long-sleeve t-shirts or hoodies. If you want multiple orders of the same shirt, please fill out the form multiple times. Please order by midnight on Wednesday, Nov 6! Shirts will arrive and be delivered via your child's classroom sometime 4-6 weeks after we place our bulk order! Updates will be sent out when shirts arrive.
T-shirts will continue to be available at events throughout the year! If you can't make an event, but would like a t-shirt, please email kerrykretchmar@gmail.com. Due to the price point, hooded sweatshirts and long-sleeved t-shirts require a pre-order.
Dear Lowell,
I am Chelsey Tubbs (my pronouns are she/ella/nws) and I am delighted to continue as your Associate Superintendent of Elementary Schools. I am truly honored to serve and support our schools in this important role. My dedication to fostering excellence, joy, and educational justice for every student drives my work, and I am thrilled to partner with each of you in the journey ahead.
I am dedicated to keeping you connected and inspired by all the amazing things happening across our district. Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and your school’s social media, to see regular updates celebrating our students, educators, and communities.
This year, I am thrilled to host four advisory groups—representing students, staff, guardians, and community partners. These groups will meet monthly, providing a unique platform for collaboration that strengthens our community. Your insights are invaluable in helping me to better meet the needs of my schools and strengthen our community.
Advisory group meeting dates and times will be shared in advance, with meetings scheduled for afterschool hours. We are still deciding the format (in-person, virtual, or hybrid) to best accommodate all participants.
If you are interested in joining, please complete the advisory group interest form here by the end of day on Tuesday, November 5. If you have questions or need further assistance, please feel free to contact me at cltubbs@madison.k12.wi.us.
Thank you for considering this opportunity. I look forward to the work we will accomplish together and to a successful school year filled with achievement, excellence, joy, and educational justice for every student. Thank you for your partnership and commitment to our shared goals.
Warm regards,
Chelsey Tubbs (she/ella/nws)
Associate Superintendent of Elementary Schools
Madison School District
Proudly serving Emerson, Henderson, Lake View, Leopold, Lowell, Mendota, Muir, Orchard Ridge, and Thoreau Elementary Schools
I’m Mindy Trudell, School Social Worker
I have been a school social worker in Madison for 20 years and at Lowell for the last 16 years. I team with students, families and school staff to help solve problems around social/emotional, mental health, behavior, parenting and other issues. I help connect students and families with community resources including housing, food resources, and physical and mental health care. I work with families to help improve student attendance and coordinate with teachers to provide students with SEL (Social Emotional Learning) using Second Step, Welcoming Schools, and Child Protection Unit resources. My favorite thing about Lowell is the way our staff support each other each day. I live in the Lowell neighborhood with my spouse, dog and three cats. You can contact me at mtrudell@madison.k12.wi.us or 608-204-6634.
I’m Megan Martin, Lowell School Psychologist
I’ve been the school psychologist at Lowell for the past 19 years. I help students learn our school routines and rules. I teach all students about feelings, problem-solving, friendship, and bullying. I help students who are having a difficult time with learning, behavior, and/or mental health issues. I consult with teachers, parents, and doctors to help every student be successful in the classroom. I am also often involved in evaluations and programs for students with special needs. I love working with all of the children and people in the Lowell community. I live on the eastside with my family which includes Mr. Martin, our 2 children who are Lafollette high schoolers, and 2 dogs. If you ever need to contact me, please call me at (608) 204-6607, text (608) 509-4769, or email me mamartin@madison.k12.wi.us
I’m Shanta Hood, Lowell Family Liaison
I have been working as a family liaison for 3 years now. My role is to work with families and staff to better support their students' learning. I also coordinate Read Your Heart Out and Parent Empowerment groups to give families that space to uplift their voices and come together as a community. Most families will see me greeting students as they are entering the building, and/or giving students tardy passes during late arrival. Before working at Lowell I worked at Reach Dane Headstart for 6 years. Some of my favorite reasons for working at Lowell are I get to see a lot of students I used to work with, helping families and supporting staff. I have 2 children, one who is a 5th grader here this year. You can contact me at snhood@madison.k12.wi.is or (608)204-6601.
One of the simplest yet most impactful things you can do to support your scholars’ learning is to make sure they are getting enough sleep. Many families do not realize how much sleep growing children require. Children ages 4-5 need 10-13 hours each night and kids ages 6-12 need 9-12 hours every night.
This means if your child needs to wake up at 6:30 am to be at school on time, they need to be SLEEPING between 6:30 - 8:30pm the night before.
When children do not get enough sleep, it is much harder for them to focus and learn. They are more irritable, sad, forgetful, and tend to make more trips to the health office for stomach and headaches.
In addition to making sure kids are in bed in time to get enough sleep, here are some other tips for improving their sleep.
Bedtime Tips:
Start the bedtime routine at the same time every night (eg. put on PJs, use bathroom, wash hands, brush teeth, to bed for story time or reading on their own, then lights out).
Have your child do a quiet, relaxing activity before bed – Not looking at a screen of any kind as it stimulates the brain and can make it more difficult for your child to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Keep the bedtime environment (light, temperature, noise) the same all night long.
For additional information or support with your child’s bedtime please contact Mindy Trudell at 204-6634 or Megan Martin 204-6607.
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:
Log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account.
Select More from the Navigation area.
Select Absence Requests.
Fill in the required information, including the date and reason for the absence.
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.
(You may also continue to request absences by calling the Lowell attendance line at 608-204-6602.)
Lowell bus routes can be found here.
To learn which bus stop your child will be picked up and dropped off at:
- Log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal
- Click "More" on the left sidebar
- Click "Transportation"
Get the FirstView transportation app!
FirstView provides location data via GPS tracking, and sends notification alerts when a student’s bus is getting close. It can be used to track all of the students in a household/associated with a caregiver account. It’s the easiest and fastest way to get answers to questions like, “When will the bus show up?” and “How can I see when my child will be picked up or dropped off?”
More information can be found here.
