MV Newsletter
October 5 - 16
This newsletter can be translated into many languages by clicking the "TRANSLATE" button in the upper right corner and selecting the desired language.
- Bản tin này có thể được dịch sang nhiều ngôn ngữ bằng cách nhấn vào nút "DỊCH" ở góc trên bên phải và chọn ngôn ngữ mong muốn.
- Cette newsletter peut être traduite en plusieurs langues en cliquant sur le bouton "TRADUIRE" dans le coin supérieur droit et en sélectionnant la langue désirée.
- Este boletín se puede traducir a varios idiomas haciendo clic en el botón "TRADUCIR" en la esquina superior derecha y seleccionando el idioma deseado.
- Lub npe no tuaj yeem pab los ntawm ntau lub lug ntawm ntawv daim "DICH" ntawm txoj cai hauv tsev kawg uas siv tau thiab xaiv cov lug xov no.
✨ Calendar Check ✨
Wednesday, October 7 | Active Threat Drill
Friday, October 9 | NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, October 13 | SCO Meeting, 6:00-7:30 pm
Thursday, October 15 | Otter Trot, 8:00-11:30 am
Upcoming events
- Picture Retake | October 20
- Fall Conferences | October 19-23
- Book Fair | October 22 + 23
✨ A Note from Mrs. Bell ✨
Good afternoon, families,
At Meadow View, we believe in partnering with parents to provide an exceptional education for every child, every day. This year, we are excited to offer flexible options for parent/teacher conferences, ensuring that 100% of our students have the opportunity for a meaningful parent/family/teacher conversation.
During the week of October 19-23 classroom teachers will be offering 20–30 minute conferences. This is an opportunity for teachers to share your child’s progress in both academics and social-emotional skills, and for you to ask any questions about how you can support learning at home.
We also understand that this time of year brings a lot of communication from both Meadow View and the Sun Prairie Area School District—especially if you have children in multiple grades or buildings. This email is designed to simplify the process and help you navigate conference sign-ups.
➡️ If you have already signed up for a conference, there’s no need to sign up again.
How to Sign Up for Conferences
Please find your child’s classroom teacher’s name and sign up for a 20–30 minute conference. In addition, our specialists are offering 10-minute conferences for parents who would like to meet with them.
Thank you for your partnership in your child’s education. We look forward to seeing you and your student(s) at conferences!
Warm regards,
Cynthia Bell Jiménez
Principal, Meadow View Elementary
Buenas tardes, familias:
En Meadow View creemos en la importancia de asociarnos con los padres para brindar una educación excepcional a cada niño, todos los días. Este año, nos entusiasma ofrecer opciones flexibles para las conferencias de padres y maestros, asegurando que el 100% de nuestros estudiantes tenga la oportunidad de participar en una conversación significativa entre familia y escuela.
Durante la semana del 19-23 de octubre, los maestros ofrecerán conferencias de 20 a 30 minutos. Esta es una oportunidad para que los docentes compartan el progreso de su hijo(a) tanto en lo académico como en lo socioemocional, y para que usted pueda hacer preguntas sobre cómo apoyar el aprendizaje en casa.
También entendemos que esta época del año trae mucha comunicación tanto de Meadow View como del Distrito Escolar del Área de Sun Prairie, especialmente si usted tiene hijos en varios grados o escuelas. Este correo electrónico está diseñado para simplificar el proceso y ayudarle a navegar el registro de conferencias.
➡️ Si ya se inscribió para una conferencia, no es necesario hacerlo nuevamente.
Cómo inscribirse para las conferencias:
Busque el nombre del maestro o maestra de su hijo(a) y regístrese para una conferencia de 20 a 30 minutos. Además, nuestros especialistas estarán ofreciendo conferencias de 10 minutos para los padres que deseen reunirse con ellos.
Gracias por su colaboración en la educación de su hijo(a). ¡Esperamos verlos a usted y a su(s) estudiante(s) durante las conferencias!
Con aprecio,
Cynthia Bell Jiménez
Directora, Escuela Primaria Meadow View
✨ MEADOW VIEW INFORMATION ✨
Lockdown Drill
Each school year, we conduct a variety of safety drills to help everyone know how to respond in the event of an emergency. These emergencies can take many forms—such as fire, severe weather, or other safety concerns. In accordance with Wisconsin State Law (Section 118.07), we regularly practice to ensure we’re prepared for all types of situations.
We typically do not share with families when these drills occur since they are just part of how we do school. This year however, the Sun Prairie Area School District (SPASD) is transitioning away from the A.L.I.C.E. emergency response protocol and has implemented the Standard Response Protocol (SRP)—a research-based, standardized approach developed by the “I Love U Guys” Foundation. This change was made in collaboration with the Sun Prairie Police Department and other Dane County school districts to promote consistent, effective practices. Most of the drills are fairly consistent with what we have done in the past. We are just calling them something new (i.e. fire drill is now called evacuation drill). One however, is a bit different and is the reason for this email.
On Wednesday October 07th, Meadow View will conduct our first Lockdown Drill (formerly called Active Threat Drill) in partnership with the Sun Prairie Police Department. In the past, A.L.I.C.E. protocol had the students decide to lockdown or evacuate depending on where the threat was located. What data from school shootings is showing over time is that there has never been a tragedy of students or staff that are behind a locked door. Therefore, we will have all students move toward just locking down from using the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and what we've been teaching the students is "locks, lights, out of sight, level zero voice."
Staff have received training on the SRP procedures and have been preparing students to ensure the drill is calm, supportive, and stress-free.
Attached to this message is the parent/caregiver handout (English & Spanish) that explains each of the five core SRP actions in more detail.
The purpose of all emergency drills is to strengthen our ability to keep students safe, save lives, and reduce injuries. These practices also allow us to evaluate and refine our emergency operations plan. The more we prepare, the more confident and effective our response will be in a real emergency. We will practice this particular drill one more time in late winter, early spring.
Thank you for your continued support of our students and staff and as always, please reach out with any questions.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Bell
Estimadas familias de Meadow View:
Cada año escolar realizamos diferentes simulacros de seguridad para ayudar a que todos sepamos cómo responder en caso de una emergencia. Estas emergencias pueden presentarse de diferentes maneras, como un incendio, condiciones climáticas severas u otras situaciones relacionadas con la seguridad. De acuerdo con la ley del estado de Wisconsin (Sección 118.07), practicamos regularmente para asegurarnos de estar preparados para responder ante diferentes tipos de situaciones.
Por lo general, no informamos a las familias cada vez que realizamos estos simulacros, ya que forman parte de nuestras prácticas habituales de seguridad escolar. Sin embargo, este año el Distrito Escolar del Área de Sun Prairie (SPASD) está haciendo la transición del protocolo de respuesta a emergencias A.L.I.C.E. al Protocolo de Respuesta Estándar (Standard Response Protocol, SRP), un enfoque estandarizado y basado en investigaciones, desarrollado por la “I Love U Guys” Foundation.
Este cambio se realizó en colaboración con el Departamento de Policía de Sun Prairie y otros distritos escolares del condado de Dane, con el propósito de promover prácticas de seguridad consistentes y efectivas.
La mayoría de los simulacros son muy similares a los que hemos realizado anteriormente; principalmente, estamos utilizando nuevos nombres para describirlos. Por ejemplo, lo que antes llamábamos “simulacro de incendio” ahora se denomina “simulacro de evacuación”. Sin embargo, hay un simulacro que será un poco diferente, y esa es la razón de este mensaje.
El miércoles 7 de octubre, Meadow View realizará nuestro primer simulacro de confinamiento (Lockdown Drill), anteriormente conocido como simulacro de amenaza activa, en colaboración con el Departamento de Policía de Sun Prairie.
Anteriormente, bajo el protocolo A.L.I.C.E., los estudiantes y el personal podían tomar la decisión de permanecer en confinamiento o evacuar, dependiendo de la ubicación de la amenaza. A medida que se han analizado los datos y las experiencias de situaciones de violencia en las escuelas, se ha reforzado la importancia de asegurar los salones y mantener a los estudiantes detrás de puertas cerradas con llave.
Por esta razón, bajo el Protocolo de Respuesta Estándar (SRP), todos nuestros estudiantes practicarán el procedimiento de confinamiento. El lenguaje que estamos enseñando a nuestros estudiantes es:
“Puertas con llave, luces apagadas, fuera de la vista y voz en nivel cero.”
Nuestro personal ha recibido capacitación sobre los procedimientos del SRP y ha estado preparando a los estudiantes para garantizar que el simulacro se realice de una manera tranquila, segura y de apoyo, reduciendo al máximo cualquier estrés para nuestros estudiantes.
Adjunto a este mensaje encontrarán información para padres, madres y cuidadores, disponible en inglés y español, que explica con mayor detalle cada una de las cinco acciones principales del SRP.
El propósito de todos nuestros simulacros de emergencia es fortalecer nuestra capacidad para mantener seguros a nuestros estudiantes, proteger vidas y reducir el riesgo de lesiones. Estas prácticas también nos permiten evaluar y mejorar continuamente nuestro plan de operaciones de emergencia. Mientras más preparados estemos, mayor será nuestra confianza y efectividad para responder ante una emergencia real.
Practicaremos este simulacro en particular una vez más a finales del invierno o principios de la primavera.
Gracias por su continuo apoyo a nuestros estudiantes y personal. Como siempre, si tienen alguna pregunta, no duden en comunicarse con nosotros.
Atentamente,
Sra. Bell
Directora de Meadow View
Nurse's Corner
Vaccination Reminder
Please note that students have until October 15 to be up to date on their required vaccinations. Students who are not up to date by this date may be excluded from school.
A free vaccination clinic will be available at the Sun Prairie Learning Center (220 Kroncke Drive, Door 28) on Tuesday, October 6, from 3:00–7:00 PM. This is a convenient opportunity for families who still need to complete their student’s vaccinations.
Nurse Visit Communication Process
In an effort to improve communication between school and home, we are introducing the process when students visit the nurse’s office.
Starting this week, when a student is sent to the nurse, our school nurse will complete a form detailing the visit. This form will be sent home with your child so you are aware of the reason for the visit and any actions that were taken.
Please remember to check your child's backpack daily for these forms, especially if you know they visited the nurse.
A few important notes:
If a student’s visit involves an injury to the face, neck, teeth, or head, an elevated temperature, an emergency situation, or a request for reassurance from home, you will also receive a direct phone call or email from our school nurse.
For students who have a consistent, pre-approved daily plan to visit the nurse, forms and parent communication will not be necessary unless otherwise indicated.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership in supporting your child's health and well-being!
Math 24 | 4th and 5th Grade Students
"Math 24" is a math puzzle game where the goal is to combine four given numbers using basic arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) to always reach the answer of 24, using each number only once on the card; it's a popular tool for practicing mental math skills and is often played with cards displaying sets of four numbers. Students will have time to practice solving the cards and learning strategy on how to solve the cards efficiently.
📚 🎨 Specials 🎵 🏀
LIBRARY
Welcome to October in the Library! 📚
October is here, and things are buzzing in the library! First up, mark your calendars: our annual Scholastic Book Fair is right around the corner. Supporting the fair is a wonderful way to foster a love of reading at home while directly helping our library grow.
Book Fair Dates: Thursday, October 22nd & Friday, October 23rd (during caregiver conferences)
Keep an eye out, more details and shopping hours are coming soon!
Here is a quick look at what our students are working on this month:
Kindergarten & 1st Grade: Cozying up with festive October themed read-alouds and interactive story activities.
2nd Grade: Building confidence with Chromebook navigation and exploring the creative world of animating images using the ChatterPix app on iPads.
3rd Grade: Practicing how to search the online library catalog to independently find their favorite books, alongside introductory lessons in online safety.
4th Grade: Exploring what a "digital footprint" is and learning how to author and design their own stories in Google Slides.
5th Grade: Diving into essential digital citizenship skills, including email etiquette and social media safety and putting their creativity to work with a fan favorite project: building custom memes in Google Slides!
Thank you for supporting our young readers and tech explorers. Happy reading!
ART
It’s officially October, and in the art room we’re celebrating and creating all things fall! Students are showing leadership by being proactive in their artwork, thinking creatively, and synergizing with classmates to make our space colorful and inspiring.
Kindergarten – We’ve been learning about the rainbow and mixing primary colors to create secondary colors. This month, we’ll focus on mixing red and yellow to make orange for our pumpkins and using warm colors to paint beautiful fall landscapes.
1st Grade – First graders are exploring lines and symmetry while creating Fall Landscape Reflection Paintings and pumpkin drawings inspired by Brazilian Pop Artist Romero Britto.
2nd Grade – Our second graders have been working hard on beautiful watercolor birch tree paintings. Later this month, they’ll move on to Pumpkin Still Life Collages.
3rd Grade – Third graders are learning about color contrast while creating big, bright fall leaves. They’ll also study Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama and make playful polka-dot pumpkins.
4th Grade – Fourth graders tried a new artistic technique with Glue Resist Pumpkin Still Lifes. Next week, they’ll design haunted house drawings with a special tie-dye background.
5th Grade – Fifth graders are working with perspective to draw fall field landscapes. To “sharpen the saw” and celebrate their final fall at Meadow View, they’ll also create some surprise pumpkin art at the end of the month.
MUSIC
The music room will be buzzing with excitement this month because a long-awaited Meadow View favorite is making its GRAND RETURN in every grade level… PASS THE PUMPKIN! 🎃
Ask your Otter about this silly, speedy, and oh-so-fun music room game, and they’ll be happy to tell you ALL about it! In fact, they may even tell you how much they wish we could play it every single month of the year!
Kindergarten
Our youngest musicians are continuing their exploration of musical opposites! This month, we’ll dive into high/low and long/short sounds. In September, they had a blast discovering the difference between fast and slow music, and they’re ready for more musical adventures!
First Grade
First graders are ready to take their first steps into the wonderful world of solfege! They’ll be listening for, identifying, and echoing sol-mi patterns. This builds on all the great work they’ve already done exploring high and low sounds.
Second, Third & Fifth Grade
These musicians will explore rhythms by echoing patterns, composing their own rhythms, moving to the beat, and playing rhythms on instruments. There will be lots of listening, creating, moving, and making music!
And a special treat for 5th Grade! Toward the end of the month, our fifth graders will step into the world of Foley Artists! They’ll learn how sound effects are created for movies and cartoons and then get to create their very own sounds for a silent cartoon!
Be sure to ask your fifth grader about their Foley Artist experience at the end of the month—you might just discover a future movie sound-effects superstar in your house!
It’s going to be a fantastic October in the music room!
Musically Yours,
Ms. Palmer
Physical Education
This month in PE, students will wrap up our Throwing & Catching Unit by combining the skills they have been practicing, including underhand throwing, overhand throwing, and catching. Students will work on putting these skills together through a variety of fun activities and games.
Next, we’ll jump into our Basketball Unit! Students will practice their dribbling and shooting skills through a variety of activities, including some interactive iPad activities that allow them to practice and challenge themselves in a fun and engaging way.
To finish out the month, we’ll switch things up with Cup Stacking! Students will work on speed, coordination, focus, and teamwork while creating different patterns and completing a variety of cup-stacking games and challenges. It’s going to be a fun and active month in PE!
Otter Connection Assembly | Oct. 8 at 8 a.m.
Did you know Meadow View has a monthly assembly - the Otter Connection/Leader of the Month? Caregivers are welcome to come and join every assembly. This is a great time to learn about heritage celebrations, learn about Leader in me habits, celebrate our school leaders of the month, and cheer on our Lighthouse students who lead the assembly. The next Otter Connection/Leader of the Month assembly is this Thursday, Oct. 8 at 8 a.m. The assembly will be highlighting Habit 1: Be proactive. According to the FranklinCovey website, Habit 1: Be Proactive is about helping students take responsibility for their lives. Every other habit depends on this first one—the ability to act proactively rather than reactively and to make things happen rather than waiting for them to happen.
Imagine a classroom, a program, or an institution of students who took complete accountability for their lives. Students who understand this first habit focus their efforts on the things they can influence. They choose to prepare for their future and seize opportunities. They avoid procrastinating, worrying, or waiting for things to change.
One of the most important indicators of whether a student is responding proactively or reactively is the language they use. Proactive language sounds like “I can” or “I get to.” Reactive language sounds like “I can’t” or “I have to.”
Helping students learn to use consistent, proactive language affirms their capacity to choose and reinforces a proactive approach to life.
Did you miss the September Otter Connection assembly? Check out the photos below.
SCO
We have a full schedule of events for family and staff over the next month!
Volunteer Opportunity: Love Makes a Family School Project Support - Monday Oct 5 at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
October Otter Connection/Leader in Me Assembly - Thursday, Oct 8 at 8 a.m.
October SCO meeting - Tuesday, Oct 13
Otter Trot - Thursday, Oct 15: We are looking for 50 caregivers to volunteer at the Otter Trot
School Staff Conference Meal - Thursday, Oct 22
Cousins Subs Fundraising Share Night - Monday, Nov 2
International Night - Thursday, Nov 5
Stay up-to-date on SCO news, upcoming events, and ways to support our school by signing up for our newsletter:
October SCO Meeting
Tuesday, Oct 13 | 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Our bilingual meetings are a great opportunity to learn more about ways to support Meadow View, share your opinion, and meet other caregivers. Plus we will have Costco Cheese pizza for dinner and we will provide child care.
We will be joined by members of our Meadow View literacy team at our October SCO Meeting! They will share information about how we can help support our students on their reading journey and share some tips. They also look forward to your questions and hearing more about literacy needs from parents and caregivers.
We will also talk about a literacy night we are hoping to partner with the literacy team on in mid-February. We'll also share a budget update and plans for events in October and November.
Otter Trot
Thursday, October 15 | 8am - 12 pm
We are just under two weeks away from the Otter Trot! So far we have raised $1,626 of our goal of $12,000. We are making steady progress towards our goal.
This week’s take home folders should contain an Otter Trot fundraising flyer. We want to make it as convenient as possible to collect Otter Trot donations.
There are four ways you can donate to support the Otter Trot:
Donate online: https://givebutter.com/otter-trot-2026-2027-lpkazw
Donate using our paper form to send back cash and/or checks. You can send the completed form and cash/checks back to school via your child’s teacher. You can drop it off at the Meadow View office any time between now and October 24. Parent teacher conferences are the week after the Otter Trot - that would be a great time to drop off donations.
Donate cash or checks at our volunteer or sign making table on Oct. 15 at the Otter Trot.
Donate your time to support our students while they run and walk by volunteering at the Otter Trot. Our event relies on volunteers and we need the support of at least 50 parents to help run our event.
If you aren’t following the Meadow View SCO on Facebook (and please follow us on Facebook), you may not have seen the prizes for when we meet our school and fundraising teams goals.
Our entire school will be able to earn prizes when we reach the following school-wide fundraising goals:
$4,000: Extra recess
$6,000: Mascot race
$8,000: Movie with snacks provided by the SCO
$10,000: School-wide glow stick dance party$12,000: Otter snack cart (SCO brings out the snack cart that we used for teacher appreciation - this time for students)
$12,000: Otter snack cart (SCO brings out the snack cart that we used for teacher appreciation - this time for students)
This year, we are not only tracking the overall amount we raise, our grades are teaming up to to raise money. Here are the grades that are teaming up:
Kindergarten and 3rd Grade. So far they have raised $166.
1st Grade and 4th Grade. So far they have raised $860.
4K, 2nd Grade, and 5th Grade. So far they have raised $595.
Our teams will earn the following prizes when they meet the following team fundraising goals:
$1,000: Otter sticker at lunch
$2,000: Otter pop at lunch
$3,000: Cozy day - wear pajamas, hot chocolate, and cookies
The top earning team will earn ice cream sandwiches at lunch
We hope you will join us to cheer on your student and all our Otters on October 15. Below are the times each class will be participating:
4K AM | 8:00-8:15 a.m.
Kindergarten | 8:15-8:45 a.m.
First grade | 8:45-9:15 a.m.
Second grade | 9:15-9:45 a.m.
Fourth grade | 9:45-10:15 a.m.
Third grade | 10:15-10:45 a.m.
Fifth grade | 10:45-11:15 a.m.
4K PM | 11:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Community School Info
✨ DISTRICT INFORMATION ✨
We’d Love to See You at Our Annual Meeting!
Our families are an important part of our school community, and we’d love to have you join us for the Annual School District Meeting and Budget Hearing on Monday, October 5, at 6:00 p.m. at the Sun Prairie West High School Performing Arts Center.
Come learn more about what’s happening across our District, hear about the year ahead, and be part of an important evening for our Sun Prairie school community.
We hope you’ll join us!
✨ RECURRING INFORMATION ✨
Attendance
From Kelsey Klug | kjklug@sunpraireschools.org
Hello MV parents/caregivers,
If your child will be absent from school OR has an appointment during the day, please call the attendance line (608.478.5000, #1). If you email your student's teacher about their absence or appointment, please include me in your email so I can get the message in a timely manner and forgo giving you a safety arrival call. We always appreciate you letting us know in advance.
Thank you!
SCO
Be sure to follow our SCO Facebook page so you can stay up-to-date with our school events!
Birthday Treat Guidelines
We wanted to provide some guidelines regarding birthday treats and appreciate your cooperation in ensuring the well-being and inclusivity of all students. Please take a moment to review the following reminders:
Accessibility and Allergies: When bringing in birthday treats, please ensure that the food labels are easily accessible to Kelsey and Madhu, our staff members at the front desk, who are responsible for allergy awareness. This allows them to check for any potential allergens that may affect students in the class.
Individually Packed Items: We kindly request that you consider providing individually packed items for birthday treats. This helps with portion control and ensures convenience for distribution. Individually packaged treats also minimize the risk of cross-contamination and promote cleanliness.
Non-Food Treats: We encourage you to explore the option of non-food treats for birthdays. Non-food items can be equally enjoyable and are a great way to celebrate while accommodating various dietary preferences and restrictions. Examples include small toys, stickers, pencils, or bookmarks.
No Class-Wide Food Items: To maintain a balanced and inclusive approach, we kindly ask that you refrain from providing class-wide food items such as pizzas or hot dishes. This helps prevent any potential disruptions to the regular meal routine and ensures that dietary restrictions are respected.
No Balloons: While we understand that balloons are often associated with celebrations, we kindly request that you refrain from bringing balloons to school. This is to maintain a safe and distraction-free environment for all students.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in following these guidelines. By working together, we can create inclusive celebrations that ensure the well-being of every student. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.
Statement of Nondiscrimination
(For all student, family, or community publications)
- No student may be unlawfully discriminated against in any school programs, activities or in facilities usage because of the student’s sex (gender identity, gender expressions, and non-conformity to gender role stereotypes), color, religion, profession, or demonstration of belief or non-belief, race, national origin (including limited English proficiency), ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, homelessness status, sexual orientation, age, or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability. Harassment is a form of discrimination and shall not be tolerated in the District. It is the responsibility of administrators, staff members and all students to ensure that student discrimination or harassment does not occur.
If a student or parent/guardian would prefer to have this information translated into Spanish, please contact the District’s us at 608-834-6620. Si un estudiante, padre ó guardian prefiere tener esta información traducida en Español, por favor contactenos en el 608-834-6620.
If a student or parent/guardian would prefer to have this information translated into Hmong, please contact us at 608-834-6630. Yog tus me nyuam lub xiv los yog niam thiab txiv/tus neeg muaj cai saib xyuas tus me nyuam xav tau qhov ntawv ntawm no ua lus Hmoob, thov hais rau peb paub rau ntawm 608-834-6630.
NOTICE OF SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICIES ON SEX DISCRIMINATION, THE DISTRICT’S TITLE IX COORDINATOR, AND PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING OR FILING A COMPLAINT OF SEX DISCRIMINATION
- The District does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of sex and prohibits all forms of unlawful sex discrimination in any education program or activity that the District operates. Title IX’s requirement not to discriminate on the basis of sex in any education program or activity includes, but is not limited to, discrimination affecting students.
To access the relevant policy and procedures you can go to the District’s website. For inquiries regarding how Title IX and the federal Title IX regulations apply to the District please contact the District’s Title IX Coordinator, (the Director of Student Policy & School Operations, 501 S. Bird Street, Sun Prairie, WI 53590, 608-834-6624 or by email at titleixcoordinator@sunprairieschools.org.) (SPASD District Policy AC)
Meadow View Elementary School
200 N. Grand Avenue
608.478.5000