Kegonsa Family Newsletter

2024 - 2025

April 11, 2025

🎉 Happy Friday, Blue Gills! 🎉

We’ve had an exciting week at Kegonsa — and the fun’s not over yet… The Spring Fling Dance is TONIGHT! 🎶💃🕺 Please remind students to bring their adult and join us for dancing, food, art, and fun starting at 5:30 PM!

🎟️ Mallards vouchers are going home in your kiddo's Friday Folders! These are for a FREE School Appreciation Game on June 19th. Grown-ups, make sure you redeem them by Friday, May 2nd!

🚌 We had some awesome field trips this week:

Kindergarten and 1st grade visited Madison Youth Arts and saw Elephant & Piggie!
3rd grade visited Sons of Norway.
5th grade welcomed special guests from UW-Madison who shared some of their knowledge about Wisconsin agriculture!

🧠 We also continued Forward testing this week — and we’re almost done! The kids are doing a great job staying focused and doing their best. 🌤️ This weekend’s forecast looks beautiful — some clouds, but sunshine and temps in the 60s! A perfect chance to get outside and enjoy spring! Have a fun, safe weekend! 💙 Erin

Classroom Placement Considerations for 25-26

At Kegonsa, we value your input as we thoughtfully build balanced class rosters for next year. If you’d like to share insights about your child’s learning needs and the environments where they thrive, please complete this form. Please note that this is not a teacher request form.

🎭 Vikings, Theater & Tons of Fun! 🐘🐷

This week was full of field trip adventures for our curious and creative Blue Gills!

🎟️ Kindergarten and 1st Grade took a trip to MyArts to see the hilarious and heartwarming "Elephant & Piggie" show! There was laughter, dancing, and plenty of silly fun as our youngest learners experienced live theater magic. 🧝‍♂️ 3rd Grade headed to the Sons of Norway, where they explored Norwegian culture, traditions, and even made some yummy krumkake!

We snapped lots of photos, smiles, and memories—check them out below!

What's Happening in P.E.? Let's Move!

We’ve been off to a great start in Phy Ed, and the energy is high!

Here’s what we’ve been up to:

Grades 3–5 and K–2: We had an awesome visit from Stoughton’s Best, and now we’re jumping into our fitness unit! Think: jumping jacks, movement games, and lots of sweaty smiles!

Up next in PE world:

Grades 3–5: Get ready to groove and spike—dance and volleyball are coming your way!
K–2: We're keeping the rhythm going with a fun dance unit!

Want to keep the movement going at home?
Here are a few ways to support your active Blue Gill:

🧗‍♂️ Try Parkour! Your child should have brought home a 30-day free trial to Stoughton’s Best Parkour—it's a great way to burn energy and learn cool moves!
🏅 Talk about sportsmanship. Chat with your child about what it means to be a great teammate—cheering others on, playing fair, and showing kindness win or lose.
🌳 Get outside! Take a family walk, play a game in the yard, or just soak up some fresh air together.

Thanks for helping us keep kids active, happy, and healthy! 💙💪

Coming next week! Bridging Brighter Smiles!

Bridging Brighter Smiles is coming to Kegonsa next week! This will be the last dental visit of the school year, so it’s a great time to make sure your child’s smile is spring-ready.

The visit will include:
✔️ Oral screening
✔️ Fluoride treatment
✔️ Sealants
✔️ Teeth cleaning
✔️ Referrals if needed

There is no cost for students with BadgerCare, and services are offered at a low cost for students without dental insurance.

This is a convenient and easy way to support your child’s health—right at school! Look for permission slips and more information in your child’s backpack or contact the office with questions.

Let’s hop into spring with bright, healthy smiles! 😁🌸

The Gilly Times - Family Edition: Making Waves Together

📖 Click the image to open 📖

Important Health Update

You may have seen in the news that there has been a rise in measles cases recently. Measles can spread fast at school and make people very sick. Measles can be serious, especially for children under 5, pregnant people, and those with weakened immune systems. The best way to stay protected and keep our school community safe is to get vaccinated. If you have not yet been vaccinated with the MMR vaccine now is a great time to do so! Unvaccinated students and staff may face exclusion from school for up to 21 days following exposure to a measles case.

Measles information (DHS)
Wisconsin school and child care requirements
Should I get a measles booster?

Calling All Creative Supplies!

Our 3rd Grade classrooms have been invited to participate in the 2025 Syttende Mai Plate Design Contest, and we need your help! If you have any of the following items at home that you're not using, we'd love to put them to good use. Please note that these materials won't be returned, as they'll be covered in glue, tape, and creativity!

🎨 Items Needed:
🔹 Red, white, or blue ribbon
🔹 Norwegian-themed wrapping paper
🔹 Postcards, pictures, or calendars featuring Norway or rosemaling
🔹 Norwegian magazines or newspapers
🔹 Norwegian fabric or material
🔹 Small trinkets like trolls, Viking ships, or anything uniquely Norwegian
🔹 Anything else that could inspire a fantastic Syttende Mai paper plate design!

Donations can be sent to school with your child. Thank you for helping our students bring Norwegian heritage to life! 💙❤️🤍

Shining Gilly Award Winners!

What is the Shining Gilly Award?

The Shining Gilly Award recognizes students who go above and beyond to show exceptional care for others or our school. These students exemplify the qualities we strive to nurture in all of our little citizens—kindness, responsibility, and a positive impact on their community. Whether it's an individual or a group of students, those who receive this award truly reflect the values we hold dear at our school.

Congratulations to Annika (3rd) and Kai (KG) 🥳