Dear Families,

We are loving these warmer temperatures as our Lions continue learning, playing, growing, and engaging! As we look ahead to the rest of the year, we remain committed to our academic lessons while also making room for celebrations within our community. We also remember that students continue to do better with predictable systems and routines, at home and school.

Please read below for information about some exciting upcoming events, including Gallery Night, our ABC countdown, our 5th grade Strings Concert, Africa Night, Whoopensocker performances, our 5th Grade Celebration, and some fun opportunities from the LCO! We have had a great year here at Lowell and we are ready to celebrate it!

I hope your families are able to find joy together this spring, and we want to thank you for your partnership this year. As always, be in touch with any questions or to talk through a concern. Thank you for sharing your children with us!

May 05: Gallery Night, 5:00-9:00pm

May 09: Celebrate Smiles

May 09: Lowell Community Organization Meeting, 6:30pm

May 10: Virtual Meet & Greet for incoming Kindergarten families, 8am-9am

May 11: 4th Grade Whoopensocker Field Trip

May 12: Africa Night at Madison Youth Arts Center, 6pm

May 13: Whoopensocker Live! at Madison Youth Arts Center, 11am

May 20: Lowell Carnival, 10am-2pm

May 24: Hat & Hot Dog Day

May 25: 5th Grade Strings Concerts

May 29: No School - Memorial Day

June 02: Last Day of Goodman Afterschool

June 03: Lowellabration at Worthington Park, 10am-2pm

June 07: 5th Grade Celebration in the Gym, 12:30pm

June 08: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!

Lowell artists are excited for the Spring Gallery Night TONIGHT, May 5th, from 5pm - 9pm. This event is part of MMoCA’s citywide Gallery Walk. Artwork from all students will be displayed at the Plymouth Congregational Church on Atwood Avenue. Come make a necklace with beads that Lowell students made. The bead table will be open from 5-7. We hope to see many of you there!

You're invited to the Lowell Community Organization meeting on May 9th from 6:30-8:00pm! This month's topic will be: How to help our kids cope with hard times. We will be joined by Lucy McClellan, Lowell parent and Licensed Professional Counselor/Creative Arts Therapist, with decades of clinical experience in attachment issues and traumatic stress. The meeting will be at Lowell in the auditorium.

All fifth graders at Lowell have participated in Drum Power, an African drumming program, this school year. In addition, some third and fourth graders have participated in the afterschool Drum Power Club. Drum Power will perform at the Madison Youth Arts Center (1055 E Mifflin St.) on Friday, May 12th at 6:00 PM, for Africa Night.

All are welcome to attend!

Our 4th grade classes have been participating in Whoopensocker during second semester! Whoopensocker arts residency program and performing ensemble works with emergent readers and writers to create original theater pieces. Whoopensocker residencies culminate with a performance based entirely on the students’ writing and created by professional artists. The cast, led by a director and our Artistic Producer, create a 60-minute sketch show made up entirely from the students’ writing. Each Whoopensocker show (quarterly) celebrates students’ work from 2-3 partner schools.

Please join us on Saturday, May 13th, at 11:00am for Whoopensocker Live! The performance will be at the Madison Youth Arts Center at 1055 E Mifflin St. Fourth grade families are also welcome to attend the school day show on May 11th at 10:00am (also at the Madison Youth Arts Center).

Whoopensocker Live! is a combination of sketches, songs, and physical theater, and is performed for the entire school as well as community. Students' voices are recognized, and their creativity is validated through adult, professional performers taking seriously the writing of children. It is a fantastic culmination of their creativity, celebrated with students and staff. Our company of 40 teaching and performing artists represents a diversity of ages, ethnicities, body types, and gender identities, allowing us to represent kids and to present different identities on stage than they are used to seeing.

Hat and Hot Dog Day is a longstanding Lowell tradition! On May 24th, we will have Hat and Hot Dog Picnic Day! Food service will have a special lunch of hot dogs, apples, carrots and broccoli, a cookie, and milk. Any student is welcome to have school lunch that day; normal school lunch prices will apply. If your student brings a lunch from home, they will bring it outside and enjoy it with their class! Don’t forget to wear your favorite hat!

The garden workgroup will be hosting our annual spring planting festival all day on Friday, May 26. Students will fill the Lowell garden beds with seedlings grown and donated by Oakhill Correctional Institution, sample spinach and radishes planted in April, and enjoy some other fun activities too! 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!

Josephine Bushby's haiku was chosen as a winning piece for the annual Haiku Competition! Students from all over Dane County can enter, and Josephine's piece was among 40 pieces chosen from over 1000 entries. She and her family are invited to an evening celebration. Please read Josephine's piece below.

Shadow

Copying my moves

A place of darkness and shade

Hidden from the sun.

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