Richards Family News
October 19, 2026
Dear Richards Families,
I think we can all feel a little overwhelmed (in the very best way!) by the generosity, energy, and support our Richards community has shown this fall!
Our PTO has made such a positive impact on our school and community through Fun Lunch, Ice Cream Day, the Scholastic Book Fair, Family Fun Night, and now the Fun Run. Each of these events brings something special to Richards, but what stands out most is how our parents show up in such a big way and how that excitement and generosity spread throughout our entire community.
Together, we have raised over $68,000 for our playground this fall alone, adding to the $115,000 already raised, and we are exploring ways to make our new playground a reality even sooner. And this is just the start of the school year!
We have so much to be proud of as a community, and I am excited to do my part by proudly having my head shaved and getting slimed by our students as we celebrate what we have accomplished together. Thank you for showing our children what it looks like when a community comes together to make a difference. Richards is a special place because of all of you!
Parent Teacher Conferences: Richards Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences are just around the corner. This is a great opportunity to connect with your child's teacher, discuss their progress, and address any questions or concerns. Strong partnerships between home and school are key to your child's success.
Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences Information
The window to schedule a parent/teacher conference through your Family Access account is open through October 23. Sign-up instructions can be found HERE. To maintain confidentiality and privacy, names of families or students will not be visible on filled or closed time slots. Conferences are 15 minutes in length. Your child's teacher will email you a link if you are signed up for a virtual conference. If you have trouble scheduling a conference, please contact the Office at 414-963-3951.
Dates & Times:
Wednesday, October 28:
- 4K: 8:00am–1:00pm Virtual, 4:00pm–8:00pm In-Person
- 5K–5th: 4:00pm–8:00pm In-Person
Thursday, October 29:
- 4K: 11:00am–3:00pm In-Person, 4:00pm–7:00pm Virtual
- 5K–5th: 11:00am–3:00pm In-Person, 4:00pm–7:00pm Virtual
Our staff places high value on the time set aside for meeting with parents and guardians, and we encourage you to sign up for a conference with your child’s teacher. Teachers are not allowed to schedule conferences outside of these designated days in order to keep intact their regular preparation and collaboration times. If you are unable to attend conferences during the scheduled times and the teacher has a concern, they will communicate with you via phone or email. Thank you ahead of time for cooperating with this structure.
Two household parents/guardians sometimes request separate conferences. This is often problematic as the dialogue, discussion, and conclusions in each conference may vary. Therefore, parents/guardians are asked to attend one conference together and to sign up accordingly.
Please note that students should not be present (either on camera or nearby in the room) during virtual conferences unless specifically requested by the teacher, or unless steps have been taken to ensure they cannot hear the discussion (such as parents wearing headphones). Children often process feedback differently than intended; a gentle observation about a specific area for growth, like "working on math facts under 10," can easily be interpreted by a child as "my teacher thinks I'm bad at math." Keeping these conversations private helps ensure feedback is received constructively and supports your child's confidence.
Upcoming No School Dates: School is not in session on the following dates.
- October 28 – No school 4K
- October 28 – Early Dismissal 5K – 5th Grade. Dismissal at 11:30am
- October 29 – No School 4K – 5th Grade
- October 30 - No School 4K – 5th Grade
Student Picture Retake Day: On Tuesday, November 10 from 2:00-5:15 pm, our photographer from Visual Image Photography (VIP) will be at Richards School to take photos of students who were unable to have their photo taken during Picture Day in September, as well as those who want to have their photo retaken.
An adult must accompany the student(s) to have a retake photo taken after school. No appointment is needed.
A HALLOWEEN BOO!
There is still time to place your Boo Bag orders! Order by October 25 through Membership Toolkit or click here. Each bag will include various trinkets and treats (i.e.: candy and fun Halloween accessories).
A long-standing tradition in Whitefish Bay, is a little gift or treat left anonymously by a friend or neighbor. Let the Richards PTO make your Boo Bags for you! Once you’ve been Boo’d, you hang a picture on your front door to let everyone know that you’ve gotten your Halloween surprise.
Boo Bag pick-up will occur in the Richards Vestibule (outside the front office) starting October 19.
Any questions please feel free to reach out to Kristin Fischer at klfischer622@gmail.com
FUN LUNCH NEWS
Our Fun Lunch season is underway! The next Fun Lunch is Friday, October 23. Don’t forget to pack a snack for your child on Fun Lunch days!
Late orders require at least one week’s notice before the Fun Lunch date. Please contact Jacob Ruck at jacob.wruck@gmail.com to request a late order. For the October 23 Fun Lunch, late-order requests must be made by this Friday, October 16.
SUPPORT OUR RICHARDS FACULTY AND PURCHASE A FACULTY FUN LUNCH!
Did you know the PTO provides FREE Fun Lunch to all Richards faculty? Show your support by purchasing a Fun Lunch for one of our valued faculty members! https://richardspto.membershiptoolkit.com/open_forms
VOLUNTEER AT FUN LUNCH
We’d love your help! Sign up to volunteer at an upcoming Fun Lunch using the link below.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0F4CAFAD2EA1F94-58278498-funlunch#/
Upcoming Fun Lunch Dates:
Oct. 23 • Nov. 6 & 20 • Dec. 4 & 18 • Jan. 15 & 29
Questions? Please contact our Fun Lunch Chairs:
Janaki Shah – janaki.y.shah@gmail.com
Kelly Moore – kellybrookemoore@gmail.com
Dine Out at Daily Dose Juice Bar on Wednesday, October 28 (Early Release Day)
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, October 28 (Early Release Day), and join us for a Richards Dine Out Fundraiser at Daily Dose Juice Bar right here in Whitefish Bay! Dine in, order online, or pick up between 7am-2pm and Daily Dose (619 E. Silver Spring Dr.) will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Richards PTO. Please mention the Richards PTO Fundraiser when ordering at the cafe.
Questions? Email Sabrina Eder sabrina.d.eder@gmail.com
LOST AND FOUND
Winter weather will be here before we know it! Plan ahead and order adhesive name tags (they work really well on hats and mittens) from Mabel's Labels; Richards PTO gets 20% back on all purchases (make sure to select Richards Elementary via the "Support a Fundraiser" tab or during checkout).
Questions or need help finding a specific item? Email richardslostandfound@gmail.com
GET INVOLVED AT RICHARDS! Come to a PTO Meeting!
Everyone is welcome at PTO meetings and we would really love to see as many people there as possible. Meetings are held at 7pm on the third Monday of each month in the Richards Great Hall.
Next meeting: Monday, October 19 @ 7pm - we hope to see you there!
Stay connected
Don’t miss out! Follow us to see what’s happening and keep up with the latest PTO news:
Instagram: @RichardsPTO_WFB
Facebook: @RichardsPTO
Membership Toolkit: richardspto.membershiptoolkit.com
If you have any questions, or need help navigating any of the above, please reach out to richardsptowfb@gmail.com. We are ALWAYS happy to help!
Thank you for supporting Richards Elementary PTO!
Have a great week everyone.
The Richards PTO
Countdown to Election Day: Some community members have asked why the district is showing such urgency in addressing the facility challenges included in the November referendum.
The previous referendum in April fell short by about 300 votes of the 50% majority required to pass. Since that outcome, the School Board and administration worked swiftly to identify alternative solutions because the needs in our schools are not going away and costs continue to rise.
The district is at an important planning juncture. While the remaining debt from the 2009 facilities referendum was paid off in June, the urgency for continued investment is driven by the physical condition and reliability of our buildings.
Many core systems—including HVAC, plumbing, and electrical—have reached the end of their expected service life at the Middle School and High School. Fire sprinklers and alarm systems at the High School and elementary schools need updating. And at more than a century old, the Middle School requires significant investment to meet today’s accessibility, educational, and safety standards.
By addressing these challenges now, we can take a proactive and targeted approach to construction rather than reacting to costly emergency repairs that disrupt learning. Once complete, the projects would ensure Whitefish Bay Schools continue to reflect the community’s high expectations and mission to be an exceptional place to learn.
ONE INFO SESSION REMAINING! 📣
If you have not attended a facilities referendum information session, there’s one event left before election day.
The gathering will be on Monday, November 2, at 6:00 p.m. in the WFB Middle School Gym. Attendees will hear from district administrators and staff, tour the school, and take part in a Q&A session.
You can view a recording of an earlier session online, along with the presentation slides used at the event.
FAQ OF THE WEEK
Question: Why hasn’t the school district saved money to pay for the referendum projects?
Answer: The Whitefish Bay School District, like all other public school districts in Wisconsin, works within revenue limits that restrict how much money it can collect each year through state aid and the tax levy.
Within these revenue limits, a school district must balance expenses for staff compensation, employee benefits, utilities, insurance, building maintenance, and other services. Unfortunately, no specific state funding source exists for capital improvements, so school districts must manage these building costs within their regular operating budgets.
With state funding lagging behind inflation for the past 15 years, by the time districts can address rising day-to-day operational costs, little funding remains for larger capital items. This is why districts must pursue capital referenda.
Have a question of your own? Please use our submission form to share it with district administrators.
STAY UP TO DATE
Information and updates about the facilities referendum are available at www.wfbreferendum.org and on the district’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages.
Whitefish Bay School Board Next Meeting: Tuesday, October 27 at 7:00pm, in the Whitefish Bay High School Library Media Center. Click here to view the 2026-2027 School Board Meeting dates.
October 7, 2026 School Board Meeting Takeaways
The community is welcome to attend School Board meetings to gain a better understanding of School District business and the role of the School Board. The public is also invited to address the Board during the public comment portion as indicated in Board meetings. Meeting agendas are posted within BoardDocs two days preceding each meeting.
Shared Fields and Facilities: Please read an important letter from WFB Activities Director Randee Drew about protecting the shared fields and facilities our families love and use every day. Open access leads to heavy wear and tear, and avoidable damage diverts vital resources away from our student-athletes. By taking a few moments to review this message and talk with your children, you can help us keep our school grounds safe, pristine, and fully accessible without resorting to locked gates.
WFB Public Education Foundation’s 2026 Annual Fall Pledge Drive:The WFB Public Education Foundation’s 2026 Annual Fall Pledge Drive kicked off on October 10th! The Foundation supports the Whitefish Bay Schools by funding innovative educational projects, educator grants and student scholarships. The Foundation also provides long term financial support.
Your generosity helps ensure continued academic, artistic and athletic excellence in Whitefish Bay.
The pledge drive takes place October 10 – December 31. Show your support by donating at www.educatethebay.com TODAY!
