McKinley Bobcat Newsletter

September in 4K: Building Connections & Exploring!

September was an action-packed first month for our 4K students! They have settled into school life smoothly while learning classroom routines and making new friends.

Here is a look at what our youngest Bobcats explored this month:

• School Skills & Character: Practicing classroom expectations, getting to know classmates, and learning how to be safe, kind, and respectful Bobcats.

• Art & Fine Motor Exploration: Using shape stencils, mixing watercolor paints, molding playdough shapes, and sorting items by different textures.

• Early Literacy: Discovering that sentences are made of words, recognizing letters, and practicing name recognition.

• All About Us: Exploring our school community, our bodies, our five senses, and our feelings... and SO much more!

We've had a great start to our school year so far! This month we've been focusing on getting to know each other, establishing routines, and jumping right into all things first grade. In CKLA, we've been reviewing our vowel and consonant sounds while practicing our handwriting! We recently started our first reader titled 'Snap Shots' where we follow a character named 'Beth' on all her adventures. We're learning what it means to answer a question with a complete sentence as well as using capital letters, finger spaces, and ending punctuation. We're learning new sounds, including digraphs, and beginning to stretch out long words to spell all on our own! Also in CKLA, we finished up our first Knowledge domain - 'Fables and Folktales'. Students listened to a variety of stories and reviewed what characters, setting, plot, and morals were. We recently started our second domain - 'How Your Body Works'. We're learning how our body is a network full of systems and organs! This has quickly become something we look forward to every day! In math, we're finishing up our first unit which has been a review of making numbers to 20 using our number rack. We're approaching the end of September in Number Corner as well where we focused on counting pennies and nickels, writing numbers with tally marks, and much more! Lastly, our new Social Studies curriculum 'Studies Weekly' has taught us about the different communities we belong to, Authority Figures in our lives, and most recently Rules and Laws. Students are learning how to become a respectful and kind person both in the classroom and out! We're looking forward to all the fun October will bring!

It has been a busy and fantastic start to the school year in 2nd grade! We kicked off the month by reviewing school expectations and engaging in team-building activities to create a warm, caring classroom community.

Here is what our 2nd Grade Bobcats have been working on:

• Character & Community: Through Character Strong, we’ve been practicing everyday ways to show kindness and respect to our classmates and teachers.

• CKLA (Reading & Writing): We dove into classic fairy tales and tall tales, exploring exaggeration and the lessons these stories teach. In writing, students were introduced to narrative writing while practicing singular/plural nouns and suffixes like -ing.

• Math: Students created personal math "glyphs" to highlight what makes them unique while comparing similarities with peers! We've also been reviewing time to the hour, odd and even numbers, and single-digit addition and subtraction story problems.

  • 💡 Parent Tip: Practice story problems at home! For example: "There were 20 cookies in the package and we ate 7. How many are left?"

• Social Studies: Our young historians learned about primary and secondary sources and created wonderful personal timelines of their lives!

Thank you for all your support at home as we build strong learning habits this year!

What a fantastic first month of 4th grade! We are so proud of how our 4th graders have stepped up to be the best Bobcats they can be. We’ve already learned so much and established a great foundation for the year ahead!

Here is a look at what we've been up to:

• Classroom Community: We established shared classroom contracts together and are practicing showing kindness and respect through both our actions and words every day.

• Math & Language Arts: We have officially dived into our first core units for both subjects!

• Science & Social Studies: Science has been full of fun exploration, and students are adjusting wonderfully to our new social studies curriculum.

Volcanoes, Civilizations & Decimals!

Our 5th graders are diving deep into big concepts and hands-on learning this month!

Here is a snapshot of what we’ve been working on across our classrooms:

• Math: We are wrapping up our unit on adding and subtracting fractions and getting ready to jump into decimals! Students will use their understanding of place value and like units to align and compute decimal numbers.

• Reading & Writing (CKLA): Students are polishing their final narrative writing pieces. Up next in Unit 2, we are traveling back in time to explore the fascinating early civilizations of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca!

• Social Studies: Our students are becoming expert historians as they practice asking deeper, higher-level questions and backing up their thinking with strong textual evidence.

• Science: Science was explosive recently! We officially wrapped up our "Chemical Magic" unit by creating and launching our very own model volcanoes.

Important Date to Remember

• Thursday, October 15th – Mrs. Hoeppner’s Class

• Friday, October 16th – Mr. Hodsdon’s Class

Math Facts, Cell Science & CWES Adventures!

Our 6th graders are stepping up as leaders at McKinley! We are diving into advanced concepts and building great habits for the middle school transition ahead.

Here is what’s happening in 6th grade:

• Math: Students are working hard on basic math facts! Currently, we are studying factor puzzles, rate tables, ratios, and proportions, and will start graphing soon.

  • 💡 Parent Tip: Please keep practicing math facts at home! Our goal is 97%+ accuracy on 100 problems through 10's in 5 minutes.

• CKLA (Language Arts): Students read and write daily. We are encouraging them to write detailed, creative responses with a minimum target of 120 words per writing prompt and solo activity.

• Social Studies: Our new curriculum is off to a great start! Students are currently exploring Citizenship and Launching a New Nation.

• Science & Outdoor Learning: In class, we are studying cells! We also had a fantastic field trip to CWES (Central Wisconsin Environmental Station)—students are currently working on homeroom memory booklets to recap their outdoor learning experience.

I’m April Hofmeister and I will be serving in a new role this year as McKinley’s librarian educational assistant. I previously taught 5th and 6th grade for my first three years of teaching, and I taught 1st grade the last nine years at McKinley. This year I am super excited to see my former students and new students in this new setting and role. I will be helping students in the library, at recess, and in the cafeteria for breakfast.

I’m Tammy Young and I will be working with multilingual learners who have proficiency in one or more languages and are working toward developing English Language Proficiency. McKinley has been my home base for the majority of my 30 plus years in this role. This year, I am looking forward to sharing my joy for teaching language and literacy at two schools: McKinley half-time in the mornings and Roosevelt in the afternoons. I enjoy reading, camping, fishing, and gardening.

I grew up in Stevens Point and am excited to kick off my 22nd year teaching multilingual learners. The program can also be called English as a Second Language (ESL), but using the term multilingual learners (MLs) focuses on student strengths.

I graduated from SPASH and UW-Stevens Point. I studied abroad in Munich, Germany and spent a summer in Fukuoka, Japan. These experiences and my other travels fostered a love for language and culture. I taught English in Lake Geneva for 10 years where I got a Masters degree in teaching and leadership from St. Xavier University in Chicago. I moved back to Stevens Point to better connect with my family and raise my two children. I like to spend my spare time biking, walking, gardening, and playing board games.

I’m Rachael Graves and I’ve been part of the Stevens Point District for 15 years. I teach phy ed (gym) at Mckinley for grades K-6 and also provide adapted pe for students as well. I coach the HS girls hockey team called WVU. I’m from northern MN and enjoy outdoor activities such as fishing. I enjoy facilitating learning experiences through movement and activities.

I am Heather Houston and this will be my 3rd year as a Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP) at McKinley and this will be my 9th year in the Stevens Point District. I grew up in Delafield, WI and did my undergraduate and graduate work at UWSP. I work with students in all grades on their specific communication needs. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family doing outdoor activities and reading. I am so excited to start another great year at McKinley!

I am Renee Larson, and I have been a reading teacher at McKinley since 2007. Throughout my 30+ years with the district, my goal has always been to help students be successful in their learning. I am excited for another year of supporting literacy at McKinley by working in classrooms and with small groups of students.

I am Katie Brew and this is my fifth year as a reading teacher at McKinley, and my 16th year as an educator. In the past, I’ve taught first grade, 4-year-old kindergarten, and fourth grade. This will be my 10th year working with students in a small group setting to implement reading interventions. Along with small group reading support, I will also be pushing into classrooms to support our reading curriculum. I look forward to reading with students at McKinley!

I am Mrs. Linda VanderLoop. I am the academic interventionist. I work to analyze school data, testing scores, and academic achievement. I work closely with classroom teachers and specialists to help make sure each individual child’s needs are met whether they have an area of need or an area for enrichment. My work varies from data diving to team teaching to working with small groups. I also work with the Boys and Girls club offering academic enrichment after school. This is the start of my 32nd year of teaching and my 26th year at McKinley. I have three children of my own, who also attended McKinley, but are now adults wrapping up college and grad schools.

My name is Emily Kiefer, and this is my 20th year of teaching and my 16th year of general music at McKinley. I look forward to making music with all our students through singing, movement, playing, creating, and literacy this year! In my free time I enjoy making music with other people, knitting, gardening, and hiking.

I’m Heidi Glodowski and this is my 6th year as an Occupational Therapist (OT) at McKinley, and my 13th year as an OT. In addition to McKinley I service McDill and district early childhood and 4K sites. I am originally from Waupaca, I did my undergraduate degree at UW-LaCrosse and my graduate at UW-Milwaukee. As a school-based occupational therapist I evaluate and support students to help them with physical, sensory, cognitive, or motor challenges so they can fully participate and succeed in their daily educational environment. In my free time I enjoy spending time with family camping, fishing, biking and baking sourdough.

Immunization Updates

On September 21 letters were sent home for the students who are not up to date on their immunizations. Please send any and all immunization update back to the school. If you have an appointment after October 14, please call or email your school nurse for more information.

If you are unable to get into your medical provider before October 14th:

Portage County Health and Human Services-Division of Public Health, Wausau Family Pharmacy and Stevens Point Area Public School District will be hosting an Immunization Clinic on 10/10/2026 from 9am-12pm at PJ Jacobs Junior High in the Cafeteria. Please watch for more information.

Another notice will be sent in October.

Is My Child Well Enough for School?

Children who have fever, vomiting or diarrhea need to stay home from school for 24 hours after these symptoms have resolved without medications.

Reminder: The weather is getting cooler. Please send your child dressed appropriately.

Halloween Safety--Important things to remember

• Use reflective tape to decorate costumes and candy bags to increase visibility of children to drivers.
• Costumes should be well-fitted with sturdy shoes. Wear make-up instead of a mask; if a mask is a part of your child's costume, be sure that it is well fitting and the eye holes are large enough.
• Be sure that children are accompanied by a responsible adult who has a flashlight.
• Instruct children to wait until they are home to enjoy their candy. Inspect Candy for any tampering or tears in the packaging.
• If you are Trick-or-Treating on Sunday, remind your child not to eat too much candy, they may get a stomachache or become ill the next day at school.

For more information:

https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/injury-prevention/halloween.htm

October 7 - Arby's Family Night (3:30-7p)

October 14 - McKinley PTO Meeting (5p)

October 15 - Field Trip - BSF - Gr 5 - Hoeppner

October 16 - Field Trip - BSF - Gr 5 - Hodsdon

October 22 - Popcorn Day

October 23 - No School - Professional Development Day

October 28 - Picture Retake Day

October 29 - McKinley PTO Event - Halloween Movie Night (6-8p)

October 30 - No School

Attention, McKinley Bobcats! Our lost and found is staging a takeover! We have a mountain of sweatshirts and a rogue collection of water bottles that desperately need to be reunited with their owners. These items are located on a table and in the red cubbies right outside the office. Please send your student on a treasure hunt to find their belongings! Parents, feel free to stop by and check for them as well. Consider this a final warning: anything left behind at the end of each month will be donated. We're running out of room, and we're not planning on building an extra storage unit just for one glove. 😉

As we prepare for winter weather, the Stevens Point Area Public School District will conduct a test of our family notification system on October 19 at 4:00 p.m.

Families should receive the test by email, phone and text based on the contact information and preferences currently on file.

If you do not receive the test on all of your preferred devices, please log in to Skyward Family Access to review and update your contact information or contact your school office for assistance.

Testing the system now helps ensure you receive important information when weather or other circumstances affect the school day.

Be sure to add our district's Academic Calendar and Days Off, the Elementary 6-Day Rotation Schedule, and McKinley Family Calendar directly to your preferred online calendar.

These calendars are designed to keep you informed and make it easier to plan around your child’s school schedule. Once added, you’ll have all the important dates—like holidays, professional development days, the rotating schedule, and field trips—right at your fingertips.

How to Add the Calendars:

1. Academic Calendar and Days Off: Add this calendar to your online calendar
2. Elementary 6-Day Rotation Schedule: Add this calendar to your online calendar
3. McKinley Family Calendar: Add this calendar to your online calendar

These calendars can be added to most online calendar services, including Google Calendar, Apple Calendar (iCal), Microsoft Outlook, and more. By subscribing to these calendars, you’ll have quick access to all the dates you need to know, and you can view them alongside your personal events. Stay organized and never miss an important date again!

The District's Mobile App 'Point Schools' is a powerful tool that contains so much information at your fingertips! You are able to tailor the information you receive from schools while quickly having access to school calendars, key contacts, menus and more.

It's free and available on Google Play and the App Store. Please help us spread the word in your school communications.

Melissa Pazurek, Secretary

Samantha Lefebvre, Office EA/Health Assistant

Stephanie Will, Psychologist

April Kaisen, Social Worker

Email: cgildenz@pointschools.net
Website: mckinley.pointschools.net
Location: 2926 Blaine Street, Stevens Point, WI, USA
Phone: 715.345.5421
Facebook: facebook.com/mckinleycenterelementary

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Si necesita ayuda traduciendo información que se encuentra en el correo electrónico, por favor, contacte a Soleyl Delgado al correo sdelgado@pointschools.net o llame al 715-498-1976.