Clarendon Avenue Elementary School

Hi Families!

December might be short, but it will be packed with learning and fun! Check out the calendar above so your child(ren) can participate in some fun "spirit" days throughout the month! Our theme for this month is JOY!

Some November highlights & reminders:

• VIP Lunch was AWESOME! It is hard to sneak away during the day, but SO MANY of you were able to make it a priority & we appreciate it greatly! We welcomed just under 700 visitors to the school during VIP week. Check out some great pictures below.
• Family Bingo Night was super well attended and FUN! For our first Bingo event, we received positive feedback and also great ideas to make it even better next time! Thank you for all that attended. It's great to see our community come together for some fun! Our next family event will be on January 17th and will be a movie night! Hope to see you there!
• Recess: We will continue to have outdoor recess, even when it's cold! (Outdoor recess happens daily when it is not raining and temp with windchill is above 0). Please help to send your child(ren) with warm weather gear everyday.

On behalf of myself and everyone here at Clarendon, we are honored to work with you and your children!

Brandy Hart, Principal

A huge thank you is needed for all of the help during VIP Lunch. VIP Lunch was enjoyed by over 600 guests in four days! You all rock for making it one of the most fun weeks for students and families! THANK YOU

Report cards will be posted to the parent portal on Monday, December 9, 2024 at 3:30 pm.

Kindergarten will not have a Trimester 1 Report Card.

Report cards and other important parent information will be released through the portal and you don't want to miss out. Go to https://www.masd.k12.wi.us/ in order to learn more and get signed up today!

All guests who are planning on attending the 2:00 pm 5th & 6th Grade Band, Orchestra, General Music and Choir Concert, & 4th Grade Orchestra Concert on December 17th, 2024, must complete the reservation form prior to the event that is during school hours. If a form is not completed, there will be a delay, as the guest(s) will have to check in through the main office with their drivers license. Up to 4 guests per student as our seating is limited at CES. Guests may arrive at 1:45 pm to check in and then remain in the lobby until doors open at 1:50 pm. This form will close on Monday, December 16th at 2:00 pm.

The 5th and 6th grade students have a Band, General Music and Orchestra concert at the Mukwonago High School Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, December 18th at 6:30 pm.

No reservations are required to attend this concert.

Your students teacher will be sending communication about any Holiday Classroom Parties!

All birthday treats sent to school must be pre-packaged. All treats must be “nut free” and

sensitive to any allergies within the classroom. The treats should not require refrigeration or

freezing. The teacher will determine an appropriate time and manner for items to be distributed

so as not to disrupt the classroom learning

If you want to come to school to eat lunch with your student you will need to check in at the

main office. Food from an outside vendor is prohibited. We are able to accommodate any adult

who would like to enjoy a school lunch with their student. Please let the office know before 9:00

a.m. the choice of lunch you will be having with your child

Gifts, balloons and decorations should be kept at home to celebrate with your family. Deliveries

to the classroom will not be allowed. It is not acceptable for parents to bring in balloons, flowers

or deliveries.

December, 2024

Dear Families,

As a School Counselor, I strive to keep our students feeling safe and welcome at school, and so many of my Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons during the month of October and November focused on bullying prevention. I was excited to talk with students this fall about the importance of stopping bullying, being a kind friend, and celebrating differences.

Act Now! is a bullying prevention curriculum developed by the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. The Act Now! lessons will teach students how to be problem solvers when it comes to witnessing and/or experiencing bullying. During these interactive lessons, we used activities, videos, stories, and discussion to engage students in learning about friendship, diversity, managing emotions, and ways to prevent bullying.

Act Now! also offers a site for parents and guardians to learn more about bullying situations at school and how to best help your student navigate difficult situations with peers. The website has great suggestions on how to handle bullying in a way that aligns with what students learn in class. Here is the link to this helpful resource:

https://www.healthykidslearnmore.com/Healthy-Kids-Learn-More/Parents-Act-Now

Please let me know if your family is interested in learning more.

Have a great holiday season!!

Mrs. Megan Johnson
Clarendon School Counselor

johnsmeg@masd.k12.wi.us

Each month, the Mukwonago School District seeks out and recognizes staff that have gone above and beyond in serving the districts mission and vision. We call these awards, The Vision Keepers!

In the month of November, 15 vision keepers were recognized throughout the district.... Clarendon had FOUR of those 15 recipients! Congrats to Christina Martello, Kristin Teska, Kris Bennett and Dale Wimer for showing excellence.

We also had the opportunity to recognize an employee of the month at the Nov. 18th board meeting and another opportunity to recognize an educator at a Rotary meeting on Nov. 21st. We took the time to celebrate Paraprofessional, Denise Gamroth and School Psychologist, Brittany Sadorf!

We are all thankful and and grateful to have so many high performing and high qualified educators on our team!

Join Clarendon's Ski and Snowboard Club

Interested in getting outside this winter as a family?

Join our Club and SAVE

when skiing or snowboarding at Alpine Valley!

Ski Club is open to students ages 7 and up.

Here's How our club works:

• The club card is $30(checks payable to "Marnie Phillips"). It is a coupon or discount card. With the card, the student receives one free lesson on a club night, $30 lift tickets on our club nights(and after 3pm Sun-Fri), $30 rentals, $30 additional lessons on club nights, and $15 helmet rentals.
• On our club dates (tentatively 12/6, 12/13, 12/20, 1/3, 1/10, 1/17, 1/24 Daytime), parents and friends can also purchase lift tickets and rentals at the same discounted price. More dates may be added.
• Once you pay for the card and fill out the form, you get an envelope with the students’ card in it. Students should always have that card with them. Each week you’d like to go skiing or snowboarding, you simply put the money in the envelope for lift tickets/rentals, etc. (payable to ‘Marnie Phillips’), and get it to the Art Room by Thursday afternoon. Lift Tickets/Rental Contracts go home with the student on the club date.
• CLICK HERE FOR FORMS AND FAQs.
• Email Ms. Phillips if you have any more questions: phillma@masd.k12.wi.us

Click these links for additional information.

Information

Sign Up Here!

• Dec 11 - 3rd Grade Visit with Jason Strickler and MHS students
• Dec 11 - CES PTG Meeting 6:30 pm in the Library
• Dec 12 - Paint with Bob Ross Event sponsored by CES PTG
• Reservations have been processed
• Dec 17 - Music Concert 4th - 6th grade in the Gym 2pm
• Dec 18 - Winter Concert @ MHS 6:30 pm
• Dec 20 - 6th Grade Field Trip to Majestic Theater
• Dec 20 - Last day of school for 2024!
• Dec 23-Jan 1st - Winter Break No School
• Jan 2, 2025 - School Resumes!

Please note there is NO SCHOOL December 23 - January 1, 2025 for winter break.

Please send your children to school prepared for the ever changing weather we experience. It is a great time of year to layer clothing. Please mark all sweatshirts, jackets, hats, gloves, and boots with their names. Students will be going out to recess every day unless the overall temperature (including wind chill) is -1 or lower.

A Message from the Phy Ed Teacher-Mrs. Portz

Please remember to send appropriate shoes for P.E. class.

You may review MASD's procedures for closing school due to extreme cold or unsafe roads.

Please review these behavior expectations as a family.

Be Safe

• Snow cannot be thrown or kicked for any reason.

• Snow may be used to create snow people, forests and other sculptures.

• Avoid walking/playing on ice patches.

• Listen to adult directions as to areas that are deemed unsafe on certain days.

Be Respectful

• Snow cannot be placed on others in any way (in hoods, on heads, down backs…)

• Allow previously built snow creations to stay as they were built.

• Share the snow. Do not take from one structure to use on yours.

Be Responsible

• Students should have an appropriate coat, hat, snow gloves/mittens to play outside.

• Students in grades K-3 must wear boots and snow/ski pants to leave the blacktop and play in the snow.

• Students in grades 4-6 must wear boots to leave the blacktop. They are not required to wear snow/ski pants unless they are doing activities where they will be on the ground playing in the snow. Ex - forts, football, etc…

The key is, if they are going to be in the snow, they need to be properly dressed for the occasion. If they are simply walking around the playground and the snow is below the top of their boots, they do not need snow/ski pants. However, keep in mind there will be times when snow cover on the blacktop will require boots to be worn.

Items that are found without identification will be placed in the Lost & Found located in hallway outside the gym. Please mark your child's name in all outerwear, lunch boxes, and personal sports equipment brought for recess, etc. If your child has come home without all his/her possessions, please have your child check the lost and found located in the hallway outside the gym for sweatshirts, coats, hats, gloves, etc. Small items (jewelry, keys, etc.) will be located in the office. Items in the Lost & Found at the end of the school year will be donated.

New Food Service Menu!

The Food Service Department is pleased to introduce My School Menus by Health-e Pro - a mobile app with interactive menus. My School Menus allows easy access to complete nutrition information for the school meal--anytime, anywhere.

You can download My School Menus Mobile App in the iTunes Store or the Google Play store. The Food Service Department is excited to offer My School Menus Mobile App as a valuable nutrition resource. You can access the web version by visiting the district website at https://www.myschoolmenus.com/organizations/2534.

The free/reduced-price lunch application is available through your Infinite Campus Parent Portal. The primary household has the option to share the permissions (waiver) with other fees issued districtwide when completing the annual update. This option is selected yes/no on the household tab in the annual update, if this is not selected, no fees will be waived. Secondary households can apply for meal benefits, however only the primary household can apply for the fee waiver.

The Wisconsin Student Immunization Law recently changed. New vaccine requirements for Varicella and MenACWY (meningitis) were added which may affect your child's compliance with the law.

Please see the following summary of changes to the Wisconsin school immunization requirements linked below for the 2024-2025 school year for schools. The summary explains the differences between the prior requirements and the newly updated requirements. For summary of changes please visit: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p03370.pdf

In Wisconsin, if a parent does not wish to have their child vaccinated, they may seek either a religious waiver or personal conviction waiver. This is noted in step 4 of the Child Care Immunization Record attached here.

For immunization requirements, please visit: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/immunization/reqs.htm

View a real-time, map-based bus located for your child's bus route on your mobile device!

1. Download the Zonar MyView app from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Enter our district code (MASD1).
3. Enter your child's school ID number.
4. Create alert zones around drop-off and pick-up points.

When your child's bus enters an alert zone, you will receive notifications by email or text.

Click here to view full parent instructions for the Zonar MyView app or this brief guide with directions.

Technology information for families can be found at this link: Family Technology Resources

Internet Safety

Mukwonago Area School District has various options available to Parents/Guardians related to Internet Safety and monitoring student activity. For more information on how parents/guardians can take advantage of available options, please click this link.

• MASD is proud to partner with the Wisconsin Department of Justice to use the new Speak Up, Speak Out (SUSO) confidential reporting system. SUSO allows students and parents to report weapons, threats of violence, bullying, sexual harassment, threat of suicide, drugs, and any other activity that could potentially endanger students, staff, and property. By using SUSO, students and parents can help keep schools safe, and it’s completely confidential.

While the weather is still nice, we know that some of our families enjoy taking the opportunity to walk their children to or from school. If you choose to walk to and from school with your children, please leave your pets at home. Dogs and other pets are not allowed on school grounds without prior approval from the school principal.

The McKinney-Vento Act is a federal law that ensures the right of students to go to school even when they are homeless or don’t have a permanent address. The Act aims to reduce barriers that have prevented many homeless youth from enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school. The Mukwonago Area School District is committed to building and creating a supportive community for all families and students.

Visit Resources for Homeless Students and Families

Federal law allows parents of each student attending any school receiving Title I funds to request and obtain information regarding the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teachers.

Included in this information, parents may request whether a student’s teacher has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade level(s) and subject area(s) in which the teacher provides instruction, whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or provisional status through which state qualification or licensing criteria have been waived, and whether the teacher is teaching in the field of discipline of the certification of the teacher. If a student’s services are provided by paraprofessionals, the parents may request information about their qualifications. To request this information, parents should contact the school’s main office at (262) 363-6286 and the information will be provided in a timely fashion.

As a service to our community, don't forget that MASD hosts a virtual Community Bulletin Board that is regularly updated with information from organizations providing services or activities. Be sure to bookmark the page and watch Key News for Families all year long for updates!

Parents, this is a great opportunity to:

• Be involved in your child’s education and help out in your local schools

• Turn your volunteer hours into extra income

• Maintain a flexible schedule—work when and where you want

• Get paid weekly and take advantage of bonus opportunities

Please check out these links to learn more!

Information on substitute opportunity for parents.

Find work that matters. Become a substitute.

School Hours

8:30 am - 3:35 pm Monday through Friday

Website: Clarendon Avenue Elementary School
Location: 915 Clarendon Avenue, Mukwonago, WI, USA
Phone: 262-363-6286
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/masdclarendon