Clarendon Avenue Elementary School

Hi Families!

Happy New Year! I hope this message finds you well and that you had a wonderful and relaxing holiday break. As we return to school, I’m thrilled to welcome all of our students back for an exciting and enriching second half of the academic year.

January brings a fresh start and new opportunities for learning and growth. In the coming weeks, we will focus on continuing to build strong academic foundations while fostering creativity, curiosity, and collaboration. Our teachers are energized and ready to guide your children through engaging lessons and activities that will challenge and inspire them.

In the coming months, our PTG will also be hosting several special events, including a Family Movie Night and a Valentines Day Dance! Please keep an eye on our newsletters and school website for updates and details or view the flyers below!

As always, we value your partnership and support. Together, we can ensure that every child feels safe, supported, and successful. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or your child’s teacher if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas! Let’s make 2025 a fantastic year for our school community!

Some highlights or reminders:

• Crossing Guards: Please be mindful when driving at arrival and dismissal. Our staff members serving as crossing guards are noticing cars not slowing down or stopping at stop signs. Please help us keep your children safe by slowing down.
• 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

Please come join CES PTG on Friday, January 17th, 2025 in the school gym for a movie. Admission is FREE! Costumes are encouraged! Doors will open at 5:45 pm. Movie will begin at 6:00 pm. Concessions are cash only and will include: Pizza, popcorn, water, gatorade and assorted candy. Bring your blankets and pillows to get comfy on the gym floor. If considering to purchase pizza while at the movie, please send back to school the pizza portion of the flyer found here.

Chaperones are required.

As part of Wisconsin's early literacy law, Act 20, districts are required to offer families of students in Kindergarten through Grade 3 who require additional literacy support a family literacy history survey. Due to the tight timelines we have to collect this information, we are offering this brief 5-question survey to all of our K-3 families at this time. The survey link is directly below. Thank you in advance.

For all families with students in K-3, click here to access the survey. Families with multiple students in K-3 should fill it out for each child. Please complete the survey by January 22.

Congratulations to the following students who will have their artwork on display at the Waukesha County Courthouse from January 6th through the 15th. If you're in the area, stop by and see their work!

Stella, Lyndon, Jacob, Jordyn, Ingrid, James, Conrad, Lilly, Emily, Maysie, Parker, Lynea, Hunter, Teddy, Jane, Meadow, Carter, Lea, Lukas, Finnick, Harlow, Aiden, Porter, Lydia, Owen, Zara, Bowen, Asher, Auryn, Logan, Kian, Lucy, Milania, Lincoln, ,Olivia, Nolan, Colton ,Olivia, Conrad, Lillie, James

Spark your creativity Girl Scout Cookie Tasting & Information Night!

Wednesday, January 8th from 5:30-6:30pm

Clarendon Avenue Elementary - Library

All girls, K-3rd, and their guardians are invited to come and learn about the Girl Scout and our Cookie Program, and try some cookies!

Earn part of the Cookie Boss badge!

Here is information on how to order a 24-25 Clarendon Yearbook. The yearbook will only be available to order online. The cost is $13.50. Here is the Network Photography link to order and prepay: Clarendon Ave. School Virtual Flyer.

The prepay link will close on 3/17/2025.

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.

January, 2025

Dear Families,

Happy New Years!! The start of a new year is a great time to set new routines especially if old routines aren’t working. Routines are how families organize themselves to get things done, spend time together and have fun. Routines help family members know who should do what, when, in what order, and how often. Family life is often smoother with a few routines.

Morning

To make the household function well in the morning, everyone needs to know what has to be done to get ready for the day. Try the following:

• Put as many things in order as possible the night before.

• Keep wake-up routines cheerful and positive.

• Be sure your child eats breakfast, even if he or she is not hungry in the morning.

• Finally, round out each morning by saying goodbye to your children. A simple hug and a wave as he or she heads out the front door or slides out of the car are extremely important. They will give your child a positive feeling with which to begin the day's activities.

Bedtime

On school nights, children need a regular time to go to sleep. Lights can go out early enough to allow children ages 6-12 to get 9-12 hours of sleep. Nighttime rituals can help ease a child to sleep. These rituals can include:

• Reading aloud or silently

• Conversation about the day or to prepare for the next day

• Songs or storytelling

Weekends

Weekends are good times for family togetherness. You might go grocery shopping as a family, visit museums and zoos, do chores​ that everyone participates in, go on hikes or bike rides, or attend family gatherings. On weekends children in the middle years can usually be allowed a later bedtime than during the week. Keep in mind that, although family time is essential, it is equally important for parents to set aside some time just for themselves, too!

Some books for our young readers with themes related to routines are:

• Eddie Gets Ready for School by David Milgrim

• Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London

• My Morning Routine by Estee Santoni

• Even Superheroes Have to Sleep by Sara Crow

• Goodnight Tiger by Timothy Knapman

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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 December, 23 vision keepers were recognized throughout the district.... Clarendon had FIVE of those 23 recipients! Congrats to Alyssa Oldenburg, Brittany Sadorf, Teri Lorenz, Megan Johnson, and Jane Kershasky for showing excellence.

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!

Clarendon’s annual Coins for College fundraiser begins soon. Students are encouraged to bring in coins during the week of January 27th-31st, 2025. These coins are then awarded to current MHS seniors in the form of a scholarship. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be Clarendon alumni, and must be continuing their education post high school graduation. Please look for baggies in your son/daughter’s Friday folders the week of January 24th. The Coins for College total last year was $2326.88! Please email Sarah Cleaver at cleavsa@masd.k12.wi.us with any questions.

Thank you for your generosity and support of the Coins for College program.

• Jan 2 - Classes Resume-Welcome Back!
• Jan 9 - 4K Parent Information Night at MHS
• Jan 9 - CES Yearbook Group & Activities Photos
• Jan 14 - CES PTG Meeting in the Library 6:30 pm
• Jan 17 - Clarendon PTG Presents...Inside Out 2...Family Movie Night at CES
• Jan 20 - Deadline for joining the Kids Art Club with Mrs. Phillips
• Jan 23 - Student Early Release at 1:35 pm
• Jan 30 - PVMSS Course Information Night for 6th grade students & parents 5:30 pm
• Jan 27-31 - Coins for College

Jan 1

Jan 13

Jan 24

💥🕜2 Hour Early Release January 23rd. Students will be released at 1:35 pm.🕜💥

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.

Our next meeting will be held on:

Tuesday, January 14th, 6:30 pm in the CES library

On Thursday, January 9, at 6:30 pm, the Mukwonago Area School District will host a 4K Parent Night at the Greenwald Foundation Performing Arts Center at Mukwonago High School. This is an informational presentation for families with incoming 4K students or families wanting more information about enrolling their child in 4K. This presentation will include information on our 4K sites, daily expectations, and goals of our 4K program.

In addition, after our presentation, families will have the opportunity to talk with staff from our 4K sites. Enrollment for the 2025-26 school year will begin on February 3, 2025.

For more information, visit our 4K webpage.

2025-2026 4K Registration

Starting February 3, 2025, click here to go to the enrollment webpage to register your child for 4K.

Park View Middle School will hold Course Information Night on January 30th from 5:30-7:30 pm.

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.

Please remember to pay any remaining student fees for the 2024-2025 school year.

Please log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal to view any outstanding student and lunch fees. You can pay online through the portal or send a check to the school office.

Checks should be made payable to Mukwonago Area School District.

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.

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 Mukwonago Area School District is accepting applications for early entrance to

Kindergarten through March 1, 2025. Early entrance evaluations will be conducted for children

who are not 5 years old by September 1, 2025, but will be 5 years old by October 1, 2025. The

child must meet criteria set by the district in the areas of social, emotional, academic, and

intellectual levels. More information can be found on the district website (Board Policy 5112).

Parents must request an application stating the child’s name, date of birth, parent name,

address, phone number and email address BY MARCH 1, 2025 to: The Mukwonago Area School

District-Student Services Department at 385 E Veterans Way, Mukwonago WI 53149, or via

email to berkagi@masd.k12.wi.us.

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