Muskego Lakes Family Newsletter
September 22nd, 2023
Dear Muskego Lakes Families,
Your child's learning is our top priority here at Muskego Lakes. And we do our best to create the conditions here at school so that all of our students learn and grow every day.
That being said, we know that in order to learn and grow, some students need additional support. So, we are proud to offer two opportunities for students to receive additional support both during and after the school day.
Starting the week of October 2nd, we will again launch Homework Center for students over lunches. Homework Center is a quiet space where students can work on homework and/or get help with academic tasks during their lunch hour.
Reasons our students might visit Homework Center:
- Seeking a quiet, focused space to work on homework and/or read.
- Stuck on homework problems and need help.
- Seeking additional support in studying for upcoming assessment.
- Difficulty finding time for homework after school due to extra-curricular activities.
- Homeroom each day isn't quite enough time to finish their homework.
- A teacher has asked the student to go to get caught up on missing work.
In addition to Homework Center over lunches, we have a weekly Homework Club that meets after school. Homework Club is available for all students at Muskego Lakes. Homework Club meets weekly on Wednesdays from 3:10pm to 4:05pm in Room 24 (Ms. Rodriguez's classroom in the 7th grade wing). Students can attend weekly or as needed. They must sign in when they arrive, and of course, they will need to have arranged transportation home. Homework Club is a chance for students to have a quiet and supportive time to complete homework and/or get assistance as needed.
We are proud to provide both of these opportunities for our students. We know that they have busy lives outside of school, and our goal is to support them the best we can so they can enjoy their time with friends, family, and interests/hobbies outside of school.
Should you have any questions, please reach out to either one of us!
In partnership,
Rachel and Nancy
Muskego Lakes Principals
Important Dates Ahead
- September 25: No School
- October 3: Make-Up Picture Day
- October 19: Fall Conference Night 4-8pm
- October 22: MLMS PTO Pumpkin Spice Fair 9-2pm
- October 23: Fall Conference Night 4-8pm
Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences
Our staff is looking forward to being able to connect with families at our upcoming fall conferences. Each night conferences will be between 4 pm-8 pm. Please mark your calendar for the following dates:
- Thursday, October 19th
- Monday, October 23th
More information on sign-ups for conferences will be coming soon!
Fire Drills, Gaga Pit, and Outdoor Amphitheater
- Fire Drills - purpose of drills, expectations for what to do during the drill, safe locations, what to do if not with your class (using bathroom, library, office, etc.).
- Gaga Ball - object of the game, rules practiced by all students at MLMS, expectations of appropriate and respectful behavior.
- Outdoor Amphitheater at Lunch - how students know if it's open, expectations if eating lunch outside, and how to check in/out with the supervisor.
Attendance Check!
Thursday September 21st was the 20th day of school this year. Thank you to all the students who have prioritized their attendance this school year. Students are considered chronically absent if they have missed 10% or more of instruction available to them. That's approximately 2 days this school year so far. If your student has been out 2 or more days consider reaching out to Stacy Pawlak, School Social Worker, to problem solve around attendance concerns.
Supporting Students with Anxiety
As the Muskego Lakes Student Services Team, we are committed to help your child break down barriers that may impact their desire to attend school. Anxiety is a common barrier.
Definition of anxiety: feeling of fear and uneasiness about everyday situations.
If your child is suffering from anxiety, you are not alone. The good news is that in most situations, anxiety is normal and temporary. Anxiety becomes a concern if it persists — it can affect relationships with family, peers and teachers, contribute to academic challenges, and lead to school avoidance/refusal. Addressing anxiety is important for a child’s overall well-being, not just attendance. In addition, if your child starts to complain of symptoms like a headache or stomach ache, it is important to quickly determine whether this is related to anxiety or a physical illness that might require missing school. If the challenge is anxiety, staying home may worsen the situation. (From Attendance Works)
If you have questions or concerns please reach out to a member of your student services team:
Grades 5 & 6 School Counselor: Janine Hake
Grades 7 & 8 School Counselor: Jim Brickweg
School Psychologist: Stacey Malek
School Social Worker: Stacy Pawlak
Shown above are the upcoming co-curricular events at Muskego Lakes!
If a change occurs from the date of this newsletter, we post on Infinite Campus in the announcement section. We commit to letting students/families know about changes and updating Infinite Campus announcements as soon as possible once we've been notified of a change.
Check out all MLMS events here which includes more detailed information!
Reminder of Superintendent Focus Groups & Survey
The Muskego-Norway School Board invites your participation in developing a desired Profile to inform the search and selection of our next Superintendent of Schools to begin on July 1, 2024.
The New Superintendent Profile will be based on both survey and focus group participation and responses. The online survey, linked below, will be on our district website through September 29 and the focus groups with various stakeholder groups will be scheduled at convenient times during the month of September. Parent and community member focus group dates, times, and locations are listed below. Based on the survey and focus group results, the New Superintendent Profile will be presented to the School Board for approval on October 9, 2023.
Responses to the survey and focus group questions will help to inform the “greatest strengths” of the district to sustain and continue to grow, and the “greatest challenges” of the district to prioritize and address. Your responses will also seek input on the projected initial priorities/goals of the new superintendent and the “most important characteristics/skills” needed to make the connections to address the priorities/goals together.
So, your participation in the online survey, linked below, and the in-person focus groups during the month of September is essential to informing the search - both as an encouragement for qualified candidates to apply and as an encouragement for the school board in their vetting process to discern the most qualified candidate to continue to lead the continuous improvement steps of our sought after Muskego-Norway Schools.
SURVEY LINK HERE - available through September 29, 2023
Parent and Community Member focus group meetings will be held at the Educational Services Center, S87 W18763 Woods Road, Muskego, WI at the following dates and time still:
Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at 6:30 PM at the ESC
Purchase a Yearbook Yet?
Pumpkin Spice Fest 2023 Sign Up Today!
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/FPiTbauBC9cQiBgn7
After completing the form, a confirmation email with payment instructions will be sent within 48 hours. Our Muskego Lakes PTO is Looking forward to another great event!
Get Involved By Joining The Muskego Lakes PTO!
Please consider joining the Muskego Lakes PTO. We meet monthly in the MLMS library at 6:30pm. We always welcome new faces and would love to hear your ideas on how we can make this an amazing school year ahead!!
Meeting Dates for the 23-24 School Year:
- October 11
- November 8
- January 10
- February 14
- March 13
- April 10
- May 8
Reminders for the Lunchroom
In an effort to ensure students can move through the lunch lines efficiently, we ask that you remind your student to ensure that they bring their school ID card with them to lunch daily or ensure that they have gotten their finger scanned.
For your convenience, we have linked helpful resources. You can always find the link to updated lunch menus, at the end of this newsletter.
2023-24 Lunch Prices:
- Elementary Lunch: $2.55
- MS Lunch 1: $2.95
- MS Lunch 2: $3.50
- MS Creation Station: $3.90
- Milk Carton: $.50
- MHS Ala carte meal rates as noted on the monthly menu will apply.
Questions related to the food service program can be directed to Benny D’Epiro, Food Service Director at 262-971-1790 x4522.
Clinical Psychology Associates Services
We are proud to continue to partner with Clinical Psychology Associates (CPA) to offer on-site counseling services through the summer months for students enrolled in Lakeview Elementary, Mill Valley Elementary, Bay Lane Elementary, Lake Denoon Middle, Muskego Lakes Middle, and Muskego High School. For information about CPA’s services and therapists or to get started with an appointment, please visit our website. Therapeutic services will continue into the 2023-24 school year as well.
Muskego Norway School District Calendar
Please make note of days off and important events on the 23-24 calendar. It is ideal to make dentist and doctor appointments on days we do not have school whenever possible.
Thank you!
Muskego Lakes Middle School
Website: https://www.muskegonorway.org/schools/muskegolakes/
Location: W124 S8009 North Cape Rd.
Phone: 262-971-1860
Twitter: @MLMSmuskies