Dear Families,

It looks like fall has really arrived in Madison! We are busy here at Lowell, learning and playing, discovering and problem solving. Our teachers have been planning for literacy instruction using our new curriculum, and have noticed increased student engagement with these new resources!

I wanted to call attention to the school start time. Our school day starts at 7:30. Students can arrive anytime between 7:15-7:30. When students arrive after 7:30, it impacts the class’s schedule and they can miss vital instruction. Please work to make sure your students are walking in before 7:30 each morning!

Next week, we have Picture Day and our Ally Walk. See information below about both events. We are excited to have all students pledge to SPEAK UP, REACH OUT, and BE A FRIEND when they see bullying - all ways they can be an ally.

The second Monday in October is Indigenous Peoples Day in Wisconsin, a day recognizing the earliest inhabitants of our region. This year on October 10, we “recognize the immense importance of the Native Nations to this state, and reaffirm the significance of the Native Nations’ sovereignty, culture and history,” as declared in Executive Order #50 which established Indigenous Peoples Day in Wisconsin in 2019. Our staff recently engaged in learning about teaching Native American history. You can find more resources for your family to explore here.

You are always welcome to reach out to me, via email at elfranzone@madison.k12.wi.us, phone at 608-204-6603, or text at 608-661-8958. We thank you for your support and continued partnership!

Warmly,

Ellen

October 7 - Movie Night

October 10 - Indigenous Peoples' Day

October 11 - Picture Day

October 12 - Ally Walk

October 14 - No School - Teacher Professional Learning

October 26 - Celebrate Smiles

October 28 - End of 1st Quarter

October 28 - Goodman After School Closed

October 31 - 10:35 Early Release for Conference Prep

October 31-November 4 - Book Fair

November 3 - Elementary School Evening Conferences

November 4 - No School; Conferences

November 4 - Gallery Night 5-9pm

November 11 - Picture Retake Day

November 23-25 - No School - Fall Break

The Lowell Community Organization invites you to…

MOVIE NIGHT

Featuring…DC League of Super Pets!

Friday, October 7

Lowell Gym (enter through front door on Maple Ave)

Join us at 6 p.m. for a community meeting with Principal Franzone

Movie starts at 6:30 p.m.

Wear your superhero gear, pajamas or other comfy clothes!

Students MUST be accompanied by an adult (supervision is not provided).

Free popcorn! BYO blankets!

You can bring the order form on Picture Day or order your pictures online.

To order your pictures online:

1. Visit mylifetouch.com
2. Enter your Picture Day ID: 7RKKCQTVE

Lowell students will participate in an Ally Walk. Parents are welcome to cheer on the students as they walk through the neighborhood for this all school event. Students are encouraged to wear the following colors:

• 4K and Kindergarten – Purple
• 1st grade – Blue
• 2nd grade – Green
• 3rd grade – Yellow
• 4th grade – Orange
• 5th grade – Red

Through grant funding, MMSD Food and Nutrition and REAP Food Group have the opportunity to provide local apples to K-5, non-Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) schools in MMSD to celebrate the Great Lakes Great Apple Crunch!

Local apples will be delivered to Lowell, washed and in classroom-sized apple bags, so that we can celebrate the CRUNCH!

The Great Lakes Great Apple Crunch is a time to celebrate the harvest and CRUNCH into local apples. The official CRUNCH takes place on Thursday, October 13 but the crunch can be celebrated all week long!

Save the date! Fall Gallery Night will be on Friday, November 4th, from 5-9pm. Lowell students' artwork will be displayed at Plymouth Congregational UCC, 2401 Atwood Ave. There will also be performances by Lowell Strings students! Read the Essential Arts Newsletter below, and stay tuned for more info.

• 3rd and 5th grade vision screening will take place on Thursday, October 13, 2022

• 4K hearing screening and kindergarten hearing screening (for those not screened in 4K last year) will also take place on Thursday, October 13, 2022

• Celebrate Smiles will be coming to Lowell on Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Embracing All Families is our theme for this year in our partnership with the Welcoming Schools program. In MMSD, Welcoming Schools is committed to creating an anti-racist, non-discriminatory environment where all identities are seen, valued and respected. For our elementary students, family plays a huge part in their identity, which is why we are focusing on learning about and celebrating all the different types of families that exist in our community.

In a school that embraces all families, families of all kinds feel welcome as soon as they enter the school. Children of all racial and ethnic backgrounds and with all kinds of family structures see families like theirs reflected in the books in their classrooms, in the images on bulletin boards and in the curriculum. Students feel comfortable talking about their families whether they have two dads, a grandmother as a primary caregiver or a parent living in another country.

Embracing all families should be a consideration in every facet of the school community. From the first forms that parents or guardians fill out before a child enters a school, to the ongoing communication with families, schools signal their acknowledgement and welcome to many kinds of families. In this inclusive environment, diverse families are normalized and children aren’t singled out or harassed, excluded or bullied because their family is “different.”

To GET a basket: Subject to availability recipients will receive a frozen turkey, potatoes, onions, carrots, stuffing, mac n cheese, gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls, butter, milk, eggs, a pumpkin pie, vegetable oil, canned fruit and vegetables and an aluminum roasting pan. This is through the efforts of the Goodman Community Center Food Pantry. As an MMSD family you have the opportunity to register early via this link to receive a Thanksgiving Basket from Goodman Community Center.

Lowell family sign up for Goodman Thanksgiving baskets

To support Goodman in making the Thanksgiving Basket Program happen, check this link: https://www.goodmancenter.org/get-involved/events/thanksgiving-baskets/ways-you-can-help

Emily Draves was well known in her Eastside neighborhood and community as an energetic young lady with a passion for music and dancing. You may have run into Emily out in the community or even seen her front and center at one of Madison’s many music festivals. Some people hear music and others feel it. Emily definitely felt the music.

She touched the lives of many and spread joy, kindness, light and love wherever she went. This included the Lowell, O’Keeffe and East school communities as well as Madison School & Community Recreation and Goodman Community Center afterschool programs, and community outings with United Cerebral Palsy of Dane County.

Emily‘s passing in April 2022 impacted many who knew her. As a tribute to Emily and to honor her memory, some Lowell teachers and neighbors on Jackson Street got together and decided to create Emily’s Little Free Library. In addition to the teachers and neighbors, friends and family members were recruited, all volunteering their time to make this happen. A heartfelt thank you to all who were involved.

The library is decorated in bright vibrant colors similar to Emily’s favorite tie-dye T-shirt. A whimsical cow, one of Emily‘s favorite animals, is displayed on the front. You will find the library full of children’s books and ready for use on the Maple Street side of Lowell Elementary School. In this Little Free Library, Emily's Eastside legacy lives on.

The intersection of Atwood and Fair Oaks is very busy at all times of the day. Please be sure that you and your children are following these simple, but important, safety rules:

• WAIT behind the red line in the “safe zone” until Crossing Guard Todd has made sure that all traffic has stopped and it is safe to cross.

• Walk bikes and scooters across the street.

• Be sure to always look left, right, left when crossing the street. Even when you are in a group and even when there is a Crossing Guard making the crossing. You just never know when a car might do something totally unexpected.

The Madison Crossing Guard Supervisor is working with the Traffic Engineering Division to hopefully make some signage modifications along Atwood and Fair Oaks so that it’s more obvious which areas are School Zones. More voices requesting this support and other changes are certain to draw more attention to the plight. We invite parents and community members to continue to reach out to MPD and to Traffic Engineering to make this area safer for all who walk, bike, or simply travel through this incredibly busy corridor.

Madison East Area Resources: Food, Housing, Mental Health, Utilities, Internet

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