Madison Memo

September 2024

A Message from the Principal

Welcome Back to School!

Dear Families,

Welcome back to school! I hope you all had a wonderful break and are ready for an exciting year ahead! We are thrilled to have your children back with us and look forward to nurturing their growth and learning.

Thank you for your continued support as we embark on this new school year together.

Best regards,

Mrs. Jennifer Eichmeier

Upcoming Dates to Remember

Tuesday, September 3rd - First Day of School!
Monday, September 23rd - Picture Day
Friday, October 4th - No students; Staff Development

Breakfast and Lunch Menu (click here)

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Important Reminders for Back to School

Breakfast will be served from 7:45-8:05 in the gym.

Please drop your students off at the gym entrance for breakfast in the morning before school.

Students should not arrive at school prior to 8:00.

K-2 students will line up by class to enter the building through the north door and 3-5 students will line up by class near the playground. When students arrive at school they should line up in their class line. Teachers will arrive on the playground at 8:05 to greet students and escort them into the building for their day of learning. There will be no play on the playground before school. For safety, please do not drop children off prior to 8:00. There is no supervision prior to school starting. Please help us keep all of our children safe.

Dismissal is at 3:10.

Teachers will escort students out the same doors they enter in the morning. If your child is walking home on their own, please communicate that with your child’s teacher. If you are going to be picking your child up from school, please wait outside near the door they will exit and thank you for keeping the doorway clear. It will be easiest to have a designated spot to meet after school.

When school begins, help keep our students safe by not driving into the parking lot during drop-off and pickup times. If you or your child have mobility needs and need accommodations for entering the building, please reach out to the school office to make arrangements. Make plans to meet your child somewhere outside the building after school in a designated spot. All students will be escorted outside to meet parents.
The coned area next to the sidewalk on 4th Street is a slow-moving drop off lane that has students exiting cars onto the sidewalk. When parents park their car in this flow we end up with students exiting cars and walking in front of traffic. If you must park, please make sure to do so on the west side of 4th Street and use the crosswalk. Please help us keep all of our children safe during drop off and pick up times. Please maintain a speed of 3-5 mph during pick up and drop off times.

PICTURE DAY IS SEPTEMBER 23RD

NEW FACES AT MADISON

Becky Brownell - Special Education Teacher

My name is Becky Brownell. I previously worked at Phoenix Behavioral Health Services as an ABA Treatment Therapist for 7 years working with children that have Autism in their homes. In my free time, you will see me spending time with my family! I have been married to my husband, Chris for 8 years and have one son, Grayson who is 4 years old. I enjoy anything that my son enjoys doing! I am very excited to start this new journey at Madison Elementary School!

Sara Vogel - Special Education Teacher

My name is Sara Vogel, and I’m thrilled to join the Madison Elementary School team! I grew up in Whitelaw, WI, and graduated from Valders High School before earning my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary and Special Education from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. I began my teaching career in Brodhead, WI, where I worked with 2nd and 3rd grade special education students. My journey then took me to Colorado, where I spent a decade teaching and serving as both a principal and Special Education Director at a school specializing in supporting students with intellectual disabilities and behavioral challenges. Most recently, I supported K-12 students in a large Denver Metro School District who required alternative instructional settings due to medical needs. Outside of work, I enjoy staying active through gym classes and running, reading, spending quality time with family and friends, watching sports, and traveling.

Lisa Witwer - Music Teacher

My name is Lisa Witwer and I am the new Music Teacher at Madison Elementary School. I am a certified in Music Education with a Masters degree in Music Education with Kodaly Emphasis. I have taught for 30 years in 4 different states but I am returning to my hometown of Manitowoc, Wisconsin hoping to spend more time with my friends and family. I have 3 children, 2 of them live in Texas and one is here in Wisconsin with my husband and myself. I look forward to teaching at Madison and I know it will be an awesome year.

Julie Severance - Interventionist

Hi! My name is Julie Severance. I am joining Madison Elementary this year in the position of interventionist, where I will be working flexibly with our Madison students and staff to support learning in reading, math, behavior and other areas as needed. I will be working closely with Mrs. Holly to assist in implementation of our Solutions Teams as well. I am joining Madison with ten years of teaching experience as a classroom teacher, co-teacher and interventionist. I graduated from the University of Central Florida with a B.A. in Elementary Education and from Western Governors University with a M.A. in Mathematics Education, and my Wisconsin teaching licensure includes Elementary/Middle School K-9, Reading K-12 and English as a Second Language, K-12. My academic passions are teaching concrete reading skills and conceptual math skills. I have two adult children, Lily and Holly, and I live in Green Bay. While I enjoy my home state of Florida, I love to ski and can be found at Granite Peak many weekends through the winter.

Band and Orchestra News

Thursday, 9/12 - 5th grade Band and Orchestra Parent Info/Sign Up Meeting, Wilson MS Auditorium, 6:30pm

The Counselor Corner

If you are new to your school community, Welcome! If you are returning, Welcome Back! My name is Mrs. Holly, and I am the School Counselor here at Madison Elementary. I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside you and your students!

As the School Counselor, my role is to support the social, emotional, and academic development of our students. I provide guidance through individual counseling, group sessions, and various programs aimed at promoting a positive school environment. I also teach lessons surrounding managing emotions, empathy, careers, friendship and safety in your students' classrooms once per week.

One key aspect of my work is Social Emotional Learning (SEL). SEL focuses on helping students develop essential skills such as self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. By fostering these skills, we empower our students to navigate their emotions and build healthy relationships, ultimately enhancing their overall well-being and academic success.

I look forward to collaborating with you to create a nurturing environment for our students.

Best regards,

Alysa Holly
School Counselor

920-663-9662

hollya@mpsd.school

The Reading Corner

Welcome Back to School Madison Families!

My name is Angela Schardt. I am the Success For All Facilitator at Madison. This school year marks my 22nd year teaching in the MPSD. I am proud to live and work here in Manitowoc. My two sons, Cameron and Noah, both attend Lincoln High School. The MPSD uses a school reform program called Success For All. As a school team, we do our best to ensure your child receives reading instruction at an appropriate level. As a caregiver, please devote time as often as possible to reading with your children. SFA groups will begin Wednesday, September 18th for grades 1-5. Be on the lookout for a letter detailing your child's reading placement and SFA teacher. I look forward to an amazing school year!

All My Best,

Angela Schardt

schardta@mpsd.school

(920) 663-9352

Staff Spotlight - Mr. Ortega

Position: 1st grade teacher extraordinaire

How many years have you been in the district: 9

Favorite food: Breakfast food, but if I had to pick, it would be pancakes.

Favorite color(s): Blue

Favorite quote:

"Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky,

With one hand waving free

Silhouetted by the sea
Circled by the circus sands
With all memory and fate
Driven deep beneath the waves

Let me forget about today until tomorrow"

-Bob Dylan

Favorite book(s):"Cosmicomics" by Italo Calvino

Hobbies: I enjoy biking, playing guitar, reading, and perfecting my coffee creations.

Fun fact about yourself: I can find the North Star using the Big Dipper constellation. Wowee!

PTO News

Be sure to follow our Facebook Page (Madison Elementary Parent Teacher Organization – PTO)

Upcoming Events

PTO Meeting - Monday, Sept. 30th at 9:00am in the Madison Library

Superhero Fun Run Online Fundraiser - Kickoff September 30th - more details to come!

Future Events

Family Ice Skating Night at Expo Center – November 8 at 6-8pm

Scholastic Book Fair – November 12-14

Be on our volunteer list!

Volunteers needed for Scholastic book fair and end of school year celebration. Email Madison-

pto@mpsd.school if interested.

Fun Facts About September

Out of all 12 months of the year, September is spelled with the most letters. It contains nine letters, and it happens to be the ninth month of the year. No other months have the same amount of letters as their number in the calendar year.
This September “Harvest Moon” is the fullest moon of the year. When you gaze at it, it looks very large and gives a lot of light throughout the entire night. No other lunar spectacle is as awesome as the Harvest Moon.
The first day of fall is typically on September 22 or September 23 in North America. This is when the hours in the day are almost equal to the hours in the night. This occurs at the same time as the Spring Equinox does in Australia.
There are more pop and classic songs with “September” in the title than any other month.
September is known as Harvest Month. It’s a great month to harvest in preparation for the coming winter months. In fact, in Old England, it was called “Haervest-monath”, meaning Harvest Month. Some of the best crops to harvest are onions, apples, raspberries, and tomatoes.