Richards Family News

Dear Richards Families,

A huge shoutout to our incredible 5th Grade Student Council School Spirit Team for bringing so much energy and creativity to our school this year! From planning fun dress-up days to creating colorful posters and crafting exciting announcements, their work has helped make Richards an even more vibrant and engaging place to learn.

This dedicated group of students has worked hard to ensure that everyone—kids and staff alike—can show their Tiger pride in ways that are fun and inclusive. Whether it was Homecoming Spirit Week, Pajama Day, or Decades Day, their ideas and enthusiasm have truly made a difference.

A special thank you to Mrs. Anderson for guiding and supporting the team throughout the year. Your leadership has helped these students grow in confidence and collaboration while making our school a more connected and spirited community.

Let’s keep the momentum going—there’s more fun ahead!

At Richards, we know that play is more than just recess—it’s where friendships form, creativity thrives, and kids develop essential physical and social skills. That’s why, as shown in the pictures, we’re working toward an exciting playground renewal and expansion—because our students deserve a space to meet their needs.

Right now, our playground doesn’t offer variety or space to accommodate our large student population with over 200 students at recess together at times. Some students wait for a turn on equipment, while others look for fresh ways to engage in play. By expanding our playground, adding new play structures, we’re creating a space that invites all students to play, move, and connect in new ways that don’t currently exist on the playground. This isn’t just about adding more equipment—it’s about ensuring children have a place to belong during recess.

And our community is already stepping up! Our first big fundraiser—the Richards Coin Drive Challenge—was a huge success, raising nearly $3,000! Students not only donated but had fun in a friendly competition that showed what we can accomplish when we work together.

This is just the beginning! With a total goal of $300,000, we’ll need continued support to make this vision a reality. Thank you for investing in our students, their play, and their future. Together, we’re building a playground where every child belongs.

Richards School Learning Fair, March 12: Join us for this year's Learning Fair, filled with student projects that delve into interesting Science, History and Math topics. The event is open to the Richards Community, family members and friends this Wednesday, March 12th, from 4:00 to 6:00pm in the Great Hall.

Participant Families: Timely and important 3rd, 4th, 5th grade student participant information is included in this link: CLICK HERE

Spring Parent Teacher Conferences: Spring conferences are held on an as-needed basis. They can be scheduled by either family or teacher request. Conferences will be held for grades 4K through 5th grade on Thursday, March 20:

• 12:30–4:00pm In-Person
• 5:00–8:00pm Virtual

Teachers may recommend a conference if they see a change in achievement based on student progress indicators, behavior, or work habits.

Families may also wish to schedule a conference to discuss any new concerns or to receive updates on student progress toward previously established concerns or goals even if they have not received a recommendation from their child’s teacher.

The conference signup window via Family Access is open through March 17th.

• Sign Up Instructions

Teachers prepare extensively for conferences, and March 20 is the date allocated for Spring conferences when teachers are not teaching. Teachers are not allowed to schedule conferences outside of this window. If your child’s teacher has any concerns and you are not able to attend on March 20 (in person or virtually), the teacher will send an email with a summary.

Two-household parents/guardians sometimes request separate conferences. This is problematic as the dialogue, discussion, and conclusions in each conference may vary. Therefore, parents/ guardians are asked to attend one conference together and to sign up accordingly. Thank you ahead of time for cooperating with this structure.

Upcoming No School Dates

March 20 - 21: No School 4K – 5th Grade

March 24 – 28: Spring Break. School resumes Monday, March 31.

Wisconsin Forward Exam: Students in grades 3-5 will be participating in the Wisconsin Forward Exam testing in April. More detailed information can be found in this brochure. All testing will take place in the morning. Your help in not making morning appointments on these dates is much appreciated!

In addition, please ensure that fifth graders come to school with their fully charged Chromebook.

• Third Grade: April 1-2 and April 8-10
• Fourth Grade: April 1-2, 4 and April 8-11
• Fifth Grade: April 1-2 and April 8-10

2025-2026 School Year NEW Student Enrollment: 4K - 5th Grade new student enrollment for the 2025-26 school year is now open.

Visit our website for more information about the enrollment process.

Currently Enrolled Students: Current students are not required to re-enroll. Families of current students will complete Online Registration in August prior to the upcoming school year.

Students Not Returning: If for any reason, your child(ren) will not be returning to Richards next year, please contact our office at 414-963-3951 or by email at: stephanie.haupt@wfbschools.com

Enrollment Questions? Contact the Richards Office at 414-963-3951.

High Interest Day will be taking place on May 1. This is a day where students can take learning into their own hands and learn about a variety of topics they are curious about. Registration is open now through March 19. Please follow the instructions below to register your child for this year's exciting High Interest Day.

What do 2nd-5th Grade Families Need to Do?

1. Look over the PROGRAM COURSE GUIDE with your kids, and choose their 5 favorite sessions

2. Complete the ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM.

a. Enter student's name in the following format: FIRST LAST (Grade)

b. Please choose NO MORE than 5 sessions

c. Please do not add more than one submission. If you made an error or need to make a change please email lisabers@gmail.com prior to MARCH 19.

Every effort will be made to place students in their top three choices, however, session sizes are limited. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding.

What about Grades K4-1st?! Don't worry, they're participating too! The presenters for the lower grades were pre-selected based on subject matter and grade level appropriateness. K4-1st grade students DO NOT need to register for High Interest Day.

Please read the PROGRAM COURSE GUIDE to learn all the details of the event.

Questions about High Interest Day? Want to help as a volunteer? Email katiewortman@gmail.com or lisabers@gmail.com

Thank you!

Katie Walsh + Lisa Bers Taub

HID 2025 Co-Chairs

Coin Drive Results: A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported our recent coin drive. Your generosity helped the PTO to raise a total of $2,984.68, which will go towards the playground expansion. A special congratulations to the second grade students, who are the winners of the coin drive! As a reward, they'll enjoy watching a movie in the Great Hall with their classmates.

Chess Club: Last week the Chess Club came to a conclusion. Students in the club participated in an 8 week long tournament with their peers and were awarded with medals and trophies!

The club would like to give a special thank you to Coach Al for leading the club for another year. He volunteered much of his time and provided immense knowledge to the students. We couldn’t have done it without him! Also, thank you to the volunteers that helped organize each class week after week!

Please enjoy a few pictures of the chess club and awards presented!

The Cultural Arts Committee would like to thank all of the presenters for helping to make Richards 1st Cultural Night such a success! Thank you to all who attended as well. It was wonderful to see so much of the Richards community come together to celebrate one another. The committee is looking forward to next year! If you would be interested in joining the Cultural Arts Committee next year please reach out to Katie at ktcizauskas@gmail.com.

Admirals Family Night Out

Please note that although this is a PTO sponsored event, you are not guaranteed seats next to other Richards families.

New Playground Fundraiser: We are on a mission to raise $300,000 to expand and improve our school playground—and we can’t do it without you! This incredible project will be funded exclusively through the support of our families, friends, and the community, and the faster we raise the money, the sooner we can break ground.

We also encourage families to reach out to businesses, friends, and relatives who may want to contribute. Every dollar helps, and donations of $1,000 or more will be recognized with a plaque at the playground.

Donate online at: richardsplaygroundwfb.com
Questions? Contact us at: richardsptowfb@gmail.com

Richards Chess Tournament: The Richards Chess Club is excited to announce we will be hosting a WSCF tournament on April 26th. This will be the first tournament at Richards in years! Please click the link for additional details.

In order to make this tournament run smoothly, we are in need of volunteers for the following positions:

Set Up * Concessions * Registration/ Check in * Floor TD * Scorekeeper * Take Down

Click on the link to volunteer: Volunteer Sign up

Please contact committee chair Maya Ceniceros with any questions at maya.jan.4@gmail.com

Student Attendance FAQ

The linked document includes answers to frequently asked questions related to student attendance, excused and unexcused absences, make-up work, and more. Please carefully review the linked information. 2024-25 Student Attendance FAQ

School Board Meeting Takeaways: Curious about what is discussed at School Board Meetings? Linked below, you'll find key takeaways from the most recent School Board Meeting. Additional information can be found on the Board of Education website.

February 26 Board Meeting Takeaways

Next School Board Meeting: Wednesday, March 12 at 7:00pm, at Whitefish Bay High School Auditorium. Click here to view the 2024-2025 School Board Meeting dates.

The community is welcome to attend School Board meetings to gain a better understanding of School District business and the role of the School Board. The public is also invited to address the Board during the public comment portion as indicated in Board meetings. Meeting agendas are posted within BoardDocs two days preceding each meeting.

• Meeting dates located under featured tab/documents
• Agendas located under featured or meeting tabs

Whitefish Bay MPA Summer Music Grant – Apply Now!

The Whitefish Bay Music Parents Association (MPA) is excited to support our young musicians through our Summer Music Grant Program!

Who’s Eligible?

• Students entering grades 6-12 next year
• Must participate in orchestra, band, and/or choir at school
• Parents/guardians must be current MPA members

What’s Covered?

• A $100 Summer Grant (or the cost of the activity if less)
• Can be used for a summer music clinic, class, or camp (not private lessons)

We encourage all students to keep the music going this summer with camps and clinics!

Apply now and take advantage of this amazing opportunity!

From the Whitefish Bay Public Education Foundation: REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Run the Bay is the foundation's primary annual event to fund innovation in the WFB public schools.

The 5k run/walk and kids' races will be held on Saturday, May 3rd at Klode Park!

• New this year: $25 discount for WFB public school teachers!
• Back by popular demand... raffle prizes! Every race participant receives an entry into the raffle prize of their choice.

You can register for the run HERE! Dates to note: early bird pricing ends 4/6, and t-shirt deadline is 4/21.

Visit us on Facebook for more information on the run along with the other Bay Day activities. Interested in sponsorship opportunities, raffle donation, or volunteer positions? Please email the race organizers.

Website: https://www.wfbschools.com/schools/richards/
Location: 5812 North Santa Monica Boulevard, Whitefish Bay, WI, USA
Phone: 414-963-3951
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WFBSchools/