Muskego Lakes Family Newsletter
September 29th, 2023
Dear Muskego Lakes Families,
Did you know that at Muskego Lakes, we have students actively goal-setting, monitoring, and reflecting on their progress as learners? Our students have a digital tracker known to them as a "Standards of Focus" or "SOF" tracker for both math and literacy classes!
All students will take time in the upcoming weeks (and some have already started) to reflect and record their results of the Fall iReady assessment. With teacher assistance, students in math and literacy classes will set goals for their overall performance and iReady lessons. In addition, they will be recording their performance by domain area (i.e. Vocabulary, Comprehension Literature, Numbers and Operations, Algebra and Algebraic Thinking, etc.). Doing this gives students a clear picture of how they are doing and allows them to see their growth as they return to the SOF tracker after iReady diagnostic assessments.
Throughout the year, students will also take Standards Mastery assessments that provide a snapshot of their mastery of the grade level standard. After each of these, teachers will ask students to record their performance, reflect on what skills they need to work on and identify the next steps for themselves as learners in conjunction with the feedback they receive from the staff. You can also count on a paper reflection to come home in the Musky Folder for you to review. In addition, we encourage you to ask your child about their SOF tracker and review it with you, as it is another way to see feedback and reflection on their progress as a learner.
We are thrilled that our students are goal-setting and taking time to reflect on their progress, as goal-setting is a fundamental skill that empowers students to take ownership of their learning. It instills a sense of responsibility and motivation. We know that students who actively participate in setting and tracking their goals become more engaged in their education and are more likely to achieve their desired outcomes.
While all our students are at different levels of understanding, we all have one goal here at Muskego Lakes: to help them find success from where they are currently performing. By assisting them to set goals aligned with their present understanding, we feel confident that students will be more aware of their next steps as learners and be empowered to achieve their goals! Check out a few photos below of some students starting to set-up their SOF trackers, and please don't hesitate to contact the classroom teacher if you have any questions about our child's SOF tracker.
In partnership,
Rachel and Nancy
Muskego Lakes Principals
Important Dates Ahead
- 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 Conferences Options and Sign-Up Information
Our staff is looking forward to being able to connect with families at our upcoming fall conferences! Each night, conferences will be between 4pm-8pm. Please mark your calendar for the following dates:
Thursday, October 19th, 2023: both Virtual and In-Person options
Monday, October 23rd, 2023: both Virtual and In-Person options
Once again, we will be using the platform "Meet the Teacher" to schedule these conferences, and each conference will be 10 minutes long with 2-minute transitions in between. This sign-up will open on Monday, October 2nd at 7:00 am, and will be closed for booking on Wednesday, October 18th at 3:00 pm. If you have more than one child at MLMS, you will be able to book conferences for all with the same login.
**Important to note! In the past, you have been able to sign up for EITHER virtual conferences OR in person, each hosted on a separate night. Now, for these fall conferences, you will be able to choose from these options-
An entire virtual conference night
An entire in-person conference night
A combination of both in-person and virtual conferences, each on a different date. For example, you could sign up for October 19th for in-person, and sign up for October 23rd for virtual.
We hope this flexibility is helpful to you and your family!
Link to Sign Up
Important Notes When Scheduling
Important Notes When Scheduling
Please add a message for the teacher!
In order for the conference to meet your needs, please indicate outcomes that would make the conference a success. When booking your appointment with a teacher on the booking grid, you will have the option to “Add a message for (teacher name).”
For 5th and 6th grade students
The 5th and 6th grade teachers teach either science/social studies, math/science or literacy/social studies. You will be able to sign up for those teachers only once, but will be able to talk about both classes during your conference.
For 7th and 8th grade students
If your account shows that your child has the same teacher for more than one class, PLEASE ONLY SIGN UP WITH THAT TEACHER ONCE. You will be able to talk about both classes during your conference.
How to book conferences with your child’s high school world language or math teacher (if applicable)
If your child attends Muskego High School for a world language or math class, please look for separate communication from the high school regarding setting up a conference with their teacher
Need an interpreter?
Contact Mary Amaya with your request at mary.amaya@muskegonorway.org or 262-971-1860.
How to invite a 2nd parent/guardian to the conference
Once you have made your bookings (or when you later log in and go to My Bookings) click on the Invite Parent/Guardian link at the top of the list of your bookings. If you have already sent an invitation this link will show as Manage Invites instead. A maximum of two guests can attend the conference at the same time.
Need more time with a teacher?
Meet the Teacher holds firm to the start and end time of each scheduled 10 minute conference. The conference timer begins at the scheduled start time, not when the family joins the conference. When the 10 minutes are up, the conference ends automatically. This is a feature of Meet the Teacher that our teachers cannot manipulate. The benefit of this feature is that teachers will not get backed up causing conference start times to move back. Families can count on every scheduled conference starting on time. If your conference ends and you need more time, please reach out to your child's teacher to schedule another time.
If you weren’t able to sign up for a teacher you’d like to meet with.
If you’d like to schedule a conference after booking has closed, or if you cannot attend conferences during the designated dates and times, please contact the teacher directly to set up an appointment.
Getting Ready for Your Conference or Troubleshooting
Getting ready for your in-person conference
So that you are on time for all of your appointments, consider coming early to get a map of the school or print one HERE.
Getting ready for your virtual conference and troubleshooting
Check out the guide HERE
Technology isn’t your thing?
Call the Muskego Lakes office and ask for Sarah Bauhs. She can help walk you through the process to get you signed up!
Need to speak with a principal or someone in student services? Please email to arrange a time that works best for you.
Rachel Rydzewski (Principal) rachel.rydzewski@muskegonorway.org
Nancy Pasch (Associate Principal) nancy.pasch@muskegonorway.org
Stacey Malek (School Psychologist)- stacey.malek@muskegonorway.org
Janine Hake (School Counselor- Grades 5,6)- janine.hake@muskegonorway.org
Jim Brickweg (School Counselor- Grades 7,8)- james.brickweg@muskegonorway.org
Stacy Pawlak (School Social Worker)- stacy.pawlak@muskegonorway.org
Jared Sandretti (School Resource Officer)- jared.sandretti@muskegonorway.org
How to Schedule Your Conference on Meet the Teacher Platform
Step 1: Login
Fill out the details on the page then click the Log In button.
You must enter information as it is in Infinite Campus.
Use Samantha not Sam, if Infinite Campus uses your daughter's full name
When entering an email address, ensure it is one associated with the Infinite Campus profile
If you have multiple children, you can decide which child's information to use. They will all give you family access!
A confirmation of your appointments will be sent to the email address you provide.
Step 2: Select Parent Teacher Conference
Click on the date you wish to book.
Unable to make all of the dates listed? Click I'm unable to attend.
Step 3: Select In-Person or Virtual
When you choose a date that has both in-person and virtual appointment sessions available, you can choose which you want to book. Then press Next.
Step 4: Choose Teachers
Select the teachers you’d like to book appointments with. A green tick indicates they’re selected. To de-select, click on their name.
**Due to a technical glitch outside of Muskego Lakes control, please do not choose this booking option. Instead, select Manual to for scheduling.**
Step 5a (Automatic): Book Appointments - NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME
Step 5b (Manual): Book Appointments
Click any of the green cells to make an appointment. Blue cells signify where you already have an appointment. Grey cells are unavailable.
To change an appointment, delete the original by hovering over the blue box and clicking Delete. Then choose an alternate time.
Leave a message for the teacher to say what you’d like to discuss or raise anything beforehand.
Once you’re finished booking all appointments, at the top of the page, press Click Here to finish the booking process.
Step 6: Finished
All your bookings now appear on the My Bookings page. An email confirmation has been sent and you can also print appointments by pressing Print. Click Subscribe to Calendar to add these and any future bookings to your calendar. To change your appointments, click on Amend Bookings.
Help Us Celebrate Our Staff, Give A Staff Shout-Out!
To do so, you can complete the form HERE. We will be taking nominations until October, 20th, 2023. Thank you for helping us honor our staff here at Muskego Lakes!
We Need Guest Speakers!
Muskego Lakes Ski/Snowboard
If you would like to join the MLMS Ski /Snowboard Club, please make sure the following information is turned in (with payment) during the week of October 9-13, 2023! Late registration is only accepted if space allows. If you need the following forms printed, please pick up forms at student services. If you have any questions, please contact Laurie Buxengard, laurie.buxengard@muskegonorway.org, 262-971-1800 x 2110 or Barb Mattson, barbara.mattson@muskegonorway.org.
Complete Electronically - MLMS Ski Club Form - REQUIRED
The following forms need to be completed and turned into MLMS with payment, checks made payable to Muskego Lakes Middle School
Alpine Valley Release of Liability - REQUIRED
Concussion form - REQUIRED
Co-curricular Code Card -REQUIRED
Emergency Information Card - REQUIRED
The cost (listed below) includes six trips, one free lesson, a student ID card, coach bus transportation, and a club t-shirt. Each Tuesday afternoon we will depart school by 2:40 PM and return to school promptly at 8:00 PM. Your student will be dismissed from class by 2:30 PM to arrive at the bus for departure at 2:40 PM. We will arrive back at school at 8:00 PM. Please be prompt! Late pickups may result in removal from the club.
All forms and fees are due the week of October 9-13. No early drop-off/registrations will be accepted before this week. Ski/Snowboard Club is limited to 50 kids per bus. Late registration is only accepted if space allows. You can drop off an envelope with all forms and fees completed inside. All papers and fees are due together.
All student clubs at MLMS must meet the academic eligibility requirements according to the co-curricular code (student handbook).
Students will be covered under their own individual family insurance policy. Muskego Lakes Middle School and Muskego Norway School district are not liable for any injuries.
Cost(s): Make checks payable to Muskego Lakes Middle School
Non-rental: $325.00
Rental (helmet not included): $505.00
Rental (with Helmet): $595.00
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Helmet: See Rental with helmet cost above. It is strongly recommended that you purchase a helmet on your own, it is much more cost effective. ** Due to the increasing number of ski and board injuries around the country, it is MANDATORY that ski/board helmets be worn at all times on the slopes.
Dates for trips: TUESDAY - December 5, December 12, December 19, January 2, January 9 and January 16, (Makeup) January 23
SIgn Up Today for Mid-Week Munchies
Every Wednesday the Muskego Lakes PTO is looking for volunteers to donate snacks to our teachers and staff. This greatly helps them make it through the week and brighten their day. You can donate snacks or a group of families can donate. We have roughly 100 staff members. Snacks can be anything you'd like. Please sign up for a date HERE if you can. Drop off will be in the front office by 8am on the Wednesday you sign up.
Thank you in advanced for helping spoil our staff.
Supporting Students with Time Management
We are excited to announce an upcoming homeroom lesson we have for our students that is dedicated to an essential life skill—time management! Our goal is to equip our students with the tools they need to avoid being tardy to class and develop effective time management habits that will serve them well throughout their school day and lives.
As part of this lessons, students will be reflecting on their current state of time management and getting to class on time. Students will be reflecting on their tardies (if any) they have so far this year and identify the root cause of the tardy and then making a plan to ensure they are on time for class.
We encourage you to have a conversation with your child about the importance of punctuality and effective time management. Here are some questions to get the dialogue started:
Why is it important to be on time for class and other commitments?
What challenges do you face when it comes to managing your time effectively or getting to class on time?
Can you identify any distractions or issues you have that might contribute to tardiness?
How can you prioritize your tasks and create a daily schedule that helps you arrive on time?
Are there any tools or strategies you use or can use to remind yourself of important deadlines and appointments?
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!
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