Richards Family News

Dear Richards Families,

Our 5th Grade Student Council Green Team has been hard at work this year, making a lasting impact on Richards and our environment! From conducting energy audits to promoting recycling initiatives, these dedicated students have led efforts to make our school more sustainable. Their Maker’s Showcase highlights creative inventions made from recycled materials, and they continue to find ways to encourage energy conservation throughout our building.

A huge thank you to the students on the Green Team for their leadership and commitment, and to Mrs. Reed for her guidance and dedication to environmental stewardship. Your efforts are inspiring and making a real difference at Richards!

Please stay tuned for more information on how the Green Team will be celebrating Earth Day!

As we plan for the 2025-26 academic school year, an important part of our spring work is creating tentative class groupings. Our goal is to form well-balanced classes that reflect the diversity of our school community. This includes balancing class sizes, gender, learning and social-emotional needs, support services, and academic peers.

Our teachers put significant work into creating thoughtful, balanced placements, collaborating closely with other staff, including the counselor, school psychologist, literacy/math coaches, encore teachers, and administrators. Together, they carefully consider the best placement for each child to ensure strong support and success. These groupings remain flexible throughout the summer as students enroll or depart.

If you would like to provide input regarding your child’s placement, please use this [Family Optional Input Form]. While we do not honor requests for specific teachers, we value any insights that help us create the best placement for your child.

The form will be available online through April 4, 2024. Please submit any input by this date to ensure it is considered in our initial placement process.

Thank you for your partnership in this important work!

Spring Parent Teacher Conferences: 4K- 5th Grade Conferences will be held this Thursday,

March 20 as follows. Sign up via Family Access is open through today. Instructions are linked here.

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

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

5K & 1st Grade Music Concerts: Mark your calendar for the upcoming music concerts on Thursday, April 10. Performances will take place in the Great Hall. The 5K Concert begins at 5:30pm and the 1st Grade Concert begins at 6:15pm. More details to come!

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

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

Stock the Lounge: Did you know the PTO provides meals and snacks for the fantastic teachers and staff at Richards a few times a year! Next week during conferences we will be stocking the lounge with beverages and snacks! We would love your help providing snacks if you would like to contribute sign-up via the link all snacks are due to the office by Wednesday, March 19.

For questions email Hannah Ruck hjruck@gmail.com

Yearbooks On Sale Now! Yearbooks are on sale starting today, March 17, through May 2. This is the FIRST time that yearbooks have gone on sale for this school year, so if you think you’ve ordered one already, you haven’t! The cost for each yearbook is $17.50 and they will be delivered to your child at school prior to the end of the school year. Yearbooks may be ordered through Membership Toolkit by clicking here.

Questions? Contact Yearbook Chair

Allison Roth Allison.b.roth@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.

March 12 Board Meeting Takeaways

Next School Board Meeting: Tuesday, March 18 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

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/