Dear MMSD Families,

This week, we welcomed the 4th quarter with renewed energy. These next several weeks are certain to produce many triumphs and opportunities!

Throughout this school year, we have witnessed examples of student excellence. Our students have become National Merit Semifinalists, state champion student athletes, leaders in artistic expression, and emerging advocates for equity and justice. This edition of the MMSD Family Newsletter highlights only a small portion of the continued accomplishments realized by our scholars and staff.

Our students, staff, families, and community have demonstrated resilience while leaning forward to embrace the variety of possibilities emerging from our new reality. I look forward to hearing your feedback and ideas during my visits to schools and community events.

Sincerely,

Carlton D. Jenkins, Ph.D.

Superintendent

Watch all 10 Finalists

Project Soapbox Partnership Amplifies Student Voice

MMSD middle and high school scholars participated in the Project Soapbox event on March 24. Project Soapbox is a public speaking competition highlighting youth voices, hosted in partnership with the Mivka Challenge youth organization. Project Soapbox encourages students to develop and deliver a two-to-three-minute persuasive speech answering the question: “What is the biggest issue facing your community, why is it important, and what should be done about it?” Nearly 100 MMSD scholars presented their speeches during the virtual event, addressing a number of crucial topics including bullying, LGBTQIA+ rights, the criminal justice system, and more.

Judges determined a list of the top 10 speeches from across the district. In addition, all participants are automatically entered into a national Project Soapbox event, where the Mivka Challenge will choose 12 students from across the country to participate in a showcase this summer.

Madison Schools Expanding Full-Day 4K Next Year

Next school year, there will be more opportunities for kids to be in full-day 4K. 4K teacher Colleen Gingher is on her feet all day. It’s her 23rd year at Mendota Elementary School, on Madison’s north side.

“It’s my favorite grade, and I’ve done kindergarten, first, and third,” she said. “I wouldn’t change being with all these little friends for anything.”

Previously, 4K was a half-day program in the Madison Metropolitan School District. It’s still that way in many of them. However, there are 16 classrooms across the district in a pilot program that has full-day 4K. 

Gingher has taught 4K for nine years. She already sees a difference between half-day and full-day. “I was looking at where they started and where they are now. I mean, academically, socially, emotionally, they’ve just developed like into these amazing little, almost kindergarten humans,” she said. “I hope it stays [full-day] forever. Because I really have seen the benefit.” 

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Memorial's Forensics Team won first place in the Wisconsin High School Forensic Association - WHSFA State Championship this weekend! Memorial reclaimed the title over Sun Prairie, whose team previously ended Memorial's 13-year winning streak. Congrats to the entire team, including three individual state champions: Sam S., Libby P., and Nitya P. and WFCA scholarship winner Eliana S.

Give an another round of applause to Memorial Forensics coach Timothy Scheffler, who won the William Hintz Award for Coaching Excellence!

Join us in congratulating Memorial's Future Business Leaders of America, who participated in the 2022 Wisconsin Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership Conference March 28 and 29!



These hardworking students competed in events across multiple business-related fields, including sports and event marketing, broadcast journalism, mobile application development (4th place), business procedures (3rd place), hospitality (2nd place), and cybersecurity (1st place). The top four finishers in each event will advance to the National Leadership Conference in Chicago this summer.

2022 Herb Kohl Foundation Award Recipients

Congratulations to the 2022 Herb Kohl Foundation award recipients, including six honorees from the Madison Metropolitan School District. Cherokee Heights Middle School Principal Anu Ebbe, Hawthorne Elementary teacher Brenda Kallies, and four seniors were named.

This year, the state-wide honor is presenting awards of $6,000 to 100 teachers, 17 principals and their schools, and $10,000 scholarships to 174 graduating high school students. The awards celebrate students who demonstrate excellence in academics and achievements; educators who inspire a love of learning in their students; principals who set high standards for instruction, achievement, and character.



Read More About Our Award Winners

Madison West MULTICO Theater Class Performance Now Available

Every morning throughout the first semester, a creative group of Madison West High School students develop and write short sketches addressing race, gender, sexuality, and conflict, as a part of the theater class MULTICO. Once written, the student theater company performs the multicultural, educational show at elementary and middle schools across MMSD. 

While the group was unable to perform live in front of classes this year due to COVID, a recording of the full performance is now available for families and educators to share with students. Funded by West High’s Regent Drama Club, Friends of West Drama, and MMSD, MULTICO provides younger children with diverse role models who demonstrate collaboration and teamwork.

Important Upcoming Calendar Reminders

• April 12: Aspire Testing, grades 9 and 10 only – no school for grades 11 and 12
• April 14: Elementary school – Mid-day release for conferences, check this link for individual school release times

2021-22 School Year Calendar

It's Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week

Each year, a state-wide tornado drill is designated during the State of Wisconsin Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week, in cooperation with Wisconsin Emergency Management, Dane County Emergency Management, the Department of Public Instruction, school districts, and the National Weather Service (NWS). This year, Awareness Week is April 4-8.

Severe storms can come with little warning. Make sure you stay alert for severe weather, develop a home emergency plan, and check on your neighbors after the storm. Get other tips on how to stay safe during a storm at dhs.wisconsin.gov/climate/tornado.htm

Spring Sports Have Kicked Off

Stay up to date with all the excitement - follow us on Twitter @AthleticsMMSD.

Join Us for La Follette's Spring Musical "Emma"

Emma, a senior at Highbury Prep, is certain she knows what’s best for her classmates’ love lives, and is determined to find the perfect boyfriend for shy sophomore Harriet by the end of the school year. But will Emma’s relentless matchmaking get in the way of finding her own happiness? Based on Jane Austen’s classic novel, this sparkling new musical features the hit songs of legendary girl groups and iconic female singers from The Supremes to Katy Perry. Girl power has never sounded so good!

Show dates and times:

• Friday, April 22 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, April 23 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, April 24 at 2 p.m.

Tickets: Purchase Tickets HERE

• $5 students with a special code
• $5 for children under 12
• $7 seniors
• $10 adults 

GE Girls Camp for Rising 7th and 8th Graders

The GE Girls camp is a week-long program designed for Madison girls entering 7th and 8th grade in Fall 2022 to introduce students to a variety of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts. Girls will learn about different areas of STEM through hands-on activities such as catapult building, potato power clock building, solar s’more ovens, and product testing. Girls will participate in both in-person and virtual group learning with hands-on activities.

Please see GE Girls Camp for additional information. Apply Here - application deadline is May 27.

Covid Testing

COVID-19 testing is available at 14 sites from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For additional information and the pre-registration link, click here.

News From Around the District 

In case you missed it, there were some great things happening in Madison Schools this week, with many being shared by local news partners. For a good read, click on these links and check them out! Follow us on Facebook for daily news from around the District @MadisonSchoolsWI

• Q&A: MMSD's Nichele Smith wants scratch cooking in school lunchrooms
• Madison East students prepare for state Leadership and Skills conference

Thomas Jefferson Middle School Renaming

Proposals Due Friday, April 8

The Thomas Jefferson Middle School community made a formal request to the MMSD Board of Education to begin the process for renaming the school. The deadline to submit a school renaming proposal is today, Friday, April 8. Proposals can be submitted online via the Jefferson Renaming webpage.

The process to rename a MMSD school is outlined in Board policy 6700. You can learn more about proposal criteria and the Board of Education’s role on the renaming webpage.

Share the Amazing Stories Happening in MMSD!

Is there a teacher or staff member engaging students with innovative lessons? Do you know of a student who is making a difference or was recently recognized? Are athletics teams, co-curriculars or arts programs demonstrating excellence? Let us know — share your story here.