Mustang Minutes - Parent Family Newsletter

October 2022

Important Dates

Week of Oct. 10-13 is Bike & Walk to School Week. See PTG section

Oct 12 6:30 Lapham-Marquette Parent Teacher group meeting (PTG) on Zoom

Oct 13 Open House 5:00-6:30

Oct 14 No School - Staff Professional Development

Oct 28 School Picture Re-take

Oct 28 End of 1st quarter

Oct 31 Halloween - reminder no costumes at school.

Oct 31 special early release at 10:35. Lunch is available as a Grab'n' Go to take home

Nov 3 Evening parent-teacher conferences

Nov 4 No School - Parent-teacher Conferences

Breeze is back

I’m excited to let you know that we have the opportunity to have a clinical therapy dog working at Marquette! Wisconsin Academy for Graduate Service Dogs (WAGS) is an organization that trains dogs with the specific purpose of improving the quality of life for individuals with physical disabilities, but also emotional and developmental challenges. If you are a dog owner or lover, you also know that they have the ability to boost your morale and improve your mood.

Research has shown that therapy dogs who are properly managed in the school setting can not only make a measurable difference in terms of gaining various skills such as reading enhancement, but also in contributing critically to emotional and relational development. Schools are finding that the presence of a therapy dog can decrease anxiety and enable students to work through issues such as anger management, bullying tendencies and other social challenges.

This year, Nurse Jill, our School Nurse, will continue bringing her therapy dog, Breeze, to Marquette to work with students. This might include students checking in with Breeze and/or interacting with her to assist with empathy/compassion, reduce anxiety and improve self esteem. While all students will be aware of Breeze’s presence, not all students will be working directly with her.

Please contact me if you would like to opt your student out of interacting with Breeze. Also, after Breeze begins her visits if your child expresses any concerns about being in Breeze’s presence, please contact me immediately. More information about the Wisconsin Academy for Graduate Service Dogs is available at: https://wags.net/.

Sincerely,

Dr. Peterson, Principal

FROM THE HEALTH OFFICE:

Did you know your student can be tested at school for COVID-19? Complete the one time registration here to allow your student to be tested at school this year. You can also test your student at home with a home rapid test and report results to the school. You can order home tests through your insurance supplier. If you do not have insurance and would like assistance obtaining home tests please contact our health office at 204-3235. More information about home tests can be found here. Thank you!

Clothing Donations needed

It's the change of seasons and time to switch gears into the colder season! As your household sorts through clothing please consider donating outgrown clothing to Marquette Elementary. We could especially use 3-5th grade girl's and boy's pants. If any families wish to donate new socks and underwear that would be much appreciated as well!

Health Guidelines, and Attendance

Masks are highly recommended, but not required in schools and buses.

Masks are available for any child who requests one.

We encourage families to send students to school each day if injury or illness does not significantly compromise the student’s health and there is no risk of transmission to the school community.

MMSD Policy:

A student should not return to school until they are fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.
If a student vomits, they should remain out of school for 24 hours after vomiting stops.
Students with diarrhea should wait 24 hours after their last incident to return to school.
Students will be sent home if diarrhea causes soiled clothing.
If your student has been on antibiotics for 24 hours with diagnosed strep throat, we encourage them to be at school.

MMSD Health and Safety Guidance

Student Health Screener

SCHOOL CAFE AND FREE / REDUCED MEALS

We encourage every family to make a School Cafe account.

https://www.schoolcafe.com/

You will need your child’s student ID number. Ask your student or call the Office 608-204-3225

In this account you can:

view menus,
see when your child takes a meal,
view your account balance,
make payments
Apply for Free and Reduced Meals (income based) DEADLINE is Oct 1, 2022.

If you need assistance with the application for Free and Reduced Meals call 608-204-3225

Playground After School

Red Caboose childcare uses the play structure and four-square as part of their program. Please follow their rules and respect their space.

There is no supervision after school unless your child is enrolled in Red Caboose. Children accompanied by an adult are welcome to play during Red Caboose hours.

On Mondays:

O'Keeffe has recess until 1:15. No Marquette children should be on the playground until after that time. Families, if you are exiting the school grounds through the playground, be mindful to use the walkways and not cut through the basketball courts or soccer fields.

MUSIC - MS. KAZDA

Welcome to another year of joy, learning, community, activism, and creativity in the music room! We have been busy playing keyboards, singing, and practicing world drumming techniques. Ask your child about their favorite instrument or activity in the music room.

Our Musician of the Month in September was Sona Jobarteh, who has received recognition around the world as the first professional female kora player. Check out her tribute to her family's native country, The Gambia: Sona Jobarteh - Gambia. (You can see and hear a kora in this piece.)

I'm so glad to have all of your children here at Marquette!

Love,

Ms. Kazda

Library, Media and Technology

REACH and Library News

Hello everyone! My name is Shannon Erickson. I was formally a 4th grade teacher here at Marquette and moved into the Library Media Tech specialist (LMTS) position this year. My job is to teach REACH specials class to all grade levels, support technology, and keep our LMC organized and up to date. I am also the Welcoming Schools point person. I will be sharing information around these topics each month in our Mustang Minutes.

REACH Class

REACH is off to a great start this year! We started the year getting to know each other and our library with a scavenger hunt. In REACH we will be using our MakerSpace, to build and create; focus on how to use chromebooks and digital citizenship skill; expand on the new literacy curriculum by offering book suggestions and completing activities related to what students are learning.

Technology

5th graders have been doing an amazing job at bringing their chromebooks to school each day. Thank you for supporting them with this! If families have any questions or tech concerns please contact me. The district does issue a $50.00 fine for any intentional damage done to chromebooks and it costs $35.00 to get a new charger. You may see fines from last year just now showing up in IC. Reach out with questions.

If you haven’t already, get connected to your student’s SeeSaw account. Reach out to your student’s classroom teacher if you need support with this. Here is a link with more information around SeeSaw.

Volunteer Opportunity

Scratch Club

We are hoping to bring scratch club back this spring as an afterschool program offered to 4th and 5th grade students. We are in need of some volunteers to help manage students. UW students come and teach students about scratch so that is not part of your volunteer responsibilities. We are hoping to run the club either Wednesday or Thursday from 2:40-3:40 starting in January. It will run for about 12 weeks. Please reach out to Mrs. Erickson if you’re interested in helping support this club.

Lapham-Marquette Parent Teacher Group (PTG)

* Mark your calendars!

The next PTG Meeting has moved to the 2nd WEDNESDAY of the month, 10/12/22. We will meet over Zoom to discuss Principal Updates, Volunteer Opportunities, and Fall Events. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88105135570. The November meeting has also moved to Wednesday, 11/9.

* To learn more about the Lapham & Marquette Parent Teacher Group, families can visit our website and/or Facebook.

* Bike & Walk to School Week is the week of 10/10. Families that are interested in volunteering can fill out this form: https://forms.gle/tkHbYWumV99bchHZ7

* The PTG will be hosting 11/8 Election Day Bake Sales at both Lapham and Marquette. Stay tuned for ways to volunteer for this fun, community event!

* Lapham & Marquette Spirit Wear: Here is the link to order t-shirts, sweatshirts, and other spirit wear for the whole family! https://laphammarquette.threadless.com/

Volunteering at Marquette

Please visit https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/partnerships/volunteering

All volunteers and field trip chaperones must have:

COVID-19 vaccination verification - performed as part of the Volunteer Tracker application

Background check - performed as part of the Volunteer Tracker application

Required training - Building Security & Safety, Covid 19 Safety protocols, and Leaning Forward Together: training based on MMSD’s commitment to anti-racism, the importance of identity and relationships. These trainings are tracked for each individual person in Volunteer Tracker and are approximately 3 hours total.

You’ll receive an email when your volunteer application has been approved.

Once you’re approved to volunteer, please reach out to us to let us know your availability and interest.

FROM THE OFFICE

Clarification on Tardy and Excused Absences

NEW TARDY TIME

School starts at 7:30am. Your child is tardy after 7:30, during covid and the soft return last year, we were giving a 15 minute grace period. That grace period has been removed. Please have your child at school between 7:15 and 7:25.

Reasons that your child can be excused from school.

When you call to excuse your child from school please let us know what the reason is.

Appointments- medical and legal
Illness -see guidelines above
Observance of Religious Holiday
Bereavement of close family member
Inclement weather - wind chill advisories, snow and ice warnings, heat warnings.
10 days of Pre-approved absence - vacation, special day off with parent, etc.
Family Emergency - a major incident that effects a family's ability to bring/send a student to school or pick up at regular release time/ bus stop.

You must report your child’s absence on the day your child will remain at home.

To report an absence:

Call 608-204-3233

Online https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/reporting-absence

Google text 608- 616-5106‬

Email: marquette@madison.k12.wi.us.

Late Arrival

If your child will be late for school: Call 608-204-3233 to excuse the tardy. If you leave a message, include whether your child will need school lunch.

When your child gets to school, they can ring the buzzer on the far right side door of the Door 5 entrance. Staff will buzz your child in and sign them into school.

Early Pick Up

If you must pick your student up early, please follow the guidelines below:

Pick up before 12:40 on Mondays/

2:10 Tuesday thru Friday.

Call 608-204-3225 and tell us what time you will be picking your child up.
Use the buzzer at Door 5. The buzzer is at the far right door.
There is a Sign Out binder on the cart. Please sign your child out.
Parents/guardians should wait by the door. Students will come to the office, and staff will bring the students to the door.
If you pick up your child for an appointment and plan to return them to school, tell the staff an approximate return time.

MMSD Elementary School Policies

Many families have opted out of receiving a paper copy our our district policy guides and the behavior education plan during the online enrollment process. The links below are electronic versions that you can refer to. .

District Policy Guide - Elementary

Guía de las políticas del distrito escolar para las escuelas primarias

Marquette Supplement

Marquette - español

Behavior Education Plan

Plan Educativo de Conducta