Najjah Thompson (Human Resources) and Lachele Fisher ( Professional Learning and Leadership Development) have been working hard to come up with creative ways to welcome our new educators. This week they held their first virtual coffee sessions!

On Tuesday, they were joined by O'Keeffe Middle School Principal Tony Dugas, Franklin Elementary School Principal Sylla Zarov and and Professional Learning Coordinator Jaren Bailey Washington. Thursday's topic was 'Navigating your New City', for staff relocating to Madison. To stay in the loop, follow Lead Teach Serve on Instagram !
ICYMI: Here are the July 2nd, July 10th and July 17th editions of MMSD Connect.
‌
HOW TO GET HELP DURING COVID-19
From Public Health and the City of Madison
These are extraordinary times. Due to the challenges of COVID-19, every Madison family needs a little extra support, and our community is stepping up to help. The City’s “How To” series provides an online list of community resources that can help with everything from eviction to finding healthy food. You’ll also find printable handouts on each topic.
STAFF PARTICIPATION IN THE REFERENDA: DOS AND DON'TS
Generally, the district cannot spend public funds for the purpose of advocating for the referenda. This means that district staff may not use any district resources, including an employee’s time or preferential use of a school’s facility, for the purpose of promoting a particular position on the referenda.
The district may, however, use public funds in order to provide information and facts related to the referenda in order to assist the electorate in making an informed decision when voting. This information must be stated in a neutral manner.

Here are some simple Dos and Don’ts related to the November referenda.
VIRTUAL PRESS CONFERENCES
In case you missed it, here is last Friday's press conference regarding the announcement to start the 2020-2021 school year with virtual learning.

You can always view future press conferences, as well as archived editions at the MMSD Press Conference YouTube channel . We've also created a standing link at the top of the newsletter (under District Resources ).
ROCKiT TEAM LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE 🚀
Say hello to the new ROCKiT website ! Visit the site to learn about ROCKiT's work, find resources, opportunities and more! 

ABOUT ROCKiT: Working in partnership with American Family Insurance’s Institute for Corporate and Social Impact, ROCKiT, MMSD’s innovation team, launched in the fall of 2018 with the goal to intentionally cultivate, develop and grow MMSD's capacity to innovate around complex, equity-based problems in order to find new opportunities so our students, staff and community thrives.
RESOURCES + OPPS + NEWS + MORE!
The Play Make Learn Conference promotes high-quality learning opportunities for educators, researchers, developers, designers, foundation leaders, policy makers, museum and library professionals, and school leaders who are dedicated to promoting making, gaming, and playful learning.  The 2020 Conference will be held virtually on August 13th and this year's panel of speakers includes O'Keeffe Middle School Principal Tony Dugas!








Madison Public Library offers curbside pickup service . 
MMSD | Website