MacArthur Messenger

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Students,

As we step into March, I am thrilled to share some exciting updates and important reminders from our MacArthur community.

PTA is Building Community

Thank you to our amazing PTA for the unforgettable MacCarnival event. It was filled with bounce houses, delicious food, exciting games, and fantastic prizes. All of the proceeds from ticket sales, auctions, and activity booths go directly toward our school and MacArthur students. Today, the PTA also held their annual book giveaway in recognition of Read Across America. Every MacArthur student had the chance to look at many different book options and pick a book to bring home. We appreciate all the opportunities our PTA give our scholars.

Springing into Learning

With spring just around the corner, our school is filled with energy and excitement. Our dedicated teachers are crafting engaging lessons and hands-on activities to inspire curiosity and foster a love for learning. From science experiments exploring the wonders of nature to literacy book clubs to spark student imagination, there's something for every student to dive into this month. This afternoon, our entire school is participating in a Read-In to celebrate the love of reading together. The students will first listen to a read aloud of You Read to Me, I'll Read to You by Mary Anne Hoberman and then have the chance to listen to stories, read a book by themselves, or read books with a friend. What a great time of year for MacArthur students and staff to celebrate the joy of reading! If you are are looking for more reading resources at home, please click here.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Don't forget to mark your calendars for our upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences on Wednesday, March 6th and Thursday, March 7th. This is a valuable opportunity for you to connect with your child's teachers, discuss their progress, and collaborate on ways to support their academic journey. Please reach out to your child's teacher if you haven't already done so.

Staying Connected

Communication is key to a successful partnership between home and school. Don't forget to stay connected with us through our school website, social media channels, and newsletters. We value your feedback and encourage you to reach out to us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions.

As always, thank you for your continued support and involvement in your child's education. Together, we can nurture a thriving learning community where every child feels valued, challenged, and empowered to reach their full potential.

Wishing you all a wonderful month filled with growth, joy, and endless possibilities!

Sincerely,

Mr. Gonzalez

TODAY Friday 3/1: Yearbook Order Deadline🔔

Friday 3/1: International Wheelchair Day

Monday 3/4: Art Show at the Germantown Library, 5:30-6:30 (display runs until 3/20)

Wednesday 3/6: School is in session for everyone except 4K (no school for 4K)

Wednesday 3/6 Evening: Conferences

Thursday 3/7: No School (Conferences)

Friday 3/8: No School

Monday 3/11: Hearing Screenings for 1st Grade and 5th Grade Classes (Besonen & Whiting)

Wednesday 3/13: Irish Dancers perform for MAC during school day

Thursday 3/14: Summer School Registration begins at 8am

Thursday 3/14: PTA Meeting, 7pm

Friday, 3/15: Green/Leprechaun Day

Saturday, 3/16: DI Tournament at KMS

Monday 3/18: Hearing Screenings for 3rd Grade and 5th Grade Class (Lehouillier)

Tuesday 3/19: 4th Grade Concert, 6:30pm

Wednesday 3/20: Last Day of Art Display at the Germantown Library

Thursday 3/21: World Down Syndrome Day and March Madness/College Wear Day

Friday 3/22: March Madness/College Wear Day

Monday 3/25 - Friday 3/29: No School

Monday 4/1: No School

Tuesday 4/2: World Autism Awareness Day

Friday 4/5: PTA's Spring Dance and Spring Book Fair Preview in the Evening

Monday 4/8-Friday 4/12: Spring Book Fair and Golden Guest Lunches (more info to come)

Thank you to all of the volunteers, parents and students who made the MacCarnival such a wonderful success! We hope everyone had a wonderful time and look forward to seeing you back next year!

Today is the last day to order your yearbooks online! Please make sure you order your yearbook here before it is too late. If you have any questions or issues, please either email us or message us on Facebook.

With Spring Break in March, there are no PTA events other than our monthly meeting but we welcome April with a bang! April 5th is our Spring Dance and the beginning of our Spring Book Fair. The very next week, we will have our Golden Guest Lunch. Keep an eye out for more information on all of these exciting events!

Finally, we look forward to you joining us for our March PTA meeting on Thursday, March 14th in the school library. As always, child care will be provided and you can also join us online here.

Thank you!

Robert Sanchez: President - robkiana@gmail.com - 858-663-8819

Nicole Christensen: VP - nicoleriege@gmail.com - 414-379-1600

Coral Kline: Secretary - coralrae.kline@gmail.com - 608-658-0475

Alexis Melby: Treasurer - leximelby0110@gmail.com - 414-331-4102

When coming to MacArthur during school hours, please note that you must park in a parking space. The area next to the sidewalk at door 1 is only for buses and emergency vehicles. Even if you are just dropping off your child or making a quick trip into the school, please find a parking spot.

Thank you for your understanding with keeping the bus dismissal doors free of congestion at dismissal time. As a reminder, any child getting picked up after 3:55 will not be able to come through the office. Instead, they will get dismissed at parent pick up at 4:06.

Our conferences are happening next week, during the evening of March 6th and during the daytime on March 7th. As noted above, the conference sign up closes tonight, at midnight. If you have not signed up yet, please go to your Skyward Family Access account, and click 'Conferences' on the left-hand side, 'All Conferences' , then 'Select a Time.' For information on how to connect with your child's specials' teachers, please click the button below.

4K does not have school March 6th - March 8th. 5K-5th grade students do not have school on March 7th and March 8th.

We are experiencing wet and muddy recesses. When it is especially wet, your child may come inside with wet pants or socks. Please remember to have a set of extra clothes come to school with your child. The health room does not have enough extra clothes for wet days. Please continue to send boots to school during these muddy days.

Course Lists for summer school are now available for viewing online. Registration will open on March 14th at 8am for residents. Non-resident registration opens on April 4th. Registration will close on April 12th.

As a friendly reminder, please do not send medication to school with your child. All medication needs to be dropped off by a guardian to our front office.

MacArthur Elementary offers breakfast daily. It is a great benefit for our students. Research shows that eating breakfast contributes to: improved academic performance, higher scores on standardized tests, and reduced nurse visits. We currently offer breakfast from 8:50-9:06 am and the cost is $2.00 for paid students and $0.30 for reduced students. Families that qualify for free meals get free breakfast and lunch daily. K4 students can participate in the program as well. Students are offered whole grains, low fat proteins, 100% fruit juice, low to no sugar canned fruits and fresh fruit, and 1% and skim milk with the National School Breakfast Program. Parents can review the menu at gsdwi.nutrislice.com or download our app "Nutrislice" to see some of the items that are offered.

This month, we celebrate National School Breakfast Week (NSBW), March 4-7 and we plan to have some fun giveaways and offer a few new items. Here is a link for students to create a lei to go with our theme of "Surf's up with School Breakfast". We will offer printed copies during NSBW. We look forward to seeing you at breakfast!

Please click below for March menus! If your child will be late to school and would like to purchase lunch that day, please remember to let the front office know the lunch choice before school begins.

Home-School Connection

Every month, we will have a new "value word" that our scholars at MacArthur are working on as part of our Character Strong program. We talk about this during assembly time and as part of the Monday videos that are shared school-wide. The students continue learning about the value word within their classrooms. MacArthur focuses on specific areas in the school as we teach the students how to practice the value word in their lives. So far, we have focused on Kindness, Respect, Responsibility, Gratitude, Empathy, Perseverance and Honesty.

This month’s focus is Cooperation. One way to think about Cooperation is “working together to reach shared goals.” As a family, talk about how this definition applies to how you work together at home. What are some goals you share?

Cooperation is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Kind. Throughout the school, students will be developing skills like perspective-taking,

conflict resolution, and leadership.

Here are 2 “PurposeFull Pursuits” for you to complete together.

Pursuit 1:

This week, plan a time when everyone needs to work together to accomplish a shared

goal like cleaning up the space you live in or making a meal together. Make sure

everyone has a role to play with specific tasks. When the project is complete, discuss

and celebrate how each person’s part was important to the end result.

Pursuit 2:

Review Cooperation as a family! Search through your cupboards for some board

games your family has not played in a while, or grab a deck of cards for a simple

game of Go Fish. Pop some popcorn and have fun playing together! Look for

moments of Cooperation that you can point out.

For example:

• Choosing which game to play
• Choosing who gets to go first
• Handling wins and losses
• Working together to solve a problem

Our PAC has lots of fun happenings. Be sure to check out their page here. Click the button below for the ticket purchasing page if you are interested!

The Germantown Park and Rec. Department’s Winter/Spring Recreation Brochure can be viewed online here.

Upcoming Programs to register for include:

Egg Hunt

Track & Field

Night Tball/Coach Pitch

Pee Wee & U6 Soccer

Gymnastics

Golf

Afterschool Legos

Schools Out Stream Sampler

Babysitter’s Training

Stay Home Alone Class

Glow Walk

Tree Climbing

Art Classes and more!

Check out this link for program specifics!

Please complete the DISTRICT VOLUNTEER APPLICATION using the button above if you are interested in volunteering at school or chaperoning a field trip with MacArthur. This form MUST be filled out and the background check needs to be cleared (it can take up to two weeks to clear) if you would like to help. The background checks are good for 3 years, after which they must be renewed.

If you are visiting the school and have an appointment, please bring your I.D. with you so you are able to get a visitor's badge to enter the school.

We plan to post many updates and school happenings on Facebook. Please be sure to follow us so that you can celebrate the student learning and school happenings with us!

Website: gsdwi.org/o/macarthur
Location: W154N11492 Fond Du Lac Ave, Germantown, WI, USA
Phone: 262-253-3468
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MacArthurGSDWI