A p r i l M e a d o w b r o o k P r i d e P r e s s

Dear Meadowbrook Families,

I hope you all were able to have a restful and very wonderful Spring Break! With the month of April comes much hope and renewal. We are very much looking forward to better weather and hopefully putting the pandemic behind us soon.

This is a busy time of year for student assessments. We began the Wisconsin Forward Exam administration prior to Spring Break for our Grade 4 students and will continue to test in the upcoming days. The Grade 3 and Grade 5 students began the assessment this week. During testing times, it is critical that students receive plenty of rest and eat a good breakfast at the beginning of each day. Following the Forward Exam will be the

Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments for all students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. More information about this testing window will be forthcoming. Staffing Updates:

 One of our Special Education Teachers, Aaron Sobieszczyk, will be leaving us on Friday, April 9th. He has accepted a position within the Wauwatosa School District and we wish him well! He has done a wonderful job with our students!

 Two of our Meadowbrook staff members will be starting maternity leave in the upcoming days. Jessica Bartmann, Grade 2 Teacher, will be taking her leave through the end of the school year. I am pleased to announce that Hannah Johnston has accepted the long-term substitute position and is excited to meet our students! Rachel Thompson, Speech and Language Pathologist, will also be taking her leave. Retired Speech and Language Pathologists, Sally Bisswurm and Tami Renner, will be stepping in to support Rachel’s students. We are very blessed to have found substitutes for these positions and they all will be here prior to our staff members leaving in order to meet our students!

Although time is quickly progressing, there are still several weeks left within our school year. At this time of the year, it is not unusual for students to struggle with focus and attend school on a regular basis. In addition, it is common for disciplinary issues to increase. With all that being said, it will be important for you to speak to your child about Meadowbrook’s academic and behavioral expectations. It would be helpful for you to check your child’s backpack before he/she leaves the house and remove any items that may be a distraction. We, too, will be reminding students of our expectations, but always appreciate your family’s efforts.

Fondly, Jessica N. Barry Principal

N o t e s F ro m M r s . B a r r y

A p r i l 2 0 2 1

M e a d o w b r o o k P r i d e P r e s s

W e A r e G r o w i n g L e a r n e r s & I n s p i r i n g P o s s i b i l i t i e s

Inside this Issue:

Notes From Mrs. Barry 1

Mission & Vision 2

COVID Mitigation Efforts 2

Self Quarantine 3

Quarantine & Vaccination Updates 3

Summer School 4

Digital Citizenship 4

Social & Emotional Learning 5-6 When Your Child Complains 7

WEF Wellness Challenge 8

Read Your Way To Nome Winners 9

Summer School Registration Instructions 10-14 Severe Weather Watch & Warnings 15-18 Spring Vendor Fair 19

The Book Flood 20

Chess Scholars 21

Let’s Build It Engineering 22

April Lunch Menu 23

April Birthdays 24

April Calendar 25

Mission and Vision

The Meadowbrook community is invested in growing learners and inspiring possibilities.

We foster a safe community where students feel nurtured and show empathy for others.

We create authentic and rigorous learning experiences for all students.

We empower students to take ownership of their learning and reflect on their progress.

We partner with families and organizations to develop students who positively contribute to their home, community, and world.

COVID Mitigation Efforts from Student Services

It continues to be our goal to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for all students and staff. In order for us to maintain our downward trend in COVID-19 cases, it is essential that you continue to closely monitor your child’s daily health and wellness. This includes keeping your child home when they are demonstrating any symptoms of being sick. Should your child test positive for COVID-19 they must meet the isolation requirements outlined below. Addi-tionally, any staff or students who are identified as a direct contact to a COVID-19 positive student will be re-quired to meet quarantine requirements. This includes those who are awaiting a pending test result. Any ex-plicit violation of this policy by a student knowingly coming to school COVID-19 positive or during their required quaran-tine will be considered endangering the health and safety of others. This will result in the student being transferred to virtual learning for the remainder of the year. Additionally, the student may receive a five (5)-day out of school suspen-sion and a pre-expulsuspen-sion per Board Policy #5600.01 - Disciplinary Consequences for Student Misconduct based on the context of the violation.

The School District of Waukesha continues to follow guidelines from the Department of Health Services and Waukesha County Public Health in an effort to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. This includes following the guidelines on when your student should remain home, including when a household member is ill and/or awaiting COVID-19 test re-sults.

The list of symptoms below could indicate a COVID-19 infection. Though there are other illnesses that can cause simi-lar symptoms, it is important to recognize them and know when your student should stay home. It is important to note that even with mild or no symptoms, the virus can still be transmitted to others.

Individuals are considered having potential COVID-19 symptoms if they have one of the symptoms marked with a (*) or two of the other symptoms above baseline for them.

The following symptoms could indicate a COVID-19 infection:

 *Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing  *New loss of taste or smell

 Fatigue

 Muscle or body aches  Headache

 Sore throat

Self-Quarantine means that:

 Your student must not come to school or be on any school grounds.  Your student must stay out of the public and stay home

 Your student must not attend social gatherings or sports events, including both indoor and outdoor activities  Do not use public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis

 Do not travel, even within the local community

 Advise your student to wash their hands often and practice good hygiene

 Postpone all non-essential medical appointments until your student is out of quarantine

 Notify your student's healthcare provider of your student’s potential exposure to COVID-19 or symptoms to determine how the healthcare provider would like to proceed

 Your student should minimize contact with others in the home and, when possible, stay in their own room and use their own bathroom.

 Your student should not share personal household items such as dishes, towels, and bedding.

Waukesha County Public Health recommends that anyone who is identified as a close contact of a positive individual should be tested approximately 5 days after exposure even if you do not have symptoms. Sometimes people become infected with COVID-19 and do not show any symptoms. A test could help identify if you are asymptomatic. A negative test result does not mean that your student will not develop symptoms or become sick after the test. It simply means that your student did not have COVID-19 detected at the time of testing.

As a reminder to families, the district is maintaining a mask expectation for all staff, students and visitors to school as part of the board approved mitigation plan for the 2020-21 school year. Thank you for your attention to and understand-ing of this matter as it takes our entire community to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff in the School District of Waukesha.

Quarantine and Vaccination Update

The CDC and DHS have recently updated their quarantine guidelines to include those who have been fully vaccinated. This update is as follows:

If you have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (received second dose in a two-dose series, or one dose of a single-dose vaccine) and were in close contact with someone with COVID-19, you do not have to quarantine if you meet ALL of the following criteria:

 Your exposure to someone with COVID-19 happened at least two weeks after receiving the last dose of your vaccine series.

 You have not had any symptoms of COVID-19 since your last close contact.

Continue to monitor for symptoms for 14 days after your last close contact. If you develop any symptoms of COVID- 19, isolate from others, contact your healthcare provider, and get tested.

Summer School Information

Elementary Summer School will begin on June 21, 2021 and end on July 16, 2021, with no classes on July 5th. Elementary Summer School will be held at Banting, Bethesda, Hadfield, Summit View and STEM Saratoga. You can find more information about programming here: https://sdw.waukesha.k12.wi.us/ Page/3006

Please use the grade your child will be attending in Fall 2021 when selecting courses. Current 5th grade stu-dents will attend the middle school program this year. Directions for registration are included within this newsletter.

Registration began on April 6th and ends on April 16th.

Digital Citizenship

This month’s Digital Citizenship focus is on emailing and texting. Waukesha students have a school email account, and if your child is in 2nd grade or above, they may be using email to get assignments and other information from their teachers. As our students begin to use email, they need to keep a few things in mind. Parents, know your child’s email account login and password and check the email account every once in a while. It is okay to question your child about his/her contacts that you do not recognize. Discuss with your child that they should not respond to any emails or texts that they do not recognize and they should not click on any links within those messages. If emails or texts contain unkind or inappropriate messages or photos, teach your child to show you so that you are aware. You can also help your child block that user.

If your child has a phone and has begun texting, make sure you set some guidelines. Limit the amount of time your child spends texting friends. Encourage technology breaks and insist that their iPad and cell phone are turned off and out of their bedroom at night. Monitor your child’s iMessage account and question contacts you do not recognize. Remind your child what to do if they receive unkind messages or

pho-tos. Make sure they know they should never text personal information. Discuss whether to enable “location services” on your child’s phone; be aware of the benefits and drawbacks of doing this. Help your child un-derstand that it is not always easy to take back what they have said online and that their online behavior can have lasting consequences.

Teach them the THINK acronym. Is it True?

Social & Emotional Learning

Provided by Heidi Edwards and Amanda DeSua, WSD Elementary School Counselor

Each month, the School Counselor prepares lessons around social and emotional

thinking. These supplement PBIS, Second Step Curriculum and building efforts.

Please see the School Counseling Lesson Scope & Sequence linked here. Feel free

to contact Amanda DeSua at

[email protected]

with any questions.

M o n t h l y F o c u s : G r o w t h M i n d s e t

 Lessons will explore self-talk, things we say to ourselves, and growth mindset-

a belief that basic abilities can be developed through perseverance and hard

work.

 Perseverance is the ability to keep going despite setbacks.

 Grit is achieving more through persistence and a positive attitude.

S u p p o r t a t H o m e

 Learning positive ways to utilize self-talk can be beneficial in problem solving, self-esteem,

and managing stressful situations. Research shows that a growth

 mindset can improve student’s test scores, help them overcome academic challenges and

engage in deeper learning strategies (Walter, 2014).

 Using self-talk and growth mindset phrases can help us to learn to persevere and continue

regardless of setbacks. It can help us to maintain a positive attitude and help us continue despite

frustrations.

As you already know, the Waukesha Education Foundation Move Forward event kicked off on 3/28 and runs

through 4/24. This event is full of free community-hosted wellness activities and incentives to help our

school and greater community MOVE FORWARD into a happier and healthier 2021! Please check out their event page for more information.

One of these incentives is tied to a movement minute challenge. On the WEF event site, there is a Google Tracking Form where Meadowbrook families, students, and staff members can input their movement minutes for the week and then "credit" them to our school! These movement minutes can happen at any time and minutes during the school day count! The form is simple, only asks for very basic info and takes less than 30 seconds to complete. Starting later this week, there will be a leaderboard on the event site as well. The chal-lenge for these movement minutes will run for three weeks and end on April 24.

At the end of the event, the two schools (One elementary and one secondary (6-12)) with the highest aver-age movement minutes/enrolled student will win a $1000 Wellness grant and the parent group of the winning school will ALSO win a $200 wellness grant.

Who can participate? Students, Parents, Coaches, Community Members, Families, Staff--anyone! What counts? Just about anything--if it gets you moving, count it! (Honor system applies--please be

rea-sonable!)

You should:

 Enter your weekly movement minutes and include organized sports and family movement activities!  Check out the MANY free events we have going on for the remaining weeks of this challenge. You can look at the calendar on the event page to check out this week's free events.

For more information:

READ YOUR WAY

TO NOME

Meadowbrook students had a great time in our IditaRead last month.

It was a tight race and here are our top winners.

First Place Winners received a Arctic Husky Snow Tube

and a Culver’s Lunch:

Mrs. Kuhnle—4K—Lola Bencriscutto read for 425 minutes Mrs. Awve—Kindergarten—Rigby Ryder read for 440 minutes Ms. Carlson—Kindergarten—Parker Moon read for 438 minutes Mrs. Balsewicz—1st Grade—Will Eschrich read for 428 minutes Ms. De La Matter—1st Grade—Zak Redlin read for 644 minutes Mrs. Bartmann—2nd Grade—Beckett Clope read for 692 minutes

Mrs. Maurer-Sickler—2nd Grade—Benjamin Earnest read for 885 minutes Mrs. MacCudden—3rd Grade—Max Bencriscutto read for 1229 minutes Mrs. O’Gorman—3rd Grade—Carter Kuhn read for 849 minutes

Mrs. Fueger—4th Grade—Isla Mathie read for 1029 minutes Mrs. Shaske—4th Grade—Cole Johannik read for 1001 minutes Mr. Conforti—5th Grade—Jeramiah Willing read for 913 minutes Mrs. Doolittle—5th Grade—Scarlet Voigtlander read for 1400 minutes

Second Place Winners received a Culver’s Meal and a Keychain:

Grace Eschrich, Myles Mleziva, Arden Purves, Lavinia Coelho Rossi Rosa, Julietta Puricelli, Jocelyn McDonald,

Grace Tutkowski, Audrina Elsesser, Stella Barber, Laila Larson, Brittney Sobotik, Sal Tarantino & Delaney

McNiel

Third Place Winners received a Culver’s Sundae:

What to Listen For:

When conditions are favorable for severe weather to develop, a WATCH is issued. As storms develop, Na-tional Weather Service personnel use information from weather radar, storm spotters, and other sources to issue Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado

WARN-INGS for areas where severe weather is imminent or

already occurring.

Watches and warnings are relayed to local radio and television stations and are broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards.

Local public safety officials also get the warnings and can activate local warning systems to alert communi-ties.

Tornado Watch: Severe thunderstorms with tornadoes are possible in your area. Remain alert for approaching storms. Be prepared to move to safety if a Warning is issued. Know what countries are in the watch area by listening to NOAA Weather Radio or local radio or television stations.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch: Thunderstorms with large hail and damaging winds are possible. Be prepared to move to safety if a Warning is issued.

Tornado Warning: A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Move to a place of safety now!

Severe Thunderstorm Warning: A thunderstorm with large hail and damaging winds has been reported or indicated by weather radar.

Warnings indicate imminent danger to life and property to those in the path of the storm!

SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES & WARNINGS

NOAA National Weather Service

http://weather.gov

Click on your part of the state for local weather information

Find the NWS on Facebook

http://facebook.com

Search for your NWS Office name

Follow the NWS on Twitter

http://twitter.com

Search for your NWS Office name

For Kids: Be a Force of Nature!

http://weather.gov/grb/prep

FEMA for Kids

http://www.ready.gov/kids

STEP (Student Tools for Emergency Planning)

http://www.ready.gov/kids

Wisconsin Emergency Management

http://emergencymanagement.wi.gov Ready Wisconsin Web—http://readywisconsin.wi.gov Facebook—http://www.facebook.com/ReadyWisconsin Twitter—@ReadyWisconsin Instagram—http://www.instagram.com/ReadyWisconsin

FAMILY DISASTER PLAN

Families should be prepared for all hazards that could affect their area. The National Weather Service and Wisconsin Emergency Management urge every family to develop a disaster plan.

Where will your family be when disaster strikes? They could be anywhere—at work, at school, or in the car. How will you find each other? Will you know if your children are safe? Disaster may force you to evacuate your neighborhood or confine you to your home. What would you do if basic services—water, gas, elec-tricity, or telephone—were cut off?

Put together a family disaster plan that answers those questions—and practice it. Become Weather-Ready!

A Disaster Supplies Kit Should Include…

√ A three-day supply of water and food that won’t spoil.

√ One change of clothing per person. √ One blanket or sleeping bag per person. √ A first aid kit, including prescription medicines. √ A battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio.

√ Emergency tools, including a portable radio, flash light, and plenty of extra batteries.

√ An extra set of car keys and a credit card or cash. √ Special items for infant, elderly, or disabled family members.

√ Don’t forget about your pets and their food and medicine.

Did You Know...

Wisconsin Tornado Weather Facts

 On average the number of days per year with thunderstorms in Wisconsin ranges from around 30 along the Lake Michigan shore to around 40 over the southwest third of the state.

 Southwest Wisconsin near the Mississippi River averages about 1 day per year with a tornado. This average decreases to 0.7 days per year for the Madison area, 0.6 days per year for the Milwaukee area, 0.4 days per year for the Green Bay area, and 0.2 days per year for northern Wisconsin.

Tornado Safety at Home, Work, or At Play

 In a home or building, move to a pre-designated shelter, such as a basement, and get under a sturdy

table or the stairs. A specially-constructed “safe room” within a building offers the best protection. Search on the internet for “safe room” for more information.

 If a basement is not available, move to a small interior room on the lowest floor and cover yourself with anything close at hand: towels, blankets, pillows. If possible, get under a sturdy table, desk or counter. Put as many walls as possible between you and the story. Stay away from windows.

 If caught outdoors, seek shelter in a sturdy building. If you cannot quickly walk to shelter, get into a

vehicle, buckle your seatbelt and drive to the closest sturdy shelter. If flying debris occurs while you are driving, pull over and park. Now you have two options as a last resort:

- Stay in the vehicle with the seatbelt on and place your head below the windows.

- If you can safely get noticeably lower than the roadway, exit the vehicle and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands. Do not seek shelter under an overpass.

 Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes. You should leave a mobile home and go to the designated storm shelter or the lowest floor of a sturdy nearby building.

 Make sure you have multiple ways to receive weather information. A NOAA Weather Radio, access to local TV, and smart phone apps can keep you informed when severe weather threatens.

Flooding and Flash Flooding

 Many floods occur along streams and rivers. You can determine your risk by knowing your proximity to the wa-ter.

 Urban areas have a risk for flash floods due to increased runoff from buildings, roads and parking lots. Low spots, such as underpasses and basements, can become death traps.

 Dam failures have played a deadly role in the history of flash flooding. Be aware of dams upstream from your loca-tion. Earthen dams and associated embankments are more easily compromised by heavy rainfall.

 If a warning is issued or flooding is observed, move to higher ground.

 When camping or hiking near a stream or river, listen to the latest weather forecasts and keep away from the water if thunderstorms are expected.

 Do not attempt to walk or drive through a flooded roadway or intersection. Only six inches of fast-flowing water can knock an adult off their feet. And it takes just two feet of moving water to float a vehicle. Turn around, don’t drown!

Lightning Safety for Coaches and Officials

All thunderstorms produce lightning and are dangerous. In an average year, lightning kills nearly 50 people in the U.S. Since 2005, lightning has killed eight people and injured at least 30 in Wisconsin.

Lightning often strikes outside the area of heavy rain and may strike as far as 10 miles from any rainfall.

If you hear thunder, you are in danger! Anytime thunder is heard, the storm is close enough to pose an immediate threat to your location.

Have a lightning safety plan. Designate a safe location before the event starts. Have specific guidelines for suspending the activity so that everyone has time to reach safety.

Prior to a practice or outdoor event, check the latest forecast. If thunderstorms are expected, consider postponing activities early to avoid being caught in a dangerous situation.

If you hear thunder, suspend your activity immediately and instruct everyone to get to a safe place. Substantial buildings provide the best protection. Avoid sheds, open shelters, dugouts, bleachers, and grandstands. If a sturdy building is not nearby, a hard-topped metal vehicle with windows closed will offer good protection. Do not crouch or lie down—continue moving to a place of shelter.

If boating or swimming, get to land and find shelter.

Do not resume activities until 30 minutes have passed since the last thunder was heard.

When

Thunder Roars,

April Birthdays!

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

April 2021

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3

4

Happy

Easter

5 6 7 8

Hat Day

May 2021

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday