Leopold PFO Update for the Week of April 15

(Necesidad en español? Visita aquí.)

Oh my, do things get busy in the spring! Now if only we could get outside to enjoy them even more in the sunshine!

A New Record

A huge thank you to Pam Baumgartner and the small group of volunteers who identified and contacted local businesses to solicit sponsorships for this year’s Timber Wolf Trample. We collected a record amount of $6,350 in sponsorships and more than $1,800 in prize donations. We can’t wait to see what the kids can do with their donation collection efforts!

Pam has worked tirelessly over the past few weeks on the sponsorship drive. It is a big (but rewarding) job to organize the sponsorship aspect of Trample and we are all very thankful for her efforts!

We are also very appreciative of the local businesses that support our community, our school and our students. Please be sure to check out the extensive list of sponsors here and be sure to show your patronage to those that support Leopold!


Spirit Week

Don’t forget, the Trample is May 11. The kids are “training” in gym class and should be hard at work collecting donations for great prizes. Leading up to the Trample we will be holding Spirit Week. In an effort to help our kids learn about giving back to our community, along with the dress-up theme each day, we are asking kids to bring in a “themed” donation for a local organization that serves our community. Details will follow soon about the theme for each day and items to donate.


Box Tops Collection

The Final Box Top sheet of the year has been sent home with all students. The classroom that collects the most Box Tops by May 13 will win a party from Pump It Up. All students from the winning classroom will be entered in a drawing to win a Cinch Sac with their name on it!


Leopold Goes to the Duck Pond

The Leopold PFO and the Madison Mallards invite you to the Mallards game on August 10, 2013 at 6:05 p.m. Each $16 ticket purchased will include a box ticket in the Mallards grand stand, one hour of an all-you-can-eat ballpark food, soda and water, a fun baseball game, and best of all, $2 from every ticket sold will be donated back to the PFO. Bring the family and your friends! Order forms will be sent home in the coming weeks.


Get Fit at Leopold

From Jennifer Compton, AmeriCorps Volunteer:

• Looking for a way to fit exercise into your day? Want to spend time outside with your kids?  Walking Schoolbus is kicking off Tuesday, April 30th and will run Tuesdays and Thursdays for the rest of the school year. Experts recommend that we walk 10,000 steps a day for optimum health! You can start on that number by walking with us, even just for one morning!! Help kids get outside, be safe pedestrians, and get to school on time. 
• Learn more ways to keep your body AND mind healthy with our Family Mindfulness Workshop at Open Schoolhouse Tuesday April 30th.  We have an AMAZING team from Baltimore coming in to teach students AND parents techniques to reduce stress, control thoughts and emotions, and relax!  You can learn about the group, Holistic Life Foundation Inc., at their website:  http://www.hlfinc.org/home.htm.  
• Also at Open Schoolhouse, get your kicks with Family ZUMBA.  every Tuesday, this free Zumba class is a blast from 6:20-7:20 pm.  You won't find that kind of deal at any other gym!

• Saturday mornings, get outside with your kids and coach Millenium Soccer!  We are looking for caring adults (no soccer expertise required) who can help coach and/or manage equipment. 

• The school Green Team is working hard to reduce our waste!  We are now recycling used pens, markers, and mechanical pencils at school. Writing utensils can be deposited in a container in the lobby right next to the pop can tabs.  Help educate your child about the importance of recycling and send in used up writing utensils from home!

For more information or to sign up to help out with any of these programs, contact Jennifer Compton atjcompton@madison.k12.wi.us, 608-204-4334.


Lunch Buddies

Our Leopold counseling staff is looking for some adult volunteers to be lunch buddies for some special students. Lunch Buddies is a program designed to give select students social and emotional support, and provide these kids with more positive role models. Adult volunteers spend lunch and recess with their student buddies once a week. Volunteers can choose any of the three lunch periods (11- 11:40, 11:40- 12:20, 12:20-1) and are assigned a buddy based on recommendations from our school social workers.  Of course, parents are also asked first to give an ok.  

Kids love the chance to show off their school and friends to special adults.  For recess, they can choose to go outside, or stay in and read or do a special activity with their buddy. For forty minutes once a week, the amount that students appreciate this extra attention is incredible. Being a lunch buddy is a great way to get more involved in Leopold, meet staff and students, learn about the school day, and grow a positive connection with kids that can really influence what they think of themselves and their school. 

Here is what one of our adult lunch buddies said about his experience:

"I can sum up the Lunch Buddy program in one word: powerful. What started out as him barely making eye-contact with me has transformed into his eyes lighting up every time he sees me coming down the hall, and eager hopes that I’m coming back next week. The Lunch Buddy program provides an easy access point to invest time and words of affirmation into the next generation of leaders, and I am confident the seeds planted today will bare awesome fruit tomorrow. It has become a highlight of my week, and I give it my highest recommendation!"

~Josh

If interested, please contact Adam Emmart at aemmart@madison.k12.wi.us.


A Conversation with Superintendent Jennifer Cheatham

Please visit here to find out more about the new superintendent’s upcoming conversations throughout the district.


From Arlene Silveria, MMSD Board of Education

We have some updates for you on the state budget and the private school vouchers. We need your help!

Where do I find the most updated information on the governor's budget and how it impacts MMSD?

The district has updated their budget page. There are links to talking point on private school vouchers, special education vouchers and the proposed charter school legislation. These budget proposals, if passed, could drain $37 million from Madison schools over the next 5 years! In addition, there is a link in the right-hand column that will take you to a page providing information on how you can advocate for public education.  We need you to inform your community about these issue and ask them to register their opposition. 

https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/budget

Is there something I can sign to register my opposition to private school vouchers?

Our state representatives have put together a petition against the private school vouchers. In the link below, please click on the stop sign and sign the petition. Then please SHARE this with everyone you know. (the web site at the capitol is a bit clunky. If you submit the petition and it takes you back to the welcome page....it worked.)

http://legis.wisconsin.gov/assembly/taylor/Pages/default.aspx

Press Conference - please attend if your schedule permits

The Dane County School Board Consortium and Dane County Superintendent Consortium will be holding a press conference detailing the impacts of the Governor’s proposed budget on public schools at noon on Wednesday, April 10, in room 411 at the State Capitol.

School board members, superintendents, parents and business community members will address the governor’s proposed budget and its impact on public schools. 15 districts will be represented.  If you are in the area, we hope you will attend. It will also be an opportunity for you to meet our new MMSD superintendent, Jen Cheatham.

MMSD Budget

On April 22, the Board will be receiving budget information from the Administration regarding the MMSD budget for the 2013-14 school year. 


Thanks everyone! Have a great week!