Welcome Back

Welcome to the final full week of summer vacation!  It was great to see so many of you last week at registration.  For those of you who are new to Leopold – WELCOME!  We look forward to getting to know you over the next year.  The Leopold Parent Faculty Organization (PFO…or P-Fun-O as I like to call it) has many opportunities lined up this year that will give families a chance to step out and do what we do best – help our school!  More on that later…for now I would like to share some back-to-school information you are sure to enjoy.

 

First – a word from our Principal:

 

Greetings Leopold Parents and Family Members,

 

I am very pleased to report to you that after an exhaustive search, Abby Potter has been named as our new Leopold assistant principal.  Abby has had a variety of experiences in her career including five years as a teacher at Lincoln Elementary School in MMSD, administrator of a Saturday enrichment and tutoring program, and work in adult education.  Abby most recently worked as a Dual Immersion Planner for MMSD and has been involved in the DLI work here at Leopold.  Studies at UW-Madison has led Abby to a BS in Elementary Education, MS in Curriculum and Instruction, and a second MS in Education Leadership and Policy Analysis.  Abby is also currently working on a doctorate in Multicultural Education.

 

John Burkholder

Principal

 

Remember to log in to Infinite Campus on Monday, August 23^rd beginning in the afternoon to check your child's class placement.  I'm sure everyone at your house is eager to learn which teacher is "yours" this year.  Let your kids know the wait is almost over…

 

Speaking of teachers, our own Mr. Dassler continues to shine.  Read more about his latest grant award at http://tinyurl.com/2444jqv.  Congratulation – science rocks!

 

Next weekend, August 27 – 29, is Leopold Weekend at Vitense Golfland.  You are invited to join the Leopold PFO at Vitense Golfland (http://www.vitense.com) as we say goodbye to summer and get ready for a new school year.  This is the first of our monthly P-FUN-O fundraising events.  When you visit Vitense next weekend, mention you are with Leopold Elementary and 15% of your purchases will come back to the PFO as a donation.  If you are staying in town next weekend why not spend some time at Vitense?  Hope to see you there!

 

If you're looking for something to do after golfing at Vitense next weekend, Sunday, August 29^th is another Madison "Ride the Drive" celebration.  It is a free family event from 10am – 4pm.  Read more at http://www.cityofmadison.com/transportation/ridethedrive/

 

There are many new emails added to our ever growing distribution list.  This is a great way for the PFO to share timely information with parents.  Each address gathered on registration day was hand-typed so it is possible that a few emails will be returned undeliverable.  If you provided an email address at registration on the PFO school directory "blue sheet" and are reading this via the Leopold blog (http://leopoldelementary.blogspot.com), please send me an email so corrections can be made.  If you wish to be removed, let us know that too, although we hope you stay around for the P-FUN-O this year!

 

Fore!

 

Amy Boutelle

Leopold PFO

http://leopoldweb.madison.k12.wi.us/node/53

http://leopoldpfo.org/

http://calendar.yahoo.com/leopoldpfo53713

http://leopoldelementary.blogspot.com/

 

Dog days of summer

Happy August! We've reached the "Sunday" of our summer break…you
know…that last month before school starts where you realize you
haven't seen the summer To Do list in weeks and there's no time to
look for it let alone accomplish any of it. Did anyone venture over to
Leopold this afternoon to have fun at the Art Cart? Me neither…that was
on my summer list...ugh… Relax…there's always winter break!

By now you should have received information in the mail about MMSD's
online enrollment which begins on Monday, August 9th. Read more about
it on the MMSD website at http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/node/7390 . You
will still need to come to registration at Leopold on Thursday, August
19th sometime between 11am and 6pm to complete your child's
registration, but you get can a head start by completing some of the
paperwork online in advance. Remember…be there or be square!

It's that time again – MyMenu Fundraising day! Tomorrow is the first of
many 1st Thursdays where your purchases can support Leopold. If you are
a MyMenu eRewards customer, visit any MyMenu store on Thursday, August
5th from 9am – 8pm, tell them your child attends Leopold and 10% of your
purchase will be donated to the school. Not an eRewards customer? You
can visit their website for more info.
http://www.mymenu.com/rewards.asp

Speaking of FUNd raisers, I hope you have August 27 – 29 marked with
bright colors or stickers or whatever it takes to help you remember
important dates. You are invited to join the Leopold PFO at Vitense
Golfland (http://www.vitense.com/) as we tee up another fabulous school
year. It is Leopold weekend at Vitense where 15% of your purchases will
come back to the PFO as a donation. Play some mini golf, hit a bucket
of balls at the driving range, have a snack, take a few swings at the
batting cages or try your hand at indoor boat racing. Whatever you
choose, mention you're with Leopold and have some fun! Hope to see you
there!

Attention all crafters…is anyone planning a trip to Michael's Craft
Store to purchase either a Cricut Expression or Yudu? If so, ask a
sales associate about their current promotion where they will donate one
of these items to the school of your choice. This promotion is going on
through the entire month of August.

The following information came from the MMSD information officer:

Charter Offers Opportunity To Win 50 Laptop Computers
For Your Favorite School

Online nominations being accepted in Charter's "Back to School Laptop
Contest"

(St. Louis, MO) – Make it a smart start to the new school year this fall
by supporting your favorite school with a nomination in Charter's 'Back
to School Laptop Contest'. Fifty laptop computers will be awarded to two
winning schools on September 27. Winners will posted on the contest web
site at www.charter.com/laptop. "Charter supports our schools and
students' education through many different means," said Tim Vowell,
Director of Government and Public Relations for Charter in Wisconsin.
"In addition to providing our TV service free to schools, this
contest will help the winning schools advance the use of the Internet
for education and information that our students need to be successful."
Contest nominations are open to anyone 18 years of age and older and
can be made online by at www.charter.com/laptop and submitting a story
telling why you believe your favorite school should win. Nominations
close on August 12 when a panel of judges will narrow the entries down
to the 50 best nominations. From August 16 through September 20, the
public will be able to vote online for the best nominations, with the
two highest vote-getters winning 50 laptops for their schools.



Have a great week. See you soon!

Amy Boutelle
Leopold PFO
http://leopoldweb.madison.k12.wi.us/node/53
http://leopoldpfo.org/
http://calendar.yahoo.com/leopoldpfo53713
http://leopoldelementary.blogspot.com/

Troy Dassler
(608) 204-4271Madison Metropolitan School District
Madison, WI

www.microexplorers.com
www.microexplorers.blogspot.com
www.leopoldweb.madison.k12.wi.us

Mayor Dave Visits Leopold

The last day...

Greetings on this final school night of the 2009-10 year!  Wow…I can't believe it's over…not only another school year but my daughter's elementary school career.  How quickly the time flies – one minute you're walking a 5-year-old wearing an oversized Hello Kitty backpack to the bus stop and the next thing you know you're sitting at graduation with a room full of stunned parents, wondering what had happened to that tiny kindergarten child.  Last night at graduation and again at the 5^th grade picnic today I saw a group of kids who are definitely ready for middle school.  I guess I can't sneak back to kindergarten for a "do over" without someone taking notice.  Thank you Leopold staff past and present for helping them grow and learn.  High Fives all around!

 

Speaking of graduation, if you missed the ceremony or are curious what graduation is all about, you can watch it on FACTv – Fitchburg's cable access channel on Charter.  The video will be broadcast Friday, June 11 at 6:00 pm and again on Saturday, June 12 at 10:00 am on Charter digital channels 985, 986, and 987; analog channels are 95, 97 & 98. 

 

Hopefully you found your copy of the June PFO newsletter.  If you haven't seen it yet, it's probably somewhere in that stack of folders, notebooks, artwork and other miscellaneous papers that have come home in the last week.  Find it and hang it on your refrigerator so you remember all the ways you can help Leopold over the summer including:  use www.goodsearch.com and www.goodshop.com; shop Amazon using the link on http://leopoldpfo.org/; enter Coke Rewards at www.mycokerewards.com; sign up for a Target REDcard; clip Campbell's UPC codes; save Kemp's Milk Caps.  Thanks for all the ways you help PFO help Leopold kids.

 

One other piece of paper that came home is a Summer Break Box Tops collection sheet.  During the 2009-10 school year we redeemed over $1700 in Box Tops!  This is the largest amount in the last 3 years – THANK YOU to everyone who participated.  This is a very easy way to help our school and it's a great way to occupy the kids for a little bit over the summer.  Let the kids find and clip the box tops.  They can tape or glue them to either or both sides of the collection sheet or make a fun Box Tops collection "bank".  Whatever your method, please keep on clipping over the summer.

 

It may be June but it's never too early to think about the 2010 Timber Wolf Trample!  The Sponsor Campaign is underway and the PFO is looking for individuals or businesses that may be interested in sponsoring the 2010 event.  The names of ALL businesses, individuals or families who contribute $100 or more to the Sponsorship Campaign will be printed on the new Trample t-shirt.  If you have any suggestions, please forward contact information (business name, contact person, mailing address, phone) to Kris Aman at Kristin.d.aman@gmail.com or call her at 608 663-8128.  Save the date – Saturday, October 2^nd – and start your training program early!

 

We hit a little bump in the road while producing "The Write Stuff", Leopold's literary magazine and it will not be distributed before school is out.  Editing and formatting are in progress and it should be printed by early summer.  We plan to distribute it either in person or by mail to our outgoing 5^th graders as soon as it is finished so they can enjoy it before they start middle school.  Returning students will receive a copy at the beginning of next school year.  We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you or your family.

 

The PFO is planning several "Leopold Nights" next year and our first event is scheduled right before the start of school.  More details will be provided as we get closer to the event, but for now mark August 27, 28 & 29^th as Leopold's Vitense Weekend.  Polish those putters and practice your swing so you'll be ready to play a round or two of putt-putt at the end of summer.  Fore!

 

Leopold may not be hosting summer school this year but the playground is not closed over the summer, so remember the new equipment when your kids starting chanting "there's nothing to do".  Maybe a mid-summer reunion at school with their school "peeps" is just what they need to get them through those lazy, hazy, crazy days of late July.  Bring popsicles and become the real cool parent!

 

Once a Timber Wolf always a Timber Wolf, but we realize that as kids move on to other schools you may not want to receive emails that no longer pertain to your family.  Please let us know if you would like your email address removed from our distribution list.  We will no longer include you in our email communications.  However, you are welcome to remain on the list if you want to stay in touch with your neighborhood school.  Feel free to share this email with other Leopold families who you know may not receive it…such as new Kindergarten parents for 2010-11.

 

Have a great summer and we'll be in touch!

 

 

Amy Boutelle

Leopold PFO

http://leopoldweb.madison.k12.wi.us/node/53

http://leopoldpfo.org/

http://calendar.yahoo.com/leopoldpfo53713

http://leopoldelementary.blogspot.com/

 

Science Fair

5th grade students communicate their research.

Talent Show

Leopold Students perform for the other students. Tonight at 6:00 is the talent show.

Timber Wolf Trample Sponsor Campaign

 

The Timber Wolf Trample 2010 Sponsor Campaign is underway! Last year, local businesses and sponsoring Leopold families generously contributed more than $4,700 to Leopold's annual fun-run fundraiser. These critical funds enabled the PFO to meet a wide range of school, student, and teacher needs.

The 2010 Trample is scheduled for October 2nd. Do you know an individual or business that might be interested in sponsoring the 2010 event? The names of ALL businesses, individuals, or families that contribute $100 or more to the Sponsorship Campaign will be printed on the new Trample t-shirt. The PFO is requesting your help in identifying potential sponsors who might be interested in this opportunity.

If you have suggestions, please forward contact information (business name, contact person, mailing address, phone) to Kris Aman at kristin.d.aman@gmail.com or 608.663-8128. Thank you for your help!