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2010-11 School Year Information

Important Dates to Remember

Please mark your calendars for these important dates and events:

  • 5th Grade Student Orientation: August 26, 1:00-2:30 p.m.
  • New Parent Orientation and Social: August 26, 4:30-5:00 p.m.
  • Registration and Orientation Night: August 26, 5:00-8:15 p.m.
  • FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: August 30 (Formal Uniform Day)
  • Parent Guild Back-to-School Coffee: August 30, 8 a.m.
  • Family Back-to-School Picnic: September 3, 3:30-6:00 p.m.
  • Parent Social: September 10, 7:30-9:00 p.m.
  • Parent Guild Meeting: September 15, 8 a.m.
  • Head's Coffee: September 15, following Parent Guild Meeting
  • Grandparents and Special Friends Day: October 1

 

BACK-TO-SCHOOL PACKET

We've put the forms and information you need to start off the 2010-11 school year smoothly into a Back-to-School Packet for your "one-stop shopping" convenience.

  • Click here for the 2010-2011 Back-to-School Packet for all families, Pre-K through grade 12. Once you've opened the packet and reviewed the information, you'll be able to print the specific forms you'll need to turn in on at Registration and Orientation Night on August 26. Some forms are multiple pages, which should be stapled together. 

  • There is an additional packet just for Middle & High School students. Click here for the supplemental Middle/High School Back-to-School Packet and go to Other Middle & High School Information below for related information.

 

BACK-TO-SCHOOL PACKET, PAGE BY PAGE

Registration and Orientation Night Overview

Registration and Orientation will be held on Thursday, August 26. This event helps families start off the year in an organized fashion and catch up with other MCDS community members. Please note that to ensure availability of all faculty and staff, this is a parents-only event for Lower and Middle School families, so please make any necessary child care arrangements.

Parent Guild

Please read the welcome letter from Parent Guild President Gwen Bosben and complete the the Parent Guild Volunteer Opportunity Form to indicate areas in which you'd like to get involved this year. For more information about these opportunities, contact Parent Guild Volunteer Co-Coordinator Jodi Shehadi or Judy Moyes-Fries. The Parent Guild Executive Committee will welcome MCDS parents on Registration and Orientation Night and be available to answer questions. The Guild is hosting the annual Back-to-School Picnic on Friday, September 3, and hopes to see you there!

Extended Day

MCDS will again offer after-school child care through our Extended Day program for students in grades Pre-K through 8. This program runs from 3:30-6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and includes supervised activities and fun. Students can take advantage of the homework lab and piano practice options as part of the Extended Day program. The program fee is $5.50 an hour, which will be billed to your school account. Families that commit to Extended Day for an entire semester will receive a 5% discount. Please contact Kelly Kramer, Assistant Head of the Lower School, with any questions. 

Bus Transportation

We're currently accepting applications from families interested in bus service to and/or from school. Please review the bus transportation overview and application and return the form to MCDS by August 18 if you are interested in service. If you have questions, please contact Business Manager Barb Spurlin at 850-6372.

Scrip and Building Use Fee

Participation in the MCDS Scrip program is a great way to offset your family’s $450 Building Use Fee, which is a standard fee separate from tuition and used solely for routine facility expenses. We'll kick off this year's Scrip sales at Registration and Orientation, with some cards available for purchase. Scrip orders received with payment by 8:30 a.m. on August 16 may also be available for pickup that night, as explained in the Friday File.

Automatic Payment Option

For your convenience, MCDS accepts automatic payments from bank accounts (ACH) for monthly tuition and fees. If you wish to use this option, you must submit a signed Automatic Payment form, even if you elected automatic payments last year. We cannot initiate payments for the 2010-11 school year without a new authorization form on file. If you have questions, contact Barb Spurlin, MCDS Business Manager.

Milk Program

MCDS offers 1% white and chocolate milk during snack and/or lunch, starting on the first day of school. Please remind your child(ren) what type of milk you'd like them to have, as it expedites delivery the first few days of school. Chocolate milk will only be available to Pre-K and Kindergarten students on Fridays; other days are white milk only. Pre-K and K teachers will discuss this policy with families during Registration and Orientation Night.

If you're interested in participating in the milk program, please fill out a milk contract and turn it in at Registration and Orientation. Parents are billed on a trimester basis for their child(ren)'s participation in the program. If you have questions, contact Caitlin Stade. 

MCDS Lunch Program

You'll find detailed information about lunch options below, as well as in the Back-to-School Packet. Please complete a separate lunch contract for each child, specifying the programs and options you're choosing. If you have questions regarding the MCDS lunch program, contact Caitlin Stade. 

Parents are billed on a trimester basis for participation in any or all of the lunch programs; we are unable to issue refunds and/or credits for any reason including absences and field trip. The lunch program starts on Tuesday, September 8.  There is no lunch program the first week of school, while arrangements are being finalized with lunch providers.

  • MCDS welcomes Exceptional Catering of Sun Prairie as our newest lunch option. Exceptional Catering will be offering daily hot lunch buffet options for students. We're going green this year by serving all buffet meals on plates with silverware! We'll again offer two-day (Mondays and Wednesdays) and four-day (Mondays through Thursdays, if there is enough demand) options. Click here for the first trimester menu. Menu items include hot foods such as spaghetti, lasagna, chicken roll-ups, and tacos, plus a daily fruit/salad and vegetable. Exceptional Catering will work with families who have completed the Special Needs Meal Form to provide individual meals that meet dietary/health concerns (e.g., vegetarian or vegan; dairy, gluten, and other allergies/ intolerances). Students in Pre-K, K, and 1st grade may have slightly different lunch options, as noted on the menu, since these students eat box lunches in their classrooms. 
  • Pizza Friday occurs twice a month, with locally owned Glass Nickel Pizza offering cheese pizza and pepperoni pizza.
  • Milio's subs are served two Fridays a month, with half or full sandwich options. Please note that all sandwiches are served with lettuce and tomatoes (no sprouts), with mayonnaise served on the side. Individual topping requests (adding or deleting toppings) cannot be accommodated. Due to limited demand, we're no longer offering tortilla wraps as a bread choice.

 

MCDS Full-Color Calendar

If you've already placed an order for the full-color MCDS calendar for the 2010-11 school year, it will be ready for pickup at Registration and Orientation. If you haven't ordered a calendar or you wish to order an additional one, bring a completed Calendar Order Form that night. Calendars are $29 each, and all proceeds benefit the MCDS theater department. 

Spirit Wear

Once a month we celebrate a Spirit Wear Day by wearing relaxed T-shirts, sweatshirts, sports jerseys, or other clothing items that bear the MCDS, Prairie Hawk, or official activity (e.g., play or musical) logo. We'll have samples of Spirit Wear at Registration and Orientation Night and limited items available for purchase. You can also place a fall Spirit Wear order by Wednesday, September 2, with an expected delivery date of September 15—just in time for the first Spirit Wear Day. Click here to view this fall's Spirit Wear choices in color, and click here for a printable form. Forms also are available in the Lower School lobby.

Medication, Immunization, and Other Health Forms

You'll find a Prescription Medicine Form  and a Non-Prescription Medicine Form in the Back-to-School Packet. Without properly completed forms, we cannot dispense any medications to your child. To ensure that medication(s) are available when needed, please bring the forms and medications with you to Registration and Orientation Night and give them to School Secretary Beatrice Jones or volunteer Health Coordinator Mary Priebe. Medications must be in the original containers and clearly labeled with the student's name.

Please bring all new medical records and forms, including the Physical and Dental Health Form (if you are a new family or there have been updates) and Allergy Action Form (if applicable), to school on or before Registration and Orientation Night. The state of Wisconsin has issued new immunization requirements (Tdap and Varicella) for students entering 6th, 9th, and 12th grades in the fall of 2010, as detailed in the MS/HS Immunization Fact Sheet. If you have questions please contact School Secretary Beatrice Jones. The documents below were sent home with grade reports earlier this summer.

School Supply Lists

Grade-specific school supply lists are listed below. If you ordered a Tool Box for a Lower School student, it will include all needed supplies for your child's grade and will be delivered to the appropriate classroom. All other school supplies should be brought in on the first day of school.

 

REGISTRATION AND ORIENTATION NIGHT

Registration and Orientation will be held on Thursday, August 26. This annual event helps families start off the year in an organized fashion and catch up with other MCDS community members. Please note that to ensure availability of all faculty and staff, this is a parents-only event for Lower and Middle School families.

 

UPDATING STUDENT AND FAMILY INFORMATION PROFILE

Follow the directions for updating the Student and Family Information Profile (also sent in an August mailing) to update your family profile, which provides crucial information in the event of illness or injury. Then print and sign a document for each MCDS student in your family and bring the signed form(s) to Registration and Orientation Night. If you have any difficulties updating your profile, you can ask for assistance that night or call the school with questions you may have. By law, a student cannot attend school without a signed and completed form.

 

SCHOOL YEAR CALENDARS

School Year Calendar

Click here to access the abridged 2010-2011 school calendar, which lists vacation days for the coming year.

August/September Calendar

Click here for the August/September calendar.

A-E Calendar

Click here for the A-E calendar, which is designed to ensure that no single day's classes are slighted by Monday holidays or other variables.

 

UNIFORMS

New Lands’ End Uniform Webpage

Lands’ End has launched a special webpage just for us, which they plan to enhance in the coming year to make it even easier to purchase MCDS uniforms online. Until then, please refer to the uniform requirements page of the MCDS website and keep a copy of our illustrated uniform guide handy as you shop. We'll keep a link to our designated Lands' End webpage in the Quick Clicks section of the Friday File; click here for a flyer from Lands' End, which includes a reminder to sign up for their email updates regarding special offers and product announcements.

Whether ordering online or through the Lands' End catalog (copies are available in the Lower School lobby), please be sure our Preferred School Program Number (900035213) has been noted, as MCDS receives a 3% cash-back reward for uniform purchases.

Used Uniform Sale

The Parent Guild's Used Uniform Sale will continue on a self-serve basis in the Lower School lobby through Friday, August 13, cash or check only. Plaid items are priced at $15 each, with other uniform pieces at $5 each.

Lands' End Weekend Sale

Click here for information on a Lands' End sale running August 13-16, which offers 25% off all school uniforms and free shipping for orders of more than $50.

 

OTHER LOWER SCHOOL INFORMATION

Gradual Start Schedule for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Students

To facilitate a smooth transition for students entering Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten at MCDS, we've implemented what is called a “gradual start” for the first week of school. Students in each class are split into two groups and begin their school year with a half day, either on Monday or Tuesday, followed by a day off and then a full day of school. On Friday, September 3, all students in each class attend school together. Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten parents should have received an email earlier this summer with their child’s schedule for the first week of school. Please contact Admissions Director Jen Klug with any questions.

 

OTHER MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL INFORMATION

Supplemental MS/HS Back-to-School Packet

Click here for the supplemental Middle/High School Back-to-School Packet (also listed above) and read below for related information and other MS/HS updates.

Electives

Electives provide students opportunities to engage in self-selected activities in which they both apply and expand upon skills taught in their core courses. Classes will be offered last period on A and C days, with each student assigned to two electives. Please bring the completed Elective Options form with you to Registration and Orientation Night on August 26.

Extracurriculars

A wide variety of after-school activities are offered to MS/HS students throughout the year, broken into fall, winter, and spring sessions. The MCDS Business Office will bill accounts prior to the start of each session for any activities offered for an additional fee. Please bring the completed Elective Options form with you to Registration and Orientation Night on August 26.

Middle School/High School P.E. Uniforms

You can order P.E. uniform(s) directly from the Lands’ End special webpage designed especially for MCDS families. To view the approved P.E. uniform items offered by Lands' End in child and adult sizes, click on the links below:

If your child has a P.E. uniform still in shape from last year, you may want to hold on to it, as students will have the option of wearing either last year's uniform or the new Lands' End uniform in 2010-11. We'll be selling our remaining stock of last year's P. E. uniforms at Registration and Orientation Night.

Library Media Center & Technology Policies and Agreement

Please read through the Library Media Center & Technology Policies with your child(ren), and bring a signed form for each MS/HS student in your family to school on Registration and Orientation Night on August 26. Please also make and save a copy of this document for your own future reference.

Fifth Grade Orientation

If you're the parent of a new fifth grade student, watch your email for a letter from Luke Felker, Head of School. This letter will provide information you need to know to help your child transition smoothly into Middle School. Also, please note that the fifth grade orientation on the afternoon of Thursday, August 26, is for students only.

High School Exam Dates

Please mark your calendar for these important fall exam dates; both exams will start at 8:15 a.m., so avoid scheduling any appointments on those two mornings.

  • ACT-PLAN (9th and 10th graders): Tuesday, October 5
  • PSAT/NMSQT (10th and 11th graders): Wednesday, October 13

 

FALL 2010 EXTRACURRICULAR OFFERINGS

First of Many Fall Classes Announced

Click here for information regarding a few of the many extracurricular classes that will be offered this fall. Information regarding additional classes will be posted in the coming weeks.

 

ONGOING MCDS FUNDRAISERS

Scrip & Box Tops for Education

For information on this year's MCDS Scrip and Box Tops programs, click here for the latest Friday File.

 

FAMILY GUIDE TO SCHOOL LIFE AT MCDS

The updated Family Guide to School Life at MCDS includes information on attendance protocol, MCDS communications, milk and lunch programs, Parent Guild, Extended Day program, health issues, and much more.

 

For other MCDS news and updates, click here for the Friday File newsletter.