Parent Info Meeting - required for all parents who have a student interested in being a part of the production.

Auditions - same as last year, we'll have two days of vocal auditions and one day for dance. Vocal auditions split into 30 minute groups of 6 students each (we can add slots once original batch are nearly full), all students must attend the full dance audition afternoon. 

Callbacks - TBD, only students who need to be seen need to attend, but that notification won't come until the 25th... for perspective, we haven't needed this in any past year.

Production Team Meeting - only for the parents in charge of various production areas (costumes, set, sound, etc.). 

Audition / permission forms will be sent to all Upper Elementary families in February. There will be an $85 participation fee that covers the cost of a t-shirt, cast party, green room water and snacks, and helps cover props and the set materials.

All parents of musical participants will be expected to volunteer in some way and/or donate to the concession area. The musical is a large-scale event and many hands make light work. Volunteering may be as little as supervising a rehearsal dismissal car line, selling concessions, selling tickets, or it may mean taking on a larger role like playbill design/t-shirt distribution/costuming/set building/sound/lighting etc. A sign up will be available in late February.

American Heart Association School Engagement Development Director, Emily Wild worked with MSOW elementary students this week and introduced the American Heart Association’s Kids Heart Challenge. She showed interactive videos, played games, and held a trivia contest to review key points. The program helps students learn how to care for their hearts while helping others at the same time. 

Through age-appropriate videos, activities, and lessons students are able to explore the importance of physical activity, healthy choices, and kindness. Elementary families were invited to participate at home by setting goals and supporting heart-healthy habits at home, all while raising awareness for heart disease and stroke research. MSOW's goal for participating was to make our elementary students and their families aware of Hands-Only CPR and the signs of stroke. 

Ever wish you could create nutritious lunches and meals that your child will love?  If so, then this year's MSOW Wellness Event is for you! Come to learn the science of nutrition and how it relates to your child, and leave with ready to use, child tested recipes. We will even have several of the recipes prepared for you to sample.

Dr. Rosalind Schoppet (“Dr. Roz”) is an educator, researcher, and national advocate for improving the quality of food served to children in school. With extensive experience in both public and private education, she is best known for transforming the food program at her own school, where she led a shift from processed, packaged snacks to a whole-food, organic menu free of added sugars and artificial dyes. Her work demonstrates that young children not only accept but thrive with nutritious, thoughtfully prepared meals. We don't have a hot lunch program at MSOW but parents often share that they wish they had ideas for nutritious lunches that their child(ren) will eat. You may recall that our own MSOW Wellness Teacher, Sara O'Reilly presents lessons on nutrition to our students and offers hands-on opportunities for growing food like lettuce, herbs, squash, and corn in our greenhouse and surrounding gardens. Sara will share with parents the vocabulary and materials she uses with our students.

Dr. Schoppet will share her expertise with the MSOW community at our annual wellness event. The event includes a real-time remote presentation from Dr. Roz projected for the group, followed by space for shared discussion and Q&A. Dr. Roz has been featured in discussions on school wellness, early childhood development, and practical approaches to creating healthier school food systems. She offers a unique blend of research-based insight and hands-on implementation experience, helping educators and families understand how nutrition shapes learning, behavior, and long-term well-being.

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Schoppet via a live remote session to share her knowledge with our community and to inspire us toward healthier, nourishing choices for children.

Upper Elementary 3 - Lead Teacher Taylor Burczyk

As part of an introduction to metric measurement, the fourth year students in Upper Elementary 3 received a lesson in baking using a kitchen scale to measure ingredients in grams and build an understanding of how grams compare to kilograms.  In this skill/knowledge application exercise, students worked together to make sandwich bread which was then offered to classmates as further extension of practical life work. 

Lower Elementary 2 - Lead Teacher Sarah Chow

MSOW Librarian - Eve Bruce

MSOW Librarian, Eve Bruce,  visited Lower Elementary 2 last week to share New Year's customs from around the world. Students learned that the New Year is celebrated at various times throughout the calendar year, depending on the country.  There are some customs that have been around for thousands of years, such as writing resolutions which originated in Babylonian times.  They were surprised to find out that the ball drop in Times Square was first done in 1907 because there was a ban on fireworks that year.  

First, the children - either individually or in teams of 3 - were challenged to use globes, atlases and maps to locate and identify the continents on a list of targeted countries.  Afterwards, they chose the countries and customs they were most interested in learning more about. Some of their choices included:

• Greece: Bread or cake has a hidden coin in it; whoever gets it will have good luck.

• Japan: A doll with no eyes gets one painted on and a wish is made; another eye is added when the first wish comes true

• Canada: Parents dance while their children play the spoons

• Scotland: Auld Lang Syne was actually a poem before becoming a famous song for celebrating the New Year

MSOW’s growing library collection contains fiction and non fiction books carefully curated by Mrs. Eve to support the MSOW curriculum, student interest areas, and the natural progression of learning across developmental stages. Each title is intentionally selected to spark curiosity, encourage independent exploration, and deepen understanding of key concepts presented in the classroom. The collection reflects Montessori principles by offering rich, accurate, and engaging resources that invite students to follow their interests and develop a lifelong love of reading and research. MSOW has data bases too, to fill in any gaps, and an online catalog children use to search the collection.

We were able to purchase well over a thousand library bound books with a portion of MSOW Gala proceeds.  Thank you to all the MSOW families and MSOW employees who support their classroom Gala baskets, attend the Gala, and secure sponsors and donations for the Gala. See more information about the Gala in this Newsfeed. See you at the Gala!

These are the current offerings as of January 16th, please stay tuned for possible additions - we are looking for Children's House class offerings in particular. 

Chess with Mr. Crotteau!

Mondays 3:30 - 4:30 pm February 2, 9, 23; March 2, 9, 16, 2026

Lead Instructor:  Luke Crotteau, MSOW Middle School Lead

Skill Level: Lower Elementary 2nd year - Middle School (limit: 20)

Students are invited to participate in a six week Chess Club session. All levels of expertise are welcome. The only requirement is the keen desire to play chess!  Tournament etiquette and rules will be demonstrated and if enough students enroll, there will be a mock tournament on the last day of the session! 

Six Week Class: $90

Chess with Mr. Crotteau

Painting with Ms. Crystal!

Tuesdays  3:30 - 4:30 pm,  February 3, 10, 17, 24; March 3, 10, 2026

Lead Instructor:  Crystal Thao, MSOW Upper Elementary Paraprofessional

Skill Level:  Lower Elementary 2nd Years through Middle School (Limit 12)

All students need to bring is an open mind and a willingness to see art in new and different ways! Painting is  about the message, the emotion, and the story behind the artwork. 

In these painting classes, students will develop fine motor skills, boost creativity, strengthen cognitive skills, explore emotional expression, and learn a variety of brush techniques. Each class offers hands-on experience and encourages students to trust their creative instincts.

By the end of each class, students will proudly bring home their own original artwork. The pieces shown below are examples of the types of paintings students will have the opportunity to create.

Six Week Class: $140

Painting with Ms. Crystal

Waukesha Civic Theatre’s Musical Madness!

Thursdays 3:30 - 4:30 pm       February 5, 12, 26;  March 5, 19, 26, 2026

Lead Instructor:  Shannon Messplay, Actress and Vocal Coach

Skill Level:  Upper Elementary and Middle School (Limit 15)

Build your musical theatre skills while learning to sing and perform a Broadway tune—and have a lot of fun along the way! Whether you’re preparing for the spring musical or just want to try something new, sign up and let your voice be heard!

Six Week Class:  $140

Musical Madness

Scrapbooking - Create a Lasting Keepsake 

Thursdays 3:30 - 4:30 pm       February 5, 12, 19;  March 5, 19, 26, 2026

Lead Instructor: Jennifer Michaels, MSOW Lower Elementary Paraprofessional  

Skill Level: Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary (limit: 7)  

Capture your favorite memories and turn them into keepsakes! In this creative class, students will learn how to summarize an event, tell the story through both words and images, and bring it to life with unique, artistic details. Each week, students should bring about four photos of a recent event they’d like to highlight. By the end of the course, each child will have a completed scrapbook—an artistic showcase of storytelling and design skills they can treasure for years to come.

Six Week Class: $140

Scrapbooking with Ms. Jennifer!

Valentine Candle Workshop

Wednesday, February 11, 2026  Time: 3:30 - 4:30 pm (one time workshop)

Lead Instructor::  Jennifer Michaels, MSOW Lower Elementary Paraprofessional  

Skill Level:  Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary (Limit 12)

Light Up Valentine’s Day!  Join us for a fun and creative candle-making class where students will design their very own Valentine candle. Using kid-safe materials and lots of love, each child will decorate, scent, and create a one-of-a-kind candle to take home.  These candles will be perfect for gifting to someone special or keeping as a sweet Valentine keepsake.

Workshop:  $30

Valentine Candle Workshop

Loom Bracelet Workshop

Tuesday, March 17, 2026  Time: 3:30 - 4:30 pm (one time workshop)

Lead Instructor:  Hannah VanEerden, MSOW LE1 Paraprofessional  

Skill Level:  Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary (Limit 12)

In this one-time, hands-on enrichment class,  students will learn how to create friendship bracelets using a simple cardboard loom. Children will practice fine motor skills, patterning, and creativity as they design and weave their own bracelets. Each student will take home both their handmade bracelet and their cardboard loom, allowing them to continue creating friendship bracelets after class!

Workshop:  $30

Loom Bracelet Workshop

Each year, we honor our MSOW dads (or a special guest if dad cannot attend) with a morning celebration of donuts, fruit, yougurt, and coffee in the MSOW gym. Children join their dads for breakfast and then return to the classroom. This is a very popular event. A Muffins in the Morning with Mom is scheduled on May 7th.

We will need some help making Donut Date great!  Volunteer to help with Donut Date HERE

Here are a few photos from last year's Donut Date event

Save Sunday, February 22nd on your family calendars because you won't want to miss the first ever Montessori's Got Talent...and snacks! family talent show at MSOW. With emcee Doug Jarecki from Waukesha Civic Theater and our own MSOW stage manager Richard Seibt it is guaranteed to be an entertaining afternoon. Note: this is a fun/casual, family event - not a competition - everyone wins at this fun-filled talent showcase.

Montessori's Got Talent...and snacks! will be held in the MSOW gym on a Sunday afternoon from 2pm-4pm. The event will feature a maximum of 20 MSOW family acts - at least one adult and one child per family act please - sing, dance, act, play instruments, twirl batons (not flaming please), do magic, tell jokes, play spoons or perhaps your family has other hidden talents? Snacks will be available for purchase during the event and the audience will sit at tables - club style!

Families, be reassured that together can look many different ways. While one child and one adult from each family must be on stage, the adult’s role can be as small or as supportive as needed. A parent might introduce the act, turn on the music, hold up an applause sign, assist with a prop, or simply be a steady presence on stage. The goal is not performance perfection, but shared experience, encouragement, and fun. (Or, maybe the child is there to support the adult.)  Families may also join together to form a larger group too - bravery in numbers!

All acts will have the opportunity for a dress/tech rehearsal on Saturday, February 21st - rehearsal sign up will be sent to all registered acts.

All acts will be entered into a drawing for an incredible family-fun gift basket. A separate, second family-fun gift basket will be raffled off to show attendees. No fee/cost to perform AND all act performers receive free admission to the event.

Sign up to perform and get participant Information HERE!

Sign up for back stage volunteers and concessionaires HERE! 

The deadline for performers to enter is January 26, 2026.

Thank you to the Wied family- Andy, Laura, Christopher (UE 1), Ollie (CH 5), for taking on the project of repairing the MSOW 'little lending library' that is usually located at the entrance of the Campus West parking lot.  The idea is that people can take a book and share a book. This is a city-wide program. Some of you may recall that the door fell off of our little library early in the winter and the paint was beginning to peel. It was possible to  unscrew it from the post and send it home for some TLC at the Wied house! It will return to campus when the weather improves.