October 1, 2025
Embedded Files
Message from the Head of School
Members of the MSOW admin team recently attended an Education and Industry Forum at UW-Milwaukee. One message was clear: the future of work is evolving rapidly, and students need more than technical/academic knowledge to succeed. With a shrinking workforce and job roles emerging that don’t yet exist, what were once called “soft skills” are now seen as essential durable skills—competencies and mindsets that last a lifetime. Here are some ideas highlighted at the forum you may find interesting.
Leaders from business and industry highlighted the growing need for students who can take risks, learn from failure, and adapt in uncertain situations. As AI takes on more routine tasks, students must be comfortable with ambiguity, knowing there’s often more than one right answer. They’ll also need strong face-to-face communication skills, the ability to handle productive conflict, and the persistence to ask good questions and pursue answers. Our role as educators is to help students develop curiosity, confidence, resilience, and the ability to see connections — not just to prepare them for a job, but for a dynamic, unpredictable future.
HR professionals and college talent managers at the forum also shared that now, some of the students who struggle most in today’s shifting workplace are high academic achievers. These students, trained to find the “right” answer, are often uncomfortable with failure and reluctant to take risks or admit they don’t know something. These insights remind us that real-world readiness isn’t just about academic performance — it’s about mindset, adaptability, and the ability to grow through challenges. At MSOW, we attend to both academics and durable skills!
They also talked about the problem with today's "friction free" communication through using screens - many young workers now struggle with shaking hands, looking people in the eye, having a conversation, and engaging in productive conflict.
Read about our upcoming Parent Education Nights in this Newsfeed and come learn more about how the Montessori approach is preparing your child.
Source event: Beyond the Walls: Education & Industry Forum hosted by VJS Construction
Brenda Zellmer
Head of School
Montessori School of Waukesha
Montestarry Night
A Fall Celebration Under the Stars
Record Attendance and Fundraising Success at Montestarry Night!
Beautiful weather and incredible MSOW community spirit made this year’s Montestarry Night event—held on September 26–27—a huge success! Over 500 participants joined in the fun, helping to raise nearly $12,000 for MSOW Playground improvements.
While final totals are still being confirmed, early numbers show that this year’s event raised $3,000 more than last year, setting a new fundraising record for this well-loved event.
Please click through the photo carousels below.
Save the Date for Montestarry Night next year!
September 25-26th 2026
Montestarry Night Volunteer Roster - You helped make it all happen!
A special thank you to event organizers, Jen Kolp, Montestarry Night creator and former MSOW parent, and Jamie Tritz, MSOW parent and future member of the 26-27 event leadership team. If you loved this event and would like to get involved more deeply next year, please write to info@msow.org with the subject line, Montestarry Night 2026-27 Team. This is a well established and documented "plan" so don't be afraid to step up!
Appreciation also goes out to all the volunteers who signed up to help out (in order of the sign up sheet): Rina Kustantina, Karen Driscoll, Elizabeth Beyer Schwartz, Ashley Angles, Chelsey Barta, Amanda Cole, Mary Ting, Isabel Collins, Olivia Giles, Jessica Pearson, Jen Krueger, Ashley Hoover, Brenda Zellmer, Anna Amelunk, Jessica Pearson, Stephanie Winters Babyar, Bill Lewis, Andy Hollander, Kathy Niebler, Nora Settimi, Linda & Rob Loomis, and Tim & Reba Meindl, Carlos Guzman.
We thank our faculty and staff who volunteered to brave the Kave Family Financial Dunk Tank: Sarah Chow, Bethany Mueller, Abbey Blunck, Taylor Burczyk, Crystal Thao, Gina Viola, Jackie Katscht, Laura Kau, Devin Veselenak, and Sandy Sullivan. And, gratitude goes out to the MSOW dads who made sure the dunk tank water was a bath-like 99 degrees: Curtis Meins, John Imig, Scott Kolp, and Eric Buckhouse.
To anyone else who was volun-told to help the night of the event or stepped in to support where they saw a need -- THANK YOU!
Thank you to Xcite Entertainment for dontating a night of music with MSOW UE3 parent DJ Daryl Burczyk!
AND, of course, Thank you to Kave Family Financial for sponsoring the Dunk Tank!
Mom's Night Out
No need to register or rsvp, just come and join us for this fun, casual evening!
Sendik's Cookout with the Board This Sunday, October 5th
Join the MSOW Board and Head of School at the Meadowbrook Sendik's from 11am-4pm on Sunday, October 5!
Enjoy a burger, brat, hotdog, chips, soda, and/or water. A portion of the proceeds goes to MSOW!
This is one of MSOW's "Meals for Montessori," events. Throughout the year, families are invited to enjoy a meal at a local venue. These venues return a percentage of their proceeds back to the participating school.
Hey, you've gotta eat, right! Come eat at a Meals for Montessori event and help raise money to benefit MSOW students. Thank you!
You Can Do Hard Things — And It Matters
Girls on the Run: This fall marks the third season of Girls on the Run at MSOW — a program brought back by Bethany Mueller, MSOW Director of Students with assistance from Jean Martinez, Lower Elementary 4 Paraprofessional, after more than a decade hiatus.
Girls on the Run - Southeastern Wisconsin, describes the program here:
Girls on the Run "inspires individuals of all abilities to discover, build, and grow their self-confidence. Together, they experience a sense of belonging and connection as a team. Volunteer coaches facilitate lessons that blend physical activity with life skill development, including managing emotions, fostering friendships, and expressing empathy. At the end of the season, the team completes a Community Impact Project and a 5K together, which provides a tangible sense of accomplishment and sets a confident mindset into motion."
Ms. Bethany understands deeply the importance of helping students develop a confident mindset as they discover their own strength and courage. She reminds us that we can all do hard things, and that doing those hard things can have a powerful, lasting impact — both academically and personally.
Ironman Triathlon: Ms. Bethany lives this philosophy too and was asked to share her own recent experience. On September 7, 2025, Ms. Bethany completed her fourth Ironman triathlon. The Madison race includes a 2.4-mile open-water swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a full 26.2-mile marathon—all in one day! Her steady dedication to the challenge reflects her belief that each time we stretch ourselves and keep trying, we grow stronger, wiser, and more capable.
This year, Ironman organizers had a camera crew follow Ms. Bethany, along with several other competitors, throughout the entire race, capturing powerful moments of vulnerability, determination, and triumph. With honesty and heartfelt reflection, Ms. Bethany shares her story—one shaped not only by physical endurance but also by the weight of tragic personal loss. Her journey reminds us that the lessons we gain from doing hard things, especially when life takes unexpected turns, have the power to shape us in meaningful and lasting ways.
"We can’t expect students to keep trying if we quit when it’s hard," she says. "We have to lead by example."
This mindset is exactly what we strive to nurture in our MSOW classrooms every day. Whether it’s learning to read, resolving a conflict, mastering a new math concept - or running a first 5K race - perseverance and self-belief are central to the Montessori journey. As Dr. Maria Montessori once said, “The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.’” It is through this quiet confidence and inner drive that our students grow into strong, capable, and compassionate human beings.
Video Caution: The documentary following Ms. Bethany and other athletes during their Ironman triathlon experience in Madison includes some references to sensitive topics such as severe physical illness, loss, mental illness, and suicide. Some strong language is used by a couple participants. The video may not be appropriate for everyone. It is strongly recommended that parents preview the full video to determine whether it is appropriate for their child.
Video Link for Madison Ironman Post Banquet Movie (13:50 minutes)
Please Read Video Caution above: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viAFD9qSixw&authuser=0
MSOW Staff Update
School Support Specialist, Liz Loomis, will be leaving MSOW as of Friday, Oct. 3rd after serving the MSOW school community since 2020. She started by writing the school newsletter and then took on more duties handling the school's social media. Most recently she moved into a School Support Specialist role. Liz shared:
I am excited to be returning to my roots in higher education with my new role in the Financial Aid Department at Carroll University, where I'll be running the student employment program. I will still be around school as a MSOW parent for many years to come and plan to return as choreographer for the school musical with Waukesha Civic Theatre in the spring.
We deeply appreciate the impact you've made over the years by sharing your energy and talents with the MSOW Community!
MSOW Grand Gathering Needs Your Help
As we prepare for the Grand Gathering on October 9th and 10th from 7:00 AM to 8:30 AM, we are seeking volunteers to assist with set-up/decorating, serving food, the photo booth, and clean-up.
If you are available to help, please sign up using the link below. If each classroom is represented by at least two volunteers, we will have at least 24 people to make this event as special as the guests we will be welcoming!
Volunteer for Grand Gathering HERE
If you haven't RSVP'd yet, here are the links:
Families with last names A-K CLICK HERE - Thursday, October 9th
Families with last names L-Z CLICK HERE - Friday, October 10th
Highlights from MSOW Classrooms
Enjoy these photos from the Children's House field trip to Cozy Nook Farm and the Children's House 1 classroom.
MSOW Parent Education Sessions Beginning Soon!
October 22nd - LE & UE
October 28th - CH
Thank You to our Generous Volunteers
Thank you to Jesse Cole for installing a new door switch on the kitchen dish sanitizer.
Thank you to John Imig for starting the project of scraping and painting our school's sign on Summit Ave.
Thank you to Eric Buckhouse for repairing and tightening the hardware on our new bikes.
Thank you to Scott Kolp and Rick Bauer for moving and installing a wall cabinet unit (taken from campus west) above the credenza in Ms. Bethany's office.
Thank you to Chris Germain for noticing tasks that could use a little attention and just taking care of it.
Future Fundraising Idea- Golf Outing
You Can Help Us Decide!
You may have already received an email about this exciting future fundraising idea in your inbox!
We’re always looking for fun and engaging ways to bring our school community together while also supporting MSOW. One idea the Board's Outreach & Engagement Committee is exploring is the possibility of hosting a golf outing fundraiser!
Before we move forward, we’d love to hear from you. Please take just a minute to complete this short survey and let us know your level of interest. Your feedback will help us shape this event and ensure it’s something our community will enjoy.
CLICK HERE to complete the short survey
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and for always supporting MSOW. Together, we can continue to create wonderful opportunities for our children and our school!
With gratitude and excitement,
Ashley Maher,
MSOW Board Outreach and Engagement Committee Co-Chair
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