Event planning is underway! PTO funds will likely go toward a collection of books for each grade band, focusing on authentic experiences about African Americans written by African American authors that could be checked out by classrooms after the event.  

More info will be shared as event details are finalized.

Project submitted by Ms. Olson.

Proposed project includes adding boxing training apparatus to the 3rd floor weight room and to partner with SheWolf MKE Boxing, a female run boxing gym that promotes self-defense and boxing as a way to empower women and girls.  

More information will be shared a the project is finalized.

Project submitted by Mr. Miller.

Proposed project includes funding for need-based scholarships to help support the cost of school-sponsored international travel for Golda High School students.

More information will be shared a the project is finalized.

Project submitted by Ms. Rickey.

PTO supported a lunch for the Golda Engineers for the Engineer Appreciation Event.

Project submitted by Ms. Mason.

The PTO's mini grant was used to purchase 14 individual licenses for students who were not able to afford it yet showed a great desire to have extra help in math.  ALEKS is an online math program that helps students of all abilities fill in any gaps they may have as well as study and practice current math topics in their math classes or even push ahead into more advanced curriculum. 

 ALEKS has typically been used for our more gifted students, but my data over the decade from here at Golda has shown it is beneficial for all kids (as long as they use the program as intended, with fidelity and are able to log a minimum of 2 hours of week. The data is quite remarkable from our Golda students over the years.  Students who did log 2 hours minimum or more per week and did the program as intended, showed an average growth of 1 full year or more!  In some rare cases, growth of 2.5 or 3 full years were seen.  This is incredible growth.  

The program uses artificial intelligence to determine where they are currently functioning, what is the most appropriate topic(s) to learn next while giving them practice with feedback, checks and rechecks for mastery and allows them to see problems and examples in various forms.  This is the program that I personally recommend to friends and family when they ask me for advice on how their kids can either catch up or move ahead in their math classes.

I will share our final data from ALEKS at the end of the year.

Thank you again for making this happen!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YnpuxgKPk4kEe1yM8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/sYct5hfb3GmZh2f86

I requested books to form a library of music with selections like Disney favorites, 101 Hit Songs, and other carefully titles. Students will be able to check these books out, take them home, and use a Google Drive folder to play along with the backing tracks. It will be like having your own orchestra playing along with you as you play music you and your families have on your own playlists! One of my favorite stories is about a student and her mom who bonded over her playing the songs from the Michael Jackson book - new to her but brought back a lot of memories for mom. 

The Schlitz Audubon Society came to Golda to present their program to 3rd graders.  The program as all about owls and included LIVE OWLS! Do all owls hoot? Do all owls eat mice? The owl ambassadors and staff of Schlitz Audubon answered questions as they provided first-hand encounters with these rarely seen raptors. Students explore the adaptations that make owls successful predators of the night and interact with artifacts. Students gained an appreciation for their nocturnal neighbors and the invaluable role they play in the ecosystem. 

Project report out summary and pictures coming soon!

Project report out summary and pictures coming soon!

Project report out summary and pictures coming soon!

Project report out summary and pictures coming soon!

With food costs at an all-time high, the Golda HS Culinary club requested support for 2022-2023.  Funding may be used for cooking utensils, kitchen equipment, and/or ingredients for recipes.  Students learn how to make food from scratch with fresh ingredients.

In collaboration with local artist Miriam Sushman, high school students will create a mosaic mural that will hang permanently in the hallways of Golda Mier's upper campus. Art foundations classes, art club, and the drawing and painting class will create original designs and complete the work of assembling the mosaic. Before creating their designs, students will research radial designs in nature and from cultures around the world. Local artist Miriam Sushman will join art classes and art club to teach them the art of glass mosaic and share her experience as a working artist. Working together, students and the artist will assemble and hang the finished pieces in the hallways of Golda Meir's upper campus for current and future students to enjoy. The final artwork demonstrates Golda's students' excellence in the arts as well as lifts the spirits of everyone who walks through the school. 

The 4th grade will be taking a field trip to Madison WI in the Spring as they have learned about the state of WI in SS class.  It is a classic 4th grade trip that we are excited to bring back to Golda!  The students will tour the Capitol tour and possibly a portion of UW Madison (time permitting).  

The Positive Behavior Intervention & Supports Committee has worked hard over the past couple of years to establish a system that works for our school. One thing that works well for encouraging positive behavior for students 3rd-5th grade is a raffle every month to celebrate positive behavior. Staff hand out tickets to students to recognize them for positive behavior as it relates to the specific pillar we are working on during that month. Then, students earn a raffle prize. During this school year we have newly established this system at the Middle School and High School. 

In the Spring, French 3 will study art with an emphasis on Impressionism: how it started, what painters were part of the movement, and what it is. We also touch on various art movements before and after and the influence Paris had on artists of that time period. 

Students will travel to Chicago for the day to experience Impressionist art in person at the Chicago Art Museum. Students will do a museum tours and scavenger hunt to expose them to other types of art/French artists.  Students will travel by train, get experience navigating the city, and will practice their experience French culture and practive their French language skills by eating at a French restaurant with authentic French dishes.

After a long hiatus, the 8th grade is headed to NYC again!   Our students need help learning the ways of the world outside of the Golda Meir School walls.  We would like to offer opportunities for the students headed to NYC to gain responsibility and leadership.  In order to achieve these goals, we will be hosting a day filled with academic lessons about the history of NYC, a walking trip around downtown, team building activities and an outing at a local Milwaukee sit-down restaurant.  

At our meal, students will be responsible for engaging in appropriate conversation in public, speaking with their server directly, using proper table manners, paying for their bill, including calculating the tax and tip for each person.

We are super excited to be bringing a small group of 6th and 7th grade students to a culturally rich extended fieldtrip to Toronoto and Niagra Falls this year.  As a way to prepare the students and provide some community bonding before we go on the trip, we would like to offer a night where all chaperones and student travelers a chance to get together and learn about each other. Participants will learn more about the Canadian culture specific to Niagara Falls and Toronto.   We will provide team building activities where students not only learn more about each other but about how to support and help each other during this new experience that may raise some stress levels at various times.  One activity will be a "Design your Tour T-shirt for the event".   Mini grant funding will help support purchase of supplies for this activity.

This night will also be the kick-off of the video journal that we will create of our groups experience related to planning, preparing, participating, and completing their journey together to Canada and back.  We will use this video journal to document our success of cultivating a cultural community within our students.