May 4, 2023

Messages from Mr. Nelson and Mrs. Petersen

Dear Richards Families,

As we near the end of the school year, we would like to take a moment and celebrate the retirement of some of our most admired teachers. These teachers have dedicated their career in Whitefish Bay impacting our school and community in more ways than anyone could know. We are so thankful for their inspiration and many years of service. They will all be missed greatly but their impact will continue to be felt at Richards for many years. We wish them all the best in their next chapter of life.

Sally Danforth (Art Teacher)

Sally Danforth has made an artistic impact on the lives of students throughout her 20+ years as an elementary art teacher in Whitefish Bay. Sally’s dedication to fostering creativity and imagination in students can be seen in the beautiful artwork that has filled the halls over the years. Her partnerships with children, colleagues, and visiting artists could also be seen in art shows, in displays during fine arts programs, and in permanent art installations around Richards. Thank you for your dedication and all you have done to enrich the lives of those around you.

Susie Bond (5K Teacher)

During Susie's 20+ years in Whitefish Bay as a parent, volunteer, kindergarten paraprofessional, substitute teacher and Richards senior kindergarten teacher, she has been known for her dedication to students, families and the community. Susie is known for building a kind, caring, supportive, and loving classroom community. She sets the tone for the "Richards Way," as she teaches, models, and supports the entire school community. Susie is a beloved team member and will forever be a part of our Richards community and family.

Lynn Minkin (Special Education Teacher)

During Lynn’s 20+ year career in Whitefish Bay, her dedication to students and their families has been exceptional. Lynn works collaboratively to meet students’ physical, functional, academic, social, and emotional needs. She demonstrates flexibility, responsiveness, and the thoughtful use of resources to facilitate student success. Lynn also shows great care and appreciation for her colleagues, orchestrating the celebration of special events in their lives like no other. Her pervasive smile, enduring positivity, and solution-based mindset have been a wonderful asset to the Richards school community. Although Lynn will be missed, she will forever be a part of our Richards family.

Announcements:

K5-5th Grade Belongingness Survey: Starting on May 8th, K5-5th grade students will again take the three-question Belongingness Survey. There will be very limited individual student follow up, as the data will primarily be used for comparison with fall data.

Announcements (repeat):

Fine Arts Festival: Richards Fine Arts Festival will take place on Thursday, May 25th. This event is brought to you by our Encore teachers: Art, Library, Music, Spanish, and Physical Education. This will be a fun-filled afternoon of food, art, music, & dance, based on the books by the author Eric Carle. Come for Lunch on the Lawn, a book walk, an art show, and a school wide music and dance performance! We can’t wait to showcase the amazing talents of our students!

We are asking all families to RSVP via this link no later than May 15. The details and schedule for this special afternoon can also be found in the link above. 

From the PTO

Fun Lunch - THIS FRIDAY!  Can’t think of a better way to celebrate the first day of May than with a Fun Lunch Fri-yay!!!

Scholastic Book Fair: The Scholastic Book Fair returns on May 17 for one day only!  We will be open in the Great Hall from 3-8pm!  The Fair will feature great titles to interest all ages!  Richards Spirit Wear will also be available from 5-7pm.  It will be your last chance to grab spirit wear for the year! We hope to see you there.  We do need a few volunteers to make this event work.  If you are interested, please use this link to sign up.  Questions? Contact Carrie Osswald cseelman@yahoo.com or Amy Mulcahy amymulcahy13@yahoo.com

Spirit’s Soiree! Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, May 17 for a fun night at Richards Elementary School!  The Richards PTO invites all families to join us in welcoming the incoming K4 students in the Richards Gym for Spirit’s Soiree from 5-7pm. All are welcome to enjoy dancing to a DJ, snack on cookies and refreshments, and even a special appearance by Spirit the Tiger!  Stop by the Great Hall for the Book Fair and Spirit Wear Sale!  We hope to see you there! Questions?  Contact Anna Graham at annamgraham4@gmail.com or Kristin Fischer at klfischer622@gmail.com

Thank you for a successful year of Lego Club!  With the last Lego Club session wrapped up for the year, we thank all the parents and especially parent volunteers for taking part in this fun after school activity!  It was wonderful to have 142 children participate across grades K5-5th Grade!  Hope to see you all next year!

District Announcements

From Whitefish Bay Public Education Foundation: REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Run the Bay is the foundation's main event to fund innovation in the WFB Schools. The run will be held on Saturday, May 6th at Klode Park! You can register for the run HERE! Visit us on Facebook for more information on the run along with the other Bay Day activities. Please email educatethebay@gmail.com for sponsorship opportunities.

RUN THE BAY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Not able to participate? Or will you be there as a spectator? We would love your help! Sign up to volunteer HERE.

WFBHS Grad Grams: Who do you know who is graduating from WFBHS this year? Your sitter? Your neighbor? Your favorite Sendik’s bagger? The kids you coached in soccer? Send them each a Grad Gram message! The WFBHS Parent Association is taking orders for Grad Grams from April 17 - May 29. For $1 each, you can send a quick note that will be bound in a special book for each senior and delivered at graduation practice. Please see the attached flyer to participate in this fun tradition that is a highlight for our WFB seniors.

School Board Meeting: May 10, 2023: The community is welcome to attend School Board meetings to gain a better understanding of School District business and the role of the School Board. The public is also invited to address the Board during the public comment portion as indicated in Board meetings. Meeting agendas are posted within BoardDocs two days preceding each meeting.

• Meeting dates located under featured tab/documents
• Agendas located under featured or meeting tabs

Thank You from the Bay Ball: On behalf of the Whitefish Bay Public Education Foundation, we are pleased to announce the success of Bay Ball 2023. We exceeded our fundraising goal for the WFB School District’s ongoing Technology Improvement Initiative. Thanks to the support of our incredibly generous community. Thank you to all 631 attendees for making the evening not only a financial success, but a whole lot of fun. The list of talented and big hearted individuals who gave their time and energy to bring Bay Ball to life is long, and we invite you to visit bayballwfb.com to take a look. We know you’ll recognize some names, and the next time you see them, you can thank them for supporting educational excellence in Whitefish Bay.  Co-Chairs Claire Dadaian and Katie Keen