7 Reasons to Join the Madison Public Schools Friends & Alumni Network
Need a reason to join the Madison Public Schools Friends and Alumni Network? How about seven?
As part of the Foundation for Madison's Public Schools' efforts to form greater connections with our graduates and the community, we are thrilled to launch the Madison Public Schools Friends & Alumni Network – a free way for alumni and community supporters to stay connected and engaged in activities that strengthen our schools, and each other. Here are just a few of the reasons why you should consider joining us today!
- Stay connected to (or reconnect with) friends and teachers: The Madison Public Schools Friends and Alumni Network has a fantastic database of members and alumni that makes it easy for you to reconnect with old friends and teachers, no matter how long ago you graduated. In doing so, you’ll be able to expand your personal and professional networks, opening up opportunities that might have been closed to you had you not stayed connected.
- Volunteer opportunities: For alumni who wish to give back to their alma mater in the form of time and service, there are plenty of opportunities to do this through the Madison Public Schools Friends and Alumni Network. Our website features a volunteering section where you can submit your name, contact information, and the kinds of volunteer opportunities in which you are most interested.
- Contribute: If you would rather contribute financially, we make it easy to do that as well! The alumni network is free to join, but our Contributing Membership option allows you may make a financial commitment through membership dues to ensure that the Madison Public Schools Friends & Alumni Network exists in perpetuity.
- Have a voice: If you want to be an advocate for Madison schools, getting involved in our alumni network is a great way to do so. You’ll be able to provide your thoughts and feedback on the future direction of the district’s schools.
- Get invited to events: If you’re looking for a social outlet, our alumni network is right up your alley! Keep an eye on the events page on our website to stay updated about upcoming events, and be sure to read the newsletters we send out for information on events as well.
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Read or contribute alumni stories: We like to periodically feature alumni on our website, giving readers a profile of where they are now and what they’re doing with their lives. You can read these alumni stories, or contribute your own if you know of a Madison alum doing something special in their community!
- Maintain your school spirit: If you find yourself nostalgic for your high school days, there are few better ways to maintain that school spirit than to get involved with your alumni network.
Are you interested yet? If so, we’d love to welcome you as a new member!
JOIN US TODAY >>
How Alumni Can Support the 2020 MMSD Referenda
COVID-19 has changed our world in many ways. This very, very different time we are in has laid bare the inequities and challenges that still exist for our public schools and demonstrated an even more critical need for additional resources and support. This November 2020, voters in the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) will consider two referendum questions. If approved, the referenda would provide the critical resources needed to ensure Madison's public schools are equitable, inclusive spaces where every scholar thrives.
As alumni of MMSD and members of our Madison Public Schools Friends & Alumni Network, we hope you will join us in supporting these initiatives! Below is an overview of what you should know about the upcoming vote and how you can lend your support.
Read moreAmerica's Story Documented Through One Alum's History
History is a story well told, and West High class of 1981 alumnus Dr. Alex Gee is the central figure in Justified Journey, a new documentary that uses one family’s story to illustrate the vastly unequal outcomes for Black and white Americans. Produced by former WKOW news anchor Greg Jeschke, Justified Journey follows Dr. Gee, the pastor of Fountain of Life Covenant Church and host of the Black Like Me podcast, as he traces his own roots back to rural Mississippi and discovers the exact point where the Gee family tree branched out into two very different directions.
In the film, Dr. Gee tells his story, the story of many African Americans, that began forty years ago as a boy watching the TV series, “Roots”. Decades later, he resumes his journey in earnest, and it takes him to the painful origins of his family. But from that experience he makes the poignant discovery that alters his perspective on the past and the future. As he reflects on his story, Dr. Gee reveals how it embodies the wider struggle for black equality and equity in America and what must be done to create real change.
Watch the 40-minute documentary to learn more about Dr. Gee’s remarkable story:
Former MMSD Employee Selected as District’s Next Superintendent of Schools
(Photo Credit: Robbinsdale School District)
The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) Board of Education has announced the selection of Dr. Carlton D. Jenkins as the district’s next Superintendent of Schools. Dr. Jenkins, a UW-Madison Graduate and former MMSD Employee has been serving as the Superintendent of the Robbinsdale School District in New Hope Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.
Read more“I speak for everyone on the Board when I say that we are very excited to share this news with our community. We want to thank our community for their patience and grace throughout this process. Our choice of Dr. Jenkins is the result of a Leadership Profile built from the voices of our community serving as our guide, and we feel fortunate to find someone who represents that profile as well as Dr. Jenkins does. We are all excited for him to reunite with our MMSD family and community.”
- Gloria Reyes, Board of Education President.
Celebrating the Historic Class of 2020
The Class of 2020 will go down in the history books: the kids who didn't get a prom, didn't get to walk the stage, didn't get all of those fun, end-of-childhood parties. But despite most of life being put on pause, major life milestones did still happen, including graduating from high school. And while this year’s graduation celebrations didn't look typical, Madison's public schools ensured they were special, nonetheless.
Virtual Graduation Ceremony
MMSD teamed up with News 3 Now / Channel 3000 and Madison Magazine to give our seniors a graduation to remember! The virtual ceremonies were held on June 12th and 13th and can be viewed at the links below:
- Madison East High School
- Robert M. La Follette High School
- Capital High
- Malcolm Shabazz City High School
- James Madison Memorial High School
- Madison West High School
In addition to the virtual ceremony, the district has also arranged for graduating students’ photos to be featured in a special issue of Madison Magazine and on digital, city-wide billboards.
Read moreAn Alumni Network Built Just for You
As part of our efforts to form greater connections with our graduates and the community, we are thrilled to launch the Madison Public Schools Friends & Alumni Network – a free way for alumni and community supporters to stay connected and engaged in activities that strengthen our schools, and each other.
This community will empower you to stay in touch with old friends, classmates or colleagues, learn about how you can help students in those halls today and get regular updates on all the exciting things happening in Madison's public schools. We ask that you engage in this network and help ensure a lasting legacy for Madison's public schools and the students it serves—both now and in the future. We'll share more about how you can do just that in the weeks and months to come, but for now...
We Want to Hear From You
As we work to build a network that best serves our community, input from our alumni and friends is of utmost importance. As such, we invite you to take this quick survey to help us better understand the information, services and opportunities you would like to receive from the network. It will only take a few minutes of your time and your participation is greatly appreciated!
A Virtual Reunion for the Madison West Class of '75
Guest post by Dan Mansoor, Madison West Class of 1975
In the COVID-19 era, people are reaching out to family, friends, and neighbors. The Madison West Class of '75 held a brief (and their first-ever) Zoom™ video call on May 6 at 7 PM. Moderated by Dan Mansoor (from Cleveland), current principal Dr. Karen Boran was invited to give a brief update on the school.
Because of modest numbers – about 22 floated in and out during the hour call – everyone had the opportunity to share stories, ask questions, and provide updates. Alumni from the Class of '61 and Class of '80 crashed the party, the latter a critical care physician in New York City who gave us a powerful first-person account from the front lines of the COVID-19 fight. Close battle played out for the "log on" from the farthest distance. Michael Shapiro "voiced in" from the Province of Córdoba, Argentina, and Julie Beatty looked radiant in pajamas from Melbourne, Australia (10 AM). We had two alumni from Montana, two from California, two from Chicago and one from Verona! We also heard from Dr. Boran about the formation of the new Alumni & Friends of West and the immediate philanthropic needs of current students and their families during the coronavirus crisis.
We all looked a lot older than we did in 1975, but mostly due to slow bandwidth! The Class's 45th Reunion this summer is more and more in doubt. But count on another video call and a bigger party in 2021.
Community Teams Up In Support Of Our Schools
Click HERE for the latest on how the Foundation for Madison's Public Schools is responding to the COVID-19 crisis.
Madison's public schools are facing an unprecedented challenge in navigating the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis. Families look to the school system for not just educational services, but also social services and we hold the well-being, health and safety of everyone in our school district and community as highest priority. Thankfully, our community is pitching in and teaming up to help.
How Can You Lend Your Support?
In light of MMSD school closures and community precautions around COVID-19, and in an effort to provide a quick and easy way for alumni and friends to lend their support, the Foundation has established TWO emergency relief funds. Your gifts to these funds will go directly towards assisting MMSD schools, staff, scholars and their families during this time of high alert and high need.
Please, help with a gift to one or both of these funds:
MMSD Community Resource Fund
This fund will provide immediate and enduring support for MMSD schools, staff, scholars and their families, both now and in the future.
MSCR Community Resource Fund
This Fund is dedicated specifically to supporting the mission, programs and services of Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) during the COVID-19 crisis.
Second Harvest Food Bank is also helping to feed the students and families of MMSD during this time. They could use help with contributions and healthy volunteers to assemble food boxes. If you may be able to assist, please visit their site to learn more.
Because of YOU we are already making a positive impact!
Delivering Academic Materials
The pressing need in March was to get academic materials in the hands of students as schools closed after spring break. We partnered quickly with MMSD to raise $15,000 of the funds necessary to cover costs to produce, package and deliver enrichment materials to 19,000 K-8 scholars throughout the district.
Reliable, Equitable WIFI Connections
As schools remain closed for the year, scholars need reliable, affordable access to the internet for distance learning. Superintendent Jane Belmore has asked us to partner with her to raise $100,000 toward costs to bridge gaps in access. These funds will allow MMSD to purchase hotspots for families in need and place long-range wifi antennae on select school buildings. So far, we have worked together to raise $39,000 toward this goal.
See our community’s gracious response, in this video:
In a time that is challenging for our community and its nonprofit organizations, it is the generous support of our responsive funds by donors like YOU that allows us to help. Because of YOU, we are able to better connect our scholars across Madison and reduce obstacles to distance learning. Thank you for your support – let’s keep working together to meet these goals!
Why Should You Stay Involved with Your Alma Mater?
If you're like most people, you may not have the tightest connection with your high school alma mater. It's typical for graduates to go out into the world, heading off to college, trade school, the workforce or the armed forces. It’s the beginning of adult life.
As time goes on, we tend to lose a strong sense of connection with the schools we attended in our formative years. But more than any yearbook, class ring or Facebook group, staying engaged and involved with your alma mater is a great way to keep that connection—and even help out current students in meaningful ways.
Even if you are someone who put considerable distance between your high school and your current life, you can still stay involved. And, a good place to start is by joining Madison Public Schools Friends & Alumni Network.