School Policy Guide

July 1, 2025 On behalf of the entire Schenk Elementary School team, welcome to the 2025-26 school year! Whether you have been a part of our school community for many years, or are new to our community, we look forward to partnering with you this school year.

Schenk Elementary School is located on the east side of Madison, WI and serves approximately 420 students. Our school community is dedicated to our core values of anti-racist teaching and learning, belonging, and collaboration. As a nationally recognized Welcoming School, we believe in creating safe, inclusive learning environments where individuals are seen, valued, and respected.

Our school is only as strong as our partnerships with our families. I invite you to engage in conversations with your scholars and their teachers on a regular basis, be open to sharing your experiences and expertise with our school community, and/or join our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) to support our school garden and community activities. Together, we can cultivate a thriving school community that prepares every scholar to graduate ready for college, career and community.

I look forward to collaborating with all of our scholars and their families. Please do not hesitate to reach out at any time to share appreciations, ask questions, provide suggestions, or relay your concerns. Feel free to contact me via email at antranel@madison.k12.wi.us or by phone at 608-204-1502.

The Schenk community commits to value each child’s identity, capabilities, and culture in order to empower all children to reach their full potential through anti-racist, multilingual teaching and learning.

At Schenk, we ground our work in our core values of Anti-Racist Teaching & Learning, Belonging, and Collaboration.

Telephone
OFFICE: (608) 204-1500
FAX: (608) 204-0539

Address
230 Schenk St
Madison, WI 53714

Web address
https://schenk.madison.k12.wi.us
facebook.com/MMSDSchenk

School Hours
Daily Soft Opening at 8:10 for Breakfast. Instructional Start 8:25

Mondays 8:25 - 2:00 p.m. (Early release)
Tuesdays-Fridays 8:25 - 3:20 p.m.

The Schenk Elementary Family Newsletter will be distributed electronically on a monthly basis. We are also working to increase the amount of valuable information contained on the school website. Please go on-line and check it out. We value your feedback regarding how we can improve our communication with our families and community.

There are many child care providers in the Schenk Elementary area that provide before and after school care. If you need child care for your K-5 child this year, please use this website for a list of childcare providers.

The YMCA is a child care provider and has services at the school. Please contact the YMCA directly for enrollment information.

We are also an MSCR Community Learning Center with after school programming available. Information will be provided after the start of the 2025-26 school year.

Find more information in the district policy guide, found at www.mmsd.org/policy-guide.

Consistent school attendance is one of the most important factors that can lead to school success for students. Our goal is that all students attend school at least 94% of the school year. We also want to make sure every child is safe and accounted for each school day.

Report your child’s absence through the Parent Portal using these directions.
Alternatively, please call the school attendance line (204-1506) and leave a message if your child will not be at school.

Students are considered Tardy from 8:25 - 8:35. After 8:35, students (without a valid excuse) are considered unexcused until the time they arrive at school. Teachers will notify the office by 8:35 a.m. of all absentees. If we do not hear from you, the school will make contact with you via text, email or phone call, so please be sure that the contact information we have is current.

There are limited parking spaces in the Schenk and Whitehorse parking lots and the parking lots are not a student drop off location. In addition, most of the curb spaces around the school on the school sides of the streets are not legal parking spaces during school hours. In order to avoid a parking citation, it is recommended that parents and guests use the curb spaces across the street and on side streets near the school. When dropping off students in the morning, it is best to drop off students near the front of the school across the street on the curb, then either accompany or allow your child to cross Schenk Street using the crosswalk supervised by the adult crossing guard. Please adhere to all signs including handicap parking spaces.

Arrival -- Student entry is at 8:10 a.m. It is recommended that students do not arrive at school any earlier than they need to in order to be in class ready to learn by 8:25 a.m. when school begins. School buses arrive around 8:10 a.m. and breakfast service is available. Students will get their breakfast and take it immediately to their classroom. Bus students are dropped off on Tulane Street on the side of the school. There is no supervision after school; all students are to be picked up when school dismisses.

Dismissal -- School dismisses at 2:00 p.m. on Mondays and 3:20 p.m. on all other days. There are a few other early release days during the school year. Please see the district and school calendars for these dates and times. All classes dismiss at the scheduled time and students riding the bus are brought to the doors facing Tulane Avenue where buses park. Students who are being picked up or walking will exit the front door on Schenk St. There are a few pick up spaces for private vehicles on the western side of Tulane Ave. Please adhere to all posted signs.

Please make sure your information on how your child gets home is updated with the office (204-1500) and the classroom teacher at least one hour prior to the end of the school day. Last minute pick ups at the end of the day are discouraged. 

To ensure the safety of your child, please provide notification in advance to the office and to your child’s teacher. We require parents to come to the main entrance of the school and ring the Schenk buzzer (silver box on the brick wall) to communicate with the office. We will call the classroom to have the student sent down to the office to meet the parents at the main entrance. Please remember anyone picking up a student must be authorized and listed in Infinite Campus. Student(s) will not be released without a legal guardian or authorized adult signature. Be prepared to show identification that must match what is indicated in Infinite Campus.

At Schenk, we deeply value the partnership we share with our families and surrounding community. Family and community involvement plays a vital role in our scholars’ success, and our scholars enjoy seeing your presence within our school.

We encourage all family members interested in volunteering to complete the online volunteer process at the beginning of the school year. The online volunteer application can be found on our website and must be completed prior to volunteering in our school (requires at least a Level 1 volunteer status) or prior to working one on one with students and/or chaperoning field trips (requires a Level 2 volunteer status). Once you are approved, volunteers should coordinate directly with their scholar’s classroom teacher to schedule in advance.

If you wish to visit for a birthday or special event, please be sure to make arrangements ahead of time with the classroom teacher. For the sake of maintaining a focused and uninterrupted learning environment, visitors without prior approval will not be permitted into classrooms. If you are bringing treats, gifts, or other items to celebrate a special occasion, we kindly ask that you drop them off at the main office. Your scholar will be brought to the office so we can honor your visit without disrupting classroom instruction.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with these procedures as we work together to support a positive and productive learning environment for all.

Families play a key role in school safety. At schenk.mmsd.org/safety, you can read about school-specific  resources for helping keep students safe. You’ll find more information on district safety and security, including  how we communicate with you in an emergency, at mmsd.org/safety.

We do have a lost & found. However, it will be cleaned out weekly. Items will be cleaned and donated if they are left behind by Friday @ 12:30 pm. Please remind your students to look for missing items daily.