After a long winter, students are happy to begin fourth quarter. We remind students, especially seniors, that one fourth of their school year is still in front of them. Seniors begin vacillating between bliss and anxiety as the end of high school finally approaches. Please help us to reinforce the importance of finishing the year on a positive note: being on time, having good attendance, and keeping grades up.

 

Weather permitting, we will be conducting a Mock Accident on April 24. The Monona Emergency Units will simulate their response to an automobile accident. The simulation will take place on the physical education field between the high school and the football field and will include MGHS student actors with injuries and a fatality. The primarily goal of the Mock Accident is to remind all of us of the serious, and sometimes permanent, consequences of driving under the influence or while texting. If your family has experienced a tragedy related to these circumstances and do not want your student to attend the assembly, please contact their school counselor.

 

Parents of seniors, graduation is approaching fast. Caps and gowns should be ordered.  Last year, we began working with Midwest Scholastic for our caps and gowns and other graduation supplies. As a result, gowns that were used in graduation ceremonies before 2016 will not match.  If you are planning to borrow a gown, please make sure that it is from last year only.

 

The commencement ceremony will be held on Sunday, June 4 at 1:00 p.m.  Seniors must successfully complete all graduation requirements in order to participate in the commencement ceremony. Also, all fees must be paid in full and there can be no outstanding discipline. Please communicate with teachers and school counselors if you have any questions or concerns regarding academic progress.

 

The Academic and Career Planning (ACP) process for middle and high school students will be expanded next year. In order to allocate time for this exploration of post-secondary options, the high school will dedicate 30 minutes a month to an Advisory Period. During this monthly Advisory Period, students will meet with a teacher who will assist them with accessing on-line resources to help students determine broad career interests, the job market for those interests, and the corresponding education needed in that field. The goal is for students to then use that information to select appropriate high school courses as well as map out their options for post-secondary education.

 

AP testing will take place during the first two weeks in May.  With the increasing number of students taking AP exams, it has become difficult to provide enough space at the high school. As a result, all assessments are being administered at the District Office this year. Students can park in the lot behind the building, but it is likely that the lot will fill up and some students may have to park on the street. Please encourage your student to arrive early in case there is no parking on site.

The next Parent/Educator Forum will be in the IMC on April 17. Please join us if you are available.

Online Registration for Returning Students Begins  May 1, 2017

Online registration  for returning students begins on May 1, 2017 and ends on June 30, 2017.  Families of returning students are required to register each year.  You will receive an email at the end of April with instructions on how to complete the online registration process.  

Summer School 2017

Monday, June 19 through Friday, July 14
(no class Monday, July 3rd and Tuesday, July 4)

Registration for Summer School will open at 5:00pm on April 18th.  Registration will continue to be done online through your Infinite Campus Portal Account. To prepare for registration, families will want to be sure that their portal account is activated and that they are able to login. The Course Guide, along with directions on how to Request Summer School Courses through your Infinite Campus Portal Account, will go out the week of April 3rd.

Please click here to bookmark the Summer School Website for the most updated information.

What should I do if I forgot my user name, password or am having trouble logging into my Infinite Campus account?

First, use the Help options found on the Infinite Campus Parent Portal login page. A link to that portal is on this page. Please note there are options for "Forgot your password" and "Forgot your username" in this area. If those options don't work for you, please fill out the Infinite Campus Portal Help Request form. A link to the form is on this page.

 

Students are encouraged to build a relationship with their school counselor during their high school years. Passes for appointments during school hours may be obtained by stopping in Student Services. Each student has been assigned a counselor based on the student's last name. Ms. Bishop has A-G, Mr. Groff has H-O and Ms. Burke has P-Z. Although students are assigned to a certain counselor, a student may seek assistance from the counselor of their choice.

 

In addition, the Student Services Department includes Ms. Macias, School to Work Coordinator (co-op and apprenticeship information), Ms. Frain, School Social Worker, and Ms. Smith, School Psychologist. All are available to meet with students and parents to help with academic, career, social and emotional needs.

 

Student Services welcomes all students! Please remember to stop in to make an appointment.

Please encourage seniors to complete the local scholarship application today! Students should access the application through their Monona Grove school account by clicking on the link  Local Scholarship Application

Scholarship Information

Seniors are encouraged to continue applying for scholarships! New scholarships offered by area families, service organizations, and businesses are being posted daily. Click on Student Services, then Post-Secondary Planning, and then Scholarships. The most recent additions with upcoming deadlines are listed at the bottom of the list. Hurry - many deadlines are coming soon!

 

The Monona Grove School District is committed to supporting the social/emotional/academic well being of your student. As an adolescent, working to grow up and to be a successful young adult requires the support and guidance of all the student's trusted adults. The MGHS Student Services team would like to share some resources with parents, to promote a better understanding of when your teen may be in need of mental health support. Below are two links to mental health resources. Please review, and if you have any questions or concerns, we invite you to contact a Student Services staff member.

Save the dates! Summer Camp season is just around the corner! Registration for Monona Grove High School's athletics summer camps will open on April 5. Camp dates are listed below.

Grade levels, times, locations, costs, and other information will be available at http://www.mononagrove.org/mghs/athletics.cfm when registration opens on April 5.

Please contact Activities/Athletics Administrative Assistant Nicole Poley at (608) 316-1371 or nicole.poley@mgschools.net with questions. 

24 hour Attendance Line: 608-316-1393

The Attendance Office is open from 7:15-3:45. Parents may call before or after school and leave a message regarding their child's attendance. Parents are required to call the Attendance Line prior to 10:00 A.M. on the day of the absence. Please be sure to indicate the student's name, grade, date of absence and reason for absence when calling. Students must have absences excused within 24 hours after they return or the absences will be considered unexcused.

 

The MGSD recognizes a positive relationship between good school attendance and success in school and employment.   A student's attendance in school becomes part of his/her permanent school record and is often the subject of inquiry by employers. Most importantly, however, is the need for students to be in school to interact with the teacher and with other students as they gain the knowledge that is necessary for successful completion of the course of studies Monona Grove High School provides.

Excused Absences

Parents may excuse, in writing, a student for any reason PRIOR to the day of the absence. (Wis. Stats. 118.15(3)(c). If an excuse is not given prior to an absence, the school, not a student's parent, excuses an absence. Monona Grove High School will excuse a student from school for the following reasons:

• personal illness;
• illness in the family for which the student is required at home;
• funerals and weddings;
• religious holidays;
• legal obligations;
• dental, medical, and orthodontic appointments;
• family vacations that cannot be scheduled during  non-school times or other family approved vacations or school visits with prior approval; and
• an emergency situation which must be reviewed by the assistant principal.

Unexcused Absences

The school will not excuse an absence for any reason other than those listed above. Specifically:

• single period absences for illness when the student fails to report to the Nurse's Office
• absences related to vehicle problems during the school day
• oversleeping
• absences due to working on other school work will not be excused unless it's a school-sponsored field trip.

Parents will be notified of unexcused absences by phone or mail. Students with unexcused absences from classes or study halls will be assigned one, two-hour after school detention per period missed.

 

Leaving School Early

Monona Grove High School is a closed campus except for the following occasions: lunch, cooperative education programs, medical/dental appointments, sudden illness, or open campus students. During passing times, students must remain on school grounds. All students wishing to leave school must obtain permission from their parent, the assistant principal, or the school nurse in case of illness. Students will not be allowed out of class for illness unless they are going home. At that time, the student must sign out in the Attendance Office and receive an out pass. If he/she plans to return to school, he/she must sign in upon returning. Students are not allowed to have other students drive them anywhere during the school day.

 

Planned Absences and Vacations

Occasionally a student will know in advance that he/she will be absent from school. This can be excused if, and only if, a planned absence form is completed prior to the absence. This requires that the student notify his/her teachers of the planned absence so that school work missed during the absence can be given to the student. This must be done at least three days prior to the planned absence. Planned absence forms are available in the Attendance Office and are required for absences of 2 or more days. If forms are not completed and returned before the student leaves, the absences will be unexcused.

Click on Teen Newsletter to read the Youth ATOD Prevention Newsletter.  This month's newsletter has information on: