|
|
Family Newsletter for Monona Grove High School
~ December 2019
|
|
|
A Message From Dr. Brost
|
Dear Parents and Friends:
We are heading into the holiday season! As the weather makes the roads more challenging, please encourage your student to leave some extra time in the morning to get to school safely and promptly. With snow season, we need to plan for bad weather. If school is cancelled, students will have a "skinny" schedule the next day when they return. Students will have all of their "A & B" classes and they will be 47 minutes in length. This allows us to stay on our A/B schedule for the semester. The "Skinny Schedule" is posted on our web site under "Calendars and Schedules." It is unlikely that we would have two consecutive snow days. However, if this were to happen, we would have a regular "A" or "B" day when students return to school.
Even though we have six weeks of school remaining in first semester, the time will go by quickly. Encourage your student to work hard in December and go into the Winter Break in "good standing" in all classes. When we return from break, there are just a couple of weeks of classes and then final exams. Progress Reports for Second Quarter will be available in Infinite Campus the week of December 9. I will send an
e-mail notice. The Holiday Season can be a difficult time for many students and families. Please communicate with our Student Services staff if your student is struggling.
We are beginning initial preparations for the 2020 - 2021 school year. Shortly after Winter Break, counselors will be going into classrooms to talk with students about course registration. We encourage you to take an active role in the course selections for your student. Preparation for Post-Secondary plans should drive student schedules with consideration given for rigor and life balance.
Congratulations to the Girls Swim 200 Free Relay Team who competed in the Division 1 State Swim Meet on November 16. Relay team members included Brianna Back, Morgan Heilman, Mary O'Malley, and Liv Seymour. Congratulations to Head Coach, Kelly Pastika; Assistant Coach, Chris Tautsuguchi; and the whole swim team on a great season. Drama Director, Rebecca Osman, and the entire crew and cast of Antigone, advanced to the state level competition for One-Act Play. They
performed in Milwaukee on November 22 and 23.
The winter music concerts will be taking place in the next few weeks. The band concert is on December 4, choir is on December 12, and orchestra performs on December 16. Winter sports are already underway. As you attend these competitions, please continue to represent our school and
community in the positive manner that is our tradition.
We ask that parents please not use the north parking lot, by Klinke Cleaners, to drop off or pick up students. There are a number of students who receive transportation services at the north entrance. Additional cars create more challenges for staff and students to transport students safely. Thank you
for your consideration regarding this.
Enjoy your time with family during winter break!
Paul Brost, Ph.D.
Principal
|
| Office Hours |
The MGHS Main Office and
Student Services Office are open from
7:30 a.m - 4:00 p.m.
|
|
2019-2020 Calendars and Schedules
|
|
District Student Calendars:
Click
HERE to view the English version.
Click
HERE to view the Spanish version.
District Events Calendar Link:
Athletics Calendar Link:
MGHS CALENDARS MAIN PAGE IS
HERE
|
| Breakfast and Lunch Menus |
December Menus (switch between breakfast and lunch in the upper left hand corner)
Students may leave the school campus for lunch, but each student is expected to be back to school in time for their next class. If students stay at school for lunch, they may bring their own lunch or purchase lunch in the cafeteria. Students are expected to eat only in the designated lunch area unless permission is granted for a specific reason.
|
| Yearbook News |
If you haven't ordered a yearbook the deadline is NOW. Please complete all online orders by the end of the school day Friday, December 6.
Sibling photos are due Friday, December 20. All siblings in the photo must be current MGHS students.
Attention senior parents!! We need candid photos of seniors throughout the years. Group shots from grade school are especially needed. Please send to the main office labeled with your student's name or email to
[email protected] by Friday, December 20!
|
| Prom 2020 Parent Planning Meeting |
Attention Parents of the Class of 2021:
The Junior Class is already in the planning process for Prom 2020, but we need YOUR help! Please attend the Prom Parent Planning Meeting on Tuesday, December 10th in the library at MGHS.
During this meeting, we will share our prom theme, decoration ideas, and we will organize into committees and share out those responsibilities. We will create the following committees:
Construction Committee
Set-Up/Other Committee
Post-Prom Committee
The Junior Class Officers and advisor cannot pull this off without the amazing help from our parents. Please consider attending. If you cannot attend but would like to help out, please email Caitlin Evans ([email protected]) with your name and what you are willing to help with.
Thank you for considering helping us pull off this great MGHS tradition!
Your Junior Class Officers:
Matthew Koenig
Camille Simmons
Quentin Simmons
Anya Schmidt
Caitlin Evans (advisor)
|
| Monona Grove Music |
 Please check the "Upcoming Events" sidebar for the band, choir and orchestra concerts this month. |
| Madison Brass Band Concert at MGHS |
The Madison Brass Band will be presenting an exciting concert of Christmas/Holiday Music on Sunday, December 8th at 6:00 PM in the Monona Grove High School Performing Arts Center. The concert is open to the public and free in appreciation for allowing the Band to use the Monona Grove High School Band Room for their weekly Wednesday night rehearsals.
The Madison Brass Band will be presenting a varied concert, with traditional Christmas music standards and medleys filled with tunes that will have you whistling out the door. The Band will include a couple of non-holiday selections to showcase its versatility and virtuosity; for example,
Fire in the Blood
, which is a staple from the Salvation Army music library. This concert is sure to warm your hearts and boost your holiday spirits!
|
| BSU at Second Harvest Foodbank |
|
The MGHS Black St
udent Union (BSU) participated in a volunteer opportunity at the
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. Through the donation of time, the 22 volunteers worked a total of 44 hours, which has an equivalent value of up to 3,168 meals!
Way to go, BSU!
|
| 'Baking and Pastries' and 'Culinary II' classes visit Madison College |
|
Mrs. Personke and Mrs. Sonnemann took students from their 'Culinary II' and 'Baking and Pastries' classes to Madison College on November 21st. The students toured the culinary and baking facilities. Following the tour, they made their way to Madison College's gourmet dining room where they enjoyed a 3-course lunch serviced by the college culinary students.
|
|
News from the Athletic Department
|
Click HERE to access the Monona Grove High School Athletics and Activities web page.
Sign up to be notified of changes to sporting events!
Winter weather is back! Have you ever wondered if a sporting event or activity has been cancelled due to weather? If so, it's time to get registered to receive email notification of the cancelled/changed sport/activity.
and click on "Notify Me" on the top banner. MGHS waits until approximately 2:00 p.m. to cancel a sporting event.
Strength and Conditioning
There is after-school strength and conditioning Monday through Friday from 3:45-5:00. It is open to all athletes.
Please contact
Coach Bellamy with any questions. See you in the weight room!
Help Keep Your Student-Athlete Healthy This Winter
Please share the following with your student-athlete and encourage them to follow these guidelines.
Ways to Strengthen Your Immune System for Winter!
1. Wash your hands often!
Wash your hands for 15-20 seconds several times a day. After you use the restroom, before you eat, after you eat, etc. Trust me, 20 seconds feels like a long time, but it's worth it! Carry hand sanitizer with you for if you sneeze in class or someone coughs on you, and make sure you disinfect your Chromebook and doorknobs!
2. Eat a well-balanced diet!
I know the Kwik Trip foods and fast food meals are tasty and satisfying but save it for a treat! Fuel your body with leafy greens, veggies, and even garlic! These foods can help kill bacteria and boost your immune system! Check out the info-graphic below from this helpful website
3. WATER, WATER and more WATER.
If you have ever been into my Athletic Training Room, I have probably asked you how much water you drank. Not only is important in the summertime to avoid heat illness and cramps, but it is also vital during the wintertime as our bodies are made up of... get this... 75% water!! Adequate water consumption helps our bodies get rid of toxins and improves our ability to concentrate during class! Even when you think you're hydrated, have another glass.
4.EXERCISE!
As long as we are not going through another polar vortex, get outside and exercise! Exercising outdoors can help improve our immune system, and you can become more acclimated to the cold temperatures! Grab a friend and go for a walk after school and talk about your day! Not only are you exercising, but this is a great opportunity to
destress.
5.
Get lots of sleep.
Sleep is the time that your body gets a chance to rest and restart. It has also been shown that those that sleep less than seven hours during the night are more likely to catch a cold. Give your body the break it needs and deserves!
6.
Avoid stress!
Everyone has different methods of relieving stress, but make sure you know what it is! Some enjoy a yoga class or workout, maybe a walk with a pet, or just listening to a podcast. Whatever it may be, make sure you are incorporating it into your week! School can be stressful, plan out some time to take care of yourself.
WIAA Girls Swimming State Meet
Congrats to the Monona Grove High School 200 Freestyle Relay Team of Morgan Heilman, Liv Seymour, Brianna Back and Mary O'Malley, and Coaches Kelly Pastika and Chris Tatsuguchi, on advancing to the WIAA Division 1 Girls
State
Swim Meet.
 |
|
|
200M Freestyle relay team and their coaches for the State Send-off
|
Looking Ahead to Spring Sports
Will your child be participating in a spring sport? If they don't have a physical on file dated on or after 4/1/2018, get an appointment with their provider for a sports physical ASAP.
|
|
News from the Student Services Department
|
Course Registration Timeline for 2020-2021
Important dates for 8th grade students and their families:
- January 6: Course Handbook 2020-2021 will be posted to Monona Grove High School website
- January 13: Future Ninth Grade Night at Monona Grove High School, 6:00 pm ~ Activities Fair in Commons, 6:30 pm ~ Presentation in Auditorium
- January 15: School counselors meet with eighth grade students at Glacial Drumlin School
- By January 23: Current eighth grade students enter course selections in Infinite Campus
Important dates for freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and their families:
- January 29 - ACP: Students will watch registration video and view grade specific presentation
- February 5 - Advisory: Students receive course selection forms and review course offerings in the Course Handbook (online)
- February 10-11: MGHS students enter course selections in Infinite Campus; students must have their completed course offering sheet - signed by a parent/guardian - and their Chromebook. If taking an AP class, must also have signed AP Registration Form.
Future Ninth Grade Night - January 13, 2020
Welcome to the class of 2024! Families and current eighth grade students are invited to attend Future Ninth Grade Night on Monday, January 13. The evening will begin at 6:00 pm with an Activities and Athletics Fair in the commons followed by a short program in the auditorium. Families will then have an opportunity to visit elective classrooms and get a general idea of the expectations at the high school.
Youth Apprenticeship Program
The Youth Apprenticeship Program is open to juniors and seniors. If your current sophomore or junior is interested in applying for the Youth Apprenticeship program for next year, please have them make an appointment with Ms. Deibele in the month of December. During the meeting, Ms. Deibele will discuss the application process and will help determine if the program is a good fit for your student. Please direct any questions to
[email protected]
.
ACT for All Juniors - Tuesday, March 3, 2020
All MGHS juniors will take the ACT on Tuesday, March 3, 2020. The ACT includes reading, math, English, science and writing. It is designed to assess a student's readiness for college, provide information to build rigorous high school course plans and identify career areas that align with their interests. This ACT is an official test date and the scores can be submitted to colleges for admission purposes. Pretest bubbling will be completed in classes prior to the testing dates; students are encouraged to consider which colleges they would like to have their ACT scores reported to so they are prepared to enter codes for each college/university. Participation in the ACT is mandatory for all juniors; please do not schedule non-school related appointments on March 3rd.
Free ACT Test Preparation Resources
ACT has also launched a free, personalized test preparation program through the
ACT Academy
. ACT Academy is free to all students. Students, teachers, and parents can create an account. Having an account allows students to track their progress and keep moving forward in their test preparation. Short quizzes are designed to help students identify the content they have mastered and to clarify areas where more focus is needed. If students have already taken the ACT, they can simply enter their scores and custom playlists will be automatically created. ACT Academy creates automated daily playlists to hit on the basic lessons each student needs to master the ACT. After each lesson, a short quiz will determine if the resources given helped the student learn the material.
Here is a video to learn more
about the ACT Academy.
Advanced Placement (AP) Exams
- AP Exams will take place from May 4 - May 15.
- All exams will take place at the District Office at 5301 Monona Drive. Transportation is not provided. We encourage all students to carpool as parking is limited. If transportation will be problematic for your student, please contact Susan Bishop at least one week prior to the test date and she will help make arrangements.
- Registration for and payment of AP Exams have concluded. Thank you for all you did to make this possible.
- A reminder that no refunds are given for exams registered for but not taken. Please encourage your student to work hard and do their best so that they feel confident in taking these exams.
Senior Meetings
- If you have not already done so, all seniors are asked to schedule a senior meeting with your school counselor as soon as possible. We will discuss your post high school plans and answer your questions. Also, remember to review the
post-secondary planning powerpoint
that was sent to you in early September. See Ms. Boyde to schedule your meeting.
Scholarship Information
Scholarship information can be found on the MG website in the student services tab under "Post-Secondary Planning". It is up to the students to check this regularly for updates. Most colleges/universities also offer their own annual scholarship opportunities to incoming freshmen. Students are highly encouraged to explore these by contacting their future school(s) of choice or by visiting school websites.
AODA Advisory
In advisory last month students learned about the dangers of vaping and the harmful ingredients contained in THC cartridges. Below is a link to some resources with fact sheets for parent information and knowledge when speaking with your child about concerns surrounding vaping.
Winter Wishes
Is your family interested in supporting the "Winter Wishes" Program here at Monona Grove High School? The "Winter Wishes" Program provides food and gifts for seasonal celebrations to families in need. To promote the Winter Wishes program, in collaboration with a local church, there is a display located outside the main office. From mid-November to the first week in December, we will be collecting the following items: gifts for students and family members; gift cards for groceries and personal items; and monetary donations to support the giving program. For more information on how you can support the "Winter Wishes" Program, click
here
|
Homework Help
|
The Overtime Program is a program for students who need a place to do homework after school and for students who need extra time to complete an assignment or get extra help in a class. Some students may be assigned to Overtime by their teachers if there is a need.
Overtime takes place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-4:30 in the IMC. Please encourage your student to take advantage of the Overtime Program if they need additional help with an assignment or in one of their classes.
|
Infinite Campus Information
|
Is your Infinite Campus Information Up to Date? Do you have a change of information such as a new doctor, a new e-mail address or phone number? It is very important that all of your information is up to date on Infinite Campus. Please log into your Parent Portal and enter the new information.
Infinite Campus Mobile App
Parents and students may access Infinite Campus on their mobile devices.
|
Parent Educator Forum Meeting
|
All parents/guardians of MGHS students are welcome to attend the Parent Educator Forum meeting on Monday, December 16.
Parent Educator Forum is an informal meeting in which Dr. Brost gives a brief overview of current issues in education and events occurring at the high school, occasionally followed by group discussion. There is no formal agenda, it's an opportunity for parents to have contact with high school staff, without dues or volunteering. Typically, we meet on the 3rd Monday of each month at 6:30 in the IMC (library) for about an hour. This is a great opportunity to meet with Dr. Brost in a small group setting, hear what's going on at the high school level and discuss issues!! Parents interested in what is discussed can email Cathy Bernards at [email protected] to get notes from our most recent meeting. We'd love to see new faces!
|
| Early Learning Fair 2020 |
On Monday, February 3rd, 2020, the Monona Grove School District will hold its annual Early Learning Fair and
Together 4 Kids
Registration at Nichols School (MG District Office) in Monona. This event is a free service to families of pre-school children. Parents will have the opportunity to meet with a professional to share information about their child's development and to register for the 2020-2021 T4K program. Registration information will be sent to families in mid December. Parents will need to schedule an appointment upon receipt of registration materials. If you have any new neighbors with young children aged birth to 4 ½, please have them call Gina in the Early Education Office at 839-2113.
|
Reminders from the Attendance Office
|
 24 hour Attendance Line:
608-316-1393
The Attendance Office is open from 7:00-3:30. 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
