Family Newsletter for Monona Grove High School ~ March 2020
In This Issue
A Message From Dr. Brost
Dear Parents:

A reminder that juniors will take the ACT on March 3. Only juniors will have school that day. You received an email regarding procedures for the ACT.  Please take a moment to review it if you have a junior. Freshmen and sophomores will take their version of the ACT, the Aspire assessment, on April 14 & 15. Because of the length of the Aspire test, we are breaking it into two days. Juniors and seniors will have school in the afternoon of both days. Details will be e-mailed the week prior to the test.

Parent/Teacher Conferences take place on March 11 and 19. You will receive an email with instructions for the on-line registration in the near future. Teachers will continue to have sign-up sheets outside their classrooms displaying available meeting times that are not pre-scheduled through the on-line system. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thank you to all of our parent volunteers who made the Show Choir Invitational another success. On Saturday, February 15, we hosted 21 high schools from around the Midwest. Congratulations to our coaches and student athletes of our winter sports. They are now winding down and we will soon be into spri ng sports. Even though the weather will not feel like spring for a few weeks, encourage your student to consider participating in a spring activity.

Congratulations to coach Kelly Chadesh and the MGHS Boys Swim Team. The following students earned medals at the Division II State Swim Meet:  Steven Blew (5 th Place, Diving); Cameron Tejeda (5 th Place 200 Medley Relay, 100 Butterfly, and 100 Backstroke); and the other three swimmers on the Medley Relay were JB McAllister, Jonah Elfers, and Eli Scott.

Students have an early release on Friday, March 6. High school staff will be in training in the afternoon on topics of Trauma-Informed Instruction and Equity. Band, orchestra, and choir students are preparing for Solo and Ensemble competition. Musical cast and crew have begun rehearsals for their production of  Mary Poppins on April 16 - 19. National Honor Society induction is at 6:00 p.m. on March 4. The next Parent/Educator Forum, for parents to meet with me, is at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17. We hope that families enjoy time together over Spring Break.

Sincerely,

Paul Brost, Ph.D.
Principal
Office Hours
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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
A/B Calendar is:  HERE
Bell Schedule is:  HERE
Breakfast and Lunch Menus
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March 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.
National Honor Society Induction Ceremony
The Monona Grove High School Chapter of the National Honor Society will be hosting an Induction Ceremony for the newly inducted members from the Junior Class of 2021.  The Induction Ceremony will take place from 6:00 to 6:30 pm on Wednesday March 4th in the Monona Grove High School auditorium. As the National Honor Society advisor, I would like to extend an invitation to all new members, their friends and their families to join us in honoring the hard work and dedication these young scholars have demonstrated.  I look forward to meeting all of you.
Mary Jo Kramer
National Honor Society advisor
Have you moved out of the district?
Families who move out of district boundaries  must contact the Open Enrollment Coordinator for information on what is needed for your student(s) to remain enrolled in the Monona Grove School District.  Please email
openenrollment@mgschools.net  or call  (608)221-7688  for more information.
Cottage Grove Kindness Retreat
MGHS volunteers had a great time with the 4th graders at the Cottage Grove Kindness Retreat  on Tuesday, Feb 4th, 2020. They worked alongside the Youth Frontier leaders to lead activities for a full-day retreat.  Click here for a video!
New from the Athletic Department
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Spring sports are right around the corner!  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.  MGHS waits until approximately 2:00 p.m. to cancel a sporting event.  To register to receive email notifications, click here.   here

As a reminder, practices for spring sports will begin on the following dates.  Online registration for spring sports is now open, and can be accessed by logging into the Infinite Campus Parent Portal, and clicking on the "Survey" tab at the top of the page.
March 9: Boys & Girls Track & Field
March 16: Softball
March 23: Baseball and Girls Soccer
March 30: Boys Tennis
April 6: Boys Golf

Pre-season parent/athlete meetings for spring sports will be held on the following dates.  Please mark these dates on your calendar to meet your students' coaches and learn more about sport expectations.
Boys Track and Field -- March 3, 6:00 pm, MGHS Auditorium
Girls Track and Field -- March 3, 6:00 pm, MGHS IMC
Boys Golf -- March 23, 6:30 pm, Door Creek Golf Course
Baseball -- March 26, 6:30 pm, MGHS Commons
*If you don't see your sport listed and didn't attend the parent/athlete meeting in February, you should contact the head coach:
Girls Soccer --  Natasha Lippitt
Softball --  Amanda Klassman
Boys Tennis --  Charles Pyng

If your student athlete 1) didn't play a fall or winter sport this year, 2) will be trying out for a spring sport, and 3) doesn't have a physical on file dated on or after 4/1/2018, get an appointment with their provider for a sports physical ASAP!

Congratulations are in order...
Congratulations to the Boys Swim & Dive State qualifiers:
Divers
Steven Blew
Gavin Larson
Swimmers
200 Medley Relay - Cameron Tejeda, JB McAllister, Caleb Jondle, Eli Scott
100 Butterfly - Cameron Tejeda
500 Freestyle - Caleb Jondle
200 Freestyle Relay - Eli Kuzma, Eli Scott, JB McAllister, Jonah Elfers
100 Backstroke - Cameron Tejeda, Jonah Elfers
400 Freestyle Relay - Cameron Tejeda, Eli Scott, Caleb Jondle, Jonah Elfers

The Girls Hockey co-op celebrated a recent Regional victory

The following Monona Grove High School seniors recently signed National Letter of Intent to participate in athletics at the collegiate level:
Seanna Curran - Women's basketball - University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Megan Hoberg - Women's Cross Country - University of Wisconsin-Stout
Olivia Schwarm - Women's Cross Country - University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Curran (right) and Schwarm (left)

Hoberg

Strength and Conditioning
There is after school strength and conditioning Monday through Friday.  It is open to all athletes.  On Monday and Wednesday, the focus is on speed from 3:45 to 4:30.  On Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday the focus is on weights from 3:45 to 5:00.  Is your child planning on participating in a spring sport?  Help with injury prevention by asking them about strength and conditioning.  Please contact Coach Bellamy with any questions.  See you in the weight room!
Monona Grove Music
Orchestra
  • Concert 3:00 p.m. Sunday, March 1st
The  concert is titled "Pet Sounds" (no, not the Beach Boys) and will feature songs about animals.   Those in attendance will hear Eye of the Tiger, selections from The Lion King, Camille Saint-Saens wonderful Carnival of the Animals as well as a sing-a-long and a kid parade.  
Before the  concert, young children will have the opportunity to attend an Instrument Petting Zoo as well as make animal arts and crafts that will be used during the  concert
The free event will kick off with crafts at 2:20-2:50 with the  concert itself beginning at 3:00
  • Solo and Ensemble 4:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, March 2nd at Glacial Drumlin School
  • District Strings Festival Monday, March 16th
Choir
  • Solo and Ensemble 4:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, March 2nd at Glacial Drumlin School
Band
  • Solo and Ensemble 4:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, March 2nd at Glacial Drumlin School
Show Choir
  • competition at Janesville Craig Saturday, March 7th
News from the Student Services Department
Sophomores and Wisconsin's Forward Exam
All sophomore students will be taking a state mandated exam in social studies classes on March 24 and 25. This test is designed to gauge how well students are doing in relation to the Wisconsin Academic Standards. These standards outline what students should know and be able to do in order to be college and career ready. Please make sure your students are in school on these days, bring their charged Chromebook and eat a nutritional breakfast to ensure doing their best.  

Aspire Assessment for All Freshmen and Sophomores
The Aspire assessment is designed to assess a student's readiness for post-secondary college and career options. All MGHS freshmen and sophomores will take the Aspire assessment on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 14 and 15, 2020 . Please be sure to have your student in attendance on these two days. Students need to arrive in their assigned classroom on time and it is most helpful for them to have eaten a good breakfast. Students will also need to bring their charged Chromebook with them to complete the assessment. This is a state-mandated test, which means, if a student misses during these two days, they will have to complete the make up test at a later time. Any questions, feel free to contact Melissa Smith, School Psychologist, 608-316-1378 or melissa.smith@mgschools.net

SENIOR NEWS
Local Scholarship Applications Due on March 23!
All seniors are encouraged to complete the local scholarship application! Students will receive an email during the first week of March with the link to the 2020 Local Scholarship Application. Students must access the application through their Monona Grove school account by clicking on the link included in the email.
Each sponsoring individual, family or organization established the unique selection criteria for their scholarship award. Scholarship criteria may include some or all of the following: GPA, intended major/program of study, co-curricular activities, community service, and leadership. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, March 23, 2020 ; late applications will not be accepted.

Scholarship Information
Scholarship information can be found on the MG website in the student services tab under "Post-Secondary Planning". It's 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.

Attending a UW System School Next Year? 
Placement Testing is Open Now!
UW System Regional Placement Testing opened February 1, 2020 . Seniors who will be attending a UW System school, sign up now! Please note that testing is available at all UW System schools. You are not required to test at the school where you will be attending; register at the location most convenient for you. For more information, check out the UW System Placement Testing website .
Summer School 2020
Monday, June 22 -- Friday, July 17
(no class Friday, July 3)

Monona Grove High School provides summer school for additional academic
support for students who did not pass a specific course and need credit remediation. Registration for the credit recovery classes at MGHS summer school will continue to be done through our MGHS counselors in Student Services. Parents will receive a letter from the student services department stating that your child needs to sign up for summer school and how to register.

In addition to credit recovery classes, MGHS will offer an ACT prep class. Registration for this course will occur through our Student Services department, please call (608) 316-1373 to register. 

Our Speed, Conditioning & Agility and Weight Training sessions will be offered but will NOT run through summer school. Registration for those sessions will be done through the MGHS Athletic Department. Please watch the MGHS Athletics webpage for more information on how to sign up for Speed, Conditioning & Agility and Weight Training.

Please click here to bookmark the Summer School webpage for the most updated information.
Midwest Scholastic
Midwest Scholastic will meet with all FRESHMEN on Tuesday, March 10th from 10:45-11:15 in the auditorium.  They will be passing out order forms and presenting information about class rings.
Representatives from Midwest Scholastic will be back on Tuesday, March 17th from 11:30-1:30.  This is an opportunity for FRESHMAN to turn in their class ring orders and for SENIORS to pick up the graduation announcements they ordered.
Even though the class ring information is presented to freshmen, anyone can order a class ring at any time!
Visit the Midwest Scholastic website to order class rings, graduation announcements, Class of 2020 apparel and other keepsakes.colorful_bags_many.jpg
MG21 Liberal Arts Charter School
MG21 is a public charter school for students in grades 6 through 12.  It is part of the Monona Grove School District.  Applications are now being accepted for the 2020/21 school year.  Come to one of the upcoming informational open houses listed below and/or learn more and apply online at
www.mg21.org
 The Application deadline is Wednesday, April 15.
Monday, March 23rd 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 7th 4:30-7:30 p.m.
(10th Anniversary Open House)
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 Tuesday, March 17. 
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 bernards@chorus.net to get notes from our most recent meeting. We'd love to see new faces!

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.

Main Office
221-7666
 
Student Services 
  316-1373 
 
Athletics
316-1395

Fax
 221-7690

Attendance 
316-1393
If your child will be absent from school, arrive late, or need to leave early, please call the Attendance Line by 10:00 a.m. on the day of the absence.  
 
Parents can call the Attendance Line 24 hours a day and leave a message regarding their child's attendance.  

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.
 
UPCOMING EVENTS:

March

Mar 1
Orchestra Concert
2:00 p.m.

Mar 2
Solo and Ensemble
GDS 4:30-8:30

Mar 3
ACT (juniors)
No School (9, 10,12)

Mar 4
NHS induction
6:00

Mar 6
Early Release
11:24 a.m.

Mar 10
class ring meeting for freshmen
10:45 a.m.

Mar 11
ACP Day

Parent Teacher Conferences
4:00-8:00 p.m.

Mar 16
District Strings Festival

Mar 17
Class ring order turn-in and graduation announcemen t pick-up
11:30-1:30

Principal's Cabinet

Parent Educator Forum
6:30 p.m. IMC

Mar 18
Advisory Day

Mar 19
Parent Teacher Conferences
4:00-8:00 p.m.

Mar 23
MG21 Open House
6:30-7:30 p.m.

Mar 27-31
No School
Spring Break
(return Monday April 6)

Looking Ahead to April

Apr 1-3
No School
Spring Break
(return Monday April 6)

Apr 7
MG21 Open House
4:30-7:30 p.m.

Apr 8
ACP Day

Apr 10
No School

Apr 14-15
Aspire Testing 9th and 10th graders
Late Start 11th and 12th graders

Apr 16-19
Mary Poppins

Apr 20
Parent Educator Forum
6:30 p.m. IMC

Apr 21
Principal's Cabinet

Apr 22
Advisory Day