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Family Newsletter for Monona Grove High School
~ November 2019
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A Message From Dr. Brost
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Dear Parents:
First quarter ended on October 30. Report cards will be posted in your Infinite Campus portal
during the week of November 4. I will e-mail you when grades are available. Even though grades
are accessible through Infinite Campus, we appreciate the opportunity to visit with you in person at Parent/Teacher Conferences from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. on November 7 and 14. You should have received an e-mail with directions for signing up for conferences on-line.
Seniors met with Midwest Scholastic on October 28 to plan for graduation. Your senior should have a packet of information to review with you. Mr. Fish and Mr. Fredrickson, from Midwest
Scholastic, will be back in our building during both lunches on November 6. Orders for Caps and Gowns need to be turned in at that time. In addition to the packet, you can find information on the company's web site. Although graduation seems like a long way off, please do not wait to get orders for Caps and Gowns placed. Let us know if finances are tight so we can assist. You received an e-mail from me that detailed the brand and color of the Caps and Gowns if your students is borrowing one. Make sure the one you are borrowing matches.
The Fall Academic Awards Banquet is November 4. It will be at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors who qualify will be recognized. Students must have maintained
a 3.75 GPA for both semesters of freshmen year to qualify for an award as a sophomore. You were e-mailed if your student is being recognized.
Last year at this time, some parents asked for more information about "Vaping or Juuling." In addition to what we know about the national growth in the number of young people using these
versions of e-cigarettes, we have all seen news stories in recent months of life-threatening lung ailments related to vaping. Federal, state, and local regulations are beginning to address some of the concerns related to companies targeting middle and high school students with their ads and flavors. However, we don't yet know if this is having an impact. A reminder that some resources can be found on the High School website under the Students Services tab in AODA Resources. Please call the high school with questions.
The school counselors have begun hosting Junior Planning Seminars. An e-mail was sent to all junior parents with directions for scheduling an appointment. Parents and students will meet with a small group and their counselor to review important post-secondary planning information. We
have received feedback that these meetings are very valuable. Please refer to the high school web site for more information. If you cannot find your e-mail with scheduling directions, please call our Student Services office at 316 - 1373.
Every senior should be scheduling a meeting with his/her counselor to solidify plans for life after high school. Seniors should be completing college applications or making other arrangements for technical schools, apprenticeships, etc. If you, or your student, need any assistance with the application process for schools, please contact your school counselor. There are also a number of related resources available on our website.
Sincerely,
Paul Brost, Ph.D.
Principal
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| Welcome Amy! |
When you stop by or call the MGHS Main Office, you will notice a new face and voice. Amy Andersen-Goldsworthy has joined the Main Office in the role of administrative assistant and receptionist.
Amy comes to us from the McFarland School District where she was a special education paraprofessional. Please welcome Amy the next time you visit the office or call.
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| Office Hours |
The MGHS Main Office and
Student Services Office are open from
7:30 a.m - 4:00 p.m.
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| Yearbook Order Deadline is November 1st |
Yearbooks cost $45. To order your student a yearbook, pay $45 either on the parent portal OR cash/check can be brought to the main office. (payable to MGHS)
Click on My Accounts to access the optional fees and add them to your cart.
Deadline is November 1st.
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2019-2020 Calendars and Schedules
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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
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| Breakfast and Lunch Menus |
November 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.
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| 2019 Homecoming |
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Homcoming week was a great success! Students and staff enjoyed the daily dress-up themes, pep rally, and parade, football got the "W" on Friday and 700+ attended the dance on Saturday night. Thank you to everyone who worked hard to make this such a fun week for our MG community.
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| Class color day--freshmen |
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| Class color day--sophomores |
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| Class color day--juniors in red and seniors in black |
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| Culinary 2 Uses Troy Farm Produce |
Troy Farm recently donated local, organic, seasonal vegetables to Emily Sonnemann's Culinary 2 class. Kitchen groups chose 4 locally produced, in-season vegetables and created a dish that was then judged on presentation and flavor. The winning kitchen group got to choose the next recipe for the class to make. Troy is an education farm and they were able to use donated credit to supply the class with the produce for their cooking challenge. Learn more about the farm
here.
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| BSU at Forever Friends Dance Party |
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Monona Grove High School's Black Student Union volunteered at the Forever Friends Halloween Dance Party on October 25th at Cottage Grove Elementary. The BSU spent time with the kids and helped with concessions. It is always great to see high school students bridging the gap with elementary students. The high school BSU has plans to collaborate with GDS middle school's SCU (Students of Color Union) later this school year.
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| SkillsUSA Today--Champions at Work |
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By David Delyea, 10th grade
This year the Technology and Engineering Department at Monona Grove High School purchased two new 3D Printers to be used in design and engineering courses. Members of SkillsUSA took on the challenge of assembling these Rep-Rap style printers. Rep-Rap is a concept involved in additive manufacturing to move towards self-replicating machines. In the example of this 3D printer, all orange parts where manufactured using other 3D printers. This innovative process comes with a few downsides as assembly is more complex and intricate but allowed the students the chance to really learn how a printer is put together and functions. SkillsUSA members worked hard over the last few weeks after school to assemble this Prusa i3 MK3S printer.
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| Prusa i3 MK3S 3D printer assembled by students. Picture taken by David Delyea |
SkillsUSA members are also hard at work preparing for the District Competition in Fort Atkinson on December 2nd. Students will be competition in a variety of competitions including Architectural Design, Additive Manufacturing, Advertising Design, Carpentry, C02 Dragster, Electronics and Welding.
Lastly there were elections for the SkillsUSA officers. Every candidate gave a speech and proposed why they would be the best fit for the job. In the end, the class officers were elected with ease. Our President is Lily Stern, a senior who has been with SkillsUSA all four years of high school. Our Vice President is Ellie Thoma, another 4 year SkillsUSA member. Treasurer is Logan Soderholm, who has been with SkillsUSA for two years now. The Secretary is Will Schellpfeffer, who is in his first year of SkillsUSA. Finally, there is the Reporter, David Delyea, who is also in his first year of SkillsUSA.
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| Pictured Left to Right: David Delyea, WIll Schellpfeffer, Lily Stern, Ellie Thoma, Logan Soderholm. PIcture taken by Ben Vandervort |
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| Monona Grove Music |
Jazz band starts the first week of November. Please contact
Cara Collins with any questions.
The Silver Connection opens for Wisconsin Singers at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday November 9th at the Overture Center. Get your tickets
here.
The show choir has also been invited by Governor Tony Evers to sing at the Governor's mansion on December 1st for the annual tree lighting ceremony.
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News from the Athletic Department
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Click HERE to access the Monona Grove High School Athletics and Activities web page.
Online Athletics Registration is up and running!
Online registration for winter sports is now available through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.
Please click on the "Surveys" tab to complete the "Winter Sports Athletics Registration" process.
All forms will now be completed online, except the Physical Card. These should be turned into the High School Main Office. Payments can also be completed through Infinite Campus, or turned into the Main Office.
WIAA Division I State Tennis Tournament
Congrats to Jewel Lindwall and Hailey Munz, and Coach John Willauer, on qualifying for the WIAA Division I State Tennis Tournament last month.
MGSD Board of Education Meeting
Seniors on the Monona Grove High School Sportsmanship team presented the 2018-19 Athletics/Activities Year End Report to the MGSD Board of Education last month.
Homecoming Crawl
Sport captains and class officers were part of the Homecoming Crawl to visit the elementary and middle school students throughout the district, and share the Homecoming spirit.
Sign up to be notified of changes to sporting events!
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.
Visit the new Monona Grove Athletics website
and click on "Notify Me!" on the top banner.
MGHS waits until approximately 2:00 p.m. to cancel a sporting event.
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News from the Student Services Department
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News from the Student Services Department
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 is assigned a counselor based on the student's last name:
- Ms. Bishop has A-G
- Mr. Groff has H-O
- Ms. Burke has P-Z
In addition, the student services department includes Ms. Deible, School to Work Coordinator (co-op and apprenticeship information); Ms. Danielson, 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.
SENIOR NEWS
Senior Meetings
- All seniors are asked to schedule your 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.
Letters of recommendation
- Many of you plan to ask your teacher, employer, or coach for a letter of recommendation. Quality recommendations take time to write! Please request your letters at least two weeks - preferably more - prior to your deadline.
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 for incoming freshmen. Students are highly encouraged to explore these by contacting their future school(s) of choice or by visiting school websites. Note that a separate application for scholarships at the colleges may be necessary.
Junior Seminars
The Monona Grove High School Counselors are excited to be hosting Junior Seminars for junior students and their parents/guardians. The link to sign up for these has been shared through an Infinite Campus message to families and is also listed below by counselor.
Seminars will be delivered in a group format of fifteen families to thoroughly outline information needed for post-secondary planning. Each family will receive a folder of important documents that are personal to your student's academic progress as well as general resources. The presentations will take place in the Monona Grove High School library.
Students need to bring their fully charged Chromebooks with them to the meeting
. We look forward to meeting with you.
For questions about Junior Seminars, please contact Michelle Boyde, Administrative Assistant for Student Services, at (608) 316-1373.
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. Pre-administration sessions will be administered prior to the testing; 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 schedule non-school related appointments outside of these days.
ACT Academy - Free, personalized test prep
ACT has launched free, personalized test preparation 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 or PreACT 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.
Midwest Student Exchange Program
The
Midwest Student Exchange Program
(MSEP) is a multi-state tuition reciprocity program with nine of the 12 states in the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) participating. MSEP can help students and their families find ways to save on out-of-state tuition.
Winter Wishes Program
The Winter Wishes Program is a program offered at Monona Grove High School that provides gifts and food to families in need during the holiday season.
A Family Information Sheet
was sent out via email on October 21; please fill out and return to Maggie Danielson in Student Services preferably by November 9.
If you would like to make a financial donation in support of our Winter Wishes program we are accepting $20-$40 gift cards to Walmart or any other grocery stores in Monona or Cottage Grove area. If you prefer to make a monetary donation, please make any checks payable to the Monona United Methodist Church.
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Homework Help
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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.
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Infinite Campus Information
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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.
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Parent Educator Forum Meeting
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All parents/guardians of MGHS students are welcome to attend the Parent Educator Forum meeting on Monday, November 18
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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!
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| 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.
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Reminders from the Attendance Office
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 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.
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