December 2022

Principal's Message

Greetings Parents and Guardians,

These weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter Break can go by very quickly. Along with their studies, many students are engaged in winter sports, music concerts, the show choir preview show, MADMUN, and other cocurricular opportunities. This makes for a busy time leading up to Winter Break.

The beginning of December is a great time to preview the next three weeks with your student, discuss structures and support needed for academic success, and set academic goals that are attainable prior to Winter Break. Progress grades will be posted on Friday, December 9th, providing another opportunity to review your student’s academic standing. Once we are back from Winter Break, finals sneak up on us. Structuring these three weeks prior to Winter Break and the two weeks that fall between Break and Final Exam Week is really crucial to academic success.

In last month’s newsletter I shared some common questions and answers about our new grading guidelines. As a point of emphasis, please pay attention to any “M’s” you see recorded as grades in IC. An "M" means the assessment or assignment is missing. This calculates as a zero and impacts your student’s overall grade significantly. Students have ten school days to turn in late work or complete an assessment late with a 10% deduction for being late. This is much better than a zero calculated into the grade. Furthermore, after that ten school day window, students can still complete that late assignment or assessment for up to 59% credit. Again, this is much better than a zero.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support as we work through the second quarter. I hope to see you at some of the exciting cocurricular events in December.

Respectfully,

Mitch McGrath

OFFICE HOURS:

Main Office: 7:15-4:15

Student Services: 7:30-4:00

Attendance: 7:15-3:45

CONTACT:

Main Office: (608) 221-7666

Fax: (608) 221-7690

Student Services:

(608) 316-1373

Athletics: (608) 316-1395

Attendance: (608) 316-1393 or contact via email

DECEMBER EVENTS:

December 1 - band concert
December 3 - show choir preview show
December 8 - choir concert
December 10 - MADMUN
December 19 - Parent Forum
Dec 23-Jan 2 - no school
January 3 - classes resume

Notes from the Nurse

Cold and flu season are ramping up and we are seeing numerous illnesses throughout the school. If your child is sick, please keep them home! The following is a list of symptoms that warrant students staying at home and/or communicating with their physician and or getting a COVID test, along with other respiratory tests.

Fever (100° or higher), chills or shaking chills. Must remain at home until 24 hours fever-free without the use of fever reducing agents
Nausea or Vomiting. Must remain at home for 24 hours from last episode of vomiting
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Headache (in addition to other symptoms)
Fatigue (in addition to other symptoms)
New loss of taste or smell
Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies)
Muscle or body aches
Cough (not due to other known causes, such as a chronic cough)
Sore throat
Eye Drainage that is green/yellow and crusty
Rash on hands, feet or mouth not due to exposure to allergen

A reminder to all staff, students and families that latex balloons are strictly prohibited inside Monona Grove Schools including Monona Grove High School. We have students with life-threatening allergies to latex (meaning it could cause students serious injury and/or death). It is extremely important that this rule is followed. Due to students, staff and families having a difficult time distinguishing between latex and non-latex balloons we are asking that NO balloons be brought into the school.

We appreciate your help in ensuring all of our students are safe while at school! Have a wonderful Holiday Season!

The School Store is Open for Business!

News from Student Services

PSAT/NMSQT RSULTS IN DECEMBER:

For those sophomores and juniors who took the PSAT/NMSQT this year in October, your scores will be accessible this December. On December 5th, 2022 scores will be available to share and you will hear how you did and plan next steps accordingly!

FUTURE NINTH GRADE INFORMATION - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023

Welcome to the class of 2027! Families and current eighth grade students are invited to attend the MGHS Future Ninth Grade Overview on Wednesday, January 11. The evening will begin at 5:15 pm with an Activities and Athletics Fair in the commons from 5:15 - 5:45, followed by a short program in the auditorium. The presentation will share general information regarding expectations at the high school as well as provide an overview of the required classes at MGHS. Families will then have an opportunity to visit elective classrooms to learn about the elective offerings at MGHS so that you can make informed choices for the courses you choose. See the “Course Registration Timeline” below for more information.

COURSE REGISTRATION TIMELINE FOR THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR

Important Dates for 8th grade students and their families:

January 11: MGHS Future Ninth Grade Night at Monona Grove High School
January 17 & 18: School counselors meet with eighth grade students at Glacial Drumlin School
Week of January 23: Current eighth grade students enter course selections into Infinite Campus; students must have their completed course offering sheet - signed by a parent/guardian - and their Chromebook.

Important Dates for 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students and their families:

January 25 - ACP: Students will watch a registration video, view a slide presentation, receive course selection sheet and review course offerings in the Course Handbook (online)
February 8 & 9: During their English 9 classes, ninth grade students enter course selections into Infinite Campus; students must have their completed course offering sheet - signed by a parent/guardian - and their Chromebook.
February 6 through February 17: Students in grades ten and eleven should have their course selections completed by Monday, February 6. Each student will be assigned a time for a 15-minute meeting with their counselor to review and enter their course selections. Meetings will begin on Monday, February 6 through Friday, February 17. More information will be shared with students as the date approaches.

YOUTH APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

What is Youth Apprenticeship? It is a state-certified program that allows 11th and 12th-grade students the chance to:

Earn school credit—1 full elective credit each semester of work (2 credits for the year)
Work with a mentor in a chosen career pathway
Have PAID employment
Walk away with an industry-recognized certification
Take technical-related courses that align to your career interests
Be eligible for school approved YA work release time throughout the year

Visit the Dane County School Consortium website to learn more about Youth Apprenticeship and to see the variety of program options.

Interested in Youth Apprenticeship?

Please have your son or daughter email Ms. Anna D’Amelio (Monona Grove’s Career and Technical Education Coordinator) so they can set up an appointment with her to discuss the Youth Apprenticeship program and their individual career goals. Her email address is anna.damelio@mgschools.net.

Also, attend one of the Youth Apprenticeship Family information sessions that are held over the next few months. Register for one of the following dates using the links provided below:

Monday, January 23 @ 6:30 pm (virtual) Registration Link
Wednesday, February 15 @ 6:30 pm (in person at Monona Grove High School) Registration Link
Tuesday, March 7 @ 6:30 pm (virtual) Registration Link

SENIORS - LOCAL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS DUE ON JANUARY 31, 2023!

All seniors are encouraged to complete the local scholarship application! Students will receive an email on December 1, 2022 with the link to the 2023 Local Scholarship Application. By filling out this application, students will be in the running for 30-40 local scholarships that are selected by either the local scholarship committee, or in some instances, by the donors themselves. Students must access the application through their Monona Grove High School email account by clicking on the link included in the email they receive. The application should take approximately an hour to complete.

Each sponsoring individual, family, or organization established the 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/or leadership. The deadline for submitting applications is Tuesday, January 31, 2023; late applications will not be accepted.

ACT FOR ALL JUNIORS - TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2023

The ACT test will be administered to all MGHS juniors on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. 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 students may elect to have scores submitted to colleges for admission purposes. Participation in the ACT is mandatory for all juniors; please schedule non-school related appointments outside of this day. Additionally, juniors will create their MyACT account and complete non-test information in advisory on February 15; 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.

Check out these free ACT test prep opportunities on the ACT site. Students may access an ACT study guide, study tips, a full-length practice test and video lessons for free! There are also fee-based opportunities for test prep. CESA #2 is currently enrolling students for an ACT Prep Course at McFarland High School. Additionally, more information will be coming regarding a one-day, ZAPS ACT Prep Seminar that will be offered on a Saturday in February.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) EXAMS

AP exams will be in person and will be administered as paper and pencil exams (with the exception of AP Literature and AP U.S. History, which are in person, but digital and AP 2-D Art and AP Drawing which have a digital portfolio to submit ).

AP Exams will take place from May 1 - May 12: 2023 AP Exam Schedule
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 Matt McLaughlin at least two weeks prior to the test date and she will help make arrangements.
All students who indicated they will be taking an AP Exam by the registration deadline have had the appropriate exam ordered for them.
NO electronic devices INCLUDING CELL PHONES, WiFi ENABLED WATCHES, or other wifi connecting devices will be allowed in the testing room. Please leave safely at home, in a locked vehicle or your locker at school prior to entering the exam building. Failure to do so will result in inability to take the exam.
No food or beverages will be allowed in the testing room.

FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM (FORMERLY WINTER WISHES)

We want to share with you some upcoming changes to our Winter Wishes program. After careful consideration, we are looking to provide support throughout the year to families when in need. This follows many months of discussion, as well as gathering feedback from the families we have supported in the past. We have found that we can best support by providing food and resources throughout the year, rather than focusing on December. While this may in part be due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a trend that is not going away and we anticipate supporting our families in different ways moving forward. If your family is interested in receiving support for holiday gifts specifically, the Empty Stocking Club is accepting applications in November for the gift distribution on December 14-15 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. Please visit this site to apply and for more information: https://www.emptystockingclub.com/toy-depot. You can also call United Way by dialing “211” to find out about programs available.

We are so appreciative of the generous support over the years and we know that giving back to the community and helping those in need is important to many of our Monona Grove families. For families who wish to give, we are asking for donations of gift cards in $15, $20, and $25 denominations to grocery stores such as Woodman's, Piggly Wiggly, and Pick N' Save, as well as larger retailers such as Walmart or Target. Gift cards to gas stations such as Kwik Trip are also appreciated. You can sign up to donate items at this link. Donations can be brought to your schools' main office and will be distributed to families when they are in need.

If your family is in need of support, please reach out to your student services contact at:

Maggie Danielson

margaret.danielson@mgschools.net

608-316-1394

Thank you for your flexibility and support as we adapt and grow with this new change.

RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES

MG Virtual Calming Room

The calming room is a tool for families and students that offers an array of options to help manage emotions in a very stressful and strange time. Check it out!

Grief Resources for Parents and Caregivers

Resources for supporting the kids in your life who are grieving and support for yourself

Helping Your Loved One Who is Suicidal: A Guide for Family and Friends

SAMHSA's new resource guide provides information on understanding suicide, warning signs and action steps to take, and how to prevent future attempts and keep your loved one safe.

Mental Health America of Wisconsin - PRISM Program

A new pilot program to connect LGBTQ+ youth in Wisconsin with trained peer-specialists who can provide mental and emotional support and mentorship. Young LGBTQ+ people around the ages of 16-26 years old may now access this free service by calling 414-336-7974 and leaving a voicemail to get connected with a trained peer-specialist.

Housing, Homeless and Doubled-Up Family Resources

If you are staying temporarily with someone else because you lost your housing, or staying in a motel/hotel, campground, shelter, or in an outside or inadequate place, you and your children have special rights at school.

MGSD Homeless Liaison: Andrea Fresen, andrea.fresen@mgschools.net, 608-316-1922

STUDENT SERVIE DEPARTMENT: 608-316-1373

School Counselors:

Ms. Bishop - students with last names A-F
Mr. Karsh - students with last names G-La
Mr. Groff - students with last names Le-R
Ms. Burke - students with last names S-Z

School Psychologist: Melissa Smith

School Social Worker: Maggie Danielson

Engagement Specialist: Toren Young

School Resource Officer: Luke Wunch

Administrative Assistant: Michelle Boyde

Italy Summer 2024

Students and parents/guardians (grades 9-12)...you are invited to join Mrs. Rossing on a travel experience to Italy in the Summer 2024! I have a passion for international travel and have found a way to share that passion with students. I have taken student groups to Belize and Greece with much success, and am looking forward to a trip to Germany this summer with students. Italy is the chosen trip for the summer of 2024. Contact me at stephanie.rossing@mgschools.net for more information.

News from the Athletic Department

SCHEDULES AND NOTIFICATIONS

Athletic/Event Schedules

A great resource is BadgerConference.org. Our event calendar website is the best way to keep up to date with what’s going on with MG Activities providing the most up to date information. You can also easily pull individual athletic schedules, receive reminders about events, and get real-time schedule change information sent directly to you.

MG's Event Calendar

By going to our Event Calendar, you can quickly see any events coming up for the week.

*Note, if the event is bold all the way across that means we are hosting the event. Items not bolded means we are being hosted by another school.

View Individual Schedules

By clicking on the “View Schedules” button to the right of the page, you can choose individual groups schedules to view. Simply check the boxes next to the events you are interested in, and click “View” after that. You will get a report that you can view in a few different formats displaying the schedule as it currently stands for that particular group.

Notify Me

Probably the most convenient part of this scheduling system is the “Notify Me” tool. Simply click “Notify Me” to the right of the page and create an account. From there, you have the option to determine which notifications you receive.

You can schedule reminders to be sent to your email and phone a set amount of time before each activity starts.

You can receive notifications about schedule changes as soon as they happen.

WIAA

The WIAA has rules in place that govern eligibility when it comes to students who transfer school districts. There are many factors to consider when looking at how eligibility is impacted upon transferring, but below is some general guidance from the WIAA.

Students entering 9th and/or 10th grade at the beginning of the school year and who are within the first four consecutive semesters of high school will be afforded unrestricted eligibility provided all other rules governing student eligibility are met.

Students entering 11th grade as transfer students are restricted to non varsity for one calendar year.

Students entering 12th grade as transfer students are ineligible to compete at any level for one calendar year, but may practice.

More information about the WIAA transfer rules can be found on the WIAA Website, and is also found within our activities code handbook.

ATHLETIC TRAINING

The MGHS training room is open Monday - Friday after school until 6:30pm. On days where there is an event, the training room might close early. Specific weekly hours are posted on the training room doors.

Any student-athlete who needs athletic training services can stop by the training room during open hours or reach out to Jacqui Landry (jacqueline.landry@mgschools.net) with any questions or concerns.

Yearbook Ordering and Sibling Pics!

Attention parents and guardians of MGHS students:

The 2022-2023 yearbook fee is now available to be selected and paid for through Infinite Campus. The yearbook fee is not automatically assigned to any students and not all students/families will choose to purchase a yearbook. If you would like to purchase a yearbook, please log into your Campus Parent portal account and follow these steps:

Select Fees
Choose My Accounts
Select Optional Payments
Pick MGHS *Yearbook and Add to Cart

You will need to repeat this process for each high schooler for whom you wish to purchase a yearbook.

The deadline to order is January 27th, 2023.

See the next article block for information parents of seniors need about submitting senior pictures and ordering "Ads for Grads".

MGHS Ceramics

“Muddy Buddies” is the high school’s ceramics open studio club. Muddy Buddies students and students enrolled in Ceramics class this semester accompanied Ms. Sobotik and guest artist Yvonne Muller to Adamah Ceramics Studio in Dodgeville for an overnight weekend retreat. Students learned from local ceramic artist Yvonne and engaged in creating with clay in community in a beautiful, naturally lit studio filled with plants and clay tools galore! Students hiked trails, visited a pond, climbed a cliff, and enjoyed a gorgeous overlook of the driftless area, soaking in the changing colors of fall leaves. The Ceramics department would like to thank Yvonne for her time and talent accompanying students on this trip!

Farm to School

Click the Farm to School(F2S) Program tab on the MG School Nutrition Page to check out this month's F2S newsletter! Make sure your student continues to plan on school lunch during December to enjoy our Harvest of the Month. It is a special seasonal berry that will be offered each Thursday and will be sourced from local farmers. Each newsletter is loaded with education, F2S happenings, recipes, fun facts, and more!

National Leadership Conference

Calling all young leaders! Registration for the National Leadership Conference is open. NLC creates confident leaders equipped to make a positive impact on our ever-changing world. Held annually at Miniwanca in Shelby, Michigan, this eight-day conference brings together high school and college students from diverse backgrounds, providing them with the opportunity to develop, practice and implement leadership skills that will play an essential role throughout the rest of their lives.

Last year, Ms. Sobotik brought two MGHS students to the NLC, on full scholarship. More students are going this year! Would you like to join? Now is the time to show interest and register for the 2023 conference! Please visit AYF.com to learn more about the program and contact Ida Sobotik ida.sobotik@mgschools.net for more information.

Attendance Notes

The phone number for attendance is 608-316-1393. If you call the main office number, you do not have the option to "press 1 for attendance", so please add the attendance number to your phonebook.

Thank you in advance to all of our parents for sending your students into school after medical/dental appointments with doctor's notes! Please note that doctor's notes are required in order for students to participate in sports and extra curricular activities.

An Anticipated Absence Form is required for all absences of 3+ days. It must be signed by each teacher plus a parent/guardian and then turned in to the attendance office at least 3 days prior to the anticipated absence. The form can be picked up from the attendance office.

Students cannot call themselves out of school unless they are 18 and have completed an 18 year old adult form. These are available for pick up in the Attendance Office.

School Nutrition

Dear Monona Grove families,

Here are some reminders and updates regarding school nutrition.

What are the high school meal prices for 2022-23?

Breakfast: $1.75

Breakfast (reduced): free

Lunch: $3.75

Lunch (reduced): $0.40

Where to find menus

Meal menus are found on the high school website under "Resources".

How to apply for free / reduced-price meals

Eligibility for free and reduced-price meals is based on household size and income level or participation in other programs (FoodShare, W-2 Cash Benefits, Food Distribution on Indian Reservations, some Medicaid programs).

Applications for free or reduced-price meals are available:

Online via the Infinite Campus parent portal

Once logged in, click on “More,” then “Meal Benefits.” Click the link to start an application

Or, view step-by-step instructions

Online on the MGSD School Nutrition page

Link to application to print is under “Resources and Forms”

In-person at any school or the main District office
Requesting a copy be e-mailed to you by contacting school.nutrition@mgschools.net
Requesting a copy be mailed to you by calling Terri O’Neil at 608-316-1894

How to check balances, add money, or set reminders and/or recurring payments

Families can check balances, add money, set reminders and set up recurring payments all through Infinite Campus.

Notifications for School Nutrition & Student Balances

On Monday, September 26th our method of notifying families of low or negative school nutrition balances changed. Families were previously notified via phone calls. In an effort to minimize the number of phone calls, we moved to sending email notifications through Infinite Campus when an account has a low or negative balance.

Sincerely,

Maggie Sanna

School Nutrition Director