October 2023

Homecoming 2023

Choir Concert

News from Student Services

MG ATHLETICS

Registration for winter sports is just around the corner! The registration process is new this year, but will still be completed through Infinite Campus, in both the Parent Portal and the Student Portal. Please keep an eye on your Infinite Campus messages in the next couple of weeks, for instructions on how to register.

For the 2023-24 school year, the WIAA requires athletes to have had a physical on/after April 1, 2022. If your athlete needs a physical, please be sure to get that scheduled prior to the start of their sport season. Physical forms can be scanned and emailed to amelia.leger@mgschools.net, dropped off at the MGHS Main Office, or mailed to MGHS.

WIAA/BADGER CONFERENCE

As many are aware, the WIAA is in dire need of licensed officials as the total number of registered officials has declined by 39% since 2010 and is down by 1,400 in just the past year.  That number goes up to over 3,000 less officials since the 2018-2019 school year.

Adult behavior and poor sportsmanship is considered one of the main factors in this reduction.

In the spring of 2021, the WIAA passed a ban for fans who are removed from an athletic contest for one additional game due to “flagrant harassment or unsporting conduct.” 

Lets all do our part, represent MG well, and provide a positive environment for our athletes, coaches, spectators, and officials!

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.

Hello Families! Welcome back to a new school year. I am Ms. McIntosh, your high school librarian, and I wanted to reach out to you with information about our learning management system, CANVAS. Guardians/families have the ability to sign up as an OBSERVER to see what is happening in students’ classes, when assignments are due, and to find instructions on what students are working on. Please see this document: Canvas Guardian Observer - How to Sign Up for directions. If you have any questions, please contact me at heather.mcintosh@mgschools.net. Wishing everyone a wonderful school year!

If your son or daughter is interested in travelling abroad they should reach out to Stephanie Rossing in the English Department at MGHS (stephanie.rossing@mgschools.net). All are welcome whether you have traveled outside of the US or not. In July, 2024 there is a group going to Italy.  In July, 2025 there is a group going to Iceland, and there is still time to join! These trips are all-inclusive and are 10-11 days trips. Contact Mrs. Rossing for the details of the itinerary and how to make it possible for you and/or your child.

Health Guidelines for Attendance

As we enter cold and flu season, it’s timely to review the guidelines for school attendance. We encourage families to send students to school each day as long as injury or illness does not significantly compromise the student’s health & there is no risk of illness transmission to the school community. A phone call or email to the attendance line at your student’s school is required to explain an absence on days they will remain home. 

Students should remain home & will be sent home from school if they: 

• Have been experiencing episodes of vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours 
• Have a temperature of 100°F or higher. Students must be fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication before returning to school. 
• Are experiencing any symptoms severe enough to hinder participation in class & school activities (i.e., headache, body aches, fatigue, pain). 
• Have cold symptoms that are not well contained (i.e. constant coughs, sneezes, runny noses).
• Possibly have an untreated communicable illness (i.e. strep throat, impetigo, scabies, draining pink eye).
• Rashes or patches of broken, itchy skin need to be examined by a physician if they appear to be spreading or not improving. Some rashes may need to be covered while your child is at school.
• Tested positive for Covid-19 (please remain home for five days from symptom onset or positive test). Free tests are now available for ordering at covid.gov/tests & a limited number of rapid tests are available in our schools upon request.

Students may attend / return to school: 

• When symptoms are improving 
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea free for 24 hours 
• Fever free (100 degrees F or greater) for 24 hours without fever reducing medication 
• If evaluated and cleared by a health care provider

The Monona Grove Education Foundation (MGEF) is the non-profit foundation that supports educational excellence in MGSD. We expand educational opportunities for our students of all ages through scholarships and grants, & we fund projects that benefit students & teachers both inside & out of the classroom. We do this through the following five programs:

• The Pay It Forward Program (PIF) provides financial assistance to MG students struggling with food stability or clothing; & those needing additional educational support.
• The Monona Grove Weekend Snack Pack Program strives to support district students who are struggling with food insecurity on the weekends.
• The Summer Scholarship Program is designed to help support summer educational & enrichment opportunities for students in the district that may otherwise be out of reach.
• The MGEF Teacher Innovation Grants support efforts to bring innovative new ideas & programs into the district that fall outside of traditional funding.
• The Starting Line Fund was established in 2023 by private donors & supports the idea that every student should have an equal opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities or clubs, & that access to equipment or needed items should not be a barrier.

As a 501c3, we fund our efforts through tax-deductible donations from families, community members, & businesses from Monona and Cottage Grove. As a volunteer organization 100% of donations are used to support our mission. Our next event will support the Weekend Snack Pack program via a Cribbage Tournament on October 21st – 7pm @ Oakstone Recreational in Cottage Grove. To support the Foundation, or learn how to get involved in delivering these programs to our students and educators, please visit our website & be sure to follow us on Facebook!

Monona Grove High School will hold a classroom hold drill on October 26 for all students and staff. During the month we will also hold a student safety training to inform and prepare students for the potential of a threat or hazard (i.e. hazardous material) inside or outside the building.

The safety of our students is a top priority which is why it’s important for students to be present for monthly drills. This hold drill is designed to help students understand what they can do to protect themselves in the unlikely case of a critical event. A classroom hold is called when students would be in the way of staff or emergency responders responding to a crisis, such as a medical or behavioral incident. We follow best practices to use trauma sensitive language and exercises to mitigate fear and anxiety during the drill.  

What your student will experience: Staff will prepare students by explaining the purpose of the drill, what they can expect and what they will need to do during the drill. The drill will begin when an announcement is made over the speakers that a building hold has started. Staff will clear students from the hallways and collaboration areas as needed, and then remain in their classrooms until the classroom hold is lifted. Instruction will continue as normal until an announcement has been made that the drill has ended. Staff will use trauma sensitive language to help students process the experience. For the student safety training, staff will talk through scenarios and classrooms may plan and generate ideas together for action plans on potential threatening situations that could happen while at school. 

Students with sensory and other special considerations will be accommodated according to their needs. 

We encourage families to communicate with your student(s) about the importance of safety drills. You can find resources on our website to help guide those conversations. 

Read the full message on safety communication practices on our website.

This letter was mailed to the parent(s)/guardian(s) of seniors in August. It includes information about Ads for Grads and Senior Pictures. Both are due by November 30th.

This message was sent to all MGHS students and parent(s)/guardian(s) on August 24th. It includes information on yearbook ordering.

The MGHS Parent forum is a monthly meeting that allows for parents to come and listen to the happenings at MGHS presented by Principal Mitch McGrath. In turn, the parents can ask questions, give feedback and hear about upcoming events in a casual setting. There is no fundraising at this meeting. The meeting is purely informational to bridge the home and school environment. 

The meetings will take place on the following days for the school year at 6 pm in the High School IMC (which is located off of the commons/cafeteria area). Meetings typically last about one hour. A parent volunteer will take notes and send out a brief summary of the meeting each month. If you have further questions after any meeting, the administrative team welcomes you to reach out to them directly for clarification or questions. A parent volunteer will send out a reminder email prior the meeting each month. Your email will only be used for this purpose.

The remaining dates for the 2023-24 school year are the following:

October 16

November 20

January 22

February 19

April 15

Please contact Cathy Bernards at bernards@chorus.net to be added to the MGHS Parent Forum email list.

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.

What are the high school meal prices for 2023-24? 

Breakfast: $1.75

Breakfast (reduced): free

Lunch: $3.75

Lunch (reduced): $0.40

Where do I find menus?

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

How do I 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. 

• How to make a food service payment or add money
• How to set up recurring payments

5301 Monona Drive, Monona, WI 53716  Phone: (608) 221-7660  Fax: (608) 221-7688