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With Gratitude

Each morning, I am grateful to have an opportunity to speak with the entire student body for my 8:00am announcement. It's a way to welcome students and staff to the new day, share important information, and set the tone for building expectations. Recently, we've focused on gratitude and I've shared many ideas and quotes about the importance of showing and sharing our gratitude and the benefits that can bring to our daily life. What is certain is that I am grateful to be the principal at Monroe Middle School. I am proud of the daily efforts by students and staff to learn, to grow, and to connect. I am grateful to our supportive parent community for your partnership and for trusting Monroe to teach and guide your child through these critical growth years. It is a great responsibility that we never take for granted.

I wish you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. May it be a time to gather together, reconnect with loved ones, and give thanks.

With abundant gratitude,

Ashley Huettemann
Principal
Monroe Middle School

Honoring Our Veterans

Monroe was proud to host Veterans and their families last week for our annual Veterans Day breakfast and ceremony. Student presenters introduced their Veteran(s) and shared a bit of their story. Additionally, we took time to recognize, remember, and pay tribute to our school namesake, James Howard Monroe, for his honorable service in the U.S. Army as a Private First Class Medic during the Vietnam War. Student presenters shared the Medal of Honor core values which also serve as Monroe Middle School core values: courage, sacrifice, citizenship, patriotism, commitment, and integrity.

CUSD 200 PACE Program: Current 6th and 7th Graders

PURPOSE: Testing results will be used to qualify students for 7th grade Fast-Paced Language Arts, 7th grade Fast-Paced Mathematics, 8th grade Fast-Paced Language Arts, and 8th grade Fast-Paced Mathematics✪ for the 2024-2025 school year.

ELIGIBILITY: Any middle school student who lives in the District 200 attendance area is eligible to participate*. Students are invited to test based on parent and/or teacher recommendation.

Specific dates and times will be determined at your child’s school for in-person testing.

Results will be made available in May 2024.

PROCESS: Should your student be interested in PACE testing for possible PACE placement for the following year, please complete the parent referral form and submit by email to the PACE office at pace@cusd200.org by February 2, 2024. (Should this date be missed, the next possible testing time will be made available in the summer)

✪ Entering 8th grade students who qualify for A-Level Geometry in 8th Grade will also need to pass an Algebra 1 summer course with A or B level mastery and the District Algebra I Assessment as prerequisites for this class.

*Students who currently attend a private school or are homeschooled, but reside in the District 200 attendance area, are eligible for the PACE Testing. If a student qualifies for the PACE Program under these special circumstances, it becomes the parent’s responsibility to provide transportation to and from classes. The parent must consider scheduling issues when making a decision regarding participation in the PACE Program.

Order Your Yearbook!

The deadline to order a yearbook is quickly approaching. Monroe will have a full traditional yearbook that will be distributed on the last day of school. Make sure your student doesn't miss out! There will be no way to order additional copies after the deadline has passed. Please follow the steps below to purchase their yearbook today. Yearbooks are $28 each.

Click here to order a Yearbook!

These are the days your child will want to remember forever. Buy their yearbook now to help make it unforgettable!

Student Shout Outs

HUGE thank you to Gray Grunner from Mr. Bertrand and Mrs. Croll for videotaping our Thursday night performance of Descendants. The footage is the best we have ever gotten of any of our performances! We appreciate you giving up your night to help us do this!

To Danny Mukhin, Lee Gossage, Tristen Marshall, Kenneth Castellanos, and Oakes Kral from Mrs. Coleman: You all did an amazing job! I am so very PROUD OF YOU!

To Caela Vojack & Kendrick Caballero from Mrs. Dewar: Caela & Kendrick, Congratulations on being selected for the ILMEA Jr. Festival Orchestra! I am so proud of your hard work and dedication as you prepared for auditions and the festival. It was a fantastic performance!

To submit a student shout out, click here!

Staff Shout Outs

To Dawn Will from Danielle Pitsenbarger: "Dawn, thanks so much for all you do for everyone. For always going out of your way and above and beyond."

"Ms. Carlson has been an amazing addition to my classroom. She came in on her first day (which by the way was her birthday!) and was able to work with me and my students as if she had been here the whole year! Brooke, you are so on target with how you interact with all of the students and it seems as if we are such a great team/duo as we tend to be thinking the same things in terms of what needs to happen next/how to best help the students, and we can practically finish each other's sentences! I want you to know how much of a delight you are to work with and how much I REALLY do appreciate YOU!" From Mrs. Coleman

To submit a staff shout out, click here!

A Look Ahead

Nov. 20-24: Thanksgiving Recess

Nov. 28: Boys Basketball Home

Nov. 30: Wrestling Home