Monroe News

Celebrating the Class of 2025

The last day of school brings so many emotions for students, staff, and parents. For most, there is a feeling of joy, excitement, and celebration. Another year accomplished! Bring on summer vacation! For me, as a principal, I am very much "in my feels." I am equal parts proud of the impact our staff has had on our incredible learning community this year, hopeful for the newly renovated classrooms to greet us in the fall, and sad to say goodbye to the incredible class of 2025.

Yesterday, we celebrated Monroe's graduating class of 2025. What an incredible day, recognizing an even more incredible group of students. We awarded and celebrated 10 Student Leadership Panel Representatives, 23 Eagle Honor Recipients, 10 Jimmy Squad Recipients, 1 Unwavering Eagle Dedication, 48 High Honor Roll Members, 33 President's Award Recipients, 4 American Legion Award Recipients, 8 Soaring Eagle Awards, and 2 James Howard Monroe Award Recipients. What a day!

In my ceremony address, I highlighted this year's theme: IMPACT. As a staff, we have reflected on those educators who came before us and made a profound impact on our careers and lives. Similarly, I encouraged our students to consider and reflect upon the impact that so many (teachers, staff, parents, siblings, friends, and mentors) have had on their journey through their middle school years. Our graduating 8th graders are not just going to high school; they are going to high school prepared to make an impact. They’ve developed critical thinking skills, learned to collaborate, and discovered their unique strengths. My greatest hope is that they've learned the value of empathy, the power of their voice, and the importance of perseverance.

Speaking of their voice, I highlighted the class of 2025 by the advice they themselves have provided over the course of the last several weeks. I've kept careful notes and consolidated all of their wisdom into a top 10 list. In no particular order, here are the top 10 pieces of advice, taken directly from Monroe's class of 2025:

Work your hardest and be nice. If you work hard, you will be successful. If you’re nice, people will like you and you can communicate better.
Enjoy while you’re here because it goes fast. Surround yourself with joy and laughter.
Keep an open mind. You never know who you will connect with and the new friends you’ll make.
Focus on your classes and don’t be oblivious about tests. But also don’t be so over focused that you miss out on opportunities with friends. Find balance.
Be kind always because you never know what someone else is going through.
Go to events in high school, don’t regret not participating and exploring new opportunities.
Let the drama go.
Don’t worry so much about what other people think. No one cares as much as you think they do. Be known as the person who has good energy and carries the good vibe around.
Do your homework - don’t get yourself in a hole or procrastinate.
Don’t focus on being known by popularity. Focus on being known for being a good person. A kind person.

These words of wisdom are a sign of encouragement for our future. Our young students are maturing, capable, and prepared for the world ahead of them. They have a unique voice, drive, and recognize the impact they can make on one another and on the world around us. More than anything, I implore our students to be the students who lift others up, who include rather than exclude, and who choose compassion over indifference. The world needs more of their light, their energy, and their commitment to making it a better place.

With pride and admiration,

Ashley Huettemann
Principal
Monroe Middle School

Order School Supplies Now!

Monroe PTA has partnered with 1st Day School Supplies to provide school supply kits delivered directly to the school. You will pick up your kit during schedule pick up. The order deadline is July 1st. 1st Day School Supplies provides only the highest quality branded products that will last the entire year, guaranteed! 1st Day School Supplies is the BEST way to buy back-to-school supplies. Order now!

https://1stdayschoolsupplies.com/gs/33728

2025-26 Parent/Community Advisory Committees Applications

Community Unit School District 200 is excited to launch several new Parent and Community Advisory Committees for the 2025-2026 school year. These committees are designed to strengthen the partnership between families, community members, and the school district—ensuring that diverse perspectives are heard and valued as we work together to support the success, safety, and well-being of all students.

Each committee has a unique focus, but all share a common goal: to invite meaningful input and collaboration between the district and our valued community members. By participating in one of these advisory groups, you will help shape district initiatives, inform key decisions, and contribute to continuous improvement to help all students reach their highest level of learning and personal development.

We invite parents, guardians, staff, and community members to review the committee descriptions and meeting dates in the form below and consider applying to serve on a committee. Individuals can apply for more than one committee, but will only be selected to serve on one committee so that there are enough opportunities for other interested community members. Please fill out the Google Form to express your interest in serving on one of the committees by 5 p.m. on July 3.

Monroe Summer Reading BINGO!

We're so proud of our Monroe students and all the amazing reading they've done this year, but we don't want that reading habit to completely stop this summer. Our hope is for students to read something they love, listen to an audiobook or podcast, or find little pockets of time to learn more about something they're interested in. To celebrate reading and learning this summer, we have a Monroe Summer Reading BINGO! Students can check off boxes they complete over the summer, bring their card back at the beginning of the school year, and earn prizes for every BINGO they complete. We can't wait to celebrate the time spent reading by Monroe students when we return in August!

FastBridge Communication

As a District, one of our goals this year is to implement effective monitoring and assessment tools to measure progress for academics and the social emotional needs of students. Toward that end, we have begun the implementation of FastBridge academic assessment and student behavior screener. These assessments are administered three times a year--fall, winter and spring. Your child’s scores will be available for the spring assessment window in ParentVue on May 29th at 4:00 PM.

About FastBridge Academic Assessments

About FastBridge SAEBRS and MySAEBRS

Your child’s FastBridge and SAEBRS scores are now available in your ParentVUE Account. You can access ParentVue via the mobile app, our school website, or the District website.

To access your child’s scores, please log on to ParentVUE and select Test History from the menu on the left. If you are using a laptop or computer to access ParentVUE, we strongly suggest you use Google Chrome as your browser. If you are on a laptop or computer and experience problems, please use the app on your smartphone or try clearing your browser’s cache.

It is important to remember that all information contained in this letter should always be used as a starting point for conversations about individual student learning needs, and in conjunction with other sources of information about student performance. FastBridge and SAEBRS are just two of many data points used by school and district staff. We also consider state test scores, classroom assessments, teacher observations, and input from parents when making decisions about student learning. If you have questions about your child’s scores or their progress in reading or math, please contact your child’s teacher. If you have questions about your child’s SAEBRS and/or MYSAEBRS scores, please contact your child’s counselor.

Wheaton Police to Host Neighborhood Roll Call Events this Summer

Starting in June, the Wheaton Police Department will bring back its Neighborhood Roll Call outreach events to connect with residents and share community safety information. This year, in partnership with CUSD 200, these events will be hosted at local school sites.

Roll Call events will take place throughout the community this summer, with a special focus on how CUSD 200 and the Wheaton Police Department are working together to keep Wheaton’s school communities safe.

Topics discussed will include:

CUSD 200's approach to school safety
A.L.I.C.E. (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate) Training
D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)
School resource officers
Local traffic concerns

Each Roll Call will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a presentation by the Wheaton Police Department and CUSD 200 representatives, followed by an opportunity for attendees to ask questions.

While each event is held at an individual school, they are organized to include other nearby schools. Residents are encouraged to attend the event associated with their school to meet the officers and school leaders who serve their area. These events are open to everyone in the community, and there will be activities for children, so bring the whole family, and encourage your neighbors to attend, too. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.

Visit www.wheaton.il.us/RollCall to view a map of events and find the Roll Call closest to you.

Locations & Dates:

Tuesday, June 3, 6:30 p.m., Longfellow Elementary School, 311 W. Seminary Ave.
- Included schools: Franklin Middle School, Hawthorne Elementary School, Longfellow Elementary School, and Washington Elementary School
Tuesday, June 10, 6:30 p.m., Lowell Elementary School, 312 S. President St.
- Included schools: Lincoln Elementary School and Lowell Elementary School
Tuesday, June 17, 6:30 p.m., Sandburg Elementary School, 1345 Jewell Road
- Included schools: Sandburg Elementary School and Wheaton North High School
Tuesday, June 24, 6:30 p.m., Wiesbrook Elementary School, 2160 Durfee Road
- Included schools: Wheaton Warrenville South High School, Wiesbrook Elementary School, and Madison Elementary School
Tuesday, July 8, 6:30 p.m., Edison Middle School, 1125 S. Wheaton Ave.
- Included schools: Edison Middle School and Whittier Elementary School
Tuesday, July 1, 6: 30 p.m., Hull Park, 1400 Hull Drive
- No school affiliation
Tuesday, July 15, 6:30 p.m., Jefferson Early Childhood Center, 130 N. Hazleton Ave
- Included schools: Emerson Elementary School, Jefferson Early Childhood Center, and Monroe Middle School

Monroe Celebrates Groundbreaking Ceremony

We cannot say it enough... THANK YOU to our community for the opportunity to make significant improvements to Monroe over the course of the next couple of years. We are ready for an upgrade and are preparing fast and furiously for the much needed improvements coming our way! We recently celebrated a groundbreaking ceremony at Monroe in the back parking lot, otherwise known as the future site of the Eagle Performing Arts! Thank you to the D200 Board of Education, Dr. Schuler, the family of James Howard Monroe, Monroe PTA, Monroe Musicians, and to the architects, construction crews, and D200 staff who made the event possible. We are ready for construction to begin!

https://catholiccharitiesjoliet.org/dupage/

Monroe Hosts Inaugural Essentials Kickball Tournament

We recently hosted an exciting and inclusive celebration at our very first Monroe Essentials Kickball Event! The AdPE class showcased their Kickball skills and the Monroe community came together to celebrate teamwork, sportsmanship, and fun!

Congratulations, 6th Grade Stars of the Month!

Sameer Chhabra - Hard working, helpful and kind to others, and has great participation
Lexi Bowers - Good participation and enthusiasm. A very kind and helpful student.
Michael Murawski - Has quickly fit in being a new student, has shown great leadership and a passion for learning.
Gemma Grussenmeyer - Hard working, kind, optimistic, friendly and inclusive to everyone.
Jack Grantz - Very kind and hardworking student. Great attitude!
Maggie Kadera - Enthusiastic, works well with others and is a strong student.
Fatima Jimenez Suarez - Responsible and hardworking. She is always kind to teachers and classmates and has a positive attitude.
Corinne Okpebholo - She shines on and off the stage. She has great participation in class and has a great attitude.
Keira Rodgers - Very kind, respectful and responsible student. Creative and artistic.
Nina Bednarchuk - Has been working so hard and shown great improvement!
Joanna Love - Strong work ethic, positive attitude and a lovely student.
Jake Frydrych - Positive attitude and always willing to go with the flow.
Neeyah Azad - Kind to others, works hard and has a great attitude.
Daniel Dee - Incredibly hard working, consistent effort and works well with all students.
Joseph Porter - An amazing student and strives for perfection. Is good natured and motivated to do well.
Dylan Carey - Brings great energy to the classroom!
Jakayla Lucious - Works really hard, has a positive attitude and is kind to others.