Monroe News

Dear Families,

It has been great to welcome our students back to the building after the winter break. Hopefully, the break allowed your child to refresh and recharge for the new year.  Here at Monroe we are excited about the learning opportunities and experiences ahead of our students in the new year!  

We cherish each day of school with your child. Every day of school is an important opportunity for students to learn, grow, and connect with their peers. So as we start 2025, please continue to ensure that your child has consistent attendance at school, as this plays an extremely important role in student success.  

This short video highlights the negative effects of poor student attendance and the impact it can have on students in CUSD 200. It is our hope that we can continue to have strong student attendance and engagement in all our school community has to offer.  Please know that if your family needs support or assistance to ensure your child attends school consistently, we are here for you. 

Thank you for your involvement in your child’s education and for entrusting us with their education. We truly value your partnership!

Ashley Huettemann
Principal
Monroe Middle School

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 winter assessment window in ParentVue on January 17th at 4:00 PM. 

About FastBridge Academic Assessments 

• Overview of the FastBridge Academic Assessment 

• Kindergarten earlyReading and earlyMath

• First Grade earlyReading and earlyMath

• Grades 2-8 aMath and aReading

About FastBridge SAEBRS and MySAEBRS

• Grades 4-7 SAEBRS

• Grades 4-7 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 at the middle school level or your child’s principal at the elementary level. 

Ever think what would have happened if Dorothy didn’t immediately follow the celebrated yellow brick road?  Eddie McPherson takes our favorite story on a delightful detour when Dorothy is sidetracked by a farmer offering an alternate route to the wizard’s front door — in the form of a mysterious map.

See Mrs. Croll for a complete rehearsal and crew meeting schedule and parent permission form. This form MUST be turned in with a parent signature in order to be cast in the play or be on any crew.

Join the Winter Play Google Classroom using this code: z7ihl3l

Auditions will be done via VIDEO and turned in as an assignment in the Winter Play Google Classroom. Please make sure you follow the Audition Instructions carefully.

 AUDITION VIDEOS are DUE by 9 pm on Tuesday, January 14.

CAST and CREW list will be posted on Friday, January 17 in the Winter Play Google Classroom.

Most rehearsals will take place before school at 7 am; however, there are 2 dress rehearsals and 2 costume fitting meetings that take place after school. Check the schedule in Google Classroom for these rehearsals. Some crew meetings will take place after school such as Set Design and some Stage and Tech planning. Then Stage and Tech Crews will be asked to also attend the 7 am rehearsals with the actors. Check the schedule in Google Classroom for these exact assignments. 

Students interested in special roles like Student Directors and Producers need to complete the Student Director/Producer Google Form Application in the Winter Play Google Classroom to be considered for these roles. 

CLICK HERE to find the slides for more details about the Winter Play including “Ways to Be Involved” which includes a list of crews and roles in addition to acting roles.

Monroe is proud to begin hosting an after school Academic Hour twice per week, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-4pm. The purpose of this time is to assist students with academic support, provide time to complete missing assignments, and provide a focused and structured study session. Academic Hour is by invite only; we will invite students who are falling behind in their classes by either missing a series of assignments or earning a D and/or F in more than one class. According to preliminary data, we have about 90 students who would qualify for this support, which tells us that this Academic Hour idea is necessary and an important step to implement for student learning. We will prioritize by highest need as we can accommodate up to 30 students per session.

How it works:
On Fridays and Tuesdays, we will send email invitations to students and parents requesting student attendance at the Academic Hour the following day (Monday or Wednesday). These emails will come from my (Ashley Huettemann) email address. Students attending should report to room 125 after the 3pm bell. Ms. Skibbe will help students get organized, make a plan for the hour, and provide assistance as needed. Students can be picked up or take the activity bus home at 4pm. Please be sure your student knows their home address; they need that information when they take the activity bus.

How you can help:
As a school, we can strongly encourage attendance. As a parent, you can require your student to attend! We appreciate your partnership and support as we try to develop strong habits in middle school that will set them up for success in high school and beyond.

Final notes:
Receiving an invitation to Academic Hour is not a disciplinary consequence. Rather, it is an early warning sign and is intended to be an opportunity for improvement. As a reminder, you have daily access to see your student's missing assignments and updated grades in ParentVUE.