Bearcat Necessities 9/24/2021
Monroe High School - 17001 Tester Road, Monroe, WA 98272
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Coming Events
- Principal Chat is 3rd Thursday of each month, 9-10 am, a Zoom link will be provided.
- Spanish Heritage Month - Sept. 15 to Oct. 15
- Chrome book check out - MHS students only / Sept. 29th 2-6pm
- MHS Curriculum Night (Virtual) Sept. 29th 7- 9pm
- Oct. 28 - School Picture Retakes - Students who missed their picture day or would like to have retakes may do so.
From the Principal
Happy Friday Bearcat Families!
It was a great week here at MHS … lots of wonderful things happening and all of the typical September busyness of high school is in full swing right now. Amidst managing the extra Covid procedures to keep all of us safe, we’re trying to keep our students and staff focused on the normal work of carrying on with school and creating a great experience for our Bearcats here on a daily basis. We feel this approach will ensure a sense of routine and normalcy for our students as we continue to work our way through this pandemic together.
This week our administrative team was able to visit almost all of our classrooms … in our mind that is a great week! We’re trying to prioritize a focus on learning as one of our most important daily tasks as well as establishing a constant presence around the building. While the pull of the managerial items and office tasks are never ending, building a culture around what happens in the classroom as our top priority here at MHS is something we are always trying to get better at.
This week we saw so many great things in classes … students engaged, a focus in class on important skills that students need to master, students talking together about what they are learning, great questioning strategies by our teachers, and overall a really positive vibe in our classrooms throughout the building. I’m impressed with the commitment by our teachers to continue to improve what we do for students and also the commitment from our students to be engaged participants each day in class.
Speaking of what’s happening in classrooms, next week on Wednesday, September 29th, we will host our annual start of the year Curriculum Night / Open House for our families. The event will be virtual again this year, starting at 7:00 pm with a live webinar hosted by our administrative team. After the live webinar, parents will be provided access to the information needed to attend our “virtual” open house, visiting student classes by way of videos created by each teacher. We look forward to seeing you there! Zoom links for the webinar and Curriculum Night information will be sent out early next week. Have a great weekend … GO BEARCATS!
Celebrating "Bold Bearcats"
Thank you to this week’s “Bold Bearcats” for contributing to our school’s culture of positivity and ensuring Monroe is a place of high school PLUS for ALL.
Marcus Marie for helping out a student with her assignment in class. He was very patience and made sure she felt successful.
Gerardo Rubio-Gonzalez stepped up to assist another student in class. He is doing a great job advocating for himself and others.
Mason T Henry 10th grade, very helpful and willing to try new things with a positive attitude.
Alejandro A. Huerta 9th grade, hard working individual and very respectful.
Jennifer Garcia - going with the flow and figuring out a strange situation without even pausing to think about it. Amazing leadership and communica
Nalleli Martinez-Santos, helped another student by showing him how to complete an assignment on his phone before he had his chromebook.
Lane Fankhouser, Kody Meehan, and Len Forsyth, volunteered to help Ms. Johnson move furniture in the 100 pod to help her get it organized.
Rosita Cruz Hernandez. We appreciate her willingness to translate instructions and support fellow students.
The Sports Med crew has been kicking serious butt. Makinna Gamble has been to nearly every practice and game since before the school year even began! Olivia Douglas, Saturday night at Girls Soccer.
Alex Princesa (12th grader) has been an absolute rockstar offering support and help to peers.
Amanda Martinez-Jiminez and Carlos Farias-Ceja have been super helpful translating for a new ELL student in 9th grade geography.
Layla Persons for caring about her high school community and taking the time out of her day to help a friend.
Homecoming 2021
We are excited to be offering Homecoming Festivities this year!
There will be activities before and during the Homecoming football game on October 22nd. Unfortunately, we will not be able to offer a dance this year due to COVID restrictions, but we will be celebrating at a Night on the 50 Yard Line on October 23rd.
Look forward to details in your email inbox next week
How to Get Into the College of Your Choice
Join us for a presentation by Giles Stanton on how to get into the college of your choice. He will go through the process of apply for school and writing the application essay. There will be a live Q&A at the end of the presentation. We can’t wait to see you there. The link to the webinar is:
Chrome books
MONROE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ONLY
Wednesday, Sep. 29th: 2:00-6:00 pm in the MHS Library
Chromebook User Agreement & Protection
Chromebooks will be checked out for the school year in the same way as a textbook. The expectation is that students will take care of the device, bring it to school daily (charged), and use it at home as an extension of their learning at school. Just as with textbooks, if a Chromebook is lost or damaged, families will be financially responsible for repairing or replacing them. However, families will have the option to purchase Chromebook protection that will provide coverage for accidental breakage, etc. The Chromebook Protection plan information is included above. If you have any questions, please call the school’s main office.
Life After High School
A two-part training for families and youth with disabilities
Student Race and Ethnicity Data Collection
Recently, there was a change in federal and state law that affects how student ethnicity and race data is collected by school districts. This change now requires schools to have this data recorded for every student.
As a result, we are required to ask families to verify their child as either Hispanic/Latino or not Hispanic/Latino AND by one or more of 217 racial groups. We ask that families please respond to the two questions in Family Access for each of their students currently enrolled.
While families are not required to verify the race and ethnicity of their students, we are required as a school district to submit this data to comply with federal and state law. We will make two attempts to reach families with the request to submit their child's ethnicity and race category. If there is no response, schools are required to make the ethnicity and race selection for the student.
Teen Programs
Important Transportation Information
Due to COVID protocols, effective for this school year, students will not be allowed to ride a different bus. If a student shows up to a bus with a bus note they'll be directed back to the office or their regular routed bus. Seating on buses is limited so we are unable to accomodate changes that effect the number of students routed to each bus. Sorry for any inconvenience and we appreciate your understanding.
Student Resources
Dear Families,
We know that the economy has hit some of our families hard and we want you to be aware of the resources available to your student(s). Through partnerships with the Monroe Public Schools Foundation, Sky Valley Food Bank, Assistance League of Everett, Clothes for Kids and other partners we are able to offer assistance in a variety of areas.
Items available at MHS include: Backpacks and school supplies, Limited clothing such as sweatshirts/t-shirts, socks, gloves/scarves, hygiene care products, emergency breakfast and/or lunch items.
Clothing Resources:
Operation School Bell: fall shopping at Fred Meyer for students who have a financial need. Spots are limited, SIGN UP NOW THROUGH OCT 1st.
Clothes For Kids provides school clothing to lower-income students 2x per year who request help.
Food Bank Program- students receive a bag of food every Friday to support them over the weekend.
The Monroe Public Schools Foundation Emergency Needs Vouchers:
Clothing/hygiene/housing supplies/Food - Fred Meyer/Grocery Outlet/Walmart/Goodwill/Payless
Vision- eye exam & glasses if needed via Lions Club
Transportation assistance
Laundry- Monroe Laundromat
Staples- (online only) school supplies
Hair-masters & EVCC Beauty school
If you have any questions about these resources or have a student demonstrating a need that is not covered on this list please do not hesitate to reach out to counseling.
Testing Updates
Smarter Balance Testing
Last Spring's 2021 SBA (ELA & Math) and WCAS (Science) assessments were postponed to this Fall. We will be administering the assessments to the 9th, 11th and 12th graders. The test is fully adaptive, so as the student takes the exam, it will end when they have completed the necessary level of competency. There are two sessions, each day broken down by grade and alpha (last name). Testing will be in the MHS Library. Below is a breakdown of the date students will be testing:
ELA Test
October 11th (morning session) – 9th Grade A-E
October 11th (afternoon session) – 9th Grade F-Mc
October 12th (morning session) – 9th Grade Me-Ro
October 12th (afternoon session) – 9th Grade Ru-Z
October 13th (morning session) – 11th Grade A-D
October 13th (afternoon session) – 11th Grade E-L
October 14th (morning session) – 11th Grade M-P
October 14th (afternoon session) – 11th Grade R-Z
October 15th – 12th Grade A-Z if needed for graduation pathway
Math Test
October 18th (morning session) – 9th Grade A-E
October 18th (afternoon session) – 9th Grade F-Mc
October 19th (morning session) – 9th Grade Me-Ro
October 19th (afternoon session) – 9th Grade Ru-Z
October 20th (morning session) – 11th Grade A-D
October 20th (afternoon session) – 11th Grade E-L
October 21st (morning session) – 11th Grade M-P
October 21st (afternoon session) – 11th Grade R-Z
October 22nd – 12th Grade A-Z if needed for graduation pathway
Science Test
November 1st (morning session) – 9th Grade A-E
November 1st (afternoon session) – 9th Grade F-Mc
November 2nd (morning session) – 9th Grade Me-Ro
November 2nd (afternoon session) – 9th Grade Ru-Z
November 3rd (morning session) – 12th Grade A-E
November 3rd (afternoon session) – 12th Grade F-L
November 4th (morning session) – 12th Grade M-P
November 5th (afternoon session) – 12th Grade R-Z
For more information about this test, Click Here.
UPDATED - MHS Athletic Spectator Guidelines
Per Governor Inslee’s mandate, face coverings/masks are now required for outdoor events with 500 or more people, regardless of vaccination status. Please remember this when attending outdoor school district athletic events, as this new mandate will be strictly enforced for all those attending.
Our district and schools will be proactive in adhering to these guidelines with increased facility signage, in-game public announcements, in-school student reminders, etc. that highlight the face covering/masking expectations. The same guidelines hold true when attending away (non-home) events and activities.
The Governor's office and Washington State Department of Health have noted they will allow K-12 athletics and extracurricular activities to continue so long as they trust that their member schools will enforce the mandate at each and every event. All of us have done tremendous work over the last 18 months to get athletics and activities back up and running with fans. We kindly request that all those in attendance please adhere to the mandates to make sure these participation opportunities continue to be available for our students. Please be kind to our employees as they enforce this state-level mandate in order to keep our students, staff, families and community safe and healthy.
Thank you!
Verification of 2022 Enrollment
Attention: Yearbook Info for Seniors
https://sites.google.com/monroe.wednet.edu/mhs-yearbook/home
We still have a few dozen 2020-2021 yearbooks for sale for $45 at the finance window during lunches until they are sold out. Don't miss out!
Bearcat Pride
Hello Bearcat Families!
Are you tired of seeing the same old faces every time you go to the concession stand? Did you go to a game recently and were super excited to get that bag of popcorn, but then concessions were closed because there were no volunteers available? Well...this could be an opportunity for you! Click on the signupgenius link and find a time that you can help. We could use more help and we are only having concessions outside until further notice.
Concession Stand Sales.
Be on the lookout for an opportunity to help in concessions for all football, soccer, and one cross country meet.
Concession stand sales will look a bit different this year but we will do our very best to bring the same enthusiasm within Covid-19 guidelines. The signup genius will be posted on Facebook and is at the link below.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D48ABA72EA64-concession
Email us at parents-mhs@monroe.wednet.edu if you are interested or have any questions.
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Our next board meeting
Date: October 13, 2021
Time: 7:00 pm
Virtual: Link will be provided closer to date (Check your email day of)
Come and hear how you can support the staff at MHS and other ways that Bearcat Pride is making a difference and have a voice in how you would like to contribute or perhaps change some things.
ATTENTION PARENTS OF CLASS OF 2022
As Senior year kicks off there will be lots of info and dates to remember. We will do our best to keep you updated, answer questions and just be there for support if needed.
Join us:
Social Media: Facebook @mhsclassof2022
Email: Mhsbearcats2022@gmail.com
Counseling Corner
The MHS Counseling Office will open August 30. Student schedules will be available through Family Access on Sept 3.
Questions contact your school counselor
Student last names: A-El: Mrs. Woodard: woodardl@monroe.wednet.edu
Student last names: Em-Le: Mrs. Garcia: garciaj@monroe.wednet.edu
Student last names: Li-Q: Mrs. Parry: parrys@monroe.wednet.edu
Student last names: R-Z: Ms. Stevens: stevensj@monroe.wednet.edu
APPOINTMENTS: If you need an appointment with your counselor you can email them directly or contact one of our Counseling secretaries.
Ms. Hutson - (360) 804-4520 - hutsonh@monroe.wednet.edu
Ms. Tucker - (360) 804-4503 - tuckers@monroe.wednet.edu.
Who's Who at MHS
Brett Wille- willeb@monroe.wednet.edu
Principal
Rachel Bleakney-Bailey - bleakneybaileyr@monroe.wednet.edu
Assistant Principal
Jennifer Murphy - murphyj@monroe.wednet.edu
Assistant Principal
Noah Wallace - wallacen@monroe.wednet.edu
Assistant Principal
Shannon Tarrach - tarrachs@monroe.wednet.edu
Director of College and Career Readiness - (360) 804-4508
Ashley Tuiasosopo - tuiasosopoa@monroe.wednet.edu
Athletic Director - 360-804-4542
Melissa Myers - myersme@monroe.wednet.edu
Office Manager - 360-804-4502
Oscar Hanson - hansono@monroe.wednet.edu
Main Line - Front Desk - (360) 804-4500
Janet Smith -smithja@monroe.wednet.edu
Office Support -Attendance/Discipline -(360) 804-4501
Jacci Rasmussen - rasmussenj@monroe.wednet.edu
Office Support - Financial Office/ASB - (360) 804-4513
Tara Weyrick- weyrickt@monroe.wednet.edu
Office Support - Athletics - (360) 804-4511
Shannon Barksdale - barksdales@monroe.wednet.edu
Office Support - CTE - (360) 804-4512
Denise Palmer - palmerd@monroe.wednet.edu
Registrar - (360) 804-4524
Amber Mehta - mehtaa@monroe.wednet
Attendance Intervention Specialist - (360) 804-4518
Helen Hutson - hutsonh@monroe.wednet.edu
Office Support - Counseling - (360) 804-4520
Sarah Tucker - tuckers@monroe.wednet.edu
Office Support - Counseling - (360) 804-4503
Michelle Dickinson - dickinsonm@monroe.wednet.edu
Career & College Ready Specialist - Career Center - (360) 804-4507
Geneva Padilla - padillag@monroe.wednet.edu
Health Room RN/ (360) 804-4532