Monroe 9/11 Fri-YAY Newsletter
Hello Monroe families,
What a first week! It has been so great to see our school come alive with students, energy, school spirit, and—of course—lots of Monroe gear around campus!
First and foremost, THANK YOU to our families for your encouragement, support, patience, and flexibility as we have started the year. The first few weeks of school always come with a lot of moving pieces as students and staff learn new routines, navigate schedules, and settle into the rhythm of the school year. We truly appreciate your partnership and grace as we work through those pieces together.
And what a great start we have seen from our students!
We have loved seeing students SHOW UP each day, WORK HARD in their classrooms, and BE KIND to one another and our staff.
From classrooms to hallways, lunchrooms to activities, there has been so much to celebrate. We are seeing students connect, participate, ask questions, try new things, and begin to find their place at Monroe.
Every Day, 4J Attendance Matters
As we continue settling into routines, we want to emphasize just how important attendance is.
There is a direct connection between consistent school attendance and students graduating on time- see HERE for 4J data! Every day matters, and every class matters. Being at school gives students the opportunity to learn, build relationships, participate in activities, and stay connected to their school community.
If your student is struggling with attendance or getting to school consistently, please reach out. Ms. Selner (Assistant Principal), selner_m@4j.lane.edu and Mr. Pierce (Counselor), pierce_s@4j.lane.edu are great people to connect with regarding attendance, barriers, questions, and available supports. We are here to partner with you and help however we can.
Join Us for Open House- see HERE
We would love to see you at Open House next week!
This is a great opportunity to come back to campus, meet your student's teachers, learn more about their classes, and get a better feel for what the year will look like. We especially encourage families who weren't able to join us before school started to come check things out and connect with our staff. There will be FREE pizza!
📅 Open House:Thursday Sept. 17th
⏰ 5:15-7:10 pm
📍 Monroe Middle School Courtyard
Amazing Observations from Week 1
As I walk around the building, I get to see so many of the little things that make Monroe special. Here are just a few of the amazing observations from this week:
Students helping other students find their classrooms and open lockers
Staff greeting students by name at the door
6th graders confidently navigating the building
8th grade student leaders stepping up to support younger Mustangs
Students making new connections and finding new friends
Classrooms filled with “get to know you” activities and establishing routines
Students walking in the halls, not running
Lots of smiles, laughter, and positive energy throughout the building
Students going out of their way thank our kitchen staff for their hard hard work and making good food! Students not having their cell phones out all day!
These may seem like small things, but these are the moments that build a school community.
Thank you again for an incredible first week. We are excited about what this year will bring and are grateful to be on this journey with you.
Have a wonderful weekend, Monroe families!
Go Mustangs and DUCKS!
See below for key information as we head into the weekend- apologies ahead of time for the lengthy email and information below as we get things rolling. Normally these weekly emails will be shorter:)
Office Staff updates:
Our beloved Office Manager Stephanie Plascencia has transitioned after having her 1st baby- yay! We miss her dearly and wish her the best. She has been the heartbeat of the school for the past 5+ years and we are so thankful for her service to our Community and the way she has supported everyone and everything! She will be missed! Holly Campbell filled in last year and will continue to fill in so please reach out to her as our point of contact- campbell_h@4j.lane.edu
April Colgrove has been substituting as well for Stephanie last year and into this year. She is off to a new adventure after serving our Community last year in this role. She will be missed as she has been invested years as her kids went through here! We wish her the best and you may still see her around to help out with all the things!
Unfortunately Nancy Ehlers, Attendance Clerk will be out for a while taking care of personal matters. For now if you have questions about attendance please call the attendance line at 541-790-6305. We hope to have her back soon!
Cross country sign ups and starts- sign up link HERE. We are always looking for more runners! It’s a great way to get involved. Mr. Aguayo (Math teacher) is our head coach!
First Day of Practice will be Monday September 14th and goes through November 1st.
Practices usually go Mondays thru Thursdays for about an hour and a half; sometimes on Fridays if there is a No School Day.
Updated physical required.
Practice times: Mon. Tues., and Thurs. is usually from 3:50 to 5:20 & Wednesday is 2:45 to 4:15
It’s not too late to sign up as you can still sign up next week!
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Meet dates:
10/8 Corvallis
10/13 Oak Hill School Eugene
10/22 Lane Community College
10/27 4J District Meet
11/1 State meet (optional and have to qualify) Monmouth
Schedule Request Change Form: see HERE for the link and details.
Parking and pick up: as we get used to the year this is always something to be aware of and make adjustments. Please see the map HERE for guidance and the two most important things to remember as you get used to a routine:
Please do not park along the curb of the school and leave your vehicle.
Please keep pulling up along the curb as other cars exit so traffic does not back up to Bailey Lane/Coburg Rd.
ParentVue and Canvas: see links for information and reach out to our office if you still need assistance! Pro Tip: IF you had to focus on one of these please download the Canvas app if you’re able as this will be the most important app for ongoing communication around grades, teacher feedback, etc.
4J Transportation Information- please click on the link for information.
Reporting Absences through ParentSquare: Families will be able to excuse their students' unplanned absences electronically as the district is moving attendance notifications to ParentSquare for the coming school year starting MONDAY Sept. 14th! THIS IS OUR PREFERRED METHOD OF EXCUSING YOUR STUDENT- PLEASE DO THIS THROUGH PARENTQUARE IF YOU ARE ABLE. If not, you can always leave a message on our attendance line at 541-790-6305.
Please note: You cannot reply directly to a notification email or text to excuse an absence. Family members must be registered in ParentSquare to send electronic attendance notes. To register, visit www.parentsquare.com/signin, and register using the email address or mobile phone number you provided at your student's school.
When excusing an absence, please specify in the note the date(s) or period(s) you're excusing and the reason for excusing the absence. Accepted reasons for a student's absence typically are illness; medical appointment; family emergency, including an illness or death; and court proceeding.
Parents and guardians will receive emails and text messages notifying them of their students' unexcused absences each school day. Families have 48 hours, or two school days, after the student’s return to request that an absence is excused. They cannot opt out of attendance notifications as state law requires schools to notify parents and guardians of students' unplanned absences, both for safety and academic reasons.
High School Football Games: The first game at Sheldon is TONIGHT at 7pm! To enhance safety and the overall experience for our younger community members, middle school-aged and under students are required to be accompanied by their parents or another responsible adult. We believe this measure will ensure that our younger fans have the guidance and support they need to enjoy the games responsibly. Students without their parents or another responsible adult will not be allowed into Friday Night Football Games.
Sun Saeteurn
Principal, Monroe Middle School