Wildcat News

Principal Message

Happy November! A few reminders for the week:

~ School of Excellence Awards Presentation: As you may remember, Washington Elementary was the recipient of the School of Excellence Award sponsored by the Minnesota Elementary School Principals’ Association (MESPA). MESPA is coming to our rally next Wednesday, November 12 to present our award and celebrate what a wonderful learning community Washington is.

We would like to hear from YOU!!!! In a few sentences, please tell us why Washington is such an excellent place to learn and to grow. The rally planning team will pick a few of the best examples to read at our rally on November 12. At school, students have the opportunity to write something if they wish OR you can just email me (ahagge1@isd77.org) either your child's words or something you would like us to share. Also, please have students wear their Washington Wildcat t-shirts for our rally & awards presentation.

~ Early Release Info: OUR NEXT TWO HOUR EARLY RELEASE DAY WILL BE WEDNESDAY, November 12, 2025. The school day ends at 12:30 p.m. Please complete the following REGISTRATION to let us know your plans for your child or children on this day. Please fill out a separate registration for each child. We ask that you fill this form out for EACH Early Release because it is easier for us to track. Thank you for your cooperation.

~ Scholastic Book Fair: The Washington PTO is hosting a Scholastic Book Fair during conferences. This is always a HUGE hit for families, students, teachers, and our entire school! We always need volunteers to help with the book fair. Please take a moment to sign up to help. Our volunteers usually LOVE this event and find it fun and easy! Here's the link.

~ Conferences: These begin tonight! If you have not yet signed up for a conference you can either call Diane in the office OR use this link. We would love to see every single family at fall conferences!

~ Teacher Conference Meals: Washington has an AMAZING PTO that provides delicious meals to our equally AMAZING teachers during the long nights of conferences. The PTO does much of the work, but they need volunteer help around the edges. This is a GREAT way to be involved and play a key role in supporting the PTO. Please consider looking through this Sign Up Genius to find a way that you can support the efforts of the PTO and contribute to the important work that teachers do during conferences. And if you don't want to shop or bake, you can donate $$$ to help offset costs or help with set-up/clean-up. Don't delay in signing up as conferences begin next week!

~ Bedtime Story: No worries if you missed this past Sunday's story. I'll do it another story this Sunday, November 9, 2025 at 7:30pm OR you can watch past recordings here. This is another way that your kiddo can earn reading minutes.

~ November Title I info: Our school operates under a Schoolwide Plan, which allows us to use Title I funds to improve the educational performance of all students. Through school improvement strategies and initiatives, we aim to address the specific needs of our students and enhance their academic achievement. A copy of [School Name]’s Schoolwide Plan is available upon request.

I can't wait to connect with each of you at Fall Conferences--such a great time to check progress, celebrate successes, and set goals. Go Wildcats!

Ann

Ann Haggerty

Washington Principal

ahagge1@isd77.org

Early Release on Wednesday, November 12

~ Early Release Info: OUR NEXT TWO HOUR EARLY RELEASE DAY WILL BE WEDNESDAY, November 12, 2025. The school day ends at 12:30 p.m. Please complete the following REGISTRATION to let us know your plans for your child or children on this day. Please fill out a separate registration for each child. We ask that you fill this form out for EACH Early Release because it is easier for us to track. Thank you for your cooperation.

Regular attendance is key to your child's success, and as a school, we've set two clear goals for the 2025-26 school year, listed below. Each month, District 77 tracks consistent attendance at each building. Washington's data through October 31, 2025:

Goal #1: Increase consistent student attendance to 92%.

How are we doing on Goal #1? As of October 31 we are at 89.96% of students who are consistently in school. So, we are below our goal of 92%.

Goal #2: Decrease the number of students who are chronically absent from 45 to 30 or fewer.

How are we doing on Goal #2? As of October 31, we have 32 students who are considered chronically absent. Our goal is to have 30 or fewer students, so we are also needing to improve in this area as well.

Anyone who has missed more than 4.4 days of school thus far are considered chronically absent.

We know that achieving these goals is a team effort, and we need your help. Here are some simple, yet powerful, ways you can support your child's attendance:

Prioritize school attendance. Schedule family trips and vacations during school breaks, not during the school year.
Schedule appointments wisely. If possible, book doctor and dentist appointments for after school hours or on non-school days. If your child must miss school for an appointment, have them come to school before the appointment and return to school as soon as it's over.
Create a consistent routine. A predictable schedule for bedtime and waking up helps ensure your child is well-rested and ready to start the day on time.
Make sure they're prepared. Pack backpacks, lay out clothes, and prepare lunches the night before to reduce morning stress and delays.
Communicate with us! If your child is sick, please call the school office to let us know. We understand that some absences are unavoidable, and we want to work with you to support your child's health and learning.

Together, we can make this the best school year yet for our students. Every day your child is here, they are building a brighter future for themselves. We are so proud to partner with you and look forward to celebrating our progress throughout the year. Thank you for your commitment to our students and our school.

What should my child wear outside in colder weather? We do follow this chart closely. We use actual temperature, mostly, but factoring in the "feels like" temperature is also quite important, especially for the younger students. YOUR help in following these guidelines really matters, so thank you in advance!