Wildcat News

Wowzers...what am amazing concert last week! Thank you to everyone who was able to attend and hear the beautiful music from our wonderful Wildcats! A few reminders for the week:

~ Spring Picnic: Washington's Spring Family Picnic is fast approaching! This will be held TOMORROW, Thursday, May 7 from 5:00-6:30. We are still in need of volunteers...please consider signing up!!! Use this link to join in the fun. Seriously...it's a great way to be involved without a huge commitment (most volunteers shifts are only 30 minutes). We will also be hosting a book fair right inside the building in the 4th and 5th grade hallway--books only!!!

~ Yearbooks: These will be available for sale at the picnic if you did not yet purchase one. Yearbooks will be $10. If you can bring the exact amount, that would be helpful OR you can pay online (we'll have a QR code available at the picnic).

~ USA Day/Red, White &. Blue: On Friday, Washington will be having a special dress up day--USA Day (wear red, white & blue). Your kiddos can also wear a headband if they'd like. We will be hosting Aiden Oldenburg, an Olympic curler who hails from Mapleton, MN. He will be sharing with us his Olympic experience, his other talents, and talking about how PAWS can help kids achieve their dreams and goals. It will be very exciting!!!!

~ Friendly Reminder about Birthday Treats: Ok, we gotta talk about something...this is the time of year when our Birthday Treat Guidelines go out the window. Honestly, some classrooms can have multiple sugary birthday treats on the same day. We are committed to celebrating your child's special day at school, but respectfully request that you work with your child's teacher to find alternative ways to celebrate. There are many suggestions listed in the guidelines to consider. Thank you for supporting us in our efforts to create a healthier school environment!

~ Last Day of School: Just in case you aren't aware, our last day of school is Monday, May 18. We typically end the day with a parade of students who walk through the building, starting with Kindergarten students, exit door # 9, and then the grades form a tunnel for our 5th grade students to walk through as they exit the building. Parents often join on the playground to celebrate all of our amazing Wildcats!

~ The Lighthouse Team and PTO have some very exciting news to share...we are putting in two new pieces of playground equipment for next school year!! HUGE kudos to the PTO for financially supporting these ideas, and kudos to the Washington students and the Lighthouse Team for making this a reality. At the picnic, you can learn what those two pieces will be and where they will be placed. We are soooo excited!!!!

Thanks for always being so supportive of our work!

Ann

Ann Haggerty

Washington Principal

ahagge1@isd77.org

Please complete this Google Form to let teachers and school staff know what your child's plans are for the Early Release on Wednesday, May 13. Filling out the form helps office staff and care supervisors track where everyone should be! Your cooperation is greatly appreciated! 0

We’re excited to share that we’ve decided to partner with Impacks this school year to offer an easy way for parents to purchase supplies and a simple way for our school to fundraise. Here’s how it works:

1. Parents can go here to purchase: https://shop.myimpacks.com/school/washington-elementary-mankato-mn

2. Each kit includes everything required, with the exception of a few things, like gym shoes. Prices are very comparable to Target, and cheaper than Amazon

3. At check out, parents will have the option to donate

4. Impacks will match the first $5 of each donation!

5. Impacks will ship kits directly to the school for parents to pick up during open house

Please share this information with parents! The more parents that choose to donate at check-out, the more we will raise to support our school.

Parents must order by July 15 if they want to take advantage of this option.

Thank you,

Washington Elementary Staff

Dear Washington Families,

We’d like to share a quick reminder about playground use after school. Our ACES School Age Child Care Program uses the playground each day as part of its activities, so the space is reserved for ACES students until the program ends at 6:00 p.m. After 6:00 p.m., the playground is open to the public.

We appreciate your help in making sure our ACES students have a safe and consistent space during program hours. If you are looking for other places to play before 6:00 p.m., the City of Mankato offers a list of parks here, a map of North Mankato parks can be found here, and Eagle Lake here.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Ann Haggerty, Principal

Dear Families,

Get ready—the Book Fair’s Summer Reading Sale featuring the Buy One, Get One Free offer is coming to our school! This is a great opportunity to build your child’s home library with double the new books for their reading list over summer break. Studies prove this strengthens kids’ vocabulary and boosts reading skills—setting them up for success in the new school year.

The easiest way to let your child shop the fair independently is by creating a Book Fair eWallet. It’s easy to set up and easy for others to add funds. With an eWallet, you’ll also have the opportunity to contribute to Share the Fair--the giving program that supports students at our school who need help buying books. Consider participating so that no child leaves the fair empty-handed!

Here’s everything else you need to know about the Summer Reading Sale:

Dates: Washington Spring Picnic on May 7, 2026

Location: Washington School (exact location yet TBD)

For full details, and to create an eWallet, visit our school’s Book Fair homepage:

Lastly, we’d love for you to join us as a Book Fair volunteer—your participation helps turn the Fair into an unforgettable celebration of reading for all our students.

Happy reading,

Ann Haggerty, Principal

P.S. If it helps, we are only selling books...not all the "extras" that are typically offered at a Scholastic Book Fair.

Excellence, Equity, Empowerment. Every student, Every day.

Email: ahagge1@isd77.org
Website: https://we.isd77.org/
Location: 1100 Anderson Drive
Phone: 507-345-3059