Wildcat News

Welcome back from break and happy April!!! A few things so you can stay in the know:

~ OUR NEXT TWO HOUR EARLY RELEASE DAY WILL BE WEDNESDAY, April 9. 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.

~ Lice: We again need to report that we are seeing an uptick in lice cases. Please remind your child(ren) that we never share hats, combs, or hair things.

~ Washington PTO Meeting will be held on Monday, April 14 at 6:00 in the Media Center. Here is the virtual link. Please join us if you are able. We're a fun group, we provide child care, AND we work really hard to keep our meetings to an hour or less.

~ How is your at-home OKAY Campaign going??? Please help us keep this alive by engaging in this with your kiddo at home. Your support, your modeling, and your engagement really matters!!! Really. Like in a big way! AND...we still have a "gift" available to students who fill out the OKAY chart from home, so it's never too late to turn that in!

Thanks for your continued support of our work--your partnership matters to each child's growth and success!

Ann Haggerty

Washington Principal

ahagge1@isd77.org

The MAPS School Board will be adopting a revised 2025-2026 school calendar in order to provide additional time for construction in the summer of 2026.

On March 4th, a proposal was shared with the school community that outlined changes to next year’s calendar. Since that time, another option has been identified that would end the school year even sooner, eliminating the need to start the 2026-27 school year a week after Labor Day.

On Monday, March 17, the School Board met and discussed the attached 2025-26 calendar option that would:

• Start the school year before Labor Day.

• Hold school on November 25, November 26, January 2, March 13, March 23, April 1 and April 2.

• Hold Parent-Teacher conferences during the evenings in November and March and move the ‘no school days’ associated with conference days (teacher comp days) to the end of the school year.

• Set the last day of school as follows:

• Elementary: Monday, May 18, 2026
• Middle: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
• High School: Thursday, May 21, 2026 (graduation)

The School Board is scheduled to determine next school year’s calendar at their meeting on April 7.

By enrolling early, your family will receive important updates and information to help prepare for your child’s kindergarten experience. Did you know you can register all children in your household, even if they are not yet entering kindergarten? Registering your children allows your family to receive information about upcoming events tailored to their age.

Get started today!
Visit isd77.org/enroll to complete the registration process. Once enrolled, your child’s school will keep you informed about upcoming events and next steps.

📅 Save the Date: Kindergarten Connection – April 10

Have questions or need assistance enrolling a child? Call Central Registration at 507-387-2125. Welcome to MAPS!

Dear Future Kindergarten Families,

Washington Elementary can’t wait to welcome you and your child to Kindergarten Connection on April 10, 2025! This special event is designed to help your family get a feel for what kindergarten is all about.

🌟 What You’ll See & Hear:
👀 Bright and inviting classrooms, filled with books, art, and hands-on learning materials.
📚 Friendly teachers excited to meet your child and introduce them to the joys of learning.
💬 Helpful staff ready to answer your questions and share what makes our school special.

👣 What Your Child Will Experience:
✨ Exploring a real kindergarten classroom.
🖍️ Trying out fun learning activities.
🤝 Meeting new friends and future classmates.

We know that starting kindergarten is a big step, and we’re here to make sure it’s an exciting and smooth transition. We look forward to seeing you on April 10 for this fun and informative event!

📍 Washington Elementary
📅 April 10, 2025
🕕 Time: 5:30-7:00 Open House with a brief parent information session at 6:15

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. See you soon!
📞 507-345-3059
📧 ahagge1@isd77.org or dwineg1@isd77.org

The goal of the mental health hub is to make local resources more easily accessible to our community. Experts from Mankato Area Public Schools (District 77), Mankato Clinic, Mayo Clinic Health System, The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Center for Rural Behavioral Health at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Mankato’s Mental Health Counseling Program, PrairieCare, and Wells Fargo developed and filtered the content for the website. Thank you as well to the subject matter experts that contribute to the website’s original content.

Hub link

Dear Washington Families,

We want to remind you that our ACES School Age Child Care Program uses the school playground as part of its daily programming. To ensure a safe and structured environment for ACES students, the playground is reserved for their use until the program ends at 6:00pm. After 6:00pm, the playground is open to the public. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe and supportive space for all students.

If you’re looking for alternative play spaces before 6:00pm, the City of Mankato provides a list of parks here, and a map of North Mankato parks can be found here.

Thank you for your understanding and support!

During the month of April, our entire school will focus on Habit #6: Synergize. As parents/guardians, your understanding and support of our leadership work in this habit is very appreciated! I have found this language and learning to benefit ALL, not just students!

Habit 6, Synergize, from "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," emphasizes the power of collaboration and teamwork to achieve results that are greater than the sum of individual efforts, fostering creative solutions and stronger relationships.

Here's a more detailed breakdown of Habit 6:

• The Core Idea: Synergy means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, achieved through creative cooperation and valuing differences.

• Beyond "My Way": It's about moving beyond simply accepting or tolerating differences to truly valuing them and using them to create better solutions.

• Synergy as a Process:It's not just an outcome, but a process of working together, sharing ideas, and building on each other's strengths.

• Building Blocks of Synergy:

  • Trust and Respect: A foundation of trust and respect is crucial for effective collaboration.

  • Empathy and Open Communication: Actively listening and understanding different perspectives is key.

  • Valuing Differences: Recognizing and appreciating diverse viewpoints and experiences.

  • Creative Collaboration: Working together to find innovative solutions that are better than what any one person could come up with alone.

• Examples of Synergy:

  • A band playing together, where the music is greater than the sum of the individual instruments.

  • A team of researchers collaborating on a project, where their combined knowledge leads to breakthroughs.

  • A family working together to solve a problem, where their combined efforts lead to a better outcome.

• How to Cultivate Synergy:

  • Seek First to Understand: Listen empathetically to others' perspectives.

  • Be Open to New Ideas: Be willing to consider different viewpoints and approaches.

  • Build Trust and Rapport: Establish strong relationships with those you collaborate with.

  • Focus on Shared Goals: Ensure everyone is working towards the same objectives.

  • Embrace Differences: View differences as strengths, not weaknesses.

• Benefits of Synergy:

  • Better Solutions: Synergy leads to more creative and effective solutions.

  • Stronger Relationships: Collaboration builds trust and strengthens relationships.

  • Increased Motivation: Working together can be more engaging and motivating.

  • Greater Results: Synergy can lead to significantly better outcomes

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

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