Wildcat News

Principal Message

A few reminders for the week:

~ Artist in Residence in Music: Wow! Wow! Wow! What a great day yesterday with our Artist in Residence. All of our Washington Wildcats spent part of yesterday learning drumming and dancing from Guinea, West Africa. Ta Fode and Ms. Whitney were our artists in residence for the day sharing their culture with us in the music room. It was an amazing experience and one that our wildcats won't soon forget!

~ Conferences: Conferences will be here before you know it. They are being held from 3:20-8:00pm on November 6, 10, and 11. We will also be holding a Scholastic Book Fair during conferences. Please use this LINK to sign up for your child's conference.

~ No Costumes: Just a friendly reminder that no costumes should come to school next week. This includes masks. If ACES is doing something with costumes, please make sure the costumes stay in backpacks until children arrive at ACES.

~ Lice: Not a topic that anyone wants to talk about, but we are seeing a slight uptick in cases of lice. As we approach the season of hats, this is just a friendly reminder that we never share hats, scrunchies, combs, or brushes. Also, students should work to avoid head-to-head contact, including selfies. More information below--please read!

~ Winter Weather Information: Snow season is just around the corner! In preparation, here is an important resource that is available on the ISD77 website for your review: Weather Related Information - includes details on where to find out about weather related closings and late starts. Please note the MAPS Notification Line: 507-387-6046.

Thanks for supporting our work! Go Wildcats!

Ann

Ann Haggerty

Washington Principal

ahagge1@isd77.org

Staff Spotlight - Stephanie Wolff, Art Teacher

What do the students at Washington call you?

Students at school call me Ms. Wolff.

What is your job at Washington?

My job is to teach art to all of the Washington Wildcats. I have also been the Student Council Facilitator for about a decade.

How long have you worked for Mankato Area Public Schools?

This is my 12th year teaching art in Mankato.

What is one of your favorite things about your job?

My favorite part of being an elementary art teacher is getting to help so many students figure out their creative voice and to hear about how creativity fits into their lives. I also enjoy seeing students develop new skills and interests over the many years we are together at Washington.

What is an interesting fact about you?

One interesting fact about me is that I am an aerial performing artist in my free time. I train to do acrobatic tricks on a hoop suspended from the ceiling called a lyra.

Tell us about your family.

One fun thing I can share with you about my family is that both my mother and my son attended Washington Elementary 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!

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Your student’s assessment results have been updated in their Student Test Detail in Infinite Campus. New results for DIBELS (K-5), ACCESS, MCA Math, Reading and Science Assessment are available to you through the Parent Portal.

The results of the new Science Assessment reflect the first year of the new MCA-IV Science Test Administration, given in grades 5, 8, and high school when students complete life science instruction. The new science assessment reflects a significant change in the standards and shift in instructional practice.

As with any assessment, these results are only one piece of information about what your student learned last year. The science assessment that students took in the spring of 2025 was different than in the past, so comparing results for the previous assessment isn’t accurate as they are two different assessments.

To access your child's scores: