RWHS Student Newsletter

Classes at RWHS begin for the 2025-2026 school year on Tuesday, September 2nd. Students and parents should be checking their emails regularly prior to this date for important back-to-school information from school administration.

Monday, September 1

• NO SCHOOL, Labor Day

Tuesday, September 2

• FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Wednesday, September 3

Thursday, September 4

Friday, September 5

RWHS office: (651) 385 - 4600

RWHS website

651-385-4660 (attendance)

Email for RWHS attendance line

Our Administration is available for student and family needs:

Principal Joshua Fuchs

Assistant Principal Robin Pagel, grades 9 & 11

Assistant Principal Mandy Stokes, grades 8, 10 & 12

Intérprete en Español
¡Bienvenido! Por favor contáctenos directamente para asistencia en español.
Carla Contla
651-385-4607

Remember that your lunch assignment is based on your FOURTH HOUR TEACHER!

We are welcoming two new counselors to RWHS this year!

Ms. Frye: Students with last names starting with A-K

Mrs. Clara Ballard: L-Z Students with last names starting with L-Z

PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL YOUR COUNSELOR WITH SCHEDULE CHANGE REQUESTS.

Any schedule change requests must be submitted via the Schedule Change Request Google Form. The QR code to access this can be found posted around RWHS. These requests MUST be completed by Friday, September 5.

PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL YOUR COUNSELOR WITH SCHEDULE CHANGE REQUESTS.

Paul Hartmann, Activities Director

Nicole Bolduan, Assistant Director of Special Education

Carla Contla, Cultural Liaison and Interpreter

Mitch Skeen and Leah Ryan, Native American Liaisons

Struggling with your StudentVUE password? Is your account disabled?

Email Mrs. Borgschatz and she will help you out!

The following colleges will be visiting students during lunches at RWHS:

• United States Navy: Tuesday, September 9
• Minnesota State - Mankato: Tuesday, September 16
• University of MN-Twin Cities: Thursday, October 2
• University of MN - Morris: Wednesday, October 15

Students should make sure all Chromebooks are CHARGED for school on Tuesday! Students in Grade 8 and new students will receive school-issued Chromebooks on Monday.

Damage to district-issued Chromebooks kept our Technology Team busy during the 2024-2025 school year:

• They made 597 repairs across the district
• Decommissioned 80 devices for various reasons, including 21 due to student damage.
• Issued 280 fines, with about a third of them to cover lost cords and to recoup the lost devices when students leave the district.

Students are responsible for loss and damage to their Chromebook, so families must pay for cracked or broken screens, spills, broken keys and more. There is a protection play to help with that, but enrollment is required by Sept. 30. The annual cost is $15 for one device and $30 for two of more devices.

Learn more by reading the Student & Parent Handbook. Enroll by clicking the button below.

Please take time to review the RWHS Student Handbook! It includes information about missing work, test retakes and more.

Important Update regarding cellphones:

Cell phones are a personal device provided by families. It is critical that you continue to be a partner in the educational experience of our scholars. Teachers need spaces to do their jobs well. The state has also set new legislation that requires all districts to adopt cell phone policies, recognizing that humans are suffering from an array of social and health impact issues as a result of screen time. I encourage you to set limits on and use parental controls when necessary to ensure students are engaged in learning.

The following updates are being made to our procedures and want to ensure you are aware as parents.

1. Cell phones are not to be SEEN or HEARD.
2. First offence, cell phone will be given to the teacher and returned at the end of the class period
3. Second offence, cell phone will be given to the teacher, building supervisors will collect the cell phone, and it will be brought to the office for pickup at the end of the school day.
4. Third offence, Parent Meeting will be established to schedule a new plan for cell phones.

Schools are responsible for developing productive citizens through education growth in the classroom.

Students who need their cell phone for medical reasons should work with the administration to set a plan for how to access the phone when needed, so it does not put them in conflict with the procedures. We want the best educational experience possible for our scholars.

The school board believes regular school attendance is directly related to success in academic work, benefits students socially, provides opportunities for important communications between teachers and students, and establishes regular habits of dependability important to the future of the student. The purpose of this policy is to encourage regular school attendance. It is intended to be positive and not punitive. See policy https://assets-rst7.rschooltoday.com/rst7files/uploads/sites/795/2023/10/04134351/Policy-503-Student-Attendance-1.pdf

Students are allowed up to 10 excused absences per school year. This means the parent/guardian has informed the school as to why the student is absent. A letter will be sent to the parent/guardian letting them know the student has reached 7 excused absences. If the student reaches 10 excused absences the parent will be notified that a medical note (dental, vision, mental/physical) from the physician/therapist may be required to excuse any further absences. If the medical note is not received when required, the absence will be marked as an unexcused absence.

If a student is absent and the school receives no communication from home, these absences are considered unexcused. Once the student has reached 3 days of unexcused absences a telephone call and/or letter will be sent to the parent/guardian. When the student reaches 7 days of unexcused absences, another phone call and/or letter will be sent home. Additionally, under MN statute 120A.34 the school district can refer the student to Goodhue County Health and Human Services for additional support in getting the student to school.

Issues with Tardiness

The most crucial learning hours of a school day are the morning hours because they are when students are most attentive. Students who are tardy miss the beginning of their morning classes, and they also cause a distraction when they arrive late to class. We schedule reading and math blocks in the morning so that our students have the best opportunity to learn. Arriving late impedes crucial learning in these two core subject areas.

Students who are being dropped off and picked up should utilize the BACK of the school. Busses will be entering and exiting the from the FRONT of RWHS in the morning and at end of day, so all vehicle traffic should proceed to the back of the building.

Homecoming for RWPS is September 22-27th this year! Stay tuned for all of the fun details!

Homecoming is September 26th this year! If students are interested in wearing a t-shirt specific to their grade to show school spirit on Homecoming, you can place an order through Carlsons' online store. You must place the order by September 9th at 11:59pm.

T-shirts will be distributed during lunches (at the high school cateria) during the week of Homecoming starting on September 22nd. Order your Homecoming shirt by clicking this link:

Homecoming shirt

JOIN IN THE FUN!

Saturday, September 20

• 10am 9A Girls Soccer at RWHS
• Noon Varsity Girls Soccer at RWHS

Monday, September 22:

• Pajama Day
• Senior Sunrise
• Coronation
• 4:30pm JV Football at RWHS
• 4:30 JV Girls Tennis at TBMS, Varsity at RWHS

Tuesday, September 23:

• Tropical Day
• 4th hour Kahoot
• 4:45 pm JV Girls Tennis at TBMS, Varsity at RWHS
• 5pm 9th and JV Boys Soccer at RWHS
• 7pm Varsity Boys Soccer at RWHS

Wednesday, September 24:

• Neon Day
• 6:30pm, Powderpuff and volleyball

Thursday, September 25:

• Color Wars! Wear your grade color!
• 3rd hour music trivia
• 4pm Cross Country invite at RWHS
• 4:45 9A Volleyball at RWHS
• 5:00 B Volleyball at RWHS
• 5:45 9B Volleyball at RWHS
• 6:00 JV Volleyball at RWHS
• 7:15 Varsity Volleyball at RWHS

Friday, September 26:

• Winger Spirit day!
• 5-7pm Tailgating!
• 7:00 Varsity FB at RWHS
• Homecoming Dance at RWHS after game until 10:30pm

Saturday, September 27:

• 10am 9A and JV Boys Soccer at RWHS
• Noon Varsity Boys Soccer at RWHS

• There are no more free family/student/staff passes. We recommend you consider purchasing an annual activity pass, that will give you access to all home events. Download the GoFan app!

• Adults - $75

• District Staff - $30

• K-12 Student - $25

• 60+ and Red Wing resident - Free

• Single Game Tickets - Adults $10; Students $6

Auditions for the RWHS Fall Play, Rainbow Fish, will be held on Monday, September 8th after school in The Little Theater, which is across from the District Offices. Students in grades 8-12 are welcome to audition and can sign up (or ask questions) in Ms. Brunkhorst's room, J109. To audition, students should prepare a 1 minute monologue.

Yearbooks from last school year will be in later this fall, so stay tuned to pick those up.

Get a head start and order THIS YEAR'S YEARBOOK!

At no time should a child bring and/or take any medication without the supervision of the school authorized personnel. Any prescription medication must be brought to the nurse’s office in its original container with the appropriate label on it. Over the counter medications (Tylenol, Advil, Ibuprofen, etc.) also must be in the original container labeled for that medication.

A permission form signed by the parent/guardian is necessary for all medication:

Medication Permission Form

A doctor’s authorization form is necessary for prescription medication. This doctor’s authorization form must be renewed each school year.

Vikki LeClaire, RWHS building nurse
vlleclaire@rwps.org
651-385-4611

RWPS Health Services

ALL 12th graders will need to get a meningococcal immunization. We will have a notary of the public here at the open house on Tuesday for anyone that chooses not to immunize their children.

Feed your body, feed your brain!

Our schools provide healthy meals each day. Our breakfast and lunch selections are nutritious and make a tremendous difference in how our students perform in the classroom: Feed your body, feed your brain!

Each student may eat one breakfast and one lunch per school day free of charge.

We do encourage families to complete the Application for Educational Benefits. Qualifying families may then receive benefits such as reduced activity fees, help with education expenses and some discounts. Please note that students who receive Medicaid or Medicare benefits are automatically enrolled. Start the process by creating your account at www.schoolcafe.com/register.

The district also offers a la carte items for purchase. Students bringing lunch from home, for example, may purchase milk daily for 55 cents per serving. Students are required to have a positive balance in their account to purchase a la carte items

All schools use a computerized school lunch accounting system linked to SchoolCafe. This allows families to deposit money into a personal account for their child. Each student is issued a four- or five-digit identification number that they will enter into a keypad when purchasing a la carte items. The cost will automatically be deducted from the account balance.

Families can deposit money by online payment or send cash or check to the school their child attends. Checks should be written to ISD 256. Checks should also contain the student’s full name on the memo line. The check can be written for multiple students. If doing this, please note this on the check.

Learn more at www.schoolcafe.com.

Jess Peña
Student Nutrition Services Director

My Life, My Quit™ is the free and confidential way to quit smoking or vaping. Text "Start My Quit" to 36072 or click to chat with a Coach. We are here for you every step of the way. It's YOUR LIFE and we're here to help you live it YOUR WAY. If you’re a teen between 13–17 and you want help quitting vaping, smoking or using other commercial tobacco products, this completely free and confidential program is for you. Talk or text with coaches and get other resources to help you when you are ready to quit nicotine. From practicing how to say “no” to tips for managing stress and peer pressure, we can help. Worried about weight gain or additional anxiety? Our coaches can get you through the rough spots. Do you have a friend struggling with smoking or vaping? Let them know we’re here to help.

Quit Partner is Minnesota’s free way to quit nicotine, including smoking, vaping and chewing. We can support your quit with one-on-one coaching and other helpful tools. Whenever you need us, we’re here to help 24/7.

Save the Date! The Student Flu Shot Clinic will be held at RWHS on October 6th during lunches. Sign up HERE.

Please be aware that buses may run late the first few days of school as we learn end of day procedures and ensure students are getting to where they need to be.

For questions regarding route changes, address changes and waivers:

Red Wing Transportation Department
651-385-4795
transportation@rwps.org

For questions regarding a bus or bus driver or FirstView App:

First Student Transit
714 Bench Street
Red Wing, MN 55066
651-388-8244

First Student, Red Wing Public Schools’ transportation provider, is now using FirstView 1.0, a bus tracking and communications app for your smartphone or desktop. Use of the updated app began May 16, 2025.

The district code is Z3L9K.

The features include:

• Live tracking

The FirstView app screen shows you the location and direction of your student’s bus, for both morning and afternoon trips.

FirstView provides caregivers with confirmation when the trip is complete.

• Customization

Notifications — When the bus enters a specific area — for example, four blocks from the bus stop — you will receive an email or alert. The app calls this alert area a “geofence.” The size and alert times are customizable, so parents control their notifications.

Multiple users — You may choose up to three email accounts to receive these alerts. This is a great feature for grandparents or caregivers.

Multi-stop view — The buses for all your children can be tracked with FirstView. Using individual colors for each student, the bus assigned to each student’s route appears on the app map in the same color as the student for easy viewing.

• Simple, secure access — FirstView 1.0 requires a code for app set-up. This way only you can view your student’s stop.
• Customer support — Whether you are having trouble getting started, not seeing correct data or have an idea to make FirstView better, contact FirstView Monday-Friday (English only at this time):

• Calling the toll-free phone number 888-889-8920 from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays
• Email support@firstviewapp.com
• Use the in-app “✉” button.

For more information and to download the app, go to www.firstviewapp.com.

SENIORS! It's your year! Please continue to check the webpage for the RWHS Class of 2026 for important announcements, meetings and deadlines throughout your Senior Year.

ALL 12th graders will need to get a meningococcal immunization. We will have a notary of the public here at the open house on Tuesday for anyone that chooses not to immunize their children.

☀️Senior Sunrise will be held Sept. 22. Gates will open at 7:30 a.m. and the event will start at 8 a.m. Class of 2026 members will sign the commitment to graduate.

The Class of 2026 Cap and Gown meeting will be Oct 8 at 1:20-1:54 p.m. This is a mandatory meeting for all seniors. Please plan ahead accordingly for your daily schedule that day!

Monday, September 8: Fall play auditions after school

Tuesday, September 9: 2nd Hour, FastBridge testing for all students

Tuesday, September 9: Orders DUE for Homecoming tshirts!

Thursday, September 11: Patriot Day

Tuesday, September 16: FastBridge Math Testing in all Math classes

Monday, October 6: Flu and Covid Vaccination Clinic during lunches (preregister)

Wednesday, October 8: Jostens Senior Meeting at 1:20pm

Monday, October 13: Indigenous Peoples' Day assembly

October 16 & 17: Fall Break, No School

Tuesday, October 21: PSAT exam for registered Juniors

October 27 & 28: No School for Students

October 28: Fall Conferences at RWHS

Thursday, September 11: Patriot Day

Tuesday, September 16: FastBridge Math Testing in all Math classes

Friday, September 26: Athletic/Activities Grade Check

Monday, October 6: Flu and Covid Vaccination Clinic during lunches (preregister)

Wednesday, October 8: Jostens Senior Meeting at 1:20pm

Monday, October 13: Indigenous Peoples' Day assembly

Wednesday, October 15: Athletic/Activities Grade Check

October 16 & 17: Fall Break, No School

October 27 & 28: No School for Students

October 28: Fall Conferences at RWHS

Friday, October 31: End of Quarter 1

Friday, October 31: Athletic/Activities Grade Check

Contact Us or Stay Connected With Us:

Phone: 651-385-4565

Email: cedrec@rwps.org

Website: www.rwps.org

Wednesday, September 3rd

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

St. Joseph Catholic Church

435 W 7th St
Red Wing, MN 55066

The night before the festival, join Hispanic Outreach and the Sheldon Theatre for a Pre-Fiesta. Stop by the Sheldon for an evening full of music, food, and drinks, and help celebrate culture and community!

Friday, September 12

5:30 p.m. – DJs

7 p.m. – Live performance by Los Rebeldes

Admission:

$10 per family

$5 per person

Come celebrate together at the Hispanic Heritage Festival on Saturday, September 13! Hosted by Hispanic Outreach of Goodhue County, this free community festival brings delicious food, live performances, and fun community activities to Central Park every year. All are welcome. Visit their Facebook event for more details.

Hispanic Heritage Festival

Saturday, September 13

Noon to 6 p.m.

Central Park

The Anderson Center at Tower View is pleased to announce that the 26th annual Minnesota Children's Book Festival will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2025 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. This beloved event features presentations of new books by award-winning authors and illustrators writing for young readers through middle grade. Taking place at the Anderson Center’s beautiful, historic Tower View campus, the Children's Book Festival is an ideal opportunity for families to connect, learn and play.

Throughout the afternoon, each author or illustrator presents their work, reads from their book, and participates in a meet & greet and book signing booth. Taking place outdoors, the event also features hands-on activities that engage the mind, body, and imagination. With balloons, facepainting, art-making, kid-friendly food trucks, and more, there's something to delight the inner child in all of us. This event is FREE and all ages are welcome!