Wildcat News

Principal Message

The warmer weather has sure been a treat--hope you're finding ways to get outside and enjoy it!!

A few reminders for the week:

~ 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!

~ Panorma Family Survey: Our district values your feedback! We are surveying MAPS families during the month of April to gain insight into your perception of our school and district effectiveness. The survey shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to complete and will be a valuable source of information for us as we work to make our schools and district as good as they can be. You may complete the survey online between April 1, 2026 and April 30, 2026 using a computer, tablet, or smartphone by visiting the website: https://surveys.panoramaed.com/mankato and entering your school’s access code: [7003017472]

~ PTO officer need for next year: The PTO will be looking for an interested individual to be the Vice President for the 2026-27 school year, which then leads to being the president the following year. Don't let this scare you, really. We're a fun group that is growing in numbers with each meeting, and we figure things out together! If this interests you, please reach out to me.

~ Music Concert: There's a beautiful flyer below with all the details, but in case you missed it, our Spring Concert is Friday, May 1. See details below.

Thanks for always being so supportive of our work!

Ann

Ann Haggerty

Washington Principal

ahagge1@isd77.org

Staff Spotlight-Mrs. Zarn

What do the students at Washington call you?

Mrs. Zarn/STEM Lady :)

What is your job at Washington?

I am one of the two STEM teachers.

How long have you worked for Mankato Area Public Schools?

I will be finishing my 29th year!

What is one of your favorite things about your job?

I enjoy teaching technology-robotics and coding and seeing our students experience something new.

What is an interesting fact about you?

I have learned how to fly fish.

Tell us about your family.

I am married and have 1 son and 1 daughter.

Where did you go to elementary school?

I went to Washington school from 1979-1986! We were the Washington “Whiz Kids” back then.

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

September 2025: 90.34%

October 2025: 89.69%

November 2025: 90.4%

December 2025: 90.73%

January 2026: 88.89%

February 2026: 89.52%

March 2026: 89.27%

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

September 2025: 32 students chronically absent

October 2025: 32 students chronically absent

November 2025: 24 students chronically absent

December 2025: 32 students chronically absent

January 2026: 31 students chronically absent

February 2026: 34 students chronically absent

March 2026: 33 students chronically absent

Any student who has missed more than 13.4 days by the end of March is included in this count. Please continue to help us reach our goals!!!

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.

Dear Families,

Our district values your feedback! We are surveying MAPS families during the month of April to gain insight into your perception of our school and district effectiveness. To ensure we continue to provide high quality, rigorous learning experiences that meet the needs of our learners and prepare them for college and career, we need your feedback. We want to know what you think.

To administer these surveys, we have partnered with Panorama Education to conduct our 2025-26 Family Survey. Panorama safeguards your privacy, keeping your responses confidential. The survey shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to complete and will be a valuable source of information for us as we work to make our schools and district as good as they can be.

You may complete the survey online between April 1, 2026 and April 30, 2026 using a computer, tablet, or smartphone by visiting the website: https://surveys.panoramaed.com/mankato and entering your school’s access code: [7003017472]

We thank you in advance for your thoughtful responses. If you have any questions about the survey administration, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thank you,

Ann Haggerty

We hope you can join us for our Spring Concert on May 1.

Just to be clear: students perform the concert 3 times throughout the day. Parents are asked, if at all possible, to attend the concert time that corresponds with the first letter of their last name. We recognize this may not be possible with work schedules, BUT it helps immensely with having enough seating for all. The last concert will be standing room only, so it really helps, and is immensely appreciated, if you can attend at the time that corresponds with your last name.