Hello West Families,

Wow! Can you believe our fall weather? We are loving it at West! Students have been able to continue going outside after eating lunch and our physical education teachers are still utilizing our outdoor spaces for classes.

We are nearing the end of the first quarter of the school year. Please take the time to sit down with your child(ren) to look at their grades in Canvas and reach out to their teachers if you have any questions. Any make-up work or assessment retakes should be completed by the end of this week (11/1) in order to give teachers time to grade before the end of the quarter.

Thank you for your partnership!

Be well,

Gwynne Chase- Principal

• 11/1- Early Release Day, students dismissed at 12:25
• 11/5- Election Day, note that West Middle School is a Polling Place
• 11/7- Last Day of Quarter 1
• 11/8- No School for Students (Teacher grading/planning day)
• 11/11- First Day of Quarter 2
• 11/20- Speaker at West through Duck Cup Memorial Organization (see more details below)
• 11/27-11/29- No School, Thanksgiving Break
  
• 12/23-1/1- No School, Winter Break
• 1/10- Early Release Day, students dismissed at 12:25
• 1/23- Last day of Quarter 2/Semester 1
• 1/24- No School for Students (Teacher grading/planning day)
• 1/27- First day of Quarter 3/Semester 2

Thursday morning was so much fun!

Thanks to Innovative Office Solutions and their partnership with the MN Vikings, we were able to have Viktor the Viking greet our students as they arrived. West was so lucky to be chosen as this year's school for this great experience.

West Middle School is a designated polling place.

• All voting will be held in our music wing. Music classes will be held in the auditorium on this day.
• While the polling location is within the building, it is the only location within the school accessible by voters and the election team
• Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on November 5
• No afternoon/evening school events will be held on election day.
• There will be no change to our drop-off or pick-up routines. Busy times for bus and guardian traffic are between 7:20-7:40 a.m. and 2:15-2:35 p.m.

Another email communicating this information will be sent the day before the general election.

All late/missing work and assessments retakes must by completed by the end of the school day on 11/1 so teachers have time to grade the work. Quarter 1 Term Grades will be entered into Infinite Campus by 11/11.

Something to note that for any semester-long courses, this is not a final grade; students still have quarter 2 that will factor into their Final Semester grade. The only grades that are final are West's quarter-long Gateway courses for 6th and 7th graders.

Reach out to specific teachers if there are any questions.

Shakopee Schools has been fortunate enough to partner with Duck Cup Memorial, a local non-profit providing resources for mental health awareness. We will be welcoming a speaker to West Middle School on November 20th. Further communication will come out about this day including information on how guardians can opt their child out, if desired.

Thank our amazing school counselors for setting up this opportunity for our students.

Every student can get one free breakfast and one free lunch every school day. Below is some important information to know.

• Breakfast is served at West from 7:20-7:40 a.m.
• Students may either get their free lunch from the hot lunch line OR the salad bar. If a student takes from both lines, they are charged for one of the lunches.
• Students may purchase seconds or extras if they have money in their lunch account. Checks/cash can be turned in to one of the cashiers at lunch or guardians can put money into a child's account through Infinite Campus, https://shakopeemn.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/shakopee.jsp

When: Friday 11/1, 7:00 p.m.

Where: Vaughn Field

Who: Shakopee Sabers hosting St. Michael-Albertville

If your child reaches out to you during the school day to let you know that they are not feeling well, please instruct them to go to the Health Office. This streamlines the process and ensures that all necessary steps are met including accurate documentation in Infinite Campus regarding attendance.

Dropping your student(s) off:

• Enter and exit off of Spencer.
• Please do not drop off on 10th Ave. This interferes with bus drop-off.

• Students will remain in the front vestibule until 6:30 when the front doors are unlocked.
• From 6:30-7:20, students may enter the building, but will be held in the commons area outside of the auditorium.
• At 7:20, we will open doors for all students to access the rest of the building.

*If a student has arranged to meet with a teacher before school, they just have to show a staff member a note or email on their iPad to be let through.

The school day begins at 7:45. If your student arrives late, they must check in at the Greeter's Desk at the front door.

Students are dismissed for the school day at 2:25 pm.

Guardians who pick-up, must either do so from the main parking lot (just like drop-off in the morning) or on 10th Avenue, but after all of the busses have left (2:35 or later).

Shakopee Public Schools’ current Capital Projects Levy, often referred to as a ‘technology levy’ or ‘safety & technology levy’, was approved by voters in 2015 for ten years. Renewal of the existing Capital Projects Levy was approved on June 24, 2024 to be on the November 5, 2024 General Election ballot. Early voting starts September 20, 2024.

This levy is scheduled to expire at the end of the 2025-26 school year, unless voters approve to continue the same levy at the same tax rate and same terms, for another ten years. If renewed, the levy will continue to provide:

• Strong safety and security for all schools.
• Critical support that allows staff to provide quality instruction.
• Tools students use for learning today, and leading tomorrow.

Canvas is the official Learning Management System (LMS) for Shakopee Public Schools. Canvas is primarily used at grades 6-12. Teachers at the secondary level use Canvas for sharing information and resources with students, posting assignment, giving assessments, communicating with students through daily announcements.

As an observer in Canvas, parents can see course materials, grades, feedback students receive on their assignments, and view a calendar that shows due dates for all of their classes.

Go here to learn how to connect with your child's account as an observer. If you need help retrieving a pairing code (necessary to connect), email your child's advisor or email the technology help desk (parenthelp@shakopee.incidentiq.com) to retrieve a code.

If your child ever needs assistance with acquiring clothing, personal hygiene, or school supply items, they can visit our Saber Nation Station. All items are free. All district Saber Nation Station's are made possible through generous donations.

There is a donation box just inside West's front entrance.

• Call the attendance line: 952-496-5753 (this is a 24 hour line, leave a message at any time, it gets checked continuously throughout the day)
• Enter an absence online through Parent Portal. This is a helpful guide on how to do this below.

The Virtual Student Library Card partnership ensures all K-12 students have access to digital and print resources from the Scott County Library.

Now Hiring Part-Time/Full-Time Paraprofessional Positions, Food Services and more

Training is provided, job share responsibilities and weekend/summer/school breaks off. Click here for a list of positions and to apply.