Hello West Families,

It is so hard to believe we are half-way through the school year already. West has been bustling with activities lately. Students finished up first semester, have registered for next year's classes, 6th graders went on their ski field trip, and students were even able to get outside for recess last week with our nice weather. Our West students surely are rocking it!

As always, thank you for all of your support from home and for partnering with school.

Be well,

Gwynne Chase- Principal

• 2/17- No School, President's Day
• 3/4- Virtual Conferences (more information to come)
• 3/6- In-person Conferences 3:30-7:30
• 3/11- No School, Teacher Professional Development Day
• 3/21- Early Release Day, students dismissed at 12:25
• 3/27- Last Day of Quarter 3
• 3/28- No School, Teacher grading/planning day
• 3/31-4/4- No School, Spring Break
• 4/7- First day of Quarter 4

Our Student Council and National Junior Honor Society members have planned an all-school social for our West students to participate in.

February 6, after school from 2:30-4:00

This is a free event where students can stay after school to dance, socialize, or participate in some basketball or volleyball.

Concessions will be available for purchase.

There is no reentry; once a student leaves the building, they will not be allowed back in. All students who stay for this must have a ride to get home.

Second Quarter and Final Semester 1 grades were published in Infinite Campus. Guardians can access these through their Infinite Campus Parent Portal account.

If you see a grade of "I" in any of your child's classes, that stands for "Incomplete". Teachers assign this grade if there is something that a student should still complete to wrap-up the term. Teachers must have all Incompletes resolved by end of the school day on February, 7. If your child has one, encourage them to finish up the work to improve their course grade by the end of the week.

Reach out to individual teachers if you have any course specific questions.

West Quarter 2 A and B Honor Roll will be published on Monday, February 10.

Vision and Hearing screening is highly recommended for students in grades 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th grade by the Minnesota Department of Health. If a student is struggling to hear their teacher in class or having trouble reading the board, this can have a significant impact on learning. Nurses and nursing students will be screening all 7th graders on February 11th and 12th, 2025. If hearing or vision concerns is identified, the school nurse will notify the family.

We are also partnering with Children’s dental services and providing a free screening to identify students that may need dental follow up. If you would like to opt out of the dental screening, please use this link.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the licensed school nurse, Missy Johnson, at: mejohnson@shakopee.k12.mn.us or call: 952-496-5771

Because inclement weather could come at any time, below is a link to Shakopee Public School's Winter Weather Guidlines.

Cell Phone Use/Electronics:

Students receive a district issued device for academic use. Personal electronic devices are prohibited for use in classrooms. Students may use their personal electronic devices during passing times and while at lunch only.

Independent texting, gaming, streaming services and participation in social media in class are strictly prohibited. Violations will be addressed.

Personal electronic device examples include, but are not limited to: iPad, Laptop, cell phones, eBooks, tablets, headphones, microphones, earbuds, air pods or smart watches.

Electronic devices are strictly prohibited in locker rooms and bathrooms at any time. If an electronic device becomes a distraction in any school environment, it may be confiscated and school policies will be enforced.

Your support is appreciated to remind your student(s) of this expectation. We value each minute for focused instruction and learning for the entire class period. If there is a need to get a hold of your student(s) immediately, feel free to call our office and we will get a message to your student or have them give you a call back.

Food and Drinks:

There is No food or drink (other than water) outside of the cafeteria during the school day.

If a student is seen walking around the halls with food/drink before school, they will be asked to go to the cafeteria to finish.

We understand that some students may be dropped off with drinks and food in the morning. There may be circumstances where they need to finish food or a drink as we begin the day. We will be tight on the process as ask for students to go to the main office to finish their items if necessary. If students are seen in the halls or classroom with food/drink during the school day, they will be asked to go to the office to finish or to place it in their locker.

If a student needs a snack during the day and it is outside of lunches, they can visit Student Services and ask a student support staff for a snack. They will remain in Student Services as they finish their snack.

Hallway Passes:

Students are required to have a pass with them whenever they are outside of their classroom during class time for any reason.

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

1. All K-8 students MUST enter with an adult. This is not football specific, it is for ALL events and will be enforced.
2. Tickets need to be purchased online, in advance. There are no ticket sales at the door.
3. Please remember good sportsmanship and positive cheering.
4. Clean up around you and clear out of the venue within 10 minutes of the game ending.

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).

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.

• 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.