West Side Story 2.0

Halloween is just around the corner, adding a bit of excitement to the season. Whether you’re planning costumes or enjoying some spooky festivities, I hope everyone has a safe and fun time. Of course, we’ll be keeping the spirit alive here at school too—nothing like a little Halloween magic to bring us together!

The end of first quarter is November 8th. I want to celebrate the hard work and growth we’ve seen across the school. It’s been a busy few months, and our students have been rising to the challenge. With the end of the quarter in sight, I encourage all families to take a moment and review in-progress grades on the portal. Remember, if the semester ended today, these grades would be on the transcript, so it’s important to address any concerns now.

Let’s finish the quarter strong and step into the next one with focus, energy, and maybe a little leftover Halloween candy!

Congratulations to the following cross country runners who will be competing in the State Meet at the University of Minnesota on Saturday: Ephraim Staley and Tyler Kirchoff, and Landry Quint and Lila Adams. Good luck to our Scarlet runners!

Mankato West High School, has earned a place on the AP® School Honor Roll for the 2023-24 school year!

AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools that have done outstanding work to welcome more students into AP courses and support them on the path to college success.
Research shows that students who take AP courses and exams are more likely to attend college and graduate on time. The students who enter four-year colleges with credit from AP accelerate their path to graduation and build confidence for college success. And even for those who don’t earn college credit, AP coursework provides early exposure to college-level work and contributes to a college-going school culture.

As we work together to support your child’s academic success, we’d like to take a moment to stress the critical role that regular attendance plays in their education. When students attend school consistently, they stay engaged, build upon daily lessons, and maintain important connections with their peers and teachers. Even missing just one or two days can disrupt their learning rhythm and create gaps that may affect their long-term achievement.

We kindly ask that whenever your student is absent, you provide detailed information about the reason for their absence. This helps us not only to maintain accurate attendance records but also to offer any support your child may need. Additionally, distinguishing between excused and unexcused absences is important for ensuring that we address any ongoing attendance issues early on.

Your partnership is key to helping your student thrive, and by keeping us informed, you’re helping us ensure that they are set up for success. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued support.

ATTENDANCE

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.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Attend each class and arrive on time prepared to learn and participate.

2. Inform teachers and office staff in advance of pre-excused absences.

3. Have a parent/guardian call the office within 48 hours of an absence.

4. Be aware of their own status in regard to tardies and absences in classes.

5. Students who are more than 15 minutes late to a class will be marked unexcused absent.

PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Encourage students to attend school regularly.

2. Notify the office by phone on the day of your child’s absence. Absences not verified within 48 hours of the student’s return to school will remain unexcused.

3. Limit absences by scheduling appointments, vacations, college visits, etc. on non-school days.

4. Notify the office in writing or by phone of a pre-excused absence at least 1 day prior to the absence.

CLASSIFICATION OF ABSENCES

Excused Absences

Below is a list of some of the reasons an absence may be deemed “Excused”:

1. School sponsored curricular and co-curricular activities

2. Official religious holidays

3. Death of a family member

4. Chronic or long-term illness verified by a doctor’s signed statement and authorized by a school administrator

5. Emergency medical treatment verified by a doctor’s note or discharge papers

6. 2 days for college visits for juniors and seniors only; this visit must be verified by a post-secondary admissions counselor and parent/guardian must call ahead of time to inform school personnel

7. Authorized appointments with school personnel (principal, assistant principal, school psychologist, counselor)

8. Court Appearances

9. Student Illness (Legal guardian must call the office to inform our school personnel within 48 hours)
*After student has missed 10 or more days of school due to illness, a medical letter will be sent to the student’s home and documentation will be required for future absences.

10. Administrator Discretion

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

State statute clearly states that the school administration determines excused or unexcused absence.

Below is a list of some of the reasons an absence may be deemed “Unexcused”

1. Babysitting

2. Work

3. Rest due to work

4. Travel (unless pre-approved by school administration)

5. Missing or getting kicked off the bus

6. Weather (Unless school is cancelled)

7. Oversleeping

8. Helping out at home

9. Car trouble

10. Child is not immunized

11. Civil Disobedience

12. Chronic or long-term illness (approximately 15 days) that is NOT verified by a doctor's note and authorized by a school administrator

Minnesota State Law (MN 120A.22) gives schools specific guidelines around what can and what can not be considered an excuse for missing school. Please be aware that the school administration holds the final say in whether an absence is excused. Parents/guardians notify the school of the reason for a student's absence. The school must determine whether the reason fits the school board approved criteria and meets the requirement of the law.

Each year schools complete required safety drills to be prepared for various situations. Please see the linked letter that provides notification of safety drills.

Beginning 2nd quarter, we will be bringing back 2nd Chance Breakfast. Thank you to our Food Service Staff! During Scarlet Time, students will be able to pick up a grab and go breakfast in the cafeteria, and at a station on 2nd floor and 3rd floor. Please be reminded that all students receive one free breakfast. If a student eats breakfast before school, and wants a 2nd breakfast, they would have to have money in their lunch account to get the 2nd breakfast. If the student didn't take the before school breakfast, 2nd Chance Breakfast would be their one free breakfast. This will begin on November 12.

For those applying to colleges, the Common App deadline is November 1st.

Diploma/Cap/Gown Information

Grad Party - click on this link to learn more about the Senior Grad Party.

Grad Pictures for Yearbook

Grad pictures, due date & forms- MARCH 3RD

Use this form to upload your grad pictures to ensure they are included in the yearbook.

Click here to see the most recent Counseling Office updates.

October 31

Happy Halloween! 👻🎃

Extended Scarlet Time for Link Crew Activities

November 2

State Cross Country Meet 10:00am University of Minnesota

November 5

Election Day

November 8

Last Day of Quarter 1

November 11

Veteran's Day

No School - Teacher Work Day

Grade Check #3

November 14, 15, 16

Fall Musical - Chicago 7:00pm Auditorium