West Side Story 2.0

For over 70 years, Mankato West High School has been a cornerstone of our community, serving generations of students and families. Now, it is in need of critical improvements to its learning and wellness spaces in order to meet the needs of today’s learners and beyond.

Watch this brief video, where Principal Sherri Blasing and Activities Director Joe Johnson discuss the current facility challenges at Mankato West High School.

The November 7 referendum will fund the following updates and improvements at Mankato West High School:

• Update and expand academic classrooms and flexible learning spaces

• Renovate the existing gym area into a fine arts suite for band, choir and orchestra

• Build a three-station gym, multi-purpose/wrestling room, locker rooms and classrooms

• Convert the decommissioned 1950’s pool area into multi-purpose, flexible learning spaces for students

• Build a competition and community use 8-lane pool at Dakota Meadows Middle School

These projects embody our forward-looking approach to providing our students with the best possible educational experience and fostering wellness within our community.

Learn more about the facilities bond referendum at www.isd77.org/vote2023 and make your plan to vote on or before November 7, 2023.

Current and prospective MAPS families tell us they need access to early learning programming, including all-day preschool and birth-to-school-age childcare. The November 7 bond referendum includes space for early learning expansion to provide comprehensive birth to preschool programming at MAPS Center for Learning and Eagle Lake Elementary.

Watch this video as Katie Gag, Assistant Director of Early Learning, shares the need for additional classroom space to serve young learners and their families.

These proposed renovations demonstrate a commitment to providing a strong, future-focused educational foundation for our youngest learners, setting them on a path to academic and social success.

On Monay, October 23rd, we will run an extended Scarlet Time schedule to allow time for students to complete the Panorama survey. This letter was emailed to families on October 6th to provide information about this survey.

We will use the results of this survey to inform our staff about the student experience at school. We collect our best information when all students participate, as we value their input as we look to improve the school experience to better meet their needs.

We hope you will join us Monday, October 23rd for our fall parent/teacher conferences. Teachers will be availaable in their rooms to visit with students and parents from 4:00pm - 6:00pm and from 6:30pm - 8:00pm.

We are also offering break out sessions that evening. Please consider attending one or more of the following sessions:

Junior Year Planning - 4:30 in the Cafeteria

• Justina Bisch - Junior Counselor

Referendum Information Meeting - 5:30pm in the Cafeteria

• What does this referendum mean for our students at West High School?

Hope Squad Parent Meeting - 6:30pm in the Cafeteria

• Amanda Bomstad and Emma Sill - Hope Squad Advisors

Tips and Tools to Help Reduce Students' Stress - 7:00pm in the Cafeteria

• School Social Worker - Molly Fox, School Psychologist - Mikell Franke, Tom Villagomez - School Counselor

Please click on this link to learn more about Direct Admissions, Junior Year Planning, and FAFSA.

Check out this link to see what is happening in the Counseling Center.

Please check out this link to see the special West Side Story Homecoming edition.

This link will bring you to the Scarlet Newsletter from the Activities Office.

October 16

Band Concert 7:30pm Auditorium

October 17

Girls Soccer Section Championship Game 4:00pm New Prague

October 18

PSAT 8:00am Gym

October 19-20

No School

October 20

Grade Check #2

October 23

Panorama Survey - during Scarlet Time

Conferences 4:00 - 8:00pm

Referendum Information Meeting 5:30pm Cafeteria

October 27

Blood Drive

November 9

End of 1st Quarter