Monthly Update With Monogue | October 2023
Reading is a valuable skill. Books can transport us to other places, teach us something new, put us in another person’s shoes, and, most importantly, share our story. Our district recently celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day, and some of my friends here at West Middleton Elementary are going to show me how I can use books from our libraries to learn more about another culture and their history.
In honor of Indigenous People's Day earlier this October, Superintendent Dr. Dana Monogue visited our friends at the West Middleton LMC to find lots of great books that taught her and our students more about Indigenous people and their cultures.
October was a month full of celebrations! Together we celebrated:
The second half of Hispanic Heritage Month
School Board Appreciation Week
School Principal Appreciation Day
National Custodian Appreciation Day
World teachers day
Indigenous peoples day
And many more!
Our district is excited to have so much work celebrating!
Thank you to everyone who joined our district for the grand opening of the Borden Athletic Complex! What began as a visionary idea has become a beautiful space for our community to gather, celebrate, and learn! Thank you to our team of alumni members, donors, and community partners who made this project possible. If you are interested in learning more about the project, please click here.
We are excited to share that the outdoor athletic facilities at the MCPASD High School campus will also be receiving a few renovations! Recently, the Board Of Education approved the improvements to our baseball field and the construction of a competition softball field on the MHS campus; in addition, the reconstruction of the 8 tennis courts on campus was approved. These renovations will benefit over 1,700 students currently enrolled in PE, as well as athletes, the marching band, and other groups.
We are the number one school district in Dane County for the third year in a row, according to Niche.com! We are also home to the number one middle and high school in Dane County. Congratulations, Kromrey Middle School and Middleton High School! Pope Farm Elementary School was named the number-one elementary school in the state! Congratulations to all of our schools on their high marks!
Where there is a great school, outstanding students and staff are sure to follow. Congratulations to Middleton Youth Director Gabrielle Hinahara for being named an Outstanding Youth Worker of the year! Gabrielle has done amazing things for our families in her role as director, including starting a student mentoring program and advocating for families needing affordable after-school care. Great work, Gabrielle.
Way to go Middleton High School Business Teacher, Shane Leadholm! He was recently inducted into the School District of Cambridge Hall Of Fame under the athletic category! The honor is well deserved for his dedication to both education and athletics. Congratulations Shane!
Hard work and dedication pays off! I am excited to share a shout out to this year’s National Merit Semifinalists! The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition that recognizes and honors students for their academic excellence, extracurricular activities and skills, and potential for success in future careers. We wish them the best of luck in the next rounds later this year!
It is important that our students see themselves represented in the adults around them. In a recent staffing report to our School Board, we were proud to share that the district surpassed its goal of 95% staff of color retention for the second consecutive year. Thanks to all of our staff for the diverse backgrounds and experience they add to our district.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, our friends at Sauk Trail invited talented Musician Jorge Mendoza to visit and share his music with students in each of their classrooms! Jorge played songs in both Spanish and Guaraní, which is an indigenous language from Paraguay.
Thank you to Principal Dahlk, Maestra Samira, Jorge Mendoza and to the Sauk Trail PTO for organizing such a great learning experience for our students!
The Middleton High School football team recently celebrated their last home game and “senior night” at the Borden Athletic Complex. Among the senior class of students, Superintendent Dr. Dana Mongoue had the pleasure of being seated next to special guests from the Cardinal View Senior Living home! They had a blast cheering on our cardinals and it was a great way to celebrate all of the ‘seniors’ who are part of the MCPASD community.
We don’t all have to be sports stars to have fun and show our school pride! Many of our elementary schools host a fun run event to help them raise money for fun projects throughout the year. Recently our students participated in the
-Pope Farm Sunflower Shuffle
-West Middleton Wolverine Dash
-Sauk Trail Shuffle
-Sunset Ridge Sun Run
And the
-Northside Dolphin Dash
Shout out to our awesome school Parent Teacher Organizations for organizing these great events! I can’t wait to see what other awesome ideas this year will bring!
Our 6th grade science class students at Kromrey Middle School are planting the seeds for new ideas! They have been working in partnership with the Pheasant Branch Conservancy to maintain the rain gardens in front of the school. They have been learning all about local plants that help support our ecosystem and have even identified and removed invasive species! Be sure to check out the article featured in The Cap Times about this great partnership!
Last, but certainly not least, congratulations to the cast and crew of the One Act performance of “The 146 Point Flame” at Middleton High School. Our district is always blown away by the talent of our students and we highly recommend you come out to see one of the MHS Theater productions this year.
