Current Weekly Announcements
2024 High School Summer Session
The 2024 summer session will run from June 17 to July 25 with no classes on 6/19 or 7/4. All credit recovery courses will be offered online with in-person locations available at selected middle schools for students in need of teacher support and/or internet access. A limited number of first-time credit classes in PE (in-person or virtual), Health (virtual), Personal Finance (virtual) and other opportunities (see this flyer) for students entering grades 9-12 are also available. The online application to express interest in taking Virtual First Time Credit courses can now be accessed through Friday, May 10 at this link. For additional information, visit the Summer Semester website (mmsd.org/summer) or contact your counselor.
Attention Senior Families!!
SENIOR CELEBRATION DAY: Our Annual Senior Celebration Day will be held on Wednesday, May 1st at VPM for the Class of 2024. Students will participate in a variety of activities during their English class. Activities include cap and gown pick-up, photo booth, pennant designs, final senior survey, and more! Students that do not have an English class or attend alternative programming outside of the building are also welcome to attend on that day. The event will run the entire school day in the brand new Atrium.
If you would like to help us celebrate on this day, we would welcome donations of individually wrapped prepackaged food items. Examples include granola bars and snack size bags of crackers/chips/pretzels/
CAPS & GOWNS: There is still time to place an order for a cap and gown, if you have not done so already. Orders can be placed online through Midwest Scholastic's online store. Cap and gowns will be distributed on Wednesday, May 1st during Senior Celebration Day. Orders and payments must be made directly to Midwest Scholastic, Memorial will NOT accept orders or payments. ALL QUESTIONS ABOUT ORDERS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED DIRECTLY TO MIDWEST SCHOLASTIC at questions@mwscholastic.com. A late fee of $15 is now being added to all orders.
SENIOR CLASS PARTY: This parent-organized event is scheduled for Saturday, June 1st from 9:00 PM - Midnight. This is a celebration for the entire Memorial Senior Class, and plans are already in the works for this HUGE event! If you are interested in helping out, the following are some things you can do right now:
- Make a monetary contribution for the event via Venmo @VPM-PTSO and write a note that says '24 SENIOR PARTY.
- Donate an item from the Amazon Wishlist. Make sure to have any items delivered to Katie Spelsberg, which is the default address attached to the list.
- Do you have a business that is willing to donate a gift? Contact us about it! We are trying to send our seniors into the world with supplies they will need or items just for fun!
A Sign-Up Genius with volunteer opportunities will be emailed the first week of May. If you have any questions about the party, please email memorialseniorparty@gmail.com.
If you should have any questions, feel free to contact Rachel Braun in the Wisconsin Neighborhood Office. Remember to check our Graduation Web Page regularly for updates on all things Senior related, including a calendar of upcoming Senior Events this spring.
Easier Attendance Reporting Beginning Semester 2
There is a new, convenient way for families to request an absence through their Campus Parent Portal. Beginning the first day of the second semester, January 29th, absences can be requested via the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. If you have multiple children who will be absent, including students at different schools within the MMSD, this feature will allow you to select and request absences for multiple students at one time. Entering an absence request is quick and easy, and can be done using your desktop computer or the Parent Portal app on your mobile device. Follow these simple steps:
- Log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account.
- Select More from the Navigation area.
- Select Absence Requests.
- Fill in the required information, including the date and reason for the absence.
- Submit your request.
For a quick look at what steps to take, check out our quick guide graphic. For more detailed instructions, visit this Absence Request Guide. Our staff will be notified of the absence. While you may continue to request absences by calling your school’s attendance line, requesting absences via the Parent Portal is an easy way to process the request from your phone, computer, or tablet. Please note that even though an absence can be requested via the portal, it does not mean that the absence is excused until it has been reviewed by school staff. If you have any questions, please reach out to your school’s main office.
Attendance Initiative Updates
Thank you VPM families for your continued support of our attendance and engagement initiatives. We are excited to report a 2.3% increase in overall student attendance, a 15% reduction in the number of students tagged truant, and a 17% decrease in tardies compared to this time last year. As we turn the page to Second Semester, we hope to continue reinforcing the importance of attendance in our school community, and we look forward to working with all of you to best support our students. For more information about our 2023-2024 Attendance & Engagement initiatives, please reference our attendance brochure (English ~ Español).
No Admit List
Weekly attendance continues to be used to determine if students are on the No Admit List for the following week. Memorial students that have 5 or more tardies and/or 2 or more unexcused absences during the preceding week receive an email on Monday morning letting them know they are on the No Admit List for the current week. To remove themselves from the No Admit List, students need to have 4 or less tardies and 1 or less unexcused absences during the week prior to any school event they wish to attend. When arriving at a school event, Memorial students need to have their school IDs scanned and hand stamped to ensure they are eligible to attend BEFORE purchasing an online ticket. Students who buy an online ticket to a sporting event and are on the No Admit List will not be given a refund.
West Towne Mall Lunch Policy
As we know many of our students visit the mall, especially for lunch. Mall staff have requested that we proactively share their policy. Here is the policy: "As per Code of Conduct, attendance by any minor under the age of 16 during school hours for the period of 10am to 3pm at the mall, are to remain in the food court area and not allowed to enter the common mall area unless the minor is accompanied by a parent, teacher or legal guardian. Security personnel will monitor the food court and other areas of the mall to ensure all students stay in the permitted area".
Arrival, Dismissal, and Visitor Parking
VPM parents are reminded that the lane closest to school on Gammon Road is a bus lane. It is illegal and unsafe to stop in the bus lane to drop off or pick up students. Please pull into our lot or along Memorial Way to drop off and pick up students. Please avoid using the Gillespie parking lot for drop off and pick up as well. The only doors open in the morning before school starts are the A-foyer doors by the Welcome Center and the doors by the flagpole on Gammon Road.
If you are visiting the school and need to park, there are 12 visitor parking spaces in the lane in front of the visitor’s center. Please park in one of the green stalls next to the yellow berm and come into the visitor center to get a visitor parking pass. Always sign in and sign out at the visitor center when you come into the building.
Accessing Meal Balances on School Cafe
In response to a number of requests about meal balance payments, MMSD is requesting we share the enclosed letter with families. The letter includes information on how families can pay balances or add supplement funds to their student’s School Cafe account. Spanish and Hmong translations are included in the document.
Cell Phone Practices for the 23-24 School Year
With the start of the new school year, all MMSD High Schools will be implementing consistent, universal expectations regarding personal electronic devices in classrooms with the goal of establishing clear rules and expectations regarding the appropriate use of personal electronic devices with our high school-aged students. Please review this information and know that teachers will be introducing and reinforcing these expectations across the school year.
Bus/ Madison Metro Information
Find bus routes and bus stop reminders, as well as additional information for students riding Madison Metro buses at mmsd.org/transportation. Students can ride the Madison Metro Transit bus to/ from school for free during the first days of school. Students eligible for free bus passes can pick them up in their neighborhood offices.
This Year’s Daily Schedule
Be sure to review our 2023-2024 Bell Schedule. Please note that Monday early release occurs every Monday for high school students.
Health & Safety Planning
Please refer to the MMSD COVID Health and Safety Guidance for updated information.