Vol 2. September 2025 Versión en español

Hello Madison West Community,

Welcome back, Regents!

I hope you and your family had a wonderful summer. We had a fantastic first week back, and it was great to see students filling the hallways with energy and excitement again.

We kicked off the year with a special first day of school, --just--for our freshmen, led by our amazing Senior Citizens. The seniors did an incredible job welcoming the Class of 2029 to our campus and helping our newest Regents get comfortable with the high school environment. They guided freshmen on how to find their lockers, navigate the lunchroom, and explore the entire building. It was a huge success, and we're so proud of how quickly they've adapted to life as a Regent.

The West High Culture

Last week was also an important time for our entire student body. Each grade level gathered in the Aud to receive a welcome message tailored specifically to their needs as a class. These gatherings focused on what it means to be a Regent and the culture of learning we are building together.

We discussed the importance of a positive learning environment and the expectations we have for our scholars. At West, we believe in a culture that supports students both inside and outside the classroom. We want our school to be a place where all students feel respected and empowered to take risks in their learning, knowing that our staff is here to support them. Our goal is for every student to grow as a learner and as a person.

We also spent time in our advisory classes discussing the habits of a learner and how to make good decisions. We also encouraged students to get involved and build new relationships. With over 120 clubs and a wide variety of sports teams, there are so many ways for students to explore their interests and connect with their peers.

We are looking forward to a great school year!

Go Regents!

Mr. Kigeya

Go to School Night is coming up on Monday, September 29th! This important tradition is an opportunity to connect with educators and understand their roles and work in supporting students. The purpose of Go to School Night is to foster partnership and relationships between school staff and families and experience a day in the life of West Regents! 

The schedule is as follows:

5:15-6:05 AVID Signing Ceremony

6:10-6:40 Multilingual Education Session 

5:45-6:45 (Optional) Meet & Greet with staff from Special Education, Restorative Justice, Library, Bilingual Support, Athletics, Community Organizations, and more

6:50-8:30 Schedule Walk Through/Teacher Meetings

MSCR Volleyball starts Monday Sept. 15 in room 1303 after school register by scanning the qr code on flyers around the building 

MSCR Homework Club meets Tuesdays and Thursdays after school in room 2405 starting Sept. 16th

MSCR Open Gym meet Wednesdays after school in room 1303 starting Wednesday Sept. 17th

 any questions see Ms. Mo’ in room 1117

Seniors, College and Career Week will be in Room 2405 from Sep. 29 - Oct. 3rd.  We will have drop-in workshops on college applications, financial aid, essays, apprenticeships and more.

The PSAT/NMSQT is a great opportunity for MMSD scholars to prepare for their postsecondary journey and compete for scholarships and is the qualifying exam for the National Merit program. This test is primarily taken by Juniors. 

PSAT/NMSQT Registration is currently open until Sept. 24, 2025. The cost is $45. 

The test is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, at the Alliant Energy Center.

Free/Reduced Lunch eligible students should use code KLAFRW to register at a reduced cost. If registration reaches capacity, spots will be prioritized in this order: juniors, sophomores, seniors, then freshmen. 

Bus transportation is available to students who request it to and from the test site. Requests for transportation must be made by October 15 via the Bus transportation Request Form. 

Students taking the PSAT need to bring their photo ID and their fully charged, school-issued Chromebook with the Bluebook Exam App installed on the test day. 

Reach out to Amanda Mussa acmussa@madison.k12.wi.us or Karen Coombs kecoombs@madison.k12.wi.us with questions.

Our West HOUSE Homeroom schedules are new this year and will run roughly once per month. Students attended their West HOUSE homeroom each day during the 1st week of school to make sure that supports and logistics were communicated. HOUSE homerooms will serve as a home base to connect and prepare for the next steps in community, college, and career readiness, and staff advisors will stay with their cohort of students until graduation. This is also where grade-level opportunities and information will be rolled out. Attendance is important and recorded in Infinite Campus. We hope this is another space at West where students feel a sense of belonging and pride.   

You can review the week 1 orientation slides through the following links:

• Beginning of the year AUD hosted by West High Admin, Cheer, Dance, and Football teams
• Student Supports and Communication Systems
• Attendance & Logistics

Students have access to all of these slides through their grade-based Google Classroom. This is a hub for information and communication.  All students should have joined their classroom during the 1st week of school.

Many students have purchased the West Athletic Pass (available in ‘fees’ in Infinite Campus). We are working on a punch to mark student IDs who have purchased the Athletic Pass.  Stay tuned for announcements when we are ready for students to come and have their IDs updated. Until then, IF you have purchased an Athletic Pass  and it is not designated on your new student ID, please show your paid ‘fees’ section in IC, from your phone, at the ticket gate and you will be admitted. 

Greetings from the yearbook staff of 2025-2026! There are four things that we need you to do:

Get your Lifetouch picture taken! Last chance: Oct. 6th

Turn in your senior photo by October 17th

Watch your email for the Senior Superlatives and Quotes, December 1

Parents/Guardians, the optional Senior Tribute Form will launch and be emailed on December 1st. 

You can visit our website for more information. Thank You!

The Wellness Lab is a calm and quiet space to practice stress management and to support the overall wellbeing of students at West. The Lab is in Room 1330; located on the first floor on the Ash Street side of the building, down the ramp hallway past the Health Office. Just follow the signs for the Wellness Lab!

Starting today, Friday Sept. 12, the Wellness Lab is available every Friday all day for students during a scheduled Resource or Study Hall, or otherwise free hour (such as late arrival or early release), to practice a guided stress management activity.

Two Hour Parking 

You can only park for two hours in most nearby street spaces. Cars that stay after the two hours, will receive a ticket with fines of $20 or more. If you must drive, you are encouraged to carpool.

Unlimited Parking

The City of Madison has an interactive parking map that shows all the parking regulations in different areas in the neighborhood around West. There are some unlimited parking areas farther away from West. 

Speedway Parking 

Parking is available on Speedway until 4:00 p.m. on the west side and after 8:45 a.m. on the east side. Depending on where you park, it takes three to six minutes of walking time to get to West. Staff, students, and visitors who drive to West and must stay longer than two hours are strongly encouraged to park on Speedway.

West Staff-Only Parking

Parking is available for staff members in the staff parking lot, however, it fills up early in the morning. You will need a West Staff parking pass. Complete This Google Form to request a West Staff parking pass. 

• Handicapped Parking is by permit only. It is first come first serve for anyone with a disability permit, including staff, families, students, and community members. Parking without a permit may result in a ticket being issued and the vehicle being towed. Notes written from doctors are not valid.
• Administrator Parking is designated for Administrators only 24/7. You will need direct approval from an administrator to park there if an administrator is gone for the day. 
• Expectant Mothers Parking is designated for expectant mothers only.

Parking Enforcement

The City of Madison enforces street parking. West staff parking is enforced by our security team, who conduct daily walk throughs. Vehicles without a visible staff parking pass may be ticketed. This includes students who park in the staff parking lot, or any other vehicle without a pass.

Student Dropoff / Pickup

VanHise Ave: Student dropoff allowed in designated areas. Do not block access for student buses.

VanHise Ave U-Shaped lot: Reserved for Badger Bus dropoff only - No student dropoff allowed in this lot

Ash Street: Student dropoff allowed in designated areas

Regent Street: No student dropoff allowed; Designated Metro and Yellow bus dropoff only

Attendance is one of the most important indicators of success in class.  Data from West last year showed that students that attended class at least 90% of the time passed their classes nearly every single time.  As attendance dropped off, academic performance dropped off.  We want our students in class as much as possible so that they can learn and show what they know!

When a student is ill or has another family situation that requires an absence their parent or guardian can request an absence either through Infinite Campus Parent Portal (phone directions and computer directions) or by calling the attendance line at West (608-204-4100).

Beginning the week of 9/15, we will begin pulling data for our “Restricted Regents” list.  The list and the communication that comes with it is a way to remind students and families of the importance of attendance.  Students will be on the list if they have 4 or more tardies or 2 or more unexcused absences in the previous week.  Students that are on the list, will be restricted from attending after school extra-curricular events. The list refreshes each week so if a student improves their attendance, they will be removed from the list the next week.

We are still accepting commitment forms from students interested in traveling with us to El Salvador in June, 2026. If your student is interested in this opportunity, please attend the parent meeting on Tuesday, September 16th in room 3210 at 6pm.

Please also fill out the commitment form located outside room 3210 and give it to a West Spanish teacher or Profe Tyser. The deadline to commit to this trip is OCTOBER 1, 2025.

If you are unable to attend the parent meeting on 9/16/25, but are interested in learning more or accessing a digital copy of the commitment form, please contact Lindsey Tyser (latyser@madison.k12.wi.us) or Faith Hoenecke (faith.hoenecke@gmail.com).

This is a school sponsored trip

Dear families,

We are going to Spain and Portugal during Spring Break of 2026, and you are invited! 

I'm excited to tell you more about the trip being planned with EF Tours, my educational travel partner who I have traveled with twice before. The informational meeting will be held at West High School on Wednesday, September 24th from 6-6:45pm. Please be sure to register for the informational session to be considered for this opportunity by following this link to my tour page https://bit.ly/483yQ4T. I will inform families of the location of the meeting as soon as a room has been reserved. If you are unable to attend the meeting but would like more information about the tour you can indicate your interest at the same link or email me at cmreagarcia@madison.k12.wi.us.

When students travel, they expand their knowledge of the world around them, discover more about themselves, and grow more confident. These skills are critical for creating the global citizens of tomorrow, and we would love to have your student join us on this adventure.

In this info session, we’ll talk about:

How this opportunity will benefit your student

What we’ll see and do on our trip

Everything that’s included in this experience

How we’re keeping the trip safe

How to enroll

We would love to have you attend this meeting to learn more about this exciting opportunity!

Thanks,

Cara Rea-Garcia

cmreagarcia@madison.k12.wi.us

**Please note this is a non-school sponsored trip**

Work with Galin Education to get PSAT prep. Free with code: MMSD

Galin Education Free Webinar Series for Parents of High School Students