New Elementary School Naming

What will the new school be named?

As we move into this next phase of our project, there are many exciting milestones ahead of us! One of those is naming the new elementary school. At their December 2019 meeting, the Monona Grove School Board approved an ad hoc committee to consider the names of district facilities. We actively sought members who are invested in the district, reliable, offer a new perspective, are open-minded and fair. This committee will be made up of board members, teachers, staff, and community members. The board has charged this committee "to engage stakeholders and make an advisory recommendation to the School Board for the naming of district facilities, including the new elementary school." The committee will come up with the process to engage stakeholders, analyze feedback, and come up with a recommendation for the school board. The committee had its first meeting in January and will continue to meet at least monthly through July. This should be a really fun experience and an exciting, unifying project for our community, and we all look forward to the input the community will provide!

View the committee's recommendations here. At their August 13 Board meeting, the School Board unanimously approved Granite Ridge School as the name of the new building. (The Board has not taken action on the other recommendations at this time.)

Survey and Feedback, Round Two!

Click here for the second round survey! The survey will remain open until 5 p.m. on Friday, May 22.

Haga clic aquí para español.

Thank you for sharing your ideas for names for our new school! The School Naming Committee has narrowed down the options and is looking for your input on other considerations, too. 

Because the theme of the new school is connected to habitats, many of the names on the list below are nature based and have connections to Wisconsin and Cottage Grove.

For example, Cottage Grove was named for a grove of burr oaks in which one of the area's earliest settlers, WiIliam C. Wells, built a cottage. Cottage Grove is also home to several woods and forests, including the Vethe School Forest. Granite is a state symbol of Wisconsin and is native to our state. A moraine is a mass of rocks carried down and deposited by a glacier, a prominent geological formation in our area. An oak savannah is a type of lightly forested grass land where oaks are the dominant tree. 

Things to know

• The interior of the building is designed around the theme “habitat,” and the elementary school’s three grade wings have materials and colors that reflect three of the natural habitats found in the area: woodlands, wetlands and grasslands. 

• Reflect on Cottage Grove history, geographical features or other characteristics of our community that you value. 

• We encourage you to have conversations with your children, neighbors, and friends to come up with ideas and suggestions. 

Considerations

The Monona Grove School Board's Ad Hoc School Naming Committee has agreed to the following considerations when making recommendations to the School Board: 

• Does it adhere to board policy?

• Will it endure time without controversy?

• Can it be confused with other regional school names?

• Is it aligned with the mission and vision?

• Does it avoid political controversy?

• Check the name in other languages - does it translate OK?

• Is it offensive in any way?

• Is it easily pronounced?

• Is the acronym appropriate?

• Does it represent the geographical area that it is being built as well as topography?

We will not be considering any of the following:

• Duplicate names that already exist in the district

• Names of living individuals

Documents

Charge to the Committee