100 2nd St S
Montrose, MN 55363
United States
Montrose Elementary School of Innovation
School Information
What Distinguishes MESI
- Montrose was named a Reward School in 2015 and 2016 by the Minnesota Department of Education for its top 15% performance in proficiency, growth, and achievement gap reduction achievements.
- Challenge-based learning gives students a set of materials and a problem, and asks them to work together to find a solution.
- Students start each day with Maker Mornings, a time set aside for teacher guided challenges and self-selected projects.
- Once a week, during "Innovate" time, students engage in one of six core areas: Genius Hour, Makerspace, coding, digital media production/creation, digital citizenship or Google applications.
- Students work in small, flexible groups, allowing them to advance at their own pace.
- Montrose offers a 2:1 students-to-device ratio that ensures easy access to technology.
- Music and physical education are offered for all grades, and a Bravo strings orchestra program with whole group and individualized instruction begins in grade 1.
- A K-5 specialist teaches 3D graphic design, global connections, video game creation, Google applications, coding/programming, robotics, positive use of social media and more.
- All students get 45 minutes per day, four days per week to support reading and math learning based upon individualized needs.
Our Mission
Our mission at Montrose Elementary School of Innovation is to engage students in authentic, relevant, and purposeful learning opportunities to best prepare them for college and career paths in a rapidly changing world. Collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking are infused into the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) Magnet experience to promote and support a sense of belonging, self-discovery, reflection, risk-taking, and academic growth.
School Day Schedule
Students begin arriving at school.
School day begins. Students should be in their classrooms at this time.
3rd grade recess.
3rd grade lunch and 2nd grade recess.
2nd grade lunch and 4th grade recess.
4th grade lunch and 1st grade recess.
1st grade lunch and 5th grade recess.
5th grade lunch and Kindergarten recess.
Kindergarten lunch.
School is dismissed.
Attendance and Transportation FAQs
MESI Attendance Line: 763.682.8344
Student Absences: Regular daily attendance is important to school success. It is critical for students to have consistent attendance in order to be successful and have a positive learning experience. If your child is ill or must miss school, please call the school office/attendance line and leave a detailed message stating student name, teacher name, and reason for absence. School work missed during an absence must be made up. Parents will be contacted at work or home if an absence is not reported. The Board of Education defines the following reasons as excused absences: illness, religious observance, death of a family member or close relative, family emergency, or a medical, dental or mental health appointment that cannot be scheduled before or after the school day. Unexcused absences, such as missing the bus, oversleeping, or those that are not acknowledged by note, or telephone call, are subject to truancy procedures. When no excuse is presented to the school, the absence will be considered unexcused.
We understand that family schedules do not always mix easily with school schedules. If a child is late to school, we ask that an adult personally check the child in at the office. You will need to sign your child in on our office log and obtain a pass for class. If a child needs to leave early during the school day, please come to the office and check the student out through a secretary or the health office. Please send a note with your child in the morning so the teacher is aware that a student will be leaving early from school.
You are strongly encouraged to take family vacations during the summer and during school holidays such as winter or spring break. In the event that this is not possible, the principal’s office as well as the child’s teacher should be informed in advance of any special vacation that will cause student absence from assignments for a child who is absent. Since teachers plan according to the daily needs of the students, some assignments may not be available ahead of time and will be available when your child returns to school. Please notify them as soon as you know this vacation is going to take place.
If you bring your child to school in the morning, please do not arrive before 7:25 am. There is not supervision set up for students at this time. Also, the teachers are preparing for the day, so they are not available for supervision before 7:25 am.
If you are picking your student up and this is not their usual procedure, we encourage you to contact the teacher and the main office. We cannot take the word of your child. We prefer kindergarten students to be picked up in the office. If you child is older you can decide if you would like to pick them picked up in the main office or wait outside by our walking supervisor by the fire hydrant. If your student has not been picked up by the time the supervisor has dropped the walking students off, they will be asked to come in a wait in the office to watch for the parent to arrive.
If you are having someone else besides mom or dad picking your child up, we do want them to come to the office with ID to check that student out for safety reasons.
Vision Transportation number: 763.682.3232
If your child is going to a different destination than your home address you will need to fill out an alternate destination form.
They also do not want students sending notes to school to ride a different bus home. Please make plans to transport your child after they arrive home on their usual route.