NEWSLETTER

April 2017

Colorado State Assessments: PARCC Testing will be starting on April 3rd! All 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will be taking this test.

Attendance is very important during this time; please refrain

from making appointments for your child from April 3rd thru

April 28th if at all possible.

Parent Tips: How To Help Your Child Prepare For The Test

- Support your student’s confidence by making them feel

that they will do great.

- Make sure your student gets a good night’s sleep.

- Remain Positive: Stay calm and help your student stay calm. If they get

nervous about the test help them practice relaxation techniques.

- Make sure your student eats a healthy breakfast.

- Ensure your student has perfect attendance at school: Be sure your student

is present and on time.

Student Tips: Helpful Tips To Ace The Test

- Read the directions to avoid making simple mistakes.

- Read the entire question. If the question is multiple choice, read all of the

answers to find the correct answer.

- Do not rush and pace yourself.

- Do not get distracted.

Mesa Elementary

From Your Principal

Mesa’s Vision Statement: “At Mesa Elementary we will collaborate with families

to foster strong relationships within the greater

community. Our efforts will focus on delivering a

rigorous, standards-based, data driven curriculum to

ensure the academic success of all students. Our staff

will seek out professional growth opportunities

enhancing our knowledge of best practices. We will

create a positive, supportive, nurturing learning

environment leading to the development of respectful,

responsible and resourceful students.”

In This Issue:

From Your Principal

Students of the Month

Happenings at Mesa

District Events

Calendar Of Events

Sunday, April 2nd

Light It Up Blue for Autism

Thursday, April 20

Battle of the Books

At Colorado College

7:45 a.m.—2:15 p.m.

Friday, April 21

STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY

NO SCHOOL

Friday, April 21

Papa Johns Pizza Night

Friday, May 19

Field Day

Thursday, May 25

3rd Quarter Award Assembly

1st/2nd Grade: 1:45 p.m.

3rd/4th/5th Grade: 9:00 a.m.

Dress for the Weather

Break out the coats! The weather is changing, which means it is time to start layering up on clothes. Cafeteria doors will

not be unlocked until 6:55 a.m. If you drop your students off earlier than this time they will be waiting outside until the

door is unlocked. Please make sure you label your student’s jackets, gloves, and hats.

District Choir Concert is on April 25th

at 6:00 p.m. at the Fountain Middle

School DFAC building 2nd, 3rd, and

5th will be singing for the STEAM

night on April 27th.

Ms. Rudin

April is Autism

Awareness Month!

Light It Up Blue on

April 2nd and

wear blue to show

awareness!

Light It Up Blue!

From your Music Teacher

Summer Learning Institute

The end of the year is quickly approaching and summer is on it’s way!

Information for Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8’s Summer

Learning Institute will be sent home in April.

Please keep an eye on our website for more information and dates to

register your student.

Clubs at Mesa

- Robotics Club: Monday

2:30 p.m.—3:30 p.m.

- Handwriting Club: Monday

2:25 p.m.—3:15 p.m.

- Maker Monday: Monday

2:25 p.m.—3:15 p.m.

- Choir: Tuesday

2:30 p.m.—3:30 p.m.

- 3rd-5th Grade Math Club:

Tuesday 2:25—3:30 p.m.

- 1st-2nd Grade Math Club:

Thursday 2:25—3:30 p.m.

- Engineering Club: Thursday

2:30 p.m.—3:30 p.m.

- Battle of the Books: Friday

2:25 p.m.—3:15 p.m.

Respect Kindergarten Aquino Izzy Arana

Berhost

Diaz Naithyn Flores

Whitson Jax McGarity

1st Grade Bannon Anhalycia Mascarenas

Bonwell Aidan Rogers

Petermeier Tra’Iverson Taotua

Price Brandon Cormier

2nd Grade Glackman Felizianna Montoya

Kleinheksel Alyx Coon

Proper Raul Moscoso

3rd Grade Hough Elazaria Sandoval

Przytulski Kylee Ford

Study Coleman McDonald

4th Grade Haley Kristin Brown

Smith Amber Moreland

Wood Addison Cheuvront

5th Grade Brooks Alyson Rogers

Jenkins Charles Cabrera

Pich Jaylene Tertulien

SSN Garcia

Specials McGowan Kahlan Gosney

Rudin

Sabala Kali Fajardo

Young Greta Busse

March

Students of the Month

Mesa Students of the Month are chosen by staff as exemplary

students who exhibit MESA Elementary’s GREAT traits:

G ood Choices

R espect

E ffort

A ttitude

T hinking

CONGRATULATIONS STUDENTS!

We are proud of you!

Next month we will be looking for students who are showing Effort

Please visit Mesa’s website

www.ffc8.org/Mesa

for the latest Mesa news and information!

4

Box Top$ for Education

Keep a lookout

for these

On specially

marked boxes!

Box Top Winners

2nd Grade:

Mrs. Kleinheksel 202

5th Grade:

Mrs. Jenkins 281

It’s an easy way to help earn

money for your school.

Where: Conrad Early Learning Center

10605 Jimmy Camp Road

Fountain, CO 80817

(719)304-3500

When: May 6, 2017

9 a.m.—12:00 p.m. Make and take home items to use immediately!

Learn about school and community resources!

Refreshments will be available!

Child Care available upon request at registration!

Want additional information on strategies to try at home with your

student? Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8’s Autism Team,

Behavior Evaluation Support Team, and Behavior Mental Health

Consultants have joined together to provide you with a training

opportunity to learn, practice, and take home strategies and/or

materials to use with your student.

Strategies/skills may include: social skills, communication boards,

sensory tools, executive functioning skills, communication boards, sen-

sory tools, executive functioning skills, and more.

RSVP by 4/21/2017 at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/79ZMDLF

Counselor’s Corner

Spring is here! April brings a month of exciting opportunities for our

students at Mesa!

April gives our students many opportunities to help our local

community. Our Student Leadership is hosting a can drive for Care and

Share, Mesa is helping a local middle school collect personal care

items for foster children AND we are collecting Pennies for Patients at

the end of the month.

In Guidance, we will be talking about mindfulness and being mindful in

our day-to-day activities. Younger grades will be doing children’s yoga

and talking about keeping our minds clean and focused. Older

students will learn some relaxation techniques.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Gregor

P.I.T. Crew Meeting

Parents & Volunteers

You are invited to attend the next P.I.T. Crew Meeting (Volunteer

Group.) The P.I.T. Crew stands for

“Parents Interacting Together”

April 10, 2017

2:30 p.m. in the Cafeteria

Please join us as we discuss the many volunteer opportunities

in our school! A Make and Take Skills Expo

It is almost time to reenroll your student for the 2017-2018 school year! Please make sure you know your Parent Portal username and password before the end of

the 2016-2017 school year.

YOU WILL NEED YOUR USERNAME AND PASSWORD FOR THE ONLINE

REGISTRATION PROCESS!

Online Registration will be available on our

website beginning June 1, 2017 Please contact the office if you have any questions, or need help

resetting your password.

Infinite Campus Parent Portal

From your Title I Interventionists

Mnemonic or memory devices are learning techniques that aid people in retaining and retrieving information

stored in their memory. Students often have a difficult time storing information stored in their memory. Students

often have a difficult time storing information in long-term memory as well as retrieving that information for use

at a later time.

Building memory and being able to retrieve and utilize information stored in one’s memory is vital in many facets

of life, including learning to read, write and solve mathematical equations

Mnemonic devices can consist of music, pictures, acronyms, rhymes, jingles or anything that helps you

remember and retrieve information.

Below are a few examples of mnemonic devices.

Happy remembering!

Mrs. Byerly and Miss Katie

When picking up on Camino Del Rey, Corte Amino, or Monterey Way please be courteous and DO NOT BLOCK

ANY OF THE NEIGHBORING RESIDENT’S DRIVEWAYS. Thank you!

Download the Free

District 8 App

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Access school and staff info

Receive important alerts

District 8 App

If plans change on how your student will be going

home, PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE TO LET THEM KNOW AS

SOON AS POSSIBLE. This way they can contact the

teacher. If your student rides the bus, the office also

needs to let the staff members who walk the students

to the bus know. Also, if you have any phone messages

for your student please try to call the office BEFORE

2:00 p.m. so we have time to get the message to them.

Thank you!

Office Phone Number:

(719)382-1370

Change of Plans

2 Hour Delays & School Closures

The weather in Colorado can vary widely from day to day and through parts of the Colorado Springs region.

District .8. monitors the weather closely in an attempt to provide safe access to schools for students, parents

and staff. We do want to make parents and students aware of the fact that the district has the option of either a

school closure or a two-hour late start.

School Closures and two-hour late starts will be broadcast via local television and radio stations, the district

web-site and the Flash Alert Emergency Notification System.

Please be aware that announcements for closures and late-starts will list as: Fountain-Ft. Carson District .8.

This differentiates the school district from any closures that may occur on Fort CARSON.

A two-hour late start will mean the following:

1. ALL bus pick-up times will be moved back TWO HOURS.

(Therefore, a normal pick-up time of 7:00am would become 9:00 am.)

2. No breakfast will be served.

If our students are already at school and a storm should develop, there may be an early closure. This will also be

announced. PLEASE ensure the office has correct and current contact information for such an emergency.

To sign up for the Flash Alert Notification system, please go to: www.flashalert.net

Click the Colorado Springs icon—Click on School Districts—Click on Fountain-Ft. Carson Dist. 8

If you are sharing housing because of job

loss, domestic violence, family conflict or

similar reasons, your children may be

eligible for educational supports and

services such as free school meals, school

supplies, waiving of fees, transportation,

etc….

For more information, please call

Promis Bruno at (719)492-8810

or

pbruno@ffc8.org

Housing Crisis

Colorado weather is very changeable!

If you see the red flag flying in front of

the school and the RED FLAG DAY note

has been posted in the foyer, this means

that there is inclement weather and

your student should head to the

cafeteria upon arrival at school.

They will be released from the

cafeteria directly to their classroom.

Red Flag Days

REMINDER:

Please DO NOT drop off students until 7:15 a.m. unless they are going to the Cafeteria to eat breakfast.

There will be no supervision until 7:15 a.m. on the playgrounds.