Howbert Happenings
Week of February 15-19
📸Class Photos and Grad Photos for Preschool & 5th Grade🎓
Class photos for the whole school will be taken on Thursday, February 18th. This year will look a little different so we can make sure we're being as safe as possible.
- Students will wear masks in the class photo (what better way to capture the year, right?!)
- We will try to do the photos outside, weather permitting.
- ***REMOTE STUDENTS: Remote students are invited to join their class for their class photo. Please see the schedule below. We ask that you bring your student ~5 minutes before their class is scheduled to get photographed and call us from your car when you get here (719-328-4200). We will give you further instructions on where to go from there. We are not permitted to have parents/family members in the building at this time.
"Graduation" Photos for Preschool & 5th Grade will also be on Thursday, February 18th. Traditionally, we have always done this at Howbert to celebrate these students' progression from one milestone to another and we want to keep it going--even through the craziness that is this year.
- Unfortunately, caps & gowns will not be used this year in order to mitigate germ spread.
- We encourage Preschool and 5th Graders to DRESS THEIR BEST on that day to make grad photos extra special 👔🎓
- ***REMOTE STUDENTS: Remote students are invited to join their class for their class photo and then stay for their grad. photo. Please see the schedule attached below. We ask that you bring your student ~5 minutes before their class is scheduled to get photographed and call us from your car when you get here (719-328-4200). We will give you further instructions on where to go from there. We are not permitted to have parents/family members in the building at this time.
Attendance Reminders From the District
Please see attached document for some reminders about what is considered an "excused" absence. You can view the entire D11 Student Conduct Handbook here .
According to D11 policies:
- Students are tardy if they arrive between 8:05am - 8:20am
- After 8:21am students are considered absent to their AM class.
- Please see the document for a complete list of excused absences.
- Families need to call the front office (719-328-4200) to excuse absences. Teachers are unable to excuse absences.
5 Essentials Survey from D11
Please take a moment to take the "5 Essentials Survey". The results of this survey is an important part of how we plan our future here at Howbert.
Your identity will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child. The final day to complete this survey is February 19, 2021. To take the survey please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/sd11/survey/parent/
Because of our change in leadership at Howbert this year, feel free to skip that portion of the survey.
Please see below for more information from the district about this important survey...
In Appreciation,
Howbert Staff
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beginning January 26, 2021, teachers, parents, and students across the district will have an opportunity to participate in the 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school.
The 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success are:
• Effective Leaders
• Collaborative Teachers
• Involved Families
• Supportive Environments
• Ambitious Instruction
Prior research has shown that schools that were strong on at least three of these “5Essential” indicators were 10 times more likely to improve student learning gains in math and reading than those that were weak on three or more Essentials. All teachers and 4th through 12th grade students will be responding to this survey. More information on the survey including questions and procedures can be found at: https://www.d11.org/5Essentials/Resources
5Essentials Reports will be generated for schools if their teachers and/or students meet the response rate threshold of 50 percent. These reports will be sent to schools and districts in April 2021. Additionally, our district has chosen to provide the 5Essential parent survey. If at least 20 percent of each school’s parents complete this survey, a parent supplement report will also be generated. Information on opting your child out of the survey can be found at
Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and your child’s survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child. The 5Essentials Survey will be conducted January 26 – February 19, 2021. To take the survey please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/sd11/survey/parent/
David Khaliqi, PhD
Executive Director of Education Insights
Offices of Enrollment, Assessment, and System Improvement
🌲Catamount - Outdoor Learning🌱
3rd Grade - February 23rd 10am -12:00pm
Don't forget to wear good 👟shoes and dress in 🧥layers on Catamount days!
Please note that, unfortunately, in order to keep cohorts together this is for in-person students ONLY. Online students will receive Catamount lessons and activities in Schoology. Also, in order to keep our groups small and ensure social distancing, parents/families of in-person students are not permitted on Catamount field trips on those days. Thank you for your understanding!
Catamount sessions are coming up for 1st and 2nd grades. Stay tuned!
đź’˛Reminders from the PTO!đź’°
- It's time to bring in those Box Tops! Bring them in to school by Tuesday, 2/23 and help us raise money for Howbert!
- We are also always collecting Coke Tops!
- Drop them in the mailbox in the front lobby and we will get them counted up and sent off. Thank you!
🍎FOOD SERVICES🍕
- Please note that breakfast & lunch will continue to be FREE to all students through the end of the year!
- Breakfast will be served starting at 7:50am in the front of the school. Students can grab their meal and eat it before the start of the school day.
- Ms. Karen and Ms. Nellie will be serving "Grab & Go" breakfast and lunches on Asynchronous Mondays 11am-12:30pm.
📞Contact Us!📱
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 7:30am - 3:30pm
School Hours:
Monday - Friday 8am - 2:30pm
Email addresses:
Principal Ramsey: manuel.ramsey@d11.org
Principal Hollenbeck: missy.hollenbeck@d11.org
Attendance: amandajo.nelson@d11.org
Front Office: shanda.lloyd@d11.org
Counselor: melissa.lindsay@d11.org
Tech Help: lisa.schott@d11.org
Website: d11.org/howbert
Location: 1023 North 31st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Phone: 719-328-4200
Facebook: facebook.com/howbertelementary
Twitter: @howberthornet