Hello Mancos Families,

I hope you all are getting excited about summer break and having your kids home for a few months to unwind and enjoy watching them grow.

We will be having our annual end of year Fun in the Sun activities followed with the traditional BBQ on the front lawn on Wednesday, May 25th. Families are welcome to come join in on the fun, we will begin serving lunch at 11:15am or directly after the fun in the sun activities end.

High School students will be served approximately during their normal lunch time.

On The Menu: Hamburger or Hot Dog

Pasta Salad

Potato Chips

Watermelon

Fruit Slushie.

IMPORTANT NEWS!!

With the close of the 2021-22 school year I want to remind everyone that when we return in August meals for students will no longer be free. We continue to work with stakeholders and legislators to come up with a permanent solution for this, however at this time we are moving forward with returning to paid meals for the 2022-23 school year.

Why are meals no longer free?

Over the past two years, the federal government allowed all students to eat free regardless of learning environment or economic status to help families who where financially burdened during the pandemic. School districts across the nation were operating on waivers that allowed us to continue to feed your students without the financial burden. These waivers are set to expire on May 26th 2022 with no plan for extending them into the 2022-23 school year.

What can you do??

• PLEASE fill out the free and reduced meal application at MySchoolApps.com after July 1st.

• Paper application will be available at the front desks of each building and can also be filled out at registration.

• It is very important that families understand that filling out this form is confidential and is needed even if your student chooses not to eat in the cafeteria. The income data collected from this application helps our school qualify for grants and other programs based on our free and reduced lunch overall percentage. Because meals were free over the last 2 years, many families did not think the application needed to be filled out. As a result of this our percentage has dropped and we no longer qualify for some of the programs we have had in previous years.

• Positive balances have remained in place during these last 2 years. Please check your students balance before the first day of school to determine if your student will need money deposited into their account.

• If your household does not qualify for Free or Reduced meals the district uses MySchoolbucks.com for online payments to your students account. If you do not already have an account set up please create an account before the first day of school and make sure your student has sufficient funds in their account to cover lunches.

Thank you for a great year and we hope you have an amazing summer!

Janet Fogel

Food Services Director

Hi Parents and Guardians,

As the year is coming to an end and planning for the new year is already underway, a couple of health-related plans are underway. The local Mancos Health Clinic will be doing sports physicals on August 3rd. This day will be a walk-in, no appointment necessary. If a parent cannot go to the appointment with the student, that is okay as long as the physical form is completed and taken with the student. The charge is $25. Medicaid is accepted. Below is the consent form for parents to sign download and sign ahead of time. See flyer for additional area clinics as well.

This fall Montezuma County SmileMakers will be coming to our school on October 19th and 20th, to provide numerous dental tasks including oral hygiene instructions, cleaning, fluoride, sealants, and more. They will return on April 19th and 20th of 2023. More information and consent forms will go out to parents in the fall. Also, I will continue to work with parents in regards to vaccination records and exemption forms being filed with the school and health care plans for all those students who take any type of medications on school grounds such as inhalers, insulin and oral medications in order to be in compliance with state laws.

Addressing mental health needs in school is critically important because 1 in 5 children and youth have a diagnosable emotional, behavioral or mental health disorder and 1 in 10 young people have a mental health challenge that is severe enough to impair how they function at home, school or in the community.(acmh-mi.org) Please, if you or your children need any help, our school and our community have many free resources available.