UPE News Update
NOVEMBER 8, 2019
DATES TO REMEMBER
November
11 - Veterans Day Concert 2pm
13 - SAC Meeting 3pm
19 - 2nd & 6th to Raptor Center 8:30am-2:00pm
20 - PTO Meeting 3pm
22 - 5th & 6th to Manitou Middle School
25-29 Fall Break
December
7 - Breakfast with Santa 9:00am
11 - SAC Meeting 3:00pm
12 - Middle School Concert District Aud. 6pm
18 - Craft Day
- PTO Meeting 3:00pm
19 - Winter Concert K,3,5,6 2:00 & 6:00pm
23 - January 7 Winter Break
REMAINING CONCERT DATES
Thursday, December 12- Middle School Band Concert (at the District Auditorium)
6th grade only
6:00 (Students need to arrive at 5:00pm)
Thursday, December 19- Winter Concert at UPES
K, 3, 5, 6
2:00 and 6:00
"KENNY AND THE DRAGON" PRIZE WINNERS
Why is chess important to Kenny and Graham?
The next drawing will be coming up soon! Keep reading and turning in the slips.
THE PENCIL AND PAPER ARE STILL ALIVE
"Handwriting is more connected to the movement of the heart."
Natalie Goldberg
During a recent conversation with a friend who does not work in education, I happened to mention that our school uses “Handwriting without Tears.” His amazed reply, “You still teach cursive?”
Of course we do. Sure, it may be a lot easier to type many things. Some people communicate wonderfully with their thumbs, others with a keyboard. In the digital age, it’s important to have these skills. Preserving hand-writing is important as well. Why? There are many reasons from developing fine motor skills to generating artistry and expression. Neuroscientist Dr. Claudia Aguirre says that handwriting is connected to better reading and writing, has a neural calming effect on people much in the same way as meditation, and activate parts of the brain responsible for thinking. Handwriting reflects both skill and personality, slows our inner tempo and may, in some people, loosen the creative juices of the mind. So, even in this digital age, the pencil still rules.
We haven’t forgotten the importance of handwriting at Ute Pass Elementary School and we never will. While we are preparing your children with 21st Century Thinking Skills with many advanced technological tools, we also treasure the composition of a piece of handwritten writing. There is just something about a final draft, in pencil, that instills a sense of craftsmanship in children. There is something organic about passing what is in one’s heart uniquely through one's hands.
This fall, make a point of writing a letter to your child. Tell him or her a story about when you or they were little or about how much you love them. Then, slide the piece up paper under their pillow. Who cares if you think you are a good or bad writer? Your words, in pencil, on real paper, will become an intensely treasured gift they will keep in a box and look at for years after you are gone. And, if you feel up to it, create a rainbow, tell a joke, or write a poem for them. It’s the simple fact that is in your hand that becomes the treasured gift.
All the best,
Chris
BREAKFAST WITH SANTA IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!
We had so much fun last year! Please take a minute to click on the link and see if there are any slots you’d be willing to fill. The more the merrier! For those who help set up and decorate on Friday the 6th, PTO is providing a pizza dinner!
Click here to sign up to help!
FOOD DRIVE
Ute Pass Community,
Ute Pass Elementary will be participating in a Food Drive to help restock the Manitou Springs School District 14 Food Pantry.
We are looking to collect non-perishable food items (canned veggies/meats/fruits/soups, pasta, dry beans, etc.) throughout the month of November. Please help us with this collection by sending in items!
The classroom that brings in the most food items will win a prize! There will be a collection box inside each classroom where items can be dropped off.
Thank you for your support, Ute Pass Service Corps
MARKER RECYCLING
YOU CAN NOW SCAN YOUR BOXTOPS FROM YOUR RECEIPTS!
LUNCH AND BREAKFAST MENUS
CLICK BELOW TO VIEW THE 2019/20 HANDBOOK
2019-20 UTE PASS ELEMENTARY CALENDAR
Here's how you find us....
Email: dhainds@mssd14.org
Website: http://upe.mssd14.org/
Location: 9230 Chipita Park Road, Cascade, CO, USA
Phone: 719-685-2227