Dear Families:

It was another wonderful week at Manitou Springs Elementary School!

A heartfelt thank you to all of our families for providing wonderful breakfast treats, flowers notes and more for Teacher Appreciation Week. It is such a special time of the year for our staff...bittersweet, as we prepare to close out the school year.

As we approach the final stretch of the year, I would like to remind you of a few important dates to keep in mind:

• May 15, Field Day, Grades 3, 4, 5, MSHS
• May 19, Field Day, Grades K, 1, 2, MSES
• May 24 Fun Run Fundraiser, 3, 4, 5 8:30am--K, 1, 2 9:30
  
• May 25, Last day of school, 12:00 dismissal

PAC is hosting one final fundraiser, a FUN RUN. Families are welcome to join us on the field on May 24th. Grades 3, 4, 5 will run at 8:30am and Grades K, 1, 2 will run at 9:30am. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to fund school events. This fundraiser is unique in that each day students will be learning about various character traits. Students can also win cool prizes even if they choose not to participate in the fundraiser part of the Fun Run fundraiser.

On May 15th, Grades 3, 4, and 5 have Field Day at MSHS at 8:30am. Please watch the weather!

Thank you for your continued partnership.

Have a lovely weekend!

Warmly,

Maria

“It’s GO time! Don’t wait to join!”

Manitou Springs Elementary School families,

The day is here! You can now register for our Manitou Springs Elementary Fun Run! Our goal is to raise $10,000 for PAC Budget for Classroom & School Resources. Registering is easy and free!

️ Register Now On MYBOOSTER.COM ️

Be sure to check out the easy sharing functions on MYBOOSTER.COM to let others know how they can help support our school.

Thank you for working with us to make our school stronger. We are grateful for your support!

Kindergartners have been busy learners this year! They have learned how to be a part of a school community, explored their emotions and how to label them, discovered possible solutions to social problems, learned the foundations for "cracking the code" to reading, they have become mathematicians, and SO MUCH MORE!! It has been fun watching them learn and grow this year together. We are working through our final social studies domain of the school year right now learning all about American symbols and some influential presidents of the past. Last week, we focused on George Washington as our first president, and next week we will learn about Thomas Jeffereson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Barack Obama. Students are even invited to bring teddy bears to school next week as we explore Theordore Roosevelt's inspiration for their creation. Here are a few questions you can ask a kindergarten expert about their learning so far:

• What colors are on the United States of America flag? (red, white, blue)
  
• Why are there 50 stars on the flag? (50 states)
  
• Where does the president of the United States live? (the White House)
  
• Who was the first president of the United States? (George Washington)
  
• What were some good characteristics of George Washington? (He was brave, honest, and clever.)

We are also wrapping up our learning during our ELA flooding time as well. Students have had a wonderful opportunity this year to work on targeted skills that they need to become stronger and more successful readers. It has been so exciting to watch each and every kiddo learn and grow! We are so proud of their progress.

We are also working on our maps of Manitou Springs. Students have created a map, compass rose, and a key for our community. Please look for them to be coming home soon. They are truly impressive!

Library

Please return any library books by Friday, May 12th so we can start our inventory to prepare for next year!

TEAMS

In class we have been working on prepping the gardens for planting. We are learning about which types of plants grow best in the sun and shade. So far we have planted wildflowers in the Earth room and lettuce in the cold frames. Recently, we had keyboards donated to our school for each classroom. This helps us to practice our keyboarding in other subject areas within the classroom. I have been encouraging students to remember to have their pointer fingers on the "F" and "J" when they start to type an assignment so they can begin to memorize the keyboard.

Help Kids Make Friends and Interact Safely Online

Give them the right words.

Kids learn about appropriate verbal and physical communication from watching you. But online conversations can be invisible. Occasionally, narrate as you're writing texts or social media comments when your kids are in earshot.

Play a game of telephone.

Discuss how a message can change depending on the person delivering it or the delivery method. Read a question like "What are you doing?" with different tones of voice. Talk about how emoji and punctuation can help communicate tone and emotion in text messages.

Help kids navigate online friendships.

In the beginning, you might limit all communication with strangers online. As kids get older, you can monitor any online chatting. And once they're more independent, you can discuss which methods of communication are appropriate as well as which types of information to keep private from online-only friends.

Develop their instincts.

Help kids trust their guts so they can exit iffy or inappropriate online conversations. Discuss different scenarios and ask how they would feel and what they would do.