Mesa Weekly News
September 12, 2021
Principal's News
Hello Mesa Families!
This weekend has been filled with reminders of the 20th anniversary of the attacks on 9/11. While many of us reflect on our memories of this impactful day, these memories also serve as a reminder of how thankful we are to be a part of the military community in Fountain and on Ft. Carson. Thank you to all of you who have served and who continue to serve so we may enjoy our freedoms.
Our teachers are continuing to work on helping students build meaningful relationships, as well as their self-awareness and self-management. Over 100 Mesa students were away from a classroom setting for more than a year. Building a strong foundation for students' social-emotional success will allow us to then build their academics and address any learning gaps. If you are looking for ideas or information on how to help students with their social needs, the following blog is a site for parents actively supporting kids' social emotional development: https://confidentparentsconfidentkids.org/. Additionally, Mesa staff are working together to create instructional plans to provide additional, intensive support for students needing additional practice in reading and math. Please watch for more information (coming home soon) on opportunities for students to access additional instruction via tutoring after school.
Mesa staff utilize the REMIND app as the main tool of communication with families. You are welcome to reach out to teachers via REMIND or email at any time. Please watch for weekly newsletters and updates from each grade level team throughout the school year.
We look forward to welcoming families in with opportunities to volunteer and have lunch with students starting in January, 2022 - once our construction is complete. Please access the Mesa Parent Handbook 21.22 attached below for more information on D8 and Mesa practices.
Thank you again for being an amazing support system! Please be sure to contact us with any needs or questions. We look forward to all that is to come this school year and the opportunity to work with each of you to help our students to Dream BIG, Work Hard and Make it Happen!!
Megan Oleson
PrincipalDrop-Off/Pick-Up Information 2021-2022
Please reference the photo below for guidance on our drop-off/pick-up procedures this year.
Car Riders (drop-off/pick-up)
As we are under construction on the north side of the building, all car drop-off/pick-up will take place in our west lot. We ask that parents avoid a left turn into the lot in order to keep traffic moving as quickly as possible. In the AM, parents should pull as far north as possible in the lot. Mesa staff members will be there to open doors and welcome students. Students will then enter the building and go directly to class where breakfast will be served each day. In the PM, students will be with their grade level (as indicated in the photo). Parents should still pull as far north as possible. A staff member will check in with you as you pull through the line and will call for your student(s) to come to your vehicle.
Walkers
Any students who are walking home with a parent will meet on the east playground. Students will be separated by grade level (indicated by color-coded cones). Parents may approach teachers to pick-up their student(s). Students are also able to walk home without being picked up by a parent. Students walking alone and needing to head west out of the building will be allowed to leave in this direction with the grade-level staff member walking kids out in that direction. Students heading east at the end of the day will be able to access the paved walkway out to Camino Del Rey to then head east towards Fountain Mesa. Both paths avoid walking near/around the fenced construction area at the north side of the building. Please let your son/daughter's teacher know your plan for after school pick-up.
Front Office Access:
Through January, 2022, our main office will be located just off of the east playground. Signage will be posted to guide families to the office access. 10-minute parking will also be available for families to access on Camino Del Rey. Parents should follow the paved walkway just east of the gym and follow the signs to the office door.
This Week at Mesa:
Sept. 13-17th: Illuminate testing for students in grades 2-5
Sept. 13-24th: Beginning of the year DIBELS (dynamic indicators of basic early literacy skills) for kinder students
Sept. 15th: 6-8 pm District 8 Board Mtg. (Zoom Link)
Save the Date:
- please watch for upcoming dates with opportunities for you to come in to see the building and hear about grade-level instruction, expectations, building-wide practices, and opportunities for you to attend family events throughout the year.
- Oct 1: 'Explore Day' activities for students K-5 - more information to come
Lunch Schedule
Lunch Menu
School Safety with Officer Geri
Parents ,
Thank you for supporting us and knowing the safety of Mesa Elementary students is the top priority of Staff. The suggestion of right turns from Fountain Mesa on to Ancestra, then Monterey and into the drop off/ pick up line, is a statistically proven method of less accidents. Choosing to turn left off Monterey into the parking lot is causing difficult and unsafe situations.
Please stop and wait for crossing guards to completely clear the crosswalk prior to proceeding through the crosswalk. Even when you are walking without kids, please model for our students by properly using cross walks.
Thank you,
Officer Geri
In order to help maintain safe drop-off and pick-up at Mesa, please remember the following tips:
- Please be mindful of the school zone speed limit of 20mph and parking lot speed of less than 10mph.
- Please do not make a u-turn near the cross walk.
- Please pull as far forward in the drop-off lane as possible without blocking the crosswalk.
- It is so important for us to model for our kids with a positive and kind spirit, allowing each other to move in jams as if we were at a concert or sporting event. Please use the courtesy of every other car merging to enter and exit.
- Keep intersections clear: do not block; move forward only if we can clear the intersection at every street and entry.
- Camino Del Rey (north side of Mesa) is used as a bus drop-off/pick-up zone. Please do not park in this area (indicated by signs) to drop-off or pick-up car riders.
Ask Nurse Janice
MEDICATION: All medication must be brought into the building and picked up from the building by an adult- students are not allowed to bring medication into the building. All medication must be approved by a prescribing physician with the appropriate forms signed. These forms can be found on the district website or by contacting your school nurse.
FACE MASKS: At this time, masks are not required but certainly allowed. At any time you can choose to send your child to school wearing a mask.
FEVER: Fever is defined as a temperature of 100.4 or higher. Students who have a fever should stay home and rest until they have gone 48 hours fever free without the aid of medication such as ibuprofen or Tylenol. If your child has a fever that lasts longer than 48 hours, please reach out to your school nurse to help problem solve what your next steps might be.
Keep up the good work! Our goal is to keep our Mesa community healthy and safeā¦ and in person learning!
About Us
Email: moleson@ffc8.org
Website: https://www.ffc8.org/Mesa
Location: 400 Camino Del Rey, Fountain, CO, USA
Phone: 719-382-1370
Facebook: facebook.com/MesaElementaryFFC8
Twitter: @MesaElemFFC8