Families and Community,

Happy 2023! I hope you had a relaxing winter break. We were so excited to welcome students back into the building on Thursday!

The start of the new year is always an important time of reflection for me. When I look back on all we've accomplished at UPES already this school year, I am filled with pride for this staff and our amazing students. With that comes well deserved recognition for our families and community for all of your support in a season of transition and growth. Thank you, truly, for being such an integral part in educating these young people.

It's hard to believe that we are already accepting choice applications for the 23-24 school year and MAAS 6th grade program! If your child is a current choice student, you do not need to fill out another application for next year. Current 5th grade students who would like to attend our 6th grade program need to submit the Mountain Academy of Arts and Sciences application to Christina Baker (cbaker@mssd14.org) by February 6th to reserve a spot in that program. Applications cannot be turned into UPES and must be submitted to Christina. We are offering school tours toward the end of this month for interested families (flyer below). Please call Mrs. Dudley at 685-2227 if you, or another family you know, would like to tour UPES as you consider your options for next year! We're expecting another year of growth- not just in numbers, but continuing our focus on growing hearts, minds, bodies, and the earth!

#watchusgrow

Your partner in education,

Jackie Powell, Ute Pass Principal

Our morning announcements are such a wonderful way to start the day! We have student-led announcements and singers every single day!

We want to share some of this Pony Pride from our "home" to yours! If you'd like to watch morning announcements, we are live-streaming them each day! Simply subscribe to the Ute Pass YouTube channel at this link- UPES YouTube

MANITOU SPRINGS CO – The City of Manitou Springs is conducting an important survey regarding public transportation and mobility in our community. The survey begins December 12th at 12:00p.m. and will remain open until January 20th. Your opinion matters, and we would like to hear from you! Your responses will have a direct impact on decisions in our community. There are three ways to participate in the survey:

1. Visiting the survey directly:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ManitouSprings_Mobility_Survey

or

https://bit.ly/MSMobilitySurvey

Make your voice heard by sharing your opinion and participating in the survey. Your answers are completely confidential, and the survey will only take 8 minutes to complete.

A healthy breakfast and lunch is a key factor in growing a healthy mind and body! Ute Pass Elementary will offer breakfast to students for $1.45 and lunch for $2.95. See below for information on accessing menus.

You can find the new free and reduced application on the district website- https://www.mssd14.org/departments/food_service.

If you don’t qualify for free and reduced price meals, please make sure that there is money in your student’s account. You can add money online at this link- https://mssd14.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=57448&pageId=13267314

Any questions or concerns, please call Paula Faucette, Director of Nutrition Services, at 719-685-2005 or email pfaucette@mssd14.org.