New Emerson News
New Emerson School • March, 2021 • Issue 8
March Greetings from Ms. Terry
Dear New Emerson families:
Is spring around the corner? It sure seems like it is. We are excited to begin eating outside again, having a new shade structure built, and begin enjoying learning outside. Our learners are ready for spring.
March’s activities are keeping us focused on doing for others. Caring Kids, our community service team, sponsored by Jessica King, is ready to sponsor another drive. This month, Caring kids will kick off their Pet Supplies drive for two local animal shelters: Mesa County Animal Services and Harmony Animal Matchmaker and Sanctuary. We will be collecting supplies from March 1-March 18th. Please refer to the flyer in our newsletter to see how you can help.
Our third, fourth, and fifth grade learners will be participating in a virtual science fair. All semester long they have worked on their science fair projects. This year, they will videotape their science project and send it off to a team of judges. What a creative spin on keeping the science fair alive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read Across America Week is happening next week. Please refer to the flyer for fun dress up days. Ms. Miranda has exciting learning experiences happening in the Libratory. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also. check out your Classdojo for a peek into what is happening at school.
Thank you for your continued support.
Ms. Terry
Important Upcoming Dates
March 1-Read-a-thon ends
March 1-4-Read Across America Week - Dress up Days! (See Flyer below)
March 4-National World Engineering Day & Employee Appreciation Day
March 11-NO SCHOOL -- Teacher Work Day
March 14-Daylight Savings Time Begins
March 14-Science Fair Submissions Due (3-5 grades)
March 19-Science Fair Results (3-5 grades)
March 22-26-NO SCHOOL -- Spring Break
April 5-8-CMAS Testing 3-5 grades English Language Arts
April 12-15-CMAS Testing 3-5 grades Math
April 19-22-CMAS Testing 5th grade Science
From Ms. Tina in the Office
Hi!
Here are a couple of important things you need to know this month:
1. Parents please do not schedule appointments for your 3rd, 4th or 5th graders during the first three weeks of April. We will be doing testing during that time and it is difficult to schedule make up times for testing.
2. Ms. Miranda and I want to thank you all for helping us help the Lions Club last month. Because of your generosity, we were able to donate almost $700 in raffle ticket sale money. Thank you, New Emerson community!
Read Across America Dress Up Days March 1-4
Caring Kids Service Group Collecting Pet Supplies for Local Shelters
March PTO Meeting Online on Monday, March 8th @ 7pm
Use a non-school Gmail account & click the link below to join!
Spring Music Concert Updates with Mr. Jack
Hello New Emerson Families,
I can hardly believe that we are now approaching 4th quarter! It’s been an incredibly challenging year for everyone, though to me, it also seems like third quarter flew by! I hope you had the chance to see our Holiday program. Even though it wasn’t quite what it has been in the past, I am so grateful that we were still able to put together a program this year. If for any reason you and your family were not able to watch the performance, or would like to see again, I am putting it back on the YouTube channel this weekend and will leave it up there through the 15th. Here’s the link to it: https://youtu.be/gKjmWVuvy90
Second semester is usually the busiest time of the year for our music program, especially in terms of concerts and concert preparation. This year is no different! Most grade levels are already hard at work preparing their music to share with everyone. Again, like everything else though, it will look different this year.
We have recently been approved to have live audiences at our performance events. There are limitations to this however. Currently one of the most important of those limitations is that events must be limited to half the capacity of the performance location. Our gymnasium's half capacity is 78 total people. This includes performers, staff and audience members. This means that audience members would basically be limited to one per student for each concert. This would create a few major logistical issues for families. Because of this, I believe that for the majority of our remaining concerts this year, it is best if we continue to perform our songs without a live/in person audience.
For grades K-4, set up for these concerts will be similar to the Holiday program. We will choose a day to perform, students can go to school on that day wearing their concert attire. We will perform, record and live stream during their regular music class time. The live stream link and recordings will be available through a link and I will send out an email to everyone as soon as we have chosen the days to record each concert.
For fifth grade, however, I would like to host a concert for a live/in person audience. This will be the last musical performance for this fifth grade class. Their concert is set for Tuesday, May 4th at 5:45 and 6:30. In order to give family members a chance to see the concert, we will need to have two separate performances that evening, and we will need time in between each concert to clean and sanitize the room. We will also need to have all audience members obtain tickets and have assigned seating for each concert. I know this already sounds challenging and complicated, but I will send out more details regarding this event which should help with that.
I know that is a lot of information, and I know that none of this is ideal. I would like to thank all of you for your patience and understanding throughout all of this. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Jack Chipchase
Dear Parents,
My February classroom lessons in Kindergarten and 1st grade were about Diversity. The learners in these classrooms considered the many ways that people are alike and different – physical differences, cultural differences, preferences, abilities and talents, and how we learn. We talked about how we can be friends with people who are different from us, and the importance of treating all people with kindness and respect.
I met with learners in grades 2-5 in another round of resiliency groups in February. I am now finished with these groups with 2nd, 3rd, and 5th graders, and will continue with 4th graders since they started later. The learners in these classrooms were placed in groups based on choices they made about strategies to build resilience. The strategies are Make Positive Connections, Reach out to be Kind, Use My Strengths, Focus on the Good, Be Mindful, Keep My Personal Power, and Think Things Through.
April is child abuse prevention month. I will be showing films and reading books about personal safety in all of the classrooms in April. The films and books are age appropriate. If you would like to preview the film or book that I will be using in your child’s classroom, please send me an email or call me before March 11th.
Thank you,
Leslie Atchison
New Emerson School Counselor
Leslie.Atchison@d51schools.org
254-6500, ext. 53200
From Ms. Lora in the Art Room
Hello New Emerson Families!
The art room is buzzing with a chance to win lots of money. This year all of our learners are creating a project for the 14th Annual Bank of Colorado 2022 Calendar Contest. This is open to all K-12 students in Mesa County. There is a first, second, and third place winner for each grade level plus one overall cover page winner. Once the students complete their artwork I will attach a hard copy of the entry form to their artwork and send it home with them. From there it's up to you if you would like to participate. If you choose to enter you can send the completed entry form and the original artwork back to school and I will take them to the bank or you can take the work directly to the bank yourself. If you chose not to participate feel free to disregard the entry form and display the work proudly at home. All artwork will be returned to New Emerson after the contest.
Because of your support, our learners love making great art!
Lora Quesenberry
Math League Update
Hello Families,
We have reached the home stretch of our Math League experience this year. I am so proud of the students and the learning they have accomplished in a short amount of time. The students who decided to compete in the in-school competition began last week and we will wrap the competition up on March 9th. I will submit the answers to the MathLeague organization and will pass out the results as soon as possible.
A couple of reminders:
-We will not meet during Spring Break
-Our last meeting/celebration will be March 30th
Thanks for your support and encouraging your kids!
Ms. Sara
New Emerson School
Email: terry.schmalz@d51schools.org
Website: http://newemerson.mesa.k12.co.us
Location: 2660 Unaweep Avenue, Grand Junction, CO, USA
Phone: 970-254-6500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/New-Emerson-Elementary-School-at-Columbus-1777997242470713/?fb_dtsg_ag=AdwAUYXOkZ9NTowiCwStvO1AGxpvoGWcEJPrzJoRLQjX9Q%3AAdw5n_U12UU9boFaRsmiWqGaG3DqFraAOdSVfZNYgREO5A