School in May has brought us rain, snow and sunshine and Mayor Graham. Our Manitou Mayor came to school to answer questions as part of our counseling program. It was the first time many of us have met a mayor!

This week we honored our District nurses and health tech for Nurse Appreciation Day. Our nurses Alice Barnett, Kimberly Nowland, LeAnn Sharon and Malissa Burnell have worked long hours to keep us healthy and in school this year. Thank you also to Gabby Santos who has helped us behind the scenes!

Mustangs spent a lot of time outside at Bear Creek Nature Center, at our outdoor Science Fair and our Earthroom. Check out the pictures below.

Congratulations to the Manitou Springs High School Football team who won their big Championship game today in Pueblo.

Have a great weekend!

You may have heard that our Manitou Springs High School Varsity Football team made it to the State Championship Game for 2021 - the first time in 30 years and they won!! We could not be more proud of our "big kids" and wanted to share one of the ways they are setting an example and inspiring our mini-Mustangs here at MSES:

From Ms. Christi Marquardt, 4th GradeTeacher and Connect14 Robotics Coach AND parent of Varsity HS Football Player and Graduating Senior Lars Marquardt (#85):

"Second grader JJ Smith, in Connect14 FIRST Robotics, was tasked with creating a Lego model of something that could inspire others to "get moving!" JJ built a Lego model of the Manitou Springs Football field, because he was inspired by the team and their dedication to the sport. For this he got to meet and take a photo with the MSHS Varsity Football Team, and was presented with his very own Manitou Springs Football Jersey!!

Thank you, Players, for being that kind of inspiration.

Thank you, Coaches, for bringing the worlds of Elementary hopefuls and High School Champions together.

Thank you, Manitou... just thank you!

Go get ‘em, Stangs!!!”

Yesterday, Lisa Mussi and the entire fifth grade team and fifth graders were able to pull off the feat of Science Fair with COVID precautions.

The students’ presentations were remarkable and the time and energy that went into these projects was significant. It showed in their workmanship and pride as each student presented to the judges.

Thank you to the entire fifth grade team, judges and the multitude of hands that made this event possible. It was wonderful having some sense of normalcy and seeing such wonderful student work. We are proud to announce winners in the following categories:

Health and Behavior

1st Place - Ivy K. - Switching Cat and Dog Food

2nd Place - Olivia C. - Does doing mindfulness impact your focus/mood?

3rd Place - Adliya M. - Do different types of reading light effect deep sleep?

Physical Science

1st Place - Emma W. - Oil Lurking in the Ocean

2nd Place - Cade C. - Dissolving Paper

3rd Place (tied) - Michael R. - What Liquid Evaporates Fastest?

3rd Place (tied) - Lennon C. - Let There Be Light

Consumer Science

1st Place - Felix B. - Cat Brush

2nd Place - Joey M. - Does Sanitizer Work Better Than Soap and Water?

3rd Place - Brodie M. - Nose of a Golden Retriever

Biological Science

1st Place - Onora P. - Does the Amount of Water Effect Root Growth, Height, and Color of Grass?

2nd Place - Maya H. - What Kind of Seed Do Birds Prefer?

3rd Place - Braden C. - Is the Five Second Rule True?

Overall Winner

Felix B. - Cat Brush

Grab & Go meals will continue to be provided to all children (18 and under) daily throughout the summer! Starting on Tuesday, June 1st, you can pick up meals at MSES between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm. See below for additional location and other info.

• All K-5th students need to complete the iReady Math and Reading diagnostics by this Thursday, May 13th. https://login.i-ready.com/
• Please call the MSES office at 719-685-2195 to communicate your child's learning platform for next year. We hope to see all of you back in-person, but we understand if there is a need to disenroll for homeschool or to change schools.
• May 28th the official last day of online learning for the 2020/2021 school year. All courses should be between 80-100% completed by then.
  
• You DO NOT need to not return K12 materials.
• Technology (iPad with case and charging cord) must be returned no later than June 1st. Ms. Agnes will be here on May 28th and June 1st for you to sign them in at MSES.
• 5th Grade Promotion is on May 25th. Please contact Amy DeLarm (adelarm@mssd14.org) or me with questions about this event. Other important info is being shared directly with families whose 5th Grader is opting in.
  
• Report cards will be sent out in June.
• Connect 14 has summer enrichment opportunities for students. Sign up soon! https://www.connect14.org/

Ms. Kanaga's 5th Grade Magazine Group is proud to announce the publication of their Spring 2021 edition newspaper called The Remote Research Review! This year's paper is especially robust with 8 pages of thoughtful reporting. We will have full-color print copies available for purchase through the last day of school for $1 each. We are so proud of our students and the hard work that went into this project! Be sure to get your copy next week, and click on the image below to see the online version of the paper.

Third grade students had the opportunity to visit the Bear Creek Nature Center this week!

Ms. Elody's (Ms. Carter's) class enjoyed a scavenger hunt outside in the Earthroom this week!

This week Mayor John Graham came as a part of the Career Counseling Unit I'm doing with the kids. The students have been learning about important qualities in the professional world and qualifications for different jobs. The students developed interview questions and interviewed the Mayor about his role and his leadership experience.

2021-2022 Returning Student Registration Process

Currently enrolled students who will be returning, both resident and non-resident, will be rolled over to the upcoming 2021-2022 school year. You will receive an email notification to complete the registration renewal process in early June.

Here is the first step for you to complete:

Please help us with this process by completing the 2021-2022 Intent to Return Survey using the link below. We ask that all parents and guardians complete this survey regardless of whether they will be attending MSSD14 in the fall for the 2021-2022 school year.

Intent to Return Survey - https://forms.gle/Jc3B3nSVqdm3v8WL

Read about what's happening in our grade-level and exploratory classes at MSES!

Preschool: In preschool this week, we tackled an age old question: Is this a fruit or a vegetable? What a great game to play at the dinner table and grocery store! Preschoolers read A Fruit is a Suitcase for Seeds by Jean Richards and learned that fruits must develop from flowers (the part which holds the seeds), but that “vegetables” can hold seeds too! Why do we call a watermelon a fruit and a cucumber a vegetable?!?! We also learned that bees are important to helping flowers develop seeds. To further explore this, the afternoon class took a field trip to learn more about bees and beekeeping. How many queens does one bee colony have?

Kindergarten: We are busy learning about Presidents and American Symbols!

What color is the flag of the United States of America? (Red, white, blue.) Why are there 50 stars on the flag? (There are 50 states.) Where does the President of the United States live? (The White House.) What is a liberty you have? (Answers will vary.) Who was the first President of the United States? (George Washington.) What were some characteristics of George Washington? (He was brave, honest, and clever.) In what war did George Washington lead the American Continental Army to defeat the British Army? (American Revolution.) What document did our third President Thomas Jefferson help write? (The Declaration of Independence.)

1st Grade: This week we began our final domain of the school year: Frontier Explorers! Make sure to ask your expert: Why was it difficult for pioneers to travel west? (Appalachian Mountains, dense forests, harsh conditions) Who was already living on that land when the pioneers moved west? (Native Americans) What was the name of a famous woodsman who was largely responsible for the opening of the Wilderness Road, a path through the Cumberland Gap of the Appalachian Mountains? (Daniel Boone) What was the name of the city owned by the French at the mouth of the Mississippi River? (New Orleans) Why did the United States want to purchase New Orleans? (to gain access to the Mississippi River and the land around it). What was the huge territory called that Thomas Jefferson purchased from Emperor Napoleon? (the Louisiana Territory) Ask your expert to remind you about our recent field trip to Rock Ledge Ranch and what life was like for these pioneers!

2nd Grade: Why did immigrant families live in the big cities? (better job opportunities) Where did they live? (Neighborhoods with people from their home country.) Why? (They could support each other with familiar language and customs from home.) Why did some immigrants move to the Midwest? (They wanted more room and the chance to own their own land.) How did these immigrant ancestors change America? (They helped build the Transcontinental Railroad and brought many skills like farming, carpentry, laundry, and restaurants with traditional foods.) How do immigrants become American citizens? (They have to live in the U.S. for at least 5 years, speak and understand English, understand how our government and laws work under the Constitution, and learn our Nation’s history. They then have to take a test and be sworn in as a citizen.) What is the highest law in the land? (the Constitution) Who is the Father of this document? (James Madison) What document amends the Constitution to give citizens their rights? (The Bill of Rights) What role does the government have? (Enforce the Constitution and use taxpayers’ money for community buildings such as schools, fire departments, libraries, parks, and police departments.) Next up: Fighting for a Cause!

3rd Grade: Your third grade expert ecologist is learning all about the natural balance of ecosystems, and how easily this balance can be disrupted. Ask your expert to list some natural changes that affect an ecosystem’s equilibrium. (Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, wildfires, floods) See if they can also describe changes to the environment that are made by humans. (Oil spills, pollution, acid rain, removing natural habitats for crops and development, climate change) What are some ways that we can help to protect our planet? Reduce, reuse, recycle!! We will wrap up our Ecology unit by learning about environmentalists like John Muir, who is well known here in Colorado for this quote; “The mountains are calling, and I must go!”

4th Grade: Fourth Grade is finishing up the American Revolution with Timeline projects! We are also dipping into Poetry in our final CKLA Unit. Ask your student about lines, stanzas, and stanza breaks! Also ask them about all answers applicable to alliteration! :O) Ask about repetition, slant rhymes (where words share only the final consonant sound), and free verse! We have studied Roald Dahl’s unusual take on “Little Red Riding Hood” as well as Norman Ault’s “Wishes”, Harriet Mullen’s “Ask Aden”, Nikki Giovanni’s “My First Memory (of Librarians)”,and Lanston Hughe’s “Harlem”! Which one is your child’s favorite so far and why??

5th Grade: Fifth graders continue to work on Midsummer Night’s Dream. Students learn how to use their bodies to show the characters’ “power” in a scene and how to move in ways that let others know who their characters are. Students also learned that Shakespeare left the determination of the characters’ looks up to the director of the particular play, allowing for a broad range of correct interpretations and themes. Ask Your Expert: How do you move like Oberon? (Powerful, stand up straight, speak with confidence) What does it look like when the fairies move? What is the current love interest set up? (Helena loves Demetrius. Demetrius loves Hermia. Hermia and Lysander love each other.) How does Puck change things? (Puck enchants Lysander by mistake making him fall in love with Helena complicating everything!)

Art: Third grade artists enjoyed their last week of art for this school year decorating their paper origami stars using the decoupage technique. Have a wonderful summer and I will see you all in fourth grade:)

Spanish: Hola amigos! Among other topics, Kindergarten studied unit #5, "Hola ¡Soy listo!" “Hello, I am smart!” They also had a lot of fun playing jump rope counting to 20. The children learned about the farm animals pollito/chicken, gallina/hen, gallo/rooster, paja/hay, caballo/horse, cerdo/pig, vaca/cow, oveja/sheep. Vocabulario: grande/big, pequeño/small, listo/smart, ¿quién?/who?

Music: This week, 4th and 5th grade musicians explored minimalism, wrote original music inspired by landscape paintings or pictures,and played the songs We Will Rock You, Stand By Me, and Best Day of My Life on piano, guitar, bass, ukulele or drums. Ask your expert, “What did you enjoy most in Music this week?”

This was my last week with our 5th grade students, and it has been an honor and delight to watch many of them grow from sweet little kindergarteners playing ukulele and keyboard to multi-faceted creative, expressive, well-rounded musicians. I will miss you all, but I’m excited for all the good things you’ll discover and create as you spread your wings!

PE: Kindergarteners are learning 4 different games in 5 days…..4-square, 2 base kickball, indoor soccer, and end of the year review of everything we have done this year….they will also be coming home with a worksheet to do over the summer. This is in place of the field day we would normally be doing, but can not do this year because of the pandemic. Hopefully we will all be back to a normal schedule next year….enjoy and have a great summer...if you ever have any questions you can email me...rniebuhr@mssd14.org

Reading/Math Intervention: As mentioned last week, we are busy working on our End of Year Dibels testing. It is exciting to see how the students have grown! We are working hard to get testing completed so we can get back to working with groups. We will be working with our groups up until the last minute we can. This has been a challenging year and we are working hard to finish strong!

TEAMS: In TEAMS this week, second graders continued to practice keyboarding skills both with letter practice and useful words. Please continue to practice this summer! Go to www.msesteams.weebly.com and click on your child’s grade level, then Typing Pal. The username is your child’s first name, middle initial and last initial. The password is their first name and 4-digit ipad code. The students also made an ebook in which they wrote about their experiences in the 2020-2021 school year. Ask your expert what they included in their book about successes/challenges.

We ask that everyone continue to use the MSSD14 COVID Intake Form only when your student or someone in your household has COVID-like symptoms. This form is used only for students and staff who are absent due to unexplained or unexpected illness. This new process allows us to have consistent communication with staff and parents, which ultimately contributes to a stronger contact tracing process and the continuation of in-person learning.

Please support the PAC by participating in the grocery rewards program (details below).