The Lion's Share Newsletter
April 2022
From the Desk of Mr. Miller:
Grant Families,
The grass is beginning to turn green, the days are getting longer, and the weather is warming. I hope you all had a wonderful spring break. The Miller household stayed home during break. My wife and I enjoyed taking our kindergartner out to a movie, playing at parks, bowling, and bike rides!
As you can see from the April events listed below, we have a lot happening this month! One of the things I would like to address is our upcoming CMAS Testing for our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. I always tell the students that Mr. Miller only has one simple rule when it comes to the CMAS...Just do your absolute best! Our students and teachers have worked incredibly hard this year and the CMAS test is simply a way for our Lions to show what they know! As long as they give their best effort, I know they will be successful! With that, I would like to ask that during our CMAS window (April 11 - 22) that our students get a good night's sleep, have a great breakfast, and are on time to school each day! Students that arrive late to school may not be allowed to test with their class. As a friendly reminder, students should arrive at 7:45 to start their day! The last thing I wanted to mention in regard to CMAS is that there are some pretty strict rules that we are given during the testing window. One of which is not having any visitors or volunteers in during the testing window, specifically in the classrooms. This is one of my least favorite rules as I love having you in our building and classrooms, but please know as soon as testing is complete, our doors will open back up to all of you!
I had mentioned to you another exciting change taking shape a couple of months ago, which is our new STEAM lab! The demolition on our wall is complete, new carpet was installed, and our brand new furniture just arrived yesterday! We are excited to show it off to you and can't wait to have our students in there creating, building, and designing soon!
Finally, we will be hosting our Track Day for all students at the end of the month. Please know that we have a primary day (grades K-2) and an intermediate day (grades 3-5) scheduled for specific days. If we have any spring weather that comes in on those days, we will move the events to our alternate days, which can be found below under April's events calendar. The exciting news is that this year, we want YOU to come and join us to cheer on your student(s) and have some fun! This will be the first time since COVID hit that we have been able to have parents celebrate Track Day with us! It's great to be able to really feel like we are returning to normal, so please put those dates on your calendar so you can be here to join us!
I hope April is a great month for you and thank you for taking the time to check out our newsletter!
Have a great one,
Ryan Miller
Principal, Grant Elementary
2022-2023 Kindergarten Registration Day!
Capturing Kids' Hearts Focus for April: Responsibility
As our year begins to come to a close, it is imperative that we remember our focus, keep our efforts strong, and continue our responsibility as Lions! This month, our Capturing Kids' Hearts Focus is Responsibility. As you can see below, being responsible is important for numerous reasons, but one that stands out is teaching our students resiliency, which is critical to have this time of year. We encourage you, parents & guardians, to talk with your Lion about responsibility and what it looks like at home with you, here at school, and ultimately what it personally means for each of us as we continue to grown into responsible individuals.
What is Responsibility?
Responsibility is the willingness and ability to take ownership of our thoughts, words, and actions. We have a responsibility to our school, family, and community to be accountable for our choices and how they impact ourselves and others.
Why focus on Responsibility?
- Responsibility teaches resilience. It is not possible to persevere and achieve our dreams without taking personal responsibility seriously.
- Responsibility empowers us to own our actions. There is great power in being able to make conscious, calculated choices to reach goals and manage those things in our control.
- Responsibility teaches us to manage our time and resources. Responsibly organizing and prioritizing needs is an executive function of the brain that improves with practice.
Responsibility in Action:
- Give students roles and responsibilities. When students have a leadership role in class, they are accountable for contributing positively to the classroom culture.
- Empower students with self-management tools. Provide students with tools to help manage stress and impulsivity while motivating them to meet goals.
- Clearly communicate consequences. Empower students to make choices and experience the consequences of their actions, both positive and negative.
STEAM lab update
Student Feature
When you walk by Henry, one of Grant's great 3rd graders, you won't be able to get by without him asking you how you are doing and wanting to give you a high-five! That's the type of wonderful student Henry is! We want to highlight Henry this month because he is always so polite, helpful, and just an all-around fantastic student! Grant community, we are proud to introduce you to Henry!
What do you love most about Grant? The school helps me to learn and to have fun!
What do you love about being a 3rd grader this year? I get to learn math, like fractions.
What do you think about Capturing Kids’ Hearts: It teaches me to love this school and to be a good student. Our social contract is important because it helps us to show respect, to not have put downs, to listen to our teacher, and to be kind.
What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a firefighter because if someone is in trouble and they can't get help, I can help them.
What’s your favorite subject: I love all of the subjects because they help me to get ready for my future, like reading and writing. I will be able to count money, so if someone gives me the wrong change, I can tell them and they won't loose their job.
What does it mean to you to be a Grant Lion? To be a good student and help others.
Fun Pictures from March!
Important April Events:
Monday, Apr 4: PTA sponsored Safety Town for kindergarten & 1st grade
Wednesday, Apr 6: NEHS 2:30-3:45
Thursday, Apr 7: Kindergarten musical performance in gymnasium 1:40-2:00
Tuesday, Apr 12: Student Council field trip to Ronald McDonald House 2:40-4:00, Skate Night 6:00-8:00
Wednesday, Apr 13: Band/Orchestra Solo Ensemble at Chipeta ES 4:30-7:00, Rescheduled PTA meeting 6:00 in Grant's media center
Monday, Apr 14: CMAS Testing begins for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade and runs through April 22
Tuesday, Apr 19: Kindergarten field trip to zoo 9:00-2:00
Wednesday, Apr 20: 1st grade field trip to ENT Performing Center 11:20-1:40, NEHS 2:30-3:45
Monday, Apr 25: Track Day for grades 3-5, Paperwork for 5th grade overnight field trip is due, 5th grade overnight field trip chaperone meeting 3:30
Tuesday, Apr 26: Alternate Track Day for grades 3-5 (if there is weather on 4/25)
Wednesday, Apr 27: Track Day for grades K-2, 5th grade to leave for overnight field trip
Thursday, Apr 28: Alternate Track Day for grades K-2 (if there is weather on 4/27), 5th grade returns from overnight field trip
Friday, Apr 29: Kindergarten Registration for the 2022-2023 school year 8:00-3:00
Contact Information:
Email: Ryan.miller@d11.org
Website: https://www.d11.org/Domain/35
Location: 3215 Westwood Boulevard, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Phone: 719.328.5700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grantelementarylions