UPE News Update

The Magic of Parent Teacher Conferences

There’s a lot of communication that needs to happen between a teacher and a parent. Many things just cannot be expressed in an email or across the phone. Case in point, when my son was in 7th grade, I sat across from his history teacher who looked me right in the eye, grabbed my hand, and said without blinking, “your son is the weirdest kid I’ve ever met.”

Not sure how I would have reacted to that message if it had been delivered in an email. The look on the face of the teacher, however, when he said it in person, instantly communicated this was the ultimate compliment about my son.

I’m still laughing about that, and, thankfully, so is my son. My son agreed with his teacher’s assessment. “I love him,” my son told me later. “He made “weird” a strength for me. From that moment on, I embraced my geek-dom.”

You just have to know this: At Ute Pass Elementary School we love every single kid. They ALL get under our skin in wonderful ways - even when they are hard to know or get in trouble sometimes. The quiet ones who do everything we ask them to, the loud ones who do nothing we ask them: each one is a challenge, a blessing, or a puzzle for us. Each child expands what is possible for every staff member. They do this for us while we teach them.

I love parent-teacher conferences, both as a teacher, a parent, and a principal. There is something special about taking just a moment to look into the eyes of another person who also really loves this child. Learning how your child is growing and learning is wonderful. Learning how your child’s flowering uniqueness inspires the world is priceless.

-Mr. Briggs-Hale

After School Day Care

We need three more students to sign up to make this sustainable. If you are thinking about joining, remember we do provide transportation from UPE to Manitou Spring Elementary. Please contact the director at dtramel@mssd14.org. To find out more, click on the After School Child Care button on our District Website

Picture Retakes - Tuesday, October 26

School pictures retakes will be held on Tuesday, October 26 if you missed out on the first round. It is easy to order online at mylifetouch.com using picture code EVTKSNK8C.

National Observances

Brought to you by Sixth Graders Ivy and Wyatt

Columbus Day (Oct. 11th):

Columbus Day is a U.S. holiday that commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. Columbus Day 2021 was celebrated on Monday, October 11th. Christopher Columbus was an Italian adventurer who wanted to find a faster route to India. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain sponsored Columbus’ trip. The usual route to India was either the Silk Road (which was very dangerous) or a long route around the tip of South Africa. Back then, no one knew what was in between Europe and India, so when Columbus arrived in the Caribbean, he thought he was in India. Columbus thought that the Native Americans who were there were Indians. That’s why sometimes today we call Native Americans “Indians,” but we really should call them Native Americans.

Indigenous Peoples Day (Oct. 11th):

What do you know about Indigenous Peoples Day? Do you know what indigenous means? The word indigenous means “originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native.”1 One example of an Indigenous tribe would be the Inuit of the Arctic. They have been living there for thousands of years and originated there. Furthermore, Native Hawaiians are also Native to their land. Indigenous Peoples Day is a day to celebrate the resilience, strength, and positive impact of indigenous people on society because “for generations, federal policies systematically sought to assimilate and displace Native people and eradicate Native cultures.”2 Luckily, indigenous people have persevered and are still strong. Take some time this month to recognize and celebrate indigenous cultures around you. The Ute and Cheyenne tribes are indigenous to the region we live in today. I hope you have learned something about this important day!