Message from Principal Masone
Dear Families,
Happy Halloween! After wonderful conferences last week, this week was filled with great learning and lots of fun.
Students at Manitou Springs Elementary use the language arts curriculum CKLA, Core Knowledge Language Arts(coreknowledge.org). Kindergarten has been learning all about fruit and pollination through CKLA. Students learned how insects, like bees, transfer pollen from one plant to another and help fruit grow. Today, they checked out fruit up close at our annual pumpkin drop. First grade teacher, Jon Pletsch, dropped pumpkins from the school roof and students from all grade levels made predictions like, "A big pumpkin will hit the ground faster than a small pumpkin because it is heavier." Ask your child, if the prediction was correct.
As a reminder our school Core Values are : Relationships, Deep Learning and Opportunity. After more than a year of COVID, we are working on a new teaching format to address Deep Learning for primary students through a flooding model. Flooding is a technique in which multiple staff members provide educational instruction to an individual grade level at the same time to remediate and extend student learning to ensure we reach the individual needs of our students. One of the tools we are using to remediate early readers is a program called Really Great Reading, (reallygreatreading.com). Our goal is to have each and every student in our school reading at or above grade level. You can help us reach our goal by reading to your child or having your child read to you---every day!
Our PAC, Parent Advisory Committee, is meeting the second Tuesday of each month at 10:00am and 5:30pm, in person. The next meeting is November 9th. PAC is planning on helping MSES fund another service dog and would like your input and suggestions. Join us to hear more!
It is essential that students wear masks on the bus. If your child rides the bus, make sure a mask is in place before leaving home. Because our drivers need to pay attention to the road, we need students to come ready with a mask.
I hope you were able to join the fun today at the Halloween parade. It was fun to see so many friendly faces. Check out the pictures below.
Have a terrific fall weekend and Happy Halloween.
Warmly,
Maria
