Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to you and your family! The first semester has sure gone by fast this year. As we begin this second semester of this school year, we put a larger emphasis on making sure students are prepared for the next stage in their educational career. For our 5th graders, that means Middle School. That's right 5th grade parents/guardians...Middle School is right around the corner. Make sure your 5th grader is registered for Middle School. Please call Mrs. Hemphill at 719-328-5800 if you have questions about how to enroll.

As an AVID school, we try to foster a strong connection between home and school. To find out more about your child(ren)'s day, when they get home from school, ask them what is "one new thing" they learned today. Ask what their favorite part of their day was.

Reading together as a family, whenever possible, is another way for families to connect to what is being taught during the school day. As always, reach out to your child(ren)'s teacher if you ever have questions about what your child(ren) is learning during the day.

Quarter 2 Report Cards will be sent out via your Parent Portal on Powerschool. (They aren't printed anymore. You have to access them on Powerschool.) If you would like more support with accessing your child(ren)'s report cards, please contact the front office. We will be happy to walk you through this process.

Jackson families are the heart and soul of this community! Thank you for being a part of what makes it so special! As always, please feel free to reach out via ClassDojo, by phone, email, or stop by if you have any questions, needs, comments, etc.! Together, we will make a difference!

Thank you,

Sara Miller, Principal

• December 1st & 4th-Hearing and Vision Screening (PreK-3 & 5th)
• December 11th 6:00pm-National Elementary Honors Society Induction Ceremony
• December 13th-1st Semester Awards Assembly
• December 13th -Grinch Day AND Pajama Day
• December 14th 6:00pm-Band and Orchestra Concert
• December 18th-Technology Day: 3rd and 4th (morning), 2nd/5th (afternoon)
• December 19th- Technology Day: Kindergarten and 1st (morning)
• December 20th-Last Day of School (Winter Break)
• December 20th-School Movie for K-5
• December 21st-January 7th-Winter Break

• January 8th-First Day Back to School
• January 17th 5:00pm-PTO

We had over 50% of our parents/guardians complete the 5 Essentials Survey. This is the highest percentage we have ever had.

The staff uses this data (combined with their own survey data, in the spring) to make informed decisions about goals for the school year.

Thank you SO much for taking the time to complete this survey!

Here is the link for the January PTO meeting

https://cssd11.webex.com/cssd11/j.php?MTID=mcff239afa062700c50f60a54a603fa60

Thank you to everyone who helped raise funds for Jackson!

The top 3 sellers at the school were:

#1: Genesis Hinojo – profit $ 554.50

#2: Maelynn Ridosko – profit $355.50

#3: Daniel Lewis – profit $207

Tiny Thespians with Mrs. Slabach

The official musical announcement is coming on December 14! For the next couple weeks, students will receive clues and be able to guess the name of the musical at the bulletin board by the main office. If a student guesses correctly, they will be entered in a drawing for a fun prize!

Students interested in auditioning or interviewing for tech crew will be required to fill out an audition form with a parent/guardian signature. These forms will be sent home before Winter Break and due by audition day. Auditions will take place January 8-12 (more details to come)!

Please email Mrs. Slabach with any additional questions (monica.slabach@d11.org).

All the World's a Stage,

Monica Slabach

I’d like to thank Jackson's parents and guardians who have been working hard to get their students to school regularly and on time. Even with all of the illnesses this past month, our attendance rate is still showing a little improvement. Thank you for doing your part to make sure your child is at school, learning every day!

During cold and flu season, please keep your child home if they have a fever of 100.4 or higher, are vomiting, or have diarrhea. While these absences do still count toward the state’s law of 10 absences in a year, it is important to call the front office to let us know WHY the student is out, so that the absence can be excused.

Finally, with the holidays approaching, please remember that breaks are added to the schedule to allow children to visit family during these times. We want our students to have that time with their families, but they need to be in school as much as possible, to ensure they learn their grade level content. Please take this into consideration when planning you family trips.

Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help support your student(s) or if there is a barrier to getting them to school. We are here to help!

Enjoy your time with your children during Winter Break. We will miss them and look forward to their return on January 8th.

Sincerely,

Kyla Kahrs

Attendance and Behavior Interventionist

719-328-7175

Hello Jackson Family!

Here are some friendly reminders from one of our D11 partners, Care Solace, as we enter the holiday season.

Happy December! With the holidays upon us, there are many reasons to be joyful. It's a time for sharing, laughter, giving back, and creating memories with family and friends. The holidays, however, can also be stressful. We may be making plans to visit loved ones, managing our budget for gifts, or coordinating events with our community. With an already-packed schedule, these additional tasks can add stress to our lives.

Celebrating and connecting with family is important during the holiday season, but it's also essential to care for your mental health. National Stress-Free Family Holidays Month brings awareness to the harmful effects of stress and reminds everyone to take care of themselves as they approach the holidays. Here are some helpful tips for a more stress-free holiday season:

• Make modifications to holiday traditions. Consider ways to modify traditions that may negatively impact your mental health. It can be nice to stick with holiday traditions, but your mental health should take priority.
• Don't forget the power of "no." It's okay to say no to plans if you are feeling overwhelmed.
• Plan ahead. Keeping a calendar of events can help you stay on track and prepare for events. It can be stressful to shop on the same day as an event, so keep a list of tasks to prevent the rush.
• Talk about your feelings. You might be overwhelmed or missing a loved one. Talking about your feelings with a trusted friend or family member is okay. You are not in this alone.
• Take time for self-care. It's important to take care of ourselves before caring for others. This holiday season, make time for yourself.
• Find a therapist. Acknowledge your feelings and talk to a professional when needed. If you would like help finding a mental health care provider, use Care Solace, a complimentary and confidential coordination service provided by Colorado Springs School District 11:

1. Call 888-515-0595. Multilingual support is available 24/7/365.
2. Visit www.caresolace.com/d11 and either search on your own or click "Book Appointment" for assistance by video chat, email, or phone.

We wish you a joyous and stress-free holiday season!

From, Mrs. Kisler

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The holidays can be joyful or difficult depending on your situation. Please take care of yourselves and your family. Remember that memories with loved ones are more important than material things, so create some family traditions that do not require a lot of money—making a snowman, walking in the park, making Christmas or holiday cards/notes for relatives, playing a board game, decorating the house, having a dance party, etc. The dollar stores have a lot of fun craft items this time of year.

There are resources available in the community ranging from food or help with electricity, to mental health services. You can always call 2-1-1 for any of your resource needs. They have the most current listings: https://www.211colorado.org/

Here are some additional resources:

Pick up your Holiday Meal Kit at Mercy’s Gate.

Nov. 14-Dec. 23.

• Monday 5 pm-7 pm
• Wednesday 10 am-12 pm
• Thursday 10 am-12 pm, 2 pm-4 pm
• Friday 5 pm-7 pm

Westside Cares (WSC)

Address: 1930 West Colorado Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO, 80904
(719) 389-0759

Residents of the western section of the city and El Paso County can receive assistance from this center and food bank.

The Salvation Army offers assistance to residents of El Paso who are dealing with a crisis. Some of the programs include clothing, free food, utilities, Christmas assistance,you and funds for various other emergency needs, including rent. The organization will satisfy over 36,000 of these emergency needs each year. This includes thousands of meals and food items provided to senior citizens, children, and the homeless. This is offered out of a couple of different locations.

• 908 Yuma St. Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909, (719) 635-1287

Utility Assistance

To apply for LEAP, you can submit an application several ways starting Nov 1st through April 30th:

• Apply online on the Colorado PEAK website starting Nov 1st.
• Click on links below to download a LEAP application and drop it off at your local human services office, or mail/email it to your county/contractor to process. For contact information, call 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435). You can also find your county's mailing address in this contact list.
• Click here for the LEAP English Application and Information Sheet.
• Click here for the LEAP Spanish Application and Information Sheet.
• To request a paper application mailed to your please call 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435)
• If you are having a heating emergency please call 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435) to apply over the phone.

  
  

Mental Health Services

Diversus offers a 24/7 walk-in crisis center for all ages, regardless of ability to pay, for crisis services and counseling, as well as around-the-clock care for mental well-being.

• 115 S. Parkside Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80910

• Peak View Behavioral Health Assessment team: 719-355-1028 | Main line: 719-444-8484 | www.peakviewbh.com

Colorado Crisis Services
Text 38255
Call 844-493-8255

ColoradoCrisisServices.org

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org

Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention

719-573-7447

Leslie Clinite Ruiz, LCSW, MA

School Social Worker

Jackson Elementary School

Se Habla Español

(719) 328-5836 Desk

(719) 328-5800 Jackson Main office

(719) 328-5813 Attendance

Email: sara.miller@d11.org
Website: https://www.d11.org/Domain/37
Location: 4340 Edwinstowe Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Phone: 719-328-5800