
Mammoth Tracks
October 25th, 2024

January 31st, 2025
February Calendar of Events
February 3, Pre-K and Kindergarten Round Up Begins
February 6, Eaglecrest Feeder Art Show at EHS 5-7pm
February 10 - 14, Spirit Week for EHS Wish Week (more information enclosed)
February 11, 4th Grade Music Performance 6pm
February 17, No School-President's Day
February 18, No School, Non- Contact Day K-12
February 19, Community Meeting 6:00pm MVE Library
February 19, Spirit Day and Community Restaurant Night at Chipotle
February 27, Voices of Color 5:00pm Sky Vista Middle School
Message From the Principal
Happy New Year, Mountain Vista Families!
As we welcome 2025, I want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate January as Board of Education Appreciation Month. We are truly grateful to the Board of Education of Cherry Creek Schools for their commitment to student success and educational excellence. Their leadership, vision, and unwavering support create the environment where both staff and students thrive, and we are deeply appreciative of their ongoing dedication to our community.
At Mountain Vista, we remain deeply committed to ensuring all students grow and achieve at high levels. One way we do this is through our Professional Learning Community (PLC) model, which focuses on collaborative teacher teamwork. In PLCs, teachers regularly analyze student learning data and develop intentional instructional strategies to address each child’s unique needs. Supporting this work, our WIN (What I Need) time provides every student with targeted instruction designed specifically for their current learning goals, whether they need extra practice, support, or enrichment. This tailored approach allows us to make sure every child receives what they need to be successful. We encourage you to ask your child about what they are working on during WIN time—it’s an exciting part of their day built just for them!
You should have also received your child’s STAR assessment report by email. This report highlights your student’s growth and areas for continued development as we move forward in the school year. If you have questions or want to learn more about the report, please reach out to your child’s teacher. Our partnership with you is key to supporting your child’s educational journey, and we are always here to collaborate with you.
Thank you for your continued focus on learning and growth as we work together to provide every student with an engaging and meaningful experience. We look forward to making the second half of the year a time of continued achievement and success!
Warm regards,
Megan Carkhuff
Principal, Mountain Vista Elementary
Updates
Safety Updates:
Safety Reminder for Arrival and Dismissal
To ensure the safety of all our students, parents and guardians are reminded not to stop on Radcliff Parkway or Tibet Street to pick up or drop off students. Stopping in the roadway creates unsafe conditions for your child and for others. Please use the car loop or parking lot to help keep everyone safe. Thank you for your cooperation!
Try the Car Loop – It’s Quick and Easy!
Our updated car loop process for arrival and dismissal is designed to be safe, efficient, and stress-free. Don’t just take our word for it—here’s what parents are saying:
"You're not going to sit there very long! It really moves!" – 3rd Grade Parent
"I used to never come in the lot because it was a disaster. Now it’s a no-brainer. It’s so easy." – 2nd/5th Grade Parent
Join us in the car loop—you’ll be in and out in no time while helping us keep all students safe!
Arrival/Dismissal/Attendance Reminders
Please remember that we have a soft start beginning at 7:45 a.m., and school starts promptly at 8:00 a.m. Do not drop your students off any earlier than 7:45 a.m. as there is no supervision outside the entry doors before then. Keep in mind that frequent tardiness and early dismissals lead to missed instruction and can affect your student’s ability to successfully meet grade level standards and take part in the school community. If you are calling to excuse an absence for your child, we advise you to use the 24-hour attendance line (720-886-2795) and not the main office line. If you need to pick up your child prior to dismissal, you must do so no later than 2:25 p.m. (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) and 1:25 p.m. on Wednesdays. Thank you for your partnership and cooperation in supporting our students.
Reporting an Absence
If your child will be absent for any reason, please remember to call our 24-hour attendance line,
720-886-2795. Please include following information with your message:
· Student’s first and last name (please spell)
· Teacher name and grade
· Reason for the absence.
· Your name
· Contact phone number
· Brief description of symptoms
Thank you for your partnership as we work to keep our students and staff healthy
Illness Reminders for Parents
All students must be fever-free (fever = 100.4* or higher) without fever-reducing medication for 24 hours and feeling well enough to participate in school.
They also must stay home until it has been 24 hours since their last episode of vomiting and/or diarrhea and eating and drinking before returning to school.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact our school nurse:
Mandy Jackson BSN, RN 720-886-2704
Safe2Tell
- CCSD participates in Safe2Tell which allows you to anonymously report any threatening behavior that endangers you, your friends, your family or your community.
- Contact at: www.safe2tell.org or 1.877.542.SAFE (7233)
Student Council News
WISH WEEK IS COMING!
Wish Week is a fundraising campaign organized by Eaglecrest High School’s (EHS) Leadership, featuring daily activities and events to support Make-A-Wish and help grant the wishes of children in need! This year, Mountain Vista Student Council is excited to support the Raptor Community in hopes to grant Hudson’s wish to go to the Pokemon Convention in California. Hudson received a liver transplant as an infant. We want to grant Hudson’s wish and raise over $12,000 to help Hudson and other children in the Make-A-Wish program.
MVE will have a SPIRIT WEEK tied to EHS’s Wish Week, February 10th- February 14th. Please check out the attached MVE Flyer for details about each day and how to make donations.
Additionally, check out the attached EHS flyer with their restaurant nights and community events throughout the week, such as Meet and Greet with Pokemon, BINGO night, and movie night! All families are welcome and donations are accepted.
Thank you for the support!
News from the Library
Important Dates for Music
4th Grade Performance February 11 6pm
3rd Grade Performance March 11 6pm
Spring Choir Concert April 29th 6pm
3rd-5th Grade Families:
We have started working on recorders in music! Some students have expressed interest in owning their own recorder. If you are interested in purchasing a recorder for your student, I recommend purchasing either Yamaha Soprano or Harmony Soprano by West Music.
Here is a link to the Harmony (https://www.westmusic.com/harmony-h100-soprano-recorder-401172)
And the Yamaha (https://www.westmusic.com/yamaha-yrs-24b-soprano-recorder-400295)
Please Contact Ms. Elrod at selrod@cherrycreekschools.org with any questions!
What’s Happening in the ART room?
From Ms. Rowland
I am excited to say that the next art movement that we will be studying is SURREALISM. Surrealists’ art explored dreams, imagination, and fantasy, instead of reality. We will be looking at the strange lives and artwork of Rene Magritte, Paul Klee, and Wassily Kandinsky.
We have also started a few fun heart-inspired projects, in celebration of Valentines Day. The heart is an important shape to incorporate into our artwork and symbolism while exploring various materials.
New artwork on display:
· Mrs. Ash and Vogel’s Kindies - “Beekles”
· Mrs. Vogel’s Kindies- “Snow Day”
· Mrs. Ligon’s 2nd graders- “Monet’s Waterlilies”
· Mrs. Luther’s 2nd graders- “Heart Mural”
· Mrs. Larson’s 2nd graders- “Aerial Snowpeeps”
· Mrs. Hills’ 3rd graders-“ Van Gogh’s Starry Nights”
· Mrs. Berger’s 4th graders- “Monet’s Gardens”
The “Imagine Together” feeder show at Eaglecrest High School will feature many Mountain Vista artists this year. The reception will be on February 6th, from 5-7 in the EHS library. I hope to see you there!!
CCIC 2.0 – Breaking Ground in the New Year
Thanks to our community's support of the 2024 bond and mill measures, the expansion of the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus (CCIC) is officially underway! The CCIC was recently recognized as one of the top 100 most impactful, innovative programs in the world and one of the top ten in the United States. The expansion project will allow the program to serve 70% more 10-12th grade students from across the district. The CCIC will have new and expanded pathways in the 2025-26 school year, including: • Aerospace Engineering • Advanced Electronics • Creative (Film, Production, Motion Design) • Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) • Veterinary Medicine • Heating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) • Welding • Baking and Pastries • Expansion of Auto Mechanics and Manufacturing In addition, the new facility will feature a 500-person events center which will be used to expand the Culinary and Hospitality pathways for hands-on learning opportunities for students. The economic impact of the CCIC is estimated at $4.1 million annually, which includes the cost savings for students in certifications and college credits as well as grants and service to the community such as the tiny home project. Today’s groundbreaking is the first of many projects to get underway as part of the 2024 bond measure, including the rebuild of Holly Ridge and Holly Hills, Laredo Middle School, and Phase I of the Cherry Creek PK-12 Campus rebuild project.