Adventure Elementary

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Dear Adventure Families,

This is a FULL newsletter, there's lots coming up in the final six weeks of school! First, I invite all current Adventure families to provide us with your feedback about the various family/community engagement opportunities we provided this year by completing this short survey by April 21. Our staff will use this feedback to design next year's Calendar of Events.

Adventure Elementary is proud to have one of the highest populations of exceptional learners in Mapleton! We don't believe this is a coincidence since research has proven that people who speak more than one language have improved cognitive function and memory retention, better problem-solving and decision-making skills, and enhanced creativity and innovation. Dual language learners are challenged to interact with challenging and authentic grade level work in two languages every day!

These Gifted and Talented students just finished their five-week GT Challenge Club. Throughout the five weeks students engaged in challenges designed to build perseverance and teamwork as well as enhance their problem-solving and communication skills. They worked in various teams to tackle Minute to Win It challenges, build an avalanche proof home for Yeti, and crack Leprechaun math codes with Break Out Boxes. Their club culminated with a fun 2-hour stem and engineering challenge inspired by the bestselling “I Survived” book series and hosted by Challenge Island. Students learned about San Francisco earthquake and used their engineering skills to design, build, and test suspension bridges.

Adventure is also proud to share that five members of our staff have been nominated for Mapleton's Awards for Excellence this year! Congratulations to Mrs. Brie Shoemaker (Instructional Guide), Ms. Joseline Velazquez (Secretary), Ms. Tania de León (Instructional Paraprofessional), Ms. Sarahi Ibarra (Special Education Paraprofessional), and Ms. Marisa Abreo (Assistant Principal).

Lastly, as we approach the final stretch of the school year, we want to remind families that teachers are still focused on the final instructional units of the school year and it's important for students to continue to be here every day on time. . While the weather is beginning to feel like spring, we can't let spring fever take over yet! Students with attendance rates below 90% are less likely to graduate than those with higher attendance. Missing even 10 days of school each year has a significantly detrimental impact on students' long-term success. A family's priority on daily attendance is the #1 way parents can help their child be successful in school!

Saludos,

Sarah Kopperud

Principal

kopperuds@mapleton.us

Marisa Abreo

Assistant Principal

abreom@mapleton.us

2024-25 Academic Calendar

2024-25 Academic Calendar for Preschool

2025-26 Academic Calendar

• April 14 - 3rd grade guest speaker
• April 15 - Volunteer planning committee meeting for Fiesta Cultural, 2pm
• April 16 - Mapleton Art Show
• April 17 - Spring Open House for families, 4:30-6:30pm (including Lotería and Book Fair)
• April 18 - No school
• April 24-25 - No school, PK classes
• April 24 - field trip for ILC students
• April 25 - 5th grade guest speaker
• April 25 - PIE meeting, 8:15am
• April 25 - Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast, 9:00am
• April 25 - Splash out of CMAS celebrations, grades 3-6
• April 28 - 3rd grade guest speaker
• May 1 - Fiesta Cultural, 3:30-6:00
• May 2 - PK Young Athletes Celebration at the Global Campus Fields
• May 6 - "Escape the Vape" assembly for grades 5-6 at the MAC
• May 6, 8 - virtual parent education nights about vaping prevention, 7:00 (links coming soon!)
• May 9 - Miner of the Month assembly, 8:15
• May 12 - no school, PK-6
• May 13 - no school, PK classes
• May 19 - Music concert (grades 3-4) and Project Gallery (grades 5-6), time TBD
• May 21-23 - 6th grade overnight field trip to Cal-Wood Outdoor Education Center
• May 26 - no school, PK-6
• May 27 - K-6 Field Day
• May 28 - last day of school for PK
• May 29 - last day of school for K-6, 1:10 dismissal

Next week Thursday, all K-6 families are invited to join us between 4:30 and 6:30 for our Spring Open House. Classrooms will be open for students to showcase recent classroom learning.

The Scholastic Book Fair will be open to all Adventure families between 3:30 and 6:30. Come shop for a new book!

• If you're interested and able to help Mr. Canter by volunteering at the Fair, please sign up here.
• The online Fair opens on April 14. You can shop online and all orders over $25 ship to your house for free.

Additionally, there will be Lotería games every 20 minutes between 4:40 and 5:40; space is limited, so plan to arrive promptly!

On March 10, 16 talented students participated in Adventure Elementary’s first ever Spanish Spelling Bee. The top three finishers from the school contest, Aritzy M.L., Daniel M.C., and Juliana B.M., were invited to represent Adventure at the CO-CABE State Spanish Spelling Bee, which was held last Saturday, April 5 at Regis University. This is the first time that Adventure Elementary has competed in the State Spanish Spelling Bee and our students did amazing! Aritzy and Daniel tied for fourth place in the fourth-grade category and Juliana placed third in the fourth-grade category. We are so proud of them and can’t wait to host and participate in our second school and state Spanish Spelling Bee next year! ¡Adelante!

Mapleton is ramping up its efforts to combat youth vaping with a comprehensive initiative focused on education, prevention, and support. With vaping identified as the number one health concern among students in a district-wide survey last year, the district is taking action to ensure students and parents have the knowledge and tools to address this growing issue.

Adventure's 5th and 6th graders will attend a student assembly on Tuesday, May 6 called "Escape the Vape." This assembly will be engaging and interactive, where students will listen to internationally recognized speaker and "edutainer" Robert Hackenson Jr. Known for his ability to connect with students through magic, illusions, and humor, Hackenson blends entertainment with serious discussions on the dangers of vaping. His presentations go beyond just listing the health risks—he also equips students with practical refusal skills, helping them navigate peer pressure and make informed decisions.

As parents also play a critical role in Mapleton’s vaping prevention efforts, the district will host two virtual parent education nights, scheduled for Tuesday, May 6, and Friday, May 9, from 7-8:15 p.m. (and available on demand) where Hackenson will share insights on why vaping companies target youth, how to recognize signs of vaping, and how to talk to teens about making healthier choices. These sessions will provide parents with concrete strategies to support their children and resources for intervention if needed.

Read more online.

A few reminders:

• Friday, April 18, 2025: No School! That means no clubs for the day.

• Thursday, May 1, 2025: No Clubs for the day, but join us for our Fiesta Cultural!

Fiesta Cultural is a combination of Dia del Niño and Cinco de Mayo! Join us for an afternoon of fun activities, food, Folklorico and Break-dancing performance and a performance from the Colorado Youth Mariachi! Hope to see you there!

Clubs are in full swing! Thank you all for your continued support.

CMAS Testing is Off to a Great Start!

We’re so proud of our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders for the strong and focused start they’ve made on CMAS testing! Their dedication, effort, and perseverance are truly shining through. 6th graders will begin testing next Tuesday, April 15th and all grade levels will be finished with CMAS testing by Thursday, April 17th.

We want to extend a huge thank you to all of our families for the support you’ve been providing at home—ensuring your child gets a good night's sleep, eats a healthy breakfast, and arrives at school on time each day makes a big difference! Also, thank you PIR for providing a health snack for students for testing days!

As students continue to show their best effort and follow our CMAS testing expectations, they’ll be eligible to earn a Splash Out of CMAS Award on Friday, April 25th. More exciting details about this reward are coming soon!

Thanks again for being such an important part of your child’s success!

Thanks to a generous donation from Adams County, all recreation programs offered by Hyland Hills Park & Recreation are available at an 80% discount to any student attending Adventure!

Our next PIE meeting is Thursday, April 25 at 8:15am. Please join us! We will plan Staff Appreciation, Field Day, and 6th Grade Continuation support.

Also, the planning committee for May 1's Fiesta Cultural will meet on Tuesday, April 15 at 2pm.

Lastly, our PIE has their own brand new Facebook page! The purpose is for members to communicate and coordinate school projects and events. Please join!

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Ms. Simon has degrees in Environmental Science and Education. She's been in education for ten years, including positions as a substitute, preschool paraprofessional, and special education teacher for center-based programming. Ms. Simon has been at Adventure for three years. She is the lead teacher of the ILC classroom for our students with exceptional needs.

Ms. Simon is a fierce advocate for her students with exceptional needs. She partners with her students' families to support the student academically, developmentally, and socially. As she says, "Our special education team has a lot of patience and a great sense of humor, even in some pretty strange situations. We are experts at dealing with chaos!"

Ms. Simon is proud to be developing her Spanish, including teaching foundational literacy skills in Spanish this year! A few of her students are emerging bilingual students and research proves that using their first language at school results in better outcomes for students, including those with disabilities. Ms. Simon is dedicated to creating these ideal learning conditions for her students right here at Adventure.

When not at school, Ms. Simon loves exploring nature. She enjoys skiing, biking, running, hiking, and camping. When she's not outside, she likes to be reading or cooking in her very busy household with her partner, 3 cats, and a dog.

Email: kopperuds@mapleton.us
Website: https://adventure.mapleton.us/
Location: 7725 Conifer Road, Denver, CO, USA
Phone: (303)853-1410