Mesa Weekly News

Hello Mesa Families!

This week continues a celebration of books and reading! For the next two weeks, our building will focus on a specific theme for teachers and students to learn about throughout the day and will include a dress-up theme each Friday. Please see the flier below for more information. Additionally, March is Youth Art Month. Please watch for more information to be sent out by Mrs. Tague on ways our student artists will be recognized throughout the month. We announced our first winners of the weekly art contest on Friday, March 8th.

Thank you to everyone who was able to join us for our 2nd annual production of The Wizard of Oz. Our students did a fantastic job and they were so excited to perform for their family members. We are already looking forward to next year's production!

We are looking forward to four more opportunities to welcome you into the building this month.

• In celebration of reading this month, we invite you in to see literacy instruction in action in every classroom. This event will take place on Monday, March 11th from 8:15-9:00am. Please sign in at the front office between 8:05 and 8:15 before heading into your son/daughter's classroom.
• Our next opportunity is on Friday, March 15th with Mesa's annual St. Patrick's Day Pancake Breakfast sponsored by our PTO! We invite you to come in and share some free breakfast pancakes with your students between 6:30-7:15am.
• We are hosting Community Day on Monday, March 18th from 1:00-2:15. Please join in your son/daughter's class for an art-based activity on the creation of adaptive tools in art.
• Finally, we welcome you to celebrate the amazing K-5 artists and multiple cultures at Mesa during our art show/multicultural night on March 21 from 4:30-6pm. Stop in and walk through our hallway galleries with a spotlight on each grade level and celebrate the multiple cultures represented at Mesa.

The Mesa 23-24 yearbook is also in process. If you are interested in ordering a yearbook, please click the link below to order online. The books will arrive mid-May.

During this week, students will continue to practice PRIDE (persevere, show respect, be independent, be dedicated to keeping Mesa safe, and empathize with others) expectations throughout the building. Our emphasis for the month of March includes focusing on independence, staying on task, completing tasks, and being prepared. Please feel free to share the ways you and your family are practicing respect, independence, and work habits with your student's teacher. We love to hear from you and to see our Mesa students practicing these skills outside of school. Throughout the week, we give 'shout outs' to students who exemplify these characteristics in their actions across the building and with one another.

Mesa staff utilize the REMIND app as the main tool of communication with families. You are welcome to reach out to teachers via REMIND or email at any time. Please watch for weekly newsletters and updates from each grade level team throughout the school year.

Please be sure to contact us with any needs or questions. We look forward to all that is to come in the second half of this school year and the opportunity to work with each of you to help our students to Dream BIG, Work Hard and Make it Happen!!

Megan Oleson

Principal

***Please let your son/daughter's teacher know your plan for after school pick-up.***

Car Riders (drop-off/pick-up)

Car drop-off/pick-up will take place in the north parking lot in front of our main entry doors. The west lot is not a drop-off/pick-up option for car riders. We ask that parents keep traffic moving as quickly as possible by remaining in their vehicles while students exit. If there is a need for a parent to assist with a student exiting, please park in a visitor spot in the north lot. In the AM, parents should pull as far east (closest to the gym) as possible in the lot. Mesa staff members will be there to open doors and welcome students. Students will then enter the building. In the PM, students will be with their grade level (as indicated in the photo). Parents should still pull as far east as possible. A staff member will check in with you as you pull through the line and will call for your student(s) to come to your vehicle.

If you are using Monterey Way and turning onto Camino Del Rey, please be mindful to not block the entry/exit to the west parking lot (on Monterey Way) as buses will be using this lot and will need enough space to get in and out of the parking lot.

Please reference the photo below for guidance on our drop-off/pick-up procedures this year.

Walkers

Any students who are walking home with a parent will meet on the east playground. Students will be separated by grade level. Parents may approach teachers to pick-up their student(s). Students are also able to walk home without being picked up by a parent. Students walking alone and needing to head west out of the building will be allowed to leave in this direction with the grade-level staff member walking kids out in that direction. Students heading east at the end of the day will be able to access the paved walkway out to Camino Del Rey to then head east towards Fountain Mesa.

Front Office Access:

Our main office is located on the north side of the building. Parents needing to enter the building should do so at our main-entry located at the north doors with a large Mesa paw print.

Essential Skill: I can advocate for my learning needs

Read Across America Month Feb. 26-March 22 (see flier below)

March 11: Literacy with Families - 8:15-9:00am

March 15: Dress as Your Future Self

March 15: Annual Pancake Breakfast 6:30-7:15am

March 15: End of 3rd Quarter (report cards sent home after spring break)

Save the Date:

March 18: Community Day 1:00-2:10

March 18: PTO at 3pm in the cafeteria

March 21: Multicultural and Art Show Night 4:30-6pm

March 24-31: Spring Break

Order your 23-24 Mesa Yearbook today!
Last day to order: March 17, 2024
$17.00 each
Order forms can be found by the front office. Exact cash or check ONLY when paying in person.
To order online visit: https://store.shopyearbook.com/mesa-elementary-yearbook-2324

What an amazing start to our 2023-2024 school year! Thank you for helping me keep our kids safe! It has been awesome to watch the patience and kindness shown to each other as we process procedures at arrival and dismissal.

Quick reminders:

• we have almost 700 kids now and there is so much traffic. Treat our long lines like a sporting event or concert and take turns, allowing every other car in-we are all going to the same place
• one lane drop off in the morning, two lane pick up in the afternoon
• please remember basic traffic laws - 20 mph in the school zone!!
• remember, if you are close to late or running late, speeding is dangerous, there will be tickets issued
• speed limit is 10mph in a parking lot, even a long parking lot!
• cross walks, driveways and intersections are not to be blocked; If you cannot completely clear those areas....wait
• GOING INTO ONCOMING LANE OF TRAFFIC IS COMPLETELY ILLEGAL AND UNSAFE-DO NOT DO THIS FOR ANY REASON

Thank you for working together to be great role models for our kids.

MEDICATION: All medication must be brought into the building and picked up from the building by an adult- students are not allowed to bring medication into the building. All medication must be approved by a prescribing physician with the appropriate forms signed. These forms can be found on the district website or by contacting your school nurse.

FACE MASKS: At this time, masks are not required but certainly allowed. At any time you can choose to send your child to school wearing a mask.

FEVER: Fever is defined as a temperature of 100.4 or higher. Students who have a fever should stay home and rest until they have gone 48 hours fever free without the aid of medication such as ibuprofen or Tylenol. If your child has a fever that lasts longer than 48 hours, please reach out to your school nurse to help problem solve what your next steps might be.

COVID Testing: * If anyone in your home has symptoms and is being tested for COVID, please keep all D8 students home from school until the results from the person being tested are received. Please notify your school nurse if you are keeping a student home while waiting for a household member to get results for COVID testing.

Keep up the good work! Our goal is to keep our Mesa community healthy and safe… and in person learning!

Email: moleson@ffc8.org
Website: https://www.ffc8.org/Mesa
Location: 400 Camino Del Rey, Fountain, CO, USA
Phone: 719-382-1370
Facebook: facebook.com/MesaElementaryFFC8
Twitter: @MesaElemFFC8