Thank you to so many families who came out to help us paint the new playground obstacle courses on Saturday! A HUGE thank you to Mrs. Hall and Mrs. Blanchard for organizing the event and putting in extra time with 'touch-ups' on Sunday as well as to the Devore family for their help in getting so much paint! We are so thankful to have such an invested community and we look forward to having our kids enjoy their newly painted playground!

This week, we hope to see you at our Diverse Learners' Night on Wednesday, October 9th. All Mesa families are welcome to attend, engage in activities involving multiple levels of learning, gather information from local resources, and ask questions regarding processes for multiple levels of learners. Please see the flier below for more information.

With 1st-4th grade teams practicing content-area specialization, our conference blocks (showcases of student learning) will look slightly different this year. Last week, invitations to sign-up for conferences were sent out by classroom teachers. 1st-4th grade teams will engage in group sessions which include signing up during a 1-hour block of time. You are welcome to arrive anytime within that hour, engage with your student in their description of their learning, and then talk with any/all of their content teachers within their grade-level. During these blocks of times, there may be 5-7 other students leading their families through the same process in the same space. If you have a conference need that requires a 1:1 meeting with a teacher, please reach out to them and let them know. Our kinder and 5th grade teams will utilize an online sign-up as well and will offer 1:1 conference times for approximately 20 minutes each.

Our book fair will also be happening October 8-17. Kids will have the opportunity to walk through and make purchases the mornings of October 8-11 as well as during our parent-teacher conference days. We hope you will take a moment to walk through during conferences.

Throughout this week, students will have opportunities 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 October is the characteristic of independence, as well as the essential skill of social awareness which places importance on how we promote kindness and empathy and how we value and treat others, especially others who may be different from us. Please feel free to share the ways you and your family are practicing independence and positive character traits 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.

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

Megan Oleson

***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 Focus: Self-Management, SMART goal creation

Oct. 1-17: Boo-gram sales

Oct. 8-17: Book Fair

Oct. 8: Fire Safety Rotations with the Fountain Fire Department

Oct. 9: Diverse Learners' Night 4:00-5:30pm

Save the Date:

Oct. 14: District closed - no school for students or staff

Oct. 15-17: Parent Teacher Conferences - Showcases of Student Learning (no school for students)

Oct. 18: No school for students or staff

Oct. 21: Community Day in all K-5 classrooms from 1:10-2:10

Oct. 24: 50th day of school - come dressed in your 50's style!

Oct. 25: Fountain Trunk or Treat

All students have access to free breakfast and lunch at Mesa. (Students pick-up breakfast and return to their classrooms to eat when they arrive.) Only if students request a second helping of breakfast and/or lunch will their account be charged.

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

What an amazing start to our 2024-2025 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.

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!