Happy November Families!

The month of October was a busy one in the best way! I keep thinking things are going to slow down a bit, but maybe that's part of the beauty of our amazing little school- we are constantly providing incredible experiences for our students! We were featured on multiple news stations this month! Check out a couple of those clips below.

A big part of our school is our commitment to service and stewardship. We instill in our students an appreciation of our natural environment, and with that comes a desire to take care of it! In October, we participated in Creek Week clean-up. Our school spanned from Chipita Park all the way to Crystola to work on picking up trash and we ended up filling two dumpsters! The following week we were able to have another opportunity to give back as our entire school was bussed out to Catamount for all-school service day. Preschool through sixth graders participated in trail maintenance and trash pick up on an incredibly beautiful Wednesday!

We celebrated our first ever Unity Day in October as well. Mrs. Wood and our student council put together an amazing day to celebrate kindness, inclusion and acceptance. It was a powerful day and a sea of orange!

Conferences were a wonderful opportunity to connect with our families in such a special way! Thank you for coming to partner with your child's teacher to discuss growth and next steps. We also appreciate those of you that took the time to fill out cards of appreciation and our survey. There is another active survey right now that was sent out by the district. The link to that is below. This survey is used to guide our next steps as a school. Our conference survey results demonstrated really exciting data that we are providing your students with an incredibly education with an environmental focus. Each statement was rated from 1-5 with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree. Here is a summary of our survey data:

• 1. There is a clear focus on environmental learning and outdoor education opportunities at UPES. (average score of 4.92)
• 2. I find value in the work UPES is doing to help students develop a relationships and appreciation of the environment. (average score of 4.96)
• 3. I feel that my child is getting an incredible education at UPES. (average score of 4.96)

Finally, we rounded out our very busy month with our annual Dia De Los Muertos celebration on Saturday and our Costume Parade today. Our PAC did a magnificent job putting together the Dia De Los Muertos event once again, and our Honor Choir brought the house down with their performance! We loved seeing all the costumes at both events!

Whew! What a month! Now we're gearing up for a slightly slower paced November! This is a month to focus on gratitude, learning, and our focus on family- both our school family and our partnership with you at home! We will celebrate our second annual Literacy Luncheon this month on November 21st. This is a time where all classes pick a book to read and then make a recipe from the book to share with the entire school! We pack our entire student body into the gym and sit on the floor and eat a family style meal while we reflect on all the things we are grateful for. Have I mentioned lately how much I love this school?

As you look through the pictures below, and as you listen to the stories from your amazing young people that we have the privilege to educate, I hope you feel the joy, hear the laughter, and appreciate this truly unique little gem that we get to call our school.

#littleschoolbigdifference

Your partner in education,

Jackie Powell, Ute Pass Principal

November

1- 5th to Catamount, 6th Grade Tessa visit

4-21- Boxed Food Drive

6- Late Start, Spaghetti and Stories Family Night 4:30-6:00 pm

8- 5th to Catamount, 6th Grade Tessa visit

11- Veterans Day Concert 2:15 pm (Families invited)

12- PAC Meeting 3 pm in the music room

13- 6th Grade to Skyspace

15- 5th to Catamount, 6th Grade Tessa visit

20- Late Start

21- Literacy Luncheon

25-29 Thanksgiving Break

Unity Day on October 16th was simply incredible! Unity Day is an annual event occurring during National Bullying Prevention Month in October that promotes joining together to create healthier communities through kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. We will celebrate Unity Day by wearing orange.

We want to hear from YOU!

As part of our commitment to providing the best experience for our students and families, we’re conducting a Parent/Caregiver Experience Survey in partnership with Studer Education. Your feedback will help us understand what’s working well and where we can improve.

The survey takes about 10–15 minutes to complete, and you can fill it out for each school your children attend. It will be open from October 21 – November 1.

-You can access the survey here: https://forms.hcg.com/f/41753602/1402/
-Or scan the QR code below.

Thank you for helping us improve our schools!

Student safety is paramount to everything we do at UPES. Per our Family/Student Handbook (linked above), please note the following expectations for all visitors and volunteers to Ute Pass Elementary:

Partnerships with our schools are an important piece in a child’s education. Volunteers are expected to make arrangements prior to volunteering in the school or classroom. In some instances where volunteers or chaperones are supervising students alone, a background check is required. If you think you’ll want to chaperone for events, please contact your child’s teacher to find out about needs and opportunities. For the safety of our students and staff, during school hours, all family members, visitors, non-district workers, and volunteers must sign in at the office and receive a badge to be visible at all times when in our building. State-issued identification is required by school personnel for check in through our Raptor system. Visitors during lunch will sit at a visitor’s table with their child(ren). When leaving, all visitors must check out at the office.

In the mornings, family members may walk their child(ren) to the entryway, but we ask that you give all your "have a great days" and "goodbyes" at the door. This helps us ensure that only staff members and pre-arranged visitors are in the building once school begins. Thank you for helping us provide a safe learning environment for all students!

Tech Corner: Help Boost Kids' Safety, Privacy, and Security

When kids start to go online, whether they're playing multiplayer games, using educational apps, or just following their curiosity on Google, it's important that they understand the basics of online privacy and safety. With some general guidelines around what information is and isn't OK to share, and some help from parents when they're unsure, kids can have fun and learn a lot in the digital world.

Discuss personal vs. private info.

Talk about the difference between what's OK to share online (favorite color) and what's not (home address)

Use privacy settings.

Together, go through the settings on all new apps to make sure you both know what information your kids are sharing. Especially in the beginning, it's better to share very little

Avoid location tracking.

Location-aware apps can be super helpful. But apps that use a device's location to help people find your kid or offer them ads for nearby businesses should be used with caution. Turn them off if you can.

Power up passwords.

Work together with kids to help them come up with complex passwords. Think outside the dictionary. Use phrases and special characters that make passwords hard to guess but easy to remember. Remind kids to keep passwords private and change them regularly.

Skip quizzes.

Help kids identify and avoid clickbait, quizzes, special offers, and anything that asks for personal or private information. This helps keep information secure and devices safe.

Duty/supervision/breakfast begins at 7:35.

The first bell for students to enter classrooms is at 7:55, and the tardy bell will ring at 8:00. Dismissal is at 2:50.

Here are the ins and outs of our pick up/drop off lane:

• The family drop-off/pick-up lane will allow children to be picked up all the way to the end of the central sidewalk (to the gas meters against the street).
  
• Teachers will supervise students in the locations noted on the map above.
• No car will move into or exit the lane until every car has been loaded. (If you do not have the time to wait, please consider parking and walking in the areas marked above.)
  
• When all cars are loaded, the line of cars will exit together.
• The crossing guard will then allow walking parents to cross the parking lot at crosswalks to gain access to their vehicles.
  
• When these vehicles are loaded and moving, the next line waiting on Chipita Park Road will be allowed in to begin the process again.
• Furry Friday dismissal- on Fridays, bring your dogs through our pick-up lane for a treat!
  
• Friday afternoon concerts- Mr. Ferguson will be playing on select Friday afternoons at dismissal (weather permitting)!
  
• Do not utilize the bus lane parking lot for drop-off or pick-up.

Please note the available areas for parking and walking above. If your child is sitting on the wall with their teacher, please ask a staff member to get your child for you to avoid excess traffic near the pick-up lane. As always, your patience is deeply appreciated!

Free Meals for Students, Plus Important Reminders for Families

We are excited to share that all students in Manitou Springs School District will receive free breakfast and lunch through the Healthy School Meals for All program! This new statewide program, approved by Colorado voters, is helping Colorado children and teens have access to nutritious food at our schools.

Even though breakfast and lunch will be provided for free, we need families to continue sharing household income information through this form in order for our school to receive full access to federal funding.

Be sure to fill out the form as part of your back-to-school registration! If you have questions or would like additional support, please reach out to Paula Faucette-Director of Nutrition Services, 719-685-2005 or email pfaucette@mssd14.org for more information.

The school district will be providing supervision for a limited number of students during all late start Wednesdays during the 24-25 school year. To sign up, follow the Google Form link below and register your student(s).

It is important that registration is completed only for students who would otherwise not be able to attend school if not for late start childcare.

https://forms.gle/yM9kLatxQKw7eU1F6

Late Start Wednesdays for first semester:

• August 28
  

• September 11
• October 2
• November 6
• November 20
• December 11

Connect14 is an incredible opportunity for students that attend Manitou Springs School District 14. New this year, Connect14 will be run by individual schools. UPES is currently holding two after school summit classes and multiple tutoring sessions by invitation.

Manitou Springs Elementary School will host an after-school program through Champions After School Care. This opportunity will be offered to Ute Pass Families also, and transportation would be provided from UPES to MSES after school.

We have a very active and incredible Parent Action Committee who supports our little school in BIG ways!

The PAC meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 3:00 pm in the music room at UPES. Moving into the 24-25 school year, the PAC is excited to have a larger presence in the school, continuing to take care of the amazing staff at UPES, putting on events and meeting new families, and to get new members! They will have a table set up at our Open House/Open Outdoors with more information and opportunities to join in on the fun! Please contact Janelle, PAC President, at upepac@gmail.com with any questions.

at the foot of Pikes Peak in the Rocky Mountains.

Email: tdudley@mssd14.org
Website: http://upe.mssd14.org/
Location: 9230 Chipita Park Road, Cascade, CO, USA
Phone: 719-685-2227
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/utepasselementaryschool/