Hello Carver Elementary Families,

Reminder: No School on Monday, February 17th.

First, a huge THANK YOU to the parents who completed our 5 Essentials Survey! We had 45 families respond, which is 22% of our community. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we look forward to hearing more from you. Our students and staff will complete their surveys in early March.

We had a busy and exciting Tuesday! Our 3rd and 4th grade students had the opportunity to attend a Philharmonic concert, where they were treated to an incredible musical experience. Each student also received 2 free tickets for upcoming performances at the Pikes Peak Center.

Additionally, our Kindergarten through 2nd grade students enjoyed a special visit from the Zoopeteers! They presented an engaging program that was both fun and educational. It was a wonderful day filled with learning and entertainment for all.

Thursday was another exciting day with our Pancakes with the Principal event! It was a great opportunity for students to connect with each other and with me while enjoying some delicious pancakes.

On Friday, our Kindergarten students had a blast celebrating their 100th Day of School! They participated in fun activities that highlighted how much they've learned and grown in these first 100 days. It’s always a joy to see their excitement and accomplishments!

Last week, we wrapped up our STAR progress monitoring testing for reading (2nd-5th grade) and math (K-5th grade). With only 30 instructional days left before Spring Break, we are fully focused on helping our students reach proficiency. Please continue to encourage your child to practice math facts and read for at least 20 minutes each evening.

Upcoming Basketball Games:

• Monday, February 10th: Away game at Henry Elementary. If you need help with transportation, please reach out to us—we’re happy to assist with carpooling.
• Wednesday, February 12th: Away game at Audubon Elementary. Same offer for transportation support—just let us know!

Attendance, Tardies, and Student Achievement: We are closely monitoring attendance, tardiness, and behavior as they directly impact student achievement. A special thank you to the families who attended MTSS meetings on Friday—we appreciate your partnership in supporting your child’s success.

At-Home Learning Tips:

• Reading: Spend at least 20 minutes each day reading together—whether your child is reading aloud to you, or you’re reading to them.
• Math Practice: Encourage your child to practice math facts (like skip counting and multiplication) in everyday situations. All students are expected to know their multiplication facts by the end of 3rd grade, and your help makes a huge difference.

Pick-Up and Drop-Off Reminders:

• Please avoid picking up students between 2:00-2:45 PM to avoid disrupting their learning time.
• Be sure that students involved in after-school activities are picked up by 4:00 PM.
• Breakfast & Arrival: The gym doors open at 7:30 AM for free breakfast. Please do not drop off your child before that time. The first bell rings at 7:45 AM, and the second bell at 7:50 AM. After 7:55 AM, students must be signed in at the front office.

Tutoring and After-School Clubs: Tutoring and clubs started the week of February 4th. Some tutoring sessions have already begun, and snacks will be provided. Here's the schedule for the clubs:

• Mondays & Wednesdays: YES Club - Fit Kids (Sign-up by 5:00 PM TODAY!)
• Tuesdays: Choir and Jesus Boot Camp
• Thursdays: Board Game & Puzzles (FULL)
• Fridays: Talent Club and Yarn Club

School Store: Visit our updated school store to purchase Carver items! Check it out [here](Carver School Store).

We’re also thrilled to launch the 5210 Challenge for our students! Please see the links below for more details.

Upcoming Events:

• Parent Meeting: Thursday, 3:00-4:15 PM in the library. We would love to have you join us!
• Kids Night Out: Thursday, 3:00-5:00 PM, sponsored by our Student Council.

A Final Note: Whether you’re a returning family or new to Carver, we are excited to work together to ensure your child’s success. Our doors are always open for communication, and we encourage you to get involved with our Parent Teacher Association, School Accountability Committee, or other volunteer opportunities.

Valentine's Day parties will be the last 30 minutes of the school day on Friday afternoon. Please reach out to classroom teachers if you have any questions.

Thank you for your continued support!

Warmly,
Mrs. Bizzell
Proud Principal of Carver Elementary

As a quality neighborhood school in D11, the Carver community is supportive and safe as staff, parents, and students are valued and involved in creating engaging, intentional learning experiences that are responsive to student needs and results in a place where everyone wants to be.

Thank you for voting for our new logo and Carver Elementary is proud to be the Heart of Our Community!! Our staff recently attended the Capturing Kids' Heart training and we are excited to build relationships, challenge ourselves and our students, and truly become the Heart of Our Community! We will continue to partner with local businesses, resources, and community members to enhance our identity statement and challenge our students to be the BEST they can be, every day at school. We are providing intentional learning experiences that involve and engage all of our students and our staff. We look forward to this school year and partnering with YOU!!

The Challenge is On! The Healthy Kids 5210+ Challenge is a FREE month-long program, during February, where students, school staff and families learn and practice the 5210+ healthy habits. The goal is to get 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 hours or less of recreational screen time,1 hour or more of physical activity, 0 sugary drinks and 9 or more hours of sleep every day! Your student(s) will be bringing home a tracking log to keep track of their healthy habits throughout the month of February. Students that complete 80 checkmarks on their log will earn a FREE t-shirt. All students and staff that participate can help our school earn money for PE equipment and school wellness initiatives. 5210+ • HEALTHY KIDS LEARN BETTER! Check with the PE or classroom teacher for more information. www.healthykidsclub.org

Do you know what 5210+ stands for?

• 5 fruits & vegetables

• 2 hours or less of for-fun screen time

• 1 hour of physical activity. • 0 sugary drinks

• + 9 or more hours of sleep.

February 10th Basketball game at Patrick Henry Elementary vs. Carver 3:30-5:30 PM

February 10th YES Program for FitKids begins on Mondays and Wednesday afternoons.

February 12th Basketball game at Audubon Elementary vs. Carver 3:30-5:30 PM

February 13th PTA/Parent Meeting

February 17th No School-President's Day

February 18th Basketball game at Carver vs Madison Elementary 3:30-5:30 PM

February 25th Skate City 5:00-7:00 PM

February 25th Basketball game at Carver vs Freedom Elementary 3:30-5:30 PM

March 3rd No Students District PD Day

March 13th End of Quarter

March 14th Teacher Work Day, No Students

March 17th Fourth Quarter Begins

March 24th-28th Spring Break, NO SCHOOL

Our staff and students recently completed a Midyear Survey for Capturing Kids' Hearts. We need you to provide feedback to make Carver Elementary a better school for your child!

Breakfast in the cafeteria 7:30-7:45 AM (cold breakfast 7:45-8:10 AM)

Office Hours: 7:30 AM-3:45 PM

Carver School Hours: 7:50 AM-2:50 PM

Tardy bell rings at 7:50

Students will have a 15 minute recess, prior to lunch.

10:50-11:10 Kindergarten and First Grade

11:10-11:30 Second and Third Grade

11:30-11:50 Fourth and Fifth Grade

Under the Healthy School Meals for All program the State of Colorado provides free meals for all D11 students. Please take a moment to fill out our Free and Reduced Meal Application regardless of whether you think you would qualify or not. This program benefits the school as well as your family. Our goal is 100% participation. As a reminder, Carver is a free breakfast and lunch school. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the front office. Carver is currently 85% free or reduced lunch and we receive Federal Funds for this.

https://linqconnect.com/public/meal-application/new?identifier=JX9G3Q

K/1 12:10-1:00

2/4 1:05-1:55

3/5 2:00-2:50

Essentials: Art, Music, PE, Technology

Adaptive PE/Art: Fridays from 9:00-10:05 AM (Selected students)

Band for grades 4th and 5th (Tuesdays and Wednesdays)

Orchestra for grades 4th and 5th (Mondays and Wednesdays)

We are still accepting interested students for BAND and ORCHESTRA! Please stop by the front office for a permission slip!

We LOVE having family members in the building! Please complete the link below if you have some time to volunteer to help at school. Some activities include: cutting, tearing out workbook pages, reading to students, testing sight words, and sometimes just helping in class.
Please join us!

Hello Carver Families,

Between Sat, Feb 1, 2025 – Sat, Mar 1, 2025 we celebrate and the great accomplishments and contributions of African Americas. HOW IT STARTED - In 1915, in response to the lack of information on the accomplishments of Black people available to the public, historian Carter G. Woodson co-founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. In 1926, the group declared the second week of February as “Negro History Week” to recognize the contributions of African Americans to U.S. history. This week was chosen because it includes the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist, and former U.S. president Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln led the United States during the Civil War, which was primarily fought over the enslavement of Black people in the country. Many schools and leaders began recognizing the week after its creation. The week-long event officially became Black History Month in 1976 when U.S. president Gerald Ford extended the recognition to “honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Black History Month has been celebrated in the United States every February since.

WHAT IT HONORS - Black History Month was created to focus attention on the contributions of African Americans to the United States. It honors all Black people from all periods of U.S. history, from the enslaved people first brought over from Africa in the early 17th century to African Americans living in the United States today.

Among the notable figures often spotlighted during Black History Month are Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who fought for equal rights for Blacks during the 1950s and ’60s; Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American justice appointed to the United States Supreme Court in 1967; Mae Jemison, who became the first female African-American astronaut to travel to space in 1992; and Barack Obama, who was elected the first-ever African-American president of the United States in 2008.

If you have any questions, please reach out to me 719-328-2171

With kind regards

Mrs. Gio (Giovanny) Franco-Diaz, MA, LPCC

School Counselor - 504 coordinator , Student Council Advisor

Phone # 719-328-2171

We are a PBIS (Positive Behavior and Support School) and we will continue to practice our School Wide PAW expectations.

P- I am Prepared

A-I have a great Attitude

W-I Work hard

S-I am Safe

KIDS NIGHT OUT THURSDAY FEBRUARY 13, from 3pm -5pm - $10 per student $15 per family (includes drink and snacks) students wilñ enjoy movie and games, while you have a nice dinner or time for yourself. sign up ASAP https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=FjejtSMeM0u6mmGKVudqGCsMen_Vn0ZLglynP-

Thank you for those that supported our first fundraiser at Dickey's BBQ! We are looking for a fun game night in January and we will have computers available to complete the Parent 5 Essentials Survey. We appreciate your feedback.
Thank you to those that completed the PTA feedback form of the day and time that works best for you! We are planning our February meeting now!

Our PTA board is:

President: Brittany Shelly

Vice President:

Treasurer: Betty Barnett

Secretary: Kelly Dawson

Our next meeting will be on February 13th. Please complete the PTA feedback form and send back to school!

All our welcome to attend our meetings!

Safety is our top priority at Carver Elementary School, and we are committed to ensuring the well-being of all students, staff, and visitors. We now have a secured entrance to monitor ALL visitors and a fence that surrounds the back of the school. To this end, we follow the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) to prepare for and respond to various emergency situations. We conduct monthly and quarterly drills to practice these protocols, ensuring that everyone in our school community knows what to do in case of an emergency. Here is an overview of the SRP we follow:

• Hold - In Your Classroom or Area

• Directive: "In Your Room or Area"
• Purpose: This protocol is used when hallways need to be kept clear of occupants. Students and staff remain in their rooms or areas until further notice.

Secure - Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors

• Directive: "Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors"
• Purpose: This protocol is used to safeguard people within the building by securing all exterior doors. Normal activities continue inside the building.

Lockdown - Locks, Lights, Out of Sight

• Directive: "Locks, Lights, Out of Sight"
• Purpose: This protocol is used to secure individual rooms and keep occupants quiet and in place. Doors are locked, lights are turned off, and everyone stays out of sight.

Evacuate - To a Stated Location

• Directive: "Evacuate to [Location]"
• Purpose: This protocol is used to move people from one location to a different location, either within or outside the building. The specific location will be communicated during the drill or emergency.

Shelter - State the Hazard and the Safety Strategy

• Directive: "Shelter [Hazard] and [Safety Strategy]"
• Purpose: This protocol is used for group and self-protection based on the specific hazard (e.g., tornado, hazmat). The safety strategy will be clearly communicated.

Monthly Drills:

To ensure we are prepared, we conduct monthly/quarterly drills for each of these protocols. These drills help students and staff practice the appropriate responses and become familiar with the procedures. Your support in reinforcing the importance of these drills at home is greatly appreciated.

Communication:

In the event of an actual emergency, we will communicate with families promptly. Please ensure that your contact information is up to date in our records so that you can receive timely notifications.

Thank you for your cooperation and support in keeping our school safe. If you have any questions or concerns about our safety protocols, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Together, we can ensure a safe and secure learning environment for all our students.

Carver Elementary is a Title I school.

The purpose of Title I is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.

If you have any questions, please reach out:

https://www.d11.org/TitleI

Email: lisa.bizzell@d11.org
Website: https://www.d11.org/Page/69
Location: 4740 Artistic Circle, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Phone: 719-328-7100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carver.d11.org/