Adventure Elementary

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Dear Adventure Families,

Happy February! In February we celebrate the Lunar New Year and Black History Month. Our students are learning about the Character Habit of Reflection so we can better understand ourselves and those around us. We use reflection to grow and improve so we can positively contribute to our community, near and far. Read more below!

If you're looking for some new Adventure spirit gear, be sure to shop using the link. There are some affordable prices to show your school pride.

Lastly, if you haven't yet completed your Annual Update, please do so soon! Details below.

Saludos,

Sarah Kopperud

Principal

kopperuds@mapleton.us

Marisa Abreo

Assistant Principal

abreom@mapleton.us

2024-25 Academic Calendar

• Feb. 7 - Miner of the Month assembly, 8:15
• Feb. 13 - classroom Valentine's Day celebrations
• Feb. 13 - 3rd grade guest speaker
• Feb. 14 and 17 - No school, PK-6
• Feb. 18 - 4th grade field trip, Dion's Pizza
• Feb. 19-20 -- PK parent/teacher conferences, 3:30-7:30
• Feb. 21 - 1st grade field trip, "Lyle the Crocodile"
• Feb. 21 - PIE meeting, 8:15
• Feb. 28 - 5th grade guest speaker, Molly Brown Museum
• Feb. 28 - Eye Care Love
• Feb. 28 - 5th grade guest speaker
• March 6 and 7 - no school, PK-6
• March 10 - Adventure's Spanish Spelling Bee, 10am
• March 13 - Kindergarten field trip, Denver Zoo
• March 17-21- Spring Break

Adventure is pleased to announce the top 7 spellers from last week's English Spelling Bee! Congratulations to:

• Audri, 5th
• Gio, 5th
• Kara, 6th
• Joaquin, 4th
• Santiago, 4th
• Camila S., 4th
• Alexa, 4th

At the Mapleton Bee, both Audri and Kara earned a spot on stage due to their high result on the district written exam.

Next month, Adventure will host our very first Concurso de deletreo, or a Spanish Spelling Bee! Interested 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students can let their teacher know or contact Ms. Navarro.

Mapleton's schools that are located in Adams County have had a long-standing partnership with Adam's County Sheriff's Department. Adventure's School Resource Officer is Deputy Hessler. He visits our campus several times a week to visit with students and staff. Deputy Hessler is kind, patient, and committed to fostering trusting relationships with Adventure students. Local law enforcement agencies are responsible for upholding local and state laws; they do not participate in immigration enforcement. When Adams County Sheriff's officers are present at school, it is because they are working with school staff to keep our school safe. The photo to the left shows Deputy Hessler and other Mapleton School Resource Officers shopping for Christmas presents for students at the schools they support.

Enrollment season is in full swing! All families will need to complete the annual update process between January 13 and February 14. This is also the priority placement window for students in the district. You can watch this video to help you complete the process; if you need help, don't hesitate to reach out to our front office staff. The best time for them to help is between 9:00-2:00, to avoid the business of arrival and dismissal.

Assuring that your child's emergency contact information is up to date is one of the best ways you can help us maintain their safety at school. In the event that we need to reach someone quickly, we will call all the people you've listed. The sooner you update this information, the better!

If you have or know a student entering PK, Kindergarten, or 7th grade, it is time to select a school for next year! Schools are also offering several tours in the weeks to come, you can find more details here.

Our February Effective Learner Habit is Reflection. This means to understand who you are and what you feel. It means getting to know your values, your strengths, your weaknesses, and why you think and act in a certain way.

Lunar New Year is a 16 day celebration that began on January 29 and culminates with the Lantern Festival on February 12. The Chinese New Year marks the transition between zodiac signs, 2025 is the Year of the Snake. This holiday is celebrate by numerous cultures in East and Southeast Asia. Lunar New Year provides an opportunity for families to reunite and celebrate traditions.

February is also Black History Month, an annually observed commemorative month originating in the United States where it is also known as African-American History Month. It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora, initially lasting a week before becoming a month-long observation since 1970. It is celebrated in February in the United States.

In January, Adventure Elementary introduced a new award for 6th graders called the Adventure Seal of Biliteracy Pathway Award. This honor will be awarded to students who demonstrate that they are on their way to earning their Seal of Biliteracy upon high school graduation. To earn the Seal of Biliteracy upon graduation, students must demonstrate that they are biliterate in English and another language by taking and performing well on exams in both languages. Being biliterate means that a person is not only bilingual, which means they can speak and listen in two languages, but also that they can read and write proficiently in two languages.

Sixth graders at Adventure Elementary can earn their Seal of Biliteracy Pathway Award by passing a reading test in English and another language, usually Spanish, and by writing two essays about the importance of being bilingual, one in each language. They also must present their essays to a small group of bilingual community members and complete two bilingual community service hours. Adventure currently has nine 6th graders working to earn their Seal of Biliteracy in May, for which they will receive their award at 6th Grade Continuation. We are so excited to celebrate our biliterate superheroes through this award!

Spring Clubs are beginning soon!

We have 2 clubs that will be beginning in early March:

• Grades 3 - 6: Be on the lookout for sign-up sheets for Running Club!
• Gardening Club! Sign up begins on Monday, February 10th.

This QR code will take you to the registration page!

This winter, illnesses are prevalent. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding with our health office protocols. As a reminder, students who vomit, have diarrhea, or fever must be symptom free without medications for 24 hours before returning to school. If their symptoms begin at home, families can provide a doctor's note to excuse the days. Families also have the option to bring their child to Adventure's Health Office for advice about whether their child is ready to return to school. Please refer to the How Sick is Too Sick (español) document as a resource.

Our next PIE meeting is Friday, February 21 at 8:15. Please join us! Also, 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 California, Ms. Ackerman has been a teacher at Adventure Elementary for eight years. She earned a Bachelor's degree from California State University in Sacramento in Health Science, and Community Health Education. After moving to Colorado, she completed a Master's degree from the University of Colorado in Denver in Special Education.

Ms. Ackerman is especially effective in supporting older students in closing foundational learning gaps, thanks to her time spent in the primary grades before teaching 5th grade. She says, "I find student driven discussions and activities to be especially valuable and fun to plan and implement. It's a joy to work with older students because their own curiosities and passions become visible to me."

Ms. Ackerman was selected as the Teacher of the Year in Mapleton Public Schools in May of 2024. She was also recently selected to be a demonstration classroom for all of Mapleton, an honor she earned as a result of her consistently strong student growth and achievement results. As a demonstration classroom teacher, she has begun welcoming colleagues into her classroom to learn together about the most impactful teaching practices. In January, she presented at the Courage to Risk Conference in Colorado Springs. Her session was called "Lessons to Legacy" and was about supporting a shift in educators' attitudes to lead change at the local level and inspire incoming teachers.

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