January 2025
Dear School Community,
As we roll into the second semester of the school year, I am thrilled to share the incredible momentum and excitement happening across our district.
Winter Sports
Basketball and wrestling seasons are in full swing, showcasing the dedication and talent of our Tigerhawk student athletes. Be sure to come out and support our teams as they represent our school with pride and sportsmanship. Our student athletes would love to have a full house cheer them on.
Looking Ahead
While we celebrate the successes of this year, our team has begun the important work of planning the budget and calendar for the next school year. These efforts are guided by our commitment to fostering excellence for all. As we develop our budget, there are many factors that impact what we have for funds. This year will be particularly challenging with lower expected additional funds from the state paired with inflation costs. Our priority is to utilize our funds to maximize classroom instruction.
We are also beginning the enrollment push for next year. We have seen an increase in open enrollment into our district over the past few years as families are choosing to educate their children at Colfax-Mingo. The open enrollment deadline dates changed back this year. Just a reminder that 1st-12th grade students' deadline to apply for open enrollment for the 25-26 school year is March 1st. Kindergarten deadline is September 1st. You can find out more information in regard to open enrollment on our school website.
Childcare Grant and Fundraising Efforts
We are incredibly excited to announce progress on the childcare grant we worked on in partnership with CEDCO. As many of you know, we were one of nine projects across the state that received this funding. This project will provide much-needed space relief at the elementary level, including:
2 new preschool rooms
Year-round childcare for infants through school-age children.
Before and after school care for our students.
To make this vision a reality, we are now working to raise $1.7 million to match state funding. This will go towards the construction and furnishing of a new childcare center that will house up to 100 children on the elementary campus. Your support will be vital in achieving this goal, and we are calling on our community to join us in fundraising efforts. You can find out more information about this project by visiting cedcoiowa.com or on Facebook under Colfax Economic Development Corporation. Donations to CEDCO are tax deductible. Together, we can create a brighter future for our students and families.
Thank you for your continued dedication and enthusiasm as we work to make our district a place of excellence for all.
Tim Salmon
Superintendent
Colfax-Mingo, CSD
We want to hear from you! If you have any upcoming events or activities that you’d like to share, please send the details to cmactivities@colfaxmingo.org. We’ll be happy to include them in our newsletter to keep everyone informed and engaged.
Thank you for helping us build our community!
EXCITING NEWS!!!!
Colfax-Mingo Community, we have some EXCITING NEWS!
We’re thrilled to announce that the Colfax-Mingo Community School District, in partnership with the Colfax Economic Development Corporation (CEDCO), has been awarded a $1.7 million grant to build a NEW child care center on the elementary school campus!
Construction is set to begin in the summer of 2025, with plans to finish by the summer of 2026.
This $3.4 million state-of-the-art facility with a capacity of 100 children will:
Provide child care for infants through school-age children
Include two preschool rooms
Offer wrap-around care before and after school for elementary students
CEDCO will now embark on raising the required matching funds and is seeking tax-deductible donations from individuals, businesses, and additional grants to support this transformative project.
If you want to get involved, be on the lookout for opportunities to contribute and help us make this dream a reality!
This project is a major step forward for our community and reflects our shared commitment to fostering excellence and opportunity for ALL. Stay tuned for updates!
Visit cedcoiowa.com to join in our journey of making this a reality.
Elementary
Dear Family,
We are thankful for you being part of our school community! The world is changing quickly and we want to do everything we can to help students be successful in school and life.
We are excited to tell you that we will be using a program called PurposeFull People this year. This program teaches skills that will help students be successful in school and in life.
We believe that students should have safe, predictable places to learn where they feel included. Students should have healthy and helpful connections with teachers and classmates. They should also experience learning that will help them tackle challenges inside and outside of school.
PurposeFullPeople is more than a set of lessons - it is a partnership between schools and families to create a place where students feel like they belong and learn skills that will help them be the best they can be!
Purposefull People has three main goals for students: Be Kind, Be Strong, and Be Well.
- Be Kind: Social skills like listening, friendship, solving conflicts, and leadership. ○ These skills are taught alongside Empathy, Respect, & Cooperation
- Be Strong: Skills that help students focus, stay organized, and set goals. ○ These skills are taught alongside Responsibility, Courage, & Perseverance
- Be Well: Skills that help students handle their emotions and deal with stress. ○ These skills are taught alongside Gratitude, Honesty, & Creativity
This year, you’ll be invited to join the fun! We will send letters home about the skills and strengths being taught each month. Each letter will include some ways to build these skills at home, discussion starters, and fun challenges you can try with your family.
The path forward is full of growth! We cannot wait to partner with you in this work… ● To teach students how to build strong friendships
- To work together to solve problems, big and small
- To grow skills for life
- To become PurposeFull People
PERSERVERANCE Family Newsletter
With Gratitude,
Ms. Terlouw
Thursday, February 6th
FAFSA help night, Sponsored by ICAN
4-7 at CMHS
Please contact Mr. Barkalow with questions at mbarkalow@colfaxmingo.org or to register for this FREE event!
⏩Click on the photo to be directed to our Scholarship page.
Girls on the Run
Last year was the first year of the Girls on the Run program at Colfax-Mingo. We had approximately a dozen girls in grades 4-6 who were able to participate. It was incredible to see how each girl grew in their confidence and friendship skills.
We'd like to continue this program, but would need four coaches to make that happen. Important points for consideration:
- You do not ever have to run if you don't want to. Although the program is called Girls on the Run, any type of movement is encouraged.
- The group meets twice a week after school for approximately 60-75 minutes. The coaches can decide which days to meet; last year it was Tuesdays and Thursdays. The season runs from March 24-May 18, and concludes with a 5K in Des Moines.
- Not all coaches need to be at every session. Although two coaches need to be present at all times, you can rotate the sessions to accommodate other commitments.
- The first part of every meeting includes a lesson. The curriculum is provided, and you will be trained on using it before the season. There is a three-hour training session online that you complete at your own pace, and then a three-hour in-person training at the Y in Des Moines.
If you are interested in becoming a GOTR coach for the 2025 spring season, please contact Wendy Anderson at wanderson@colfaxmingo.org. The deadline to apply to become a coach is February 7.
DMACC Foundation Scholarship Program Opening Soon
The DMACC Foundation Scholarship application will open soon for the 2025-2026 academic year. This includes Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026 terms.
The Program has two application cycles:
- Cycle 1: December 1, 2024 - March 1, 2025
- Cycle 2: May 1, 2025 - July 15, 2025
Please note: The early cutoff date for Cycle 1 ensures graduating high school scholarship recipients are recognized during their high school awards assemblies in May and June.
Each year, DMACC awards hundreds of student scholarships through our Foundation Scholarship Program. Scholarships range from $250-$1500 per year.
To qualify, students must:
- Earn a high school diploma or pass their high school equivalency test
- Apply and be admitted to DMACC
- Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher
- Enroll in a minimum of six credit hours
All the details are available at DMACC Foundation Scholarships.
TEAMMATES
Tigerhawk Family,
Currently, we have far more elementary and secondary C-M students interested in being mentees than adult mentor matches from our communities for our Teammates mentoring program. If you can commit to merely 30-45 minutes per week, then you could become a Teammates Mentor and help positively change the life of one of our Tigerhawk students.
To be clear, these weekly mentoring sessions of 30-45 minutes must take place during the school day and on school grounds to protect everyone involved. (As long as it's when staff are in the building, either immediately before or after school would also be acceptable, as would lunches--as long as the meeting takes place at the school.)
Please consider this personally and ask your friends, neighbors, and family members to also see how easy it could be to make a huge impact in the life of one of our students. Email any questions to Matt Barkalow mbarkalow@colfaxmingo.org, Lindsay Porter lporter1@colfaxmingo.org, or Tara Surprenant tsurprenant@colfaxmingo.org.
Thank you for your time and consideration!
Cold & Flu Season is Here
- Please make sure you have indicated on Infinite Campus if your child can have over-the-counter medication. If you need help checking this, please email Nurse Lindsey at lcummins@colfaxmingo.org or Missy Daft at mdaft@colfaxmingo.org. Remember that students can only have five doses of pain-reducing medication per year. If your child has a chronic health condition like migraines, a doctor's note must be provided to receive more than five doses of pain-reducing medication per year.
- Check your child's head frequently for head lice. I suggest once weekly. Begin treatment promptly if your child has head lice. Remind children not to share hats, scarves, brushes, etc.
- If your child is in Kindergarten or 9th grade, please submit a certificate of dental screening. This form is located on the website or Nurse Lindsey can send home a copy with your child.
- Please remind your children to dress appropriately for the weather. At the elementary, we go outside for recess unless the "feels like temperature" is below 10 degrees. With that in mind, I am accepting any donations of gloves. If you have some that are no longer needed the nurse's office would appreciate them.
Lindsey Cummins BSN, RN
District Nurse
Colfax-Mingo Community School District
The Colfax-Mingo School Board is dedicated to ensuring the best educational experience for our students. We make decisions on school policies, budget allocations, and program development, all with the goal of enhancing the quality of education in our district. Your feedback and involvement are essential to our success!
🔷CLICK ON THE LOGO FOR BOARD AGENDAS AND MINUTES🔷
Upcoming Meetings:
Date: January 20, 2025
Time: 6:00 pm
Location: Central Office Building, 1000 N. Walnut St., Colfax, IA 50054 (south of Kum N Go)
We encourage all community members to attend and participate. Your voice matters, and together we can make a positive impact on our schools.
Thank you for your continued support!
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