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| Columbine Elementary
Newsletter |
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October
Calendar |
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October 6
5th Grade Field Trip to Pikes Peak (Mr. Doud's Class and 1/2 of Mrs. Juarros' Class)
October 7
5th Grade Field Trip to Pikes Peak (Mr. Uher's Class and 1/2 of Mrs. Juarros' Class)
Walk to School Day
October 8
K-Kids Meeting
4:00-5:00
October 14
Native American Pottery Firing
Board of Education Meeting
7 PM Central Office
October 16
Spirit Day
Homecoming Parade
1:45 from WPMS to WPHS
October 21
Parent/Teacher Conferences 5-8 PM
October 22
No School
Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 23
No School
October 26
No School - All Day Collaboration
October 30
Halloween Parade and Classroom Parties
2:45 PM
November 4
Student Picture Re-Take Day
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PTO Calendar |
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October 6
Yearbook Meeting 3 PM
October 8
Dominos Pizza Night
PTO Meeting 6 PM
(SIT 5 PM)
October 13
October 16
Homecoming and Spirit Day
November 9
PTO Meeting 6 pm
(SIT 5 PM)
November 20
Spirit Day
December 11
Spirit Day
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| From the Principal's Desk |
 Dear Parents,
This October has once again reminded us of how lucky we are to live in the mountains of Colorado. I have heard it said more than once lately, "If you don't like the weather, wait fifteen minutes." We have certainly had it all already. Please remember to dress your child in layers so that we can encourage them to be comfortable regardless of the temperature, precipitation and wind child "of the moment."
We are excited to meet with you all at our Parent Teacher Conferences later this month. Before meeting with all of you for our conferences, we will be gathering for our Classroom Conversations to discuss the growth and success of each and every child in the building. The result of our planning sessions will be shared with you at the conference. As parents, you can help make these conferences be as productive as possible by talking to your child before attending. Consider discussing the following questions:
1. What do you think your teacher will tell me about your effort?
2. What do you think that you are doing well?
3. What do you think your learning goals should be for the next month?
4. How can I help support you with these goals?
The more we all talk to each other about where we are at the moment, where we want to be in the future, and how we plan to get there, the better our chances will be to succeed.
As you begin to plan for the events in October, please remember that violent costumes will not be allowed in school. It is so hard to disappoint children on the day of the parade by not allowing them to participate, so please take note of this and plan for them to be involved.
Thanks again for your continuous involvement in our wonderful school!
Cris Gammill |
| Read Around the World Book Fair |
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Join us in sharing a love of reading with our students at the Scholastic Book Fair October 16-22. Your child's class will be visiting our fair on Friday, October 16 for a Sneek Peek Preview. Students will be allowed to visit the fair and purchase books with their teacher's permission during the school week of October 19th. The fair will be open from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm and then open as well for your book shopping convenience during conferences.
While you are visiting the book fair, stop by the Classroom Wish List display. Help add books to our classroom shelves by purchasing books and donating them to your child's classroom.
We appreciate your dedication to creating lifelong readers. See you at the Read Around the World Book Fair! |
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Visit With Farmer Joe at Farmer's Market |
 On Friday, September 11th, Columbine Elementary third graders took a "walking field trip" to the local farmers' market by Memorial Park. One of our intents for taking this field trip was to meet some of the Colorado state geography standards for third grade. "Farmer Joe", one of the weekly venders at the market, talked with our students about topics relating to the farming business, how Colorado's climate affects the crops grown in our state, and other interesting facts about the kinds of fruits and vegetables grown in Colorado. |
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CSAP News |
| CSAP is a long ways off, but we want to give you a heads up as you begin to make vacation plans for Spring Break. Our testing windows run from February 16-26 for 3rd Grade Reading CSAP and from March 1- 24 for the rest of 3rd grade CSAP and all of 4th and 5th grade CSAP. We appreciate it when you can work around these testing windows when making your vacation plans as it's difficult to accommodate testing students on an individual basis to do make up tests. Each area tested consists of three one-hour tests. If one of the three tests in a subject area is not completed, the whole test is given a zero. So we want to make sure all tests are completed. We also want your child to reap the benefits of testing with their class and avoid missing other important work if they have to be pulled out to do makeups. Thank you for your support! |
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Read Naturally Volunteers |
Submitted by Kristen Lopes, IRT
We are looking for volunteers to work with kids using our Read Naturally fluency practice program. You will be trained in the program and will be working with one to three students at a time. The optimal time for doing this is during our Strength Training time which runs from 3:10-3:40pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. You could work one or more days doing this work that greatly impacts our students' reading progress! If you are interested or have questions, please call me at 686-2342. Thank you! |
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Native American Pottery Firing |
| Submitted by Karen Storm, Art Specialist
A Native American Pottery Firing at Columbine! This school-wide event is designed to relate the visual arts to historical and cultural traditions and to build community through a hands-on learning experience.
When: Weather permitting, we will build the primitive kiln on Tuesday, October 13th, light it on Wednesday, October 14th, and remove the pots on Thursday, October 15th.
Where: Columbine Playground
Who: All Columbine students will have pieces in the firing.
How: We will be experiencing firing techniques discovered by Native Americans thousands of years ago. We will build a fire around pottery, with wood and dried cow pies (they help make the heat more intense). The intense heat will harden the clay.
What we will need:
· Dried cow pies collected with adult supervision in trash bags. Wear gloves please!
· Wood
· Old cinderblocks or bricks
· Volunteers! If you would like to volunteer to help with the firing, contact me, Mrs. Storm <kstorm@wpsdk12.org>.
Volunteers are needed throughout the three days, and especially Wednesday night. I will be staying most of the night to keep an eye on the warm embers.
Thank you! |
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Columbine Student Council |
We are off to a fabulous year in student council! Mrs. Cutting is the new student council sponsor and is excited to work with these great students!
President is Hanna Hobson
Treasurer is Hudson Pace
Secretary is Ashley Delarm
Representatives are: Joshua Simpson, Kemper Thornberry, Emily Parker, Jordan Aragon, Katie Christian, Colton Ivory, Ashley Thompson, Skyler Drossman and Rebecca Bloomfield.
OCTOBER CALENDER OF EVENTS
2nd Student Council Meeting 8AM Library
9th Student Council Meeting 8AM Library
16th Student Council Meeting 8AM Library
Homecoming Parade/ Spirit Day
23rd Student Council Meeting 8AM
30th No Student Council Meeting |
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The Happy Garden at Columbine |
 In the Columbine Happy Garden, students are learning to look at the world through artist's eyes by exploring the variations of colors, values, textures, and shapes found in nature! Slow, careful observation of our natural world gives life richness and delight that can be experienced no other way. Mrs. Storm explains it to her students like this, "The first time I drew a flower was the first time I really saw a flower. Draw as if you have never seen a flower before." |
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News From PE |
| Submitted by Julie Cutting, Physical Education Specialist
Welcome to Physical Education at Columbine Elementary. I am very excited about working with you and your child during the upcoming year. I know we will have an exciting and rewarding year in physical education. The physical education curriculum that your child will experience this year is based on the national and state physical education standards and best practices in teaching physical education. For more information visit http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/ .
Because you are an integral part of your child's education, I feel home-school communication is of vital importance. I hope to talk with the parents and/or guardians of each of my students during the upcoming weeks, and would like to extend an invitation for you to contact me at any time. I can be reached through the main office at school (719 686 2300) or via email - jcutting@wpsdk12.org. If you would like to talk in person, I am always available to schedule appointments before school, after school, or during my planning periods. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
There are several ways you can help your child succeed in physical education.
1. Ask your child what he or she learned in physical education each day. This simple routine will help your child to review class material and for you to determine if your child is concerned or having problems with anything in physical education.
2. Please help your child establish a regular time and place to get some physical activity outside of the school day. Make time for the entire family to take a bike ride, walk, or play a game. Ask your child to show you what activity s/he did in physical education that day.
3. Ask your child to show you his/her grade and assessments s/he receives in physical education. I send home frequent progress reports. This will help both you and your child to stay up-to-date on exactly how your child is progressing in physical education.
During the month of October, third through fifth grade students will be conditioning and getting ready for FitnessGram. We will be running, doing sit-ups, pushups, stretching, and building cardiovascular fitness. Kindergarten through second grades will be focusing on throwing, catching, simple games, and fitness.
Please feel free to contact me at anytime during the school year. I hope to be able to meet you at the first parent-teacher meeting. I look forward to working with you and your child!
Moving and Learning Together |
| Walk to School |
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Don't forget to mark your calendars for Wednesday, October 7, for Walk to School Day! We will have 2 start locations where you can walk to school with your friends, parents, and Columbine Staff: The Community Church or Loaf n' Jug on Hwy 67. We will be leaving at approximately 8:10-8:15 am from those locations. Come celebrate good health and "greening" our community. See you there! | |
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Here Is What Is Happening
In YOUR Columbine Parent Teacher Organization |
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Warm Greetings from PTO Co-Chair |
I am very happy to introduce myself to you and to join Miriam as PTO co-chair for Columbine. I am a strong believer in public education and am proud to help make Columbine an outstanding place of education and character development. I have been surprised and amazed how much PTO does for this school and really want to encourage you to be involved. As you know, budgets are declining and needs increasing. It is only with your help we can support and encourage our staff to 'be all they can be' so our children can do the same.
I want to invite you to the PTO meetings on Mondays 6-7:30pm in the Library (generally the second Monday of the month unless there is a first Monday holiday). Child care is available in the gym at no cost. It is a great time to get a better understanding of how the school works, upcoming programs, and (particularly) Cris Gammill's aspirations for the future.
Certainly some of you cannot make Monday night meetings but have great ideas to share. Our PTO has a hotmail account at: columbinepto@live.com. Please email us your ideas (or availability) and we will forward them to the appropriate staff/committee.
I feel it is a privilege to be at this school and want to encourage you to find a way to help make it a little better.
As the motto goes ... "Together We Can Make a Difference"!
Heather Sharp, PTO Co-Chair |
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Safeway Shoppers |
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Please check your most recent Safeway receipt for the 10% Back-To-Schools section. This has details on how our school can get some extra money based on purchases you have already made. All you need to do is follow the directions on your receipt; it's a very simple process that only takes a minute. This is easy/free money for Columbine. You must do this before October 13. Thank you! |
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Advertise with PTO |
Does your business need a kick start?
If so... here is your opportunity to BUY an AD in the 2009-2010 Student Directory.
The Columbine Student Directory is distributed to each Columbine family and this year we will be selling advertisement slots for the prices noted below.
$25 for a 1/4 page ad inside the directory
$45 for a 1/2 page ad inside the directory
$40 for 1/4 page ad on the back cover
$75 for 1/2 page ad on the back cover
*1/4 page = 4 1/4" x 2 3/4"
*1/2 page = 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"
If you are interested in purchasing an ad, email kallie_pivonka@urscorp.com by October 12th. |
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Yearbook |
The first part of the school year is packed with fun events. If you happen to be attending one of these events - Grab Your Camera!
If you have pictures you would like to submit to the yearbook committee, you could do so in any of the following ways. In each case, please indicate the event(s), grade and the teacher(s).
1. You can drop a copy of the printed pictures off in the red yearbook folder in the school office. If you want the picture returned, please put your name and phone number on the back.
2. You can also email digital pictures to carol.korzekwa@gmail.com or skajnb@msn.com
3. Or copy the pictures to a CD and drop the CD off in the red yearbook in the school office.
Our first Yearbook meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 6th from 3:00-3:45pm in the school library. Please feel free to join us and share your ideas. |
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What is your Child's Favorite Food |
| I bet PIZZA is one of the top five. Here are your opportunities to make your kid happy and help raise some money for Columbine at the same time.
*Every Night is Fundraiser Night with Papa Murphy's*
Use any coupon - any night. Have your fundraiser card stamped for each pizza. Once your card is filled up, turn it into Papa Murphy's and Columbine will receive $3.00 for every card turned in.
*Domino's Pizza Night will be held on Thursday, October 8th.*
Columbine receives $2.00 for every pizza ordered on this night; and the class with the most orders wins a pizza party. Flyers will be sent to your home that same week.
*Pizza Hut's Pizza night will be Tuesday, October 13th.*
Columbine will receive 20% of any orders placed by a Columbine family on this night. What a way to give to the school. All you have to do is enjoy a wonderful meal from Pizza Hut! |
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Do You Have Some Spare Time in October? |
| We need help to fix and facilitate a fiesta for our phenomenal faculty at the Fall Conference Teacher Appreciation Dinner Thurs, Oct 22. Email heathersharp2@msn.com if you'd like to help fix (drop item at school Wed or Thurs). Facilitation times are 4-5pm set up, 5-6pm serve, 6-7pm sweep. THANKS! |
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2009 Holiday Shop and Craft Fair |
Your craft items are needed to sell at the 2009 Holiday Shop & Craft Fair!
We are adding handcrafted items provided by local artisans to sell on consignment at the 2009 Holiday Shop & Craft Fair. We are accepting applications to be considered on a juried basis since we will be very limited on space for this first year.
We have already acquired many great holiday gift items to be sold as we have done in the past, but are planning on adding up to 6 consignment vendors that can offer handcrafted items that will compliment the selection. If you make jewelry, candles, toys, clothes, accessories, men's gifts, or anything that our students would be able to give as gifts to their family and friends, please consider selling your items at this year's Holiday Shop & Craft Fair!
The craft items need to be priced at $12 or less. There will be no booth fee and the vendor will receive 70% of all money received for their crafts. Each vendor will be responsible for helping during the craft fair for at least 6 hours (can be split up into several shifts).
The 2009 Holiday Shop & Craft Fair will be held at the school from Monday, December 7 to Friday, December 11, 2009! Please submit your name and contact information along with a detailed description and/or photos of your handcrafted items to Paige Tanis at paigetanis@gmail.com or put in the PTO mailbox by Friday, October 23rd. If you have any questions, please call 237-4823. | |
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