💐APRIL 2025💐

Dear FLME Families,

I hope this message finds you well and enjoying the warmer days! April is always a busy and exciting time at school, and this year is no exception. With state testing underway (ending on April 25) for 3rd-5th graders, we want to thank you for your continued support in helping students arrive rested, prepared, and ready to do their best. District testing begins for all students, K-5, in May so keep up the good work!

In addition to testing, our calendar is packed with events and activities that celebrate learning, growth, and community. From performances and field trips to classroom projects and family engagement opportunities, there’s something happening nearly every week!

Given spring weather in Colorado is unpredictable, please remind students to dress appropriately for the changing temperatures and to stay active and engaged—both in and out of the classroom. Attendance continues to be a top priority, especially during this critical stretch of the school year. Every day matters, and we appreciate your partnership in helping students stay on track.

Thank you for being a vital part of our school community. Let’s finish this school year strong, together!

Warmly,
Principal Jenny Imel

Dates to Know

Monday, April 7-Friday, April 25: State CMAS Testing (3rd-5th Grade)

Monday, April 21: Staff PD Day-No School for Students

Tuesday, April 22 @ 3pm: FLME PTO Meeting

Thursday, April 24 @ 5-6pm: Board of Education POG Awards Night @ DHS

Tuesday, April 29: GT Field Trip 

Tuesday, April 29 @ 4:45pm: FLME Spring Music Performance

Friday, May 2: ROADRUNNER CHASE BEGINS! (until May 19) Wanna help? Contact Ginny DeJong @ 970-764-7989

Thursday, May 15 @ 1pm: 5th Grade Graduation

Thursday, May 15 @ 2:45pm: Kindergarten Promotion Ceremony

Wednesday, May 21 @ 1pm: FLME Talent Show

 TBD: Field Day

Friday, May 23: Last Day of School!

Buy YOUR Yearbook!

Cost: $15 (Cash or checks only)

*Please make checks payable to FLME

*Order forms went home!

Online Registration (OLR) for the 2025-2026 school year is NOW OPEN!

• New and returning families can complete the online registration form for the 25-26 school by going to 25-26 Durango Schools Registration. All students must be registered each year. 

• For new families, the following documents can be uploaded when completing the Online Registration: Proof of Residency, Immunizations, Birth Certificate. 

• If you have questions about Online Registration please contact Steph in the front office.

NAPAC & TITLE 6 

Please join us at our next family gathering and NAPAC Meeting on Wednesday, April 16th at the Impact Center. We will be discussing the Middle and Elementary School Title 6 Grad/Ceremony events and gathering ideas for next fall.

Upcoming NAPAC Events:

• April 1 6th @ the Impact Career Innovation Center from 5:00 – 7:00pm: NAPAC/ Navajo Bingo Night 

• May 7th @ the District Office from 5:00 – 7:00pm: NAPAC meeting/ Liaison meeting-we welcome your attendance so that we may propose events for next year. Your input counts! 

MARCH 2025

FLME Families,

March has arrived, bringing with it the promise of spring! We've already begun to notice the days growing longer, and the occasional burst of sunshine reminds us that warmer weather is just around the corner. Please be mindful of the fluctuating temperatures and dress your children appropriately for the changing conditions. Layering is key!

As we embrace the new season, we also look forward to a well-deserved Spring Break, scheduled for March 17-21. We hope this time provides your family with opportunities to relax and recharge. We encourage you to use this break to spend quality time together and return refreshed for the final stretch of the school year.

Upon returning from Spring Break, we will be entering a critical period of academic focus. Our state CMAS testing for 3rd through 5th grade will be administered over three weeks in April. We are committed to ensuring our students are well-prepared, and our teachers are diligently working to reinforce key concepts. We encourage you to support your child's learning at home by providing a quiet study environment and ensuring they get adequate rest. We do our best to keep school “business as usual,” so we stay in our normal routines.

With this, consistent attendance remains a priority. Every day of learning is crucial, and absences significantly impact a student's academic progress. Please continue to communicate with the school regarding any absences. We appreciate your partnership in ensuring your child is present and ready to learn.

We understand that the spring season can be incredibly busy, but we want to emphasize the importance of staying connected with our school community. We encourage you to:

• Follow us on social media: Check out Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary School on Facebook for photos, highlights, and reminders (https://www.facebook.com/FortLewisMesaElementary).

• Attend upcoming school events: PTO and SAAC meetings, our spring music performance, field day

• Communicate with your child's teacher: If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out.

We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead this spring. Thank you for being part of Team FLME! 

Happy Spring Break!

Principal Imel

Dates to Know

Monday, March 10 @ 4:30pm: DAAC Meeting

Monday, March 17-Friday, March 21: No School-Spring Break

Thursday, March 27: Spring Picture Day (Class photos)

Thursday, March 27 @ 3pm: FLME PTO Meeting

Friday, March 28 @ 11:45am (via Google Meet: meet.google.com/evv-uzis-vna)-FLME SAAC Team Meeting

Friday, April 4: Bluegrass Assembly

Monday, April 7 @ 2pm-5pm: Preschool & Kindergarten Open House

Monday, April 7-Friday, April 25: State CMAS Testing (3rd-5th Grade)

Library Updates

FLME's Read-a-Thon!

Families can log onto 99pledges.com, track their minutes, and invite donors or they can use the hard copy sheet provided. We want to make it as easy as we can for our busy families; instructions are included on the sheet.

For this year, prizes will be awarded to the winning class, rather than individual prizes. Our teams are listed below:

Team Berger

Team Harris

Team Aupperle

Team Hanson

Team Servais

Team Clements

Office/Admin Team

The winning team (class) will receive $100 towards a classroom purchase of their choice. We will also have milestone markers with class prizes such as: a popcorn party, a movie in the library, lunch with Mrs. Imel, or lunch with their teacher. The PTO and Library are working together to pull off the Read-a-Thon this year! Log those minutes!

Yearbooks are now on sale! 

Cost: $15 (Cash or checks only)

*Please make checks payable to FLME

*Order forms will be sent home soon. 

Online Registration (OLR) for the 2025-2026 school year is NOW OPEN!

• New and returning families can complete the online registration form for the 25-26 school by going to 25-26 Durango Schools Registration. All students must be registered each year. 

• For new families, the following documents can be uploaded when completing the Online Registration: Proof of Residency, Immunizations, Birth Certificate. 

• If you have questions about Online Registration please contact Steph in the front office.

Upcoming Caregiver Workshops With Our Community Partnerships

Cook Center Mental Health Series: March 2025 classes 

Workshop descriptions and locations

In addition to the Cook Center for Human Connection's live parenting webinars on Monday-Thursday evenings, you can also watch the content on-demand via the organization's full content library. Here are just a few of the class topics offered in March, both as live webinars and prerecorded videos:

• Emotional Regulation: Interrupting Negative Emotions

• Body Image - Loving the Skin You're In

• Understanding Video Game Addiction

• Compassionate Parenting & Self-Compassion

• Grief: The Healing Process After Loss

• Everyday Happiness

• Building Your Child's Confidence

• Bullying - Stop the Cycle

• And much more...

Friendly Reminders for All...

1. Please slow down in our parking lot and parent circle. Remember to look both ways when entering the parent drop off lane from the parking lot. We love our students, families and staff; help us keep each other safe. 

2. You have 24 hours to report absences to the office. Any requests after this time frame will not be excused.

3. Please let the front office know about any after school changes by 12:30pm. It's best to call the front office. Emails may not be seen in time for the changes to be made. 

4. Doors open at 7:15am. Instruction starts promptly at 7:50am. Anyone arriving after 8am is tardy and parents are required to walk their students in and sign them in. 

FEBRUARY 2025

FLME Families,

In January, we hit the new year running and jumped into middle of the year (MOY) assessments; we're so proud of the progress our students are making. We finished MOY testing a few weeks ago and returned to our everyday routines for February. Here are two safety and security reminders for the new year. 1. School doors open at 7:15 am. Please do not drop your students off before this time. You are welcome to sit in the parking lot or parent drop off lane with your student until the doors open. 2. Starting 2/10/25, replacement bus ID's will cost $10. All students are required to have a badge for riding the bus to and from school as well as field trips.

Looking ahead...we're excited to connect with you during our upcoming parent-teacher conferences. These conferences provide a valuable opportunity to discuss your child's progress, set goals, and work together to support their learning journey. More information about scheduling your conference will be coming soon, so please keep an eye out for details.

We appreciate your continued partnership in your child's education and thank you for staying updated with all the ongoings at FLME through our communications. We look forward to seeing you at the March conferences!

FLME Tree of Warmth Updates

The Fourth Annual Tree of Warmth was a huge success for our families! 

• $3375 was raised to help FLME families during the holiday season. 

• 19 children received gifts from anonymous donors

• 1 Christmas tree was delivered

• 20 hams and 1 turkey were given to families to help with holiday meals

• Questions? Please reach out to Steph with any questions at ssherman@durangoschools.org

Student Council Updates

• Our student council will be running  candy gram sales again this year for Valentines day! Students will be able to purchase a candy gram and send a note to their friends for only .25 cents! 

• Save the date! February 28th is Sports Day! Wear your favorite sports jersey or dress like your favorite athlete. 

News from The Health Office

While attendance greatly impacts students' academics, we thank you for keeping your sick students at home when they have a fever, are vomiting and/or have diarrhea. Students must be free of these symptoms for at least 24 hours before they can return to school. Please be sure to call them in any time they miss a day. 

FREE Resource

Ready! for Kindergarten workshops for parents with children 3-5 years of age! These are small-group sessions where parents with young children can learn about the skills that children can develop to be ready and success in Kindergarten. School Readiness preparation is key and Ready! for Kindergarten is an evidence-based program from the Children's Reading Foundation, developed to support the domains of school readiness through parent education and learning materials. 

Durango sessions will be offered at La Plata Family Center/ Christ the King Church in Durango – registration link (3-4) or registration link (4-5)

Bayfield sessions will be offered at Community Treehouse – register directly at the Treehouse

Sessions are free and include dinner and onsite childcare. 

For more information, please reach out to Sara McVaugh, School Readiness Coordinator at schoolreadiness@ecclaplata.org or call 970-247-0760

Changing Weather...Be Prepared!

During cold weather, it is essential for students to come to school prepared with appropriate clothing, including coats, hats, gloves, and other warm attire. To support a safe and enjoyable recess experience, the following guidelines apply:

1. Expectations for Cold-Weather Clothing:

   • Students are expected to bring appropriate cold-weather clothing to school on days when temperatures warrant it. Cold weather is defined as temperatures at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

   • Items such as jackets, hats, scarves, and gloves are strongly recommended.

2. Recess Procedures:

   • All students must bring their cold-weather clothing outside with them when going to recess.

   • Students who choose not to wear their cold-weather clothing will not be forced to do so. Staff will encourage students to make safe choices but will respect individual decisions.

3. Re-Entry Restrictions:

   • In general, students are not allowed to return indoors during recess to retrieve forgotten clothing.

Exceptions: In extreme weather conditions or when the temperature drops below established thresholds (as determined by the school’s weather safety guidelines), recess may be held indoors.

Transportation Update: ID Badges for Students

Families, we need your help! If your student rides the bus, please help us with these reminders...

1. • Reinforce the importance of using their IDs for a faster, safer boarding process.  If students do not have their IDs, bus drivers are required to enter the student manually, which slows down the process considerably.  

   • If your student has lost their ID, they need to report this to the office immediately so we can get a new ID issued.  

   • A great way for your student to secure and use their badge is by attaching it to their backpack or with a lanyard.

Thanks for working together to make this a seamless process!

NOVEMBER 2024

As we approach Thanksgiving and the season of giving, I encourage you to reflect on the many things for which we can be grateful. Personally, I feel gratitude for the kindness and caring that fills our school community. By working together with empathy and collaboration, we create a positive and supportive environment where everyone feels valued and respected. With this, our actions, words, and attitudes have a ripple effect, impacting those around us. Let's continue to foster a culture of gratitude and kindness, making our school a place where everyone feels a sense of belonging and inspired to reach their full potential.

In this spirit, as a school, we are taking on the yearlong kindness challenge. Please refer to the link below to learn more about this "challenge." I also attached this month's calendar of ideas; some of the ideas are more relevant and/or doable than others. Regardless, we have a great opportunity to be empathetic collaborators in an authentic way, inside and outside of school.

The Power of Rhyme & Why It Matters

Stories of impact: School Attendance Matters

I recently read a blog written by Healthy Schools Campaign, Mental Health America and Attendance Works where they state:

“Students who are experiencing well-being and feel engaged are much more likely to attend school and achieve academically. Recently reported declines in student mental health are raising concerns among educators, families and pediatricians and may be contributing to the drastic rise in chronic absence seen in most schools today. Chronic absenteeism (missing 10% or more of school for any reason) is one of the biggest challenges facing public K-12 schools. When children are not in school, they can be below grade level for reading and numeracy in the early grades, achieving in middle school and graduating from high school. They also are at higher risk of falling behind in social-emotional development and executive functioning. Chronic absence nearly doubled since the Covid-19 pandemic, from 16% to nearly 30% of students in the 2021-22 school year. It is disproportionately affecting black and brown children and those experiencing poverty. State data for the 2022-23 school year shows only modest declines in most states and even slight increases in a few”. If your family is struggling with school attendance and you are in need of support please don't hesitate to contact our school for help. If your student must stay at home because they are sick, make sure to call the school to let us know. We miss our students when they are out. They miss the learning when they are out.

Source: https://healthyschoolscampaign.org/blog/the-impact-of-school-mental-health-services-on-reducing-chronic-absenteeism/

Here's to a safe and relaxing break!

Best-

Principal Imel