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McMeen Elementary
McMeen Elementary Newsletter - September 23, 2022
09/23/22, 4:01 PM
Weekly Happenings
Monday, September 26
Tuesday, September 27
Wednesday, September 28
2nd Grade NNAT Testing Window Opens (Gifted and Talented Testing - for questions, please reach out to Jenni Cessar at jennifer_cessar@dpsk12.net)
Thursday, September 29
Teacher Planning Day - No School
Friday, September 30
Teacher Planning Day - No School
Last Day to Order from the McMeen School Store (see below)
Upcoming Events
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OCTOBER
October 3 - 2nd Grade Denver Health Dental Sealant Program
October 3 - Collaborative School Committee Meeting
October 10 - Parent/Teacher Organization (PTO) Meeting
October 11-12 - Parent Teacher Conferences (more information coming from your child's teacher)
October 14 - Parent Teacher Conference Comp Day (No School)
October 17 - Teacher Planning Day (No School)
October 28 - Family Breakfast in the Classroom
Ways to Get Involved
Buddy Bench Assembly
Our PTO helped us secure some Buddy Benches (thank you!) for our playground. The idea of a Buddy Bench is that it is a place kids can sit if they want/need someone to play with and other kids can know to help engage them in play. The benches have arrived at school and just need to be assembled. We would love volunteers to help with assembly. If this is something you would be interested in, please reach out to Lauren Bartsch at lauren_bartsch@dpsk12.net.
Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
See the info below!
Sponsorship Program
This year, the PTO is offering a sponsorship program to raise funds for new Promethean boards for the classrooms. We are looking for local businesses to support the mission through a monetary donation. Those businesses will receive recognition for their support in various outlets including a banner on Holly St.
McMeen families with businesses that are interested in the program can participate at a reduced requested donation rate.
If you or someone you know is interested in being a sponsor please email Andrea Lazar at andrea.lavine@gmail.com.
Recess Volunteers
We would love to start up our recess volunteer program again. The general idea is to provide a time for families to come and volunteer at recess and provide extra supervision. The sincere hope is that this is a fun way to support the school. We have put together a Guide for Playground Volunteers in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Farsi that goes over some basics of how to get started. Please email Stacy West if you are interested at stacy1west@gmail.com.
Announcements
REMINDER Spanish Classes for Kids
The Spanish Learning Network has Spanish Classes for kids. Check them out here.
REMINDER Gifted/Talented Magnet Testing
If you would like you to nominate your student for magnet testing please follow this link and nominate your child to take the COGAT. The nomination window will close 10/14. The cognitive assessment will be given at McMeen by me (Jenni Cessar). Only students in 1,3,4, and 5 can be nominated. Kindergarten and 2nd will take the NNAT this fall. If you have any questions, please reach out: jennifer_cessar@dpsk12.net
Student Shout Outs
Mighty Mustangs - Nely Sanchez for being Mindful, DJ for being an Upstander, Chris Baca-Rocha for being Mindful, Adna for being Self-Aware, Hala for being Mindful, an Upstander, and having a Growth Mindset, Caleb for being Tenacious, Wulfie for being an Upstander, Sam (5th), Aubree for being Mindful, and Jezariyah for being Mindful and Self-Aware.
1st Grade, Emma Waas - Emma is very respectful and always ready to learn. - Sr. Guevara
3rd Grade, Lani Bettag - She saw a student sitting alone sad. She went over and asked the student if she was ok. The student had no one to play with and Lani invited her to join her to play. - Ms. Beth
5th Grade, Zayd Locke - Zayd is always setting an excellent example for his fellow fifth graders and younger students! He is always kind and respectful and working hard! Keep it up Zayd! - Ms. Zaleski
5th Grade, Roberto Rivera Duran - Roberto has been working so hard this year! I'm so proud of the progress he's making and the example he sets for his peers. Awesome job Roberto! Keep it up! - Ms. Zaleski
2nd Grade, Athena Gutierrez - She has been so engaged in our literacy lessons this week! She participates all throughout the lesson and creates connections to the texts we're reading! Can't wait to see how this girl's bilingual skills flourish! - Sra. Candee
4th Grade, Kenda Ben Suauod - Kenda comes to school every day with a smile on her face. She is such a hard worker and puts effort into everything she does! - Ms. Fitzgerald
4th Grade, Chelle Miranda - Chelle is very creative, and her writing and drawings are so fun to see! She sets a good example for the rest of the class and works hard to do her best every day. - Ms. Fitzgerald
ECE, Arlo Kidd - he is friendly, compassionate, respectful , and participates in class. He is a good roll model for his classmates. Buen trabajo Arlo! - Sra. Aldaz
5th Grade, Py Chann Greer - He has worked so hard this year! He will be moving and his 5th grade class will miss you! Good luck! - Ms. Jaramillo
5th Grade, Kalie Reynolds - For her fun and positive attitude! She is so fun to work with. - Ms. Jaramillo
3rd Grade, Camin Clariday - Camin has shown tenacity while she has adjusted to being part of our class. - Ms. Toney
3rd Grade, Connor Ferenandes - Connor has a great growth mind set and pushes himself to do his very best every day. - Ms. Toney
ECE, Theo Lozow - Theo juega y se relaciona con sus amigos y compañeros de la clase de manera positiva. Tambien muestra interes y participación en nuestra clase expresando e intercambiando sus ideas y experiencias de manera natural y espontánea. ¡ExcelenteTheo! - Sra. Rivera
Theo plays and interacts with his classmates in a positive manner. He also shows interest and participation by expressing and exchanging his experiences and ideas naturally and spontaneously. Good job Theo! - Sra. Rivera
Classroom Updates
5th Grade - 5th graders have been having a great time with Social and Emotional Learning this year. We have seen so many students working hard on managing big emotions and setting a great example for other grades! The fifth grade teachers have been having a great time getting to know our students and working together to create an environment where it's fun to learn and grow alongside each other. Keep up the good work fifth graders!
PE - We are off to a great start in PE learning routines, rituals and rules. Our class rules are based on the Three Be's: Be Kind, Be Safe, Be a Good Teammate. Our class expectation is "Try Your Best". We are also learning how to be safe by showing personal space, body control, and making eye contact when moving throughout the gym. Some of the activities that we have been doing are Red Light/Green Light (Body Control), Sharks and Minnows (Personal Space and Body Eye Contact) and are shifting to teamwork activities in the older grades like The Floor is Lava. We are preparing so that we can begin stations and independent work as the year progresses. Thank you to the entire McMeen community for being so welcoming and a big shout out to the specials team for your support!
Art with Students in 4th and 5th grade were invited to participate in a community art project to kick off the school year. To begin, students worked in small groups to write a “studio contract” in response to the question, “What do we want our studio to look like, sound like, and feel like?” “What behaviors, attitudes, and conditions help support creativity?” Each class has established their thoughtful contract and revisits it on a daily basis. Next, students were invited to personalize a small circle that represents their identity. These circles have come together in our McMeen Mustang community artwork. Their participation represents their belonging and commitment to our community. - Emilee Claypool
Resources from DPS
Virtual Multilingual Education Districtwide Advisory Committee
Wednesday, September 28th, 5:00-6:30PM
Please join DPS for a virtual Multilingual Education Districtwide Advisory Committee (MLE DAC) meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 28 from 5-6:30 p.m.
At this session, families will receive important information and resources about:
- Multilingual Education Programs & DPS Newcomer Centers.
- Parent’s Rights & Responsibilities
- ESSA-Title I Funds
- Career and College Month Celebration
You can register for this event here!
FACE University
https://go.pardot.com/e/742223/ty-engagement-face-university-/3fql55/625172956?h=HhGNDDjvy4chsCtOhrrvn2BIvQLOI-hftiiwNAH5T78
This website offers resources that DPS community and families can use to access tips, tools, webinars and trainings that help them to support, advocate and engage with their student and their education. All trainings are recorded and closed captioned in Spanish, Arabic, Amharic, French, Mandarin, Nepali, Somali, and Vietnamese.
News from McMeen Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
PTO is excited to announce that we have filled the position of Vice President, Secretary, & Treasurer!
Vice President – Erica Helfrich
Secretary – Lori Stanley
Treasurer – Katie Lockley
PTO finalized the 2021/2022 earnings and expenses. Here is a snapshot of how we raised and spent funds last school year.
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Next PTO Meeting
Monday, October 10th @ 6pm
PTO Meeting * Link has been corrected! *
* PTO meetings will be held the 2nd Monday of every month via Zoom.
School Store – Open Through September 30th!
Get all your Mustang gear today! The ordering window will be open until September30th. It will take 2-3 weeks to ship the orders once the ordering window is closed. You will be able to pick up your orders at McMeen. Please add your child's name as the customer so that we can easily get the orders out once they arrive. To order, use the link below.
Chipotle - Tuesday, October 5th (4pm – 8pm)
Location: 820 S Monaco Pkwy Unit 1b, Denver CO 80224
Promo Code: 78VJFFY
33% of sales will be donated to the McMeen PTO.
Chook- Monday & Tuesday, November 7th & 8th
Location: 4340 E 8th Ave, Denver, CO 80220
Promo Code: Mention “McMeen or SCHOOLS20 when ordering online.
20% of sales will be donated to the McMeen PTO.
Event Committee Volunteers Needed!
- Social Events
- Literacy Events
- Appreciation Events
- Amazon List Manager
Sign-up through the Sign-Up Genius link below.
Don’t have the bandwidth to volunteer but want to help? There are other ways! PTO is always looking for donations to help fund school projects, events, and scholarships. Click on the McMeen Square site to donate. McMeen Square
McMeen Elementary PTO Sponsorship Program
Businesses can support McMeen through the new sponsorship program that is rolling out this year. 100% of the money raised by the PTO sponsorship program for the 2022-2023 school year will fund technology upgrades for each classroom. This money will be matched 1:1 by a technology grant. Your money will go twice as far for McMeen.
**Business Sponsorship Opportunities Inquiries can be directed to: Andrea Lazar andrea.lavine@gmail.com
Thank you to the Platinum and Gold Member Sponsors! Your generous donations are helping to provide new technology for McMeen Elementary School. We are grateful to have your support!
PTO Expense Reimbursement Form
McMeen Elementary School
1000 S Holly St Denver, CO 80246 720-424-5520` FAX 720-423-5547
