One student from each school is selected to present their art to the Board of Education and the artwork will be displayed in the 9-R Board room for 1 year. We are pleased to announce Bailey Gaskins, fifth grade student, has been selected to represent Florida Mesa Elementary.
We celebrate “The Arts” in general this month as we recognize how important they are in the development of our students. In Durango School District 9-R, we are fortunate the arts are valued and remain a high priority in education. We want to take this time to thank all of our teachers of the arts, Anne Newman, Melissa Watt, Jennifer Smith, Denna Carney from Durango Arts Center, with after school art, and The Be Frank Foundation volunteers for leading our after school orchestra, as well as our students the “artists” for brightening our educational day with their creativity.
State Assessments: Our third through fifth grade students will engage in state assessments in the upcoming weeks. It is important for students to represent themselves well on these tests, and it’s an opportunity for students to celebrate all that they have learned so far this school year. Here are a few ideas about how you can support your child through testing:
- Ensure that your child is in bed early and gets plenty of rest. Try not to schedule too many extra activities during testing weeks so that your child is well rested.
- Help your child drink plenty of water, eat a healthy dinner each night, and a high protein breakfast each morning. Our fabulous PTO provides third, fourth, and fifth grade students with a snack on their scheduled testing days. THANKS, PTO!
- Review the test dates and times carefully. Please DO NOT schedule appointments or other activities during testing dates. This will prevent your student from having to complete make-ups.
- Most importantly, tell your child you are so proud of the growth they’ve shown this year. Remind your child to do his/her best, and that you love him/her for giving the best effort possible.
Student Led Conferences/Celebration of Learning: Mark your calendars for our student led conferences, which will take place on Monday, March 19, 2018 from 1:30-6:00 p.m. This is a chance for students to own their learning by showing you their data folders, recent assignments, and sharing some of their goals for the remainder of the year. Please watch for more information from classroom teachers.
Sincerely,
Vanessa Fisher, Principal
Shannon Morris, Assistant Principal