Bear Necessities

Good Afternoon Iowa Community!

It was wonderful seeing so many parents and families in our building for Parent-Teacher Conferences this past week! Your active partnership and support make a world of difference for our students.

Hard to believe, but we have just one more week left in the 1st Quarter before Fall Break! As excitement for the upcoming break builds, we are encouraging all of our students to stay focused, bring their best energy, and finish the quarter strong with great learning every day.

To top off our fantastic week ahead, we will be holding our BEARS Assembly next week! In addition to recognizing scholars who have been modeling our core value of Belonging, we will also celebrate reaching our Glow Run fundraising goal, which means I will officially be getting slimed in front of the students!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to visit us or call our main office at 303-751-3660. Thank you for your partnership, support, and dedication to our school community. Have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

Jason Smith

Principal

Iowa Elementary

Our Lost and Found is currently overflowing with coats, sweaters, hoodies, water bottles, and other everyday items!

As a reminder, all unclaimed items are donated to a local charity at the end of each school quarter. Our 1st Quarter donation cleanup will take place on Friday, October 9.

• Students: Please take a moment to walk by the Lost and Found area this week to look for any missing belongings.
• Families: You are warmly invited to come look through the items yourself! If you are in the building for Parent-Teacher Conferences next week, please take a quick look with your student before heading out.

Thank you for helping us reunite these items with their rightful owners before October 9th!

Dear Iowa Families,

On October 20, we will be conducting a Lockdown Drill, also known as an Active Threat Drill. This drill is designed to prepare us for situations where there is an immediate threat to a school building.

During such situations, it is crucial for everyone to act quickly and find safety. This allows first responders to manage the situation effectively. By practicing these drills, we ensure that students and staff know how to respond promptly and calmly.

We understand that these drills can be a bit unsettling, but please be assured that they are standard practice and are required twice a year by the district. The primary goal is to make sure everyone in our building knows what to do in case of a real emergency, keeping us all safe and prepared.

During the Lockdown Drill, Aurora Public Schools Security may be supported by administrators, and our law enforcement partners. Police officers or firefighters may assist us in checking doors and classrooms and coaching us through the process.

Our school mental health providers are available to offer support if needed. Please contact me at 303-751-3660 if you would like assistance connecting your student with a mental health provider at our school.

Thank you for your support as we participate in this important training event. Please remember that these practice drills are in place to help keep our school safe. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at jbsmith@aurorak12.org.

Thank you again for your cooperation.

A huge thank you to everyone who ordered dinner from the Papa John's on 580 S. Chambers Rd. on October 1st! Simply by enjoying a pizza night with your family, our community raised $157.37 for Iowa Elementary!

Where do these funds go? Every dollar goes directly back to our students to support:

• Classroom learning supplies

• Incentive awards and celebrations for outstanding attendance

• Student recognition through our BEAR awards and positive behavior referrals

Thank you for your continued partnership and for always supporting our school!

Looking for a great way to stay connected with your child's math learning? Check out the Bridges Home Letters! Bridges is the name of the Math Curriculum we use at Iowa Elementary.

These letters give you a quick peek into what your student is working on in their Bridges in Mathematics class. They cover the main concepts and strategies your child is learning, so you can see exactly what they're doing in school. It's a fantastic resource to help you talk with your child about their math work and understand the methods they're using to solve problems.

You can find the Bridges Home Letters for your child's grade, and the current unit they are completing, in either English or Spanish, linked below. Just click the link for their grade level. We hope you'll find them helpful!

Unit 2

Kindergarten English

Kindergarten Spanish

1st Grade English

1st Grade Spanish

2nd Grade English

2nd Grade Spanish

3rd Grade English

3rd Grade Spanish

4th Grade English

4th Grade Spanish

5th Grade English

5th Grade Spanish

Part 3: The Power of Reading Aloud

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Reading aloud is one of the simplest and most powerful ways families can support literacy at home—and it is valuable at every age. When children listen to books read aloud, they hear rich language, learn new vocabulary, develop background knowledge, and experience stories and ideas that may be beyond what they can read independently.

Reading aloud is also about connection. Set aside a few minutes to share a book, take turns reading, or listen to an audiobook together. Pause occasionally to talk about the characters, make predictions, wonder about what might happen next, or connect the story to your child’s experiences. There is no need to turn reading time into a quiz—the goal is to enjoy the story and have meaningful conversations.

As children get older and become more independent readers, keep reading aloud to them. Choose books that are interesting, humorous, thought-provoking, or a little more challenging than what they might choose on their own.

Most importantly, make read-aloud time something your child looks forward to. A shared story can build literacy skills, strengthen relationships, and help children discover the joy of reading.

Find a cozy spot, open a book, and enjoy the story together! 🐻📚

Mrs. Clark Reading Interventionist

“Roar with Wisdom—Read Like a Bear!”

Support Iowa Elementary by purchasing school spiritwear. Iowa Elementary receives a portion of the proceeds from all spiritwear purchased. The flyer below shows special promotions occurring now. However, for a list of designs you can personalize for Iowa Elementary, please click on the following link:

https://iowaschoolspiritwear.com/

Even though all students eat free, we still need all families to complete the Free and Reduced Lunch Application. Iowa Elementary can receive additional funding, Title I funding, if enough students qualify for free and/or reduced lunch. In order to receive the additional funding, we will need at least 75% of our student population qualify for free and/or reduced lunch. If you have not done so already, please click on the link below to complete the Free and Reduced Lunch Application.

Please complete the form, even if you don't believe it applies to your family. Schools receive funding based on our free and reduced lunch count. Every application completed will benefit Iowa Elementary. Please click on the link below to complete the form. If you need support completing the form, please contact our main office.

Apply for Free and Reduced Lunch

If a family needs help completing the application, please contact Allison Quinn or Isela Cortes in the main office, and they can assist.

• October 9-October 18 - Fall Break, No School
• October 20 - Lockdown Drill
• October 22 - Trunk or Treat, 4:00pm-5:30pm
• October 30 - No School
• November 4 - Community Compass Meeting
• November 13 - No School
• November 21-November 29 - Thanksgiving Break, No School

School Hours and Contact Information

Main Office Hours - 7:15 am - 3:15 pm

School Hours - 7:40 am - 2:30 pm

Students may enter the building at 7:35 am.

Telephone: 303-751-3660