MSMS - Every Mile Matters
October 2, 2026
Dear MSMS Families,
As we turn the calendar to October, I want to share a little more than what is happening at MSMS. I want to share why these experiences matter and what we are continuing to build for our students.
Our mission is to be a safe school advancing the best teaching, the best learning, and a sense of belonging for ALL. This year, Every Mile Matters has been our reminder that accomplishing that mission happens one experience, relationship, challenge, success, and day at a time.
Last year, we challenged ourselves to think more deeply about an important question: What should learning actually feel like for a student at MSMS? That work continues this year.
We want students doing the intellectual work—thinking, questioning, explaining, creating, problem-solving, collaborating, and making connections. We want students to understand what they are learning, why it matters, and how it connects to the world around them.
We see this work happening at MSMS in moments like these: 6th graders interacting with primitive tools as they begin studying The Human Story, 7th graders learning pottery alongside a practicing artist, and students across our school being asked to think, create, collaborate, and engage more deeply in their learning.
This year, we're taking the next step. Through our Habits of Heart & Mind—Integrity, Empathy, Ownership, and Endurance—we are becoming more intentional not only about what and how students learn, but about who they are becoming in the process. These habits give us a common language for helping students reflect, grow, persevere, take responsibility, and contribute to their community.
We're not starting over: we're building forward. We're taking the work of last year, strengthening it, and adding another layer to what we believe a great middle school experience should provide.
That's what it means to level up. And it's why Every Mile Matters.
Warmly,
Tyler
Manitou Springs Middle School
415 El Monte Place,
Manitou Springs, CO 80829
Phone: 719-685-2127
Fax:719-685-4552
