Mammoth Tracks

December 5, Parents Night Out-CANCELLED, will be rescheduled for Spring

December 9, Community Night, Panda Express/Noodles and Company

December 17, Community Meeting in the Library, 6pm, CANCELLED, we will resume in January.

December 22-January 5th, NO SCHOOL, Winter Break

Hello MVE Families,

As we move through November, I am feeling especially thankful for our Mountain Vista community. This month, I have been especially moved by the generosity of our families during the Eaglecrest Feeder food drive. You filled our entire donation box and showed such genuine care for supporting members of our broader community who need a little extra help right now. Thank you for giving so freely and for showing our students what it looks like to take care of one another.

Every day at Mountain Vista, I see kindness, teamwork, and joy, and your support of the food drive is just one more reminder of how special this community truly is. Thank you for all the ways you support your children, our staff, and each other. It truly makes a difference.

What We Heard from You

Last month, we asked families to share their thoughts through our Parent Survey, and more than two hundred parents took the time to respond. Your feedback helps us understand what is working well and where we can continue to grow together. The results reflect what makes Mountain Vista so strong: families who value connection, communication, and learning.

You told us that you appreciate clear and consistent communication, that you want to understand the learning happening in classrooms, and that you care deeply about the balance between academic success and emotional well being. Many families also expressed an interest in learning more about how to support students at home, particularly in the areas of reading, math, and healthy technology use.

We are working to design opportunities that respond to this feedback by providing parent learning sessions and resources focused on how to support students in math and reading at home, along with ways to strengthen learning partnerships between school and family. We have summarized these results in a simple overview that you can find here: MVE Parent Survey One Pager. Thank you again for sharing your voices with us.

Finding Balance with Technology

One theme that came through clearly in the survey was the desire to help children build healthy habits around technology. This is something we think about often too. Technology is an incredible tool for learning, but it can easily take over time that children need for creativity, face to face connection, and play. To support families in this area, we want to share a resource called the Wait Until 8th pledge. This national movement encourages parents to delay giving their children a smartphone until at least the end of eighth grade. The idea is not to avoid technology but to give kids a little more time to grow up before stepping into the world of constant connectivity.

The research behind this movement is powerful. Studies summarized in the Why Wait guide show that early smartphone use can interfere with sleep, attention, and emotional health. Too much screen time has been linked to higher levels of stress and anxiety, and even changes in brain development. Many technology leaders, including those who design these very devices, choose to wait until their own children are older before allowing smartphone use. You can read more about the research and the pledge at www.waituntil8th.org.

If you decide to take the pledge, please be sure to list Mountain Vista Elementary in Centennial, CO 80015 so that your commitment connects correctly to our school community. The correct address is 22200 E. Radcliff Pkwy, Centennial, CO 80015.

A Season of Gratitude

As we wrap up November and look back on this month of thankfulness, I find myself feeling truly appreciative of the community we have here at Mountain Vista. Our students continue to grow and surprise us in the best ways, filling our days with curiosity and joy. Our staff brings steady care, creativity, and heart to their work, even in the busiest stretches of the year. And our families, PTO, and volunteers continue to show up for our school in countless ways, each one helping create a place where children feel supported and inspired.

As we head into the rest of this season, I hope your family finds moments of rest, connection, and celebration. Thank you for being part of a community where relationships, collaboration, and growth guide so much of what we do.

In partnership,

Megan Carkhuff

Principal

Reminder from the MVE Handbook about Student Devices:

At Mountain Vista, our goal is to help students stay focused, connected, and engaged in their learning. To support that, our school policy asks that all cell phones and smartwatches remain turned off and stored in backpacks during the school day. If your child brings one to school, please remind them to power it down when they arrive. This helps us maintain a learning environment centered on relationships, focus, and care for one another.

Hello from the music room!

Please make sure your calendars are marked for our upcoming performances,

The 5th-grade performance will be on January 27th. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., and the performance will begin at 6:15 p.m. in the gym.

The 3rd-grade performance will be on March 10th. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., and the performance will begin at 6:15 p.m. in the gym.

The Winter Choir Concert will be on January 13th. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., and the performance will begin at 6:15 p.m. in the gym.

The Spring Choir concert will be on April 21st. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., and the performance will begin at 6:15 p.m. in the gym.

Come check out the AMAZING new artwork hanging throughout our school:

· Mrs. Storto and Mr. Palumbo’s Kindies- “LINES”

· Mrs. Ash’s 1st grade- “Songbirds”

· Mrs. Ligon and White’s 1st grade- “Rainbow Fish”

· Mrs. Vasilauskas’ 3rd graders- “Flashlight”

· Mrs. Carmichael and Ms. Gilmour’s “Dancing Cows”

· Mrs. Baran’s 4th graders- “Dragon’s Love Tacos”

It’s not too late! You can still order custom keepsakes featuring your child’s artwork. Go to ArtToRemember.com . You will have to pay for shipping and have them shipped directly to your home. Just note they may not make it before the holidays.

Thank you for supporting our school!

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

krowland4@cherrycreekschools.org

Dear Mammoth Families:

Our Fall Mindful Milers’ season was a huge success! We enjoyed getting the opportunity to enhance our boys and girls physical and social well being. The season concluded with a beautiful 5K race around Wash Park.

If your child did not get to participate in our club this Fall, please join us in the Spring.

Congratulations to all of our Mindful Milers on a fantastic season. We are so proud of you!

Your Coaches,

Mrs. Vasilauskas

Miss Poscover

Mrs. Berger

In case of sickness or absence, please call the 24 hour attendance line at 720-886-2795.

When leaving a messages please include:

• Students first and last name, include the spelling of their last name.
• Teacher's name and grade
• Reason for absence
• Your name
• Contact phone number
• Brief description of symptoms

Please check our Lost and Found rack frequently.

• CCSD participates in Safe2Tell which allows you to anonymously report any threatening behavior that endangers you, your friends, your family or your community.
• Contact at: www.safe2tell.org or 1.877.542.SAFE (7233)