• Feb.10th - March 14th
• Hygiene Drive at Sarah Milner
• Feb.7th-14th
• Safety Week at Sarah Milner
• Feb. 13th
• Class Photos
• Feb.17th- NO SCHOOL
• Presidents' Day
• Feb.18th- NO SCHOOL
• Staff Professional Day
• March 6th and 7th- NO SCHOOL
• Parent Teacher Conferences
• March 13th
• Donuts with Dads and Dudes
• March 17th-21st- NOSCHOOL
• Spring Break
• April 7th- 24th
• CMAS Testing Window
• April 25th- NO SCHOOL
• Teacher Work Day
• May 9th
• Pozole and Bingo Night
• May 16
• Field Day

Sarah Milner Families,

Dear Families,

As we continue in the winter season, it’s important that your contact information in the Parent Portal is updated to receive any communications regarding school closures or school delays. Please add emergency contacts to your child’s profile also in case you are unable to pick up your child if school is closed early.

The Challenge is On!

The Healthy Kids 5210+ Challenge is a FREE month-long program, during February, where students, school staff and families learn and practice the 5210+ healthy habits.

The goal is to get 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 hours or less of recreational screen time,1 hour or more of physical activity, 0 sugary drinks and 9 or more hours of sleep every day! Your student(s) will be bringing home a tracking log to keep track of their healthy habits throughout the month of February.

Students that complete 80 checkmarks on their log will earn a FREE t-shirt. All students and staff that participate can help our school earn money for PE equipment and school wellness initiatives.

The latest edition of the Healthy Kids Connection newsletter is now available on the Healthy Kids Club website (healthykidsclub.org) for viewing and downloading.

This special edition is packed with valuable information and resources for students, staff, and families. If your school is participating in this year's Challenge, please share this resource with your school community. The newsletter is available in both English and Spanish.

Don't forget to visit the Healthy Kids 5210+ Challenge page for more tips and ideas on promoting the Challenge. You'll find plenty of inspiration to help students, staff, and families build healthy habits and compete for wellness initiative prize money!

Timeline:

• Students and staff will receive a paper log to complete at home.

• The Challenge takes place Feb.1-28

• At the end of the Challenge, students and staff will submit their logs by Wednesday, March 5.

•Schools with the highest student and staff participation will be awarded prize money to spend on PE equipment and school wellness initiatives.

• Students and staff that get 80 or more checkmarks will receive a FREE 5210+ Challenge T-shirt.

• School winners will be announced the first week of May. Shirts will be delivered to your school by mid-May.

Hello,

I have had several families ask me for the link for the lip sync, so cool!

Link: https://youtu.be/bpdpiOFQxlk?si=q8OUDjj3xzRNWS_x

Chelsea Pennock-Brown

Sarah Milner Elementary School Music Teacher

Direct Ordering Link for Group Prepay:

http://www.studio5portraits.preorderphotos.com/?AccessCode=F69YX7

Access Code: F69YX7

What is Leader in Me?

Leader in Me is a framework for schools to build a culture focused on leadership and success for every student. It has been successfully implemented in thousands of schools in the United States and many more all over the world. The Leader in Me began with The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People by Stephen Covey, which originally only applied to adults. Over time, these habits have been adapted for use in schools and with students. At Sarah Milner, the Leader in Me curriculum is taught 4 days a week for 15-20 minutes, but the principles are woven into the culture of the school.

The 7 habits are:

• Be proactive
• Begin with the end in mind
• Put first things first
• Think win-win
• Seek first to understand, then to be understood
• Synergize
• Sharpen the saw

For the month of February, we will emphasize the fifth habit in this newsletter: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

What does this mean?

Practicing this habit is all about communication. It means that we are good listeners who value other people's perspectives and opinions while also effectively sharing our own feelings and opinions. Practicing this habit means we understand and validate others while also being comfortable sharing our needs and ideas.

How can I reinforce these concepts at home?

• Help your child develop empathy by focusing on a person or character in media and ask questions about their experience and emotions. What is that person going through? How do you think they feel about what's going on?
• Practice "I" statements with your student to help them take responsibility for their feelings and actions. By saying, "I feel upset" or "I didn't like that", kids learn to focus on themselves rather than pushing blame onto others for their emotional state (i.e. "You did this to me!", "You're so mean!", etc.).
• Take opportunities to make sure you and your student feel heard. This doesn't mean we have to agree, but validation and acknowledgement can go a long way (i.e. "I see that you're frustrated because we have to get ready for bed. I know it can be really difficult to stop playing games.").

The school is ultimately a partner in your child's learning journey. We very much appreciate collaborating with parents and adults at home as we all learn more about Leader in Me and students are able to demonstrate their leadership potential.

For more information about Leader in Me, check out the Leader in Me website.

SMES will have indoor recess under the following conditions:

• Heavy rain, snow or sleet

• Soggy, wet conditions

• Lightning in the vicinity

• Temperatures below 15 degrees (including Wind Chill)

In order to keep everyone safe, please don’t have students arrive before 7:45.

If temperatures drop below 15 degrees, students who walk to school or are dropped off, will be brought into the gym at 7:45 to sit safely until the bell rings and they are allowed to get breakfast and/or go straight to class. We will make this determination based on the Weather Channel App and the Apple Weather App.

Once they are in the building, the expectation is for them to go to the gym to patiently wait until 7:50 to be released to rooms. This will allow for students to warm up, but also make sure the gym is ready for breakfast and PE class.

Also, remember to dress your child according to the cold weather, all students will go out to recess as long as the temperature is above 15 degrees.

Thank you!

• Try to avoid scheduling appointments during CMAS testing
• Make sure to get plenty of rest and eat a good breakfast
• Do your best!

As we get the schedule finalized we will send it out to families.

Why Should You Apply?

Even though meals are free for all students regardless of meal application status or income status, we are still asking parents to submit meal applications for their kids. There are still great benefits to submitting a meal application for this school year!

The HSMA program is funded in partnership with federal nutrition programs that rely on that income information to support meals for ALL students. Other state and federal grants for school are awarded based on free and reduced meal eligibility rates - this could mean more money for your school! Plus, families who qualify may receive discounted or waived school fees, sports, fees, utilities support and more.

**All household income information is confidential and will not be shared without your consent**

To submit an application, click on the button below!

The Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program (S-EBT) will be available this summer 2025! Summer EBT helps families buy food during the summer months. If you qualify, your family will receive $40 per child/per month to purchase groceries with funds placed on an EBT card. This amounts up to $120 per eligible child. You’ll receive a card pre-loaded with money in the mail.

You are eligible if your school aged children participate in…

• SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid OR…
• Your child qualifies for free or reduced lunches based on income

How can you receive benefits?

1. Make sure you’ve submitted a free or reduced meals application for the 24-25 school year (use this link to apply online: https://linqconnect.com/public/meal-application/new).
2. Your family will automatically qualify if you participate in SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid.

EBT cards will be mailed by the Colorado Department of Human Services. Please make sure your school has your current address and parent/guardian information in Infinite Campus, as this will be the address that your card gets mailed to.

The instructional material fee charged to an elementary school student is based on a combination of the purchase price and normal life expectancy of text, the actual cost of workbooks and consumable materials.

*Students on free/reduced lunch have the option of having their fees waived.

Click on the picture to access the Handbook for the 2024-2025 School Year.

If you or someone you know is in need of clothing assistance, we are here to help! Please fill out an order form to request items from the Clothing Closet.

You can drop off donations Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 2:45 pm at 1307 E 5th Street, Loveland, CO 80537. Please call 970-613-5675 to confirm your donation before arrival.

Community Connections
1307 E 5th Street
Loveland, CO 80537
970-613-5675

• Log In to King Soopers Account (app or on website)
• Click My Account
• Click Rewards or Community Rewards
• Search for Sarah Milner Elementary School either by name or use code KV624 and then click Enroll.

New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a loyalty card.

*If a member does not yet have a King Soopers or City Market loyalty card, please let them know they are available at the customer service desk at any King Soopers or City Market

REMEMBER, purchases will not count for your organization until after your participants register their loyalty card.
Participants must swipe their registered King Soopers or City Market loyalty card or use the phone number that is related to their registered King Soopers or City Market loyalty card when shopping for each purchase to count.

Thank you!

Join us in earning cash for our school by using the Box Tops app. It’s an easy way to make a difference. All you have to do is buy Box Tops participating products (like Cheerios!) and scan your grocery receipt. Box Tops are worth $.10 each and they add up fast! Twice a year, our school receives a check to help pay for whatever we need - equipment, supplies or experiences the kids love!

Use this referral code K5VJ5R84 when you sign up and you’ll get 20 Bonus Box Tops when you scan your first receipt now through 05/31/2025, while supplies last! Download the Box Tops for Education app here: https://btfe.smart.link/c2jjdifkw?referral_code=K5VJ5R84

Are you interested in your child being ready for kindergarten? The Thompson School District's Integrated Early Childhood Program provides quality preschool experiences for three and four year olds at 15 different sites around the Loveland and Berthoud area.

If your child will be 3 or 4 years old by October 1, 2025, your child may be eligible to participate in the Thompson School District's Early Childhood Program. We ask all interested families to complete our Preschool Interest Form available on our preschool website. If you have any questions about our program, please call 970-613-5052.

Parent Portal allows parents / guardians to access student grades, report absences, update contact information and more.

Parent Portal

Instructions for Parent Portal

Learn how to request an absence through Parent Portal