🐾November Newsletter🐾

Dear A. Montoya Families,

Thank you to all who joined us for our Storybook Parade on Friday! Our students were so excited to share their books and costumes with you. It was wonderful to see their creativity on display and then watch them transition right back into the important learning taking place in classrooms.

As we move further into November, we enter a season filled with days off and changes in routines. Please take a moment to review our school calendar carefully to help your child stay on track during this busy time of year.

A quick reminder — there will be no school on Tuesday, November 4, for Election Day. A. Montoya serves as a voting site, and I encourage all families to get out and vote. This year’s APS bond measure plays a vital role in securing funds to maintain and improve our schools, as well as determining our next APS School Board members.

Thank you for your continued support of our students and our school community. Together, we are helping our Mountain Lions grow, learn, and thrive every day!

Warmly,

Andrea Day

Principal

🐾A. Montoya Elementary School🐾

If you have any questions, concerns, or just want to reach out and say hi, please feel free to send me an email at andrea.day@aps.edu.

• All visitors must check in at the Administration entrance and wear a visible badge.
• Only cleared volunteers (with prior teacher/admin permission and updated background checks) may stay on campus to volunteer.
• Volunteer info: https://www.aps.edu/police/background-and-fingerprinting/background-checks-for-prospective-volunteers
• A photo ID is required to check out a student.
• All items must be dropped off at the front office. Office staff will deliver them to the appropriate classroom. For minimal disruption, families are not permitted to deliver items directly. If preferred, the office can call the student out of class to retrieve the item upon request.

• Our Thanksgiving Lunch is a special community event, and no background check is required to attend. Families are invited to join their child during their scheduled lunchtime to share a meal and celebrate together.

  If you have multiple students at A. Montoya, you are welcome to eat with each of them; however, due to limited space and scheduling, we are unable to pull students from other grade levels to eat at the same time.

  Please be sure to RSVP by Tuesday, November 5th so we can plan accordingly.

A Friendly Reminder on Germ Prevention

With the changing season and several illnesses creeping into the school over the past weeks, November is the perfect time to reinforce healthy habits! We can all do our part to help reduce the spread of germs and keep our school community healthy.

Please partner with us by teaching and reminding your children about these simple yet effective steps:

• Hand Washing: This is the most important step! Encourage frequent and thorough hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

• Cover it Up: Remind them to cover their coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of their elbow.

• Stay Home When Sick: Students should stay home when they are not feeling well, especially if they have a fever, are vomiting, or have diarrhea. This is critical to preventing the spread of illness.

• Get Vaccinated: Getting an annual flu vaccine is one of the best ways to protect your child and those around them from the flu.

Together, we can help stop germs in their tracks and have a healthy and productive November!

Nurse Holly

Thanksgiving Lunch – Thursday, November 13
We’re looking for volunteers to help make this year’s Thanksgiving Lunch a warm and welcoming celebration for our students and staff! If you can lend a hand, please reach out — even an hour of your time makes a difference.

Science Fair – Tuesday, November 18
Our annual Science Fair is right around the corner! We’re seeking judges to help review student projects and celebrate their hard work. That evening, we’ll also host a Community Science Night — everyone is invited to attend and explore student displays, experiments, and hands-on activities.

Savers FUNDrive – Final Collection Day: November 18
Thank you to everyone who’s been donating! The last day to contribute is Monday, November 18. We’ll need volunteers to help load the trailer that afternoon — many hands make light work!

Elves Workshop – Collections Starting Soon!
Our beloved Elves Workshop is coming up in December! Keep an eye out for announcements as we begin collecting items soon.

• Tardies are recorded at 8:05 a.m. After that, students must be walked into the office by an adult.
• For early pickup or if a student becomes ill, please bring a valid ID to the front office. This helps us verify that you are listed as an authorized contact for student release.
• Doctor's notes are required to excuse medical appointments.

• Keep ParentVue contact updated at all times.
• Call the office by 2:15 p.m. for emergency end-of-day changes. We will do our best to accommodate last minute requests.
• APS and AMES uses SchoolMessenger to send alerts via phone/email.
• Weather closures or asynchronous days will be announced via SchoolMessenger, school website, ClassDojo, and news outlets.

• AMES Website

• Monthly Smore Newsletter: This will be sent out monthly and posted to the school website.
• School Messenger: School-wide phone/email messages. These will be sent out with important messages, reminders, or updates, as needed.
• Teacher Communication: Your child's teacher will send out communication regularly.
• Parent-Teacher Meetings: These will be scheduled as needed.
• Class Dojo, Facebook, and Instagram