From The Principal

It has been a true delight to connect with so many classes and witness the remarkable depth of learning students are demonstrating as the semester wraps up. From real-world projects and community performances to class presentations and discussions, it’s incredibly inspiring to see the new skills and knowledge students have developed—and the pride they feel in their achievements. We are excited for students and staff to finish strong with our last A Day on Monday and last B Day on Tuesday followed by finals (Wednesday: 1A-3A, Thursday: 4A-2B, and Friday: 3B-4B followed by lunch from 12:45-1:15 pm and an early release for students).

Additionally, I would like to celebrate our choir students and Ms. Steen–students’ skill, teamwork, and dedication during the concert last night were dazzling! Congratulations to our Cheerleaders for their strong showing at the state competition this week earning 12th in sideline cheer for 2A/3A division! This week we also had the joy of hosting our first home event for Wrestling and look forward to our first home basketball games against Rocky Ford on Tuesday.

Finally, thank you to our PAC and the many families who donated sweets to our staff today! It was wonderful to see the joy and celebration that it cultivated across our staff. We appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Anna Conrad

Manitou Springs High School

Principal

Key Club Food Drive for US Troops in Syria

We recently learned that one of our own is deployed in the midst of turmoil in Syria and
we’d like to support him and his Army unit with a food drive. From December 13 to
December 19, the Key Club and Student Council will collecting donated food for our
Troops currently stationed in Syria. As you may know, the Syrian government collapsed
and the entire country is unstable. US Troops have been serving in Syria for years in
support of the War on Terrorism. Recently, one of Manitou Springs High School’s own,
Rylan Dowling, deployed to Syria and is currently supporting operations in the region.
Until the Syrian government’s collapse, his unit was able to add variety to the MREs
they have to live on by going to local villages to supplement their MREs. Rylan’s family
has asked if we could collect some non-perishable foods that they could send to Rylan
and his unit. The following is a list of foods that we are collecting;

What to Donate (please ensure donated foods have not expired)
 Ramen Noodles
 Instant Mac and Cheese
 Drink Mixes
 Cup-O-Soup
 Instant Oatmeal packs
 Beef Jerky
 Pumpkin Seeds / Sunflower Seeds
 Individually wrapped snacks such as nuts, trail mix, peanut butter/cheese
crackers
 Canned Pasta (Chef Boyardee type)
Key Club will locate bins for collecting donated foods in the Commons and near the
front of the High School. We appreciate everyone’s generosity in supporting our Troops
and one of our patriots during the Holiday season. Thank you in advance!

A Word From The Counselors

In case you missed our "Concurrent Enrollment and Off Campus Learning Information Night" on December 11th, 2024 please know that there is still time for your students to learn more and apply! MSHS is just beginning the multi-step application process for students who are interested in either of the two off campus concurrent enrollment opportunities via Pikes Peak State College (PPSC). MSHS partners with PPSC for both "DEGREE Start" and "CAREER Start" and we are looking for new and qualified applicants for the 2025/26 school year. Please see the email that was sent out this week describing the difference between the two programs, the unique eligibility requirements and important timelines to adhere to.

Degree Start is for qualified current 10th and 11th grade students who wish to pursue a 4-year degree typically in the Liberal Arts field. Career Start is for qualified current 10th/11th grade students who are not 4 year college bound but wish to pursue a vocational program to gain skills for entering the workforce by earning a certificate or credits towards an associates degree.

If you think either of these programs would be a good fit for your student, please encourage your current 10th/11th grade student to sign up in the counseling center by 3:30PM Friday 1/10/25 so they can be pulled for information regarding the separate application processes and/or field trip opportunities when we return from break. (Yellow sheet=Career Start, Green sheet= Degree Start) .

MSHS continues to offer challenging courses to our Gifted students with 18 AP courses offered. As part of their college exploration, we held a college fair in October with over 30 colleges and universities in Colorado and out of state schools. Students were able to meet with admissions counselors and ask questions about their programs and college life. In preparation for our seniors, we held multiple Financial Aid presentations to meet the needs of our parents and students as they navigate the FAFSA application and understand what financial aid is available to them. Seniors and their parents also receive a Scholarship Saturday email every Saturday morning with a list of scholarships that are local and national. As seniors navigated the college application process, MSHS promoted our Colorado Free Application Days in October and held a workshop to help students complete their college applications. Additionally, students have participated in our career exploration series by attending career presentations during advisory. We’ve had 5 presenters so far this semester and 6 more planned for next semester including a Pilot and Attorney. Students interested in healthcare will be able to explore the Healthcare Simulation Lab at UCCS next semester which demonstrates the care of a patient and offers hands-on experience. Our GT students continue to meet with the GT Coordinator in one on one meetings throughout the semester to support them in their goals and help them with post-secondary planning.

Nora B., Macie A., Leah A., Liz B., and Elisa K.

Duff, Jones, Santos and Derziotis

Quinn P., Asher K., Bonner, Isaac B., Kyle B.

Paige H.

Quinn M.

Miranda H.

Landon Shares:

When I think about my artistic influences the main things that come to mind are my family and my surroundings. Both my father and my older brother are pretty skilled artists so I've always seen art as a kind of way to connect with the two of them because, primarily with my dad, we don't have a whole bunch in common besides art and creating art. Other than those two people, what is going on around me, whether it be my physical setting or the actions of others have always had an influence on my art. When I was younger, I would go outside and look at the clouds and try to find faces or weird creatures in them and then go back inside and try to recreate what I saw on paper and I always thought that was kind of a fun thing to do.

When it comes to advice that I would give my peers, other than to not give up and to practice your craft, I would say to ask questions. I don't believe that there is ever any reason that you are unable to ask someone else a question. You may think that you are being stupid or that you are annoying the people you are asking those questions to, but your curiosity will continue to drive you to do and create wonderful things.

A Word From The Prospector

The Prospector is the student-run news website of Manitou Springs High School. Check out stories we posted this week!

Bunker makes sparks fly by Krissy Stout

German exchange student leaves impact on MSHS by Eliot Mettler

Students at MSHS confront seasonal depression by Maddie Fonkert

Nici Sharon leaves her mark of determination on the girls soccer team by Cordelia Portman

You can follow on INSTAGRAM or like us on FACEBOOK to see our social media stories and contests!

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mshs.prospector?_t=8r7FOHPbN8A&_r=1

A Word From The World Language Department

Word Language students, from all levels, learned about how the Christmas holidays are celebrated in Spanish and French speaking countries. Students learned about traditions, new target vocabulary words, and applied them into the demonstration of learning activities. Some of the students cut out Christmas ornaments, chose a target vocab word, and wrote down a sentence, in the target language, using the word previously chosen. Other students immerse into making tamales, which are part of the local traditional food for the holidays in Mexico. All students were able to learn about the similarities and differences between the Spanish speaking countries and the United States when it comes to Christmas celebrations.

A Word From Student Council

The Student Council members had the opportunity to meet with Fred and Larry, from the City of Manitou Springs, who wanted to gather input about the city, from a younger audience perspective. Students were able to provide feedback and advocate for different topics that could be improved in the city. Some of the topics that were discussed during the meeting are as follows:

- economic and retail development

- parking

- traffic

- affordable housing

- prioritize residents

- environmental pollution

- homelessness / shelters

- trees / green areas

- public transportation

- education and health

- water supply

A Word From AP Psychology

Students in Mr. Partridge’s AP Psychology class recently took a hands-on approach to learning about operational definitions and replication in psychological research. Using identical sets of Lego pieces, each group crafted unique sculptures and wrote detailed instructions for others to replicate their creations.

The activity introduced key concepts like precision and clarity in research and emphasized the importance of collaboration and problem-solving. Students had a great time building, replicating, and discussing how this exercise connects to real-world psychological studies.

Important Upcoming Dates:

📍Friday, December 13: Girls and Boys Varsity Basketball Tournament @ University High School (TIME TBD)

📍Saturday, December 14: Girls Varsity Basketball Tournament @ University High School (TIME TBD); Boys Basketball Tournament @ University High School (TIME TBD); Girls/Boys Varsity Wrestling Tournament Vs. Salida @ Salida @ 9AM

📍Monday, December 16: Girls Varsity Swim and Dive Dual Vs. Sierra High School @ Sierra @ 4:30 PM

📍Tuesday, December 17: Girls JV Basketball Vs. Rocky Ford @ Manitou HS @ 4PM (Varsity @ 5:30PM); Boys JV Basketball Vs. Rocky Ford @ Manitou @ 4PM (Varsity @ 7PM)

📍Wednesday, December 18: Finals 1A, 2A, and 3A

📍Thursday, December 19: Finals 4A, 1B, and 2B; Boys JV Basketball Vs. Mitchell @ Manitou @ 4PM (Varsity @ 5:30PM); Girls Varsity Swim and Dive Dual Vs. Englewood @ Manitou Pool @ 4PM

📍Friday, December 20: Finals 3B and 4B (early release for students @ 12:45PM); Boys Varsity Wrestling Dual Vs. Salida @ Manitou @ 5PM

📍Saturday, December 21: Girls Varsity Wrestling Invitational Vs. Columbine @ Columbine @ 8AM; Boys Varsity Wrestling Invitational Vs. Sheridan High School @ Sheridan @ 8:45AM

⛄Monday, December 23 - Friday, January 3: Winter Break

📍Monday, January 6 - Tuesday, January 7: Staff Work Day (No Students)

📍Wednesday, January 15: Late Start (2-Hour Delay)

📍Monday, January 20: MLK Jr. Day (School and District Office Closed)