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Dear ETE Families,

We are off to a wonderful start to the 2026–2027 school year! It has been so exciting to welcome our students back and see our school filled with learning, laughter, and new connections.

Our first family newsletter of the year is packed with classroom highlights, upcoming events, helpful information, and exciting updates for the year ahead. Please take a few minutes to read through it carefully. There is a lot happening at ETE, and we don’t want you to miss a thing!

Thank you for being such an important part of our ETE community. We are looking forward to an incredible year together!

Together, we are GOLDEN! 💛

Mrs. Buttars
Principal

September 1st: PTO Meeting (4:15pm-5:15pm)

September 3rd: House Meeting/ House Lunch Day

September 7th: Labor Day/ School Closed

September 14-17th: Homecoming Week

September 14th: Grandparents Day

September 15th: Picture Day

September 15th: National IT Professional Day

September 23rd: Early Release

September 24th: Camp Prodigy

Four Houses. One School.

We are excited to officially launch the ETE House System this year! The heart behind bringing the House System to ETE is connection and belonging. We want every student to feel known, valued, included, and connected to others throughout our school. The House System also gives students opportunities to build friendships across grade levels, develop leadership skills, work as a team, and take pride in their school community.

What is a House System? Think of it as creating four smaller school communities within ETE. Every student and staff member is assigned to a House made up of students and adults from across grade levels. Students stay in the same House throughout their time at ETE, allowing them to build relationships, traditions, and a sense of belonging year after year.

Our four Houses are:

Each House has its own identity and spirit, but together we are one ETE family!

House Meetings & House Games: Throughout the year, students will participate in House Meetings where they can connect with House members, practice leadership, and build their House community. We will also have House Games filled with teamwork, friendly competition, school spirit, and fun!

House Lunches: On House Meeting and House Game days, students will sit with members of their House during lunch instead of sitting by classroom. This provides another opportunity to socialize, make new friends, and connect with students from other grade levels.

One important thing for families to know: The House System is an additional school community experience outside of regular classroom instruction. It does not change classroom assignments or grade-level rosters. Students remain with their assigned teachers and classmates for instruction.

We are excited to see the friendships, leadership, traditions, and memories that grow from our House System!

Four Houses. One School. One ETE Family. 💛🖤

We encourage all ETE families to take a few minutes to watch the video linked below. In this video, parents share their own perspectives and experiences with the House System and the impact they have seen it have on their children and school community.

We hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch and hear about the House System from a parent’s point of view! 💛🖤

At ETE, “Be GOLDEN!” is more than a new school motto. Our GOLDEN Expectations give students positive, consistent language to help them make good choices, grow as learners, and care for the people around them. You will hear our staff use encouraging language like this:

G – Guidance: “It’s okay to ask for help. Who or what could help guide you?”

O – Ownership: “You have the power to make a good choice and take responsibility for what comes next.”

L – Listening: “Show others that their words and ideas matter by listening to understand.”

D – Direction: “Think about where you’re headed. What are you trying to accomplish?”

E – Effort: “Keep going! Your effort and perseverance help your brain grow, even when something feels challenging.”

N – Neighborliness: “Look for ways to be kind, helpful, and respectful. How can you make someone’s day a little better?”

Throughout the year, students will learn what being GOLDEN looks and sounds like in classrooms and throughout our school. We will teach, model, practice, encourage, and celebrate these behaviors rather than simply expecting students to know them.

Try it at home! Families can help by using the same positive language. Ask your child, “How were you GOLDEN today?” or recognize it when you see it: “You kept trying even when that was hard. That was great effort!”

When home and school speak the same positive language, we help our students develop habits that will serve them far beyond ETE.

Together, we are GOLDEN! 💛🖤

Our kindergarteners are building their counting skills by learning to count objects using one-to-one correspondence; touching or moving each object as they count it. We’ve been making learning fun and hands-on! Students recently followed a simple snack “recipe,” carefully touching and counting each ingredient as they placed it on their plate.

Try it at home! Everyday activities are great opportunities to practice counting. Have your child count socks while helping fold laundry, count out 10 Legos or blocks, or count items while setting the table. As their counting skills grow, gradually increase the number of objects.

Coming up next: We will also continue practicing writing numerals and matching numbers to the correct quantity. These simple activities help build a strong foundation for future math learning!

Our first graders are busy building strong foundations in both math and reading! In math, students are learning to recognize and represent numbers using dot patterns, tally marks, ten frames, and hundred charts. We’re also encouraging students to explain how they figured out a number—helping them build confidence in sharing their mathematical thinking.

In reading, we are focusing on short a words. Students are finding and highlighting the short a sound in texts, blending sounds together, and practicing both reading and spelling these words.

Try it at home! Encourage your child to point to each word as they read. This helps them slow down, focus on the sounds, and practice decoding unfamiliar words. Make it fun by using a popsicle stick, colorful straw, or special pen as a reading pointer!

Coming up next: We’ll begin exploring addition while continuing to strengthen our reading and spelling of short-vowel words. We’re excited to see our first graders continue to grow!

In the next few weeks, we will start moving into academics with a reading, writing, and social studies unit on Citizenship and Community, and we will be reviewing math strategies for fluently adding within 20.

Try it at home! Here is a link for some cool 3-Act-Tasks you can do with your children: https://gfletchy.com/3-act-lessons/

Ask your children what they notice mathematically and how they would answer their questions using numbers and mathematical symbols.

We’re excited for a great year with your kiddos!

In 3rd grade we will be focusing on reviewing math skills to make sure we are successful. Then we will be working on repeated addition and multiplication. In writing we will be focusing on sentence structure, learning about and writing personal narratives. In reading we will be focusing on character traits and what makes a character interesting.

Try It At Home! You can support your child by talking through with them when you are using math in real life, for example food shopping or figuring out what time you need to leave to get somewhere. You can also discuss the characters in a book you are reading together, what they are like and why they feel the way they do or make the choices they are making.

Our fourth graders are off to a fantastic start! We are building a strong classroom community, establishing routines that help us learn together, and strengthening our spelling and handwriting skills. In math, students are exploring place value and building a deeper understanding of how numbers work. In science and social studies, we are discovering more about Colorado’s history and using Scholastic News to learn about the world around us.

Each day, students are learning through practice, collaboration, asking questions, problem-solving, and sharing their thinking. We are excited to see their confidence and independence continue to grow!

Try it at home! Look for numbers in everyday life—prices at the store, mileage on a car, sports scores, or numbers on signs. Ask your child to read the number, identify the value of each digit, or write it in expanded form. You can also ask your child to share something interesting they have learned about Colorado!

Coming up next: We’ll continue building our understanding of place value and using it to tackle more complex math skills. We’ll also dig deeper into Colorado history, strengthen our reading and writing skills, and continue developing the habits that help us become successful fourth-grade learners!

Our fifth graders are off to a wonderful start! We are learning new classroom routines, building our classroom community, and settling into a great year together. We are especially proud that our fifth graders have already received many compliments for their GOLDEN behavior in the hallways! 💛🖤

In science, students have been exploring food chains and learning how energy moves through an ecosystem. They even put their learning into action with a fun game of “Eat or Be Eaten!”

Try it at home! Ask your child to explain a food chain to you. Choose an animal together and see if they can identify what it eats and what might eat it. You can even challenge them to create a food chain using plants and animals found here in Colorado!

Family Reminders: Please keep an eye out for your child’s planner, as it will be an important communication tool between school and home. We are also ordering a T-shirt for every ETE student, so please make sure your child’s teacher has their T-shirt size. Consider allowing a little room to grow!

Coming up next: We’ll continue building strong fifth-grade routines while diving deeper into our academics and growing as independent learners.

We are off to a creative start in the art room! This month, students are strengthening their drawing skills and learning how artists use lines, shapes, observation, and creativity to bring their ideas to life.

In grades K–2, students are exploring letter design using different types of lines.

In grades 3–5, students are working together to create a collaborative nature mural. They are following drawing tutorials to sketch local wildlife and finding inspiration by drawing in our outdoor classroom.

Try it at home! Draw together as a family! Choose something you would like to draw and see if you can break it down into simple shapes. Remind your child that artists grow through practice, observation, and trying new things!

Coming up next: We’ll continue finding inspiration in the nature around us and taking our clipboards outdoors to sketch and create. Be on the lookout for some of our students’ artwork on display soon!

Our students are off and running in PE!

This month, we are focusing on developing motor skills, movement patterns, and proper running techniques. Students are putting these skills into action through running drills, movement activities, and fun games of tag that keep them active and engaged.

Try it at home! Get outside and get moving together! Ask your child to teach you some of the different movements we’ve been practicing, such as side shuffles and galloping. Even better—challenge each other to a short race or go for a run together!

Coming up next: More running! 😃 We’ll continue building our coordination, endurance, and confidence through movement, games, and plenty of opportunities to stay active!

A new school year is a wonderful opportunity for students to start fresh, build positive routines, and develop habits that help them feel successful at school. Simple habits like getting enough sleep, arriving at school ready to learn, being prepared with materials, listening carefully, using kind words, and asking for help when needed can make a big difference. As your school counselor, I’ll be encouraging students to focus on the little choices they make each day and how those choices can help create a positive school environment for everyone.

This September, we will also be introducing our first Character Trait of the Month! Each month, we will focus on a different character trait and explore what it looks like in our classrooms, community, and home. Students will have opportunities to learn about, practice, and celebrate these important traits throughout the school year. As a parent you can help us by having discussions with your children about our character traits.

Here’s to a great year of learning, growing, and becoming the best versions of ourselves! I’m excited to see all the wonderful things our students will accomplish this year.

Mrs. Schroeder

ETE Counselor

Reading Support

Welcome back! We have been busy getting to know our readers, doing some beginning-of-the-year assessments, and getting everyone ready to start our reading groups. I’m excited to get groups up and running and start learning together!

A new school year is a great time to get back into a reading routine at home. It doesn't have to be complicated—even a few minutes of reading each day makes a difference!

Start a Reading Routine: 🎉
Find a time that works for your family. It might be before bed, after dinner, or while waiting for a sibling at practice. The goal is simply to make reading a regular part of the day.

Reading Strategy Spotlight: ✨
Don't be afraid to reread! Reading a favorite book, page, or passage more than once is great practice. Rereading helps kids become smoother, more confident readers.

Parent Tip of the Month: 🧡
Let your child choose what they want to read! Comics, graphic novels, magazines, joke books, nonfiction, and books about their favorite things all count. Reading doesn't always have to look like a traditional book.

Resources to Explore:

• Starfall: https://www.starfall.com

• Storyline Online: https://www.storylineonline.net

• Unite for Literacy: https://www.uniteforliteracy.com

Here's to a great year of reading and learning! 📚🙂

Math Support

We are excited to support students through Math Support this year! Depending on student needs, we may work with students individually in our Nature Classroom or join classrooms to provide small-group support with skills being taught by the classroom teacher. Our focus will be on strengthening mathematical vocabulary, skills, understanding, and confidence.

Try it at home! Math is everywhere! Invite your child to use math throughout the day. Count steps, hops, bubbles, or cars passing by. Create patterns with household or outdoor objects and ask, “What comes next?” or “What’s missing?” Look for shapes in your surroundings, or practice measurement while cooking, building, or completing projects together. Simple, everyday experiences can lead to great mathematical thinking!

One of the most important ways you can support your child is by keeping conversations about math positive and encouraging. Instead of saying, “I wasn’t good at math,” or “I don’t understand this new math,” remind your child that math is something we can all learn with practice, perseverance, and support. Our words help children develop confidence and see themselves as capable mathematicians.

Coming up next: We’ll be sharing more specific and easy-to-use ideas for practicing mathematics at home. Together, we can help our students build the skills—and the confidence—to be successful in math. We’re a team!

September SBHC Update

Primary Care Schedule Update

Starting in September, our Primary Care provider will be available on Thursdays! If your student still needs a sports physical or well-child check, now is a great time to get it scheduled.

Call 970-710-5049 to make an appointment!

Important Registration Reminder: Selecting “Yes” for SBHC services in Alma does not complete your clinic registration. Families must also complete our SBHC Clinic Registration Form before their student can be seen.

Complete the clinic registration form here: https://intakeq.com/new/qrouon/ywfyfk