PMES Back to School Newsletter

Welcome to another exciting year at Pete Mirich Elementary! We are thrilled to partner with you as we begin a new school year filled with learning, growth, and opportunities for every student to shine.

Our theme this year is "Do Something EPIC!"

At PMES, we believe every child has the potential to make a difference, overcome challenges, and achieve great things. Being EPIC isn't about one big moment, it's about the everyday choices we make to learn, grow, help others, and strive to be our best. Throughout the year, students will be encouraged to take risks in their learning, persevere through challenges, show kindness, and make a positive impact in our school and community.

As part of our commitment to providing exceptional opportunities for every student, we are excited to introduce and expand several programs this year. Students will have the opportunity to participate in Genius Hour, where community members share their passions and talents through hands-on learning experiences. Families will be invited into the classroom during Parent/Guardian Engagement Days to learn and create alongside their children. We are strengthening our Gifted & Talented Program with monthly enrichment opportunities led by our Dean of Students, Emily Metzler, and launching our inaugural PMES Robotics Team, giving interested 4th and 5th graders the opportunity to compete in VEX Robotics competitions.

We are also excited to bring back Student Council, providing students with opportunities to develop leadership skills, serve their school community, and have a voice in making PMES an even better place to learn. Through service projects, school events, and leadership initiatives, Student Council members will help build a positive school culture while representing their classmates with pride.

Thank you for trusting us with your children. Together, we will create a school year filled with learning, connection, and unforgettable experiences. We can't wait to see all the EPIC things our Vikings accomplish this year!

August 5- Meet the Teacher/Back to School Night 4:00pm - 5:30pm (food in the cafeteria provided)

August 6- First Day of School K-6; full day

August 6- "BooHoo Breakfast" for families of kindergarten students

August 11- First day of Preschool

August 12-21 Dibels 8 Testing Window

August 12- PTO Meeting @ 4:00pm

August 19- September 4 NWEA MAPS Testing Window

August 26 - Big Kahuna Fundraiser Kickoff

August 27- Preschool Vision and Hearing Screenings

Hi! My name is Kristi Weiburg, and I’m so excited to join Pete Mirich as a 3rd grade teacher for the upcoming school year. I am currently finishing my student teaching in 2nd grade at Eyestone Elementary in Wellington and will be graduating from Colorado State University in May. I absolutely love watching and supporting children as they grow as learners and as individuals. A little about me: I’m an avid long-distance runner and skier, and I grew up on Long Island, New York!

Hello Vikings! My name is Emily Metzler, and I am so excited to join your community as Dean of Students next year! I have taught for over ten years, first in North Carolina, then in Nebraska, and finally settled here in Colorado. I believe teaching is the most important work, and I do whatever I can to help children become the best versions of themselves. I feel very fortunate to be taking on this position, which will allow me to support teachers and families in any way I can. I'm originally from western New York, but you will hear me talk about Maine, as I spent every summer with family there as a child. After graduating from college with an Early Childhood and Childhood Education degree, I moved south for a few years before heading west. I met my partner, Ben, in Lincoln, Nebraska, and we moved to Colorado together in 2019. Our family grew with the birth of Owen in 2022. He is hilarious and wonderful, and he's turning 4 this week! Ben and I are getting better at gardening, and I've been dabbling in sourdough and baking. I am a recently certified yoga teacher, and I'd love to share that with this community. I'm an avid reader, so I'm always interested in your book recommendations. I'll also be graduating with an Education Specialist degree in May, just in time to enjoy a quiet summer with my family before diving into this work with you. I look forward to getting to know all of you!

We are so excited to welcome students and families back to campus. Back to School Night will be a great time to connect with friends, community and meet your student's new teacher for the 26-27 school year.

We will have several booths to check out:

- Transportation: ensure all information is correct in UniteGPS.

- PTO

- Cafeteria

- Nurse

- Registration

-Boy Scouts

Once you have completed BTS activities, your student's teacher will provide you meal tickets so you and your family can enjoy a meal together. Our PTO is graciously providing hot dogs, chips, drinks and a cookie. This station will be located in the cafeteria.

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE COMPLETED ONLINE REGISTRATION BEFORE ATTENDING BTS night. We will have a registration table set up. You will not be able to participate in BTS night activities until registration is completed.

To further ensure the safety of all students, we have made a small adjustment to our morning drop-off procedures.

Students Eating Breakfast

• Students who are eating breakfast should be dropped off through the car line and enter through the doors located in the staff parking lot.
• Ms. Pearson will be there each morning to greet students and welcome them into the building.
• Beginning at 7:30 a.m., students will walk directly to the cafeteria for breakfast.

Students Not Eating Breakfast

• Students who are not eating breakfast should enter through their designated grade-level entrance or use the car line.
• Staff members will be stationed at both the Intermediate Wing doors and the Primary Wing doors to greet students and supervise their arrival.

Students Arriving After 8:00 a.m.

• Any student arriving after 8:00 a.m. should enter through the front entrance and check in at the main office before going to class.

These adjustments help us ensure that every student enters the building safely and is supervised from the moment they arrive on campus. Thank you for your partnership and support as we continue to prioritize a safe and welcoming environment for all students.

To further ensure the safety of all students, we have made an adjustment to our afternoon dismissal procedures.

At dismissal, all students will exit through the door closest to the playground. Students in Ms. Shaffer's, Ms. Marshall's, and Ms. Masimer's classes will be escorted by their teacher to the classroom doors that face the playground.

If an older sibling picks up a younger sibling, the older sibling should meet the younger sibling at the younger sibling's teacher's location. This allows all students to remain supervised by staff until they are safely united with their families.

These adjustments help ensure students remain away from First Avenue and are supervised by adults until they leave school property.

Students who are being picked up in the car line will be escorted by a staff member to the designated car line loading area.

As a reminder, students and families should leave campus promptly after dismissal. The playground is closed after school and may not be used until 4:15 p.m. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and orderly dismissal for everyone.

We are excited to launch Genius Hour at Pete Mirich Elementary this school year! Genius Hour gives students the opportunity to explore new interests, discover hidden talents, and learn from members of our community who are passionate about sharing their skills and hobbies.

Community volunteers will lead hands-on clubs three times during the school year:

• October 9
• January 8
• March 12

Each session is one hour, and we'll provide the materials and support you need to make your club a success.

We're still looking for volunteers! Whether you enjoy photography, gardening, cooking, art, woodworking, music, coding, crafts, or another hobby, we'd love for you to inspire our students.

If you're interested in sharing your passion with Pete Mirich students, please contact Caroline Eaves to learn more about becoming a Genius Hour volunteer!

Weld-RE1 will continue to provide FREE breakfast and lunch to enrolled students.

Below are prices for visitors.

As we prepare for another great school year, we want to remind families about Weld RE-1's districtwide student cell phone expectations.

Colorado recently enacted House Bill 25-1135, which requires every school district to adopt and publicly post a student communication device policy. We are pleased to share that Weld RE-1 is already in compliance with this law through our existing Board Policy JICJ – Student Use of Personal Electronic Devices.

Our goal is to provide every student with a safe, focused, and engaging learning environment where instruction remains the priority. Last school year, we found that consistent implementation of our districtwide expectations helped reduce distractions, improve student engagement, and strengthen the learning environment for everyone.

Please remember the following district expectations:

• Student cell phone expectations apply in every Weld RE-1 school and every classroom.

• Students are not permitted to use personal cell phones during class, including for classroom, school, or district assignments, unless specifically authorized through an accommodation outlined in district policy.

• Staff members will consistently enforce these expectations across all schools.

We encourage families to partner with us by discussing these expectations with your child before the first day of school. If you need to contact your student during the school day, please call the school office, and we will ensure your message is delivered. Likewise, if your child needs to contact you, school staff will assist them.

Thank you for partnering with us to create learning environments where students can focus, participate, and succeed. By working together, we can provide a consistent experience for every student while ensuring Weld RE-1 remains in compliance with state law.

Policy linked HERE.

Online Registration - No student should begin attending school until their Online Registration has been completed. This expectation applies to every school across the district and includes participation in athletics, activities, and transportation. Students who have not completed OLR should not:

• Attend classes

• Participate in athletics or extracurricular activities

• Ride a district school bus

This requirement is not simply an administrative process—it is a critical student safety measure. Completing OLR ensures we have:

• Current parent/guardian and emergency contact information

• Updated medical and health information

• Accurate transportation information

• Required district permissions and acknowledgements

• Student information necessary for daily attendance and emergency response

In order to strengthen community engagement at Pete Mirich Elementary, we are excited to introduce several new opportunities for families and community members to be involved in our school. This year, we will launch Genius Hour, held three times throughout the year, where community volunteers will share their passions, hobbies, and expertise with our students through hands-on learning experiences.

In addition, each grade level will host a Parent/Guardian Engagement Day during the school year. Families will be invited into the classroom to participate in a fun and meaningful activity alongside their child and classmates. These experiences are designed to strengthen the connection between home and school while creating lasting memories for our students.

Be sure to watch for communication from your child's teacher with dates and details about these exciting opportunities throughout the school year. We look forward to partnering with our families and community to make this an amazing year at PMES!

We are committed to strengthening our Gifted and Talented (GT) program and providing meaningful learning opportunities for our advanced learners. This year, our new Dean of Students, Emily Metzler, will lead a monthly GT enrichment class designed to challenge students, foster creativity, and further develop their unique strengths and talents. Through engaging, hands-on learning experiences, students identified for the GT program will have additional opportunities to grow, collaborate, and extend their learning beyond the regular classroom curriculum.

We are excited to launch the PMES Robotics Team this year! Led by Ms. Hicks, this opportunity is open to 4th and 5th grade students who have an interest in STEM, engineering, coding, and problem-solving. Students will apply for the team and participate in a selection process to ensure they are committed to the program and its expectations.

Team members will design, build, and program robots while developing collaboration, critical thinking, and innovation skills. Throughout the year, the PMES Robotics Team will compete in VEX Robotics competitions, giving students the opportunity to showcase their learning and represent our school.

We are thrilled to offer this exciting new STEM opportunity and can't wait to see our students grow through the challenges and successes of robotics. Stay tuned for more information about the application and selection process later this fall.