September Newsletter

We are off to an incredible start to the school year! Our students are building relationships, learning classroom routines, and jumping into meaningful learning experiences. We are already seeing our Vikings demonstrate kindness, perseverance, curiosity, and a willingness to learn!

Students are beginning to take ownership of their learning through proficiency scales and learning goals, helping them understand what they are learning and what they need to do to demonstrate mastery. Teachers are also collaborating in PLCs to use student data to plan instruction and provide targeted support during WIN Time.

Wacky Wednesday rotations are underway! Students are exploring hands-on, career-connected STEM experiences. We are also excited to be bringing a SMARTLab to Pete Mirich through generous grants from Weld Trust and Chevron. We can't wait for students to begin creating, designing, problem-solving, and exploring in this new space!

Thank you for partnering with us and making Pete Mirich such a special place to learn and grow. We are excited for all that is ahead!

Let's Do Something Epic!

Caroline Eaves
Principal, Pete Mirich Elementary

This year, Pete Mirich Elementary earned Performance Status on Colorado’s School Performance Framework (SPF)! This is a tremendous accomplishment and a reflection of the hard work of our students, teachers, staff, and families.

We are especially proud that PMES demonstrated the highest growth in the district. This achievement represents the collective effort of our entire school community and shows what is possible when we believe in our students, set high expectations, and work together to help every learner grow.

We will be having a "green party" to celebrate this tremendous accomplishment. Stay tuned for more details.

September 4 Valley High School Ag Night

September 4 August Attendance Award

September 8 Stuco 3:45-4:30pm

September 9 PTO Meeting 4-5pm

September 9 Big Kahuna Fundraiser Money Due

September 10 Love on a Leash

September 12 Fall Community Care Day 10 - 12pm

September 15 Big Kahuna Online Sales Due

September 16 Vision and Hearing Screening

September 17 Love on a Leash

September 17 Stuco 3:45pm - 4:30pm

September 24 Love on a Leash

September 25 Lockdown Drill

October 1 Picture Day

We are so excited to share that Pete Mirich Elementary has been awarded grants through Weld Trust and Chevron to bring a SMARTLab to our school!

Our students will have the opportunity to engage in SMARTLab experiences during Wacky Wednesday rotations, exploring career-connected activities focused on STEM learning, problem-solving, creativity, and hands-on use of tools and equipment. This innovative space will give students opportunities to explore their interests, build new skills, and see how what they are learning connects to real-world careers.

We are currently working to secure an installation day so our students can begin working and learning in the lab. We will also be hosting a SMARTLab Open House for our families and community at a later date, so stay tuned for more details!

We are incredibly grateful to Weld Trust and Chevron for investing in our students and helping us create new opportunities for learning, exploration, and discovery at Pete Mirich!

Check out the link to the video below to learn more about this exciting addition.

We are still looking for a few more volunteers! 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

Genius will last a total of 2 hours with each session being one hour each, 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!

Hello Viking Families!

For those of you I have not met yet, I am Emily Metzler, the Dean of Students at PMES. I feel so lucky to begin to get to know more about your learners this year! I am so excited to share with you in the monthly newsletter, as I am very passionate about supporting wellness with students, teachers, and their families.

I have been working with teachers and students on the importance of listening to our bodies. Our body tells us when we are hungry when our stomach growls, or it tells us we might feel tired or bored when we yawn. It also can signal that we are feeling stress or anxiety when we clench our jaw, ball our fists, or cry. Each person experiences emotions in different ways, so we begin by noticing the intensity of our body sensations through the waves we surf (pictured below). We are all surfers in the ocean and our body sensations are the intensity of the waves we are surfing. We might feel the hairs on our arms raise, but our waves remain calm, so it does not impact the activity we are working on. We might experience some tension between our eyes at an intensity of small or medium waves, so we might need to take a pause and find a support (like food or water) before we can get back to work. This is our body telling our brain what it needs, and it is important we listen to it, especially when we experience large and massive waves. When we are surfing body sensations that are large or massive (tsunami waves), we need help. Our body could be signaling us with an increased heart rate, rapid breathing, a quickly lost temper, or a combination of signals.

I can think back to parenting moments when I haven’t had enough sleep or our schedule changed at the last minute and I suddenly found myself surfing large waves, struggling to take care of my wellness without putting that frustration and anxiety onto my toddler. It can be really hard to find calm sometimes for ourselves, which is crucial to helping our own children and family members find their sense of calm.

Our children do not have enough experience with the emotions that come with large waves and tsunamis, so they can feel overwhelmed very quickly. The best way we can support children when they are dealing with big emotions is to find and keep our calm. I have a tool that can help!

This tool is taking 3 breaths. That’s all! When you sense your body’s waves getting bigger and higher, pause and take 3 deep breaths. If it’s available and possible, take a seat, lay down, or close your eyes while you take these breaths. When you take a few deep breaths, your body relaxes and signals to your brain that you are safe. This helps calm those waves, and allows the space to move forward with the moment.

This is an amazing mindfulness strategy for you, but it also is a strategy you can use with your child when they begin surfing larger waves. When you are in a calm space, you can better help your child find that same calm.

If you would like to see what it looks like, I am also sharing a video recording (HERE) of how I use this with my own child, students at PMES, and teachers! Use it as a guide or play it for yourself or your children!

Thank you for your time!

Emily Metzler

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.

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.

Applications can be picked up in the office and are due SEPTEMBER 4TH.

I am so excited to welcome our students and families back and begin another great year together!

This year, we are excited to introduce a new SEL schedule! Every other Wednesday your student will come to the new counseling classroom to learn important skills that help them understand themselves, build positive relationships, make responsible choices, and become successful members of our school community.

We are kicking off the school year with the Everything Is Possible Mindset. Students will learn that their possibilities are not limited by what they can do today. With a positive attitude, effort, perseverance, and support from others, they can continue to grow and reach their goals.

We will also begin learning about what it means to be trustworthy. Students will explore how being honest, dependable, responsible, and keeping their promises helps build strong relationships.

Here are some questions to discuss with your students.

• What does it mean to be someone others can trust?

• How do our choices show that we are trustworthy?

• Why is trust important in friendships and our school community?

• What can we do when we make a mistake and need to rebuild trust?

As we begin this school year, we want every student to know that their choices matter and they have the power to make a positive difference in our school community.

Here's to a wonderful new school year filled with possibility, growth, kindness, and trust!

Please use this link to sign up to help out in your child's classroom. We are still needing lots of volunteers!!

https://forms.gle/rV78CNuxexQL8zbc7

We have also kicked off our BIG KAHUNA fundraiser and we are so excited to see those results coming in!!

Anyone who has not turned in their t-shirt order form please do that this week we hope to have those ordered by Friday!

PTO Meeting September 9th at 4:00pm in the PMES Library.