December in an Elementary School!


Busy as Santa's Elves!

Santa (AKA Mr. Hankins) with the Pre-Schoolers at Mortensen!



Hello Elementary Friends!



Happy Holidays to All!

The weeks and days before Winter Break are so very busy and exciting at an elementary school.  Here are just a few of the events that we have participated in over the past three weeks:

1.      Family Math Night for Parents of Students in Grades 3-5
2.       Elementary Orchestra Concert at Deer Creek Middle School
3.       Elementary Band Concert at Deer Creek Middle School
4.       Third Grade Program for Parents
5.       Third Grade Program for Students
6.       PTO Family Movie Night in the Gym
7.       2 Parent Meetings about the Chatfield One-to-One Chromebook Initiative
8.       Kindergarten Orientation for the 18-19 School Year
9.       PTO Board Meeting
10.   Winter Choral Concert for Parents
11.   Winter Choral Concert for Students
12.   Staff Holiday Party off-campus
13.   Gift of Time Assembly and Fifth Grade Talent Show






Whew!  And all of this is on top of the regular exciting learning that is happening each day at school!
I had an opportunity to hear from fifth graders in Mrs. Bartuska’s homeroom about what the holiday season means to them.  Here are their beautiful comments.  Enjoy!

What the Holiday Season means to me:

Bryce:   To me the winter season means decorating the Christmas tree.  It also means seeing most of my relatives and spending time with them.  Around this season I give to all of my relatives, I also enjoy sitting and watching holiday movies.  On Christmas day I am thankful for the food, my family, and my friends.  My favorite thing about the holiday is sitting in a cozy corner with my pj’s.



Layden: What the holiday season means to me is that people are thankful for what they have and are full of family love and how everyone is always decorating the family home.

Joshua:  What Christmas means to me is my family, friends, and food.  And to be thankful for what I get for a present.  Christmas also means love, joy and the memories. This is what Christmas means to me.

Bobby:  What Christmas means to me is, it is a time for giving and receiving and also Jesus’s birthday is on Christmas.  Presents are pretty cool on Christmas. This is what Christmas means to me.



Grace:  To me the holiday season means that I get to be cozy and not have the stress of school.  I love to be able to sleep in and be with family.  On Thanksgiving my family switches with cousins. This year I was with Hank and Buck, but on Christmas I get to be with Hank, Buck, Emma, and Jane.

Taylor:  When I think of holidays, I think of family, friends, joy, giving, food, and memories. My favorite thing to do on Christmas Eve is watch Christmas movies and cuddle up by the fire.  I also love to decorate cakes and the tree. Each year my family gets new ornaments.  I love giving and being so joyful when Christmas comes around.



Salvador:           It means to me, spending time with your family and to give with a purpose.  The purpose is to make someone have fun.

Jillyn:  What Christmas means to me is that I get to see my family and have food.  I am thankful for all the presents that I get and it is fun to decorate the house too.  I love all the seasons in the world.  I am also giving and receiving presents to everyone.





Jason:      I used to think the holiday season was about a fat man coming down the chimney and giving you presents.  But I have realized the holidays are for family and friends.  Maybe Santa DOES exist, but no matter how many presents he give me, he will NOT distract me from my family.

Nick:       The holiday Christmas means to be grateful and the three F’s, family, food, and friends.  Also it means to have cheer and joy.  The last thing Christmas means is being, loving.




Tony:      The holiday season to me is about spending time with friends and family and having cheer and joy.  It’s about having fun and being thankful.  It means singing, decorating, and having hot cocoa.  It’s about giving and receiving presents.  That is what the holiday season means to me.

Angel:  This holiday means spending time with my family and celebrating Christmas. My favorite thing is opening presents on Christmas morning.


Caleb:     Spending time with family, friends, hot cocoa, food, presents, decorating, Christmas carols, thankful, and memories.

Kendall:             I like getting presents and waking up to see where my elf on the shelf is.  I like being with family and singing Christmas songs.



Riane:  Holiday memories from when my uncle comes down from Durango. Family essentially, I get to see both of my grandmas, my grandpas, and my auntie.

Trystyn:                    This holiday season means spending time with friends and family, and of course eating food.  Christmas is about opening presents and seeing the look on their face when they receive their present.  I love having a big dinner with cousins, aunts, uncles, and many other family members.  I love Christmas.



Ryan:                            Family presents, and snow.  Every Christmas morning I would wake up and run to my tree and open up my presents.  But most importantly my mom and dad are there with me.  But there is also snow.  When it is morning and the sun shines on the bright white snow the sight is truly amazing.

Mason:           Christmas to me is about family.  It’s not about what you get or all the hot cocoa you drink, it’s about being thankful and spending time with your family.


Sara:      Holiday means family, cheer, and joy to all.  One thing I love about Christmas is giving and receiving. I especially love the giving part.  On Christmas morning I love seeing the lovely smile on all of their faces.  If you got to celebrate this every day I would.

Cadence:  Holiday season means to me: hot cocoa, with cheer on top.  The holiday season means fun with family and friends. I don’t think it comes with presents, boxes, or tags.  The holiday season means joy, laughter, love, and memories.



Atlas:   A holiday season to me is a lot of things.  To me it means spending time with family and making memories.  It means going into the snow and coming back in to find hot cocoa waiting for me.  It means being thankful for everything.  Finally it means having joy and cheer on the holidays.

Tommy:     The holiday season means to me… a time with friends and family with joy. It is a very fun time of year.



Hannah:    What the holiday season means to me is making happy memories with family and friends.  The hot chocolate brings cheer, and joy.  I love this time of year because of decorating and singing Christmas carols. This is what the holiday season means to me.

Thank you fifth graders for getting us in the spirit of the season!

Best wishes to all for a happy holiday and a wonderful new year!  See you in 2018!

Sincerely,

Karla B. Hankins, Principal




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