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On Friday, February 23, 2018 I received a cell call at 6:59 AM.  The caller ID read "Jeffco Security."  That is never a good sign and not a great way to start a Friday morning.   "Mrs. Hankins, this Jeffco Security.  I am calling to let you know that there is an active shooter near your school.  The Jeffco Sheriff's department is placing your school on lock-out.  Families will receive a "school message" from the district to not bring their children to school until further notice.  Teachers will also receive a message that if they are not already at school to go home and not come in until further notice.  If you have children or teachers at school already, they are to stay inside with all exterior doors locked.  If children are walking to school without an adult, they are to be let in as soon as they arrive.  If any students are on a bus, they will be taken to Bear Creek High School (about 8 miles away) for reunification with their famili...

Making a Difference Together! Hello Elementary Friends, Happy February 2018! For as long as I can remember I have been part of a group or organization that has missions, visions, goals, objectives, success criteria, etc.  I have participated in numerous long-range planning sessions where we sat around a table and struggled with just the right words to illustrate what we are about as an institution, cadre of believers, community, sorority, club, society, or simply a team.  I am sure that you will agree that this can be quite excruciating getting a group of people to come to a conclusion over the way to clearly communicate the association's values, mission, and purpose.   We have recently rewritten our school's mission and vision - what a challenge!  Our mission is to nurture, empower, and inspire all of our children to become successful learners in a world full of possibilities. Our vision is: Learn, Create, Succeed Together Upon the heels of our school's revision, my...

Can Children Set Lofty yet Achievable Goals and Work to Achieve Them? The Answer is Yes! Hello Elementary Friends! Welcome to 2018!  We are so glad to have our children back with us, and we are looking forward to a wonderful second semester of this school year.  I hope you had a nice holiday!  The month of January gives all of us an opportunity to look at the year ahead and make some plans and set some goals for ourselves, as well.   I ran across this article in the Huffington Post (2014) about the importance of helping children set and achieve goals.  I can assure you that we are working with our students on setting individual learning and achievement goals here at school.  I hope you find these ideas interesting and helpful in your conversations with your children! One of the best parts of celebrating a new year is the catharsis that comes with being able to start anew; reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the year to come. The nature ...

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 Orientatio...