Principal Newsletter // November 19th, 2024

Nov 18

Dear Appleton Community…

Attendance October 2023 vs. October 2024

The number of days students were absent this October compared to October last year improved with 28 fewer absences. Hopefully we can keep that positive trend going. Did you know that by the end of 5th grade, chronic absenteeism becomes the leading indicator that a student will eventually drop out of school?

Grocery Cards for Needy Families

Thanksgiving and Christmas time can be a hard time for many families in our school. Students who normally get lunch and breakfast at school are now home for the holidays and it can be a stretch for families to provide food for their children. Would you like to donate a gift card to a grocery store? We will give gift cards to our families in need just drop them by the Appleton office.

Thank you for your generosity!

Kate McPhail-Appleton Counselor

Salvation Army Canned Food Drive has started.

Remember, Burton Orthodontics will reward the school with the most weight collected with $1,000. $300 will go to the 2nd and 3rd place schools. The food drive ends December 12. Send in non-parishable food items with your students, and thank you for helping our school, and families in need.

Appleton Staff Donates to United Way of Mesa County

I want to share how proud I am of the Appleton staff for partnering with United Way of Mesa County. Appleton employees combined to donate over $3,528 of their hard earned money to support the United Way’s 43 local health and human service programs right here in Mesa County. Across School District 51, school employees have given over $1.25 million dollars since this partnership began.

Ornament Night - Tuesday, December 10 5pm-7pm

Want a fun night with your kids to get in the festive mood? Then come to Appleton’s Ornament Night. Angelo’s will be at Appleton in the old auditorium from 5-7pm on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Each ornament costs $10 and will be fired and returned to you before the holidays. Look for information in Tuesday folders coming soon.

Hour of Code-Dec. 9-13

Computers are everywhere, transforming every industry. To say they are here to stay, and an important part of our everyday lives is an understatement. The Hour of Code has a proven track record of making history. More than 100 million students have tried an Hour of Code. It's been showcased on the homepages of Google, MSN, Yahoo!, and Disney, with over 100 partners—including every Apple Store worldwide—joining the movement. This grassroots campaign is supported by over 200,000 educators worldwide. This year, let's make the Hour of Code even bigger! Stop in to see your child participate in The Hour of Code with our wonderful computer teacher, Camille Chapman. For more info about “Hour of Code”, Click HERE.

Spell-A-Thon Update

Spell-A-Thon dates to remember:

Dec. 4 - Deadline to return collected donations

Here are the Spell-A-Thon incentives this year:

All participating students will receive a special treat from the PTA for a great community effort.
Students who spell their words 100% correctly (not including Bonus Words) will have their name displayed on the Top 100% chart and receive a recognition incentive from the PTA.
Classrooms with at least 75% of students earning $5 or more will receive a root beer float party.
Students who earn $100 or more will get to choose three different toys.
Students who earn $250 or more will receive a pizza party with Mr. Hafey.
The class with the highest earnings will receive a party (details TBD).

The student with the highest earnings will receive a trophy and recognition from the school.

Ornament Night - Tuesday, December 10 5pm-7pm

Go Bookworms!

Weather Prepared Kids

The temperature is really dropping. Inclement weather can come in during the school day making recesses colder than it was when you sent your child off to school. Please send your child prepared to enjoy the outside with the appropriate clothing. We will eventually have several hundred coats in our lost and found by year end. If you write your child’s name inside their coat we have a much easier time getting them back to the correct owners. Thank you.

Go Bookworms!

Corey Hafey -

Principal, Appleton Elementary School