Principal Newsletter // September 24th

Sep 23

Dear Appleton Community…

A Vision for the Playground

I hope this message finds you well! I’m reaching out to share an exciting initiative we are undertaking at our school: the addition of a new playground structure. The PTA started a discussion about this topic last year with Mr. Witzel leading the way. We believe that enhancing our playground will provide our students with a safe and engaging space to play, learn, and grow together.

However, as with many projects, we are facing some challenges in securing the necessary funding (playground structures are expensive). We want to explore all possible avenues to make this dream a reality. If you know of any local businesses that might be interested in partnering with our school, we would love to hear from you. Whether through sponsorship, donations, or other forms of support, every contribution can make a significant difference.

Please feel free to reach out to Mr. Witzel or myself directly with any leads or ideas. Together, we can create a wonderful space for our children to enjoy!

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our school community.

In other news…

We just released the September VIDEO edition of Appleton New’s. Hear from Principal Hafey about some great stuff that has happened, or will be happening around Appleton in September. Head on over to the “Corey’s Corner” tab on our website and you’ll find the video at the top of that page, or…click HERE!

Consistent Performance - Something to be Proud of

This news was so good, we wanted to share it again! The state has released the School Performance Ratings (SPF) and once again Appleton has scored well. Our rating puts us in the top category of four performance ratings for the state. It is our 15th consecutive Performance rating. I believe there are only two or maybe three other D51 elementary schools that have had the same high level of consistent performance over that span.

Appleton Students Met or Exceeded State Standards At Higher Rate Than the State

As a percentage of students, kids at Appleton were more likely to meet or exceed state standards than students across the state according to last year’s Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS). Our students were higher in every category. Check out the difference.

English Language Arts/Literacy

3rd - +22.2%

4th - +12.8%

5th - +5.5%

Math

3rd - +22.6%

4th - +12.3%

5th - +7.8%

Halloween at Appleton

I know it is a little early but to help in your Halloween costume planning, here are the protocols for our Halloween celebration:

Parade - We will have a costume parade out on the north playground,weather permitting at 10:00 am on Thursday, Oct. 31. In case of poor weather the parade will be canceled and will not be held in the hallways.
No weapons or facsimiles of weapons. This includes: all martial arts weapons, bullets, bullet casings, all guns, all bladed props (swords, knives, scythe, tridents, etc.), bows and arrows.
Parents/Guardians - Parents are allowed to participate in person at the parties and the parade. Parents will be asked to sign into the parade (a sign-up table will be set up on the north playground and for parties).

Safety

Please don’t let your child exit your vehicle at morning drop off without parking first. Some folks are letting their child out of the car while temporarily stopped in the driving lane. The child then is crossing through cars parked next to the curb and cars exiting the curb area. This is dangerous!
Please remember to never stop your vehicle in the yellow striped area between the two traffic cones during drop off or pick-up. This is unsafe and can also back up traffic. Thank you for helping out.
Please don’t drive through the bus loop during morning or afternoon pick up. There are a few exceptions for students with physical challenges.
Go Bookworms!