March 2, 2026

The Sparrowhawk Nest

March Newsletter

This month is packed with exciting events and meaningful learning experiences for our Sparrowhawk community. We’re looking forward to our Student Council Coin Drive to support the Shawsheen Pantry, Class Picture Day, and our Shawsheen STEAM Family Night, where students and families can explore science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics together. We’ll also celebrate our March birthdays and, of course, enjoy a well-deserved Spring Break! Be sure to review the important dates and updates included in this newsletter so you don’t miss a thing. Thank you for your continued partnership and support it truly makes a difference in our students’ success.

Important Dates in March

March 2, 2026 - March 9, 2026 - Coin Drive
March 6, 2026 - No School for ALL Students
March 9, 2026 - Class Picture Day & Individual for those who did not take a picture in the Fall
March 13, 2026 - March birthday treats - (Parties are held for the last 10 minutes of class or before specials for 3rd and 5th, celebrations will be held exclusively among students. However, parents are warmly invited to join us for larger gatherings, such as those for Valentine's Day and Winter parties.)
March 16, 2026 - March 20, 2026 - No School for ALL Students - Spring Break
March 23, 2026 - No School for Preschool Only
March 25, 2026 - Shawsheen STEAM Family Night - 5:00 PM

Coin Drive

The Student Council is hosting a Coin Drive for the Shawsheen Pantry! The money raised will be used to buy items for the Shawsheen Pantry. Last year we did an amazing job, let's do it again!

The rules are simple.

PK through 5th grade has its own jar, and the staff has their own, too.
Coins are all positive points. (penny = 1, nickel = 5, dime = 10, quarter = 25, larger coins = those points)
Dollars are all negative points. (Dollar - 100, five dollars -500, etc.)

The winning grade gets a Pizza Party from Student Council!

Class Pictures & Individual Pictures

We will be having our class pictures on March 9th. On this date, individual pictures will be taken for new students and for anyone who orders online or with the form. If you have any questions or concern please call the office at 970- 348-2300.

Shawsheen STEAM Night

You're invited to our Shawsheen Family Night on Wednesday, March 25th, from 5:00pm-7:00pm! At Shawsheen, we are college and career ready. This family night will be focused on different aspects of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) with a college and career ready lens. There will be different opportunities for students to engage in STEAM opportunities in our community, explore science technology as well as showcase our student's science fair projects.

RSVP Here

Shawsheen Yearbook

We are excited to announce that the Shawsheen Yearbook is making a return this year! Our yearbooks will be on sale from February to March 11th. Each yearbook will be $14.

To purchase online, go to buytheyearbook.com with Shawsheen's code of 734769 or buy in person with cash/check. There are forms in the office to purchase in person.

We will receive the yearbooks before the school year ends!

Purchase Yearbook Online

Shawsheen Pantry

Shawsheen has a food pantry that ALL Shawsheen families can access for free!

Hours of Operation:

Monday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, during school days.

Tuesday–Friday: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM, during school days.

Please bring a reusable bag to store your items.

What We Offer:

Non-Perishable Food Items:
- A variety of pantry staples, including tuna, chicken pouches, chicken noodle soup, pasta, cereals, peanut butter, rice, beans, and more. (Available while supplies last)
Refrigerated Items:
- A variety of pantry staples, including tuna, chicken pouches, chicken noodle soup, pasta, cereals, peanut butter, rice, beans, and more. (Available while supplies last)
- FRESH FRUIT and VEGGIES!! (Items may vary; these are leftovers from the afternoon snack.)
Freezer Items:
- Leftover cafeteria food will be stored in the freezer for families. (While supplies last)
Hygiene Products:
- We provide essentials such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, and other personal care items. (Items vary monthly, while supplies last)
Other Items:
- Limited sizing options are available for clothing, jackets, shoes, and laundry detergent.
- Assistance League has generously donated Sheets and Blankets. (We will be limiting two sheets and blankets per household)

If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Lizbeth at (970) 348-2303 or larcemendez1@greeleyschools.org. Thank you!

Visitors

For the safety of our students and staff, all visitors must check in through our Raptor system when entering the building. This includes joining your student for lunch, walking in a student to drop-off at a classroom, volunteering, or participating in any activity at Shawsheen.

Please bring a valid Colorado driver’s license or government-issued ID each time you sign in. Without an ID, access to the building cannot be granted.

Early Pick up

For early student pickup, the person picking up must also show a government-issued photo ID. We verify IDs to ensure the individual is listed on the student’s approved pickup list.

Volunteering

We love having families involved at Shawsheen! If you would like to volunteer in classrooms, help on field trips, or support school events, please complete our online volunteer application.

Even if you completed the application last year, you will need to submit a new application for the 2025–26 school year.
Once approved, you’ll have opportunities to support our students and school community throughout the year.

Complete the District Volunteer Application

Parent Teacher Group (PTG)

Shawsheen Families,

The final Parent Teacher Group (PTG) meeting of the school year will take place in April. PTG meetings are a valuable opportunity for families, staff, and educators to collaborate on supporting student success and to receive important updates on school events, fundraising, Title I, SAC, and DAC. In our final meeting, we'll discuss Restorative Justice. Please add it to your calendar if you're interested in learning more.

Last Meeting:

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

5:00–6:00 p.m. | Shawsheen Library or Google Meet

Join virtually: https://meet.google.com/rnp-zpwm-adh

Your voice matters—come join the conversation!

Join the PTG Bloomz Group!

Ms. Lizbeth Arce Mendez has created a Bloomz group for active Parent-Teacher Group (PTG) members. In this group, we’ll share meeting minutes, volunteer opportunities, and other important updates.

If you would like to be added, please attend one of our PTG meetings or email larcemendez1@greeleyschools.org to request access.

This month, we are learning…

Preschool

We are excited for March in Preschool! Our theme will be pets and students will enjoy reading, talking, listening to music, and dancing while learning about different kinds of pets. Later in the month, we will begin learning about gardening, insects, and spring time as we explore the changing season.

In literacy, students will work on many activities including rhyming, blending and segmenting sounds, clapping syllables, and recognizing letters and their sounds while practicing writing about spring time. In math, students will work on many activities including counting, sorting, graphing, and identifying numbers 1–20. Our social-emotional learning will be focusing on being a good friend and showing kindness.

We are also looking forward to Spring Break and wish all of our families a wonderful and relaxing time!

Kindergarten

We are having a great time in kindergarten! We are learning and growing so much!

We’re focusing on recognizing, writing, and counting groups with numbers 0 to 20. We also continue to work hard on addition, subtraction, and counting to 100.

In reading we’re blending sounds and reading them “the fast way” with fluency and accuracy. Students are working to master letter names, sounds, and sight words too. Regular practice at home is important. Please listen to your child read as often as possible. Our current goal in writing is to write complete sentences that include strong details and punctuation.

In social studies we are learning about needs, wants, and jobs. We are looking forward to hosting a Career Day on Friday, March 27th.

Thanks for all you are doing to help your child learn and grow! We are happy to be partnering with you!

With gratitude,

The Shawsheen Kindergarten Team

Mrs. Duplex, Mrs. Maresh, Miss Paula, and Miss Shevelle

First Grade

Language Arts-

We have finished unit 2. We are beginning Module 3, Unit 3. In the last unit of the module, students participate in another research cycle to study a specific bird to learn about how that bird’s key parts help it survive in its habitat. They will also write a mystery bird riddle, using adjectives to describe the bird’s specific body parts.

Keep reading with your child each night at home to develop vocabulary and reading comprehension.

Math- We are finishing our work in Unit 5. In our next unit, students measure length and count up to 120 length units. They solve addition and subtraction story problems with unknowns in all positions.

Other:

Our weather this time of year is a little unpredictable. Please be sure your child has a coat at school for our recess times we spend outside. Thanks for all of your support!

Second Grade

Dear Families,

Below is a look at what students will be exploring this month.

EL Module 3: Researching to Build Knowledge and Teach Others: The Secret World of Pollination

In Unit 3, students revisit the guiding question, “How do we get the fruits, flowers, and vegetables we enjoy?” as they apply their learning about plants and pollinators. Their performance task includes illustrated boards with captions explaining the pollination process and a written reflection on how revision improved their work. Students use their Unit 2 informational writing as a main resource and continue developing scientific drawing skills through mini-lessons. The unit culminates with oral presentations and visual displays shared during our Celebration of Learning, revealing the “secret” behind the foods we enjoy—pollinators!

EL Skills

In skills, students will learn the schwa sound spelled with a, e, and o (e.g., tundra, celebrate, brother), practice plural endings -eys and -ies (e.g., monkeys, pennies), and explore word endings -ous and -us (e.g., fabulous, octopus). They will also study common affixes em-, en-, -ic, and dis- (e.g., empower, endanger, comic, disagree) to strengthen decoding, spelling, and word meaning skills.

Math

In Unit 7, students use place-value understanding, the relationship between addition and subtraction, and the properties of operations to add and subtract within 1,000.

General Reminders

Check your child’s black daily folder every evening.
Return Thursday folders by the following Wednesday.

Homework Reminders

Reading homework is sent home in your child’s black daily folder. Please have your child read the story three times and return it the following day with a parent/guardian signature.
Math homework will continue to be sent home in Thursday folders and is to be returned by the following Wednesday.

Thank you for all you do!

The 2nd Grade Team,

Mrs. Z, Ms. Schulte, Ms. Lewonka, and Mrs. Dillehay

Third Grade

Math: This month, students are learning how to measure length, weight, liquid, and time. They will measure with rulers to the nearest half and fourth of an inch, learn about grams, kilograms, and liters by using real objects, and tell time to the exact minute.

Literacy: This month in literacy, third graders are finishing a writing unit where they revised a scene from Peter Pan. They explained why they made changes, practiced reading their writing aloud, and shared a presentation with an audience.

A couple of weeks into the month, students are starting a new reading unit using One Well: The Story of Water on Earth. They are learning where freshwater comes from, why it is important, and how pollution and overuse can harm it. Students will practice finding the main idea, answering questions about what they read, learning new vocabulary, and comparing information from different texts.

Thursday Folders: Please continue to make sure your student's purple Thursday folder is checked every Thursday afternoon for homework or papers requiring signatures. These will be returned to school the following morning in the purple folder.

Thank you for all you do, and please feel free to reach out with any questions!

Sincerely,

Ms. Weil and Mr. Farrell

Fourth Grade

Hello Fourth Grade Families,

This month in 4th grade, we will finish the third EL Module for literacy. For our EL literacy block we will continue learning about The American Revolution. For our Performance Task students will discuss their opinion of The American Revolution, considering both sides (Loyalist and Patriot) and who they would have supported during that time. After Spring Break, we will begin Module 4. We will be reading the book, The Hope Chest in which we will be learning about the process of ratifying the 19th Amendment.

We will also be wrapping up our sixth unit of mathematics, Whole-Number Multiplication and Division which focuses on students multiplying and dividing multi-digit whole numbers using partial products and partial quotient strategies. Towards the end of March, we will begin Unit 7 in math, Angles and Angle Measurement. This year students will learn to use a protractor to measure angles!

Respectfully,

Mr. Alvis, Ms. Johnson and Mr. Land

Fifth Grade

ELA (English Language Arts)

Get ready, because we are kicking off our final projects over the next few weeks! We are currently diving deep into Unit 3 of Module 3. Our scholars have been researching incredible athletes who sparked social change. To show off what they’ve learned, students will be:

Creating a presentation on their own "Factor of Success."
Writing a formal essay.
Designing a yard sign to display their hard work!

The Big Essay Task: Students will compare and contrast their own Factor of Success with Jackie Robinson’s. This 4-paragraph essay is a major milestone for the unit, so focused planning is key!

Math

In Unit 6, we are tackling three essential skills to sharpen our math minds:

Measurement Conversions: Using place value and powers of 10 to hop between units (like cm to km).
Fraction Action: Adding and subtracting fractions even when those bottom numbers (denominators) don’t match!
Multiplication as Resizing: Discovering if multiplying by a fraction makes a number grow, shrink, or stay the same.

We’re racing to wrap this unit up right before Spring Break!

Science

Look up! We are exploring how the sky can help us navigate around the globe. It’s a fascinating look at the stars and our world!

Homework & Rewards

Please ensure students are completing their assignments and turning them in every Thursday or Friday.

Remember: Finished reading and math homework earns them Sparrow Dinero! Let’s keep that momentum going!

Specials

Music

Kindergarten: Students are working on keeping a steady beat and identifying opposites in music. Try putting on a song on and asking your kinder if they can keep the beat using their body or if they can identify if the music is high/low, fast/slow, or short/long.

1st Grade: 1st graders will learn their musical scale with hand signs as well as Sol, La, and Mi. Ask them to sing you their name using hand signs!

2nd Grade: 2nd grade students are learning mi, re, and do. Ask them their favorite instrument that they have played on recently in music class and if they can show you the hand signs for mi, re, and do.

3rd Grade: In March, 3rd graders begin working on canons and rounds. These are songs where two or more groups do the same thing but start at different times. Inquire whether they prefer singing harmonies or playing canons.

4th Grade: 4th graders are working hard on their ukulele chords. In March, I’m going to assess whether or not they can play the four essential chords on the ukulele: C, F, G, and Am. I’m curious to find out which is their favorite chord of the 4!

5th Grade: In March, 5th graders will compose a song in standard notation. This means their song will include a treble clef, time signature, and rhythms written in 4 beats per measure. They will then transfer their rhythm to notes on the staff. I’m hoping early finishers can play their songs on instruments. I wonder if you could pick their brain on what the best part of the creative writing process was for them during this unit!

Art

Happy March from the Art Room!

March is here, and we are wrapping up some exciting clay creations before beginning brand new projects across all grade levels. It has been wonderful to see students’ creativity take shape! I’m so proud of the focus, patience, and craftsmanship they’ve shown while working with clay.

Here’s what’s coming up next in the art room:

Kindergarten & First Grade

Our youngest artists are finishing their clay projects and taking time to paint them! Soon, we’ll transition into paper sculpture! Students will explore how to bend, fold, curl, and layer paper to create artwork in the round. This project will help them think about shape, balance, and creativity while building their fine motor skills. It’s always exciting to see paper transform into imaginative 3D creations!

Second & Third Grade

These artists are also completing their clay pieces and reflecting on the process of working in three dimensions. Next, we’ll dive into creating fantasy world maps! Students will combine drawing and storytelling as they design imaginative lands filled with mountains, rivers, forests, and creative landmarks. We’ll talk about perspective, symbols, and composition while encouraging students to think like both artists and world-builders.

Fourth & Fifth Grade

Our older students are putting the finishing touches on their clay mugs and adding glaze to make them dishwasher and microwave safe. Then we will explore a new drawing technique: blind contour drawing. This exercise challenges artists to draw without looking at their paper, focusing instead on carefully observing their subject. Blind contours help strengthen observation skills, hand-eye coordination, and confidence in line work. Students will practice and reflect on how slowing down and truly seeing can improve their art.

Smart Lab

Kinder has explored writing basic programs for robots in Lab and they've started using multiple step instructions for their robots. We'll continue to expand on this learning in March, and revisit writing programs again.

First and Second grade are wrapping up electricity and learning how positive and negative currents impact the function of electricity. We'll also explore some different conductive materials and how some things can carry a current.

Third grade is getting ready to explore some physics in engineering and will experiment with different kinds of engineering and how force can change the movement of an object.

Fourth and Fifth graders are deep into their personal inquiries and learning about different STEM strands - various groups are exploring engineering, math and music, audio production, robotics, and programming.

- Mrs. Strickland

Physical Education

Kindergarten - 2nd grade have been working on football skills. While most of the skills were centered around throwing and catching, students also worked on running with the football, flag pulling, and kicking.

3rd - 5th grades have been exploring a Brazilian game called Peteca. This game works like badminton without the racket. Students use an open hand to strike a large "volley bird" over a net.

Shawsheen Clubs

SparrowSingers

SparrowSingers just wrapped up a super successful fundraiser for choir where we raised over $400 for choir t-shirts. We have all the t-shirts at Shawsheen, and each student who requested one will be given one in April for the concert. Students continue to work hard on their K-pop themed concert for April 15th at 5:30pm in the Shawsheen Gym. All families and friends of Shawsheen are invited to attend for free. Thank you so much for your continued support of our 3rd-5th grade musicians!

Student Council

Student Council members had fun spreading the love during the month of February! The group created and shared almost 500 cards with Shawsheen students and staff during Valentine’s week.

StuCo is currently hosting a fundraiser to benefit our Shawsheen Pantry. Huge thanks to everyone who has participated so we can be even better stocked for our families in need of support. The fundraiser will run through March 9, and the class that has the most points will earn a pizza party. Coins in each class’ collection jar will count as positive points, and dollars placed in other grade levels’ jars will count as negative points. We’d love to have you join the fun while also raising money for a good cause.

Student Council will only have one meeting in March due to Spring Break. Our Green Team will pick up litter when we meet at 7:00 am on Wednesday, March 4th.

Box Top for Education

Dear Families,

Are you looking for a quick and easy way to support our school?

Box Tops for Education has been around for over 25 years, and it really can make a difference. In fact, the Box Tops program has helped give almost one billion dollars to schools since 1996.

The Box Tops app gives participants the ability to earn for any school across the country with just the touch of a button. Plus, the Box Tops app allows you to search for schools that could use a little extra help, so you can help give students in low-income schools the opportunity to succeed.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS: Buy participating products and use the Box Tops app to scan your

store receipt. The app identifies eligible products and earnings are credited to your designated school online. Even if you’re shopping online or doing grocery pickup, you can still submit your digital or email receipt with the Box Tops app and earn. Twice a year, our school gets a check!

Box Tops earnings really add up, and the more people that participate, the bigger the impact we can make. So let’s give our teachers the support they need and give more kids the opportunity to succeed. Together, we can help make a big difference.

King Soopers Community Rewards Partnership

Shawsheen Families! We have signed up for a great opportunity with King Soopers.

Do you shop at King Soopers? Do you have a Loyalty number with them? Add “Shawsheen Elementary School” as your community rewards organization. That is all you need to do! Continue shopping as normal, and we get a percentage of rewards on participating items. We thank you so much!!

Enrolling in the King Soopers Community Rewards Partnership

Log on to your King Soopers Account App.
Go to the menu (three lines) on the top right.
Click on “Rewards”
Click on “Community Rewards”
Search for “Shawsheen Elementary School”
Click on “Enroll”
Done!
Shop like normal!

Mental Health Resources

Shawsheen Care Team Referral

Information on Kidstuff Counseling

Website for the Community Grief Center Greeley

IMatter - 6 Free *No insurance* therapy sessions ages 5-18

Website for North Range Behavioral Health - Child Youth & Family