Shawsheen October Newsletter - The Sparrowhawk Nest

October 1, 2025

The Sparrowhawk Nest

October Newsletter

We’re kicking off this month’s newsletter with a spotlight on our amazing 5th graders! Their YMCA field trip was packed with outdoor adventures, team-building activities, and lots of laughter. It was the perfect opportunity to foster friendships, develop leadership skills, and create memories they’ll never forget. Check out all the fun in the pictures below!

Important Dates in October

October 1, 2025 - Student Council
October 1, 2025 - October Count Day! SHAWSHEEN SPIRIT DAY
October 3, 2025 - October Birthday Treats - (For the last 10 minutes of class, 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.)
October 7, 2025 - Online Sales for Big Kahuna Fundraiser Close
October 8, 2025 - Last Day for Flag Football
October 9, 2025 - Conferences 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
October 10, 2025 - No School for Students
October 10, 2025 - Conferences 7:00 am - 7:00 pm
October 15, 2025 - Student Council
October 20, 2025 - No School for Students and Staff
October 22, 2025 - Parent Teacher Group Meeting - 5:00 PM
October 23, 2025 - Picture Retakes
October 23, 2025 - Vision/Hearing Screening
October 24, 2025 - 3rd Grade Butterfly Pavilion Field Trip
October 24, 2025 - 4th Grade Aquarium Field Trip
October 29, 2025 - Kindergarten Anderson Farms Field Trip
October 30, 2025 - Fundraiser Pick Up
October 30, 2025 - Limo Ride for Big Kahuna Fundraiser
October 31, 2025 - Fall Party- (For the last 20 minutes of class, celebrations will be held with students, teachers, and parents. Parents are warmly invited to join us for our fall party.)

Shawsheen Pantry

We're so excited to announce that the food pantry is finally open for the 2025-2026 School Year! Any Shawsheen family can access the pantry for FREE! Our pantry is currently stocked by The Pantry, a program managed by Greeley-Evans School District 6 Nutrition Services.

Hours of Operation:

Monday–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, spam, canned chicken, tomato soup, corn, pasta, cereals, peanut butter, rice, beans, ramen, and more. (Available while supplies last)
Refrigerated Items:
- Thanks to our generous donor, Aurora Organic Dairy, we are able to provide milk in our refrigerator for Shawsheen families. Donations are made monthly, so availability may vary depending on demand. (Available while supplies last)
Freezer Items:
- Leftovers from the cafeteria will be stocked 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.

Dress Code Reminder

As the seasons shift, please help your child dress appropriately for school while following Shawsheen’s dress code. Our goal is to keep students safe, comfortable, and ready to learn.

What’s expected:

Tops should cover the stomach, back, and shoulders—no spaghetti straps, halter tops, or midriffs.
Shorts, skirts, and dresses should be at least mid-thigh length.
Hats, hoods, and caps must be removed inside (except for religious, cultural, or medical reasons).
Shoes must be safe for school activities—no slippers or shoes with wheels.
Clothing should avoid any offensive language, as well as references to alcohol and tobacco. Additionally, it should not feature gang-related colors or symbols, including solid red or solid blue shirts.
Dress appropriately for the weather: coats, boots, and hats during cold or snowy days.

If clothing is not appropriate:

Students may be asked to change or have suitable clothing brought to school.
Repeated violations are handled according to district policy.

Thank you for helping our students stay safe, warm, and focused on learning!

Find more about the dress code in our handbook

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

Hispanic Heritage Month

We are excited to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15–October 15! This month is dedicated to honoring the history, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.

As part of our celebration, we will be creating an ofrenda, a traditional altar that honors and remembers loved ones and pets who have passed away. If you are interested in participating, please email pictures of your loved ones and pets. We will print them out and display them on our Shawsheen Ofrenda.

Please email images to: larcemendez@greeleyschools.org

Parent Teacher Group (PTG)

We’re excited to continue building family-school connections at Shawsheen through our Parent Teacher Group (PTG)! PTG brings together families, staff, and educators to support student success and share updates on school events, fundraising, Title I, SAC, and DAC.

Upcoming Meeting:

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

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

September has been such a fun and busy month in Pre-K! Our students are settling beautifully into classroom routines and doing a wonderful job following our rules. We’ve enjoyed listening to and reciting poems about apples, bubbles, and leaves—perfect for the season! Each week, Miss Laura, our music teacher, visits our classroom, and the children love playing instruments, moving with scarves, and learning new songs. We are also very proud of how brave our students have been during school drills, practicing how to line up and walk outside together safely. We can’t wait to welcome October and look forward to connecting with parents and caregivers during conferences!

Kindergarten

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

In reading we are studying weather, recognizing letters, and reading sounds. We are sounding out words and are drawing pictures with more detail. We are also working on pencil grasp as we practice proper formation of letters.

We are focusing on reading, writing, and representing the numbers 0 to 10 in math. The children are also comparing groups of objects to 10.

In social studies we are learning about where we live including our neighborhood, state, country, and world. Students are learning how the sun warms surfaces and how to stay cool in the sun in science.

Thank you for all you’re doing to help your child achieve success at Shawsheen! We look forward to meeting with your family at conferences soon. We’re excited about our October 29th field trip to Anderson Farms which is just around the corner too!

We are grateful to be partnering with you!

Mrs. Duplex and Mrs. Maresh

First Grade

Language Arts-

We continue to work in Module 1, Unit 3. In Unit 3, students bring to life classroom tools and habits of character as they work collaboratively to solve a classroom design challenge and answer the unit guiding question: “How do we create a magnificent thing?”

We are also practicing blends (wh, fl, gl, dr, fr, sm, sn, spr, lp, nd) and beginning long vowels.

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

Math- We are continuing Unit 2 where we will relate counting to addition and subtraction. We are also practicing adding number partners that equal 10.

Other:

A great thing to work on with your child at home is learning how to tie their shoes! Thanks for all you do to support your child and the teachers!

Mrs. Kotalik, Ms. Beeman and Ms. Cruz

Second Grade

Dear Families,

As October unfolds, we’re excited to share what your child will be learning this month.

📖 EL Module 2: Fossil’s Tell of Earth’s Changes

Students will begin their study of fossils and paleontologists with the guiding question: “What do paleontologists do?” Our close read-aloud of Stone Girl, Bone Girl by Laurence Anholt will help students connect literacy skills with real-world science. They’ll practice responding to challenges, examine character habits, and build their speaking, listening, and writing skills through discussions and retelling activities.

🔤 EL Skills

In Skills Block, students will dive into word study—learning rules for spelling vowel teams and affixes, while also discovering that not all English words follow the rules! This work will help strengthen their spelling, reading, and writing.

➕➖ Math

This month, students will practice adding and subtracting within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and the relationship between addition and subtraction. They’ll also apply these skills to solve real-world story problems.

📅 Parent-Teacher Conferences

Conferences will be held on Wednesday, October 9, from 3:30–7:00 p.m. and Thursday, October 10, from 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Please make sure your child is signed up for a conference time.

📌 General Reminders

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

📝 Homework Reminders

Students should read at least 20 minutes daily.
Return the reading log with a parent signature by the following Wednesday.

Thank you for all you do!

The 2nd Grade Team,

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

Third Grade

Hello 3rd Grade Families!

We are continuing to have fun, learn, and grow together in 3rd grade!

Math: We have wrapped up Unit 1: Introduction to Multiplication and are now beginning Unit 2: Area and Multiplication. In this unit, students will review the concept of area, relate the area of a rectangle to multiplication, and solve problems involving area. To transition from counting to multiplying side lengths, students reason about area, using increasingly more abstract representations. They begin with tiled or gridded rectangles, move to partially gridded rectangles or those with marked sides, and end with rectangles labeled with their side lengths.

Literacy: We are diving into the 3rd unit of Module 1, and will be focused on We have been researching reading challenges faced by students around the world, using our module's guiding questions: "Why are education, books, and reading important?" and "How can I overcome learning challenges?" Our 3rd graders will be writing a 4 paragraph reading contract about a reading challenge that they face and identifying 2 strategies that they can use to help them overcome those challenges.

In mid-October, we will begin Module 2 using the guiding questions, "How do authors build expertise and share their knowledge about a topic?" and "How do frogs adapt and survive?"

Thursday Folders: Please 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.

FIELD TRIP: We are planning a field trip tentatively for a date later in October. More information and specific details will be sent out as soon as possible.

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,

We would love to share what we are learning over this next month. In our Math block we will be working on Unit 3: Extending Operations to Fractions. The goal of our second math unit is that “Students learn that a fraction a/b is a product of a whole number 'a' and a unit fraction 1/b, or a/b = a × 1/b, and that n × a/b = (n × a)/b. Students learn to add and subtract fractions with like denominators, and to add and subtract tenths and hundredths." In our Literacy EL Block, we will finish up Module 1: Poetry, Poets, and Becoming Writers and then begin Module 2, Researching to Build Knowledge and Teach Others: Animal Defense Mechanisms. Over the course of this module students are working to answer the overarching questions "How do animals’ bodies and behaviors help them survive?” and "How can writers use knowledge from their research to inform and entertain?" We will be using Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses as our main text. Their performance task will be to write their own Choose-Your-Own Adventure narrative piece about an animal.

Mr. Alvis, Ms. Johnson and Mr. Land

Fifth Grade

Hello 5th Grade Families!

Math:

As September closes, we are also ending our second math unit. Students have been busy learning to multiply fractions with whole numbers and multiplying mixed numbers with whole numbers. Our next unit will focus on multiplying and dividing fractions. Students will find the product of two fractions, divide a whole number by a unit fraction, and divide a unit fraction by a whole number. This is a difficult unit for students. Please let us know if you need any additional support.

Literacy:

This month, we will be finishing our first module on Stories of Human Rights. In our third and final unit, we will bring students’ knowledge about human rights and their work with Esperanza Rising in preparation for the performance task. In the first half of the unit, students work in groups to select an event in which human rights are threatened, and each group member chooses a character from the text involved in the event. They will plan an original monologue based on this event, from their character's perspective. In the second half of the unit, students will work on revising their monologues and preparing the director’s note. At the end of the unit, students will present their monologues with their groups. We are hoping that families can join us for the showcase of all their hard work! More information to come.

Social Studies & Science:

We have started working on our science unit, Getting Freshwater to Those in Need. So far students have replicated a system to move water from one place to another using plastic piping, a 3-way valve, and a syringe. The students were so engaged and excited when their ideas came to life!

We will continue this work throughout October.

Thank you again to our chaperones for the YMCA. You helped make our experience memorable! We appreciate you dedicating your time to our students so they could attend the trip and participate in all the learning. You ROCK!

Specials

Music

Kindergarten: Students continue to practice their farm unit. They have learned songs, dances, and games about ducks, chickens, sheep, cows, and pigs so far. Up next are horses, dogs, cats, and frogs! Ask your child which animal has been their favorite so far.

1st Grade: 1st grade continues to work on steady beat. Ask your child to show you different ways to keep a steady beat that stays the same!

2nd Grade: Our 2nd graders are adding a steady beat with a light singing voice. Ask them to sing you a snippet of “Draw a Bucket of Water” or “Poor Little Kitty Cat”!

3rd Grade: 3rd Graders are working on learning rhythms such as whole notes and sixteenth notes. Ask them what their favorite music note is!

4th Grade: Students are learning the notes on the staff. The lines from bottom to top are EGBDF, and the spaces are FACE. As your student to sing you the staff song or perform the staff rap to show their understanding of this challenging concept.

5th Grade: 5th graders are working hard on applying their knowledge of the staff to play songs on the strings of the ukulele using the musical scale. You can inquire what song they are working on

Art

Happy October! This month in art class, students will explore how color can convey emotions and moods. We’ll study the work of Wassily Kandinsky, an artist who used color, shape, and abstraction to express feelings rather than realistic images.

In addition to learning about Kandinsky’s ideas, your child will create their own abstract artworks using color and shape. To celebrate the season, we’ll also be working on some creative fall‑themed projects.

Looking forward to a colorful and expressive month of art!

Smart Lab

We're doing some cool collaborating in SmartLab! We're working together on projects and making decisions as teams - very important skills for school, play, and eventually, careers.

Kindergarten students will spend October in SmartLab exploring shapes and how to build and make them with various tools. They will work with teammates to expand their knowledge of shapes and two dimensions. We also are supporting reading and math by practicing foundational skills.

First and Second grade have done some creative coding, and now we're moving on to stable structures. We'll use some three dimensional tools and explore how shapes can be part of a larger structure. We'll also consider which shapes are the most stable and least stable.

Third, fourth and fifth grade will spend some time in Scratch, a program where students can create animations, games and more. We'll start with simple commands, including adding animations for "Sprites" (characters in Scratch) when clicked, and how to fix broken codes.

All classes will visit some online safety and digital citizenship lessons in the month of October. We'll learn about saying "see you later" to our technology, being kind online, and making safe choices when online.

Mrs. Strickland

Shawsheen Clubs

SparrowSingers

Our SparrowSingers are 49 students at the moment! Thank you so much for bringing your students to school early on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7am for this amazing opportunity. Students are engaged in warm-ups, games, and songs for our November family night concerts. Our theme is Shawsheen’s 50th birthday. You can ask your child to pick their favorite song and tell you about it: Shawsheen’s school song, Shawsheen’s birthday round, Golden, and Ninaskamon.

Mrs. Small

Student Council

If you enjoy participating in events and activities that benefit our school and community, it’s not too late to join Student Council! The group meets at 7:00 am in Mrs Maresh’s kindergarten classroom on the first and third Wednesday of every month. All third, fourth, and fifth grade students are welcome to join. Please reach out to Ms. Avila, Mrs. Duplex, Mrs. Maresh, Ms. Shultz, or Ms. Weil if you’d like to learn more information about the group or if you would like a permission slip so you can participate.

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