Florida Mesa Elementary
Mission Statement:

Together as Mustangs we are learning, caring and aspiring to reach our dreams.

Educational Program
Our school offers a developmentally appropriate curriculum to our youngsters, preschool through 5th grade. This includes providing students with the opportunity for continuous progress and individualized programs. We challenge and encourage students to be self-directed and responsible for their own learning.

Florida Mesa Staff
Florida Mesa has nineteen classroom teachers, 3 in each grade from Kindergarten to 5th grade.  There are ten specials teachers, including two resource teachers for learning disabilities, an E.L.L. teacher, two Title I reading teachers, one P.E. teacher, one music teacher, one art teacher, one librarian, one Gifted and Talented program teacher, and one Literacy Coach.   Florida Mesa has 3 instructional aides, a Health Service Provider, a Partner In Education coordinator, two secretaries, a cafeteria manager, 2 cooks, 3 custodians and a school counselor.

Curriculum and Academic Activities
Student writing is taught through the use of the 9R Writing Rubric, Step Up To Writing, 6 Traits Writing, and the Lucy Calkins Writing Workshop curriculum.  Teachers give explicit direct instruction of  reading comprehension strategies through a combination of rich literature and the Harcourt Reading series.  The teachers implement Daily Language Instruction, Elements of Reading Vocabulary Curriculum, and Open Court Phonics.  Student reading progress is monitored for phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.  Every Day Math is utilized in all K-5th grade classrooms.  All students are accepted and integrated into the mainstream of school life.

Special Programs or Activities
Harvest Festival fund-raiser, Mesa Madness fund-raiser, Dinner Dance Festival, Read-A-Thon, Spirit Store, orchestra and choir, T.R.A.C.K., Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Math, integrated learning, E.L.L., technology lab computers & classroom computers, SMART Boards, Title I reading program, reader's / writer's workshop, Professional Learning Communities, Kid Kamp, Scouts, Summer Roundup, and Study Connections

 2007-2008 Accomplishments/Highlights:  

•  Local author, Ann Louise Ramsey, spoke to the students about writing and illustrating her books.
•  The Florida Mesa Library has approximately 22,000 books, including the Guided Reading books used in the classrooms.
•  The Scholastic Book Fair promoted student and family interest in reading books and benefited the school library.

•  Florida Mesa Elementary was the recipient of a Wired Grant, which provided 5 Smartboards, as well as laptops, in-focus machines and other supporting equipment.
•  Florida Mesa purchased 3 laser printers for use with the Accelerated Math program.

•  Florida Mesa Elementary awarded Student Art Awards to one student of each grade.  This will be an annual event and the artwork will be displayed throughout the school.
•  Mrs. Smart recognized 14 students in an assembly for successfully completing the 2007 Summer Round-Up program.
•  Mrs. Smart recognized six students for having perfect attendance for the 2007-2008 school year.
•  Kelly Fiddler organized a Locks of Love assembly.  The following students, family members and teachers each donated 10 inch locks of hair:  Pearl Wyman, Alexis Gurzick, Alaura Theobald, Chantel Fugate, Aspen Peterson, Kerestine Hall, Crystal Willmelt, Jadah Willmelt, Mrs. Willmelt, and Andi Drumm.
•  Assemblies held throughout the year included:  Cowboy Poets, Jump Rope Masters, Ellen Drake, and Durango Nature Students.  The Durango Arts Center performed the play “Hansel and Gretel.” 
•  Each month, one student from each class is selected for recognition by Florida Mesa as Student of the Month.  Students are selected based on exceptional behavior as well as showing a positive attitude and being responsible.  144 students were selected as students of the month and were invited to have lunch with Principal Smart and Mr. Williams.
•  Liam Hahn received a full scholarship to Music in the Mountains Concert Orchestra at Ft. Lewis College.  He was also Concert Master at the 2008 Elementary Music Festival for 9R.

•  Florida Mesa Elementary implemented a new vocabulary program called “Elements of Reading,” by Isabella Beck.
•  Seven 5^th grade students participated in Destination Imagination.  Mr. Williams and Greg Moore were co-coaches.  Our students participated in the competition by using problem solving and teamwork.  They took 4^th place and received a DaVinci Award for creativity. 
•  Kathy Shock’s 3^rd grade class did a reading of a poem based on Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream” speech for students, staff and families.
•  5^th grade families participated in a student/parent book study led by Mrs. Smart.  The book, “Dog of Discovery,” was used to teach various reading strategies.
•  5^th grade students participated in 10 weeks of ballroom dancing instruction led by Suzi DeSantos of The Dance Center.
•  3^rd grade students and parents participated in a CSAP preparation workshop.  The workshop covered student expectations, relaxation strategies and a discussion on the use of CSAP scores.
• 2^nd grade students presented a series of Mexican plays in the 5^th grade atrium as part of their study on Mexico.  The highlight of the unit was each student made their own paper-mache piñata to take home.
•  2^nd grade students built a tabletop community out of milk cartoons to reinforce their unit on American history, western movement, and how communities work.
•  Classes attended a variety of field trips throughout the year, including Colvig Silver Camps, La Plata County Airport, Durango Nature Studies, Farmington Nature Center, Sutherland Farms, Sunshine Garden Retirement Country Home, Haviland Lake and Mesa Verde National Park

• Florida Mesa Elementary hosted a Hat and Mitten Drive and a Food Drive for the benefit of Florida Mesa families and Project Merry Christmas.
• Community involvement events included the Community Blood Drive, Harvest Carnival and Mesa Madness.
• Florida Mesa Elementary held a book drive to benefit the library in Greensburg, Kansas which was devastated by a tornado.  Mrs. Wylie, Mrs. Shock, Gypsy, Mr. Wylie and Everett Manson delivered 110 cases of books, weighing 3,013 lbs. Greensburg in October of 2008.

• SmileMakers provided basic dental screening and cleaning for students at an affordable cost.
• The Florida Mesa Building Health Committee developed School Health Improvement Plan to encourage those in our school community to engage in healthy lifestyle activities.  Grant monies were received from Rocky Mountain Center for Health Promotion and Education, which allowed Building Health Committee members to attend two professional development trainings on health.
• The school counselor offered the parenting class, Love and Logic, to provide parenting skills for families.
• Florida Mesa participated in Turn off the TV week to encourage families to participate in healthy activities.
• Florida Mesa Elementary was the recipient of a grant from DFEE for the purposes of implementing a Social and Emotional Learning Program.  The program will provide comprehensive, long term social/emotional education to develop self aware, stable and successful student, create safe, supportive and productive school community, implement logical behavioral management, individualize and intensify programs for diverse student needs so that they may be successfully included in the school community, and supporting family education.
• 45% of our students qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch.
• Florida Mesa Elementary was awarded a $20,000 planning grant for the proposed school-based health center.   Planning will begin in August 2008.  The school-based health clinic will fill a need in our school and community for affordable health services.  The grant was provided by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. 

• The Partners in Education Coordinator position, formerly Parent Partner, was revised.  The role of the PIE Coordinator is to improve communication and school climate, provide information, strategies and learning opportunities for staff and parents, and to develop leaders and mentors within the school community.
• The PIE Coordinator attended various professional development trainings designed to provide tools for use in providing services to the school community.
• A Volunteer Database was developed to provide support and expertise in the classrooms and throughout the school.
• Room Parents were assigned to each teacher to provide support on special projects and on-going teacher needs.
• Monthly school newsletters were used to communicate events, projects, and needs to families.
• School website was updated to provide a source of current information for families, staff and community.
• The Volunteer Appreciation breakfast honored those parents and community members who volunteered their time in the school. 
• The Thanksgiving Dinner offered grandparents and families an opportunity to eat lunch at school with students.
• The Parent Workroom provides a place for parents to complete tasks for teachers.  The PIE Office provides a meeting place for parents to visit, attend workshops and meetings.
• The Partner in Education Coordinator hosted several informal parent gatherings to provide learning opportunities enrich the school climate.  Topics included homework helps, reading strategies, and various parenting and literacy topics.
• Partners in Education team hosted the annual Parents Make THE Difference Conference, which offered parents an opportunity to hear speakers on various parenting and education topics.
• Two Kindergarten family nights provided parents with an opportunity to learn about reading strategies, learning styles, and Everyday Math activities.
• The Summer Round-up program was developed to provide students with continued learning and reading incentives over the summer.
• Florida Mesa held a “Reading is a Blast!” Read-a-Thon.  250 students participated; 143 of those students met their reading goal of 800 minutes or more.  Student’s raised $8,500 to be used toward the purchase of “in-focus” projectors for the classrooms. 
• Volunteers worked with students in the classrooms with the Read Naturally reading program. 
• Volunteers attended Volunteer 101, a training session which explains responsibilities, behavioral and ethical expectations, and duties of school volunteers. 
• Volunteers helped out in classrooms and throughout the school an average of 60 hours per month.

• The Spirit Store provided inexpensive holiday shopping opportunities for students and families and raised money for classroom supplies for teachers.
• The Ice Cream Social and Open House provided an opportunity for families to visit classrooms and meet staff.
• PTO hosted a Family BBQ Dinner and Dance, which provided a great night of entertainment, food and a chance for families to see the 5^th grade class perform ballroom dancing.  A silent auction was held to raise funds for classroom computer projectors.
• PTO hosted various events for teachers and staff during Appreciation Week, including chair massages, flower arranging, coffee breaks and lunch.