Principal's Message

Check-in for the 2022/23 School Year!

All students preparing to attend Escalante Middle School in the fall for the 2022/23 school year are invited to attend Fall Check-In. Please be sure that your online registration is completed prior to August 1st to ensure you receive all notifications for your check-in nights for the new school year. Online registration can be found in your Infinite Campus parent portal account. Families will receive an email announcing what team their students are on by August 12th. Check-in nights are as follows.

August 16th
Ocelots 5:00 PM
Falcons 6:00 PM

August 17th
White Tigers 5:00 PM
Timberwolves 6:00 PM

August 18th
Taz 5:00 PM
Panthers 6:00 PM

Please call the office if you have any questions 970-247-9490. The office will be closed from June 10 to August 1 for summer break.

4/22/2022 Community News

Dear Escalante Middle School Community,

In the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, we are working very hard to bring back the traditions, experiences, and structures that we canceled over the last two years. Our largest event of the year, the Celebration of Learning (COL), will take place on June 1st from 4:00 to 5:30 PM at EMS. Every student will be showcasing an aspect of high quality work as we turn our hallways and classrooms into an interactive museum cataloging the highlights of the year across all classes. Please save this date to come and celebrate student learning. Parent and community participation is vital because it provides our students with an authentic audience to practice their presentation and public speaking skills. Students will be learning their specific role in the event sometime over the next several days.

4/08/2022 Community News

Dear Escalante Community,

Over the next two weeks we will be conducting our CMAS Testing. While we always encourage a good night’s sleep and attendance, it is certainly emphasized during our testing window. Thank you for your support with this, and below you will find our schedule:

3/04/2022 Community News from EMS

Dear EMS Community,

Over the past few weeks I’ve found that I’ve spent a fair amount of time working with kids to clean up their foul language at school. As children enter and go through the teenage years, there is often a certain thrill out of doing something that is forbidden. The Association of Psychological Science noted, “Most children start swearing around age two and that it becomes more adult-like by ages 11 or 12. By the time children enter school at age 5, they have a working vocabulary of 30 to 40 offensive words.”

2/18/2022 Community News from EMS

It has been an eventful week at Escalante to say the least, with the clear highlight occurring with our History Day Celebration. Students presented websites, theatrical performances, essays, exhibit boards, and documentaries about historical events meaningful to them. Escalante alumni who previously qualified for state or nationals in the competition met with each student, providing feedback and assisting our social studies teachers in judging the projects. There was an aura of excitement and energy in our hallways as students presented throughout the day.

Student Email Username and Password Changes

As we begin the new school year, The IT department has been busy updating changes to student usernames and passwords.

COVID-19 Update

As COVID-19 continues to become a common part of our daily lives we would like to offer a few reminders that will allow our students and staff to remain healthy throughout the school year. Durango Schools follows the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s guidance for schools,

EMS Athletics Info

8/5/2022 FOOTBALL UPDATE: On Monday and Tuesday, the 8th and 9th, we will have practice from 7 am-10:30 am. On Monday morning, we will be handing out equipment and anticipate completing concussion baseline protocols with our athletic trainer, Robert Marks. Please make sure that your athlete has registered for sports, has a completed physical, and registration fees have been paid.

Beginning Tuesday, the 10th, practice will begin at 3:30 pm and finish at 5:30 pm. That will be our Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday practice schedule. On Mondays and Wednesdays, we are requesting that athletes arrive at 3 pm if possible in order to have time to do chalk talk and go over the playbook before going to practice. Please let me know if this does not work for you and we can make accommodations. Thank you so much and we look forward to this season!
Please see the attached sheet for information.

EMS Volleyball season begins August 8th for girls entering 7th/8th grade. Please see below for more information.

Prep for the year ahead with our Back-to-School FAQ

The start of the 2022-23 school year is right around the corner. For your family’s smooth transition, we’ve prepared a 2022-23 Back-to-School FAQ. It includes information on: Fall Check-In dates in August; elementary schools’ “Meet the Teacher” events; registration for after-school care (now called The Club); menus and payment for school meals; sport physicals for fall athletics; and vaccination requirements.

School Supply List 2022/23 School Year

Please contact the office if you need help purchasing school supplies. 970-247-9490

Check our Back-to-School Guide for Links to Supply Lists, Bell Schedules, and More

Families, we know back-to-school can be a hectic time. To help you, we gathered some important details into a one-page guide. It can be especially helpful for parents with children at different schools. The at-a-glance guide includes clickable links for specific schools' important details, including: Fall Check-In Dates, First Day of School, Bell Schedule, and the School Supply List.

Back to School Resource Fair Offers Families a "One-Stop Shop" for Information

Durango Education Foundation (DEF) is excited to announce the first-ever Back to School Resource Fair: A one-stop shop of programs and resources for students and their families. The event will be held at La Plata Fairgrounds on Wednesday, Aug. 24 from 4 to 7 p.m.