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Principal's Message

EMS Fall Conferences

Hello Eagle Families!

On Monday, October 16th, Escalante Middle School will be hosting our fall conferences. Conferences will look a little different this year than they have in the past, so please read this entire message and reach out if you have questions. The conference day is broken into two sections, individual parent-teacher conferences by request (11:00am-4:30pm) and student-led conferences with their Crew teacher (5:00pm-7:00pm). Click the link below for the rest of the newsletter.
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Principal's Message

EMS Community Newsletter 9/08/2023

Hello Escalante Families!

We are off to a great start to the year here with a new and enthusiastic admin team. My name is Emily Moreland, and I am thrilled to be joining Escalante as your new principal. Also new to the team is Assistant Principal Eva Duce, who has been working previously at Escalante as our Athletic Director and PE Teacher for the past 11 years. David Tanaka has served as the school's Assistant Principal for the past 4 years and is excited to be back again in this role for year 5. Our goals for Escalante this year focus on three things - increasing student achievement for ALL Escalante students by differentiating our instruction and assessment practices, improving our school culture through a re-commitment to Crew, and improving our feedback to students to help them produce high-quality work. Escalante is a school that prides itself in its warm, welcoming environment, and our staff is already busy connecting with students and building relationships. We are excited for the year of learning and collaboration ahead, and we invite you to reach out if you ever have ideas, questions, or concerns. A warm "ka-kaw!" to all of our new and returning Escalante families!

Thanks,
Emily Moreland
Principal - Escalante Middle School
Cell: 970-946-1478

CLICK the link below to read the entire newsletter!
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Principal's Message

Getting Ready for the 2023/24 School Year!

We all love summer break, but EMS is excited to enter the 2023/24 school year! Counselors are busy building schedules and will have those completed in August. We invite families to EMS for Check-In night by grade level, then by team. The times are listed below and you should expect an email the week of August 7th describing which team your student is on. Please see below for the 2023/24 School Supply List and Football or Volleyball Information. Contact the office beginning August 1 if you need help purchasing supplies. 970-247-9490

EMS Check-In Nights:

6th Grade - August 15, 2023
Ocelots 5:00 - 5:45 PM
Falcons 6:00 - 6:45 PM

7th Grade - August 16, 2023
White Tigers 5:00 - 5:45 PM
Timberwolves 6:00 - 6:45 PM

8th Grade - August 17, 2023
Taz 5:00 - 5:45 PM
Panthers 6:00 - 6:45 PM
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Principal's Message

EMS Celebration of Learning 5/23/2023 from 3:45 - 6:00 PM

Dear EMS Community,
Our Celebration of Learning Event will take place on May 23 from 3:45 to 6:00 PM. Our goal is to have all students showcase at least one piece of work or be involved in a performance on that day. Parents and community members can come anytime between 4:00 and 6:00 PM to celebrate a year of learning with us and enjoy our student’s displays and performances. The school will be running transportation after school on the 23rd; however, in the past, the vast majority of our students stay at school and meet parents at the event.
We will be distributing summer workbooks to prepare for next year’s instruction to parents for your child at the Celebration of Learning event as well. If you are not able to attend, we will send the workbooks home with students on the 24th. If a workbook does not make it home with your child, as backpack mail can be unreliable in middle school, we do have some extras in the office you can pick up before June 8. The EMS office will be closed after the 8th.
On the 24 and 25th, students will be turning in their Chromebooks and chargers during Crew. Please ensure all school materials and technology return to EMS before our last day on the 25th.
I look forward to closing out the school year in style next week. I have enjoyed the last eight years as principal at Escalante and have grown so much professionally during my tenure. I look forward to celebrating the year’s learning with you on the 23rd as a closing salvo before I move into the next stage of my career.
Many thanks,
Jeremy Voss
EMS, Principal
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Principal's Message

EMS 3/3/2023

Dear Escalante Middle School Community,

While I certainly appreciate all of the snowfall this winter, we do need to make up student contact time as a result of the many snow days. Our school board will soon be reviewing the following recommendations based on community and staff surveys.
1. Make April 24 a student day
2. Cancel early release from April 10 to the end of the year,(cancel more if we have a delay)
3. Add 8 minutes to each school day starting March 6 (if 7 snow days)
4. Make May 26 a student day (if 8 snow days)
5. Add days to the calendar (if 9 snow days and beyond)
6. Also amend next year’s calendar to add 5 make-up days at end of the year, if needed

You can see the survey data and information about snow days by following this link. We will certainly share out when the board makes its final decision.

Last week, I gave a survey to our 7th-grade class that really illuminates what it is like to be in middle school. Students were given three questions, and they could write up to three responses for each of the following questions.

See the link below to read the entire newsletter in English and Spanish. En el siguiente enlace podrá leer el boletín completo en inglés y español.
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News & Announcements

Eagle Boys Basketball 2023

Our Eagle boys basketball season kicks off Wednesday, Oct. 11 with practice from 3:30 - 5:30 PM. To be eligible to participate, students need to complete the registration checklist (see below) and show up with clean, indoor basketball shoes, shorts, a t-shirt, and a water bottle.

Eagle Girls Basketball 2023/24

Our Eagle girls basketball season kicks off Monday, Dec. 11 with practice from 3:30 - 5:45 PM. To be eligible to participate, students need to complete the registration checklist (see below) and show up with clean, indoor basketball shoes, shorts, a t-shirt, and a water bottle.
Teams will be determined within a week or two of practice. There are no cuts. We create teams according to skill level and where athletes will get the most playing time. Please see below for how to register and the schedule. Athletes will be given the practice schedule on Dec. 11. Contact Coach Dodd for more information. [email protected]

Free STEM Fair For All Kids, ages 5-14, Sunday, Dec. 3

The Durango High School's Women in STEM Club is hosting a free STEM Fair at Escalante Middle School on Sunday, Dec. 3, from 1:30-4:30 p.m. for all kids, ages 5-14. There will be fun engineering challenges, science experiments, technological investigations, and snacks.

EMS Wins Robot Game in Regional FIRST LEGO League Challenge

The focus was laser-like and the creativity was boundless at an event on Nov. 11. Students took a beloved household toy and turned it into an engineering challenge that demonstrated all six of our district's Portrait of a Graduate skills.

EMS Jazz Band Plays at Noel Night, Dec. 1

Dec. 1, is Noel Night in downtown Durango. Get in the holiday mood by listening to the Escalante Middle School Jazz Band. They will play Big Band-style holiday tunes at EsoTerra Ciderworks' patio from 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Mobile Vaccine Van Offers Required School Vaccines

We are excited to announce that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) will be bringing a mobile vaccine van to two Durango 9-R school locations to help families catch up on the required school vaccines.

Fall School Photos

Allison Ragsdale Photography photographed Escalante Eagles on Oct 18, 2023. While ordering photos is optional, we wanted to make sure you have the chance to choose your favorite photo and to take advantage of the discount and free delivery offer by ordering photos by 11/15. Retake day is Nov 15.

It is possible that not all the fliers with access codes for viewing/ordering pictures made it home to you with your student or they may have been lost since then; totally understandable. You can go to allisonragsdalephotography.com and fill out the form on the "school photos" page to receive your access code for ordering.

You can email [email protected] with any questions.

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Empowering students to apply the habits of work, learning, and scholarship to become productive and caring citizens.

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