Tope Elementary School
(970) 254-7070
(970) 241-0687 FAX
Principal – Dr. Jeannie Dunn
Assistant Principal - Rosa Culver
Polly Bloom and Valerie Kiel
Secretaries
Our mission is: To lead all students to reach their individual potential by rigorously pursuing and evaluating achievement of high
academic and ethical standards in a disciplined, nurturing environment.
Si usted desea una explicacion en Espanol de este particulo, por favor, llame a la oficina: ELP/ESL en
254-5339. Estamos para servirles.
Our Vision
We at Tope Elementary believe that all children can learn in our safe and nurturing environment. Through parental support and
teacher guidance, each child will be encouraged to attain her or his full potential in all areas. We as teachers, aided by parents and
community, model respect and love of learning in order to influence and support each child’s growth and development.
May 2009
Dates to Remember
Monday, May 4 and Tuesday, May 5
Wednesday, May 6, 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 7, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday, May 8
Monday, May 11 – Wednesday, May 13
Thursday, May 14
Friday, May 15
Monday, May 18, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 19
Wednesday, May 20, 9:45 – 11:45 a.m.
Thursday, May 21, 10:00 a.m.
Thursday, May 21
Friday, May 22
Friday, June 5 / Wednesday, July 29
Wednesday, August 19
Book Fair Preview in Library
Parent-Teacher Conferences/Book Fair
Parent/Teacher Conf./Book Fair/NO SCHOOL
NO SCHOOL/OFFICE CLOSED
5th Grade at Camp Red Cloud
3rd Grade/Wehner Field Trip Hike, CO Monument
3rd Grade/Roque-McCary Hike, CO Monument
1st Grade Poetry Night
3rd Grade/White Field Trip Hike, CO Monument
Swim Day at Lincoln Park Pool (1st – 5th Grades)
All School Awards Assembly/Last school day
Last Student Day of 2008-2009 School Year
Last Teacher Day of 2008-2009 School Year
School office closes/ School office re-opens
First student day 2009-2010 School Year
From the Principal
I wish all of our students and their families a safe and fun summer. Our students benefit every day from the
helpful participation of our many parent and community volunteers. A special thanks to
our School Advisory Council and the members of our P.T.A. Executive Board who worked diligently to
support and improve our school. Our P.T.A. assists our school in many ways, including Crossing Guards, our
Artist-in-Residence, the computer lab instructor, and Family Fun Night.
We are so proud of our hard working students! Our teachers are excited to share information about student
growth with parents during our Parent/Teacher Conferences in May. Our goal is 100% attendance. Parents, please help
us accomplish this goal by scheduling a conference with your child’s teacher.
I encourage our students to continue reading over the summer break. Reading is the key to academic success!
The Mesa County Library’s Summer Reading Program provides a fun and inexpensive way for families to enjoy reading.
Students who spend time reading during the summer return to school continue to grow in their skills and knowledge.
Enjoy your summer break! Dr. Jeannie Dunn
Enjoy a safe and happy summer!
Report Cards: The final report card of the
school year will be mailed to your home. If
you have moved recently and have not
notified the school office of your new
address, please call immediately with the
new information – 254-7070. Also, our first
parent newsletter of the 2009-2010 school
year will be mailed to students’ home
addresses. If your child will not be
returning to Tope Elementary next fall,
please call the school office.
Library Books – Please do a
quick sweep of your child’s
backpack, bedroom, etc. to look for
library or classroom books that may have
been overlooked and not returned to
school. Families will be charged for
unreturned books. Students with lost
books or unpaid fines will not be
allowed to go to Swim Day.
COME JOIN US …
ALL FORMER STAFF MEMBERS,
STUDENTS, AND THEIR FAMILIES!!!
Please join our retirement celebration for Judy
Alexander, Colleen Fjeseth, Diane Lindauer,
and Rob Washington. You are invited to join
us on Friday, May 1st, at 4:30-6:30 pm as we
honor our teachers. These teachers have
touched so many lives in a million wonderful
ways and we want you to join us in showing
our appreciation.
Thank Yous!!
Pepsi has generously donated money for teacher
appreciation, staff recognition, Peace Builders awards,
student recognition, and school projects. We thank
them for their support!
Office Depot supports our school by donating 5% of
your purchases to our school if you provide them with
our school number -70017917. What an easy way to
support Tope!
Target will also give us money when you use a Target
credit card.
Recycled print cartridges are also collected and
Student Medications: If your child takes a
prescribed medication at school, please stop
by our office to pick it up by Thursday, May 21.
As a precaution, medications will not be sent
home with the child. Any medications left at
school are routinely destroyed after school
closes for the summer.
we receive money for them.
Saving Boxtops and Campbell soup labels will also
help our school.
Using Albertson’s or City Market cards will give
cash back to our school.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
WEBSITE
Please take a look at
the TOPE School
Website online. We
have added links to the
breakfast and lunch menus, a
link to the Box Tops website, and a link to print off
your own copy of the Field Trip Permission Form in
case you misplace your copy.
The Library/Computer pages have also been
updated with new links to educational websites.
There is a link on our own Technology Web Page
with typing games the students can use at home!
Check out our Tope Technology webpage:
Username: Computerclass Password: topetech
will be
held on Wednesday, May 6th, from 4:00 – 8:00
p.m. and on Thursday, May 7th, from 8:00 a.m. –
8:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 6th is a regular early
release school day with students being dismissed
at 1:50 p.m. There will be NO SCHOOL for
students on May 7th and NO SCHOOL for
students and teachers May 8th. Office will not
be open May 8th.
TOPE FOOD SERVICES
The Food/Nutrition Services
Department thanks you for your patronage
this year! Watch your mailbox this summer
for our newsletter and applications for
free/reduced school meals.
Counselor’s Corner
As you may have heard by now, I will be
retiring at the end of this school year. It has been a
tremendous opportunity for me to work at Tope
Elementary for the last three years of my career.
Tope has always been a very special place for my
family. I attended Tope Elementary as a student in
the 1960’s, my daughter attended Tope in the
1990’s, and my wife, Gail taught here for more than
twenty-five years until she retired last year.
Furthermore, our family lives less than one block
from the school which has allowed me to walk to
school on my days at Tope.
My only regret is that I will be leaving Tope
before I accomplished all that I wanted to. I am
certain, however, that Dr. Dunn will soon be
choosing an enthusiastic new counselor for Tope
who will most likely be continuing some of the
programs already started here as well as
implementing many new ideas.
It has been my profound pleasure getting to
know the children, families, and staff of Tope
Elementary. I would especially like to thank Dr.
Dunn and all the staff at Tope for their support and
assistance to me over the last three years.
Rob Washington, Tope Elementary Counselor
*Our apologies for the wrong number being published in Mr.
Washington’s April article. The Catholic Outreach number was not
correct and that program would rather people come down to their
facility at 245 1st street instead of calling.
Peace Builders
Awards
“Peace Builders” gift certificates have been
given to 4 more students since our April
Tope Times: Gabriel Watson, Shelbey Kerrigan,
Derrick Peterson, and Kolby Petty-Ostler. For the
“Good Behavior “tickets, 26 students had lunch with
the principal, and 10 students picked a prize from
the office Prize Basket.
BE SAFE, BE RESPECTFUL, BE RESPONSIBLE
PBS NEWS: Did you know?
Tope just completed our district PBS evaluation.
School
district
representatives
randomly
selected students and teachers to ask questions
about school rules and expectations.
RESULTS? Our rules are visually posted and
clear around the building. 100% of the teachers
interviewed said they teach the rules often.
Most of the students could name all 3 school
rules. They also knew what behaviors result in
getting reward tickets and other incentives.
Great JOB Tope!!
Outstanding Educator Recognition:
Amy Bolton and Tracy Baron were honored at
the School District #51 Outstanding Educators
Reception on April 21st. Mrs. Bolton and Ms.
Baron are both teaching 4th grade students at
our school. Mrs. Bolton has served as a teacher
for 27 years in our school district and has
taught at our school for 18 years. Ms. Baron
has taught for 28 years and has been a teacher
at our school for 18 years. Congratulations for
this well-deserved recognition!
Teachers as
Learners
During our early release
time
on
Wednesday
afternoons, teachers meet
to discuss the school district’s Reading Framework
and researched-based instructional practices for
reading. We have completed studies of two books:
Reading Essentials, by Reggie Routman and
Comprehension thru Conversation, The Power of
Purposeful Talk in the Reading Workshop, by Maria
Nichols. We reviewed ways to measure students’
growth in reading skills using reading assessments,
running records, and a reading continuum. Thanks to
our Wednesday afternoon time, teachers can meet in
cross-grade level teams for staff development and to
plan instruction to meet the academic needs of our
learners.
Girls on the Run
Congratulations to
the girls who have participated in
Girls on the Run. This is a program
to encourage girls to develop selfrespect and healthy lifestyles
through running. Thank you to our coaches:
Alice McCary, Ruth Ness, Stacey Keever, Briana
and Tamara Corsi, Kelsey Slausson, Julia Wojcik.
(S.A.C.)Tope School Advisory Council
Our last meeting of this school year is
scheduled for May 11 at 4:15 in the school
library. Agenda items include reviewing the
results of the student and parent surveys
completed earlier this year.
News from Charlotte:
Tope Health Assistant
BEES: Reduce the Risk of Being Stung
1.
2.
Wear light-colored, smooth-finished clothing.
Avoid perfumed soaps, shampoos, and deodorants.
Don't wear cologne or perfume. Avoid bananas and
banana-scented toiletries.
3. Wear clean clothing and bathe daily. Sweat angers
bees.
4. Cover the body as much as possible with clothing.
5. Avoid flowering plants.
6. Check for new nests during the warmer hours of the
day during July, August and September. Bees are
very active then.
7. Keep areas clean. Social wasps thrive in places
where humans discard food, so clean up picnic
tables, grills and other outdoor eating areas.
8. If a single stinging insect is flying around, remain still
or lie face down on the ground. The face is the most
likely place for a bee or wasp to sting. Swinging or
swatting at an insect may cause it to sting.
9. If you are attacked by several stinging insects at the
same time, run to get away from them. Bees release
a chemical when they sting. This alerts other bees to
the intruder. More bees often follow. If possible, get
indoors when there are a few, if any, bees around
you. Outdoors, a shaded area is better than an open
area to get away from the insects.
10. If a bee comes inside your vehicle, stop the car
slowly, and open all the windows.
What to Do if a Person is Stung
1. Have someone stay with the victim to be sure that
they do not have an allergic reaction.
2. Wash the site with soap and water.
3. The stinger can be removed using a 4x4-inch gauze
wiped over the area or by scraping a fingernail over
the area. Never squeeze the stinger or use tweezers.
It will cause more venom to go into the skin and injure
the muscle.
4. Apply ice to reduce the swelling.
5. Do not scratch the sting. This will cause the site to
swell and itch more, and increase the chance of
infection.
Allergic Reactions to Bee Stings
Allergic reactions to bee stings can be deadly. People with
known allergies to insects stings should always carry an insect
sting allergy kit and wear a medical ID bracelet or necklace
stating their allergy. See a physician about getting either of
these.
There are several signs of an allergic reaction to bee stings.
Look for swelling that moves to other parts of the body,
especially the face or neck. Check for difficulty in breathing,
wheezing, dizziness or a drop in blood pressure. Get the
person immediate medical care if any of these signs are
present. It is normal for the area that has been stung to hurt,
have a hard swollen lump, get red and itch. There are kits
available to reduce the pain of an insect sting. They are a
valuable addition to a first aid kit.
PTA Monthly News/MAY
So much to say, so little space
... 
As our year comes to a close, it is fitting that
I take this opportunity to thank our outgoing
Board members, who made gigantic strides to
get our new playground equipment ordered and installed.
Missy Carris, Stacey Keever, and Ann-Marie Neilson have
spent the past two years putting in extra hours and effort to
motivate our Tope community. Thank you, Missy, Stacey,
and Ann-Marie. We are incredibly grateful for all that you
have done to make Tope the school it is today!
Family Fun Night was awesome! We owe
the night’s success to our committee
chairwoman, Jennifer Grove and her fabulous
team of volunteers! A lot of hours and cakes and
energy and delicious food made for a dynamite
night. Thank you so much, Jennifer and all the
members of the Family Fun Night Committee!
In addition to voting in a new board, we took a moment to
recognize the many volunteers who make our school the best
elementary school in Grand Junction! Thank you, Tope
Volunteers! The Tope Community wouldn’t be the same
without our volunteers and we are so grateful for the
Special thanks go to
Lori Jacobsen, Shauna Nagy,
Amy Agapito, Jennifer Grove, Kathi Rose,
Sarah Luker, and Melissa Laase.
These are women who are irreplaceable and
downright phenomenal.
remarkable families that make up our school.
To close our final PTA meeting of the year, we invited
national champion Scottish Highland Games athletes Ed Estes
and Dave Stone to our Tope field to demonstrate several of the
games. We watched them as they:
-- tossed and flipped an enormous log (called a
Caber) for accuracy,
-- threw a weighted hammer for distance,
-- tossed a 16-pound hay bale (or sheaf) over the
baseball backstop fence for height,
-- threw a weighted long hammer for distance, and
-- threw other heavy weights and stones.
But you must witness these games first-hand in order to do
them any justice!! Tope’s strong community represented itself
with Ms. Crawford, Ms. Agapito, and Ms. Grove successfully
attempting many of the games and our own 5th grade teacher,
Mr. Allerton, displayed quite a talent for the sheaf toss!
Students were safe, respectful, and responsible as they listened
to Ed and Dave, and then many of our students impressed us
all with their strength! Tremendous job, Tope Eagles! Your
stellar behavior represents Tope PRIDE and ensures special
guests like Ed and Dave come back again.
Thank you again, Ed and Dave!
Have a safe and wonderful summer, friends! See you in
August!
Lorri Knaus
Our NEW Tope PTA Board Members
2009-2010
Amy Agapito: President
Jennifer Grove: Vice President
Christina Estes: Treasurer
JoEllen Foutz: Secretary
Lorri Knaus: Publicity
If you happen to see any of these ladies,
please thank them for their commitment to Tope PTA.
589-4197 or LMKnaus@hotmail.com