Files & Forms Archive

Monday, January 12, 2015

Update from Colleen Nichols













Dear Manzanita Families,


We hope this new year finds you rested and renewed for the second half of the school year. Our faculty and staff are well on their way into the new year with mid-year assessments and helping all students to evaluate where they are in their learning and where they need to be at the end of the school year.


Now is a great opportunity for your family to assess structures for students. Let’s work together to ensure a successful second half of the school year.


  • Please make a renewed commitment to help your child get to school on time each day.        
  • Have your child organize belongings the previous evening; mornings are often too busy and rushed!
  • Review your child’s calendar and homework schedule! Note the due dates of long-term projects and special events.
  • Reconsider your child’s extracurricular obligations.  Would s/he benefit from participation in fewer activities?
  • Re-evaluate your child’s homework location. Is it in a spot that allows you to check in without hovering? Is the area well–supplied and conducive to working?
  • Contact your child’s teacher with questions and ongoing concerns. E-mail communication is an effective method. In addition, many teachers now have web pages; please check them for updates and information.


Holiday Project
This year, in December, our school participated in a school wide holiday project of collecting food and donations for the Community Food Bank Backpack program. The drive was hugely successful. Manzanita families generously donated and the total amount will soon be shared by FFO. Thank you to Daniel and Michele Ley and Brenda Harrington who co-chaired this project along with other volunteers who donated their time to help out.


Upcoming Events
Kinder Show and Tell will be on January 28th, and February 18th at 2:15 in the library. Incoming kindergarteners will be invited to get to know the kinder classrooms while parents attend an informational meeting. RSVPs are a must. Please contact our front office if you will have a new kindergartener attending Manzanita next year.


Current 5th grade parents are invited to attending a Parent Night on Wednesday Feb. 4th from 6:30 - 7:30 at OGMS for an overview of 6th grade. In addition, 5th grade students will be visiting OGMS on Wednesday, February 11th to visit middle school classrooms and 6th grade teachers.


Please mark your calendars for an important and fun event that both supports our teachers and our students. Love our Schools Gala will take place at the Skyline Country Club on February 7th at 6pm. Buy your tickets online at cfsdfoundation.org.


Let's make this a positive and productive 2015!

Colleen Nichols                                    Marisol Kenman
Principal                                              Assistant Principal
209-7800                                              209-7852
cnichols@cfsd16.org                             mkenman@cfsd16.org