Welcome to our monthly newsletter, a vibrant reflection of the happenings and achievements within the Mapleton community. Each edition provides news, events, and updates - keeping you connected and informed about dynamic learning, community connections, and integrated supports for students and families. In addition, be on the look out for elementary and secondary weekly Sailor Spotlights that showcase our students and staff as Dynamic Communicators, Thinkers, Innovators, and Advocates and how our students Value Themselves, Each Other, Their Learning, and This Place. |
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Why Attendance Matters:
Each student adds a unique presence to the learning community, and the learning journey is richer and deeper when classroom peers learn together. Students with regular attendance are much more likely to do well in school and beyond.Regular attendance means attending school 90+% of more.
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Attendance and Success: Good attendance is closely linked to doing well in school. When students are in school every day, they have more opportunities to learn and grow. On the flip side, if students are often absent, it's harder for them to stay on track.
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Absences Add Up: Every day of school counts towards your child's journey of growth and discovery. Chronic absence is defined as 14 days a year—or just 2 days a month – even if those absences are excused! Missing this much school in kindergarten can lower achievement in 1st grade and, for some students, through 5th grade.
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Building Confidence: Being present when information is delivered is critical. When your child misses one day or one lesson, that means when they return to school, they may have missed something critical to their understanding of the next several days of instruction. Consistently attending school helps students stay on track and feel confident in their progress. When students are present and they're actively engaged in their learning journey, this boosts their motivation and eagerness to return to school each day.
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Addressing Barriers: It's important to figure out what's keeping your child away from school and address it as soon as possible. Keep in mind complaints of a stomachache or headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home. Frequent absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with schoolwork, dealing with bullying or facing some other difficulty. Whether it's transportation issues, health problems, or something else, contact the school to support and help find solutions that can make a big difference in your child's attendance and success.
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Students who earned 90%+ attendance for the first semester of 2025-2026 are heading to the movies on February 12th for a celebration trip. Attendance matters! We will offer another field trip at the end of both Q3 and Q4. All students have a fresh start - eligibility for the next trip will be based solely on Quarter 3 Attendance. There are 35 days in Q3 = this means that you should be absent no more than 3.5 days to earn 90% attendance for Q3.
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On Friday, Feb. 2, student facilitators introduced the “It’s Not Funny” campaign — a student-led effort focused on naming and interrupting harmful jokes, language, and behaviors that impact belonging and safety at school.
This campaign will continue beyond this lesson through posters, and assembly, and shared language across the school. We encourage family engagement — naming when language “doesn’t land,” reinforcing shared expectations, and lifting up moments when students interrupt harm or choose care!
The slide deck for the lesson can be found linked here.
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Congratulations to kindergartener Stella, who was the first recipient of an Awesome Otter Award! Awesome Otter Awards are positive office referrals given to students who go above and beyond in demonstrating any of our core values. Students can be referred by any staff member, and receive recognition and a special prize. Awesome Otter Awards will be on display each month in the elementary office. Stop by and check out all of the awesome things students are doing! |
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Mapleton school district celebrated learning across all grade levels and content areas with the annual Sforza Fair. This event highlights innovation and creativity; students showcased portfolios of work and class projects for community members to view. The Sforza Fair aligns with Mapleton's "Portrait of a Graduate" - a compass for curriculum and program development. All graduates become dynamic communicators, thinkers, innovators, and advocates. |
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Our February Student of the Month will focus on our Mapleton's "Portrait of a Graduate" trait - DYNAMIC ADVOCATE. They use their voice to support others, standing up for what they believe in with confidence, compassion, and understanding. They practice gratitude and empathy, recognizing the importance of social norms and positive relationships within their community. Advocates are supportive and encouraging, ensuring everyone feels valued and included. They know when to take calculated risks for the greater good and are resilient in the face of obstacles, never giving up on their mission to make their school and community a better place. Dynamic Advocates are brave in their pursuit of fairness and are committed to helping others grow alongside themselves. |
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January was School Board Appreciation Month, and we’re grateful for the dedicated leadership of the Mapleton School District Board of Directors — Andrea Milbrett (Chair), Mizu Burruss, Abbie Kimble, Maree Beers, and Michelle Holman (recently retired) — who devote their time and energy to guiding our district. Their commitment helps ensure Mapleton remains a place where every student is supported, safe, and encouraged to reach their full potential, the cornerstone of the Board’s mission. They believe in making decisions that benefit all students, fostering academic growth, nurturing curiosity, and building strong community partnerships. |
Presidents Day is a U.S. federal holiday observed on the third Monday in February. It was originally established in 1885 to honor George Washington, whose birthday falls on February 22, and over time evolved into a day recognizing the legacy of U.S. presidents more broadly. See these resources for more historical information:
The Library of Congress
The History Channel
National Park Foundation
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Black History Month began in 1926, created by historian Carter G. Woodson to promote the recognition of Black Americans’ contributions to U.S. history. Expanded to a month-long observance in 1976, Black History Month is now celebrated every February as a time to honor the achievements, culture, resilience, and impact.
The Library of Congress
National Museum of African History & Culture
PBS Website
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A reminder that HOOTS is hosting two clinics each week (Mon & Wed) for MS/HS students. Clinics are always free, confidential, voluntary, and available to all students. Clinic teams include a crisis worker and an EMT or RN, services are HIPAA compliant, and HOOTS can provide short term counseling, crisis intervention, basic first aid and community referrals. Youth can meet with a professionally trained crisis counselor, an EMT or RN to discuss their needs and options. The team is there to provide extra support to students on a range of topics such as: mental health, physical health, accessing resources, school life, home life, interpersonal relationships, family relationships, substance use or abuse and more. The clinic can also connect students to ongoing resources such as assistance finding long term counseling and getting them signed up for OHP. |
If your student or family need support with food, clothing, housing, counseling, or other resources, we have many partnerships that can help. Please contact our new Community Coordinator, Rosie Golden at rgolden@mapleton.k12.or.us or call the front office.
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Classified and Certified Substitutes Needed
If you are interested in working with students as a classroom education assistant, behavior support person, or as a classroom teacher, we would love to hire you! Please help us spread the word. The application link is included here, but you can also reach out to Jeron Ricks jricks@mapleton.k12.or.us or Carly and Jamie in the offices.
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If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us. You can reach out via the following links:
- (541) 268-4471 - Elementary Office
- (541) 268-4322 - MS/HS
- www.mapleton.k12.or.us
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