Principal Newsletter // August 19th, 2025

Aug 18

Dear Appleton Community…

All school Assembly

Our exciting beginning of the year all school assembly kicked off last week full throttle! Our special guest of honor lives right here in Grand Junction and has spent the last 22 years soaring through the air on a motorcycle, performing jaw-dropping, heart-pounding stunts in South America, Central America, Europe, China—you name it! He’s wowed crowds at monster truck shows all across the USA, flying high above the ground with tricks like Indian air seat grabs, cliff hangers, and his signature… BACKFLIPS!

JJ Romans has backflipped over cars, vans… and yes—even a water tower! He’s the leader of the Freestyle Motocross team in the Toughest Monster Truck Tour, and when he’s not making the crowd go wild, he’s inspiring students like yours to chase their passions and never give up on their goals. JJ talked to the kids about how Respect and Effort have helped him realize his dreams. He also talked about “Pushing Through” when things get tough, like the many times he has broken bones.

Our students roared with approval and we are excited to keep JJ’s message alive all year!

Go Bookworms!
~ Corey

Keeping Access Open

We need a special favor. Please keep the handicapped accessible ramp, that is directly in front of the kindergarten entrance to the office, open during drop off and pick up times. This supports our kids and families who need this access.

Additionally, please don’t park in the handicapped zones including the striped areas so all our Appleton Bookworms can have a safe unloading zone.

Finally, do not cut through the handicapped areas (striped zones, too) and endanger the exiting wheelchair bound students. Thank you.

P.T.A. Needs You!

Appleton’s great reputation and student achievements are directly linked to the generous volunteers who give the gifts of time and effort. A great way to volunteer and serve our school community is to participate in PTA. Our first meeting of the school year is Thursday, August 21 at 4:10pm in the Appleton library. If you are a parent of a kindergartner or first grader your incentive to participate is that your child’s educational experience at Appleton will be directly and positively affected for 5-6 years to come. Our meetings last about one hour. Come dedicate a little time and find out what we are all about!

Check out our Facebook page, and Website for great info and interaction around all things Appleton!

Carnival Support - Silent Auction Donations Needed!

The Appleton Carnival will be September 12. This is one of Appleton’s traditional fun events that supports many programs within our school (like our Aquos Smart boards, reading and math intervention support, Artist in Residence, and building towards playground upgrades).

If you can support the silent auction it would be greatly appreciated. We are accepting items that you, a business, or organization you are associated with, are willing to donate. Free services, gift cards, and goods are all appreciated. More than 1,500 people will attend the carnival. Donating an item from your business is a great way to advertise. Send in donations or call Corey Hafey 254-6400 for more information.

Appleton Students Are Soaring!

Families,
I’m thrilled to share some exciting news—our Appleton students knocked it out of the park on last year’s state assessments! Across the board, our 3rd–5th grade students outperformed both the state and district (D51) averages in every subject.

Here’s a look at just how much higher Appleton scored compared to the state and district. These results speak volumes about the hard work of our students, the dedication of our staff, and the support from YOU—our families!

We are incredibly proud of our students’ growth and achievement. Appleton is a place where hard work, great teaching, and strong relationships make magic happen. Let’s keep this momentum going—2025–26 is already off to a great start!

City Market Fundraiser - Please Register Your Value Card

Simply by registering your City Market Value Card, our school can earn a percentage of all purchases you make. We have earned thousands of dollars for our PTA through this low effort moneymaker.

go to: https://www.citymarket.com/topic/city-market-community-rewards and click on “Enroll Now”
Create an account
Find “Appleton Elementary PTA” and click on “Enroll”

Odds & Ends
Students having school breakfast can be dropped off in the morning at 8:30am. All others can be dropped off at 8:35. First bell rings at 8:45 and the tardy bell at 8:50am.
Please write your child’s name inside their hoodies, jackets, and coats. At the end of the year we typically donate over 100 items to charity when we can’t find the owners.