Principal Newsletter // March 31st, 2026

Mar 30

Dear Appleton Community,

PTA Elections Decided

We are excited to share the results of our recent PTA elections!

Please join us in congratulating Vanessa Bradley, who will serve as our PTA President for the 2026–2027 school year. As our current Vice President, Vanessa has already shown great dedication, and we are thrilled to see her step into this leadership role.

Congratulations as well to Connor Larson, our newly elected Vice President. We look forward to the energy and ideas he will bring to the team!

A heartfelt thank you goes to Joe Kuta, our outgoing president, for his positive leadership and commitment to our school community. His time and efforts have truly made a difference, and we are incredibly grateful for his service.

Spell-a-Thon Winners Announced

We are excited to share an update on this year’s Spell-a-Thon—our school community truly showed up in a big way! While the final total is still being calculated, we are confident that we will surpass last year’s fundraising amount and may even break our all-time record. Thank you to everyone in the Appleton community for supporting our students!

Thanks to your generosity, we are already in the process of purchasing a ceiling-mounted projector and motorized screen for the south auditorium. This upgrade will enhance events such as grade-level musicals, 5th grade graduation, and future school assemblies. We will share the final fundraising total soon.

Students who earned individual prizes will be recognized at school this week, and prizes will be distributed.

Top Pledge Earners

K–2: Kaia Lash (Mrs. Johnson’s class) – $1,348
3–5: Tie
- Jackson Piland (Mrs. McComb’s class) – $700
- Sawyer Piland (Mrs. Crone’s class) – $700

Most Pledges Collected (by number of donors)

K–2: Kaia Lash (Mrs. Johnson’s class) – 56 pledges
3–5: Hananie Bradley (Mrs. McComb’s class) – 27 pledges

Second Place – Pledge Amount

K–2: Claire Johnson (Mrs. Prell’s class) – $1,045
3–5: Mavis Barber (Mrs. Crone’s class) – $631

Second Place – Number of Pledges

K–2: Zariah Bradley (Mrs. Summer’s class) – 31 pledges
3-5: Paige Ross (Mrs. William’s class) - 25 pledges

Congratulations to all of our winners, and thank you again for making this year’s Spell-a-Thon such a success! Additional recognitions and our 100% Spellers coming soon.

School Ends 2 Days Sooner + Bond Issue Update

Exciting improvements are coming to Appleton this summer!

As part of our continued voter-approved bond work, Appleton is set to receive more than $7 million in construction upgrades, including asbestos abatement, HVAC improvements, fire suppression updates, the addition of a makerspace area in the library, and important ADA accessibility enhancements. These upgrades will greatly improve our learning environment for students and staff for years to come.

To help ensure a smooth and well-organized transition into construction, district leadership is working closely with staff to prepare for the upcoming changes. This includes time for packing, organizing, and relocating materials before work begins.

As a result, the last day of school for Appleton students has been moved to Monday, May 18, 2026—two days earlier than originally scheduled.

We appreciate your flexibility and support as we take this exciting step forward in improving our school!

Parent Recommendations for Classroom Assignments for Next Year

Parent Recommendations for Classroom Assignment Forms will be available at the Appleton office starting April 1. Parent requests for classroom placement for 2026-2027 must be turned in to the office by Friday, April 24, 2025 at 4:00pm. A completed Parent Recommendation for Classroom Assignment is not a guarantee that your child will be placed with the requested teacher. As in past years, teachers are subject to moving to different grade levels and assignments well after requests have been made.

Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) Q & A

Q: When is CMAS?

A: Selected dates between April 6-April 24. Students take 3 tests per week for 2 weeks (each test is 65-90 minutes in length) in math and English Language Arts. 5th grade takes an additional 3 sessions of science. 4th grade takes an additional 1 session of social studies.

Please avoid appointments during these dates.

3rd grade tests - April 6,7,8,14,15,16,

4th grade tests - April 6,7,8,14,21,22,23

5th grade tests - April 6,7,8,14,15,21,22,23

Go Bookworms!

Corey Hafey

“Expect Excellence!”

Appleton Elementary School

2358 H Road Grand Junction, CO 81505

Phone (970) 254-6400 Fax (970) 243-6604

Corey Hafey - Principal

Todd Witzel - Assistant Principal