Vilas School District RE-5

🎉 It’s the last week of school! 🎉 We’ve got a fun-filled week ahead with exciting field trips, hands-on learning activities, our end-of-year awards ceremony, and graduation celebrations! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call the office. Let’s finish the year strong! 💪🎓✨

Elementary Field Trip Fun! 🚌🎳 Today, our elementary students took a journey back in time with a visit to the Historic Adobe Museum in Ulysses, where they learned all about life on the high plains in the 1800s. 🐴📜 It was a great hands-on experience connecting history to the real world! Afterward, students switched gears and had a blast bowling—practicing their skills and trying out a new sport! 🎳 A perfect blend of learning and fun!

Teacher Appreciation Week 💙 Thank you to our incredible staff! We truly have the best team in the state—educators and staff who love, care, teach, support, and go above and beyond for every single student. We are truly blessed! A heartfelt thank you to the Vilas Student Council and parents for honoring our amazing staff every day this week with thoughtful gifts, sweet treats, and a delicious meal. Your kindness and appreciation mean the world to us! 🌟🍎

🎓 Senior Spotlight: Ethan Barwick 🎓 🎉 Woohoo! Huge congrats to Ethan Barwick, another amazing senior from the Vilas Class of 2025! 🥳

📣 Vilas Families: Don’t miss out! Final week of school reminders and summer enrichment sign-up info are now available 👉 https://www.vilask12.org/page/final-week-reminders-summer-enrichment-sign-up

🎉 Woohoo! Huge congrats to Daniel Huston! 🥳

🚨 Robotics Showcase! 🤖 Parents and community members — you're invited to join us for a Robotics Showcase featuring our First Tech Challenge team and Junior High Lego League team! 📅 Tomorrow, May 6 🕐 1:00 PM 📍 Vilas Innovation Center Come see the exciting work our students have been doing and watch their robots in action! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Ms. Martha. We hope to see you there! 💡⚙️

📣 Reminder! A text/SMS was sent out today about tonight’s Athletic Banquet. If you didn’t receive it, please let us know so we can make sure you’re on our list. We hope you’ll join us this evening to celebrate the achievements of our amazing student-athletes! 🏆🎉

🌟 Special Visitor at Vilas School District! 🌟 We were honored to welcome Mikaley Osley, Social Media & Communications Manager from the Colorado Department of Education, to our district! During her visit, Mikaley toured classrooms to learn more about our mission and our innovative, personalized approach to education. Our students proudly stepped into leadership roles as tour guides, while others shared their hands-on learning experiences and future goals. To wrap up the visit, students had the opportunity to ask Mikaley questions about her own career journey — a wonderful way to connect real-world paths with classroom learning. Thank you, Mikaley, for visiting Vilas! We look forward to connecting again soon! 💛📚✨

Martha Gutierrez has been a dedicated teacher at Vilas School District for 15 years. This year, she embraced a new opportunity by serving on the Colorado Department of Education Commissioner’s Teacher Cabinet! In this role, she brings the vital voice of small rural districts into statewide conversations — helping advise on education policy while gaining deeper insight into how Colorado’s educational system works. Thank you, Martha, for your advocacy, leadership, and continued commitment to learning. You make Vilas proud! 💛🍎

🎓 Senior Spotlight: Marcus Sandoval 🎓 ✨ Let’s give a big shoutout to Marcus Sandoval, a proud senior in the Vilas Class of 2025!

🎓 Senior Spotlight: LJ Willis 🎓 ✨ Join us in celebrating LJ Willis, a proud member of the Vilas Class of 2025!

Principal Appreciation Day! We’re sending a huge thank you to Ms. Shiva for leading with heart, energy, and a bright smile—just like the amazing balloon behind her! Whether guiding students or supporting staff, her leadership lifts us all. We appreciate you today and every day!

Ms. Amy’s 4th/5th Grade Class Gets a “Taste” of Reading! 🪱📚 This semester, Ms. Amy's 4th/5th grade class read 'How to Eat Fried Worms', a hilarious and memorable story where the main character eats worms for money—starting with disgust, but eventually learning to enjoy them! To bring the book to life, the students participated in a hands-on activity by tasting different types of "worms"—boiled, dehydrated, BBQ-style, and even fried! It was a creative way to connect with the character's journey and add a little adventure to literacy.

🎉 Congratulations to Delainey Thompson! 🎨 We're thrilled to announce that Delainey Thompson has won 1st Place in the Baca County Conservation District Poster Contest! 🥇 Her creativity and dedication to conservation have truly shone through. 🌿 Way to go, Delainey! Your talent are an inspiration to us all.

🎓 Senior Spotlight: Dallas Calzonetti 🎓 ✨ Dallas, your unique spirit, determination, and hard work have left a mark on our school community. We’re excited to see where life takes you next — the future is yours to shape! 💙

🎓 Senior Spotlight: Hunter Coon 🎓 ✨ We’re proud of all you’ve accomplished and excited to see where your journey takes you next. Keep shining! 💙

Congratulations to Alex Grahn for shooting 25 straight in Trap Shooting Club! What an incredible achievement!

Tomorrow! 🍽️ Join us for a FREE Community Dinner! 🕔 Dinner starts at 5:00 PM 🎓 Served by the Class of 2025 🍝 Enjoy delicious Chicken Alfredo — made with love and served with pride! Stick around after dinner for an amazing performance you won’t want to miss. 🎭

🎓 Senior Spotlight: Alex Grahn 🎓 ✨ Alex, your dedication and effort have made a lasting impact here at Vilas, and we can’t wait to see what your future holds.