October Count: The Colorado Department of Education has identified Wednesday, OCTOBER 2 as the official statewide October Count Day for this school year. To comply with this state mandate, we hope every child is able to attend school on this day. Your assistance with this important state requirement is greatly appreciated as funding for our school and school district and the important resources for our students are directly impacted by the October 2nd attendance numbers. For more information, please contact our front office at 720-652-7906 and ask to speak to our attendance clerk, Vicky Arriaga. Thank you again for your ongoing support for our students and schools. 

Tuition Payments: Tuition is due on the 1st of October. Any payment made after the 5th, will be assessed a late fee. The office can accept checks and exact cash for payment. Credit cards/Debit cards are accepted online only. If parent have any questions about tuition, please contact Stacey Petering, Administrative Assistant, at 720-652-7906 between 7:30 am – 4:00 pm.  

ANIMALS AT SCHOOL:  Animals at district schools are restricted by Board of Education policy. DO NOT bringing animals on school grounds before or after school.  It is difficult to predict their behavior with many people, cars, busses, and many young children around. 

General Health Appraisal Forms . The General Health Appraisal forms are due 30 days from the first day of school. If achild started at the beginning of the school year and their form isn’t current, parents will receive additional communication. If parents did not get a form for this school year, please stop by the front office. They are good for one calendar year from the date of the last exam, so if they had one completed last year in November, it will not be due until November again.  Getting this filled out by a child’s Health Care Provider does not usually require an appointment, if the child has been attending their regular yearly physicals.  If a child has not attended a recent physical, a health care provider may request that parents make an appointment.

MEDICATION & HEALTH PLANS: If a child takes medication, and it must be administered at school, we must have a signed “Permission for Medication” form and the medication in the original labeled bottle to receive the medications at school.  This rule applies to prescriptions as well as over the counter medicines.  Forms are available at school with our Health Clerk, Sam Gibbs. Medication must be brought to the school by the parent – not sent to school with a child. If your child has a health plan, Sam Gibbs, Health Clerk, will work with families to ensure the health and safety of children. Please call to speak to her if you have questions.

FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS:  There are a number of children throughout each classroom with known food allergies attending SPARK! Discovery Preschool. Many of these children have allergies severe enough to potentially cause swelling of their breathing passages. The majority of these allergies are related to peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, gluten, soy, and nut products. The oils these substances leave behind after eating can increase the potential for a reaction due to transfer to the allergic child through contacting or touching the oil and then putting their hands in their mouths.  In an effort to keep SPARK! Discovery Preschool safe for all our students, signs have been hung on the doors to the classrooms where these children attend alerting those who enter of these allergies.  Also for this reason, we have a “no treat” birthday policy (see below).

BIRTHDAY treats: 

Because we must follow USDA guidelines for what is served for snacks and we have so many children with various allergies, we request that if a child is celebrating a birthday the family select one of the following choices:

• Bring in a healthy snack (i.e. it doesn’t have Trans-fats, high sugar content, etc.).  This means no cookies, cupcakes, cake, etc. This cannot be homemade due to regulations. Consult with your child’s teacher for snack ideas, as there are often nutrition restrictions in the classroom.
• Bring a party favor – some small trinket that can’t be swallowed by young children (pencil, small bottle of bubbles) that families might find at the dollar store.

HAND WASHING:  Good hand washing is the first line of defense against the spread of many illnesses — from the common cold to more serious infections.  Here’s how to scrub those germs away. Teach this routine to your kids — or better yet, wash your hands together often so they learn how important this good habit is:

• Wet your hands in warm water. 
• Use soap and lather up for about 20 seconds. Make sure you get in between the fingers and under the nails where germs like to hang out. And don’t forget the wrists and tops of hand!
• Rinse and dry well with a clean towel.
• Use the towel to turn off the faucet

To minimize the germs passed around in a family, make regular hand washing a rule for everyone, especially:

• Before eating and cooking
• After using the bathroom
• After cleaning around the house
• After touching animals, including family pets
• Before and after visiting or taking care of any sick friends or relatives
• After blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After being outside (playing, gardening, walking the dog, etc.)

Never underestimate the power of hand washing! The few seconds you spend at the sink could save a trip to the doctor’s office.

Use of Interpreters for Families Speaking a language other than English

Spark! Discovery Preschool takes reasonable steps to ensure families with limited English proficiency have meaningful access and an equal opportunity to participate in their child’s education, activities, and programs. Our district uses district-approved language translation services for translation of written communications, such as newsletters, Individual Education Plans, and so on.  Interpreters at Spark! Discovery Preschool will provide support for parents who may need this.  An interpreter is available daily in our school’s front office.  Additional interpreters are available for:

• Ice Cream Social
• Child Development parent classes (when requested)
• Parenting classes (when requested)
• Special Education meetings
• Child-Find Meetings
• Parent-Teacher Conferences

Community Resources:  We also have information to connect families with local agencies regarding mental health, child nutrition, physical fitness, food bank, child find, medical and dental resources, in three locations: 

1) In a notebook in the front office,

2) In our parent flyer stand at the front entrance

3) On our school website at http://sdpk.svvsd.org/community-resources.

4) The black table at the front of the school also has activity packets for parents to take in English and Spanish (when possible)

DRESS CODE for Preschoolers:  We expect our children, staff, and parents will use good judgment in their choice of apparel. Children need to make good choices and dress appropriately for the weather and for activities at school, but they will need parental guidance to do this. Children will not be permitted to wear styles that are disruptive or detrimental to the purpose of our school—the educational process.  Children should at all times be neat and clean.  Religious-based head coverings are acceptable indoors.