A Message from Our Principal

Dear Families – Welcome! We want to thank you for entrusting us with your children!  It’s been a joy getting to know them and watching them grow and change already.  Our mission is to engage students in early learning experiences, in partnership with families and the community, that develop a strong foundation, enrich the whole child, and inspire lifelong learning.

As this is the first electronic newsletter of the year, you should expect these types of school-wide newsletters from our school several times a month.  Your child’s teacher should start communicating with you about their classroom through electronic means as well. 

One way to support our students in the transition from the home to the school environment is to help them start to understand the differences between the two environments: 

1.  PRIVACY:  One important difference is related to the word “PRIVACY.”  Start using this word to describe delicate situations associated with restrooming, diapering, changing clothes, etc. in a way that helps children to realize that sometimes situations at home require less privacy than they will at school.  For example, it may be perfectly routine for children to come out of the restroom at home with missing clothes; in the school setting, we work to diminish this sort of action in order to protect the child’s privacy.  We will always support the students in a way that supports our staff in these situations — so all delicate situations are handled with a two-person assist, which are documented, in our environment.  

2. PARENTS ARE DIFFERENT THAN TEACHERS:  Oftentimes young children lack the experience and understanding that parents are different than teachers and staff. Please help us with talking through scenarios about these differences. Here are a few examples: a) parents/family members are people we kiss, teachers and staff are not, b) parents/family get snuggles — teachers and staff get side hugs, c) parents look under clothing at child injuries — teachers and staff don’t (unless medically appropriate and with 2 people present), d) parents/family pick up and carry their kids, and at school teachers and staff do not, etc. 

Here are a few resources regarding transitioning to preschool for those in need of ideas and support related to on-going transitions with preschoolers: 

• NAEYC 13 Tips for Transitioning to Preschool
• Zero to three: Preschool Prep: Helping Children Prepare for Preschool
• Home to School, from Colorado Early Learning

Here are links to the September menus, which are available online through the SVVSD nutrition services website (click “view school menus” and make sure to change the dial at the top to our school): 

AM Snack schedule – September 

Lunch – September

PM Snack Schedule – September

Universal Preschool has no deadline and we still have Monday through Thursday half-day seats available and ready to fill! Sign up here –>>> Share this newsletter with a friend!

We look forward to working with you and your family this year!  

With respect – Paige Gordon, Principal

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Activation Codes for Infinite Campus– Please check your student’s Thursday folder for instructions for logging in to your child’s Infinite Campus (IC) account. The activation code and instructions will go home in their Thursday folder. An account needs be created for each student who attends our district. This account will be used for a variety of important reasons throughout their schooling in our school district. Please contact the school office if for some reason you didn’t receive this code or you can’t find their code.

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Anima Arts FAMILY MOVEMENT: We are happy and excited to announce we will continue our on-going family-engagement partnership with Anima Arts (https://animaarts.org/), with Ms. Mimi Ferrie.  We have partnered with Ms. Mimi since 2021, through dance, drama, and family movement. Last year we partnered with her, with financial support from the Spark! Discovery PTO, to offer FREE Creative Movement Classes for our Families, and we are proud to announce we are partnering with her again for FALL and WINTER classes, again with funding from the Spark! Discovery PTO. Today’s message is to share information about these classes and to start the registration process by using this sign up message.  Sign up here —>>

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23-24 Digital Behavioral Code Books:

Thank you for your partnership and supporting the academic growth, safety, and well-being of our students. Every year, St. Vrain Valley Schools prints an up-to-date version of the Code of Conduct for students and families to review. This important document guides students and school staff on what expectations for school conduct and the consequences for behaviors that fall outside of those expectations. It is important that families review this information every year and acknowledge their receipt and understanding of this document. 

To this end, please click here to access an electronic version of the Code of Conduct for the current school year. After you have reviewed this information, all families must sign an electronic acknowledgement that they have received, read, and understand the information contained, including the Annual Notification to Parents/Guardians; Behavioral Code of Conduct; Rights and Responsibilities of Students and Parents; and Board of Education Policies book. To sign your electronic acknowledgement, please follow the steps described here.

Again, thank you for your continued partnership and support. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the office at 720-652-7906.

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SAFETY DRILLS: 
As a part of our required safety and security drills, we practice the following drills at Spark! Discovery Preschool.  

Our 5 Standard Response Protocols require the following practice drills: 

1. HOLD (“In your classroom or area”)– does not require a drill. 

2. Secure (“Get inside. Lock outside doors”) – One drill at the beginning of the year. Secure is called when there is something dangerous outside of the building 

3. Lockdown Drill (“Locks, Lights, Out of Sight”) — One announced drill in the first quarter of school and a second unannounced drill later in the school year. A Lockdown is called when there is something dangerous inside of the building.

4. Evacuate (“To a Location”)– The first drill will take place within the first 10 days of the new school year and they are practiced each month of the school year.  

5. Shelter (Hazard or Safety strategy) – Because of preschool rules and regulations, we conduct this drill monthly from February to October, as licensing requires more practice for PK than K-12.

More information about safety and security from our school district is found here.

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COMMUNITY RESOURCES: Please read more about community resources on our website, including: child development, child nutrition and physical activity practices, Food bank, Health Resources, and Mental Health.

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CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS:Because we must follow USDA guidelines for what is served for snacks, and we have many students with dietary restrictions who cannot have certain foods , our policy for children and families celebrating a birthday is for the family to bring a party favor – some small trinket that can’t be swallowed by young children (pencil, small bottle of bubbles etc.) Families might find these items at the dollar store.  Students with allergies, other medical conditions, and food modifications can feel very sad that they are left out when families bring in food they cannot have. 

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Information about Nutrition Services:  Nutrition Services is excited to share that all students will receive one free breakfast and lunch each school day through the Colorado Department of Education’s Healthy School Meals for All program starting this school year, depending on their schedule. Preschoolers who attend full day programming (Mon – Thur from 8:30 am – 3:05 pm) and all children who attend childcare will receive free breakfast and lunch. Given this change, it is still important for St. Vrain Valley Schools to gather household income information to support after school activities and nutritional programs. All families who believe they may qualify for free or reduced-price meals are encouraged to fill out an application. Applications are continuously accepted and processed throughout the school year and families are invited to apply or reapply at any time. Families who qualify for free or reduced-price meals receive benefits including fee waivers for school and preschool programming, and discounts on SAT and ACT exams and college applications, utilities and internet service, and participation in community organizations like sports and YMCA programs. St. Vrain schools also benefits when families submit their free or reduced-price meal applications. Schools receive an increase in federal dollars for student and classroom support, school programs during and after-school, preschool programs, technology, and additional snacks and meals at no cost to all families outside of normal school hours.  The application is completely confidential and not shared with any other agency or organization. Fill out an online application today.  Please reach out to our department with questions at 303-702-7793 or [email protected]. Menus can be accessed here: https://www.svvsd.org/departments/operations-maintenance/nutrition/menu/.  Free snacks are included in preschool and childcare once a day. We also have paper applications at the front office if any family would like to stop by and pick one up.

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Food Allergies Requiring Meal Modifications: If a child has a food allergy, a meal modification form will be needed by our Nutrition Services Department to create a plan for modifying snacks and any meals based on need.  The form is available here or a copy may be picked up at our school’s office. This will need to be completed with the assistance of a physician. Once completed, please drop this off at the office with Amanda, our health clerk, so she can collaborate with Nutrition Services. 

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A Message from St. Vrain’s Early Childhood Office — TUITION:

Tuition for some preschoolers: Tuition payments may be required for our 3 yr old families who do not have an IEP. This fee is $538.00 per month. As you likely know, UPK has recently sent communications to parents who qualified and were selected for full day funding – AFTER parents were able to select and start in a full day program. There are families that will need to now pay for the 2nd half of the day, a $404.00 tuition fee. These families have already been notified of this change by the St. Vrain Early Childhood office. Tuition information has been sent in your child’s Thursday folder this week. Parents or Guardians must sign and return the Tuition Agreement by Friday, Sept 8th, 2023. Tuition is due on the first of the month with a 5 day grace period. Late fees will be assessed for late payments. Due to the changes with UPK and pricing, the first tuition payment will be due on Monday, September 11th, 2023.

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PTO SPIRIT WEAR STORE IS OPEN SEPT 1 – 15: The PTO is sponsoring a spirit wear store where families can purchase school gear for kids and adults. The store will be open from Sept 1 – 15, and payment is electronically. Items will ship about 2 weeks later, and the PTO will sort and get orders to classroom teachers, who will send items home. LOG IN HERE TO ORDER!

________________________________________________________________________________Updates from the registrar/attendance clerk: AMY YANEZ: Our office hours are 8 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday. Attendance is a critical factor in your child’s success. Your child should attend everyday, except in cases of illness or emergencies. Regular attendance and punctuality promote good habits that will benefit students in the long run. If your child is going to be absent for any reason please call Amy Yanez before the absence if possible at 720-652-7906 or email her at [email protected].

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At Spark! Discovery Preschool we take safety and security seriously and want to ensure that every student student can learn and grown in a nurturing and safe place. Below are some reminders that can help our school stay safe:

• Parking in front of the school at the curb in the fire lane, even for just a few moments, is prohibited. This is considered a fire marshal violation and it blocks the view of students and families. Please park in a typical parking spot and walk your student in.
• At pick up please be sure to have your picture ID with you (also for authorized pick up people) until we get to know you. We will ask for a photo ID and compare it to our infinite Campus. We appreciate your patience while we are getting to know names and faces. Once we know you, it won’t be necessary to bring it at every pick up. If you ever need to add someone to the pick up list please let our registrar, Amy Yanez know in advance. If we can’t verify the ID of the pic up person, we will not release your student to them.
• When ringing the A-Phone at the front office please be sure to stand in front of the camera, facing the camera until someone speaks to you. This will help make identification easier and smoother. When exiting the building please don’t hold the door for others to come in. It might feel impolite, but our staff may have not vetted them yet and we don’t want to allow people in the building that have no reason to be here. Your help in this is greatly appreciated.

Be sure to check our updates throughout the school year. We will share relevant information throughout the year. If you are a parent and you see a safety concern please reach out to our Campus Supervisor, Alicia [email protected].

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A message from the Spark! Health Clerk, Amanda Rivera:

As the year begins, we want to make sure that we have all necessary documents on file for your students. Please make sure that we have a signed General Health Appraisal on file for your child.

 A General Health Appraisal Form (GHAF) must be updated every year for Preschool aged students within the first 30 days of school – this means that if a student starts school on the first day of school, the GHAF is due by Tuesday, September 19, 2023.  These forms are required by Colorado state licensing and must be signed by a physician. Please help us keep your child’s file up to date and renew your child’s General Health Appraisal prior to returning to the preschool next school year if possible. 
Medical Conditions: If a student has a medical condition which requires the administration of medication while at school, additional forms must be completed by a student’s physician prior to the start of school and unexpired medication must be provided.(Ex: inhalers, Epi-Pens, diaper rash cream etc.). Please email our Health Clerk, Amanda Rivera at [email protected] or give her a call at our main number, so she can help get an Individual Health Plan in the works, should it be needed.

If you have any health concerns for your child please contact me and I will be happy to discuss all options with you. Your child’s health and safety is my priority here at Spark! My email is the following: [email protected].

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Important Dates:

Sept 4 – 8, 2023

• All week: SPIRIT WEAR orders online
• All week: Mathematical focus on SETS and SORTING
• All week: STEM PROFILE OF THE MONTH: Respectful
• All week: Fundations letter and letter sound learning: Aa and Bb
• All Week: STEM UNIT 1 Begins on Tuesday, Sept 5! Your child will start a 5 week unit on one of these topics: Transportation, Dance/Movement, Theater/Drama, Animals, and Ohh-Ahh Science! More info about our STEM programming will come in our next newsletter.
• Aug 21 – Sept 6 — Positive Behavior and Intervention supports (PBIS) — with sidewalk chalk reward on Thursday, Sept 7, if the class earned enough STAR POWER T recognition for being awesome.
• Monday, Sept 4th- Labor Day- School is closed as well as Childcare.
• Wednesday, Sept 6th- Is late start for K-12 students, however, preschoolers attend preschool and childcare on their normal schedule.
• Wednesday, Sept 6th- PTO sponsored PJ Day, $1.00 donation to support PTO.
• Sept 7 – PBIS reward day (sidewalk chalk) — see above.
• Sept 7 – Sept 27: PBIS reward challenge to earn PARACHUTE PARTY
• Friday, Sept 8 – Tuition Agreement is due — turn in to the teacher

Sept 11 – 15, 2023

• All week: SPIRIT WEAR orders online. Closed 9/15/23.
• All week: Mathematical focus on SETS and SORTING
• All week: STEM PROFILE OF THE MONTH: Respectful
• All week: Fundations letter and letter sound learning: Cc and Dd
• All Week: STEM UNIT 1 Begins on Tuesday, Sept 5! Your child will start a 5 week unit on one of these topics: Transportation, Dance/Movement, Theater/Drama, Animals, and Ohh-Ahh Science! More info about our STEM programming will come in our next newsletter.
• Sept 7- Sept 27 — Positive Behavior and Intervention supports (PBIS) — with PARACHUTE PARTY on Thursday, Sept 28, if the class earned enough STAR POWER T recognition for being awesome.
• Monday, Sept 11 – Tuition is due, a little later than normal to give families more time. Normally it’s due on the 1st of each month.
• Monday, Sept 11, 12:30 – 2:15 pm VOLUNTEER TRAINING- cafeteria (see below). Sign up is being sent out electronically 9/5/23.
• Mon, Sept 11 – 4:45 – 5:30 pm – FAMILIES MOVING TOGETHER class in the gym at Spark — families must sign up prior and there’s limited space (see email with information sent on 8/30/23 to parent emails.
• Thurs, Sept 14 – Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) mini-fundraiser –Baskin Robbins Spirit night (3pm – 6pm) – near King Soopers off Hwy 119
• Fri, Sept 15 – 29 – PTO Believe fundraiser — more info coming from PTO
• Sat, Sept 16 – Miner’s Day with the Town of Frederick — more information will be coming from the PTO.
• Look for information at the end of this week regarding how to sign up for conferences which will be held on Sept 26, 28, and Oct 2
• COMING in our next newsletter: Sept 18 – 21 — SPIRIT WEEK!

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Volunteer Training — required for all volunteers: We have a strong tradition of parent/family involvement, and we will be offering volunteer opportunities in the classroom again this year.  All volunteers must attend a required 90 minute training with the principal to be eligible for volunteering in the classroom (training is required due to preschool rules and regulations).  Training dates for volunteers so far include (updated since originally published):  

Monday, Sept 11, 12:30 – 2:15 pm cafeteria 

Thursday, Sept 21, 4:30 – 6:00 pm- cafeteria 

Wednesday, Oct 11, 5:00 – 6:45 pm – cafeteria 

A form will be sent out to sign up for training on 9/5/23.

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Leadership St. Vrain: Leadership St. Vrain is a program designed to provide parents and other community members the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of our district’s mission, operations and strategic priorities. The program is especially beneficial for those who want to obtain a foundation in district operations and governance and become more active participants in St. Vrain Valley Schools. Spots are limited and only two representatives are allowed per school. If you are interested in joining Leadership St. Vrain or learning more, please visit https://www.svvsd.org/about/district-committees/leadership-st-vrain/ and complete the form or reach out directly to Principal Paige Gordon at [email protected]

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