________________________________________________________________________________
Message from Our Principal, Paige Gordon
Dear Families: It’s time to take action about enrollment for next year in preschool. Thank you to families who have already pre-registered for preschool for next year. Our office staff contacted all returning families with preschool-eligible families the second half of December to remind families to complete this important step.
2024-2025 Fall Preschool Pre-Registration began December 1, 2023. All families in preschool who are already enrolled for ’23-’24 need to reenroll again for the ’24 – ’25 school year, and all new families will need to follow this same process (linked here). The Early Childhood Education office of SVVSD is offering families the opportunity to complete the district’s online pre-registration process prior to the state’s Universal Preschool (UPK) application. Families that pre-register in December will receive a notification of their placement from St. Vrain Valley Schools by the end of January, 2024. Pre-registered families will receive ongoing support and communication from St. Vrain Valley Schools if they choose to navigate the UPK process. All families hoping to enroll through UPK will need to complete this process as well, and we believe it will start near the end of January 2024 — when we know more, we will share this important information too. Below is a link with information on enrollment/registration. The district will continue to update the website as needed or when new information becomes available. READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE! Please call our registrar, Amy Yanez, at 720-652-7906, with any questions you may have (Mon – Fri. from 8am – 4pm).
KINDERGARTEN for ’24-’25: For families with children moving on to kindergarten, registration for kindergarten starts on Dec. 1 as well. Children who are age 5 on or before October 1, 2024, should register for kindergarten now. A new and distinct enrollment will need to be completed as children are changing schools when entering kindergarten. Children who are 5 by October 1, 2024 should transition to kindergarten. Please enroll children starting Dec 1 here. More info about how kindergarten registration works is here.
With respect – Paige Gordon, Principal – Spark! Discovery Preschool
________________________________________________________________________________
VOLUNTEER TRAINING:
We are excited to once again host Volunteer Training at various points through the year in our cafeteria at Spark! Volunteer training is required by the Department of Human Services, as we are a licensed preschool, in order to volunteer in the preschool classroom at our school. A sign up form was emailed to families in a separate communication– please check emails for the link. If unable to find the email with link, please call Stacey Petering, principal’s secretary to confirm your attendance. Because of some sensitive topics, this training is best attended by adults (babies are okay to attend). Childcare is not provided during volunteer training. If translation is needed, please indicate this on the form. The dates for volunteer training for the next three months are:
Thursday, January 25, from 4:15 -5:45 pm in the cafeteria.
Thursday, Feb 29, from 4:00 – 5:30 pm in the cafeteria.
Tuesday, March 12, from 8:30 – 10:00 am in the cafeteria.
________________________________________________________________________________
LUNCH / SNACK Menus:
Families can now find the monthly Lunch Menu at LINQCONNECT. This online system allows families to filter for allergens and see the Breakfast Menu. Please change between AM snack/Breakfast, Lunch, and SNACK (which is PM snack) in the upper left hand corner. Change the month to reflect this month’s menus.
________________________________________________________________________________
Student Retention
Our school district highly supports students moving on into kindergarten when they are age qualified. St. Vrain believes in the concept of being “ready school” for all children, with no prerequisite skills/knowledge expected to enter kindergarten. A “ready school” is a school that is ready to support all students, no matter where they are in their development. It is on a rare occasion that retentions are accepted. Please contact Paige Gordon principal and your child’s teacher should you have any questions and to schedule a meeting for AFTER the second round of parent/family-teacher conferences.
________________________________________________________________________________
Important Dates– Dec 25 – Jan 5, 2024
- Winter Break- Preschool and Childcare are closed. Enjoy your time with family and friends!
____________________________________________________________________________
Important Dates– Jan 8 – 12, 2024
- Transportation Unit: Ms. Marie, Ms. Marie, and Ms. Kelli
- Moving & Grooving Unit: Dance and Fitness – Ms. Julia and Ms. Moira
- Ooh-Ahh Science Unit: Ms. Noreen and Ms. Kaylee
- Drama and Theater Unit: Ms. Kiersten and Ms. Tori
- Life Cycles of Animals Unit: Ms. Blair, Ms. Miranda, and Ms. Amy
- Big Ideas of Early Mathematics: Patterns
- STEM Profile: Reflective
- Fundations letter / letter sound focus: n, m
- Monday, Jan 8 – Tuition due – Contact Stacey Petering ([email protected]) for inquiries
- Wednesday, Jan 10- PTO sponsored PJ Day – $1.00 suggested donation
Important Dates– Jan 15 – 19, 2024
- Transportation Unit: Ms. Marie, Ms. Marie, and Ms. Kelli
- Moving & Grooving Unit: Dance and Fitness – Ms. Julia and Ms. Moira
- Ooh-Ahh Science Unit: Ms. Noreen and Ms. Kaylee
- Drama and Theater Unit: Ms. Kiersten and Ms. Tori
- Life Cycles of Animals Unit: Ms. Blair, Ms. Miranda, and Ms. Amy
- Big Ideas of Early Mathematics: Patterns
- STEM Profile: Reflective
- Fundations letter / letter sound focus: ???
- Monday, 1-15-2024: Preschool and childcare are closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
____________________________________________________________________________
A message from the Spark! Campus Supervisor, Alicia Hall ([email protected]).
In an effort to help us keep our students safe, please close all gates when leaving after drop off. This is an important step to help create additional barriers that show our students when and where to stop before proceeding in our transitions. We truly appreciate your diligence with this. Additionally, winter has started in Colorado and with that comes snow and ice. If you see ice on your way into the school or in the parking lot please notify your child’s teacher. We actively walk these areas and will respond promptly to any ice hazards reported. If there are any safety concerns, please reach out to me, our Campus Supervisor, at [email protected], and I will be sure to address your concerns.
____________________________________________________________________________
A message from the Spark! Health Clerk, Amanda Rivera ([email protected])
Hearing and Vision rechecks was scheduled and held December 19th. This is a non-invasive and non intrusive process that is performed by licensed health services staff. If our screening indicates that a student needs further evaluation, individual families/parents will be notified by mail. Please contact me, health clerk, if you have questions.
______________________________________________________________________________
A message from the Spark! Attendance/Registrar, Amy Yanez [email protected]
Benefits of daily attendance:
By attending class regularly, children are more likely to keep up with the daily lessons and assignments.
Studies have found that students who attend school regularly were more likely to pass reading and math assessments than students who didn’t attend school regularly.
For older students, being in school everyday gives them a chance to learn about opportunities, and take the important exams and tests they need to build a successful academic record.
Regular school attendance can also help students who are learning English by giving them the chance to master the skills and information they need more quickly and accurately -even in other subjects.
By being present at school, children are learning how to participate in the school community, learning valuable social /emotional skills, and developing a broader world view.
A parent’s commitment to school attendance sends a message to children that education is a priority for the family, going to school everyday is a critical part of education is a priority for the family, going to school every day is a critical part of education success, and that it’s important to take responsibilities seriously- including going to school.
______________________________________________________________________________
SVVSD Equity and Community Engagement:
Our school district’s Native American Family Night in partnership with SVVSD Priority Programs was a huge success. Please join us next time!
Location: Innovation Center
Time: 5 pm-7 pm
Dates: Feb 27th, 2024, and April 30th, 2024
______________________________________________________________________________
We invite our families to join us on our social media outlets:
Facebook: Spark-Discovery-Preschool-of-St-Vrain
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparkdiscoverypreschool/
Twitter: @SparkDPS
_______________________________________________________________________________