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A Message from the school Principal, Paige Gordon
Dear Parents and Families:
We want to thank you for your support of our Parent-Teacher Organization (https://www.facebook.com/SparkdiscoveryPTO) and of our students, staff, and families. Here’s a bit of news to inform the school community about how fundraisers (like the ButterBraid fundraiser we had recently) translate to tangible actions and learning for our students.
Teacher Grants: The PTO recently supported teacher grants for $955 for Ms. Miranda, Ms. Kiersten, Ms. Marie, Ms. Mary, and Ms. Amy. These grants were in addition to the fall grants they sponsored for other staff and teachers. Teachers requested materials to meet a particular need, and these materials were ordered and teachers have been using them with students since early April. The PTO also purchased additional SOIL for our Spark! Garden from a grant written by Stacey Petering, our principal’s secretary, to improve the soil levels of the garden beds we filled for the first time last spring (due to settling). See more about our garden part on the morning of Saturday, May 4 below.
Thursday Folders: Also the PTO purchased Thursday communication folders from the school to families for use next year; these are a vital tool for sending home information and completed projects/work between home and school.
PBIS: Recently, I requested materials to help make our Positive Behavior and Intervention Supports (PBIS) programming reward days next year enjoyable for our students — things like bubbles, sidewalk chalk, etc. — as the PTO has actively supported these activities each year.
CARNIVAL: Finally, we are all busy working to make the SPRING CARNIVAL coming up in mid-May (May 17 — see more below) a fun and successful event for families.
STAFF APPRECIATION: The PTO is also working to show appreciation for ALL the awesome staff who work at our school during national Teacher Appreciation Week coming up from May 6 – 10, with special activities that week each day.
We are looking for families and parents who want to participate actively in next year’s PTO — reach out to our PTO at: [email protected], and it is with deep appreciation that we thank our volunteers this year!
With appreciation – Paige Gordon, principal
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Come to the SPRING CARNIVAL, FRIDAY, MAY 17 from 5:00 – 6:30 pm
Families with children attending Spark! this school year and next school year are invited to the carnival on Friday, May 17, from 5:00 – 6:30 pm at Spark! Discovery Preschool Gym/Cafeteria, located at 555 8th St. There will be food available for purchase this school year from food trucks, preschool-aged games, vendors/booths, and there will be special appearances from Special appearances from the Frederick-Firestone Fire District, Carbon Valley Library, Frederick Police, and Carbon Valley Recreation Center. The PTO is also sponsoring face painting and balloon artists. From 4:00 – 5:00 pm we are offering a low sensory experience, and only families with children with special needs should attend at this time.
This event relies on volunteers to run the games, by teacher/classroom. We also need volunteers to help set up before the event and to clean up after the event. Please locate your students teacher, review the available slots below, and click on the button to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E044FAFAF29A2F94-49194500-spark#/. Please consider set up during the day on Friday (from 10 am – 11:00 am) and clean up (after the event) if you’d like to avoid volunteering during the event.
________________________________________________________________________________End of Year Spring Spirit Week — May 21 – 24:
Monday, May 20 – Crazy/Wacky Hair Day
Tuesday, May 21 – Character Day (favorite princess, super hero, book character, movie character, etc.) – Masks, face makeup, and weapons are not permitted.
Wednesday, May 22 – Kid’s Choice (Parents — let them decide what they would like to wear)
Thursday, May 23 – School Colors / Spirit wear (red/yellow/black)
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JOIN US ON SATURDAY, May 4th for our Garden party
Because we will be working with wheelbarrows and shovels to move dirt, we will be asking some volunteers to monitor any children that attend on the large playground next to the garden, so that no children risk getting injured. Our garden is located on the west side of the building.
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Kindergarten Transition Activities for 2024 – 2025
Please take a look at our update from mid-April about known kindergarten activities at the 4 elementary schools in our Frederick High School Feeder area, where students go for kindergarten: https://sdpk.svvsd.org/2024/04/18/kindergarten-transition-activities/
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NEWSWORTHY UPDATES!
We’d like to focus on several recent news stories of importance:
- Read about our partnership with Anima Arts and our PTO (Parent-Teacher Organization), and teacher – Ms. Mimi here —–>>>>>>>
- Read about how educators, like Ms. Blair, make our school an amazing place for preschoolers and their families here ——->>>>>>>>
- Read about how one parent reflects on the role preschool has played in their child’s development and how Spark! has become like a home here ——->>>>>>>>
- Read about how educators, like Ms. Noreen, followed her passion to become a preschool teacher who follows the lead of her students here ——->>>>>>>
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Education Foundation Teacher of the Year for Spark! Discovery Preschool
We congratulation Ms. Mary Stivison, as our teacher of the year, as she was recognized in April by the Education Foundation of SVVSD as our school’s teacher of the year! Congratulations Ms. Mary!
Ms. Mary is an Early Childhood Educator. She is also a Special Educator and IEP Case Manager for students in her classroom. She is a Grant Recipient SVVSD Education Foundation this year, and for the second year in a row, her grant will provide a book for every student at Spark! She also collaborates with theCarbon Valley Library and has partnered to bring family literacy activities to the school.
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Apr 29 – May 4 2024 – IMPORTANT DATES
- All week: Big Ideas of Early Mathematics: Shapes
- All week: STEM PROFILE OF THE MONTH: Creativity
- All week: Fundations letter / letter sound focus: R, S, T, and U
- STEM UNITS: #5 for 2023-2024
- Transportation: Ms. Noreen and Ms. Kaylee
- Moving & Grooving: Dance and Fitness: Ms. Blair, Ms. Miranda, and Ms. Amy
- Ooh-Aah Science: Ms. Julia and Ms. Moira
- Drama and Theater: Ms. Mary, Ms. Kelli, and Ms. Marie.
- Life Cycles of Animals: Ms. Kirsten and Ms. Tori
- Mon, Apr 29, 2024 – 10:30 am – Ambulance visitation for students studying transportation (Ms. Noreen and Ms. Kaylee)
- Tue, Apr 30, 2024- 8:30 am – School tour
- Tue, Apr 30, 2024- P-Teach programming visitation and tour of Spark Discovery Preschool
- Wed, May 1, 2024- PTO sponsored PJ Day – $1.00 suggested donation
- Wed, May 1, 2024- There is a late start for K-12 students, but not in preschool or PK childcare.
- Wed, May 1, 2024 – Ms. Mimi will be teaching with Ms. Kelli, Ms. Marie, and Ms. Mary in the Am and PM classes
- Sat, May 4, 2024- 8:00 am – 10:00 am – Garden Party at Spark! (See note above)
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May 6 – 10, 2024 – IMPORTANT DATES
- All week: Big Ideas of Early Mathematics: Shapes
- All week: STEM PROFILE OF THE MONTH: Creativity
- All week: Fundations letter / letter sound focus: V, W, Y, and Z
- STEM UNITS: #5 for 2023-2024
- Transportation: Ms. Noreen and Ms. Kaylee
- Moving & Grooving: Dance and Fitness: Ms.Blair, Ms.Miranda, and Ms.Amy
- Ooh-Aah Science: Ms.Julia and Ms.Moira
- Drama and Theater: Ms. Mary, Ms. Kelli, and Ms. Marie.
- Life Cycles of Animals: Ms. Kirsten and Ms. Tori
- Mon, May 6, 2024- Staff appreciation
- Mon, May 6, 2024 – 10:30 am – Traffic Signal Technician Presentation for classes studying transportation – Ms. Noreen and Ms. Kaylee
- Tues, May 7, 2024- Staff appreciation
- Wed, May 8, 2024- Staff appreciation
- Wed, May 8, 2024- Farm to school programming – in AM and PM for the following classes: Ms. Kelli, Ms. Kiersten, Ms. Amy, Ms. Kaylee, and Ms. Noreen
- Thurs, May 9, 2024- Staff appreciation
- Thurs, May 9, 2024 – 3:05 pm – Community Schools- Enrichment Cookie Decorating with Ms. Tasha, Community Schools Manager (720-652-7908)
- Sun, May 12, 2024- Happy Mother’s Day!
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A message from our Campus Supervisor, Alicia Sheahan Hall–[email protected].
During school hours playgrounds on the school grounds are available for students who are actively enrolled in the preschool and under our care. Because we are licensed by the state, we are not allowed to co-mingle our students who are attending and those that do not attend our school. After school hours the community is welcome to play on our playgrounds. We kindly ask our community to keep our playgrounds clean and refrain from littering with trash or other adult items. We also ask that pets not be brought on the playground.
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A message from the Spark! Registrar/Attendance clerk, [email protected]
Regular attendance at school is critical for a student’s success. The interactive nature of lessons and hands-on learning at preschool today make it challenging to provide students the same learning experiences when they return from an absence. We at times have unexcused absences of students. These can be excused absences by communicating with our attendance clerk daily when your child will be absent. Please call Amy Yanez at 720-652-7906 or email her at [email protected] if your child will be absent or tardy. Absences are excused in the event of sickness, a death in the family, or a medical appointment.
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A message from the Spark! Health Clerk, Amanda Rivera, rivera_aman[email protected]
Hello Spark families! General Health Appraisal Forms (GHAF) are a compliance issue for our school and our staff are required to keep update forms for state licensing purposes. Please note that the form is valid for 1 year from the date of the most recent physical exam and not from the date that the form was signed. Notices are sent home to parents with student’s that will have a form expiring well before the form will be due. Please understand that the GHAF is a crucial part of our license process and it is very important that families respond to the notice once received. If there are any questions please contact our health clerk, Amanda, at [email protected] or by phone.
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SVVSD Nutrition Services- Lunch and Snack Menu- https://linqconnect.com/public/menu/DCN3CB?buildingId=482fe7e5-3406-ee11-a17a-83fe6e630216
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We invite our families to join us on social media and on the web:
Facebook: Spark-Discovery-Preschool-of-St-Vrain
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparkdiscoverypreschool/
Twitter: @SparkDPS
Website: https://sdpk.svvsd.org/
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