Good afternoon to our Families! I hope you are having a great week. As we look to the next few weeks, I have several important notes to share with everyone today:

A) FALL CONFERENCES: A message is being sent via Infinite Campus today about our first round of Family/Parent/Teacher conferences. The message will share the purpose of these conferences, dates and times of conferences (9/23, 9/25, and 10/1, in the evening), as well as how to sign up for conferences with your child’s preschool teacher using an program called “Meet the Teacher.” Should parents need support in getting a conference time set, please contact Stacey Petering, principal’s secretary, at 720-652-7906. Please know that you are welcome to ask for a conference/meeting at any time with your child’s teacher — these meeting times are to specifically talk about progress/growth and to conduct a check in.

B) FAMILIES MOVING TOGETHER: We are happy and excited to announce we will continue our ongoing family engagement partnership with Mimi Ferrie Lee of Anima Arts (https://animaarts.org/). Our school has partnered with Ms. Mimi since 2021, through dance, drama, and family movement. With the financial support from the Spark! Discovery PTO, we are proud to offer FREE Creative Movement Classes for Spark! Discovery Preschool Families, which start on Monday, Sept 16. This class series celebrates how children experience the world — through curiosity, exploration, and play. Families will move together through dance, athletics, games, and props to explore Spark school units inspired by nature, art, health, science, and adventure after school. As parents and caregivers, you’ll attend class too and experience approachable and fun ways to incorporate literacy, mathematics, social-emotional intelligence, and health topics into everyday family moments. The program is designed to have families attend at least 4/5 of the FALL sessions (except in the case of illness), and we will be offering another round of classes during the winter if the fall season does not work. Space is limited. Information about how to sign up will be emailed to families directly today through Infinite Campus so we can maintain a private Google Form.

C) FALL SPIRIT WEEK — Mon, Sept 16 – Thur, Sept 19 (Thanks to our staff and families who attended the PTO meeting in August for deciding on these ideas):

• Monday, Sept 16: PJ Day (Students wear PJs to school, just for fun!)

• Tuesday, Sept 17: Superhero Day (no makeup or weapon-based accessories)

• Wednesday, Sept 18: It’s Wacky Wednesday — KIDS CHOICE! (It could be a favorite character day, they could match with someone at home, a favorite sports team, a favorite color, etc.)

• Thursday, Sept 19: CRAZY HAIR DAY

D) Policy about Animals on campus: Animals, such as dogs on leashes, at school are restricted from school grounds by Board of Education policy. It is difficult to predict their behavior with many small, excitable children around. We have students who are afraid of dogs at this young age, and we all can be sensitive to the needs of young children.  If parents/families see any animals on campus, please call the campus supervisor, Alicia, at 720-652-7906, so we can help.

E) NEW! 16 Year olds Can Pick up Students: At check out at the end of a session, meet the classroom teacher at their designated exterior classroom door listed earlier. The child’s teacher will have you check out your child by signing on a clipboard. Anyone signing out a child must be approved by the parent/guardian and must be 16 years or older and on record in our front office. This is a change in licensing rules and regulations, which may allow some families more flexibility in who can pick up their student(s) — the previous rule stated the minimum age was 18 years old. Because the rule has changed, we wanted to let you know. Younger people will need to be prepared to show an identification to show they are 16 years old. If anyone needs to add more contacts to Infinite Campus, to allow for high schoolers, please call Amy Yanez at 720-652-7906, or email her at [email protected].

F) Parade update/details: We can’t wait to see you at the St Vrain Valley Schools Parade for Public Education tomorrow in Longmont! A few additional details:

• Permission slips to walk the parade route with your child were due yesterday in our front office.
• Parade assembly is at Longs Peak St. and Gay St. in Longmont.
• Bring water and stay hydrated.
• Our feeder, the Frederick High School feeder, will be on the east side of the road/median as we head down Main St. in Longmont.
• SVVSD information is available – click here: https://www.svvsd.org/2024/07/31/st-vrain-valley-schools-gears-up-for-public-education-parade/

G) Speech night is coming! Wednesday, SEPT 18, 6:00 pm. Babysitting is provided (sponsored by the Spark! Discovery PTO). Our two Speech/Language Pathologists ( Mandy Dean and Katarina Pelletier) and our Speech/Language Pathologist-Assistant (Katie Stewart), look forward to talking with parents and families. This event is open to any and all preschool families enrolled at Spark! Discovery Preschool.

With the first three weeks under our belts, we have seen tremendous gains and growth in confidence and friendships with our students. Our staff are dedicated to providing a nurturing, safe, and engaging learning environment, where ALL students can THRIVE!

Thank you for your support, commitment, and engagement in your child’s early childhood experience – Paige Gordon, principal, [email protected]

Important Dates Sept 9 – 13, 2024

Mon, Sept 9

8:30 am – 10 am- Volunteer Training- CAFETERIA with Paige

Fri, Sept 13

Due Date for General Health Appraisal forms who started Child Care on 8/13/24. Please contact Tasha Lugg for information if your child attends childcare only, at [email protected].

Important Dates Sept 16 – 20, 2024

Mon, Sept 16 

SPIRIT WEEK – Monday: PJ Day

Anima Arts – FAMILIES MOVING TOGETHER – 4:30 – 5:30 pm (sign up required/space is limited)

Tues, Sept 17

SPIRIT WEEK – Tuesday: Superhero day (no makeup or weapon-based accessories)

Wed, Sept 18

SPIRIT WEEK- Wednesday: It’s Wacky Wednesday — KIDS CHOICE! (It could be a favorite character day, they could match with someone at home, a favorite sports team, a favorite color, etc.)

SPEECH NIGHT – 6 – 7pm Gym and Cafeteria

Thurs, Sept 19

SPIRIT WEEK – Thursday: CRAZY HAIR DAY

Due Date for General Health Appraisal forms who started Preschool on Monday 9/19/24. Please contact health clerk, Amanda Rivera, for information if your child attends childcare only, at [email protected].

Leadership St. Vrain Now Accepting Applications

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. Click here to learn more and apply. All meetings will be held in-person and rotate locations each month. Meetings will run from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. on the dates listed below:

Friday, September 13: Purpose and Power of Public Education
Location: Innovation Center of St. Vrain Valley Schools

Friday, October 25: Investing in Public Education and District Finances
Location: Frederick High School

Friday, November 15: Advocating for Public Education and District Governance
Location: Erie High School

Friday, December 13: Advancing Learning through Technology
Location: Skyline High School

Friday, January 17: Elevating the Teaching Profession
Location: Silver Creek High School

Friday,  February 7: The Success of All Students; Special Education & Student Services
Location: Mead High School

Friday, March 7: Student Engagement and School Culture
Location: Niwot High School

Friday, April 11: Operational Excellence
Location: Longmont High School

Friday, May 9: The St. Vrain Advantage
Location: Innovation Center of St. Vrain Valley Schools

Preschool classroom volunteer training…

We are excited to 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 any preschool classroom at our school. Please see our previous email through Infinite Campus to access dates/times of volunteer trainings and to sign up for a time to come to training this fall. We thank you for your continued support and partnership, and we love to work with volunteers! If you have any questions, please reach out to me at [email protected] or 720-652-7906.  

Best regards — Paige Gordon, Principal — Spark! Discovery Preschool 

Coming next time:

Details about… THRIVE – Our 24-25 school-wide theme!

STEM PROGRAMMING for 2024-2025