Teacher working with a student using an iPad.
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) Late-Start is Tomorrow! The St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) holds Professional Learning Community (PLC) days, or late start days, once a month on the first Wednesday of each month, excluding October 2025 and January 2026, for the 2025-2026 school year. Late start days will be held on the following Wednesdays during this upcoming school year:
*Wednesday, September 3, 2025
*Wednesday, November 5, 2025
*Wednesday, December 3, 2025
*Wednesday, February 4, 2026
*Wednesday, March 4, 2026
*Wednesday, April 1, 2026
*Wednesday, May 6, 2026
- AM PRESCHOOL CLASSES on LATE START: With the 5 day a week change for preschool beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, preschoolers will NOT attend AM sessions on late start days listed above.
- FULL DAY PRESCHOOL CLASS on LATE START: Full day students will start school on late start days at 11:00 am. Students will eat lunch at 11:15 am.
- PM PRESCHOOL CLASS on LATE START: Students attending in the PM class will not be impacted by late start schedules.
- There are no changes to the childcare schedule on late start days.
B) FALL CONFERENCES: A message is being sent via Infinite Campus on Monday, September 8, which will contain information 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, 9/29 and 10/1, in the evening (3:30 -7:30 pm)), as well as how to sign up for conferences with your child’s preschool teacher using an program/application 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. We will also hold similar conferences in late January / early February.
C) Fall Spirit Week — Mon, Sept 16 – Friday, Sept 19 (Thanks to all staff and families who attended the PTO meeting in August for deciding on these ideas):
- Monday, Sept 15: School Spirit Day (red, yellow, black) or a Spark! t-shirt.
- Tuesday, Sept 16: Superhero Day (no makeup or weapon-based accessories)
- Wednesday, Sept 17: It’s Wacky Wednesday — KIDS CHOICE! (It could be a favorite character day, they could match with someone at home or a friend at school, a favorite sports team, a favorite color, etc.)
- Thursday, Sept 18: CRAZY HAIR DAY (check out many excellent ideas from the internet!)
- Friday, Sept 19: Tie-Dye Fri-Dye (wear Tie-dye)
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, Kara Mahan, at 720-652-7906, so she can help.
Thank you for having such great children! We’re enjoyed getting to know them and supporting your family this back-to-school season!
With respect – Paige Gordon, principal, [email protected]
________________________________________________________________________________
Important Dates Sept 1 – 5, 2025
- 7 TRAITS FOCUS – Self-Control
- Beginning of the year unit / learning – not related to a STEM focus yet; the first unit starts 9/22/25
- FUNDATIONS weekly focus for PK: Aa and Bb
- The Big Ideas of Early Mathematics for August: Starts in September — SETS and SORTING (see information from last Friday folder)
Monday, Sept 1
- Labor Day- No preschool or childcare
Wednesday, Sept 3-
- Late Start- No morning preschool. Full day class starts at 11:00 am. See note above.
Thursday, Sept 4
- Van Gogh Individual Pictures (information and order forms went out in Friday Folders in a private message to families as there were special codes we don’t want on the internet)
- Here is the schedule for pictures, by class, teacher, and schedule:
- Thursday, September 4th, 2025 -8:30- 11:10 AM
- Danielle Hughes, Mon – Fri – AM session
- Kelli Wentworth, Mon – Fri – Full Day
- Amy Newsom, Mon – Fri – AM session
- Marie Bloch, Mon – Fri – AM session
- Kaylee Carstens, Mon – Fri – AM session
- Polly Johnson, Mon – Fri – AM session
- Miranda Brant, Mon – Fri – AM session
- Tori Menard, Mon – Fri – AM session
- Kiersten Pierpoint, Mon – Fri – AM session
- Noreen Reeder, Mon – Fri – AM session
- Thursday, September 4th, 2025 -12:25 – 3:05 PM
- Danielle Hughes, Mon – Fri – PM session
- Amy Newsom, Mon – Fri – PM session
- Marie Bloch, Mon – Fri – PM session
- Kaylee Carstens, Mon – Fri – PM session
- Polly Johnson, Mon – Fri – PM session
- Miranda Brant, Mon – Fri – PM session
- Tori Menard, Mon – Fri – PM session
- Kiersten Pierpoint, Mon – Fri – PM session
- Noreen Reeder, Mon – Fri – PM session
- Thursday, September 4th, 2025 -8:30- 11:10 AM
- PTO Red Robin (Longmont) fundraiser — see flyers from last week’s Friday folder
Friday, Sept 5
- Pajama Day- $1.00 suggested donation to support the Parent-Teacher Organization
- Tuition is due – call Stacey for any questions at 720-652-7906.
- PTO Fundraiser information is going home in Friday Folders for all students in preschool and childcare.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Important Dates Sept 8-12, 2025
- 7 TRAITS FOCUS – Self-Control
- Beginning of the year unit / learning – not related to STEM focus
- FUNDATIONS weekly focus for PK: Cc and Dd
- The Big Ideas of Early Mathematics for August: Starts in September — SETS and SORTING
- Month-long Math focus / Big Idea of Early Mathematics: SETS
Wednesday, Sept 10
- Volunteer training with Principal, Paige Gordon, in the cafeteria from 5-6:30 pm. Parents must RSVP on the SDPK Volunteer Google Form (sent 8/15 – we don’t want the link on our website). Call Stacey or Amy for assistance if you need the link again..
Thursday, Sept 11
- General Health Appraisal Forms (GHAF) are due for students who started Childcare on August 13, 2025.
________________________________________________________________________________
Spark! Discovery Preschool School Counseling Program
Mrs. Dawson earned her Master of Science in Applied Family and Child Studies with a Specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy at Northern Illinois University. She has been working as a school counselor since 2020 and prior to that worked in various settings, including addition treatment centers, community mental health centers and private practice. She has a passion for helping children learn how to embrace challenges and build strong relationships. She speaks both English and Spanish. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, and being outdoors. [email protected]. She will be at Spark! Discovery Preschool in a half-time capacity: all day Tuesdays, all day Thursdays, and some Fridays. See your child’s Friday Folder for a flyer of information this week.
________________________________________________________________________________
25-26 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 has 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 – ask for Amy Yanez, our registrar/attendance clerk.
________________________________________________________________________________
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 12: District Vision and Governance
Location: Timberline PK-8 - Friday, October 17: Investing in Public Education and District Finances
Location: Longmont High School - Friday, November 14: Elevating the Teaching Profession
Location: Frederick High School - Friday, December 5: Instructional Framework and Advancing Learning through Technology
Location: Silver Creek High School - Friday, January 9: Legislative Priorities and Advocacy
Location: Skyline High School - Friday, February 6: The Success of All Students: Special Education & Student Services
Location: Erie High School - Friday, March 6: Student Safety and Engagement
Location: Mead High School - Friday, April 10: Operational Excellence
Location: Niwot High School - Friday, May 8: The St. Vrain Advantage
Location: Innovation Center of St. Vrain Valley Schools
________________________________________________________________________________
2025 Superintendent’s Town Hall Meetings
St. Vrain Valley Schools invites parents, teachers, staff, and community members to join Superintendent Dr. Jackie Kapushion, for one of our upcoming Superintendent Town Hall meetings. These annual open forums in each of our geographic areas provide an opportunity for Dr. Kapushion and other district leaders to listen to our community’s questions and suggestions, share our many successes, and discuss our bold vision for the future.
Dates and Locations:
- Monday, September 8, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Silver Creek High School
- Thursday, September 11, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Mead High School
- Monday, September 15, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Frederick High School
- Monday, September 29, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Erie High School
- Tuesday, September 30, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Skyline High School
Spanish interpretation services will be available at each event.
________________________________________________________________________________
Tuition for Some Preschoolers:
Three Year Old’s: Tuition payments may be required for our 3 yr old families who do not have an Individual Education Plan through special education. The tuition is $592.00 per month.
Four Year Old’s in full day Programming: There are families that will also need to pay for the 2nd half of the full day, which is $708.00 tuition. These families have already been notified by the St. Vrain Early Childhood office.
Tuition is due on the first of the month with a 5 day grace period, and a late fees can be assessed for late payments.. The first tuition payment of the year will be due on Monday, Sept 1, 2025. Call the office at 720-652-7906 if you have any questions. Please add your child’s name in the memo along with your phone number if you are writing a check. Tuition can also be paid online through Infinite Campus (IC).
Tuition information will be sent out in next weeks Thursday folder. One of the forms in the Thursday folder will be a tuition agreement. Parents or Guardians must sign and return the Tuition Agreement by Friday, Sept 5, 2025. Tuition can be paid at the office with exact cash at the front office or a check made out to Spark! Discovery Preschool. Classroom staff may not handle cash / checks. Our office hours are 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday – Friday.
________________________________________________________________________________
Self-Service Book Exchange in the Cafeteria
Our Book Exchange is now open in the cafeteria. Families may go through the main office to sign in before heading down. Please bring any gently used books to place in the designated bin. Children can then pick out new books to take home. If you send more than one book, your child may bring home the same number in return. Even if you don’t have a book, you are welcome to come pick out a book.
________________________________________________________________________________
Check us Out on-line here:
Spark! Discovery Preschool Facebook
Spark! Discovery Preschool X
Spark! Discovery Preschool Instagram
Spark! Discovery Preschool website
Quick Links: