SIERRA SCOOP
September 15, 2023
FROM FOERSTER'S DESK
Thank you to everybody that joined us Tuesday morning for Coffee with T-n-B, and/or for Accountability, PTA on Thursday evening. All of these allow me to connect with families and get valuable facetime and feedback to continue to help grow Sierra to be the best school we can be. If you weren't able to join us this month, don't worry, there will be other opportunities coming soon (see the Sierra Calendar and/or the Mark Your Calendar section below in the Scoop). Continuing to be the best Sierra we can be takes a partnership, and we couldn't do it without the support of our staff, families, and community. THANK YOU!!!
Have a fantastic weekend😃
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) at Sierra
PBIS and ROAR Expectations
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a framework used to create a safe, positive, and productive learning environment for all children. At Sierra, we teach and reinforce ROAR behaviors, which stands for: Responsibility, Ownership, Achieve, and Respect. Rewards and celebrations occur in classrooms and throughout the building to let students know that we see how amazing they are and how hard they are working every day to model these behavior expectations. Click on the image to view our ROAR matrix of expected behaviors at school.
Now that we've completed our first month of school, students are feeling comfortable. Along with this comfort, we often see students begin to test limits and demonstrate more unexpected behaviors. This is a great time to review the ROAR expectations we have at school, and talk about why it's important to show these expected behaviors. Consider creating your own ROAR matrix around expected behaviors at home. This will help align how we communicate and reinforce expected and unexpected behaviors across settings. Click HERE to access a sample ROAR at Home matrix and blank template to support this process.
OFFICE INFORMATION
Picture Day - Friday, 9/29. On this day students will be taking individuals and Class pictures. Flyers will will come home in Friday folders on 9/21 (no school on 9/22) with more information and pay options.
October Count - Monday, 10/2. October count is very important! All students should be in attendance this day! This is how the school gets it's funding.
Ralston Valley Mini Mustangs Clinic Kdg-5th
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BmxiQjJ15jo7NFLiAtiJg8HR5ikJlVMJ/view?usp=sharing
September 21 - Field Day 3rd-5th grades; all day
September 22 - No School (teacher work day)
September 29 - Picture Day
October 2 - One Day Count!! Make sure your student is in attendance!
October 16-18 - Book Fair
October 17 and 18 - Conferences
October 19 - No School (teacher work day)
October 20 - No School
3rd-5th FIELD DAY REMINDERS
Sierra Field Day is Thursday for 3rd-5th grades and we are rockin’ the 80’s!
Students can dress up in 80’s clothes and do their hair, but should still wear appropriate athletic tennis shoes
Please put sunscreen on your child at home that morning.
Students need to bring a healthy snack and a water bottle.
All visitors should check in for the day’s events at the sign-in table by the bike rack and wear a VISITOR sticker.
Opening Ceremony starts at 8:05 in the Courtyard
Lunch plans are due by MONDAY, 9/18. If you did not turn this form in, your student will remain at school for lunch.
If you take your child to lunch, he/she needs to be back by 12:40.
As soon as you get back from lunch, send your student to the cafeteria - that is where their teachers will meet them and bring them back to the classroom to take attendance before the afternoon activities.
Afternoon stations start at 12:50
We look forward to a fun-filled day of Field Day events.
DID YOU KNOW?
Parking Lot Safety
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ensure that you are crossing the parking lot at the crosswalk only! Do not cross the parking lot between cars. This is a safety issue and we need all adult cooperation to model this expectation for students. Under no circumstances should the metal gates be moved. These are set up to ensure student safety. Thank you for your help!
Morning Drop-off
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not drop students off before 7:35am! We have adult supervision outside starting at this time. Students arriving before 7:35 are playing on the playground, running through the parking lot, and cutting through hug-n-go traffic. This is a huge safety issue and we need your help.
Previous Scoops
Are you wondering how to find information from a previous Scoop? You can always access previous Scoop newsletters on the Principal Page on the Sierra website.
Are you interested in being more involved in health and wellness in Jeffco Schools?
Jeffco District Health Advisory Council (DHAC) is looking for additional community members. DHAC works to elevate family/parent and community voices regarding wellness in schools and is responsible for the development, implementation, and review of the Jeffco School Wellness Policy. The group meets three times per year on Wednesday mornings. Email healthyschools@jeffco.k12.co.us to learn more.
Please ensure that you read through the Sierra Student-Family Handbook for additional school information.
PTA PARTICULARS
We are still in need of Room Parents! Please click HERE for information on what being a room parent entails. If you would like to volunteer, click HERE to sign up. Thank you for supporting Sierra teachers.
Join us for Sierra Skate Night at Skate City on Tuesday, September 19th! To kick off the school year with the first school skate party event, this month will be a ‘Bronco’ theme to get everybody in the football spirit. Wear a Broncos jersey and receive $5 in gameplay at the arcade, as well as having some fun, interactive games and great music going throughout the private skate party event! There will be meal deals as well.
Join us for our first Sierra Parent Networking event! October 25 from 4-6pm at Jacks in Five Park's. This is a social event that is designed to help parents get to know one other for both personal and professional networking.
Looking for volunteers to help with our Conference Dinners during the Fall and Spring Conference Sessions. Please reach out to communityevents@sierraptaarvada.org if you’d be interested.
Registration is now open to join Sierra PTA! Click here to be a part of a group that helps make the Sierra community amazing!
Want an easy spot to communicate with the Sierra PTA and school community? Join our Facebook group to connect with other Sierra parents, ask questions, and learn about school and PTA community events!
Strides for Sierra 5K is just around the corner!
Registration for the 3rd annual Strides for Sierra starts today August 18th! Please click here for all the information and to register!
Opportunity for Feedback for Arvada Streets
The City of Arvada reached out to partner with Sierra to help ensure student safety! Currently, feedback is being collected from Arvada residents pertaining to Arvada's first Transportation System Plan through October 1. This is an opportunity for you to share your thinking - especially when we think about Oak street in front of Sierra Elementary School or a nearby intersection like 80th and Oak. We all share the common goal of keeping kids safe!
To provide feedback to the city of Arvada, click here for an interactive map.
From the District
Register Today! Summit Jeffco for Families!
We are excited to invite you to our first-ever Summit Jeffco event! Designed to bring families together with district and school staff and other experts, families will learn new ways to support their student’s educational journey. Join us on Saturday, September 23, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Green Mountain High School in Lakewood.
To get a sneak peek of what Summit Jeffco has in store for you, watch this video in English | Spanish and visit our Summit Jeffco webpage. There, you'll find details about our keynote speaker, Dr. Jessica Hawks, Clinical Director of the Pediatric Mental Health Institute at Children's Hospital Colorado. Dr. Hawks will discuss the current youth mental health crisis and equip families with strategies to support your student’s social and emotional well-being so they can thrive.
Thank you in advance for your help promoting this fun and educational event for our families! I appreciate your leadership and administrative magic that helps connect our families to your school every day.
SIERRA ELEMENTRY
Email: tennille.foerster@jeffco.k12.co.us
Website: sierraelementary.net
Location: 7771 Oak Street, Arvada, CO, USA
Phone: (303)982-0821
Facebook: facebook.com/sierraelementary