Nov Harris Park Family Newsletter
November
A Message from Ms. Richey
Hello Harris Park Families,
Happy November! In this month of giving thanks, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our families and community for supporting Harris Park.
I know that we are all experiencing COVID-19 fatigue and going a little stir crazy after 8 months of living through the various impacts of the pandemic. While tempting to interact with other people, right now is not the time. Contact tracing has shown that small and large private and public gatherings are the primary cause of the increase in COVID within our community. Please help us reset the curve by staying safe at home, avoiding social gatherings, wearing a mask when around people who do not live in your household, washing your hands regularly, and maintaining appropriate social distancing. The stricter we are with ourselves now, the more likely we are to maintain in person learning later. Thank you for your partnership.
In the meantime, as part of the Harris Park November Family Newsletter, I've included several sites with free, safe, creative, and fun activities you can do as a family during these times. Please scroll through the entire November Family Newsletter as there are resources and important information included. The link to the November Family Newsletter is in your email, and thanks to parent requests, it includes more photos of the learning and fun at Harris Park.
Daylight Savings started today. Remember to set your clocks back one hour.
Students will have Wednesday through Friday on the week of Thanksgiving (November 25th to the 27th) off of school. Enjoy quality time with your family. Young children do best with routine and maintaining a regular schedule. I encourage you to prepare your child for their return to school by keeping a school-like schedule. Stay warm and be cool!
Warmly,
Nancy C Richey
Principal
Harris Park Elementary
nrichey@westminsterpublicschools.org
W: 303-428-1721
We celebrate STAR★ behaviors!
Safety: Personal safety and safety for others.
Teamwork: Leadership of self, in small groups, & with peers.
Attitude: Positive scholastic and can-do-it attitudes.
Respect: Of your space, classroom, school, yourself & others.
★Responsibility: Personal, academic, and for the school.
WPS Parent Support for Digital / Remote Learning
Learning at Harris Park
Ms. Bott's Class Halloween Writing

Ms. Delamarter's Preschool Students were so proud of the pumpkin face masks they made! Some were even double sided. | Mr. Giffen-Kent's Kindergartners Students cut and arranged letters in alphabetic order. While doing this, Mr. Giffen-Kent tossed bean bags with letters on them to students. Students named the letter, made the sound, and tossed it back. So much fun! | Mr. Vandenberg's Kindergartners Students are learning to use their fine-motor skills as they create art! |
Ms. Delamarter's Preschool
Mr. Giffen-Kent's Kindergartners
Ms. Gelman's Level 1 Ms. Gelman's class having so much fun with rhyming! | Ms. Bott's Level 2 Ms. Bott's students were having so much fun creating pumpkins and making skeletons! Crafts involved many skills and the students did a wonderful job with directions. | Ms. Myers' Level 2 Ms. Myers' students are working through a lesson on Empower while using available resources. |
Ms. Bott's Level 2
Mr. Salas' Level 3 Students learning the science behind a sound build and storm water, while others are researching on their Chromebooks. | Ms. Basile's Level 4 Students use dry erase markers on their desks to solve problems in math using the ICT strategy! | Ms. Clark's Level 5 We work purposefully in our learning so we can play hard! Ms. Clark's students love 4-square! |
Mr. Salas' Level 3
Ms. Basile's Level 4
Mr. Shemwell's Music Kindergartners playing a Dalcroze quick reaction game. The game integrates dancing, listening, and reaction time while students warm up their voices. | Mr. Bendever's PE Students begin every day with stretching. Students demonstrate leadership by guiding stretching. During stretches, kindergarten students skip count by 1's, 2's, 5's, and 10's! | Celebrate the Beat! Students in intermediate cohorts learn dance with our awesome Celebrate the Beat instructors on Wednesdays! |
Mr. Shemwell's Music
Mr. Bendever's PE
Halloween Fun!

Important Upcoming Dates - Mark Your Calendars
November 1
- Daylight Savings Time Ends; Set your clocks back one hour
November 11
- Veterans' Day
November 25, 26, and 27
- Thanksgiving Break, No School
December 2
- Early Release Day, no after school activities, Student pick up at 1:50 PM
December 21 through January 4
- Winter Break, No School
January 5
- Students back to School
January 6
- Early Release Day, no after school activities, Student pick up at 1:50 PM
January 18
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, No School
January 20
- Early Release Day, no after school activities, Student pick up at 1:50 PM
Ms. Claudia's Community News
Hello Harris Park Elementary families, my name is Claudia Ortega, Community Education Specialist and I send you a cordial greeting, and I want to take this opportunity to put myself at your service.
The cold is approaching and it is time to take out our jackets and appropriate clothes for the weather, we know and understand that this has been a difficult year, if you need help with resources such as jackets, socks, gloves, hats, masks, etc. Please call me at 303-487-2164 and I will be happy to find what you need for your child. Alternatively, if you need a referral for Precious Child, I can also help you with that.
Remember that together as a community we will overcome these difficult times.
Book an Appointment (and I will call you), send me a text: 970-325-6698
Email- cortega@mywps.org Office: 303-487-2164 / 720-542-4794.
Ms. Bobbi's Corner
Visit my newsletter for specific ways families can engage in self-care, self-care options for children, how to make self-care part of your routine, and much more by clicking here.
Ideas for Halloween and Fun Activities for Kids During COVID

Westminster Drive-Thru Market Program
Have a Heart Food Bank
WHERE:
- 3455 West 72nd Avenue, Westminster, CO
- Saturday, November 14th, 8-10 AM
- Saturday, December 12th, 8-10 AM
- Please bring your own bags
Community Resources: Food Programs for Westminster Virtual Academy Students
Westminster Public Schools will be providing a breakfast and lunch daily for students who are in virtual or remote learning.
WHERE:
- Drive through pick up at the west end of the Westminster High School parking lot near the gymnasium entrance
WHEN:
- Monday-Friday
- 10:00-11:30 AM
DETAILS:
- Students do not need to be present
- Student ID's will be required
- One breakfast and one lunch per student will be distributed each day
- F/R status will apply during the school year
School Home Connection
Contact Information
Please be sure that we have current phone numbers and email addresses for you. The best way to update your contact information is through the Parent Portal in Infinite Campus. If you need assistance with your Parent Portal, please call 303-428-1721. We can provide you with your user name and reset your password for you.
COVID Information
Provided to keep all members of the Harris Park community updated as we provide in-person schooling (or periodic remote learning) through the pandemic. Additional information can be found on the district COVID-19 information site.
When we return to in person learning, please keep your child home if your they are feeling ill, have any symptoms of COVID-19, or have been directly exposed to someone who has COVID-19. If your child has two or more of the minor symptoms, or any one of the major symptoms, please do not send them to school. When we detect symptoms of COVID-19 in a student, they will be quarantined and must be picked up within one hour of calling home. If you have taken your child for a COVID-19 test, please do not send them to school until you have received the results. Please call our main office at 303-428-1721 to discuss a plan for returning to school.
We are very appreciative of everyone wearing a mask when at Harris Park, approaching Harris Park, or speaking with a staff member. Wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing, and washing our hands are three of the most important things we can do to minimize the spread of COVID 19. Thank you for your partnership during this unique time.

What Are the Best Ways to Keep Everyone Safe?
One of the very best ways to stay healthy is by wearing a mask properly over the nose and chin throughout the school day. It is also really important that outside of school students, and their families, are making safe choices. Avoid large gatherings, do not schedule parties, play-dates or sleepovers, and always properly wear a mask in public places.
Another way to stop the spread of germs is to wash our hands regularly and minimize touching our faces. Hand sanitizer is great, but must be intermixed with proper hand washing to be effective.
We must also be mindful of social distancing. Maintain space between yourself and anyone who lives outside of your home. If children are playing together outside of school hours, they should wear a mask and maintain a safe distance.
COVID-19 Testing Sites
- Thursdays, 9 AM - 2 PM, September 3 - October 29
- Walk-ups accepted, no appointment necessary
- Masks required (and will be provided if needed)
- ONLY for Jefferson and Adams County residents
- Testing available for anyone without insurance
- Testing available regardless of housing or immigration status
Former Human Services Building: 7190 Colorado Blvd., Commerce City, CO
- Fridays, 2 - 7 PM, September 4 - October 30
- Walk-ups accepted, no appointment necessary
- Masks required (and will be provided if needed)
- ONLY for Jefferson and Adams County residents
- Testing available for anyone without insurance
- Testing available regardless of housing or immigration status
Water World: 8801 N Pecos St, Federal Heights, Co
- Daily, 8 AM - 4 PM
- No appointment necessary
- Pre-register to speed up the process here
- No identification card, social security, or insurance is required
- Additional information can be found here
- Weekdays, 8 AM - 4 PM, Weekends, 8 AM - Noon
- Click here for information on making an appointment
Who makes decisions about moving a school to remote learning?
What happens while Harris Park is moved to remote learning?
We are prepared! Students are taking their Chromebooks back and forth to school, and this is one of the reasons for that. Teachers have worked with students to bookmark important websites so students have single click access, including the zoom links to their classes. When students are using their school computer, once they log in to the Chromebook, they are logged in to most websites we use. All students have their log in information on a sticker on their Chromebook.
Students will be taught by their current cohort teacher. All students will be expected to log in at 10:00am for their first learning session. Schedules vary a bit from cohort to cohort; with regards to when literacy, math, specials, science, social studies, and computer science occur within their day. Lunch will be from 11:30-12:30 and there will be locations where you can pick up food. Student's remote learning days will end at 2:00pm.
Why Would a Class be Quarantined?
Siblings of students who are in quarantine will still attend in-person learning because they were not in direct contact with the impacted individual.
What Happens if My Child's Class is Quarantined?
Students in the impacted cohort will be moved to a remote learning platform for a 14-day period. This, in addition to goal work, is why we are asking students to bring their Chromebooks home and back to school daily. Your child will be taught by a Harris Park teacher. You will receive a schedule for remote learning as well as all zoom links needed for your child to attend remote classes. Students will use their Chromebooks for zoom and will access assignments and learning through EMPOWER.
What does a delayed start mean for Harris Park students?
Harris Park Breakfast and Lunch Menus Click here to view the most up to date breakfast and lunch menus for Harris Park. | Apply for the 2020-2021 School Year To receive a $20 discount on your children's tech fees, the Free and Reduce Lunch Application must be completed before October 1st. Your eligibility for free or reduce lunch will not affect your ability to receive the discount. To complete the application, click here. | 2020-2021 Harris Park Parent-Student Handbook It is very important that all students and their families read and discuss the policies, protocols, and expectations described in our Harris Park Parent-Student Handbook. Both of these documents are located in English and Spanish on the Harris Park website. Click here to view them. |
Harris Park Breakfast and Lunch Menus
Apply for the 2020-2021 School Year
To complete the application, click here.