BUE Family Newsletter
September 5, 2022
Garfield 16 Overarching Mission Statement:
As a result of our efforts, all students will be successfully prepared for life in a safe and nurturing environment.
Our School Mission:
BUE is a caring community providing students with a meaningful and authentic education.
Our School Vision:
We strive to empower our students to pursue their passions and to be kind, ethical people.
Note from Mrs. Clark
We are excited for the month of September at BUE!
It's getting cooler
Fall will be here before you know it! Mornings are becoming chilly and we have noticed several children mention they are cold in the morning. Please make sure your child has a light jacket for the morning. If you need a light jacket for your child, please reach out to us and we can help you!
New Visitor Process
All Garfield 16 schools have a new visitor process. Please read the section below and watch the short video clip explaining Raptor Technologies.
Tuesday Folders
Tuesday Folders are sent home every Tuesday afternoon in student backpacks. Please check your child's backpack every Tuesday for important information from your child's teacher and BUE.
After School Programs
September is the start of our Fall After School programs at BUE. Be on the lookout for information in student backpacks regarding After School Programming!
Watch D.O.G.S.
BUE is excited to announced that we have joined the national Watch D.O.G.S. program. We are actively recruiting dads who would like to join our Watch D.O.G.S. program. Please check out the section below for more information on BUE Watch D.O.G.S.
Bus Stop Safety
Many children ride the bus to and from BUE each day. Most bus stops are located on public and/or private property and are therefore not considered school property. There are many actions you can take as a parent to ensure safety at Bus Stops. Please read the section below on Bus Stop Safety for more information.
Call Us!
If you have questions, or need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to BUE (970) 285-5703. Our office staff is available Tuesday - Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to answer questions and provide assistance. If you are calling outside of those hours, please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible.
We are so glad to have your child at BUE. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher if you need anything at all!
Amber Clark
Principal
Fall Pictures are Friday at BUE! You can click on the picture below to order online
Visitor, Volunteer, and Background Check Procedures
Dear Garfield 16 Community,
Beginning September 6, 2022, any visitors entering a school during the school day will go through a screening process in the office. Visitors will be screened through the Raptor system which checks registered sex offender databases. The system produces an ID badge sticker with the visitor’s name and picture that the visitor wears for the duration of the visit.
How does it work?
The visitor provides his/her driver’s license to the secretary for scanning. Once scanned, the visitor is stored in the school’s system as an approved visitor. The visitor received an ID badge sticker with the visitor’s name and picture and date of the visit. If the visitor returns, the information is stored in the system so the visitor just has to give his/her name to the secretary, and the secretary can print out a new badge with a new date.
What if the visitor doesn’t have a driver’s license?
The secretary can enter the visitor’s name in the database. This takes a bit more time, so having a driver’s license is helpful.
What happens if someone with a sex offense record tries to come into the school?
The Raptor system sends an alert to the principal who will handle the situation. If the visitor is a parent and must attend a meeting for his/her child, the parent will be escorted by a staff member at all times.
Does the Raptor database show a person’s full criminal record?
No. It only links to the sex offender database for all 50 states.
Who will need to go through the screening process?
Anyone who is visiting the school will go through this screening process. Examples include:
Parents coming into the school for a meeting, activity, or event that occurs during the school day. This includes parents who may be helping in the school during the school day.
Guest speakers, contractors, and other visitors authorized by the principal.
What about volunteers?
Volunteers will also be screened using the Raptor system, but they also need to have an FBI background check that includes fingerprinting. Volunteers may be alone with students or supervise students, so we have this added layer of protection to keep the students safe. Contact the school’s principal for more information about volunteers.
Will the schools use Raptor for after school events?
No. Raptor will only be used during the school day when students are in school.
Our goal is to keep our students safe. We encourage parents to attend activities and events to support their children, and we want to make it easy for parents to attend. We believe the Raptor system will be a faster and more convenient way to register as a visitor to the school.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Baugh
Interim Superintendent of Schools
Watch D.O.G.S.
Their program helps provide positive male role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important. Watch D.O.G.S. also provide extra sets of eyes and ears to enhance school security, reduce bullying and provide a greater sense of campus safety allowing students and teachers to focus on learning.
We are looking for TOP D.O.G.S to help us get our program off to a great start. We invite you to join the BUE Watch D.O.G.S program by clicking on the link below.
Please provide your contact information when you sign up and then place the following meeting on your calendar!
- Top Dog informational meeting on October 25th from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. in the BUE Cafeteria
Bus Stop Safety
Bus Stop safety at BUE.
- In order to ensure safety at bus stops, please visit the bus stop and show your child where to wait for the bus: at least three giant steps (six feet) away from the curb.
- To help with student issues at Bus Stops, we always recommend that parents of elementary students walk their child to the bus stop and wait with them at bus stops. Adult supervision is the best way to ensure safety!
- Please consistently discuss with your child that the bus stop is not a place to run or play.
Use Caution Around the Bus: Your child should never walk behind a school bus. If your child must cross the street in front of the bus, tell him/her to walk on a sidewalk or along the side of the street to a place at least five giant steps (10 feet) in front of the bus before crossing. Your child should also make eye contact with the bus driver before crossing to make sure the driver can see him/her. If your child drops something near the school bus, like a ball or book, the safest thing is for your child to tell the bus driver right away. Your child should not try to pick up the item, because the driver might not be able to see him/her.
If your child is not at the bus when you expect after school, please call our Transportation Department at 970-285-5700 ext 5130.
Join us for our Bicycle Derby on Saturday, September 10th!
Check out our new Facebook Page
SCHOOL HOURS
We are a four (4) day school week
Tuesdays to Friday
1st Morning Bell rings at 7:30 a.m.
End of Day bell rings at 3:40 p.m.
BUS ROUTES
If you have questions or need any additional information, please call the our Transportation Director, Steve Gardener, at the Transportation office (970) 285-5700 ext. 5130.
BREAKFAST AND LUNCH NEWS
Our district has qualified for a free breakfast and lunch program for SY 2022-2023.
To continue to qualify for this grant, we need all families to please fill out an application for free or reduced meals, regardless of family income. The application packet will be sent home the first day of school and it can also be found using this link: Nutrition Links. This will help us to continue to qualify for this program for next school year. Thank you!
Breakfast Program: All students can receive breakfast free of charge. It is important that your child arrives at school on time as breakfast is served at 7:30 a.m.
Lunch Program: All students can receive lunch free of charge. If your child brings lunch from home, please make sure it does NOT need to be heated in a microwave as there are no microwaves available.
Please do not send soda pop in your child’s school lunch. We ask that you send a healthier choice such as juice, water, or milk.
Parents wishing to eat lunch with their child may do so, however to be in the school during the school day requires a background check (see the section above on school safety).
Please call the school office by 9:00am if you would like to order a hot lunch. The charge for an adult lunch is $4.25 and for a visiting child it is $2.75. Please remember that the school only accepts cash or a check for payment.
Menus can be found on our school district Nutrition Website.
Meal Prices for Visitors:
Student Lunch $2.75
Milk $0.70
Adult Lunch $4.25
Please keep in mind that menus have the potential to change A LOT depending on staffing issues, and product availability. Our Nutrition Department does their best to honor the posted menus, however they can be heavily impacted for a variety of reasons. If you ever have any questions, please call 285-5701 ext. 4180 with any questions or email jwilliams@garfield16.org
RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES
Please do not hesitate to reach out to our School Based Family Resource Center for more information.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Claudia Flores Cruz
Center Coordinator
970-285-5262
BUE DRESS CODE
Dressing for school in an appropriate and respectful manner is important to limit distractions, encourage kindness among classmates, and enhance school safety and sense of belonging for everyone. For this reason the following dress code will be enforced:
SHIRTS:
Belly shirts, spaghetti straps, strapless tops, muscle shirts, off-shoulder shirts, and tank tops are not appropriate for school (appropriate sleeveless shirts have shoulder straps that are at least 2 inches in width and do not show undergarments or the skin surrounding the chest area).
All shirts and blouses must have a back without large cutouts. Lacy/athletic mesh tops should have a shirt underneath them.
SHORTS & SKIRTS:
Shorts, skorts, skirts, and dresses should have a length midway between knees and hips. We know it is becoming harder and harder to find long enough shorts, dresses and such. Please don't ever hesitate to reach out to the office if you have any questions. We are here to help.
Clothing and apparel that advertise inappropriate messages/pictures should not be worn (ex: tobacco, alcohol, drugs, inappropriate/rude language, etc).
We realize many clothes now are created to show wear and tear as a style. If cuts and openings are inappropriate, children will be asked to change or call home for new clothes.
HATS:
Hats may only be worn outside the building (except for special dress-up days)
SHOES:
Wheelie tennis shoes MUST have the wheels removed.
Sandals are ok but you must have tennis shoes for PE.
Flip flops are discouraged as they tend to get broken at school. Children trip and fall in them often getting hurt on the playground or going up and down stairs.
Students who wear inappropriate clothing will be required to change clothes (BUE keeps freshly washed options in the office) or they can call home for parents to bring a change of clothes. Please don’t allow children to wear excessive make-up, as it is a distraction in school and has resulted in students being unkind to each other.
Bea Underwood Elementary School
Email: aclark@garfield16.org
Website: http://bue.garfield16.org/
Location: 0741 Tamarisk Trail, Parachute, CO 81635
Phone: 970-285-5703
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Garfield-County-School-District-No-16-216528061787894/