Werner Weekly
UPDATED-March 19, 2024
Coming Up
- March 21- Class Picture Day
- March 22- Spread the Word Inclusion T-Shirt Day
- March 22- Werner Science Fair
- March 22- Class Placement Input closes (see info below)
- March 27- Battle of the Books Competition
Upcoming PSD Long Range Planning Listening Sessions (see info in News from PSD):
- 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday, March 18, at the PSD Information Technology Center at the Johannsen Support Services Complex, 2407 Laporte Ave., Fort Collins
- 6-8 p.m. Monday, March 18, at Rocky Mountain High School, 1300 W. Swallow Road, Fort Collins
- 4:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, at Lincoln Middle School, 1600 W. Lancer Drive, Fort Collins
- 7:30-8:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 20, at Timnath Middle-High School, 4700 E. Prospect Road, Timnath
- 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, at Fort Collins High School, 3400 Lambkin Way, Fort Collins
- 6-8 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at the Future Ready Center, Suite 510 in the Foothills Mall, 215 E Foothills Parkway, Fort Collins. This session is for participants whose primary languages are Spanish and Arabic.
NEWS FROM WERNER
Long Range Planning Updates
Dear Werner Community,
PSD has modified the schedule of Listening Sessions for community engagement on the plans for Long Range Planning in PSD.
These are opportunities for members of the public, including staff, families, students, and community members, to provide feedback on the scenarios that the PSD Facilities Planning Steering Committee is developing. All sessions will follow the same format, which includes an overview presentation, followed by small-table conversations and a questionnaire.They will not be shared publicly, in part or whole, before then.
Those unable to attend a listening session will have an opportunity to watch a video presentation and submit feedback through an online questionnaire.
Please note that changes have been made to the schedule of listening sessions:
The committee will present possible options publicly for the first time at the March 19 PSD Board of Education meeting, which is open to the public. There is limited seating, so we strongly encourage people to tune into the livestream on YouTube.
- 7:30-8:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 20, at Timnath Middle-High School, 4700 East Prospect Road, Timnath
- 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, at Fort Collins High School, 3400 Lambkin Way, Fort Collins
- 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday, March 25, at ITC Aspen 1 and 2 at the PSD Support Services Complex , 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins
- 6-8 p.m. Monday, March 25, at Rocky Mountain High School, 1300 W. Swallow Road, Fort Collins
- 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, Online
- 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 28, at Lincoln Middle School, 1600 W. Lancer Drive, Fort Collins
- 6-8 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at PSD Future Ready Center, Suite 510 in the Foothills Mall, 215 E Foothills Parkway (for those who speak Spanish)
- TBD session for those who speak Arabic
We hope that you will try to join a session to hear more about the recommendations and engage with your input.
Thanks,
Hayden Camp
Principal
Werner Science Fair-March 22
The Science Fair is coming on March 22! This wonderful enrichment opportunity is open to all students. Please see the information links below (or QR links in flier) regarding details about how to register, etc.
For more information, please contact Mr. Putman (jputman@psdschools.org).
Important Update on the Science Fair
Dear families,
We are so excited for our Science and Engineering Fair on Friday! Here are a few reminders for participants:
- If you are planning on entering a project and have not done so already, please complete the registration form. This helps us determine if we need to order additional tables.
- Projects should be brought to the gym afterschool on Thursday (3:30-4:30) or before school on Friday (8:00-8:40).
- Please let Mr. Putman know if you need access to an electrical outlet or if you have any other special requests.
- The open house for families is on Friday from 5:00-6:30. The purpose of the open house is to give families an opportunity to view the projects. Homeroom teachers will be taking their classes through the gym during the school day on Friday so that participants can present their projects to classmates. It is not necessary for students to stand beside their projects during the open house.
- If possible, please take projects home after the open house.
- Projects left at school will be placed near the trophy case and need to be taken home the following Monday.
- Every student who completes a project will be entered in a raffle drawing for a chemistry kit, which will be given away at the open house. The raffle- drawing will be at 6:15pm.
- Award winning projects will be announced on Monday, March 25.
- Three award-winning projects will be invited to participate in the PSD Science Showcase at the Foothills Mall on April 4th. Mr. Putman will contact these families to provide details.
Thank you so much and please let me know if you have any questions!
Respectfully,
Jeff Putman
Class Picture Day-March 21
Just a friendly reminder that we will have Class Picture Day on Thursday, March 21!
Spread the Word Inclusion Day
Our Kindness Club is promoting Spread the Word Inclusion Day on Friday, March 22. We are encouraging our students and staff to wear their t-shirt if they purchased one. If you are interested in purchasing a shirt, you can order separately at: https://willpromo.com/soco_ucs/shop/home.
Class Placement Parent Input- DUE March 22
March 1, 2024
Dear Parents,
One of the most critical and time-consuming tasks for teachers, and for me, during this time of year is class placement for next year. The procedure we follow to ensure the best classroom environment possible for each child has several steps and takes several meetings. This task is even more challenging when we receive a large number of parent requests in the spring. Before we developed a policy on class placement requests, we would receive up to 140 requests for specific class placements each spring. When teachers began to make class lists, we found it impossible to have these requests and still maintain the balance in each classroom that is necessary for kids to have the optimum environment in which to learn.
Fortunately, Werner’s class placement policy, developed some years ago by our Werner Council, has worked well for us. Please take the time to read the policy. My hope is that it will answer your questions or concerns. If it doesn’t, please let me know (hcamp@psdschools.org).
Please do not feel that you need to give us written input. In other words, do not feel obligated to write a letter unless you have a specific reason to do so. You can be sure if a teacher has questions about class placement for your child, they will ask you for information. We believe that input is any information about your child that will help us know their situation better. Input is not a request for a specific teacher. Input asking for a specific teacher will not be included in the Class Placement Process. All input will be shared with current and next year’s teacher.
If you do choose to give us input, the window this year is March 1-22. We are offering the opportunity for input to happen online through the Werner Class Placement Input Form. Please complete a new form for each child. This is secure and confidential, but input will be shared with your child’s current teacher as they consider class placement. Emails and other notes will not be accepted. Input will close at 5:00 pm on March 22.
Sincerely,
Hayden Camp
Principal
SAVE THE DATE-State Testing
Our Mathematics (3rd-5th), English Language Arts (3rd-5th), and Science (5th) Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) tests will be held during the month for April. Please try to avoid scheduling events that would cause your child to be out of school during testing sessions. If you want more information regarding CMAS testing including exempting students, please visit PSD Assessment website.
Werner Elementary will have a full-day preschool next year!
Dear Werner Families,
We have exciting news to share with you. We would like to announce that Werner Elementary will have a full-day preschool program for next year! Poudre School District Early Childhood will have one classroom with 16 students starting Fall 2024!
Do you know any 3 or 4 year olds who would benefit from a preschool at Werner Elementary with their elementary siblings? Please guide them to our website and encourage them to apply. We have tuition-based, low-cost and no-cost options available for families who qualify.
Looking forward to partnering with Werner families.
Becca Benedict
Director of PSD Early Childhood
Registration for 2024-25 OPEN
Registration opens online for 2024-25 on November 27 for new students. Please go to the PSD School Registration and our Werner Registration site for more information. For Kindergarten registration, you can find more information on our Werner Kindergarten Information site. If you are interested in learning more about our school, call (970-488-5550) our main office to set up a personal tour with our staff.
2023-2024 Werner Photo Album
Staff Favorites
School Meal Prices 2023-24
Milk- 8 oz. $1.00
Breakfast 2nd Entree $1.50
Adult Breakfast $2.00
Lunch 2nd Entree $3.25
Adult Lunch $4.65
NEWS FROM WERNER PTA
Welcome Back from the PTA
Werner Weekly 03.04.24
Save the Date
March 4th- Werner Dines Out at DC Oaks from 5pm-8pm - 10% of sales go back to Werner
March 27th- Battle of the Books from 5pm-7pm
JOIN THE WERNER PTA
The PTA has a lot of fun things planned throughout the school year and we can't wait to share it all with you! Membership does not obligate you to volunteer hours or to attend meetings. We'd love your support any way you can give it.
● Sign up for the PTA HERE to receive a free Werner yard sign & notifications of upcoming events. You may pay the $10 membership dues via PayPal HERE or Venmo @WernerPTA or drop off cash/check to the main office in a marked envelope.
● *****New this year***** Wildcat stickers are available for sale! Stickers are $3 each and available for purchase at our PTA meetings, New Family Orientation, or at select school events.
For any questions please email the PTA at ptawernerelementary@gmail.com
FREE MONEY FOR YOUR SCHOOL! Did you know there are ways to donate money to the school by doing things you already do?
- If you shop at King Soopers with a loyalty card they will donate to Werner when you sign up here.
- If you like to eat out, the PTA hosts Werner Dines Out once a month and the restaurants we partner with will donate back to the school.
Your Werner PTA
Follow us on FACEBOOK to stay engaged with school events, Werner families, and see what the PTA is up to!
Your 2023/2024 PTA Board
PTA President | Nicole Kidd
PTA Vice President | Gladys Kanode
PTA Treasurer | Patti Haswell
PTA Secretary | Juliana Schump
PTA VP of Community Programs | Marissa McNulty
Connect with us at PTAWernerElementary@gmail.com
There Is No Wrong Way to PTA. How Do You PTA?
Thank you for supporting the Werner Elementary PTA!
We Need Your Help!
NEWS FROM PSD
PSD school bell schedules to change
March 6, 2024
Dear Poudre School District community:
Board of Education directors voted (5-2) Tuesday night to modify bell schedules at 30 schools. The new times will go into effect at the start of the 2024-25 school year.
This decision preserves busing for students at a time when neighboring districts are cutting services and saves about $1 million in the face of districtwide financial challenges. It is also the first step in a multi-year plan to align bell schedules by grade level, with the goals of saving additional money and expanding busing services in future years.
The board voted to adopt the Scenario A schedule, which was favored by those who took a communitywide survey asking for feedback on two scenarios. Watch the staff presentation and board discussion here: https://youtu.be/5c34J6f4Yfc
As a result, school start and dismissal times will shift by:
Nineteen school schedules will NOT change.
5-10 minutes at 10 schools
11-20 minutes at 13 schools
21-30 minutes at seven schools
See bell times for each school: www.psdschools.org/schools/school-start-dismissal-times
Why this change, why now?
As part of an ongoing commitment to improvement and annual budget development, schools and departments look for ways to prioritize students and operate as efficiently as possible. Working with an outside firm specializing in routing, the Transportation Department determined that it could save money and minimize disruptions to busing services due to staffing shortages through a routing optimization process.
If PSD didn’t optimize and reduce the number of routes, there was a real risk of not being able to run all routes every day. The ongoing, nationwide and local shortage of bus drivers could lead to interruptions in service. Making this change now also results in savings of about $1 million to $1.5 million.
PSD is facing fiscal challenges because of the decline in student enrollment, inflation, and increasing benefits costs. Fewer students mean fewer dollars. In a district where about 85% of a roughly $400 million budget goes to pay for people, any cut is felt acutely, and any savings are even more critical.
What’s next?
The bell schedule changes approved by the board go into effect for the 2024-25 school year. Along with its vote Tuesday, the board also charged staff with looking for even more optimization within the Transportation Department and making districtwide changes to create long-term consistency for our families.
By making steps toward a system where bell times are standardized to the maximum extent possible – as in elementary schools start at the same time, middle schools start at the same time, and high schools start at the same time, PSD could reduce the overall number of bus routes and
drivers currently needed from 122 to about 85.
The hope is that PSD could then offer busing to 100% choice schools for the first time ever; this has not been possible under the current model. Currently, about one in four families choose to send their students to a school other than their neighborhood school, known as School Choice. PSD has historically only been able to provide busing services to neighborhood schools for students who meet certain requirements and for whom transportation is legally required.
Expanding busing services is beneficial for families who might not have the ability to transport their students to a 100% choice school.
We recognize that students, families, staff and community members may face challenges while adjusting to the newly approved bell schedules and appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding in advance.
Sincerely,
Poudre School District
LRP update: Committee making recommendations; board to vote on plan
Dear Poudre School District community:
Here is the latest update about PSD’s long-range planning work, which involves the placement of educational programs, boundary modifications and, likely, school consolidations to address declining student enrollment. This comes after a presentation to the PSD Board of Education at its Jan. 23 meeting.
Who is doing what?
Facilities Planning Steering Committee: Leads this work
- Evaluate data and information and engages the community to develop two to three scenarios for change to address the challenges the district faces
- Make a recommendation to the Board of Education in June 2024
- PSD announces members publicly on Jan. 19. They are volunteers.
- Guided by Colorado State University’s Institute for the Built Environment, an outside facilitator hired by PSD
PSD Staff and Superintendent: Participate by invitation only
- Support the work of the Facilities Planning Steering Committee by providing information and resources to the committee
Board of Education: Decision makers
- Listen to and provide feedback on the recommendations of the Facilities Planning Steering Committee
- Vote to approve any changes to be implemented for the 2025-26 school year
What is the committee’s charge?
- Begin meeting in February 2024. It is starting with a “blank slate.” This means that that committee is not required to move forward with the scenario initially presented by the district in fall 2023.
- Develop two to three scenarios and present these to the PSD Board of Education. The scenarios must address:
- Modification to school attendance areas, including consolidation of schools,
- Buildings in which PSD should not invest more capital dollars, and
- The placement of educational programs.
- Provide public updates on its work in Board of Education meetings in March and April 2024.
- Make recommendations to the board in May 2024
- Board members plan to take action on the committee’s recommendation in June 2024
What is guiding the committee’s work?
At Tuesday’s meeting, the Board of Education established principles to frame the committee’s work, as it develops recommendations.
- Start discussion about consolidation with school buildings that have building utilization around 60-70%.
- Aim for enrollment optimization to minimize the budget size factor. On average, that is about 400 students in an elementary school and 700 students in a middle school, with an average class size of 25. These enrollment totals do not fit all schools or programs.
- Maximize access for all students to schools and academic programs. Consider physical access and proximity to other schools, geographic location, ADA, and curricular demand.
- Maximize program continuity K-12 in terms of school location and at each level.
- Consider data about current and previous school waitlists and be curious about why those waitlists exist. Keep in mind, the reasons a family chooses a school are vast and varied. Consider whether there is potential for program expansion.
- Consider all creative grade configurations (i.e. K-6, K-8 or other school models) to address program demand, create greater building efficiency, and address growing enrollment on the east side of the district.
- Using data from the McKinstry studies, PSD, and other sources, consider all aspects and costs associated with continued use of current district facilities (i.e. efficiency score, ADA compliance, overall condition, operations and maintenance needs, cost to install air conditioning, early childhood, flexibility of space inside building).
- Consider how existing schools, particularly on the west side of the district, can be used in a way that increases their building utilization.
- Consider how boundary modifications could address growing enrollment on the east side of the district, now and in the next five years in lieu of constructing new facilities, which takes time and requires passage of a ballot measure. Ballot measures are outside the scope of this committee.
Keeping you informed: It is vitally important to provide consistent and transparent communication throughout the long-range-planning process. To that end, our community can expect:
- Recordings of presentations made at school board meetings. Watch the Jan. 23 presentation on YouTube at the following link: https://youtu.be/9zWxrfyJNVA
- Written updates following each meeting of the Facilities Planning Steering Committee, leading up to and following the school board’s decision
- Periodic updates to data and information on the Long-Range Planning web section on the PSD website at: www.psdschools.org/long-range-planning
- Have questions? Email longrangeplanning@psdschools.org.
Thank you for your continued partnership as we work together to make necessary changes for the long-term sustainability and vitality of our district.
Sincerely,
Poudre School District
PSD Now Newsletter
One of many ways information is shared is through the PSD Now community newsletter, which features timely information about the latest happenings in the district. This is emailed to families and interested community members about every other Thursday.
Applications for the 2023-24 School Year are Open
We are now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 Free and Reduced Meals program. Please fill out ALL required information in the application. Incomplete applications cannot be processed. Only one application per household is required. Applications may also be picked up at the Child Nutrition Department, 1502 S. Timberline Road.
PSD Free and Reduced Meals Policies | PSD Free and Reduced Meals Policies (Spanish)
NEWS FROM THE COMMUNITY
Werner Elementary School
Email: hcamp@psdschools.org
Website: https://wer.psdschools.org/
Location: 5400 Mail Creek Lane, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Phone: (970) 488-5550
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wernerwildcats/
Twitter: @WernerWildcats