WHES Highlights
Welcome to the 2021-2022 School Year!
Welcome back to another great year at Woodmen Hills Elementary School! We are so excited to begin the year, in person, with all of our Tornadoes!
*We are re-sending this newsletter. All information is exactly the same as originally sent on 7/19/21, but we want to be sure newly enrolled families are informed about all beginning of year events. We also further clarified the Back to School Bash for Kindergarten families (below).
This Highlights newsletter contains all of the information you need to start the year with us! Please read through this information carefully, and please reference our recently updated Family Handbook & Information - the handbook contains processes, procedures, and systems all geared towards your child's entire day with us here at WHES.
We are honored you have chosen us as your partner in education. As your entire world walks our hallways each and every day, always know that we are here FOR you and WITH you as we do whatever it takes for our kids together!
See you soon, Tornadoes!
Bethany Stegman & Amanda Bower
WHES Administration
New WHES Staff Members
Amanda Bower
Learn about Mrs. Bower here!
Nicolette Harmon
Meredith Weatherstone
Emily Hughes
School Registrar
Kacey Unthank
Upcoming Dates
July 30th: Back to School Bash
August 2nd-3rd: Kindergarten Assessment Days
August 3rd: First Day of School for all 1st-5th graders
August 3rd: Kindergarten Classroom Placements Released
August 4th: First Day of School for Kindergarteners with last names beginning with A-M
August 5th: First Day of School for Kindergarteners with last names beginning with N-Z
August 6th: All Kindergarteners at School
August 6th: WHES Spirit Day - wear your Tornado gear!
August 9th: First Day of Preschool
August 12th: Back to School Night
August 13th: Elementary Assessment Day; students attend by appointment only
August 13th: 4:00pm PTA Meeting in the WHES Cafeteria
Classroom Placements
Kindergarten: Watch for an email sent from your child's Kindergarten Teacher on August 3rd introducing themselves and providing important details about the start of the year.
Back to School Bash - July 30th 4:00pm-6:00pm
Kindergarteners won't have classroom placements just yet, but families are welcome to come! You can see WHES, see the Kindergarten wing/hallway and drop off school supplies in the designated area. You can also bring school supplies on your child's first day.
We can't wait to see you, Tornadoes!
August 2nd - Chalk the Walk
First Days of School / School Hours
August 3rd: First Day of School for all 1st-5th graders
- August 4th: First Day of School for Kindergarteners with last names beginning with A-M
- August 5th: First Day of School for Kindergarteners with last names beginning with N-Z
- August 6th: All Kindergarteners at School
- August 9th: First Day of Preschool
School Hours:
Regular, on-time attendance is important for student academic success. Students that are not in school miss out on valuable educational instruction that often cannot be made up. We appreciate your support in getting your child to school on time each day.
Kindergarten: 8:30am - 3:30pm
1st - 5th Grade: 8:30am - 3:40pm
AM Preschool: 8:30 am - 11:30 am
PM Preschool: 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Office Hours 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Breakfast: WHES offers a breakfast program in the cafeteria, and students coming for breakfast may line up outside the main front doors at 8:05am.
Morning Arrival: At 8:15am, outside supervision begins and doors are opened for students to go directly to their classrooms for school to begin at 8:30am. Please do not drop students off at school before this time if they are not eating breakfast.
View the Family Handbook & Information for further arrival and dismissal details, too.
Back to School Night - August 12th
Assessment Day - August 13th
On Friday, August 13th, we will have an Elementary Assessment Day in which students will attend school by appointment only. This is an opportunity for us to begin to measure your child’s progress this school year during the first benchmark assessment timeframe. We will not follow the regular school day schedule on this day. Instead, please view the information in the welcome email sent by your child(ren)'s teacher to schedule an assessment day appointment.
Kindergarten - 2nd grade students will attend in 20-minute appointment slots.
3rd - 5th grade students will attend in 90-minute appointment slots.
All classes should arrive/dismiss at the front, main entrance only. On Assessment Day, you may use the kiss and go lane in the front of the school to drop off your child(ren). Staff members will support getting your child to/from their classroom at their appointment time. At the end of your child(ren)'s appointment, please either drive back through the front kiss and go lane to pick up or walk up to the sidewalk near the main entrance.
Please continue to check this information frequently and as questions arise - as our policies and practices change, we will keep this information updated accordingly.
Annual Student Forms - please complete
The two, annual forms below support your child(ren)'s health and safety while in our care at WHES. Please complete the forms at your earliest convenience, and no later than August 6, 2021.
Annual Family Emergency Contact Form: In an effort to keep your emergency contact information as up-to-date as possible, please fill out the form below. Only one form needs to be completed per family at Woodmen Hills Elementary School. This information is verified and/or updated in our Student Information System (PowerSchool) to ensure we have up-to-date contact information for all students. This information is not used in any other way or uploaded in any other system. If you need to notify us of any legal custody paperwork regarding your child(ren) and/or any current parent/guardians or emergency contacts, please call the main office at 719.495.5500.
Annual Student Health Information Form: Please complete one form per child you have attending Woodmen Hills Elementary School. This confidential information will be shared with school staff on a need-to-know basis, ensuring we have appropriate medical care and response for all students while in our care during the school day. This information will not be shared for any other reason or in any other format.
Thank you for your prompt attention and support!
EmpowerFZ - The Falcon Zone
Falcon Zone has a strong tradition that dates back to 1900. That tradition carries on today with six highly successful schools. Falcon Zone offers the following programs: Academy of Health Sciences, Academy of Finance, Academy of Information and Technology, Air Force JROTC, FBLA, Distributive Education Clubs of America, Link Crew, National Honor Society, Student-to-Student program and many others. The zone offers more than 20 advanced placement and CU Succeed classes. Its schools have performed well on CMAS and SAT. While the Falcon Zone greatly honors tradition, we also embrace that our learners today deserve a different learning experience from yesteryear—one that will prepare them to be successful in our ever-changing world.
Through Empower Falcon Zone (EmpowerFZ), we aim to empower our learners by offering three main things:
- Engaging Environments
- Enhanced Opportunities
- Elevated Instruction
We want our students to have more voice and choice in their education. We desire to cater more to their interests and needs, while at the same time providing them with unique, challenging, expanded and blended learning opportunities. We remain focused in our vision is: We want our students to have more voice and choice in their education. We desire to cater more to their interests and needs, while at the same time providing them with unique, challenging, expanded and blended learning opportunities.
More information regarding EmpowerFZ can be found here ---> https://www.d49.org/falcon-zone. Below are video messages from Sue Holmes, Falcon Zone Leader, designed to provide our community with information in regards to instruction and learning in our Zone.
Community Information
Health Information
Student Medication
If your student has a rescue medication (inhalers, epi-pens) they can be sent in along with their orders/action plans in a plastic bag labeled for the health room when you drop off your child's school supplies. Our Health Room staff will be available for medication drop off for students needing controlled, daily medication to be kept/given at school. A physician's note must accompany all medication students may/will need at school. That form is linked here.
More information can be found here - D49 Nursing Services.
COVID-19 Information
- Masks are not required in Colorado schools
- Ventilation, hand washing, respiratory etiquette, and cleaning and disinfection are all important layers of prevention to keep schools safe that will continue at WHES
- CDPHE has pending school guidance coming soon, including recommendations but not requirements
- Individuals who are ill should stay home, especially if there is known exposure to COVID-19
Nutrition Services
- We are excited to open the Garden Bar for our students. Students will have the opportunity to select fresh fruits and veggies to go with their meals.
- Please keep an eye out for updates regarding the daily menu selections. Due to several shortages and delays, the menu may shift.
- Meals will remain at no cost to students; however, we still encourage you to fill out the free and reduced lunch application to support funding for our school!
Free & Reduced Meal Program
All D49 families are welcome to apply for the federally assisted free and reduced meal program. Many who apply are surprised to discover they qualify. The free and reduced-price meal program provides more than healthy meals for qualifying students, it provides much-needed funds for school districts, and can provide many other benefits to your family as well! Please click here to see if you qualify!
New to District 49? Register and apply online by clicking the link to PaySchools Central
Returning for school year 21-22? Update your D49 PaySchools meal account and re-apply by clicking here. Families must apply annually.
*Paper copies of the application can be picked up and turned in at school as well.
WHES Links & Support
Please continue to check this information frequently and as questions arise.
Woodmen Hills Elementary School
Assistant Principal: Amanda Bower
Dean: Cheryl Curry
Counselor: Sherese Taylor
Website: https://www.d49.org/whes
Location: Woodmen Hills Elementary School, Del Rio Road, Peyton, CO, USA
Phone: (719) 495-5500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Woodmen%20Hills%20Elementary%20School/741910542512976/