BUE Family Newsletter
May 15, 2022
It is hard to believe the end of the year is right around the corner!
Dear Families,
As another school year comes to a close, we would like to take this opportunity to wish all our families a very happy, fun-filled summer! The days are warmer and longer, and there are the plentiful opportunities to be outside and enjoy all the benefits of living in Western Colorado.
We would like to point you to a few LOCAL resources to help you make the most of your summer:
- Garfield County Libraries: Parachute Branch
- May 2022 Parachute Library Programs Handout
- Garfield County Outdoors
- Parachute and Battlement Mesa Park and Rec District
- Park and Rec Newsletters
- Town of Parachute TOP Adventures
- Town of Parachute Summer Events
- Summer Programming with the Garfield County CSU Extension
- Garfield 16 Summer School/Summer Advantage (registration deadline may be extended)
On a housekeeping note, please ensure that we have up-to-date contact information for your family as most school communication happens through e-mail, text, and the school app. Communication with classroom teachers will continue through Tuesday Folders next year.
We are all very proud of your children and would like to congratulate them on completing another successful school year. You can be very proud of them and how they represent you, their families and their school on a daily basis.
We will look forward to welcoming everyone back in the fall on Tuesday August 23rd to begin another school year full of educational activities and learning opportunities.
Take a Virtual Field Trip In Colorado
Summer trips can provide unforgettable memories and experiences. However, trips can be stressful, time consuming, and expensive. Weather is an added factor to consider with outdoor events such as hiking in a National Park. One alternative to packing lunches, loading the family vehicle, and buying gas/tickets is a virtual field trip. These online explorations can awaken your child’s love of history, science, nature, etc. Virtual field trips also provide a way for your child to explore places that may be inaccessible.
If you want to add adventure and learning your summers, take a look at these virtual field trips in Colorado. If time and resources allow, follow-up with an in-person trip to explore in greater depth and detail!
To add engagement to a virtual fieldtrip, consider having your student journal about the Virtual Trip! You can download a free Field Trip Journal from this site.
Colorado Virtual Educational Field Trips
ART
Denver Art Museum (Denver)
Fred Harman Art Museum (Pagosa Springs)
Fremont Center for the Arts (Canon City)
Magic Town (Michael Garman Gallery - Colorado Springs)
Kirkland Museum (Denver)
HISTORY
Amache National Historic Site (Granada)
Bent's Old Fort (La Junta)
Museums of Western Colorado (Grand Junction)
History Colorado (Denver)
Ute Indian Museum (Montrose)
University of Northern Colorado Virtual Fieldtrip Library (Greeley)
- Georgetown’s Historic Houses (Georgetown)
- Georgetown’s Historic Stores Georgetown)
- McBroom Cabin (Littleton)
- Bemis House (Littleton)
- Larimer Square (Downtown Denver)
- Denver’s Historic Downtown (Union Station and Downtown Denver)
- The Lebanon Silver Mine (Georgetown and Silver Plume)
- Denver’s Historic Civic Center (Denver)
- Denver’s Historic Uptown District (Denver)
- Colorado Indians Tour One (Montrose)
Hovenweep National Monument (near Cortez)
Old Spanish Trail National Historic Trail (multiple sites in Colorado)
Pony Express National Historic Trail (Northeastern Colorado)
Mesa Verde National Park (near Cortez)
Sand Creek Massacre Historic Site (near Eads)
Sante Fe Trail National Historic Trail (Southeastern Colorado)
Yucca House National Monument (near Cortez)
California Gold Rush National Historic Trail (Various locations in NorthEastern Colorado)
SCIENCE
Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs)
Denver Zoo (Denver)
Rocky Mountain National Park (Estes Park)
Castlewood Canyon (Franktown)
Roxborough Park (Roxborough)
Rifle Falls (Rifle)
Black Canyon of the Gunnison (Montrose)
Great Sand Dunes National Park (Mosca)
Colorado National Monument (Grand Junction and Fruita)
Curecanti National Recreation Area (Gunnison)
Dinosaur National Monument (Dinosaur)
Florissant Fossils Beds National Monument (Florissant)
Colorado State Fish Hatcheries (Rifle and across Colorado)
Denver Museum of Nature and Science (Denver)
SOCIAL STUDIES
Colorado State Capitol (Denver)
The Money Museum (Colorado Springs)
US Mint Denver (Denver)
Some information taken from Year Round Homeschooling with Misty Leask: Colorado Virtual Field Trips, which uses affiliate links to Virtual fieldtrips across the State of Colorado.
In addition to Virtual Field Trips, here are some other great ideas for your summer!
Colorado's Scenic and Historic Byways
Colorado's National Parks, Monuments, Heritage Sites, and Outdoor Adventures Galore
- SUPER COOL: Google Earth Tours of 3 Colorado National Parks!
- Guide to Colorado's National Parks
- Guide to Colorado's National Monuments
- Guide to Colorado's National Heritage Areas
- 10 Magical Outdoor Adventures in Colorado
- 8 Unforgettable Summer Activities in Colorado
- BLM Programs for Children - Colorado Programs
- Every Kid Outdoors Program (free National Park Passes for 4th Graders)
- Forest Service Kids Pages
Take a Train Ride with your Family
Enjoy an Outdoor Adventure in one of Colorado Many State Parks!
In addition, Colorado Parks and Wildlife partnered with Agents of Discovery, an educational mobile gaming platform, to create virtual reality trail missions at 13 state parks.
- Turn an ordinary hike into a learning adventure! Activity Backpacks are available for check out at select state parks
UPCOMING END OF YEAR EVENTS AT BUE
5th Grade Transition Day
3rd Grade Living Museum Night
Field Day
BUE Field Day May 24th
Parents are invited to join us for field day!
We are excited to spend the day outside. We will have 19 game stations for students outside on the field and playground. Please plan on being outdoors for the entire day...and with any luck, we will get a little wet (the Fire Department may be joining us with their water hoses!). Some things that you might need include:
Hat
Tennis Shoes
Sunscreen
Plenty of Water
Clothes that can get dirty and wet
SCHEDULE:
8:30 -11:00 am Outdoor games - all grades.
11:00 - 1:00 Classroom lunch will be at normal times on this day.
You can choose to eat inside or outside for field day
Lunches will be packed in bins like they normally are - we are eating hamburgers
Classes will eat at normal times
2nd grade will eat at 11:05
3rd and 5th grades will eat at 11:35
4th grade will eat at 12:05
Parents may order and prepay ($4.25) for a school lunch (Hamburger) for themselves by May 20th.
1:00 - 3:00 Staff vs 5th grade kickball game. 2nd - 4th grades will be cheering them on and competing for prizes.
****Quick reminder: All parents who participate in school events during the school day are required to have a current background check on file. All parents must check in at the Office and have a Visitor Sticker.
School Awards on May 25
Our Annual Awards Ceremony will be May 25 and Parents are invited to attend.
Who: Teachers, Students, and Parents
What: End of Year awards including Terrific Kids
When: May 25
Where: BUE GYM
Times:
- 8:15 to 9:15 a..m. for 2nd and 3rd Grade
- 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. for 4th and 5th Grade
Awards
*April and May Terrific Kids will be awarded for all classes* Citizenship Award - One student (all grades)
* Leader of the Year (5th grade)
* Sylvia Cloud Award for student with the most reading growth (5th grade only)
* Presidential Excellence and Achievement Awards - 5th grade teachers only :)
* NWEA Growth Awards for Math and Reading for all classes
If you have any questions about the BUE Annual Awards Ceremony, please call the office at (970) 285-5703 or ask your student's teacher.
Read Plan Goals and Retention Meetings
Mandatory Retention Meetings are required for all students on Read Plans
Letter to All BUE Families with students on READ Plans
Research demonstrates that students not reading proficiently by the end of third grade are four times more likely to not finish high school. Third grade marks an important turning point, when the focus shifts from learning to read to reading to learn. During this transition, students spend less time learning new reading skills and are instead learning new content and concepts that the reading conveys.
There are serious implications to a student’s likelihood of graduating from high school when reading competency is not achieved by third grade. Therefore, under the READ Act when a child has an SRD, the parent, the student’s teacher, and other personnel are required to meet and consider retention as an intervention strategy. The intention of the meeting is to determine whether the student, despite having an SRD, is able to maintain adequate academic progress at the next grade level.
If your child is on a READ Act, please call the BUE office to schedule a retention meeting!
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.