Eagle Crest Family Newsletter
September 8, 2022
Principal's Message
Hello Eagle Crest Families!
This has been a wonderful, and very warm week here at Eagle Crest! For me it has included a busy mix of classroom visits, a lively PTO Coffee with the Principal event, and meaningful staff learning and collaboration during our Late Start Wednesday. As always, time spent with your children brings me the most joy, and I am fortunate every day to walk the halls, enjoy the playground, and learn in the classroom alongside them.
At our PTO meeting I shared with families some of the systems and structures we have in SVVSD and here at Eagle Crest to address student safety. As a parent and an educator, this is top of my mind, as I am sure it is for all of you. Our district safety practices are aligned with the Standard Response Protocol used throughout Colorado. Below you will find a parent handout that outlines the specific drills that we practice at school and how we plan for and respond to situations in the school setting. Even more information is available on their website at https://iloveuguys.org/. Please reach out if you have any questions. I am always happy to chat more about this.
I hope you have a great (and slightly cooler) weekend!
Warmly,
Amanda
Amanda Holden
Principal
Eagle Crest Elementary School
PS- I am so grateful to our community for continuing to support our schools so that the school district can make thoughtful and meaningful investments in infrastructure and operations. As you know, some neighboring school districts had to cancel class or shorten the school day in response to the recent heat. We are fortunate for the pragmatic and forward thinking approach to updating and maintaining our HVAC systems so that we are able to continue teaching and learning.
Dean of Students' Message
Hello Eagle Crest Families!
We are wrapping up our push to get as many families as possible signed up for iPad Insurance. Next week is the deadline to opt-in, and this small fee of $25 will help protect your family from a costly bill in the future. Accidents do happen and replacements for lost or damaged iPads are upwards of $525.
You can pay this fee through your Infinite Campus Parent Portal. This account is your go-to for updating your contact information, accessing report cards, signing the Code of Conduct, and paying fees.
To access this account on this website:
https://ic.svvsd.org/campus/portal/parents/stvrain.jsp
If you do not know your Parent Username, please contact the front office and we can look it up for you!
If you have forgotten your Password, you can use the Forgot My Password button or contact the front office for assistance.
You can learn more about Infinite Campus here: English / Spanish
There is also a translated walkthrough video with step-by-step instructions on how to find and accept parent permissions and where to locate fees.
If you cannot pay the whole fee today, you can opt-in by sending in as little as $1 and pay the remainder of the fee throughout the school year.
All the best,
Lindsey Cheney
Dean of Students
Eagle Crest Elementary School
Upcoming Dates
September 14th - Proto’s Pizza Fundraising Night
September 16th - Welcome Back to School Picnic, 5:00pm - 7:30pm
September 21st - School Picture Day
October 6th, 10th, 12th - Family / Teacher Conferences
October 14th and 17th - Conference Exchange Days - NO SCHOOL
Code of Conduct
30% of families have completed their acknowledgement of their Code of Conduct in Infinite Campus. Help us get to 100% by completing the steps below.
Every year St. Vrain Valley Schools prints an up-to-date version of the Code of Conduct for students and families to review. This important document informs students and their families about the expectations for school conduct and the consequences for behaviors outside of those expectations. It is important that families review this information every year and acknowledge their receipt and understanding of this document.
Please click here to access an electronic version of the Code of Conduct. After you have reviewed this information, all families must sign an electronic acknowledgement that they have received, read, and understand the information contained. To sign your electronic acknowledgement, please follow the steps described here.
PTO Update
Dear Eagle Crest Families,
Thank you to those who attended our first Coffee with the Principal & PTO meeting Tuesday morning. Meeting minutes and current financial report are available here if you missed the meeting. We will meet again outside the office next month on Tuesday, Oct. 4th at 8:45 a.m.
Funding Update: Last week's vote to fund the 4th grade field trip buses and HawkQuest presentation passed unanimously.
Teacher & Staff Gratitude Fundraiser: This month, we are raising money for our staff appreciation fund. Donations are collected at the beginning of the school year so that we can spoil the 55 hardworking ECES staff throughout the year. All funds collected this month are used this school year (This is not a roll-over account.) Cash/check envelopes are coming home in this week's Thursday folders. Online donations are accepted here. We suggest a $10 per student donation, but welcome any amount from your family.
Upcoming PTO Events (full calendar):
Protos Restaurant Fundraiser All Day - Wednesday, Sept. 14th
Welcome Back to School Picnic - Friday, September 16th 5-7:30 PM (Pre-order pizza by Monday, September 12th)
Kona Ice Fundraiser - Friday, Sept. 23rd after school on Clover Basin
Pre-K & Kindergarten Family Playdate at Castle Park - Friday, Sept. 30th from 3:15-4:15 pm
Current Volunteer Opportunities here.
Take care,
Jenn Pensy, PTO president
Visit us online at www.EagleCrestPTO.com
Proto’s Restaurant Night Fundraiser
Wednesday, September 14th from 11:30 AM - 8 PM
iPad Insurance
There is one week left to sign-up for iPad Insurance! Avoid a costly bill for any damage that happens at home or school by opting-in for as little as $1.
MORE INSURANCE DETAILS (English Version)
Mwebaza Update
What’s happening in Uganda and Colorado!
Mwebaza Annex Club at Eagle Crest! 3rd - 5th grade!
Purpose: A leadership opportunity for students in 3rd - 5th grade who would like to participate in planning, organizing and leading our sister school activities and projects this year. Our focus is on cross-cultural exchange between the two schools, learning about current global issues and how they affect us in Colorado and our friends in Uganda, and fundraising projects that support self sufficiency and sustainability in our Uganda communities.
On Friday, September 9th, all 3rd - 5th grade students will see a slide show about our partnership with the Mwebaza Foundation and our sister school. They will also learn about the Mwebaza Annex Club and if interested will be bringing home a flyer explaining the club with a registration form included. Below is an online link to sign up for the club. You can sign up online or on the registration form. The meetings will be before school once a month. The first meeting is September 21st at 7:45am in the 3rd/4th grade pod. Email hillari@mwebaza.org if you have any questions.
online form - Mwebaza Annex Club
School in Uganda!
The Uganda school year is different from our school year in the United States. Students in primary school start school in January of each year. They attend school for 3 terms. After the 1st and 2nd term they have about a 3-4 week break. After Term 3, which ends in December they are usually off until the end of January. During Covid there was no school at all for almost 2 years. So this year, 2022, they added some more learning time into their school year to support students that needed more time to get caught up for the missed years.
This year Term 3 started on September 5th and will end on December 9th. When school ends in December many families that live in towns and cities return to their original villages where they gather with family members and celebrate the holidays and being together.
Primary school is similar to Elementary school. Students can start at 3 years of age and can attend “baby class”, “middle class” and “top class”, which to us would be preschool and kindergarten. After that they attend P1 (primary one) up to P7 (primary seven). When students finish primary school they can apply to secondary schools. Boarding schools are very common in Uganda and many secondary students choose to attend a boarding school. Day programs are also offered. Secondary school lasts for 6 years. ( Senior 1 - Senior 6)
Gifted & Talented Referrals
Each year, schools in St. Vrain Valley School District complete a process to identify students who demonstrate exceptional ability or performance in one or more academic areas and may, therefore, qualify for Gifted/Talented educational services. These students usually perform at least two years above grade level in their strength area(s), and they require additional academic challenges in order to support their continued educational growth and progress. In addition, they usually demonstrate characteristics of unique creativity and high motivation in their strength areas.
Referrals are open through the month of September and will close on September 30th. Completing a referral guarantees a review of the student profile to determine if testing is recommended for the student. The process for identification requires a body of evidence and often takes place throughout the entire school year.
The process takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. You can access the online referral process here.
Please contact Lindsey Cheney, cheney_lindsey@svvsd.org for more information.
100 Mile Club
100 Mile Club started this week! Students who participate will run/walk on the track before school from 7:45-8:15 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Parents are welcome to run/walk with their children. We will track the miles they run and there are prizes for reaching each 25 mile mark. The first running/walking opportunity will be Tuesday, September 6. Running with friends is a great way to start the day!
All students and grade levels are welcome to join!
Handchime Choir for 4th & 5th Grade
It is time to kick off our Handchime Choir! To join the Handchime Choir students must be in 4th or 5th grade. There is a maximum of 40 members, and they will be selected on a first-come first-serve basis by having families fill out and sign this form: https://forms.gle/ZiSZjj819RCQJCMZ6
Rehearsals will be Thursday mornings from 7:30-8:30am. Student's may not miss more than 2 rehearsals to be able to perform in the fall concert. There will be two concerts throughout the year, one in the fall and one in the spring. We will reopen registration in January so you can decide whether you'd like to stay for the spring or not.
Rehearsals:
September: 9/22, 9/29
October: 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27
November: 11/10, 11/17
December: 12/8
Silver Creek Cheer Camp
Lunch Menu & Color Day Schedule
Add Money to your Child’s School Breakfast & Lunch Account
MySchoolBucks is the website you want to access in order to add funds to your child’s account for purchasing breakfast, lunch, or milk at school. This system will send you reminders and can manage the account of multiple students. Money can also be sent to school by check or cash. Please label any checks or cash with the students first name, last name, and teacher.
If you haven’t yet, you can apply for Free & Reduced meals to see if your family qualifies for free meals. Applying for Free & Reduced lunch will help manage fees (like iPad Insurance or sports) and also helps our school receive additional funds and services. We encourage all families to complete the application.
About Us
Email: holden_amanda@svvsd.org
Website: eces.svvsd.org
Location: 4444 Clover Basin Drive, Longmont, CO, USA
Phone: 303-485-6073
Facebook: facebook.com/eaglecrestes
Twitter: @eaglecrestes
Questions?
Need support in Spanish?
Contact Natalie Boggess at: boggess_natalie@svvsd.org , 303-702-7872
OR
Fiorella Martinez at: martinez_maria@svvsd.org , 303-702-7896