Cache La Poudre Middle School

Cache La Poudre Middle School is an amazing little school located on the edge of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Our small size of 400 students and staff has allowed us to become a community of learners where every student is known and valued as an individual. Our dedicated staff has committed themselves to an innovative teaching style and spirit which embraces the future but still respects our past traditions.

Cache La Poudre Middle School is a school where respect, rigor, relevance, responsibility and relationships drive learning.

Cache La Poudre Middle School is a safe, high performing school where students learn, work and grow with an experienced and dedicated staff.
Why should you choose CLP?

Hewlett Fire Information

Information about the Hewlett Fire can be found here.

Cancellations and postponements.

The dance which was scheduled for Friday, May 18th has been postponed until Friday, May 25th.
6th grade field trip has been cancelled.
Track practice is cancelled for Friday, May 18th
6th grade track meet has been rescheduled for Thursday, May 24th.

The community of Cache La Poudre Middle School would like to thank the following groups for their help in dealing with the Hewlett Gulch Fire; American Red Cross, Salvation Army, US Forest Service, Humane Society, Bob’s Coffee Shop, Larimer County Sheriff's Department, Poudre School District Food Service, and all the individuals who are donating their time and resources to support the families from our school who are affected by the fire.

National Columbine Poetry Contest Winner!

Julia Schmidt is the national winner (yes, all 50 states!) of the Columbine Poetry Contest. You may recall that Lachlan Yahn won for the state of Colorado and Julia and Casey Robertson were Honorable Mention. All three poems were submitted to the national contest, and Julia is the big winner! Be sure to congratulate her! Read her poem.

CLP Middle School Accepted as a Candidate School for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program

Cache La Poudre Middle School is a candidate school* for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. Our school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Cache La Poudre Middle School believes is important for our students.

CLP Newsletter

The newsletter is published every quarter. We will be publishing the newsletter online this year. If you would like to receive the next newsletter via email please submit your information here.
4th Quarter (May 2012) Newsletter

Stay up to date with CLP news! Follow these instructions to sign up:
Parents are encouraged to keep phone numbers, addresses, and emergency contact information updated throughout the school year. Provide your email for emergency notifications and communication via email, sign up at www.psdschools.org > Email Alert Sign-up (found on the slideshow at the top of the page), then click on More. This will also enable you to receive the CLP monthly newsletter and other important information from us.

Mr. and Ms. CLP Recognized

The following students were nominated for the Mr. & Ms. CLP Award:
Mr. CLP: Keaton Bartlett, Caiden Boyt, Dillon Foster, Parker Gradisar-Jansen, Caleb Maxey, Chase Morley, Ben Oldemeyer, Ben West
Ms. CLP: Koy Ecton, Annelise Sherman, Madeline Towbin, Sydney Wewerka

The winners are: Dillon Foster (Mr. CLP) and Koy Ecton (Ms. CLP). Congratulations to all who were nominated and to the winners!

8th Grade Awards Ceremony

Dozens of students were recognized at the 8th grade awards ceremony on May 10th. See the complete list of all the recipients.

Spirit Week - May 14-18, 2012

Monday, May 14th – “Paint and Polish Day” (face paint and finger/toenail polish) – Since Monday is the day that staff and students sometimes forget, we will have some extra face paint on hand for a quick green CLP or a purple butterfly, etc. (Mr. Loughlin may be willing to share fingernail polish tips with you!)

Tuesday, May 15th – “Fake an Injury Day” – bandages, slings, Band-Aids, fake cast – as long as they don’t interfere with writing, playing an instrument, etc.

Wednesday, May 16th – International Day – represent the country of your ancestors, or any country of interest to you, with your clothing and hats (such as French berets and Mexican sombreros).

Thursday, May 17th – Rockies Day – Rockies or CLP wear – hats are allowed/encouraged IF you are going to the Rockies game, but not in school.

Friday, May 18th – Beach Day (Hawaiian shirts, sandals, etc.) – must follow CLP dress code – covered from shoulders to mid-thigh, etc.

From the Assistant Principal…

Dear CLP Parent Community,
I wanted to share with each of you that I will be leaving CLPMS at the end of this school year and moving up to Washington state. I have accepted a middle school principal position with a district about one hour south of Seattle. This opportunity is very exciting for me, both personally and professionally. For those who don't know, I have a very large extended family up in the Seattle area and have been feeling a strong pull to have my four kids closer to their aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandma! This will also be a wonderful chance for me to grow as an educator in this new leadership role.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my four years at CLP while helping to educate each of your children! I will miss the students, parents, and teachers very much and wish you all great future success.
Mr. Caddoo and I will continue to “steer the 'ol Pirate ship” with strong leadership over the last month of school. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or stop in.
Sincerely, Mark Barnes

From the Principal…

Greetings Pirates and Happy May. Even without the April showers, my allergies tell me that we do have May flowers. The year is quickly winding down and I want to thank everyone again for their support and trust this year in our workings with your children. It is indeed a pleasure to be a part of the CLP community and your involvement helps make it all happen. Read More.

Science Olympiad Team Travels to State Competition

Cache La Poudre's Science Olympiad Team competed in the State Competition held on April 21, 2012 at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden. It was a long, adventurous day during which the team of 15 not only competed in 23 different science-related events but also had the opportunity to freely explore the campus and visit the Geology Museum. The Science Olympiad participants represented CLP well after working hard studying and building during the last few months. Please take time to congratulate the following students in their hard work: Adam Benjamin, Brennan Coslett, Mateo Ell, Ethan Farkas, Claire Hayhow, Ben Holzworth, Davey Mares, Austin O'Keefe, Jake Pritchett, Talon Reed, Bentina Salumu, Moana Sargent, Hunter Schreiner, Tom Stroup, Lachlan Yahn

Standards-Based Grading Update

The purpose of this communication is to further explain details related to Standards-Based Grading and how it impacts your child and the reporting of grades. Next year at CLPMS, all students will receive two separate grades in each class. (Content Knowledge and Work Habits) This system aligns with CLP’s commitment to provide rigorous curriculum for all students that meet state and national standards-based requirements. All PSD middle schools will be using the standards based grading format this next year. Many districts around Colorado have utilized this system for several years, and schools throughout the country have been using similar systems for over a decade. This document explains how Content Knowledge Grades and Work Habits Grades will be determined and reported. This system of grading and reporting will communicate more effectively your child’s mastery of district/state content standards and the development of student work habits.
Read More

IB Updates - January 2012

To become an International Baccalaureate (IB) school requires several phases over a three year period. We are currently in Academic Year 1. This is the Consideration Phase/Request for Candidacy. During this phase, schools prepare the Application for Candidacy, designate a coordinator, and send staff to IB authorized workshops. We have already sent several staff members to workshops and will are planning on sending additional staff to workshops in the spring and summer of 2012. The Application for Candidacy is due April 1, 2012. Next year (2012-2013) is Academic Year 2. This is the Candidate Phase/Request for Authorization. During this phase we begin trial implementation of the program and work with an IB-appointed consultant. Also, during this phase we prepare an Application for Authorization. Academic Year 3 will occur during the 2013-2014 school year. This is the Candidate Phase/Verification Visit. The Application for Authorization is submitted. Upon acceptance of the Application for Authorization, a visit from IB is made to verify that the school has taken all the necessary actions and is prepared to become an IB World School.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Information

Cache La Poudre Middle School began its consideration of the International Baccalaureate’s Middle Years Program (MYP) in May of 2010. The faculty began training in June of 2010 and implementing MYP strategies throughout the 2010–2011 school year. What is the Middle Years IB Program (MYP)?

2011-2012 School Unified Improvement Plan

School Accountability Committee (SAC)
This committee meets at least four times a year, once per quarter. Their task is to review and approve the school improvement plan and oversee the resource management of our student based budgeting. All positions are reviewed annually and future membership will take place through an application process that has been created by Poudre School District.
1st Quarter 2011-12 Report

School Planners

Every CLP Middle School student is required to have a school planner and carry it with them to all classes. School planners will be available in the front office beginning August 10th. Planners are priced at $7.00 and include information pertinent to CLP Middle School. This is the same price that we pay for the planners. We strongly encourage all students to purchase their planners through the office before school starts.

Sports Fees

Sports participation fees are $75/sport for athletes in grades 7–8 and $100/sport for athletes in grades 9–12, with a family maximum of $300 per year. Fees are higher for home-schooled, private school, and charter school students participating on PSD athletic teams. Information: (970) 490-3106

Dances

The doors will always open at 7:00 pm, so please DO NOT drop your student off before then. The doors will be locked at 7:15 pm, so if a student will be late, they must make prior arrangements with the office. Once a student leaves the dance, they will not be allowed back into the dance. Dress should be middle school age appropriate. Please pick up your student no later than 9:00 pm. Any student remaining on campus past 9:15 p.m. will not be able to attend our next dance. Parents are always welcome and encouraged to help chaperone the dances.

CLP Schools Moving Forward With
International Baccalaureate (IB)

We would like to thank all of the staff, parents and community members who attended our Branding Committee meetings and community information nights this spring. After reviewing our community survey data and discussing the outcomes of our meetings, the CLP staffs have unanimously decided to begin the process of becoming a Primary Years International Baccalaureate Program at CLPE and a Middle Years International Baccalaureate Program at CLPMS. Staff training will begin this summer and we are excited to begin this journey to continually improve the teaching and learning at CLP Schools. This year we began creating a PreK-8 campus through various student and staff activities and will continue that pursuit in the years to come. We look forward to this process as we facilitate the 21st Century learning for our students.

The IB authorization is a three to five year process which has been started, and those strategies will be implemented as we work toward formal authorization from the International Baccalaureate Program.

This is an exciting time for us and our school community. We look forward to becoming a part of the Poudre School District IB community, as it has proven to provide the highest levels of instruction and learning for all students. Please join us as we begin our next journey as Pirates on our voyage to Educate Every Child, Every Day.

Roxann Hall (Principal - CLP Elementary School)
Skip Caddoo (Principal - CLP Middle School)

What is the Middle Years IB Program (MYP)?

Lunch Information

Lunch prices for the 2011- 2012 school year are:
Secondary                               $2.30
Reduced                                       .40
Adult (with 8 oz milk)                  3.00
Milk                                              .45
Breakfast                                  1.25

Food service provides many nutritional meal choices, online credit card fee starts Sept. 1

Nutritious lunches and many meal choices are provided daily at all schools. Some schools provide breakfast. Prices vary at secondary schools for a la carte items. Lunch menus are posted on the PSD website at www.psdschools.org and in school newsletters.

On September 1, PSD Child Nutrition Services will implement an online payment fee of $1 per online transaction to cover the cost of credit card fees associated with the online payment of school meals. This fee will only apply to families using the online payment service. Parents will still have free online access to their child’s account and be able to get free activity reports.

Lunch program available to qualifying families
Applications for the federal free and reduced-price school lunch program were mailed home to all heads of households in late July/early August. Students participating in the program during the previous school year may be automatically enrolled in the program for the first 30 days of school. Parents must submit a new family application each school year and are required to complete only one application per household. The application may be returned to a school or to the Food Service Office. Identity of students participating is kept strictly confidential.

Eligible families should complete and return the form even if they do not plan to participate in the lunch program. Students who qualify for the federal free and reduced-price school lunch program are also exempt from other fees and charges. A letter of eligibility for free and reduced-price meals will be sent to the parents/guardians of qualifying students. An information release form will be included with the eligibility letter. Complete the information release form and return it to your school office. Information: (970) 490-3557.

Change in Lunch Payment Policy

In order to speed the lunch lines and enhance the "dining experience" for our students during lunch, we are requesting that students pay money into their school account in the morning or during the day at the front office, instead of making change during busy lunch time. We are also requesting that if students do wish to pay cash for lunch that they have exact change available.

LaPorte Schools Envision
New Collaborative Future

In our quest to continue providing the highest quality education to the students in the community of LaPorte and outlying areas, the administrators and staff at Cache La Poudre Elementary and Middle schools are considering significant changes in the way the schools operate. This is an exciting process as both school communities investigate various educational options and opportunities to address the needs of each school. We are coming together to address three important issues: 1) providing rigorous, competitive curriculum and instruction. 2) reducing expenses, and 3) increasing enrollment.

An option at the forefront of discussion is increased collaboration between the elementary and the middle school to create a more unified K-8 campus. This unique partnership may allow us to share facilities and staffing, to create efficiencies in transportation, food services, and office space, to streamline instruction and provide improved special education support. We are currently in the process of garnering input from the community as we research and discuss several instructional and curricular programs such as Project – Based Learning (PBL), Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Core Knowledge.

This is a challenging period of transformation in public education. Our staffs are excited as we look forward to meet the academic, social and emotional needs of the children in LaPorte and neighboring areas. Cache La Poudre alumni have always gone on to serve our country in ways we cannot count, and we plan to continue preparing students to be productive citizens and community leaders in perpetuity.

Student Attire (Dress Code)

We expect students to wear clothing that promotes a positive, safe, productive, and learning-focused school environment. With this in mind, please adhere to the following requirements when choosing how to dress each day:
1. No pajamas, lounge wear, slippers, or other bedroom attire may be worn to school.
2. Under clothing cannot be visible, including underwear, bra straps, and shorts worn under pants. (Sagging pants will not be allowed. Pants must be worn at the student’s waistline.)
3. Shoulders, stomachs, armpits, and chests must be covered. Students cannot wear spaghetti straps, tank tops, open-mesh, see-through clothing, “muscle” shirts, or low cut tops.
4. Students may not wear ripped or torn clothing.
5. Short shorts or skirts are not allowed. Shorts and skirts must extend to mid-thigh, or the student’s fingertips when arms are hung straight down with relaxed shoulders (whichever is lower).
6. Clothing advertising or promoting guns, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, violence, gang related activities, or sex, or which offends, threatens or demeans others is not allowed. (This includes gang tattoos on the skin.)
7. No hats or sunglasses may be worn by students during school hours.
8. Metal chains on wallets are not allowed.

*Students wearing clothing that violates any of these requirements will be asked to call their parents to bring them appropriate clothing.

*For students who violate CLP’s dress code multiple times, a parent conference may be scheduled and/or detention and In School Suspension will be assigned.

Personal Security

Electronic Equipment – We strongly encourage students not to bring Ipods, cell phones, or any other electronic equipment to school. We do not allow students to use these during the school day at any time. Equipment will be confiscated if seen. This equipment is small and is easily stolen and very rarely retrieved. Therefore, we ask that you do not bring this equipment to school; if you do so it is at your own risk.

Attendance

It is extremely vital that your student be at school. Colorado school law requires that students attend and that it is the parents’ responsibility to have their student attend school until the age of 17. Colorado law states that secondary students must attend school for 1056 hours out of 1080 hours. This equals four days of absences. You will be notified if your student has more than four days of absences. Students must have all absences excused through the attendance office. You may call our 24-hour attendance line at 490-3087 or our attendance clerk at 488-7405. If the parent does not notify the school of their students’ absence, then the school will contact the parent to verify the students’ absence.

*Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its three academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), or the Diploma Programme (and in addition the IB Career-related Certificate). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit http://www.ibo.org