| Attendance Line Number - 490-3062 | September 3, 2004 |
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| Attendance Line Number - 490-3062 | September 3, 2004 |
Many, many thanks to all of the parents who have made at least three trips to school this fall (Open House, Parent Conferences, and Curriculum Nights.) In addition, so many of you are coming to help out in other ways. Next Tuesday is the first PTO meeting. All parents are invited to attend and participate in making service projects and fundraisers highly successful. Our PTO contributes nearly $30,000 to help enrich every aspect of our school environment. With funding for schools so tight, we cannot adequately express our thanks to PTO for all of their efforts and to the incredible response of our parent community. Many of the learning experiences, small group or individualized instruction, and professional training would not occur without your support.
Below is a brief summary of the major expenditures for 2003-04 as a result of PTO's funding:
$5820 Support teacher requests for classroom instruction $7420 Provide an extensive Enrichment Program for all students $5000 Provide additional support and materials to Media/Technology Center $1590 Support for school-wide assemblies that expand specific areas of the curriculum and school-wide initiatives $1700 Provide support for staff to attend conferences $4240 Expand services in the Literacy area
We are actively in the process of training students for safety procedures. Your child may be talking about Fire and Lockdown drills. Parents of young children may need to further explain why we do Lockdown Drills. We try not to frighten them and will give them information that is appropriate for their age. Our first two fire drills were outstanding! By the second one, we had all students in a safe location and accounted for within 2 1/2 minutes! We appreciate your support in helping your child understand these safety procedures.
There are many opportunities for parents and students to take an active part in our school community. We invite you to participate as often as you can; most of these events are described in our newsletters. We want all students, their families, the staff and the community to feel a strong sense of belonging to the Shepardson community. We value each person's strengths and contributions to help our school provide the best learning and growing opportunities for tomorrow's leaders...our students...your children! We thank you for all you can do to be an active player in the educational program for all of the Shepardson students! Parents do indeed make a difference!
Have a wonderful holiday weekend with your family!
| - | Mary Kay Sommers |
| email: msommers@psd.k12.co.us |
| CALENDAR | September 03, 2004 |
| SEPTEMBER 2004 | SEPTEMBER 2004 | ||||
| 6 | Mon | Labor Day - NO SCHOOL | 8 | Wed | Parent Conferences (grade 1) 3:30 - 8:00 pm |
| 7 | Tue | Parent Conferences (grade 1) 3:30 - 8:00 pm | 9 | Thu | Parent Conferences (grade 1) 3:30 - 8:00 pm |
| 7 | Tue | PTO Pod Rep Meeting; 6:00 pm in Media Center | 9 | Thu | Back to School Ice Cream Social 6:30 - 7:30 pm |
| 7 | Tue | PTO Meeting 7:00 pm in Media Center | 9 | Thu | 6th Grade Curriculum Night 6:00 - 7:00 pm |
The SIT Committee took a unanimous vote to revise the School Handbook every three years and change the policy to prohibit dogs allowed on school property during school hours, effective starting with the 2004-2005 school year. The number of dogs being brought to school or seen on the grounds during school hours has noticeably increased. It is in the best interest and safety for the children that we request parents no longer bring their dogs on the school grounds during school hours. Also please remember to clean up after your pet if you choose to bring them on property during non-school hours.
Summer Upgrades
The district is in the process of replacing all the old magnetic light ballasts and T-12 tubes with electronic ballasts and T-8 tubes. They used student helpers to perform this work to keeps the costs down. Overall, each school will get a new lighting system and PSD saves energy.
The budget for the Shepardson lighting project was $16,500. This money is from a designated part of the district Utilities Budget. The intention is to fund improvements to utility areas that have a 3-5 year payback in energy savings. This fund has been in existence for about 10 years and in addition to lighting projects, we have funded upgrades to energy management systems and water systems (such as converting irrigation to raw water).
This week we are distributing the revised Shepardson Handbook 2004-2007 for your use for the next THREE years. We ask that you use it as a reference for the policies and procedures we use at Shepardson. It will also be available on the Shepardson website. A Table of Contents is designed to help you find a specific area of interest. Below are some of the articles most frequently sought. Let us know if there is other information you would hope we would include in the future.
Shepardson Choir will be starting practices on Tuesday, October 5th under the direction of our Music Director Mrs. Caren Everett. Choir is open to all fifth and sixth graders who like to sing. We meet every Tuesday and Thursday mornings in the Music Room from 7:45 a.m. to 8:25 a.m. Watch for information sheets coming home with all fifth and sixth graders on September 17th describing this program.
With this newsletter is the fall Youth Program & Activity Guide. Representatives from youth serving organizations appealed and received support from the District Advisory Board (DAB) and permission from principals to send home, 3 times a year, a stapled packet with "registration form fliers" to promote non-profit organizations' activities. The dates for the flier packets to be sent home with elementary students are:
The new guidelines are designed to reduce the number of fliers coming home with children. Only those that support Shepardson or district functions will be allowed. Non-profits can bring in fliers and place them in the magazine rack on the wall between the office and the Media Center. We will not be advertising in our newsletter either for non-profit groups. These guidelines will be reviewed again after this year.
Several sixth grade students, under the direction of counselor Rea Kreider, have been trained to be the Bus Leaders for bus riders in grades K-2. They lead each bus group to their bus pick up site at the end of the day. We appreciate their leadership and their caring about the safety and concerns of our youngest students. Many thanks to this special team of sixth grade leaders! The Bus Leaders include Sarah Whynott, Abby Smith, Maggie McDonnell, Caren Cheese, Marcie Witczak, Daniel Caddoo, Andrew Massey, Spencer Hoffman, Kassie Hawley, Sadia Azia, William Bugh, Sergio Sifuentes, Maddie Egly, Jacob Cordova, Youssef Hamdan, Matt Carrol, Mary Kate Ouellette, Anthony Pacheco, Ana Hoffman, Taqwa Khogeer. |
The Community Learning Center has been serving Fort Collins and the surrounding area since 1998. We have offered over 700 classes with an enrollment exceeding 5500 students. Classes have been held at Preston, Blevins, Lincoln, CLP Jr. High, Webber and Johnson Elementary. Poudre School District partners with Community Learning to make this a successful adult enrichment program. You will find our class schedule for fall/winter classes on our website at www.communitylearningcenters.com. Our first session of this first term will begin in September. We have several classes that are being offered for the first time. Beginning Knitting, Home Arts of the Past, Make Your Own Floral Wreath, Microsoft Office, Ebay Your Way, Body Sculpt, Journaling and On The Eve of War. For specific class information please consult our website. If you have any questions please call Kathie @ 266-0150.
Sign up forms for the Shepardson Directory went home with last week's newsletter. If you want to be included in the directory be sure to turn the form in by the deadline Tuesday, September 7. Forms are also available in the front office. If you have questions or want to confirm that your form was received, please contact JoAnn Caddoo at 226-3103 or email to coloradocaddoo@msn.com.
Last March, students across the state took Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) tests. Reading results for third grade students were released before the end of the school year. The rest of the results of these assessments were released to our district and statewide this summer.
Parents of students in grades 3-6 have or will receive their child's individual CSAP results in an envelope with their children's Friday folders. We encourage you to call us with any questions or concerns.
The CSAP is primarily a broad measurement tool that, over time, gives us a clearer picture of our efforts at raising students to higher standards. These CSAP results demonstrate that Colorado's public school students and teachers continue to make steady progress in student achievement. Because of more information being shared with the schools, we are able to better use this information to assist us in the planning process for teaching and learning. Teachers will be analyzing these results this fall as they plan for instruction.
Classroom teachers continually measure and assess students in many ways to ensure they are making steady progress over time. CSAP is a snapshot of where children are in selected subjects at a certain time. It is not an overall measure of a child's educational experience.
What really matters is how individual children are doing in all of their subjects and on a regular basis. Teachers continue to rely on daily classroom observation, student projects and grade-level tests of various kinds to gauge academic progress. CSAP is part of that array of assessment tools that teachers and parents can use to guide the continuing educational development of their children. Congratulations to Shepardson students for working so hard!
Below shows the percentage of students who scored "at or above proficient" last spring:
Grade Shepardson Poudre School District CO Reading 3 96% 86% 74% 4 86% 77% 63% 5 88% 80% 69% 6 87% 83% 67% Writing 3 73% 67% 52% 4 79% 67% 53% 5 74% 68% 55% 6 75% 74% 56% Math 5 84% 69% 59% 6 83% 72% 53%
I am collecting 1/2 gallon and quart milk cartons for future art projects. If you have extras, please send them in with your student.
Thanks, Mrs. Pibal
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The first PTO meeting will be held Tuesday, September 7th
7:00 p.m. in the Shepardson Library
The remainder of meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of each month.
NEW FACES AND INPUT ARE WELCOME SO PLEASE JOIN US AND LEARN ABOUT WHAT GOES ON AT SHEPARDSON!
Attention Pod Reps: There will be a brief informational meeting prior to the PTO Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
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Ice Cream Social - Back to School Kick-off!
Thursday, September 9th
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
At Shepardson ElementaryFor all Shepardson Families!
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Attention Pod Reps and Room Parents:
There will be a brief informational meeting prior to the PTO Meeting, 6:00 p.m., Shepardson Library
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Help Wanted!
PTO is looking for parents to help with various events and positions!A little time goes a long way to support our children's educational experience...
Needed:
- PTO Vice President: The Vice President role has changed in that the VP no longer moves into the position of President automatically. The VP simply serves to assist the President throughout his/her term.
- REACH Week Coordinator: This fundraiser is one of the more simple to organize and run yet provides the school with much needed funds. For more information, please contact Jennifer Burkhart @ 225-1873
- ESL Buddy Coordinator: Assist English as a Second Language families as they become an integral part of Shepardson!
- Sock Hop Coordinator: This event helps cap off the end of the school year with a Twist and Shout!
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An excellent way to explore the opportunities available through PTO is to come to the meeting, Tuesday, September 7th at 7:00 p.m.. or contact, Jennifer Burkhart at 225-1873, or Burkys@aol.com.
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