Attendance Line Number - 490-3062

January 7, 2005

Shepardson's Home Page: http://schoolweb.psdschools.org/she/

In this issue...

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PRINCIPAL REFLECTIONS Happy New Year! After a relaxing and fun holiday, we find January as the month in which school activities seem to begin increasing exponentially. We continue the learning experience for students as we begin the planning for the next school year. Preparing for new kindergarten students and their families is balanced with preparing our sixth graders for junior high. I appreciate your noticing all of the events that occur and your willingness to support these initiatives. Special congratulations to the Shepardson Choir, composed of over 50 fifth and sixth graders, for their performance at several locations in December including the mall. Their spirit of joy, their enthusiasm for singing, and their commitment to the Choir are truly exemplary of what Shepardson hopes to achieve! Thank you, Mrs. Everett, Choir Director, and Mrs. Wyman, accompanist, for all the time and energy you have given so that our students can perform so well for Shepardson and the community! Outstanding job, Choir! We value the time we will spend with parents in conferences later this month. Please call by January 11 to schedule your conference. Working closely with you and your children is what enables your child to make his/her best growth. We feel very fortunate to work with families who value education, who support their children's learning, and who model acceptance of diversity with their children. You will always be their primary teachers! We are so glad to be working with all of you for the benefit of your children! Special thanks to all of the parents who have learned the latest (and greatest) parking lot plan! When the weather warms up, there will be flexible posts that will delineate the safe walking area between the fence and the cars. I appreciate your pulling forward along the east sidewalk so the cars behind you can also unload their precious cargo. I also appreciate drivers waiting in line who move to the unoccupied space that occurs due to different unloading times. I'm sure thankful we were able to implement this new plan before the cold weather and snow! Thanks to all for your patience and priority on safety first! I sleep better now! Happy New Year! - Mary Kay Sommers email: msommers@psd.k12.co.us

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CALENDAR

January 07, 2005

JANUARY 2005			JANUARY 2005
10	Mon	Report Cards distributed this week	14	Fri	Shepardson Annual Martin Luther King Assembly and Walk-2:00 pm
11	Tue	Last day for parents to arrange conference time	17	Mon	MLK King: NO SCHOOL
11	Tue	PTO Meeting 7:00 pm Parent Orientation meeting at Lesher	18-20	Tue-Thu	Parent Conferences 3:10 - 8:00 pm
13	Thu	Confirmation of conference time sent home

(Table of Contents)   (Top) WELCOME NEW STAFF MEMBERS!

Monica Kuntz will be joining our team this year replacing para Gina DiLorenzo, working with kindergarten, third and fourth grades. Monica comes with strong experience with diverse students at O'Dea and was rated very high by her principal. She has had many experiences with young children and those with special needs.

Pamela Dark has joined our kindergarten team, working during Laura Hoag's leave of absence for the remainder of this year. Pam also has incredible experience with young students and with those who have special needs. She has worked directly in a kindergarten setting at Riffenburgh, making the transition for the teachers and the students easier. Her former principal would have loved to rehire her.

We are very pleased to have such highly qualified staff members join our team!

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SHEPARDSON RECEIVES TWO GRANTS Sixth grade teacher Jan Hoffman wrote a successful SPIE grant to the PSD Foundation. Members from the community and the Foundation arrived to surprise Mrs. Hoffman with a huge check worth $1334 for her grant! This grant is designed to help her students develop their poetry writing skills and, with the help of a technology class at Fossil Ridge High School, they will present their final production in a polished poetry reading video for parents. The class will be working with a CSU graduate student to help the students create a portfolio of poems with one selected for a class anthology. Congratulations, Jan, for doing an outstanding job of expanding the learning through creative measures for your students! Diann Schooler, special educator for third and fourth grades, Sarah Harkins, second grade teacher, and Frances Belling, literacy para, wrote a highly successful Read to Achieve Grant from the Colorado Department of Education. Shepardson will receive $54,000 for the next three years for a total of $162,000 to provide additional services that are research-based and new materials to students who are struggling with learning to read. This grant could only focus on students in grades 2 and 3 but will indeed make a significant impact on their learning for years to come! Many, many thanks to Diann, Sarah and Frances for taking the time to write this grant to help more students find success with learning! Congratulations!

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EMPTY BOWLS SILENT AUCTION The Empty Bowls project that I am sponsoring combines art education with hunger awareness and fund-raising. Students and staff have been busy creating bowls out of clay. These bowls are used as a teaching tool to remind the students about how many of our neighbors face empty bowls all too often, because they are going hungry. These bowls will be on display for a silent auction Wednesday, January 26 in the Shepardson Elementary gym. The silent auction begins at 6:30 p.m. when people can start writing their bid on the bid sheet next to the bowl they want to buy. The bidding period will end at 7:30 p.m., at which time top bidders can take their bowls and bid sheets to a cashier to check out. If you are unable to attend the silent auction, you can call in your bid to the office and we will take the bowl out of the auction so no one else can bid on it. Just send your donation to the school and I'll send the bowl home. Minimum bid on bowls is $1 with increments, thereafter, of .50 cents. For every dollar the Food Bank receives from Shepardson Elementary, they distribute $10.20 worth of food. So our event could provide nearly $5100 worth of food to needy families in Fort Collins! Staff members have graciously donated their handmade bowls to be sold at the auction. Be sure to check out their unique bowls displayed around the gym. Thank you, again, for supporting the students' involvement in this community project. Please call me if you have any questions at school: 226-6370. Mrs. Pibal

(Table of Contents)   (Top) BRRRRR! WHERE ARE YOUR GLOVES???

At Shepardson we keep students inside when the temperature is 10 degrees or below, a rare event! Students should come to school every day dressed for cold weather and being outside as much as 25 minutes. The weather can change and actually become worse during the day so we ask parents to insist that their children bring clothing that will keep them warm. We know that this may be a struggle at home, for some children can be very persuasive!

In the event that weather conditions warrant a school closure, please listen to the local radio and Denver TV stations for this information. Decisions are to be made by 6:00 a.m. More details are given on p.2 of the Shepardson Handbook.

(Table of Contents)   (Top) 2005-06 KINDERGARTEN PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT

Parents of next year's kindergarteners are invited to Shepardson's Parent Information Night on Tuesday, January 25 from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. to learn about the kindergarten curriculum, tour the kindergarten classrooms, meet the teachers, and learn about the half-day and full-day kindergarten programs. Parents will receive registration forms to complete and return on Registration Day, February 3. We encourage all Shepardson parents to share this information with your neighbors who may only have preschool children. We are anxious to welcome our next kindergarten class to Shepardson! For more information, contact school at 226-6370.

(Table of Contents)   (Top) PSD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHOICE FORUM

Prior to the kindergarten registration deadline of February 3, parents have an opportunity to attend the PSD Elementary Education School Choice Forum on Tuesday, January 18, from 7 - 9 p.m., at O'Dea Elementary School, 312 Princeton.

Elementary school principals, kindergarten teachers, and other PSD staff will present information about PSD's standards-based curriculum, the Core Knowledge curriculum, the International Baccalaureate Primary Years program, and other special-focus programs including gifted and talented, bilingual, and science.

No registration is necessary; free childcare will be provided.

(Table of Contents)   (Top) PSD SCHOOL CHOICE DEADLINE

Approximately 72% of PSD students attend neighborhood schools, where PSD's rigorous standards-based curriculum is complemented by enrichment activities. However, parents who would like their children to attend a school outside of their attendance area can do so through School Choice. Parents may choose from a neighborhood school, a school close to work, all-day or half-day kindergarten programs, before- and after-school care, and various programs and curricula (on a space-available basis). PSD's School Choice deadline is Friday, February 4. School Choice students are accepted on a space-available basis, and transportation is the responsibility of the parent.

School of Choice parents already at Shepardson need to complete the application each year. If at all possible, we try to keep families each year. If you expect to be moving away from the Shepardson area this summer and want to remain here, you must also complete a School of Choice form. To access a School Choice Application form, visit www.psdschools.org and click on "School Registration," or pick up an application at any school office.

(Table of Contents)   (Top) WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME

General Guidelines:

• If your child is contagious to other children
• If your child is too uncomfortable to learn or participate in learning

Fever:

• Temperature of 100 degrees or higher
• Must be fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medicines, such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen, (i.e. Advil, Motrin)

Diarrhea:

• Frequent watery stools

Appearance/Behavior:

• Unusually tired, pale or irritable, fever

Ear:

• Ear pain and/or drainage from ear, fever

Eyes:

• Eye drainage, redness and/or itching

Rash:

• Body or local rash especially with itching, red bumps, discharge

Sore Throat:

• Especially with fever, swollen neck glands and/or white areas in throat

Vomiting:

• Especially if your child vomits before leaving for school in the morning

Upper Respiratory Infections/Colds:

• If your child has a fever, large amounts of nasal drainage, a productive or dry cough that would be disruptive to your child and/or the class, and/or significantly uncomfortable and unable to participate in class

Burns: Consult with your health care provider if your child has a serious burn.

• Burn is on your child's eye or eyelid
• The center of the burn is white or charred
• Burn starts to look infected with pus, red streaks and/or increased tenderness
• Blisters that are greater than 1/2 inch in size
• If burn was caused by acid, alkali or electrical burn

Cuts and Scrapes and Puncture Wounds: Consult with your health care provider if your child has a serious injury or a cut that is split open or gaping.

• Cuts longer than 1/2 inch may need stitches
• On the face, cuts longer than ¼ inch may need stitches
• Open wound that may need stitches should be checked and closed within 6 hours
• Wound looks infected with redness, red streaks, swelling, fever and/or tenderness
• Your child may need a tetanus booster

Head Injury: Consult your health care provider if:

• Your child is knocked unconscious
• Headache
• Nausea/vomiting
• Unequal pupils/blurred vision, double vision
• Slurred speech/confusion/excessive drowsiness
• Loss of muscle coordination, such as falling down, dizzy, walking strangely or staggering
• Convulsions/seizures
• Bleeding or discharge from ear/nose

This information is for educational purposes. The Poudre School District Nurses and Health Technicians do not diagnose medical conditions. Please consult with your primary health care provider for questions about diagnosis, treatment or concerns. Our goal is to promote healthy environments for all students and staff. Thank you for your cooperation.

(Table of Contents)   (Top) HOMEWORK HOTLINE

Do you need a little extra help with your homework? Call Homework Hotline! Certificated teachers are available to help you in all academic areas MONDAY - THURSDAY throughout the school year.

Teachers assist students of all grade levels who are unable to fully grasp math, science, and language arts concepts in homework assignments. With skill and patience, teachers offer guidance allowing students to successfully complete their schoolwork.

Homework Hotline operates from 4:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

To access this free service:

LOCAL CALLS: 303-322-PASS

OUTSIDE METRO AREA: 800-825-PASS

(Table of Contents)   (Top) COUNSELOR'S CORNER

By Rea Kreider, Shepardson Counselor

A Happy New Year's greeting to everyone! Exactly what did happen to 2004? I do hope everyone had a wonderful vacation and feels ready for the second half of the school year.

On the last day of school before the holiday break, while students, parents and faculty were enjoying the sing along, Sue Harbour and I had the opportunity to be Santa's elves. Through the kindness and generosity of a number of employees at Hewlett Packard, students at Rocky Mountain High School, three Shepardson families and the students in Mrs. Hopkinson's 4th grade class (all operating independently of one another) 27 families in the Fort Collins area received presents and a little extra financial assistance to help make the season a bit brighter. Although Sue and I had the chance to see the smiles and appreciation, the true heroes were the people who contributed to make it possible. To me, this is what true giving and the spirit of the season are all about.

In a similar spirit of giving, I would like to offer the opportunity for students and families at Shepardson to make contributions to assist with relief efforts in Thailand and other countries devastated by the recent tsunami. In past years we have made contributions to UNICEF (The United Nations Children's Fund) and I am making arrangements for us to do that again at this time. The Student Council will set up a collection site at the front entrance of the school (near Leonard the Learner) and we will take donations until January 21st. Student Council has also approved donating all profits made in the School Store for the next three Fridays. In times of crisis such as this, children often need to feel like they have done something to help. This is one way for them to do so. Thank you in advance for your contributions.

Another activity coming up quickly is the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly and Walk for Peace on Friday January 14, 2004. All students and faculty will gather at 2:00 pm in the gymnasium to honor the life of this great American, and to challenge the entire community to keep his dream for peace, tolerance and brotherhood alive. Following the assembly, we will "peacefully demonstrate" as we march west on Springwood to Pepperwood, north to Centennial, west to Fernwood and back to Shepardson. As in the past, parents (and younger brother or sisters) are invited to join us at the assembly and to march with us. Morning kindergarten students and parents often return for the event. We will be making a large banner to carry in the lead and often students make their own posters to carry along the way. If you happen to live along the march route, it would be great if you could make a banner or poster to place in your yard in anticipation of us marching by. Perhaps it could be a quote from one of Dr. King's speeches or your own thoughts for peace in the world. This event is sponsored each year by the Shepardson Student Council and we feel it is a wonderful, experiential way for all of us to be reminded that if we truly hope for peace in the world, we must practice peace with our children in our families, in our schools and in our community.

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STUDENT NEWS LETTER By Monica Franco On Thursday November 4, the Shepardson 5th graders were evaluated by Heart Aware. This evaluation included weight, height and blood pressure measurements and a finger prick to draw blood for cholesterol determination. Some of the comments that the students made were recorded. Arun Chandra said he really liked it and the finger prick didn't really hurt. Grant Fourcroy said it was really useful and all was free. All in all, it was a great introduction into becoming aware of our health. Other exciting news from student council was the huge success of Mix-It-Up Day. Mr. Kreider teamed with fifth graders; Monica Franco, Michelle Slawson, and Nick Burns to promote a lunchroom event. The purpose was to eat lunch and play with someone that you wouldn't ordinarily hang out with. Each student received a color coated strip of paper before they entered the lunchroom which directed them to a table where they would eat with students who had received the same color. Hopefully, this activity promoted students to get to know people that they may not have normally have sat or talked with before. Shepardson also had another spirit day. Teachers and students both enjoyed dressing up as their favorite book character. Some of the characters seen wandering the hallways included The Cat in the Hat, Thing One and Thing Two, Hermine Grainger and Harry Potter, Lily from Lily's Purple Plastic Purse, and Pipi Longstocking. Student Council also recently voted to recognize Martin Luther King Day this year with an assembly and a walk around the Shepardson neighborhood. We hope this will inspire all to remember his dream. We're having a great year so far. Thanks students and faculty for all your support!

(Table of Contents)   (Top) STATE SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT RELEASED

Attached to this newsletter, you will find a School Accountability Report produced by the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) for our school. The report primarily focuses on student performance scores from the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) tests.

Each school in the state received one of the following rankings-excellent, high, average, low, or unsatisfactory. Beginning next year CDE will also calculate "Academic Growth of Students" for each school. (On this year's reports, the box lists "Not Available" on each school's report.) PSD's alternative programs for at-risk students are not ranked by the state. Other data is also listed in our school's report, such as information about teacher experience, student/teacher ratios, school environment, safety and discipline, and student attendance.

The School Accountability Report is one of "three roads to accountability"-one federal, one state, and one local-which measure public schools' and districts' progress toward meeting academic and related goals:

• Federal: Announced in November, Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is part of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, which set the goal for every child in the United States to be proficient in reading and math by 2014. Shepardson met all AYP in all subgroups again this year!

• State: The enclosed School Accountability Report, or SAR, is a report prepared using Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) test data, ACT test scores, and other data, which are distributed to parents across the state each year. Shepardson was rated Excellent again; we have been Excellent all 4 years since this program has been in place.

• Local: To be announced in January, District Accreditation of schools is the ongoing review of overall school district and school performance and improvement plans conducted by each school and school district.

Please call our school with any questions you may have about our school's State Accountability Report or your student's progress toward meeting district and state standards.

(Table of Contents)   (Top) JOB FAIR

The City of Fort Collins is holding its annual Hourly Job Fair on Thursday, January 27. If you are 18 or over this summer, you are welcome to apply for jobs with the City of Fort Collins. Positions are available in the Parks, Forestry, Cemeteries, Utility Services, Natural Resources and the Streets Department. There are a few positions available for applicants under the age of 18. If you are an ARC Certified Lifeguard or WSI Certified Swim Instructor, we are looking for your skills. Come see us if you are interested in applying for concessionaire jobs.

See you at the Lincoln Center in the Canyon West Room on January 27 from 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. for the City of Fort Collins Hourly Job Fair.

For more information, contact Vicki Czaplewski, Human Resources Department, City of Fort Collins, at 221-6846.

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