Attendance Line Number - 490-3062

January 6, 2006

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

In this issue...

(Table of Contents)   (Top) 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.

We value the time we will spend with parents in conferences later this month. Please call by January 12 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!

Enjoy a wonderful weekend with your family!

-	Mary Kay Sommers
	email: msommers@psdschools.org

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CALENDAR

January 6, 2006

JANUARY 2006			JANUARY 2006
10	Tue	PTO Meeting-7:00 pm	16	Mon	Martin Luther king Day- NO SCHOOL
12	Thu	SIT 4:00-6:00 pm	17-19	Tue-Thu	Parent Conferences-3:30-8:00 pm-School in session
12	Thu	Lesher Parent Meeting for 6th graders 7:00-8:00 pm	31	Tue	Kdg Parent Information Night-7:00-8:00 pm
13	Fri	Report Cards go home today

(Table of Contents)   (Top) HAVE YOU SCHEDULED A CONFERENCE YET?

Academic conferences will happen in mid-January to discuss with parents your child's progress thus far. The semester ended on December 21st. Shepardson was commended for having 99% attendance rate at our conferences, a visible sign of how committed our parents are in supporting their children's education! Please make note of the dates below to ensure your availability to attend this very important conference with your children's' teachers:

Jan. 9-12 noon		Parents call school to arrange their conference time.
Jan. 13		Report cards go home
Jan. 13		Confirmation of your conference time is sent home. (Parents who did not contact school will be assigned a time.)
Jan. 17-19		Actual conferences (3:30 - 8:00 p.m.) School is still in session. Other times will n need to be arranged to visit with all parents.

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FIRST AND SECOND GRADERS PERFORM In the midst of the last week of school in December, our excited primary students maintained their focus and shared their gifts of singing with us. The magic of their enthusiasm and smiles kept us entranced. This year's program featured a celebration of December holidays in a program entitled "December Gifts." It was obvious they had learned more about different celebrations as well as the joy of music from each. Traditions vary with each holiday, but all have one thing in common-the tradition of exchanging gifts. The finale provided the best message that the "best gift of all comes from the heart". Children again teach us how to make each day special and enjoy the gifts it brings! Thank you, Mrs. Everett, our favorite Music Teacher, and the boys and girls, for a very special program at a special time of the year!

   

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

Parent's of next year's kindergarteners are invited to Shepardson's Parent Information Night on Tuesday, January 31 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 9. 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.

Kindergarten registration for students entering school in PSD in Fall 2006 is scheduled for Thursday, February 9, 2006. Registration will be held from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at all elementary schools. Children who will be 5 years of age on or before September 15, 2006, are eligible to register. On the day of registration, parents should bring their child's birth certificate (original or certified preferred), Social Security number, immunization records, and emergency contact information.

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

A very Happy New Year to everyone. May 2006 be an eventful year for you and your families, and hopefully bring us all closer to peace in the world. I have three items of interest to present in this issue of Counselor's Corner.

Out of tragedy has come a small but significant addition to morning announcements at Shepardson. As Mrs. Bonertz's 4th grade class struggled to make meaning of the death of a classmate in November, they shared memories of how Haley always seemed to have a smile on her face and a smile in her heart. They decided that the best way to honor Haley was to try to live each day to its fullest and with kindness towards others. To help remind them of this, they composed a pledge that they have been saying to each other each morning. Starting on Thursday, January 5, 2006, all of Shepardson will begin each day with that same pledge.

I promise to be a Shepardson Star by sharing a bright smile, having a positive attitude, encouraging others to reach for their goals, and living each day because it is special. Through my choices and my actions, I will honor and respect my friends and family to make a difference in our world.

Now for an update on our adopted school in Louisiana. Mrs. Sommers has recently learned that the school to which we were originally assigned (Chackbay Elementary) believes there are other schools in the area much worse off than they, and recommended a school in a neighboring community called Grand Caillou Elementary (pronounced Keye-You) in Dulac, Louisiana. They have just re-opened and are "scraping by day to day" with approximately 450 students in pre-kindergarten through 3rd grade. So, wanting to make the most positive impact possible, we agreed to change. So far we have sent a check for $1000 for immediate needs, a stuffed animal for each child and a survey from our Student Council asking them how we can best be of help to their community. Watch for future updates.

We want to remind all 6th grade students and parents of two important upcoming dates.

• Lesher Jr High's Parent Orientation Meeting is Thursday January 12, 2006 from 7-8:30 pm at Lesher.

• The Boltz Parent Orientation Meeting is on February 13, 2006 from 7-8 pm at Boltz.

You should have received a mailing during December with these dates and other information about the 6th into 7th grade transition process. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at Shepardson.

By Rea Kreider, Shepardson Counselor

(Table of Contents)   (Top) WALKING PATH TO CLOSE

The City of Fort Collins Water Engineering and Field Services Department will be removing a berm within the Nelson Farm pond. This improvement is scheduled for construction within the next few months. The City is hoping to begin removing soil from the pond about mid-January or so. The timing depends on the surveying, weather, and construction crew availability. The project is expected to be completed by mid March.

During construction there will be a temporary closure of the north/south section of the Power Trail that parallels the Union Pacific Rail Road. Therefore, users will be unable to use the trail as a direct straight-line connection between Drake and Horsetooth Roads. The bicycle and pedestrian trail that connects Vermont Drive on the east side of the railroad to Centennial Road on the west side of the railroad will still be accessible thru the tunnel under the tracks via a temporary asphalt path. The north end of the Power Trail from Drake Road will be rerouted, but will still maintain access to Centennial Road and Vermont Drive by use of the tunnel under the Union Pacific Railroad, but will not have direct access to Horsetooth Road. The south end of the Power

Trail from Horsetooth Road will have no access to any public street and will be rerouted. The temporary asphalt trail will remain in place until weather permits construction of final trail material (concrete will be poured with the return of warmer weather).

The construction areas will be fenced off for safety reasons and signs placed on Horsetooth, Centennial, Drake, Lochwood, and Vermont (including detour signs).

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss the project further please contact Project Manager Chris Cece at (970) 221-6235 from the City of Fort Collins Water Engineering and Field Services Department.

Kurt Ravenschlag
Transportation Planner
City of Fort Collins

Phone: (970) 416-2040
Email: kravenschlag@fcgov.com

(Table of Contents)   (Top) STATE SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (SAR) 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 grades 3-6 from the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) tests taken in the spring of 2005. Each student receives a copy of this report to take home.

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. These reports are distributed to parents across the state each year. Shepardson was rated High this year. We have been Excellent the 4 previous years since this program has been in place.

• Local: 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.

Below is a brief summary of our hard work at Shepardson this fall as we analyze testing results.

While we continue to make positive growth in many areas, we were most disappointed in the ranking change from Excellent to High; we barely slipped into the High-ranking section. Teachers have spent considerable time this fall analyzing CSAP and Level testing data as well as determining the growth needs of the students in their current classrooms. While most areas showed positive growth, a few showed some declines that need deliberate attention. Teachers are adjusting instruction to the ongoing learning needs of each group rather than respond entirely upon test results from the group they taught last year. On-going assessments throughout the year will serve as the primary guide for all K-6 teachers to make needed adjustments, ensuring students are mastering essential standards as well as being challenged to reach for even higher levels of performance. We will continue to keep our expectations high for every child and adjust our teaching based upon students' learning needs.

"Growth" is a new measure for us this year and is more useful in some ways than the final score a child or a school receives. It is based upon a calculation of a range of scores within which a child's score is most likely to really be. From this range of scores (as opposed to one score), the expected range for the following year can be likewise calculated to show a year's growth. Scoring within that expected range would suggest that the child has made one year's growth. Falling lower than expected would be less than one year's growth while scoring greater than this range would likely be more than one year's growth. This new measure will allow us to more clearly show the areas where individual students made strong growth as well as areas where we need to consider some programmatic changes. For years, teachers have been asking for growth measures as opposed to only one score attached to a performance level. Now teachers can review the actual growth their students have made!

Below are some of the significant aspects:

• We achieved Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) in both Reading and Math and within all subgroups! This accomplishment is based upon an annual increase in expectations of performance based upon the percentage who took the test as well as the percentage of those who scored at or above proficient.

• We were ranked "stable" in growth. This ranking is positive since most of our performance is high, making increases more difficult as the measure rises.

• Attendance and enrollment stability remain stable and high. These two factors enable students to learn with consistency and daily practice. We thank parents for making your child's attendance at school a priority.

• School-wide, the percent of students scoring proficient or advanced is above both the district and state averages:
  • 82% in reading

  • 70% in writing

  • 81% in math

• Shepardson growth scores
  • Exceed the district in reading (5th and 6th)

  • Exceeded the district in writing (5th)

  • Due to new math tests in grades 3 and 4, math scores are only valid for comparison in 6th grade this year.

  • Some of the advanced math students did not make a year's growth.

  • 6th grade moved away from a departmentalized format that can cause a lesson to stop due to time constraints

  • 6th grade also will be adding specific strategies including more cumulative review to ensure skill retention.

• Writing sub content skills:
  • Above district average on 3 of the 4 in 6th grade

  • Above district average on 4 of the 4 in 5th grade

  • Above district average on 1 of the 4 in 4th grade (grammar was strength)

  • 6th grade will work on skills related to extended writing and on the performance by boys

  • 4th/5th grades will be working on specific standards including a focus on the advanced writers

  • As a school goal, K-6 teachers are working on more clearly defining what is expected to be learned at each grade level, what terms will be standardized, and which resources will be used at which grade. The district purchased more resources for the teaching of writing in all grades.

• Reading sub content skills were above district average
  • Above district average on 3 of the 3 in 6th grade

  • Above district average on 3 of the 3 in 5th grade

  • Above district average on 1 of the 3 in 4th grade (non-fiction)

  • 4th grade is reviewing strategies for teaching fiction/poetry and vocabulary development.

• ALL Math sub content skills were above district average!
  • In all grades (3-6)!

  • Specific skills vary by grades and by groups. On-going assessment will determine needed instruction.

As we conclude the first semester, we continue to use valid data upon which to measure growth as well as determine instructional needs. Teachers are preparing for conferences in January when they can share your child's strengths and areas for growth. Working closely with parents in this learning process continues to be one of our best strategies to help each child reach our high goals. We thank you for your support and being an active partner in your child's learning this year.

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

Parents often wonder if they should send their child to school. Below are some guidelines that will help you with this decision.

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 or symptoms of fever

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

Sore Throat:

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

Vomiting:

• If your child vomits in the night or before leaving for school in the morning

Upper Respiratory Infections/Colds:

• If your child has a fever, nasal drainage, or 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.

Cuts, Scrapes and Puncture Wounds; Sprains or Joint Injuries.

• Consult with your health care provider if your child has a serious injury or a cut that is split open, gaping or is experiencing significant pain.

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) PTO CORNER

Next Meeting: Tuesday, January 10th at 7:00 p.m. (committee work) followed by the 7:15 p.m. Board Meeting in the Shepardson Library. For more information please contact: Jennifer Burkhart @ 225-1873 NEW FACES AND INPUT ARE WELCOME SO PLEASE JOIN US AND LEARN ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT SHEPARDSON! MANY WINTERFEST THANKS! Thank you to EVERYONE who helped with the Winterfest Social this year! A great time was had by all thanks to your commitment and hard work! THANKS LINEN AND THINGS for letting us use the inflatable snow globe for the Winterfest Social! BARNES AND NOBLE BOOKFAIR THANKS... Thanks to everyone who came to read during the book fair and for everyone who attended to help support our school!

(Table of Contents)   (Top) NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE POLICY BECOMES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 17, 2006

In our continuing efforts to comply with the policies in our Student Rights and Code of Conduct booklet (sent home with each student in the fall and online at www.psdschools.org/psdinfo/newsevents), a task force was formed this fall to update the elementary school attendance policy. Attendance policies are strictly enforced in our secondary schools, and district administration believes the attendance policies should be strictly enforced in our elementary schools as well. In addition, state-mandated reporting requirements necessitate that all schools follow the same attendance policies.

Below are highlights of the new elementary school attendance policy, effective January 17, 2006.

Excused Absences
Absences are to be excused if there is a contact made by the parent with the school on the day of the absence. The contact can be verbal or written.

Prearranged Absences
Absences can be prearranged by a parent/guardian and should be excused when the absence is of a serious nature. Such absences may include, but are not limited to, death in the family, religious observance, quarantine, required court appearance, medical appointments, and scheduled family vacation. The principal will determine whether a prearranged absence will be excused or unexcused.

Attendance Letters
The school will send attendance letters to parents when a student has accrued 5, 10, and 15 days of unexcused absences. The school may require a doctor's note if a student is absent due to a prolonged illness.

Make-Up Work
Make-up work will be provided for any class in which a student has an excused absence. It is the student's responsibility to pick up permitted make-up assignments on the day the student returns to class. One day shall be allowed to make up work for each day of excused absence.

Make-up work shall be allowed following an unexcused absence with the goal of providing the student an opportunity to keep up with the class and an incentive to attend school. However, this work will receive only partial credit, which is the consequence for an unexcused absence.

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