Eagle Crest Family Newsletter

January 20th, 2022

Principal's Message

Hello Eagle Crest Families-

This has been a wild week for weather! Please continue to send children to school dressed for all types of climate experiences- layers, appropriate footwear, and extras like gloves and hats all come in handy. We plan to play outside in (almost) all weather situations and we know that fresh air and outdoor play is great for both brain development and learning.

This week you will be able to schedule your Family Teacher Conferences. While we are disappointed to not be able to meet in person, we are looking forward to connecting with you and sharing your child’s growth and progress at school. Please sign up for a spot right away- our goal is to meet with 100% of our families.

I hope you have a wonderful and safe weekend!

Warmly,

Amanda

Amanda Holden

Principal

holden_amanda@svvsd.org

Dean of Students Message

Hello Eagle Crest Families!

We are so fortunate to learn and work in a district that prioritizes learning technology for all students. Having 1:1 iPads enriches our curriculum and expands opportunities beyond our school walls. Just this week we have had students exploring the solar system in an expanding online timeline, creating green screen videos to share their reports, coding Sphero and VEX IQ robots, accessing content differentiated to their learning level, and so much more!

While this tool has a lot of educational advantages, iPads can also create some challenges. We know that it is important that every family be able to set expectations to keep students' use of their iPads healthy and safe. Here are some resources you can explore to help you build expectations at home for your family.

Did you know that every student iPad has a weblink app for Parents? This link will take you to the SVVSD Learning Technology Plan support page. There you can explore resources, frequently asked questions, past articles in the Family Connections Newsletter, and specific articles about iPad settings like Screen Time.
Another great resource is Common Sense Media. They provide lots of articles in English and Spanish to inform parents about screen time, appropriate content, and even platforms like YouTube and TikTok.

Working together with your child to understand what they do, how much time they spend doing it, and whether their content choices are age-appropriate is a valuable step to ensure your child is learning and growing in this ever-changing online and digital space.

All the best,

Lindsey Cheney

Dean of Students

cheney_lindsey@svvsd.org

Upcoming Dates

January 20th, 2022 - Culver’s Restaurant Night

January 20th, 2022 - PTO Virtual Meeting

January 29th, 2022 - VEX IQ Robotics Tournament at Eagle Crest

February 2nd, 2022 - Late Start

February 10th, 15th, 16th - Virtual Family / Teacher Conferences

February 18th-21st, 2022 - Presidents’ Day Break

Family Teacher Conference Sign-Up

Sign-Up for our Virtual Family / Teacher Conferences is now open and available for February 10th, 15th, and 16th! All conferences will be online via Webex (despite the dates saying in-person). Families will be sent a link to sign-up directly from Meet the Teacher today. This link only goes to the primary parent listed in Infinite Campus, but multiple family members can attend the same conference. Contact your child’s teacher for more information if you did not receive the sign-up email.

Spanish language interpretation will be available on February 15th and 16th. If you need support in another language, contact the front office to arrange an interpreter.

PTO Update

Dear Eagle Crest families,

Please join us tonight at 6:30 PM for a virtual PTO meeting (see agenda for Zoom info). We are voting on several large expenditures. All parents and guardians of Eagle Crest students along with ECES teachers and staff belong to the PTO and have the ability to cast one vote for each funding request. Our meeting guest speaker is ECES guidance counselor Angie Kerbel.

Skip the cooking and support Eagle Crest at Culver's Restaurant Fundraiser tonight from 5-8 p.m. If you are not receiving our PTO newsletter, check out the latest issue and hit subscribe!

Cheers,

Jenn Pensy, PTO president

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Visit us online at www.EagleCrestPTO.com

Volunteers Needed - January 29th

Our VEX IQ Robotics Tournament is coming up on January 29th! We need volunteers to help make this event a success. No previous experience is necessary! Our biggest needs are for Judges (Adults) and Referees (16+ or 12+ with robotics experience). If you want learn all about elementary robotics, these positions are a great way to get started!

See our volunteer needs here.

Thank you!

Tribute to Teachers 2022

The Tribute to Teachers awards program, sponsored by St. Vrain Valley Schools Education Foundation, provides the opportunity for students, parents, volunteers, fellow educators, school staff and community members to recognize and honor individual teachers at the Pre-K – 12th grade levels in St. Vrain Valley Schools who exemplify excellence in teaching. By paying tribute to teachers who have an extraordinary impact on the achievements of students, the Education Foundation and the community hope to honor the accomplishments of all teachers.

Nomination Criteria

Exemplary St. Vrain Valley Schools Teachers of the Year embody the following 5 characteristics:

Innovator – Frequently and appropriately challenges “accepted but outdated” methodologies with new approaches
Goal-Setter – Sets and maintains high standards for learning regardless of class/student knowledge
Motivator – Demonstrates a real love of teaching in most every lesson
Subject Matter Expert – Understands and conveys the material taught
Life Connector – Utilizes real-world examples/current topics in the classroom to emphasize the lesson’s importance

In order to qualify as a nominee, the teacher must be a licensed educator in the State of Colorado and employed at a St. Vrain Valley Schools campus for the current school year. If a teacher won the Teacher of the Year honor for their school the previous year they are not eligible. Click Here to see the 2021 winners. All St. Vrain Valley Schools are eligible for these awards! Nominate a teacher here! All nominations must be received electronically no later than Wednesday, February 23, 2022 at 11:45pm.

Awards

One teacher from each St. Vrain Valley School will receive the Teacher of the Year recognition for their school. Two other teachers from each school will be honored as Teacher of the Year finalists. The Teacher of the Year for each school will receive a $100. The recipients and finalists all receive a certificate of recognition during the Tribute to Teachers event on April 30, 2022. From the school Teacher of the Year honorees, a district wide Teacher of the Year and four finalists will be chosen.

Preschool Registration - We still have spots available!

The purpose of Eagle Crest Elementary Preschool is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children to develop and grow socially, physically and emotionally. Through the classroom experience, your child will develop independence "through intentional learning opportunities, an enriched classroom environment, and engagement with classroom teachers and peers that supports a new awareness of the world around them.” Your child will participate in many activities developed to enrich and enhance both small and large motor skills and basic readiness concepts (i.e. colors, numbers, counting, and shapes). Our curriculum is quite flexible and designed to stimulate each child to develop a positive self image through positive experiences and encouragement. With these experiences, we believe we will enable your child to become a lifelong learner and have a smooth entry to kindergarten.

New this year, we are exploring offering a Pre-K childcare “Wraparound” program for preschool students. This program would accommodate extended learning for students from 7:30am-5:30pm, so that students could have a full day experience here at Eagle Crest. This Wraparound programming is run by our partner, Community Schools, and would provide an integrated full day. Wraparound programming is a fee-based service with opportunities for financial assistance (CCAP). We are asking parents to complete the survey below and let us know your interest in the full day Wraparound program. Based on the level of interest from our parents, we will decide if we can start a Wraparound program this fall. Please complete the survey below to let us know your interest level. I will be in communication with families later this spring about our ability to provide Wraparound programming.

Preschool Extended Learning Interest Survey

Schedule:

ECES Preschool, Monday-Thursday | 8:25am-11:05am or 12:25pm-3:05pm

Optional Community Schools Wraparound Care, Monday-Friday | 7:30am-5:30pm

Preschool Enrollment:

Space available on a first come, first served basis. Preschool registration continues after December 15, but the choice program may be limited.

Wraparound Enrollment (Full Day Option!!!):

To be determined based on parent interest.

Learn more at eces.svvsd.org/preschool OR CALL 303-485-6073

January Lunch and Specials Schedule

Our Music, PE, and Art classes are on a 3 day rotation. Each day we have school is either a Red, Gold, or Purple day. These colors are shared on our school lunch menu to help families plan ahead for necessary supplies like sneakers for PE.

Lunch/Specials Schedule Linked Here