
Eagle Crest Family Newsletter
December 1st, 2022
Principal's Message
Hello Eagle Crest Families!
This week we had a visit from our area assistant superintendent, Dr. Dina Perfetti-Deany. I was so excited to show off some of the great teaching and learning happening here at Eagle Crest. It was fun to take her on a tour of our classrooms where she was able to witness high level math instruction, including a renewed focus on academic student talk.
She was also able to take in how lovely our hallways look at the moment. They are full of student artwork, writing, and class projects on display. In one hallway students are tracking their progress in mastering multiplication facts. In another hallway we have a display set up to showcase all of our student led clubs and groups.
Every day, we’re here doing the work of making our motto come alive- “We are leaders. We help build a better world.” It is nice to have some outside perspective and a fresh look at how wonderful it really is!
I hope you have a great weekend!
Warmly,
Amanda
Amanda Holden
Principal
Eagle Crest Elementary School
Dean of Students' Message
Hello Eagle Crest Families!
It is now December, and as we reflect on the first half of the year, there have been a lot of amazing things happening at Eagle Crest that we can celebrate. We strive to offer programming that allows students to engage as leaders and helps them to build a better world.
Here is a list of some of the great things happening at Eagle Crest:
Eco Eagles: A group of passionate 4th and 5th graders who work to conserve energy, reduce waste, and create natural beauty by educating our school community about simple ways to save energy and reduce waste, and by caring for our school gardens.
Tech Team: A dedicated team of 5th graders that help us manage and troubleshoot technology. They work on various projects and even develop tutorials and instruction for younger students.
Communications Team: This team of 5th graders plans and leads our school assemblies and information campaigns. They write, produce, and create unified messaging around what it means to be a leader at Eagle Crest.
Mwebaza Annex Club: A leadership opportunity for students in 3rd - 5th grades who help plan, organize and lead our sister school activities and projects throughout the year. Their focus is on cross-cultural exchange between the two schools, service learning projects, and current global issues.
VEX IQ Robotics: Students work together on a competitive team to design, build and code a robot for the annual VEX IQ game. They attend tournaments and work cooperatively with alliance teams from other schools to test their robot and score points towards awards, state, and national competitions.
5th Grade Webot Robotics: All 5th Graders spend 9 weeks learning the foundational skills of building a VEX IQ robot. They use problem solving and collaboration skills to navigate accomplishing a new and difficult task together. After completing their robot they learn how to control, manipulate, and improve their robot.
100 Mile Club: 100 Mile Club is a great opportunity for all PK-5th grade students to improve their health awareness, social well-being, and build self-confidence as they reach their goal of running 100 miles during the school year.
Handchime Choir: 4th and 5th Graders in Handchime Choir focus on learning a new instrument and performing as an ensemble. They practice weekly in preparation for concerts throughout the year.
Achievement Acceleration Academy (AAA): Throughout the year students in various grade levels participate in additional academic support in literacy and mathematics after school at AAA.
This is an ever growing list and we will continue to look for new opportunities that enhance the interests and leadership of students of all ages at Eagle Crest. If you are interested in sponsoring an afterschool student club, please contact us! We have lots of student interest in coding, robotics, foreign language, chess, Equations (math), and more. With your support, we can continue to expand our enrichment options and help build a better world for the students at Eagle Crest!
All the best,
Lindsey Cheney
Dean of Students
Eagle Crest Elementary School
Upcoming Dates
December 4th - Mwebaza Proto Pizza Restaurant Fundraiser, 11:30am-8:00pm
December 5th - Vision & Hearing Make-Ups and Rechecks
December 7th - Late Start
December 16th - Mwebaza Spirit Day Fundraiser - Pajama Day
December 23rd - January 8th - Winter Break
January 9th - First Day Back to School in 2023!
Lost & Found
The Lost and Found Cart is OVERFLOWING! We are getting ready to donate items again and want you to come check our collection of coats, sweatshirts, water bottles, gloves, hats, and more before we do. Please stop by the Front Office after school to come into the building and to see what we have. All items left on Friday will be donated.
Health Office Donations
Enrollment
The official open enrollment window starts today, December 1st-15th. Open enrollment is an opportunity for a student to attend a school of choice which is outside of their attendance area. In district students applying to a school outside their attendance area, as well as students who do not live within district boundaries but want to attend a school in St. Vrain, need to complete the online form.
If you know any families who don’t currently live in our boundary area, but are interested in our wonderful school, please send them our way! This is also the time for Kindergarten registration for the 2023-2024 school year. More information can be found on the SVVSD website. While registration is ongoing, it is helpful when our Kindergarten students register early for planning purposes.
Students in K-5 who are currently open enrolled at Eagle Crest do not need to complete the process again to continue attending for next year. Current 5th grade students who are open enrolled and would like to attend Altona will need to complete the process again since it is a new school. If you have any questions about the open enrollment process or Kindergarten registration, please contact Dinah in our main office. sherwood_dinah@svvsd.org or 303-485-6073.
ECES Community Wish List Collection for the OUR Center
PTO Update
Dear Eagle Crest Families,
We will not have a PTO meeting in December. On January 24th at 8 PM, we are hosting a virtual Family Tech Talk with an internet safety expert from Trend Micro. We will also be sending out our annual Staff Favorite Things list after Thanksgiving break in case you are planning something special for staff this year. Have a great Thanksgiving break!
Take care,
Jenn Pensy, PTO president
Follow us on Facebook
Visit us online at www.EagleCrestPTO.com
Reading Challenge Update
Over break, students read 42,000 minutes! That brings us very close to our reading challenge goal of 250,000. Since October, students have read 202,000 minutes and just need to read 48,000 more minutes in the coming weeks. So grab some books and get reading.
Here are this week's FREE BOOK winners:
Preschoolers - Luna in Clayton, Nora in Torres
Kindergarteners - Fitz in McDaniels, Caden in Woolaway
1st graders - Rockett in Doyle, Max in Hammond, Addy B in Phillips
2nd graders - Sasha in Bauer, Finn in Rickel, Owen in Lucero
3rd graders - Jackson in Gaccetta, Annabelle in Joubran, Ezra in Whitt
4th graders - Maelle in Potter, Claire S in Sudbeck, Milagros in Cooper
5th graders - Harper B in Butterfield, Addie L in McEvoy, Sofia in Eskridge
Click here to learn more about the READING CHALLENGE and ways you can support reading at home. Be sure to track reading and log minutes on Mondays via this Weekly Reading Log. There is a winner in every class each week. And with three more weeks of the challenge, that means nearly 60 more students will win a FREE BOOK by Winter Break.
Keep on Reading Eagles!
Mwebaza Update
The Mwebaza Foundation is working with their Ugandan partner schools to establish social enterprises. This project supports our goals of self sufficiency, sustainability and quality education.
What is a social enterprise? It is a small business cooperative comprised of community members working together to meet a shared goal.
At Mwebaza’s partner schools, community members are working with the schools to establish different small businesses that will provide income for participants and the school, decreasing the school’s reliance on tuition and lessening the financial burden on families.
A beekeeping social enterprise just got started last week at our partner school in Gulu. A community member donated their land and other members worked together to get the logs ready. The beehives are inside these logs. The bees will colonize and eventually produce honey that will be sold in local markets.
Up and Running:
Oxen and Plow Business at Parents' Junior School
Chicken Program at Mwebaza Annex
Handmade Jewelry at St. Paul School
Clean Water Vending at Mwebaza Annex
Tool Library at St. Paul School
In Development:
Taxi Service at St. Paul, Annex, and Mwebaza Schools
Piggery at Mwebaza Annex
Colorado Gives Day!
The holidays are a great time to reflect on all we are grateful for. If you’re grateful for the partnership Mwebaza has with your child’s school, you can schedule your donation for Colorado Gives Day now! Learn more about the Foundation, here and donate, here!
Job Opportunity - Preschool Paraprofessional
We have an opening for a Preschool Paraeducator in our wonderful Pre-K classroom. This could be a perfect fit for a parent or family member looking to work the same hours as their child’s schedule at school. We are looking for a thoughtful, kind, caring adult, who has a lot of patience, a heart for small children, and a commitment to public education. If this sounds like you, please reach out and check the job posting on the SVVSD website!
Preschool Paraeducator Posting
Job Opportunity - New Campus Supervisor Position
The safety of our school environments has always been a top priority in St. Vrain Valley Schools. As the district continues to invest in security upgrades, mental health resources, counselors, and other supports to ensure the well-being and success of our students, we are excited to share that a new Campus Supervisor position will be provided to all elementary schools in the district.
Currently at all middle and high schools in St. Vrain, Campus Supervisors promote safe and secure learning environments for students by providing an additional layer of facility monitoring, oversight, and communication regarding any potential risks or safety concerns. These roles also play an important part in fostering a positive building environment by building relationships with students and serving as another trusted adult in the building.
If you or someone you know is interested in applying for one of these 26 new positions, a job description and application can be accessed starting Monday, October 31 at https://www.applitrack.com/stvrain/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Security.
Job Opportunity - Guest Teacher
A Guest, or Substitute Teacher, teaches and supervises students in the event that their regular teacher is unable to lead class. Our Guest Teachers enjoy working within a positive culture among a group of passionate and caring professionals who are all working to support student success. If you are interested in joining one of the most highly effective and supportive teams of professionals in the country, please apply using the link below and look for the "Substitute Teaching" vacancy to start your application.
Lunch Menu & Color Day Schedule
Our Music, PE, and Art classes are on a 3 day rotation. Every school day 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.
Add Money to your Child’s School Breakfast & Lunch Account
MySchoolBucks is the website you want to access in order to add funds to your child’s account for purchasing breakfast, lunch, or milk at school. This system will send you reminders and can manage the account of multiple students. Money can also be sent to school by check or cash. Please label any checks or cash with the students first name, last name, and teacher.
If you haven’t yet, you can apply for Free & Reduced meals to see if your family qualifies for free meals. Applying for Free & Reduced lunch will help manage fees (like iPad Insurance or sports) and also helps our school receive additional funds and services. We encourage all families to complete the application.
Are you getting all of our messages?
We send almost all of our messaging in Infinite Campus through SMS text messages and emails. You can change your Contact Preferences in your Infinite Campus Parent Portal.
Navigate to "Settings" and "Contact Preferences". In that section, you will have the opportunity to confirm the accuracy of your phone and email contacts, as well as your "Message Preferences".
Here are screenshots of our suggested Phone Settings and Email Settings.
Contact us if you need any assistance!
About Us
Email: holden_amanda@svvsd.org
Website: eces.svvsd.org
Location: 4444 Clover Basin Drive, Longmont, CO, USA
Phone: 303-485-6073
Facebook: facebook.com/eaglecrestes
Twitter: @eaglecrestes
Questions?
Need support in Spanish?
Contact Natalie Boggess at: boggess_natalie@svvsd.org , 303-702-7872
OR
Fiorella Martinez at: martinez_maria@svvsd.org , 303-702-7896