CFL Family Newsletter 1st Week
Week of August 23rd
How to translate Smore Newsletters (English) or Cómo traducir boletines informativos de Smore (Spanish)
Mission and Vision Statements
Garfield 16 Overarching Mission Statement:
As a result of our efforts, all students will be successfully prepared for life in a safe and nurturing environment.
Our School Mission Statement:
Engage ~Empower~Improve
Our School Vision Statement:
Our vision is that all graduating first graders leave CFL as critically thinking young citizens with strong academic and social/emotional foundations
Welcome Back to School!
Dear CFL Families,
It was wonderful to see so many families at our Meet and Greet! Thank you all for coming out to visit us Tuesday evening. Here is what to expect for the 1st days of School.
Tuesday and Wednesday: Please come into the office and parents will be able to walk their child to their classrooms for scheduled pre-assessment time. We are asking parents to stay no longer than 15 minutes to comply with COVID guidelines. Thank you for your support with this.
Welcoming Students and Helping Students find their way
Teachers and staff will greet all students both in front of CFL and at the bus drop off.
Teachers will be in the front of the school for drop off and will be asking about pick up plans.
If a student forgets or is unsure of their teacher's name there will be many staff members available to help them find their way.
Each classroom teacher will greet their students, welcome, answer any question you may have and between 8:45-8:50 walk them into the school to their classrooms.
School Supplies:
Garfield 16 is providing all school supplies again this year. Please make sure students have a backpack, water bottle and a sturdy pair of tennis shoes for PE and recess.
Masks are highly recommended, but not mandated.
Drinking fountains are still off in all school buildings. We have bottle filling stations. Students will need a water bottle, as we do not provide cups.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the school! Veronica Duran and Miriam Baltazar, our friendly and super helpful secretaries, are in the office Tuesday through Friday and can be reached 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call the school at (970) 285-5702.
We are looking forward to an amazing 2021-2022 school year!
Kim Frees (Principal) and the CFL Faculty and Staff
Just a quick reminder that we are a four day school week!
Tuesday thru Friday
We begin our day at 8:40 a.m.
We end our day at 4:20 p.m.
Pre-School News
We are so excited to open three preschool classrooms at BUE! Elizabeth Gibson will be teaching a full day session and Bobbi Gutierrez and Nysha Slager will be teaching half-day sessions. Tessa Gutierrez and Susan Janssen will continue on at the CFL.
We are busy going through all the preschool applications this week. Thank you for your patience while we determine eligibility and create classes. We plan to have this work completed in the next couple of days and you will be hearing from us soon regarding preschool placement for your child.
We will be conducting home visits virtually again this year. We were hoping to be able to visit live as we have in the past, but in order to continue to keep everyone as safe as possible, your teachers will be setting up a time with you soon to visit virtually. The "home" visits will be the week of August 23rd through the 27th.
The first official day for preschool is August 31. We want to have a more gentle start to the year since families will not be allowed to visit in the classroom before school starts. Rather than having all students start together on the first day, we will be asking small groups of students to stagger their start times and days for the first two days. This will allow your child's teacher to spend more quality time getting to know your child. We find it much less intimidating for students also to have their first experience in the classroom to be with a small group of students for a shorter period of time. We will start our regular, ful class times on September 2nd.
We can't wait to see you this fall!
COVID SAFETY PROCEDURES
Student Safety during COVID:
As with last year, we will continue to follow guidance and recommendations from state and local officials. This year brings some changes for our students, parents and community as we continue working towards creating a safe environment for students and staff members.For the remainder of the COVID 19 Pandemic, there are numerous safety precautions we will follow as proposed by CDC,CDPHE, and GCPHE. This is to ensure student, staff and community safety.
As stated in the "Opening Schools Plan" masks are encouraged but not required. Please keep in mind this is subject to change based on COVID-19 numbers and guidance from local and state health departments.
We are dedicated to returning to school as normal as possible. We believe in-person learning and socialization are key in developing a great education. We will follow all local and state-level mandates. The Garfield 16 Plan for Opening Schools can be accessed directly using the link below.
Health Screenings
As always, if any member of your household is being tested for Covid or has tested positive for Covid, please keep all family members at home and contact the school immediately for next steps.
As students enter the building we will continue to screen for symptoms and send home ill students. (Please keep your student home if they are ill.) If a person answers yes to any of the screener questions they will need to return home for further monitoring by their personal physician.
❏ Feeling feverish, having chills, or temperature 100.4°F or higher.
❏ New or unexplained persistent cough.
❏ Shortness of breath.
❏ Difficulty breathing.
❏ Loss of taste or smell.
❏ Fatigue.
❏ Muscle aches.
❏ Headache.
❏ Sore throat.
❏ Nausea or vomiting.
❏ Diarrhea.
❏ Runny nose or congestion.
Transportation and Bus Routes
In an effort to even out busloads and to achieve quicker drop-off times, some bus routes have changed. Please click the button below. If you have questions please call the Transportation office at 970-285-5700 ext. 5130. ALL students riding the bus during the 2021-2022 school must have a completed "Transportation Waiver" signed handed to the bus driver on the first day. (See button below)
If you need more information please contact our Transportation Director - Steve Gardner at
970-285-5700 ext 5130
Breakfast and Lunch Menus are available on our district and school website!
School Breakfast and Lunch menus are currently being created and updated for the start of the school year. If you are ever looking for the breakfast and lunch menus, please visit our district Nutrition Department Website where you can link directly to each month's menus. These menus can also be accessed on the CFL Website. Menus will be posted as soon as they are ready for the year!
Please keep in mind that menus have the potential to change A LOT depending on staffing issues, and product availability. Our Nutrition Department does their best to honor the posted menus, however they can be heavily impacted for a variety of reasons. If you ever have any questions, please call 285-5701 ext. 4180 with any questions or email jwilliams@garfield16.org
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When is the 1st day of School?
A: Tuesday, August 24th and 25th are our Assessment days. Your child is scheduled for either a morning or afternoon time. Scheduled times were sent last week. If you did not get one please all the CFL office at 285-5702. Students first full day is August 26th.
Q: What are school start and end times
A: The first bell rings at 8:40 We end our day at 4:20
Q: Who is my student's teacher?
A: If your child was a kinder student in our district last year, they will have their same teacher. If they are in Kindergarten student met them last spring at our transition day. If you need to know who your student's teacher is, please call our office at (970) 285-5702.
Q: What school supplies will my child need?
A: Garfield 16 is able to provide most school supplies for CFL students this year. Families will need to provide a backpack and appropriate gym shoes for their student(s)..
Q. How much do school breakfasts and lunches cost?
A. At CFL all students benefit from a free breakfast and lunch grant obtained through the efforts of our Garfield 16 Nutrition Department. In order to continue to qualify for this grant, we need all families to fill out the Free and Reduced Lunch Packet, regardless of family income.
Q: Can my child ride a bus to school.
A: Yes! We have bus routes for CFL students which can be found online using this link: Bus Routes. All families must submit a GCSD16 Covid-19 Activity Waiver form to ride the bus. These forms can be found online using this link: GCSD16 Covid-19 Activity Waiver. Also, all students must wear masks on buses, regardless of age, as we cannot physically distance on buses. Please contact our director of transportation, Steve Gardner, for any questions or for more information at (970) 285-5700 ext 5130.
Q: What kind of technology will my child have access to?
A: All students at CFL will have their own Chromebook. They will be able to take their Chromebooks home with them. We highly encourage you to purchase Chromebook insurance to protect you in case of accidental damage. Technology insurance forms will be sent home with students on the 1st day of school and are also available using this link: Chromebook Insurance. Please return the insurance form and payment to the CFL office as soon as possible.
Q: What safety measures are you taking during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
A: Our school district has published our "Opening Schools Plan," which contains our safety procedures for the year. If you have questions after reading through the "Opening Schools Plan," please reach out to our Principal, Mrs. Clark, who is always willing to visit and share information - (970) 285-5703.
Q: Will students be required to wear masks at school?
A: As stated in the "Opening Schools Plan" masks are encouraged but not required. Please keep in mind this is subject to change based on COVID-19 numbers and guidance from local and state health departments.
Q: Will there be a back-to-school event this year?
A: Yes! Open House for CFL Kindergarten and 1st Grade students will be Tuesday, August 17th from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm. This will be an outdoor event. There will also be time for questions and a short tour (under 15 minutes) so students can get used to the building.
Q: I didn't see my question here, who do I ask?
A: You are always welcome to call our office at (970) 285-5702. You are also always welcome to reach out to our school principal, Mrs. Frees, via email (kfrees@garfield16.org) and she will get back to you as soon as possible.
Center For Family Learning
Email: kfrres@garfield16.org
Website: https://cfl.garfield16.org/
Location: 100 E 2nd St, Parachute, CO 81635, USA
Phone: 970-285-5702