News You Can Use!
Conferences for new and select Middle School students will be taking place on September 26th from 3:15-7:15. Teachers will invite families to meet with them. You will be invited via Talking Points and School Messenger.
Just click on your student's teacher link to make your appointment. If you need help, reach out to the front office and we will help you.
2024 Student Count Coming Soon!
Every student counts! It's important that students are in school everyday if they are not sick but it will be especially important for students and families to make every effort for them to be here between September 23rd and October 8th, 2024.
We need every student here in the classroom at their seat in order to count them. This is how are school is able to get funding for extra support, curriculum, technology and so much more. If you can take the time to fill out the Community Eligibilty form before October 8th that would help us out as well.
Thank you families for your amazing support of our school. YOU help make this school GREAT!
EF Tours Travel Opportunities for Quest Students!
Remember, sign up for Quest travel opportunities Reach out to Mrs. Cornella at skcornella@aurorak12.org
Washington, D.C. 2025
(current 6th, 7th, and 8th grade):
https://www.efexploreamerica.com/tour-website/2689334PR
England & Scotland 2025
(current 6th, 7th, and 8th grade):
https://www.eftours.com/2688065ES
Costa Rica 2025
(current 8th grade only):
https://www.eftours.com/2641050PY
Boston 2026
(current 5th, 6th, and 7th grade):
https://www.efexploreamerica.com/tour-website/2805870BE
Costa Rica 2026
(current 7th grade):
https://www.eftours.com/2803748HA
Parent Feedback Requested
Your input is important to us. We are contemplating hosting a parent education night to discuss parenting in today's digital world. In order to get as many parents to come as possible, we ask that you fill out the attached survey so we can offer it at a time that will allow us to offer it to as many families as possible. We appreciate your helping us accomplish this by completing this form.
Community Eligibility Form
We are very fortunate that our district allows for all students to eat lunch free of cost. The community eligibilty form that was used in the past to determine eligibility is now used as a way to keep track of the changes our school community continues to go through. By taking the time to fill this form out you are helping us get an accurate view as to how many of our families would actually qualify for free or reduced lunch. The information helps us solicit sponsorships, donations and programs for our students and families. Plus it also is a great representation of our parent involvement, which is the best in the district!
If you need help, feel free to call the front office at 303-343-3664.
Parent Portal Check In
Please be sure to do your check in for your students. You can update emergency contacts, phone numbers, home address and give permission for field trips, pictures as well as sign the new technology contract.
If you have problems logging in or in case you have forgotten your Username and/or Password, please, reach out to me and I will provide you with the correct information and help you with resetting your password. CLICK HERE for the link and also to read and discover why it is important and beneficial to have access to ICPP. Do you still have questions? Don't hesitate to call Mr. John Adams, Family Liaison for help with this. The best way to respond to me is replying to this email.
Flu & Covid 2024 Update
The following information about the flu and COVID vaccinations is taken from the Center for Disease
Control (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the Colorado Department
of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) websites and has been updated for 2024
Recommendations.
Who should be vaccinated?
With rare exception all persons aged 6-months and older should have an annual influenza
Vaccine.
When to be vaccinated:
The recommendation is to be vaccinated in September or October with October being the most
recommended month for flu vaccination. All websites state flu shots (or jabs per UK) should
occur before the end of October. If you miss the October deadline—get vaccinated anyway as flu
can last through late spring. Again-if you miss the recommended timeframe GET
VACCINATED ANYWAY. COVID vaccinations can happen anytime through the year.
Special considerations:
• Adults over 65 should wait to receive the flu vaccine until September or October with October
being the preferred month to ensure coverage through the full flu season.
• Some children will need 2-doses of flu vac. The health care provider will give information
about the need for 2-doses.
• Early flu vaccination may be recommended by the health care provider for women in
their third trimester of pregnancy to help protect the infant in their early months of
life as infant flu vaccination starts at age 6-months.
Side effects:
Side effects of the flu shot can include soreness, redness, and/or swelling at the injection site.
Acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be used to help with side effects. The COVID vaccine may
cause arm soreness. Please do NOT take ibuprofen (Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) prior to
receiving a flu or COVID vaccination as this can negatively impact the effectiveness of the
vaccinations.
Please let me know how I can help.
Susan Golden MSN RN
What is a Healthy Friendship?
This week in 4th grade classrooms, students discussed managing friendships in school. This social-emotional learning lesson will be recurring as the topic is too big to address in a single lesson. In addition to defining healthy friendship and the benefits of having friendship, students explored the term, bestie or best friend. These terms are exclusive rather than fostering inclusivity. Students were challenged to consider using the term close friend rather than best friend. Students discussed how close friendships typically develop over time, that the relationships require consistent time and energy to maintain. While close friendships can be rich and supportive, there are other other types of friendship that are of equal value. Students discussed the value of casual friendships and acquaintances. These friendships require less work to maintain, typically have less conflict, yet still offer connection and happiness. We encourage students to work towards a balance of friendships - close friendships, casual friendships, as well as acquaintances.
In Mrs. Pock’s kindergarten class, students began learning about The Zones of Regulation as a means of increasing their awareness of their emotional states. With an increased understanding of one’s own emotional state, one is more likely to recognize personal needs such as taking space, requesting a break, or engaging with peers. The Zones of Regulation model allows students to access language by which they can describe how they are feeling rather than reacting to their emotional states.
In Mrs. Morris’ kindergarten class, students had a read aloud. The book we read is called Little Beaver and the Echo. In this story, Little Beaver describes feeling lonely. In his loneliness, Little Beaver goes on an adventure meeting other animals also seeking friendships. This story led to a conversation about inclusivity in school specifically during recess and classroom group work.
***
Have you ever asked your child “How was school today?” For young learners, this is often perceived as a very broad question for which the student responds, “I don’t know”, or it illicits a “good”, or “bad” response. By being more specific with your questioning, you are more likely to get a fuller response. For example, “How was lunch today?” “What made you laugh at school today?”, or “What did you play today during recess.” The more specific the question, the more likely it is that you will receive a meaningful response.
~Rob Lipson, Elementary School Counselor, rclipson@aurorak12.org
Middle School
Good Afternoon Middle School Parents!
6th Grade Signs of Suicide (SOS) Lesson
At the end of September, every 6th grade student in our district will be involved in our Signs of Suicide training, developed by the district, and taught by our middle school counselor. With the suicide rate among adolescents increasing every year, the district decided a number of years back to implement the Signs of Suicide curriculum to help students understand warning signs in others and themselves, and what to do/whom to tell, should these signs occur. If you would like some more information, please feel free contact Shauna Veen (Middle School Counselor) at: snveen@aurorak12.org, or by phone: (303) 326-2000, x23727. She can meet with you on Parent/Teacher Conference Night (September 26th), or arrange for another time to connect. Attached is a letter with more information, and an opportunity for you to opt your child out of this training, should you choose. Please return this letter (or send an email) to Shauna Veen by Friday, September 20th, should you wish to opt your student(s) out.
Fathers / Male Guardians Only Coffee Thursday, September 19th at 8:00 a.m.
Elementary counselor, Robert Lipson and Family Liaison, John Adams, will host 4 sessions of the Fathers/Male Guardians Coffee this school year. Sessions focus on How Dad’s engagement in their child’s education supports academic and social success, The Strengths of Father’s Presence as well as other topics. Engaged fathers/guardians provide a strong foundation for their child’s well-being in school. Research demonstrates that students of engaged father/guardians maintain strong attendance and grades and develop adaptive social skills. During this conversation, fathers/guardians will discuss what it means to engage in your child’s education, the value in role modeling pro-social problem-solving skills, Zones of Regulation, and much more. Each conversation starts with socializing and getting to know one other while enjoying a cup of coffee with bakers’ confectionary.
Please email Mr. Lipson rclipson@aurorak12.org and Mr. Adams jadams@aurorak12.org to sign up. A notification/reminder will be sent out later.
We Have A Facebook Group!
Wondering what is going on? Curious about upcoming events? Wanting to volunteer during
fundraisers but not sure how? This is your one stop shop for how to support the school,
fundraisers and overall school community. Please be sure to answer the questions when
you ask to join. It's a way that we ensure that our Quest information stays within our
community.
www.facebook.com/groups/1743613152521317/
Phoenix Feathers:
Yearly our PTA spends a starting average of $60 per student to provide all or part of your
signature learning experiences at Quest. This includes fieldtrips, student enrichment, and
transportation to name a few. By purchasing a feather for $60 you help chip away at our BIG
goal. Next time you stop into the school be sure and check out our beautiful new Phoenix!
King Soopers Rewards: (EASIEST way to passively fundraise)
Help our school by buying your groceries! This is the easiest fundraiser and takes less than
10 minutes to set up so sign up if you haven't already. A huge THANK YOU to our current
participants!!
Go to: www.kingsooperscommunityrewards.com
Click on Enroll Now.
Sign in to your account.
Click on Community Rewards
Enter Aurora Quest K8 PTA or “BX352”
Shop as usual using your rewards card or alternate ID.
***Be on the lookout for more passive opportunities in the future!***
PTA Meeting: Our next meeting is September 10th from 6-7pm. We welcome all parents
and support parents to join us especially as we have several items on the table to vote on at
this meeting. If you are interested in voting rights for decisions that affect the school
membership is $10. You can become a member on the school website under the PTA tab or
at any meeting or event we are hosting as well as at the meeting. We are hoping to go LIVE
at this meeting so it’ll be easier for more to access.
Dates to be on the lookout for:
~ September 25th - Run For Funds is our BIGGEST fundraiser of the year and we are hoping that if we all do this to the best of our ability we can lower the frequency of future fundraising this year! We need 3-4 volunteers for each run. We don’t have a schedule yet but wanted to get a date out ASAP.
~ Butter Braids will be going live end of Oct with a delivery date of 11/20 (volunteers will be
needed for a quick turn around on hand out)
2024/2025 Aurora Quest K8 PTA Board
Dre Sneddon, President
Nidhi Kotecha, Vice President
Angelica Upton, Secretary
Susan Milo, Treasurer
Our school needs some Parent Volunteers in the following areas:
Crosswalk:
- 7:20am to 7:45am (be present at 7:15am)
- 2:30pm to 2:50pm (be present at 2:25pm)
Library book shelving: Monday, Wednesday, or Friday for 2 hours in the a.m. or pm.
Send an email with your Name, Telephone Number where you can be reached and Availability to: John Adams jadams@aurorak12.org
Running Coach Volunteers still needed!
Girls on the Run is still in need of coaches to help with the afterschool program.
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Reach out to Brynn Weissner at bmweissner@aurorak12.org
BE A VOLUNTEER!
We need chaperones, coaches, team leaders, and more! As you can see we have so much going on for our students that parents can make a huge difference in making sure we continue to offer so much! Our parent volunteers make it so much easier for us to navigate through the school year. If you are interested in volunteering, here is how to get your badge and clearance.
STEP 1: In order to become one you need to complete the Screening Process (Background Check). Click Here
STEP 2: Send Mr. Adams, our Family Liaison an email with a picture of your valid driver's license (front only) and a picture of yourself with a plain background for your badge AFTER you have completed the screening process (STEP 1). Mr. Adams will submit the "Volunteer Approval Form" with both pictures to the Safety & Security Department. Once it arrives he will call you to come pick it up.