AES Community Connection 11/15/24

We hope that families will be able to join us next Friday for a Thanksgiving Friendship Walk. This "parade" is being held in lieu of our traditional Halloween costume parade. The walk will begin at 2:15 PM from the front/side of the school and head over the bridge to the ARC, down the new bike path, over the bridge and back up through campus to AES. If you choose to join us, keep in mind that parking can be a challenge so please plan accordingly.

This newsletter contains several opportunities for family engagement! Please browse each section to see how you can get involved! Next week is SWIM week for all Physical Education classes.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ashley Bodkins, Principal

Normal Weekday Schedule for AES:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:00-3:15

Wednesdays 8:00-1:45

EVERY WEDNESDAY IS EARLY RELEASE AT 1:45!

Tuesday, November 19- Teacher Thank you Breakfast! Sign up to bring treats!

Friday, November 22- Thanksgiving Friendship Parade 2:15

Week of November 25- Happy Thanksgiving Break! No School!

Tuesday, December 3- Square One Art Orders Due

Thursday, December 5- Year Book Cover Submissions Due!

Saturday, December 7 - Save the Date for the AEF Flamingo - "Best Event of the Year!"

Wednesday, December 4th-13th- Bookfair

Tuesday, December 10 - Family Literacy Night and Scholastic Book Fair 4-7:00 pm- more info below!

December 23- January 3- Happy Winter Break- No School!

Swim Weeks: Your child's swim day will be the day they have Physical Education

• Nov 18-22
• Dec 16-20
• Jan 27-31
• Feb 24-28
• Mar 17-21
• Apr 14-18

Looking Ahead: 3rd and 4th grade CMAS testing

Thursday, April 17th, Monday, April 21 and Tuesday, April 22

Please do not schedule appointments or vacations during this window. Thank you!

Yearbook Cover Contest!! Submissions due 12.5.24

2nd Annual Student Design Yearbook Cover Contest is ON! All students are welcome to participate and all entries will be voted on and the winner chosen by AES students. Voting will take place on December 9th, and the winner will be announced Tuesday, December 10th. All submissions must be submitted to Virginia or Carrie by Midnight on Thursday, December 5th. The general theme for submissions should be Aspen Outdoors- let your kiddos' imagination take off from there! The rules are simple:

• Try to incorporate Aspen Outdoors theme
• Use 8.5 X 11 inch piece of plain white computer paper (the design must be vertical, with no lined paper and little or no eraser marks)
• Use crayons, colored pencils, paint or markers. Use of strong colors is encouraged. (Design must be original student artwork)

• Please make sure your coloring is dark enough so it will easily show when scanned and try to color most of the paper
• Must include AES and the year 2024-2025
• Include name, grade and teacher on the back of the artwork
• Submit all artwork to Virginia or Carrie by Midnight on Thursday, December 5th (can be scanned or you can bring original to the front desk)
• Only 1 entry per student
• Good Luck!

For more information click HERE for the flyer in English. Click HERE for the flyer in Spanish. Everything you need to know is in these flyers!

We need lots of volunteers to make the Book Fair a success! Please click HERE to volunteer!

Please click HERE for the flyer in Spanish!

Just in time for the madness of the holiday season, we’re announcing our final event of 2024 - A Functional Approach to Problem Behavior in Early Childhood!

Join us Thursday, December 5th at 11:30 MST / 12:30 CST via Zoom for a free webinar for early childhood EDUCATORS, CARE PROVIDERS, FAMILIES, FRIENDS, and NEIGHBORS. If you spend any time at all around young kiddos, this webinar is for you! Click HERE to register and for more information.

We love dogs!! However, only approved or authorized service animals, including dogs, are allowed on campus. Thank you for respecting our campus guidelines.

Click HERE for the poster in English.

Click HERE for the poster in Spanish.

Has your child missed 4 or more days of school? If so, they may be at risk for chronic absenteeism. Missing more than 2 days of school per month can put your child at risk academically. If you have questions or concerns about your child's attendance and need support getting them to school, please reach out to Ashley Bodkins or Shea Robinson.

People can sign up to pick up free farm produce to use during the Thanksgiving week.

November 20th, 2;00-6:00 PM

Cozy Point Farm Park

220 Juniper Hill Road

Click HERE for the flyer with more information!

We’re excited to announce that registration for Youth Boys Basketball at Aspen Recreation is now open! This program is available for boys in grades 3rd/4th and 5th/6th, with the season running from December 9th through February 27th. Practices will be held on either Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday, depending on the team.

Registration Details:

• Open Registration Period: Now through November 25th
• How to Register: Parents can easily sign up by scanning the QR code on the attached poster or by visiting aspenrecreation.com under the "Basketball" section.

Please note, we will be offering basketball for Kindergarten and 1st/2nd grade in the spring season, so stay tuned for those details if interested!

Click HERE for the flyer.

Horse lovers: Join us for an introductory day with Aspen riding academy at Cozy Point Ranch. Are you curious about horses but have never had the chance to be up close with one? This is your chance to connect with our friendly horses. Click HERE for the flyer with more information

Date: November 23rd

Time: 1:00-3:00

Location: Cozy Point Ranch, 210 Juniper Hill Dr.

Thanksgiving break horsemanship Workshops

Dates: 11.25 & 11.26

Time: 1:00-4:00

Location: Cozy Point Ranch

Click HERE for the flyer!

Registration for Spring semester opens December 16 @ 10 am

Accepting scholarship applications and renewals December 2—13th. Scholarship applications are available in English and Spanish at AspenRecreation.com > More Info > Scholarships & Financial Aid

All Aspen area students attending Kindergarten through 4th grade, ages 5—10 years, are eligible to attend.

Afterschool Club, Early Release, and Full Day Camp days must be purchased separately.

Aspen City Camp is an enroll-by-day program for all three programs.

Any questions can be directed to citycampdirector@aspen.gov or Jay Slater at jay.slater@aspen.gov

Click HERE for the flyer in Spanish.

This year, every Wednesday at AES is an early release Wednesday. Students are released for the day at 1:45. Please mark your calendars and prepare accordingly. We will not be sending weekly reminders.

Keeping students safe is our number one priority at ASD. Therefore, during the school day you will find all AES doors locked. However, please know you are WELCOME to visit and volunteer at AES.

• Visiting - Please remember your ID (driver's license) if you are visiting the building for any reason. Virginia and Carrie will meet you in the office with a smile and issue you a sticker/ visitor badge that must be worn while in the building.

• Volunteering - We love including "fingerprinted" parent volunteers in the classroom or on field trips. If this interests you, be proactive and get ASD Fingerprinting for Volunteers Procedure completed ASAP. This certification will last five years and you can get it done up at the District Office connected to the High School.

Below are the protocols we follow in an emergency. Families will be notified in the event of an emergency. Please do not come to or call the school.

• Standard Response Protocol
• Spanish Version

• Academic achievement: Students who attend school regularly are more likely to succeed academically. Research shows that attendance is a strong indicator of success.

• Learning: Students who attend school regularly are able to learn more and participate in classroom discussions and activities. They can ask questions and get clarification from their teachers.
  
• Building relationships: Students who attend school regularly can build relationships with their peers and teachers.
  
• Developing good habits: Regular attendance helps students build routines and develop good habits for the future.
  
• Foundation for learning: School is critical to building a strong foundation for learning that will help students succeed in middle school, high school, and beyond.
  
• Missed opportunities: Each day a student is not in school is a missed opportunity to learn something they will need in order to understand more difficult material later.
  

We know that many families rely on schools for meals. We encourage families to submit a Free & Reduced Meal application, which provides families with access to additional benefits as well. Please know that even if you qualified in previous years, an application must be submitted every school year. To access the application and instructions click HERE. If you have any questions or problems please reach out to the finance department, or, if you need a paper form, please reach out to Virginia.

Join the many AES families who have already taken the pledge to Wait Unitl 8th grade and delay giving children smartphones. Interested in learning more? Click here.

All students were assessed an $85 supply fee and a $25 technology fee on August 15th. If you have not paid your fees yet please do so as soon as possible. The Supply Fee covers all the supplies your child will need for the year. The technology fee covers your child’s device and licenses for the year. These can be paid through e~Funds, or you can bring cash or check attention Virginia to the front office.

Are you passionate about promoting healthy eating habits and making a positive impact in our community? Come and join us as a lunchroom volunteer!

Our dedicated chef prepares delicious and nutritious meals, and we're looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help serve these wholesome lunches. By contributing your time, you'll play a pivotal role in ensuring that everyone in Aspen Elementary School has access to healthy, balanced meals.

Volunteer Responsibilities:

• Assisting in serving lunches
• Engaging with our AES community members in a friendly manner
• Collaborating with our team to maintain a welcoming lunch environment

Benefits of Volunteering:

• Being part of a meaningful initiative promoting healthy eating
• Connecting with our vibrant community
• Contributing to the well-being of our [school/organization/company]

Details: Sign up here!

Please check in with the front office of the building you are visiting. You will receive a badge and a temporary parking pass. Please make sure your pass is clearly visible on the dashboard of your vehicle. If you do not have a parking pass, your vehicle may get a ticket or be booted.

Parking is available in the middle school lot. The parking lot located behind the high school is for staff only.

• Be sure to stay in your car if you are in the active loading and unloading zone. Parking and walking up to the school is highly discouraged.
• All kindergarten and 1st grade students play on the Little Playground at the side of the building before the bell rings. They will alternate going into the Library if they would like.
• All 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade students will cross the plaza and go down to the Big Playground.
• Students who would like to buy breakfast may enter the front doors and go down to the cafeteria.
• The bell rings at 7:55am for students to line-up and enter the building.

At the end of the day...

• The dismissal bell rings at 3:15pm
• Teachers on duty will walk the pick-up students down to the gate and will wait with children until their ride has arrived. Please do not walk up to the school. This will help to reduce congestion and ensure we have a smooth dismissal.

Adults will be on duty to help direct students to the proper locations.

Alternatives include: stickers, pencils, extra recess, dance party, cards, star student etc.

• Haga clic AQUÍ para obtener instrucciones sobre cómo traducir este boletín.
• Click HERE for the Bus Change Request Form.
• Aspen Family Connections
• Aspen School District Absences and Excuses Policy (Click here for Spanish)
  
• AES Attendance (Click here for Spanish)
• Pre-Arranged Absence Form
• Click HERE for information about fingerprinting for volunteers.
• Volunteer to work in the Cafeteria.
• Click HERE for the latest document from the state about when to exclude students and staff from school/work because of illness. How Sick is too Sick Spanish version.
  
• Please click HERE to see the staff's favorite things!
  
• Order SPIRIT WEAR anytime with this link!

Students will be able to enter the building at 7:35am. Please be sure to talk to your child about whether or not they have your permission to purchase breakfast. The cost is $3.50 and there are NO free seconds. (if your child gets seconds there will be another charge for $3.50).

Breakfast follows Free & Reduced guidelines. If your child qualified for Free/Reduced lunch they also qualify for Free/Reduced breakfast and will be charged accordingly. We want to make sure no child is hungry during the school day.

Please click HERE for more details.

Last year, Aspen Elementary School became an authorized International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. The International Baccalaureate® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Aspen Elementary

To empower an innovative, mindful community of learners in a challenging and nurturing environment that promotes inquiry and academic excellence.

International Baccalaureatae

The International Baccalaureate® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Website: https://www.aspenk12.net/Domain/8
Location: 235 High School Road, Aspen, Colorado, USA
Phone: 970-925-3760