Thank you to all of the families that were able to join us for Back-to-School Night. I know you were pumped full of information and got a glimpse of the student day. Don't ever hesitate to contact your child's teacher, Sierra, me, other families with questions, feedback, praise, etc. Sierra staff will respond to emails/voicemails within 1-2 school days. Nothing makes my day more than communication from families about the great things that happen in class and here at Sierra. These are huge points of pride and ground us during the challenging days. On the flip side, sometimes families are not sure what to do with concerns. I always suggest start with the specific adult first. This way that adult can acknowledge and address the concern. Parties might not always agree, but the majority of the times, the concern is worked out in a positive and productive manner. Partnering with our families is a huge value for Sierra and we could not do this job without you! Have a great weekend 😄

We need you! Sierra is hiring for sub paraprofessionals to help cover supervisions (lunch, recess, classrooms, etc) in the event of para absences. If you are interested, please contact Nicole in the office if you have questions, 303-982-0821.

Pre-Arranged Absence Forms - NEW

Guardians, if you are going out of town for 2 or more days you need to fill out a Pre-Arranged Absence Form. You can turn in the filled out form to the office or email to sylvia.castro@jeffco.k12.co.us. Also, if you are using the "New Attendance Procedures" you still need to fill out the Pre-Arranged Absence form in order for the absence to be excused. Thank you!

LEGO CLUB REGISTRATION

Grades K-1

Grades 2-5

NEW ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES

Jeffco has created a new online absence reporting tool, please see details here. We will also still accept phone calls for absences, please call 303-982-0819.

ALL returning, new, and kindergarten families will need to log in to Jeffco Infinite Campus Parent Portal (same username and password as EnrollJeffco) to complete the registration process for the 2024-25 school year (the initial registration process was started in December/January). This is where you will submit the updated information requested and acknowledge the agreements. Do not forget to save and submit.

There have been some glitches with Infinite Campus. If you have issues with registration please email Syvia at Sylvia.Castro@jeffco.k12.co.us. If you have already contacted Sylvia with concerns, she is currently working to resolve the issues. Please be patient as each issue takes time to resolve. Sylvia will contact you when it is resolved.

To pay your student fees on Infinite Campus following these steps: Reminder not until 8/1

1. After logging in, clink on "More."
2. Under "Quick Links" on the right side, click on "Jeffco Student Fee Payment."

ALL students will receive free breakfast and lunch for the 2024-2025 school year.

YOU MUST APPLY THROUGH "MEAL BENEFITS APPLICATION". Meal Benefits Application

If you are applying for Free/Reduced lunch, please make sure you don't mark the box that says "Do not share with the school". If you mark this box, your school fees will not be waived automatically.

Sierra Calendar

August 26- Modified Contact Day (2 sessions 8:00-10:00 and 12:00-2:00)

August 30- Coffee with T n B, 7:50-8:20 in the cafeteria

September- Hispanic Heritage Month

September 2- No School (Labor Day)

September 6- ROAR Day (Back-to-School)

September 19- Field Day 3rd-5th grades; all day

September 20- No School (teacher work day)

September 27- ROAR Day (Pirate Day)

Please ensure that you read through the Sierra Student-Family Handbook for additional school information.

BREAKFAST

A recent change in regulation means all Jeffco sites now qualify for CEP in the 2024-25 school year, including Sierra. As part of the CEP program, Sierra will now serve breakfast in addition to lunch for students. This change will provide all our students with greater access to healthy breakfast and lunch options.

Participation in breakfast is optional. If your student does choose to participate in breakfast, please walk them to the cafeteria doors to enter the cafeteria. K-5th students will enter the cafeteria on their own, go immediately to the service line to retrieve their meal, and sit at a table to eat. Supervision will be provided (prek students, see info below).

• Students in K-5th grades- breakfast hours 7:20-7:35

• Students will be dismissed to their classrooms at 7:35 (once their spots are clean)

• Students in prek- breakfast hours 7:45-8:00

• Prek students must be accompanied by an adult/family member to remain with them during breakfast.

• At 8:00, adults and students will exit the cafeteria and go outside to their arrival door to sign students in for the day

CHANGE OF ADDRESS / PHONE NUMBERS

Please change information in Infinite Campus Parent Portal immediately if you change your address, telephone number, email address or place of employment. It is also necessary to keep other emergency numbers up-to-date.

PBIS AND ROAR EXPECTATIONS

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a framework used to create a safe, positive, and productive learning environment for all children. At Sierra, we teach and reinforce ROAR behaviors. Sierra Sabertooths ROAR when they are Safe, Respectful, and Responsible. Rewards and celebrations occur in classrooms and throughout the building to let students know that we see how amazing they are and how hard they are working every day to model these behavior expectations. To see the ROAR expectations that we have established across settings, click HERE.

PTA Particulars - NEW

Join the largest club at Sierra, promoting friendship and an active, healthy lifestyle!

· The goal is to run 100 miles throughout the whole school year and all participants receive a charm necklace to track progress.

· Prizes are awarded at 25, 50, 75, and 100 miles, and milestones announced at lunch with your grade level. · Registration is open! Students, family members, and staff are all welcome! Please register by Friday, August 30th

· Running Club begins Wednesday, Sept 4th

· Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 2:40 - 3:15 pm at the Sierra track on the south side of the playground (weather permitting).

· $15 per person to join.

· Volunteers Needed: looking for helpers to distribute cards at the start of running club, punch cards after laps are completed, file cards at the end of running club, and stand on the track to monitor behavior. Let us know at registration if you can help with this. · More information is available on the Sierra Elementary website under Clubs: Sabertooth Sprinters.

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone that has signed up to volunteer for crossing guard. We are still in need of crossing guards in the afternoon for the 2024-25 school year. These volunteers are essential to Sierra as they ensure students are able to cross Oak safely both before and after school. Thank you to Jeremy Klassen for heading up our crossing guards this school year! Please follow this link to sign up: 2024 - 2025 School Year Crossing Guard Sign Up (shifts are about 20 minutes in the morning and afternoon). THANK YOU to those that volunteer for helping to keep Sierra safe!

We want your child to be successful in school and that means supporting and encouraging their whole development. While excelling in academic classes is important, children also need skills to take on learning challenges, make good decisions, manage strong emotions, and get along with others. At Sierra, we use Second Step® Elementary, a research-based social-emotional learning program designed to improve children’s social-emotional skills, for our Kindergarten through 5th grade students. Second Step skills and concepts are designed to help children both in and out of school. Five units will cover the following:

• Growth Mindset & Goal-Setting: Children learn how to pay attention and manage distractions, develop a growth mindset, and apply goal-setting strategies to their social and academic lives.
• Bullying Prevention: Children learn how to recognize when bullying is happening; report bullying to a caring adult; refuse to let bullying happen to themselves or others; and be a bystander who stands up and is part of the solution to bullying.
• Emotion Management: Children learn how to identify and label emotions and use emotion management strategies—including stress management for older students—to calm strong feelings.
• Empathy & Kindness: Children learn how to recognize kindness and act kindly, have empathy for others and take others’ perspectives, and recognize kind acts and empathy as important elements of building and maintaining relationships.
• Problem-Solving: Children learn how to identify and state a problem, recognize if a problem is an accident, and use the STEP problem-solving process.

Our students will be focusing on Unit 1 - Growth Mindset and Goal-Setting through September. To learn how to support your child with these skills at home, click HERE.

Student Benefits Application (formerly known as the Student Meal Benefits Application)

Jeffco wants to encourage all families to complete the application. No longer is the emphasis on Free/Reduced/Paid Meals. As the new name implies, it is for Student Benefits such as student-based funding for our school and fee waivers for various activities.

2024-25 Yearbook information is here! Please check out the Sierra Yearbook flyer.

The City of Arvada notified Sierra of a major construction project forthcoming. Throughout Sierra's neighborhood, the city will be replacing the water line throughout the community. This construction project will be done in stages and Oak street, which is Sierra's main thoroughfare, will be impacted. The western side of Oak Street will be impacted for the new placement of the water line, impacting drop-off, pick-up and our bus loading zones.

The project timeline has not been established yet with the contractor. The City of Arvada's expectation for the contractor is that they complete the work outside of normal school hours and to give Sierra 3 weeks notice before work begins. There is an opportunity to provide your input to the City of Arvada during a Virtual Office Hours meeting from 4 - 6pm on August 27. Please consider attending this session to advocate for the timeline to impact Oak Street during the summer.

More information about the project, including a description of the project areas, what to expect during construction, and a signup form for the virtual office hours are available on the project page: ArvadaCO.gov/SierraVista-WaterLine. You must sign-up prior to the session to receive the Zoom link.

Ralston Valley High School annual community events: Lisa Nelson Mustang Stampede on Saturday, September 21st. This is a community 5K race where the money raised is awarded to two deserving student athletes in the form of a college scholarship. Please see the Mustang Stampede flyer for more information and registration.

Email: tennille.foerster@jeffco.k12.co.us
Website: sierraelementary.net
Location: 7771 Oak Street, Arvada, CO, USA
Phone: (303)982-0821
Facebook: facebook.com/sierraelementary