View our parents' page on facebook, stop by the school, give us a call, visit our website, or send us an email. We love to hear from you!

Email: sam.cox@deltaschools.com
Website: pk8.deltaschools.com
Location: 846 Grand Avenue, Paonia, CO, USA
Phone: 970-527-4882
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pk8.ppo

August 10, 2024

Dear PK8 Families,

The first day of the 2024-2025 school year is just two days away!! The staff has been working hard the past week to prepare everything for our students' return. The building is tidied up, classroom desks are labeled with student names, lessons are prepared for the first week of school, and we are ready to go!! Now we are all eagerly waiting Monday morning when the halls and classrooms will fill with the sounds of excited students meeting their new teachers, greeting new and old friends, and lockers opening and closing. This is an exciting week for students and staff alike!!

Our first family event of the school year is the Back To School BBQ on Thursday, August 15th, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. Our classrooms will be open from 4:30-5:00 so that families may visit their students rooms. Dinner service will start at 5:00 and there will be a prize raffle at 6:00 pm. We hope our families will head over to Pickin' In The Park afterwards to enjoy an evening of live music.

Our Back to School BBQ is a potluck-style meal. The school will provide hotdogs, drinks, and flatware. We ask families to provide the following items, based on the first letter of your last name:

If your last name begins with:

• Letters A-G, please bring a dessert for 12 people
• Letters H-P, please bring 2 bags of chips
• Letters Q-Z, please bring a salad or side dish for 12 people

Welcome to all of our PK8 families, new and returning! We can't wait to see you! Don't forget to use our website and PPO page as a resource for information: pk8.deltaschools.com or https://www.facebook.com/pk8.ppo

Sincerely,

Sam Cox

Principal

Sunday, August 11th, All day, anytime.

We will have chalk outside the front doors. Write a school appropriate message or draw a picture to welcome back our students and staff!

Please review our Paonia K-8 Family Handbook. A hard copy will be sent home the first week of school. Please make sure to sign and return the last page of the handbook.

This summer our school board passed a new policy covering student use of cell phones and personal technology devices. You may read the full policy at this link: Policy JICJ

For PK8 students, this policy does not significantly change our previous expectations of use, but it does warrant some adjustments to our previous procedures as outlined below:

Cell phones and other personal technology devices (such as earbuds, tablets, smart watches, etc) may not be used between the school hours of 7:55 and 3:25. If students are on the playground before 7:55 they may not use their devices. Devices must be turned off and in a students backpack or locker from 7:55 to 3:25. Students may wear a smart watch as long as it is not be used for any purpose other than a timepiece during the hours of 7:55-3:25.

As described in our school district policy, students may only use their cell phone or personal technology device when authorized by a 504, IEP, or health care plan; for instructional purposes under the direction of a staff member; in an emergency situation where there is an imminent or actual threat to the health or safety of students or school personnel. For clarification, if a child is feeling sick, they should not contact their parent on their cell phone, but instead report to the school office for evaluation by the health aide or to contact their parent.

Students participating in extracurricular events may not use their device during practices and games. Students may use their device on the way to/from extracurricular activities, and while being an observer at a school extracurricular event.

If students need to contact their parents during the school day, they should come to the front office and use one of the phones in the office. Students should not be using their cell phone or smart watch to contact parents during the school day, wether during classes, transitions, recesses, or lunch periods.

If students have their cell phone or personal technology device on their person, or are using the device during the day, they will turn their device over to a staff member. At the first occurrence students may receive their device at the end of the school day. For the second and further occurrences, parents may retrieve the device from the school office. If a student habitually abuses this policy, additional discipline action may be taken.

Some of our PK8 classes do have fees for the 2024-2025 school year. Here is a list of those fees. Please stop by the school office and pay your fees as soon as possible.

Kindergarten: $20 classroom supply fee. There is not a supply list for students, we order your school supplies with this $20 fee.

1st Grade: $20 classroom supply fee. There is not a supply list for students, we order your school supplies with this $20 fee.

6th Grade: $35 dollar chromebook fee. All students will need access to a personal laptop for the school year. If you don't have your own laptop, there is a mandatory $35 annual fee for use of a school chromebook.

7th/8th Grades: $35 dollar chromebook fee. All students will need access to a personal laptop for the school year. If you don't have your own laptop, there is a mandatory $35 annual fee for use of a school chromebook. There is also a $5 planner fee. All 7th/8th grade students will be using a planner to record upcoming assignments and assessments.

Pay to Play: There is a $55 Pay to Play fee for student athletes. This fee is per sport, so if your student is playing football or volleyball this fall, please make sure send in your payment.

Families, we have several sets of student schools supplies/backpacks that have been donated to the school from individuals and organizations in Delta County. If you are in need of free school supplies or student backpacks, please ask at the front office.

PEE WEE SPORTS

Please follow our Paonia Parents Facebook page for updates on fall Pee Wee sports registration! Registration forms may be available at school if provided by the sport. https://www.facebook.com/pk8.ppo

MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS

FOOTBALL: 7th and 8th grade football interest meeting on 8/12 at 12:10. Practices start Tuesday, 8/13, after school from 3:30pm-5:30pm.

VOLLEYBALL: 7th and 8th grade volleyball interest meeting 8/12 at lunchtime. Practices start Monday, 8/12, 3:30-5:00pm.

Cross Country: 6th, 7th and 8th grade cross country interest meeting on 8/12 at 12:10. Practices start Tuesday, 8/13, after school from 3:30pm-5:30pm.

Your sports physical must be complete to practice, so get those done before school starts!

For this school year, 2024-2025, Delta County School District will be providing FREE breakfast and lunch to ALL students! This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to enjoy nutritious meals prepared locally by our kitchen staff using a mix of local and state-provided meats, vegetables, and fruit.

Students who are not eating school lunch, but would like a milk at lunchtime will have to purchase the milk for .75¢. Students may pay the .75¢ daily, or parents may add funds to their child's lunch account.

Meal costs for adults are: $3.50 for breakfast ; $4.85 for lunch.

Even though the breakfast and lunch program is free this year, it is still critically important that families complete a Family Economic Data Survey. Because of our school's economic status, parents are encouraged to complete this form instead of the Free and Reduced Lunch Application Form. The data from this survey is used to determine the Federal Title I funding for our school and district.

Title I funding provides staffing for our reading and math intervention teachers, childcare for PPO meetings, and other student supports. When we do not receive adequate Title I funds, we have to lean on PPO fundraising and local building funds to fill the gap.

PLEASE download and fill out the Family Economic Data Survey at this link. The forms may be returned to PK8. You may also pick up a paper copy of this form at the school office.

Family Economic Data Survey - English and Spanish

Even if you do not plan to eat school lunch, please complete the survey so that we have accurate data reported for federal funding.

The school supply list can be found on our webpage under announcements.

(See above image)

pk8.deltaschools.com

Sam Cox

Principal

Paonia K8 School

970-527-4882

sam.cox@deltaschools.com