Garfield 16 Gazette
September 2024
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Superintendent Corner
Social Media and School Safety
G16 Families,
The District is in communication with law enforcement about the unfounded threats on social media that occurred in neighboring school districts over the last couple weeks. There are no credible threats in Garfield County School District 16.
If there was a concern about student and staff safety due to a credible threat, the District would be informed by law enforcement and steps would be taken to ensure everyone’s safety. Official communications would come to parents through district email messaging and not social media.
Why don't we post these things on social media?
As a school district, we do not want to post these messages on social media or reshare potentially threatening posts, as many of these "threats" have amounted to "hoaxes" or "swatting calls" in recent years. We do not wish to feed into the frenzy and bring more attention to those who wish to allocate important community resources (like law enforcement) to fake threats. We also do not wish to incentivize “copy cat” posts.
Our district has the most school resource officers per capita in Garfield County, and all of our staff prioritize your student's safety above all else. If there is an immediate threat that is credible, we will follow emergency protocol.
We are always secured, all buildings are locked, and there is only one main entrance into all of our buildings. Entry to our schools is monitored and controlled by our secretaries. In the event of a credible threat, we would either cancel school, have a 2-hour delay, or we would place our building(s) under "secure" status, which means there would be no admittance into the building, no student would be allowed to leave, and law enforcement will monitor the building closely. Students would go about their days as normal without going outside for recess, off-campus lunch, etc.
On the right side of the page, you can find a graphic with emergency terms used by our local law enforcement agencies to describe emergency situations.
If you or your student see a concerning post/screenshot, please talk to a trusted adult first. We will always investigate images like this that are shared by students or parents. Some things to consider as you look at information online:
- Be wary of accounts that don't have many followers or aren't verified on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. This is a good indication to do more research on them before trusting what they say.
- Make sure headlines and captions match the content, and always read or view the full post before sharing. It's not a good idea to believe or spread information based on just the headline.
- Look for signs of low-quality content. Examples include headlines and captions with grammatical errors, bold claims that aren't backed up by solid sources, overly edited videos, blurry screenshots, and sensationalist images.
Please also remember to sign-up for emergency alerts with Garfield County Communications (reverse 911) through their Everbridge app, and ReachWell app (multi-language reverse 911 communications). Please make sure to sign-up and that your information is up-to-date to receive important messages from our local law enforcement and first responders. Visit https://garco911.com/ for more information.
We would also like to remind families about Safe2Tell. Where you can "anonymously report anything that concerns or threatens you, your friends, your family, or your community." Visit https://safe2tell.org/ for more information.
Please make sure your emails and phone numbers are up to date with your student's school. Call 970-285-5700 to reach all schools and departments.
Thank you,
G16 Communications
Before and After-School Childcare
Cardinal Club!
G16 is happy to announce before/after-school childcare with Cardinal Club for the 2024-2025 School Year! Cardinal Club at the Grand Valley Center for Family Learning (CFL) and Bea Underwood Elementary (BUE) is childcare for school-aged children in grades kindergarten through 5th grade. Students must be enrolled in Garfield 16 schools.
Cardinal Club hours at CFL and BUE are:
Tuesday- Friday 6:30 a.m. to 7:20 a.m. AND 3:15 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The fees for the CFL and BUE Cardinal Club are per child, and reduced rates are available for eligible families. Parent/guardians may choose to pay monthly or bi-monthly. Please visit https://www.garfield16.org/parents/pagecardinal-club for the fee schedule and for more information.
Download our App!
School Happenings
Save the Dates!
Important Upcoming Events:
- Month of September: Halloween Costume Drive at the School-Based Family Resource Center (251 N. Parachute Ave., Parachute, CO 81635). Drop off old costumes M-F 8AM-4PM.
- September 20: BUE 5th grade classes headed to Lost Lake on Grand Mesa.
- September 27: BUE Picture Day
- September 27: BUE Coffee with Counselors 8:30am
- September 27: GVMS 8th grade visiting Rifle Heritage Museum and Rifle Arch
- September 27-29: Rockmageddon https://rockmageddon.com/.
- The Grand Valley Educational Foundation will host another Cornhole Tournament on September 28th at 1:00 pm. Sign-up here: https://share.scoreholio.com/tliZxkMfBMb.
- Garfield County Outdoors will host the first annual 3D Archery Fun Shoot at Rockmageddon on Saturday, September 28th. Free bow rentals with your ticket and instructors to get everyone hitting the over 18 realistic 3D targets.
- October 2: BUE 3rd grade headed to the Trail Through Time
- October 3: Deadline to enter your chili in the Homecoming Chili Cookoff. Email lrindlisbacher@garfield16.org to enter.
- October 3-6: GVHS Key Club Leadership Meeting in Estes Park
- October 5: Rifle Trails at the Grand Hogback Extravaganza. Food, adult and kids bike courses, game stations and of course more prizes than you can fit on your handlebars. The event will take place at the Grand Hogback Trail System North of Rifle (Rifle Arch).
- October 8: Board of Education Meeting 5:00 pm. 460 Stone Quarry Road, Battlement Mesa, CO 81635
- October 9: GVMS Fall Sports Picture Day 4:15 pm
- October 9-10: BUE 5th graders on Grand Valley Challenge Course
- October 8-12: Homecoming Week. Theme = "A Night in New York"
- GVHS Dress-Up Days (other schools will be announced soon)
- City lights- Tuesday 10/8
- Green shirts for Freshmen, Purple for Sophomores, Blue for Juniors, White for Seniors and Black for staff.
- Streets Of New York -Wednesday 10/9
- Dress in grunge, gray and baggy clothes.
- “Like someone you'd see on the subway”
- New Years Party- Thursday 10/10
- Wear all black and wear a new years hat or headband!
- Cardinal Pride - Friday 10/11
- Wear Red, White and Black and or cardinal gear!
- October 9: GVHS Studman Volleyball 6pm, Chili Cookoff 6pm, Powderpuff Football 7pm, Bonfire/Car Smash 8pm.
- October 10: GVHS Homecoming Volleyball Game vs Olathe 4,5,6PM.
- October 11: EARLY RELEASE for Homecoming Parade
- AM Preschool- normal release 10:40 am. PM Preschool Cancelled
- CFL K/1 & BUE- released at 11:30 am
- GVMS & GVHS- released at 12:30 pm
- Homecoming Parade on Cardinal Way. Line-up: 1:30pm outside of the Parachute Branch Library. Parade start: 2:30pm.
- GVHS Community Pep Rally and Tailgate following parade.
- GVHS Homecoming Football Game vs Olathe 7pm
- October 12: GHVS Homecoming Dance
- October 15: BUE 4th grade hiking Rifle Arch
- October 15: GVHS Choir Trip to Rifle High School
- October 16: GVMS Fall Concert 6:30 PM
- October 17: GVHS Marching Band Competition @ Stocker Stadium
- October 18: End of 1st Quarter
- October 18: Kindergarten visiting Cottonwood Park
- October 19: 2nd Annual Buck Fever 5K. Starting and ending at Community Park. Fun run suitable for ages 5-100 with a 1 mile kids race, interactive 5K course and Western Heritage presentations. Lots of prizes, games and fun for everyone in between rifle seasons.
- October 23: 1st grade community walking tour
- October 26: GVHS Boys Soccer Parent/Senior Night
- October 26: GVHS Cross Country Regionals
- October 31: Halloween Trunk or Treat at BUE
- November 1: GVHS Football Parent/Senior Night
- GVHS Fall Sports- Find schedules by following this link: https://gvhs.garfield16.org/athletics
- GVMS Fall Sports- Find schedules by following this link: https://gvms.garfield16.org/athletics
News from the Schools
Outdoor Education News & Highlights
Past Activities
Hello and good day from the Garfield 16 outdoor world. The mornings are cooling off and the first glimpse of Fall is showing on the hills. We are thrilled to get the season started with some school trips. Here's a little about what's been happening from the start of the year:
We welcomed two new Challenge Course Facilitators to the team with our annual training. The Grand Valley Challenge Course is up and running with six staff facilitators ready to get groups climbing and flying high on the course.
The GVHS Applied Outdoor Science class led by Mr. Rindlisbacher has started with their first unit on wilderness survival. Students have been spending roughly a week on various topics like shelter building, fire starting, and water purification. This class will also take part in the state-wide River Watch program, which is a student-led data comprised of water quality data from various streams and rivers throughout the state.
It was a wonderful team building experience for our 4th and 5th graders when we spent an hour in each class playing team games and challenges.
The GVHS Outdoor club is enjoying the season with a stacked schedule of outings and trips to visit outdoor spaces. They recently went to Rifle Arch where kids choose between biking and hiking.
Garfield County Outdoors was proud to put on the Garfield Water Day celebration on August 24th. Partners included the Middle Colorado Watershed Council, Bureau of Land Management, Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife came together to celebrate, play, and enjoy our precious liquid resource, water. We were also thrilled to take part in the Latino Conservation Week Celebration this past weekend in Glenwood. Garfield County Outdoors hosted a lively fishing game and tons of prizes were given to students.
Upcoming Activities
Now that teachers and students have had some time to build those strong relationships and routines, it's time to get the field trip season underway. Here is a list of some upcoming school trips:
- This Friday, September 20th, our 5th grade classes will be headed to Lost Lake on Grand Mesa to hike the trails and test their navigation skills.
- 8th grade will be visiting Rifle Heritage Museum and Rifle Arch on September 27th.
- 3rd grade will be headed to the Trail Through Time on October 2nd to connect to their fossil unit.
- 4th grade will be hiking Rifle Arch on October 15th to explore how the earth has changed.
- Kindergarten will be visiting Cottonwood Park on October 18th as part of their explorer unit by digging, magnifying, and measuring living things near and far.
- 1st grade will be going for a hike on their community walking tour exploring different buildings and jobs within our community on October 23rd.
- 5th grade will spend a half day in each class building those strong connections by climbing the challenge course on October 9th and 10th.
- Unfortunately, due to the ongoing trail construction at Hanging Lake our regional 7th graders will not be going there this year but are excited to explore new areas throughout the Western Slope.
And that's not all! We have some community events to look forward to:
- We will be hosting the first annual 3D Archery Fun Shoot at Rockmageddon on Saturday, September 28th. Bring the kids, hunters, archers, but maybe not your pet elk, to Cottonwood park for an afternoon of archey. We have free bow rentals with your ticket and instructors to get everyone hitting the over 18 realistic 3D targets.
- The 2nd Annual Buck Fever 5K will be on October 19th. Starting and ending at Community Park, this fun run is suitable for ages 5-100 with a 1 mile kids race, interactive 5K course and Western Heritage presentations. Lots of prizes, games and fun for everyone in between rifle seasons.
- And for all you mountain bikers, come celebrate Rifle trails at the Grand Hogback Extravaganza on October 5th. This bike fun festival fundraiser supports the trail development and maintenance at the Hogback trail system. The Extravaganza is stacked with food, adult and kids bike courses, game stations and of course more prizes than you can fit on your handlebars. The event will take place at the Grand Hogback Trail System North of Rifle (Rifle Arch).
That's all for now. Stay tuned next month and until then, see you on the trails and in the changing colors.
School-Based Family Resource Center
Monday Market Recap
The School-Based Family Resource Center (SBFRC), Town of Parachute, Alpine Bank, and local vendors concluded the 2nd Annual Monday Market. Thank you to the Town of Parachute for organizing the event, donating proceeds, and donating extra produce to the Resource Center! Thank you to our amazing students, staff, and volunteers for running the produce stand.
Find more details at https://visitparachute.com/mondaymarket:
Thank you to the Garfield-16 Family Resource Center and volunteers for staffing the produce trailer every week and processed a total of 455 transactions
- Estimated Proceeds from the market totaled $1,141 which will be donated to the Family Resource Center
Thank you to Alpine Bank for their generous support and sponsoring the market.
Thanks to the new and returning vendors and groups that participated at the market:
- Pan Blanco
- Brookie Shea’s Bakeshop
- Spring Park Natural Beef
- Parachute Library
- Centro De La Familia
- Alpine Bank
- Grand Valley Anglers – Trout Unlimited Chapter
- Garfield County Public Health and Cooking Matters
- Thank you to Early Morning Orchards for finding and sourcing the best local produce.
Thanks to all of the farmers. This year’s produce came from the following farms and growers:
- Early Morning Orchards, Palisade, CO
- Okagawa Farms, Orchard Mesa, CO
- Honey Acre Farms, Montrose CO
- Juicy Acres, Palisade, CO
- Ranch Durazno, Palisade, CO
- Castle Valley Farms, Moab, UT
- Two Roots Farm, Basalt, CO
- Rocky Mountain Fresh, Longmont CO
- And many more…
Thanks to John Medrano for the live tunes
Golf for the Cause
The Resource Center would like to thank the Battlement Mesa Ladies Golf Club for another great Golf for the Cause Tournament. The tournament took place on September 14th.The Ladies Golf Club was able to earn $3,200 in donations for the Resource Center! Thank you to all of the participants, sponsors, The Battlement Mesa Golf Course, and the Battlement Mesa Ladies Golf Club for choosing the Resource Center as the beneficiary for the tournament for three years! We appreciate everyone's efforts to help us meet the needs of our families.
Funky Bear Shoe Donation
Thank you to the Funky Bear Bistro for "believing that every step counts." The Battlement Mesa restaurant donated a box of brand new shoes to the SBFRC for local families in need. It takes a whole community to ensure our families and students have access to basic necessities and community resources. Thank you to all of the local businesses that come together to ensure our students have what they need to succeed!
Aspen Community Foundation
Safe and Abundant Nutrition Alliance (SANA)
Healthy Beverage Policy Fun Facts
UPCOMING EVENTS
Resource Center Contact Info:
Please do not hesitate to reach out to our School Based Family Resource Center for more information.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Claudia Flores Cruz
Center Coordinator
970-285-5262
District Operations
Garfield County Sheriff's Office Offender Search
As part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, we would like to inform you about the resources available for accessing information on registered offenders. At the beginning of each school year, we provide written details on where and how you can obtain this information from local law enforcement agencies. This information is also posted on the district’s website for your convenience.
We believe it is crucial for parents and guardians to have access to this information to stay informed about their community and to take any necessary precautions to protect their children. By keeping you informed, we hope to foster a safer environment for all our students.
You can find the Garfield County Sheriff's Office Offender Search here: https://www.garcosheriff.com/sex-offender-search/
How to Contact Your School Counselor
Garfield 16 provides all students with counseling services through the school counselors. School counselors work with students to support their academic growth and success as well as their social and emotional development. School counselors work closely with teachers, principals, and parents to support students experiencing issues that impact their learning. These issues can be, but are not limited to, declining grades, poor work habits, organizational skills, distracting behaviors, school avoidance, anxiety, trauma, and transient personal or family issues, such as the loss of a loved one or change in family dynamic. A school counselor may work with a student on an individual basis or as part of a group. In addition, school counselors work with the administration to assess at-risk students.
At the elementary level, school counselors provide direct instruction to all students in social and emotional growth and wellbeing. Topics include social skills, recognizing emotions, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. For students who may be experiencing difficulty with social skills, regulating behaviors, or school counselors provide individual and group coaching.
At the secondary level, school counselors begin to support students with college and career planning and decision making. School counselors work with students on their Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) requirements. School counselors facilitate college and post-secondary career and workforce exploration. At the high school level, school counselors work with students to ensure they are on pace for graduation.
How to contact your school counselor:
CFL:
- Referral Form
- Email Ms. Landry
- Call 970-285-5702
BUE:
- Referral Form
- Email Mrs. Sherraden
- Email Mrs. DeMaio
- Call 970-285-5703
GVMS:
- Parent Referral Form
- Student Referral Form
- Email Mrs. Hoyt
- Call 970-285-5707
GVHS:
- Email Mrs. Paine
- Email Mrs. Largent
- Call 970-285-5705
- All students and their families.
- Fill out the referral form, found by clicking this link.
- Drew Hogan- SBFRC Counselor
Health Happenings
How Sick is Too Sick
Please review the attached guidance from Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment regarding when to keep your child at home due to an illness.
Health Needs Before School
Find information about G16's Health Services by clicking the link below. Information includes: recommended immunizations, what to do if your student needs medication at school or has a severe allergy, and vision and hearing screenings by grade.
Monthly Vaccine & Immunization Clinic at the School-Based Family Resource Center
Garfield County Public Health and Garfield 16 have teamed up to offer a Vaccine and Immunization Clinic in Parachute! The clinic will be offered on the first Monday of every month, as long as appointments are scheduled. Garfield County Public Health will be stationed at the School-Based Family Resource Center from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, by appointment only. Please call 970-625-5200 to schedule an appointment, stating that you would like to schedule for the Parachute clinic.
Nutritional News
MENUS
Menus can be found by following this link: https://www.garfield16.org/departments/nutritional-services
Free Breakfast and Lunch for all G16 Students!
Our free breakfast and lunch program is a yearly grant process. Our district has qualified again for a free breakfast and lunch program for SY 2024-2025.
Breakfast Program: All students can receive breakfast free of charge. It is important that your child arrives at school on time in order to have time to enjoy a meal before a long day of learning!
Lunch Program: All students can receive lunch free of charge. If your child brings lunch from home, please make sure it does NOT need to be heated in a microwave as there are no microwaves available.
Please do not send soda pop in your child’s school lunch. We ask that you send a healthier choice such as juice, water, or milk.
Parents wishing to eat lunch with their child may do so, please call the school office by 9:00am if you would like to order a hot lunch. The charge for an adult lunch is $4.25 and for a visiting child it is $2.75. Please remember that the school only accepts cash or a check for payment.
Menus are on our District's Nutrition Department webpage: https://www.garfield16.org/departments/nutritional-services
Meal Prices for Visitors:
Student Lunch $2.75
Milk $0.70
Adult Lunch $4.25
Transportation News
Transportation
Here are the updated bus routes.
October is Bus Safety month! Stay tuned for bus safety days coming to BUE and CFL.
Bus ridership cards for the BusHub App are getting closer to being printed so please make sure you have your paperwork in for your student to ride the bus (see more information below).
For the 2024-2025 School Year, we will be using a software called School BusHub. This technology will allow real-time tracking. Which means parents/guardians can track their child's school bus in real-time using the School Bus Hub app. This feature provides peace of mind by allowing parents to know exactly where their child's bus is along its route. See the attached PDF for instructions on how to download the new app.
With this in mind, for the 24/25 School Year, EVERY CHILD WHO MAY RIDE THE BUS MUST FILL OUT THE BUS REGISTRATION FORM (and return it to your child's school).
Please also note that bus routes may change based on student need. Check the website for updated routes: https://www.garfield16.org/departments/transportation
Revised Bus Expectations
Our expectations for riding the school bus were revised.
Elementary students should have brought home a hard copy of these expectations last week. Please review this form, sign it, and return it to your student's school.
Middle school and high school parents, a copy is attached. Please review these updated expectations with your student(s). To confirm receipt and the review of these updated expectations, please fill out this google form.
Community Corner
Home Improvement Loan Program
*Garfield County School District #16 is not responsible for, and does not endorse, any statement, sentiment, or opinion published or expressed in this document. This document is not part of, and has not been distributed as part of the District's curricular or extracurricular programs.
Town of Parachute
Parachute Library
Parachute/Battlement Mesa Parks & Recreation
Educational Pathways to Innovative Careers
EPIC Tiny Home For Sale!
EPIC has a beautiful Tiny Home for sale! The Price starts at $95,000. All offers must be sent to Scott Cooper at scooper@crboces.org. Tours of the home, including virtual tours, are available.
For more information, please contact Scott Cooper at scooper@crboces.org.
For a full list of features, visit: https://drive.google.com/…/1uEsRNtYrDYXW…/view…