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December 11, 2024

Dear SkyView Community,

As you may remember, I lead the business side of the house, which includes the following team members:

• Cintia Aleman, Business Manager (accounts payable/accounts receivable/purchasing)

• Carrie Carlson, Office Manager (office/health room/safety/customer service)

• Allison Caudle, Hawk Shop, Volunteers & Events (store operations/volunteer opportunities/events)

• Karin Heywood, Payroll & Benefits Manager (payroll processing/benefits)

• Melissa Sorenson, Registrar & Service Learning (student recruitment/enrollment/ registration/serving learning projects)

• Sarah Powell, Communication & Development Manager - (partnerships/public relations/fundraising/social media)

As a group, we have three big areas of responsibility: Financial Health, Operational Efficiency, and Human Capital. In previous Wires, I have written about financial health and human capital. Today, I will focus on operational efficiency. We are a large organization with 153 employees serving 1360 students, and we strive to ensure that the systems and processes developed by our team are easy to understand and follow. Our goal has been to provide the most transparent information possible to staff, students, and families while prioritizing compassion and care.

Here are some things that may come up:

• Questions about a payment plan for tuition or fees? Contact Cintia Aleman

• Do you need help with the new Attendance Reporting Form? Contact Carrie Carlson

• Interested in finding out more about volunteering opportunities? Contact Allison Caudle

• Staff members with questions about payroll and benefits are always welcome to contact Karin Heywood

• Are you wondering about shadow days or school tours? Contact Melissa Sorenson

• Looking for our latest social media posts or information about business sponsorships? Contact Sarah Powell

Operational efficiency is the area of our work that requires constant attention, reflection, and adjustment. We strive to continually improve our systems and processes to make our community’s experience as painless as possible. If you have thoughts or suggestions about how we can improve, please SEND THEM TO LISA JARVI. I look forward to hearing from you.

Lisa Jarvi, B.S., M.A., M.B.A.

Director of Finance, Operations & HR

SVA Founder

ljarvi@svak12.org

P.S. SVA’s Annual Campaign came to a close on Tuesday, along with Colorado Gives Day. Thank you to our wonderful community for giving to our school! Our total is $23, 956.00.

"Thank you to our incredible SkyView community for your generosity and support during Colorado Gives Day. Your contributions make a meaningful difference as we work to enhance and develop our academic programming. Your donations reflect the kindness and commitment of our collective efforts. Together, we are creating a positive impact in the lives of our Honorable Leaders and Life-Long Learners, from our Preschool students to our Seniors." -Janet Worley, Head of Schools

Miss the deadline but still want to contribute? You still can!

It only takes a little to make a BIG impact!

At SkyView Academy, we’re committed to cultivating life-long learners and honorable leaders, and it’s thanks to our supportive community that we can continue to enrich their educational journey.

Thanks to our amazing community we have raised $23,956.00 in our 2024 Annual Campaign!

You can still join us by contributing to the SkyView Annual Campaign today. All donations are tax-deductible! Every donation, big or small, makes a tremendous impact!

Thank you for being a vital part of our vision to create life-long learners and honorable leaders!

More information on our website.

• December 12th: Middle/High School Band Concert

• December 12th: Middle School Jr. Thespian Convention

• December 12th-14th: High School Thescon Conference
• December 17th: Last day to contribute to Teacher/Staff Holiday Gifts
• December 17th: Annual Cookie Exchange
• December 20th: Half Day / NO BASE
• December 23rd-January 3rd: Winter Break / No School
• January 6th: Staff PD Day / No School
• January 20th: Martin Luther King Jr. Day / No School
• January 29th: Incoming 9th Grade Pre-Registration Meeting
• January 31st: All School Spanish Festival

To ensure all links and buttons work properly, please open the Thursday Wire in a browser.

Please nominate for the Colorado League of Charter School's 2025 Hall of Fame Awards through this Sunday, December 15, 2024. Nominees and the finalists will be announced in January 2025.

You can nominate any SkyView Teacher, Administration, or Staff for the following:

• Educator the Year
• Leader of the Year
• Most Valuable Charter Contributor
• Advocate of the Year
• Lifetime Achievement Award

Next Friday, December 20th, there will be no afternoon BASE.

All students will be released early. Please make note of these time changes and plan accordingly.

MS/HS Release: 11:00 am

PS/ES Release: 11:20 am

NO AFTERNOON BASE

SVA transitioned from using our attendance email to the Attendance Notification Form on December 9th. This form is available on our website under the Parents/Attendance tab (see below). It should be used for all attendance-related communications, including reporting absences, requesting early releases, uploading appointment excuses, and providing permission for student pick-up.

Dear Parents and Students,

As you know, the first-semester final exams are just around the corner. As we wrap up the first semester, we want to remind you that we consider final exams at SkyView to be an important assessment and an essential opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning. Each high school teacher is required to administer a meaningful final exam (or equivalent class project). In some instances, students may be exempt from the final exam i.e. they demonstrated mastery of the content and standards at a 95% or above. These exams are comprehensive and will constitute approximately 10-15% of the student’s semester grade.

To that end, we want to remind you of the following:

Finals will run for four days from Tuesday, 12/17/24 to Friday, 12/20/24. Each day, students will take final exams in the morning and then be granted release in the afternoon according to the following schedule:

Tuesday, December 17th-Green Day

8:00-9:45, 1st Period Final Exam

9:50-11:35, 2nd Period Final Exam

Wednesday, December 18th-Blue Day

8:00-9:45, 3rd Period Final Exam

9:50-11:35, 4th Period Final Exam

Thursday, December 19th-Gold Day

8:00-9:45, 5th Period Final Exam

9:50-11:35, 6th Period Final Exam

Friday, December 20th-White Day

8:00-9:45, 7th Period Final Exam

9:50-11:35, Make-Up Exam Period

Attendance for Finals

• Policy Change: All students, regardless of exemption status, are required to attend finals due to state seat-minute requirements.

• Exemptions: Students with a 95% or higher in a class may be exempt from the final at the teacher's discretion.

• Exempt and Not Attending: Students exempt from a final who choose not to attend that period must notify the attendance office here to report their absence and use a personal day.
  
  

Study Hall

• Attendance is not required for study hall during finals. However, parents must report absences via the new attendance form to excuse their student.
  
  

Drivers Leaving Early

• Students with a driver’s license may leave campus after completing their final if they do not return for the day.

• If staying on campus, students cannot leave until the end of the final period.
  
  

Missed or Absent for a Final Exam

• Students who miss a final must provide a doctor's note for the absence to be excused and to qualify for a makeup exam.

• Absences without a valid medical excuse will result in a zero for the final exam.
  
  

Dismissal Times

• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: Dismissal at 11:35 a.m.

• Friday: Dismissal at 9:45 a.m.

• Teacher Study Sessions: Students may remain on campus in the afternoon only if they have pre-arranged appointments with teachers or if a teacher has scheduled a study session. Students should not show up unannounced to stay in a classroom.
  
  

Grade Submission and Availability

• The grading window for HS is December 17th-21st.

• All grades will be submitted by teachers by December 21, 2024.

• Grades will be reviewed and posted to transcripts by 4:30 p.m. on December 22, 2024.

Thank you for your cooperation. Please reach out if you have any questions about these policies.

Please note the following:

1. Regular carline/student pick-up will apply.

2. Lunch will not be available during HS lunch periods on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

3. Students must be picked up promptly, as we cannot provide study hall in the afternoons.

Most importantly, “Panic-akes” will be served Tuesday-Thursday of finals week.

Take care of each other,

Chris Bridgham and Kirsten Schuman

HS Assistant Principals

Mark Your Calendar For the 9th Grade Pre-Registration Meeting!

Camp Galileo’s acclaimed curriculum combines STEAM exploration and outdoor fun for kids in grades K–8. Click here for more information and to secure your spot today!

Can you believe that the holidays are right around the corner? SkyView has so much to be thankful for this year; our teachers, staff, students, and community are at the top of our list! We are honored and proud to partner together with you each and every day.

This year, we are using GiftCrowd as an easy, free, and virtual way for parents, caregivers, and students to express their gratitude toward our school’s Teachers and Staff. With GiftCrowd, we can easily collect contributions and organize meaningful individual and group gifts while you can add personalized greetings for your favorite teachers and staff members.

Start adding your gifts today, by clicking here to access our SVA gifting page. GiftCrowd will present you with a list of Teachers and Teams. Team gifts will automatically be split evenly among everyone on that team and gifted on the closing date of the gift period. Click “Join” next to the Teacher you wish to gift or join a team gift.

Join the SkyView Academy Spanish Team for the All School Spanish Festival on Friday, January 31st, at 5:30 pm!

​The Spanish Festival celebrates one of SVA's core pillars: World Languages. ​This event will showcase ​outstanding student work, entertaining games, music,​ creative artwork, and delicious food.

There are many opportunities to help us make this event a success! If you have a treasured family recipe from a Latin American country, we invite you to share it by signing up here. Discover additional ways to contribute and donate by clicking here.

New apparel in store and online!

Have you outgrown your shoes? Getting new shoes for Christmas? This January, the SkyView community is invited to clean out their closets for a shoe drive to raise funds for SkyView Destination Imagination (DI) Teams heading to Global Finals in May 2025! Donations of gently worn, used, and new pairs of shoes (no single shoes) will be accepted. Adult sizes, kid sizes, men’s and women’s styles, cleats, sandals, fancy or plain shoes! (Just no rollerblades or ice skates.)

All donated shoes will be redistributed to micro-enterprise partners through Funds2Orgs, a for profit social enterprise used in developing nations for impoverished people to start their own businesses.

The amount of money raised is determined by the total weight of the shoes collected. All funds will help SkyView Destination Imagination Teams compete at Global Finals in May! Donation boxes will be set up in the SVA Lobbies starting in January.

Missing a jacket, mittens, hat or water bottle? Please check the east entrance lost and found before Winter Break. All remaining items will be donated before Winter Break.

At SkyView, the air is filled with a sprinkle of joy and a dash of sweetness during our beloved Annual Cookie Exchange, courtesy of our amazing Parent Community! It's a scrumptious tradition that spreads happiness faster than Santa's sleigh flies! Show off your baking mastery by signing up to treat our incredible staff! We welcome ALL kinds of festive goodies, especially gluten-free options.

Register to bring 4 dozen of your best creations on December 16th! Earn volunteer hours for every $20 spent! Please LABEL your treats with NAME and CONTENTS, especially for gluten- or dairy-free items.

⭐⭐⭐Busy but still want to contribute? No worries! Register to bring a VISA or Wave the Grain gift card or small $10-15 gifts. We'll use the gift cards to purchase cookies from nearby popular bakeries, and the gifts will be for our staff holiday raffles and games during the fun holiday week! Please bring these by Friday, December 13th, so we have time to prepare everything. Label: Staff Holiday/Sarah Powell ⭐⭐⭐

🍪 Staff Cookie Exchange: December 17th

🥞 High School "Panic"ake Breakfast Materials: December 16th

🎊 Spanish Festival: Donations and Food and Service for January 31st.

🥪 Elementary Lunch:

December 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th

🛝 Elementary Recess:

December 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th

🥪 Middle School Lunch:

December 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th

View all volunteer opportunities here.