Less than one week to go...wooooohoooo! I hope you soak up these last few days with your student, and then tag, Sierra is it on 8/15 for all 1st-5th grade families. Kindergarteners have Kinder Camp (see info below) and preschool's first day is on Mon., 8/19. I am looking forward to seeing everybody, growth (physical growth) students made over the summer, and meeting all of our new families. See you soon!

Please ensure you read through the information below thoroughly. If you didn't get a chance to read my Welcome Back Families letter, here you go. THANK YOU ALL for the support😀

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.

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.

REGISTRATION INFO

K-5th Online Registration - Parents have until September 13th to complete

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.

Come inside and see the school, find new classrooms, and locate grade level entry doors.

Then, go outside and enjoy a treat from PTA!

All students and families are welcome!

You will have an opportunity to meet teachers, visit with staff, and to drop off supplies for 1st - 5th grades.

We hope to see you there! 🍦🍦🍦

• August 15 and August 16 will be a half day for all kindergarten students (7:45-10:30am). During these half days, students will be participating in “Kinder Camp” games and activities while rotating between all 4 teachers. Students will not eat lunch at school on these days. Teachers will provide a snack, please have students bring a water bottle (no backpack or other supplies are needed until 8/19). This time will help us get to know your child and create balanced classes. Students will be assigned a teacher on the afternoon of August 16th and teachers will send an email to families to notify them of their child’s homeroom class.

• Kindergartners will be able to ride the bus to school, but please ensure you arrange for pick up and transportation at 10:30am as there will not be buses for kindergarten students.

• Monday, August 19, 7:45am-2:35pm is the first full day for kindergarteners. Students will bring all their supplies to school on this day!

Sierra Calendar

***Students will receive teacher information prior to the Ice Cream Social.

August 2- Online registration and fee payment window opens

August 13- Ice Cream Social 4:30-5:15

August 15- K-5th grade students return; 1st day of Kinder Camp (kinder only 7:45-10:30am)

August 19- Kinder students first full day (7:45am-2:35pm); preschool first day

August 22- Back to School Night; 5:00-6:00pm (2 repeat sessions 5:00-5:25 and 5:35-6:00)

August 23 and 26- Modified Contact Day (2 sessions each day 8:00-10:00 and 12:00-2:00); more info to come soon

September 2- No School (Labor Day)

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

Sierra is in need of crossing guards 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. As of now, we only have 3 total volunteers and need to fill 10 shifts each week (shifts are about 20 minutes in the morning and afternoon). THANK YOU to those that volunteer for helping to keep Sierra safe!

Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) is a process to create a safe, positive, and productive learning environment for all children. During the 2023-2024 school year, Sierra staff reflected on data and engaged in new learning around our PBIS practices. This resulted in a change to our schoolwide behavior expectations. We believe that we can effectively connect any addressed behaviors to our new expectations reflecting Safe, Respectful, and Responsible in a natural, logical way.

• Is the behavior safe?

• Is the behavior respectful?

• Is the behavior responsible?

Beginning the 2024-2025 school year, Sierra will be teaching students that "Sabertooths ROAR by being Safe, Respectful, and Responsible."

Rewards and celebrations will continue to 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! Learn more about Sierra's Social Emotional Learning practices and resources by clicking HERE.

Please take a moment to watch Sierra's Parking Lot video to help ensure a safe student drop-off and pick-up experience. Consider sharing this video with anyone who will take part in dropping off or picking up your child such as grandma or grandpa. Thank you in advance for help in keeping kids safe!

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

Supply Lists can be found here

Class welcome letters and teacher assignment information will be sent the morning of August 13th via email.

• Preschool families- we are hoping this includes you as Jeffco is enrolling prek students as quickly as they can. If you do not hear from your teacher on 8/13, please still join us and we will have updated info as soon as we can. We appreciate your grace and patience 😀

ACCOUNT RESTRICTIONS

If you would like to include restrictions on your child's lunch account (no snacks, snacks only on Fridays, a dollar amount to spend, etc), you will need to update that information in School Cafe. Restrictions are reset every summer.

A recent change in regulation means all Jeffco sites now qualify for CEP in the 2024-25 school year, Sierra. As part of the CEP program, Sierra will now serve breakfast in addition to lunch for students. This change will provide our students with greater access to healthy breakfast and lunch options. Thanks to the passage of Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA) by Colorado voters, all students at Sierra have access to healthy and nutritious meals at no cost, regardless of income eligibility.

View this webpage to learn more about what meal service will look like for students in the 2024-25 school year.

Participation in breakfast is optional. If your student does choose to participate in breakfast, please walk them to the KDG 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 (new time)

• 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

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