Excel Academy Eagle Update

While we have fewer school days in December, they are filled with many activities to share student learning and celebrations marking the halfway point of our school year. We understand that families are not able to attend every event. We hope you will join us for those that showcase your child's learning and connect you with others in our wonderful school community.

• BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS: B-Team plays on Monday, December 9th at 4:15 p.m. at Woodrow Wilson Academy. A-Team plays on Tuesday, December 10th at 4:15 p.m. at Evergreen Country Day School. If either team wins, they will advance to the Championship on Wednesday, December 11th with the B-Team playing at 4:15 and A-Team playing at 5:15 p.m. Both Championship games will be played at Lincoln Academy.
  
• MEAN GIRLS MUSICAL: Thursday, December 12th or Friday December 13th at 6:00 p.m. The junior edition of the performance was selected because it is rated PG, with themes and language toned down appropriate for our middle school performers and considered family friendly. Please see details and the link to the flyer below for more information.
• K-2 EXPLORATIONS EXPO: Friday, December 13th from 8:45 - 9:15 a.m. for kindergarten through 2nd grade
• BOYS BASKETBALL ALL-STAR GAME: Monday, December 16th, 4:15 p.m. at Woodrow Wilson Academy
• 3-8 EXPLORATIONS EXPO: Thursday, December 19th from 8:30- 10:00 a.m. for 3rd - 8th grade
• WINTER BREAK: Friday, December 20th through Sunday, January 5th. Our staff has a Professional Development Day on Friday, January 3rd and students return on Monday, January 6th.

All of this follows the Annual Winter Carnival, which happened this weekend. Huge thanks to our amazing PTO for planning this wonderful event. Everyone I spoke to shared excitement about the creative crafts, fun carnival boots, delicious food, and variety of items students made to sell. Thank you as well to everyone who volunteered at the event and supported our young entrepreneurs so that they could earn funds for their extended field studies.

Finally, if you haven't already done so, please take a few minutes to complete the Parent Pulse Survey organized by our School Accountability Committee. Your feedback helps us know how we are doing toward our school's goals and supports our work to continue to grow and improve in support of students, staff, and families.

In Partnership,

Kresta Vuolo

Executive Director

Presented by Mrs. Boyd and our Middle School Musical Theatre Elective students.

The junior edition of the performance was selected because it is rated PG, with themes and language toned down appropriate for our middle school performers and considered family friendly. Please see details in the flyer below for more information.

Thursday, December 12th & Friday December 13th at 6:00 p.m.

Doors open at 5:40 p.m.

$5.00 a seat. You can pay at the door or pre-pay with the QR code in the FLYER.

All families need to log into Enroll Jeffco to confirm that their children will return to Excel Academy for the 2025-26 school year by January 17th. 8th Grade families see information below. Log into Enroll Jeffco using the same credentials as you use to log into Campus. If you need to reset your password please use the Password Reset tool.

Below are 3 different scenarios to use Enroll Jeffco:

1. Current Excel Students “Intent to Return." All families will need to log into Enroll Jeffco: Between now and January 17th to indicate if they will be returning to Excel Academy for the 2025-26 school year. This holds your child’s space at Excel and lets us know how many openings to make available during the lottery. Log into Enroll Jeffco Click on “Let’s Get Started” under each child’s name and follow the prompts to confirm your child is returning to Excel Academy.
2. Enrolling NEW students to Excel Academy: If you have an incoming Kindergartner or older sibling of a current Excel student that you would like to enroll at Excel Academy for the 2025-26 school year, complete the following process to receive sibling priority during Round 1 of the enrollment process.

• Log into Enroll Jeffco between December 5th and January 17th. Click on “add a student” if they have not been previously added. Follow the prompts and submit a Round One Application. Upload their birth certificate and immunization record.

• Enrollment offers will be emailed/texted to families, in late January along with instructions on next steps.
  *As a current family of Excel, incoming siblings have priority over all other applicants in Round 1 of the lottery.
  3. Apply for High School Guardians of our graduating 8th graders need to log into Enroll Jeffco between now and January 17th. You can apply for choice enrollment into a different high school than your neighborhood high school or confirm that you plan for your student to attend their neighborhood High School. Our 8th graders will be automatically enrolled in their neighborhood high school. You still need to log into Enroll Jeffco and confirm that you plan to attend. Contact that High School to see what paperwork they may need. All high schools will have parent/student meetings coming up to explain how to select classes, sports, clubs, etc.

  
  

  Choice Enrollment offers will be emailed/texted to families in January.

We have Middle School family in need of a reliable ride home for one student Mondays through Thursdays each week. The student lives close to 88th and Harlan Street. If you are able to help, please call the front office so we can connect you. Thank you!

Our last Leadership Coffee Chat was held on November 20th with eight guardians joining our leadership team. Here are highlights from our discussion:

• POSITIVE COMMUNITY PERCEPTION: Many in attendance noted that as families engage in discussions about school choice options ahead of the choice enrollment season on Nextdoor and in Facebook groups outside of our Excel community, perception about Excel Academy is positive and continues to grow. There was also acknowledgement of those who support the Excel parent Facebook page.
• FIELD STUDY APPRECIATION: Several people shared experiences they had as chaperones or their children shared with them about recent field studies including 1st grade visiting the Forney Transportation Museum, the full Middle School attendance at the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and the 3rd grade tour of the Colorado Capitol. Parents suggested highlighting field studies in the Eagle Update and on our school's Facebook page to highlight these exciting extensions of student learning.
• ENROLLMENT NIGHT & ROCK THE MIDDLE SCHOOL: Several parents in attendance have 4th or 5th grade students and shared feedback and suggestions for continuing to build our retention of Excel students into our fantastic Middle School.
• ENTREPRENEUR CLUB: Mrs. Shelley Smith shared about the launching of the Entrepreneur Club opportunity for students who would like to earn money toward extended field studies. Students from the Entrepreneur Club are running several Bonus Learning sessions with all proceeds being deposited into their trip accounts. In addition, members of the Entrepreneur Club will be hosting Friday Afternoon Movies periodically during the second semester. Many members of the club also ran booths at the Winter Carnival and participated in a Charleston Wrap online fundraiser.
• PRESCHOOL EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE: Our Board President, Kia Murray, shared that the Board of Directors is forming a committee to explore the possibility of adding preschool at Excel Academy and bring findings to the Board of Directors. The group discussed that adding preschool would take at least a year to plan and involves many considerations including part-time vs full-time spaces, adjustments to our interior spaces, the addition of a fenced playground, determining whether before and after school care would be offered for preschool students, addressing the provision of special education services and other staffing qualification requirements. If you are interested in joining the Preschool Exploratory Committee, please complete this form by December 9th. Additional information can be found in the Board of Directors update below.

Our next Leadership Coffee Chat will be held on Wednesday, December 18th from 8:25 - 9:10 a.m. As always, we will have coffee and light breakfast available for all who attend.

Our students have been working hard on their Explorations projects and are ready to show-off what they've learned! We would love to have you join us during the EXPO! Please be sure to bring your driver's license or other government-issued ID for check-in. We will also provide pre-check before the date of the EXPO. Visitors are asked to wait to enter the building until 8:30 as we need our staff to get our students to their classrooms at the start of the school day.

K-2 EXPO: December 13, 8:45 - 9:25

3rd-8th Grade EXPO: December 19, 8:30 - 10:00

We hope to see you there!

Our NJHS will once again have Winter-Grams for sale for $2.00 each. This year you may purchase a Winter-Gram that will include a winter bracelet in a mesh bag and sent to your student with your message attached. Orders are due December 13 and Winter-Grams will be delivered December 19. Order your Winter Gram using this form today!

If your student and/or their class are scheduled to attend a field study that has an associated cost, payment is due by the date listed in Operoo. If you do not want your child to attend or if payment is not made by the due date, we will make arrangements for your student to join another class here at the school while their class is away on the field study. Note that we require both permission in Operoo and payment in Infinite Campus.

Join in the fun during Spirit Week! Here's what we have planned:

Monday, Dec. 16 - Sports & Excel Spirit Wear Day

* Wear your favorite sports jerseys or Excel shirts to kick off Spirit Week!

Tuesday, Dec. 17 - Winter Hat Day

* Wear your warmest winter hat for $2 at the door!

Wednesday, Dec. 18 - Ugly Sweater Day

* Wear your ugly winter sweater and compete for the best ugly winter sweater in the school!

Thursday, Dec. 19 - Winter PJ Day

* Roll out of bed and wear your coziest winter-themed PJ’s that still comply with the Excel Academy dress code!

Our winter celebrations are upon us, and some middle school students have chosen to take this time to put kits together for those experiencing homelessness. Please consider making a donation to help our middle schoolers with this project. Items can be purchased at a minimal cost from the Dollar Store, and other stores in the area. Please drop donated items off at the front office by December 17. Items needed for the Homeless Service Project can be found here. Thank you for your support!

Our Entrepreneur Club will be hosting a few movies (all rated G) with a snack on select Friday afternoons for Kindergarten - 5th grade students. Students are encouraged to bring a pillow or blanket so they can get cozy and watch a movie with their friends after school. Snacks will include fruit, popcorn, and a drink. Movies will be shown in the gym on the big screen and the cost is $15 per student and $10 for each additional sibling. Student pick-up will be at 4:05. Please complete this Google Form to sign-up. You will receive a confirmation with your responses. Once signed-up, the $15 fee will be added to Infinite Campus for easy payment. Please complete one form per student.

What's Playing and When?

January 24 - Tale of Despereaux

February 7 - Rio

February 21 - Mulan

*Entrepreneur Club students are raising money to attend their extended overnight field studies. They are also learning how to run a business and are coached along the way.*

Exciting news! We now have the ability to send text messages out to families as well as email messages and phone calls. If you would like to "opt In" for text messages, please text "Y" to 67587.

Thank you, and we are looking forward to this exciting addition to our communication tools, and hope you are as well!

This year Yearbooks will be ordered from our Picture Company. Click on the flyer and see all the cool things you can add to your child's yearbook and place your order. Flyer

Do you know someone who would like to check out Excel Academy? Please let your family, friends, and neighbors know that they can tour our school any Tuesday morning at 9:00 am - no appointment necessary. We would love to meet them and introduce them to our amazing school and community!

SOAR Winners

Congratulations to this week's SOAR drawing winners!

Self-Discipline

Outstanding Effort

Acceptance of Others

Resilience

K-Ezra N., 1st-Jacob S., 2nd Lila T., 3rd-Theo H., 4th-Nicole N.M.,

5th-Sadie S., 6th-Lotus L., 7th-Ayla T., 8th-Sophie V.

Classroom Award: Mrs. Mackey's 1st Grade Class

We’re committed to creating a thriving and supportive community at Excel Academy, and your feedback is essential. To better understand how everyone is feeling and ensure our goals align with the needs of our families, School Leadership and the Board of Directors would like to ask you to take a few moments to complete a brief survey.

This survey includes key questions from the district’s annual parent survey as well as a few tailored specifically to our strategic plan and long-term success. Your input is important to help us understand how we're tracking against our goal of fostering an environment where students and families feel valued and supported.

Complete the survey here.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and helping us continually improve the learning experience for our students.

https://forms.gle/Y1mRyuRNf6k2AbmF7

The Excel Academy Board of Directors held their regular monthly meeting on November 19, 2024. Ms. Vuolo presented her Director's Report highlighting the R.O.C.K. Middle School event, the new Entrepreneur Club, and a well attended enrollment night. The board also reviewed the school's audit, a draft calendar for the 25/26 school year, and a new curriculum adoption policy.

Many Jeffco elementary schools have preschool programs, and now with Universal Preschool available and a lack of quality options in the area, the Excel Academy Board is interested in investigating the viability of opening a preschool program at Excel in the future.

The Excel Academy Board is looking for volunteers to serve on a preschool exploration committee. In partnership with the facilities and finance committees, the new committee will look into budget, facilities, state requirements, demand in the area through population analysis, and other factors.

The committee will meet before school on Fridays once a month. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please complete this form by December 9, 2024.

In appreciation,

The Excel Academy Board of Directors

"If you are looking for a way to help families this holiday season please consider the fellow Excel Academy community. Times can be challenging for families, especially around the holidays. We have created opportunities for those who may have fallen onto hard times so they are able to provide hot meals and presents for their children this holiday season and beyond. We are requesting $25 gift cards from various locations so the families are able to shop for food and presents. If you are able to pick up a gift card while you are out shopping, it would be greatly appreciated.

Please bring the gift cards to the front office.

There's a few ways to sign up, through Track it Forward OR through the signup genius links below.

Remember: For each $10 spent you earn 1 hour of volunteer time (plus the time purchasing them)

Signup Genius

Track it Forward

PTO Information

Track it Forward Volunteer Opportunities & Hours Tracking Site

RaiseRight online gift card fundraising site and How It Works

Excel Academy Outreach Committee, coordinated by Tara Schirner at exceloutreachcommittee@gmail.com

Join Mrs. Boyd and Rising Star Performing Arts Academy's Music Classes and Workshops.

Musical Theatre, Acting Lessons, Drumming and so much more.

Click HERE to sign up.

All Classes and Workshops will take place at Excel Academy

DAZZLE @ the Arts Complex presents A Christmas Carol, an interactive event! Come and experience this fun, interactive play where the audience plays the characters.

When: Saturday, Dec. 14 at noon

Cost: $5 per person

Where: Dazzle @ the DCPA, 1080 Arapahoe St. (Corner of 14th & Arapahoe)

Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.dazzledenver.com/kids-matinee/

For more information, call or text Pam Clifton, The Play Lady, 720-275-4144

2nd Saturdays at CSU Spur (held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) are free and open to the public for lots of family-friendly programming, including cooking activities in the CSU Spur kitchen, opportunities to watch veterinarians perform surgery on dogs and cats, see horses assisting with human therapies, engage with scientists at work, and play in a kid’s kitchen and kid’s vet clinic – allowing kids to become a veterinarian for the day and fix up stuffed animals.

Upcoming Themes:

• Dec. 14: Give Back Day

Check out the CSU Spur Flyer Here

For over three decades, the CU Wizards program has presented FREE monthly shows that entertain and inform children about the wonders of science. Under the direction of Profs. David Nesbitt and John Bohn, these interactive shows are presented once a month from September through June. They are hosted by renowned University of Colorado, Boulder professors and provide a perfect start to a fun-filled weekend. The shows are geared toward children and young adults, but all are welcome! Each program lasts about an hour and includes several lively demonstrations. No reservations required. All shows are on Saturday mornings and begin at 9:30 a.m. Details HERE.

• January 25th - The Tumultuous Life of Cumulus Clouds
• February 22nd - A Visit with Madame Curie
• March 15th - The Physics of Sports!
• April 12th - The Physics of Superheroes!
• May 17th - Microscopy and the Powers of Ten: From very, very small to VERY BIG
• June 14th - Superheroes Within: Immunity in Health & Disease

Order Breakfast or Lunch: (due a week before the week of meals)

Middle School Newsletter

Excel Academy Standards-Based Grading Scale

Infinite Campus Parent Directions

Jeffco Student Insights (CMAS, ACCESS, MAP, DIBELS, READ Plan, ALP Goals, etc.)

Log Volunteer Hours and sign-up for volunteer opportunities

2024-25 Excel Academy School Year Calendar

Staff Shout-Outs

Ideas for thanking a staff member: Treats and Deets

Email: Julie.Smith@jeffco.k12.co.us
Website: https://excel-academy.jeffcopublicschools.org/
Location: 11500 West 84th Avenue, Arvada, CO, USA
Phone: 303-467-2295
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExcelAcademyK8