The Ram Roundup

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week we will wrap up the first quarter of the 2023 - 2024 school year. Our students have impressed us with their commitment to their academics, attendance and participation in extra-curricular activities. We greatly enjoyed seeing so many of you over the past two weeks at parent teacher conferences. Thank you for your dedication as we work together to support each and every student achieving their goals.

I wanted to take a moment to inform you that I will be temporarily out of the office from October 21st to December 19th. During this time, I will be undergoing back surgery and will require a period of recovery to ensure a successful return to my responsibilities. Fortunately, we have secured the assistance of Ann Reed, a fellow administrator within the St. Vrain Schools, who will serve as the acting principal for the majority of my leave. Ms. Reed brings with her a wealth of leadership experience, including her previous role as the principal of Longs Peak Middle School. We are confident that she will be a tremendous asset to our school community during my absence.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your continued dedication and support as we strive for excellence in serving our students, parents, and community. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this temporary change, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

Thank you for your understanding, and I look forward to returning to my responsibilities and serving our school community as soon as I am able.

Sincerely,

Karin Blough

We are thrilled to share our excitement about our Volleyball teams' outstanding performance this season. Our players have demonstrated incredible growth, not just in their skills on the court but also in their sportsmanship off the court. We owe a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated coaches, who invested their time and effort to teach new skills and develop winning strategies, resulting in amazing performances from our teams.

We also want to express our gratitude to our parent community for your unwavering support. Your presence at intramural games, as well as home and away games, has been truly inspiring. Your encouragement and cheers from the sidelines have undoubtedly played a significant role in motivating our athletes to give their best.

Thank you all for being an integral part of this successful volleyball season. We couldn't be prouder of our teams, and it's your support that makes it all possible.

Our Cross Country Team participated in an amazing meet this weekend! They are setting personal records and making us proud!

Our Wildlife Rangers Club went to Sandstone Ranch and Golden Ponds to check on our cameras for the City of Longmont. They also observed lots of cool animals including frogs, fish, insects and migrating sandhill cranes!

Pre-order today on mylifetouch.com using your Student ID or Picture Day ID: EVT8WH9VK

RETAKE PROCEDURE: Anyone needing a retake should return their original packet to the photographer on picture day.

Questions? Please call 1-800-736-4753 or email colorado@lifetouch.com

On Monday, October 9, 2023, 6th grade students will have the opportunity to attend a play on site sponsored by the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Shakespeare in the Parking Lot is exactly what it sounds like—an abridged performance of Romeo and Juliet. The performance takes place in and around the theater company's pick-up truck “set” which is set up in our school's parking lot. The performance is followed by a question and answer session led by cast members.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you for your continued partnership in advancing the academic growth of your student. All public schools in Colorado develop Unified Improvement Plans that outline targets for performance outcomes and strategies that the school will implement to achieve academic improvement. Schools implement a performance plan, improvement plan, priority improvement plan, or turnaround plan. Plans include a range of strategies for improvement, with turnaround plans requiring the most intense strategies. Based upon results from the Colorado School Performance Framework in 2022-2023, Longs Peak Middle School has increased to Improvement and we will be developing an Improvement plan during the 2023-2024 school year.

Additionally, our school has been identified for support and improvement under the federal statute, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). We will continue to focus on implementing strategies to support student learning as we are committed to increasing the overall performance of all students.

We are so proud of our overall accomplishments from the 2022-2023 school year and additions in 2023-2024, which include the following:

• Implementation of new curriculum in Language Arts and Math

• Utilizing Cooperative Learning Strategies and Thinking Maps to increase student engagement and academic discourse

• Continued implementation of 7-Mindsets social/emotional curriculum and ICAP (Individual Career and Academic Plans) in Ram Ready

• Increase of middle school English Language Arts and Mathematics instructional minutes to 85 minutes each day

• Implementation of new electives in Business, Gateway to STEM and Technology to align with opportunities at Longmont High School, CETC and the Innovation Center

• Strong student engagement in STEM-focused clubs and coursework including Robotics, CU Stem Explorers and Intro to Technology

• Elementary and Middle school music performances

• Focus on 8th grade to 9th grade transition in collaboration with Longmont High School

• High number of applicants in Longmont High School’s Trojan Tech program, a Business associate’s degree program at no cost to students

You can learn more about Colorado’s school accountability system here: https://www.cde.state.co.us/fedprograms/essa_csi_tsi

If you have any questions about our overall school performance rating or how you can get involved in our improvement efforts, please contact me directly. Again, thank you for your continued partnership and support in advancing student success.

Individuals passionate about education who desire to make a meaningful difference in the lives of students are invited to attend the district's upcoming job fair on Monday, October 16, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Main Street School, 820 Main St., Longmont. Explore a wide range of career opportunities in education including roles such as paraprofessionals, custodians, transportation staff, clerical and department support, maintenance, nutrition services, and childcare. Connect with St. Vrain leaders, discover job openings, and explore comprehensive employee benefits while kickstarting a fulfilling career in St. Vrain Valley Schools.

Learn more >>

Junior Trojan Basketball tryouts are right around the corner! This is a fantastic opportunity for students in grades 5 through 8 to showcase their basketball skills and be a part of our dynamic team.

Tryout Details:

Dates: October 21st and 22nd

Time: 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm

Location: Gyms at Longmont High School

All interested students are encouraged to come and try out for the team. It's a great chance to be part of the Junior Trojan Basketball family and further develop your basketball abilities.

For any questions or inquiries, please don't hesitate to reach out to Mr. Jeff Kloster via email at kloster_jeff@svvsd.org.

Food and translation services are available! We would love to have you join us!

Upcoming Cafecito Dates:

Friday, October 27th at 8:15AM

Tuesday, November 28th at 3:30 PM

If you have a particular topic that you would like us to cover, please feel free to reach out to our Parent Liaison, Maria Perez at 3030-776-5611 or perez_maria@svvsd.org.

Scholastic Book Fair is coming to LPMS from October 23 to 27. The Book Fair will only be open during school hours. If you prefer to order online please click here: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/longspeakmiddleschool1. Both options will open on October 23rd.

• Looking for help getting your student to and from school?
• Need a ride for the days your student has after school activities?
• Want to make new friends on the way to school?
  
  

Longs Peak Middle School is pleased to partner with Schoolpool, a free program to make it easier to get to school and activities through carpooling.

Why consider carpooling? Carpooling has a number of different benefits for Longs Peak Middle School.

• It helps YOU: Carpooling helps share the load of transporting kids to and from school and after-school activities.

• It helps our school: Carpooling eases congestion on the road and around our school campus, creating a safer environment for students walking and biking.

• It helps our community: Carpooling is a way to meet nearby families who attend our school and get more connected to our school community.

Signing up for Schoolpool is free, easy, and secure! There is no cost to participate. Your information will only be shared with families from our school. To maintain the highest level of privacy and security, Longs Peak Middle School’s registration link is unique to families attending our school.

How do I participate? It’s simple!

1. Go to https://mywaytogo.org/s/schoolpool-longs-pedhf23 and create an account and enter your address or intersection.

• Pro-tip: Use a computer. While it works on a smartphone and tablet, there is more functionality on a computer.

2. Add comments to indicate interest, such as “can provide morning rides in exchange for afternoon rides,” “student is in after-school activities,” or “looking for a walk buddy in the mornings.”

3. Find and contact interested families.

Advanced Choir - Students will have the opportunity to develop their skills as a musician, gain practice time with Ms. Bailey, and meet other musicians. This is primarily student led, and Ms. Bailey is happy to provide resources. Join us weekly on Wednesdays.

Advanced Orchestra - Students will have the opportunity to develop their skills in orchestra and gain practice time with Mrs. Schlieper. Join us weekly on Monday and Wednesdays.

Art Club - Come as you are and be creative with Mr. Wysong as we work on various art projects. Join us weekly on Tuesdays.

Baseball Club - Are you interested in the game of baseball? Join the baseball club with Mr. Hancock to learn more about the game and prepare to play the game at the next level! Join us on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4-6.

Battle of the Books - Join Mrs. Olsen and Mrs. Large-Swope as you build your competitive reading skills. Compete against other students in teams in various reading challenges. Join us on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month.

Bike Shop - Do you want to learn hands-on bike repair skills? See Mrs. Tucker for more details. Join us every 3rd Monday of the month starting in October!

Business Club - Come get some real-life business experience! Help us design and run a Longs Peak Middle School Store. We will be working together to design products to sell at school and sporting events. See Mrs. Tucker for more details. We will meet every other Wednesday beginning in October.

Board Game Club - Do you like board games? Do you like hanging out with friends and making new ones? The Ram Fam Board Game Club is starting soon! Meet with Mrs. Scovill & Mrs. Schuller after school once a week to have fun playing board games! The only rule is that you can’t be on a screen.

Cheer Club - Come bring school spirit to Longs Peak! Learn cheers, routines, and dances that will be performed at various school events. Join us Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:30am - 7:30am

Musical/Drama Club - TBD, see Mrs. Bailey with questions.

National Junior Honor Society - NJHS is a service based club serving LPMS and our community. Membership is by invite only for 7th and 8th grade students. Members work with Ms. Heien to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and complete a minimum of 20 service hours each school year. Join us on the first Wednesday of the month.

Poetry at the Peak - Calling all poets, writers, and dreamers! We will have our annual Poetry at the Peak Workshop after winter break. Bring your ideas, your passion, your creativity, and your curiosity. You don’t need any prior experience. Work with Mrs. Scovill, Mrs. Schuller, & Mrs. Large-Swope to write every week and end our time together with a Poetry Reading. Meeting dates TBD.

Robotics Club - This club will work with Mrs. Goble to explore the world of robotics through the building and testing of your own robots. We will use VEX IQ robotic kits. Meeting dates TBD.

Roots to Shoots Garden Club - Students will work with Mr. Freeman & Mr. Jiron to be involved with every step of taking care of the Peak Patch garden including but by no means limited to planning, planting, repairing drip lines, composting, harvesting, and general upkeep. Join us Fridays in September and May.

Sewing Club - Want to learn how to sew and the useful skills that come with this knowledge? See Mrs. Alford for more details. Join us weekly on Wednesdays starting in January.

Skittles Club - Skittles Club is Longs Peak’s GSA (Gay-Straight-Alliance). This club is for anyone that identifies as LGBTQ+ and allies. This club will consist of team building, crafting, and advocating with Mrs. Laquatra. Join us once a month on Tuesdays.

Stem Club - Are you interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math. This is the club for you. Come explore science through hands-on activities with Mr Hancock. Join us weekly on Tuesdays.

Wildlife Rangers - Students will work with Mr. Freeman to explore types of urban and rural wildlife in Longmont and the surrounding area while monitoring and maintaining remote cameras on City of Longmont and Boulder County open space property. Students will also communicate their findings with Park Rangers and Wildlife Biologists! Join us on Fridays.

Yearbook - Come build the school yearbook with Mrs. Delong. Take pictures, organize the pages, and sell the final product. Meeting dates TBD.

Yoga Club - Yoga Club is a place where students can learn basic Yoga poses and understand how to use their breath and intentional breathing practices to calm themselves when they are dysregulated. They will learn from Mrs. Schuller about the importance of self care and learn mindfulness practices to use in their everyday life. Meeting dates TBD.

Coming SOON! ~ ESports Club

Students are required to adhere to the following expectations throughout the entire school day, without exception:

• No cell phones or bluetooth headphones/earbuds during class time. Cell phones are a distraction to the learning environment and are required to be put away at all times. If you need to reach your student or they need to reach a family member, the are always welcome to use the phone in the front office.
• Students are not allowed to wear hats or hoods inside the building, this includes in the cafeteria, hallways and the classrooms.
• Students must use public language at all times in the building, at recess and school related events.
• Bathrooms are technology free zones.

In St. Vrain and at Longs Peak Middle School, we are part of a championship team, where everyone is working together to ensure student success.The expectations are that we all go above and beyond what is stated in the Code of Conduct, as well as in our academic coursework and co-curricular activities, in order to ensure that all of us - ourselves and our teammates - reach our full potential.

The following behaviors are unacceptable on a championship team. These include behaviors that:

• Threaten or cause harm to the school or individual staff members or students
• Demonstrate discrimination
• Involve weapons or physical violence
• Use social media or other written communication to harass other students or staff members.

It is important to know that school staff will take appropriate action if certain detrimental behaviors occur, even if the behaviors are off of school grounds.

Behind every championship team is a community of supporters to celebrate and champion your success. In St. Vrain and at Longs Peak this includes our teachers, counselors, nurses, school staff, administrators, parents, families, and many others.

We ask that our entire Longs Peak community:

• Treat others with kindness and respect
• If you need help, reach out to others for support.
• Get involved in school programs, clubs and activities.
• If you see something, say something.

Thank you for supporting your student, their peers and our entire school community! Our staff is always available to support you in anyway. Please reach out to us!

All students in St Vrain Valley Schools will have access to free healthy, nutritious school meals beginning in the 2023-24 school year thanks to the Health School Meals for All program approved by Colorado voters.

Our District is very excited to participate in the program. Here is some additional information and a few important reminders about what this means for our schools and families.

• Please continue to fill out the Free and Reduced Price Lunch form. While meals will be provided for free to all St Vrain students through Healthy School Meals for All, it’s important for us to continue gathering this information to receive full access to available federal funds that support nutritional programs at our school. We ask all St Vrain families to please complete the form during registration for the 2023-24 school year. By providing this information, you will help our district access all available funds to cover the cost of meals, and other nutritional programs for students. Plus, families who fill out the form may qualify to receive discounted school fees, class materials, bus passes, utilities support and more!
• All household income information provided through this form is strictly confidential and protected by law. Only one form is required for all children in the household. Immigration, migrant, citizenship or refugee status is not required when completing the form.

Family Benefits to Submitting a Free & Reduced Price Lunch Form:

● School program fees are waived.
● After-school program fees are waived.
● Preschool programs fees are waived.
● SAT and ACT tests and college application fees are reduced.
● Access to community food banks services are available.
● Discounts on utilities and internet service are available.
● Discounts for participation in community groups like sports or YMCA programs are available.

Period 1 - 7:55 - 9:20

Period 2 - 9:25 - 10:50

Period 3 - 10:55 - 12:55

• 6th Grade Lunch & Recess 10:55 - 11:25
• 5th Grade Lunch & Recess 10:55 - 11:30
• 8th Grade Lunch & Recess 11:45 - 12:15
• 7th Grade Lunch & Recess 12:25 - 12:55

Period 4 - 1:00 - 2:25

Ram Ready - 2:30-3:15

Boys Basketball vs. Flagstaff at LPMS

• Monday, October 9 at 3:30

Fall Break

• No School October 13th and 16th

Parent Cafecito/Coffee Chat

• Friday, October 27th at 8:15AM
• Tuesday, November 28th at 3:30PM

Picture Day

• Retakes October 18th
  

Late Starts - Students arrive at 10:20, classes start at 10:25

• November 1st
• December 6th

Drama Performance

• October 9th at 6:30

Music Concerts

• Orchestra: 10/18 @ 7:00, 10/24 @ LHS 6:00, 12/12 @ LHS 6:00, 3/12 @ 6:00, 5/16 @ LHS 6:00
• Choir: 10/11 @ 6:30, 11/15 @ LHS 7:00, 12/19 @ LHS 6:30, 3/13 @ LHS 6:30, 5/14 @ LHS 6:30
• Band: 10/12 @ LHS 7:00, 12/15 @ LHS 7:00, 5/10 @ LHS 7:00

Karin Blough-Principal

blough_karin@svvsd.org

303-776-5611

David Glover - Assistant Principal

glover_david@svvsd.org

303-776-5611

Neil Shupe- Dean of Students, Athletic Director

shupe_neil@svvsd.org

303-776-5611

Katie Malone- Counselor- 5th Grade + 6th Grade

malone_katie@svvsd.org

303-776-5611

Megan Fruvellhoff- Mental Health Interventionist- 7th + 8th Grade

fruvellhoff_megan@svvsd.org

303-776-5611

Maria Perez - Parent Liaison

perez_maria@svvsd.org

303-776-5611

Noriko Fujiwara- Health Clerk

fujiwara_noriko@svvsd.org

303-776-5611

Elena Garrido - Attendance Secretary

Garrido_Elena@svvsd.org

303-776-5611

Follow us on social media, and always reach out to us with questions!

Email: heiser_sandy@svvsd.org
Website: http://lpms.svvsd.org/
Location: 1500 14th Avenue, Longmont, CO, USA
Phone: 303-776-5611
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LongsPeakSVVSD/
Twitter: @longs_peakms