The Falcon Zone Flyer

Hello Falcon Zone & Happy 2025,

This Week's Newsletter Highlights

💫💫💫 Learn more about MRES Teacher Kayla Chopp, and BRES Dean of Students Crystal Pecic and their nominations for the National Modern Learning Conference 💫💫💫

Also, it is time for our Middle of the Year Zone Satisfaction Survey and we want to hear from you! Please take some time to complete the survey for the school(s) your child or children attend.

💥Parent Surveys will be sent out later today!💥

We are excited to let you know that Falcon Zone Community Closet and Pantry has been selected as a December 2024 and January 2025 beneficiary of the King Soopers Fight Hunger bag program. Designed in alignment with the King Soopers Zero Hunger | Zero Waste initiative, the Fight Hunger bag program makes it easy for shoppers to impact local hunger relief efforts by simply purchasing a reusable bag.
Throughout December 2024 and January 2025, we will receive a $1 donation for every $2.50 reusable Fight Hunger bag sold at our Falcon King Soopers!

In Partnership ~

Cari Muresan

FZ Community Liaison

Welcome Back! I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas Break! Happy New Year - 2025! It is exciting to launch into this new year and celebrate the great accomplishments around the Falcon Zone and in our schools!

Over the next several weeks, be watching this section for features on our Falcon Zone finalists! Each of these awesome educators have been selected as National Finalists for the National Modern Learning Conference, taking place this coming February. As a finalist, they had to submit a 2-minute video summarizing all that they do to impact teaching and learning in their classrooms and schools.

This week, we feature Kayla Chopp, a 4th Grade Teacher at Meridian Ranch Elementary, and Crystal Pecic, Dean of Students at Bennett Ranch Elementary. Ms. Chopp builds an incredible learning environment where her students take ownership of various tasks and learning activities throughout the day. She builds strong positive relationships and empowers her students to rise to new levels of achievement. Ms. Pecic helps to lead and support students and staff as a part of the administrative team at Bennett Ranch. She is being recognized for her new process to help empower students in personal growth so that the overall behavior in classrooms and around the school improves. Both Ms. Chopp and Ms. Pecic work incredibly hard to support students in their own growth to make the learning environments better. We wish both of them the best as finalists next month!

Let's take a step inside Ms. Chopp's Classroom and Ms. Pecic's Office...

In the Falcon Zone we pride ourselves on having the most incredible staff! We want to give our community a chance to recognize those people that make a difference in our schools and for our students every day! Please let us know who is making a positive impact for your student. Let us know who has gone above and beyond to enhance your experience in our zone. Let us know who is doing an outstanding job!

Every staff member that is recognized will receive a note of recognition and a shoutout in our community newsletter. Staff members include not only teachers but secretaries, administrators, custodial & kitchen staff, paras, etc.

We want to know who is making a difference! Thank you for taking the time to fill out this quick form!

Sara Vari (FMS) - I really admire Mrs.Vari's teaching style and connection with her students. All of her students love coming to her class because she finds ways to always make it fun. Whether it's a game, interesting activity, or a nice dose of healthy competition. She always finds ways to keep the students engaged. FMS is lucky to have such amazing teachers!

Brianne Packard (FMS) - Mrs.Packard is so dedicated to her students and always on top of making sure their needs and wants are met. Special Education isn't always easy but she ROCKS it.

Cathy Herzog (FHS) - Mrs. Herzog deserves to be recognized for her dedication to students and her concern for their success. Mrs. Herzog is always finding a way to be available to kids for individualized tutoring. She brainstorms ideas that are all meant to bolster students’ true understanding of math. Her dedication to these efforts is commendable, and Falcon High is lucky she is here!

Julie Platt (FES) - She goes above and beyond to help my student feel comfortable with reading and is always kind!

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) guidelines recommend the screening of young children to identify those who may have special learning or developmental needs as well as to plan appropriate curriculum and instruction.

District 49 Early Childhood Education staff will be offering developmental screenings (to include vision, hearing, and dental) for D49 resident children between the ages of 2 years, 9 months until they are eligible for kindergarten (child is 5 on or before October 1 of that school year). Screenings are for non D49 attending children and will be by appointment only. You are welcome to sign up using the 24-25 Screening Appointment link on our webpage at d49.org/preschool or using the QR code on the right hand side below. Each location’s date/times will open for appointments up to 4 weeks prior to that screening date. Families are welcome to attend any screening regardless of the zone in which they reside.

If you are concerned your child is not meeting typical developmental milestones in the areas of play, early academics, communication, movement and/or demonstrating significant adverse behaviors or if you suspect that your child has a significant developmental delay that could impact their education, please contact our Child Find office by emailing childfind@d49.org.

1/6 - D49 Professional Development Day, No Students

1/7 - Welcome Back!

1/9 - D49 Board of Education Meeting

1/13 - FES PTA Meeting @ 4

1/15 - BRES PTA Meeting @ 6

1/16 - FZ Community Closet & Pantry Open 3:45-4:45

1/17 - D49 Elementary Professionals Day (NO ELEMENTARY STUDENTS)

1/20 - MLK Day - Schools Closed

Quarter 3 SAC - February 6th @ Falcon Elementary School

Quarter 4 SAC - April 17 @ Meridian Ranch Elementary