Eagle Crest Family Newsletter

Hello Eagle Crest Families!

This week we have been gearing up for something new and special here at Eagle Crest. In our continued effort to serve all students at a high level, and to make learning both personal and personalized, our staff has decided to implement a What I Need (WIN) block to our day. At each grade level we have identified a time of the day in which we are providing students with intervention, engagement, and/or enrichment activities and instruction based on each student's need. In order to do this most effectively, and to make smaller group sizes of kids with similar needs and learning goals, during the WIN time teachers within a grade level, our literacy interventionist, and our school counselor will be working with students from across the grade level. Throughout the year, as we continue to track student progress, we anticipate that these groups will flexibly change to meet student needs. We’re excited about trying this new model and we will keep you posted on our growth!

After a wonderful and full week at school, I am looking forward to seeing you all at our second annual Eagle Crest PTO Family Picnic, scheduled for tomorrow evening, Friday, September 16th from 5-7pm. This event is truly a welcome back highlight, with so many families coming together to build connections and to embrace our school community. I am grateful for the work that the PTO has done to organize this event and I welcome everyone to come. I know that my family and I are planning to bring a picnic, and it’s always fun to watch the kids play while chatting with new friends and neighbors. Please join us!

I hope you have a great weekend!

Warmly,

Amanda

Amanda Holden

Principal

Eagle Crest Elementary School

holden_amanda@svvsd.org

Hello Eagle Crest Families!

​As expected, elementary aged students lose lots of things. We have a Lost and Found at Eagle Crest and we want to help you reunite with items that may have gone missing. Clothing items, water bottles, lunch boxes and larger items are placed on a cart outside the Cafeteria. Smaller and more valuable items (glasses, phones, and keys) are stored in the Main Office. Every couple of months we will roll out the cart and notify you via this newsletter when and where it will be.

So far this year we have collected LOTS of water bottles and a good number of sweatshirts. The Lost and Found Cart will be available in front of the school tomorrow (Friday) before and after school. Please stop by to check if anything belongs to you.

I’m looking forward to seeing you at the Back to School Picnic tomorrow!

All the best,

Lindsey Cheney

Dean of Students

Eagle Crest Elementary School

cheney_lindsey@svvsd.org

September 16th - Welcome Back to School Picnic, 5:00pm - 7:30pm

September 21st - School Picture Day

September 23rd - Silver Creek Homecoming Parade, 2:45pm

September 22nd - Sign-Up for Family / Teacher Conferences via Email

October 6th, 10th, 12th - Family / Teacher Conferences

October 14th and 17th - Conference Exchange Days - NO SCHOOL

On Wednesday, September 21st we will be taking individual school pictures here at Eagle Crest. A flier went home in purple Thursday folders with easy instructions for online ordering. We will be doing whole class photos in the Spring. You classroom teachers will send out more information about specific photo times.

We are excited to partner with Skazma to offer a school spiritwear store this year! The store is entirely online and you can place orders now through October 2nd.

https://skazmacustomapparel.itemorder.com/ Sale Code: ECE22

Our Family/Teacher Conferences are coming up in a couple of weeks! We will have three nights of in-person conferences on October 6th, 10th, and 12th. Next week, on Thursday, 9/22, you will receive an email from our scheduling system, Meet the Teacher. The link in this email will give you the easiest and most convenient access to schedule your conferences. It will let you see the schedule for each teacher and reserve a spot for all of your children at once. All you will need is one of their student numbers. You can locate this in Infinite Campus, or it is also the number after sv in their password for Class Link. If you struggle accessing the system our main office staff can assist you via phone or email.

Dear Eagle Crest Families,

We are so excited to see everyone at the PTO-sponsored Welcome Back to School Picnic tomorrow from 5-7:30 PM at the playground. Mwebaza Club will be selling drinks and baked goods to benefit our sister school in Uganda along with Cyclhops and Kona Ice selling food for purchase. Pre-ordered pizza pick-up is from 5-6 PM at the PTO table. Pack a blanket and chairs and enjoy an evening of music, fun and community with other ECES families. Volunteers are still needed at the picnic - sign up here.

Support our teachers & staff - During September, we are raising money for our staff appreciation fund. Teacher appreciation is more than just one week in May! All funds collected this month are used this school year (This is not a roll-over account). Cash/check envelopes came home in last week's Thursday folders. Online donations accepted here. We suggest a $10 per student donation, but welcome any amount from your family.

Upcoming PTO Events (full calendar):

• Kona Ice Fundraiser - Friday, Sept. 23rd after school on Clover Basin

• Pre-K & Kindergarten Family Playdate at Castle Park - Friday, Sept. 30th from 3:15-4:15 pm

• Coffee with the Principal & PTO Meeting - Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 8:45 AM

Take care,

Jenn Pensy, PTO president

Visit us online at www.EagleCrestPTO.com

Purpose: A leadership opportunity for students in 3rd - 5th grade who would like to participate in planning, organizing and leading our sister school activities and projects this year. Our focus is on cross-cultural exchange between the two schools, learning about current global issues and how they affect us in Colorado and our friends in Uganda, and fundraising projects that support self sufficiency and sustainability in our Uganda communities.

On Friday, September 9th, all 3rd - 5th grade students will see a slide show about our partnership with the Mwebaza Foundation and our sister school. They will also learn about the Mwebaza Annex Club and if interested will be bringing home a flyer explaining the club with a registration form included. Below is an online link to sign up for the club. You can sign up online or on the registration form. The meetings will be before school once a month. The first meeting is September 21st at 7:45am in the 3rd/4th grade pod. Email hillari@mwebaza.org if you have any questions.

Sign-Up Here: Mwebaza Annex Club

The Uganda school year is different from our school year in the United States. Students in primary school start school in January of each year. They attend school for 3 terms. After the 1st and 2nd term they have about a 3-4 week break. After Term 3, which ends in December, they are usually off until the end of January. During Covid there was no school at all for almost 2 years. So this year, 2022, they added additional learning time into their school year to support students who needed more time to get caught up for the missed years.

This year, Term 3 started on September 5th and will end on December 9th. When school ends in December many families who live in towns and cities return to their original villages where they gather with family members and celebrate the holidays and being together.

Primary school is similar to Elementary school. Students can start at 3 years of age and can attend “baby class”, “middle class” and “top class”, which to us would be preschool and kindergarten. After that they attend P1 (primary one) up to P7 (primary seven). When students finish primary school they can apply to secondary schools. Boarding schools are very common in Uganda and many secondary students choose to attend a boarding school. Day programs are also offered. Secondary school lasts for 6 years. (Senior 1 - Senior 6)

Each year, schools in St. Vrain Valley School District complete a process to identify students who demonstrate exceptional ability or performance in one or more academic areas and may, therefore, qualify for Gifted/Talented educational services. These students usually perform at least two years above grade level in their strength area(s), and they require additional academic challenges in order to support their continued educational growth and progress. In addition, they usually demonstrate characteristics of unique creativity and high motivation in their strength areas.

Referrals are open through the month of September and will close on September 30th. Completing a referral guarantees a review of the student profile to determine if testing is recommended for the student. The process for identification requires a body of evidence and often takes place throughout the entire school year.

The process takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. You can access the online referral process here.

Please contact Lindsey Cheney, cheney_lindsey@svvsd.org for more information.

Our Music, PE, and Art classes are on a 3 day rotation. Every school day is either a Red, Gold, or Purple day. These colors are shared on our school lunch menu to help families plan ahead for necessary supplies like sneakers for PE.

Lunch/Specials Schedule Linked Here

MySchoolBucks is the website you want to access in order to add funds to your child’s account for purchasing breakfast, lunch, or milk at school. This system will send you reminders and can manage the account of multiple students. Money can also be sent to school by check or cash. Please label any checks or cash with the students first name, last name, and teacher.

If you haven’t yet, you can apply for Free & Reduced meals to see if your family qualifies for free meals. Applying for Free & Reduced lunch will help manage fees (like iPad Insurance or sports) and also helps our school receive additional funds and services. We encourage all families to complete the application.

Email: holden_amanda@svvsd.org
Website: eces.svvsd.org
Location: 4444 Clover Basin Drive, Longmont, CO, USA
Phone: 303-485-6073
Facebook: facebook.com/eaglecrestes
Twitter: @eaglecrestes

Have questions about anything covered in this newsletter? Reach out via email to holden_amanda@svvsd.org or cheney_lindsey@svvsd.org.

Need support in Spanish?

Contact Natalie Boggess at: boggess_natalie@svvsd.org , 303-702-7872

OR

Fiorella Martinez at: martinez_maria@svvsd.org , 303-702-7896