Eagle Crest Family Newsletter

Hi Eagle Crest Families! 🌟

I hope you’re all having a wonderful start to September! I’m excited to invite you to our upcoming Eagle Crest Family Picnic on Friday, September 13th, and I hope you’ll join us for this special evening of fun, connection, and community.

Date: Friday, September 13th

Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

This is a great chance for us to come together, catch up with old friends, meet new families, and celebrate the amazing community we’re building at Eagle Crest. Here’s what you can expect:

What to Bring:

• Pack your favorite picnic food, blankets, and chairs so you can kick back and enjoy the evening.

• The Mwebaza Club will be selling drinks to raise funds, and our friends from Fair Isle Coffee will have their Nice Ice truck selling delicious shaved ice!

What to Expect:

• All are welcome! Whether you’re new to the school or have been here for years, we’d love for you to come and join us for this free and fun event. The picnic is a great opportunity to get to know other Eagle Crest families while enjoying the beautiful mountain views.

• Let the kids play and make new friends while we, the adults, have a chance to connect with each other. It’s one of the many ways we can continue to strengthen our Eagle Crest community!

Volunteer Opportunities:

• We’d love a little help to make this event a success! If you can volunteer for just 30 minutes, that would make a big difference. You can sign up using the link below:

**Sign Up to Volunteer**

If you have any questions about volunteering or the picnic, feel free to reach out to Lynnette at events@eaglecrestpto.com.

I can’t wait to see you all on Friday, September 13th, for an evening filled with connection, fun, and community spirit. Let’s come together to make this event a great success!

Warmly,

Amanda

Hello Eagle Crest Families!

Next week we will be starting our regular Library and STEM Schedules!

Students in 1st - 5th Grade classrooms will be starting a two-week rotation between Mrs. Beckett's Library and STEM with Mrs. Schwitz in the Garage. During Library visits, students will learn the ins and outs of library usage, check out books, explore different genres, and develop research skills. In STEM, they'll work on hands-on projects focusing on design thinking, technology, and coding to nurture their leadership skills.

​Kindergarten students will attend Library every week, and will have STEM activities integrated into their classroom and library experiences.

Here's the collaboration schedule:

Kindergarten: Fridays

1st Grade: Mondays

2nd Grade: Tuesdays

3rd Grade: Tuesdays

4th Grade: Mondays

5th Grade: Thursdays

1st & 2nd Grade will start in the Library for their first rotation, and 3rd, 4th, & 5th Grade will start with STEM. Classes will swap rotations during the week of September 30th.

Additionally, even if your child has Mrs. Schwirtz's STEM lessons for two weeks, rest assured they can still return, renew, or borrow library books during "Open Library" time in the mornings or through special check-out sessions with Mrs. Beckett.

We can't wait to see the amazing books students will read and the incredible creations they'll design in STEM this year!

All the best,

Lindsey Cheney

Dean of Students

Eagle Crest Elementary

cheney_lindsey@svvsd.org

September 13th - Welcome Back to School Picnic, 5:00pm - 7:00pm

September 17th - First Day of AAA

September 19th - PTO Restaurant Fundraiser - Red Robin

September 20th - Silver Creek Homecoming Parade, 2:45pm - Wear your Eagle Crest t-shirts!

October 1st, 7th, 9th - Family/Teacher Conferences

October 2nd - School Picture Day

October 4th - Laps for Leadership Kickoff Event, 3:10pm

October 9th - PTO Coffee with the Principal, 8:45am

The school materials fee is $10 per child, and these fees support student learning in the classroom. You can pay by cash or check with Ms. Sharah Ludlow in the main office before or after school, or anytime during the day. She will provide a receipt and remove the fee from your Infinite Campus account. You may also send the payment with your student in a clearly labeled envelope.

If paying by cash or check is inconvenient, no worries! Fees have now been posted online in Infinite Campus, where you can easily pay with a credit card. Please watch the tutorial video below for step-by-step instructions.

Online Payment for School Fees and iPad Insurance - Tutorial Video

Login to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal: https://ic.svvsd.org/campus/portal/parents/stvrain.jsp

Dear Eagle Crest Families,

Please join your fellow Eagle Crest families tomorrow, September 13, from 5 to 7 for the annual Welcome-Back Picnic!

• Bring a blanket & chairs and dinner for your family.

• Mwebaza Club will be selling cold drinks as a fundraiser

• Nice Ice will be on hand to sell shaved ice from their new truck!

• Enjoy our beautiful mountain views and connect with friends, old and new.

• Volunteers needed. Consider signing up for a shift–only 30 minutes! Sign up here.

Please Donate To the Staff Gratitude Fund Today!

As of this morning, we have raised 60% of our $3,500 goal for the Staff Gratitude Fund! Thank you to the 47 families who have donated! If you haven’t yet, please give what you can. Suggested donation is $10 per child, but no amount is too small (or too big)! The last day to donate is Monday. Click here to donate. Your contribution now supports our staff all year!

Gratefully,

Katie Lancaster, PTO President

ACTION NEEDED!

Picnic Volunteer Signup - Will this be your one thing?

Community Connections Form - You must opt in to be included, even if you signed up in past years. Fill this out to be included in room parent communications, learn about fun events, and be in touch with other families through inclusion in the student directory.

COMING UP

9/13 Welcome Back Picnic - 5-7 PM

9/19 Red Robin restaurant night fundraiser - All day - 20% goes to PTO!

10/4 Laps 4 Leadership Kick-off Event

Helpful Links:

Follow PTO’s Facebook Page

Connect with us on Instagram

Link your King Soopers Card to help fund PTO!

Visit the PTO Website

Fall Family/Teacher Conferences will take place on October 1st, 7th, and 9th for all students from preschool to fifth grade. These conferences provide an opportunity to review beginning-of-the-year assessment data, discuss student progress, and collaborate with teachers to support student success. On September 19th, families will receive an email through the "Meet the Teacher" system with a link to sign up for a conference time; it is recommended to check spam folders for this email. Preschool families will sign up for a conference with their classroom teachers. Spanish interpretation will be available on October 1st and 9th, and families needing interpretation in other languages can contact the front office.

St. Vrain Valley Schools invites parents, teachers, staff, and community members to join Superintendent, Dr. Don Haddad, for one of our upcoming Superintendent Town Hall meetings. These annual open forums in each of our geographic areas provide an opportunity for Dr. Haddad and other district leaders to listen to our community's questions and suggestions, share our many successes, and discuss our bold vision for the future.

Dates and Locations:

• Thursday, 9/12, 5:30-7:00: Innovation Center

• Monday, 9/30, 5:30-7:00: Mead High School

Los servicios de interpretación al español estarán disponibles en cada evento.

K-5 families are strongly encouraged to purchase iPad insurance to cover potential loss or damage. The district offers insurance at $25 per student annually ($15 for Reduced Fee and $10 for Free Fee students). Families without iPad insurance could be charged fees upward of $678 for lost or damaged iPads. To opt into this coverage, please pay at least a portion of the fee by September 15th.

For more details about the insurance coverage, please refer to the links below:

• MORE INSURANCE DETAILS (English Version)

• MÁS DETALLES DE SEGURO (Versión en Español)

You can pay the insurance fees online through your Infinite Campus Portal account or directly at Eagle Crest. If you have any questions, please contact our school technology leader, Katy Schwirtz, at schwirtz_katherine@svvsd.org or 303-485-6073 ext. 22379.

Thank you for supporting instructional technology at Eagle Crest!

Background: Eagle Crest and Mwebaza Annex School in Uganda formed a partnership in 2018. Since then the two schools have enjoyed learning about each other through cross cultural exchange activities, art projects and live video school events. The Eagle Crest community participates in activities that foster a global understanding and a deepened worldview, while building friendships abroad.

Purpose: A leadership opportunity for students in 3rd - 5th grade who would like to participate in planning, organizing and leading our partner school activities and projects this year. Our focus is on cross-cultural exchange between the two schools, learning about current global issues in Colorado and Uganda, small fundraising events, and art and cultural activities.

Projects could include:

• Creating conversation, ideas, and questions to exchange with our friends in Uganda during live video calls.

• Creating video or in person presentations about our partnership to share at events and in classes.

• Playing games, making friends, and having fun.

• Ugandan cultural activities including music, cooking, arts and crafts.

• Working with peers on projects.

• Planning and making posters to advertise events.

• Cross Cultural Activities.

• Learning about global issues affecting our communities.

• Understanding ourselves and others.

• AND MORE…

Other Information:

• Meetings: WHOLE CLUB meetings will be one Wednesday morning a month. (usually the 3rd Wednesday)

• September 18th will be the first meeting. A complete schedule will be emailed to all club students.(Students who are in the 100 mile club will miss one day of running a month if they are in both clubs).

• Time and Place: 7:30 - 8:25 am in the 5th grade pod area. Club members will be allowed in the front doors at approx. 7:25am. Club members that go to breakfast can leave the meetings early.

• Small Group Meetings: Groups of students will occasionally meet for special projects during their lunch time. Students will know about this ahead of time and will work and eat at the same time.

• Club sponsors: Mrs. Butterfield, Mrs. Freehill, Mrs. Cooper and Mrs Hansen

Questions??? please email Mrs. Hansen at Hillari@mwebaza.org

Please fill out the form below to register for the club online!

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 now 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 for more information.

Families are encouraged to use our Hug and Go drop-off lane in front of the main office. This is a quick "drive-through" service where ECES staff will assist with unloading your child, allowing you to drive off and continue your day. Please remember that drivers should remain in their vehicles, and parking in the Hug and Go lane is not allowed. Any family that wishes to walk their child to class is welcome to use our parking lot or the spots along Clover Basin Dr.

We know many families and children enjoy using our playground after school hours. Please note that this space is shared with our after school childcare program, *Eagles Landing*.

Starting at 4 p.m. each day, *Eagles Landing* students and staff will be using the purple and yellow playground, as well as the asphalt play area between there and the picnic table structure. To ensure the safety of all students, this area is reserved exclusively for the *Eagles Landing* program during this time.

We kindly ask that all other families use the small Pre-K playground in front of the school or the climbing area and swings on the north side of the building between 4-5 p.m.

Thank you for helping us keep all of our kids safe!

We love our pets as much as you do! To ensure everyone's safety and enjoyment, please keep our building and playground pet-free, except for service animals. Let's work together to create a safe and happy space for all. We know it's tough to leave your furry friend behind, but let's keep our school grounds pet-free (except for service animals). Thanks for understanding! 🐶🐱🌳🏫

While lunch charges no longer apply, we kindly urge all families to complete the Free & Reduced Fees Application. This not only benefits your family with reduced fees for things like iPad Insurance, but also supports our school in terms of funding and staffing. Remember to renew this application annually for access to various benefits.

Apply for free & reduced fees today to take advantage of these opportunities!

If you require assistance or prefer a paper application, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

You can now find the monthly Lunch Menu at LINQCONNECT. This online system allows you to filter for allergens and see the Breakfast Menu. You change between Breakfast and Lunch in the upper left hand corner.

All students can receive complimentary breakfast and lunch at school, with the only additional cost being for seconds. Families can contribute funds to their child’s account by sending cash/check or making a digital payment via RevTrak.

Eagle Crest's specials follow a three-day rotation: RED, YELLOW, PURPLE. The calendar below helps your family plan and ensure the right shoes are ready for PE activities. Reach out to your child's classroom teacher to find out their classroom's specific color rotation.

Parents and guardians who would like information to assist you with particular parenting conversations or additional support of your child, please contact our school counselor, Angie Kerbel. kerbel_angela@svvsd.org

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

Instagram: @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