Himlie Hello - A Few Additions...

Hi there - we have a few additions to last week's Himlie Hello below...

Dear Dunn Community and Caretakers,

I am thrilled to be part of the Dunn Community and am excited about the year ahead. My name is Emily Richards, and I am delighted to introduce myself as the new IB and Gifted and Talented/Project Heart Coordinator at Dunn Elementary.

This is my 25th year in education, including 23 years teaching 8-12 English, with almost two decades in the IB Middle Years Program (MYP) at Poudre High School. Beyond teaching, I coached cross country and coordinated the Poudre Arts Academy. During the past two years, I served as an instructional coach for new educators in our district K-12. I grew up on a sheep and dairy goat ranch in Colorado and spent my days involved in 4-H. While attending CSU, I ran track and cross country and received my M.A. in English education. Fort Collins is dear to my heart as I fell in love with the community and landscape; I also met my husband Craig, who teaches IB art and pottery at Poudre High School. My career has been deeply rooted in the values of the IB program, which emphasizes holistic development, intercultural and equitable understanding, respect, empathy, kindness, compassion, and joy. These principles are at the heart of my approach to education and what I hope to bring to Dunn.

As your PYP coordinator, I am deeply committed to fostering a sense of belonging, support, and connection in our Dunn community. I am eager to contribute to the growth of our students as life-long inquirers and learners. Please do not hesitate to reach out if there's anything I can do to assist or if you'd like to connect with me at emrichar@psdschools.org. I am deeply grateful for the warm welcome I've received and am excited to meet you all. Together, we can uphold Dunn’s tradition of excellence and commitment to being global citizens.

Key Facts About the PYP

IB Program Overview

Five-Minute Video Overview

Kindly,

Emily

Poudre School District high schools offer SO MANY opportunities to earn college credits early and to access hands-on training opportunities. Whether you have one child here at Dunn, or you have older siblings entering high school soon, we thought we would share these opportunities to learn about what PSD high schools offer.

I wanted to share that I will be offering 3 concurrent enrollment/ASCENT/TREP info nights this fall in addition to two mid-day events.

• September 12, 6:00 – 7:00
• September 16, 10:00 – 11:00 coffee talk
• October 2, 6:00 – 7:00
• October 15, 10:00 – 11:00 coffee talk
• November 11, 6:00 – 7:00

I have attached a slide for the first event and I believe our team will be sending an email to all families notifying them of the September events in our space.

In addition, we have a slideshow screencast on our website that talks about the ways to earn college credit while in high school: https://youtu.be/QwtUcnCSh9k. Families can opt to have Spanish (or other) subtitles as needed.

If you have any questions or ideas, please reach out!

Kristen

KRISTEN BESANCENEY| Poudre School District
Concurrent Enrollment Coordinator

Cell: 970-657-3175

www.psdfutureready.org

For the 2024-2025 school year, Poudre School District will once again provide a no-cost breakfast and lunch for all students.

Research shows students perform better in school when they are not hungry. By providing breakfast and lunch to all children at no-cost, we better support their learning.

Poudre School District’s Child Nutrition program is recognized nationally as a leader in providing quality and healthy daily meal options. Our school meals exceed the U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines for healthy school meals. Check out our Child Nutrition Newsletter and our website https://www.psdschools.org/programs-services/school-meals for menu links, meal prices and department information.

Although all students will receive no-cost meals, it's still important for households to provide their income information when requested via a Free-Reduced Meal Benefits Application. Gathering this information allows PSD to receive the state and federal funding we qualify for. These funds go directly to schools to help cover the cost of meals and support after-school activities and other nutritional programs for students. Plus, qualifying households may be eligible for Summer EBT benefits, receive discounted school fees, class materials, utilities support, and more. Providing household income information ensures you and your school receive all available financial support.

Qualifying Students may Apply for Fees/Charges Waivers

Did you know? If your child is eligible for free or reduced-price meals in Poudre School District, you may also be able to take advantage of another fantastic benefit: waivers for some school fees and charges. To be eligible for these benefits, you must be approved to receive free or reduced-price meals and complete an additional form each school year.

• Free and Reduced-Priced Meal Application: Families can apply on-line at https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application or pick up a paper application at your child's school. Applications must be completed annually to stay registered for the program. Answers to frequently asked questions can be found here - Letter to Parents. Your child's free or reduced-price meal eligibility status is confidential.
• Once approved for free and reduced-priced meals, complete PSD’s Permission to Share Information for Fee Waivers and Programs to Receive Goods and Services Form. This form is available on-line through the PSD ParentVUE portal. Completing this form gives PSD's Child Nutrition Department permission to share your child's eligibility status with other district officials. These officials must also maintain confidentiality of your child's eligibility status. You must fill out the Permission to Share form each year.

Waivers are available for some but not ALL school fees and charges, including summer school tuition, extra-curricular activities and supplies, curricular supply costs and more.

After you submit the form and your child is approved, SchoolPay will automatically update fees/charges that are eligible for a waiver, displaying a $0.00 balance due once you proceed to checkout in SchoolPay.

Many community programs and businesses (City of Fort Collins Parks and Rec, Comcast, Fort Collins Soccer Club) also waive or reduce fees with proof of free or reduced meal eligibility.

Meal Account Payment

SchoolPay is Poudre School District's online payment partner. SchoolPay allows convenient online payment to all Poudre School District fees. To set up an account, view meal activity, view balances or make payments visit https://psdschools.schoolpay.com. Purchase activity and balances are updated each evening.

Students may bring money to school and pay during mealtimes. Checks should be made out to the student's school and note the student's name and/or ID number. Cash payments will be accepted but all change will be added to the student's meal account. Milk only, entrée only and water (secondary) will be the only ala carte items offered this school year.

Please email refund requests to nutrition@psdschools.org and include your student’s name and ID number.

Special Food Needs

For those families with students who require meal modifications, please visit the Special Food Needs website for more information.

• Medical Statement for Meal Modification
• Discontinuation of Meal Modifications

Have a question and you’re not sure who to contact? Send your question to nutrition@psdschools.org and we will get it forwarded to just the right person.

Have a great school year! We look forward to seeing you In the Café!

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Email: ahimlie@psdschools.org
Website: https://dun.psdschools.org/
Location: 501 South Washington Avenue
Phone: 970-488-4825
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dunn-IB-World-School-833838369983073/
Twitter: @dunn_ib