Dear Lower School Families,

What an amazing first week of school! We had a festive and fun Town Meeting on Thursday. We welcomed our new faculty, staff, and students to our Lower School community and prepared for a grand school year! I am sharing a few updates and reminders as we begin the school year together.

A reminder that morning drop-off time begins at 7:50 a.m. Families are welcome to sit in the drop-off line at the North Road and LS Circle prior to 7:50 a.m.; however, students should remain in their vehicle until the 7:50 a.m. bell rings. Supervision of students begins at 7:50 a.m.

We are asking that parents and guardians remain in their vehicles during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up at all times. When someone gets out of their car, it is a safety issue for drivers, passengers, faculty, staff, and students, and it impacts the flow of our procedures for the beginning and the ending of the day.

Each car should display the NAME CARD that was sent to each family in the Welcome Packet that was mailed to you in early August. If you need a new name card, please contact Elena Tafel in the Lower School Office.

The CA Connects parent/teacher conference is designed differently than the traditional conference of the teacher providing you with information about your child’s performance in school. The goal of this conference is twofold: to allow parents the opportunity to meet with their child’s classroom teacher, and for parents to share insight and perceptions about their child. The format of this conference is best described as an 80/20 conversation; the parent shares 80 percent of the time, while the teacher listens, and the teacher may share initial impressions and ask questions 20 percent of the time. You, as the parent, are the leader of this conference conversation.

 

You know your child best; your insight and experience are extremely valuable as the teacher works to create a positive learning environment for each child. Providing this type of information early in the school year will allow the teacher to “get to know” each child and eliminate some questions that may arise early in the year.

With our new A-F schedule, we have dedicated specific C Day mornings for MAP Assessments in Grades 2-5. We are asking that students arrive on time (8:00 a.m.) and that no appointments be scheduled on these dates between 8:00-9:30 a.m.:

More information relating to MAP Assessments will be sent to families in Grades 2-5 in the coming weeks.

Cell phones should not be brought to school by a Lower School student. Cell phone use is absolutely prohibited throughout the school day by a Lower School student. Personal electronic devices (iWatches, Smart Watches, game consoles, Kindles or other electronic readers, iPods, AirPods, laptops, etc.) should not be brought to school.

Save the Date: Thursday, September 7, 6:00 p.m.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Courage + Kindness,

Angie Crabtree

LS Principal
Colorado Academy