Table of Contents   
principal
Principal

Dear Families and Colleagues,

Thanksgiving has come and gone already. The cold temperatures are upon us and the holiday spirit is in full effect. I wish you and your families the peace and blessings of the season. Please know that I will humbly decline gifts from the faculty and families this year.  I am grateful for your well wishes and kind gestures and feel truly fortunate for all that I have. Those of you filled with the spirit of giving can purchase gifts for those much less fortunate than I am.

I appreciate all that you do for our University Park School community.

Happy Holidays,

Grant Varveris
Team UPark
720.424.3410

*Don't forget to download the UPark App  here!


PTA
PTA

Thanks for coming to the PTA meeting on Tuesday! In case you missed it, but you want to know what we discussed you will be able to find the minutes HERE next week.

An Opportunity To Give
During this holiday season, many people are looking for ways to give back to their community. We recently heard from a UPark family that thought of a creative way to give back to our school while also giving to those most in need. We would like to share their idea with our school community and ask that if you would like to contribute to their efforts, you contact them to donate (see contact details below).

"With winter and the cold weather this time of year, we often see more homeless people on the streets or people holding signs on the side of the road asking for help. Our kids ask about these people and what their signs say, and it made my husband and I think more about how we could help. An idea came to us that coincided with UPark's King Soopers gift card fundraiser. Our family has decided
to take 20+ King Soopers cards from the school, add a small amount of money to each card, and then hand out the cards to people in need. Our hope is those who take the cards will use them for purchases of food and other necessities. We feel this is a great way to help both the school and our city's homeless."
- Tiffany & Spencer Brant

If your family would like to donate money to go on the cards that the
Brant family will be distributing to the homeless, please contact Tiffany
at [email protected].

Or if you would like to use the UPark King Soopers Cards for similar
purposes, please send us an email at [email protected] to
request the cards.

We wish all families and staff of UPark a safe and happy holiday, and
wish you a happy new year!
mathnight
UPark Family Math Night
February 9th

We will be hosting a Family Math Night on February 9th (more details to come!) and we need YOUR input! Please use this form to share your ideas/wants/needs so we can better meet your needs.  Responses are due by Jan. 4th, 2017.  You do not have to commit to attend by filling out this form!

PL
*Save the Date* UPark Personalized Learning Night
Thursday, January 19th 5:30-6:30 (babysitting provided)

You have seen the maker cart on the playground. You have heard your child talk about their learner profile and how they are able to choose seating in the classroom. If you have ever wondered why these changes are happening, Mrs. Holdeman has planned a night to address your curiosities. Join us in the UPark auditorium on 1/19/17 from 5:30-6:30 to learn about the exciting things happening with personalized learning at our school.  
  • Hear from students, Imaginarium personnel, and our staff about what our goals are, what we are doing, and what we hope to do.
  • Watch a portion of the movie Most Likely to Succeed  and discuss topics concerning the future direction of education.
  • Ask questions
Babysitting will be provided to UPark students.
Questions can be directed to Sarah Holdeman: [email protected]  

restaurant
Restaurant Night Monday!

Eat at Next Door-Glendale  (658 S. Colorado Blvd) on  Monday, December 19th from 5:00pm-9:00pm and they'll give 50% of sales to support UPark! Make sure to mention UPark to your server when you dine . Click here for more details.  

semantics
Semantics Team News
 
UPark's Semantics Team attended their first district spelling bee on Thursday, December 8th and they did a WONDERFUL job! The team competed against 40+ other students from around DPS and showed dedication, fearlessness and support of one another! Fifth grader Angelina Holm earned a second place finish, fifth grader Duncan Monroe finished in the Top Ten and our other seven team me mbers competed in their first district level spelling bee! Congratulations to our team and on to our next bee at the end of January! YAY, spelling!
 
UPark Semantics Team 2016-2017
Fifth graders Angelina Holm, Sophia Homburger, Duncan Monroe and Andy Smith
Fourth graders Dalia Gutierrez, Maia Ottenbrite and Maddie Steuer
Second graders Ella Jackson and Adia Stoler
 
Heather Wise, GT Teacher, UPark

coatdrive
WINTER COAT DRIVE!
 
January 17th - 27th
 
Donate your gently used winter coats for a Denver homeless shelter. Drop off your coats in the donation boxes near the main office.
 
We are donating the coats to the Family Motel in Denver. This is a temporary home for families in need.
 
All size coats will benefit a child or an adult in need.
 
Thank you! We hope you can donate!
 
- UPark Student Council Members 

supplies
Please Help-UPark Supply Collection

Collection dates 1/9/17, 1/10/17  On the blacktop before school.

Mrs. Holdeman is putting together a Supply Depot in room 207 (the old computer lab).  It will house various supplies for students to use to demonstrate their learning in 3 dimensions while learning how to work in a team. We are in need of:
  • Clean, dry containers (recyclables... plastic yogurt containers, safe tin cans, quart or half gallon milk jugs, etc.)
  • Tubes- toilet paper tubes, paper towel tubes, wrapping paper tubes
  • Wire- thin enough to cut easily with wire cutters
  • Wood scraps-small enough to fit in a storage bin
  • LEGOS- please do not buy new ones
  • Keva Planks-wooden building toy
  • Pvc pipe scraps
Thank you very much!

Sarah Holdeman

artnight
Art Night Volunteers Needed!

Art Night at University Park will be held in the gym on Thursday, January 26th from 5:30 to 7:00.  We will have a wide variety of fun hands-on activities for kids of all ages, including collage, 3-D constructions, shrink film creations and fingerprint art!  Please contact Carol Redmond or stop by the art room if you would like to help with preparing materials or staffing the event.  We're looking forward to a great evening of inspiration and creativity again this year!

auction
Spare a Gift Card for the UPark Auction?

The UPark Auction is not until next spring but planning is already in the works and you can help now! When purchasing gift cards for your friends and loved ones this holiday season, please consider picking up an extra card of any amount to donate to the silent auction. Cards can be left in the front office. Thank you in advance!

greenteam
Recycled Ornament Challenge

The Student Green Team challenges the UPark community to create winter decorations using only recycled materials!

Through December, students may hang 1 ornament made with recyclables in the lobby outside the main office. Students should write their name and room number on the ornament and on the grade level list next to the tree, then hang the ornament in their grade level area of the tree, Kindergarten through 5th.  Weather permitting, the "Maker" Cart will also be a place to create a decoration with recyclable. Student Green Team members will judge ornaments and give out prizes for each grade level.

tours
UPark school tours have started!

Let your friends and neighbors know that if they would like to learn more about this amazing little school they just need to sign up for a tour. See below for tour dates and times. Call the main office at 720-424-3410 to RSVP.
  • Saturday, January 7th - Open House...stop by between 9 and 11
  • Friday, January 13th - 9:15am and 2:30 pm
  • Friday, January 20th - 9:15am and 2:30 pm
  • Friday, January 27th - 9:15am and 2:30 pm

calendars   
University Park Elementary Calendar

3 ways to access calendar information! Go to the University Park Website,  click on the CALENDAR ICON, or look below!  
  
  

  

wizardhat
5 Star Wizard Hat Students

Congratulations to last week's 5 Star Wizard Hat students! They were recognized by their teachers for positive behavior. 

Last week's students include: Reese MacDonald, Yassmine Birouk, Nola Lake, Ella Sudar, Malcolm Schleicher, Max Henze, Chloe Choughari, Charlie Ann Sweetman, Everett White, Max Grimes, Anderson Gray, Anna Muilenburg, Isabella Figueroa, Edan Schutt, Libby Fallon, Charlie Colson, Ryan Long, Kenna Whorton, Lara Olsthoorn, Ben Blackmun, Abdellah Benjelloun, Madeleine Blair, Peyton Green, Jimena Perez, Isaac Rivas Pinedo, Emir Maloku, Isobel Erickson-Solonika, Brody Gold, Sheyden Kyser. 



Wizard Hats are given throughout UPark to celebrate students' good choices and positive behavior. We use a common vocabulary and teach Critical Thinking skills using the BrainWise curriculum.    Each week there is a random drawing of 2 students done by classroom teachers. These children are photographed and receive a token of our appreciation. 

*At the end of each month we will be donating all clothing in the lost and found and anything left in the halls (all clothing will go into our little red school house in our parking lot).