AVA Newsletter - August 28th, 2025

August 28th, 2025

Admin Address

Dear AVA Families,

As we all know, Colorado weather can be unpredictable—especially in the afternoons when dismissal is right around the corner. For the safety of our students, staff, and families, Aspen View Academy will follow our Severe Weather/Lightning Dismissal Plan to ensure everyone remains safe when dangerous weather is in the area.

What is a Severe Weather/Lightning Dismissal?

When lightning is detected within six miles of the school, AVA will initiate a Lightning Dismissal. This means students will remain safely inside their classrooms until conditions improve. We use Weather Bug—with a station located directly on our building—as our official weather monitoring tool. Families will be notified by both email and text message if a Lightning Dismissal is put into effect.

What Families Need to Know

Parents Picking Up at School: Beginning at 3:30 p.m., parents may enter the building and go directly to their child’s homeroom to sign them out with the teacher and escort them safely out.

BASE Students: Will remain in their classrooms until it is safe to move to the BASE building.

PreK Families (and siblings): Follow the same procedure as K–8 families—sign out from the classroom at 3:30 p.m.

Carpool Line Pick-Up: Students will stay in their classrooms under teacher supervision until parents come inside to sign them out. While waiting, students may read, draw, do homework, watch a video, or something else approved by the teacher.

Walkers and Bikers: Will be released as soon as the storm passes and conditions are safe.

Pick-Up on Low Meadow Blvd.: Students will be released once the storm clears.

We understand that these delays can test everyone’s patience—especially at the end of the day. However, your cooperation ensures that every student and staff member stays safe until conditions are clear. Thank you for supporting this plan and for always putting safety first.

Together, we can weather the storm—literally!

Bob Barber

AVA Principal

Middle School Only News

6th Grade Outdoor Ed Parent Meeting

When: Wednesday, September 10th at 6pm

Where: Elementary Cafeteria

Middle School Fall Sports

Check out the Athletic calendar on our website and come cheer on our AVA Wolves!

Materials Needed

Middle School Engineering is in need of empty 2-liter soda bottles for a project. If you have any clean, empty bottles at home, please consider donating them to Mrs. Farrell in room 327.

General Announcements

Tomorrow, Friday August 29th is Dress of Choice

Reminder that Pajamas are not allowed

Please look at the Events Calendar found on our Main website page for all AVA related events, sports, dress of choice days and PTO events.

A Note from the Office

EARLY STUDENT PICK-UP

Early pick‐up of students must be completed before 3:00 pm. Parents must sign out their student in the office.

DROPPING OFF ITEMS

When you drop off items for your student during the school day, please have all items labeled with your student's name and grade. This includes; lunchboxes, water bottles, coats etc.

COMMUNICATIONS

There are several ways the school sends out communication. For many communications we use the district Finalsite to send messages. Please do not unsubscribe or you will not receive any communications through that means. Also please be sure your contact information in Infinite Campus is up-to-date.

EVENT CALENDAR

Want to know what’s happening at school? Check out our Events Calendar on the school websites main page. You can see upcoming events, important dates, and more. It’s a great way to stay connected and never miss a thing.

STUDENT ATTENDANCE

Report Absence or Late Arrival:

To report a student absent or late arrival please call the Attendance Line: 303.660.5940 This is available 24 hours a day. Or report their absence through the AVA Website, click on the Attendance button.

TARDIES

If your student is coming late to school due to an appointment, they must bring in a signed note from the doctor's office for it to be an excused tardy. If they do not have a note from the doctors office it will be an unexcused tardy. This applies only to when a student is arriving at school for the first time that day.

FOOD DELIVERY

Students are NOT allowed to have lunches, drinks, or snacks delivered through Door Dash, Uber Eats, or any delivery service.

If you know someone who didn't receive this newsletter, have them check their spam folder and if they still didn't receive it please have them email DeAnn at dcarson@aspenviewacademy.org

The Directory has been updated on our website. An email was sent this week to all registered families with the password to access the 25-26 school year directory.

Elementary Curriculum Night

Join us Thursday, September 4th for K-5 Curriculum Night! Curriculum night will run from 6:00-7:10 pm. This is an opportunity to get better acquainted with the school, staff, and curriculum specific for your child’s grade level. Teachers will discuss school and home collaboration and communication, discipline procedures, classroom expectations, how to volunteer, and of course... curriculum. If you have children in more than one grade, please feel free to divide and conquer! If you have children in multiple grades, you can skip the large group informational session in favor of the classroom visits.

Schedule

6:00-6:30pm

Kinder - 1st Grade Classroom presentations in your child’s grade level

2nd - 5th Grade Information session in the cafeteria with STEM & Specials Introductions

6:40-7:10pm

Kinder - 1st Grade Information session in the cafeteria with STEM & Specials Introductions

2nd - 5th Grade Classroom presentations in your child's grade level

Registration is Now Open!

First practice starts on Monday, September 8th.

*Registration closes September 11th at 5:00 p.m. or when capacity is reached*

Click on the picture to the left to register and find out more information on Landsharks. This is open to K-5th grades.

$75 registration fee until September 1st then an $15 additional fee applies.

Engineering Expo Returns to Aspen View Academy This Fall!

We’re thrilled to announce the second annual Engineering Expo, open to all students in grades 3–8! This exciting event invites young innovators to apply their creativity, knowledge, and problem-solving skills to tackle real-world challenges.

Registration is now open and will close on September 30th. Click here to register.

Who Can Join: Students in grades 3rd-8th may participate individually or in teams spanning different grade levels
Project Work: Completed at home
Support: Free biweekly Wednesday workshops hosted by Mrs. Reynolds (see school calendar for dates and times)

Important Dates:

Project Submission: November 17–21
Awards Announced: Early December
Expo Showcase: Afternoon of December 12

Trophies and prizes will be awarded to standout projects, and all entries will be proudly displayed during the Expo.

STEM Professionals Wanted! Do you work in a STEM field and want to inspire the next generation? We’re looking for parents and family members to present at the Expo and share their work with our future engineers. Interested? Please contact Mrs. Reynolds to get involved. If you have any questions please email ireynolds@aspenviewacademy.org

IT’S BOOSTERTHON TIME!

We're excited to introduce this year's main fundraiser, the Aspen View Academy Fun Run. We officially kick off on September 8th but you can get started now and sign up your student on mybooster.com.

The AVA Fun Run is on Wednesday, September 17th.

More details to come.

IMPORTANT IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION

Colorado law requires all students attending Colorado schools and licensed child cares to be vaccinated against certain diseases, unless an exemption is filed. Below are the vaccines required for students attending Colorado licensed child cares and schools.

Vaccines required to enter school (K-12)

Hepatitis B.

Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTap).*

Inactivated poliovirus (IPV).*

Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR).*

Varicella (chicken pox).*

Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap).**

*Students 4 through 6 years of age are required to have their final doses of DTaP, IPV, MMR and Varicella prior to kindergarten entry.

**Students are required to have Tdap prior to entry into 6th grade. One dose of Tdap is required for 6th through 12th grades.

If you choose not to have your student vaccinated according to the current recommended schedule because of personal or religious reasons, you must submit a Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption to AVA when school begins in August.

Nonmedical exemptions must be submitted annually, which means parents must submit the certificate every new school year. (The school year begins on July 1 and runs through June 30 of the following year.) There are two ways to file a nonmedical exemption:

File the Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption WITH a signature from an immunizing provider, OR

File the Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption received upon the completion of the online education module.

Downloadable certificates and the online education module are available at

https://cdphe.colorado.gov/vaccine-exemptions

For additional information: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/schoolrequiredvaccines

LOGGING VOLUNTEER HOURS

There is a computer in the front lobby so you can log hours while you are at the school; you may also log hours at home for any PTO work, at home projects or if you forgot to log your hours while you were at school. All volunteer hours should be logged into HelpCounter within 48 hours.

How to Set up your Account with HelpCounter

Please click on this link and log in using your email address and create a password.
Click on 'Update Profile Information' to add your information and record your student's grade.
Click on 'Update Volunteer Interest Form' to indicate what types of volunteer opportunities interest you. This does not commit you, rather it allows the coordinator to see who is interested in specific opportunities.

These volunteer opportunities can also be found on the volunteer page of our website. Volunteers are expected to make child care arrangements for younger children prior to volunteering at the school. Younger children/siblings are not allowed in the classroom while volunteering.

Report Anonymously. Any Time. Any Day.

1-877-542-7233

safe2tell.org

Make A Report

Gather your family and friends for some great, discounted fun opportunities brought to you by the Foundation for Douglas County Schools. Better yet, a portion of each ticket purchased goes back to DC Schools! Click on the picture above to find all the opportunities.