AVA Newsletter - February 1st 2024

February 1st, 2024

Admin Address

As we are a little more than half way through another school year, I find myself compelled to revisit a topic that is close to my heart – fostering resilience and independence in our children. Yes, I may sound like a broken record, but this is a message I believe passionately in, as an educator who cares deeply about the well-being and growth of our young teens.

We are inadvertently becoming a generation of 'snow-plow parents’, diligently clearing a path for our kids to shield them from any form of unhappiness – from the mundane to the challenging. They experience the normal disappointments and frustrations of life, they think something must be horribly wrong. Unfortunately, our time has seen the emergence of tremendous discomfort with discomfort and this is impacting our kids' ability to grow into resilient and self-reliant adults.

However, in becoming a generation of 'snow-plow parents’, are we not depriving them of the necessary experiences that contribute to their growth as adults? The complexity of this issue extends beyond the mere act of protecting our children. It delves into the emotional landscape of parenting, where our desire to ensure our kids' happiness may, at times, serve our own emotional needs. We find ourselves filling our emotional buckets by rescuing our kids, creating a double-edged sword. While our relationships with our children are rich and fulfilling, the constant connectivity allowed by smartphones might be hindering their independence.

Here's the heart of the matter: Instead of immediately responding to our kids' text messages , let us encourage a shift toward face-to-face conversations. The simple act of responding with "Let's talk tonight..." can make a monumental difference. It also requires them to exercise really important emotional muscles such as perseverance, endurance, self-talk and self-advocacy. Kids cannot develop healthy self-esteem and self-efficacy without these qualities. And these attributes are short-circuited every time we insert ourselves into every detail of our kid's lives (aka texting).

Let's challenge ourselves with our kids about this change. Engage in a conversation about the shift from constant contact about the small things to deeper discussions about the big things in life. You might be surprised at how readily your child understands and embraces this shift.

Kevin O'Bryant

Assistant Principal Middle School

Middle School Only News

Middle School Winter Sports

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

We are quickly approaching the boys volleyball season and we have a few opportunities for the boys before the start of the season. First, Coach Spivey and I will be hosting open gyms on Thursdays, see picture for dates and times. There will also be a pre-season volleyball camp the last week of February and tryouts are set for the first week in March.

If you have any questions please reach out to David Bodiker at

dbodiker@aspenviewacademy.org

To purchase tickets click here. Volunteers Needed; click here to see how you can help with food, set up/clean up or to chaperone.

General Announcements

Pay for Dress of Choice on Wednesday, February 7th

All Funds raised will be donated to the Moebius Syndrome Foundation. To Learn more about this Foundation, click here.

Parents, please remember if your student is arriving late to school (after 8:15am) you must walk your student into the building and sign them in. This applies to both elementary AND middle school students. If they are coming from a doctor's appointment, they will need to show a note from the doctor for this to count as an excused tardy, otherwise it will be marked as an unexcused tardy.

February 8th Class Picture Day

Class Photos: Class photos will be on Thursday, February 8th. Please order here.

Double Hours:

Lunchroom and Recess Help is needed. This is a 3 hour shift and you can log 6 hours for helping.

AM and PM Carpool-When the temps are below 20 degrees, bundle up and come help. We will give you double hours.

Saturday, February 10th

5:00-9:00pm

Our volunteers logged 232 hours in the month of January. Every month we will be doing a monthly drawing to win a gift card or AVA swag. Please visit our volunteer page to see upcoming opportunities.

Our volunteer of the month is Justin Hollingsworth! Please stop by the front office to pick up your gift card.

A big thank you to AVA families for their support -The Castle Rock Buddy Center appreciates all of your donations and will put them to good use! Our 5th grade Character Education classes learned about compassion while they collected these donations.

PTO is in the very beginning stages of planning a Family Glow Party! This event will be held in April. In order to do so, we need a committee of 10-15 volunteers to help us make this an exciting family event! If you are interested in joining the planning committee, please complete the form below by Jan. 31st. If we are unable to get enough volunteers, we will switch gears and offer another family movie night that will require less volunteers.

Glow Party Committee Interest Form

If you have any questions, please email pto@aspenviewacademy.org

Staff Spotlight

These ladies make up our Pre-K team at Aspen View. They make the first impression of the school experience to their students, by helping them to feel loved and cared for, so they can excel in school. They are passionate about partnering with parents to make the transition as easy as possible and to create the best learning environment for them.

Kristin Lopez (Pre-K Teacher) is passionate, generous and enthusiastic. Ms. Kristin loves teaching, but allowing each student to be themselves, have fun and be small. She loves to travel and try new foods with her family.

Barbara Goddard (Pre-K Assistant Teacher) is supportive, kind and caring.

Susan Joiner (Pre-K Assistant Teacher) is calm, supportive and compassionate. Ms. Susan enjoys walking her dogs, reading, golfing and hanging out with her husband and 2 boys. She feeds off her students energy, positive outlooks, teaching them new things and how much they put a smile on her face.

Debi Stalker (Pre- K Director) loves building a long lasting relationship with her students and considers it a privilege to work with them. Ms. Debi is a leader, knowledgeable and dedicated. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening and visiting the beach.

Brenda Hails (Pre-K Assistant Teacher) is creative, fun and thoughtful.

Megan Toomey (Pre-K Assistant Teacher) loves her students' eagerness to learn and she loves creating experiences they’ll take with them year after year. Ms. Megan is thoughtful, loyal and dependable. When she's not here, she is cheering for her kids' sporting events.

Stephanie Salazar (Pre-K Assistant Teacher) finds it a privilege to be a part of a child's educational journey, to be someone that makes an impact on their learning and memories, like she remembers her teachers to be. Ms. Stephanie is kind-hearted, empathetic and creative. She enjoys swimming, traveling, cooking, reading, and spending time with her husband and daughter at Rockies games or the theater.

Stephanie Ruth (Pre-K Teacher) is innovative, funny and engaging. Ms. Stephanie adores hearing their stories and engaging their imaginations. Outside of school she loves watching her daughter play soccer, being outdoors with her family and hanging out with their two dogs.

Dede Hemphill (Pre-K Teacher) is great at creating relationships with the kids and their families. Ms. Dede loves when her students share their lives and hugs with her. She is encouraging, hilarious and energetic. When she's not at school, she enjoys reading, live music, walking, being with her family and friends, and reality tv.

Lori Punt (Not Pictured - Pre-K Assistant Teacher) is hardworking, helpful and caring.