AVA Newsletter - November 14th 2024

November 14th 2024

Admin Address

When I think about capturing the hearts of our students, I think about the Capturing Kids Hearts motto “If you have a child’s heart…you have a child’s mind.” -Flip Flippen.

At Aspen View Academy, we aim to follow this motto in our classrooms, interactions, and how we treat each other. I see this every day from the first greeting with a fist bump, high five, or “hello, how is your day” to the end of the day goodbyes and the “have a great evening and we will see you tomorrow”. This warms my heart when I witness it daily.

With capturing a child’s heart you gain their trust and they gain confidence in their school work and their own selves. Additionally we learn about their interests, hobbies, and experiences. The students show more respect, are more engaged in the classroom, and the school climate and culture is a positive environment for learning and growth.

Engagement in the classroom increases tremendously when students feel safe and they have a strong bond with teachers and other staff members in the school. The more students feel connected the easier it is for them to build relationships and be respectful, to be motivated in their school work, and in other activities during the school day. A positive school climate and culture allows for students and staff to feel even more connected. When teachers and staff model this positive school climate, then students follow the example and are able to have their relationships build and grow. We love seeing their engagement and involvement in activities throughout the school day because of these connections and examples. With this strong foundation at Aspen View Academy, they can develop the skills they need to become wonderful citizens of the world later in their lives.

One of our main goals is to capture our students' hearts, so they have a great school experience and they feel safe here in a positive educational environment. We foster this at AVA when we greet students at the beginning of the day and when say goodbye at the end of the day. Thank you for trusting us to capture their hearts and build those strong relationships with your child(ren).

Jean Fanning

Grades 3-5 Assistant Principal

Middle School Only News

Middle School Students Only

Spirit Week-Nov. 18th-22nd

Castle View High School will be having a CV Showcase. This is for current 8th graders and their families. Come learn about the opportunities Castle View has to offer.

If your 8th grader would like to attend a high school other than their neighborhood school you will need to complete the 24/25 Open Enrollment application. The first round of open enrollment is open now and will close on December 2nd at 4:00 pm.

Dedication Page in Yearbook

8th grade parents, click here to see the flyer on how you can purchase and design your student's 8th grade dedication page for the yearbook.

Middle School Fall Sports

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

General Announcements

It’s Scholastic Book Fair time! NOVEMBER 18-22nd

Come experience the excitement all over again with your kids. Remember, what starts at the Book Fair stays with you forever. Every purchase benefits our school. Visit the book fair homepage for more information:

Volunteers are what make the Scholastic Book Fair possible. Sign up today to volunteer!! Book Fair volunteers will receive a voucher to use at the book fair.

Don't forget to sign up for an eWallet for your student(s) and help keep our book fair cashless and efficient. We do accept cash and checks made out to Aspen View Academy. Please read the letter from the principal here.

Have you logged your volunteer hours?

All AVA families who have completed 10 service hours by Nov. 30th or (5 hours for single parents) are invited. Please log your hours on the HelpCounter Website.

Looking to get some more volunteers hours by Nov. 30th? We need help at our Book Fair! Click here to volunteer at the Book Fair Nov. 18th-22nd.

To participate in Pay for Dress of Choice Day, simply bring $1 or more and drop your contribution in the buckets at the front of the school.

Reminder: No pajamas or slippers are allowed.

Parents, Please log into your parent portal and make sure that your student's photo is correct for this school year. These are the photos that will be put in the yearbook. If the picture is not correct, please email DeAnn Carson.

Save the Date!

Spirit Night Nov. 21st at Mod Pizza

Sibling Priority for 2025-2026 Lottery

First Round of OPEN Enrollment Begins NOV. 1st

The Lottery for 2025-2026 will be held the first week in December. Please be sure to read all instructions before applying.

Current AVA Parents - if you have a child who is eligible to attend AVA next year and is not currently enrolled as a K-7th grader, please go to the AVA website or the DCSD website to complete the Open Enrollment Tool on November 1st. Be sure to use your current parent portal login (DO NOT create a new one). This is the only way we can ensure they receive "Sibling Priority." The first round of open enrollment is available until December 1st at 4:00pm.

There is no need to complete this for current AVA students who already attend AVA as an elementary or middle school student. They will automatically be enrolled the following year.

Current AVA PreK students must complete the Open Enrollment Tool which can be found on our AVA website or the DCSD website on November 1st.

IMPORTANT - YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO USE A HANDHELD DEVICE OR IPAD TO OPEN ENROLL.

If you have any questions, please stop by the front office or email enrollment@aspenviewacademy.org.

PreK News

PreK is preparing offer placements for school year 2025-26. Current AVA students with PreK age siblings have first priority if intent to enroll is completed on our website under PreK. The deadline for completing is Nov 30th.

PreK placement offers will be made the 1st week of December. PreK students must 4 years old by Oct 1st 2025 and must be fully potty trained. More information can be found on the AVA website.

Welcome to November! A new month marks new topics for our classroom social emotional lessons and a new coping skill to add to our growing tool box. The coping skill for this month is called tense & release. This is a great skill to use for reducing stress and anxiety. One way this can be done is by making a fist with both hands and squeezing them tight for a count of 5 then shaking hands to loosen. This can be repeated as needed. Our topics for this month are:

K-2nd grade: Kindness (What is kindness? How can we show kindness?)

3rd-5th grade: Healthy Friendships (What traits does a healthy friend have? What traits does an unhealthy friend have?)

We are truly grateful and enjoy our time in the classroom with the students.

The AVA Counseling Team

Please join the 5th grade Character Education classes as they lead a donation drive in support of 'Coats for Colorado.' Their mission is to provide warm winter coats to Coloradoans of all ages at no cost. Please donate new or gently used coats of any size. Donation boxes will be in the front lobby through November 22nd.

When you think of Thanksgiving, what comes to mind? Is it food, family, or maybe even football? Maybe for some, you think of community. That is what Middle School’s National Junior Honor Society thinks of. Join us in our Thanksgiving Drive to help our community. Send your kids to school with non-perishables and/or toiletries during November 18th through November 22nd to put in buckets located in their home room. For Middle School, house cup points will be rewarded and for Elementary, there will be a special prize.

Parents, We need your photos for the yearbook!

Please upload your school photos for the yearbook here. Find our school with our school ID #722861 and click on share your pictures. Once logged on, you are able to submit photos by category (classroom teacher or school event, sport, club etc).

Order your 24-25 Yearbook Today!

Click on the image above to order

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 image above to find these opportunities.