AVA Newsletter - November 30th 2023

November 30th, 2023

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. The students show more respect, are more engaged in the classroom, and the school climate and culture is positive.

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

Girls basketball is right around the corner! Here are some important dates to remember! If your child wants to play they need to have a sports physical and pay/signup through My School Bucks.

Tryouts:

Thursday, December 14th 3:45-5:15pm
Monday, December 18th 3:45-5:15pm
Tuesday, December 19th 3:45-5:15pm

Wednesday, December 20th, teams will be announced on the gym doors

Open gyms will be December 1st at 3:45-5:15 in MS Gym and December 8th at 3:45-5:15 ES Gym.

Any questions please let Ms. Sherburne know.

Middle School Winter Sports

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

General Announcements

A Message from your K-5 Assistant Principals

Parent volunteers are one of the resources that sets Aspen View Academy above the rest. In the next couple of weeks, please watch for a sign-up to volunteer in your child’s homeroom for their Winter Party. Similar to our Fall Festival, only parent volunteers on those sign-ups will be able to attend the classroom parties. If you signed up in the fall, wait 24 hours to allow other families a chance to volunteer before you sign-up. Please remember that our volunteer policy states that younger children/siblings are not allowed in the classroom while volunteering.

The intention behind the decision to only have parent volunteers at classroom parties is an effort to keep our parties focused on our students in the classroom. Teachers will be sharing information with an overview about your child’s party and photos from the event so you can talk to your child about their fun memories at home.

Order your 23-24 Yearbook Today!

Click on the image above to order

Our Scholastic Book Fair was a huge success. Thank you to all of the students, parents, and staff who supported the book fair. We were able to put 2,741 books into the hands of readers and teachers to use in their classrooms! We reached our goal of 2,500 being sold! A big thank you goes out to all of the volunteers who helped with the book fair! Your time was greatly appreciated.

Donations Needed for the Health Room

Our Health Room is looking for gently used uniforms in smaller sizes for students in Kindergarten-2nd grade. Mostly pants/shorts or skirts are needed and some shirts too. You can drop these gently used uniforms off at the front office.

The December PTO Pipeline is live and updated. Check it out for upcoming events + volunteer opportunities.

WE KNOW IT'S A VERY BUSY TIME OF YEAR, BUT LET YOUR HOLIDAY SPIRIT BRING THE TEACHERS SOME CHEER!! Let's celebrate our wonderful teachers and staff with a soup luncheon and holiday cookie buffet on Monday, December 18. Click here review the available slots and to sign up. PTO will provide crackers, bread/rolls, and toppings for chili.

Holiday GiftCrowd is back! All funds will be delivered on 12/20. Click here to access.

Pedestrian Safety

There seems to be an increasing number of students crossing Prairie Hawk Drive from Low Meadow Boulevard to Limelight Avenue. This major roadway is a high traffic area with low visibility. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), fatalities among young pedestrians most often occur during after school hours. All pedestrians are encouraged to follow these walking safety tips:

1. Follow the rules of the road and obey signs and signals.

2. Walk on sidewalks whenever they are available.

3. If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic and as far from traffic as possible.

4. Cross streets at crosswalks or intersections. Look for cars in all directions, including those turning left or right.

5. If a crosswalk or intersection is not available, locate a well-lit area where you have the best view of traffic. Wait for a gap in traffic that allows enough time to cross safely; continue watching for traffic as you cross.

6. Watch for cars entering or exiting driveways, or backing up in parking lots.

Happy Holidays from your AVA Wolf Shack! From November 24th-December 20th, enjoy 25% off your purchase, both online and in-person. For online purchases, please use code JOLLY25. Discount will be applied at checkout for in-person shoppers. IMPORTANT NOTE: For online orders that are meant to be gifts, please note this when checking out (or email wolfshack@aspenviewacademy.org) and we will leave it with the front office for pickup rather than delivering to your child’s classroom. Hours for in-person shopping are Wednesdays from 3:00-4:00pm when school is in session and our online store can be found here. Cannot be combined with any other discounts. Thanks and happy shopping!"

Staff Spotlight

Third grade is where students truly bloom and grow into themselves, and this is the group of teachers that guide and come alongside them with so much love and care. These teachers are amazing at getting to know each of your children as individuals, because their jobs are so much more than teaching core subjects, but also navigating life.

Lauren Alvarez (3rd Grade Teacher) is caring, fun and creative. Mrs. Alvarez loves to get to know her students on the playground when they are their authentic selves, build relationships with them and watch them grow. Outside of school she loves to ski, hike and golf.

Lorin Miller (3rd Grade Para) is compassionate, crafty and supportive. Mrs. Miller loves getting to know each kid and cheering them on. When she's not here, she loves making crafts with her daughters, spending time with family and traveling.

Alex Nejad (3rd Grade Para) is hardworking, positive and calm. Mrs. Nejad loves watching the kids learn new things and feeding off their energy. She loves being with family, hiking and working out.

Ashley Chambless (3rd Grade Para) is energetic, engaging and a caretaker. Mrs. Chambless doesn't do boring. She does her best to make every lesson engaging, authentic and come to life. When she's not at school, she loves being with her husband and three kids, hiking, camping and cheering on their sports!

Brandi Quattrone (3rd Grade Para) is funny, helpful and loving. Mrs. Quattrone loves to build relationships with kids, because when there is trust, learning breaks through. Outside of school, she loves to hang with her family, crochet and binge shows.

Mindy Stump (3rd Grade Teacher) is patient, thoughtful and fun. Mrs. Stump works to plan lessons that bring out students' creativity and find ways to support them individually. She spends her free time with her family, baking or shopping.

Debbie Power (3rd Grade Teacher) is loyal, strong and compassionate. Mrs. Power loves to make learning fun by using games, being goofy and making kids' learning environments inviting. She enjoys sporting events, concerts and decorating.

Donation Drive

Please join the 5th grade Character Education classes as they lead a donation drive to support the Dumb Friends League for their compassion project! We will be collecting new and used towels, puppy pads, and new pet toys. Donation boxes will be in the front lobby. Collection begins Monday, November 13 and runs through January 8!

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.