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With the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program we implement at AVA, our goal is to capture students’ hearts, to teach their minds, to train their hands, to form their habits. So what does it mean to train the hands of our students? This comes back to the idea that we learn by doing. As the saying goes; I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand. In our own experiences, I’m sure you can think of an example in life where we truly learned better by doing.
We can all relate to how involving students in learning provides for a deeper level of understanding. Hearing the excitement in classrooms where students are creating a performance or project that connects to what they’ve learned brings a level of experience that can’t be matched through explanations alone. When we give students the tools to delve into learning by doing and to help them make the learning their own, we get to hear the pride in their voice as they show off their newfound knowledge. It is such an honor to be at the door greeting students on days when take home projects are due. As students file through the doors with their work proudly on display, I love hearing them beam with pride exclaiming, “I made this.” Their Medieval projects, dioramas, or book reports are the products that show the students have ownership in their learning. It is as if you can see them maturing right in front of you as they stop and explain details they considered and what they have learned. When learning comes alive with student excitement, this independence is a big part of what it means to train students’ hands and this is such an important part of AVA and the experience we strive to provide for our students.
Kristen Krieger
K-2 Assistant Principal
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6th Grade Parents
Please bring all medication orders and medications to the health office for the 6th grade Outdoor Ed Trip on Nov. 13th-15th. If we do not have orders WITH the medications prior to Tuesday, Nov. 12th, we will not be accepting further orders.
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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.
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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.
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Douglas County High School will be having an 8th grade showcase on Monday, November 11th from 6-8 pm. We will start in the main gym with the Principal and then the students and parents can tour the school and there will be a passport for the students to go to different areas. Students can connect to teachers, activities, athletics, etc. | |
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Middle School Fall Sports
Check out the Athletic calendar on our website and come cheer on our AVA Wolves!
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NEW DATE!!
Monday, November 11th is
Free Dress of Choice
Wear Red, White and Blue
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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.
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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.
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Please see the new date for the Veterans Day Assembly. We are moving the assembly from Friday to Monday, November 11th!
Families and veterans are welcome to attend both assemblies.
Immediately after the second assembly (11:00am), we will be hosting a reception in the middle school commons for all veterans, active-duty members and their families (AVA students will not be able to attend). The reception will include light refreshments.
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The November PTO Pipeline is now live. Check it out for volunteer opportunities, upcoming events, and all things PTO! | |
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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
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Vision and Hearing Screening
On November 13th and 14th we will be conducting vision and hearing screening for students in grades Kindergarten, 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7, as well as new students and those receiving special education services. Students who missed last year's screening and are in these grades now will also be included.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our School Nurse Consultant Jacenta Wirth, RN at jwirth@aspenviewacademy.org.
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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.
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Our volunteers have logged 902 hours in the month of September. Every month we will be doing a monthly drawing to win a gift card. Please visit our volunteer page to see upcoming opportunities.
Our volunteer of the month is Sandie Pynes! Please stop by the front office to pick up your gift card.
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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.
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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. Visit our book fair homepage for all the information you need. Please read the letter from the principal here.
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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.
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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).
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Be Ready for Weather Delays/Closures
AVA will follow DCSD for school closures and delays. In the event of a closure or delay, the information will be immediately posted on DCSD’s weather delays and closures page as well as on the AVA website. DCSD will also notify local media outlets of any closures or delays. Broadcasts are usually made by 6 am and periodically thereafter until approximately 9 am.
In the event DCSD schools are closed, all other activities scheduled at AVA’s facilities will also be canceled.
If there is a 90-minute delay,
- B.A.S.E will begin at 8am
- Middle school will begin at 9:30
- Elementary school will begin at 9:45
As always, on days where DCSD’s Snow Team is activated and a delay or closure is not implemented, we respect the decision of our parents to keep their child home, if necessary. Please call your child's school and this will be an excused absence.
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Order your 24-25 Yearbook Today!
Click on the image above to order
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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. | | | | |
