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Weekly news from
Eagle County Charter Academy
Volume 11, Issue 19
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The End of 2020, Gratitude
Happy Holidays! It's hard to believe that winter break is just around the corner. The staff at ECCA would like to thank our community for supporting, encouraging and believing in us through the 2020 school year. It has been a challenging year to say the least. As parents and teachers, we know that through this difficult year, we are all juggling a myriad of emotions along with responsibilities and commitments. We can easily lose sight of the joy that is all around us: the genuine smile that lights up a room when a child is proud of his or her work; the compassion of one student reaching out to another to help them up after a fall; the growth of a child learning how to overcome an obstacle or make amends after a mistake. We are proud of what we have been able to accomplish with your amazing children.
We wish you all a peaceful, joyous, and profound end to the year and the beginning of a new year. We look forward to continuing with in-person learning in the new year.
Best to you and your families -
Kim and the entire ECCA Staff
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Important - PLEASE READ
No School tomorrow, 12/18/20
Please note: We will offer the after school program on Friday, December 18 from 8:30am - 12:30pm, for families who sign up. See sign up and enrollment information below.
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Important Updates from the Colorado League of Charter Schools
Back in March, the Colorado Department of Education released the latest issue of its triennial report on charter schools. Required by state law, the report's findings are genuinely encouraging and are the reason for some Yuletide cheer in a year that's been otherwise undeserving of any. In particular, there are five key points worth underscoring.
First, Colorado's charter schools continue to serve a larger share of students. At last count, more than 260 charter schools are currently operating across the state, serving more than 125,000 students in grades PK-12. That's about fourteen percent of Colorado's students (nationally, the number hovers around six percent). If all of our charter schools were organized into a single district, it would be the largest one in the state!
Second, Colorado's charter schools continue to serve higher percentages of students of color and English language learners (ELLs) when compared to non-charter schools statewide. Specifically, the percentage of students of color served in charters is 48.3 percent (versus 46.5 percent for non-charters) and for ELLs, 15.8 percent (versus 13.5 percent).
Third, Colorado's charter schools continue to provide a diversity of education options, including nearly twenty different educational models ranging from Montessori to Core Knowledge. To wit, my daughter currently attends a charter school that adheres to the Classical education model. One of many features of the curriculum that drew us to the school was the monthly "recitations," in which all "scholars" are expected to memorize and recite a piece of prose or poetry-and where public speaking skills like proper poise and posture are emphasized.
Fourth, Colorado's charter schools continue to outpace statewide averages when it comes to academic performance, both overall and for disaggregated student groups. Relatedly, charter schools in the state also tend to have smaller achievement gaps than their non-charter school peers.
Finally, students attending Colorado's charter schools are more likely to stay. Indeed, mobility rates for charter school students are lower than non-charter school students. And although it was outside the scope of the report, there's plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that student enrollment in charters has accelerated because of the pandemic.
What's more, these successes are occurring despite the fact that Colorado charter schools continue to be funded at 80 to 85 percent of traditional public schools. This means, among other challenges, that teachers and administrators working in charter schools continue to earn less than their non-charter counterparts. This funding discrepancy will surely be even more difficult to close in light of state budget shortfalls, but it's one worth remedying as more students and families turn to charter schools for quality programming and an excellent education.
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Student Ski Pass Information
Click here to read the letter regarding student ski passes this year.
Take your Student ID card to the pass office to get your student ski pass. If for some reason you do not have your student ID, click here. A signature from the front office is required.
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Excused Absence Form
If you know ahead of time that your student(s) will be out of school for one day or more, please fill out the form below and send back in, either with your child or by email to jennifer.sassi@eagleschools.net.
This form is also located on our web site www.ecca.org under Parent Links and then Office Forms. Thank you.
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Charter Garb
Please your orders through SchoolPay.
Order and pay for your Charter Garb through ecca.org.
At this time, all orders will need to be made online. Orders will be delivered to your student's classroom. We are happy to accommodate exchanges when sizes and colors are available. Please send the items back in with your students with instructions.
The free charter garb bucket is in the front foyer - help yourself!
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Box Tops
Bring Out Your Box Tops!
One thing hasn't changed...we are still collecting Box Tops for Education to earn additional funding for ECCA. Please send valid (non-expired) Box Tops in with your student to turn into the classroom that will be transformed into cash for our school.
Scanning Box Tops is an option too via the Box Tops for Education App that can be downloaded to your mobile device. Here's how: 1) Download the app from either the App Store or Google Play. 2) Select Eagle CO Charter Academy as the recipient school within the App. 3) Scan the store receipt from where you purchased the products with the Box Tops. 4) Clip the same Box Tops and send them in with your student to earn double points/money for ECCA. When you scan your receipt ECCA will also be automatically entered into two different Sweepstakes. To learn more about the scan option and sweepstakes go to www.boxtops4education.com.
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After School Program - We're dropping our fees for the 20-21 school year!
We are thrilled to share that ECCA received state Covid funding in December to support our after school program. We've applied 100% of the funds toward lowering the cost of our program for the remainder of the school year. See new rates below.
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Dates + Times
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From: 3:15pm - 5:55pm Daily
Open to Kindergarten - 4th Grade.
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Enrollment Form
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The Enrollment Form is mandatory before attending the ECCA After School Program. The Enrollment Form can be found by clicking here.
The Program Policies and Procedures can be found here.
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Cost
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$16.00 (new rate $12.00) for each normal day (3:15pm - 5:55pm) a child attends ECCA's After School Program.
$32.00 (new rate $24.00) for each half day / noon release (12:00pm - 5:55pm)
Students are charged to their SchoolPay.com accounts. Please be sure to load money onto these accounts prior to the students' attendance in After School. |
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**We are not accepting Drop Ins this school year**
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Pick Up Procedures
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Parents and guardians are to enter the front doors of the school and wait in the front Foyer. CALL Rebecca Wirth at 970.390.6903 to have your child(ren) brought out.
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Notes From The Business Office
After School visits are now charged to Food Service accounts.
For easier tracking, After School charges (along with Lunch charges) will be billed to each student's Food Services account of your Schoolpay.com account.
Please remember that payments for After School and Lunch are due in advance, or at the time of service. Please make your payments in the Food Service section of your Schoolpay.com account. If you have any questions please contact Linda Tierney at
Click here for a "How To" on After School payments.
Need help paying for Hot Lunch, Enrichment fees and Kinder Tuition?
CLICK HERE for an Economic Assistance Application for assistance with Hot Lunch and Enrichments (click here para en Espanol) and contact the business office directly in regard to Kinder Tuition assistance. Please forward completed applications to the ECCA Accounting Manager at linda.tierney@eagleschools.net
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
DECEMBER 2020 |
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Friday, 12/18/20: NO SCHOOL
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| Monday 12/21/20 - 1/2/21: Winter Break |
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SCORE BOARD
It is important to keep in mind that we will be following both CHSAA and Eagle County guidelines regarding return to play and overall COVID protocols. In doing so,
the schedule and availability of each sport is subject to change.
For now, it looks like our ability to play is as follows:
Yellow Level - We practice and play our League Schedule within COVID guidelines
Orange Level - We are unable to play our League Schedule but could potentially have small group Skills Camps
Red Level - We will be unable to play or practice
Girls Basketball (end date 2/4/21):
Practices - Goal of at least 3 per week. 1 Morning and 2 afternoon. (Practice times will change based on what is best for each team/coach/gym availability)
Schedule - See Attached Draft
Boys Basketball (end date 3/22/21):
Practices - Goal of at least 3 per week. 1 Morning and 2 afternoon.
Schedule - See Attached Draft
Volleyball (end date 4/29/21)
Practices - Goal of at least 3 per week. 1 Morning and 2 afternoon.
Schedule - Not yet available
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ECCA provides this information as a public service only. It does not necessarily endorse any organization or activity listed.
Events
Click here for more information on opportunities with the Girl Scouts. Start a troop, join an event... Call Kathy Morrow if interested in Piano and/or vocal lessons. She can be reached at (970) 376-3477 or via email katsjazz@msn.comLooking for an after school Enrichment? Try sewing. A life long skill! Learn more about Patterns of Joy sewing lessons contact Marie at 390.3460 or email patternsofjoysewing@gmail.com. More information here.
Offers
White Water Express Car Wash in Gypsum next to Costco welcomes ECCA families and students. Looking for a quick and easy gift that everyone needs and will love? Gift cards for a car wash or detail are the perfect gift for anyone. Receive a 10% discount off your gift card purchase on www.whitewaterexpresscarwash.com. Enter promo code ECCAFAMILY at checkout!
Inyodo Martial Arts Academy happily welcomes ECCA students (and parents of students) to experience the life balance and discipline offered through martial arts practice. Take advantage of our children's "back to school" starter kit which includes 2 months of classes and your child's uniform ($199). Click here to learn more about our adult and children's classes. Cool Kids Caps, owned and run by an ECCA parent is currently offering a discount to any ECCA families wanting to purchase sun protection products. Visit www.coolkidscaps.com for more information. To receive the 15% off dicount, enter ECCA ROCKS at checkout. Click here for information on class offerings at Alpine Arts. Gondola Pizza in Avon has great offers for you! 1.They will donate 15% from your entire bill to ECCA; or 2. You can get 10% off your entire bill if you mention that you are an ECCA family. You decide.
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Your input is important to us. Please email us at hawktalk@ecca.org with any comments or suggestions. Deadline for approved submissions to Hawk Talk is Thursday at noon.
As well, we have old and new members in our email list. Please unsubscribe below if your child is not attending ECCA and you do not want to receive emails from us. Thank you.
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