Friday, October 29th Family Update

Good afternoon O’Dea Core Knowledge Elementary families…and WOW…it has been an amazing day!  It felt SO good to be able to celebrate a fall event with our Halloween Parade and festivities. Thank you to everyone who was able to join us to be a part of the fun. There was so much joy…love…and excitement in our building today…I wish that I could jar that up and pass it out to folks because I truly believe that the world would be a brighter place if we could.  Thank you for all of your support as we try to integrate some specials days for our students…and still keep health and safety a priority.

This update has quite a few attachments for families so please be sure to check out each one so that you are in the loop!

November is upon us so I am attaching the calendar here for your review:    I have saved it as a pdf as I have heard from some folks that they cannot open them…so I hope that this is easier for you.  November 2021 Family.pdf 

As you sift through your child’s candy this weekend…please feel free to have your student bring some to school to turn it in for owl slips.  We collect candy and turn it into prizes for students…it is a good way to help decrease the candy consumption of the holidays…and earn owl slips as well! Please see the attached flyer here:  Halloween Candy for newsletter.pdf

November is the season of gratitude and thankfulness…and it is also the season of giving and taking care of others.  In honor of that…we are launching our holiday food drive starting on Monday, November 1st.  We are taking a unique spin on things this year and having each grade level focus on one item each to help ensure that the boxes that we send home…have enough of everything.  Please check out the attached list here so that you know what you can help with.  These boxes will go home with our families in need to help make sure that they have a holiday meal for our fall and winter holiday season. Food Drive Menu 2021.pdf

Next week the district will be hosting a surprise lockdown drill to all sites in Poudre School District.  Our teachers know that it is happening, and they are sharing with their students as well.  We wanted to make sure that you were in the loop as well in case your child came home and told you that we were in lockdown. I am including the district communication here for your review:

PSD Lockdown Drill Week set for Nov. 1-5

During the week of Nov. 1-5, all Poudre School District schools will participate in lockdown drills. The following is what you can expect:

  • Schools know we will participate in a drill that week but won’t know the specific time at which it will occur.
  • Schools will make an announcement over our intercom when the drill is underway and emphasize that it is only a drill and that there is not an active threat to our school. 
  • During a lockdown drill, students and staff are directed to a safe location inside the building. Exterior and interior doors, windows, and access points are closed and locked. Due to COVID protocols, students will remain at their desks or normal socially distanced positions during the drill.
  • When it’s completed, school staff, members of PSD’s Safety and Security Department, and law enforcement officers will review how things went.
  • Community members can expect to see a heavier-than-usual law enforcement presence at the schools when lockdown drills occur.

For more information: www.psdschools.org.

…and finally…PSD requires families to document that they have seen our Student Code of Conduct each year.  We currently have sixty percent of our families that have met this requirement.  If you have not logged into ParentVue and marked that you have reviewed it…please do so!  I am including information from the district here:   regarding student behavior.

Parents/guardians will be asked to acknowledge they have reviewed the Student Rights and Code of Conduct when they log into the ParentVUE parent portal. Parents/guardians will not be given access to ParentVUE until they electronically sign the acknowledgment. This box only needs to be checked once per year.

Families new to PSD or those who have never accessed their ParentVUE account have received a separate email with instructions for how to log into ParentVUE. If you have questions regarding ParentVUE or StudentVUE, please contact the front office at 488.4450. 

Whew!

I hope that you all enjoy this lovely weekend that is before us…I am digging back into my soup recipes…raking leaves…sitting on the porch Sunday evening to visit with all the littles that come on Halloween and enjoying everything that fall brings each year.

Jarring up some O’Dea love,

Laurie

PSD does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, veteran status, age or disability in access or admission to, or treatment or employment in, its programs or activities. A lack of English speaking skills will not be a barrier to admission or participation.