REMINDER: There is NO SCHOOL October 18th and October 21st-22nd. Please click  here  for the UPark/DPS calendar. 


Table of Contents   
 principal
Principal 

We are so fortunate here at UPark to have such wonderful support from our community. Our Apple Campaign is in full swing thanks to our hard working PTA. Families are currently engaging in great conversations about student learning with our teachers during conferences. We had many students go home with smiles on their faces on Tuesday as a result of our Halloween Costume Exchange. Our teachers felt very appreciated on Wednesday while dining with one another at the luncheon provided by 3rd-5th grade families. Our staff members were also provided individual dinners by room parents during conferences. Thank you for making this week an extra special week for us!

We know through conversations about our SPF that there is still room to grow at UPark. We truly believe that it is with your support of our staff and students that UPark will always be a great neighborhood school! Thank you for all you do to support us and know that we will continue to work each and every day towards achieving our vision of creating a Community of Mighty Thinkers and Doers! Click here for the letter I sent out earlier this week with information on UPark's SPF results.

Thank you,
 
Principal
Team UPark
720.424.3410


pta
PTA/Apple Campaign

By November 15th, the grade with the most number of donations, not dollars, will win a popcorn party! First grade is currently in the lead by a hair! Donate HERE today to support our school! Or you can drop off a check made out to UPark PTA in the main office. 
Don't forget about employer matching and stock transfers too!        

spotlight
Spotlight on UPark
Special Education
 
We are so fortunate to have the support of three wonderful paras; John, Brett and Nick help to support students within general education classrooms. Their work supports inclusion which ensures our students with disabilities have opportunities to learn alongside their peers. Inclusive education values diversity and the unique contributions each student brings to the classroom. 
 
If you see our paras working around the building please let them know how much they are valued and appreciated.
 
Thank you John, Brett and Nick.

Coming next week: 4th Grade!

weather
Inclement Weather Procedures-Indoor Mornings

With the potential for inclement weather coming, we wanted to make sure the community knows what our morning procedure is for indoor days. On indoor mornings:
  • Families will be notified via the UPark App.
  • Drop-off still begins at 8:40am. 
  • Students can go to the gym or to breakfast. 
  • Kiss and go will operate as normal.
  • Students enter through doors 1, 9, and 15. 
lostfound
Lost and Found Reminder

Lost and found items are donated at the end of each month.  Please make sure to check the lost and found regularly for misplaced coats, hats, boots, lunch boxes, water bottles, etc... Items can be found on the hanging rack and bins in the cafeteria hallway. Items can sometimes take a couple days to make their way down to the lost and found so check back often. Please visit the main office if you are unable to find a lost item. 

supervision
Playground Supervision Reminder

UPark staff begins playground supervision at 8:40 am. This is the earliest your child can be dropped off at school unless they are enrolled in a before school program. Starting at 8:40 students can go to the playground or to the cafeteria for free breakfast.

Please note that there is also no playground supervision after 3:45 dismissal. 

green
Green Team News and Volunteers Needed

We continue to work on sustainability in our cafeteria in conjunction with our Green Team! Please check out THIS video that our wonderful Green Team created with Ms. Cardenas and Ashleigh Ruehrdanz to help reinforce expectations in our cafeteria. We are always looking for extra hands and support in the cafeteria and it a great way to spend some extra time with your student. Please sign up to volunteer HERE. Please also stop in the office to fill out a volunteer background check!

halloween
Halloween Festivities October 31
 
UPark's annual Halloween parade around the track starts around 9:15 with a special staff member leading the classes through the school and out to the track! Families are welcome to come watch. The school band will be playing a festive set while the classes parade. If students are planning to wear costumes for the parade they must wear them to school with regular clothing underneath or with a change of clothes in the backpack. Costumes must be taken off before recess/lunch. Classroom celebrations will follow the parade. Specific information will be communicated by room parents or teachers.
 
Please follow these guidelines for parties/costumes:
  • No weapons at school.
  • Keep the scary stuff at a minimum for school celebrations (we have young students who will be watching also).
  • Adult visitors may not wear masks on school property.
  • Do not send Halloween candy to pass out.
owlsout
Owls Out and About !  
 
Have you ever read the book Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown?  This book is about a boy named Stanley who was flattened by a bulletin board in his sleep. His family finds that because he is flat it is much less expensive to mail him on journeys than to purchase an airplane or train ticket.  
 
Well we think our mascot here at UPark feels left out of such adventure! SO, we are inviting families to document our " Owls Out and Abou t " by taking adventure photos! 
 
You can show the Owl in photos via your UPark spirit gear (Fun Run shirts, other owl shirts, etc.) or your UPark magnet. You can also visit the office for an official UPark owl sticker that can be held with pride in your pics. 
 
On Instagram?   Please follow "UParkOwls" and tag us in photos of you, your owl, your family, and your adventure.
 
Like winning?  If you tag and/or send an owl pic our school's way, you will be entered to win a prize each month. Prizes may include lunch with the principal, a pick out of the treasure chest, gift cards or coupons, seasonal items, and more!
 
Will our  Owls Out and About   visit a pumpkin patch soon? Hide with the turkey over Thanksgiving Break? Head out of town? Possibilities are endless!  
 
PS: Future Owl fun will be announced via our Instagram page as well...including a contest on how to give our mascot an official name!

immunizations
Health Office

During seasons with wet weather there can be muddy spots on the playground. Please send your student to school with extra clothing in the event that they get wet or muddy on the playground and need to change. The school office has a very minimal supply of clothing and may not have items in the correct size for your student. 

tasting
Wine Tasting Event to Support UPark
. ..It's Like Restaurant Night, But Just For the Adults

Pearl Wine Company is giving 100% of the ticket sale proceeds for their upcoming 4th Anniversary Wine Tasting event on Nov. 9th to neighborhood schools, including UPark. Attendees will have the opportunity to taste over 200 wines and receive event only discounts on orders. Tickets can be purchased from the UPark PTA for $45 (or $65 for a VIP ticket that gets you in an hour early at 5:30).  Email   uparkpta@gmail.com to purchase a ticket with cash or check (made out to UPark PTA), or talk to PTA President Angela Rathbun on the playground at pickup or drop off.
 
Pearl Wine 4th Anniversary Wine Tasting
November 9, 2019 from 6:30-9 pm
JW Marriott Cherry Creek

*Please purchase your tickets from UPark to ensure we receive the full donation amount. Tickets purchased directly from Pearl Wine will divide the donation among multiple schools.

Pearl Wine has also secured a Special Room Rate for the event $209 ($50 savings) if you parents/teachers want to make a night of it:   www.pearlwineanniversary.ticketleap.com/4/

NC

IMPORTANT REMINDERS: There is no school Friday, October 18th, and Monday, October 21st-Tuesday, October 22nd. This means that there will be no morning or afternoon enrichment classes on these days. 

Discovery Link camp day registration for October 18th-22nd is closed. For information on future camp days see below.
  • Camp Day Registration
    • Discovery Link will offer all day camp care on some (but not all) days that students do not have school. Registration is open to ALL UPark families for the first camp days coming up in October. Please click HERE for info on dates, times, and pricing (including new discount bundles for multiple day registration!). Please click HERE for instructions on how to register.
    • NOTE: Registration will only be approved for students who have uploaded current immunization reports into school care works (this is separate from and in addition to immunization reports provided to the school at the beginning of the year). 
    • Please note the dates that camps are NOT offered (particularly during winter break) and plan accordingly!!
calendar
University Park Elementary Calendar

Click on the calendar icon to the right, look below, or visit the  University Park Website to access calendar information!












































owls
UPark Owl Ticket Students 

Congratulations to last week's Owl Ticket students! They were recognized by their teachers for above and beyond positive behavior. 

  
Owl Tickets are given to students for going above and beyond in one of our five core values: caring, cooperation, responsibility, respect and joy. Owl Tickets focus on the school's trait of the month, give students a chance to participate in the weekly "Owl Tickets" photo and will be posted on the "UPARK" letters in our main hallway.

*At the end of each month we will be donating all clothing in the lost and found and anything left in the halls.
Thursday Extras
This is where you will find a list of flyers that DPS or approved organizations have asked we pass out to our community.  Simply click on the flyer name to view in its entirety.  Please ask the office staff if you need a paper copy.


Quick Links



Looking Ahead:

October 17: UPark Conferences
October 18-22: NO SCHOOL
October 18-22: Discovery Link Camp Days
October 30: Semantics Team Tryouts
October 31: Halloween Parade

November 11: School Tours
November 12: PTA Meeting
November 13: School Tours
November 14: Multicultural Night
November 14: School Tours
November 15: Picture Retakes
November 19: Restaurant Night (Wahoo's)
November 25-29: NO SCHOOL

December 2: NO SCHOOL
December 4: Kinder/1st Grade Field Trip
December 9: School Tours
December 10: PTA Meeting
December 12: Kinder/1st Grade Performance
December 12: Restaurant Night (Wahoo's)
December 17: Band Concert
December 23-31: NO SCHOOL

January 1-6: NO SCHOOL


Click here for past newsletters.