School Hours
8:15am-3:15pm
- PreK Students will follow their protocols and procedures for entry and dismissal.
- K-8th Grade Students:
- Arrival starts at 7:55am (no before school recess this year)
- Students are tardy if they are not in the building at 8:15am
- Announcements will start promptly at 8:20am (see announcement notes below)
- Families who are late to school will be signed in at the main entrance of the building. Due to limited space in the foyer for social distancing, be prepared to wait a few minutes if you are needing to sign in your student late.
Arrival/Dismissal
We are asking ALL families (K-8th) to utilize Driveline this year. Parents, guardians, older siblings, etc. will not be allowed to walk up in the mornings or afternoons to drop-off or pick up their students with their Driveline numbers. There will be a "hug" zone located near the Kindergarten playground that marks the spot where all hugs and kisses should be given (both before and after school) to eliminate extra adults at the entrances of the school.
Please see the Driveline map below to determine what entrances your child may enter the building and the expectations for a smooth and safe drop-off and pick-up.
At 3:15pm, when dismissal begins, Owl's Nest students (A-L) and the students who are showing up on Driveline (from that actual car rider lane), will be dismissed from their classrooms.
At 3:20pm, we will dismiss the remainder of Owl's Nest students (M-Z) and continue with the students who are showing up on Driveline (from the actual car rider line).
Once the car rider line has slowed down (around 3:25pm) an "all call" will be made to teachers and staff. At the all call, teachers will walk down all remaining students from their classroom (walkers and bikers and students not picked up from Driveline). When teachers arrive at the front of the school, they will dismiss students who are walking/biking and ensure students get into the correct vehicle or go with the correct parent.
While we are pros at Driveline, please be patient during the first few weeks as we get our systems and processes streamlined. Your Driveline number is the same it was last year; if you are a new family or don't know your number (yet) don't worry. Your teacher will either help to communicate that this weekend or we will call your child down by name on the first day of school. Be on the lookout for the friendly ladies coming around to your car at the end of the day to either input your number or to use their radios to call up to the classroom.
Lunch
All K-8th students will have a 20 minute lunch period each day.
- Only sack lunches will be available for purchase until further notice. If you are unsure if your child will eat a "school sack lunch"--consider packing a lunch to send to school each day.
- Students who need to purchase a sack lunch will let their classroom teacher know each morning at arrival.
- Microwaves will not be available for use this year; send lunches to be eaten either cold or in insulated thermoses.
- Label, label, label everything! Label lunch boxes, containers, water bottles, jackets, gloves, etc. If lunch items are left behind (and not labeled) they will be thrown away. They will not be stored in lost and found this year.
Snacks
Your child's teacher will give specific details about snacks. We do encourage snacks at school, during the identified time the teacher has outlined. 7-hours is a long day and children get hungry when they are learning :)
Water and Hydration
Please send your child to school with a clearly labeled water bottle. Water fountains will only be available for filling up water bottles. We've all seen young children drink from a water fountain. We're going to work on not sharing our germs with others this year.
Masks
- ALL adults on campus will be wearing a mask (that covers the nose/mouth) throughout the school day, with face shield breaks at various times.
- ALL students must wear a mask to enter the building, exit the building and during transitions in the hallways. Students who do not have a mask at entry will be provided one to wear, as needed, throughout the day.
- PreK-5 students are not required to wear their masks in the classroom while they are working and learning; 6th-8th grade students do need to wear their masks--with the understanding that plenty of mask breaks will be given.
- Masks will not be required to be during recess or physical activity.
- Gray fabric Aspen Ridge masks, green "gator" type masks and black ARPS lanyards have been purchased (and as of 4:30pm today--thanks to our Business Office and a lot of staff still on campus) have been delivered to each classroom for students to receive on Monday (or on their first day of school). While the materials are dark--please do your best to label them as clearly as you can. Any mask left behind will be thrown away.
- You are HIGHLY encouraged to send an extra mask, in a labeled Ziploc bag, to be kept at school, just in case.
Enrichment (PE, Music and Art), K-5th
- Enrichment teachers will be traveling this year to classrooms, to eliminate the movement needed to transition for enrichment each day.
- Enrichment classes will be held on a weekly basis (ie your child will either have PE, Music OR Art on a weekly basis) to help with cohorting.
- PE will be held outside as much as possible throughout the school year as weather permits. Make sure your child wears shoes appropriate for going outside each day- whether for PE or Recess.
Visitors and Volunteers
All volunteers are "on hold" for the first quarter of school, as we streamline our processes and eliminate any extra adults on campus. If the timeline is extended, we will let you know accordingly. If you are interested in helping out your teacher or another teacher around the school who doesn't have a standard "classroom"--please reach out directly to them. There are always little things that can be done at home, that help out our teachers/staff immensely.
Any visitor on campus (vendors or district support) will sign in and be screened at the front office. We are working to keep any visitors on campus to a bare minimum.
Covid Response Coordinator
Sean Cortes is our newly hired Covid Response Coordinator. He will be a great asset to our campus and community and will be your "go-to" for questions regarding COVID. You can reach him through email at healthyowls@arprep.org and by selecting option 9 when you dial into the main school number (720-242-6225). Make sure and give him a warm Aspen Ridge welcome!
Medications at School
If your child has medication that must be taken at school, both over the counter or prescription, make sure to get those to our health clerk, Denise Collard (dcollard@aspenridgeprepschool.org). All medication must be in its original packaging, be labeled clearly with your child's name, have a doctor's signature for administration and be on file with the appropriate paperwork. Please contact Ms. Denise if you need to drop off medications so that she can be on the lookout for you and ensure you have everything needed for this process.
Morning Announcements
We are continuing the tradition of Zoom morning announcements, for classrooms to tune into, along with all VIP students to join. Announcements will start daily at 8:20am and the Zoom link can be found on the Google Calendar or through
our website (under Upcoming Events) at the bottom of the page. We look forward to "seeing" everyone starting Monday.
September 2, 2020
September 2nd is no longer an early release day. We figured since school has just started, an early release for professional development is not essential.
Daily Health Checks
All families and staff members are asked to do a daily health check prior to arriving to school each day. We will not be doing daily temperature checks for students or staff, unless there are signs of illness. This year, more than ever, is the year to monitor your child for symptoms, continuously wash hands and get plenty of vitamin C, D, E...F...I and G. If you think your child is sick, do not send them to school. We have some great systems on campus for our teachers and staff if students are exhibiting major or minor signs of illness and Sean Cortes will be working closely with teachers and families.
Major symptoms to be on the lookout for:
- Fever of 100.4 or chills
- Loss of Taste or Smell
- New or unexplained persistent cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Minor symptoms to monitor:
- Sore throat
- Runny nose/congestion
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Nausea, vomiting
- Diarrhea
If you ever have questions or are not sure whether or not to send your child to school, err on the side of safety and contact Mr. Cortes. We want this to be a safe and healthy year for everyone. All of our families and staff are depending on the wellness, health and safety of our community.
healthyowls@arprep.org or 720-242-6225 (option 9)
School Supplies and Bulk Materials
Your child's teacher has probably already given you some direction for school supplies and materials that will be used and needed in the classroom.
For bulk materials (copy paper, paper towels, Kleenex, etc) please use this schedule for drop off this coming week. We will have carts at drive line to help ensure ease of drop off for everyone.
Tuesday, 9/1: 2nd and 3rd Grade Students
Wednesday, 9/2: 4th and 5th Grade Students
Thursday, 9/3: Middle School Students
Friday, 9/4: All students who still have bulk materials to drop off
With an increase in cleaning and use of materials, you may see emails from the school asking for additional support with material needs (paper towels, paper masks, Kleenex, hand sanitizer). We appreciate any and all support with helping to provide these materials for our school use when the time comes. Thank you in advance!
Birthday Treats
There are quite a few special days that we all enjoy each year, but none are quite as exciting as birthdays for our Owls. The idea of turning another year older is quite special for most anyone. If your Owl is celebrating a birthday, we will announce their name during morning announcements and your child's teacher will celebrate them in the classroom. However, food treats (cupcakes, cakes, cookies, etc) will not be permitted on campus for birthday celebrations. With food allergies and special diets running rampant, we ask that edible items not be sent in so that no one feels excluded from the celebration. You can (although not required) send in treat bags, special pencils or even donate a book to the library from your child/family. We love to celebrate! We don't love turning away sweet deliciousness.
A BIG thank you to the families who are working on picnic tables for our front lawn (for extra seating and a warm curb appeal). If you are interested in donating a table, painting a table (or both) please reach out to Mrs. Salmeron (csalmeron@aspenridgeprepschool.org). We had a generous donation of tables that we will be looking for someone to help put together and to help paint. It would be a great family project, personal project or friends project!
Have a great weekend Owls!
