Aspen Ridge Newsletter

Happy New Year, Owls!

We hope you enjoyed every moment of winter break, spending time with family and friends and thinking back on the highlights of the past year. Our Owls had so much to be proud of in 2022. They studied hard and learned new concepts; they were kind and connected with their classmates; they were team players who competed hard on the volleyball and basketball courts; and they became stronger students, musicians, artists, athletes, and community members. One group of Aspen Ridge students had an extra exciting highlight of 2022, as 19 of our middle schoolers became scuba certified through our TIDES program! This group is pictured above after completing their final dive in the Homestead Crater in Utah last month. We're excited to see the accomplishments, adventures, and opportunities that lie ahead for our Owls as they SOAR into 2023!

We have lots to share in this January newsletter. Thank you for taking the time to read through and stay up to date on all that's happening at ARPS!

Thank you, Aspen Ridge Board of Directors!

Did you know that January is School Board Recognition Month? This is a great time to show our gratitude for the crucial role an elected board plays in our communities and schools - including here at Aspen Ridge! Thank you, Krista Burnell, Randy Drennen, Liz Locricchio, Eric Rinard, and Miguel Zuniga, for the time, energy, and passion that you devote to supporting Aspen Ridge as a school of excellence in the Erie community. We appreciate you!

Are You Following Your Owl on Kickboard?

Would you like to help with our monthly Kickboard Store? This is a highlight of the month for our students, as they get to exchange their Kickboard points for fun items, coupons, gift cards, and more. If you'd like to learn more about this volunteer opportunity, send an email to pto@aspenridgeprepschool.org. Thank you for helping!

Our volunteer parents continue to make a huge impact at Aspen Ridge through a number of PTO efforts. Interested in getting involved with a PTO event or project? Feel free to join us at one of our upcoming committee meetings. All are welcome!

• Winter Fest Planning, January 11th at 8:30am
• Middle School Engagement, January 12th at 8:30am
• Spring Gala Planning, January 12th at 2:00pm
• Teacher Appreciation, January 18th at 8:30am

All are welcome and encouraged to attend our schoolwide PTO meeting on Wednesday, January 18th, at 6:00pm. Need childcare? Sign up here!

Visit the PTO page on the Aspen Ridge website to stay up to date on all things PTO, and use this link to let us know which volunteer events and groups interest you. We'd love to have you on our team!

Save the Dates for these Fun Fundraisers!

Interested in childcare during Trivia Night? Depending on interest, we could set up a PJs/Movie Night at ARPS for parents who would like to attend Trivia Night at the Erie Social Club. This would be held from 6:30pm to 8:30pm for $15 per child ($30 max per family). If there is enough interest, a sign up will be sent out to all families.

A Message From Your Principal

Happy 2023, ARPS Families!

Reflecting on 2022, I am overwhelmed with pride in our accomplishments. 2022 brought with it an engaged community of families, the beginning of the PTO, dedicated and committed teachers and staff, a supportive Board, student-led community outreach, dances, classroom celebrations, music and drama performances, and so much more. 2022 may be hard to top, but all of our Owls SOAR at the highest levels in the classroom and the community, and I am confident Aspen Ridge will continue to make a positive impact in 2023!

The new year provides opportunities for reflection, a fresh start, renewed commitment, and the first of many resolutions. We begin to shift our focus and become excited about all that’s possible! As we begin the second semester at Aspen Ridge, our focus continues to be centered on all students' social, emotional, and academic growth. We are excited to see our Owls continue to pursue their dreams as they continually remind us that everything is possible!

I hope you and your family had the opportunity to rest, relax, and refresh over the winter break. It was absolutely fantastic to fill our halls and classrooms with our students' enthusiastic, smiling faces this morning. On behalf of the entire staff, thank you for your continued support and partnership.

Happy New Year! 

Ms. Miller

This month, Aspen Ridge will take on the Great Kindness Challenge - and we hope your family will join us! We're challenging our students to complete as many acts of kindness as they can from January 23rd - 27th. Plus, now through January 27th we're asking students to bring in coins for the Caring Coins Competition! The class that brings in the most money at the end of each week will win a special prize. All donations will be given to Little Lambs of Hope, a nonprofit organization that provides crucial support to newborn babies with challenging medical conditions. Thank you for helping us to make our school - and the world - a kinder place!

Thanks to students Zoey W, Juliette C, and Lily H for creating this inspiring bulletin board for 2023! It's a great year to learn something new, follow your dreams, be a leader, get organized, be creative, make a new friend, work hard, and more. It's also a great year to be an Owl!

One of our youngest Owls had a very special way of showing appreciation for her teacher. Thank you to all who made our teachers feel loved last month!

Our kinder through 2nd grade students and our middle school band and choir students gave fabulous performances at their winter concert!

What could be more fun than getting to ride in the elevator with Ms. Miller? These Owls earned a trip to the book vending machine using their Kickboard points. Way to SOAR!

Ms. McCasky's students earned a Fort Day! They brought in blankets, built their structures, and spent the day learning and working hard in their cozy forts!

Ms. Masciolli's class had a blast playing minute-to-win-it games in their cozy clothes to celebrate the last day of school before winter break. We love seeing how much fun they have together!

Our ARPS Girls' Basketball team has shown awesome skill and spirit this season! Let's fill the stands with cheering fans for their next home game on Wednesday, January 11th, at 3:30pm!

If you visited the Erie Ice Rink over winter break, you may have noticed the ARPS logo shining brightly on the ice! It's just one of the ways we're getting our name out in the Erie community!

Our Drama students showed off their acting skills in a performance for all of their K-8 peers. Bravo, ARPS actors, for having the courage to perform in front of a large crowd!