2300 S. St. Paul St., Denver, CO 80210
720-424-3410
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REMINDER: There is no school on Monday, May 9th for a UPark specific teacher planning day. |
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As you will see throughout this newsletter this is the time of year when we get to come together as one big UPark community in so many different ways. Some great upcoming opportunities to help the school or to just have an enjoyable time with other families are on the horizon.
Volunteer with us if you are able! This Sunday, families will be gathering on our grounds for the garden and grounds spring clean up day. Feel free to show up between 9 and noon if you are able to help out! We are also looking for more volunteers for our spring Carnival and Fun Run! This is a way to help create a fun time for our community and to meet other UPark families.
The UPark Online Auction will begin next Thursday, May 5th and will run through May 12th, offering a wide array of items to bid on. The auction will culminate with the Parent's Night Out and live auction on May 13. The Parents' Night Out at the Pioneer on Friday, May 13th at 6pm will be a night of fun and fundraising for UPark families and staff. Tickets include a fajita bar and drink of choice. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy music, games, and some exciting auction items and door prizes only available at the live event! Most importantly, it will be a great way to build our UPark community and celebrate our special school together!
Check out the blurbs below for more information on all these great events. If you need assistance with tickets for the parent's night out event, please know that some tickets have been set aside for families that would like to participate, but might not be able to purchase tickets. Reach out to Alicia Vega or the main office at 720-424-3410 if you would like a bit of support in order to attend this fun event.
Please also make sure to fully read the updates to our attendance policy as well as the information about our social/emotional screening for students in the blurbs below.
If your 5th grader will attend Merrill Middle School next year you're invited to the Merrill Spring Fling. Check out details here!
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Thank you,
Eric Atonna
UPark Principal, Team UPark
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PTA - THIS SUNDAY! School Grounds and Garden Spring Clean-Up Day |
Join us for a grounds clean up and garden prep day this Sunday, May 1st from 9am-12pm. Come for an hour or for the full time. The more people we have helping out the more fun it will be! We will be cleaning up planting beds, replenishing soil in the school garden, spreading fresh gravel on the track and repairing the UPark Owls cups on the fence. All adults and students are welcome.
No need to bring any tools - if you have work gloves, we recommend wearing them. DPS will provide a trailer full of tools and the PTA will provide refreshments for our hard working volunteers. Come and have some fun with your school community and enjoy the morning beautifying our school together. Questions? Email the PTA at uparkpta@gmail.com
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WE NEED VOLUNTEERS - UPark Fun Run and Carnival |
Volunteers are an integral part of this event and we cannot get through the day without YOU. There are still 40 volunteer openings for adults or middle/high schoolers. The carnival company does not staff the games or inflatables (bounce houses and obstacle courses) so we will not be able to open these games and inflatables that do not have volunteers signed up. The volunteer slots are not for the entire time, that way you can spend time helping out and still have time to enjoy the day with your family. Sign up to volunteer here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A044FA4A92FA2F49-funrun (make sure to click over to page 2 if you are viewing on mobile)
We look forward to seeing you at this great event on Sunday, May 15th at 10am. You can still register online but t-shirts are no longer guaranteed with the race registration. All materials (t-shirts, lunch tickets, wristbands) will be sent home with your student in the week leading up the the event. Questions? Email Audrey and Kate at uparkpta@gmail.com.
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UPark Online Auction and Parent’s Night Out |
Our school needs our support now more than ever. This is our final push to guarantee the annual $125,000 grant provided to UPark by the PTA in the fall. This grant allows our school to maintain smaller class sizes and robust student and teacher supports throughout the year. Please join us in our efforts to raise money to support the education of each and every student.
ONLINE AUCTION - Thursday, May 5 - Thursday, May 12
Online bidding opens on Thursday, May 5th at 8am. Don’t be late as some items are at a buy it now price and when they’re gone, they’re gone. Check out the auction item preview as we will be adding SignUp parties, the wildly popular teacher experiences, and many more items over the next week. Register as a bidder for free by visiting https://uparkpta.cbo.io (click the red “Register Now” button).
PARENT’S NIGHT OUT - Friday, May 13th at 6pm, The Pioneer Bar
UPark parents are taking over The Pioneer Bar on May 13th at 6pm for the best cause out there - for the benefit of your school. Other parents are buying their tickets and you should, too! Tickets are $40 per person and can be purchased at https://uparkpta.cbo.io (click the top menu titled “Parent’s Night Out”). Your ticket purchase includes a fajita dinner, one drink of choice, and all the fun you can handle. See last week’s room parent email for babysitting resources.
*If the price of Parent’s Night Out tickets presents a financial hardship for your family, please email Alicia Vega at alicia_vega@dpsk12.org to reserve a pair of complimentary tickets. Other questions? Email the Audrey and Kate at uparkpta@gmail.com.
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Social/Emotional Screener |
Dear parents/guardians,
As part of our effort to support the Whole Child, our school is implementing the BESS social/emotional screener, which is a universal social and emotional screening for students. This screener will be completed 3 times throughout the school year, with our final screening occurring between 5/2/22-5/6/22.
Universal social and emotional screenings can provide a fair and impartial way of looking at how students are progressing in their social and emotional development. Screenings can also help identify areas where school personnel can improve or adjust our supports. Please understand that screening is NOT an assessment or an evaluation.
For students in grades K-2, we will utilize a parent form. The parent form will be accessible from today through Friday, May 6th. Please click here to access the online form.
The survey is 29 questions and will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. You will need your child’s six-digit student ID and birth date to log in. Only one survey can be completed for each student. If you have multiple children in grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade, please complete one survey for each child. Information from this survey will be used to help our staff identify the supports our students need during this time.
For students in grades 3-5, we will utilize a self form. Students will be administered the self-form in their classrooms. Some sample questions include: "My school feels good to me", "I feel safe at school", and "I am good at making decisions." Teachers will select a day to administer the screener between April 29th and May 6th. If your child is new to UPark, you can review the opt-out form here. If you would like to opt out your child, please return the completed form to your child's teacher or Alicia Vega no later than Friday, April 29th at 3:30pm. Please note if you have already completed an opt-out form for this school year, your child will not participate and you do not need to turn in another opt-out form.
If you have any questions regarding the social/emotional screener, please reach out to Alicia Vega (alicia_vega@dpsk12.org or 720-424-3458). We appreciate your assistance as we work together to educate and support your student(s)!
Alicia Vega, PsyD NCSP
Pronouns: she/her/hers
School Psychologist
University Park Elementary School
M-F 720-424-3458
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Multilingual Family Open House! |
OPEN HOUSE!
Come visit our Multilingual Classroom!
Chat with Mrs. Ritz
When: Thursday, May 12th
Time: 3:30 - 4:00
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2022-23 Attendance Policy Update |
From last week's newsletter: A review of our attendance policy shows that we need to do more to make sure all of our Owls are here and learning each and every day. As a result, next school year, we will be updating our attendance policy to be fully aligned with attendance guidelines from DPS, the State of Colorado and neighboring schools. More information on the update can be found here.
Families will still be asked to fill out our NEW Google Attendance Form or call the main office so we are aware of all absences. In addition to helping us record attendance, this communication with the school helps us maintain strong relationships with families and is helpful for teachers as they plan instruction.
In preparation for this change next school year, I’d encourage you to please start looking at the calendar listed in our quick links at the bottom of these newsletters for days that make sense for trips and appointments. Our goal as a school is to make sure our students are not missing out on valuable learning time, to aid families in eliminating barriers to daily attendance and to ensure that our policies are aligned with the district and state guidelines. Please take some time to review the full slide show that is linked above and feel free to reach out to our office or me directly if you have any questions about this update.
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Early Bird Registration for the 2022-2023 School Year |
Early Bird Registration is open May 2nd-May 20th. If you would like to participate in the early bird registration, to update your student's information for next school year, please log in to your parent portal account beginning May 2nd. Click here for instructions and information on completing online registration.
If you do not yet have a Parent Portal Account click here to create one using your student's date of birth and DPS ID number. If your student is new to DPS or you do not know your student's ID number click here to look it up or call us in the main office at 720-424-3410.
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Upcoming Lunchtime Learning Webinar: What You Should Know About Youth Vaping |
Join the DPS Prevention Services Team at noon on May 4 for a Lunchtime Learning Webinar with Dr. Annemarie Wolfe from Children’s Hospital Colorado to learn about the impacts that adolescent vaping has on lung health. According to the 2021 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey Data, 24% of DPS high school students have tried vaping, making this an important topic in the DPS community. Register for the webinar here.
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It takes a lot of water 💧 , land, and resources to produce meat, especially beef. 🐄 For example, a ¼ lb hamburger 🍔 takes 425 gallons of water and the equivalent energy to charging your phone for six months to produce. Eating a more plant-based diet 🥙 🥗 🌱 can help reduce agricultural water use by 50%, land use by 80%, and fight species loss. 🦁 🦊 This Friday, let’s all do our part to eat a few more fruits and vegetables and a little less meat. It’s Veggie Viernes at UPark! |
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5th Grade Shakespeare Night |
5th Grade Shakespeare Night will be held live in our auditorium on Thursday, April 28th. Each class will perform their abridged version of Romeo and Juliet that they prepared for the DPS Shakespeare Festival the week prior. Students should arrive through the main doors to the school 30 minutes before their performance time to get into costume. Audience members may enter the auditorium 10 minutes prior to each performance time. We look forward to seeing you then!
McMahon 5:00 - 5:30
Rau 5:30 - 6:00
Kull 6:00 - 6:30
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Our cafeteria needs your help next school year! Because we have been short staffed in the lunchroom, our school has not been able to use our washable and reusable trays and silverware. As we celebrate Earth Month we are looking to hire a part time helper for next school year so that we can get the reusable dish ware program back up and running and be kinder to our planet! With this additional help in the cafeteria we will also be able to bring back the salad bar! Please fill out this form if you are interested in being hired for a part time cafeteria position for the upcoming school year!
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Vision and Hearing Screenings |
Screenings are coming up!
Your student will receive screenings in the following areas: vision and hearing. You received information about the oral health at home screener.
The health screening components of vision and hearing will be completed at your child’s school May 2nd-5th.
You must notify our school nurse, Megan Dineen, directly should you wish to REFUSE/OPT OUT of any of the free screenings for your student. Megan can be reached at 720-424-3415 or at megan_dineen1@dpsk12.org.
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Summer Programs 2022: Stay Active, Have Fun! |
Give your child an opportunity to learn, explore and engage this summer through one of the many summer programs available to DPS students. Click here to learn more! The summer programs are free, or may be offered at reduced rates, and provide students opportunities to stay active and have fun this summer. Sign up today!
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Opt-In Window for 2022-23 Transportation Open Now through June 30 |
The Transportation Opt-In Program for the 2022-23 school year is now live on the Parent Portal. Opt-in instructions are available here. If your student is eligible for DPS transportation please opt-in using Parent Portal by June 30. Don't know if your student is eligible? Click here for eligibility information.
If you do not opt-in by June 30, DPS bus routes will be planned without your student information. This doesn’t change eligibility, but may cause a delay in service.
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2022-23 Discovery Link and Summer Enrichment Courses |
2022-23 Discovery Link Registration is Open!
It's about that time to start getting ready for the next school year at Discovery Link. Registration for the 2022 - 2023 school year starts on Monday, April 18th at 6am. Please make sure you're ready so you don't end up on the waitlist!
Register for Summer Enrichment Classes Now!
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School Choice Round 2 is Open |
If you know of a new family that missed Round 1 of SchoolChoice and wants to become a part of the UPark community, they can complete applications now! Round 2 of SchoolChoice opened on April 12th.
If you have an incoming Kindergarten sibling, please be sure to complete your choice application for your new student so we can plan for the upcoming school year.
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Views From UPark!
After rehearsing for weeks in Drama and Music class our 5th grade students got to show off their hard work and skills at the annual Shakespeare Festival! Congratulations 5th graders on amazing performances and thank you to Ms. Ludwig and our 5th grade teachers for working so hard to make this fun day happen.
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Ongoing Important Links and Information |
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COVID Testing
- UPark received a supply of home rapid tests for our community to use. If you need a box please contact the main office.
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Community members can schedule FREE COVID tests using this link. All City Stadium at South High School is the closest location to University Park.
School Based Health Clinics
All students enrolled in Denver Public Schools are eligible to visit one of our school based health clinics free of charge.
- School Based Health Clinic Information Line at 303-602-8958
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Please click here for specific clinic locations and information.
COVID Vaccine Information
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Denver Health School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) are offering vaccinations for free at 18 locations across the city.
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information about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine for children can be found in this fact sheet from Denver Health.
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Register for a vaccine online with the Denver Health MyChart account here, or can call 303-602-8958 to schedule.
School Health Information
Visit the DPS COVID resources and information webpage to answer frequently asked COVID-19 questions. This resource can be accessed directly from the dpsk12.org homepage by clicking the green “COVID-19 Guidance” button.
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UPark Owl Ticket Students |
Congratulations to this week's Owl Ticket students! They were recognized by their teachers for above and beyond positive behavior. |
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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. |
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University Park Elementary Calendar
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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 our office staff if you need a paper copy.
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Looking Ahead
April 28: Shakespeare Night
May 2: Early Bird Registration Opens
May 2-4: Vision and Hearing Screenings
May 4: New Family Meet the Owl Event
May 5: Online Auction Opens
May 6: 1st Grade Field Trip
May 9: NO SCHOOL-UPark Planning Day
May 10: CSC Meeting
May 10: PTA Meeting
May 12: Online Auction Closes
May 15: UPark Fun Run and Carnival
May 20: Early Bird Registration Closes
May 25: Band Concert
May 26: Art Night
May 30: NO SCHOOL-Memorial Day
May 31: 5th Grade Field Trip
June 2: 5th Grade Continuation
June 3: Last Day of School - Half Day
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University Park | 720-424-3410 | 2300 S. St. Paul | Website
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