2300 S. St. Paul St., Denver, CO 80210
720-424-3410
Principal
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 4/24/23-5/5/23.

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 5th. 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 24th and May 5th. If your child is new to UPark and you do not want them to participate, you can access the opt-out form hereIf 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 21st at 3:30pm. Please note if you have already completed the opt out form for this school year, you do not need to return another 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)!

Thank you,
Eric Atonna
UPark Principal, Team UPark
Auction goes live next week - get a sneak peek of what’s offered and pre-register now! 
 Our much-awaited online auction is only one week away, and we are thrilled to offer exceptional items that are in high demand! Among the featured items is a Colorado Avalanche autographed hockey stick signed by the ‘22-23 Colorado Avalanche, the reigning Stanley Cup Champions! This rare and valuable item comes with a certificate of authenticity and is certain to be a highlight of the auction. Don't miss out on this exclusive piece and other amazing items! 

Click here to preview this year’s items and to make sure you are registered to bid next week. 
Smashburger Restaurant Night
On April 20th, from 11am-9pm, grab a burger at Smashburger in Glendale (1120 S. Colorado Blvd) and earn 20% back to support our school. Offer good for all dine-in, take-out, and phone orders.  Just remember to mention you’re with the UPark fundraiser before placing your order.  Gather the troops and spread the word and let’s eat some great food!
Tickets for Parents Night Out are selling fast!  
Looking for a night of fun and excitement with other parents like you? You won't want to miss Parents Night Out at the Pioneer Bar and Grill on Friday, April 28th! Not only will you have the chance to connect with other parents and enjoy an all-you-can-eat fajita bar and a drink of your choice, but we'll also have some exciting surprises in store for you. Think of it as your chance to snag something truly special while supporting our school and making new friends! 

Click here to buy your tickets now! 


Need a Babysitter for Parents Night Out? 
If you need help finding a babysitter for Parents Night Out, check out Piocare. For a flat service fee of $5, you can get access to sitters who are vetted through Piocare, most of whom are DU students or alumni. Email Maddy Gawler at maddy.gawler@gmail.com with "U Park Parents Night Out request". In the email please send her number of & ages of kids, location, pay/hr, if a car is needed, date/time, any other specific requests (e.g., allergy concerns, training requirements, etc.) 
2023 Fun Run and Carnival
Our annual Fun Run and Carnival will be held on Sunday, May 21st, 2023. The Fun Run will start at 10AM with the Carnival to follow at 10:30 AM. You can secure your spot by purchasing a package on our cheddar up website linked below. We looked forward to having as many of our elementary school age kids join us for the fun run this year. It will once again be held on the school track, adults won't be able to run this year, but you are encouraged to cheer on the kids from the sidelines. Please email Alicia Vega for scholarship information.


We are also looking for volunteers to help on the day of the event. This is one of the highlights of the year for many of our kiddo's but we need your help to make it successful. We welcome volunteers aged from 5th grade and up, parents and older siblings are encourage to help while the young ones enjoy the Carnival after the Fun Run. We have created a Signup Genius Form to help us keep track of the volunteers. Please sign-up at the link below.

Staff Updates
Judy Cardenas, Kindergarten teacher of 34 years, will be retiring from teaching at the end of this school year. Ms. Cardenas began teaching in 1986 at the "Alianza" Bilingual Magnet school for Santa Cruz County, desegregating Migrant farmworkers and city residents and has been at University Park for the last 20 years. We thank her for her amazing work here at UPark and will miss her tremendously!

UPark parent Katie Riddle, has taken on a new role at UPark as a Special Education paraprofessional. Welcome Katie and we look forward to working with you in this new capacity!
2023-24 Discovery Link Registration Opens On Monday!
Registration for school year 2023-2024 Discovery Link - the only district-run before school, after school, and full-day camp program – opens on Monday, April 17th at 6:00 am MST. At Discovery Link, students will participate in fun and engaging activities that support learning, relationship-building skills, movement, and creativity.
 
When registration opens, please access the following links:

For families new to Discovery Link, click here.
  • For specific instructions on how to register as a new family click here.

If your family has previously registered for Discovery Link, click here.

For further information about the registration process, click here. You can also call us at 720-423-1781 or email discovery_link@dpsk12.org.

Thank you,
The Discovery Link Team
____________________________________________________________________________________
 
La inscripción para el año escolar 2023-2024 Discovery Link, el único programa de campamento antes y después de la escuela y de día completo administrado por el distrito, abre el lunes 17 de abril a las 6:00 am MST. En Discovery Link, los estudiantes participan en actividades divertidas y atractivas que apoyan el aprendizaje, las habilidades para construir relaciones, el movimiento y la creatividad.

Cuando se abra el registro, acceda a los siguientes enlaces:

Para familias nuevas en Discovery Link, haga clic aquí.

Si su familia se ha registrado previamente en Discovery Link, haga clic aquí.

Para obtener más información sobre el proceso de registro, haga clic aquí. También puede enviar un correo electrónico a discovery_link@dpsk12.org

Gracias,
El Equipo de Discovery Link
CMAS Testing: No Library 4/10-4/21
CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success) testing for 3rd-5th grade students starts at UPark this coming week and goes through April 21st. CMAS is the state standardized testing that all Colorado students in grades 3-12 take. Please note that we will not be allowed to have visitors in the building during the 2 weeks of testing (410-4/21). We will not be holding Library during these two weeks so students will not be checking books out until the week of April 24th.

You can view additional CMAS information here.
5th Grade Shakespeare Night
All 5th Grade Students and Families, please join us for Shakespeare Night on Thursday, April 20th! The live auditorium performance schedule will be as follows:

5:00-5:45 p.m. Ms. Kull's Class
5:45-6:30 p.m. Ms. McMahon's Class

Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your student's performance time and enter through the main doors on South Saint Paul Street. After students head up to their classrooms with their homeroom teachers, families may find a seat in the auditorium after the previous group exits. Please reserve the chairs for adults and have children sit on the floor in front of the stage. Students will meet their families outside the gym after changing out of costume. We ask that everyone exit through the doors to the staff parking lot on East Iliff Avenue to help us with the flow of traffic in the building. All students should make themselves available from 5:00-6:30 that evening so that we have understudies if we need to call on them, as both classes will be performing A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Multilingual Family Meeting
Welcome Multilingual Families!
Join us for an informational meeting and refreshments!

Date: Thursday, April 27th 

Time: 3:30 to 4:15

Where: Our School Library
UPark Owl Ticket Students
Congratulations to this 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.
University Park Elementary Calendar

To access additional calendar information click here or visit the calendar link on the University Park Website.