Aspen Ridge Newsletter

Learning, Connecting, & Growing at ARPS

We're less than a month into the school year, and our Owls are already well into their routines, with an ideal mix of learning, connecting, and growing happening in and out of the classrooms. From kindergarten boot camp and our first Girls' Volleyball game of the season, to stellar CMAS results and Popsicles with the Principals for our hard-working Owls, there's been much to cheer about here at Aspen Ridge.

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

CMAS results from this past spring were recently released, and individual scores will be coming home next week. Be sure to check yellow folders for your students' results, along with instructions on how to read and understand their scores.

At Aspen Ridge, we don't measure our students' success solely based on test results. This is just one piece of a much more complex academic puzzle. We do, however, love to celebrate the accomplishments and hard work of our students and teachers. Here are just a few highlights of our CMAS successes as a school community.

• ARPS increased or maintained 90% of our assessment scores from 2019, which is the second highest percentage of all schools in SVVSD.

• Out of 60 total schools in SVVSD, only 19 schools increased or maintained the percentage of students who met or exceeded expectations in half or more of their tests - and ARPS was one of them! In fact, we were the only K-8 school in the entire district that achieved this accomplishment!

• Our 7th graders (who are now 8th graders at Aspen Ridge) had the highest percentage of students that met or exceeded expectations district wide in both ELA and Math! They also had the 3rd highest growth percentile in math district wide. The majority of these students have been at Aspen Ridge since kindergarten, so this really is a reflection of the academic rigor and support that they've received throughout their time at ARPS. Kudos to our awesome 8th graders and the teachers who have taught them along the way!

Join the Club! Sign Up Today!

Message from Our Head of School

At Aspen Ridge, we make safety a top priority for our students, staff, and families. This year, we've added some extra layers of support for this reason. I'd love to highlight a few of those today.

• Our front entrance now has a visitor camera. When arriving on campus, you’ll be greeted by one of our front office staff digitally before you're able to enter the building. This gives us a visual of who is entering the building each time.
• All exterior and interior doors remain locked throughout the school day. Keeping classroom and building doors locked at all times ensures that in the event of a lockdown situation, students and staff are already safe behind locked doors. (There have been zero instances of a breach of a classroom with a locked door.)
• We continue to conduct monthly evacuation drills to ensure that staff and students know how to safely exit the building should we have to evacuate. Additionally, we will conduct a minimum of two annual lockdown and shelter drills, following the Standard Response Protocol that is used nationwide. You can find more information about these protocols by visiting https://iloveuguys.org/The-Standard-Response-Protocol.html.
• We ask that you bring your driver’s license and check in at the front office each time you enter Aspen Ridge. Our Raptor Visitor Management system allows us to know exactly who is on campus at all times. Wear your printed-out badge with pride for all to see. Everyone should be visibly identifiable at all times. If staff can’t see your visitor badge, they may escort you to the office to check in.
• Driveline expectations, while still similar, have a new “look” for added safety.  
• All walk-up parents and guardians must stay in the “hug and go” zone next to the Kinder playground. This helps us to keep a visual on our students as they exit the building and look for their adult each afternoon. The pooling of adults around building entrances creates a limited line of site, which we want to avoid.
• Green means “go.” Our amazing maintenance technician, Mr. John, has spent countless hours painting (and repainting) our loading/unloading zone green. This area indicates a safe place for children to exit and enter their cars. (Please help us by not rubbing against the curb.)
• We also have a “safe gap,” indicated with a yellow line on the sidewalk, which gives a visual for students as to where they should walk/stand behind at all times.  
• As a reminder, please use crosswalks at all times, both on campus and when crossing Austin Avenue. This not only models safe behaviors, but it ensures that you and your children are safe when crossing through congested traffic.

There are many facets of school safety and we take each and every one to heart. It is up to us, together, to take responsibility for our children, our community, and our legacy. Thank you for modeling responsible and respectful behavior, for being a champion of school safety, and for continuing to make Aspen Ridge the most welcoming, warm, and safe school around.

Charla Salmeron, Head of School

#itsagreatdaytobeanowl