2300 S. St. Paul St., Denver, CO 80210
720-424-3410
Principal
Last night our CSC came together to review the final plan for upgrades to our building that will be taking place over the summer. Earlier this year our Collaborative School Committee came together to review teacher input as well as to also provide input on how we would spend bond money for building upgrades. Over the summer the DPS Planning and Construction Department will be working on the following upgrades at UPark:  

  • New hallway flooring on the first and second floors (this will match the flooring that we had installed in the Cafeteria a few summers ago)
  • Blinds for the stairwell windows (to keep the August, September and May heat out)
  • A water bottle refill station in the cafeteria
  • New library chairs and tables 
  • 5-6 Newline Touchscreen Boards to replace some of our aging Promethean Boards

It is so wonderful to work in a community like Denver where voters routinely vote to support schools. Thank you to all of you who supported the last building improvement bond as it has paved the way for some much needed upgrades throughout our wonderful school. 
Eric Atonna
UPark Principal, Team UPark
Trimester 2 Grades Available
Report cards are now available in Parent Portal. To access report cards, follow the steps below.
  • Log in to the Parent Portal at https://myportal.dpsk12.org/
  • Grades will appear on the home screen after log in
  • The drop down next to "Student Performance" needs to be changed from T2 to T1 to view this past trimester's grades 
  • To view more details click on the "Report Card Key" and the "Full Report Card" link and change from T2 to T1
  • To view teacher comments view this video for instructions (video link can also be found in the Portal in the full report card section)
UPark Garden Volunteers Needed!
Hello UPark community! The UPark Garden is starting to wake for the season! This year, we plan to continue growing diverse and interesting foods (bok choy and chives were a hit last year) and more beautiful plants that are shared with the students via our school garden engagement programs and with the broader community via farmers markets.

We are looking for volunteers to help us get the garden ready for action. This activity will require clean up of any leftover old plants, moving of, storage chests, setting up trellises, addition of dirt and compost, and finally turning the beds. We will host a few soil prep days in the garden – Sat-Sun, March 18-19, Sunday, April 2, Wednesday, April 5, and Sunday, April 15 (just in case weather doesn’t cooperate earlier). Please click HERE to register for a 60 min slot.

Last week, 5 UPark classrooms signed up to spend more time in the garden through our two programs – Adopt-a-Bed and Plant Starter Seed. All three 1st grade classes and one 2nd grade class (Mrs Archambault) will be planting starter seeds and will care for them through the end of the school year. One 3rd grade class (Mr Davis) has volunteered to adopt a bed where they will plant and harvest a spring garden.

Please Email Ralitza.Arafin@gmail.com to ask questions. We are looking forward to having a great garden season!
Save The Date: UPark Parent's Night Out on Friday, April 28th at the Pioneer!
We are excited to announce the return of our annual Parent’s Night Out at the Pioneer Bar! This event will mark the culmination of our annual Spring Auction (April 20-27) and is a great way to get to know other parents while supporting our wonderful school. Tickets will go on sale in the coming weeks. Be sure to book your babysitters because this event should not be missed!

Any auction donations can be submitted to the front office, or by emailing uparkpta@gmail.com.
Fun Run and Carnival
We are actively planning for the Fun Run and Carnival on Sunday, May 21 and looking for volunteers to round out the committee. If you are interested in helping with planning this favorite UPark tradition, please email uparkpta@gmail.com.
2nd-3rd Grade Performances and Art Show TONIGHT!
All 2nd and 3rd Grade Students and Families, please join us on Thursday, March 16th for our dance performances, Robert Munsch plays (2nd), fractured fairy tale play titled Live: It's Fairy Tale News! (3rd), and visual arts shows. The live auditorium performance schedule will be as follows:

5:00-5:20 p.m. Ms. Kaplan's 2nd Grade Class
5:20-5:40 p.m. Ms. Reynolds' 2nd Grade Class
5:40-6:00 p.m. Ms. Archambault's 2nd Grade Class

6:00-6:30 p.m. Ms. Smith's 3rd Grade Class
6:30-7:00 p.m. Mr. Davis' 3rd Grade Class
7:00-7:30 p.m. Ms. Randall's 3rd Grade Class

Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your student's performance time and enter through the main doors on South Saint Paul Street. After dropping students off in 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 rear auditorium doors immediately following the conclusion of the performance. Please proceed to view the visual arts show outside the gym. 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. 

Please stay tuned for more specifics around costumes and line memorization to be communicated by your student's homeroom teacher. We can't wait to see you all on March 16th and we appreciate your support of arts education at UPark!
UPark Staff Updates
Andrea, our fantastic Discovery Link Program Supervisor, has taken a new job and will no longer be working with the district. Thank you to Andrea for for her many years of great service to the students of UPark and for being such a great addition to our team. Andrea made the before and after school program run smoothly and effectively and she has big shoes to fill. We wish you all the best on your next adventure and will miss you!

The district is in the process of hiring and onboarding Andrea's replacement.
2nd Grade Service Learning Project
As part of a community study and service learning project, second graders are planning to work with the Child Rescue Foundation and the Teddy Bear Project.
  
You can be a part of this 2nd grade project by: 
  • Collecting new or "slightly loved" stuffed animals of all kinds, not just teddy bears. 
  • Bring the animals to a second grade classroom (Rm #113, 114 or 119) or the office, anytime until April 7th.
  • With adult supervision, students can ask neighbors, friends and family to donate stuffed animals for the project.

These stuffed animals will be given to children in the Denver Community. Some organizations benefiting are Children's Hospital, Denver Rescue Mission, Tennyson Children's Home, Denver County Court Day Care and more. Our classes will hold a counting event where we will find out how many animals have been collected (i.e. how many children we've helped) through our service learning project.
 
Click here to learn more about the Child Rescue Foundation.
Help out the UPark Green Team!
Cafeteria Hero Volunteering
Interested in helping The UPark Green Team keep our school compost and recycling programs running strong? Volunteer for a time in the cafeteria using the links below.
Safety Reminder
Please do not drop your students off or pick up in the alley behind the school. This is not a safe location and blocks traffic through the alley and from our neighbors garages. Please use the Kiss and Go drop off lane going northbound on St. Paul Street when dropping of students in the morning.
The Art Room Needs Old Button Up Shirts!
Do you have any old button up shirts that you were planning on donating? The UPark Art Room is in need of new smocks and those old button up shirts work perfectly to protect kiddo clothes when making art! Bring any donations to the main office and we will get them to the art room.
Summer Connections Registration Now Open!
Registration is now open for Summer Connections, a fun five weeks where students will be exposed to content from their upcoming grade. All rising first through fifth-grade (current K-4th grade) DPS students are encouraged to apply! 
  • No cost to families.
  • Full-day programming from June 12-July 14. No school on June 19 and July 4.
  • Literacy, math, science, and hands-on learning.
  • Registration is now open! Visit Parent Portal to sign up. 
  • Summer connections spots are first come first served and registration will close when programs are full.

We encourage families to commit to the full five-week program. For more information on Summer Connections click here. For information on programs for students entering Middle School next year or for other summer programs click here.

If you have any questions, please contact EAL@dpsk12.net.
2023-24 Discovery Link Registration Opens Soon!
ENGLISH
Discovery Link's 2023-2024 School Year registration opens soon! Please mark your calendars and be logged into your SchoolCare Works account at 6:00 am, Monday, April 17, 2023, to reserve your child’s space in the program. A non-refundable, non-transferable fee ($35 for one child or $50 for a family) is due at registration.

2023-2024 PRICING:
  • AM Discovery Link $9.75
  • PM Discovery Link $17.50
  • Camp Days $51.00    

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE & DISCOUNTS:
  • Sibling Discount: Discovery Link offers a 10% discount for siblings.
  • Financial Assistance is available for those families who qualify for DPS’s Free and Reduced Lunch program. The discount is 30% off the regular tuition rate. Families who wish to utilize this discount must email a copy of their Free and Reduced Lunch authorization letter to: discovery_link@dpsk12.org. A new authorization letter is required every school year.
  • Families who qualify for the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) are encouraged to apply. You can find more information and apply for CCCAP HERE!
Please call 720-423-1781 or email discovery_link@dpsk12.org with any questions.
__________________

ESPANOL
¡La inscripción para el año escolar 2023-2024 de Discovery Link se abre pronto!
Marque sus calendarios e inicie sesión en su cuenta de SchoolCare Works a las 6:00 am del lunes 17 de abril de 2023 para reservar el espacio de su hijo en el programa. Se debe pagar una tarifa no reembolsable ni transferible ($ 35 para un niño o $ 50 para una familia) al momento de la inscripción.

PRECIOS PARA 2023-2024:
  • AM Discovery Link $9.75
  • PM Discovery Link $17.50
  • Días de campamento $51.00    

ASISTENCIA FINANCIERA Y DESCUENTOS:
  • Descuento para hermanos: Discovery Link ofrece un 10 % de descuento para hermanos. El descuento se aplica al segundo hijo de una familia y a cada hijo adicional.
  • La asistencia financiera está disponible para aquellas familias que califican para el programa de almuerzo gratis o a precio reducido de DPS. El descuento es del 30% sobre la tasa de matrícula regular. Este descuento no se aplica a cargos adicionales que incluyen, entre otros: registro, excursiones, recogida tardía o asistencia no programada. Las familias que deseen utilizar este descuento deben enviar por correo electrónico una copia de su carta de autorización a: discovery_link@dpsk12.org. El descuento se aplicará una vez recibida la carta de autorización. Se requiere una nueva carta de autorización cada año escolar.
  • Se alienta a las familias que califican para el Programa de asistencia para el cuidado infantil de Colorado (CCCAP) a presentar su solicitud. ¡Puedes encontrar más información y aplicar para CCCAP AQUÍ!
  • Llame al 720-423-1781 o envíe un correo electrónico a discovery_link@dpsk12.org si tiene alguna pregunta.
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.
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.
Looking Ahead


March 16: 2nd & 3rd Performances and Art Show
March 27-31: NO SCHOOL-Spring Break

April 3: NO SCHOOL-DPS Planning
April 4: Spring Enrichment Begins
April 5-7: 5th Grade Balarat
April 11: CSC Meeting
April 11: PTA Meeting
April 20: 5th Grade Shakespeare Night
April 28: Shakespeare Festival