3rd and Final BESS Screening of the School Year

The FINAL window for the parent-report BESS screener opens this Saturday, March 16 and the window will close on April 26. The BESS is U-Park’s school-wide social emotional screener. There have been 2 windows prior to this one (Fall and Winter) so this is the 3rd and final time of the year we will ask you to fill the form out for your student.

Parents of ALL students (K-5) can and should fill this out for their student. It only takes a few minutes and all you need is your student’s birthday and ID number (lunch number). Social Emotional learning is so important to us at UPark and we want to know how your child is doing at home. All teachers will be completing this for their students the week before Spring Break. Student self-report (only grades 3-5) will also occur the week before Spring Break. 

Please follow the link below to get to the Review360 Platform and fill it out for your child:

https://review360connect.com/Prod/denverpublicschools/parent

Please reach out to Jordan McElligott (jordan_mcelligott@dpsk12.net or 720-424-3458) with questions or to request your student’s report.

2nd and 3rd Grade Performances - Date Change Due to Inclement Weather

All 2nd and 3rd Grade Students and Families, please join us on Tuesday, March 19th in the auditorium for our performances of Mortimer by Robert Munsch (2nd) and Cinderella Outgrows the Glass Slipper by Joan M. Wolf (3rd)! The schedule will be as follows:

5:00 - 5:30 p.m. Ms. Kaplan’s and Ms. Alspach’s Classes (arrive 4:50)

5:30 - 6:00 p.m. Ms. Archambault’s Class (arrive 5:20)

6:00 - 6:30 p.m. Ms. Reynolds’ Class (arrive 5:50)

6:30 - 7:00 p.m. Ms. Smith’s Class (arrive 6:15)

7:00 - 7:30 p.m. Ms. Randall’s Class (arrive 6:45)

7:30 - 8:00 p.m. Ms. Bohcali’s Class (arrive 7:15)

(3rd Grade students will need to attend the performance time of the class they attend Specials with. Questions about this? Please reach out to Mrs. Ludwig.)

• Enter through the staff parking lot doors on East Iliff Avenue at arrival time.
• Audience members wait in the gym until announcement that the auditorium house is open for seating.
• Student performers meet in the homeroom class they attend Specials with.
• Students meet families in the office hallway after the performance.
• Families exit through the main doors on South Saint Paul Street after the performance. 

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 19th and we appreciate your support of arts education at UPark!

Need a babysitter for Parents’ Night Out on May 3rd? 

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 "UPark 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.) 

This year’s Parent’s Night Out gathering will be hosted at The Pioneer Bar and Grill on Friday, May 3rd at 6pm. Tickets are $40 per person and include an all-you-can-eat fajita bar, a drink of your choice, and more fun than you can handle! Tickets are now available for purchase (click here). If you buy tickets before March 31st, you’ll be automatically entered to win a $100 Birdcall gift card! 

Register for the auction or buy Parents Night Out tix by March 31st to win a $100 Birdcall gift card! 



To get a head start on auction registrations and Parents’ Night Out ticket sales, we are offering a chance to win a $100 Birdcall gift card. To enter to win, simply register for the auction or buy Parents Night Out tickets between now and March 31st. If you register for the auction and buy tickets for Parents Night Out, it will qualify as two entries.

Restaurant Night-Blackjack Pizza

All day on Wednesday, March 13th, Blackjack Pizza - University (on University Blvd) will be donating 30% back on all regular menu priced items. Mention Upark for in-person or phone orders. For online orders, please enter code: UPARK.

Call For Yearbook Photos!

Do you have any great photos for the 23/24 UPark Yearbook?

The yearbook committee needs high resolution photos of:

• UPark events, e.g., Field Day, Hispanic/Latino Heritage Parade, Fall Harvest/Hero Day Celebration, Black History Living Museums, field trips
• Students showing school spirit in owl gear
• Owls about town
• Friendship
• Anything else related to our great school!

Please email photos to yearbookupark@gmail.com by Thursday, March 14.

UPark Spirit Store Open – Spring Edition!

The UPark spirit store is back open with new branded gear such as a baseball t-shirt, insulated tumbler mug, owl spirit socks and an owl Croc charm! Click here to access the store.

The store is open for orders now through Sunday, March 31. A few things of note:

• This will be the last chance to purchase spirit wear for this school year.
• All sales are final and orders will be delivered to UPark. Pick-up logistic details will be provided in early April.
• A minimum number of each item is required in order for the company to fulfill that particular item. In the case a minimum is not met, the item will have to be canceled, and you will be notified.

Please reach out to sales@wearepromosapien.com with any issues or questions related to the store website. Other, Katie Hartung (malone.hartung@gmail.com, 303.829.5425) or Kelli Kelsall (kelli.e.kelsall@gmail.com, 303.775.7921) are available to answer questions, take suggestions of items you’d like to see in the future or receive feedback on current items. Go Owls!

Pre-Order Your Yearbook Now!

It’s yearbook time! Do your kids love flipping through these treasured keepsakes over and over? They also make great gifts for grandparents.

Don’t miss the early bird presale window! Save $5 when you pre-order your 2023-2024 yearbooks before April 12th (regularly $20) This year’s yearbook features cover art by our talented 3rd grader Carter Chen!

Yearbooks will be distributed to classrooms, with a yearbook signing party after school, on the blacktop. Additional details will be sent closer to the date. Don’t miss out on the fun!

Order today 

https://upark-yearbook-2023-24.cheddarup.com/

*if the cost of a yearbook presents a financial hardship for your family contact Alicia Vega at alicia_vega@dpsk12.org

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, 113, 114 or 119 or the office, anytime until Friday, April 5th.
• With adult supervision, students could also ask neighbors, friends and family to donate stuffed animals for the project.

These stuffed animals will be given to children in the Denver Community and all around the world. 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.

2024-25 DPS Calendar

Please view the 2024-25 DPS Calendar here. This is the calendar for the next school year and will show you school breaks as well as planning days when there is no school for students. In the upcoming months there may be a couple UPark specific planning days added that will be additional no school days. We will keep you in the loop when those are scheduled.

Summer Connections registration is now open!

Summer Connections is a free, five-week academic program that is open to all rising first through fifth-grade DPS students. This full-day program focuses on preparing elementary students for future success.

Students will engage with content they will see in the upcoming school year, which will include instruction in foundational literacy, math, science and technology. Enrichment partners will also provide enrichment opportunities daily. Students with IEPs are invited to participate in Summer Connections.

Click here for information on programming and registration. Remember, registration is open until April 26th. 

If you are experiencing issues with accessing the portal or need language support please fill out this Google form which includes translations to help with the consent process.

Should you have any questions or need further assistance, please call 720-423-3629.

Community Hubs Food Pantry

The Denver Public Schools Community Hubs are collaborating with the Food Bank of The Rockies each month to organize a mobile food pantry that is accessible to families that would like the additional support. This program will provide with fresh produce, pantry staples, and other essential food items. Please see this flier for more information.

UPark Owl Ticket Students

Congratulations to this week's Owl Ticket students! They were recognized by their teachers for above and beyond positive behavior.