Aurora Public Schools preschool students are enjoying new books thanks to a $30,000 Early Childhood Education Centers Classroom Libraries Grant from Target.   The grant funds were used to purchase books for Jamaica and Laredo child development centers and 21 other preschool classroom libraries throughout the district.  Each library received more than 100 books on a variety of subjects including math and science.

Jamaica and Laredo child development centers also used a portion of the grant funds to host Family Literacy nights. During the literacy nights, teachers read books to students and parents and emphasized the importance of reading.  Teachers gave each student a copy of the book, “My Ducky Buddy,” written in their home language, to take home.

Target and APS have created a strong partnership in support of student achievement, parent engagement and school improvement. In 2010, Target, along with The Heart of America Foundation, gave Park Lane Elementary School a complete library make-over.  Target has also funded parent engagement libraries at seven schools. 

Download the Preschool Screening flier.

Visit the Early Childhood Education website for more information.

NEWS RELEASE # 51
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2012

WHAT: Meadowood Child Development Center Closed March 20, 2012
WHEN: Tuesday, March 20
WHERE: Meadowood Child Development Center, 3333 S. Norfolk Way, Aurora, CO 80011

Meadowood Child Development Center Closed March 20

The Meadowood Child Development Center is experiencing problems with the heating and cooling systems and is not able to provide heat to the building. The APS maintenance and operations staff and building contractors will continue to work on the systems through tomorrow.

For the safety and comfort of students, school will be canceled for Meadowood students on Tuesday, March 20.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

###

Interested media may call 303-365-7805 for more information.

APS Preschool Screening:

Meadowood Child Development Center
3333 S. Norfolk Way
Aurora, Colorado  80013
Monday, May 21, 2012
3:30 PM - 6:30 PM

• Full-Day & Part-Day Tuition Slots still available 
• Legal Parent or Guardian must attend screening.  Photo ID required. 
• Child/Children must be 3 or 4 years of age on or before Oct. 1, 2012 to be age eligible.
• You must bring the child's birth certificate to the screening for age verification.

Questions- Call the APS Early Childhood Education Dept. at 303-364-9371 or check the website at http://ece.aurorak12.org/

You’re Invited to APS Community Resource Fairs!

Aurora Public Schools will host two community resource fairs and celebrations for parents and students.  The events will feature student performances and refreshments.

In addition, because the holiday season may create stress for families and students, several community groups will be present with support on topics including housing needs, strategies for handling holiday stress and personal safety and security.

Please join us for these celebrations and to access resources to support student and family success.

Thursday, Dec 13                                                     
Paris Elementary School
1635 Paris St.
Aurora, CO 80010
5 p.m.

Monday, Dec 17
East Middle School
1275 Fraser St.
Aurora, CO 80011
5 p.m.

• Visit the APS Disaster Recovery website.

APS will begin screening preschool students for the 2013-14 school year. Thanks to mill levy funding approved by Aurora voters in November, APS expects to expand the preschool program by up to 450 students over the next three years.

Preschool screening will be held at the following locations:

Jamaica Child Development Center
800 Jamaica St. 80011 

• Wed., Feb. 6
  8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
• Wed., Feb. 27
  8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Wed., March 20
  8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Wed., April 17
  8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Laredo Child Development Center
1420 Laredo St. 80011

• Thurs., Feb. 7
  8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
• Wed., Feb. 20
  8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Wed., March 6
  8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Wed., April 3
  8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Wed., April 24
  8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Meadowood Child Development Center
3333 S. Norfolk Way 80013 

• Fri., Feb. 8
  8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
• Wed., Feb. 13
  8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
• Wed., March 13
  8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Wed., April 10
  8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

To be eligible for the preschool program, children must be 3 or 4 years old on or before Oct. 1, 2013. In order for your child to be considered, a parent or legal guardian must attend the preschool screening process. Children do not need to be present at the time of screening.

The child’s birth certificate or proof of age document is required at the time of screening. For more information about screening, visit ece.aurorak12.org or call 303-364-9371.

Colorado Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia recently made a welcomed visit to Meadowood Child Development Center to learn more about Meadowood's programs and the students it serves.

The visit included an overview of information with Meadowood staff members and Aurora Public Schools Superintendent John Barry followed by a tour of the facility. Garcia also made time to interact with students as they showed him some of the things they were learning.

APS Maintenance and Operations staff recently visited the Meadowood Child Development Center to give students a chance to experience real maintenance equipment. Students had the opportunity to sit on equipment, such as mowers, tractors and loaders, and learn safety tips from M&O staff members. Thanks to our wonderful staff at M&O for providing a unique learning experience!

For the second consecutive year, school districts throughout the state are celebrating the launch of Colorado Literacy Week with One Book 4 Colorado, a statewide initiative to support family reading at home and instill a love of learning in local students.

Aurora Public Library staff members recently brought the excitement to Meadowood Child Development Center, where they read books to all of the 4-year-old students. The preschool learners also took home a copy of David Shannon's "Duck on a Bike," the featured book for this year's One Book 4 Colorado.

One Book 4 Colorado began as a collaboration between Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia’s office, Reach Out and Read Colorado, Colorado State Library, the Denver Preschool Program, public libraries, the private sector, and the nonprofit and foundation communities. It is modeled after the successful Preschool One Book, One Denver program originated by the Denver Preschool Program.

Meadowood Child Development Center recently celebrated Earth Day during the school's monthly Parent Day.  Pioneer donated beautiful rocks that students and their families will paint and eventually add to Meadowood's existing rock beds. 

In celebration of Earth Day, students planted a tree, donated by Nick’s Garden Center, to provide additional shade on the playground. 

Download the flier.

Download the Kids Clinic flier in English.
Descarga el folleto Clínica Kids en Español.

Keeping Aurora kids healthy, in school and ready to learn

The Kids Clinic at Crawford and Laredo Elementary Schools provides comprehensive, caring and affordable health care to elementary students attending Aurora Public Schools (APS) and their younger brothers and sisters. The clinic is operated through a partnership with the Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics, APS and the Aurora Mental Health Center.

The Kids Clinic is the only school-based health center in the APS district. It provides physical, mental and dental health care to more than 2,000 APS students each year.

Each clinic is staffed by bilingual nurse practitioners, physician assistants and certified medical assistants.   Care is provided to students Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., with extended hours available (please call for more information). From birth through elementary school, the Kids Clinic offers students access to the same medical providers. This helps students receive consistent medical care throughout their elementary school education.

All Kids Clinic services are offered at low-cost fees. No student or family is turned away if they are unable to pay for services. The Kids Clinic accepts private insurance, Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) and both locations can help uninsured families enroll in health plans.

Kids Clinic Services

Physical Health 

• Physical/wellness exams
• Immunizations (shots)
• Routine lab tests
• Management of chronic conditions (asthma, eczema, Get Fit Clinic)
• Sports physicals
• Treatment of minor injuries or illnesses

Pharmacy services, x-rays and family planning are not offered.  

Dental Health 

• Regular school visits from the Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics dental mobile
• Teeth cleaning
• X-rays
• Sealants
• Fluoride varnishing
• Dental exams
• Referrals to low-cost dental services for additional treatment

Mental Health Services

• In-school mental health counseling (provided by Aurora Mental Health Center) including:
  • Individual, group and family therapy
  • Case management services
  • Psychiatric medication management

Appointments:

APS students can enroll as Kids Clinic patients throughout the school year. Family members must complete a brief consent form, health history questionnaire and provide information on their income to complete this process. Once students are enrolled, their younger brothers and sisters are also able to receive care at the Kids Clinic.

A family member or school nurse must request Kids Clinic services for a student ahead of time. However, appointments can be scheduled the same day to treat illnesses or unexpected injuries.

Learn More:

Kids Clinic – Crawford Elementary School
1600 Florence Street
Aurora, CO 80010
720.837.4761

Kids Clinic – Laredo Elementary School
1350 Laredo Street
Aurora, CO 80111
720.837.4761

Please complete the form below to request more information on the Kids Clinic:

Sixth Avenue Elementary recently earned the prestigious four-star Qualistar rating, and the Laredo and Jamaica Child Development Centers earned three-star Qualistar ratings. All APS Child Development Centers and preschool programs at elementary and P-8 schools receive Qualistar ratings.

The Qualistar rating measures quality in licensed early learning programs. A four-star rating is the highest possible score.

Children who attend high-quality preschools enter kindergarten with better pre-reading skills, larger vocabularies and stronger basic math skills than those who do not. The APS Preschool Program ensures that all preschool students transition into kindergarten with the experiences and skills necessary to reach high levels of learning throughout their academic career.

Aurora Public Schools is offering two more opportunities to screen preschool students for the 2015-16 school year. Preschool screenings will be held at the following locations:

To be eligible for the preschool program, children must be 3 or 4 years old on or before Oct. 1, 2015. In order for your child to be considered, a parent or legal guardian must attend the preschool screening process. Children do not need to be present at the time of screening.

For more information about screening and a list of required documents, visit ece.aurorak12.org or call 303-364-9371.

APS applauds each staff member who earned this year’s Recognizing Excellence award. Superintendent Rico Munn, APS Board of Education members and the Human Resources team honored the group at a recent Board of Education meeting. The program recognizes staff for their hard work and dedication to accelerating learning for every APS student, every day.

Winners’ colleagues and/or supervisors nominated them for the award. Members of the Classified Employees Council, Aurora Education Association and School Executives of Aurora made the final selections.

Congratulations to the following:

•  Rebecca Dater, Meadowood Child Development Center
•  Corine Muehlhausen, Vista PEAK Exploratory P-8
•  Lesia Pippins, South Middle School
•  Melanie Lawhorn, Gateway High School
•  Michael Redding, Maintenance and Operations
•  Desiree Jaramillo, Iowa Elementary School
•  Jessica Cuthbertson, Vista PEAK Exploratory P-8
•  Robert Mangiameli, Aurora West College Preparatory Academy
•  Dena Joslyn-Custer,  Aurora Central High School
•  Jennifer Buster, Crawford Elementary School
•  Chris Capron, Murphy Creek P-8
•  David Schoenhals, Aurora Quest K-8
•  Wendy Doran, APS Online High School
•  Shannon Solomon, Nutrition Services

APS is thankful to have such phenomenal staff members on our team.

Interested in nominating a colleague? Visit http://aurorak12.org/staff/recognizing-excellence.

The Aurora Public Schools Preschool Program provides high-quality early learning opportunities.

Children who attend high-quality preschools enter kindergarten with better pre-reading skills, larger vocabularies and stronger basic math skills than those who do not. APS offers preschool classes at 29 elementary schools, three child development centers and eight community child care sites. Most APS schools offer half-day preschool and free full-day kindergarten.

APS PRESCHOOL SCREENING NOW AVAILABLE FOR 2016-17 SCHOOL YEAR
All children ages 3 or 4 years old on or before October 1, 2016, are eligible for the APS Preschool Program. In order for your child to be considered, a parent or legal guardian must attend the preschool screening process. Your child must be present for the screening and your child’s birth certificate is required. If your name does not appear on the child’s birth certificate, you MUST bring legal documentation of guardianship.

Appointments are not necessary. Due to a limited number of preschool slots, attendance at a screening does not guarantee placement. A greeter will be available at the screenings to guide you to the screening area. For more information, visit ece.aurorak12.org or call 303-364-9371.

Vea en español.

In October, APS convened a calendar committee to develop options for the 2016-17 Conventional School Calendar. The committee is recommending a draft calendar that is very similar to the one we are currently using, with the following school start and end dates and breaks:

• July 29 – New teachers report to buildings
• Aug. 3 – All teachers report to buildings
• Aug. 8 – First day of school, Grades 6-12
• Aug. 10 – First day of school, Grades 1-5
• Aug. 15 – First day of school, Preschool and Kindergarten
• Oct. 10-14 – Fall recess
• Dec. 19 – Jan. 2 – Winter recess
• Jan. 3 – No classes for Grades P-5
• March 27 - 31 – Spring recess
• May 25 – Last day of school

The committee is recommending this approach because the calendar worked well for APS staff and families this year and a similar calendar would provide a smooth transition into the next school year. Furthermore, due to enrollment and capacity challenges at several of our schools, the recommendation would allow APS to focus on developing calendar options for 2017-18. This will include a four-track, year-round calendar possibility for overcrowded schools.

The APS Board of Education will consider the calendar recommendations at its Jan. 5 meeting and will likely make a decision on Jan. 19. 

2017-18 Calendar

As a reminder, we will convene a 2017-18 Calendar Committee in January 2016 to develop both conventional and four-track, year-round calendar options and evaluate the logistical aspects of implementing a year-round calendar. The Board has directed staff to develop the year-round calendar option as a possible solution to enrollment and capacity challenges at P-8/K-8 schools east of Buckley Road. The year-round calendar would potentially begin in July 2017 at the following schools: Aurora Frontier P-8, Aurora Quest K-8, Clyde Miller P-8, Mosley P-8, Murphy Creek P-8 and Vista PEAK P-8.

The 2017-18 Calendar Committee will be comprised of staff and parents from schools that have been identified as potential candidates for the year-round calendar (listed above), key department and division staff members, and community members. We will be recruiting committee members in the coming weeks.

Read in English.

En octubre, APS convoco a un comité de calendario para que desarrollaran opciones para el Calendario Escolar Convencional 2016-17.  El comité está recomendando un calendario que es muy similar al que estamos usando actualmente, con las siguientes fechas de inicio y final y recesos:

• 29 de julio – Los maestros nuevos se reportan a las escuelas
• 3 de agosto – Todos los maestros se reportan a las escuelas
• 8 de agosto – Primer día de clases, Grados 6-12
• 10 de agosto – Primer día de clases, Grados 1-5
• 15 de agosto – Primer día de clases, Pre-escolar y Kínder
• 10-14 de octubre – Receso de otoño
• 19 de diciembre al 2 de enero – Receso de invierno
• 3 de enero – No hay clases para los estudiantes en los grados P-5
• 27-31 de marzo – Receso de primavera
• 25 de mayo – Ultimo día de clases

El comité está haciendo estas recomendaciones porque el calendario de este año ha funcionado bien para los miembros del personal de APS y para las familias, y sería una buena transición al siguiente año escolar.  Además, debido a los retos en las inscripciones y de capacidad escolar en varias de nuestras escuelas, estas recomendaciones permitirían que APS se enfoque en desarrollar opciones para el calendario escolar 2017-18.  Esto incluirá la posibilidad de un calendario con cuatro términos y un calendario de 12 meses.

El Consejo Directivo de Educación de APS considerará las recomendaciones durante su reunión el 5 de enero y probablemente tomará una decisión el 19 de enero.  Usted puede mirar un ejemplar del calendario propuesto en el sitio web http://aurorak12.org/calendar-draft.

Calendario 2017-18

Como recordatorio, convocaremos a un Comité de Calendario para el 2017-18 en enero de 2016 para desarrollar ambos, un calendario convencional y un calendario de 12 meses con cuatro términos.  El Consejo Directivo les ha pedido a miembros del personal que desarrollen un calendario de 12 meses como una posible solución a los retos en las inscripciones y de capacidad escolar en las escuelas de P-8/K-8 ubicadas al este de la carretera Buckley Road.  El calendario de 12 meses podría comenzar en julio de 2017 en las siguientes escuelas:  Aurora Frontier P-8, Aurora Quest K-8, Clyde Miller P-8, Mosley P-8, Murphy Creek P-8 y Vista PEAK P-8.

El Comité de Calendario 2017-18 estará compuesto de miembros del personal y de padres de las escuelas que han sido identificadas como posibles candidatas para el calendario de 12 meses (en la lista de arriba), miembros del personal de departamentos y divisiones claves, y miembros de la comunidad.  Estaremos reclutando miembros para el comité durante las próximas semanas.

Vea en español.

The Board of Education approved the 2016-17 conventional school year calendar at its meeting on Jan. 19 based on recommendations by the Calendar Committee. The committee was comprised of school staff, parents and APS administrative staff. 

Some of the 2016-17 calendar highlights include:

• The school year begins for grades 1 through 12 during the week of Aug. 8. Preschool and kindergarten students begin school on Monday, Aug. 15. Please check with your school for specific dates.
• The school year ends for most students on Thursday, May 25. Please check with your school for specific dates.
• Fall Break occurs at the end of the first quarter from Monday, Oct. 10 through Friday, Oct. 14. This will ensure uninterrupted learning during the first quarter.

The new calendar is similar to the one in place for the current school year. The committee recommended this approach because the calendar has worked well for APS staff and families this year. We are confident that a similar calendar will provide a smooth transition into the 2016-17 school year.

El Consejo Directivo de Educación de APS aprobó el calendario convencional nuevo para el año escolar 2016-17 en su reunión de anoche, basándose en las recomendaciones del Comité del Calendario.  El comité fue compuesto de miembros del personal, padres y miembros de la administración de APS.

Algunos puntos para resaltar del calendario 2016-17 incluyen:

• El año escolar para los grados 1 al 12 comienza durante la semana del 8 de agosto. Los estudiantes de pre-escolar y kínder comienzan clases el lunes, 15 de agosto.  Por favor verifique con su escuela las fechas específicas.
• El año escolar termina el jueves, 25 de mayo, para la mayoría de los estudiantes. Por favor verifique con su escuela las fechas específicas.
• El receso de otoño será al final del 1^er trimestre del lunes, 10 de octubre, al viernes, 14 de octubre. Esto asegurara que no haya interrupciones en la instrucción del primer trimestre.

El calendario nuevo es parecido al que estamos utilizando este año escolar.  El comité lo recomendó porque éste calendario ha funcionado bien para los miembros del personal y las familias de APS.  Estamos confiados de que un calendario similar proporcionara una buena transición al año escolar 2016-17.