PUMA PRESS
Every Student. Every Day.
It was such a great week at Preston! We had so much fun celebrating Spirit Week and finished the week with Festive Friday and a fabulous Activity Night. It was wonderful to see our Pumas showing their school spirit, enjoying time with friends, and making memories together.
As we roll into November, we are choosing to focus on gratitude and all the positive things our Pumas do each day. This month, we will be celebrating the kindness, generosity, and thoughtful choices that make Preston such a special place to be.
November Focus: Pumas Who Give Their Best!
During the week of November 2–6, our staff will be looking for students who demonstrate what it means to give their best by:
Including others. Inviting someone to join a group, sitting with someone at lunch, or making sure nobody is left out.
Choosing kindness over drama. Walking away from gossip, refusing to spread rumors, or helping stop an unkind situation.
Helping without being asked. Picking up something someone dropped, helping a classmate, or offering support to someone having a difficult day.
These small actions make a BIG difference in our school community. We look forward to recognizing our Pumas who help make Preston a place where everyone feels welcome, valued, and supported.
Thank you for partnering with us as we continue to celebrate the many ways our Pumas make Preston a wonderful place to learn and grow.
Honored to be your Principal
Gwynne Johnson
November 3rd: Puma 101 5:00-6:00pm (for incoming 6th grade parents)
November 11th: PPA Meeting 7:00-8:00pm
November 11th: Veteran's Breakfast (see message below for details)
November 17th: School Accountability Meeting 3:00-4:00pm
November 17th: Preston Open House 5:30-7:30pm (Choice Enrollment)
November 23rd - 27th NO SCHOOL
Our Give Next class is simply AMAZING! They raised $727.00 to support our local Veteran's Combat Recovery Foundation. They will receive this gift at our Veteran's Breakfast on November 11th.
They managed to have some fun along the way and the following students were our winners
Candy Corn guess winner: Logan P.
Raffle winners:
Everett W. (7)
Annabelle S. (6)
Kaia P. (6)
Emma N. (7)
Chase H. (7)
Hiatt C. (7)
Dear valued veterans - we formally invite you to attend a light breakfast in your honor hosted at Preston Middle School (in the media center) at 6:50 - 7:20 am on Wednesday, November 11th. This will be followed by a performance from our choir and the Pledge of Allegiance outside by our flag pole.
If you can attend - please fill out the Google form below by November 6. We hope to see you there.
What does the SAC do?
In general, the SAC is a representative advisory team (parents & guardians & community members) who review school budgets, drive school improvements and support parent engagement.
SURVEY Said: Tuesdays or Wednesdays right after school @ 3:00pm. SOoooo....we are rescheduling our 1st SAC meeting to be:
Tuesday, November 17th
3:00pm to 4:00pm
It was a great fall season for our Puma athletes, and we couldn’t be prouder of how they competed and represented Preston. Their effort and commitment to their teams made for a fantastic fall season.
A special thank you to all of our coaches and coach volunteers who got things started way back in July and August. Your time and commitment to our athletes are greatly appreciated.
A special thank you to Dalia Hernandez Llamas, our athletic secretary, for learning the job on the fly. Dalia joined Preston this summer in a new position, while also learning a new registration platform. Dalia did an incredible job keeping everything moving throughout the season. We appreciate you, Dalia!
This fall, 175 Preston athletes competed in fall sports, nearly one-third of our school population competing for the Pumas! That's something we should all be proud of.
And one more exciting update: the banner celebrating Preston and PSD's first-ever Boys Soccer Championship has been ordered and will be displayed in the gym soon.
Now we roll right into boys basketball! Games begin next week with a scrimmage against Webber. Varsity will be on the road, while the C/D team will play at home.
Good luck, Pumas! Let’s keep the Puma Pride rolling!
Bill Saint
Assistant Principal, Athletic Director
Fact: Did you know that last school year 31% of Preston's students were chronically absent? In Colorado, the threshold for chronic absenteeism is missing 10% or more of the days a student is enrolled during the school year. This year we are working towards bringing this down. That is simply too much learning and fun to miss!
To help support the effort and promote a friendly competition, Ms. Burd and Ms. Ward started a weekly challenge for treats! Way to go!
Current 8th Grade Families
Attention all current 8th grade families! It's hard to believe high school is just around the corner! Please check our High School Transition website to learn about upcoming transition events happening throughout PSD. Be sure to check back often, as event dates are updated regularly. School of Choice opens on Monday, November 2nd and closes in December. The closing date has not been announced yet.
Preston Transition Series for Incoming 6th Graders and New 7th/8th Graders
Do you have an incoming 6th grader or know a family considering Preston for their new 7th or 8th graders NEXT year? If so, please check out and share our Preston transition events website to help new students and families get to know our school and prepare for a successful start at Preston!
SRO Corner – Firearms Safety
Youth gun safety begins at home with open, age-appropriate conversations. Parents and caregivers should talk with children about what to do if they ever encounter a firearm, whether at home, at a friend’s house, or elsewhere. A simple message is often the most effective: Stop. Don’t touch. Leave the area. Tell a trusted adult.
It is also important for adults to model safe firearm practices. Firearms should always be treated as if they are loaded, kept pointed in a safe direction, and handled with fingers off the trigger until ready to fire. Anyone handling a firearm should also be aware of their target and what is beyond it.
Safe storage is another critical part of preventing accidental injuries. Firearms that are not in use should be secured in a locked safe or other appropriate storage device and kept inaccessible to children and unauthorized individuals. Ammunition should also be stored securely.
Parents are encouraged to revisit these conversations regularly. Clear expectations, responsible storage, and consistent adult modeling can help children understand that firearms are not toys and give them the tools to respond safely if they ever encounter one.
Visit the Larimer County Juvenile Gun Safety Coalition website for additional resources including age-appropriate educational material such as the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program for elementary-aged children and the Choices video for older students.
SRO Meg Savage
Medicaid Application Help
Ayuda para completar la solicitud de Medicaid
Sign Up to Help
Sign-Up to Help with Spirit Cart
Wednesdays During Both Lunches Beginning September 16th
One of the fun and easy ways parents can help at Preston is through our Spirit Cart. The Preston Parent Association (PPA) sponsors the cart. We sell little toys, gum, squishies, etc. The kids love it. This year the PPA is going to try something new and have the cart open every wednesday. We hope that consistency will make it easier for kids to remember that it's open. That means we need more volunteers! Please reach out to PPA President Krista if you have any questions at ppopreston@gmail.com.
Click on the link to sign up! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4CA8AE28A7FB6-65784387-preston
Teacher Coffee Drive
We love to show our appreciation for teachers by providing them with warmth and coffee! Please bring in K-Cups to get the Kuerig machines in the Staff Lounge going! Just leave them with the front office. Thank you!
Join the Preston Parent Association (PPA)
The Preston Parent Association is an easy way for parents to help our awesome school and build community with one another. Our meetings are all on zoom, on the second Wednesday of the month from 7-8pm. They are not required, but we would love to have many of you there.
Lots of our members are full time working parents and we make it as easy as possible to participate. In addition to the monthly meetings we have fun community events planned and several ways parents can volunteer with the school. To join, simply fill out the form at the link below and venmo a suggested donation of $10. Don't have venmo? Leave a check made out to Preston Parent Association in our mailbox at the school.
Questions? Email PPA President Krista Dias at ppopreston@gmail.com
PUMA Tracks
PUMA Tracks are a way for teachers and staff to recognize the excellence in our students. We strive to let our students know when we see them doing the right thing!
Congratulations to the following PUMAS for a Track this week:
Alex B.
Carter B.
Cashius B.
Angel B.R.
Daya C.
Isaac F.
Thomas F.
Heath G.
KJ G.
Amarii H. (2)
Aviva H.
Finley H. (2)
Alex K.
Chris K.
McCauley L.
Nora L.
Christian M.
Clara N.
Jaxon O.
Citlalli P.
Grayson P.
Harlyn P.
Oliver P.
River Q.
Gabe R.
Kaitlyn R.
Soleil R.
Cora S.
Magnus S.
William S.J.
Emma T.
Hatcher T.
Landon U.
Annavei V.
Iris V.S.
Jraedin W.
