Eagle Crest Family Newsletter

Hello Eagle Crest Families,

We’ve reached the midpoint of the school year, and I’m excited to share some great celebrations with you!

Our schoolwide reading challenge has been a huge success. We didn’t just meet our goal, we exceeded it. Together, our students logged an amazing 252,000 minutes of reading! Thank you for encouraging reading at home and helping build these strong habits. Be sure to check out the information below from Ms. Beckett for more details.

I’m also happy to share that our mid-year i-Ready results show strong growth in both reading and math. This year, our focus has been on academic discourse, encouraging students to talk, write, and reflect on their learning. When students explain their thinking and engage in meaningful conversations, it strengthens understanding across subjects, and we are seeing that show up in their growth. It has been exciting to watch their confidence continue to build.

Thank you, as always, for your partnership and support. It truly makes a difference. As we head into break, I hope you enjoy this special time celebrating with family and friends, getting some rest, and creating memories together. We look forward to welcoming students back refreshed and ready for a strong second half of the year.

Warmly,
Amanda

Amanda Holden

Principal

Eagle Crest Elementary

Hello Eagle Crest Families!

We hope your Winter Break is happy, safe, and healthy. As we reflect on the first part of the school year, we want to express our sincere gratitude for the many ways you support your students and our staff. Your partnership truly makes a difference across our Eagle Crest community. 💜💛 Be sure to check out our school social media on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to see highlights of the amazing learning that has taken place so far this year.

Tomorrow, students will be bringing their iPads home to provide continued access to learning opportunities and to ensure they are prepared in the event of inclement weather when we return in January. If you are looking for ways to encourage reading and learning over the break, SVVSD offers a variety of great learning apps accessible on student iPads. Sora, our digital library, includes nearly 37,000 eBooks, audiobooks, and magazines. Students can easily check out materials from this extensive collection just as they would from a traditional library.

Students can also access iReady Reading and Math lessons during the break. These lessons are personalized based on their most recent iReady diagnostic assessments taken this month. In addition, there are many opportunities for creating, exploring, and coding available on their iPads. Our STEM teacher, Katy Schwirtz, has created a helpful guide highlighting several recommended apps and how students can use them.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school in January 2026!

All the best,

Lindsey Cheney

Dean of Students

Eagle Crest Elementary

December 20th-January 5th - Winter Break, NO SCHOOL

January 6th - First Day Back from Winter Break - *Return iPads to School*

January 6th - First Day Back from Winter Break

January 9th - Volunteer Training, 9am, School Library

January 9th - Volunteer Training, 10:30am, Online Link

January 12 - Volunteer Training, 6pm, Online Link

January 19th - MLK Jr. Day, NO SCHOOL

We reached our reading goal just in time for the Winter Break. Students have read a total of 252,000 minutes since October. Way to read Eagles! After Winter Break, students will celebrate reaching our goal with a fun reading party in the library with Mrs. Beckett.

Here are this week's winners:

Pre-K - Josie in Torres and Aspen in Woolaway
Kindergarteners - Mack O. in McCarthy and Oliver in Rittinger
1st graders - Jackson S. in Erwin and Diego G. in Redmond
2nd graders - Ziah in Bauer, Gael M. in Christopher and Erin in Rickel
3rd graders - Gemma in Doyle and Willow G. in Sudbeck
4th graders - Glenn in Fink, Scott in Reid and Sivas in Zamora

5th graders - Elliot B. in Butterfield, Ezekiel T. in Gaccetta and Amairany in Rupp

Thank you for supporting reading at home. Keep reading 20-30 minutes everyday. Readers make great leaders!

❄️ It’s the season of giving! ❄️

While we believe the best gift to give your teacher is a hand written note, card, photo, coloring page, art work or other student led homemade gift, we have collected answers from teachers and staff on their interests and needs to help guide you in this season.

Click Here for our Teacher/Staff Gift Guide!

Gratefully,

Linda Cardwell

PTO President

These items have been in the Lost and Found for a couple of weeks. These items will be donated TOMORROW at the end of the day. Stop by the office tomorrow to claim these before they are gone!

These items are new to our Lost and Found. We will keep trying to find the owners for these items before donating them. Please drop by the Main Office ASAP before or after school to claim your belongings.

Don't forget --- Consider labeling your child's coats, gloves, layers, lunch boxes/containers, and water bottles with their names. We return everything that has a legible label on it!

December is here, and while winter break is just around the corner, our commitment to greener travel keeps rolling on! It’s time to log your walking, biking, carpooling, and bus trips for December with SVVSD Trip Tracker.

The reporting period opens Friday, December 20th and closes Tuesday, January 6th, 2026, so be sure to track those trips before the window closes—even during the break!

Please note: due to a technical issue, Trip Tracker Bucks will be distributed later than usual and will go out this week or shortly after winter break. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this.

Every trip counts—thank you for helping keep our community healthier and more sustainable! Have a safe and enjoyable winter break!

SVVSD Trip Tracker
triptracker@svvsd.org

Did you know that Eagle Crest Elementary has a partnership with a school in Uganda? The Mwebaza Foundation is an educational organization that partners schools in Colorado with schools in Uganda. Interested in learning more? Check out their website: https://www.mwebaza.org/

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This month, the Mwebaza Foundation shines a spotlight on the Ugandan school calendar, which works differently than ours! This is a special time of year for our partner schools, as they are wrapping up their three-term school year right now. Much like our system of having three trimesters, their school year is divided into three terms, and this month marks the end of their last one.

The students are now heading into their long break, which lasts until February—the equivalent of our own summer break! This wonderful stretch of time is a chance for students to unwind, recharge, and reconnect with their community. Many families will travel to villages in the countryside to visit relatives, a tradition much like the special trips we take during our own school breaks. During this time, families will enjoy cooking special foods often consisting of corn, banana (matooke), sweet potatoes, and beans. It’s a lovely time for celebration and community connection before the new academic year begins in the new year.

The Mwebaza Foundation believes in systems rooted in justice and equity—not charity—and their club students spend time learning about the importance of mutual partnership and all about the similarities and differences between Colorado and Uganda. We send warm wishes to our partner schools for a restful and joyous break!

Extra Activity: Interested in making a traditional Ugandan food? Try your hand at making grilled plantains, a Ugandan delicacy often served during celebrations.

• Check out this video: Ugandan Bananas- Much more than a snack, to learn about the cultural and culinary importance of bananas and how bananas are grown, prepared, and consumed in various ways within the Ugandan diet and community.

• Check out this recipe: Plantains- A Sweet and Savory Delicacy, for a quick and easy recipe to try with your family.

Photos: Our partner school community came together for a joyful graduation ceremony honoring the Kindergarten class. The entire community joins in to share food, play games, and celebrate.

Registration for St. Vrain Valley Schools’ 2026-27 preschool programs begin Dec. 9th, 2025. Families can choose from high-quality, five-day programs, including half-day and select full-day options at schools across St. Vrain. The Colorado Universal Preschool (UPK) application is included in St. Vrain’s form, and families are encouraged to apply early for the best chance of placement at their preferred school.

2026-2027 Preschool Program Locations

2026-2027 Preschool Registration Information

Learn More About Preschool Programming

A new state law requires schools to share information about the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line. The service provides free, confidential support 24/7 from trained specialists through calls, texts, or live chats. Families can learn more by visiting 988Colorado.com.

Families who believe they may qualify for free or reduced-price meals are encouraged to complete an application by Oct. 1. While all St. Vrain Valley students receive one free breakfast and one free lunch daily through Colorado’s Healthy School Meals for All program, submitting an application provides additional benefits to families such as fee waivers, college exam discounts, and reduced internet and utility costs, and also helps bring federal funding to support classrooms, after-school programs, technology, and additional meals and snacks for students. Applications are available online or at Nutrition Services, 2929 Clover Basin Dr., Longmont.

Learn More

Eagle Crest's specials follow a three-day rotation: RED, YELLOW, PURPLE. Every month, a new calendar is provided, outlining the rotation. This helps your family plan and ensure the right shoes are ready for PE activities.

*January schedule coming soon!*

Parents and guardians who would like information to assist you with particular parenting conversations or additional support for your child, please contact our school counselor, Angie Kerbel. kerbel_angela@svvsd.org

Email: holden_amanda@svvsd.org
Website: eces.svvsd.org
Location: 4444 Clover Basin Drive, Longmont, CO, USA
Phone: 303-485-6073
Facebook: facebook.com/EagleCrestES
Twitter: @EagleCrestES

Instagram: @eaglecrestes

Have questions about anything covered in this newsletter? Reach out via email to holden_amanda@svvsd.org or cheney_lindsey@svvsd.org.

Need support in Spanish?

Contact Natalie Boggess at: boggess_natalie@svvsd.org , 303-702-7872