Shepardson Newsletter

Thank you for your generosity during our Read-a-Thon! Our PTO raised a whopping $25,024! Wow! Thank you to our PTO and community for your generous support!

Our 15th Annual STEM Night is finally here on Thursday, November 12th from 5:30-7:30! Please bring the entire family for the amazing event - it is THE BEST night of the year!

This month, our character trait is compassion and our students exude compassion in how they are writing notes of gratitude, sharing compliments, including each other in their play, and participating in our food drive. Our food drive will run for one more week, so please keep the items coming in!

Other acts of compassion over the next few weeks will include our Turkey Round Up on November 19th and our Holiday Giving Tree in December. If your family is in need of support during the holidays, there are several ways for us to help. Reach out to our counselor, Jenn Durkin - jdurkin@psdschools.org, about anything you need. Information went home in Friday Folders with more information about these ways to be involved. Thank you for your partnership in real-life ways to show compassion to others. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Yours,

Laura

Laura Sutton

Principal, Shepardson STEM Elementary
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Web she.psdschools.org Email lsutton@psdschools.org
1501 Springwood Drive Fort Collins, CO 80525

Shepardson... educating every child, every day by cultivating curious, inclusive, and thriving students who are prepared for the world.

• Nov 2 - Nov 13 - Star Squad FOOD DRIVE!!
• Fri, Nov 6 - 8:15am - Mileage Club
• Mon, Nov 9 - 8:00pm - Star Squad
• Mon, Nov 9 - 3:45pm - Book Club
• Mon, Nov 9 - 6:30pm - PTO Meeting
• Wed, Nov 11 - 8:00am - Coding Club
• Wed, Nov 11 - 9:15am - Student Picture Retakes
• Wed, Nov 11 - 3:45pm - Mileage Club
• Thur, Nov 12 - 8:00am - Star Choir
• Thur, Nov 12 - 4:00-9:00pm - FAMILY STEM NIGHT
• Fri, Nov 13 - 8:15am - Mileage Club
• Mon, Nov 16 - 3:45pm - Book Club
• Tues, Nov 17 - 4:30pm - SAC Meeting
• Tues, Nov 17 - 6:30pm - 3rd Grade Folk Dance
• Wed, Nov 18 - 8:00am - Coding Club
• Wed, Nov 18 - 9:15am - Shining Star Assembly
• Wed, Nov 18 - 3:45pm - Mileage Club
• Thur, Nov 19 - 8:00am - Star Choir
• Fri, Nov 20 - 8:15am - Mileage Club
• Fri, Nov 20 - 9:20 - 1st Grade Balloon Float Parade

After School Enrichment Programs Hosted at Shepardson

Community partners often apply to host their programs at Shepardson. If you are interested in these programs please click the link below:

CLICK HERE to go to website for more information!

The 2026 Read-a-thon raised a record $25,024!

Thank you to everyone who read, donated and cheered on our Shepardson Stars! Prize information will be coming home soon.

PTO General Meeting

Monday, Nov. 9, 6:30 p.m., Media Center

Learn more about how to support Shepardson in ways big and small — all are welcome!

Family Fundraiser Day - Birdcall

Wednesday, Nov. 18th., 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Join us for a Shepardson fundraiser at Birdcall! Dine with fellow families or grab takeout, and 25% of your purchase is donated back to our school. Enter code SESP18 for takeout.

Join the Shepardson Parent-Teacher Organization! Together, we make up the village that supports our children — showing up, supporting teachers, building connections, and investing in our school community.

Dear PSD Families,

This month we wanted to talk to you about firearm 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.

Have a great day,

SRO Dave Wilson

Join us for a discussion for parents and kids (3rd grade and older) about the

increasing number and severity of related injuries from e-bikes and other

micromobility devices and learn about ways to reduce risk.

Summer EBT Program: https://cdhs.colorado.gov/summer-ebt

• Summer EBT (also known as SUN Bucks) gives eligible children a one-time payment of $120 to help pay for food the summer when school is out.

• Your child is eligible and will be automatically enrolled in Summer EBT if...

• Your child attends a school participating in the National School Breakfast or Lunch Program (NSLP), AND one or more of the following:

• Receives SNAP or Colorado Works (TANF)

• Has household income ≤ 185% of the federal poverty guidelines and receives Health First Colorado (Medicaid) or your household submitted an income form to their school

• Is homeless, in foster care, is in the Migrant Education Program, or runaway

• Your child is between 6–17 years and does not attend an NSLP school but meets any of the above criteria.

All PK-8 schools are cell phone free zones from bell to bell. Students must keep phones, headphones, smart watches, and other electronic accessories out of sight and on silent unless approved by an administrator or specified in an IEP, 504 plan or Health Care Action Plan. If a student needs to get in touch with their family during the school day, they need to ask their teacher and/or the school office.

For full details, visit the PSD Code of Conduct page, found here.

Sometimes life can be a little hectic, so it is important to make sure that your information is up to date and correct in ParentVUE, especially when it comes to proper contacts and authorized pickup information for your child or children.

Be sure to check this information in your ParentVUE account to ensure that the right people can be contacted when needed or a student can be released to the appropriate person.

Contact Dawnel Meyer, the Shepardson Registrar, if you need any assistance.

At its Nov. 3 meeting, the Board of Education decided to revisit the resolution they approved regarding school closure and consolidation at the October 27, 2026 meeting by considering an amendment to that resolution. The Board needs time to finish that process and will be scheduling a special meeting no later than November 13, 2026 to complete their work. It is important that families who intend to apply for School of Choice have accurate information about their options before they submit Choice applications for the 2027-28 school year. For both reasons, it is anticipated that the first-consideration School Choice application period will now open at 8 a.m. on Monday, November 30, 2026.

What this means for your family:

• School of Choice applications will not open on Nov. 4 as originally communicated. Instead, applications can be submitted beginning Nov. 30. The deadline for first consideration application submissions is still December 16, 2026.
• New student and kindergarten registration will also begin on Nov. 30. You can register at olr.psdschools.org.
• More details are coming. Before the window opens, we will share updated information to make sure every family has clear, accurate information about their school options.

Should the district be able to open the School Choice application period and the new student and kindergarten student registration period sooner, this will be communicated to families.

Thank you for your patience. You can continue to learn about PSD schools on the Choose PSD website and at fall open houses.

Sincerely,

Poudre School District

Be sure to submit a Free and Reduced Status application ahead of the first day back. Completing this form not only makes students eligible for waived school fees and benefits through Fort Collins City programs, but also helps PSD receive federal funding to support classrooms and learning opportunities; your child’s eligibility status is confidential and must be renewed annually.

To do this, parents can fill out two forms: the Free and Reduced-Priced Status online application, found here, as well as the Permission to Share form through ParentVUE.