Werner Weekly

• Feb. 20- Science Fair Open House, 5:30-6:30 pm, Werner Gym
• Feb. 24- Bike/Walk to School Day
• Feb. 27- 4th grade Field Trip to State Capitol
• March 5- 1st/2nd Music Program, Timberline Church (see flyer below)
• March 11- Battle of the Books Competition
• March 13- No School, Staff Workday
• March 16-20: No School, Spring Break

• Science Fair Open House- Come out to see our young scientist's great projects tonight from 5:30-6:30! Families can take their student's project home afterwards.
• International Night- A BIG "Thank You" goes to our presenter, our ELD Teacher, Robin Hughes, and our PTA, for the 3rd Annual International Night! It was a great night for community and celebration of so many cultures!
• Bike/Walk to School Day- Please see the flyers for Bike/Walk to School Day next week.
• Class Placement Input- See the note below regarding this process. The opportunity for input will close after Feb. 27.
  

Dear Werner Families,

I hope you are having a great February. 5210+ is coming to an end next week and we are going out with a bang.

• Monday, February 23 through Monday, March 2 is our bike safety week. We have Safe Routes to School coming to teach about bike safety. The first three days will be in the gym learning about safety. Then, Thursday, February 26, Friday, February 27 and Monday, March 2, students will bring their bikes to school (on the day that they have PE) or borrow bikes from the program. All bikes will be looked at by bike mechanics and fixed if needed. This ensures that the bikes are safe for the bike obstacle course and bike tests that they do that day. If kids do not have a bike or do not want to bring their bike, there are bikes to borrow for the fun activities. I have attached a note from Safe Routes to School. Also, we need volunteers to run some of the events. Respond to this e-mail to when you could help (all three days, one day, a couple of hours, when your kid(s) have PE, whenever). The following is when your child will bring their bike to school:
  • Tuesday, February 24: Pre-school
  • Thursday, February 26: Kinder Kruger, 1st Rayl, 3rd Putman, 4th Organ/Sonnen, 5th Spencer
  • Friday, February 27: Kinder Hampton, 1st Krueger, 2nd Doss, 3rd Dr. D, 4th Christen/Sonnen
  • Monday, March 2: Kinder Cala-Bartha, 1st Glover, 2nd Carr, 3rd Cassell, 4th Braaten/Sonnen, 5th Bean
• Tuesday, February 24 is our walk and bike to school day. Join the community in walking or biking to school. If you live far or want to go to school with a group, you can meet at Fossil Creek Park or Miramont Park at 8:20 to 8:30 (see attachment) and we will go to school as a group. There will be some fruit in the front and the back of Werner for students to take.
• The link for turning in your 5210+ will activate on Thursday, February 26 and close Thursday, March 5. The link is on the Student Tracking Log and here. Make sure to fill that out if you get more than 80 checks. That way UCHealth will order your child a t-shirt.

Thanks for your support in making our community healthier. Let me know if you have any questions.

Werner Wellness Team

Dear Parents/Guardians,

One of the most critical and time-consuming tasks for teachers, and for me, during this time of year is class placement for next year. The procedure we follow to ensure the best classroom environment possible for each child has several steps and takes several meetings. This task is even more challenging when we receive a large number of parent requests in the spring. Before we developed a policy on class placement requests, we would receive up to 140 requests for specific class placements each spring. When teachers began to make class lists, we found it impossible to have these requests and still maintain the balance in each classroom that is necessary for kids to have the optimum environment in which to learn.

Fortunately, Werner’s class placement policy, developed some years ago by our Werner Council, has worked well for us. Please take the time to read the policy. My hope is that it will answer your questions or concerns. If it doesn’t, please let me know (hcamp@psdschools.org).

Please do not feel that you need to give us written input. In other words, do not feel obligated to write a letter unless you have a specific reason to do so. You can be sure if a teacher has questions about class placement for your child, they will ask you for information. We believe that input is any information about your child that will help us know their situation better. Input is not a request for a specific teacher. Input asking for a specific teacher will not be included in the Class Placement Process. All input will be shared with the current and next year’s teacher.

If you do choose to give us input, the window this year is February 6-27. We are offering the opportunity for input to happen online through the 2026-2027 Werner Class Placement Input Form. Please complete a new form for each child. This is secure and confidential, but input will be shared with your child’s current teacher as they consider class placement. Emails and other notes will not be accepted. Input will close at 5:00 pm on February 27, 2026.

Sincerely,

Hayden Camp

Principal

Dear Werner Community,

I hope you have had a great start to the year. February starts this Sunday which means it is time for 5210+. I am sending home yellow activity logs for every student and blue family logs with oldest and only students. The activity log is a terrific way to track how healthy your child and your family is compared to standards set by scientists and doctors. Also, 5210+ pairs well with our Physical Education unit of decision making. We are currently working on cooperative activities. If you need more information about Werner Physical Education look here.

To add to the fun, we will have a walk/bike to school day on Tuesday, February 24, and the Coach J. Shows will be centered around 5210+. At the end of the month, I will send another e-mail on how to enter your child’s activity log into an online database. If your child has more than 80 boxes checked, then your child will receive a purple 5210+ t-shirt with ‘Werner’ on the back.

Let me know if you have any questions and have fun tracking your health.

Doug – Coach J.

​Welcome to the School Counseling monthly resource on RESILIENCY, parents and guardians! Each month a new resource for Resiliency will be created for families to help build resilience and self-confidence. Please look at Werner’s site under Learning Pages Counselor for more information.

Talk to yourself like you would a loved one or a good friend!

As School Counselors we often notice how critical and cruel students can be to themselves. Sometimes, our inner critic can serve a helpful purpose by pushing us to grow and improve. However, it can also become overly critical, leading to self-doubt and demoralization. When this happens, one of the best things we can do is start “talking back” to our inner critic with positive affirmations and resilient self-talk. This may sound simple, but it requires a lot of practice and mindfulness.

Check out this resource to learn more about resilient self-talk: https://www.solutionsforresilience.com/negative-self-talk/

Some examples from the site:

The Benefits of Taking on Your Negative Self-Talk

1. Your mental health will improve as you reduce the internal put downs. Feelings of anxiety, stress and depression will calm.
2. Talking positively to yourself will increase your sense of self-worth and feelings of confidence.
3. When you speak supportively to yourself your nervous system calms down and you are then better able to think clearly. You will know when it is wise to accept a situation and when it is better to work on a solution.
4. Turning your self-talk into some possibilities allows you to better handle inevitable setbacks.
5. When you speak kindly to yourself, you are apt to speak similarly to others. Support yourself becomes the ability to support others.

25 Affirmations to Increase Your Positive Self-Talk: These affirmations for negative self-talk will get primed with some positive thinking. Note which ones are missing from your brain’s tapes:

• I can keep myself safe.
• I deserve love.
• I am a good and loving person.
• I can do it.
• I can trust myself.
• I am in control of my life.
• I now have choices.
• I have intelligence.
• I am okay just the way I am.

10. I can succeed.

11. I can make mistakes and learn.

12. I can choose who to trust.

13. I belong here.

14. I can feel all of my feelings and still be in control.

15. I can feel and make good choices at the same time.

16. I can know what I know.

17. I can initiate, grow and learn.

18. I can be active and quiet.

19. I can think and speak for myself.

20. My needs and wants are important.

21. I can be independent and interdependent.

22. I can be powerful and ask for help at the same time.

23. I can be creative, competent, productive, and joyful.

24. I can trust my inner wisdom.

25. I am lovable at every age.

Thanks!

Werner School Counselor

jflemist@psdschools.org

970-488-5610

Throughout the year, we ask our community for photos that could be used for our yearbook and/or social media. This relates to school events only (e.g. classroom parties, field trips, school events, spirit days and enrichment opportunities). You can upload pictures to our 2025-26 Werner Photo Album throughout the year. Please be mindful to not include photos of students that may not have permission.

We often get questions about what are some of our favorite things for staff. You can find out more at this Staff Favorites link. This is also located under the "About Us" tab on the Werner website.

Updates & Volunteer Needs

• A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for International Night last night! We loved seeing our Wildcats learn about different countries and even getting to taste some foods from around the world. A special thank you to our presenters and teachers who donated their time and classrooms for the event and to our helpers and donors including:
• Our student helpers, ILS and Kindness club, our student helpers, High School helpers, Sunny Civil, Mt Asian One and Yellow Crunch

Check it Out: https://wernerpta.givebacks.com/

Dear Poudre School District Community,

Over the past several weeks, I’ve shared information about enrollment trends and the work of our Comprehensive Planning Committee. I want to continue that commitment to open and honest communication by sharing an update about the budget challenges Poudre School District is facing as we plan for the 2026–27 school year.

My goal in sharing this now is not to create fear or uncertainty, but to help our community understand what is ahead, why it is happening, and how we are approaching these challenges thoughtfully, responsibly, and together with students at the center of our decisions.

Why PSD is facing budget challenges

Like many school districts across Colorado and the country, PSD is facing several financial pressures at the same time. Based on what we know today, we are projecting a funding reduction of between $8 million and $17 million for the 2026–27 school year. This range reflects uncertainty that will remain until the state budget is finalized later this spring.

These challenges are driven by a few key factors:

• Fewer students enrolled in PSD. Our district is serving fewer students than in past years, largely due to lower birth rates and the high cost of living in our region. Just 23% of households in our community have school-aged children. Because school funding is closely tied to student enrollment, fewer students means less funding.
• Potential reductions in state funding. Colorado is facing a significant budget shortfall, which will likely reduce the amount of funding available for public education.
• Cuts and instability in federal funding. Some federal grants that support student mental health and other services have ended or may not continue. We anticipate that other sources of federal funding will remain unstable as well.
• Rising costs. Expenses such as healthcare, utilities, and other essential services continue to increase each year.

While some state funding adjustments increase the amount of money per student that is allocated to districts, those increases do not make up for the combined impact of declining enrollment, rising costs, and potential funding reductions.

What this means for staffing and student programs

Staffing makes up the vast majority of a school district’s budget - over 85%. As PSD becomes a smaller district with less funding, we will need to reduce staffing levels over time. These reductions will not be easy, and they will have real impacts.

Fewer staff can affect:

• Class sizes and course offerings, meaning larger classes and fewer course offerings
• Academic and enrichment programs
• Student support services, including mental health supports
• The adults our students see and rely on every day

We are committed to approaching these decisions carefully and with compassion, but it is important to be clear: budget reductions of this size will affect both staffing and student programs.

Our priorities as we plan

Even in difficult financial moments, our values remain clear. As we plan for the year ahead, we are guided by these commitments:

• Students come first. We will continue to focus on literacy, mental health and belonging, and ensuring students graduate with options for their future.
• Care for our staff. Our staff are essential to student success, and we will do everything possible to support and retain talented employees as we adjust to our financial reality.
• Responsible stewardship. We must align our staffing, programs, and operations with the resources available to us.
• Collaboration and partnership. We will continue working with our employee associations, staff, families, and community partners as we navigate these challenges together.

How the district is responding

The district has already begun taking steps to address these challenges, including:

• Continuing reductions to central office staffing and operating budgets. Over the last two years, PSD has already cut more than $12 million in operating and staffing budgets at the central office.
• Adjusting how schools are funded to reflect enrollment changes while maintaining support for small schools.
• Carefully reviewing staffing needs across the district.

What happens next

The state budget process is still underway, and some of these projections may change. Our finance team is closely monitoring developments, and we will adjust our plans if conditions improve.

In the months ahead:

• We will continue to share updates as more information becomes available
• We will provide additional details and FAQs to support families and the community

Moving forward together

These are real challenges, and it’s understandable to feel concern when hearing numbers like these. At the same time, it’s important to remember that PSD remains a strong district. Our students continue to perform at high levels as they learn and grow, our staff are deeply committed, and our community values public education.

This moment calls for careful planning, clear communication, and shared responsibility. By addressing these challenges openly and thoughtfully, we are working to build a strong and sustainable future for Poudre School District

Thank you for your continued trust, engagement, and support of our students and schools.

With appreciation,

Brian Kingsley
Superintendent
Poudre School District

Calling all members of the Poudre School District community: Your superintendent and Board of Education want to hear from you!

Superintendent Brian Kingsley and directors of the Board will hold numerous Community Engagement Sessions at schools across the district throughout the 2025-2026 school year. The goal of these meetings is to allow Superintendent Kingsley and Board directors to personally meet with the district community and answer any questions or concerns.

Superintendent Kingsley and the Board will be holding separate sessions from September through April 2026 at schools across the district.

One of many ways information is shared is through the PSD Insider community newsletter, which features timely information about the latest happenings in the district. This is emailed to families and interested community members that sign up. To sign up, or review past newsletters, go to the PSD Communications website.

Email: hcamp@psdschools.org
Website: https://wer.psdschools.org/
Location: 5400 Mail Creek Lane, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Office Hours: 8:00-4:30

Phone: (970) 488-5550

Attendance: (970) 488-5551
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wernerwildcats/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/werner_elementary/