Ryan's Weekly Family Update

Dear Ryan Elementary Families,

I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable winter break and holiday season. Those two unexpected “wind days” certainly made the start of break feel a little different than usual! As we settle back into our school routines, teachers and staff will share any calendar updates or changes.

Our students continue to impress us with their grit, resilience, and determination during the first half of the 2025–2026 school year. We are currently reviewing mid-year reading and math assessments, most of which were completed before winter break. Students who still need to complete these assessments will do so this week.

Report cards will be available to view in Infinite Campus on Thursday, January 8th. Parent-teacher conferences will take place in mid-February. If you would like a printed copy of your child’s report card, please reach out to your child’s teacher or the main office.

I’d also like to share a quick staffing update. Our Dean of Students, Mr. Steve Sanchez, has stepped back into a 5th-grade teaching role at Ryan Elementary while Mrs. Kristen Lea is on maternity leave. Any communication or responsibilities previously handled by Mr. Sanchez in his dean role will now come directly to me. To help support our school during this transition, Ms. Sara Richter will be serving as our building-based substitute teacher and assisting with coverage and daily support needs. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.

The new year brings fresh opportunities, new experiences, and the chance to set and work toward new goals. Let’s keep the positive momentum going as we head into the spring semester.

Thank you for all the ways you support our Ryan community. Happy New Year!

It’s always a great day to be a Rhino! Go Rhinos!

Sincerely,

Stephanie Jackman

Principal

In this newsletter you will find details on the following:

• Letter from Principal Jackman
• Important Dates and Events
• Rhino TV Episode
• Choice Enrollment Information
• Parent Portal Edit Instructions
• Life Long Learning, time to sign up for next session
• Preschool Enrollment Information
• Original Works Extension
• Community Resources & Parent Support
• PTA Updates & Store
• Health Insurance Resources Available
• Spelling Bee Opportunity Details
• Important Parking Instructions
• Attendance Policy Information
• Volunteer Instructions
• BVSD Weather Delay/Closure System
• BVSD Messenger Notifications
• Calendar Links

If you have an immediate need, please call the main office at 720.561.7000

November 1st - January 7th Open Enrollment, now called Choice Enrollment, window is open

January 8th - Grades available for Parent view in Infinite Campus

January 9th - Lost and Found will be donated

January 19th - NO SCHOOL for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Happy New Year! Our focus during the first semester of STEAM Buddies in the Library was on RhinoTV. Each week students worked together with their buddy to build a slide. Students selected topics, gathered content, and edited their slides. The culminating project is an episode of RhinoTV. Every student that submitted a slide is included!

BVSD Choice Enrollment Window now open

The Boulder Valley School District began accepting applications for choice enrollment on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 through Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. Due to the lottery process, families have equal possibilities of getting their school of choice, as long as it is during the window. Lottery results will be sent on or about Jan. 9.

Starting on January 1st, you will not be able to add/change emergency contacts for your student(s).

Please contact Jamie.Hanes@bvsd.org for assistance with adding/changing emergency contacts or updating address information.

You are still be able to update your own parent email and phone number by following these instructions.

Fill your student's spring with Chess, Robotics, Sports, Cooking and more!

Register by January 14 for the first session.

Click to see your options:

Ryan LLL Classes

Call (720)561-5968 or email lifelong.learning@bvsd.org with any questions.

The Universal Preschool Program (UPK) application for four year olds is now open. The pre-registration period for children returning for a second year of preschool, preschool siblings of children already attending, and parent employees closes on February 2nd. Returners will have a spot reserved for them but they must apply through the UPK website to keep it. Siblings and parent employees will be enrolled first come, first served. Apply here.

The Preschool Tuition Lottery window for three year olds closes on December 17th at 4 pm. Children must turn three by October 1st, 2026 to be eligible. Apply here.

In 2026-27 we will continue to offer half-day Preschool sessions five days a week, morning and afternoon, at all of our sites. The majority of our sites also offer Preschool Enrichment to extend the day.

Families who are paying tuition for more than one child can apply for a 15% sibling discount in either Preschool or Preschool Enrichment. A 15% discount to Enrichment tuition will be offered to parent/guardian employees. (Please note that only one discount can be applied.)

Children do not need to be potty trained to enroll in a BVSD preschool!

Email us at preschool@bvsd.org or call 720-561-5075 if you’re interested or would like to find out more.

We have GREAT NEWS! Our Original Works Online Direct Program is still open for Late Orders!

If you missed the earlier order deadline or just want to order more, now is the time to do that!

Order by January 31, 2026

CLICK HERE to order.

Enter your student’s access code that is found on the Original Works ordering instruction flyer that was sent home previously.

If you don’t have your student’s access code, you can email CS@originalworks.com and provide your school name, city and state and your child’s name, grade and teacher. Your student’s access code will be emailed to you.

The orders will ship to your home.

Keep in mind, the items make great gifts for any special day like Birthdays, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day! And our school continues to earn a profit on every late order placed.

Thanks for supporting our school with your order!

Have you linked your King Soopers card to Ryan PTA yet? King Soopers Community Rewards donates thousands of dollars annually to our PTA, nearly 10% of the PTA income. The Ryan Community would be so grateful if you would enroll your card for Ryan Elementary. Enrolling is absolutely free. To connect your account, I've listed short steps below, you can view detailed instructions here, or you can email us with any specific questions.

Be on the lookout for a brand new event coming to Ryan this year! February 12th will be our first ever VIP dance - more info to come!

PTA Website

PTA Facebook

Ryan Parents Facebook

Ryan Spiritwear Store

Are you looking for some Ryan Rhino gear? Please click on the link below for tshirts, sweatshirts, mugs, etc! These items would make great gifts for your favorite Rhino.

PTA Family Store

BVSD Health Services is sharing the following information for families who may be in need of health insurance or would like to explore their options, knowing that preventive and supportive services provided through this coverage helps keep students healthy and ready to learn.

Open Enrollment for health insurance through Connect for Health Colorado is happening now through January 15, 2026. This is the time when individuals and families can find affordable health coverage for the coming year.

We’ve included helpful flyers with information about both Connect for Health Colorado and OmniSalud, a program that offers health insurance options for Coloradans regardless of immigration status.

Families who would like support can contact the Boulder County Enrollment Center for free assistance with Connect for Health Colorado, OmniSalud, Health First Colorado (Medicaid), and CHP+. The Enrollment Center provides confidential, unbiased guidance in English and Spanish, and in other languages through an interpreter.

To schedule an appointment with a Health Coverage Guide, visit boco.org/HealthCoverage, call 303-441-4530, or email HealthCoverage@BoulderCounty.gov.

Questions? Contact Joanna Harrison(joanna.harrison@bvsd.org), Resource Nurse

Parents and community members, we are looking for volunteers for this year's BVSD Regional Spelling Bee which will take place on March 7th in the New Vista High auditorium.

Volunteer Roles and duties include: On the day of the spelling bee, organizers are needed to do everything from checking in spellers, setting up the stage and physical event space, and receiving appeals and communicating them to the officials, to answering questions from parents, spellers and audience members. We cannot do this work without our amazing volunteers! Please fill out this interest form if you are interested.

The bus lane is reserved for buses only at all times!

Our school is a busy place! We have buses coming and going throughout the entire school day with Preschool pick ups and drop offs, field trips and early arrivals.

We also have the bus lane available to Emergency Vehicles, when needed.

Please use the Northeast parking lot or park in the neighborhood.

Also, do not park in the South parking lot, which is a staff parking lot, or in the Handicap parking spaces unless you have a sticker displayed in your vehicle.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Volunteering is a fun, simple way to get involved within the Ryan community. We have all sorts of opportunities to get involved. Whether you volunteer regularly in your teacher’s classroom, bring breakfast and coffee to teachers for late start or volunteer for the book fair, the impact can be huge. Not only does it benefit the school but it benefits your kids and families in our community as well!

bvsd.org/volunteer

Volunteers and field trip chaperones that volunteer once and are under line-of-sight supervision by BVSD staff at all times only need to go through the front office Raptor check-in process.

Individuals interested in volunteering and interacting with students on an ongoing basis under line of sight supervision of BVSD staff, complete the appropriate yearly application; ENGLISH or SPANISH. Please note, there is a $32.00 background fee due at the time of submission.

For volunteers, partners, or field trip chaperones who will not be under line-of-sight supervision of BVSD staff at all times – CBI fingerprint check is required through a third party vendor (these background checks are now valid for 5 years), paid by the volunteer or partner AND volunteer must sign a BVSD volunteer agreement (Spanish) each year.

Please see the Volunteers/Visitors Flowchart and the Volunteer/Visitor FAQ for additional details.

Daily Attendance

Please help your child develop good attendance habits. Research shows that missing just two days per month severely impacts reading and math growth. To make expected academic and social emotional gains, students should be at school at a rate of 95% or more. Habits developed in elementary school often carry over into middle school and high school.

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If your child will be absent:

• Please let us know online via Infinite Campus OR call Ryan’s attendance line at 720-561-7002 by 8:05 a.m. If your student is arriving late, please note that in the comments section online. Always notify the office of an absence or late arrival, not just the classroom teacher.

• Attendance - Ryan Elementary School. Please include the following information in your voice message: your name, student’s name, grade & teacher, and the reason for the absence.

• As a safety precaution, all primary contacts of students marked as unaccounted absences will receive notification by BVSD’s automated attendance system to verify a child’s absence. Promptly calling in absences and tardies will prevent your home or workplace from being disturbed.

• If at all possible, make every attempt to schedule doctor and dentist appointments before or after the school day, as this tends to take away from a student’s learning time. If your child does have a medical appointment, providing us with documentation helps us code these absences properly.

• Automated calls are made by 9:00 a.m. for students who are marked as “unexcused absence”.

• Procedures and information about student absences are explain in the March 2024 Revised Board Policy, JH and Attendance & Engagement - Boulder Valley School District

We understand sometimes our students need to be out for an extended period of time. We ask, if you know your child will be out for more than 3 days, to please fill out this form in addition to reporting the absence through the portal or attendance line.

Attendance Letter Communication Details

When students in BVSD reach a certain number of absences (you can find the breakdown below), you will receive an AUTOMATED attendance letter. All absences excused or unexcused will receive these communications when the number of absences reach the particular threshold. Also please note, three (3) unexcused partial absences or five (5) unexcused tardies will equal one unexcused absence.

Letter Criteria:

• Friendly Letter after 5 days missed

• Letter A after 10 days missed

• Letter B after 15 days missed

BVSD weather delay and closure procedures

Under all but the most extreme conditions, school officials have a responsibility to keep school in session. During Colorado winters, snow and ice may result in a delay or closure if necessary. No notices means no closures or significant delays have been reported.

As always, BVSD respects a parent's decision to keep students home from school or delay their arrival due to weather conditions. Contact the school's attendance office and the absence will be excused.

BVSD uses School Messenger to communicate with families as needed via email, phone call and text message to those opted in to receive BVSD Communications.

Users can adjust their communication preferences and opt-in to text messages as desired via instructions found on the BVSD School Messenger Support webpage.

BVSD Calendar Link

• 2025-26 Parent -Teacher Printable (English)
• 2025-26 Parent-Teacher Printable Calendar (Spanish)

• 2025-26 Academic Calendar Printable (English)

• 2025-26 Academic Calendar Printable (Spanish)

• 2025-26 Preschool Calendar Printable (English)

• 2025-26 Preschool Calendar Printable(Spanish)

• Elementary ABC Specials Weekly Rotation Calendar (English)

• Ryan's Specials Schedule Color Rotation

• Calendario de clases especiales ABC (Español)

Website: https://rye.bvsd.org/
Location: 1405 Centaur Village Drive, Lafayette, CO, USA
Phone: 720-561-7000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RyanElemSTEAM