CFL May Family Newsletter

How to translate Smore Newsletters (English) or Cómo traducir boletines informativos de Smore (Spanish)

Dear CFL Families,

As we near the end of another school year, I find myself reflecting on how quickly time has passed and the many meaningful moments we've shared as a school community. From the excitement of our beginning-of-year Pancake breakfast to the joy of our winter, and spring music concerts, the magic of Santa’s visit, spirited themed days, homecoming celebrations,parent teracher conferences, and the powerful collaboration through our all-school crews—this year has been filled with experiences that truly brought us together.

These special moments are a reflection of the strong, connected community we’ve built at CFL. We are fortunate to have a dedicated team of educators and staff—including teachers, educational assistants, office staff, custodians, and district support personnel—who consistently go above and beyond to provide a rich and meaningful educational experience for every child.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our students for their hard work and positive spirit throughout the year. It is a true honor to serve as their principal. Their joy, curiosity, and laughter inspire me daily and make CFL such a special place to be.

To our parents and guardians, thank you for the trust you place in us every day. Your partnership and support are essential to our shared mission of helping each student grow, learn, and thrive in a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment.

Staff Changes

We will be seeing some staff changes next year and send our best wishes to the following individuals who will be leaving. Their work at CFL has been appreciated and we wish them well in their future endeavors.

Echo Weems

Lauren Bozeman

Changes in staff for the upcoming year:

Please Welcome Emilie Jaeger~1st grade Teacher

Welocme Back Robin McMillan~ Kindergarten

Mrs. Parks will be teaching~ Kindergarten

Everyone have a safe and happy summer break! Until next school year, here’s wishing you love, laughter and learning.

Respectfully,

Kim Frees

Principal

Dear Preschool Families,

We can’t believe it is already May! Time truly flew by this school year, and we are so proud of all the growth and progress our children have made in every developmental area.

Our teachers have loved watching each child learn, grow, and gain confidence throughout the year. We are especially excited to see our 4-year-olds transition to kindergarten with strong academic and social skills as they begin their next adventure!

We are also looking forward to welcoming back our returning 3-year-olds and continuing to help them grow and develop even more next year.

If your child will be attending preschool next year, please remember that you will need to complete the UPK application. Families can apply online at:

Colorado Universal Preschool (UPK) Application

We also want to thank all of our families for your engagement, encouragement, and support throughout this school year. You are such an important part of our school-family partnership, and we truly appreciate everything you do.

If you have any further questions or need support, please feel free to reach out at any time.

Thank you for a wonderful year!

Nicole Hills

Garfield County School District #16, the Parachute/Battlement Mesa Parks and Recreation District, GVHS Athletics, and Theatre Aspen have partnered to provide Cardinal Camps for the Summer of 2026.

Cardinal Camp has been designed for students entering 1st through 8th grade for the 2026-2027 school year (students currently enrolled in grades K-7), with one program, Theater Aspen, for students entering grades 4-12. The cost of the programs are $50 per week, per child. Theatre Aspen and English Language Learner programs are FREE.

Pay before May 29, 2026 for June Camps and before June 19, 2026 for July Camps. See this website for more information: https://www.garfield16.org/programs/summer-programs

Please fill out one registration form per child. Register now by following this link. Spaces are limited. Register before May 22, 2026 to reserve your child's spot.

The six-week program includes one-week sessions around a theme, such as arts and crafts, sports, outdoor education, etc. Families can sign up for the weeks that best meet their needs.

Cardinal Camp will be Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

A calendar of all camps offered is attached and can be found on the registration form.

Cardinal Camp is available to Garfield 16 students, as well as children who are not registered with the school district.

Garfield 16 programs will be held at Bea Underwood Elementary (BUE 0741 Tamarisk Trail, Battlement Mesa, CO 81635) or Grand Valley High School (GVHS 800 Cardinal Way, Parachute, CO 81635). Grand Valley Recreation Center programs will be held at Grand Valley Recreation Center (398 Arroyo Dr., Battlement Mesa, CO 81635)

All programs will provide lunch and a snack.

Dear Beautiful Families,

This year is quickly coming to an end! We have enjoyed every moment of our learning adventure. Your children have learned so many new skills, and they have taught us so much. We will continue our learning until the very last day of school!

Having your child read one of their books to you daily will enhance and continue their reading journey, and talking about the pictures in the story will increase their vocabulary knowledge.

Reading aloud to your child daily will help with their listening and comprehension skills.

Practicing their sight words will also be a big benefit, as new words will be introduced to their foundation word bank next school year. Have them use the words in a sentence for you.

Providing a pad of paper and a pencil and encouraging them to write and draw about the books — even if it is just copying the text in the books or their sight words — helps build confidence. As they write, they will become more and more confident and creative and start writing their own ideas and stories.

As you go about your daily tasks, talk with your children about what you are doing or what you see. This will strengthen their vocabulary, speaking skills, and ability to follow directions.

Thank you for sharing your children with us. We have loved every moment of learning and laughing with them. We will really miss our first graders as they move on to 2nd grade. We look forward to seeing our returning students. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.

Melanie Kerrigan CFL~ELL
mkerrigan@garfield16.org

Jessica Cornejo

Important Dates

Email: kfrees@garfield16.org
Website: https://cfl.garfield16.org/
Location: 100 E 2nd St, Parachute, CO 81635, USA
Phone: 970-285-5702