Shepardson Newsletter

What a fun day! Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the end of our Read-a-Thon with us! Please help me extend a large thank you to our PTO volunteers, who put in countless hours organizing this all month! Thank you also to those that donated to this PTO fundraiser. What a supportive community we have!

It is hard to believe that it is already November! We have several fun and important things happening this month - here is information about a few of them:

1. November 2 - 13: Our Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive

2. Wednesday, November 4th: Online Registration and The School of Choice application for the 2027-2028 school year opens.

3. Wednesday, November 4th from 6:00-7:00: Open House for prospective families for the 2027-2028 School Year.

4. STEM Night is Thursday, November 12th from 5:30-7:30 and is THE BEST EVENT OF THE YEAR! Bring the whole family for hands-on STEM fun! And, sign up to volunteer to help the event run smoothly!

I am beyond thankful for our community. Thank you for sharing your amazing children with us! 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.

• Mon, Nov 2 - 3:45pm - Book Club
• Nov 2 - Nov 13 - Star Squad FOOD DRIVE!!
• Wed, Nov 4 - 8:00am - Coding Club
• Wed, Nov 4 - 3:45pm - Mileage Club
• Wed, Nov 4 - 6:00pm - Shepardson Information Night and Open House
• Thurs, Nov 5 - 8:00am - Star Choir
• Thurs, Nov 5 - 5:00pm - ROLLERLAND!!
• 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
• Thur, Nov 12 - 8:00am - Star Choir
• Thur, Nov 12 - 4:00-9:00pm - FAMILY STEM NIGHT
• Fri, Nov 13 - 8:15am - Mileage Club

I am Stacy Hale. I have been with Shepardson in many roles for over 25 years. I am currently running the before and after school program with Alphabest and during the day work mostly in the first grade classrooms but you can also find me at lunch/recess with kindergarten, 1st grade and 4th grade and doing some math with 3rd grade.

I grew up in Fort Collins- attending O'Dea, Boltz and Fort Collins High school. In my free time I enjoy watching Eagles Hockey, playing card and board games with friends, going to Escape rooms and visiting my mom and brothers in South Dakota.

I feel lucky to be a part of the Shepardson community.

Stacy

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!

Thank you to everyone who made our Read-a-Thon fundraiser a HUGE success!

Our Shepardson Stars showed that reading is our superpower! Thank you to everyone who read, donated and cheered on our students. Donations will still be accepted until Tuesday, Nov. 3 — donate now!

Save the Date: PTO General Meeting

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

Save the Date: Family Night

• Wednesday, Nov. 18th., location TBD

Join us for a Shepardson fundraiser! Dine with fellow families or grab takeout, and a portion of your purchase will be donated back to our school.

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

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 the Board Meeting convened on Oct. 27, the Board of Education voted to close or consolidate six Poudre School District schools beginning in the Fall of the 2027-2028 school year. The Board of Education voted to close two more schools beginning in the Fall of the 2028-2029 school year. This is a challenging moment for our community, but I believe these changes will make us a stronger district that is better able to support our students as we move into this new future. Thank you to the many students, families, staff, and community members who shared their perspectives throughout this process.

More information about the changes that will be implemented can be found on the PSD website.

I recognize that change like this affects our community deeply. As we prepare for change in the year ahead, please be assured that we are committed to supporting all members of our community. More information about transition supports will be shared with impacted families, students, and staff in the months ahead. Please continue to follow the Comprehensive Planning page of the website for updates.

With appreciation,

Brian Kingsley
Superintendent of Schools

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.