PUMA PRESS
Every Student. Every Day.
November 6, 2026
Message from the Principal
Our month of gratitude continues, and it has been fun to recognize and celebrate the many ways our Pumas make Preston a special place to be! This past week, we celebrated our Pumas Who Give Their Best winners. Six students were selected through a drawing of our recognized students to enjoy a well-deserved pizza celebration! Congratulations to our lucky winners, and thank you to all of our Pumas who continue to show kindness, include others, and look for ways to help those around them.
6th Grade
Amari H. & Nora L.
7th Grade
Willow G-B. & Tino M.
8th Grade
Harlyn P. & Jacob C.
Next week, we are shifting our focus to Pumas Who Take Pride in Preston! We are looking for students who demonstrate pride in themselves, their choices, and our school community. Staff will be on the lookout for students who:
Do the right thing when nobody is watching. Follow expectations in the hallways, bathrooms, lunchroom, and classrooms.
Handle frustration appropriately. Walk away from conflict, use respectful words when upset, or ask for help instead of escalating a situation.
Own their actions. Admit a mistake, make things right, accept redirection, and move forward.
Taking pride in Preston is about more than keeping our school looking nice. It is about the choices we make, how we treat one another, and the way we represent our Puma community each day. We are excited to celebrate the students who show us what it means to be a Puma!
Thank you for continuing to partner with us as we recognize and celebrate the many ways our students make Preston a place to be proud of.
Honored to be your Principal
Gwynne Johnson
Upcoming Dates & Announcements
November 11th: PPA Meeting 7:00-8:00pm ZOOM LINK
November 11th: Veteran's Breakfast (see message below for details)
November 17th: School Accountability Meeting 3:00-4:00pm
November 17th: Preston Open House 5:30-7:30pm (Choice Enrollment)
November 23rd - 27th NO SCHOOL
Veteran's Breakfast
Dear valued veterans - we formally invite you to attend a light breakfast in your honor hosted at Preston Middle School (in the media center) at 6:50 - 7:20 am on Wednesday, November 11th. This will be followed by a performance from our choir and the Pledge of Allegiance outside by our flag pole.
If you can attend - please fill out the Google form below by November 6. We hope to see you there.
Tour de Turkey November 19th 6:45-7:45 AM
Hello Preston Families. This year our Preston Give Next class is excited to support Tour de Turkey, the Larimer County Food Bank’s annual Thanksgiving food drive. This special event helps make sure local families have a turkey or ham to enjoy this Thanksgiving.
You can help by donating a frozen turkey, frozen ham, or cold hard cash on Thursday, November 19th. Students and staff will be collecting donations in the Preston parking lot during morning drop-off from 6:45-7:45 AM
Thank you for supporting our Preston Give Next class and helping other families enjoy a special Thanksgiving meal. We appreciate your generosity! Have a great day.
School Accountability Committee (SAC)
What does the SAC do?
In general, the SAC is a representative advisory team (parents & guardians & community members) who review school budgets, drive school improvements and support parent engagement.
SURVEY Said: Tuesdays or Wednesdays right after school @ 3:00pm. SOoooo....we are rescheduling our 1st SAC meeting to be:
Tuesday, November 17th
3:00pm to 4:00pm
Athletics
Boys Basketball
Preston basketball is in full swing! Both our Varsity/Junior Varsity and C/D teams competed this week against Webber and Blevins. If you have a chance, come out and support our Pumas at home on Mondays and Wednesdays. We appreciate your support!
As a reminder, students must attend school for a minimum of three class periods during the day to be eligible to participate in practices or competitions. Students must also meet academic eligibility requirements and maintain good behavioral standing to remain eligible.
Have a great weekend, and Go Pumas!
Bill Saint
Assistant Principal, Athletic Director
Boxing Club at Boltz Middle School
Burd & Ward Attendance Challenge!
Fact: Did you know that last school year 31% of Preston's students were chronically absent? In Colorado, the threshold for chronic absenteeism is missing 10% or more of the days a student is enrolled during the school year. This year we are working towards bringing this down. That is simply too much learning and fun to miss!
To help support the effort and promote a friendly competition, Ms. Burd and Ms. Ward started a weekly challenge for treats! Way to go!
Attendance Matters!
Our school is a community where your presence matters! We strive to create a welcoming and engaging environment where you can feel valued and supported. Your contributions are important, and you belong in PSD. We want to help you be at school every day, so reach out if you are facing barriers to attendance.
Reporting school absences is easy, and we want to hear from you. Please be sure to contact us about planning ahead for any absences, such as appointments, holidays and observances, and family travel.
When you are planning ahead for an absence, you can login to ParentVUE or StudentVUE, where it is easy to see an attendance summary for the year so far.
You can learn more on our PSD website about attendance, excused or pre-arranged absences, and access to support in PSD. In the PSD Student Rights and Code of Conduct, there is information on pages 11-13 about our state laws and district-wide attendance policies (JEA and JH/JHB).
In addition to the reasons listed in Attendance Policy JH/JHB, the following reasons can also be excused by administrators as pre-arranged/excused absences:
Appointments with a doctor, dentist, or therapist
College or university visits
Non-school organized competitive activities
Serious illness or death of immediate family member; funerals
VISA expiration/renewal from home country
Weddings or vacations**
**The principal may deny an excused absence for vacations on a case-by-case basis after working with families to understand if there are circumstances around vacation timing that may be out of their control.
8th Grade Families - Almost High School Time!
Current 8th Grade Families
Attention all current 8th grade families! It's hard to believe high school is just around the corner! Please check our High School Transition website to learn about upcoming transition events happening throughout PSD. Be sure to check back often, as event dates are updated regularly. School of Choice opens on Monday, November 2nd and closes in December. The closing date has not been announced yet.
Families New to Preston
Preston Transition Series for Incoming 6th Graders and New 7th/8th Graders
Do you have an incoming 6th grader or know a family considering Preston for their new 7th or 8th graders NEXT year? If so, please check out and share our Preston transition events website to help new students and families get to know our school and prepare for a successful start at Preston!
SRO Corner
SRO Corner – Firearms 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.
SRO Meg Savage
Stayed Covered This Winter
- Keep your contact information current with Health First Colorado by setting up an account on PEAK or visit your local Human Services office to update.
- Need help with managing your Medicaid case? Reach out to PSD’s Outreach and Enrollment Specialist by filling out a referral form. Learn more about the program services here.
- Know your nearest urgent care and their holiday hours.
- Open Enrollment on the Connect for Health Colorado marketplace is happening now through January 15, 2027. Contact Larimer Health Connect to learn your health insurance options.
Medicaid Application Help
Ayuda para completar la solicitud de Medicaid
Order a Yearbook!
Yearbook Baby Ads for 8th Grade Families
Dear 8th Grade Parents/Guardians:
Are you looking for a creative way to tell your student, “I love you and I am proud of you” now that they are almost off to high school? If the answer is "Yes," place a Recognition Ad in the yearbook! Recognition ads are a great way to give your student the special attention they deserve, for everyone to see, in YOUR school's 2026 yearbook. ORDER RECOGNITION ADS AT www.TheYearbookCompany.com. Early bird deadline is October 30, 2026 (lowest price).
Club Corner
Puma Fitness Club
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:45 to 3:45
Where: Weight Room.
Questions: Ms. LaPorte - traishal@psdschools.org
Lego Robotics
Game Club
When: Thursdays from 2:30pm to 3:30pm
Where: Ms. Johnston's room (N116)
Questions: Mrs Johnston - ljohnston@psdschools.org
Science Bowl
When: Tuesdays after school from 2:30-3:30 beginning October 20th
Where: Mrs. Burke's room S103
Questions: Mrs. Burke - loganb@psdschools.org
FCA
Fellowship of Christian Athletes - Now meeting
When: Wednesdays before school 6:40am - 7:15am
Where: Room N113
Questions: Mrs. Hebert - mhebert@psdschools.org
Science Olympiad
There is still time to join!
Register: Preston Science Olympiad Registration 26-27
Events: Science Olympiad Division B Events 2027 - Google Docs
Practice Schedule: *Preston Science Olympiad Practice Schedule 2026-27 - Google Sheets
Questions: Mrs. Loyd - eloyd@psdschools.org
Preston Parent Association Corner
Looking to get connected with Preston? Check out all the upcoming opportunities!
Next PPA Meeting
PPA Meeting Wednesday November 11th at 7pm on Zoom
Here is the link:
Preston Open House
November 17th
5:30-7:30pm
We would like to have a couple of parents set-up a table at the Preston Open house and hand out fliers about the PPA. More importantly you would be available to answer questions that prospective parents may have about the school. Please email ppopreston@gmail.com to RSVP.
Teacher Appreciation Lunch
November 17th
We want to show our teachers how much we love them by providing a Fall Teacher Appreciation Lunch. Sign-up to bring non-perishable items such as plates and napkins or bring hot food. Don't have time to shop or cook? We will also purchase lunch items with donated money. Make a donation with our Venmo @PrestonPPA or drop a check off in the Preston office.
Sign-up to bring food and other items at this link. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4CA8AE28A7FB6-67325720-preston
Sign Up to Help
Sign-Up to Help with Spirit Cart
Wednesdays During Both Lunches Beginning September 16th
One of the fun and easy ways parents can help at Preston is through our Spirit Cart. The Preston Parent Association (PPA) sponsors the cart. We sell little toys, gum, squishies, etc. The kids love it. This year the PPA is going to try something new and have the cart open every wednesday. We hope that consistency will make it easier for kids to remember that it's open. That means we need more volunteers! Please reach out to PPA President Krista if you have any questions at ppopreston@gmail.com.
Click on the link to sign up! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4CA8AE28A7FB6-65784387-preston
Teacher Coffee Drive
Thank you for showing your appreciation to our teachers by providing them with warmth and coffee! We have had several donations to keep us warm through the holidays. Thank you!
Join the Preston Parent Association (PPA)
The Preston Parent Association is an easy way for parents to help our awesome school and build community with one another. Our meetings are all on zoom, on the second Wednesday of the month from 7-8pm. They are not required, but we would love to have many of you there.
Lots of our members are full time working parents and we make it as easy as possible to participate. In addition to the monthly meetings we have fun community events planned and several ways parents can volunteer with the school. To join, simply fill out the form at the link below and venmo a suggested donation of $10. Don't have venmo? Leave a check made out to Preston Parent Association in our mailbox at the school.
Questions? Email PPA President Krista Dias at ppopreston@gmail.com
PUMA Tracks & KPAW
PUMA Tracks
PUMA Tracks are a way for teachers and staff to recognize the excellence in our students. We strive to let our students know when we see them doing the right thing!
Congratulations to the following PUMAS for a Track this week:
Jessa A.
Ananda B.
Cason B.
Clayton B.
Gavin B.
Cora F.
Thomas F.
Heath G.
KJ G. (2)
Austin J.
Alex K.
Annika L.
Olivia L.
Tino M.
Xavia M.
Connor M.R.
Catherine S.
Lilly T.
KPAW
This is our student video broadcasting team that produces our morning announcements and keeps us in the know. Click on the button below to access our KPAW Youtube channel!