Ryan's Weekly Family Update

Dear Ryan Elementary Community,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. I am excited to be back at school with your amazing children for three full weeks of focused learning and fun. Thank you for supporting our Book Fair and STEAM Night!

We had an incredible turnout at STEAM Night with 221 children, 210 adults, and 32 volunteer exhibitors across 11 booths. A huge thank-you to our PTA and volunteers for making the evening such a success.

Mid-Year Assessments and A.G.E. Awards

All K–5 students will be participating in their middle-of-the-year IXL (math) and mCLASS (reading) assessments prior to winter break. We look forward to celebrating our students in January during our 3rd Annual A.G.E. Awards—recognizing Achievement, Growth, and Effort. Students will be honored in a ceremony with staff, and we will let you know when certificates are sent home.

Garden to Table — Volunteers Needed

We are seeking additional parent volunteers to help lead our Garden to Table (GTT) program. Students at Ryan Elementary participate in one garden lesson in the fall and another in the spring. No gardening experience is required to join the GTT Volunteer Team!

If you’re interested, please contact me at stephanie.jackman@bvsd.org, and I will follow up with more information.

School Bus Safety Reminders

At Ryan Elementary, student safety is always our top priority—at school and on the way to and from campus. As we move further into the year, we want to review our bus behavior expectations to help keep every student safe, respectful, and ready to learn.

Why Bus Behavior Matters

The school bus is an extension of the school environment. When students follow expectations, drivers can focus on the road and ensure everyone arrives safely.

Bus Behavior Expectations

Please review these expectations with your child:

• Stay seated at all times while the bus is moving.

• Keep hands, feet, and belongings to yourself.

• Use inside voices and speak respectfully to others.

• Follow directions from the bus driver and supervising adults.

• Respect property—take care of seats, windows, and equipment.

• Be kind and inclusive to fellow riders.
  
  

Consequences and Support

If expectations are not followed, the following steps may be taken:

1. A verbal reminder or warning and/or designated seat on bus

2. A bus conduct report shared with administration and families

3. Loss of bus privileges for repeated or severe concerns
   
   

Our goal is always to teach, not punish, and to help students understand how their actions affect others. Your partnership in reinforcing these expectations at home makes a significant difference.

Thank you for your continued support and for helping keep our Rhino community safe and respectful—everywhere we go.

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
• Share a Gift Instructions
• Student Council Update
• Book Fair Update
• Noetic Learning Math Contest Celebration
• Health Insurance Resources Available
• Volunteer Opportunity for our Cafe's Rainbow Day
• Spelling Bee Opportunity Details
• Choice Enrollment Information
• Parent Portal Edit Instructions
• PTA Updates & Store
• Parent Support Now Offered
• 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

December 10th Choice Enrollment Tour 4:00-4:45pm

December 15th Share a Gift donations will be picked up

Winter Break, No School December 22nd-January 2nd

Professional Development Day, No School For Students on Monday, January 5th

Share a Gift is an organization that collects new and gently used toys for the annual Toy Shop.

We will be collecting gifts in a marked box in the office.

The donation box will be picked up on December 15th.

Way to go Ryan! Because of your generosity during our Penny Drive we were able to provide 40 families in our school community with $100 Thanksgiving Meal King Soopers Gift Cards! We collected $461.74 in coins and $3,538.26 in venmo donations. The class that donated the most was 4th Grade. They have earned an extra recess!

Our next Community Service Event is our December Share a Gift Holiday toy collection. We are now collecting new, unwrapped toys and books to bring the joy of Christmas and a message of hope to children who might otherwise go without. You can drop your toys/books in the collection box located just inside the front doors of the school vestibule. Thanks for your generosity.

Thank you for helping make the Book Fair a HUGE success! We appreciate all of the generous volunteers, donors and shoppers!

A huge congratulations to all of our students who participated in the Fall Noetic Learning Math Contest! An incredible 95 students took part — such an amazing turnout for our Rockin’ Rhinos! We are so proud of these students for challenging themselves, showing perseverance and having fun with problem-solving. All participating students will receive recognition before winter break to celebrate their hard work!

Here are the 3rd graders that participated and see the other grade's photos below.

There will be another chance to participate in the spring contest for anyone who wants to try again or join for the first time. Keep an eye out for more information after winter break!

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

Throughout the school year, BVSD Food Services holds “Rainbow Days” to encourage students to eat a colorful, nutritious lunch by including fruits and vegetables from the salad bar.
Rainbow Days are held in the cafeteria during lunch time and last ~2 hours. We need rockstar volunteers to: encourage students in line to try a variety of produce and engage with students at tables about what it means to “eat a rainbow.” (Bonus points for wearing a salad bar-inspired accessory provided by us!) It’s a fun, easy way to support BVSD’s mission of not only feeding kids nutritious food, but educating them about why it’s so important.

If you are interested in volunteering at your school’s Rainbow Day please sign up here!

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.

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.

Thank you to everyone who came out to STEAM night! What a wonderful night of connecting with community!

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

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