AAK Dragon Mail

AAK Families,

WOW! Less than 2 weeks to go! Thank you to everyone who has filled out the parent survey. We appreciate your open and honest feedback! If you would like to meet with your child's teacher or with me, please make sure you reach out directly to us, the survey does not collect your name or email.

Make sure you RSVP for our 1st annual BLOCK PARTY June 7th 5:30pm-8:00pm. It will be so much fun!

Thank you for another amazing year!

Ms. Schlagel

May 31st: 4/5th Grade Play from 5:30am-7:00pm

June 1st: 4/5th Grade Play from 11:30am-1:00pm

June 5th: SAC meeting at 4:00pm

June 7th: Block Party from 5:30pm to 8:00pm

June 12th: Spirit Day: Summer is here! Hawaiian shirts, sun hats, summer attire! (no swim wear please)

June 13th: Field Day

June 13th: Last Day of School, Half Day ends at 12:30pm, NO CLC after school

June 14th: CLC Closed

June 19th: Juneteenth, No CLC

The last day of school, June13th, is Field Day!

Students will have a fun day playing a rotation of games starting at 8: 30am and ending at 11:30am.

Lunch will be served to students at 11:30am and school ends at 12:30pm. Due to the free lunch program, we are not able to serve lunch to families this year. Please bring a sack lunch if you want to eat with your student.

There is no CLC after Field Day, the school closes at 12:30pm.

We need volunteers to help with games! If you are interested please follow this link to sign up:

https://forms.gle/mr3HHWoPXFYS5pCR6

Volunteers MUST have a volunteer form on file with the school by May 31st to help with games.

o President: Treanna A.

o Vice-president: Barry B.

o Treasurer: Cody E.

o Secretary: Lauryn P.

o Committee Coordinator: Carolina Q.

Great news! We have meals for students over the summer. In fact, anyone under 18 is welcome to stop at the school during lunchtime and get a free lunch. There will be two designated areas, one for AAK and one for Fort Collins community members. Please spread the word about this great service.

Please let us know if your student will be out for the day, or will be more than 15 minutes late for school:

If your student is going to be absent for an appointment, vacation, or is ill, please call to let us know, or use the form linked below to excuse their absence.

Your student must be free of fever, vomiting, and/or diarrhea for 24 hours without medication before returning to school, ie: if they have symptoms today, they will need to remain home tomorrow.

If your student has a runny nose, cough, sore throat, etc (without fever, vomiting, and/or diarrhea) they must stay home until they only have one sympton left and it is improving.

Or you can call 970-226-2800. Thank you!

Follow this link toto find out more about the Public School Finance Formula Bill that contains Charter facility funding.

https://secure.everyaction.com/gnHa5YabBkqRQYzj00WnoQ2?emci=357f3a38-30f8-ee11-aaf0-7c1e52017038&emdi=4de1ce12-10f9-ee11-aaf0-7c1e52017038&ceid=3139803

Drop off your Morning Fresh bottle caps in the main office and we will turn them into cash for our school!

Some of our AAK parents have created a Facebook Group!

Take a look here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/737238354737129/

All Breakfasts and Lunches are free to all students for the 2023-24 school year!

This year the menu will be posted in dragon mail every month and we will be bulk ordering for meals, so you do not need to order ahead.

Students will have several choices available. If your child has dietary restrictions, we are able to accommodate meals that are dairy free, gluten free, vegetarian, and nut free. Please come into the office to request a meal modification form. This form will need to be filled out and signed by a doctor and returned to the school.

Please feel free to send an email to Jada Kankel jkankel@aakelementary.org. Or call 970-226-2800 if you have any questions.

We have a couple ways for families to pick up their child after school. Families can choose to go through the driver pick up line or you can park and walk into the school at 3:40pm. Please do not walk up and pick up your child during driver pick up. We work hard to ensure every student is safe and is going with the correct adult. It is not possible for us to do this during that time. The line will move much faster once CLC programming begins, in the meantime we ask for your patience.

If you need your student early please come to the front office by 3pm and we will get them out of class. If you prefer to not wait in the driver line you may wait until 3:40pm, park and come to the front doors.

These practices are in place to ensure student safety! We want to avoid children in the parking lot, cars pulling in and out, and not being able to keep track of who is taking which child and when. Thank you for helping us implement these expectations!

Pre-K will pull up to the side of the building and park during regular pick up and drop off times to load and unload from carseats. A staff member will be waiting at the side door to check in Pre-K students and take them to their classroom. If students are dropping off before 7:35 or after 3:45, they will come to the front door with an adult to be checked in.

Student Drop-Off is between 7:50 - 8:10am. Please pull into the drop off line and a staff member will unload your student. This ensures students are not walking through the parking lot while there are cars moving around and is the best way to keep kids safe! Please wait until staff has unloaded the cars in front of you and waves the line forward, do not drive around the cars unloading in front of you. If your student would like to receive breakfast, they can be checked in to CLC at the front door before 7:30 when breakfast service begins, or between 7:50-8:00. Breakfast service will end at 8:00 to allow students time to finish eating before teachers take students to class at 8:10. Student's arriving between 7:50-8:00 through the car line may get breakfast. There is no drop off from 7:35 - 7:50am because staff is serving breakfast.

Student Pick-Up is at 3:20pm. The pick up line zig zags through the parking lot to keep cars off Wheaton Drive. Please be sure to pull into this line and have your ID ready to show the staff member collecting student names. We will load your student into your car when you reach the loading area. Please do not park and come up to the building to collect your student, we want to keep students from walking in the parking lot with cars moving, and only the person collecting names from drivers has the check out list. If you arrive after pick up staff has left the parking lot, CLC pick up starts at the front door at 3:40!

Thank you for your assistance with this process!

EVERY AAK STUDENT CAN JOIN CLC!

All you need to do to have your student join use before or after school this year is follow this link to sign up for CLC! if your student will attend CLC in the morning, in the afternoon, or over breaks at any point during the school year you must fill out this form: https://forms.gle/ZVQxhzFjvsdAX2az6

There is no additional paperwork to join regular CLC. Sign up for breaks and clubs will come out later!

CLC Hours:

Morning - 7:00 - 8:00am (Drop off is from 7:00-7:35) There is NO DROP OFF between 7:35 - 8:00.)

Afternoon - 3:20 - 5:30pm (Please make sure your student is picked up by 5:30, our staff's shifts end at that time, thank you!)

Please call or text the CLC Lead, Ms. Thompson, at 970-619-1077 if you have an emergency and are going to be late picking up in the afternoon, or if you have any questions.

In the event that there is inclement weather in the morning, you will receive a text letting you know we will be doing Indoor Drop Off, as well as the following email:

Indoor Student Drop-Off 7:50am-8:10am

Please park your vehicle in a designated parking spot, walk your child to the front doors, AAK staff will be there greeting all students! There will be no change to Pre-Kindergarten drop-off.

• Drop-Off will begin at 7:50am

• Park in designated parking spots

• Handicap spots are reserved for appropriately licensed vehicles only

• Walk your child/children to the main entrance

• Please do not let your child out of the car alone in the parking lot

In the event of inclement weather or freezing temperatures, we will implement our indoor pick-up procedure. We will send you a text letting you know as soon as we know, but please be aware that if the weather changes at the last minute this plan could be implemented late. Please note, pick-up begins at 3:20pm. If you arrive beforehand, please wait in your car until pick up starts. Here is how it will work:

1. You will receive a text letting you know we are doing Indoor Pick-Up

2. Please park your car

3. Between 3:20 and 3:40, enter through the main entrance with your picture ID

4. Go to your student’s classroom and check them out from their teacher

5. Exit the building through the North West doors (under the stairs)

6. Drive safe and have a great evening!

7. Indoor Pick-Up will end at 3:40, after that time, please pick up students at the front door

Please note that teachers need to focus on safely releasing students and will not be able to conference with you at that time.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call! 970-226-2800

Please send your student with a snack for snack time in class (1-2 depending on grade) as well as a snack for afterschool CLC if your student attends!

We have several students who have serious allergies to tree nuts and peanuts. Please do not send items with your student that contain nuts. If nut containing items are sent they will be disposed of and replaced with whole grain crackers or another on hand item by our staff.

Here are a few things that contain nuts that are common in lunch boxes:

Snack Mix

Granola

Cereal

Snack Bars

Nutella

Candy

Macaroon cookies

Lunchables containing candy

You can use Sun Butter in place of peanut butter! Thank you for helping with this.

Our teachers have come up with a fun menu for Birthday Celebrations this year! We are not having food treats this year because many students have allergies or food restrictions and cannot participate in treats. When your student's birthday is approaching show them the menu and decide together what they would like to do for their special day. Email their teacher to let them know what you have chosen. We look forward to celebrating with them!

ALL students must have a Free and Reduced Lunch Application filled out, even if the student will not qualify or if they will not eat school lunch. The state requires us to have one for each student. Our $150 consumable materials fee will be waived for those students who qualify for Free Lunch, and will be reduced by 50% for those who qualify for Reduced Lunch.

Please follow this link to complete it: https://linqconnect.com/public/meal-application/new?identifier=FG3UQ5

https://www.facebook.com/AAKElementary

https://www.smore.com/u/aakelementary

AAK is a public elementary school serving students in grades K-5 that reside in the Front Range. Our school offers a robust arts program that complements core academics, fosters critical thinking skills, and creates confident, creative individuals with the freedom to reach their full potential, all within a supporting school community.

Email: info@aakelementary.org
Website: https://www.aakelementary.org/
Location: 4800 Wheaton Drive, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Phone: (970) 226-2800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AAKElementary/