Shepardson Community News

Thank you for your generosity during our Read-a-Thon! Our PTO raised a whopping $21,300! Our PTO donates this money to go towards field trips, STEM materials, and classroom furniture, among other things that support the education of our students. Thank you to our PTO for being such supportive partners! Their next meeting will be on Monday, November 10th at 6:30pm in the Shepardson Media Center. Everyone is invited to join this dedicated group to learn more about how to be involved in their efforts.

Please spread the word to prospective Kindergarten families that registration and school of choice applications are now available to be completed online. It is very important that folks register for Kindergarten now so that we can make informed decisions about our class sizes, budget, and staffing for next year.

If your family is in need of support during the holidays, there are several ways for us to help. Here are a few resources available:

• Thanksgiving meals

• Weekly food bags

• Holiday gifts

• Hygiene products

• Grocery and gas gift cards

As a reminder, breakfast and lunch are free for all students every day. More information about resources is below, but don’t hesitate to reach out to our counselor, Katie Daldegan kdaldegan@psdschools.org, about anything you need. If you would like to offer assistance in supporting these programs, you are always welcome to drop off gift cards in the front office, and more information will be coming soon about how to support the Holiday Giving Tree.

This month, our character trait we are focusing on is compassion. Students are teaching each other about ways we show compassion to others - they are writing notes of gratitude, sharing compliments, and participating in our food drive. Students are inclusive of each other in group projects and impressively clean up after each other in the cafeteria. You should be proud of how compassionate your children are - we sure are!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Thank you for sharing your amazing children with us!

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
we are all … learners … teachers … leaders

Your input is important -- please share by completing the Shepardson Community Insights Survey!

I’m Aaron Crawford, the PE teacher at Shepardson on Wednesdays. I spend the other 4 days of the week at Bacon Elementary School where I’ve been for the last 23 years. I’m originally from a small town in Illinois where I played many different sports. While at Shepardson my philosophy is not just about exercise and traditional sports, but about building confidence, fostering teamwork, and developing lifelong healthy habits. I have a Master of Education degree in Adventure PE. My lessons focus on sportsmanship, integrity and problem-solving while using games and activities as a fun medium for growth. My goal is to learn all the Shepardson STARS names by the end of the year.

When I’m not in the gym teaching PE, you might find me and my wife walking our dog around City Park, biking/hiking in the mountains, rafting down the Poudre river or spending time at the lake in the Wisconsin Northwoods.

I’m grateful to be a part of this awesome Shepardson community and look forward to getting know everyone. Feel free to come by the gym on Wednesdays to say Hi.

Sincerely,

Aaron Crawford

PE teacher(Wednesdays) at Shepardson STEM Elementary

More information about events is on our website, including access to our Shepardson Calendar that you can add to your own google calendar. Some highlights of events for this week include:

• November 3rd - 14th - Thanksgiving Food Drive - STAR Squad

• Friday, November 7th - 8:15am - Mileage Club

• Monday, November 10th - 8am - STAR Squad Meeting

• Monday, November 10th - 9am Picture Retakes

• Monday, November 10th - 3:45pm Book Club

• Wednesday, November 12th - 8:00am Choir Rehearsal

• Wednesday, November 12th - 3:45pm - Mileage Club

• Thursday, November 13th - 3:45pm - Coding Club

• Thursday, November 13th - 5:30-7:30 - Family STEM Night at Shepardson

• Thursday, November 20th - Tour de Turkey - 8:00-8:45am OR 3:00-4:00pm

• Thursday, November 20th - 6:30-7:30 - 3rd Grade Folk Dance Music Program

• November 24-28th - NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break

What an incredible month of reading, teamwork, and community spirit! Our Shepardson students truly unlocked their superpowers—reading 307,000 minutes this October (that’s more than 5,000 hours!!) and raising an amazing $21,300 to support Shepardson Elementary!

Every student should feel so proud of their effort. Whether they logged a few chapters or hundreds of minutes, each page read helped power our school—and that’s something to celebrate!

While donations may still trickle in, we want to give a huge shout-out to the incredible students who, as of today, have officially earned their place in the PTO’s Read-A-Thon Hero Hall of Fame for raising $400 or more in reading pledges:

Barrett A, Truxton B, SD, Zephyr D, Grace L, Bodie LD, Landon L, Amelia R, Camille R, Presley R, Luke S, Evelyn S, Olivia S, and Lucy W.

Please join us in celebrating these amazing superheroes for their dedication, hard work, and reading power! Keep an eye out for our Hero Hall of Fame display coming soon — a fun celebration of their superpowered accomplishments! 💥📚

We’re working closely with our T-shirt vendor to finalize production. Prize pick-up is currently targeted for the week of December 1st, and we’ll share exact details as soon as they’re confirmed. Stay tuned for updates!

As we begin planning next year’s Read-A-Thon, we’d love to hear what worked well for your family and any ideas to make 2026 even better. Please share your thoughts in this short, feedback form: CLICK HERE TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK

Your input helps us keep this event fun, motivating, and meaningful for every student!

Your generosity, encouragement, and superhero-level school spirit made this year’s Read-A-Thon an unforgettable success. Thank you for helping our students grow as readers and community heroes.

We hope this letter finds you well. We are writing to inform you of an important change regarding SNAP benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). According to recent updates, SNAP benefits are scheduled to end on November 1st, 2025. This means after this date those of you who receive monthly SNAP funds on the EBT card will end.

We understand that this change could cause significant hardship for those of you who rely on these benefits. As a school community we want to make sure you are aware of the resources and support available to you. Please look at the attached information about food banks and other resources available.

Blue Food Bags: Food bags will still be distributed to those who have received them throughout this year. If you are someone who would like to receive a weekly food bag provided through McBackpack please email our school counselor, Katie Daldegan at kdaldegan@psdschools.org. You can use/end this resource at any time of your choosing.

Hygiene Products: If you are in need of any hygiene products (shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, female products etc.) Please reach out to our School Counselor Katie Daldegan at kdaldegan@psdschools.org

Sunflower Fund: If you are a family who would like to help contribute to supporting our families in need, please consider donating gift cards to our Sunflower Fund. These gift cards go directly to supplying groceries, gas, personal items etc. to those who are experiencing financial hardship. Drop off King Soopers, Target, Walmart Gift Cards to the front office.

In addition, please consider supporting our Turkey Round Up this year!

When? Thurs, November 20th 8am-8:45 or 3pm-4pm.

What? Bring a Turkey with you to Shepardson and we will donate it to the Fort Collins Food Bank to support our community in need!

More information to come about Holiday Supports. For families who are struggling, please do not hesitate to reach out with questions. We have the resources, and we want to support YOU!

Thank you to the Shepardson community as a whole for your continued compassion and generosity. Your support makes a real difference for families facing uncertainty, and we’re deeply grateful for your commitment during this challenging time.

Helping Families in Need!

ONLY 1 Week Left and we are a long way away from our goal. If each student brings 5-6 items we will reach our goal of 2,025 items! The basket in the front entrance - including one of each of the items on the list was under $10. Let's pull together as a community and help those in need!

5th Graders Open Houses are around the corner for Middle Schools!

Monday, November 10th

It's COUNT DOWN to Family STEM Night! We hope you'll join us for Shepardson Family STEM Night on THURSDAY Night. The school will be filled to bursting with STEM-tacular FUN! Join us for a FUN and FREE evening of STEM activities and demonstrations designed for preschool through 5th Grade students and their families.

For more information, contact Becky Woodcox (bwoodcox@psdschools.org)

It takes a lot of help to pull off Family STEM Night! We need volunteers to help with set-up, during the event, and with clean-up. Volunteer to help make Family STEM Night a HUGE success! For complete information about volunteering needs, visit the Family STEM Night Volunteer signup: http://bit.ly/shepstemnightvolunteers2025

For more information, contact Becky Woodcox (bwoodcox@psdschools.org)

Help us keep our campus safe:

• Please "walk your wheels" around campus by not riding bikes or scooters on the blacktop around the school.
• Do not park and leave your car in red zones.
• "Kiss and Go" areas are for drive through traffic only - do not park your car in these zones.
• The north side "Kiss and Go" area for older students is marked with yellow paint on the curb to remind where there should be no parking.

Class dates: 11/18/25, 12/2/25, 12/9/25, 12/16/25

Tuition: $99 per 4-week theme

You’ve traveled into the lab of Professor Plasma and realize he’s set traps to keep you from leaving. Escaping won’t be easy, as the professor was diabolical and left one trap after another. To succeed, you’ll have to be one step ahead. Use your scientific knowledge to solve puzzles and complete experiments in order to uncover clues that will lead you to finding your way out. Join us in this thrilling adventure to see if you can outsmart the mad professor!

Families are welcome to join their child for lunch! We ask that families do not attend recess, though. We will offer a recess volunteer training that will be required before attending recess. More information will come soon about that training opportunity.

• Kindergarten Lunch 11:55-12:20
• First Grade Lunch 12:15-12:35
• Second Grade Lunch 11:25-11:45
• Third Grade Lunch 12:35-12:55
• Fourth Grade Lunch 1:00-1:20
• Fifth Grade Lunch 12:45-1:05

All PK-8 schools are cell phone free zones from bell to bell. This is a district-wide policy. Students must keep phones, headphones, 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. This includes smart watches. 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.

Please do not text your child during the school day. If they are using their watch or phone, it will be stored at their teachers desk for the day. If it continues to be an issue, it will be stored in the office until a parent comes to pick it up.

For full details, visit the PSD Code of Conduct page, found here.

In an effort to foster a culture of mutual respect, effective communication, and quality customer service, PSD has created a set of norms for staff, family/guardian, and community engagement. These norms aim to set a positive tone for interactions between staff and parents and community members, whether they happen in person, over the phone, or in writing.

The norms will be posted in all PSD schools and include expectations that:

• Calls or emails that are not emergencies will be acknowledged within three school days.

• Appointments between the parties involved will be established as a norm for addressing concerns or discussing important matters through direct communication.

• Appointments will take place as soon as reasonably possible. Adequate time is needed for preparation and research before an appointment.

• Communication will focus on collaboration and understanding – respectful language and non-confrontational behavior from all parties are expected.

• Boundaries between personal and professional life will be maintained, and sensitive matters will not be addressed in community settings.

It’s important for everyone in our schools and in our communities to feel welcome and engage in mutual respect to best serve students.

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.