Message from the Principal
Dear Ryan Elementary Community,
Thank you to everyone for supporting Ryan Elementary’s Fitness Fun Day (a.k.a. Field Day). Wow, Mrs. Richter and all of the 5th grade students worked so hard to make this special, engaging and fun for every student.
We honored Mr. Chavez, Ryan’s only Assistant Principal, last week during Cake and Connections and at our end of the year assembly. Click here if you want to watch the tribute video students made for Mr. Chavez. Thank you for taking the time to email, send notes or express your gratitude to Mr. Chavez in person. It meant a lot to him.
I am happy to share that Ms. Shauna Keene is able to return next year as our music teacher. For the 25-26 school year, our music allocation is 0.834 which is not a full time teacher because we have 15 classroom sections. We thought we would need to share this position with two music teachers due to budget reductions and our school’s allocation. We are working through schedule changes and implications since she will not be full time. I’ll share what this will look like in August. Every kindergarten through fifth grade student will still attend specials (music, art or PE) once a day as they always have at Ryan.
Ryan Elementary has been allocated a full time Dean of Students. I am excited to share that this will be Mr. Steve Sanchez. Mr. Sanchez has been a 5th grade teacher at Ryan for 8 years total, and an Assistant Principal in the past.
We are thrilled to announce that our school will receive an official No Place for Hate banner. Mrs. Trippe and Mrs. Short led our No Place for Hate Student Coalition this year and implemented three activities to reach this designation. One of the first activities of the school year was to sign the NPFH pledge and to have students write their name on the purple flag as part of this process. The flags were placed on our playground areas on January 6th. I was going to have students bring their individual flag home, but it turns out that they are too rusty for that. We will make new ones at the start of the 25-26 school year.
Enjoy the last week of school. We’ll send more details about the 25-26 calendar dates on Tuesday, May 27th.
It’s a great day to be a Rhino!
Go Rhinos!
Sincerely,
Stephanie Jackman
Principal
In this Update you will find:
- Message from the Principal
- Upcoming Important Dates
- Yearbook Ordering Instructions
- Bus Registration for 2025-26 School year
- Library Book Return Announcement
- Summer Reading Information
- Volunteer Process Reminder
- Kindergarten Registration Information
- Preschool is now Enrolling
- PTA Update
- PTA Store Link
- Message from the Health Room
- Attendance Policy Information
- Volunteer Opportunities & Process Details
- BVSD Messenger Notification Details
- 2024-25 Calendar Links
- FAQs - This section includes information from past Weekly Updates that you can access
- If you have an immediate need, please call the main office at 720.561.7000
YEARBOOKS available while supplies last in the Office!
If you haven't purchased a yearbook yet, you are still able to buy a yearbook in person for $22 (cash or check made to Ryan Elementary) in the Office while supplies last!
We are not able to take orders via phone or emails, they must be purchased in person in the office.
Bus Registration is Open on Infinite Campus
Families with students eligible for school bus service will be receiving an email invitation this week from Transportation Services to register for or decline bus service for next year. Transportation is also asking families to keep their bus passes for reuse next year.
Please note, kindergarten students who are transportation-eligible will be automatically assigned to a bus route as they don’t have access to IC until August.
View the Bus Registration Letter
Questions? Contact Amy Thompson
Library Books are PAST DUE!
All library books were due by Friday, May 9th. If you believe a library book is lost, please pay for them with exact cash, a check made to Ryan Elementary, or online using this link, https://tinyurl.com/RyanBookFee Mrs. Trippe will send out overdue/lost book notices this week.
Thank you!
Summer Reading Program Information
Want to earn FREE BOOKS? Join a summer reading program! Opportunities are available at the Lafayette Public Library and with Barnes & Noble in English and Spanish.
Volunteers / Background Checks Reminder
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.
Kindergarten Registration Information!
Dear Ryan Families,
Do you have a child who will be an incoming Kindergartener next year?
Do you have friends, family members or neighbors with a rising Kindergartener?
If so, NOW is the time to register and help us plan ahead to ensure we have staffing for the number of students starting their journey at Ryan!
To register, please go to bvsd.org or click here.
We have a wonderful Kindergarten teaching team, please check out the Kindergarten Website!
Please reach out with any questions!
Now enrolling 2025-26 preschool
BVSD preschool offers inclusive, high-quality, play-based instruction for our youngest learners. We are now enrolling for the 2025-2026 school year. Please visit bvsd.schoolmint.com to apply, or email preschool@bvsd.org for assistance in applying
PTA Update
On the last day of school, Thursday, May 22, please join us at Waneka Playground for the end of the year BBQ! Drop in between 4 and 7pm to eat and play! Grilled mains will be provided; if you're able, please bring a side dish or dessert (store bought or homemade) to share. It does not need to be enough to feed everyone, but many hands make for light work and a great celebration with our Rhino community!
The Ryan PTA invites your student to participate in the National PTA Reflections Student Art Showcase for the 2025-2026 school year! In Reflections, Ryan students will submit their completed works of art in one, or all, of the available arts categories (TBD;) selected from among Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, and Visual Arts in the following program divisions: Primary (Pre-K - Grade 2), Intermediate (Grades 3-5), and Accessible Arts (all grades welcome). The theme for the 2025-2026 program year is “I Belong!”
Reflections is a National PTA cultural arts recognition program that helps students explore their own thoughts, feelings and ideas; develop artistic literacy; increase confidence and creativity; develop critical thinking and problem solving skills; and find a love for learning that will help them become more successful not only in school, but in life. See the following short video for an introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F30WEbPSYIs
PTA Family Store Link!
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.
News From the Health Room
Before the last day of school, please plan to stop by the Ryan Health room to pick up your child(ren)'s medication. There is a “BVSD Medication Pickup & Disposal Checklist” on a clipboard in the Health room that needs to be filled out by any parent/guardian picking up medications. Questions? Email our health para, Chrystal Terhune or our school nurse consultant, Joanna Harrison
2025-2026 School House Letter, outlines Immunizations Policy, Medications and Health and Vision Screening, you can find that here (Spanish)
Volunteer Opportunities
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 or bring treats and coffee to teachers for late start or volunteer for the upcoming 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!
Please take a moment to explore this link: https://www.bvsd.org/parents-students/get-involved/volunteers you may need the Raptor check or CBI Background fingerprint check. Raptor is valid for one calendar year and CBI Background checks are now valid for 5 years!
Volunteers and field trip chaperones should be under line-of-sight supervision by BVSD staff at all times. Line-of-sight can be through a transparent wall or door. For volunteers, partners, or field trip chaperones who will not be under line-of-sight supervision by BVSD staff at all times – CBI fingerprint check required through a third party vendor, paid by the volunteer/partner/school AND volunteer must sign a BVSD volunteer agreement (Spanish).
Please see the Volunteer/Visitor FAQ and the Volunteers/Visitors Flowchart for additional details.
Click here to see what opportunities we have available Help at School
We appreciate your help! Thanks!
Attendance Announcement
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.
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.
BVSD's School Messenger support and notifications
Boulder Valley School District recently tested their emergency alert system.
The test alert included a phone call, text message and email to those opted in to receive BVSD Communications.
Users can adjust their communication preferences as desired via these instructions.
If you did not receive a text message, and would like to opt-in to receive text messages from the district and schools through SchoolMessenger, opting-in is a two-step process:
- The person's cell phone number must be in a cell phone field in Infinite Campus (students/parents) or Infor/Lawson (employees).
- They then send a text message from their cell phone to “67587” with the word “yes” in the message. They may opt-out at any time by texting “STOP” to 67587.
Ryan Elementary STEAM School
Website: https://rye.bvsd.org/
Location: 1405 Centaur Village Drive, Lafayette, CO, USA
Phone: 720-561-7000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RyanElemSTEAM