Excel Academy Eagle Update

Excel Academy exists to nurture student success through rigorous academics, hands-on enrichment, and a caring K-8 community. We offer real-world learning, deep relationships, and a place where students are known, challenged, and celebrated.

This is your last chance to share feedback this school year. The Jeffco Listens: Annual Family Survey was scheduled to close Friday, October 30, however at the time of this newsletter the link is still active. I encourage every family to participate, as to date the survey has captured only 39 responses from our more than 300 families.

Your feedback helps us make informed decisions about educational programs, school

safety and the resources and support our students need to thrive. When you share your feedback, you help us:

• Identify what's working well at our school and opportunities for improvement.
• Strengthen the school environment so every student feels safe, welcome and supported.

• Make meaningful decisions that better support our students and families.
  

Take the Jeffco Listens Family Survey today!

Join us on Thursday, November 12 for our annual Enrollment Night! This evening is for both current and prospective families. Invite friends to come learn more about Excel Academy and share this informational flyer ahead of the 2027-28 enrollment season.

• Open House for current and prospective families from 5:30 - 6:00 - Tour with a current student or alum, meet the teachers and preview curriculum, field studies, and other opportunities that await your student in the next grade level
• Information Session for prospective families from 6:05 - 6:45. Child care is available for children age 3 and older who are fully potty trained, supervised by members of our National Junior Honor Society.

We are excited to introduce colleagues who joined our Excel Academy community over the past few weeks as well as welcome back a familiar face during Ms. Mercedes Woodard's maternity leave.

• We are excited to welcome Mr. Jacob Sledge into his expanded connection as our Evening & Weekend Custodian. Mr. Jacob is well-connected, as he is the father of two Excel Academy students and married to Ms. Nikky, one of our 1st grade paraprofessionals.
• Please join us in welcoming Ms. Brenda Bickerton to Excel Academy. Ms. Bickerton is our new Executive Assistant, with primary responsibilities of supporting the administrative staff, managing student enrollment, and serving as an integral member of the Marketing & Communications Team.
• We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Brian Dale back from retirement (temporarily) to cover for Ms. Mercedes Woodard's maternity leave. Mr. Dale will fulfill all of the Dean of Students and Athletic Director responsibilities starting Monday, November 2 until Ms. Mercedes returns, which we anticipate to be mid-February. Mr. Dale previously served as our Assistant Director.

Please be sure to introduce yourself and welcome (or welcome back) Mr. Jacob, Ms. Bickerton, and Mr. Dale the next time you see them.

All registered Colorado voters should have received their mail-in ballots, and voter centers are open for in-person voting.Because the ballot is lengthy, voters are encouraged to review all candidates and measures before voting.

While public school employees cannot advocate for or against ballot items during work, they may share factual details under charter school employee guidelines. Excel Academy's Board of Directors voted unanimously to support Jeffco Public Schools' Ballot Issues 5A and 5B. If passed, Excel Academy would receive a proportional share of the funds while adhering to district accountability standards. Factual information, including background context, is available here.

Find complete election information on the Go Vote Colorado website.

Our PTO has been hard at work preparing for the Winter Carnival on Saturday December 5th from 10am-2pm. Booth applications can be picked up in the front office starting on Thursday October 29th and need to be turned in no later than Friday November 6th.

Guardians are invited to join members of our Excel Academy leadership team for our monthly Coffee Chat on Wednesday, November 4 from 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. in the cafeteria. Our first topic will be facilitated by our Marketing & Communications team ahead of enrollment season for the 2027-28 school year. We will then engage in an open forum discussion for topics of interest from those in attendance. We hope to see you there!

Our National Junior Honor Society is hosting a Veteran's Day Celebration on Wednesday November 11th from 8:30-9:30am. Do you have a Veteran who would like to visit us for this celebration? Please submit this form to RSVP.

Want a more in-depth look into what your kids are learning every week?

Then make sure to check out our Weekly Classroom Newsletter, this includes the K-5 and Middle School newsletter curated by our amazing Excel educators!

Super Science Saturday is a public science celebration that draws thousands of excited and curious people of all ages to the NSF NCAR Mesa Lab to explore Earth system science!

This event is planned by the UCAR Center for Science Education with support from other UCAR, NSF NCAR, and UCP programs and local science education organizations.

Join us on the first Saturday in November for a fun day of exploration and discovery!

Super Science Saturday will return to the NSF NCAR Mesa Lab on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm MT. The theme for the 2026 event is "30 Years of Boldly Going."

Lace up your sneakers and get ready to soar! 🦅 Registration is officially OPEN for our annual Eagle Trot School Fun Run! Join our students, families, and staff for a fantastic day of fitness, school spirit, and community fun on Saturday November 7th. Whether you want to sprint, jog, trot, or even sleep in, your participation helps us reach our fundraising goals for the school year. 👟 Don’t wait—register today, start fundraising, and let’s show our Eagle pride!

We also need a lot volunteers to help make this event a success! Check those out here and earn double hours - Eagle Trot Volunteer Opportunities

Questions? Email communications@excel-academy.org and erica@excelpto.org

You can raise money for Excel Academy just by doing your regular grocery shopping—at no extra cost to you! Simply log into your King Soopers account at kingsoopers.com, click on Community Rewards, and link your card to Excel Academy PTO.

Plus, your shopping earns you volunteer hours! At the start of each quarter, check your account to see how much money was returned to the school. For every $10 donated, you can log 1 volunteer hour (e.g., $50 = 5 hours). Sign up today to support our community with every grocery trip!

Please join the PTO for our monthly meeting on Wednesday November 4th at 6 pm in the Excel Library!

• Excel Academy PTO Website
• Simple Ways to Contribute
• PTO Information

• RaiseRight online gift card fundraising site and How It Works

Excel Academy Outreach Committee: Please reach out if your family would benefit from our care or if you can support a family in need. Email Tara Schirner, coordinator or the Excel Outreach Committee at exceloutreachcommittee@gmail.com.

Led by Excel Academy Music Teacher Mrs. Boyd through our after school Bonus Learning program, this production features many Excel Academy students. We hope to see you there!

Need care for your child on a day off from school? The YMCA offers Full Day Out care at the Duncan YMCA for Excel students! This care is available to all Excel students, even if they are not currently enrolled in YMCA Before & After School Care.

WINTER BREAK: Care is available from 7:00 AM–6:00 PM during Winter Break on December 21 - 23 and December 28 - 31.

📝 How to Register for Full Day Out (FDO) Care

1. Visit the Denver YMCA website.

2. Navigate to Programs > Education > School Breaks Camp.

3. Scroll down to School Break Full Day.

4. Select Register under the Arvada YMCA location.

5. Follow the prompts to complete your child’s registration.

Important Registration Information:
Registration will close 4 days prior to each day of care. After registering, you will receive additional forms that must be completed in order for your child to attend FDO care. Please make sure all required forms are completed before the day of care.

• Excel Academy Business Directory and Request to be Added to the Business Directory
• Excel Academy Standards-Based Grading Scale
• Order Breakfast / Lunch
• Infinite Campus Parent Portal (Check grades, missing assignments, attendance, pay fees)
• Infinite Campus Parent Directions
• Jeffco Student Insights (CMAS, ACCESS, MAP, DIBELS, READ Plan, ALP Goals, etc.)
• Log Volunteer Hours and sign-up for volunteer opportunities
• 2026-27 School Year Calendar
• Staff Shout-Outs
• Ideas for thanking a staff member: Treats and Deets
• Opt In for text messages: text "Y" to 67587

Email: communications@excel-academy.org
Website: https://excel-academy.jeffcopublicschools.org/
Location: 11500 West 84th Avenue, Arvada, CO, USA
Phone: 303-467-2295
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExcelAcademyK8