Shepardson Newsletter

Your kids are the best!! We LOVE spending our days with them. They are kind and hard working and curious - and our year is off to a great start!

We look forward to seeing our parents and guardians at the First-Fifth Grade Back to School Night this Tuesday, September 1, 2026 from 5:30-7:30. Here is the information about the sessions:

• 5:30-6:00 and 6:15-6:45 - Classroom presentations (choose one session to attend)

• Note: Fifth Grade presentations are in the gym with all three teachers

• 5:30-6:00, 6:15-6:45, or 7:00-7:30 - optional Social/Emotional/Behavioral Presentations in the Media Center (choose one to attend)

My partnership tip of the week for cultivating thriving students revolves around attendance. Attending school every day is essential for learning and success. Each day missed is a lost opportunity to engage with new material, meet new friends, or participate in classroom activities. By helping your child build good attendance habits from day one, you are partnering with us to ensure your child has opportunities for growth every day. In the next month, we’ll be doing a few attendance challenges to reward our students who are here. More details are below. If your child or family ever has difficulty getting to school, let our team know how we can help.

Thank you for your partnership! We’ll see you on Tuesday night!

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

Shepardson... educating every child, every day by cultivating curious, inclusive, and thriving students who are prepared for the world.

• Sat, August 29 - PSD Canvas Community Classic Football Games at the CSU Stadium
• Fort Collins vs. Windsor High School – 5:00 p.m.
• Tues, Sept 1 - 5:30-7:30 - Back to School Night for 1st - 5th Grade Parents/Guardians
• No childcare provided
• 5:30-6:00 and 6:15-6:45 - in First-Fifth Grade Classrooms (choose one session to attend)
• 5:30-6:00, 6:15-6:45, or 7:00-7:30 - Media Center presentation about Social/Emotional/Behavioral Learning
• Mon, Sept 7 - No School - Labor Day Holiday
• Fri, Sept 11 - Shepardson Rollerland Night
• Sat, Sept 12 - CSU Education Day
• Tickets are $15 each.
• $5 from every ticket purchased will be returned directly to our school's PE Department
• Mon-Wed, Sept 14-16 - Fifth Grade Eco Experience at the CSU Mountain Campus
• Wed, Sept 16 - 5:00 - 9:00 - Family Night @ Chipotle (Harmony)
• Mon, Sept 14 - 6:30-7:30 - PTO Meeting in the Shepardson Media Center
• Sun, Sept 20 - 10:00am - SHEPARDSON 4K FUN RUN
• Thurs, Sept 24 - School Picture Day
• Mon, Sept 28 - No School, Teacher Work Day
• Sept 29 - Oct 2 - Spirit Week and Attendance Promotion!
• Fri, Oct 2 - PTO Movie Night

Family members are welcome to join their child for lunch! Here are the lunch times this year, as well as a few updated policies for visitors during lunch:

• Kindergarten Lunch 12:00-12:20
• First Grade Lunch 11:25-11:45
• Second Grade Lunch 11:35-11:55
• Third Grade Lunch 12:15-12:35
• Fourth Grade Lunch 12:45-1:05
• Fifth Grade Lunch 12:20-12:40

Updated Policies:

• Visitors are welcome to join their child for lunch after checking in at the office. Lunch and recess provide important opportunities for students to develop social skills, therefore we recommend limiting lunch visits to once a month.
• Lunch visits begin and end in the cafeteria. Visitors must obtain a visitor badge and go directly to the cafeteria. Family members may not go to recess or the classrooms after or before lunch.
• Parents will be asked to sit at one end of the southern-most table in the cafeteria with their child seated in the open seat next to them.
• Lunch visits are intended to be one-on-one family time. Other students will remain seated with their classmates.
• Please do not bring food or treats to share with other students. Many students have allergies or dietary restrictions, and school staff must monitor food safety and district wellness guidelines.

I'm Jenn Durkin, school counselor here at Shepardson, the best school in the universe! I moved here from Massachusetts almost 20 (How can that be?!?!) years ago, but am just returning after a two-year leave to teach and adventure in Europe with my family.

When I'm not at school, in between getting my own kids to and from their lacrosse practice and games, I'm probably reading through a cookbook, biking with my family, or losing terribly at a board game. If I'm procrastinating and trying to avoid a boring chore or errand, I'm probably planning our next family adventure. Thank you for the warm welcome back to Shepardson - I am so very glad to be here and learning along with all of you!

3rd -5th Graders -want to join Star Choir for the 2026-2027 school year? Choir rehearsals will begin Thursday, September 10th at 8:00 AM until 8:50 AM in the Music Room. We will meet every Thursday morning unless otherwise stated in the choir schedule.

My goal this year is to create a safe environment for everyone to sing, create, and enjoy music this year. In choir, your child will learn how to sing with confidence, correct singing technique, and expression as well as further develop their understanding of musical terms and concepts.

I hope to see your amazing singer at our first choir rehearsal, Thursday, September 10th bright and early at 8:00 AM!

If you are interested, please sign up using this link: https://bit.ly/3SEep9u

If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me at: aulibarri@psdschools.org

REGISTRATION

• Click on Picture Above to Register through School Pay
• Pre-Registration Preferred (PSD is CASHLESS!)
• Pre-Registration CLOSES on Friday, Sept 11th at 12:00pm
• All Pre-Registered Runners will receive a t-shirt upon registering. (Shirts available until gone.)

REGISTRATION COST

Individual: $12

Family (4+): $40

Race Day Details

9:00 am - RACE DAY WALK UP REGISTRATION (Pre-Registration is Preferred) - Card Only!

9:15am - Pre-Registered Check In

10:00am - 4K Run/Walk Begins

After School Enrichment Programs Hosted at Shepardson

Community partners often apply to host their programs at Shepardson. If you are interested in these programs please click the link below:

CLICK HERE to go to website for more information!

PTO General Meeting

Monday, Sept. 14, 6:30 p.m., Media Center

Learn more about how to support Shepardson in ways big and small — all are welcome!

Family Night at Chipotle — Harmony location

Wednesday, Sept. 16, 5-9 p.m.

Enjoy a meal with the Shepardson community and support our school — dine at Chipotle, mention the fundraiser and 25% of sales come back to the school. Order online using code PQBQNCJ.

Save the Date: Family Outdoor Movie Night
Friday, Oct. 2
Bring a blanket, grab some popcorn and join the Shepardson community under the stars for a movie night on the school lawn.

Join the Shepardson Parent-Teacher Organization! Together, we make up the village that supports our children — showing up, supporting teachers, building connections, and investing in our school community.

Summer EBT Program: https://cdhs.colorado.gov/summer-ebt

• Summer EBT (also known as SUN Bucks) gives eligible children a one-time payment of $120 to help pay for food the summer when school is out.

• Your child is eligible and will be automatically enrolled in Summer EBT if...

• Your child attends a school participating in the National School Breakfast or Lunch Program (NSLP), AND one or more of the following:

• Receives SNAP or Colorado Works (TANF)

• Has household income ≤ 185% of the federal poverty guidelines and receives Health First Colorado (Medicaid) or your household submitted an income form to their school

• Is homeless, in foster care, is in the Migrant Education Program, or runaway

• Your child is between 6–17 years and does not attend an NSLP school but meets any of the above criteria.

All PK-8 schools are cell phone free zones from bell to bell. Students must keep phones, headphones, smart watches, 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. 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.

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

Sometimes life can be a little hectic, so it is important to make sure that your information is up to date and correct in ParentVUE, especially when it comes to proper contacts and authorized pickup information for your child or children.

Be sure to check this information in your ParentVUE account to ensure that the right people can be contacted when needed or a student can be released to the appropriate person.

Contact Dawnel Meyer, the Shepardson Registrar, if you need any assistance.

Poudre School District is planning for the next several decades of public education in our community. That work involves tackling questions about enrollment, facilities, and how we use our resources to serve every student well.

This page under the Community section of the PSD website brings that work together in one place. On that site you will find the committee leading it, the teams doing the detailed planning, the enrollment data behind it, and the timeline for what comes next.

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.