Need to Know? Quick Links:
Sunday, January 31
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- 2016-2017 Intent to Return Forms Due
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Tuesday, February 2
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- Weekly Daytime Tour-9:30AM
- Board of Directors Meeting
5:30PM
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Wednesday, February 3
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- Late Start:
- Middle School
- Driveline: 10:30AM
- Start Time: 10:45AM
- Elementary
- Driveline: 10:45AM
- Start Time: 11AM
- Spirit Day - Dress Hawaiian!
- 5th Grade Pancake Breakfast-7:45-10:15AM
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Friday, February 5
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- Special 100-Mile-Club "Broncos" After School Run
- MS Ice Skating Party-7:30PM
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Wednesday, February 10
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- PTO Executive Board Meeting-6:30PM
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Thursday, February 11
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- Student Council Flower Sale: Before School and during 4-8th Grade Lunch
- First Grade Concert-6:00PM
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Friday, February 12
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Monday, February 15
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Tuesday, February 16 |
- Weekly Daytime Tour-9:30AM
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Wednesday, February 17
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- Living History "Rosa Parks" Performance-6:00PM
- PTO General Board Meeting-6:30PM
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Thursday, February 18
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HELLO FROM EXECUTIVE PRINCIPAL LOWE
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Hi Flagstaff Parents, This week we had our meeting with the incoming 6th graders and their parents to talk about middle school elective choices, scheduling, etc. What we really didn't get a chance to talk about is how scary the transition to middle school can be for both parents and students - even if it means just entering a new hallway! How many of you would voluntarily return to middle school? Probably not that many. It's that time when your adolescent child is trying to find out how to be independent, while still being being very dependent on you. But in reality, adolescence begins as early as 4th grade - aka, "tweenagers!" What's happening with hormones, emotions, and mood swings? How can you respond when your child goes from that adoring, loving, little person to someone who is temperamental and demanding? Here are a few pointers from someone who actually had four teenagers at the same time (and survived), and lots of experience working with young adolescents. - Keep things in perspective. When your child overreacts to a situation, it's not about you, but generally about their frustration over their inability to handle what's happening to them. During adolescence, tweenagers are trying to gain control over their lives and can become completely frustrated when they realize they don't have the tools to figure something out. Once they have calmed down (because there is no use having a discussion when their emotions are heightened), help them think through what happened right before they became upset, articulate their response to the situation, and ways to handle it differently in the future.
- Resist rescuing your child. I know it's hard - we want our kids to be happy, but that's not reality. If your child is experiencing difficulties, whether socially or academically, help them work out a plan of action that they can undertake on their own. When you do that, you are sending a message to your child that you believe in their ability to handle things, and that when things get tough, they have what it takes to figure things out. When we try to solve our kids' problems for them, it can send the message that we don't think they are capable of doing it on their own. We undermine their confidence and create learned helplessness.
- Be their parent. Your child needs you to be the parent, not a friend. I promise you that if your child has not yet told you her or she hates you, it will probably happen at some time or the other because it is a natural response when we don't get what we want. You are the adult and you have the life experiences to know what is best - your child does not. Hold firm - it will definitely pay off in the long run!
I wish I had employed these strategies each time my husband and I encountered issues, but it was really more learning from trial and error. But hang in there - I promise that your child will come out on the other side of adolescence remembering the life lessons you taught them in childhood that you are certain right now they have completely forgotten!
 Please join me for our first "Parent Book Study" meeting. We'll be discussing Building Resilience in Children and Teens by Kenneth Ginsburg, which is so pertinent to this important transition.Date: Thursday, February 18 Time: 6:00 - 7:00 PM Location: The LMC Have a wonderful weekend! Warmly, Robin Lowe, Executive Principal Flagstaff Academy
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FIFTH TO SIXTH GRADE TRANSITION - WE'RE HERE TO HELP!
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Dear Flagstaff Families,
What an exciting month January has been! We are so fortunate for the opportunity to work with your students each week, and know that they are growing - physically, academically, and socially, under the care of our great educators and faculty! As January comes to an end, our administration and teachers have been also looking ahead to the 2016-2017 school year. We know you have a choice in where your students go to school, and we continue to make improvements to make Flagstaff the best PK-8 school in the state! At this time of year, we know families are considering whether their children will continue at Flagstaff. This natural question is most evident for our 5th grade families. This time and decision can be stressful for families- students included. For those still deciding on their middle school selection, I must say that I don't believe there is a better choice than Flagstaff's middle school. One of the best things about our middle school is the ability of our staff to get to know each and every one of our middle school students. I love that our faculty greet each student by name in the middle school hallway as they arrive each morning, and say goodbye as students leave each day. The collaboration and academic programming of our middle school is superior. I've loved to see the engineering happening in GTT this week via paper airplanes, as 8th graders help 6th graders (and vice versa!) design the best one. And watching students dig deeply into novels that I remember reading as a teenager. Our students work hard and play hard. I love that no matter the weather, kids are outside at recess, playing basketball and tag, and are busy just being kids. I encourage you to take a moment to reflect as we close the first month of 2016. I am personally grateful for our Flagstaff family and look forward to the wonderful opportunities that surround us each and every day. I welcome your questions or feedback about our programs at any time. Sincerely,
Katie Gustafson 303-651-7900, ext. 259
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2016-2017 INTENT TO RETURN FORM
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Forms are due by Sunday, January 31, 2016! Turn your form in today!
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2016-2017 WEEKLY DAYTIME TOURS & OPEN HOUSE
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Our Weekly Tuesday Tours are going strong! Principal Lowe leads our the tours, joined by other members of our wonderful staff, and continue through May 2016.
Please share this information with a family who would benefit from our educational approach and culture - Enrollment Information.
Weekly Tuesday Tours with Principal Lowe (January/February 2016 Schedule)
Every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.
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- Tuesday, February 2
- Tuesday, February 9
- Tuesday, February 16
- Tuesday, February 23
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Thank you for your support of our school! |
PILOT PM KINDERGARTEN IN 2016-2017!
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We are very excited to announce that we are piloting a PM Kindergarten Class, starting in the 2016-2017 School Year. This initiative will reduce overall class sizes throughout our Kindergarten program, as well as fulfill the increased demand for a PM Kindergarten class.
Depending on the response we receive during the Enrollment Application period, we will be able to make an informed decision on whether there is enough interest to fill an afternoon kindergarten class and reduce class sizes.
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS FEBRUARY MEETING
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The Board of Directors will be meeting on
Tuesday, February 2 at 5:30PM
at the school in the LMC. The meeting is open to the public.
The Board will be hearing updates on operations and the state of the business from the Executive Director, updates on our academic programs from the Executive Principal, and updates from various Board subcommittees.
About the Board of Directors: The members of the Board of Directors are volunteers who serve the entire Flagstaff community. Our mission, and the mission of our school, is "to develop students who are equipped to be well-rounded, ethical leaders in the world community with a foundation based on science and technology."
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COFFEE WITH PRINCIPAL LOWE
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Coffee with Principal Lowe
Date: Thursday, February 18 Time: 8:30 AM and 2:30 PM Location: The Commons |
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FEBRUARY LATE START REMINDER
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Wednesday, February 3:
Middle School
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Driveline - 10:30AM
Start Time - 10:45AM
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Elementary School
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Driveline - 10:45AM
Start Time - 11:00AM
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5TH GRADE PANCAKE LATE START BREAKFAST
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LATE START 5th Grade Pancake Breakfast (Students only!)
Date: Wednesday, February 3
Time: 7:45-10:15 a.m.
Location: The Commons
5th Graders are invited to join middle school teachers and students for a Welcome to Middle School pancake breakfast. Our amazing leadership team will be there to cook breakfast including pancakes, sausage, juice, and milk. After your breakfast, you will enjoy a middle school orientation program in the Middle School classrooms and learn all the exciting things that make Flagstaff Academy middle school so amazing. The program concludes in time for you to return to your normal elementary late start schedule. This is a special breakfast for students only.
Dragons, this event is dedicated to you! |
The January Dragon Spectrum is now live!
Hot off the digital presses! The January Issue of the Dragon Spectrum, our amazing Middle School-run newspaper is now online! Highlights from this issue include nominations for "Random Acts of Kindness," this month in history, the winter dance, the district robotics team, and more!
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JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT AT FLAGSTAFF ACADEMY
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4th and 5th GRADE PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT!
We are happy to be bringing Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain to Flagstaff Academy for grades K-7th for "Junior Achievement in a Day" on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 for grades K-7th.
Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain, Inc. (JA) is part of the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, JA provides programs for students which focus on three key content areas: entrepreneurship, financial literacy and work readiness. The goal is to teach concepts through experiential learning, allowing young people to put their new knowledge and skills into practice.
Junior Achievement's Mission: To prepare young people to thrive in the 21st century workplace and global economy by inspiring a passion in free enterprise and entrepreneurship, and instilling an understanding of personal financial literacy.
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K TO CAREER DISCOVERY EXPO EXHIBITORS WANTED!
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Exhibitors Wanted!
K to Career Discovery Expo
Date: Tuesday, February 23
Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Location: Gym
Do you work in a Science or Technology Industry? The Flagstaff Academy K to Career Discovery Expo is an opportunity for our students to see live, interactive demonstrations of how different careers and industries use science and technology, every day. We are looking for exhibits where students can get hands-on interaction and connect their science and technology knowledge from Flagstaff Academy to the real world. Industries may include robotics and automation, space exploration, health care, computer science, forestry and environmental sciences, energy, entertainment and the arts, and education --just to name a few!
If your company would like to participate, please contact Wayne Granger, Executive Director, at wgranger@flagstaffacademy.org, for more information.
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MICROWAVES IN THE LUNCHROOM
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Microwaves in the lunchroom are in high demand!
Please do not send anything for your child's lunch that cannot be heated in 90 seconds or less. Frozen meals, Easy Macs, etc. take too long and it is unfair to others to have to wait. Thank you for your cooperation!
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FIRST GRADE MUSIC CONCERT
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You're invited to attend the First Grade Music Presentation
Date: Thursday, February 11th
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Gymnasium
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8TH GRADE PARENT APPRECIATION ADS FOR YEARBOOK: CORRECTION
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 Parents can purchase ad space for their student(s) in the 2015-2016 Flagstaff Yearbook! These can be messages of congratulations, well-wishes, etc. as our 8th graders leave Flagstaff for high school. Ads are $20.00 per 1/4 page. Cash or check accepted.
CORRECTION: Please make checks payable to Flagstaff Academy, with "Baby Ad" in the memo.
Electronic submissions only, please! Deadline is March 1st.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL ICE SKATING PARTY
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Middle School Ice Skating Party
Flagstaff Middle School Social Committee is hosting an Ice Skating Party for Middle School Students!
Where: Ice Pavilion at Roosevelt Park, 725 8th Ave., Longmont
Date: Friday, February 5th, 2016 Time: 7:30-9:00 p.m. Cost: $5.00 (includes skate rental)
Questions? Contact Kathleen Meuse at (303) 718-4679 or email ktmeuse@gmail.com.
Permission slip can be found here.
***Concessions will be offered at the rink by the MS Social Committee. Hot cocoa will be complementary. Hand and toe warmers are recommended. This event is for middle school students only.
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Haven't registered yet? It's not too late! You can sign-up anytime throughout the year with the Online registration. The revised 100-mile club schedule, effective January 4, 2016, is as follows:
Morning Practices - M, T, Th, and F 7:15-7:45 a.m.
Students are welcome to attend as little or as many practices as they can. It has been so great seeing your students come out to all the 100-mile club events. We started the year off with a bang! We have over 50 students that have earned their t-shirt and 5 that have hit the 50 mile mark!
*Just a reminder that even though it is chilly outside we will still be running outside! Please dress your child accordingly: gloves, hats, and jackets are important to have.
Congratulations to the following students who have reached 100 miles!
- James O'Hara
- Jack O'Hara
- Sydney Torchalski
- Ronan Wilson
- Ian Richey
- Jeffrey Wright
- Aiden Bauer
Upcoming Events
Friday, February 5
Special After School "Broncos" Run
Pick up PROMPTLY at 4:30 p.m.
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100-mile club run @ Sandstone
Date: Sunday., Feb. 21
Time: 10:00 a.m. - Noon
Free!
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Frank Shorter RACE4Kids'
Health 5K
Date: Sunday, April 10th
The school with the highest number of students who completes the 5K wins $250, along with a trophy!
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OUR VOLUNTEERS MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE!
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Every single Flagstaff volunteer makes a difference every day for our school.
You too can become a part of our fun, caring, and connected community of volunteers!
Most Immediate Volunteer Needs:
Front Office Volunteer slots are available for Monday-Thursday, 12-2:00 p.m.
We also need help with: Health Room Volunteer for additional shifts
Flagstaff Volunteers Rock! |
The PTO executive board would like to thank all parent volunteers for helping to build and strengthen the Flagstaff Academy community through your participation in the PTO. Participating makes a difference to the parents, teachers, staff, and children at our school!
2016 Spring Gala
Save The Date!
April 16 at the Plaza Events Center in Longmont - More Details to Come Soon!
PTO Seeking Spring Gala Coordinator
PTO has a slightly different, less impactful plan for this year's spring Gala and needs a creative, deadline-oriented volunteer to be "Gala Coordinator," as well other volunteer positions. If you love party planning and feel passionate about providing the best educational opportunities for Flagstaff's students, then please contact Raelene, Navulur at rnavulur@msn.com ASAP.
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Upcoming Meetings
PTO Executive Board Meeting: Wednesday, February 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the LMC
PTO General Meeting
Wednesday, February 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the LMC
All PTO meetings are open to the general members of Flagstaff Academy and the public. Parents, guardians, grandparents are encouraged to attend.
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Deduct Dragon Dash and Gala Donations on 2015 Taxes!
Jog-a-thon:
Spring Gala Donations:
Talk with your tax advisor about the difference between auction purchases and "Call for Cash" donations made during the 2015 Gala.
Thank you for your continued support - We're all members of PTO!
Also, please "like" us on Facebook to receive our posts and stay connected!
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Before and After School Care and Enrichment Classes
Flagstaff Academy's in-house Dragon Flight program provides on-site before and after school care and enrichment classes. Dragon Flight provides students a warm, enriching environment while maintaining Flagstaff Academy's standards and values. To register for any of Dragon Flight's offerings, click here.
Late Start and Non-School Day Care
Don't forget to register for February Late Start! We'll be welcoming special guest "Ripple Effect" for a hands-on martial arts activity.
Dragon Flight Care will also be offered Friday, February 12 and Monday, February 15, if there is enough interest. Registration for these dates will open on Friday, January 29. We'll have fun activities on and off site.
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Current Dragon Flight Classes:
- Crackpots Valentine Frames - K-8
- Cooking Class -The Next Food Network Star! - K-8
- Spanish Classes with La Ventana Verde - K-3
- Chess Club - K-8
- Science Matters - Soda Slobber - K-5
- Hip Hop Classes - K-5
- Lights, Camera, Action: Acting for the Camera - K-5
- Renaissance Adventure Quest - 4-7
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See how close your classroom is to winning the first BoxTop Prize at www.flagstaffacademypto.org
CONGRATULATIONS to Ms. Wilkins & Ms. Cynkar's Class. They are first to win Chew Gum at School! Ms. Wilkins class has brought in 1,082 Box Tops and Ms. Cynkar's class has brought in 768 Box Tops! Way to Go Dragons!!!!
Classes that are on their way collecting 750 BoxTops to "Chew Gum at School" are:
Slinker 719, Lewis 652, Burnett 598, Brown 560
Please note that eBoxTops will not count towards these totals! Although, we appreciate all eBoxTop submittals, there is no way to track all of them to a specific classroom. eBoxTops will be included in the school totals, so please submit them. Only actual BoxTops that are turned into the teacher will count towards these classroom awards.
Important Reminders:
- Please remember to put the student's name, grade and TEACHER in with all BoxTops in a sealable bag/envelope. BoxTops with no teacher name will be included in the general BoxTop fund.
- Please continue to trim the BoxTops prior to submitting them.
- Please only include NON EXPIRED BoxTops. BoxTops do expire!!!
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 Flagstaff Academy | 303-651-7900 2040 Miller Drive
Longmont, CO 80501
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