September Newsletter - Cache La Poudre Elementary

Cache La Poudre Elementary School 

Pirate Pages 

Page 1 CLPE School Newsletter September 2012 

Cache La Poudre 

Elementary School 

3511 W. Cty Rd 54G 

LaPorte, CO 80535 

Principal: 

Roxann Hall 

Counselor: 

Ann Lawler-Perry 

General 

Information 

Office Hours 

8:40am-4:00pm 

Phone Numbers 

Office 

488-7600 

Fax 

488-7676 

Attendance Line 

490-3070 

*If your child is ill or will not 

be at school, please leave a message 

on the Attendance line at 

490-3070. 

School Hours 

8:55am-3:40pm 

Doors Open at 8:40 AM 

1/2 Day Kindergarten 

8:55am-12:00pm 

Principal’s Note 

Dear CLPE Parents/Guardians, 

WELCOME TO CLPE! 

We have come through some rough waters this summer, but CLPE is ready, willing, 

and able to assist our students and their families in any way they may need. It 

has been a privilege and honor to be a part of this fine community, and be of service 

to our students and families! 

Please look for a Passport with “Ports of Call” stamps, to come home on the first 

or second day of school. CLPE has adopted PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions 

and Supports) using our CREW motto: Cooperation, Respect, and Empathy along 

With Integrity. Frequently teaching of behavior expectations and revisiting those 

expectations should result in less discipline issues and more student responsibility. 

Fun filled quarterly CREW assemblies will spotlight individual student and classroom 

accomplishments, as well as provide exciting educational experiences for all 

students. 

Please remember to call teachers first if your child comes home unhappy. Many 

times it is a simple misunderstanding. Sometimes children will only tell you their 

version and may not see the big picture or may not report what they themselves 

have done or said. I know it is hard to trust people you don’t know well, but be 

assured we are doing everything possible to help your child to grow into a fine individual 

who takes responsibility for his or her actions. 

IB remains a focus for the year. We have just received the name of our IB consultant 

who will be helping us for a year and a half. We are officially an IB Candidate 

school and hope to reach full blown IB World School status by around December 

of 2013. Please come check out our IB Program of Inquiry painted on the walls in 

our entryway. Former parent, Anne Gordon, created a master- Continued page 2 

Preschool 

AM: 8:55am-11:40am 

PM: 12:20pm-3:40pm 

Website 

http:// 

eweb.psdschools.org/ 

schools/clpe/


piece for us! It is truly a work of art. 

Continuing our work on school improvement, we also will focus on math interventions, 

and the writing of quarterly prompts and writing rubrics. Look for improvement 

of your student’s growth throughout the year in all areas, academically, socially, 

and behaviorally! 

Please call us by 3:00 if your plans have changed for transportation of your child at 

the end of the day. Getting those messages out in the last few minutes sometimes 

results in unhappy students and parents, with missed busses or people waiting on 

students who forgot and left on the bus. Also, our front doors will not be open for 

business until 8:40 and the doors will lock again at 4:00. Please be respectful of 

our office staff and their hours on duty. 

Back-to-School Night on Thursday, September 6, will feature each classroom 

teacher and a short video from your principal, Mrs. Hall. This time remains an 

informal time to hear what the school year and school day looks like for each grade 

level. Time for that event will be from 5:30-6:30 p.m. 

The September lunch menu is available on the PSD website. We have sent important 

papers that need to come back to school as soon as possible. If you have not 

returned them, please do so ASAP. Our funding is directly related to the timely 

signatures and return of this paperwork. 

Again, welcome to our CLPE Pirate waters. I am looking forward to a fantastic 

year and can’t wait to see you all soon! 

Sincerely, 

Kid-Friendly 

Restaurants! 

“I can learn. I will learn. If it is to be, it’s up to me. I can do it!” 

Activity Zone


HELPFUL HINTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL 

YEAR 

Call the teacher first with questions or concerns. 

Return all forms to classroom teacher including Free 

and Reduced Lunch Forms. 

Front doors open at 8:40 

A.M. and P.M. Rush-Stay in car to drop students off at 

east side of building. Students go to breakfast through east doors. Stay in car to 

pick up students at the end of the day. A staff member will come to you asking 

what child you need, then we will send them out. 

Tell your child before they leave home how they are to get home that day, bus or 

pickup/walk/bike. That helps us so much. 

If you change your after school plans, please call the office by 3:00 so we can 

deliver the message to your child. 

New lunchroom times: K-11:55, 1-12:10, 2-12:25, 3-1:00, 4-12:45, 5-12:40. K-2 

enjoy recess AFTER lunch and 3-5 enjoy recess BEFORE lunch. 

Positive behavior awards come in the form of “Pieces of Eight” in keeping with 

our Pirate theme. In reality they are bright gold slips of paper coming home with 

your child. The other third of the slip goes into each teacher’s pocket on our 

chart. Every Friday, Mrs. Hall chooses 1 student per class from the chart, to go 

on an Honor Walk with her. Ask your child about “Pieces of Eight.” 

Stay up to date with CLPE Pirate News! Follow these instructions 

to sign up for email from our school as well as 

Poudre School District News. 

Parents are encouraged to keep phone numbers, addresses, and emergency contact 

information updated throughout the school year. Provide your email for emergency 

notifications and communication via email by signing up at www.psdschools.org > 

Email Alert Sign up (found on the slideshow at the top of the page) then click on 

More. This will also enable you to receive the CLPE monthly newsletter and other 

important information from us.


WE WILL SEND ALL NEWSLETTERS AND MANY COMMUNICATIONS BY 

EMAIL BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER. IF YOU WANT A PAPER COPY OF THE 

NEWSLETTER, PLEASE SEND A NOTE TO THE OFFICE OR CALL THE OF- 

FICE AND WE WILL BE SURE TO SEND A PAPER COPY HOME WITH YOUR 

STUDENT NEXT MONTH! 

From the Health Office 

Welcome back to school! For new families, we want to introduce 

ourselves. Sheri Furlott, RN is our school nurse. She will 

be on site Tuesdays. Trish Rundquist is our health technician and 

secretary and will be in the building daily. If you have any questions 

regarding your child’s health, please contact either Sheri or Trish at 488-7626. 

Medication at School 

For students that require medication at school, over the counter or prescription, a 

medication permission form must be submitted, signed by a physician and parent/ 

guardian. Medication will not be given to any student without the appropriate 

signed permission form. These forms are available in the front office or on the PSD 

web site at http://www.psdschools.org/school-resources/student-services/healthservices. 

Our fax number is (970) 488-7676. All medication must be in the original 

bottle with the same prescription information on the bottle as on the permission 

form. Baggies with medicine will not be accepted. Parents are always welcome to 

come in to the office to give medication in the event that permission slips are not 

signed. If given a prescription from the ER at the hospital, please be sure to ask for 

an extra copy of the prescription to give to the school. 

Immunizations 

Colorado Immunization Law requires all students be immunized upon 

entering school. If you have any questions regarding immunizations, 

please call Trish or Sheri. November 1, 2012 is the school exclusion date. This 

means any student not up to date on immunizations may be excluded from attending 

school until that student is current with immunizations. If there is a medical, religious 

or personal exemption, a Colorado Immunization Exemption form must be 

signed and on file at the school.


Vision and Hearing Screening 

Our vision/hearing screening will be October 2, 2012 in the cafeteria 

from 9:00-12:00. We screen grades K-3 and grade 5. Please let us 

know if you have concerns regarding your child’s vision or hearing 

prior to that date. We need 8-10 volunteers to help with vision and 

hearing screening. If you are available and an approved volunteer, 

please call the office to sign up. 

Clothing Donations 

We are doing pretty well with extra clothing in the nurses office. We can always use 

extra pants/shorts for the younger students (Kindergarten, 1st & 2 nd ). Any gently used 

sweat pants work best! 

WELCOME TO OUR NEW PIRATE CREWMEMBERS 

Many of you may have noticed we have several new faces on our staff this year. Let 

them introduce themselves! 

Kelly Ryan-Kindergarten Teacher 

Hello! My name is Kelly Ryan, the new full-day Kindergarten teacher at CLPE! I 

graduated from Colorado State University in 2004 with a degree in Early Childhood 

and in 2009 I graduated from Walden University, with a Master’s degree in Education. 

After graduating in 2004, I joined the United States Navy and was a Chinese 

linguist for 6 years, which had been a long-time dream of mine. After the Navy, I 

moved back to Fort Collins and became a preschool teacher at Linton Elementary. 

This is my second year teaching and my first in Kindergarten. I look forward to an 

amazing school year at a school I love, with my wonderful students! 

Wendy Horner-1st Grade Teacher 

My name is Wendy Horner and I come to CLPE from Arizona. This is my 8th 

year as an elementary teacher, and I have spent the last 7 years teaching at an IB 

school. Previously I taught 3 rd grade for four years, worked as a PYP coordinator for 

a year, and this is my 3 rd year teaching 1 st grade. In 2010 I completed my Master of 

Science degree in Elementary Education with a focus on Kindergarten – 5 th grade 

Mathematics. Outside of school I enjoy hiking and camping with my dog and spending 

time traveling to visit family. I am honored and excited to be joining the CLPE 

Crew, and I am looking forward to a fantastic year with my students .


Andrea Zanchuk-1 st Grade Teacher 

It is a privilege to join the CLPE pirate community! I have had the honor of teaching both kindergarten 

and first grade. The rewards of teaching young children are abundant! I look forward to 

working with each of you as we grow together to create life long learners in our students. 

Barbara Clark-Paraprofessional Integrated Services 

This is my second year as a paraprofessional with Integrated Services in the Poudre School 

District and I couldn't have imagined a second landing with a warmer welcome! I am so glad to be 

a new recruit with a shipload of pirates, and I come with a lot of enthusiasm and love for kids and 

for all the folks dedicated to witnessing the joyful unfolding of these young-uns! Prior to being a 

pirate, I was a P.E. teacher for nine years at Oakwood Elementary School and am continuing to 

encourage healthy bodies and minds through my private practice as a massage therapist since 1994. 

My husband and I have been in Fort Collins since 1993 and are continually fascinated by this parenting 

journey of our two sons, ages 20 and 16. Along with being a mom and a homemaker, I 

come with a love for music and all things good and creative. 

Here's to a wonderful year ahead for all of the CLPE community and to feeling honored to be a crew 

member of a wonder-filled and inspiring ship! 

Kandy Flynn-Office Manager 

Hi my name is Kandy Flynn, I just moved here from Western Pennsylvania where 

I was employed for 15 years at the DuBois Area School District. I have over 20 years 

of experience in office management ranging from school, municipal, and banking. I 

have two grown children and I live with my daughter here in Fort Collins. I am excited 

to be a part of the CLPE community! 

Carol Peterson-Media Technologist 

Hi, my name is Carol Peterson and I’m the new Library Media Technologist for 

Cache La Poudre ES. I was most recently a Technology Coordinator for the Poudre 

Schools and before that worked as a school librarian and computer teacher. I am 

looking forward to working with all our students on computer citizenship 

and safety, as well as developing a love for reading. I am at 

CLPE on Mondays, Wednesday mornings, Thursday and Friday. I 

would love help in the library so don’t hesitate to volunteer .


Megan Fritchman-Speech-Language Pathologist 

I recently graduated with a Masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology from 

University of Northern Colorado. Prior to that, I received a Bachelor of Science 

degree from Colorado State University. I have also taught preschool and traveled 

the world. I love to be outside and I am excited to be at CLP this year. 

News from the Art Department-Mrs. Awsumb-Conn 

Hello from the art room! We are excited to be back for another year at CLPE! 

I’d like to introduce Ms. Zeikus, my student teacher, from CSU. She will be learning 

and teaching for the next 8 weeks in the art room. 

The projects for the next month will begin with a celebration of the Olympics. All 

students will use clay to produce their very own Olympic medal. It’s always fun to 

make things out of clay. Each student will focus on their own strengths for the design 

of this medal. 

In October, look for the Original Works project! Students very own artwork can be 

made on products for themselves and their family. Participation is voluntary, but it 

is a fundraiser for Art. Please consider participating in this great opportunity! 

Spanish Class 

¡Hola a todos! Hello everyone! I must say we’re off to another great start in 

the CLPE Spanish classroom! In keeping with our transition towards the International 

Baccalaureate (IB) program, we will be learning lots about what it is to be a 

“good communicator” through learning a foreign language. As always, our focus is 

to have our students, “Get the ear, and lose the fear!” In other words, we want our 

students to become more comfortable hearing Spanish and being “risk takers” in 

trying it out themselves.This is our first year with a new Spanish curriculum, and 

our learning will be structured around six central themes: Who I Am, What I Eat, 

Who is My Family, What I Do in My Free Time, My Life as a Student, and The 

World I Live In. Be on the look-out for different work and artifacts your child has 

from their Spanish class, and please encourage them to bring in any “show-andtells” 

related to the Spanish language or Spanish-speaking countries. If you yourself 

are interested in sharing your experiences abroad in our classroom feel free to contact 

me via e-mail or phone! ¡ 

Hasta luego! 

Jennifer Glodowski 

jglodows@psdschools.org


Counseling Corner 

It feels so good to be back to school. I have changed to a new office. I am now located 

in room #116. You can find me between the office and the workroom, tucked 

back down a little hallway. Needless to say, an office is too small to hold guidance 

classes. So, I will be going to each of the classrooms to teach my lessons this year. I 

am hoping to start at all grade levels at the end of August once I have finished helping 

students in 2 nd through 5 th grade with the district MAP’s test. MAP’s is the district 

levels test that is given entirely on the computer. 

September will be a very busy month. We will be working on the IB attitude 

of Cooperation. Cooperation means to work together as a team. We will also be 

working on friendship and small group skills. This year, in 3rd through 5th grade, students 

will continue to use a class meeting style format, which will allow the students a 

greater level of participation and involvement. We will review our bullying prevention 

programs in all grades with an emphasis on empathy for the primary level. Also 

listen for primary students to talk to you about stranger danger. Once again students 

will view Safe Side Super Chick for ideas on what to do when a strange adult approaches 

them. I’m looking forward to a terrific September! 

From the Music Department-Mrs. Flail 

What an exciting year we are going to have in music! We are 

starting Little Kids Rock with guitars. Guitar units will focus 

on 4 th and 5 th grades but there will be shorter guitar units for all students here at CLPE. 

I am also excited about our African drums after attending a workshop on World Music 

Drumming this past summer. We have already been making some great music during 

our first week back! 

Of course, we will be working on our State Standards for Music, too. We will be practicing 

skills such as singing, playing instruments, reading and writing music, listening 

to music, and more, in order to fulfill our standards of Expression, Creation, Theory, 

and Aesthetic Valuation of Music. We will be phasing in more specific assessments to 

show our achievement. Also, 4 th and 5 th graders should bring in their recorders from 

last year! 

As usual, we will have programs to give all students here at CLPE the opportunity to 

perform. New this year will be a separate program for each grade level. Hopefully, 

this will make room for everyone in our audience and allow you a better view of your 

students as they perform! All programs will be in the CLPE gym unless otherwise 

noted. They have been scheduled to coincide with the subject of an IB Unit of Inquiry


approaches: 

Thursday, November 8, 6:30 p.m. Third Grade 

Thursday, December 6, 6:30 p.m. First Grade 

Thursday, February 7, 6:30 p.m. Kindergarten 

Thursday, February 28, 6:30 p.m. Second Grade 

Thursday, April 18, 6:30 p.m. Fifth Grade 

Thursday, May 2, 6:30 p.m. Fourth Grade 

Thursday, May 16, 6:30 p.m. RiverSong Choir 

Thursday, May 28, Evening time TBA, “Pops at the River”- Fifth Grade joins CLPMS at CLP 

Soccer Fields 

Finally, we have big news for the choir: CLPE RiverSong Choir has been selected from over 

120 groups to sing at the Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA) Clinic/Conference in 

Colorado Springs in January. This is a huge accomplishment! Congratulations to all of last 

year’s members for their excellent work. We especially thank last year’s fifth grade members, 

and we are so sad that we cannot bring them with us (the rules don’t allow it!). The choir will 

again be for 3 rd , 4 th , and 5 th graders, and will meet in the CLPE music room Thursday mornings 

at 7:45 (students can arrive at the music room door as early as 7:30). This year we will be adding 

a few after school practices/retreats on Tuesdays. The dates for these will be sent home at 

the first choir practice—Thursday, August 30. Students may join until September 13; simply 

come to practice by that date to join. Permission slips for participation along with detailed 

choir information will be sent home from the first practice your student attends. Students must 

enter the music room door for choir. 

Thanks for all your support! We are set to have a busy but amazing year in the CLPE Music 

department. Please contact me, Mrs. Flail, at 488-7645 or by email at mflail@psdschools.org if 

you have any questions. 

PLEASE JOIN US AT CULVER’S ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, FROM 5-8 P.M. FOR 

OUR MUSIC FUNDRAISER. THE CHOIR WILL SING AT 6:30!!! See you there! 

Other Ways Parents can help CLPE 

We collect Box Tops, Morning Fresh Caps and Labels 

for Education. Also we get a percentage of grocery bill 

if you use your Albertson’s card, available in office!


Welcome Back Parents! 

PTO 

Hello to all the families at Cache La Poudre Elementary and welcome 

back. My name is Ingrid Burnham and I am the president of 

the CLPE PTO (Parent Teacher Organization). I am really looking 

forward to the new school year and would like to fill you in 

with the plans of PTO for this year. 

The CLPE PTO is here to support CLPE through fundraising and family activities in 

order to enhance our children’s educational environment. We need your help to accomplish 

this goal. We are looking for your ideas, talent, enthusiasm, creativity, opinions 

and involvement. This can be done by coming to the PTO meetings or just helping 

out with various PTO volunteer opportunities. The PTO meetings will be held on 

the first Tuesday of every month, from 2:30 to 3:30 pm. If the meetings are difficult 

for you to attend but you still want to get involved please contact me at my information 

below and we can set something up. 

PTO has different fundraisers and activities planned for this year. Many we have done 

for years and some are new this year. We have planned Scholastic Book Fair, A Fun 

Run, Chili Supper & Silent Auction, BoxTops, Campbells Soup Labels, Grandparents 

Day and many more. We will have volunteer sheets at Back to School Night so parents 

and guardians can sign up to volunteer for any of these fundraisers and/or activities. 

Volunteer Information 

If you are interested in volunteering for anything at the school you can contact our 

Volunteer Coordinator Rebecca Santillanes at 204-1942. Rebecca is coordinating all 

volunteer efforts at the school. Anyone volunteering at CLPE must be a registered 

volunteer. You can register at the PSD website which is www.psdschools.org. Click 

on the word “Parent” at the top right of the website, then on the left hand side at the 

bottom click on Volunteer Opportunities. Here you can register to volunteer as an individual 

parent or guardian. We have computers in the office at school where you can 

do this as well. Once you have registered, every time you volunteer at the school you 

must sign in on the computer in the front office. This keeps track of all volunteer 

hours for CLPE. Once again if you have any questions about volunteering please contact 

Rebecca at 204-1942 or baylagirl11@hotmail.com. If you need to register and 

you need access to a computer, we have a kiosk in the office you may use.


If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas about PTO school activities or fundraising, 

please feel free to contact me. You can contact me at burnham5960@q.com or 568-9627. 

We are looking forward to a great school year! 

PTO officers for the school year of 2012-2013 

President: 

Ingrid Burnham 

Vice President: Jenny Rendfrey 

Secretary: 

Gina Stewart 

Treasurer: 

Ryann Hodge 

Volunteer Coordinator: Rebecca Santillanes 

Come make a difference in your school. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting. 

Planning to visit Please remember to sign in at the office when you 

come to visit. We also welcome family members that want to eat lunch 

with their student, please call the cafeteria at 488-7605 to let them know 

so we are sure to have enough food for all the hungry 

people! 

Need to ride home with a friend Please send a note with your student 

if they need to ride the bus home with another student. Drivers require a bus pass from the 

office for this to happen. We do not accept phone calls, it must be a written note from the 

parent or guardian.


*****CALENDAR OF EVENTS***** 

September 

3-No School -Labor Day 

4-PTO Meeting-2:30 PM Conference Room 167 

6-River Song Choir practice-7:45 AM in Music room 

6-Back to School Night 5:30-6:30 PM 

13-River Song Choir practice-7:45 AM 

17-K-8-No School-Teacher Collaboration Day 

18-Extra River Song Choir practice-3:40 PM 


20-Individual School Pictures –9:00-11:30 AM-Flex Room 

26-28-5th Grade Eco Week Overnight Field Trip-leave at 9:00 AM 


27-3rd Grade Field Trip to CSU Learning Farm –9-12 AM 

October Preview 

4-Culver’s Night Fundraiser-5-8 PM River Song Choir performs 

12-PTO FUN RUN 

18-K-5 No School-Parent Teacher Conferences 

19-K-12 No School-Parent Teacher Conferences

September Newsletter - Cache La Poudre Elementary

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