Barney Ford Elementary

Weekly Update, August 22

08/22/24, 5:01 PM

Dear Families,

 

Thank you for helping make the first week of school a success for our students and staff! Students are adjusting to their new classrooms with joy, hard work, and new friendships.

As a school, we are asking for your help with a few routines.

Breakfast in the Cafe

Breakfast is free and available for all students. We will serve breakfast in the cafeteria instead of the classroom this year. Breakfast will be available from 7:30-7:50 a.m.. Students can enter the building at 7:30 to eat. Students who do not want breakfast will stay outside until the bell rings at 7:45 a.m. ECE students will eat in their classrooms starting at 7:45 a.m.  Your student will be marked tardy at 7:50 a.m.

Drop Off and Pick Up Reminders

• Please use the Kiss and Go lane in front of the school to drop off your students. Do not park in this lane because it slows down the drop-off process.
• Do not double park on Maxwell. It is very dangerous for students and other drivers if you stop next to a car to let your children out. 
• Cross the street at the crosswalks. Our crossing guards are on duty from 7:30-7:50 a.m. and 2:45-3:00 p.m.
• Do not park in the bus zones. The school buses and RTD buses need access to their stops at all times throughout the day. Please do not park in these no-parking zones.

Complete the BESS Screener

DPS uses the BESS screener to provide a quick and reliable way of assessing the behavioral and emotional strengths and potential risk levels in children. Just as students participate in screenings for vision, hearing, physical health, reading, and other academic areas, the BESS provides an indicator of a student’s mental health risk level. Screening allows for early identification of supports that can help offset current or future mental health risk in students.

 

Please use this link to complete the screener for your children. You will need their student's ID number and date of birth to access the form. Please see the attached flyer for more information and contact our school psychologist, Beulah Morman (beulah_morman@dpsk12.org) for more information.

 

DPS Lunch Application

Please contact the office if you have not completed the DPS Free/Reduced lunch application. This is part of the registration process and must be completed by all families. 

 

Black Excellence Summit

DPS is hosting a Black Excellence Summit on September 14 from 9:00-3:00 at the University of Denver. This summit offers parents, educators, and community members a unique chance to delve into many aspects of Black Excellence, its celebration within Denver Public Schools, and our commitment to ensuring that all families, students and educators are given the resources they may need in order to best support their children and the children we serve. This full-day event provides an abundance of resources, amazing scholars, practitioners and community partners, and is designed to amplify recent investments in our Black Student Success Team, our Black Student Alliance Banquet and more. See the attached flyer for more information.

 

Collaborative School Committee

Each year the family community elects three parents or caregivers to serve on the Collaborative School Committee (CSC). The CSC plays an important role in our school by advising Principal Conroy on budget, staffing, and family engagement decisions. The CSC usually meets during the First Friday coffee a few times a year.  All are welcome to participate in the meetings.

 

Sign up here if you are interested in serving as this year’s CSC family representative. 

Discovery Link 

We are grateful to partner with Discovery Link again this year to provide free after school for our families. Registered families can have students stay after school up to 6:00 pm. This year the Discovery Link director is Ariana Rodriguez, ariana_rodriguez@dpsk12.net. Ariana is a bilingual Spanish speaker and is ready to help your family enroll in after-school care. She is available to help with registration from 4:30 - 6:30 on these dates: 9/3, 9/17, 10/1, 10/15, 10/29.

 

Attendance Update

As of this morning, our attendance rate was 93%. EVE had the best attendance at 96.7%.

 

Did you know that missing just 10 days of school each year puts students at risk of falling behind? Please help us reach our school-wide attendance goal of 93% each day.

Upcoming Events

• Monday, September 2: No School: Labor Day
• September 6
  • First Friday Coffee and Conversation
  • 1:00 p.m. Early release for students