Coal Creek News

John Kiemele, Principal

IMPORTANT DATES

A Message from Mr. Kiemele...

Mark your calendar...

Dear Coal Creek Parents:

May 6, 2008

Kindergarten Evening at 6:30 pm

May 6 - 8, 2008

Spring Book Fair

May 12, 2008

PTA Meeting at 6:30 pm

May 14, 2008

Fun and Fitness

May 16, 2008

PTA Coffee at 7:15 am

4th Grade Concert at 6:30 pm

May 21, 2008

Rain Date, Fun and Fitness

May 22, 2008

Anthology Celebration at 1:00 pm

May 20, 2008

5th Grade Music Program at 6:30 pm

May 26, 2008

Memorial Day - No School

May 27, 2008

Awards Assembly

May 28, 2008

5th Grade Promotion and Fling

May 29, 2008

Last Day of School for Students

(Full Day)

It was fun to see so many of our Coal Creek students take the stage during the annual "Talent Show" last week. Over 25 acts were included this year, showcasing everything from harpists to Irish dancers to whistlers. Another fun event that we look forward to at this time of year is the "Anthology Celebration," slated for the afternoon of May 22nd. We also honored our many, many volunteers during the "Volunteer Breakfast" that was held on the morning of May 1st this week. If you were not able to attend that event, please know that your support of Coal Creek students and staff has been deeply appreciated this year!

As we look towards August, please keep in mind the following "Start Up" activities that we have planned for your child(ren) at Coal Creek Elementary:

Friday, August 8th, 4:00 pm

Class lists for 2008-09 are posted on the front doors.

Monday, August 11th, 3:00 pm

"Meet the Teacher" on the front lawn. At this time parents and students will have the opportunity to meet their teacher for the new school year. Parents will also sign up for "Literacy Assessments" during this event. Do not bring school supplies until the first day of school.

Wednesday, August 13th and Thursday, August 14th, 8:00 am - 3:30 pm

Literacy Assessment Days. Parents bring their child(ren) to school for a 20-30 minute assessment slot. While the children are engaged with the assessment, parents should report to the gym in order to receive a variety of information to get the year rolling!

Tuesday, August 19th, 8:00 am

First Day of School! Staggered start for kindergarten students. All kindergarten students will report to school on Thursday, August 21st.

Over previous summer breaks, Coal Creek had been pleased to offer a "Summer Library" program on campus, one evening each week between mid-June and running through the end of July. This summer, since we have several site projects that will be occurring throughout the building, we are not planning on offering the program. Examples of the projects we have planned for include re-carpeting and painting the library, a renovation of the computer lab, the installation of a wireless network on campus, and getting over 120 desktops ready to go for the fall. We'll also be installing two new servers in the library and new checkout stations. However, the actual dates for this work are TBA. Classrooms will be painted throughout the school. We are fortunate to have a beautiful new library in Louisville and encourage parents and children to take advantage of that facility this summer.

REMINDER

Lunch Account Balance

The last day students are allowed to charge their lunch is Friday, May 16th. If you have children who are leaving the district and want a refund, please contact Ruth Campisi at BVSD Nutrition Services (303-245-5942). BVSD Accounting will then mail a check.

LOST and FOUND

Please remember to check the lost and found. All unclaimed items will be donated to a local charity at the end of the school year.

~801 W. Tamarisk ~Louisville, Colorado 80027 ~Telephone: 303-666-4843 ~Attendance Line: 303-447-5492

~Visit the Coal Creek Web Site at bvsd.org/schools/coalcreek/index.html

May 2, 2008

Coal Creek Crossing Guards

Through rain, snow, and sunshine...Thanks for helping our children cross the streets safely.

Sincerely,

Maggie Harper and Trish Good

Crossing Guard Co-Chairs

Striving for Accuracy and Precision

The following students were recognized as displaying the HOM of Striving for Accuracy and Precision during the month of March:

Kinder AM Mrs. Walden Jack Gleason

Kinder PM Mrs. Evans Amy Gola

Karl Grill

1st Grade Mrs. Fukai Cal Brynestead

Mrs. Rachubinski Sabrina Lasica

Mrs. Swanstrom Elizabeth Reppy

2nd Grade Mrs. Adams Valerie Jonas

Ms. Owens Cameron Mestek

Mrs. Wilson Ashley Thiel

3rd Grade Mrs. Baumgartner Chris Beckley

Mrs. Berns Jonas Asner

Mrs. Forth Elyssa Hofgard

4th Grade Mrs. Arnold Katie Scanlon

Ms. Hall Ryan Nickles

Mr. McCarthy Tim Celano

5th Grade Mr. Harris Matthew Jonas

Mrs. Hibl Fred Austin

Mrs. Morreale William Waravitayakun

Mrs. Myers Jacob Stockebrand

Mrs. Buffer Tess Rudd

Register for the 08-09 Spanish Classes

with a $100 discount before May 15th!

Spanish classes will be offered again at your school in 2008-09 school year. Have your child learn Spanish through songs, games, stories and interactive activities. Register by May 15th and receive a $100 discount! To register, see the parent table or information board for registration materials or call the ESP office directly at 303-440-7196 or visit our website at www.kidsspeakspanish.org. Also, check out our 2008 Spanish Immersion summer camp offered in June!

Destination Imagination

The Destination Imagination competition took place on Saturday, April 12th. Coal Creek had two teams place as follows:

Team FANTASTIC FIVE

Matthew Behrens

Timmy Celano

Andrew Kihn

Keegan McNamara

Garrett Weaver

Team INVESTIGATING DIVAS

Claire Chadwick

Emily Hoffmann

Kiana Junior

Anna Myra

Medha Patel

Katie Scanlon

A huge THANK YOU to the parents who volunteered to coach Coal Creek's DI teams. Without their time, commitment and patience, none of our students would have been able to participate.

PEN...

Hi! This month I am providing information on the third topic, fostering responsibility. After considerable searching, I found a comprehensive and detailed article on this subject: QUESTIONS ABOUT KIDS-HOW CAN I TEACH MY KIDS ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY.

You can access this article on the web by googling the above title or going directly to the following web address:

http://cehd.umn.edu/CEED/publications/questionsaboutkids/responsibility.ht m

Please feel free to email me with any questions or comments at robinglincoln@msn.com.

-Robin Goldstein-Lincoln

National Staff Appreciation Week

May 5th - 9th is National Staff Appreciation Week! We want to honor the dedication, passion, and caring nature of our staff members. Help us celebrate them by recognizing and appreciating the lasting contributions they make in the lives of our children. Some ideas of what your child can do: write a thank you card, write a top 10 list, create an art project and/or think of an idea to help their teacher in the classroom during the week. Look on the lobby bulletin board for a list of staff favorites.

The Coal Creek Newsletter will be published on the first Friday of every month. Please provide all submissions to Sara (sara.remington@bvsd.org) in the front office no later than the last Wednesday of the prior month. Thank you!

May 2, 2008

New Vaccine Requirements (08-09)

2nd dose Varicella (chickenpox) REQUIRED FOR ALL KINDERGARTNERS AND 1st GRADERS

Varicella (chickenpox) is a disease that is very contagious, and there continues to be outbreaks of the disease in Colorado as well as other states around the country. As a result of continued outbreaks, even in children who have had one injection of Varicella vaccine, next school year the State of Colorado requires a second dose of Varicella vaccine beginning at kindergarten as well as 1st grade entry. It is the responsibility of the parents to provide an updated record of immunization to the school.

It continues to be a rule, that if a child has had chickenpox disease, a laboratory test showing immunity or a documented disease history from a health care provider is acceptable. In Colorado, children will need to have the appropriate documentation of two doses of Varicella vaccine at entry into kindergarten and 1st grade as well as the other vaccine requirements.

If you do not wish your child to have this vaccine for personal or religious reasons, please sign a waiver that is available in the health room. A medical exemption must be signed by a physician.

Tdap REQUIRED for INCOMING 6th GRADERS

Pertussis (whooping cough) can be a very serious disease in infants and small children. It has been found that frequently, siblings who have Pertussis disease can expose other children in the household. Colorado ranks fifth of all states in the country with this disease. Per Colorado state law, Tdap vaccine will be required for all 6th, 7th, 10th, and 11th grade students the upcoming school year (08-09). It is the responsibility of the parents to provide an updated record of immunization to the school. If you do not wish your child to have this vaccine for personal or religious reasons, please sign a waiver that is available in the health room. A medical exception must be signed by a physician.

Parents of incoming 6th graders: The most commonly used vaccine for Tdap in the Boulder area requires that the child be a least 11 years old. If your child is entering 6th grade and is not yet 11, please check with your provider ahead of time to see if you will need to wait until the 11th birthday.

Spring Fling

Our 3rd Annual Spring Fling was another HUGE SUCCESS! We raised $754 for Sister Carmen and lots of toothbrushes for Dental Aid.

We would like to acknowledge and thank the following people for all their help on this event:

Lisa Beauchamp for all the yummy food.

Nancy Stern for all those wonderful donated prizes for the drawing.

Jean MacDonald for all her help organizing the games throughout the school.

John Wagner for all the groovy 70's icon paintings.

Shary Wohl & Will Pape for turning our gym into a "Boogie Wonderland" and for bringing in the outside vendors with the Climbing Wall, Sword Dueling, Rec. Center, cookie decorating, robots and music.

Tim Beasley for Rocking us all night!

Brandon Patzer for his way cool car and for setup and cleanup.

Additionally, several other people lent a hand with working the drawing tables, serving the food, decorating and cleanup:

Michele Hibl, Lisa Hughes, Maria Scroggs, Heidi Heineke, Jodi Ealy, Melissa Hersey, Vickie Thiel, Thea Willey, Lisa Briski, Allison McDougall, Cindy Van Schouwen, Cindy Sheeks, Darcy Barnhill, Elaine Wood, David Niell, Kelly & Brendan Hemp, Trudy & Scott Gygi, Angie Nelson, Barb Schwab, Anna Carner, Candice Evans, Jean Ann Beckley, Julie Billingsley, Michele Scanlon, Nancy Macri, Robin Nickles, Tanya & Harold Stearns, Lisa Weaver, the LMS Honor Student helpers, and, of course, the Dancing Divas.

Please support all our generous outside vendors for supporting this event. The following companies donated goods or services for our Spring Fling:

Bits, Bytes & Bots, Carrabba's, Renaissance Adventures, Avid4 Adventure, Stir It Up Cooking, Parlando School for the Arts, Louisville Senior and Recreation Center, Huckleberry, Safeway, Sam's Club, Noodles, Mimi's & several others.

Crayons to Calculators Program

Impact on Education is again sponsoring the Crayons to Calculators Program which will assist families with providing school supplies to start the 2008-09 school year. On August 14th and 15th Coal Creek will be open for students and their families, who need assistance, to pick up backpacks with school supplies.

Pizza Palz

We have Old Chicago Pizza Palz available for $11 each. You can redeem them at any Old Chicago for a pizza worth up to $22. Stop by the office to purchase a "Pal" which will expire on June 30, 2008.

May 2, 2008

(continued from previous page)

Right about this time each year, parents become curious about who the teachers will be at Coal Creek in the fall. The following is our anticipated roster for next year, and you will note that there are very few changes from the current faculty. Parents should note that changes to teaching assignments could be made over the summer should circumstances occur that impact individual teachers.

Kindergarten: Three sections / two morning and one afternoon class each. Mrs. Judy Walden will teach a morning and afternoon class, and the other morning teacher is TBA. I should have that wrapped up by the end of May, pending approval from the school district.

KCare. Two sessions: Mrs. Marshall.

First Grade Four sections: Mrs. Rachubinski, Mrs. Wilson, Mrs. Fukai, Mrs. Swanstrom.

Second Grade. Three sections: Mrs. Adams, Mrs. Hibl, Ms. Owens.

Third Grade. Three sections: Mrs. Forth, Mrs. Berns, Mrs. Baumgartner.

Fourth Grade. Three sections: Ms. Hall, Mrs. Arnold, Mr. McCarthy.

Fifth Grade. Three sections: Mrs. Morreale, Mr. Harris, Mrs. Myers.

Intervention/Special Education and Literacy: Ms. Janda, Mrs. Small, Mrs. Lopez, Mrs. Montoya.

Speech/Language Pathologist: Mrs. Bradford.

School Social Worker: Mrs. Hedrick.

Area Specialists: Mr. Soole, Mrs. Pope, Mrs. Scott, Mr. Cummings.

Office Staff: Ms. Mennitt, Registrar and Ms. Remington, Principal's Assistant.

Paraeducators: The majority of the paraeducators will be returning in similar capacities next year.

Head Custodian: Mr. Patzer.

SAC: We are hoping that Carrie will return, but that has not been finalized at this time.

There are still a few details regarding classroom support, intervention, and clerical positions that need to be worked out, and some of those things may not be finalized until the end of June. Class sizes are aligned to BVSD guidelines and the teacher's Negotiated Agreement, running between 21 - 27 students, depending on the grade level. Those numbers are also subject to change over the summer, depending on the students who may relocate to or from our attendance area between now and the first week of school.

This has been a really great school year and the staff and I are looking forward to another wonderful year of learning in 2008-09! There are many more events and celebrations that will be occurring over the next few weeks, so please make special note of those listed in this edition of the newsletter, and also by checking out the Coal Creek website.

Finally, on behalf of the entire Coal Creek community, I would like to extend our appreciation to Mrs. Jane Evans and Mr. Doug Hoeprich for their dedication to the children in Boulder Valley. Jane has been a teacher in BVSD for many years, and during the past five years, has taught students at the first and kindergarten levels here at Coal Creek. Doug has inspired hundreds of students during his career in BVSD with his love of music, and we have been most fortunate to share his talents as an instrumental instructor with LMS over the past several years. Both Jane and Doug are retiring at the end of this semester. They will be honored during a special dinner event to be held at the Omni Hotel later this month. We wish you the very best in your futures and we will certainly miss your presence here at Coal Creek! Good luck in all that life has to offer you!

Warmly,

John Kiemele, Principal

CSAP for Third Grade Reading

School results of the CSAP for third grade reading were released May 1, 2008. Third graders were assessed on how well they understood Colorado Reading Standard #1: Students read and understand a variety of reading materials. This CSAP test included a variety of multiple-choice questions and short-constructed response questions that required written answers.

The purpose of the CSAP is to provide the State a picture of student performance on state academic content standards for educators, policymakers, and the public and also to provide a context for improving public education. This year, 93 % of Coal Creek Elementary School third graders scored at proficient or above as compared to the State's average of 70% proficient and above. The Boulder Valley School District's average is 85% proficient and above.

Well done Coal Creek students! As always, our goal is to continue to reach all of our students to help them to be excellent readers. As we continue our work with teaching reading strategies and skills to students, the staff salutes the third graders for a job well done!