This page contains general information of interest to parents of new students at Heatherwood Elementary School.  For more details, follow the links to other pages in our website, including Information about Heatherwood.  If you have not yet registered, see Entrance Requirements in the Heatherwood Handbook.

       If you have questions, please call the school office at 303-530-1234.  Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. during regularly scheduled school days and also during the two weeks before the school year begins. You can also e-mail our principal, Larry Orobona.

Kindergarten Kindergarten Care Kindergarten Assessment School Calendar School Map Class Lists and Open House Immunizations and Physical Medication during School Lunch Heatherwood Handbook Attendance School Supplies Parking, Drop-Off and Pickup Husky Highlights	Library Talented and Gifted Program School Age Care (SAC) School Spirit School Store Back To School Night Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences Student Folders Volunteers Fund-Raising Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) School Improvement Team (SIT) Shedding Some Light on Acronyms
Top Ten Things New Heatherwood Parents Should Know

  Kindergarten  

       Kindergarten classes take place in the morning (8:00 - 10:50) or the afternoon (11:40 - 2:30).  If you are the parent of a kindergartner, your student's schedule is in your kindergarten letter, which will be sent to you before school starts in August.

       Kindergarten Open House usually is held shortly before the first day of school in the kindergarten classrooms.  It is an opportunity for you and your kindergartner to meet the kindergarten teachers and the principal.  You are also welcome to drop off his/her school supplies to make it easier on parent, student, and teacher on the first day of school!

       In recent years, we have had a staggered start for all kindergarten students, with half attending on the first day of school, half attending on the second day of school, and all attending on the third and subsequent days.  Your student's start schedule is in your kindergarten letter.  Kindergarten begins this way for these reasons:

• to introduce kindergarten students to their new teachers, classmates and routines in small groups, so they can begin to feel comfortable and secure at school; and
   
• to give kindergarten teachers a better opportunity to get to know your child in a more individualized way.

       When they arrive at school, kindergartners line up outside the Kindergarten entrance.  If you meet your child after school, please come to the Kindergarten entrance.  Children who ride buses, go to SAC, or participate in Kindergarten Enrichment will be accompanied to their appropriate location by our teachers.

       Usually, Kindergarten Parent Orientation Coffees are held in the Pit Area of the school on the first two days of school, in the morning and afternoon when kindergarten begins.  It is another opportunity to talk with the principal and with other kindergarten parents.

  Kindergarten Care 

       Half-day fee-based enrichment classes are available at Heatherwood to complement the kindergarten sessions.  For more information, see the Kindergarten Enrichment section of the Heatherwood Handbook.

  Kindergarten Lunch Bunch  

The school district did not approve the "lunch bunch" concept mentioned here earlier. Children only attending kindergarten and not K-Care will not have a school-sanctioned lunch program. (Towards the end of the school year all kindergartners will be invited to have a lunch in the cafeteria as an introduction to scholl lunches).

  Kindergarten Assessment 

       During the third week of September, individual schools may elect to schedule two kindergarten assessment days.  On those days, kindergarten students will attend in small groups on alternate days, as they did at the beginning of the year.  The assessment days allow teachers an opportunity to complete individual assessments with each child, so that classroom instruction can better meet the learning needs of all children.  Your child's teacher will tell you the week before which assessment day your child will attend.

  School Calendar  

       When the calendar for the school year is announced, usually in August, the information will be available in the Heatherwood Calendar of Events, which lists holidays and major events for the school year, plus ongoing events as they are scheduled.  It is updated each time the Husky Highlights newsletter is published, more often as needed.

  School Map  

       The school building map and the school location map are on the Web.

  Class Lists and Open House  

       All student grade-level class lists with teacher assignments are generally posted outside the main entrance of the school by late afternoon two days before the first day of school.  The list of classroom teachers by grade level for the upcoming school year is generally available in August.

       Usually, an open house is held in mid-afternoon on the day before the first day of school. It is a chance to meet your child's teacher and to drop off your child's school supplies.

  Immunizations and Physical  

       See the Health Room page for information about Immunizations and Physicals.

  Medication during School  

       Students requiring medication to be dispensed during the school day need to have the proper forms completed outlining the medication order in the Health Room before the start of school.  See the Dispensing of Medication section of the Health Room page for more information.  If your student requires medication during the school day, please come to the school in August (date to be announced), so we may take a photograph of the student for his/her medical file.

  Lunch  

       The hot lunch menu is available on the Web and is sent home once a month.  The menu is also published in the Boulder Daily Camera each week.  In 2004-2005, for students, hot lunch with milk at Heatherwood is $2.00.  For cold lunches, milk and juice are also available for purchase at $.40 each.

       Each student is assigned a Personal Identification Number (PIN) and has a lunch account.  If your child eats hot lunch frequently or purchases milk or juice on a regular basis, it is recommended that you write a check to deposit in the lunch account to cover expenses for a week or longer.  If you have more than one child making purchases, please write a separate check for each child and write the PIN on the check.  If your child forgets to bring a cold lunch or lunch money, we will offer a hot lunch and charge it to your account.  Please repay by Friday of the same week.

       Parents, you are welcome and encouraged to eat lunch with your student.  Adult lunches are $2.60 without a beverage.  Milk or juice is available at $.40 each.  For more information, including the lunch schedule which is determined in August, see School Lunch at Heatherwood Elementary.

  Heatherwood Handbook  

       The Heatherwood Handbook contains important school information, including supply lists and information about parking and student drop-off and pickup.  It is distributed to students at the beginning of the school year.

  Attendance  

       The school day for kindergartners is 8:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. (morning session) or 11:40 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (afternoon session).  For grades 1 through 5, it's 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

       While early arrival (before 7:50 a.m.) is discouraged, it's important that students arrive at school on time (by 8:00).  See the Heatherwood Handbook for more information on tardies.

  School Supplies  

       The Supply List section of the Heatherwood Handbook contains the list of school supplies for each grade.  This year, parents were offered the convenience of purchasing supplies from the school in June for the upcoming school year.

  Parking and Student Drop-Off and Pickup  

       Heatherwood Elementary's parking and student drop-off and pickup plan is designed to keep our children safe while arriving to and leaving from school.

  Husky Highlights  

       Our school newsletter, the Husky Highlights, is published twice a month on Friday during the school year.  The Office Edition is published most of the time, and the Classroom/Community Edition is published some what less frequently.  Both editions contain articles about Heatherwood activities and people, a calendar of upcoming events, and related community news.  In addition, the Office Edition contains TAG Updates, while the Classroom/Community Edition contains classroom news, library news, and student interviews, writing, and artwork.  A copy is sent home to each family with the youngest student, and extra copies of the current issue are available in the school office. An archive of electronic versions of the newsletter is available.

  Library  

       The school library serves the entire community, preschool through adult.  During the school year, preschoolers who are close to kindergarten age are welcome to attend kindergarten story time each week.  For more information about kindergarten story time and other library events, see the Library page.

  Talented and Gifted Program  

       Heatherwood has a Talented and Gifted Program.  For more information, see our TAG page.

  School Age Care (SAC)  

       The BVSD School Age Care (SAC) program provides high-quality, affordable after school care for children from kindergarten through fifth grade.  This program is held at Heatherwood (except for some full day care provided on teacher in-service days, which can be at Douglass Elementary).  For more information, see the School Age Care section of the Heatherwood Handbook.

  School Spirit  

       The school mascot is the Heatherwood Husky, and the school colors are blue and white.

       Each year, Student Council selects spirit days for the school year. Past spirit days included Stuffed Animal Day (December), Twin Day (January), Fashion Day (February), Color Day (March), Teacher Switch Day (April), and Pajama Day (May). Details about the theme of each day are announced to the students in advance. In addition, in previous years the first Friday of every month has been Husky Day, an occasion for students to wear Husky clothing items or blue and white clothing items to show school spirit.

       >From time to time, Heatherwood spirit items are available for purchase at the school store. Items may include water bottles, hats, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and sweatpants.

  School Store  

       The school store is open during lunch one or two days a week and has small items for sale, such as pencils, erasers, pens, etc. It is operated by the Student Council.

  Back To School Night  

       The annual Back To School Picnic and Parent Information Nights are usually held in mid-September at the school.  There is one night for the lower pod classes (grades K-2) and one for the upper pod (grades 3-5). The evening is planned to provide parents with information about the school year as well as time to meet teachers and get together with other families.  The evening usually starts in the gym with overviews from the principal and some of the specialist teachers (Art, Physical Education, Music, Library - Media). Then there are presentations in each classroom where you can hear about plans for the upcoming school year and pick up information packets. 

  Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences  

       Each year there are two parent-teacher conferences, in October and in March.  Conference dates are announced at the beginning of the school year.  A few weeks before each conference, signup sheets are usually made available so parents can select a conference time.  Depending on the time of year, parent-teacher conferences usually consist of several of the following activities:

• The student shows the parent samples of his/her work.
• The teacher reports on the student's performance and talks about future directions.
• The parent asks questions and brings up areas of concern.
• The parent, teacher, and student collaborate to set student goals.

       If you have a question or a concern, you don't have to wait for a conference.  All the teachers have voicemail so you can leave a message at any time.  A few teachers also can be reached by e-mail.  If available, e-mail addresses are published in the Faculty web pages.

  Student Folders  

       One day a week, information is sent home in student folders.  This includes student work, homework assignments, and a newsletter from the teacher.  Schoolwide information, such as the Husky Highlights newsletter, is sent home with the youngest student in each family.  The student folder usually must be signed by the parent and returned to school the next day.  The folder day is usually determined in early September.

  Volunteers  

       Volunteers are necessary for the successful operation of our school.  Their efforts are greatly appreciated by the teachers and the students.  Each year, many parent volunteer hours are dedicated to a myriad of activities that benefit the school.  Volunteers are always welcome to assist at Heatherwood.

       There is a volunteer opportunity to match every parent's schedule and interests, and some training is provided.  Activities include working on classroom materials at home, helping out on field trips, assisting in your child's classroom, and joining PTO (fundraising and other activities) or SIT (school improvement).  It's a great opportunity to observe your children in school and meet other Heatherwood parents.

       Lists of volunteer opportunities for individual teachers and for the school at large are sent home at the beginning of the school year.  If you would like to do something that's not on the list, don't hesitate to talk to the teacher or the PTO Volunteer Coordinator to see if something can be worked out.

  Fund-Raising  

       Heatherwood Elementary students have many educational opportunities because of our fund-raising efforts.  One of our most important fund-raising activities is also the easiest: the Grocery Certificates program, which offers grocery certificates at face value for area stores.  With no extra expense for you, Heatherwood gets 5% of the amount of certificates you purchase because the school buys them at a discount.  For more information about the program and how you can participate, see our Grocery Certificates web page.

       Other "no expense to you" fund-raising programs take place throughout the year.  Information about many of these programs is available in the Husky Highlights newsletter and on the Fund-Raising web page.

       During the school year, fundraising events occur from time to time.  They may include a Gift Wrap Sale, Book Fairs, and a Silent Auction.   Check the Husky Highlights newsletter and the Heatherwood web site throughout the school year for fundraising information.

  Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)  

       The Heatherwood Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is a group of parents, teachers, and school staff that meets monthly to organize fundraising and social events for the school.  All Heatherwood parents are members and are encouraged to attend the monthly meetings.  In past years, meetings have been held on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in the school library.  Free babysitting is provided.  This year's meeting schedule will be announced in August or early September.

       For current PTO meeting information during the school year, see the Calendar of Events.  The Husky Highlights newsletter has information about current PTO activities.  For information on fundraising, see the Fundraising section above.  The Heatherwood Parent Teacher Organization web page has more information about the PTO.

  School Improvement Team (SIT)  

       The School Improvement Team (SIT) is a group of parents, teachers, and school staff that meets monthly to assess how to improve in the areas of student achievement, school climate, and respect for diversity.  Goals are written in May of each year, activities take place in the classroom and in meetings throughout the year, and the results are evaluated in May before the cycle begins again.  For more information about SIT's role at Heatherwood, see the SIT Overview page.

       All Heatherwood parents are encouraged to attend the monthly meetings.  Last year, meetings were held on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. in the school library.  Free babysitting is provided.  This year's meeting schedule will be announced in August or early September.

       For current SIT meeting information during the school year, see the Calendar of Events.  The Husky Highlights newsletter has information about current SIT activities.  For the most recent SIT reports, including the current year's goals, the snapshot survey of parents and staff, and standardized test results, see the School Improvement Team page.

  Shedding Some Light on Acronyms  

Ever wonder what all those acronyms you hear in school stand for?  Here are some spelled out:

CRT-Child Resource Team

CSAP-Colorado Student Assessment Program

DAAC-District Accountability Advisory Committee

ELR-Essential Learning Results

ERT-Emergency Response Team

ESL-English as a Second Language

FTE-Full Time Equivalent(1.0 FTE = 1.0 Teachers)

IEP-Individual Education Plan

ILP-Individual Literacy Plan

PAC-Parent Advisory Council

PEBC-Public Education Business Coalition

PTO-Parent Teacher Organization

QRI-Qualitative Reading Inventory

SAC-School Age Care

SAPP-Substance Abuse Prevention Project

SIT-School Improvement Team

SpEd-Special Education

TAAC-There Are Always Choices

TAG-Talented And Gifted

TAP-Teacher Assistance Program

from the 11/17/00 Husky Highlights

  TOP TEN THINGS  
New Heatherwood Parents Should Know

(Drum Roll Please...)

10. Volunteering in your child's classroom is a great way to learn more about the school and the teachers.
     
9. Getting involved with the PTO or SIT is another great way to learn more about the school and a great way to meet people in the community.
    
8. Heatherwood has special education resources and a Talented and Gifted Program if your child needs them.
    
7. Heatherwood has a great School Age Care (SAC) program for after-school care.
    
6. Heatherwood has a literacy specialist dedicated to helping our students become better readers.
    
5. Heatherwood has a wonderful Outdoor Education Program for the fourth and fifth grade classes.
    
4. King Soopers (and other stores) = Heatherwood.  Buy grocery certificates -- it's a win-win situation.
    
3. Eating lunch with your children at school is a good way to check in on what's happening -- just order your lunch in advance.
    
2. Mr. O has pizza with the students once a month -- a good way for your child to spend time with the principal.

And the #1 thing new Heatherwood parents should know is...

THE LOST AND FOUND IS OUTSIDE OF THE MUSIC ROOM!

from the 9/21/00 Husky Highlights