 Dear
Family and Friends of ACS,
On Tuesday you were emailed or sent a letter from the Douglas
County School District’s School Safety and Security Department.
Larry Borland, Director of School Safety and Security, communicated
two recent incidents of attempted child abductions in nearby
areas. Please discuss this information with your students and
re-emphasize the safety tips written in the letter with your
student(s). Repetition of this information is essential if
we want them to remember what to do in this kind of emergency!
Tuesday, January 3, is a testing day for our students. Please
read the following information so you are well informed
regarding this important day:
Elementary parents - Please come
in and sign up for a testing
time outside your student(s) classroom.
MS parents - Middle School testing
will be similar to the testing at the beginning of
this year. Some of our
students will be
individually tested, while others will be tested
in a group. Please call our office on Monday, December
5th,
or as soon
as you can after that day, to schedule a time for
your student to come in for testing. The office will
let you
know if your
student will be tested individually or in a group,
the times available and how long the testing will
take.
I am planning a Parent Workshop for sometime in January.
I am meeting with some staff members who would like to help
me with this workshop in December. If you have any ideas about
what you would like to learn (how to support your child in
reading, writing, math test taking skills, etc.), please email
them to me at nelsonk@academycharter.org and I will try to
honor all requests.
Eighth Grade Parents Only: Dean Peters is in the process of
taking a look at some data to possibly make a schedule change.
She is investigating the possibility of making a change in
how the current math classes are grouped in order to better
facilitate our philosophy of differentiation in math for our
eighth graders. Currently, we have two classes that have both
Algebra and Pre-Algebra classes being instructed; however,
the student dynamics have changed since the beginning of the
year. As you know, student success is important to all of us
at ACS and this is what is driving us toward this possible
change for second semester. If you have any questions regarding
this, please feel free to contact Dean Peters.
Please look through the dates below and make note of them.
A Look Ahead: (the
bulleted items are for next week)
- Tuesday, December 6- K-2 Winter Program, 5:30, Gym
- Wednesday,
December 7- Girls Basketball Game- Home- 4:00 & 5:00
- Thursday,
December 8- Boys Basketball Game- Away- 4:00 & 5:00
- Thursday,
December 8- 3-5 Winter Program, 5:30, Gym
- Friday, December
9- MS Snowball Dance, 5:00- 8:00, Gym (New
Addition)
- Saturday,
December 10- Boys Basketball Tournament
- Boys A- Elizabeth
High School, 9:00 am
- Boys B- Elizabeth Middle School,
9:00 am
Monday, December 12- Governing Board Meeting, 6:00,
Cafeteria
Wednesday, December 14- Girls B Basketball Game-
Home- 4:15
Wednesday, December 14- Boys A Basketball
Game- Home- 5:15
Thursday, December 15- Dress Down Day
Thursday, December 15- End of Second
Quarter
Thursday, December 15- Winter Parties
Thursday, December 15- Girls Basketball
Game- Home- 4:00 & 5:00
Friday, December 16- Work Day for Teachers-
No Students
December 19-30- Winter Break!
Monday, January 2- Teacher In-service
Day- No Students
Tuesday, January 3- K-8 Testing Day-
Students by Appt
Tuesday, January 3- Beginning of Third
Quarter
Thursday, January 5- Boys Basketball
Game- Home- 4:00 & 5:00
Friday, January 6- Boys Basketball
Game- Home- 4:00 & 5:00
Friday, January 13- Dress Down Day
Monday, January 16- Martin Luther King
Day- School Closed
Friday, January 20- 7th Grade Play,
6:00, Gym
Friday, January 27- 8th Grade Play,
6:00, Gym Have a terrific weekend!
Kindra Whitmyre-Nelson
Dean of Academy Charter School
email: nelsonk@academycharter.org
web: http://www.academycharter.org/deannelson 
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The pace is quickening for all of us as we turn
the calendar to December! As schedules tighten, I know it is
often difficult to squeeze in time to volunteer here at the
school, but I do want you to know that we appreciate you coming
in.
I want to thank Kevin and Liz Smith for transporting desks
from Colorado Springs to the school. This family is still willing
to volunteer for us even though their students are no longer
attending ACS—this is true commitment! Also, Allan
Ross is using his own vehicle and trailer to get the risers here
for the music programs next week---thank you, Allan. The rental
company was charging us $150.00 to deliver these risers—an
expense that we really can’t afford. Sara Johnson faithfully
brings in the school mail every day which is such a help to
me. These folks are demonstrating the true spirit of generosity.
The following families have now completed their 20 hour commitment:
Greg and Shelley Arnholt, Bill and Julie Benzel, Greg
and Michelle Bickelhaupt, Duane and Julie Clark, Peter and
Jan Cline, Debra
Chase and Ray Czizik, Jerry and Tamaris Dortch, Todd and Lisa
Ellis, Barbara Ireland---thank you!
Thanks again for continuing to “Make a Difference” at
ACS.
Anne Belfrage
Volunteer Coordinator
belfragea@academycharter.org
The ACS Lost and Found items were removed over
Thanksgiving. Diane Bodiford graciously takes this
clothing and goes through them looking for names
and tries to get them back to the proper person.
If you think your student may have lost an item,
please feel free to call her at 303-663-5072. Clothing
that is not claimed will be donated to a charity.
With the winter break fast approaching it is time
to think of winter weather safety. By now everyone
knows they need to wear sunscreen when they will
be out in the sun in the summer, but not everyone
realizes how important it is to wear sunscreen
in the winter. Sunscreen is especially important
when participating in winter sports such as skiing,
snowboarding, cross country skiing, ice-skating,
snow shoeing, sledding or just playing in the snow.
When you are out participating in winter activities
not only are you exposed to the sun directly but
also by reflection off the snow or ice. Higher
altitude also increases the risk of burning. You
should apply sunscreen to all areas of skin that
is exposed to the air and reapply your sunscreen
every 90 minutes. Wear sunglasses or goggles to
protect your eyes. Wearing a hat will protect your
scalp from sunburn as well as help your body to
retain heat. Wearing a helmet will provide the
same protection as a hat and it will protect your
brain if you fall or hit an obstacle such as a
rock, tree, or pole.
Because these winter sports are generally in the
mountains another concern is altitude sickness.
Altitude sickness generally occurs at elevations
over 8000 feet, but can occur at lower elevations,
especially for our family and friends visiting
from even lower elevations. Dehydration and overexertion
are common contributing factors to altitude sickness.
Staying well hydrated is critical. Symptoms of
altitude sickness include a headache that doesn’t
go away, low levels of energy, insomnia, shortness
of breath, nausea and loss of appetite. For symptoms
of altitude sickness it is important to descend
to a lower altitude and decrease activity level
along with rehydration.
It is important to dress appropriately in winter
weather. Wearing multiple layers will keep you
the warmest. It also allows you to take off layers
if it gets warmer during the day. If you are participating
in vigorous exercise and your clothes get damp
from perspiration it is important to change into
dry clothes. Remaining in damp clothes can lead
to frostbite or hypothermia.
I hope you all have a wonderful and safe winter
break!
Stacey Barlow, RN
School Nurse Consultant
Thanks to all who helped make our first Restaurant
Night at Red Robin a success. We raised $250.51
in one evening by simply eating with our families
and friends.
Mark your calendar for Thursday December 15th.
Go to the Chick-fil-A on Founders Parkway (near
Target) ANYTIME from 6:30 am to 10 pm. Go for breakfast,
lunch, or dinner or all three! All you have to
do is tell the cashier that you are here for SPIRIT
DAY for Academy Charter School and they will donate
10% of the ACS-related sales back to us. You can
even use the drive-through. Just remember to tell
them. Reminder flyers and stickers will come out
closer to the event.
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PUBLIC FLU CLINIC If you didn’t get a flu shot yet, there is another
chance for you on TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS, SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS
from 1:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. through December 18. NO
APPOINTMENT NECESSARY. The clinic is located at 3600 S. Logan (Hampden & Logan.) We
offer shots for children over 6 months and we offer FluMist nasal vaccine for healthy people 5 - 49 years old. Both
the flu shot and the FluMist are $25. We accept Medicare Part
B and can offer a receipt for any other insurances. Pregnant
women need a note from their Doctor. We also offer Pneumonia
($35) and Tetanus ($35) Sunny A. Hynds
Mile High Health Solutions
303-374-3374 ph
303-374-8656 fx
shynds@milehighhealthsolutions.com
Applications for open enrollment will be accepted at District
schools from December 1st through February 1st . Parents who
wish to enroll their child in a school other than their neighborhood
school must complete an open enrollment application and submit
it to the requested school before the February 1st deadline.
Applications are approved or denied based on space availability
at the receiving school. Families will be notified of open enrollment
decisions during the week of February 6, 2006.
A complete list of schools that will be accepting open enrollment
applications, as well additional information and an application
form, can be found on the district’s web site at www.dcsdk12.org.
Our ACS Middle School
Presents
The Snowball
A Winter Dance
Dec. 9th 5-8 pm
Academy Charter School Gym
Including Holiday Karaoke and Dance Competitions!
Semi-formal-Please,
no Jeans!
$3.00 Charge at the Door
ACS ID’s will be checked at the door!
(Only Current ACS Middle School Students May Attend)
Snacks and Taco Bell will be available for purchase- so bring
extra money!
Tickets for Taco bell will be sold on
Wednesday & Thursday in all homerooms and carpools
1$ per-ticket/per item
Once again, the ACS office staff is sponsoring
a gift drive for the residents of the Castle Rock Care Center.
This is mainly folks with Alzheimer’s and many of them
do not have family members to support them. We have contacted
the Center and they will provide us with names and items requested.
Let’s make this a nice Christmas for these senior citizens.
We will have the gift tags available that you may pick up in
the school office starting on Monday. Simply purchase the gift
listed, wrap it and bring it back to the office with the tag
on the gift. Why not involve your student in this process and
let them share in the joy of giving to others?
Grocery Certificates Fundraiser
We have had grocery certificates available in the school office
for the past five years and always seem to have trouble promoting
this easy fundraiser. Sean Templeton, an ACS parent, has volunteered
to market these certificates to make this program more effective
for our school.
Sean and his wife, Jennifer, will be outside before carpool
begins in the afternoon, selling the grocery certificates to
you as you are waiting in the carpool line. Bring your checkbooks
or cash, and you can purchase your certificates before you go
to the grocery stores over the weekend.
For those of you that may not be familiar with this program,
I would like to explain it. We can buy grocery certificates at
King Soopers that can be used at Safeway also. These certificates
are sold in $25 denominations and once you have purchased them,
they are just like cash. The only difference is that ACS makes
5% from each sale! We all find ourselves going to the grocery
stores regularly, and this is an easy, no pain way for us to
raise money for our school.
Please plan to participate in this easy, no
cost fundraiser!
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