Director’s Updates

May 5, 2023

Hello University Families,

We’ve had a very busy week and I’m sure you’re all ready for the weekend! Here are some updates and upcoming reminders.

Board of Governors Election:

The results are in from the BOG Election, and we have three new members joining the board. Congratulations to Ryan Mayeda, Carol Riggs and Scott Williams! I want to take a moment to thank all of our candidates for their participation in the election. Your commitment to the school and willingness to serve on the board is truly appreciated.

Our next regularly scheduled board meeting will be on Wednesday the 10th. Here is the link to the agenda, and as always, we will post the video of the meeting if you are unable to attend.

Upcoming Carnival:

Next week, we have our annual USPTO Carnival taking place on Friday the 12th. This is always a fun event, and we encourage all of you to come check it out. Bring the whole family and enjoy the food, games and good times.

We will also be having the Online Basket Auction again this year!! It was such a success last year and a great way to support our teachers and help them earn funds for their classrooms! Bidding starts Sunday, May 7th and will go until Thursday, May 11th at 7pm. You can preview baskets now - Here’s the link. Please share the link with everyone who might be interested! If winners live out of town, they must arrange for someone local to pick them up. We will not be shipping any baskets. Winners will be notified at the end of the auction. Only online payment is accepted (there is a small processing fee).  Baskets will need to be picked up at University Schools during our Spring Carnival on Friday, May 12th 5-7pm.

1st grade is doing their Cake Walk again as a part of the Carnival and they need your help collecting cakes. Here is the link with more information if anyone is interested.

Spring Sports Postseason:

Our spring sports teams are getting ready for the postseason, and we couldn't be prouder of their hard work and dedication. Our baseball team is playing at home tonight, while our track and field team is gearing up for their final meets of the season. Today, our girls tennis team competed in a regional tournament at Alexander Dawson High School. We’d like to wish our athletes the best of luck as they compete in the coming weeks. Today, our baseball players picked a teacher and gave them a jersey to wear around the school. It was cool to see our team show their appreciation to our amazing teachers.

That's all for this week's update. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Have a great weekend and Go Bulldogs!

April 28, 2023

Hello University Families,

We’ve had a jam-packed week!

Elementary is in the middle of their concert series and these little bulldogs have been putting on a great show! We’d like to say a special thank you to Ms. Roeder for putting together such a fantastic elementary music program. If you would like to see some photos of the last few shows, click this link.

Continuing with music, our High School Wind Symphony had the opportunity to perform in the State Concert Band festival and did an excellent job! This is the first State level concert band University Schools has ever had. The Jazz Band performed in UNC's Jazz Festival the other day. They had an incredible opportunity to play at the nation's largest jazz festival. We’ve got some amazing musicians at every level and we are so proud of each of them! We also want to say thank you to Clark Goering and Kwami Barnett. They have done so much to build fantastic band programs and we are really grateful to have them!

Today, we hosted another round of Battle of the Books. It always takes a large number of volunteers to put together so thank you to everyone who made it happen!

Lastly, we want to say thank you to everyone who came out to show their support at Mr. Clark’s clap-out. It was great to see so many people line the sidewalks with their signs. He means so much to this community and we are grateful for everything he has given this school. We are also excited that Mr. Dennis Lobato will be joining the team as the new Director of Operations. If you would like to learn more about him, here is a link to his bio. Also, here is a link to a video if you didn’t get a chance to come to the clap-out.

Thank you for being a part of the Bulldog Community and we hope you have a fantastic weekend.

Go Bulldogs!

April 21, 2023

Hello University Families,

Happy Friday! It’s hard to believe that it’s almost the end of April.

Today our fourth grade class is going to Young Ameritowne which is an awesome opportunity for them to learn about business. It’s also a chance for our fourth grade Mayors and Judges to try out government for a day.

Our Middle Schoolers are heading to Highland tomorrow for the Brain Bowl so good luck to our local bulldog quiz masters!

Prom is finally here! It’s been fun to watch all the “promposals” around the school lately and everyone is waiting in anticipation for tomorrow night. It’ll be at the DoubleTree at Lincoln Park from 7:30 to 1:30 p.m. Check out this link if you want to see this year’s Prom Fashion Show.

If you’re in the mood for a little rival baseball, head over to Eaton to watch our boys take on that team up North.

Lastly, here’s a reminder that the Board of Governors election is currently open. If you haven’t voted yet, please click this link and fill out the form. You will be guided through each of the candidates’ biographies and asked to vote at the end of the page. It’s encouraging that so many people have thrown their hat in the ring, so we want to keep the momentum going by getting as many people to vote as possible.

Have a great weekend and Go Bulldogs!

April 14, 2023

Hello University Families!

Happy Friday and we hope you’re celebrating the end of testing! Today was the last day and we’re super grateful for everyone who helped it go smoothly.

The last day of testing also means the last week of CMAS dancing. If you would like to hear a gym full of elementary students shout “Waka Waka” at the top of their lungs, watch a few of these clips! The kids also made signs to say thank you to Kerry Breen for all of her amazing years of teaching. We are super grateful to have her here and for everything she has done for the school.  

Our fourth graders are getting ready for their trip to Young AmeriTowne next week. They’ve been interviewing for jobs and voted for Morgan Morado and Holden Miller to be their Mayor and Judge.

We hosted a League Brain Bowl this week so thank you to all of the judges and workers who made it possible. We’d also like to shout out our participants who did very well in the match!  

Our College and Career Week is coming up during the beginning of May and we’re looking for volunteers. We need people who are willing to share their career experiences with our Middle School students. If you would like more information, here is a letter from our Middle School Counselor, Vanessa Njos.

Lastly, we wanted to share a cute story that started with a lost necklace. One of our Elementary students lost her necklace and we were unable to find it. But our front office staff all pitched in to buy her a new one. She loved it and brought in a thank you note, pictures and all. We wanted to share this sweet story as well as say thank you to our amazing office ladies.

We have an amazing community here and University, and we’re grateful for everyone who is a part of it. We hope you have an amazing weekend. Go Bulldogs!

April 7, 2023

Hello University Families,

We made it through the first week of testing! We’ve got an awesome tradition of starting out testing days with a dance party! Here’s a video if you would like to see it! We believe in creatively engaging both sides of our students’ brains to prepare them for testing, reduce test anxiety, and simply have a good time! Special shout out to Kerry Breen for choreographing the dances! We have amazing teachers at University and we are grateful for the opportunity to work with them!

Our Spring sports teams continue to do well in competition! We are currently hosting a baseball tournament, and our boys put up a huge 1st round win against North Fork this morning.

We want to give a shout out to our Middle School Battle of the Books participants. They recently had their district competition and did really well! Thank you to everyone who made that possible!

Here is a reminder that elementary class photos are next Friday. That day is also the day we get to meet our new class of Kindergarten Bulldogs! We can’t wait to welcome them into the family.

Thank you to everyone who submitted their candidacy for the Board of Governors Election. It’s encouraging to see so many people who are interested in being board members. We would like to continue the momentum by encouraging everyone to vote next week. We also have our monthly board meeting on Wednesday. Here is a link to the agenda.

We hope you have an amazing and restful weekend! We will see you when you come back for the next round of testing. Go Bulldogs!

March 31, 2023

Hello University Families,

It’s time to celebrate another week in the books!

• CMAS is right around the corner. Here are a few previous links from our principals outlining the process and timeline. (Elementary, Middle, High)  If you have a High School student, we will have a Practice SAT and SAT on Tuesday the 4th. It will take place in the morning. Your student should bring a calculator and a pencil, and Juniors need their ChromeBook for the digital Practice SAT. Seniors will have the 1st block, 2nd block and advisory off. Classes after lunch will continue like normal. If you would like to opt out of these assessments, please come into the office to fill out the appropriate paperwork. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
• We’re getting really excited for senior boards next week. They have been working really hard and we can’t wait to see all of these amazing projects they have put together.
• The District Battle of the Books competition will be on April 5th so good luck to all of our students who are participating!
• We also want to say good luck to our FBLA students who are going to the Gaylord of the Rockies for their State Conference on the 5th!
• Spring Sports are in full swing and the High School is hosting a track meet tomorrow. Girls tennis and baseball are also competing well so make sure to come out and support them!

We hope you have an amazing weekend and thanks for being a part of the University Community! Go Bulldogs!

March 24, 2023

Hello University Families,

We hope your week back from Spring Break has been a good one. We’d like to start off by highlighting a few celebrations.

• One of our Kindergarten students, McKoi Wick, will be representing Jr. Bulldogs in the K-1 State Wrestling tournament tomorrow! He is currently ranked 7th in his division which is so exciting. On top of that, our High School Wresting State Champ, Paxton Daggett, came by McKoi’s class to wish him luck. Here’s the photo!

• We’ve had a large number of seniors who have committed to play sports in college next year. Today, Amanda Sigmon signed to run Track and Cross Country at UNC. She has worked so hard and is very talented so we are very proud of her! Congratulations, Amanda!

• Thank you to our Board Members who came by to visit the classrooms today! They spread out across the levels to hand out bagels for breakfast and see what the students are up to. Thanks for making the time to come and do that!
• This week, we practiced our “Hold” drill. “Hold” was this month’s implementation of the “I Love You Guys” Safety Program.
• CMAS is right around the corner. Here are a few links from our principals outlining the process and timeline. (Elementary, Middle, High)  If you would like to opt out of these assessments, please come into the office to fill out the appropriate paperwork.  
• Our Middle School is reading “Starfish” as a part of the “One School One Book” program. They will also be participating in a three week kindness challenge along with reading the book.

Thank you for being a part of the Bulldog Community and have a good weekend!

Go Bulldogs!

March 10, 2023

Happy Friday University Families,

We’ve got a few celebrations as we move into Spring Break.

If you didn’t get a chance to see the band concert last night, both the Middle and High School put on fantastic performances! We have some amazing musicians at University and we are really proud of them.

We’d like to give a shout out to our High School Girls Basketball team for finishing in the final four three years in a row! They also worked really hard all season so congrats to them for making it to the tournament.

We’re super excited that 38 of our students were selected to show their artwork at the District 6 and Friends Art Walk at the Showcase Arts Center. These kids are super talented!

We’d like to recognize our National qualifying students for Speech and Debate: Jaylee Morado, Aaliyah Lucero, Abby Conner,  Keelyn Connor, Lacey Ceriani, Rhianon Hampton, Danica Cooper and Tagan Garcia.

Congratulations to our DECA National Qualifiers: Landon Holligan, Weston Pierce - Marketing Management Team Decision Making and David Luo - Accounting Applications. This is the most students we’ve ever had qualify.

Our monthly Board of Governors meeting was this week. If you would like to watch the meeting, here is a link to the video. Here is a link to Ryan Mayeda’s recap if you would like to watch that as well. We’d also like to remind you that we are currently having board elections to fill a few open positions for next year. If you or anyone you know is interested, please fill out this nomination form.

Next year’s calendar was approved by the Board at this month’s meeting. If you would like to see the calendar for next year, click this link.

We’ve got a couple things coming up that you’ll want to keep an eye out for. Mark your calendar for March 31 for the First Annual Bulldog Poetry Writing Contest. It is open to all K-12 students and we can’t wait to see what our students come up with. Fill out this form if you’re interested.

Thank you to Tri-M for planning today’s house activity to celebrate “Music in our Schools” month. Students competed to guess the lyrics of well known songs and traveled back in time to guess the decades of popular genres. We had a lot of fun so thank you to them for setting that up.

Lastly, thank you to the counselors, students and volunteers who helped with our Sources of Strength spirit week. Each day of the week shined a spotlight on each of the sources of strength.

We hope everyone has a wonderful and restful Spring Break and we’ll see you when you come back!

Go Bulldogs!

March 3, 2023

Hello University Families,

Let’s start off by saying good luck to our High School Girls Basketball team who is taking on Eaton right now for the Great Eight. Good luck ladies!

Congratulations to a few DECA students who qualified for the National Conference in Orlando and this is the most qualifiers we have had at University Schools since we started DECA. These students have worked so hard and we are so proud of them!

Landon Holligan and Weston Pierce - Marketing Management Team Decision Making, David Luo - Accounting Applications

Thank you to everyone who came to read to our elementary students for Read Across America. The kids had a great time listening to fun books and getting to hear from some amazing community members. Here is a link to a video if you would like to see all that happened.

Two Middle School teams are advancing to Districts in the Battle of the Books so congratulations to them! We want to give a special shout out to 7th graders Madison Yeh, Ryan Park, Rebecca Stoody and Bella Pecor and 8th graders Morgan Swanson, Roxie Schulte, Kaylee Fitzsimons, Evan McCalla, Julia Tabert, and Maddie Cozad.

If anyone is interested in going to a Rockies game, we’re selling tickets for $20. The game is Saturday, April 8th at 6:10 p.m. against the Washington Nationals. Click this link to buy tickets and we would love to see you there.

Our High School Theater students are currently performing “A Midsummer’s Night Dream or the Night They Missed the Forest for the Trees.” They performed last night and will take the stage again tonight at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. We would love to see you out there supporting our Theater Department.

It’s that time of year again for Board of Governor elections. If you or anyone you know is interested in being a member of the board of governors, click this link to the Board of Governors nomination form. We are looking to fill three open positions next year.

USPTO is also having their board elections. If you’re interested in being the Vice President and Secretary for USPTO, click on these links. USPTO Board Information and Guidelines and

USPTO Nomination Form

We hope you have an amazing weekend!

Go Bulldogs!

February 24, 2023

Hello University Families,

It’s been a super short week but happy Friday nonetheless!

Let’s start by giving Paxton Daggett a huge congratulations for winning the State Championship at the wrestling tournament last week! He has worked so hard all season and we are all so proud of him. That’s a huge achievement.

Both Middle and High School basketball teams are performing well as their post season progresses! Our high school girls team had a massive win over La Junta a few days ago so congratulations to them!

1st Grade got to enjoy their hard work today by reading their alphabet books that came in form Student Treasure publishing!  

Our Middle School dance is tonight, which is always a good time! Thank you to all of our volunteers who helped put it all together!

DECA has their State Competition this weekend so good luck to them!

Thank you to all of the Board of Governors who came to visit the school today and hand out bagels! It’s always a pleasure to have them visit the classrooms!

If you’re looking to participate in the “Reach Across America” spirit days, here is the schedule.

Dress Up Days

Tutus, Ties or Tie Dye - Tuesday 2/28/2023

*Wear a tutu, tie or tie-dye .

Wacky - Wednesday 3/1/2023

*Wear wacky socks

Top Hat - Thursday 3/2/2023

*Wear a fun hat

Future Self - Friday 3/3/2023

*Dress as what you want to be when you grow up.

Finally, the High School Theater will be performing next Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They have been putting in so much work to put this play together and you won’t want to miss it!

As always thank you for being a part of this Bulldog Community and we hope you have a great weekend!

Go Bulldogs!

February 17, 2023

Hello University Families,

Happy Friday! We have lots of things to celebrate as the trimester closes.

• We had eight high school wrestlers qualify for the state competition, which is the most we’ve had qualify since 1948. Paxton Daggett will compete in the semifinals so good luck to him! Coel Croissant and Jace Collett are also still battling it out in the tournament so good luck to them as well!
• Both of our high school basketball teams are also doing well in their seasons! We will host the first round of the playoffs for both girls and boys basketball next week.
• Our Speech and Debate team is currently attending the Harvard Invitational which is a big debate competition! They continue to impress all of us and we are so proud of them!
• Our Middle School students have been enjoying their art club so we’d like to send a special shout out to our artistic middle school friends!
• Lastly, thank you for participating in our Lockdown drill. This month’s protocol training went smoothly so thank you to all of the staff for making that happen. Parent handout (English) Parent handout (Spanish)

Here are a few reminders and things to keep in mind.

• If you are interested in hearing more about the recent Board of Governors meeting, here are the links to the meeting recording and Ryan Mayeda’s recap.
• Lastly, here is a message from our school nurse, Mrs. Alvarez.

"A letter went home with your student(s) the other day from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). The letter provides information about recommended and school-required vaccines, medical and non-medical exemption process, exclusion from school and resources for families.

Page two provides University Schools’ specific immunization and compliance rates, which schools are required to share with families each year. This information is also reported to CDPHE and the public annually. Here’s a link to the letter in English and Spanish, please note specific information for incoming Kindergarten and 6th grade students!

We sincerely appreciate every family’s attention to your students’ vaccine schedule. Complete records of immunizations and/or exemption documentation each year enable us to comply with reporting requirements for Colorado schools. Records are accepted during registration for the coming school year."

We hope you have an amazing weekend and we’ll see you next week! Go Bulldogs!

February 10, 2023

Hello University Families,

We are constantly amazed by how amazing our students are at every level.

• To kick off the celebrations, we’ll start by giving a shout out to The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). These students have been busy these last few weeks with providing dinner for our CLD night, showing appreciation for our custodial staff and planning the February house event. We are so proud of these students for everything they’ve accomplished.
• We also want to recognize our Winter Guard for putting together amazing performances in their first competitive season.
• The high school wrestling team is also doing well as they get closer to their state qualifier next Thursday! Good luck to each of these athletes and here are some photos from their season!  
• Our Cheerleading team is hosting a “pup clinic” for our future cheerleaders ages 4-14. Keep an eye out during the next girls basketball game because these little bulldogs will be putting on a special halftime show!
• Speaking of our little bulldogs, our 100th day of school parade was earlier today. This is a fantastic tradition where the kindergarteners dress up as elderly people and celebrate 100 days of school.
• The Middle School teams are crushing their seasons! Our 7th grade girls basketball teams are currently undefeated going into the last two weeks of competition, wrestlers won a hard fought duel against Platte Valley yesterday at their final home match of the season and our 8th grade basketball teams are working for a top seed in their upcoming tournaments.  
• Congratulations to our spellers who competed in the league spelling bee yesterday at Milliken middle school. They all qualified through their written test for the oral round of 40 spellers.
• For those of you who are feeling culinary inclined, Mrs. Fullmer’s class has been cooking up a storm and letting our staff taste the results. Mrs. Fullmer never misses an opportunity to make her classes enjoyable for her students and anyone lucky enough to enjoy the food they cook.

Here are a few things coming up to keep an eye out for.

• The next step of our “I love you guys” implementation is the lockdown drill. This will be happening Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. This is also a reminder that you will be receiving communication as a part of this drill as well. Here is a sample message that you would receive if there were a real situation.

• “University is currently in Lockdown. Check your email or voicemail for more information. Please stay where you are and remain available at this time. Look here [link to social media page/site] for updates.”

You will also be receiving a text notification on the day of as well. For more information, check out these links. Parent handout (English), Parent handout (Spanish).

• Lastly, our monthly Board of Governors meeting was held Wednesday night. The Board will continue their evaluation of the Director this coming Monday. Here is a link to the agenda for the meeting and here is a link to the Wednesday meeting video. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the Board at contactbog@universityschools.com.

Thank you for being a part of this Bulldog community and we hope you have a fantastic weekend. Go Bulldogs!

February 3, 2023

Hello University Families,

There was a technical issue last week and the Friday update did not go out as intended. Here is the update just in case you missed it.

We’ve had lots of fun activities this week so let’s start with a few celebrations.

• First, we want to say a huge congratulations to our band teacher, Mr. Clark Goering who was awarded the “Educator of the Year” award by the District 6 Success Foundation. We are so grateful for all of the hard work he has put into the music program here at University. (Photos)
• Last week, we had a fantastic turn out at the CLD night. (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) and special thank you to LULAC for providing the food. Thank you for being a part of our Bulldog Community.
• Our Elementary School has a fun opportunity for students interested in art. They’ve been hosting their art club after school and they’ve been having a blast. If you would like to see photos, here is a link. Thank you to everyone who makes that club possible.
• The 3rd grade students took a field trip to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science earlier today and had a great time! Thank you to all of the teachers and chaperones who made that trip possible.
• Lastly, our FBLA team absolutely crushed it and had a few students qualify for state in multiple events. Congratulations to them and we will keep you updated as they continue with their events.

We have a few activities right around the corner so be on the lookout for each of these:

• The Speech and Debate team recently had a fantastic performance at their State Competition the other day, and have another competition here at the school tomorrow. Good luck to each of them. Knowledge Bowl also has a competition tomorrow so good luck to them as well.
• Our 5th grade sleepover is tonight in the high school gym so that will be a fun time!
• Our monthly Board of Governors meeting is this Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. As always, you can watch the meeting the next day on our Youtube page and here is a link to the meeting agenda.

January 27, 2023

Hello University Families!

It’s crazy to think that it’s already the last Friday in January! We’ve had a pretty full week, but we also have a few events coming up to finish out the month.

Many of you know we had a drill to practice our “secure” protocols. This was the next step in implementing the “I Love You Guys” emergency program. Thank you to everyone who helped the drill go smoothly. Here are the links to the handouts if you haven’t seen them yet - Parent handout (English), Parent handout (Spanish).

If you’re an Elementary parent, keep an eye out for the 5210+ Challenge.

What is it?

• A school-wide program to learn and practice the 5210+ healthy habits to create and maintain lifelong healthy habits.
• 5 servings of fruits and vegetables; 2 hours or less of screen time; 1 hour or more of physical activity; 0 sugary drinks; + 9 or more hours of sleep
• All elementary students and staff are invited to participate.

How?

• Track your 5210+ habits on your log. Submit your log online at this link: Challenge 5210. Please do not send logs to school!
• Get 80 (out of a total of 140) and earn a t-shirt!
• Schools with the highest percentage of participation can earn up to $1000 in prize money.

When?

• The challenge runs from February 1-28, 2023.

Questions? Contact Amanda Hahn, school counselor ahahn@universityschools.com or healthykids@uchealth.org

If you have a 7th Grader in your family, the UC Healthy Hearts and Minds program will be visiting our school and here are the details.

For the past 8 years here at UMS we have been lucky to have UC Healthy Hearts and Minds program visit our school. Healthy Hearts and Minds is an outreach program which aims to educate and empower students, families and adults about how to live heart-healthy lifestyles to prevent heart disease.

Day 1 Education:

Interactive lesson on the cardiovascular system, exercise, smoking and vaping, stress, nutrition and genetics and hands-only CPR.

Day 2 Screening:

Students meet one-on-one with a health screener to learn their cholesterol, blood pressure, BMI growth percentile and set goals.

In order to participate in the screening, parents need to complete the registration form before FEB. 6th: redcap.link/hhscreening 

University High School's Speech and Debate Team is hosting our own in person tournament on Sat Feb 4 (and the several days prior). We need judges!

We've got options:

• Watch and rank pre-recorded videos, at your convenience, between Tues 1/31 and Fri 2/3
• … or join us at UH and rank students in person on Sat 2/4
• (or both, if you want)

No experience is necessary (though we know some of you have done this before, and we'd love to have you back).  

Even if you can do just one round (45-60 min), we'll be most grateful, and if you can and want to do more, all the better!

You won't be asked to judge our own students, but we know you'll be impressed and entertained by the competitors from other schools.

There's a wide variety of different events to judge, and we'll explain how to do it all, if you're new.

We will be paying college students not seeking community service hours $11 per round.

Here's the sign-up form:

https://forms.gle/brvwFBEjyxb3UNXg7

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to luribe@univeristyschools.com

We have a few High School Knowledge Bowl competitions coming up, and the Middle School Spelling B is on the 7th from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. at Milliken Middle School so good luck to both of them!

Lastly, If you were unable to come to the New High School Student info night, here are the links to the recording and the slideshow. If you have any questions, please reach out to our High School counselors, Abbey Farnsworth (Last name A-J) at afarnsworth@universityschools.com or Kelsi Miller (Last name K-Z) at kmiller@universityschools.com.

We hope you have a fantastic weekend and Go Bulldogs!  

January 20,2023

Hello University Families,

We’ve got a short update for you to match the short week we’ve had.

Our Freshmen class went on a field trip to CU”s campus yesterday and today and had a great time. They toured the CU Natural History Museum, the Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory and CU”s scale model solar system. This was a great experience to see CU’s campus and hear from some of the experts.

Our High School Wrestling team competed at home for the first time tonight and have put up some solid performances.

Just a reminder that it’s already time to start planning for next year and schedule some classes. For current high school students, as well as anyone coming up from the 8th grade, our counseling team has put together a few slideshows full of useful information. Here are the links: (9th, 10th, 11th Grade, Incoming 8th Grade).

As always, thanks for being a part of our Bulldog community and we hope you have an amazing weekend!

January 13, 2023

Hello University Families!

As we head into the weekend, we’ve got a few celebrations and reminders to share with you.

Our State Champ Poms Team was recognized by the Board of Governors at the last meeting so we wanted to send them another shout out! We are so proud of them and they continue to impress us with each performance. If you would like to see their season recap video, click this link.

The Board of Governors had their monthly meeting on the 11th, but they also had a work session on the 6th. If you would like to watch those meetings, or Ryan Mayeda’s recap, click on these links - January 6th Meeting, January 11th Meeting and the January Recap.  

High School Conferences are in full swing so thank you to all of the parents and guardians who have participated.

If you’re a Middle School parent or guardian, you are invited to Coffee with the Counselors on Thursday, January 26 at 7:45 AM in room 177, for a conversation about social media and tweens/teens. Please RSVP through this link.

There is also a Parent Information Night coming up.  

When: Monday 1/23 from 6-7pm

Where: Auditorium

Who: If you are the parent of a student who will be going into high school next year or if you are a parent of a high school student who would like more information on changes that are occurring next year.

What: We will discuss pre-registration, the change from trimesters to quarters and semesters, graduation requirements, and general expectations for how high school students can be successful at University!

It will be the same information that students are presented with the week of 1/17-1/20 in their advising class to help them with pre-registration. A Q&A will be at the end of the presentation for parents to ask questions.

We are continuing to implement the “I Love U Guys” Standard Response Protocol (SRP). Each month we will be focusing on one action. Classroom and advisory teachers will teach students, we will practice a drill, and we will share a sample text with families. Click these links to learn more about each of these actions. Parent handout (English), Parent handout (Spanish)

This month, we will be learning about “Secure” and will be practicing a “secure” drill next Wednesday the 18th. We will also be sending example emails and texts as a part of the drill. If we had an actual secure situation, here is a sample notification that families would receive:

“Subject Line: Safety Notification - Secure Currently Activated at [University Schools]

Dear Parent or Guardian,

[University] has been notified of [ _____ occurring outside of the building]. As a precaution, we have placed the school in Secure. During the Secure Action, all doors are locked and no one can leave or enter the building. [Modify for monitored entry and controlled release] Watch for updates through your email or text.”

Lastly, the school will be closed for Martin Luther King Day so enjoy your long weekend! We hope you have a fantastic Holiday and we will see you next week.

Go Bulldogs!

January 6, 2023

Hello University Families,

We hope you and your family have enjoyed the first week back! We’ve definitely enjoyed having students back in the hallways!

We’d like to say a huge congratulations to the high school students who qualified for the Combined League Jazz Band, Patriot League Honor Band, All-City Honor Band and the All-State Jazz Band! These students have worked very hard for these achievements so we wanted to give them a special shout out! Congratulations to:  

Austin Fuchs

Brayden Bellendir

Levi Carlson

Kate Harvey

Piper Schulte

Blake Wehrman

Owen Bonnell

Levi Carlson

Sydney Gabriel

Olivia Gomez

Kate Harvey

Reyna Mefford

Bailey Permenter

Rebekah Savage

Kylee Wehrman

Zachary Yockey

As many of you know, a pipe burst in the ceiling over Christmas Break and flooded the main building library. We are working closely with the reconstruction team who is already clearing out the space. Classes that typically meet in the library have been temporarily relocated while the construction crew is working. Thank you to everyone who worked hard over the break to get a head start on the renovation process!

If you were in the main office today, you may have noticed that we have a new school pet. Sam Hausman and Nicole Boettcher rescued a blue and white bird from the playground this week. If you are missing this little bird, please contact the office so we can return it to its home!

 If you are interested in attending, our monthly Board of Governors meeting is Wednesday the 11th. Please feel free to attend in person, or watch on Youtube if you can't make it. The video will be posted on our channel the day after the meeting. Here is the link to the meeting agenda.

Thanks for all you do and we hope you have an amazing weekend!

Go Bulldogs!

December 16, 2022

Happy Friday University Families!

We hope you have an amazing break and we’ll see you when you get back! Here are some links to the mid-year updates from our principals. (Elementary, Middle, High)

Go Bulldogs!

December 9, 2022

Hello University Families!

We’ve had a busy week so let’s start with celebrations!

• We want to start off by giving a big shout out to our Poms and Cheer teams. We sent Poms off to their State Competition this afternoon and Cheer is already down in Denver competing in their State Tournament. They’ve had amazing performances all season and we’re so proud of them. Good luck ladies!

• We had a great time with USPTO’s Holiday Shoppe this year. Thank you so much to USPTO and everyone who volunteered their time to put it all together!

• A large group of University students have auditioned for honor bands over the past few weeks and there are some congratulations in order. Many of our students qualified for high level groups and we are proud of their continued hard work in the community. This is a big commitment and these students have worked really hard all year to be a part of these honor bands. Here is a list of students we would like to congratulate.    

Combined League Jazz Band

• Austin Fuchs

Patriot League Honor Band

• Brayden Bellendir
• Levi Carlson
• Kate Harvey
• Piper Schulte
• Blake Wehrman

All-City Honor Band

• Brayden Bellendir
• Owen Bonnell
• Levi Carlson
• Austin Fuchs
• Sydney Gabriel
• Olivia Gomez
• Kate Harvey
• Reyna Mefford
• Bailey Permenter
• Rebekah Savage
• Kylee Wehrman
• Zachary Yockey

All-State Jazz Band

• Austin Fuchs
• Elijah Fusco (Dayspring Academy

Here are a few reminders for events we have coming around the corner.

• The University's Annual Snow Show is Wednesday the 14th in the Middle School Gym. Our Music Department always does a fantastic job with this show so you don't want to miss it! Due to overlapping events, parking for the show will  be limited. We’d like to encourage everyone to arrive early to get a spot, overflowing parking will be across the street at the Youth Sports Complex.

• The Middle and High School Choirs are getting ready to perform their Holiday concert on Monday, December 12th at 5:30 p.m. in the Auditorium. We have some talented singers in our school so you won’t want to miss this one either.

• If you have been in the new addition lately, you’ve probably noticed the big mural painted on the wall. Tuesday, December 13th is Ed Clark’s Birthday and we will be dedicating that mural to him as a thank you for everything he has done for University over the years. To help celebrate, please wear your “Love like Ed Clark” shirts or a purple shirt.

• Our monthly Board of Governors meeting is on Wednesday the 14th. Here is the link to the agenda, and feel free to attend. If you are unable to come, we will be posting the meeting on our Youtube page.

• Lastly, our school has adopted the “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP). Each month we will be focusing on one action. Classroom and advisory teachers will teach students we will practice a drill, and we will share a sample text with families. Click these links to learn more about each of these actions. Parent handout (English), Parent handout (Spanish)

This month, we will be learning about “Evacuate”.  If we had an actual evacuation here is a sample text that families would receive:

University Schools has been Evacuated due to [state reason for evacuation] and students will be dismissed early at [state the time]. Please check your email and voicemail for details.

As always, thank you so much for being a part of the University Community and we hope you have an amazing weekend!

Go Bulldogs!

December 2, 2022

Hello University Families,

Happy Friday!

First of all thank you so much to everyone who came through and helped with the Giving Tree and adopting a staff member. Every kid on the giving tree is accounted for and will wake up to a present under the tree! We were also able to cover more of our staff for the Christmas event as well. If you didn’t get a chance to help out with that but would like to, you can still donate to the main office next week.

Next, we need to congratulate the Middle School Honor Band. These are the students who made it.

Combined League Honor Band

Malachi Burgess

Lauren Hemesath

Niko Koehler

Bella Pope

Destiny Watson

Sarah Williams

All-City Honor Band

Lilly Bonnell

Sam Butler

Ruby Cash

Noelle Farrar

Kaylee Fitzsimons

Phoenix Gorman-Skow

An Ho

Madisyn Permenter

Fisher Pierce

Bella Pope

Aticia Rocha

Morgan Swanson

Robbie Thibodeau

This is the largest group of Middle School Honor Band Students we have had so a huge shout out to them!

Winter sports are in full swing with excellent performances from all of the different levels. We love seeing parents and fans in the bleachers, so please come out and support our Bulldogs on game days.

Our Book Fair is next week from the 6th to the 9th so don’t forget to mark your calendars. USPTO’s Holiday Shoppe is also next week. You should be receiving packets from your kids as well so keep an eye out for those.  

Finally, the official opening of our student based enterprise, the “Dog Pound” is next week. If you swing by the school and want to purchase some Bulldog Gear made in-house, drop by room 1411 in the new addition. They’ve got some great stuff so come and check it out.

We hope you have an amazing weekend!

Go Bulldogs!

November 28, 2022

Hello University Families,

Welcome back! We hope you all had a wonderful break! Here are a couple of reminders as we dive back into the swing of things.

First, there is still time to adopt a staff member. We would love to lower the price for 100% of our staff and we could really use your help. Please return check or cash in any amount you’re willing to give to the main office by 12/2/22. Click this link for more info. Thank you for supporting the amazing staff at University!

Second, the weather is getting colder which means that snow days are a possibility. We’d like to remind everyone that we follow District 6 for school closures and delays. We will send out the initial snow day notice through email, text and Facebook.

Lastly,  RSV, Flu and COVID cases are rising in Colorado and across the country. Symptoms include runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, fever, and decreased appetite. To help prevent illness, wash your hands often and stay home when sick.

We’re excited to get back in the classroom and we’ll see you tomorrow.

November 11, 2022

Hello University Families!

We’ve got a few things to celebrate as we get closer to Thanksgiving Break!

Our High School Volleyball team won both of their games yesterday in the State Tournament and are playing Eaton in the quarterfinals as we speak! If you would like to see photos from yesterday, here is a link.

Our High School Football Team is gearing up to take on The Classical Academy tomorrow at home in the next round of their State Tournament. Come on down, pack the stands and cheer as loud as you can!

We recently held our monthly Board of Governors meeting on the 9th. If you didn’t get a chance to attend, you can watch the full meeting here, or Ryan Mayeda’s recap here. In light of past book discussions, here is a link to a helpful library resource which outlines several different options for parents to stay involved with their child’s reading selections.

“Library Resource Page”

Lastly, as we draw closer to the holiday season, University will be holding an “Adopt a Staff Member” fundraiser. We have an amazing team here at University, and this is a great way for us to celebrate them. “Adopt a Staff Member”

We hope you have a fantastic weekend.

Go Bulldogs!

November 4, 2022

Hello University Families,

Happy November Friday!

We’ve got a few celebrations for you.

Our amazing Marching Band had a fantastic performance at the State Competition and placed 8th. Congratulations Bulldogs! The High School Football team plays in the first round of the playoffs tonight against the Academy. The game is in Denver and starts at 7:00 so wish them luck! The High School Volleyball team is hosting their first round of tournament games tomorrow! Those games start at 10:00 and 1:00 so pack the stands and show them some love! The UH Poms team is entering the beginning of their competitive season with an event tomorrow! The Speech and Debate team and the Knowledge Bowl team also have tournaments coming up so good luck to them as well.

Middle School basketball is in full swing and they’re tearing up the court. Good luck to them during the rest of their season. Keep an eye out for more info about the Middle School choir concert coming up on November 10.

Elementary has been enjoying all kinds of field trips including a 3rd grade trip to the Denver Aquarium. Thank you to all of the teachers and volunteers who helped put those trips together.

Our monthly Board of Governors meeting is this Wednesday the 9th at 6:00. Here is a link to the agenda. If you would like to watch it but are unable to attend, we will be filming the meeting, along with a recap, and posting those videos to Youtube.

As always, thank you for being a part of the Bulldog Community and we hope you have a fantastic weekend!

October 28, 2022

Hello Bulldog Community!

What a fantastic week we’ve had full of costumes, decorations and candy!

Our first celebration goes to USPTO’s Trunk or Treat. We had so many families making their way through the loop seeing all of the decorated trunks. Thanks to USPTO and everyone who came to set up their trunk! To top it all off, we had a great time watching “The One and Only Ivan.” If you would like to see a few photos, here is a link.

Our High School Theater Department put together an amazing performance of “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” yesterday. It was a pleasure to watch our talented and hilarious  students take the stage. Here is a link to those photos, and you can catch the show tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. if you missed it yesterday.

As many of you already know, our Marching Band qualified for State, and it’s only their second competitive season. What you might not know is that Greeley hasn’t sent a marching band to State since the 90’s. We are so proud of each of these students and staff! They will compete on the 31st down in Grand Junction so good luck to them!

Lastly, our Halloween House Party/Parade was a blast! It was fun seeing all of the levels come together to show off their costumes. Our Elementary kids had a chance to parade around the track as well. While some were nervous, others couldn’t get enough and we all enjoyed watching the show. Thank you to all of the parents who came out to watch.  

We appreciate everyone for being a part of this Bulldog Community! We hope you have a fantastic weekend and a Happy Halloween!

October 21, 2022

Go Hello University Families,

This week has been packed full of events and activities so let’s start with some celebrations.

• Our High School Marching Band qualified for the State Competition for the first time in UH history. We are incredibly proud of these students! They have put in so much work. We also want to give a big thank you to Clark Goering, Kwami Barnett, Mandie Lavery, Max Walters, Daria Romero and Pete Chambers. They pour so much into the music program and it’s a pleasure to watch the performances they put together. Here’s a link to a short video.
• The High School Softball team won their first two games in the State tournament today against Resurrection Christian and Sterling. They will play Lamar in the semi finals tomorrow. Good luck ladies!
• Today was Limo Ride Day! Each of the students that sold over 15 items for the USPTO Big Kahuna Fundraiser got to celebrate by riding in a limo. Thanks to USPTO and all of the volunteers who put it all together!

We’ve got a few things right around the corner to look forward to!

• USPTO’s Trunk or Treat is happening in the loop tonight starting at 5:30! Grab your best Halloween costume and come on out!
• We are also wrapping up our “Bulldog Family Reads Together” event by hosting an outdoor movie night tonight at 5:40! Come on out to the football field to watch “The One and Only Ivan” on the big screen!
• Speech and Debate is hosting a competition at home tomorrow! They’ve been working really hard to prepare so we wish them luck as well.
• Mark your calendars for October 27th and 29th for the High School Theater’s first production. Keep an eye out for more details!

Lastly, we want to remind you that the Board of Governors Election is currently open. Thank you to everyone who has already voted; but just in case you haven’t, here is a link to the google form. You can also watch each of the candidate’s video profiles on this playlist on our Youtube page.

We have such an amazing community and we want to thank everyone for continuing to be a part of it! We hope you have an amazing weekend!

Go Bulldogs!  

October 14, 2022

Hello University Families!

We’ve reached the end of a really fun week. Click this link to watch Director Weaver’s Friday Update.

If you would like to watch the October 12 Board of Governors meeting, you can watch it here. If you would rather watch Ryan Mayeda’s recap of the meeting, you can watch that here.

As many of you know, the special election for the Board of Governors is officially open. If you would like to vote, you click this link. The candidate’s profiles are listed on that form as well.

We want to thank you again for being a part of this Bulldog Community. Have a fantastic weekend!

October 9, 2022

Hello University Families,

Happy Friday!

Celebrations:

• We had an amazing choir concert on Monday! It’s always a pleasure to watch our super talented students perform. Special thanks to everyone who worked so hard to put it all together. If you would like to see the performance, click this link!
• We’ve had a lot of field trips lately (Pumpkin Patches, Beauty and the Beast etc.) so thank you to all the teachers and volunteers who made them happen.
• The Boys Tennis Team had some amazing performances at Regionals! Congrats to our State Qualifiers: Matthew Chambers, Korey Koehler, Scott Thompson, Morgan Parrish and Gabe Hollingshead. Good luck gentlemen!
• We had a blast at the Book Fair so thank you to everyone who came out!

Action Items:

• The Board of Governors meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 12. Here is a link to the agenda. We encourage you to attend if you would like to, or you can watch it on our Youtube Page as well. As many of you know, there is a special election being held to fill a vacancy. Keep an eye out for the ballot and please participate in the voting process.
• Here is some more information about the MLO fund and what it can provide. Please take a look and consider that we have benefited from this money in the past (English/Spanish)  
• As many of you know, parent/teacher conferences are currently going on in the Elementary and Middle Schools. University prides itself on keeping a 100% participation from the parents so thank you for always being involved. We had over 100 families show up for Middle School Conferences so thank you to all of you! We’re also excited that the Elementary students are getting back to Personal Learning Plans.

Coming Up:

• Don’t forget the Senior trip is on Monday, October 9th.
• FCCLA is having a conference at CSU on the 10th.
• Lifetouch will be here on the 12th for picture retakes if anyone is interested.
• Jr. Bulldogs will be hosting basketball skills and drills for 2nd-6th grade students. Each Sunday from 5-6:30pm, your child can work with coaches on basketball skills and then scrimmage with other players.
• Good luck to the Middle School Volleyball as they compete in the Playoffs!
• Lastly, the Volleyball team is hosting a tribute/fundraiser for Ed Clark on the 11th. Here is a flier with more information. Please come on out and pack the stands with pink!

We hope you have a fantastic weekend!

September 30, 2022

Hello University Families,

As this week comes to a close, we’ve got a few celebrations and shout outs.

• The first shout out goes to the Middle and High School Bands. They had a concert on Tuesday and absolutely crushed it! We’ve got some talented musicians and fantastic teachers! Thanks to Clark Goering and Kwami Barnett for working hard to put it all together. Here is a link to the concert photos.
• University hosted the League Cross Country Meet and put up some impressive performances! Here is a link to the Middle School Cross Country Recap. Congrats to the girls team for placing 1st!
• Lastly, we’ve had several field trips across a few levels. It takes a lot to put those together so thank you to all of the teachers and parents who helped put it together. If you would like to see photos from the freshman’s trip up the Thompson River, click this link!

Action Items

• Mark your calendars for the 7th. The Health Department will be on campus giving TDAP, Flu and Covid shots. Flyers went home with your students with QR codes that you can use to register. We could use a group of parent volunteers to help with this process. So if you would like to help out, click this link to sign up.  
• Here is some more information about the MLO fund and what it can provide. Please take a look and consider that we have benefited from this money in the past (English/Spanish)  
• As many of you know, parent/teacher conferences are currently going on in the Elementary and Middle Schools. University prides itself on keeping a 100% participation from the parents so thank you for always being involved.

Coming Up

Here are a few reminders for things coming up.

• We will be transitioning into four-day weeks and there won’t be any school on Monday.
• Our Middle and High School Choirs will be having a concert on Monday the 3rd so please pack the seats and show your support. It will be at the Methodist Church at 917 9th Avenue, Greeley, CO. 80631.
• NJHS induction is also happening Monday so congratulations to all of those students!
• The High and Elementary school will be attending UCCC to watch a Beauty and the Beast performance.
• Lastly, the senior trip is happening on the 8th so keep an eye out for more information.

We hope you have a fantastic weekend and we'll see you next week! Thanks for being a part of this University Community!

Go Bulldogs!

September 23, 2022

Hello University Families,

Happy Friday! Here are a few updates for you.

• Blackboard Update - We are aware that if you are using gmail, University Schools emails are going to your junk folder and none of the usual work arounds (marking it as “not spam”, moving messages to your inbox, adding the noreply@universityschools.com to your contacts, etc.) are working. We are working with Blackboard to resolve this issue, but until then, all email will also be sent as a text with a link to the information. Please remember that if you choose “stop” on a particular text, you will no longer be able to receive texts from us, including emergency ones.
• Reminder that we begin having Mondays off on October 3, 2022.

• Here is a link to the school calendar
• Childcare is available onsite at University through University Schools Bright School-Age Center

• University Schools is again partnering with the Health Department to offer a Flu/Tdap/COVID clinic on October 7 from 9-2:30 .

• Just like last year, you’ll need to register if you are interested (you may choose to participate in one, two or all three of these).  

• Flu and Tdap
• COVID-19 vaccine 

• We really appreciate the adults who volunteered to help last year. They were rock stars escorting kids and helping them feel confident.  

• Please sign up if you're available to help.

• If you are looking for a way to get involved in the classroom, or if you know anyone who is interested, we are always looking for more substitute teachers. Click on this link to our Frontline page to get started. We will also be hosting a lunchtime event for anyone interested in subbing on October 17.
• Here is another reminder that we are holding a special election to fill a vacancy in our Board of Governors. If you, or anyone you know, is interested, click this link to the google form to get started.
• Homecoming was a blast and we all had a great time at the events all week. Click this link if you would like to watch the recap video. Keep an eye out for more photos as well.
• We are excited to bring back Bulldog Family Reads! For those who don’t know, it is a family literacy program where every student, family, and staff member will receive a copy of a classic children's novel to be read at home during the same time period. This year's book is “The One and Only Ivan” by Katherine Applegate. Here is an intro video which includes a reading from the talented Sandy Magnusson.
• We want to give a special thank you to USPTO for putting on such a great fundraiser. The Big Kahuna Fall fundraiser recently drew to a close and it was fantastic. Thank you to all of the parents who volunteered to help put it all together!

We hope you have a fantastic weekend and thanks for being a part of this Bulldog Community!

September 9, 2022

Hello University Families!

Happy Friday and we have so much to celebrate. We’ve had all kinds of  events, assemblies and traditions happen. If you would like to see any of those photos, there is a list of links below. Thank you to everyone who helped make these events happen. One of these traditions is taking a photo of the senior class and the kindergarten class together which is a lot of fun!

• Middle School Cross Country
• High School Pep Assembly
• Seniors with the Kindergarten Class
• High School Softball   
• House Activity 

Here are a few pieces of information that might be helpful as well as a few fun and important events coming up.

• Homecoming is next week! Here is a link to a document which shows each of the spirit days as well as the schedule for games and activities.
• We have several field trips coming up for all levels so keep an eye out for those details.
• The Board of Governors meeting is Wednesday, September 14 at 6:00 p.m. It will be live-streamed through our Youtube page if you aren’t able to attend in person. We will send out a link to the stream when as the date gets closer.
• Here is the link to the agenda. 
• There will be hearing and vision screening on the 13th and 14th from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the auditorium.
• Here are a few guidelines from the Health Office as we head into a season where germs are easily spread.
• Here is a link to a video walkthrough of our communication channels which might be helpful if you’re having trouble receiving messages or finding certain information.
• Lastly, here are the links to all our social media pages if you would like to take a look around.

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/universitybulldogs 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/universitybulldogs/ 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/B2BBulldogs 
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPKTGEEi7-w1EaU3INUJXLw 
• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@borntobebulldogs

As always, we hope you have an amazing weekend!

Go Bulldogs!

September 2, 2022

Hello University Families,

We hope you’ve had a fantastic Friday. It’s been another awesome week so let’s start off with celebrations.

• The High School Marching Band continues to put together amazing performances, and it’s no surprise that their numbers are growing. Keep and eye out for a link if you would like to see their halftime performance from last night’s game. Our Poms team also had a fantastic performance yesterday at the game so we’d like to shout them out as well.
• Today we had the big opening of our faculty lounge and treated the staff to breakfast and lunch. There will be many more events like these so please reach out if you would like to contribute and help support our teachers.
• Lastly, we’re all excited for the long weekend. This is just a reminder that there will not be school on Monday, September 5th.

We’ve got a few action steps for you.

• First, here are a few fliers from District 6 which outline the pros and cons regarding Mill Leavy Renewal, so take a second and look through some of the details. (English/Spanish)
• We are getting close to 100% participation in the Free/Reduced Lunch program. There are only a few people left and we would like to encourage you to fill out this application. The benefits go way beyond reduced lunch fees so we would really like to get everyone on board.

There are a few events coming around the corner. We have a House Activity on Thursday, September 8th. We are always looking for volunteers to help out with these events so if you’re interested in getting involved, please check out our “volunteer” page on the website. Lastly, Homecoming is coming up fast which is really exciting so keep an eye out for dates and spirit days.

As always, thank you for being a part of the Bulldog Community!

Have a great weekend!

Go Bulldogs!

August 26, 2022

 Hello University Families!

Happy Friday! It’s been a very full week with all kinds of things that happened so let’s start with the celebrations.

• We had a blast at the house sorting event on Thursday. It was so much fun welcoming the class of 2035 into their houses. We also want to say a special thank you to Congressman Ken Buck who came to honor Ed Clark with a Congressional Record. We are so proud to have such an amazing person like Ed Clark be a part of our Bulldog Community!
• The Wednesday water debacle has been resolved and we have working water again. Thank you for all of your patience and for responding quickly to pick up your kids. If you haven’t been receiving these texts or emails, make sure to double check your spam folder for the noreply@universityschools.com email. There is a large group of parents who didn’t receive texts due to blocked numbers. Please don’t opt out of receiving these messages because that is a key communication tool we will be using often. Our staff is currently working hard to unblock those numbers.    
• Our High School Softball team had a massive win over Faith Christian on Tuesday so congratulations to them! We also want to shout out our High School Cross Country team who hosted a fantastic home meet last week. Middle School sports are kicking off with a few home game performances from football and volleyball.

Action Items:

• Thank you so much to the families that filled out the free and reduced lunch paperwork. We really want to have 100% participation. Filling this out goes beyond reducing lunch fees. It helps the school provide meals and snacks when we host activities. It also helps with reducing student athletic fees and gives University access to several possible grants.  

We have tons of fun events coming up, so keep an eye out for all of the announcements. Have a fantastic weekend and we will see you all on Monday!

Go Bulldogs!

August 19, 2022

Hello Bulldog Community!

Here are a few celebrations from this week:

• Fall Sports are kicking off with a few home games coming up soon. Our Boys Tennis Team had an impressive showing against Frederick on Wednesday and the Volleyball team won against Mead yesterday. Cross Country is getting into their season with a home meet tomorrow morning and Softball will compete in a tournament today and tomorrow. Middle School Sports will kick off their seasons with their first games coming up in the next couple of weeks.
• Lastly, we wanted to take some time and celebrate our Middle School teachers. Our new principal Mr. Schuyler gathered some info about each of them and put together a sweet presentation. They come from all over and have many years of experience with so many different fields of study. If you want to see how impressive our teachers are, take a look at this slide show. Thanks again Mr. Schuyler for putting this together.

Here are a few action items:

• Over the summer, University hosted the “I Love You Guys” training, which is a program designed to train schools in emergency response. University has adopted these procedures as well as the terminology. Here is a link to the flier so that you can be familiar with the language. (English, Spanish) The goal is to keep everyone involved on the same page in an emergency situation. We recently used one of these actions when bad weather delayed pick up at the end of the day. Our security staff announced “Hold” over the PA system to tell students and teachers to stay in their room and resume business as usual until the weather cleared up. We encourage you to take a look at the flier so that you are familiar with the procedures we are using at the school.

Lastly, mark your calendars for Thursday, August 25. This will be our first house activity and everyone needs to wear their new house shirts which will be handed out to students next week. New students and staff will be welcomed into their houses. For those who don’t know, University staff and students are sorted into one of six houses: Neverland, Narnia, Middle Earth, Camelot, Oz and Atlantis. Narnia is currently in first place by the way.

Have a fantastic weekend and we’ll see you all next week.

Go Bulldogs!

August 12, 2022

Hello Bulldog Community!

We’ve had a fantastic 1st week and we’re really excited to get back into the swing of things. Here is a link to Director Weaver’s Friday Update Video as well as the 1st Week Recap Video.

We want to say thank you to everyone who helped out with all of the events we’ve had, as well as everyone who came to participate. Enjoy your weekend, and we’ll see you when you come back!

Go Bulldogs!

July 6, 2022

Hello University Families!

We’re excited to start the 22/23 school year by sending you the registration packet. Please open the attachment and follow the steps to get your student registered.

On Monday, July 11 at 12:30, Director Weaver will be going through the registration process virtually over Google Meet. This is a great opportunity to go through the steps with someone, especially if this is your first time.  Here is the link to the Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/gea-zuzm-ycy

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. We can’t wait for the school year to start and to have students back in the building. Have a great rest of your summer!

Go Bulldogs!

 Attachments:

 messages/attachments/5d810ecb28b790658523d08df507bfb2/Restration_Packet.pdf (6.5 MB)

If you prefer a translated version of the registration packet, here is the Spanish version.

Hola familias universitarias!

Estamos emocionados de comenzar el año escolar 22/23 enviándole el paquete de registro. Abra el archivo adjunto y siga los pasos para registrar a su estudiante o estudiantes.

El lunes 11 de julio a las 12:30 p. m., la director Weaver realizará el proceso de registro virtualmente en Google Meet. Esta es una gran oportunidad para seguir los pasos con alguien, especialmente si es tu primera vez. Aquí está el enlace a Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/gea-zuzm-ycy

Si tiene alguna pregunta, no dude en contactarnos. No podemos esperar a que comience el año escolar y que los estudiantes regresen al edificio. ¡Que tengas un gran resto de tu verano!

¡Viva los Bulldogs!

Attachments:

 messages/attachments/678da152bee7827ce027d9eb06db1d71/Registration_Packet_22%3A23_%28Spanish%29.pdf (6.5 MB)

June 1, 2022

Hello Bulldog Community!

It’s hard to believe that the 2021/2022 school year has come to a close. As we look back on all of the memories, I wanted to thank everyone for being a part of the University Community! This year has been a wild ride to say the least and I want to thank each of you for sticking with us during the difficult times, and celebrating with us during the exciting times.

We are so proud of our students, and we’re going to miss the ones who have graduated. Here is a short slide show to recap the year as well as a google folder with graduation photos.

It’s a great day to be a Bulldog!

See you next year!

May 20, 2022

Hello Bulldog Community!

The days are counting down fast and the end of the year will be here before we know it!

• The Board of Governors held their meeting this last Wednesday. We had a busy agenda.

• Check out the awesome group of students that were honored for being State Champions or National Qualifiers.
• We also had a lot of participation in community dialogue. Many of our speakers discussed book selection in our libraries.  If you have concerns related to any books in our library, here are the steps and procedures we have in place.
• The Board approved a step movement and a 6% raise, for a total 8.1% increase for all employees.  We appreciate the hard work of our business office.  They have helped us take a great step forward in closing the pay gap between University and surrounding districts.

• Work continues on the main building addition. We now have all masonry and steel work completed. In the next three weeks, work will be completed to install door and window frames, layout interior walls, roofing and sidewalks. Here are some drone pictures of the progress:

• 4/25 https://rocheconstructors.egnyte.com/fl/dpGgMdcP3j
• 5/6 https://rocheconstructors.egnyte.com/fl/U38CnemKiC
• 513 https://rocheconstructors.egnyte.com/fl/dfgttGXNKI
• 5/18 Google Drive Link

We are working with the foundation to offer sponsorship opportunities, so keep an eye out for more information.

• The National Honor Society had the first in-person induction in several years. It was a pleasure to honor such a tremendous group of young people.
• Senior Awards night was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the many accomplishments of our seniors. Here is a link to the program.
• The 6th grade country reports happened this morning and 8th grade exit interviews are wrapping up as well. Elementary Field days were a huge success this week and Middle School Flex days are happening next week.
• Middle school extracurricular updates:

• Our middle school spring season came to a close last week with league track and brain bowl events. Brain bowl teams finished as league champions, girls track placed 2nd overall and boys were 3rd at the league meet. A big thank you goes out to the sponsors and coaches of those activities for supporting our bulldogs and their great seasons.

• Good luck to the baseball team as they compete in Regionals at home Sunday, May 22 at 11am.
• Graduation is next Friday, the 27th and the gates will open at 5:00 p.m. If you would still like to reserve tickets to sit on the field, here is the link. Families are allowed six tickets per graduate, but everyone else is more than welcome to sit in the overflow seating in the bleachers.
• If your senior needs to pick up their cap and gown, they can do that on the 25th from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. Lastly, if you would like to “adopt a senior” and buy their spirit topiaries for graduation, you can do that through this link. Special thanks to Merry Makers for putting together all of the topiaries for the graduates!
• Just a reminder that all students will be dismissed from school Wednesday (5/25/22) at 11.

Thank you for being a part of this Bulldog Community and we hope you have an amazing weekend!

Go Bulldogs!

May 17, 2022

We have had a few questions lately regarding how books are selected for our library and who to talk to if you have questions or concerns. Here is a link to a document that has all the details on how that works at University. University is so lucky to have Ms. Haas and Ms. Budzynski who are recognized by the Colorado Department of Education as Highly Effective Librarians with a Highly Effective Library Program. We really appreciate all of the hard work they do.

 We would also like to clarify that the graduation tickets are free, and the link in the previous update is just to reserve them. We apologize for the miscommunication and here is the link in case you missed it yesterday.

 Let us know if you have any questions and we hope you have a great Tuesday!

Go Bulldogs!

May 16, 2022

Hello Bulldog Families!

So many things are happening as we get closer to the end of the school year. As always we are so proud of our students, so let’s start with celebrations.

• University athletes are putting up some amazing performances as each of the seasons come to a close. If you would like to see a recap of all of the High School sports, here is a video. Props to Kate H, Halle G, Elle, Chloe R and Cooper G for all qualifying for Girls State Tennis! Baseball continues to perform well and several of our track athletes have qualified for State next week as well! If your high school student is interested, we are hosting a summer lifting program in the weight room. Morning sessions go from 9:00 - 10:30 and evening sessions go from 6:30 - 7:45, Monday through Thursday.
• University Music programs have been putting together some amazing performances. We saw a string of productions including Choirs and Bands from every level. Even our advanced high school guitar class had a chance to play in front of our kindergarteners as well. University has some very talented musicians and it's a pleasure to watch them perform. Thank you to everyone who came out to show support.
• Our House Activity was a huge success, so thank you to everyone who helped make the Amazing Race possible. We also had a great time at the Rockies Game on Sunday, so make sure to join us next time!
• We’ve had lots of field trips, special activities and fun cross-level events over the last couple of weeks. Some of these include the 6th grade “Around the World Fair”, the CO 4H Energy Trailer for 4th grade STEM and lastly, the 2nd grade life science class hatched 61 chicks and 14 ducks. The 5th graders visited the Middle School Advising classes, 6th grade country reports are happening Friday morning and 8th grade exit interviews are happening this week as well. Elementary Field days are going on this week and Middle School Flex days are happening next week.
• Senior Awards night is happening tonight! We are so proud of each of our Seniors. While we’ll be excited to see them graduate, we will definitely miss having them after they leave for the summer. The Seniors’ last day will be Friday the 20th, and the 25th will be the last day for everyone else. Just a reminder, there will be an early dismissal at 11:15 a.m. on the 25th.
• Here are the details you need to look out for as Graduation gets closer. Families of graduates who would like to sit on the field need to purchase tickets through this link. Each graduate can have up to six family members on the field, but there is free overflow seating in the bleachers. Graduation will be May 27. Gates will open at 5:00p.m. If your senior needs to pick up their cap and gown, they can do that on the 25th from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. If you would like to “adopt a senior” and buy their spirit topiaries for graduation, you can do that through this link.
• The Board of Governors will meet this Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. If you are interested, here is a link to the agenda.
• Lastly, don’t forget to buy a yearbook if you haven’t done so already. You can purchase one through Jostens at this link.

Thank you for being a part of the University Family!

Go Bulldogs!

April 29, 2022

 Hello Bulldog Community.

Just in case you missed the email from this morning, you can find it below. This week’s update is being put on hold for now, but we will send it out early next week. Thank you all for your continued support and for being a part of the Bulldog Family. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Here is the email from this morning:

We are sorry to inform you that one of our students, Asa Overturf, died yesterday, April 28, 2022.

Death can be difficult for us to understand, especially when it is sudden. All of us will be feeling a variety of emotions: shock, sadness, even some confusion. What is most important is that we care for and support each other.

The Crisis Response Team, North Range Behavioral Health and District 6 Crisis Team have made plans to respond to the emotional needs of our students, staff and parents by being with us today.  

If you or your family has experienced a death or similar loss recently, the death of Asa may bring up feelings about that death. This is a normal experience. Although rare, sometimes students may be so overwhelmed by the death of someone close to them, that they may express suicidal thoughts or actions. If you need additional support for your child over the weekend you can call 1-844-493-8255 or Text “TALK” to 38255. If you or your student are in a life-threatening situation, please call 911. Here are some additional resources that you might find helpful as your child processes their grief.

It is natural for adolescents to engage in social media during these times, however we want to ensure that this is done in a safe and respectful manner. Please be aware that negative posts may happen and the best thing to do is avoid them.

We will continue to partner together to support your child. Please contact us if we can provide additional support.

April 22, 2022

Hello Bulldog Families!

Happy Friday and we hope you’re all excited for the long weekend!

Celebrations:

• District Battle of the Books wrapped up their season with huge success! Here are the results from the other night. In fifth grade, the “Ring Readers,” Caris N, Ben W., Kai W., Serenity M. placed first! Jackson Elementary placed second. The “Book Bandits,” Presley W. Marek M., Henson D, Ethan D. placed first in fourth grade. The “Crushers,” Megan M., Molly L., Emmy Jo D., Parker W., Samantha M. placed second. And lastly for third grade, the “Dragon Readers,” Macie H., Ella M., Savannah G, Anneliese G., placed first and “Da Boyz,” Eli T., Camden M., Asher M., Oliver B., Timmy G. placed second. Congratulations to all the teams and thank you for all the hard work. Thank you to judges Ashley Van Slyke, Amanda Farrar, Mary Lou Creighton, Monika Folsom, Mary Roeder and Jolene Timm for facilitating teams, judging and helping to host the District Battle!
• There were quite a few FBLA members who finished in the top 10 at State. Congratulations to them and we want to send a special shout out to the National Qualifiers: Gracey-Anne and Jaemason Long (Sports and Entertainment), David Luo (Accounting 1) and Gabe Hollinshead (Business Calculations). They will be attending FBLA Nationals in Chicago! For those of you who don’t know, the “Future Business Leaders of America” hosts competitions where students can demonstrate their skills in a variety of categories. Topics range from web design and social media strategy all the way to business ethics and data analysis.
• We also want to congratulate our FCCLA team (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America), for competing in our first ever trip to State. Mikayla Buckles, Austin Jackson, Jennifer Unzueta and Zoe Mendoza all competed very well. Mikayla took home the Promise Scholarship, a gold medal in the district and first place in her event, which will let her attend Nationals. Austin earned a bronze medal in his category so congratulations to both of them.
• Kindergarten Round Up was a big success so thank you to everyone who participated. We’re very excited to welcome this upcoming class into our family! Thank you to all the teachers and staff who put it all together!

Upcoming Events and Announcements:

• High School Prom is tonight at the Millennium Event Center, so keep an eye out for photos.
• The Spring Carnival Cake Walk is right around the corner. If anyone wants to help out by bringing a cake on the 29th, click this link to sign up.
• Students from Aims are coming to school on Thursday the 28th to assist our students with their Concurrent Enrollment applications. This will happen during advising in the High School library.
• Lastly, here are the newest members of our Board of Governors. Thomas Roche, Jake Pierce and Justin Nelson will fill the three open positions and Jaemason Long will be the new student representative.

Here is another reminder that there will not be school on Monday! Have a great weekend and we will see you all when you come back!

Go Bulldogs!

April 15, 2022

Hello Bulldog Families!

Happy Friday We’ve had another full week so let’s start off with celebrating.

Celebrations:

• We’re really proud of our students who have been working hard to do their best on CMAS, PSAT and SAT testing. We are almost finished!
• Construction on the new addition continues to progress. They've been pouring concrete and laying brick all week, and it’s starting to look really good!
• Speech and Debate won the District Sweepstakes which is a huge achievement. State Champions and National Qualifiers were also recognized by the Board of Governors. Good luck at Nationals!
• Spring sports continue to perform well! Baseball won a tournament. High School Tennis and Middle and High School Track have all done really well. And we have a few girls on the Northridge Golf team who are crushing the game.
• We had a great time watching the Seniors present their projects during senior boards. We have some really talented students and they’ve all put in a lot of work.  We also really appreciate the community members who took time out of their busy schedules to serve as judges.
• Our new Middle School Principal, Kyle Schuyler, came to the school to meet everyone on Wednesday. He also introduced himself to the board during their meeting on Wednesday.  We’re excited to welcome him to the bulldog family.
• Middle School Brain Bowl has been performing very well and placed 1st at Eaton Middle School. Congratulations to them as well.

Action Items:

• Voting is still open for the Board of Governors, so please take a look at the ballot if you haven’t voted yet. You can meet the candidates by watching their videos on our youtube page. April 19th is the last day to vote!
• We still have some spots available in the High School and Middle School for next school year. Please spread the word to friends and family interested in attending University.
• Just a reminder that there is No School on the 22nd for K-12.
• The Spring Carnival Cake Walk is right around the corner. If anyone wants to help out by bringing a cake on the 29th, click this link to sign up.
• The Kindergarten Round up is coming up on the 21st for incoming kindergarten students. Please stop by to get important information and there will be no school for current kindergarten students.

Reminders/Upcoming Events

• Prom is April 22 at the Millennium Event Center.
• FBLA State is coming up on the 20th and the FCCLA State Convention is tomorrow the 16th.
• 6th grade are going on a field trip to a Rockies game on the 20th.
• Elementary District Battle of the Books are coming up on the 19th and 20th.
• There are two Jason Reynolds watch parties. The High School watch party will be at Farr Library and the Middle School will be at the Middle School library. Both will start at 12:45.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Go Bulldogs!

April 8, 2022

Hello Bulldog Community and Happy Friday!

We’ve had an amazing week with so many fun activities. I want to start off by saying thank you to all of the volunteers who have helped out with all of the events. CMAS Testing, the house activity, the chili cook-off, Kindergarten Parent Night and the Battle of the Books all went off without a hitch thanks to all of the parents, teachers and staff who volunteered their time. Thank you so much!

24 eighth graders, along with Vanessa Njos, Deisy Galicia and America de Jimenez, attended the Latina Youth Leadership conference at UNC. This was a great opportunity for our students to hear from great speakers, participate in workshops and visit UNC’s campus.

I want to give special shoutouts to a few people as well.

• First up is Ashlyn Schall for qualifying for the Colorado All State Symphonic Band. This  is a huge accomplishment and we are very proud of her!

• Congratulations to Molly Stahley who was voted Townsquare Media Teacher Tuesday of the month of March! University is very lucky to have you!

• Also congratulations to the Winter Guard who have been performing very well over the last few competitions including State. Here are some competition photos.
• Our two teams placed 1st and 2nd in a sudden death showdown at District Battle of the Books. Madalynn Cozad, Kaylee Fitzsimons, Roxie Schulte and Morgan Swanson placed 1st with their coaches Cindy Fitzsimons and Heather Schulte. Natalia Esquible, Rebecca Stoody and Madison placed 2nd with their coach Ashley Yeh.
• The Elementary PE teachers created dances for the third, fourth and fifth graders as a form of preparation for testing. The crossbody connection allows both sides of the brain to work together, decreasing test anxiety and helping the students focus.  

Just a reminder that Senior Boards are on Monday. We’re very excited to see all of the hard work that our students have put into their projects.

Thank you for being a part of our Family!

Go Bulldogs!

April 1, 2022

Hello University Families!

We’ve had a jam packed week with so many fun events.

Spring sports are in full swing with many fantastic performances. If you would like to see photos, here are the links for Baseball and Track. (Photos of MS Track and Girls Tennis will be coming soon)

Battle of the Books was a huge success! The 3rd, 4th and 5th graders came to play and we all had a great time. Thank you to Robin Duran, Amanda Farrar, Maritza McCoy, Ashley Van Slyke, Trish Wojurfin, Kaleigh Forney,  Amanda Hahn and Carrie Flores for serving as battle judges!

 Teams going on to district:

Fifth Grade:

1st Place: Kai W., Ben W., Caris N., Serenity M.: Coach Kelyn Naughton

2nd Place: Stella T, Max W, AJ B., Liam G, Stefan G : Coach Jolene Timm and Tina Whitcomb

 Fourth Grade:

1st Place: Marek M., Presley W., Henson D., Ethan D., Coach Lacy Dennis

2nd Place: Parker W., Molly L, Samantha M., Emmy Jo D, Megan M., Coach Michelle Lappegaard

 Third Grade:

1st Place: Asher M., Camden M, Eli T, Oliver B., Timothy G. Coach Kim Daulton

2nd Place: Savannah G., Anneliese G., Macie H., Ellianna M. : Coach Carrie Galvin

 Districts are tentatively scheduled for April 19 & 20 at 3:30 at University.  Please let me know if you can judge for our teams either night!

 Last week, 5th grade welcomed the class of 2029 to the family during the Family Information Night! If you or anyone you know is interested in attending University, we do have several spots available for both the Middle School and High School. If you would like to put your name in the lottery, please fill out the New Student Registration Form or the Enrollment Application.

The High School held their Prom Fashion Show this morning. (Photos, Video) Thank you Mrs. Fullmer and FCCLA for putting it all together. You guys did a great job!

The Board of Governors is currently holding elections for three open positions. Each nominee recorded a personal video to share their background. Please follow this link to learn more about each of the candidates. After you have reviewed each of the videos, please fill out this form to cast your votes.

University made a giant leap forward with the Safer Grant which revolutionized the way our schools respond to emergencies. This was a 1.5 million dollar grant which enabled 32 schools in District-6 to use interoperable communication. Now we all have the ability to speak directly to first responders during an emergency. We want to give a special shout out to Ed Clark for writing the grant and all of the hard work that he put into this project.

 Lastly, here is the calendar for the 22-23 school year.

We hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Go Bulldogs!

March 25, 2022

Hello University Families,

It’s been good to have everyone back after Spring Break and I hope you’ve enjoyed the short week. Even though it’s only been a few days, we still have a few updates for you.

Our 2nd Graders had their own mini marketplace in the cafeteria today. They had a fun time buying and selling each other’s crafts and projects. If you would like to see photos, here’s a link.

University attended the UNC K-12 Educator Employment fair during the last couple days. This was a chance to meet and develop connections with potential teachers. It was also a fun time to go back to our roots and revisit the days when University was the UNC lab school.

Lastly, here is a reminder that CMAS Assessments are right around the corner.

Below is a list of the dates and appropriate assessment for each grade level:

April 4 - April 29

•  CMAS Testing window

April 6-8

• 6th-8th grade ELA and Math

April 5-14

• English Language Arts (ELA) and Math: 3rd through 5th grade

April 12-13

• Science: 8th grade

April 13

• SAT: 11th grade (High School)

April 15

• Science for 11th Grade (High School)

April 15

•  PSAT 9 and PSAT 10 (High School)

April 19-21

• Science: 5th grade

Preparation: Students should get a good night's rest and eat a healthy breakfast every day, but especially on assessment days.

Attendance: Students should continue to attend school each day. Important teaching and learning happens, so it is imperative that students are here.

Make-Ups:  Students do best on assessment when they are in their classroom with their teachers and peers.  Please try to schedule appointments on non-assessment days whenever possible.  

Results: Students' individual score reports from state assessments are expected to be available in August.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Go Bulldogs!

March 11, 2022

Hello Bulldog Community!

Here is a link to this week’s Friday Update. This week has been full of big events as we head into Spring Break and we want to keep everyone in the loop. The linked video has the majority of the information but here are a few more logistical details.

• The Board of Governors held a meeting on this last Wednesday on the 9th. Here is the link to the agenda. Several documents mentioned in the video are linked on the agenda if you would like to see those.
• If you would like to opt out of COVID testing, here are the forms you have to fill out (English or Spanish). These are the same forms you filled out to sign up for testing. Once you reach the end, select “disagree” to opt out.
• The girls basketball team had a huge win tonight and will play for the championship tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. at Denver University! Please come out and show them support. Good Luck tomorrow Bulldogs!

We hope everyone has an amazing Spring Break and we look forward to seeing everyone when we come back.

Have a good break everyone!

March 3, 2022

Hello Bulldog Community!

Here is a link to this week’s Friday Update. This week has been full of big events as we head into Spring Break and we want to keep everyone in the loop. The linked video has the majority of the information but here are a few more logistical details.

• The Board of Governors held a meeting on this last Wednesday on the 9th. Here is the link to the agenda. Several documents mentioned in the video are linked on the agenda if you would like to see those.
• If you would like to opt out of COVID testing, here are the forms you have to fill out (English or Spanish). These are the same forms you filled out to sign up for testing. Once you reach the end, select “disagree” to opt out.
• The girls basketball team had a huge win tonight and will play for the championship tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. at Denver University! Please come out and show them support. Good Luck tomorrow Bulldogs!

We hope everyone has an amazing Spring Break and we look forward to seeing everyone when we come back.

Have a good break everyone!

March 4, 2022

Hello Bulldog Community!

We’ve had a super busy week full of all kinds of activities.

Many of you have seen all of the productions our Music and Theater Departments have put together this week. They’ve been working very hard and have had some amazing performances. Here are some photos and videos from the Choir and Band Concerts, and the Theater Department is currently performing “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Their last show is tomorrow so come on out if you haven’t seen it yet.

We’re proud of our DECA members who recently competed at the State Tournament in Colorado Springs.

Both the boys and girls basketball had huge wins tonight and will continue in the tournament this weekend, so good luck to them!

All of our students are working hard and we’re really proud of them! We hope you have an amazing weekend. Go Bulldogs!

February 25, 2022

Hello Bulldog Community!

It’s been a busy week and we have some updates for you.

The calendar committee has been working hard to provide some options for your consideration. This year, the committee created calendars that provide our teachers with additional time for planning, professional growth and collaboration while also providing the most consistent and predictable schedule. This will make it easier for our staff and families to plan ahead for days off, vacations and doctor appointments. University has a proud tradition of excellent teachers and we want to continue to recruit and retain the best talent in the area. Please take some time to look over the three options and give us your thoughts.  

COVID-19 updates for the week:

- For this two week period, we have 13 active cases, no active HS exposures, no active MS exposures and four ES exposures.

We are still accepting nominations for the Board of Governors Election. If anyone is interested, here is the form.

Several High School students need to be celebrated as well! Paxton Daggett placed 4th at the State Wrestling Tournament and Aesha Alrashed signed a letter of intent to play volleyball for Colorado Mesa University. Congratulations to both of them! The High School girls basketball team had a huge win over Eaton and will play Platte Valley for the Patriot League District Championship on Saturday! The boys team will also play on Saturday so mark your calendars for those two games.

We’re all excited for Spring Sports to start next week so please sign up on Family ID if your student is interested.  

We hope you have an amazing weekend!

Go Bulldogs!

February 18, 2022

Hello Bulldog Community,

        Happy Friday and I hope your kids are enjoying their long weekend! As a reminder, there will be no school on Monday (2/21) for K-12.

Lots of fun things from this week:

• The Elementary Kids had a few concerts over the past couple weeks and they were absolutely fantastic. Just in case you missed them, here are some photos!
• We also had six high school students perform in the Combined League Honor Choir. Here’s a special shout out to Ivey Armstrong, Brooke Crosser, Evan Crosser, Tagan Garcia, Reyna Mefford and Tatiana Mostek. Here are some clips courtesy of Monica Pendergast.
• Several wrestlers are still competing in the State Tournament down at the Pepsi Center! Drew Ayres, Nick Meesey, Tyler Bentley, Paxton Daggett and Barrett Payne all qualified so congratulations to them and good luck to the athletes still competing!

• We are still accepting nominations for the Board of Governors Election. If anyone is interested, here is the form.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and we'll see you when we come back!

February 4, 2022

Hello Everyone!

Happy Friday! We’re so glad to have everyone back in person! The Elementary students celebrated the 100th day of school while the rest of us woke up to what seems like the 100th day of scraping our windshields.

 COVID-19 updates for the week

- For this two week period, we have 58 active cases, 4 active HS exposures impacting 10 classrooms/activities, 1 active MS exposures impacting 4 classrooms/activities, and 5 active active ES exposures impacting 16 classrooms/activities.

 It’s so good to have everyone back and we appreciate everything you do! We hope you have an amazing weekend.

Go Bulldogs!

January 28,2022

Hello Bulldog Community,

  We made it through the week! High School stayed in person all week and Elementary and Middle finished their remote learning today. The journey to navigate the Omicron wave has been really difficult for all of us. We have been adapting and updating policies and procedures to reflect current reality with Omicron; which as we've all experienced, is different from other strands. We have tried to simplify our procedures so they are easier to understand and follow.  

Some of you have been following our office shenanigans on social media. We hope they made you smile and added a little fun to a very difficult time. Today's installment is not nearly as funny but absolutely heartfelt. We cannot wait to have everyone back in the building on Monday!

January 21, 2022

Hello Bulldog Community!

I know it's been a crazy week so thank you for hanging in there and sticking with it while everything has been so crazy.

Here is a link to Director Weaver's Friday Update.

Thank you for everything you do and we hope you have a great week!

Go Bulldogs!

1/18/22 Email to 8th Grade Families

University Schools has been notified that multiple classrooms at the 8th grade level have 5 or more individuals diagnosed with COVID-19. 8th grade will switch to remote learning. To prepare for remote learning there will be no school for 8th grade students on 1/19/22. Remote learning will begin on 1/20/22 and continue through 1/28/22 (students will return to in-person learning on 1/31/22). All students and staff are expected to participate online following their normal schedule. Students will be bringing their chromebooks home with them today and have access to all necessary materials and meeting links in their google classrooms. Extracurricular activities will continue as regularly scheduled. Administrators and main office staff will remain in the building and are available to assist you. Teachers will be working both remotely and in the building so it is best to contact them through email.  

January 14, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community!

We’ve had an eventful second week of 2022. Events and activities are in full swing and we are working hard to keep it that way. The Board of Governors met on Wednesday to discuss the current COVID-19 protocols and have revised the isolation guidelines for staff (here are the updated University Schools protocols). I know many of you were hoping that we would be able to apply the isolation guidelines to students as well as staff.  However, there are several recommendations in the CDC/CDPHE guidelines that are not currently a part of COVID-19 protocols at University like universal masking. If students returned at day 5 we would be expected to provide a separate space for them during lunch, recess, and PE for days 6-10.

High school parents were notified on Thursday that the high school is transitioning to remote learning on 1/18 and will continue through 1/21. The middle and elementary schools will remain in person.

Here is the COVID-19 update shared with the Board of Governors at our meeting on Wednesday.  We have added an additional 37 confirmed positives since Wednesday.  

We know it is difficult to make plans during such uncertain times.  Keep an eye out for emails and text messages, we are committed to keeping you updated and notifying you of changes as soon as possible.  

January 13, 2022 Email to High School Families

University Schools has been notified that multiple classrooms at the high school level have 5 or more individuals diagnosed with COVID-19. Since there is so much overlap between grade levels and staff, all of high school will switch to remote learning. To prepare for remote learning there will be no school for high school students and a work day for staff on 1/14/22.  Remote learning will begin on 1/18/22 and continue through 1/21/22 (students will return to in-person learning on 1/24/22). All students and staff are expected to participate online following their normal schedule.   Students have access to all necessary materials and meeting links in their google classrooms. Extracurricular activities will continue as regularly scheduled.  

Since there have been multiple exposures at the high school level, it is also strongly recommended that families consider testing. Families are welcome to come to the building anytime 8:30-3:00 on Tuesday 1/18/22 to participate in mobile health testing. If your child does not already participate, you will need to fill out the consent form (English or Spanish).

At this time we anticipate remote learning only being necessary at the high school level for next week. CDPHE models predict that Colorado is near the peak of new cases and numbers will begin to decline sharply.  Administrators and main office staff will remain in the building and are available to assist you. Teachers will be working both remotely and in the building so it is best to contact them through email.  

December 17, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

 We had a great last week together before break. Today alone there was an:

• Ugly Sweater Pageant, great job Ms. Fullmer and students!
• Door Decorating contest, congratulations Ms. Pollard and advisees!
• Middle School Faculty/Student volleyball game, not today students, better luck next year!
• sooooo many celebrations!

We also had some great concerts this week:

• Kindergarteners singing holiday songs is too cute to not share....so you're welcome!
• 5:30pm Show Martinez and Blackwell Kindergarten Concert
• 6:30pm Show Nolke and Stahley Kindergarten Concert Part 1, Nolke and Stahley Kindergarten Concert Part 2
• The Middle and High School choirs had a great concert on Monday!  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15F_fysFOZtlzKqStvG2pOAO0X88FloNQ?usp=sharing

In case your children are missing us or you need something to occupy them, lots of University celebrities recorded some of their favorite Holiday and Winter books, enjoy!

This year has gone by so fast and we filled it with a lot of fun events so feel free to watch this 2021 recap!

 I hope that your break is full of fun, rest and the magic of the season. Go Bulldogs!

December 10, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

  This has been a BUSY week:

• Thank you so much to all the parents who supported our House event today. We collected over 2,000 cookies and had lots of volunteers to run stations. We appreciate your engagement so much and especially because that leaves EVERY single staff member to spend time with our families and houses.
• Thanks to the USPTO for sponsoring the Holiday Shop, students were very excited to get to shop for their friends and families.
• Just a reminder that if you'd like to participate in the Vaccine clinic (12/14 from 8:00-3:00) you need to register again even if you participated in our last clinic. If you'd like to help this time, please fill out this google form.
• Congrats to the Cheer team for placing 4th this morning.
• Dance has their state competition on Dec 10 and 11.
• Winter Sports are off to a busy start. Boys and Girls Basketball will be playing in a tournament at University on Dec 9, 10 & 11.

• We have lots of concerts happening:

• The 6-12 Snow Snow was awesome!
• Choir Winter Concert 12/13, 6:30 in the auditorium, Kindergarten concert 12/14, 5:30 in the auditorium.

•  
• Middle Sports are going strong:

• The middle school boys basketball teams have finished up their regular season games and are participating in league tournaments. The 7th and 8th grade B teams finished the season by winning their tournament pools, A teams will be playing their tournament games this Saturday.  
• Wrestling and Girls Basketball seasons will begin on January 3rd.  

COVID-19 update

December 4, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

It has been a great week back from break. We understand that a recent software update has caused some of our messages this week to go to your spam folder so I have included everything that we sent out this week.

• University Schools will be hosting a follow up vaccine clinic on December 14 from 8:00-3:00. This event is totally optional for families who would like to participate and requires parent permission and registration.  
• The clinic is for all eligible staff, students and families who wish to have their first, second or third (booster) shots.
• It is helpful if you send your vaccine card with your child so they can add the additional information rather than having two separate cards.  
• Everyone will need to register (https://www.comassvax.org//appointment/en/reg/5312606979) even if you participated in our last clinic.
• Things went very smoothly last clinic thanks to parent volunteers. If you would like to help this time, please fill out this google form.
• We are excited for our December House Activity! It will take place December 10 from 8:30-10:30. We will be spending time with our school families to make cards for our neighbors, playing games, and taking a trip around the globe to learn about the many kinds of cookies children leave for Santa. We will also be working with our House to participate in a variety of Holiday themed relay races and minute to win it games.  

• We could use your help in several ways:

• 75 Volunteers to make or buy 2 dozen cookies
• 11 Volunteers to run game stations (8-11)

Please sign up if you're available to help.

• We have lots of concerts coming up: The 6-12 Band Snow 12/7, 5:30 in the Middle School gym, Choir Winter Concert 12/13, 6:30 in the auditorium, Kindergarten concert 12/14, 5:30 in the auditorium.

• Zeke Daggett was just named to his 2nd All-State Jazz Band and the best high school jazz pianist in Colorado.
• The Cheer Team won the Patriot League Traditional Cheer, good luck to them as they compete at the State Competition.
• The Poms team will compete in their State Competition next Saturday!
• COVID-19 updates for the week
  - For this two week period, we have 11 active cases, 1 active HS exposures impacting 2 classrooms/activities, 1 active MS exposures  impacting 4 classrooms/activities, and no elementary exposures.

 We're looking forward to all the fun events coming up and we hope to see you there!

November 26, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

The week before a break is always filled with excitement and that was certainly the case this week. Here are a few of the awesome things happening around University:

• We are extremely proud of our State Championship Volleyball team (the first time in University history). What an amazing season, great job ladies!!
• Congratulations to our, also history making, Football team for winning their State Quarter-final playoff game. They fought hard in a tough game against Eaton today in the semi-finals.
• Our DECA program had a great Regional Competition and the following students qualified for the State Tournament: Paige Heck - Accounting Applications, Grace Call and Kate Halverson - Travel and Tourism Team Decision Making, Gracy-Anne Long and Jaemason Long - Sports and Entertainment Team Decision Making, Gabe Hollingshead and Matthew Williams - Financial Services Team Decision Making, Levi Carlson - Principles of Finance, Macey Richardson - Principles of Business Management and Administration, Lyllian Sellmer - Principles of Business Management and Administration, Mikayla Buckles - Principles of Marketing
• Our Choir Program was strongly represented at the Patriot League Honor Choirs: Ivey Armstrong - 11th grade - Mixed (SATB) Choir, Kendall Avery - 10th grade - Treble Choir (unchanged/higher voices), Brooke Crosser - 11th grade - Mixed (SATB) Choir, Evan Crosser - 9th grade - Mixed (SATB) Choir, Tagan Garcia - 10th grade - Mixed (SATB) Choir, Reyna Mefford - 10th grade - Treble Choir (unchanged/higher voices), Tatiana Mostek - 10th grade - Treble Choir (unchanged/higher voices), Isabella Salazar - 10th grade - Treble Choir (unchanged/higher voices), Maricela Vargas-Lopez - 11th grade - Mixed (SATB) Choir
• Middle School had their first school dance in a long time. I am sure it was as fun and awkward as we all remember!
• 3rd grade went on a terrific field trip to the Aquarium
• In the spirit of chasing records, our school collectively stacked a lot of cups!
• We had our first ever "Bulldog Family Lunch!" We appreciate District 6 for partnering with us to offer lunch free of charge to our students and all the parent volunteers who took care of logistics so we could all participate.
• We completed the Vaccine Clinic last week in partnership with the Weld County Health Department and were able to vaccinate about 175 people. I really appreciate the family members who helped, the students were lucky to have such a great support system.  We will be hosting another clinic on 12/14 for second doses, but students, staff and families are welcome to receive their first, second or third shot on that day. Anyone interested will need to register using an electronic link with the health department just like last time. I'll share the link as soon as I get it.
• COVID-19 updates for the week
  - For this two week period, we have 40 active cases, 6 active HS exposures impacting 32 classrooms/activities, 6 active MS exposures  impacting 36 classrooms/activities, and 18 active ES exposures impacting 14 classrooms.

We are so Thankful for the Bulldog Community and hope that you have a break full of fun, food and relaxing!

November 12, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

Our last few weeks have been packed with all sorts of fun things!

• We had an amazing turnout at Trunk or Treat (Photo link ), thanks to USPTO for organizing this event.
•  Serial Testing Report

• This week tested about 250 individuals with approximately a 3% positivity rate

•  Parent/Teachers conferences have been taking place in October and November.  I appreciate all the work our teachers do to strengthen family connections and partnerships in supporting students’ learning.
• The elementary Book Fair was in full swing this week. This was a great opportunity to encourage literacy and a great fundraiser for our library. Thanks to Ms. Budzinsky all of the volunteers who organized and made this a great success.
• Tuesday we hosted a flu and TDAP clinic at University.  Approximately 180 people participated.  The health department said this was their largest event to date.  Special thanks to the parents who volunteered to help.
• Thanks to Ronda Glover for organizing  a fundraiser to provide discounted Rockies tickets.  We sold over 350 tickets and raised about $1350.
• High School extracurriculars have been very busy this month:

• Our Girls Varsity Softball team finished as State Runner-Ups defeating ed Weld Central, Lamar and Eaton at the state tournament to get into the final game.
• Volleyball won their game against Resurrection Christian and will play in the semifinals tomorrow at 12pm.    
• Football is hosting a quarterfinal State Football game this Saturday at 1pm against Delta.  Last week was the first state playoff win in football for University in 35 years.  A win will put the team into the Semifinals next Saturday at either Eaton or Elizabeth.
• Cheer and Dance have started their competition seasons.  The Patriot league competition is on Friday Nov 19.
• Both Speech & Debate and Knowledge are participating in competitions.  It is still early in the season, but both these teams are off to a great start.
• The First Official Day of Winter Sports Season is Monday Nov 15.

• Middle School sports are also going strong:

• Boys basketball is in the middle of their season and teams are doing well.
• League tournaments for A and B teams will take place at the beginning of next month.  
• Girls Basketball and Wrestling are starting open gyms, those seasons will begin in January.  
• All home middle school events are live streamed @ UMSAthletics on youtube live.  
• Fine Arts are also flourishing at University:
• The High School theatre department presented a great combination of one act plays last week.
• The 4th grade presented a musical performance about Geography including ukuleles, xylophone,  sign language and terrific singing
• The Marching Band completed their inaugural competition season at Regionals.

• COVID-19 update

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! Go Bulldogs!

November 3, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

 I hope you had a great short week. Congratulations to everyone for making it to the end of the first grading period! This year has gotten off to a great start with amazing participation in literally everything. It's wonderful to see so many students, staff and families engaged in our school community. We have had the highest participation rates ever in almost all of our events.  

 I know the year has also brought uncertainty and anxiety whether that's returning to in-person learning, adjusting to being in school full time for full days, or unhappiness surrounding protocols or the impact of COVID-19. I appreciate the flexibility, resilience and civility that the vast majority of our school community has demonstrated as we work together to navigate another uncertain year.

 I hope your family is able to find some time during this long weekend to recharge!

 Just a few reminders:

• Flu/Vaccine clinic at University 11/9

• Paper copies for registration will be sent home with your child today.  
• You may also register online for the flu or vaccine
• Flu and TDAP
• COVID-19 vaccine  (for 1st, 2nd or 3rd shot)

• We still need lots of parent volunteers! Please sign up if you're available to help during the day.
• Please consider buying discounted Rockies tickets to support University Schools. If you are interested please fill out the google form. 

November 1, 2021

• COVID-19 updates for the week
  - For this two week period, we have 27 active cases, 5 active HS exposures impacting 38 classrooms/activities, 4 active MS exposures  impacting 36 classrooms/activities, and 11 active ES exposures impacting 8 classrooms.

October 29, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

Here are some more details for the events mentioned in video update:

• Flu/Vaccine clinic - 11/9 from 8-3.

• Families and students are welcome to receive the flu shot and/or COVID-19 vaccine or booster (including first shots for 5-11 year olds). Consent forms will be sent out closer to the event.

• House Activity 11/19

• All of University will be eating lunch together in our family groups. Pizza will be provided for all students and adults. This will be an indoor event with each family in a classroom (approximately 40 people together).

• House Activity 12/10

• Lots more details to come but students will be rotating through activities in the gyms and auditorium. This will be an indoor activity by house (approximately 250 people together).

• We need lots of adults to help with all three of the activities, supervising students, leading activities, delivering lunches/supplies, etc. We would really appreciate you signing up to help if you are available during the day.  
• Please consider buying discounted Rockies tickets to support University Schools. If you are interested please fill out the google form. 
• Trunk or Treat Photo Link

Happy early Halloween!

October 22, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

  I hope you had a great short week!  Here are some updates:

• We have made a few adjustments to our COVID-19 protocols.  Spread among household members and within our K-5 classrooms has had a significant impact.  We have revised a few procedures to help limit spread and exposures within our building.
• I'm excited to let you know that the Health Department is partnering with us to offer flu shots, vaccine boosters and first time vaccine shots on November 9.  More information to come but we're planning with hopes that all family members (including 5-11 vaccinations) will be able to participate.  This is of course totally optional and will require parent consent.
• It's been another exciting week for High School extracurriculars:

• Boys Tennis had a great performance at the the state tournament. Congratulations to Morgan Parrish for being named the D6 athlete of the week.
• Softball  dominated 14-3 in the first round of the state tournament. Good luck to the Bulldogs in the next round!
• We are excited to host our first home Speech & Debate tournament Saturday.  Thanks to everyone who worked hard to help pull this off!

• COVID-19 updates for the week
  - For this two week period, we have 38 active cases, 7 active HS exposures impacting 61 classrooms/activities, 9 active MS exposures  impacting 67 classrooms/activities, and 15 active ES exposures impacting 10 classrooms, 1 classroom reached 5 confirmed cases and will be learning remotely in quarantine through 10/22.  

October 19, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

  I hope you had an amazing Fall Break!  Just a couple of updates that couldn't wait until Friday:

• Thank you to those of you that filled out the consent form for serial testing, we got another 120.  We are still missing about 100 so please fill out the consent form (English or Spanish)  or let us know that you have changed your mind.
• We continue to work out kinks with Mobile Health, our serial testing provider,  to get a plan that works well for their practitioners while also operating within a school's structure.  Since we had Fall Break and a short week, today we tested High School students.  Our plan is to test all students enrolled in the program next Tuesday.
• I wanted to update/remind you that if you would like to contact our Board of Governors about policy decisions at University you may attend meetings and speak during Community Dialogue or contact them through the link on our website.  For any day to day questions  please begin with teachers, advisors, or administrators.

Welcome back!

October 15, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

Here are some updates for this week:

 - Action Needed

• We began serial testing this week with Mobile Health our CDPHE contractor.  Approximately 500 of you indicated that you wanted to participate in this program and only about 206 of you have completed the consent form.  You might have been confused because this is a different consent than our own in-house testing program or the google form you filled out to choose testing.
• You must fill out the mobile health consent form to participate, Link 1: English Link 2: Spanish

-  Upcoming Events

• Enjoy Fall Break 10/15 and 10/18
• USPTO Trunk or Treat 10/22

- Celebrations & Announcements

• We had an amazing Homecoming Week.  Participation was the highest level of attendance we have seen at the Powder Puff Game, Tough Guy Volleyball, Bonfire, Football Game, and Dance. Congratulations to Mr. Uribe and Student Council for a great week!
• It was also awesome to see the levels of K-12 participation in spirit days.  Students and teachers went out of their way to support and give creative ideas to students so they could join in.  One example I loved was the kindergarten team and their students encouraging each other to wear black shirts and jeans on twin days so they all had a twin to belong to.  These are the small things that are  helping us reconnect as a K-12 school and strengthen the Bulldog Community.  
• Middle school fall sports concluded this past week with our league volleyball tournament.  7th grade volleyball one the league championship and 8th grade placed 3rd.  Both boys and girls cross country teams won league championships at the University hosted league meet on Sept. 30th.  7th and 8th grade football teams finished the season with a final game win against Ft. Lupton.  Practices for middle school boys basketball started this week, the first game of the season will be on Oct. 20th.
•  High School is wrapping up an exciting Fall season.  

• Boys Tennis had three teams qualify for the state tournament.  It is the most we have had qualify in the last 10 years.  #1 Doubles: Korey Koehler & Scott Thompson, #3 Doubles: Easton Jorgensen & Karter Kuhn, #4 Doubles: Morgan Parrish & James Orin (James is a Frontier Academy Student)
• Volleyball is currently 13-3 and ranked #5.  Tuesday Oct 19 they will host Estes Park.  This will be their cancer awareness night where they will be trying to raise money for two University families that have been affected by cancer.
• Softball is hosting a regional state qualifying tournament this Saturday.  First game is at 10am at Twin Rivers Park.  The team is ranked 3rd.  The state tournament will be next Friday and Saturday at Aurora Sports Park.
• Cross Country will have their state qualifying meet next Thursday at Montfort park.
• Football is currently 4-3 and had a big game against Eaton last night.  After last night, the team will have two more regular season games.
• Speech & Debate has their first competition of the year this Saturday.

• Our music program has been showing off their hard work this week  with performances from the Choirs and Band. Here’s a few links to some photos and videos.
• COVID-19 update

October 8, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

  It has been a crazy but fun week and we still have a Homecoming game and dance to celebrate!  Just a few updates this week because I hope you're coming to join us at the game.

- We had terrific participation in Spirit Days from all ages, check out some of the photos.

- Congratulations to the tennis team.  #1 Doubles team Scott Thompson and Korey Koehler #3 Doubles Team  Easton Jorgensen and Carter Kuhn made it to the State tournament.

- COVID-19 updates for the week

- For this two week period, we have 46 active cases, 6 active HS exposures impacting 32classrooms/activities, 4 active MS exposures  impacting 21 classrooms/activities, and 21 active ES exposures impacting 15 classrooms, 1 classroom reached 5 confirmed cases and will be learning remotely in quarantine through 10/14.  

Happy Homecoming, Go Bulldogs!!

October 1, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

Wow I can't believe it's already October! We have lots happening around the school here are a few updates:

• Congratulations to our Marching Band for competing in their first ever competition. This is the culmination of a ton of work on their part. I'm so proud they have started an amazing new Bulldog tradition, go Marching Bulldogs! Here's a video if you'd like to watch their show.
• Congratulations to both our boys and girls middle school cross country teams for winning the league championship. Special shout out to coaches Ashley Doss and Sarah Wildt on their success. Here are some shots and videos.
• Kids had a great time on the Freshman Science Field Trip to Estes Park. Here's a recap of the day.
• I am excited to share that we have been approved and have been assigned a vendor in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s free, voluntary, and statewide COVID-19 school testing program for the 2021-22 school year. I will have much more information to share next week including a link to fill out your consent form. Testing will begin through this program on October 12.  

• This program will be the sole provider for serial testing at University for both students and staff. Having another program for serial testing will allow us to accommodate many more testing appointments through our in-house testing for symptomatic and exposed families.

• COVID-19 Updates

• For this two week period, we have 32 active cases, 2 active HS exposures impacting 19 classrooms/activities, 5 active MS exposures  impacting 35 classrooms/activities, and 18 active ES exposures impacting 10 classrooms, 1 classroom reached 5 confirmed cases, will be learning remotely in quarantine through 10/4.  
• Outbreak status - I wanted to try to explain something I find confusing, so I'm guessing it might be confusing for you too.  

• Definition of School outbreak from CDPHE: Five or more cases of COVID-19 among students/teachers/staff from separate households with onset within 14 days in a single classroom/activity

• This happened in an ES classroom in mid-September at University.

• CDPHE names outbreaks  for the school, not classroom or activity, regardless of whether they are identified in a class, school or extracurricular activity associated with the school. Subsequent cases will be included under the current active outbreak.

• All confirmed cases that University reports to CDPHE from mid-September forward will be included in the number of students and staff associated with the outbreak on CDPHE reports until such time that we have a 28 day period with no confirmed cases.

• University Protocols include anytime a classroom/activity meets the above definition we will quarantine and begin learning remotely in that classroom/activity. I'll report anytime that happens in my Friday Update (you'll see one above in the ES numbers. This is the second class so far this year).

• On a much more fun and exciting note, we will be celebrating Homecoming next week with Spirit days, a Powder Puff game, a Tough Guy volleyball game, Varsity Football game and Dance. We are also excited to honor Distinguished Alumni and Honored Faculty from both 2020 and 2021 during half time of the football game.  

I hope you have a great weekend!

September 24, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

  Happy Friday!  Here are updates from this week:

• We completed replacing the rubber area of the playground with turf and the kids are loving it!  
• The Elementary Track Meet was awesome this week!  Thanks so much to Mr. Miller, Ms. Breen and Mr. Rios for a great experience for our kids.  I also really appreciate our 8th grade WEB leaders helping organize and support the elementary kiddos.  Watching first graders long jump might be the most entertaining thing I've seen lately.  David captured some great photos of the week.  I also really appreciated that students earned ribbons for excelling in the events and also for bringing their best efforts, support to their classmates and following directions.  We don't all have to be excellent at the same things but I loved how the teachers stressed to be the best you possible.  
• House Activities- Here's a video of our last house event.  We have another house activity coming up next Friday afternoon so get those community shirts washed!  This will kick off our homecoming celebration.  I know some of you have concerns about our house activities and how they might impact COVID-19 transmission.  As Director I am comfortable that the positive impact these activities have on our sense of belonging and connection outweigh the slight risk of transmission outdoors.  However, I acknowledge and support that some families have different comfort levels.  I always try to provide you with information so you can make decisions that work for your family.  Next week we will be outdoors and will be in the bleachers for approximately 30 minutes in close proximity to each other.  If you are not comfortable with that level of interaction you are welcome to check your child out before the activity begins (you would need to be in the office by 1:30).  
• COVID-19 Updates- For this two week period, we have 32 active cases, 4 active HS exposures impacting 30 classrooms/activities, 4 active MS exposures  impacting 25 classrooms/activities, and 12 active ES exposures impacting 9 classrooms, and 3 adult only groups impacted.

Have a great weekend!

September 17, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

  I hope you are doing well.  We had another great House activity today!  It was a little chilly but better than the 90 degrees last time.  Here's a picture that captures the spirit of houses for me.

 I already am seeing so many connections between our big ones, little ones and staff.

I also want to thank the parents who filled out our family assurance form to let us know which strategy you have chosen.  Just a reminder that those of you who did not fill out the form were assigned masking.  You may update your choice at any time by completing the form.  If you chose serial testing we are working on a schedule to accommodate everyone and will be in touch with next steps, including consent forms.  

Here are COVID-19 data updates for your reference:  It seems to make sense to most of you to report our active numbers for the last 14 days since that is how our community often reports things.  In the last 14 days we have 44 active cases, 24 active exposures impacting 44 HS classrooms, 35 MS classrooms, 11 ES classrooms and 2 adults groups.  

I hope you have a great weekend and that I get to see some of you at the football game tonight.  Go Bulldogs!

September 13, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

  As I mentioned in my previous email Saturday, the Board of Governor's met 9/10 and passed a motion to revise our COVID-19 protocols.  You may see the details of the meeting and the motion on the agenda.  The Board decided to ask parents to choose one of the CDPHE recommended mitigation strategies (vaccinations, masking, serial testing) rather than selecting one option for everyone.  Each of these are CDPHE recommended mitigation strategies to reduce the number of routine classroom exposures that result in quarantines.  CDPHE updated their recommendations since I shared them with you on Wednesday.  If you'd like to take a look at the revised recommendations you can find them here.

Families will need to complete the Family Assurance Form for each student at University by Wednesday September 15, 2021.  If you do not complete the form by Wednesday your child will need to wear a mask indoors at University until you have completed the form.  If your family chooses serial testing, we will be in touch to arrange a schedule for weekly testing.  We are working in partnership with CDPHE to offer serial testing at University.  Until that is operational for everyone we will be scheduling  grade levels each week, prioritizing elementary students. It is also important to note that if your child tests positive they will be required to isolate for 10 days.

I look forward to continuing to navigate together the complicated and polarizing times we are living in with grace, empathy and respect.  I will continue to share exposure notifications with each family if you are impacted and share school level data each week.  I shared that information last week on slide 5 of the BOG presentation.  I will share data this week in my Friday update (9/17/21).  

As always if I can answer questions for you or help support your child please don't hesitate to reach out.

September 3, 2021

Hello  Bulldog Community,

    I have two things I wanted to share with you today.

•  One is the video of House activities next week.  I hope you love it as much as I do.  I would also like to point out that we purposely scheduled all of these activities outside.  
• Second I wanted to share the agenda for the BOG meeting next Wednesday.  Thanks to all the parents who have taken time this week to email the Board to share your feedback related to our COVID-19 Protocols.  You took my words to heart and shared your opinions in a respectful manner.  Thank you!

I hope you enjoy a terrific long weekend!

August 27, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

  We made it through our first full week back.  I don't know about your child but mine is definitely worn out!  I think this got really real for some of the kindergarteners who thought last week was a fun playdate and now realize this is their new life!  But what an awesome life to have.  

• This week we had our first ever house sorting ceremony at University Schools and it was amazing.  You told me how special our K-12 connections are at University Schools and this is one way to create even more opportunities for those interactions.  Sort of like advisory but K-12, or Harry Potter houses, or big brother/sisters in fraternities/sororities.    Here are a few slides with more information.  Next Friday we'll have a video ready for you to see how much fun everyone is having!
• Next week is picture day so get those special outfits ready!  Lifetouch will be at University Schools on September 2.  

• Please see the attached information regarding ordering pictures online and available picture packages.  

• You may order online at MyLifetouch.com with picture day ID code: EVTH4Q6Z8.  

• Paper order forms are available in the elementary/high school office or middle school office.
  Student IDs will be given to students approximately 2 weeks after picture day.
  
   University Schools full flyer.pdf
  
   University Schools email flyer.pdf
  

• COVID-19 updates

•  Although it's been an amazing start to the year, the threat of COVID-19 is still looming large.  LIke our larger community, University is experiencing positive cases and possible exposures.  At this time we have had seven possible exposures, one of which resulted in a quarantine.  As of today, we plan to continue asking only symptomatic students or classes with multiple positive cases to quarantine.  
• The most important things you can do to support "normal" in-person learning are to have your child vaccinated if they are eligible, wear a mask if not vaccinated and/or serial test along with good hand hygiene.  
• Just a reminder that if your child has ANY COVID-19 symptoms they should stay home and test before their return.  
• If you receive a positive test result please begin isolation and contact the office.

I appreciate the enthusiasm and respectful attitudes that everyone has displayed this week, Go bulldogs!

August 13, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

  I cannot wait to see you in JUST A FEW DAYS!!  Everyone has been working very hard to get ready for your arrival.

 Today I wanted to share:

• Even more details about the Back to School Bash on August 17th.  It is going to be a great night to stop by your child's classroom and have fun with the whole community.  Come hungry we will have lots of food and treats available.  Here's an updated flyer with lots of details for you.  (Spanish version)
• COVID-19

• We have created a family discussion guide to use as a family.  We encourage you to review this information and make decisions that work for your family and support the Bulldog Community.
• As you have this conversation please talk to your children about the many reasons that other people might make different choices and remind them that it is important to treat all members of the Bulldog Community with respect.
• Here are protocols specific to University Schools. (Spanish version)

Enjoy your last weekend of summer and I'll see you on August 17th!

July 9, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

 Lots of things are happening around University this summer and I have a few updates for you:

• We're having lots of fun planning the Bulldog Back to School Bash on August 17.  I really appreciate those of you who have agreed to sponsor t-shirts, volunteer to help with activities or food.  It's not too late to help, please give me a call or email if you're interested in helping or sponsoring.  We've attached a Save the Date with more information
• We've been working hard to make Online Registration an easy process for everyone.  Packets will be sent by email the week of July 26.  We'll send the whole packet  for those of you who would like to finish everything at once and then follow up with one task at a time for those of you who are like me and get tired of reading and scrolling!

•   A few of you asked about pictures and IDs.  Those will happen during the school day on September 2.

• We received approval to use federal ESSR grant funds to move forward with a small high school addition.  We are beginning the planning and design phases now and will share photos and updates throughout the process.
• We have received more information related to COVID-19 requirements.  

• The revised Public Health Order issued July 1, 2021  removed schools mask requirements and the requirement to follow CDPHE case and outbreak guidance (this is where our quarantine guidelines come from).
•  If current conditions and orders remain in place University Schools will not require students to wear masks or to quarantine as a result of being a close contact of a positive case at school.  

• We understand some families are more comfortable continuing to wear masks and quarantine if exposed and University will be happy to support you.

• There are still details to be worked out but in general this is a huge step forward in providing us flexibility to make decisions that are appropriate for conditions within our school and community.

 It is hard to believe that summer is flying by so quickly.  I hope you are enjoying every moment! I'll continue to send more updates throughout the summer.  We will send a quick text letting you know when information has been emailed because I hope you are having such a great summer checking email isn't a top priority.

June 21, 2021

Hello Bulldog Community,

 I hope everyone's summer is off to a great start.  I feel like I always comment on the weather and this week is no different!  I thought moving here from the south I would experience some cooler Colorado summer weather but apparently not.  Everyone tells me these 100 degree days aren't normal for June so I'll keep hoping.  There has been a lot happening so far this summer so I wanted to share a few updates with you, many of which will have more information to come throughout the summer.  

• Thanks to the summer staff who are giving opportunities for kids to catch up, or keep learning during June.  Elementary summer camp and middle and high school credit recovery are great opportunities for kids!
• We are going to move to an online registration process this year.  You'll be able to update your information in infinite campus and pay fees online.  "Registration Packets"  will be going out electronically early in July.  Hopefully this will be a much more convenient way for you to complete registration but I ask in return that you are diligent and timely in completing the steps in the packet when it arrives.

• We will still be happy to schedule an appointment if you would like to come in to complete the process in person or if you need assistance.  You will also be able to schedule an appointment to come in if you would like to see your classroom or get a tour of the school.

• On that note we are planning a Bulldog Back to School Bash on August 17.  Lots more information to come but here is some save the date information: Open house/visitation at the MS  4-5, ES 4:30-6:00, HS 5:30-6:00 and activities on the main field from 4:30-6:30.  

• We want this to be a fun night for all our families since celebrating together has been in short supply the last year and half.  If you individually or your company would like to help sponsor t-shirts, foods, activities, etc.  please reach out to me, we would appreciate the help!  

• We are in the final stages of receiving approval for a significant amount of federal COVID funds.  Although there are many restrictions, there are many things that we are going to be able to accomplish with the funds.

• This summer we are replacing classroom furniture in the main building.  Teachers were able to choose from several different options that will provide them with flexible seating in their classroom as well as new teachers desks and chairs.
• We are constructing an outdoor classroom at the middle school which will give teacher’s another option to take a break from their classroom and enjoy the beautiful Colorado weather.
• We are installing turf behind the elementary school to replace the rubber surface.  This will be more durable and provide more options for students to play a variety of games and activities.
• We are in the proposal phase of an addition to the high school wing.  This will provide a main high school entrance, approximately 5 classrooms, one flex space and office space for the high school main office, administrators, and  counselors.
• We were able to purchase an elementary school literacy curriculum that will make it significantly easier for our teachers to plan for students learning to read seamlessly K-5.

• I have received lots of COVID-19 questions related to protocols for next school year.  I have been hesitant to send out any communications because we haven't received required guidance from CDE and CDPHE  yet and what we have received continues to change rapidly.
• What I know for sure is that we will have less restrictions.

• We are planning traditional University Schools schedules and experiences for middle, high school and elementary students.  No restrictions related to traveling, seating, cohorts, lunch, etc.
• We are planning to welcome our community back to our buildings! (the Bulldog Bash will be a great opportunity).
• Masks will not be required for students under 12 or any outdoor activities.

• Schools are currently included in the Third Amended Public Health Order 20-38 which  states face coverings will no longer be required for individuals 12 years of age or older who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  The current order expires on July 1 and we are hoping that schools will be allowed flexibility in making decisions related to mask requirements in the next order.

• Another of my (and I know your) primary concerns are the quarantine requirements.  At this time CDPHE/CDE have not released control over quarantines in schools.  We have heard rumblings that schools might be allowed to quarantine only positive cases of COVID-19 and not close contacts (which is our preference).
• As soon as I receive any further information about these two important issues (mask orders, quarantine requirements) I will  let you know ASAP.
• I also wanted to send a shout out to our Varsity Baseball and Tennis teams who recently finished their successful seasons at the State Tournament and wish the Track team good luck and they prepare to compete in the State tournament this week. It's so strange that sports are still going..... Go Bulldogs!

I wish you lots of rest, relaxing and fun!

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

 May 28, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

We made it!  This week has been a busy one with teachers and students celebrating the end of the year together.  

Here are a few highlights:

     - 5th Grade Evening Extravaganza, Olympics and Clap Out

     - A super fun and upbeat serenade from the 5th grade Girl Squad

     - Lots of field trips to get out and enjoy nature and have fun together

     - Thanks to the PE department for planning an amazing elementary Field Day.  I asked several kids what their favorite part was and they said "EVERYTHING".  

     - Thanks to the Middle School flex day committee for ending the year with lots of fun and unique games and activities.

     -  I know graduation will be a special moment to celebrate the resiliency of this senior class.  Thanks to everyone who put in the many hours of hard work it took to pull everything together.

Since it's the last day of school I wanted to say thank you for making my family a part of the Bulldog Family.  I have certainly experienced the roller coaster of emotions this year has delivered alongside you, but because of them, I have been even more appreciative of the highs.  From my perspective there have been many.   James Lane Allen said that “Adversity does not build character, it reveals it.”  I have seen the character of our school community revealed this year and I am proud to be a Bulldog.  

I hope you have a summer of fun, adventure and rest,

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

May 22, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

   I know here has been a whole week that happened since I last emailed; but honestly it's been a bit of a blur for me since last Friday.   I am deeply sustained in my life by uplifting and empowering others and supporting and celebrating success along the way.  The last week has put me in the position of dream crusher more often than not.  It's not a role I enjoy but it is part of the responsibility of the Director.  So I will only say that I am sorry to the high school faculty, students and families  who had an abrupt ending to their year.  It is now how I or any of you hoped to finish.  I am hopeful that the decision to learn remotely for a week at the high school level will positively impact everyone's chances of celebrating graduation and season D athletics together.  I also want to express gratitude for Jeff Casey's leadership this week.  He dealt with every person with empathy and concern regardless if they were feeling big emotions or not or if they treated him with the respect he deserves.  It is a special person who is able to operate so gracefully under difficult circumstances.    

I wanted to share an announcement from the Health Department:

• The Weld County Health Department announced that Appointments are now being made for individuals 12 years old and older.
• The Weld County Health Department is hosting a free vaccine clinic at the Greeley Rec Center. Youth ages 12-15 are especially encouraged to come get a vaccine, but anyone is welcome.
• When: 9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Saturday, May 29
  Where: Greeley Rec Center, 651 10th Avenue, Greeley, CO 80631
  Vaccine: Pfizer

Here is some terrific information about summer reading opportunities from our fantastic library programs.  

• Sign up for the Summer Reading Program today and start logging your reading and earning prizes beginning May 30.
• Sign up for High Plains Library District Summer Reading (for all ages grades K-12 and adults!) https://www.mylibrary.us/sra/

• Watch the High Plains Library District Summer Reading Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IWeji8GAik

University Schools Libraries summer hours for students K-12

Elementary/High School Library & Middle School Library

Open 9:30 am - 11:30 am on Wednesdays

June 9 | June 16 | June 23 | June 30

And, all students in grades K-8 will be getting a brand new book for summer reading!

We had our High School Choir Concert last week and the students did a great job!  They were generous to share videos so you can all enjoy

We some some seriously smart and hardworking students who were recently recognized as by the College Board based on test results from last school year:

• AP Scholar- Emily F.
• AP Scholar with Honor- Josh B., Grace D, Christopher M., Rylee R.
• AP Scholar with Distinction- Tina B, Kylie K., Phat H.

Sincerely,

 Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

May 14 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

Happy Friday everyone.  It is hard to believe that we only have a few more Fridays.

• The Board Of Governors approved the calendar for next school year.  
• Here are a few more Battle of the Books successful teams

• 5th grade: First Place: Aribella P., Addison W., Madison Y., Second Place: Jasiel A-G.,  Chris G., Blake S.
• Middle School: Alexander C. & Diana C. and  Blake W., Karma M., Nikolas K., & Will B.

• Here are slides celebrating the Academic Awards of our high school students.  It is amazing to me the number of students who were able to thrive academically given the many challenges of the year.  Great job!
• Congratulations to Nolan J. for breaking the University long jump record.  He jumped  22-2.5.  His record broke Lewis V.'s record from 1988.  
• Last but certainly not least, this week we celebrate School Nurses.  Never in the history of schools was there ever a year that Nurses deserved more celebration.  If you have been lucky enough to work with Nurse Mandy this year you know how generous she has been with her wisdom and time.  In every interaction with students she shows them love and patience.  Thank you Nurse Mandy for taking such great care of our school!

I hope you have a restful weekend,

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

May 7, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

 It has been a busy week with lots of learning and extracurricular activities.

 Here are several celebrations:

• Congratulations to all our Third and Fourth Grade Battle of the Books participants!  5th grade BOB will happen soon and I'll share results next week.
• Third Grade Results:

1st Place: Bentley J., Harper D, Megan M., Presley W.

2nd Place: Daniel F., Zoey N., Lex N.

3rd Place: Aubrey B., Avary G., Kingley G.

• Fourth Grade Results:

1st Place: Carlos S., Ryder W., Stefan G.

2nd Place: Rory B., Brandon C., Elijah M., Gunner G.

• Congratulations to Kyla T., Delainey T., Stella H., Carlos S., and Stefan G. in Ms. Potter's 4th grade class who competed at the district level for young Chautauqua.
• Congratulations to our High School Volleyball team who will be competing at the State tournament next week.  We wish them a great tournament!
• Congratulations to our Middle School Track Team for hosting a home event.  It's great to see so many athletes representing the Bulldogs!

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week.  I know I speak for you when I thank and celebrate the amazing teachers at University Schools.  Thanks to everyone who supported the USPTO basket auction so they can continue to support our teachers.

Have a great weekend,

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

April 30, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

 I hope you enjoyed the short week and beautiful weather.  Since it's a short week, I have a few short updates:

•   It has been awesome participating in senior projects and boards.  I am really proud of the expectation and opportunity we provide for our students to learn something new and dig deep into something they are passionate about.  That seems to be a rare occurrence in the nationwide education system these days.  It is also amazing when a project can support one of our own.  I have never felt the love of the Bulldog community more than attending the golf tournament in support of Mr. Clark on Monday.  It was extremely moving to see the financial and emotional support our community poured out to the Clark family.  Great job Keylee Kern!
• I had a terrific time today with the 5th grade visiting the Poudre Learning Center.  It was a great experience to see students putting their learning to use in hands-on experiments and experiencing science in nature.  I know this is an important part of learning at University and I look forward to more field trips on the horizon!

I hope you have a terrific weekend!

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

April 23, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

I hope you had a great week, I am super encouraged to see sunshine out my window.  I hope the weekend gives you plenty of outside time to enjoy it!

Here's what I have for this week:

• Congratulations to our newly elected Board of Governors members.  Thank you to everyone who participated!

• Jake Daggat, Eric Fitzsimons, Justin Martinez, and Ryan Mayeda will begin their terms in July.

• I would like to celebrate and thank our Administrative Assistants!  They are amazing at their jobs and are the backbone that keeps University running smoothly.  
• Congratulations to FBLA for their terrific showing at the State Leadership Conference.  Those who finished in 4th will be moving on to the National Competition

• Kendree Kern, Kyelin Trujillo, Lexi Sanchez- Broadcast Journalism - 4th Place
• Maddie Willoughby, Alexis Gollhofer, Paige Heck - Broadcast Journalism - Top 10
• Weston Pierce, David Luo - Intro to Event Planning - Top 10
• Jaxon Patten - Intro to Information Technology - 2nd Place  
• Anna Bedell and Abby Aurzada - Public Service Announcement - Top 10
• Gracy-Anne Long, Jaemason Long - Sports & Entertainment Management - 4th Place
• Phat Ho - Word Processing - Top 10  

•  Congratulations to Ms. Simms and her students for a terrific Prom Fashion Show.  It was  fun to see our kids showcasing their style and personalities.  
• A personal highlight for me this week was getting to make a new 1st grade friend who is one of the best dancers ever.  It is always great to see the many talents our students possess and how hard teachers work to showcase them.
• On a much less fun note, I wanted to share with you that we are experiencing a large number of students and adults with stomach symptoms that are consistent with both COVID-19 and Norovirus.  

• We will be disinfecting all spaces in both buildings before our return to school on Wednesday.  
• If your child is experiencing symptoms we will ask that you follow the same procedure of keeping them home, calling the illness line, obtain a PCR test and work with our health office to determine an appropriate return time.
• Unfortunately we have seen symptoms that appear to present as a typical stomach bug or norovirus also be a confirmed case of COVID-19.

Don't forget that school will be closed Monday and Tuesday.  I hope you have a great long weekend and enjoy the weather,

Jennifer

April 16, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

Well, I had another new weather experience today.  Several inches of snow and almost no trace by the afternoon!  Today I want to focus on remote learning.  I cannot say how proud I am of the teachers and families that have worked tirelessly together to make sure that learning happens no matter the setting.  I know it has been the challenge of many of our lives to try to have a meaningful learning experience while not in the classroom.  I wanted to share one example of the awesome growth that has happened.  Ms. Bangs' class has published manuscripts of fiction stories they wrote and illustrated, had a poetry program that over 100 families virtually attended, and a Valentines' Day celebration just as if they were in school.  

We appreciate the thoughtful feedback that staff and families provided surrounding planning for remote learning next year.  I believe that University Schools is full of amazing teachers, students and supported by terrific parents.   However, I also know that our mission is best accomplished through in person learning.  After reviewing the feedback, we have decided that US will plan to operate fully in person next school year and will not offer a fully remote option. We will continue to provide remote learning opportunities for individuals and cohorts that are impacted by quarantines or isolation.  We are happy to work individually with any staff member or family that is concerned about how this decision could impact their high risk health conditions.  

I cannot thank you enough for your partnership as we continue to navigate unprecedented times.  We look forward to reuniting our Bulldog Family in person next year!

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

April 9, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

As I'm typing this email I'm watching the weather change from windy, to snowy to sunny and back again.  My first Colorado spring is certainly a roller coaster of weather options!  

Here are a few highlights of my week:

• Kylie Kravig was named the Class 3A girls basketball player of the year.  Kylie and Sam Yost spent 5 hours helping us make popcorn for the elementary and middle school before Spring Break.  So I can attest that she's a class act both on and off the court, Congrats Kylie!
• I got to participate in my first "wedding ceremony" at University.  I was invited to participate with Ms. Martinez's class as they celebrated the joining of Q and U.  It was both adorable and educational.  Our teachers go above and beyond to create unique and fun learning opportunities for our students.  If you want to smile, here are a couple pictures.
• Several Teams of "elves" delivered yard signs to celebrate University faculty and staff.  Thanks to the University Board of Governors for securing a grant, thanks to the USPTO for awarding the grant and thanks to the teams who delivered (Garner Agone, Tyler Bretz, Trinity Brewer, Grace Call, Rich Campbell, Jeff Casey, Ronda Glover, Renee Greenberg, Keylee Kern, Ethan Miles, Nick Kintz, Ashlyn Knapp, Lexi Sanchez, Denise Vaardahl, Kevin Vaardahl, Jeff Weber, Jennifer Weaver, Stephanie Welle, Tina Whitcomb).
• It is not much of a highlight but, I am always looking for silver linings... We had two middle school cohorts this week that were able to test onsite and not have to quarantine additional days at home.  

On that note, we have experienced a large number of quarantines this week and last.  We currently have about 150 students who have been impacted by these quarantines.  We are doing everything we can to support testing and a quick return to in-person learning.  However, they are still extremely disruptive to our students, staff and to our families.  I'll ask again that you are vigilant in keeping your child at home if they are sick or anyone in your household is sick, or if they have been exposed to the virus.

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

April 2, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

I have some important information to share today so please read carefully!

• First, I'd like to celebrate Louis Uribe, who was voted this year’s Rocky Mountain North District’s Speech and Debate Coach of the Year.  
• Next, I'd like to thank the Weld Trust for selecting University Elementary to receive a $2500 grant which allowed us to purchase bulldog masks for our students.  Students were really excited and I've seen them wearing the masks with pride the last several days.  
• Finally I have quite a bit of information to share with you related to COVID-19.

• We are now applying the CDC/CDPHE guidelines for 7 day quarantine to exposed students the same way we have been applying them to adults in the building.  

• To take advantage of this option students must have no symptoms, secure a negative test within 48 hours of their return to school, and families agree to continue to monitor symptoms for the full 14 days.

• To make this easier, we are providing more opportunities to support testing.  

• Testing your child is completely optional and if you choose to test, where you go is your decision.  
• We realize that getting your child tested can be difficult so we are participating in a CDPHE program to provide testing on site.  If the testing window lines up with the day your child is quarantined, we will offer testing as they are released to be quarantined.  We practiced this for the first time this week with a K and a 3rd grade cohort.  They reported that they only felt a tickle and it wasn't a big deal at all.
• If you know that you are interested in this option, I would ask that you go ahead and complete the consent form to save time during the quarantine.  This consent will be recorded in Infinite Campus and be valid this school year and next (you can remove permission anytime you'd like).
• If you're not comfortable completing the consent form in advance, you will have another opportunity if your child is involved in a quarantine.
• Another option we were provided through the state is a limited amount of take home tests.  If your child's quarantine doesn't align with the testing window, and testing in the community is difficult for you, we can provide a take home kit for your use.

• There are some cases that the 7 day quarantine isn't an option.

• If your child develops symptoms of any kind
• If your family chooses not to test
• If additional students test positive within the cohort, it becomes an "outbreak".
• If the confirmed positive case is determined to be a variant strand

• I also wanted to be sure you were aware of vaccination options and implications for adults and our 16 and older students.

• Beginning April 2, anyone 16 and above will be eligible for a vaccine in Colorado.  I would ask that you consider being vaccinated for many reasons, but from a practical University perspective, we are excited about fewer quarantines, sick students and more students able to return to in-person learning sooner.
• I also wanted to point out a few practical advantages for our 16 and older students.  Once they are fully vaccinated, they will no longer have to quarantine, test if exposed to the virus or participate in required testing for specific events (like Prom).
• There is an opportunity specifically for teens to be vaccinated at Sunrise Community Health, age 16 and older, on Saturday, April 10 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Monfort Family Clinic located at 2930 11th Avenue. Students participating in this clinic will receive their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, and will be scheduled for a second dose three weeks from Saturday. Students must sign up by 5 p.m. April 8 for an appointment.  Here is the link to sign up for a vaccine appointment that includes a parental consent check off.  (If you wish to sign up for a vaccine for another day/time, you can use this site to sign up for vaccines.)

• Families who are currently learning remotely should have received a survey today asking about your thoughts for next year.  We appreciate your input as we plan learning opportunities for next year.  

As always, I thank you for partnering with University Schools to provide a safe environment for our students to participate in in-person learning.  We are also very hopeful that vaccine opportunities will create the conditions for our students to participate in in-person learning next school year, we miss your smiling faces!

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

March 26, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

It was great to return from Spring Break and hear about the adventures that students and staff enjoyed.  I'm glad it seems that many families were able to have time together to travel or just relax.  It also seemed to benefit everyone to have the time change during a break.  

This week our high school students were able to experience open campus during lunch for the first time in over a year!  We celebrated with Who Let the Dogs Out over the intercom.  Middle School classes also began returning to the cafeteria with their cohorts.  Lots of our elementary students had a first, or a first in a long time, traveling to their specials classrooms.  It makes me happy to think of  all the art projects, music lessons, etc that will be enhanced by class taking place in the proper setting.  I become more and more hopeful each time I get to see our students venture out of their classrooms.

Congratulations to the Poms team for winning the State Championship!

This week I also was able to have some really thoughtful conversations with a few University families about the acts of violence, many motivated by racism and hate, that continue to occur in our state and country.   I know that our school is a reflection of the larger community and what happens there impacts us here.  

University Schools' Mission Statement, "envisions a caring and supportive environment" for students and staff.  Our goal is to be a place that does not tolerate discrimination, hate, or racism within our school.  If your family has an experience that does not fit within our vision for learning I would ask that you or your child speak with a trusted teacher, counselor, or administrator so that we can work together to address the situation.  We know you are counting on us to foster classrooms where all students are seen, known, nurtured, and valued.

I hope you have a terrific weekend,

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

March 12, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

I hope you are looking forward to Spring Break or Spring Blizzard whichever makes you happier!

• This has been a busy month with extracurricular activities

• The middle school boys basketball season is coming to a close with the final games taking place this week.  Girls basketball and football have started practices, games will start after spring break.  
• Speech and Debate had a number of qualifiers for national competition

• 2x Qualifier: Aliyah Archer- Duo Interpretation and Humorous Interpretation (going in Duo for nationals)
• 2x Qualifier: Anna Bedell-Duo Interpretation and Original Oratory  (going in Duo for nationals)
• 1st Time Qualifier: Phat Ho- Informative Speaking
• 1st Time Qualifier: Keelyn Conner-Original Oratory
• 1st Time Qualifier:  Tagan Garcia-Program Oral Interpretation
• 1st Alternate: Paige Heck-Informative Speaking

• The drama department showcased “Little Shop of Horrors” with in person performances.  They did an amazing job!
• Wrestling had a great Regional tournament.  Ruben Nunezand Caden Measner both placed well.  Paxton Dagget,Chad Gomez, and Sebastian Cortezqualified for the state tournament.  This year only the top 2 qualified for the state tournament instead of the normal 4. The tournament will be this Friday in Pueblo.  
• Girls Basketball will play in the elite 8 on Monday.
• Cheer and Dance will be participating in their state competitions on March 25 and 26.  Both of those competitions will be in Colorado Springs.
• Knowledge Bowl will participate in the State Knowledge Bowl competition on March 15 & 16.
• Volleyball started practice this week for their season.  Their first match will be on March 23

I hope you stay safe and warm!

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools  

March 5, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

I hope that you had as terrific a week as I did.  I'm lucky that my birthday falls on Read Across America Week so I get to combine celebrating by birthday and one of passions.   Celebrating at University was even better than usual.  I got to read to several classes  this week.  Even though my son told me I was embarrassing him, there isn't much that's more fun than reading the Pout- Pout Fish with Kindergarten.  

 In the next few weeks, I'll be sharing updates related to some new procedures and opportunities for our students, the ever changing Spring testing requirements, summer opportunities, and planning for next school year.

Until then, I hope you have a great weekend,

Jennifer

February 26, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

I hope you've had a great week, although it was a short one for K-8.  We had a few exciting things happen this week I wanted to share:

• Two University Basketball players hit a huge milestone.  Congratulations to Kylie Kravig and Tate Chacon for each reaching 1,000 points!
• We also had a great time celebrating what we love about University.  Take a minute to look at the entries and winners from our Door Decorating Contest.
• Another exciting step we took this week was the return of elementary students to the cafeteria.  Students come in small groups so they can be appropriately distanced.  Each class gets to visit 1-2 times per week.  It's great for them to get out of their classrooms and a much deserved break for their teachers!  Middle and High School are both working on options which will begin after Spring Break.

Have a great weekend,

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

February 19, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

I hope that you have had a terrific week.  I have one important piece of information to share with you.  Each year we share an immunization update.  This year we have included our results for the 20-21 school year, as well as, some upcoming changes for the 21-22 school year.

I also have one fun thing to share.  Please take a minute to look through some pictures I took as some of our Kindergarten students celebrated 100 days of school.  I love them all but two of my extra favorites were, " I've been pushing Mrs. Martinez's button for 100 Days" and "100 Days Bugging Mrs. Martinez".

A reminder that Monday and Tuesday are no school days for K-8.

February 12, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

•  I wanted to share an update on in-person cohorts

• Since our return we have had 18 cohorts in quarantines.  9 of them have been the result of confirmed positive cases and 9 have been the result of symptoms of COVID-19 almost all of which have eventually received a negative test which allowed the cohort to return to in person learning.  
• We have experienced one outbreak, which is 2 or more confirmed cases in a cohort.  
• We sincerely appreciate the many cohort quarantines that we have avoided by families staying home if they are experiencing symptoms, have been exposed to COVID-19 or are waiting for results.
• We also appreciate the families that are in quarantine tracking their symptoms each day so that we may shorten quarantine periods from 14 days to 10.

• Even though we are still working to manage in person learning with quarantines.  We are also moving forward with extracurricular activities

• Our MS boys basketball season has started, volleyball and wrestling will have their final games next week.  Our MS wrestling team beat Milliken in their dual last night.  All of our home games are live streamed on youtube live at UMS athletics, we are up to 64 subscribers!
• At High School, Boys and Girls basketball teams are going strong, Wrestling hosted at Quad (four teams) last weekend and everyone was very complimentary of how the event ran.  
• Knowledge Bowl placed 4th overall (all classifications) at their regional meet.  They qualified for the state meet in March.
• Speech and Debate had a tremendous State Competition.  They now look to qualify for the national competition.

I hope you enjoy a long weekend. Sending you love from our Bulldog family to yours,

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

February 5, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

I hope you have been able to take advantage of some warmer weather and get outside this week.  I know it's made arrival and dismissal more fun for me!  This week I wanted to take a moment to celebrate our School Counselors as part of National School Counselors' week.  University is fortunate to have such an excellent and caring groups of counselors.  They go above and beyond each day supporting our students and staff.  Great job counselors!  I also wanted to celebrate our Speech and Debate Team for having several students place in the State Competition.

Go Bulldogs!

Have a terrific weekend,

Jennifer

January 29, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

I hope you've had a great week.  Things have been a little bit of a roller coaster at school this week.  We are very excited to have so many extra curricular activities beginning to happen.  It feels like a hopeful sign to see students practicing sports and music.  

On the other hand we have navigated many situations with symptoms, exposures and confirmed cases of COVID-19.  I know you are tired of me saying this but I'd like to remind you again.  The best way to protect your child, our whole school community and prevent quarantines is to not send students to school if they or anyone in your household is experiencing symptoms, have been exposed to the virus or are waiting on test results.  Please do call the attendance line anytime your student is ill, test as soon as appropriate, and reach out to Nurse Mandy for support.

We would also like to remind you that today is the last day to order a yearbook.  We will be ordering VERY FEW extra copies to sell at the end of the year.  

You may use the following links to order:

Elementary, Middle, High

We appreciate all our Bulldog families working together to keep each other safe and allow in-person learning as an option for our school.  Go Bulldogs!

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

January 22, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

It's been a great week having everyone back to in-person learning!  This was our first Friday back in the building since Friday the 13th in November.   As our "new normal" has been all year, it is a delicate balance between providing as normal an experience as possible for everyone while also working hard to keep our school community safe.  The administrators and I were able to provide a nice surprise to faculty and staff this week by delivering iced coffee and hot chocolate to them.  When students asked if the treats were for them, my reply was that if they became teachers and were as awesome as their current teachers I would give them all the coffee they wanted.  I also wished them good luck because their teachers are amazing and it is a high bar to reach.  It was such a pleasure for us to show our appreciation, even in a small way.  Please do not forget to continue to send those affirming emails and notes to your child's teacher, I know it means a lot to them.  

I also want to update you on what's happening with our COVID-19 response since our return.  We really appreciate everyone who is keeping their children home if anyone is sick, have been exposed or are waiting on test results.  We have already avoided several classroom quarantines due to following these procedures.  We also really appreciate everyone calling the illness hotline (attendance line then press 2) and using the google form to contact Nurse Mandy.  

There are a few changes to how we handle quarantines that I want to make you aware of:

• When a classroom/cohort quarantine happens, we reach out by phone individually to each family.  To expedite these calls, our staff are often calling from home phones, personal cells, etc.  Please consider answering calls even if you don't recognize the number and if not please check your messages to see that we are trying to reach you.  
• We then follow up with an email blast with additional information.  This email also contains a link to an important form to track symptoms while on quarantine.
• CDPHE has allowed schools flexibility to return to in-person learning sooner, if requirements are met.  One of those requirements is partnering with families to track symptoms each day.  We have created a google form that families in quarantine will fill out each day.  
• I heard from many of you that the emails I sent to the whole school about quarantines were sometimes confusing because you thought they were specifically about your family.  So this semester I won't send schoolwide notifications about quarantines.  However, I will update a chart on the Director's Update link on the webpage if you are interested.  

I hope you have a great weekend,

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

January 15, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

Welcome back K-8!  It felt a little like the first day of school all over again: trying to find all those supplies to bring back, your sheets for screening, and remembering to take temperatures.  I think everyone was worn out by the end of the week.  I hope your little ones slept as well as mine!  One of my favorite times this week was welcoming back the middle school.  Teachers were so excited to see their students and students demonstrated typical adolescent nonchalance.  I know underneath their cool they were happy to be back.  My least favorite moment of the week was dismissal yesterday in the wind.  I have not yet adjusted to the Colorado winds!   However, I was grateful for the first time that students' backpacks were so heavy so we didn't have to worry about anyone taking flight.

I would like to thank all the families that delayed their return to in-person learning to protect our school community and preserve in-person learning.  I know it was disappointing to you and your child to have to remain learning remotely when their peers were returning.  As expected we are already beginning to deal with possible cohort quarantines.  A few important reminders/updates:

• To make it easier for us to respond quickly and efficiently to your needs and to help us stay on top of possible quarantines, we would ask that you call the school attendance line  (ES/HS: 970-506-7000 option 1, MS: 970-576-3900 option 1) and select option 2 for the illness hotline anytime your child is ill.  
• We would also ask that anyone who needs to contact Nurse Mandy use this google form to reach out to her.  As you can imagine the volume of families she is supporting is high and we want to make it as easy as we can for you and her.  
• Please, please, please support us by staying home if your child or anyone in your household is experiencing symptoms, has been exposed to a confirmed case of the virus or is waiting on test results.  

I hope everyone has a terrific long weekend (don't forget Monday school will be closed in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) and we can't wait to see our high school friends on Tuesday!

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

January 8, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

I am so excited to welcome back K-8 students on Tuesday!  The only thing that makes me happier is the idea that my own child will be back in school!  I know that for many of our families COVID-19 has become a more personal experience in the last month with your friends or families facing exposure or sickness.

• On that note it is important to delay your child's return to in-person learning until you have discussed your circumstances with Nurse Mandy if:

• Anyone in your household is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.  Symptoms, especially early on, may be mild and feel like a common cold.
• Your student has been directly exposed to someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19, and has not completed the quarantine period (10-14 days from your last contact).
• Anyone in your household received a positive test result after  December 18.
• Please use this form to contact Nurse Mandy

I wish that the pandemic was behind us as we return to school but unfortunately we still have many guidelines and restrictions to consider.  I also wish that the guidelines and restrictions were not ever changing.  Unfortunately that is not the case, we are expecting additional revisions in January from the CDPHE.  

There are a few things that we already know are a little different than first semester:

• Quarantine dates will be flexible.  In some cases they will continue to last for 14 days but in many cases we will be able to reduce the duration to 10 days if no one experiences symptoms.  
• With the increase of spread throughout our community we need to be more careful with household exposures.  

• If a household member has 1 critical (loss of taste or smell), 1 major (fever over 100.0, new or worsening cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing) or 2 minor symptoms (sore throat, runny nose or congestion, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea) or a pending COVID test, all University household members should remain home from school and contact Nurse Mandy to discuss a safe return date.
• This does not change our guidelines for quarantines (if a household member is quarantined for reasons other than those mentioned in the above bullet, other University household members may continue to attend school unless symptoms develop).

Many things have not changed:

• We will continue to provide your child with the warmest welcome and a  top notch University Schools educational experience.

• Please continue to monitor symptoms at home, taking temperature and completing the wellness screener before your arrival at school.  Please arrive in time for your child to be screened and arrive at their class by 7:45 for elementary and 8:15 for middle.  Screening begins in the main building loop and high school loop at 7:15 and the Middle School loop at 7:30

• I will continue to provide you with Friday updates so you may stay informed, share celebrations and challenges and hopefully get to know me as a new Director.
• We have to work together as a team to protect in-person learning and extra curricular activities.  We will continue to wear masks, use good hand hygiene and stay home when we (or household members) are sick or have been exposed to the virus.

I look forward to seeing you soon,

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

January 5, 2021

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

I hope that your break was wonderful and your transition back to "real life" has been as smooth as possible.  I am writing to let you know that we have made some minor adjustments to our January schedule.  

We have received additional guidance from the Governor and the CDPHE and our county's level has been lowered to orange.  I know that for most of you a safe return to in-person learning, as quickly as possible, is a top priority. We are pleased that the current conditions and guidance allow us to return everyone to in-person learning about a week earlier than planned.   This does not impact those of you that have chosen to learn remotely full-time this year.  If you have any questions about your child's schedule please reach out to their teacher, advisor or building administrators.

Happy New Year,

Jennifer Weaver

December 18, 2020

Dear Bulldog Family and Friends,

We made it to break!  I know the month of December has been a tough one for many of us as we did our best to navigate remote learning.  I just wanted to take a moment today to thank everyone for a terrific year.  It has certainly been a momentous one for my family.  We moved across the country to a home we had never seen, completed a whole interview process virtually and started a job in a place I had never been, and Gabe started Kindergarten all during a pandemic.  

Even with all that I could not be happier with our decision.  University has immediately felt like family and a place I am proud to serve.  I am grateful for the welcome you have shown me and look forward to more normal times in the future.  I hope that your family has a terrific winter break full of rest, excitement, joy, fun, and family.  I am going to try to follow my own advice so I won't be writing to you for the two Fridays during break.  I will be back in touch the week of January 4 with any updates related to reopening school and returning to in-personal learning.  

Best wishes for a happy holiday season,

Jennifer Weaver

December 15, 2020

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends:

Thank you for all you have done to support your children’s learning during this challenging time. Since we switched to remote learning in November, everyone has worked very hard to support students in attending and engaging in their learning. While we know remote learning is not ideal for most students, with your help, we have made the best of a difficult situation.

I’m excited to share our plans for how we anticipate learning will take place in January.  We know that a safe transition to in-person learning is a top priority for all of us.  Our plan is to make this transition as smooth, safe and sustainable as possible for our students and staff.

• January 4 is a workday for faculty and staff and a no school day for students.  All students will continue remote learning (following the same schedule we have been using) on January 5-8.

• We chose to remain learning remotely this week to help support a return to in-person learning in January while minimizing quarantines that might result from exposures related to New Year’s Eve.  

• January 11-22

• As you know, managing quarantines and having the appropriate number of adults to supervise students was one of our biggest challenges the last several weeks of in-person learning.  Based on our experience with the high school hybrid schedule, we anticipate learning remotely on Mondays and Fridays will help limit the number of quarantines and substitutes and make for a smoother (and hopefully more sustainable) return to in-person learning
• For these two weeks, all K-8 students will learn remotely on Mondays and Fridays and in-person on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
• 9-12 Students will continue to learn remotely (following the same schedule we have been using).
• January 18 is a Holiday for all students

• Beginning January 25 (if conditions and guidelines allow)

• All students in K-8 will learn in-person Monday-Friday.
• 9-12 students will resume hybrid learning ( A-J in-person Monday, Tuesday, remote W,T,F K-Z in-person Wednesday, Thursday remote M,T,F)

• January 2021 University Schools Calendar Schedule K-12

It is important to understand that this plan to return students to in-person learning could have to change based on new guidance, the spread of the virus and the advice we are receiving from our public health officials. To help preserve in-person learning we ask that our school community use best practices of not gathering, wearing masks and staying home when sick.

You will continue to receive information from your child’s teachers and administrators.   Please continue to reach out to them if you have specific questions or concerns.

We are very excited to return to in-person learning in January. Until then, thank you for continuing to support your students with remote learning, stay safe and have a very happy and joyous holiday season.

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

December 11, 2020

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

I hope that this week went a little smoother for your families with remote learning.  I appreciate how hard staff, families and students are working to make this the best experience possible.  However, I also know that despite the hard work, remote learning cannot replace in-person learning for most of our students.  With that in mind I want to give you an update on the timeline for making a decision about the second semester.  Dr. Pilch has indicated that she intends to share a variety of scenarios with the District 6 School Board on 12/14/20.  She then expects to make a decision and announce those plans to everyone very quickly.  Once I receive the District 6 plan I will make any necessary adjustments to fit the needs of University Schools and communicate the plan to you ASAP.  I would anticipate that information will be shared with you Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.  

As I have been all year, I am committed to providing in-person learning to students as often as possible, in as safe a way as possible.  One positive piece of information I have to share is that District 6 applied for and received additional CARES funds through the CDE Safe Schools Reopening Grant.  University Schools will have access to those funds to install NPBI (NEEDLE POINT BI-POLAR IONIZATION) to our existing HVAC units.  This technology has the ability to trap and kill airborne pathogens by producing ions that help to agglomerate smaller particles and making them able to be filtered in standard HVAC filter systems.  This should contribute to a reduction of particles related to COVID-19 and also other particles and droplets related to other viruses such as influenza.  A reduction in these particles could help reduce the amount of students who become ill and result in fewer quarantines in our building.

As we all work together to increase our chances of returning to in-person learning  please continue to be vigilant about wearing masks, physically distancing, washing your hands, and limiting your exposure to those outside of your household.  I hope I'll have positive news to share next week!

Jennifer Weaver

December 4, 2020

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

I hope this email finds you well and enjoying supporting your child during remote learning.  However, I suspect that some of you might be having an experience more like this:

I know in my own family transitioning back to school this week and trying to develop positive routines and habits has been really difficult.  

Here are some resources that might help:

• Common Trauma Symptoms in Studentsand Helpful Strategies for Educators
• Keeping the Holidays Happy during COVID

The most effective tip I've experienced this week has been to take a movement break with my son when he has PE.  Not to brag, but I'm pretty sure I nailed the Kindergarten dance unit.  If you need any zoom tutoring for the chicken dance just let me know.  

In all seriousness I know this week has been a tough one for many educators, parents and students.  Hang in there and dig deep to find patience, gratitude and fun.  If there is anything we can do to support you or your child please reach out.

Jennifer Weaver

December 2, 2020

University Schools Students and Parents:

Need Remote Learning Technical Support?

• Email - helpdesk@universityschools.com
• Text or Call - (970) 673-7266

• Available from 7:30-3:30 Monday through Friday
• Help with chrome books, Google Apps, Zoom, passwords, links, file uploads, and any other remote learning troubles.
• Available for all University Schools K-12 students and parents

November 20,2020

Bulldog Family and Friends,

This has been another momentous week at University Schools.  Although it is not the moment we hoped for, this week all students K-12 began remote learning.  For the first week I think things went amazingly well.  Our top priorities for this week included:

• Getting everyone ready to learn remotely

• Thank you to those families who picked up additional materials and supplies for your students.  If you did not pick up supplies we began delivering them to you on Thursday.  Your teacher will continue to communicate with you if you need to pick up additional materials or supplies.
• Having reliable internet access is so important during remote learning.  If you do not have access, please contact us immediately, we have vouchers to share with you for free Comcast service.  
• District 6 provided free meals all week.  Please take advantage of this opportunity for all children under 18 (not just US students).  If transportation is an issue, please let us know and we'll work out getting food delivered to you.
• Some of you have requested that we provide a directory with parent contact information for any elementary parents that might be interested in setting up learning groups or social interactions during remote learning.  Here's the link if you're interested.

• Getting everyone engaged in class  

• As a parent I know it was tough supporting your child in getting to the right place at the right time.  Here are a few resources you might want to take a look at if you aren't familiar (zoom video google classroom, adjusting volume ).
• Thank you for working to set aside space and develop routines to support your child while learning at home.  
• Please remember that our expectation is that students are participating in each google meet or zoom call throughout the day, as well as, completing their independent work.  
• If your child is absent from class, please use the same procedures as always to notify the office for them to be excused.

• Keep students reading - The K-12 Virtual Library is Open!

• Reserve books online, get an email when they are ready and pick up at the security desk from 8-4, M-F.

• Search the Elementary/ High School Catalog and put the book(s) on hold
• Search the Middle School Catalog and put the book(s) on hold

• Books can be returned in the dropboxes in front of each building.
• Students can also check out ebooks and audiobooks through Sora.

As a Director and parent I know remote learning is hard for families, for faculty and staff and for students.  I know this was not the first choice for most of us but I also know the Bulldog family is resilient and will make the best of the situation in which we find ourselves.  I came across this article about, "making distance learning suck a little less" and thought it had some useful tips.

Thank you to all the branches of the Bulldog Family tree for doing your part to help our students learn and grow wherever they may be!  We are here to do anything we can to make this a successful partnership so please let us know how we can help.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Break!

November 12, 2020

Bulldog Family and Friends,

  Today I write with sad news.  Despite all of our best efforts to remain open for in-person learning we have reached a tipping point.  As predicted a fall surge has occurred.  To protect the health and safety of our school and wider community District 6 and Charter Schools have decided to begin remote learning next week.  As we have said throughout this pandemic our school is a reflection of our community.  Unfortunately in this case it is also true.  Many in our school community have been impacted by illness, exposures, positive cases and quarantines.  Since our community schools are all impacted by this pandemic you will receive information from University Schools and also from District 6. We are working together to meet the needs of all our families.

I am so proud that we have had so many months of in-person learning.  It has allowed our teachers and students to develop strong, positive relationships that will carry us through this period of remote learning.  In the next few days, you will begin receiving more information from your child's teacher with details about what remote learning will look like for them.  

• The last day of in-person learning for all students is Friday, November 13.
• Beginning Monday, November 16, ALL high schools will move to remote learning. Students will log in on Monday and follow their normal schedule each day.
• Monday, November 16 will be a day off for K-8 students, giving staff time to prepare for remote learning.
• Elementary and Middle Schools will move to fully remote learning on Tuesday, November 17.
• Students who are currently learning online will continue with their online teachers and instruction.
• ALL students are expected to log in each day and follow their classroom's remote schedule.  If internet access is a concern, please call our office as soon as possible so we can support getting you connected.  

I cannot tell you how much we have appreciated the teamwork and positive attitude everyone has exhibited while navigating the first months of school.  I know if we continue to work together we will make remote learning as positive an experience as possible for our students.  I'll continue to send additional details and information as I have them.

Thanks for your support.  Please continue to partner with teachers, administrators and myself to solve any questions or concerns.

Jennifer Weaver, Director of Schools

Email sent to parents from District 6 Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Deidre Pilch, on 11/12/20:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RDPZLHms6Z0r1-21rwFViSzxMM_FSHW7TzvgZV2YgeA/edit

November 9, 2020

Dear University Schools Families:

 I am writing with quarantine updates from Friday and today.  We have been informed that some of our cohorts (1 HS, 2 MS, 3 ES, 1 combined)  have been in close contact with individuals who have symptoms of COVID-19, have been exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19 and have symptoms of COVID-19, and one individual who has a confirmed case of COVID-19.

 The individuals who are considered to be at high risk of exposure have been directly informed and are being asked to quarantine for 14 days. (17 adults and 147 students) have been identified in these exposures.  

 Per guidance from the Weld County Department of Public Health, the unaffected cohorts are not at high risk for exposure and will be able to continue their classes.

 This is a great example of why we are cohorting students. It limits exposure to others. While we are very concerned about this situation, we do believe that we have the correct protocols in place to address these exposures as they occur.

 It is vitally important that parents keep sick children home. We need you to keep your child home if your child or someone in your home is showing one of these major symptoms of COVID-19:

• Feeling feverish or having chills or a temperature of 100.0 F or greater
• New or unexplained persistent cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste or smell

 In addition, please keep your child at home and contact your child’s healthcare provider if they, or someone in your home is experiencing two or more of these minor symptoms:

• Sore throat
• Runny nose or congestion
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

 Please continue to work with your students on the protocols that will limit the risk of exposure. Encourage physical distancing and mask wearing when in public. Stay home if any symptoms of the virus are present. Continue to let the office at your school know if your student or anyone they have been in contact with tests positive for COVID-19. And if they have been in contact with someone who has symptoms or has tested positive, please keep your student home.

 We appreciate your continued cooperation as we move forward to safely serve our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

 Sincerely,

 Jennifer Weaver, Director of Schools

November 6, 2020

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends,

I think this week might have been my favorite one yet!  We made it a whole week without having to quarantine any cohorts.  I also offered the faculty a small token of appreciation to "cover" (that was just code work for rile up and leave) 15 minutes of their classes.  I learned so many things about our students:

• Our students are incredibly gracious to visitors
• Don't ask a first grade class to tell you if you do anything wrong unless you really want to know
• If you ask a question in elementary school EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM wants to answer
• 5th grade gets to be read to while they eat lunch and it's a great few minutes
• Letting students create their own Would You Rather questions gets creative and out of hand quickly!  Sorry Ms. Timm... (perfect example of rile up and leave)
• Our high school students are involved and interested in so many things.  They are truly taking to heart making the best of their year despite the many challenges facing them.
• Our high school yearbook staff is finding a way to go over, around and through the difficult task of telling the story of this year for our school.  It is looking great so far!

I started with the good news but now I want to update you with some not so positive information.  I know many of you have been hearing about the rapid  increase in confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Weld County.  I'm sure you are wondering what impact that will have on our school.  Our school is a mirror of our community so eventually whatever is happening in the community will make its way into our school.  Here is more information about the many factors and sources of information we review in making decisions about whether to operate in-person, in hybrid or remotely.  

I wish I could tell you exactly what will happen and when but unfortunately that is not the case.  I can tell you that continuing to implement our health and safety protocols is the best offense we have for continuing in-person learning.  Continue to wear masks, wash hands, stay home when we are sick and get tested right away if we have symptoms.  

We will continue to implement in-person learning as long as we are able but it seems likely that we may need to implement plans for hybrid or remote learning.  As families please have plans in place for supervision and internet access if conditions warrant attending in a part-time or hybrid model or full remote learning. Please regularly update your contact information in Infinite Campus because much of our communication happens through emails, texts and phone calls.  

--

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

University Schools

(970) 506.7000

jweaver@universityschools.com

October 30, 2020

Good afternoon Bulldog family and friends,

I hope you're enjoying your Friday and looking forward to Halloween weekend.   According to the Farmer's Almanac, In 2001, ghosts and goblins in Central and Pacific time zones trick-or-treated by the light of a full Moon, but a Halloween full Moon hadn’t appeared for everyone in all time zones since 1944!  So I'm thinking Full Moon on Halloween in 2020, what could go wrong?!

I had the best time today seeing all the creative costumes and joy on faces.  It was a great reminder why we're jumping through the many hoops we are to keep in-person learning an option.  Children are experts at living in the moment and displaying resilience.   I got to participate in a classroom today and confirmed my suspicion that I would be an excellent kindergarten teacher for an hour.  Pretty sure that's the extent of talent I bring to the table!  I was in awe as I am everyday at the calm, empathy, enthusiasm, expertise, (I could go on and on) that our teachers bring to their classrooms.  They are doing an amazing job with your children.

Stay safe while you enjoy your weekend,

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

October 29, 2020

Dear University Schools Families:

I am writing to update you that we have received additional information about our 5th grade cohort and will be welcoming all 5th grade students back for in-person learning tomorrow 10/30/202.  I also wanted to alert you that we have been informed an individual in a Kindergarten cohort has symptoms associated with COVID-19.  

The individuals who are considered to be at high risk of exposure have been directly informed and are being asked to quarantine for 14 days. 1 adult and 17 students have been identified in this exposure.  While we are very concerned about this situation, we do believe that we have the correct protocols in place to address these exposures as they occur.

It is vitally important that parents keep sick children home. We need you to keep your child home if your child or someone in your home is showing one of these major symptoms of COVID-19:

• Feeling feverish or having chills or a temperature of 100.0 F or greater
• New or unexplained persistent cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste or smell

In addition, please keep your child at home and contact your child’s healthcare provider if they, or someone in your home is experiencing two or more of these minor symptoms:

• Sore throat
• Runny nose or congestion
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Please continue to work with your students on the protocols that will limit the risk of exposure. Encourage physical distancing and mask wearing when in public. Stay home if any symptoms of the virus are present. Continue to let the office at your school know if your student or anyone they have been in contact with tests positive for COVID-19. And if they have been in contact with someone who has symptoms or has tested positive, please keep your student home.

We appreciate your continued cooperation as we move forward to safely serve our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Sincerely,

Michael Mazurana, Elementary Principal

Jennifer Weaver, Director of Schools

October 28, 2020

Dear University Schools Families:

Unfortunately this was a busy day for quarantines.  A 4th grade cohort, middle school cohort 8.5 and a 5th grade cohort were in close contact with an individual (one at each cohort) with COVID-19 symptoms.  We hope to receive additional information and be able to welcome students back soon.

The individuals who are considered to be at high risk of exposure have been directly informed and are being asked to quarantine for 14 days. 16 adults and 66 students have been identified in this exposure.  We have also decided that it will be in the best interest of the remaining 5th grade cohorts to learn remotely.  The students in those cohorts are not in quarantine and may continue their regular activities while learning remotely at home.  

While we are very concerned about this situation, we do believe that we have the correct protocols in place to address these exposures as they occur.

It is vitally important that parents keep sick children home. We need you to keep your child home if your child or someone in your home is showing one of these major symptoms of COVID-19:

• Feeling feverish or having chills or a temperature of 100.0 F or greater
• New or unexplained persistent cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste or smell

In addition, please keep your child at home and contact your child’s healthcare provider if they, or someone in your home is experiencing two or more of these minor symptoms:

• Sore throat
• Runny nose or congestion
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Please continue to work with your students on the protocols that will limit the risk of exposure. Encourage physical distancing and mask wearing when in public. Stay home if any symptoms of the virus are present. Continue to let the office at your school know if your student or anyone they have been in contact with tests positive for COVID-19. And if they have been in contact with someone who has symptoms or has tested positive, please keep your student home.

We appreciate your continued cooperation as we move forward to safely serve our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Sincerely,

Michael Mazurana, Elementary Principal

Nick Kintz, Middle School Principal

Jennifer Weaver, Director of Schools

October 25, 2020

Dear University Schools Families:

We have determined that four elementary school cohorts have been exposed to an individual who tested positive for COVID-19.

The individuals who are considered to be at high risk of exposure have been directly informed and are being asked to quarantine for 14 days. 8 adults and 104 students have been identified in this exposure. We are working directly with the Weld County Department of Public Health on the protocols and contact tracing for this exposure.

Per guidance from the Weld County Department of Public Health, the unaffected cohorts are not at high risk for exposure and will be able to continue their classes.

This is a great example of why we are cohorting students. It limits exposure to others. While we are very concerned about this situation, we do believe that we have the correct protocols in place to address these exposures as they occur.

It is vitally important that parents keep sick children home. We need you to keep your child home if your child or someone in your home is showing one of these major symptoms of COVID-19:

• Feeling feverish or having chills or a temperature of 100.0 F or greater
• New or unexplained persistent cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste or smell

In addition, please keep your child at home and contact your child’s healthcare provider if they, or someone in your home is experiencing two or more of these minor symptoms:

• Sore throat
• Runny nose or congestion
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Please continue to work with your students on the protocols that will limit the risk of exposure. Encourage physical distancing and mask wearing when in public. Stay home if any symptoms of the virus are present. Continue to let the office at your school know if your student or anyone they have been in contact with tests positive for COVID-19. And if they have been in contact with someone who has symptoms or has tested positive, please keep your student home.

We appreciate your continued cooperation as we move forward to safely serve our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Sincerely,

Michael Mazurana, Elementary School Principal

Jennifer Weaver, Director of Schools

October 23, 2020

Good Afternoon Bulldog Family and Friends,

I hope that everyone had a great Fall Break.  The extra day made a huge difference for my family, we were truly able to spend some time relaxing and recharging.  Today I wanted to share a few of my favorite things from the last week.  

• I LOVE watching all the siblings come to school together.  They might be nightmares to each other at home, but here they are truly kind and loving as they walk in holding hands, giving hugs, and wishing each other great days.  The K-12 connection and family atmosphere is one of my favorite things about University.
• The football family is fierce!  Doesn't matter if they are traveling across the state or playing in cold weather, they bring their best effort.
• Our band program always starts with yes!  Will you play to start the day, on a field full of popsicles, have a concert in freezing cold, entertain the spectators from faaaar away, the answer is always yes.
• Mr. Garcia can make anything exciting.  Royalty on Zoom, riding on a golf cart, enduring the cold while also wearing your masks, doesn't matter he's in it to win it.
• Dress up days are fun.  Our faculty, staff and students are super creative and showed a lot of personality as they showcased their favorite characters, space adventures and role models from the past.

I love to hear your favorite things about University, so if you have a moment, send me an email to share.  As you prepare for Halloween, please remember any treats coming to school need to be here by Wednesday and need to be individually wrapped.  Next week is also Red Ribbon Week, elementary students will contribute by wearing red on Monday.

I hope you have a great weekend,

--

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

University Schools

(970) 506.7000

jweaver@universityschools.com

October 21, 2020 Quarantine Information

Dear University Schools Families:

We have determined that three middle school cohorts have been exposed to someone experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19.

The individuals who are considered to be at high risk of exposure have been directly informed and are being asked to quarantine for 14 days. 1 adult and 59 students have been identified in this exposure.  

Per guidance from the Weld County Department of Public Health, the unaffected cohorts are not at high risk for exposure and will be able to continue their classes.

This is a great example of why we are cohorting students. It limits exposure to others. While we are very concerned about this situation, we do believe that we have the correct protocols in place to address these exposures as they occur.

It is vitally important that parents keep sick children home. We need you to keep your child home if your child or someone in your home is showing one of these major symptoms of COVID-19:

• Feeling feverish or having chills or a temperature of 100.0 F or greater
• New or unexplained persistent cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste or smell

In addition, please keep your child at home and contact your child’s healthcare provider if they, or someone in your home is experiencing two or more of these minor symptoms:

• Sore throat
• Runny nose or congestion
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Please continue to work with your students on the protocols that will limit the risk of exposure. Encourage physical distancing and mask wearing when in public. Stay home if any symptoms of the virus are present. Continue to let the office at your school know if your student or anyone they have been in contact with tests positive for COVID-19. And if they have been in contact with someone who has symptoms or has tested positive, please keep your student home.

We appreciate your continued cooperation as we move forward to safely serve our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Sincerely,

Nick Kintz, Middle School Principal

Jennifer Weaver, Director of Schools

October 18, 2020 Quarantine Information

Dear University Schools Families:

We have been informed that an individual on the JV Football team has tested positive for COVID-19.

The individuals who are considered to be at high risk of exposure have been directly informed and are being asked to quarantine for 14 days. 3 adults and 33 students have been identified in this exposure.  

Per guidance from the Weld County Department of Public Health, the unaffected cohorts are not at high risk for exposure and will be able to continue their classes.

This is a great example of why we are cohorting students. It limits exposure to others. While we are very concerned about this situation, we do believe that we have the correct protocols in place to address these exposures as they occur.

It is vitally important that parents keep sick children home. We need you to keep your child home if your child or someone in your home is showing one of these major symptoms of COVID-19:

• Feeling feverish or having chills or a temperature of 100.0 F or greater
  
• New or unexplained persistent cough
  
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  
• Loss of taste or smell
  

In addition, please keep your child at home and contact your child’s healthcare provider if they, or someone in your home is experiencing two or more of these minor symptoms:

• Sore throat
  
• Runny nose or congestion
  
• Muscle or body aches
  
• Headache
  
• Fatigue
  
• Nausea or vomiting
  
• Diarrhea
  

Please continue to work with your students on the protocols that will limit the risk of exposure. Encourage physical distancing and mask wearing when in public. Stay home if any symptoms of the virus are present. Continue to let the office at your school know if your student or anyone they have been in contact with tests positive for COVID-19. And if they have been in contact with someone who has symptoms or has tested positive, please keep your student home.

We appreciate your continued cooperation as we move forward to safely serve our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Weaver, Director of Schools

October 15, 2020

Good afternoon Bulldog Family and Friends:

I know it's not Friday but as you might know Friday was initially planned as a professional development day for our faculty and staff (no school for students).  We made the decision to switch the purpose of the day to self-care.  Our building will be closed On Friday in recognition of the extraordinary efforts our faculty and staff have undertaken to make in-person learning a reality and the necessity of self-care in sustaining those efforts.  

It is vital that our faculty and staff practice self-care so that they can most effectively

continue to educate and support those who depend on them.  Here is an article with some quick tips that families can consider in taking good care of themselves.  

You might have heard from your child that one thing we are doing at school to support wellness is a Mindful Moment each day.   Mindfulness is an evidence based practice that can reduce stress and anxiety and improve resilience and emotional regulation in both children AND adults.  If you are interested in some research associated with mindfulness you might take a look here.

I hope that everyone has an opportunity during our 4 day break to do some things that help you feel happy and refreshed.  See you back in school on Tuesday.

Enjoy the break,

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

Director’s Update October 9, 2020

Good Afternoon Bulldog Family and Friends,

I spent the afternoon with some Kindergarteners at Miller Farm and we had a terrific time.  Their enthusiasm is contagious and exhausting, I'm ready for a nap!  As you can imagine field trips are difficult to navigate given our current restrictions but we are trying hard to be creative and find opportunities to get our students out of the building.  There is nothing that can replace the wonder I saw on their faces during a first bus ride, first time on a tractor, first time picking vegetables, etc.  Please be assured that if we have opportunities we will take advantage of them and also know that there are many layers of planning and protection we think through to keep them safe while out of the building.  

On a much less exciting note, I wanted to share with you that we have received updated guidance from CDE/CDPHE related to our return to learn guidance and the impact that has on close contacts/cohorts.  I've attached both documents for you (see links below), and a quick summary of the changes.  The biggest change is that the recommendation now is that anyone with a critical, one major or two minor symptoms be tested as soon as possible.  This also has an impact on close contacts/cohorts in that if a negative test result is not provided within 4 days the cohort will need to quarantine and can only return after 14 days or if a negative test becomes available.  

I'm looking forward to attending our first football game tonight!  I know many of you are disappointed that you cannot attend.  It was very sad to tell my own little guy that he couldn't come.  I know this will not always be the case and I am so happy for the football, cheer, dance and band parents that will have an opportunity to support their child.  If you want to watch from home the game will be broadcast at  https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/  (there is a subscription fee).

Have a great weekend, Go Bulldogs!

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

Links:  https://storage.googleapis.com/pt04-2/messages/attachments/78786588578c14874a554be0d28e4323/updated_return_to_learn_guidance.pdf

https://storage.googleapis.com/pt04-2/messages/attachments/776c9eee2fc4d60789eb4bd464008304/updated_flowchart_for_close_contacts.pdf 

Director’s Update October 2, 2020

Good afternoon Bulldog Family and Friends,

I have a few updates for you this week:

• Thanks to our USPTO for working so hard on the fundraiser to provide grants to our teachers who are going above and beyond for our students every day.  We also really appreciated the popsicles.  We had beautiful weather to take a pause and enjoy the music from the band and celebrate being a Bulldog.

• Due to the support from our families and school community almost all of the 7th grade and all of the White (K-Z) cohort will be returning to school and regular activities (sports, etc.) on Monday (cohort correction update 10/2/20 at 4 p.m.)  Thanks to those of you who have signed up to be a classroom monitor.  Moving forward, having enough adults in the building to supervise students will be one of the largest determining factors in providing in-person learning to students.  If you are interested and haven't applied yet, please do!

• We're excited to continue with Fall sports.

• Our softball team will begin a run in the state tournament and our cross country team begins regional competition.  Please keep an eye on our website and social media for details.  If you are able please come support our student athletes.
• Next Friday we will host our first home football game.  This is great news for our football players, cheer and dance teams, and the marching band!  We will be prioritizing those families access to the game, followed by a limited high school student section (seating by cohort).  At this time, we do not anticipate additional tickets will be available, but if that changes we will let you know ASAP.  

Last but not least, thank you for trusting the care of your children to us.  We know it is a difficult time and we appreciate the responsibility.  Working with your children each day gives us the motivation and energy to keep being creative in facing the challenge before us.

Have a rejuvenating weekend,

Jennifer Weaver, Director of Schools

September 29, 2020 Quarantine Information

Dear University Schools Families:

We have been informed that an individual in the High School mixed White Cohort (this means only part of the white cohort is impacted)  has been sent home for symptoms and is presumptive positive for COVID-19.

The individuals who are considered to be at high risk of exposure have been directly informed and are being asked to quarantine for 14 days. 3 adults  and 20 students have been identified in this exposure. We are working directly with the Weld County Department of Public Health on the protocols and contact tracing for this exposure.

Per guidance from the Weld County Department of Public Health, the unaffected cohorts are not at high risk for exposure and will be able to continue their classes.

This is a great example of why we are cohorting students. It limits exposure to others. While we are very concerned about this situation, we do believe that we have the correct protocols in place to address these exposures as they occur.

It is vitally important that parents keep sick children home. We need you to keep your child home if your child or someone in your home is showing one of these major symptoms of COVID-19:

• Feeling feverish or having chills or a temperature of 100.0 F or greater
• New or unexplained persistent cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste or smell

In addition, please keep your child at home and contact your child’s healthcare provider if they, or someone in your home is experiencing two or more of these minor symptoms:

• Sore throat
• Runny nose or congestion
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Please continue to work with your students on the protocols that will limit the risk of exposure. Encourage physical distancing and mask wearing when in public. Stay home if any symptoms of the virus are present. Continue to let the office at your school know if your student or anyone they have been in contact with tests positive for COVID-19. And if they have been in contact with someone who has symptoms or has tested positive, please keep your student home.

We appreciate your continued cooperation as we move forward to safely serve our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Sincerely,

Jeff Casey, High School Principal

Jennifer Weaver, Director of Schools

September 28, 2020 Quarantine Information

Dear University Schools Families:

We have been informed that an individual in middle school 7.3 cohort and individual in the high school mixed Blue (A-J) cohort  has been sent home for COVID-19 symptoms and that person also had close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.  Due to not having enough substitutes to cover the quarantined teachers we have also moved all 7th grade students to remote learning.

The individuals who are considered to be at high risk of exposure have been directly informed and are being asked to quarantine for 14 days. In 7th grade, 7 adults and 19 students and in High School, 4 adults and 33 students have been identified in this exposure. We are working directly with the Weld County Department of Public Health on the protocols and contact tracing for this exposure.

Per guidance from the Weld County Department of Public Health, the unaffected cohorts are not at high risk for exposure and will be able to continue their classes.

This is a great example of why we are cohorting students. It limits exposure to others. While we are very concerned about this situation, we do believe that we have the correct protocols in place to address these exposures as they occur.

It is vitally important that parents keep sick children home. We need you to keep your child home if your child or someone in your home is showing one of these major symptoms of COVID-19:

• Feeling feverish or having chills or a temperature of 100.0 F or greater
• New or unexplained persistent cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste or smell

In addition, please keep your child at home and contact your child’s healthcare provider if they, or someone in your home is experiencing two or more of these minor symptoms:

• Sore throat
• Runny nose or congestion
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Please continue to work with your students on the protocols that will limit the risk of exposure. Encourage physical distancing and mask wearing when in public. Stay home if any symptoms of the virus are present. Continue to let the office at your school know if your student or anyone they have been in contact with tests positive for COVID-19. And if they have been in contact with someone who has symptoms or has tested positive, please keep your student home.

We would also like to encourage anyone who is interested in supporting our school through substituting to please consider applying, we have positions available for those with and without degrees.  

We appreciate your continued cooperation as we move forward to safely serve our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Sincerely,

Nick Kintz, MIddle School Principal

Jeff Casey, High School Principal

Jennifer Weaver, Director of Schools

September 25, 2020 DIrector’s Update

Good afternoon Bulldog Family and Friends,

I hope you have had a great week.  Here are some highlights from this week:

• We're excited to continue to support the Fall teams that are wrapping up their season and excited to be planning for a late Fall football and cheer season.  Practices officially began this week and we should have more information to share about formats and guidelines for spectators soon.  
• Lots of exciting things are happening in our classrooms and extracurricular offerings.  Here are a few examples:

• The High School Speech & Debate Team is welcoming new members and getting their season started. They have had exponentially-increasing success the past several years, and expect to continue the trend this year as the team grows.
• The 8th grade Lifetime Fitness students have been not only fishing but also catching!
• The High School Knowledge Bowl team has begun practicing using an online format.

• I was able to participate in the USPTO meeting last night.  It was great to hear all the ways teachers have been using their grants from last year to improve their classrooms.  The current fundraiser continues until Monday, 9/28 so please take an opportunity to support the USPTO so they can continue to offer such terrific support to our school and teachers.

Enjoy the weekend,

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 22, 2020 Quarantine Information

Dear University Schools Families:

We have been informed that an individual in a seventh grade cohort and a first grade cohort has been sent home for symptoms of COVID-19.

The individuals who are considered to be at high risk of exposure have been directly informed and are being asked to quarantine for up to 14 days. 16 students and 4 adults in the 7th grade cohort and 22 students and 5 adults in the first grade cohort have been identified in this exposure.

Per guidance from the Weld County Department of Public Health, the unaffected cohorts are not at high risk for exposure and will be able to continue their classes.

This is a great example of why we are cohorting students. It limits exposure to others. While we are very concerned about this situation, we do believe that we have the correct protocols in place to address these exposures as they occur.

It is vitally important that parents keep sick children home. We need you to keep your child home if your child or someone in your home is showing one of these major symptoms of COVID-19:

• Feeling feverish or having chills or a temperature of 100.0 F or greater
• New or unexplained persistent cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste or smell

In addition, please keep your child at home and contact your child’s healthcare provider if they, or someone in your home is experiencing two or more of these minor symptoms:

• Sore throat
• Runny nose or congestion
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Please continue to work with your students on the protocols that will limit the risk of exposure. Encourage physical distancing and mask wearing when in public. Stay home if any symptoms of the virus are present. Continue to let the office at your school know if your student or anyone they have been in contact with tests positive for COVID-19. And if they have been in contact with someone who has symptoms or has tested positive, please keep your student home.

We appreciate your continued cooperation as we move forward to safely serve our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Sincerely,

Nick Kintz, Middle School Principal

Michael Mazurana, Elementary School Principal

Jennifer Weaver, Director of Schools

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 18, 2020 Director’s Update

Good afternoon Bulldog Family and Friends,

I hope that you have had a great week!  It's hard to believe but we are 4 weeks into this tumultuous and terrific school year.  That might not normally be worth celebrating but given the fact that many expected us to close our doors for in-person learning within 2 weeks, it's worth noting!  Here are a few reminders and updates for this week:

• We are excited that all signs indicate we are moving forward with a Fall football and Spirit season.  There are many details to work out but I know this is exciting news for many of our student athletes.
• Great news that we have all perfected a morning routine where every student can be screened and to class on time, not so great news we're starting to arrive later and later... Please continue to work on arriving so that your child can be screened and report to class by 7:45 (ES), 8:05 (HS) or 8:15 (MS).
• Now that we have experienced a few quarantine situations, I wanted to respond to some common questions we are receiving.

• Why would families send their children to school if they are sick or after having been exposed?  Families are being incredibly cooperative in following our requests to seek medical care and consider testing.  However, students are contagious and we contact trace 2 days before their symptoms developed.  
• Are these the result of positive cases? No, so far we have not had any positive cases but we are also required to quarantine based on symptoms (1 major or 2 minor require steps from us in a limited timeframe).  
• Why would students be invited back "Early" from a 14 day quarantine?  There are 4 ways: major symptoms resolve in 24 hours, minor symptoms resolve in 48 hours, a doctor provides an alternate diagnosis, or we receive a negative PCR test.  
• These are also the 4 ways that we can avoid having to enact a quarantine.  So I want to again stress how important it is for your child, and the impact it will have on their classmates, to contact your healthcare provider as soon as 1 major or 2 minor symptoms occur and request a diagnosis or discuss testing.  

I appreciate your positive attitudes and continuing support of University Schools.  Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 14, 2020 Quarantine Information

Dear Bulldog Families,

We have received additional information related to the events that triggered the quarantine of students from school on Thursday, September 10, 2020.  Based on the most recent information, we are happy to announce that we welcomed both the first and second grade cohort back to school on Monday, September 14, 2020.

We were humbled by the outpouring of support and kindness many of you showed and the character you exhibited during this time of uncertainty on September 9. Your positive partnership with our school demonstrates what can be accomplished when people work for the benefit of kids and for each other.

As we move forward, let’s continue to work together to preserve opportunities for in-person instruction by keeping your child home, contacting your healthcare provider, and seeking a diagnosis or discussing if a PCR test is appropriate if your child is experiencing:

One of these major symptoms of COVID-19:

• Feeling feverish or having chills or a temperature of 100.0 F or greater
• New or unexplained persistent cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste or smell

Two or more of these minor symptoms:

• Sore throat
• Runny nose or congestion
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

We appreciate your continued cooperation as we move forward to safely serve our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 11, 2020 DIrector’s Update

Good Afternoon Bulldog Family and Friends,

Although this was a four day week, it was very busy!  Students and teachers got right back to work teaching and learning, our fall athletic teams are working hard and experiencing a lot of success, and our marching band is taking their show live under the lights.  As you know, we also experienced our first quarantine situation.  I would like to emphasize a few things:

• Most importantly, thank you to everyone for your cooperation and teamwork.  
• In both situations everyone did exactly what we asked, we simply ran out of the required timeframe to reach a positive conclusion.
• Both of our quarantines were required because of COVID-like symptoms, NOT positive results.  We are receiving updated information and hope both classes will be able to return soon.
• As parents the most helpful thing you can do if your child is sick is to keep them home, speak with your healthcare provider and secure a diagnosis or, if it is appropriate, take a PCR test within 24 hours.  This greatly helps us make safe choices for the building and avoid cohort quarantines.  

Thank you for your continued support and patience as we work together to keep our buildings open for in-person learning.

Warm wishes for a great weekend,

Jennifer

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 10, 2020 Quarantine Information

Dear University Schools Families:

We have been informed that one individual in a first grade cohort and one individual in a second grade cohort  have been sent home for symptoms related to COVID-19.

The individuals who are considered to be at high risk of exposure have been directly informed and are being asked to quarantine for up to 14 days. 22 students and two teachers in the first grade cohort and 21 students and two teachers in the second grade cohort have been identified in this exposure. We are working directly with the Weld County Department of Public Health on the protocols and contact tracing for this exposure.

Per guidance from the Weld County Department of Public Health, the unaffected cohorts are not at high risk for exposure and will be able to continue their classes.

This is a great example of why we are cohorting students. It limits exposure to others. While we are very concerned about this situation, we do believe that we have the correct protocols in place to address these exposures as they occur.

It is vitally important that parents keep sick children home. We need you to keep your child home if your child or someone in your home is showing one of these major symptoms of COVID-19:

• Feeling feverish or having chills or a temperature of 100.0 F or greater
• New or unexplained persistent cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste or smell

In addition, please keep your child at home and contact your child’s healthcare provider if they, or someone in your home is experiencing two or more of these minor symptoms:

• Sore throat
• Runny nose or congestion
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Please continue to work with your students on the protocols that will limit the risk of exposure. Encourage physical distancing and mask wearing when in public. Stay home if any symptoms of the virus are present. Continue to let the office at your school know if your student or anyone they have been in contact with tests positive for COVID-19. And if they have been in contact with someone who has symptoms or has tested positive, please keep your student home.

We appreciate your continued cooperation as we move forward to safely serve our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Sincerely,

Michael Mazurana, Elementary Principal

Jennifer Weaver, Director of Schools

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 7, Flu Shot Information

Dear Bulldog Family and Friends,

I am pleased to inform you that University Schools will be hosting a voluntary CVS flu clinic for faculty, staff and students this fall with a $0 copay for most insurances. You will have the opportunity to receive the Influenza vaccine during the school day either September 22 or 23, 2020.

In order for CVS to provide this vaccination to you please:

• Register at the CVS site Clinic Registration Link: Click here to register 

• You may choose either date and any available time, they will be adjusted to accommodate classrooms and cohorts after everyone has registered.

• If you are not using insurance please send a check made out to Target for $25.00 with a driver’s license number and the State where issued on the check to your child’s advisor or homeroom teacher.

• CVS is unable to bill insurance for the flu vaccine for Colorado MEDICAID, Kaiser Permanente or Tricare (military). Participants in those insurance plans are able to get a free vaccine at a contracted provider or be vaccinated at our flu shot clinic at the cost of $25.00.

• Please complete registration as soon as possible to aid in the planning process.

If you have any questions or need help completing the online registration please contact Amy Lee at alee@universityschools.com or 506-7071.

I hope you are able to take advantage of this opportunity to protect yourself and our community during the coming flu season!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Weaver

Director of Schools

September 4, 2020 Director’s Update

Hello Bulldog Family and Friends:

We have successfully made it through another week!

•  Thank you so much to all the families who are working hard each morning to take temperatures and check for symptoms before arrival at school.  This has been a huge help in speeding up the arrival process and also helped us reduce our risk of exposure for classmates and cohorts by staying home if we are sick.
• Also a huge thanks for helping to streamline departure, our times are getting shorter each day.  Even our littlest ones are getting better at spotting their parents or vehicles.  We have noticed that there are many friends and neighbors picking children up. Please help make the process easy for them by making sure they know the student name, grade level and teacher.  
• I noticed a large improvement this week in comfort and focus in the classroom.  Teachers and students are already adjusting to new routines and are able to jump into learning.
• Last week I shared a flowchart about our response to COVID-19 tests, symptoms and exposure.   This week we have additional details to share.  These are SAMPLES of information you might receive by phone, email or text.  It is a tremendous amount of information to wade through.  Please review to become aware and familiar but do not feel it is necessary to "learn" any of this information.  We'll share directly with you what your family needs to do anytime your child is impacted.  
• What I really want you to know:

• We'll help you with every step!
• We're required to respond to tests, exposures and symptoms so we are being extremely cautious to protect the health and safety of our school community.
• We will need your help with keeping students home and conferring with your health care provider more often than you typically might.
• Learning will continue.  We're doing everything we can to plan for quality instruction to continue in-person or remote.  

We have so many things to celebrate and be grateful for as a Bulldog family.  We are off to a terrific start and if the time comes that we need to switch to remote learning for a class, a cohort or school feel confident that we have plans in place to keep our school community safe and learning.  Thank you for your support, patience and commitment to University Schools!

Jennifer Weaver, Director of Schools

August 28, 2020 Director’s Update

Hello Bulldog family and friends:

We made it through our first week! I cannot tell you how much I appreciate and how proud I am of the hard work, cooperation and patience that it has taken to successfully navigate this week.  Although there were many bumps along the way, it was amazing to see how quickly our students jumped into learning whether remotely or in-person.

We have learned some lessons that I wanted to share with you:

• Drop off works best if there are multiple options and families take temperatures and fill out forms in advance.  With that in mind, please choose the drop off area that is most convenient for you: the main loop, the high school loop or the middle school loop.  Please continue to ensure that your student arrives within the 30 minute arrival window for their level.
• Our youngest students are great at eating snacks, watching clouds, and enjoying new friends.  They are not so great at identifying their cars, parents or sometimes their own names! Each day went faster and we'll continue to monitor to see if we need to adjust dismissal procedures.  If you want to be extra helpful, place your child's name in your front window.  
• Many of our neighboring divisions have already begun to implement self-quarantine as needed.  This is a simple flowchart that explains what our process will look like if that becomes necessary at our school.  We'll continue to share more information in the coming weeks but I'd like you to begin to become familiar with the flowchart so you'll know in advance what will happen if your child is exposed to COVID-19.

Most importantly, I've learned that it takes all of us doing our part to offer in-person learning in a safe setting for many of our students.  Thank you again for helping with the key parts of our plan: wash hands, wear masks, physical distance when possible, and stay home if sick.

Please remember that early dismissal begins Monday for Elementary (2:00) and Middle (2:35).  I hope everyone enjoys a fun and restful weekend and I look forward to seeing you next week.