Last month I described our K-12 goals for improving the quality of instruction, assessment and the learning community. This month, each level (elementary, middle and high) will share their specific school improvement goals. These goals focus on student achievement in targeted areas. November 2008 Please take the time to read and discuss the goals with your family. Us- ing each child's grades (both last year's and the current grades), CSAP, Main Office: 303-453-4600 K-12 Attendance: 303-453-4605 ACT, and AP scores, the family could discuss last year's academic pro- K-12 Health: 303-453-4616 gress and establish new learning goals for this year. In addition, each K-12 Volunteer Line: student could work on creating his or her own action plan to achieve Sandy Ray 303-453-4755 these goals.

Athletic Line: 303-453-4707 We have continued many of our support systems from previous years,

Editor: Jill Hoekstra 303-453-4780 such as office hours and tutoring, while adding some new ones as well, like extending the library’s hours before and after school, creating a think Email all Speak to Peak submissions to: tank for the HS, adding counseling and dean support and additional inter- corleyk@colorado.edu vention help at the elementary and middle school. Please let me or one of the principals know if you need help in accessing this extra support.

Upcoming Events We value the dreams, passions and goals of each student. As a school, we are committed to working with each student and family to provide the 11/1 P2P Pen Meeting, S Conf room best education we can to our entire community. Working together— 11/3 National Junior Honor Society Induction having a strong home/school connection focused on achievement—will Ceremony 6:00pm Auditeria Booster Club meeting, 7pm, Cafeteria ensure we achieve our mission every year: sending all of our graduates to 11/4 Choir field trip the college of their choice. Vision & Hearing tests 11/5 High school athletic awards Tony Fontana 6:30pm, Cafeteria Executive Principal 11/6 Board meeting 8:15am S. Conference room Elementary character assembly 1:45pm, S. Gym 11/7 Elementary 1st trimester ends 5th grade tour of middle school Vision & Hearing tests 11/10 Early release 1:25 Secondary periods 2,4,6 Kindergarten field trip 9:15-12:15 11/11 NO SCHOOL/Veterans Day Dining Out, CHILI's on Hwy 287 11/12 Secondary ODD block day 11/13 Secondary EVEN block day 8th grade High School Retention Night 6:00pm Auditeria 11/14 Secondary ODD block day Accountability Committee 8:00am South conference room Grandparents/Special Friends Day in elementary school 1:15pm Middle school after school event: Annual Gift 2008/2009 3:15-5:00pm Auditeria “Ach ieving O ur Full P o tential, M ak ing Every Gift 11/17 Blood drive N.Gym 11/19 5th grade science fair S.Gym C o unt” 11/20 Parent Engagement Network • Annual Gift donations are fully tax deductible…please donate today! Principal coffee 8:00am Cafeteria Board meeting 5:00pm, • Go to www.peaktopeak.org and make your donation on-line! South conference room • WE NEED EVERYONE’S HELP TO MEET OUR GOAL! 11/24-28 NO SCHOOL/Thanksgiving break

November 2008 Board News Page 2

Pathways to Success

Though it may be hard to believe, we have completed the first quarter of the 2008-2009 school year at Peak to Peak. The year is off to a great start and we’ve seen tremendous accomplishments already from our students, faculty and staff.

One of the things that makes Peak to Peak unique, as well as successful, is the involvement of our entire community in the life of the school. Parents know their students better than anyone else and provide motivational and family support, not to mention countless volunteer hours to help make our school run. We have a talented, committed faculty who use their education and experience to engage and challenge our students on a daily basis. Our administrators provide guidance and vision so that each program level remains focused on the academic goals of students, while working across grade levels to make sure Peak to Peak provides a cohesive K-12 education. The operational, facilities and administrative staff serve to round out the community by providing well-maintained buildings, nutritional meals, logisti- cal and organizational support, and a solid financial footing. We are proud of the level of involvement of all our stakeholders.

Along with the opportunity to be involved, comes the responsibility of communicating effectively and respectfully with other community members. Since Peak to Peak’s inception, school leaders have worked to create systems that will facilitate communication in a positive, effective, and consistent man- ner. As parents, one of the most important things we can do for our students is to model positive conflict management. Our approved communication pathways diagram can always be found on our website at www.peaktopeak.org under “About Peak to Peak.” A parent’s first step in resolving any conflict is to speak directly with the appropriate teacher(s) in the event of a classroom or discipline issue, and to speak directly with the coach or sponsor if the conflict involves athletics or activities. Our communication pathways indicate the appropriate next step if, in the unlikely event, the parties are not able to re- solve the conflict.

Many thanks to each and every one of you that are a member of this dynamic educational community. Thank you for weighing the effects of your actions on the school as a whole, as well as your individual student. Thank you for understanding that with a school of 1,300+ students, there are many sides to every issue and no single person will get the outcome they want every single time. Thank you for supporting students, teachers, faculty and staff on a daily basis, and going above and beyond when tragedy or difficulty strike members of our community. Thank you for demonstrating the way a community should feel by being vocal, not only when you’re disappointed, but when you’re blown away by the wonderful things you see happen on our campus. Last, but by no means least, thank you for choosing to be a part of Peak to Peak and working every day to make us better.

2008-2009 Peak to Peak Board of Directors: Karen Berge, Rich Bradfield, Caroline Clark, Don Ferguson, Tony Fontana, David Hazen, Rick Lawrence, Kyle Mathews, Greg Richards, Noelle Roni, Sheryl Shafer and Sam Todd [email protected] Page 3 Whole School News November 2008

PEAK TO PEAK FOOD SERVICES

Peak to Peak’s Food Services program has undergone many changes since beginning as the “lunch program” in 2001. At that time, lunch consisted of catered meals such as pasta, Chinese food, pizza and cookies, served on wooden tables by parent volunteers.

Since opening our present kitchen and cafeteria in November, 2002, we have added equipment and staff, eliminated most outside vendors, begun a breakfast program and now offer catering services for school events and meetings.

Early on, it was decided that our program would offer food and drink choices that exceeded the requirements at BVSD, providing a variety of healthier choices. Soda was eliminated years ago. Gatorade was replaced with Vitamin Water; potato chips were changed to baked chips and most sweet snacks were replaced with healthier options, including reduced-fat, whole-grain cookies baked each day. We added a salad bar containing twenty-four items daily, have a heaping fresh fruit bowl available for breakfast and lunch and use whole grain bread and rolls whenever possible.

An option we offer parents is the ability to limit food choices. Our point of sale program allows us to enter notes that appear on screen when students make purchases. For example, a student can be prohibited from purchasing cookies or lunches for friends, and cashiers will enforce this.

Parents have always had the option of adding cash or checks to student accounts on a daily basis. Beginning in 2008, we made available a program called PayForIt which allows credit card deposits through the school website. Parents have appreciated the convenience, and participation continues to increase.

Currently, Food Services is looking into various options to obtain locally-grown, organic produce that will not result in major price increases.

The philosophy and atmosphere in our program has been the same since the beginning. We are a group of moms, dads and grandparents, serving good food to our children, as we would at home. We plan balanced meals, always including fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and proteins that children typically find ap- petizing. We encourage students to make good choices and to try different foods.

We continue to examine our offerings and improve the quality and healthfulness of our food on an on- going basis, while maintaining pricing that is affordable for our families.

Over the summer, Orion P. 6th grade, was Macduff's son Two of our outstanding seniors, Diego Baena and Zach in Macbeth with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Cur- Garcia, have been recognized as National Hispanic Pro- rently he is Aladdin in Aladdin Jr. with CenterStage (show gram Scholars. This award is based on their outstanding in October). Orion continues to report for the Denver Post PSAT scores and grade point averages. Only 5,000 of as Youth News Reporter. He is appearing again in "A 200,000 eligible students received this award. Child's Christmas in Wales" in Nov-Dec 08. The biggest Congratulations! news for Orion was that he auditioned for the Broadway Show Mary Poppins for the role of Michael Banks, first in Boulder in May, then in Chicago in July, and finally in New Over the summer, Cambria P. York in August for the final rounds. Orion was going to be 4th grade, stepped in as an offered the part, but the director was afraid he would grow. understudy for the role of However, he will be considered for other roles later! Macduff's son in Macbeth with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Currently she is a Junior Denver Broncos Cheer- leader, and for the first time she will be appearing in "A Child's Christmas in Wales" Nov-Dec 08.

NY audition: Orion with Casting Director and his teacher JDBC at the Taste of Colorado performance Page 4 Student Accomplishments November 2008

Kelsi Brandt, an 11th

Grade Peak to Peak October’s Marvelous Mathematicians student, has been These students have shown exemplary mathematical thinking presented with the through their words or writing by explaining their mathematical 2008 President's thinking! They are: Volunteer Service Kindergarten: Zachary Brinker, Sara Dias, Kaleb Kakavas, Logan Collins Award. Presented by the President's Council on Service First Grade: and Civic Participation, Kelsi was recognized for her Mikayla Moore, Talia Jennings, Grant Ferry, Gavin Looney commitment to strengthening our nation and for making Second Grade: a difference through her volunteer service. The Sliver Walter Tullis, Kai Stahoviak, Gwen Williamson, Brian Graylin award recognized Kelsi's dedication to volunteer service Third Grade: Kevin Chen, Nicholas Hughes, Hunter Ferry and signifies that she has served in her community with Fourth Grade: distinction. Through her effort, she has demonstrated Briana Doerfler, Joey Miller values that make our nation strong and is helping to Fifth Grade: build a culture of citizenship, service and responsibility. Alex Bradfield, Michael Trenka, Calli Hilvitz

2008 AP SCHOLAR ACHIEVEMENTS Eighty- two Peak to Peak HS students qualified for AP Scholar distinctions, based on the 2008 AP (Advanced Placement) Ex- ams taken last spring. Ten Peak to Peak 2008 graduates qualified for the National AP Scholar Award by earning an average grade of 4 or higher on a 5-point scale on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams. Christine Anderson Krista Beckman Josh Cockroft Laura Gaskins Zane Harker Bernadette Hsu Bottom R ow : S ara D ias, M ichael Trenka, A lex Bradfield Nathan Otey T op R ow : Kai S tahoviak, N icholas H ughes, H unter Ferry, J oey Sarah Rumbley M iller, Z achary Brinker, Logan Collins, Brian G raylin, Calli H ilvitz, Margaret Weingart G avin Looney, M ikayla M oore, and G wen W illiamson Nina Zabolotnaya.

The following students earned the AP Scholar with Distinction The following students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by com- Award, with average grades of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams pleting three or more AP Exams, with grades of 3 or higher: taken and grades of 3 or higher on five or more exams: Alexander Andony (junior) Alexandra Martin (’08) Diego Baena (senior) Kentaro Hoeger (senior) Martin Baird (’08) Derek Newberger (junior) Sarah Bird (’08) Kate Hopkins (’08) John Baxley (senior) Trevor Patch (junior) Caleb Bostic (‘08) Kaatje Jones (senior) Walker Casey (junior) Jasmine Rodenburg (junior) Kyle Byrnes (’08) Chris Lawrence (senior) David Chen (junior) Nicholas Roseman (senior) Alyssa Carlson (’08) Shay Longtain (senior) Robert Coloroso (’08) Natasha Russi (junior) Michelle Carlson (’08) Jhenya Nahreini (senior) Rachel Doyle (senior) Haley Simmons (’08) Katie Chen (’08) Brooke Osekavage (’08) Megan Garn (’08) Taylor Stein (senior) Ryan Christiansen (sr.) Christine Peng (senior) Jillian Garrison (’08) Teresa Talyor (’08 ) Tyler Corley (’08) Stephanie Perkins (senior) Gunsagar Gulati (junior) Jay Tymkovich (’08 ) Caitlin Danielson (’08) Kimberly Schoonover (senior) Rory Hensen (senior) Eric Wernert (’08 ) Erin Dickson (’08) Devyn Shafer (’08) Alexa Hight (senior) Lydia Woessner (’08) Reed Fischer (’08) Richard Urwiller (’08) Spencer Hilvitz (senior) Andrew Wolfe (senior) Hanna Flaten (senior) Mary Wang (senior) Maren Hopkins (junior) Jessica Xu (senior) Zachary Garcia (senior) Jonathan Wehrend (’08) Jessica Hsu (Junior) Allen Zelt (’08 ) Christy Go (senior) Jonathan Gu (senior) Peak to Peak students took 18 of the 37 different AP Exams offered. About 18% of the 1.6 million students worldwide who The following students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor took AP exams performed at sufficiently high level to also earn Award, earning average grades of at least 3.25 on all AP Ex- an AP Scholar Award. Most of the nation’s colleges and uni- ams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more exams: versities award credit, advanced placement, or both based on Aaron Allen (’08) Zachery Johnson (senior) Weston Anderson (senior) Katherine Lawrence (junior) successful performance on the AP Exams. More than 1,400 Steven Bussinger (’08) Nicole Lopez Del Carril (junior) institutions award a full year’s credit to students presenting a Paige Cantliffe (’08) Celia Marshall (senior) sufficient number of qualifying grades. Congratulations to Matthew Cawley (senior) Karin Taylor (’08) these Peak to Peak students and graduates! Matt Hoekstra (senior) David Wang (junior) Page 5 Booster News November 2008

Thank you to the following generous Sponsors and Donators of the 2008 3rd Annual P2P Booster Club Golf Outing held October 3rd at Broadlands Golf Course:

Indulge Bakery (Event Sponsor) Vista M anagem ent (Event Sponsor) D aniel W alzak W all Street on D em and (M ajor Sponsor) Vanachen Fam ily 62 Golfers!! Safari Tree & Landscape LifePic's (Patch Fam ily) Jannsen Fam ily Com bs Fam ily Com plete Chiropractic Brain W orkout Challenge Am y M oran D anielson Fam ily Com plete Chiropractic M itchell Fam ily Sipperly Fam ily Tym kovich Fam ily Linn Stewart (M ary K ay) M ary Jo W alzak Chick-Fil-A TLH Consulting, LLC Val-U-Ads Robert Castilino Photography Pete Crouse D onna D aniel Nick the H am m er The W right Fam ily D el Valle Consultants W aste Connection Anem Ergonics

More than 100 volunteer hours went into this effort. Thanks to the following Booster Club Volunteers: Golf Chairs Cindy Combs & Tim Tymkovich, Dave Mitchell, Marianne Schram, Javier Martizez, Jonathan Cawley, Anita Teague, Sandy Hay, Ronell Philippou, Theresa Nahreini, Pete Crouse, Tim Combs, & Darren Combs. A special thanks to treasurer Connie Bradbury & Carolyn Jannsen for their support.

More than $9,000 was raised to benefit Activity & Athletic Programs at Peak to Peak, $2,450 of which went directly to sponsor-designated teams and activities!

Peak to Peak All Activity Booster Club News

The Peak to Peak Golf Outing was a tremendous success again this year. It was held on October 3rd at the Broadlands Golf Course in Broomfield. The outing hosted 62 golfers, had 19 sponsors, and raised more than $9,000 for our athletics and activities at Peak to Peak. Many thanks to the sponsors, the participants, and the volunteers for another successful Golf Outing!

Meeting dates have changed: Due to the National election on the first Tuesday of November, our next meeting will be Monday, November 3rd, at 7:00pm in the Cafeteria. The December Booster Club meeting will be Wednesday, December 3rd (not the 2nd) so we can have a celebratory holiday meeting with Mr. Chandler at PROTO's Pizzeria, 489 N. Hwy 287 in Lafayette. Dining out for November is at: Chili's on Hwy 287 in Lafayette on November 11. We hope to see you there!

All P2P parents & guardians are asked to join us for our next meeting, Nov. 3rd. This is good time to see what our growing, active parent group is about! We will be discussing the P2P auction, a spring fundraiser, and addressing any funding requests that have been sent to the Boosters. Two ambassadors from each P2P Activ- ity & Athletic team are asked to attend the Booster meetings!

Go PUMAS!! Dave Mitchell PUMA All Activity Booster Club Chair Page 6 Speak to Peak November 2008

Class of 2009 Families: OD@JSNOD@JGHFGRBGNNK @Q SRGNV Are you still interested in @S9RT ODQ HNQ VOLUNTEER VIEW purchasing a dedication INDùRBNEEDDô RT ODQ HNQ +BN for your Senior? Contact STUDENT AMBASSADORS NEEDED Heather Mitchell at M NU DL A DQ % All middle and high school students who would [email protected]. C DBDL A DQ like to assist with open enrollment by shadowing 1/ / 7 new students and serving as ambassadors should please see Ms. Schoeneweis in the south office for Check out the fresh new high school newspaper more information. This is a great way to get ser- “The Paw Print” at http://sites.google.com/site/ vice hours and support your school at the same peaktopeakpawprint. New stories are posted all time! the time, so be sure to visit often.

The National Honor Society is pleased to welcome 29 new members! Applications were carefully reviewed by the NHS faculty council, and students who were selected for membership had to meet the following requirements:

* Be a member of the sophomore, junior, or senior class. * Maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4 point scale (i.e., non-weighted). * Submit a Request for Consideration information form by the deadline published in the NHS calendar for the current year (usually early in the Fall semester). * Accumulate at least 37.5 documented service hours each year. Service hours performed and documented over the Summer count towards the following year's service requirement.

The NHS faculty council decided to change our bylaws by eliminating the following two requirements for membership:

* Be a student at Peak to Peak for at least one full semester. * Maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4 point scale for core classes. The elimination of the first requirement reflects the faculty council's belief that all students who have demonstrated the NHS standards of scholarship, service, leadership, and character should be considered for membership, even if they are new to Peak to Peak. The elimination of the second requirement reflects the council's belief that all Peak to Peak classes provide valuable learning experiences and therefore should be given equal weight; core classes (math, science, English, history, and world language) should not be valued over other classes. An induction ceremony for new members and will be held on Wednesday, October 29 at 7:00 p.m. in the Auditeria. We look forward to seeing all members (both new and vet- eran) there!

Sara Zessar, NHS Adviser

Mr. DiGiacomo addressing students and guests at the Climate and Policy Summit on October 6 . Peak to Peak Communications Page 7

Vision and Hearing Screening TIDBITS News Briefs, Updates, and Notes Good vision and hearing are important ingredients in the learning process. It is a Colorado state mandate that stu- Parent Engagement Network Meeting at P2P dents in grades K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, November 3, 1:30 pm - 3:05 pm 7th & 9th, plus new to the district and South Conference Room special education students in all grades, be screened. Classroom Please bring your favorite parenting book or literature to teachers are in a unique position to share. All P2P parents and guardians are welcome. observe children and detect symptoms of potential vision Contact Sandy Hay, at [email protected] or and hearing problems, and may also refer a student to 303/499-4301 to learn more about P2P PEN or the plans screening. Thank you for your support of the vision and to start a "Stop the Rollercoaster" book discussion hearing screening by encouraging attendance on the group at P2P. screening dates below. If you have any questions about the screenings, please contact the health room staff at 303-453-4616.

BVSD SCHOOL CLOSURE INFORMATION Screening Dates: Tuesday, November 4th Fall is here and the changing seasons remind us that Friday, November 7th inclement weather can result in school being closed for one or more days. We all need to plan ahead and be ready in case that happens. Under all but the most ex- Spirit Wear! treme conditions, school officials have a responsibility to General PUMA gear spirit wear orders are in and can be picked keep school in session. When the weather is bad, but up in the south office. We will be putting in one additional order school is open, parents must make a family decision re- before the December holiday break. Order forms can be found garding attendance or late arrival for their children. A by clicking on FORMS on the main page of the Peak to Peak personal contact by the parent or a written note to school website, www.peaktopeak.org officials will excuse a students' late arrival or absence during these conditions. Occasionally, the weather is severe enough that it is necessary to close schools in all Principal Coffees or part of the district. When this occurs, it is extremely Parents and guardians of all students K - 12 important that working parents have pre-arranged child are invited to these informal times to meet care available to them; arrangements with a friend or with the administrative staff of Peak to Peak. neighbor; provisions at a child care center; child care Join us to hear about things going on at leave from work (if available); arrangements with a school K-12 and to contribute your feedback on our programs. Administrators will be on neighborhood teenager who also would be out of school; hand to talk and gather your input to better etc. It is very important that parents make these arrange- connect the Peak to Peak parent community. ments now, since the weather is unpredictable and often we are hit with storms early in the school year. When- Mark your calendar for this year's Principal Coffee dates (typically the last Thursday of the month: 11/20, 12/18, 1/29, 2/26, 3/19, ever it is necessary to close schools, the district immedi- 4/30, & 5/28 in the P2P cafeteria, 8:00 to 8:45 am. ately contacts the following radio and TV stations: No RSVP necessary.

CHANNEL 2 ALICE KOA 105.9 FM 850 AM KUSA - TV KCNC-TV CHANNEL 9 COATS FOR KIDS and SHARE-A-COAT CHANNEL 4 KBCO Sponsored by KRCN 97.3 FM 1060 AM FOX 31 NEWS Coal Creek Rotary Club KMGH -TV CHANNEL 13 CHANNEL 7 KGNU Drop off gently-used coats and jackets. New ONDA 88.5 mittens, gloves, caps, and hats will also be 1150 AM COSI gratefully accepted in Peak to Peak's south CHANNEL 8 101.1 FM building lobby.

Peak to Peak Fund Development Page 8

Fund D evelopment N ew s “Ach ieving O ur Full P o tential, M ak ing Every Gift C o unt”

Dear families and supporters! Peak to Peak is off to a great start with our fund development efforts! A heartfelt thank you to ALL of our families who have supported the school with their time and financial donations. YOU are helping our school grow and achieve our full potential by providing your support. Annual Gift is the CORNERSTONE of ALL of our fund development efforts at Peak to Peak! Here are a few fast facts about our larg- est fundraiser… ø The Annual Gift Campaign has provided thousands of dollars of support for our school over the years, and is most important fundraiser. Most of our donations for the campaign come in by December 31. ø Peak to Peak operates on less than other public schools and must use a healthy portion of our PPR (per pupil revenue) to pay down the debt on our buildings. We must fundraise to make up this difference. ø A number of families give an amount per month-charged right to their credit card. Easy and convenient! Just $96/month covers the $1150 shortfall we face per student! ø Your gift TRULY makes a difference… and helps foster excellence in all we do! ø Annual Gifts can be made on-line by going to www.peaktopeak.org and clicking on the link right on the homepage.

Again, a heartfelt thank you for your generous support! With warm regards,

Carolyn Jannsen, Advancement Director, [email protected], 303-453-4604 For more fundraising information, please go to www.peaktopeak.org and click on “Support Peak to Peak”. SPECIAL EVENTS NEWS!

AUCTION: Peak to Peak’s Auction and Dinner is set for March 7, 2009 and will be held at the Millennium Harvest House, Grand Ballroom in Boul- der. PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR! This year’s theme is “Stepping out and Stepping up!” Please call Carolyn Jannsen at 303-453-4604 or e- mail her at [email protected] if you would like to assist with this event. We are looking for higher-end items for our LIVE and SILENT Auc- tion, help with decorations, set up and more!

The 3 rd A nnual G randparents and S pecial Friends S ocial (Elementary) is set for Friday, N ovember 14, 2008 from 1:15 to 2:15pm. Please remember to invite the special people in your elementary student’s life to join us!

ON-GOING FUNDRAISING NEWS! BUY SCRIP: Many more families are choosing to funnel their everyday spending and gift giving through Peak to Peak, resulting in excellent earnings! Just stop by the south office to purchase gift cards! If you shop at Albertsons, please come and get your Community Partner keychain card—we still have more available. P2P earns every time you use this card! Watch your e-mails and Friday folders for our Holiday Scrip (Gift Card) Program! No more traveling around to all those stores—we will assemble your order for you!

BOX TOPS AND FOOD LABELS! Please continue to bring in those food labels and box tops. Your efforts make a difference and provide instructional materials for our staff! Elementary can just bring them into the classrooms where teachers collect them; secondary parents can drop them off in the front of the south building. Recycling Donations: A HUGE thank you to those of you who brought in the recycling donations! Please go to www.peaktopeak.org and click on “Support Peak to Peak” and then “on-going fundraising” for a list of items we accept!

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT A special thank you to the Peak to Peak Booster Cub for hosting a very successful golf outing on October 3 at the Broadlands Golf Course in Broomfield. It was a great event with 62 golfers and a number of generous sponsors! Special thanks to our event sponsors: Indulge Bakery and Vista Management. Proceeds will go to support Activities and Athletics at Peak to Peak! Great job Boosters and thank you to EVERYONE who supported this great event! D IN E O U T FO R N O V EM B ER ! The date is set for Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at Chili’s Restaurant in Lafayette on HWY 287. EVERYONE is welcome! Watch your e-mails for more information and a flyer! Includes lunch and dinner! Families must present the flyer and/or say they are from Peak to Peak for the school to get earnings! Free kids meal to the class, K-6, that has the most in attendance! Please see flyer on Page 19. November 2008 Peak to Peak Athletics Page 9

CROSS COUNTRY HONORS! Fall Sports Awards Dinner Peak to Peak girls took first out of seven teams at the On Wednesday, November 5th at 6:30 pm in the cafeteria, we will be having Metro League Cross Country Championships on Oct. 10. our High School Fall Sports Awards Dinner. The evening will begin with potluck Tim Flamer was named girls cross country coach of the dinner at 6:30 followed by a breakout of the different activities giving certificates year for the Metro League. The girls varsity team in- to participants and recognizing their achievements throughout the fall. Here is cludes: Jhenya Nahreini (who took first place overall), the list of who is to bring what dish to the awards program: Kayla Whitehead (2nd), Mary Wang, Alex Johnson, Jas- Girls Volleyball (Varsity, JV and C) - Main Dish mine Rodenburg and Natalie Hoekstra. Jenya, Kayla and Boys Soccer (Varsity) - Main Dish (JV) - Dessert Mary were 1st Team All Conference winners, and Alex Boys Golf - Salad and Jasmine were 2nd Team All Conference winners. In Softball - Salad the boys varsity competition, Matt Hoekstra placed 15th Cross Country - Dessert overall, receiving an Honorable Mention. Cheerleaders - Dessert (Cheer officially has their awards at the winter ceremony), but we would love to have you here for moral support Outside sports teams (boys tennis, football, others?) - (2) 2-liter drinks Boosters - paper and plastic products, big containers of drinks and water, and decorations

Parents interested in helping with this evening should contact Marianne Schram at [email protected]. Keep in mind that parent ambassadors for each sport should make sure that we have two helpers for setting up the awards dinner.

ANXRRNBBDQMDVR

Even with icy-cold temperatures and snow on the field, the varsity boys soccer team beat Lake County 2-1 on October 22nd in the regional play-off game in Leadville. Although the team finished their season with a 2-0 loss to Kent Denver in the finals, Coach Chandler is looking forward to a More Cross Country Awards! strong season next fall as Peak to Peak’s young team, losing only one senior, grows even stronger! Congratulations to the Cross Country teams who ran regionals on Oct. 18. The girls finished 2nd (only one Congratulations! point out of 1st place) and the boys finished 6th. The following runners qualified for the state XC meet: Jhenya Nahreini with a 1st place finish - wow! Kayla Whitehead - 7th Jasmine Rodenburg - 11th Mary Wang - 12th Alex Johnson - 15th

Matt Hoekstra qualified for state for the boys - 13th place overall.

At the State Meet in Ft. Collins on Oct. 25, the girls took 3rd place overall!

GIRLS SOFTBALL–ALL CONFERENCE AWARDS!

Michaela Damato - 2nd team Haley Bolyard - 2nd team Elisabeth Roob - honorable mention Molly Crouse - honorable mention Goalkeeper Trevor Shepherd makes a save at Lake County HS in Leadville November 2008 Peak to Peak Athletics Page 10

Basketball camp opportunity Five Star Volleyball Club...Est. 1991 One of our parents, who also coaches our outside

FIVE STAR VBC Still undecided about your upcoming season? Come check us out! 7th grade boys basketball

All Tryouts and Drop-ins are at Bromley East Charter School, 356 Longspur, Brighton, CO 80601 team, is leading this camp.

TRYOUTS COST $45 DROP-INS COST $5 If interested, please con- OCT. 19 12‘s & 13‘s 10:00-12:30PM OCT 19 15‘s (only) 2:30-4:30PM tact Jerry Howard at 14‘s 1:30-3:30PM NOV 2 16/17/18‘s 11:00-1:00PM OCT. 20 12/13/14‘s 6:00-8:00PM [email protected]. NOV. 2 15‘s 10:00-12:00PM Jerry is looking for another NOV. 3 15‘s 6:00-8:00PM NOV. 9 16/17/18‘s 4:00-7:00PM parent to assist him with coaching as we NOV.11 16/17/18‘s 6:30-8:30PM (Overland Trail M.S) will likely have two boys' basketball teams Practice two nights per week/No Saturday Practices/Practices are located in Brighton. Multi Sport Athletes Welcome/Highly Qualified Coaching Staff/ Five Star VBC has been in existence since 1991. at the 7th grade level. The camp is for both Teams are highly competitive at all age divisions/We have FUN boys and girls. If there is any parent inter- Please check our web site at www.fivestarvbc.com ested in coaching a 7th or 8th grade girls' Questions: call Holly Kidd (Club Director) 720-280-7361 Bring this ad with you for a free gift. team, I would be happy to talk with you about trying to get that outside program started as well. Golf Team at State!

The golf team tied for 6th place in the State as a team and tied for third among Metro League teams. Brian Congratulations to the Middle School Cross Country Danielson had his low round of the team and Coach Clark. They had an amazing season, bring- year at 80 (total 168), Brad Shum- ing home hardware from every scoring meet they at- way had an 82 (total 162), and tended! The boys team brought home three first place tro- Trevor Patch had an 86 (total 175). phies and two second place trophies. The girls team Brad finished in 13th place individu- brought home a first, a second, a third, and two other top ally in the State and Brian finished in ten finishes. They also saw many individual successes. 25th place. It was a very strong Way to go, team! finish to the season.

Congratulations to all of the golf team members!

8th Grade Basketball

If you have an 8th grade son interested in inter- scholastic basketball, please have him sign up in the cafeteria under the sports sign ups on the north wall. The season begins on November 3rd and will go through December 17th. The cost is $95. The boys will practice every day from 3:30 - 5:00 in the south gym with an eight game schedule. Prior to practice, all players must have their registration paperwork completed and turned in to the athletic office. Registration paperwork is on our web site at: http://www.peaktopeak.org/Content/Activities_Athletics/ Athletics/MiddleSchoolSports/AthleticsMSSports.htm "5)-&5*$4 0''*$&

This is an official P2P program. The basketball schedule will not 1 &5&3 $)"/ % -&3 S "5)-&5*$ i "$5*7 *5: appear on the web site until the week of November 3rd. % *3 &$503 S B I B bC D B bC F H C

+ &"/ / & $03 0/ " "/ % + 0% : )&*% 03 / S "5)-&5*$ 1 "3 "4S B I B bC D B bC E D @ November 2008 Counseling News Page 11

Come join us! BVGT is pleased to present: Unique Emotional Lives of the Gifted — Presented by Linda Silverman

Intricate thought processes and complex emotions are held in delicate balance in the gifted individual. Idealism, self-doubt, perceptiveness, excruciating sensitivity, moral imperatives, desperate needs for understanding, ac- ceptance, love—all impinge simultaneously. Gifted children develop more asynchronously than others, and often feel unable to relate to age-mates. When they are forced into a mold that doesn't fit, they begin to experience their differences as deficits. All who interact with them must understand their characteristics and over excitabili- ties. Then they can learn to appreciate themselves and develop their own unique paths. We will explore the emotional needs and social realities of gifted children and discuss ways to nurture their full development.

Date: Tuesday November 10th Time: 7- 8.30 PM Place: Fairview High School Science Lecture Hall Cost: No charge (donations accepted)

GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL K-12 STUDENTS Destination Imagination (DI) is an international Creative Problem Solving program that teaches problem solving, team- work, and life skills to students of all ages. This is a great way for our K-12 students to grow and shine in a fun and chal- lenging way. Let's celebrate the creative problem solver in each of us! Check out the following websites for more info: www.idodi.org or www.extremecreativity.org, and email our coordinator, Sha Jennings, at [email protected] for more information about DI here at Peak to Peak. Teams are forming now, so please turn in your sign up form (found in the south office) as soon as you can.

Banned Book Essay Awards! Three Peak to Peak students placed in the Tattered College Application Reminders Cover Eighth Annual Banned Book Week Essay contest in If your senior at Peak to Peak is submitting the Common Denver on Sunday October 26, 2008! In the 9th/10th Application to colleges, please remind him or her to do the following: grade category Peak to Peak students Shelby Cusworth, Ben Strater-Vidal and Kyle Archer took first, second 1. Set up their account at www.commonapp.org using the same email address Ms. Freeman, Peak to Peak Humanities Department Chair- that is being used on their naviance account. person. Students submitted their essays and a team of judges picked the winners. The first place winner received 2. Go to their naviance account and complete the FERPA a $200 grant for the Peak to Peak Library Media Center. form. This can be found by going to "my colleges" in the top, left side menu. Congratulations to these students from Kristie Letter‘s British Literature class! 3. Notify their recommending Teachers and Counselor each time they submit an application, preferably by email on naviance.

4. Remember–teachers and counselors are blocked from submitting recommendations until the student has first submitted their application.

Thank you for your help as we transition to the online system.

College Counseling Center

Page 12

Speak to Peak Elementary News

Good Character Shines; Good Scholarship Enlightens.

Elementary School News from Ms. Roni and Ms. Wilkin

School Improvement Plan Each year the school sets school-wide goals that set the focus for our staff and students regarding where we need to improve. Following are the elementary school goals for this year:

SMART Goal for Equity: The elementary staff at Peak to Peak will improve the achievement of all Special Education/RtI and TAG students in the area of reading over baseline and over time. Success for this goal will be determined by increasing the school median growth score for 15 Sp Ed/RtI students on the CSAP from 33 in 2008 to 43 in 2009; ensuring that 100% of all 2nd-5th grade TAG students (identified in the verbal category) are achieving a year above their current grade level on the end of the year QRI; and decreasing students K-5 on ILPs overall by 10% (92 students in fall 2008 to 82 students in spring 2009).

SMART Goal for Achievement: The elementary staff at Peak to Peak will improve the achievement of all students in the area of Math over baseline and over time. The average median growth score for elementary students on the CSAP will increase from 51% as established in 2008 to 61% in 2009 and students K-5 will earn a median score of 80% or better on the end of the year standards-based grade level test.

SMART Goal for Organization: The elementary staff at Peak to Peak will continue to develop and improve perceptions among and with the student body and staff around bullying. Success for the school will be measured by an increase over baseline and over time of at least 10 per- centage points, as compiled in the spring Snapshot Survey. Questions include the following: “ My classmates like me.” -- 67% in 2008 to at least 77% in 2009 “ Adults help if they see someone being bullied.” --71% in 2008 to at least 81% in 2009.

Parent-Teacher Conferences As always, we had a successful parent/teacher conference time! Thank you for demonstrating your commitment to your child’ s academic excellence by participating in this important partnership with your child’ s teacher. During parent teacher conferences, parent surveys were available. Your feedback is very valuable for the continued growth of our school. If you were unable to attend a conference, you need to reschedule with your child’ s teacher as soon as you can. If you have not completed a parent survey but would still like to, surveys are available in the front office.

Literacy/Math Para Professionals We are fortunate at the elementary school to have literacy and math Para professional support available in every classroom. These valuable staff members allow teachers to meet with small groups of students, provide extra support during instruction, and in turn, increase student achievement. Thank you for your continued support of Peak to Peak, which helps make it possible to have Para professionals in our elementary classrooms.

Keep those grandparents busy this holiday season!

A great way for grandparents and kids to bond is through playing games… and it’s even better when the games teach kids math, too. Remember the card game of “War”? Use the same concept, but make it educational by adding, subtracting or multiplying two cards dealt to each player. The person with the highest score still wins all the cards played each round and the game still ends when one person holds all the cards.

Trying to get those grandparents more internet saavy? Try pairing up the kids and grandparents and link them to the following math sites:

http://www.Aplusmath.com http://www.factmonster.com/mathmoney.html http://www.kidsnumbers.com/ http://www.multiplication.com/interactive_games.htm

Page 13 Speak to Peak Secondary News News from the Middle Latitudes

Dear Middle School Families:

As a follow-up to Tony Fontana’s article I would like to share the middle school goals of our School Improvement Plan for the current school year. Your support at home is instrumental in making certain that we continue the proud tradi- tion of high academic achievement at Peak to Peak Middle School.

Goal for Achievement: The staff and stakeholders at Peak to Peak will partner to improve middle school growth median percentiles in reading by 8 % (from 46.5% to 54.5%) What we focus on at Peak to Peak, we typically improve (see our climate data below). We will improve our median growth percentiles in reading by making certain we are using our curriculum and content to improve critical reading and writing skills. We have also put into place literacy interventions at the middle school to help students who are behind grade level in reading and writing. At the other end of the spectrum, Terese Roob, our ALPs Coordinator, will have goals for the growth of these students in reading.

Goal for Equity: The staff and stakeholders at Peak to Peak will partner to improve School Growth Median Percentiles for Hispanic middle school students in math by 18% (from 32 to 50) during the 2008-2009 school year. Although our Hispanic students saw impressive growth in math and reading last year, their writing growth lagged behind. We will focus on improving writing across the curriculum for all students, but will target the Hispanic cohort group.

Goal for Climate: The staff and stakeholders at Peak to Peak will partner to improve favorable responses by 8 % on the following two questions on the BVSD student snapshot climate survey administered in April of 2009: • Q#31: I have not seen students of different cultural, racial or ethnic backgrounds made fun of at school. (last year 52%) • Q#47: I feel encouraged to participate in school activities (last year 63%)

The climate at Peak to Peak has significantly improved in recent years as measured by the BVSD Climate survey. There are 57 questions on the survey. From 2005-2006 we had 52 of the questions increase. From 2006 to 2007 we had 43 of the questions increase. From 2007 to 2008 we had 45 increases; 24 significant increases (more than a few points)

We now exceed BVSD averages in 4 of 6 subscales which translate into 45 indicators above BVSD Middle School averages. The transformation of the culture has been outstanding since 2005.

David Hazen, Middle School Principal

Attention Middle School Families: GOT PICTURES? : &"3 # 00, 4 "3 & 0/ 4"-& Please send us any pictures / 08 6 / 5*- % &$&. # &3 Y you have of Peak to Peak Middle School students from

Order your copy of the 2008-2009 Peak to Peak Middle School yearbook this year including pictures now, save money and guarantee that you'll receive a book at the end of the from traveling with students, student athlet- school year. ics (both in school and out, awards ceremo- Get one today for $34! First deadline pricing is in effect until 10/31/08. Or- nies, parties etc.) Email pictures to: ders taken between 11/1/08-12/18/08 will be charged $39. We cannot guaran- [email protected] tee a book to a student who has not ordered a yearbook by 12/18/08. We look forward to seeing your work! * Please Note- If you ordered a yearbook at registration, we have your order on file. You may want to pick up an order form to determine if you would like any of the add-on options such as personalization, protective covers, icons and more!

Page 14 Speak to Peak High School

Education is not the filling of a pail, but rather the lighting of a fire...

Dear Parents and Families,

First of all, thank you for making the first two months of school truly memorable. I want to recog- nize the daily effort you put forth each day encouraging your children to do their best, assisting them with homework and getting them to school each day. You are essential partners and the “unsung heroes” helping improve student achievement. This month’s letter is to keep you up-to- date on our achievement, equity, climate and school organization goals for the high school. We are using data and input from parents, faculty and administrators to make school improvement part of our daily practice. To become a world class organization, we want to model goal setting as a school community like we do in our classrooms each day.

First and foremost, we strive to keep students, faculty, volunteers and visitors safe at all times on our campus. Our school operations goal across K-12 is to prepare for, and hone our response to, tornado emergencies. We will be consulting with experts to identify the safest locations on campus and protocols including target times for getting our students and staff into position should such situations arise.

Our achievement goal is to improve our median growth percentiles in math by 8% in the coming year, based on CSAP results from last spring’s testing (from 55.5% to 63.5%). Math continues to be a challenge area in which we believe all students can demonstrate improvement and mastery. Initiatives that we are taking with our faculty are targeting this goal, including: • Use of common, aligned and certified math assessments • Identifying opportunities to double-up teachers in math classrooms • Launching our Think Tank (tutoring center) to assist students who are struggling in math or who want additional support in math and other content area classes

Our three-year equity goal has been to close, if not eliminate, the gap that our Hispanic students are currently experi- encing when compared to other groups in math achievement. I am very encouraged by the positive median growth data from this past year for our Hispanic, ELL and English Home Language Latino students. We hope to continue swift progress by improving the median growth percentiles for Hispanic students in math by 8% (from 64% to 72%), while also preparing all students for the rigors of advanced placement course work. I am fortunate to work with a staff that is dedicated to closing this gap and pursuing professional development in cultural proficiency.

Improving school culture and climate is another priority. The high school staff has identified two target questions for growth based on internal and external climate surveys. In particular, we want to increase favorable responses to: • “I have an adult at school I trust” • “I feel encouraged to participate in school activities”

Administrators are taking the time this fall to interview high school students about goals, adults they trust on campus and how we can best support their needs. From the interviews I have conducted thus far, we have made significant progress toward improving school climate. Events including our senior barbecue, Homecoming games and dance were very warmly received. Students have told me that teachers and administrators are building positive relationships and a more cohesive high school community. That’s fantastic news! Please continue to offer feedback on this goal.

School improvement is a priority for each of us in this community. Thank you for joining our efforts!

Kyle Mathews High School Principal November 2008 Speak to Peak Page 15

Parent Engagement Network presents:

Thriving During the Teenage Years Can Teens Be Trusted? By Dr. Jan Hittelman

As concerns rise regarding teen substance abuse, Internet activity, text messaging, etc., many parents out of fear are “ clamping down” and policing their own children. Many “ experts” are recommending parents periodically search rooms, monitor cell phone use, text messaging, computer use, and Internet sites visited. Under certain circumstances, if your teen has repeatedly violated your trust, has a known substance abuse problem, or has a psychiatric disorder that requires a high level of monitoring, I would agree with this approach. I most certainly would not recommend that every parent start policing and checking up on his or her teenage child. The real challenge for parents of teens is trying to balance developing a trusting relationship with looking out for your child’ s well being. I would encourage parents to remember that most teens are not abusing substances or engaging in dangerous Internet use, text messaging, cell phone, or computer activity. Most of our children deserve to be trusted. If we have difficulty calming our fears, there are far more effective and respectful ways to help ensure that our children avoid a wide range of risk behaviors:

• Engage in frequent, mutually respectful, discussions regarding these behaviors. Try to listen more than lecture. Encourage your child to share his/her point of view. There is a wealth of evidence that when parents effectively communicate their concerns regarding risk behaviors, children engage in them far less often. Based on local YRBS data, high school students are 18 times more likely to think it's wrong for someone their age to drink if they believe their parents think it's wrong. • Encourage your child to participate in the discipline plan regarding risk behaviors and consequences. This will increase the likeli- hood that they will take responsibility for their behavior and truly learn from their mistakes. • Give fair warning. When/if you are considering monitoring your child’ s behavior, let them know the reasons that you are doing so and be honest with them about what you are going to do. Losing the element of surprise is far outweighed by losing their re- spect. If your trust is violated, provide your child with opportunities, guidance and encouragement to regain your trust. As stated in last month’ s Parent Corps News: “ It is important to give your teen a chance to try again after a mistake. Mistakes are how we learn.”

Trying to find the right balance between trust and oversight will help ensure that we develop healthy, respectful, and lasting relationships with our children.

Dr. Jan Hittelman is a licensed psychologist and Director of Boulder Psychological Services, LLC. What's your opinion? Questions or comments for this monthly column can be sent to: 1527 Pine St, Suite B, Boulder, CO 80302, via email to: [email protected], or phone: 720-217-3270.

Dr. Michael Bradley Alert! Dr. Michael Bradley acclaimed national speaker and author of several books, including Yes, Your Teen is Crazy!, will be in Boulder on February 27th & 28th. He will be presenting a PEN-sponsored talk as well as a parent workshop to help raise funds for September School and the Boulder Counseling Cooperative. For more information, please call (303) 443-9933.

In the months to come we will be interviewing Dr. Bradley for this column. Have a question for Dr. Mike? Please send your questions to: [email protected].

Upcoming PEN Event

Spirit of Culture Interweaving Cultural Competency & Assets to Develop Thriving Youth Corey Jones, in partnership with Assets for Colorado Youth www.buildassets.org

November 13th, 9:00am – 12:00pm November 13th, 6:30pm – 9:30pm BVSD Conference Center New Vista High School

Learn more about PEN by visiting their website at: www.parentengagementnetwork.org or by contacting Betsy Fox with the Boulder County Healthy Youth Alliance at 303-441-3981.

November 2008 Speak to Peak Page 16

Parent Engagement Network presents: Thriving During the Elementary Years Developing Healthy Self-Esteem By Dr. Jan Hittelman

A child’ s self-esteem has a significant impact on his or her overall well-being and success in life. The process by which our self-esteem develops is complex and is influenced by many factors. Children who have healthy self-esteem typically exhibit several of the following characteristics: willingness to try new things, taking pride in accomplishments, assuming responsibility, having good frustration tolerance, having the capacity to resist peer pressure, demonstrating effective problem-solving skills, and feeling loved. As parents, there’ s a lot that we can do to help foster self-esteem in our children. Effective strategies include:

• Provide positive feedback: We live in a negativistic world, which impacts everyone’ s self-esteem. No one’ s feedback is more important to our children than ours. Make an effort to let your child know when he/she is doing something right. Use language that fo- cuses on the specific behaviors that you want to encourage, instead of using general phrases like “ good job.” • Encourage your child to make positive self-statements: As human beings we are talking to ourselves all the time. When our “ self- talk” is primarily negative and self-critical, in addition to poor self-esteem, we are at-risk for depression, anxiety, and a host of other problems. Encourage your child to verbalize their self-perceptions and challenge them when they are unfairly negative. Offer more accurate positive statements that over time they will learn to internalize. • Create opportunities for success: Healthy self-esteem is built upon successful experiences. Encourage your child to participate in activities that nurture his or her strengths and/or interests. • Teach your child problem-solving skills: Knowing how to effectively approach challenges and implement solutions is an important skill for your child to develop. Teach them this simple five step approach: Identify the problem, brainstorm all possible solutions, evaluate the probable outcome of each solution, choose and implement the best solution, evaluate the outcome; and if unsuccessful, try another solution. • Express your love: Don’ t just think it, say it! Be genuine and express your positive feelings for your child both verbally and non- verbally (e.g., give a hug, smile, pat on the back). Create a safe and nurturing home. Help your child feel special and appreciated.

Our self-esteem is not static, but is continuously affected by our environment and life experiences. By helping your child develop a good sense of self early on, you will be helping them develop a protective buffer that will enable them to effectively handle the many challenges of life.

Peak to Peak Character Quote of the Month

Thankfulness “A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.” -M arcus T ullius Cicero

Dear Parents ~

I am pleased to tell you the new parent handbooks are going out in the mail this week. You should receive a copy of Thrive at your home in a week or two. ø If you have not received it by the end of the month, please contact our Communications Division at 303-245-5824 or [email protected] and we will mail a copy to you. ø If you receive an English copy and would prefer the Spanish version, or if you get a Spanish one and prefer it in English, please take the handbook into your school office and trade it for one in the other language. Make sure to tell the school office staff that the wrong correspondence language might be tagged on your data file in Infinite Campus. A recent issue of Parent Corps News is available on our website at: http://bvsd.org/parents/Pages/Parent.aspx. We hope these resources help you to support your students as they thrive.

Many thanks, Chris King, Superintendent Page 17 Speak to Peak November 2008

Boulder Adventure Film Festival Student / Family / Educator Event Boulder Theater November 8, 10am-12pm

Hi Peak to Peak families and students!

In addition to my work as an educator at Peak to Peak, I also work for the Boulder Adventure Film Festival, taking place at the Boulder Theater, November 6-8, 2008. I am writing this letter to inform you of a special event taking place at the Thea- ter, geared specifically to students, their parents, and educators. This event is an opportunity for students to understand the difference one person can make when he or she is dedicated and passionate for a cause. The goal of this program is to spread awareness of environmental issues, specifically water, and to connect to the themes of the film festival (social awareness, accountability, adventure, travel, athletic endeavors, sustainability). This is bound to be an exciting event, so I hope to see many of you there!

This year’s program will include a screening of two young filmmaker challenge winners, completed at the Serac Adventure Film Workshop at the Teva Games, a screening of the film “Source to Sea” with Christopher Swain in-person, and a presentation by Alison Gannett, selected this year by Outside Magazine as a Green All-Star, alongside Willie Nelson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

“On July 1, 2003, Mr. Swain became the first person in history to swim the entire 1,243 mile (2000km) length of the Colum- bia River, in the Pacific Northwest. The purpose of the Columbia River Swim was to raise awareness of the dislocated peo- ples and disrupted ecosystems of the Columbia River Basin. His swim is the subject of the critically-acclaimed documentary SOURCE TO SEA: the Columbia River Swim. In 2007, SOURCE TO SEA received the Environmental Activism and Social Justice Award at the EarthVision Film Festival, and the Most Inspiring Adventure Film Award at the Wild and Scenic Envi- ronmental Film Festival.”

“Swain has survived collisions with boats, 12-foot waves, lightning storms, class IV+ rapids, toxic blue-green algae, Lam- prey Eel attacks, and water contaminated with everything from human waste to nuclear waste. Swain has made clean water education presentations to over 45,000 North American schoolchildren. Stories about his clean water swims have reached a worldwide media audience of more than two billion people.” (swimforcleanwater.org)

He has spoken at the United Nations, emceeing for an event called Blessings Of The Waters. He has also completed swims of Lake Champlain, a 315 mile swim of the Hudson River, and the Charles River. Further information about Chris can be found on his website (swimforcleanwater.org).

Alison Gannett's Global Cooling Ski Adventure Show is sure to entertain. Ms. Gannett is one woman on a journey to save the world through this multimedia adventure presentation. In addition to many World Champion “extreme” freeskiing titles and starring ski film roles, including Warren Miller, Alison Gannett has dedicated the majority of her life to saving our snow, water, and ecosystems from the devastating effects of global warming. In addition to designing and building the first straw- bale house in a National Historic District and converting the world's first solar-powered plug-in-hybrid (an SUV that gets over 100 miles to the gallon), she has led ski expeditions to document global warming all over the world. She also travels the globe promoting her four-step CROP climate change solutions framework, training such notables as Al Gore's staff. This year she was selected by Outside Magazine as a Green All-Star, alongside Willie Nelson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Leonardo DiCaprio. (www.alisongannett.com)

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. Alison working for “Weather We Change”

QUESTIONS? Parent Professional Partnership Anna Stewart, Parent Liaison 303-245-5918 Parents & Professionals Collaborating [email protected] for Student Success

Parent Professional Partnership Boulder Valley School District 2009 Community Calendar 6500 Arapahoe All events held at BVSD Education Center, 6500 Arapahoe in Boulder Boulder, CO 80301

ADHD Support Group for Parents

Back for a second year, this informative and supportive group is co-facilitated by BVSD school psychologist, Dani Rudkin, PsyD with expertise in AD\HD and Anna Stewart from the PPP office. You are welcome to come to one or all sessions!

Mondays from 6-8 PM in Black Diamond Conference Room November 10, December 15, January 26, March 16, April 22, and May 11

October 20 meet at Meadows Library in Boulder from 6-7, then stay for ADHD: Diagnoses, Challenges and Treatment from 7-8:30 (presented by Pathways to Parenting Success, www.BoulderPsychologicalServices.com)

Brain Storm: Healthy approaches for enhancing students’ social & academic development

Does your child contend with: Hear from nutritionists, pediatricians, Poor grades naturopaths, chiropractors, psycholo- ADHD gists, therapists, coaches/tutors and Behavior issues more. Social challenges

Learning disabilities Tuesdays from 6-8 PM in Aspen Room:

October 28 Join our popular panels of experts to discuss ways we can im- January 27 prove children’s health so they can learn and grow! Panelists April 14 posted on www.bvsd.org on the calendar

Free & Open to Families and Educators!!! From Entitlement to Eligibility: Early Childhood Options Forum Transition to Adulthood Transition to Kindergarten Presentation and Resource Fair Presentation and Resource Fair

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 Thursday, November 20 6-8 PM 6-8 PM Aspen Conference Room Aspen Conference Room

You’ve made the transition into preschool and now it’s time to If you have a child in middle or high school with a disability think about kindergarten. What choices do you have? How do and want to know what options you have as they transition you know what is best for your child and family? What are other into adulthood, this is the event for you. parents considering? Listen to young adults and their parents talk about what Join our panel of experienced parents and hear an overview works and what doesn’t of how the system works. Gather information at the resource fair on employment, housing, finances and more! We’ll also have a resource fair geared to you! Meet with BVSD reps for Early Childhood Services and Kindergarten Resources include: Imagine!, ACL, Employment Team, teachers, and other community services including EX- Pathways, Bridges, SWAP, EXPAND, Friends of PAND, Imagine!, Exceptional Families, PEAK, and more Broomfield and many more

November 2008 Speak to Peak Page 19

Table of Contents