T H E
E A R L Y
C O L L E G E
O F
A R V A D A ' S
THE GRIFFIN W E
C A N .
A N D
W E
W I L L .
IMPORTANT DATES
NOVEMBER 11 NO SCHOOL FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS
NOVEMBER 23-27 FALL BREAK NO SCHOOL FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS
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November Events NOV 2
NOV 3
NOV 4
NOV 5
NOV 6
NOV 11
NOV 12
NOV 13
NOV 19
NOV 20
ECA Sports information assembly
NOV 9
NOV 10
Veteran's Day (No School)
NOV 16
NOV 17
NOV 18 Board Meeting @6
NOV 23
Fall Break
NOV 29
NOV 24 Thanksgiving
NOV 30
NOV 25
NOV 26
NOV 27
Fall Break
Fall Break
Fall Break
DEC 1
DEC 2
DEC 3
RESOURCES FOR GRIFFIN FAMILIES The Shelter in place order issued by Governor Polis in the spring helped keep people safe during this global pandemic. However, one downfall from this was the economic fallout from the uptick in business closures. We are all doing our best to learn from the past and ECA wants to make sure our families are well equipped in the event of a second wave. We have compiled a list of resources for those who may need them. Don't hesitate to reach out to tcordrey@ecarvada.org for assistance. We are here to help.
Food Christian Action Center in Golden Food Pantries in Arvada This website is specific to Arvada and updated regularly Food Pantries in Lakewood
Free Adams County Drive Through Farmer's Market The next one is on Nov. 10th/4:30-6:30p. They only have 250 boxes and you have to sign up HERE
Shelter Arvada Shelter and Services
This website is specific to
Arvada Shelter List
Lakewood and is updated
Denver Shelters and Housing
regularly
services- Govt. affiliated
Food Pantries in Denver
Denver Shelter List
This website is specific to
Denver Shelters (womxn
Denver and is updated
specific)
regularly
Westminster shelters and
Food Pantries in Westminster
transitional housing
This website is specific to Westminster and is updated regularly Document including Pay as you can grocery stores
ECA WILL HAVE BAGGED LUNCHES FOR PICK UP M-F, 12-1 PM
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
THE EARLY COLLEGE OF ARVADA IS A FAMILY TODD CORDREY 720-473-4403 TCORDREY@ECARVADA.ORG
Hello ECA Parents, A few weeks ago, I had an emotional conversation with a former parent of ECA students. In the conversation, the parent shared how much ECA means to his children and family. His youngest daughter is in high school in another state, and she misses her ECA friends and teachers. From this interaction, I think there are many lessons we can learn. The two that I would like to highlight are: (1) teachers change lives for the better, many times without even knowing it, and (2) education is an emotional social service that requires students, parents, teachers, and admin to develop resilience in tough times. Unlike other professions, most people can name a teacher that changed their life for the better, and no other profession advances humanity as deeply and consistently as education. This is accomplished through the incalculable number of daily interactions and conversations between a teacher with students, parents, and fellow teachers. I sincerely believe we have a special group of people at ECA with tremendous hearts and effective minds that can meet the needs of our students in today's society. As we go into the next phase of managing the health and education implications of COVID-19, I ask that we all stick together as a strong and supportive ECA family. If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at 720-473-4403, text me at 720-322-5470, or email TCordrey@ECArvada.org. As an ECA family, your needs are our priority.
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FINISH THIS SEMESTER STRONG JANICE ANDERSON JANDERSON@ECARVADA.ORG These continue to be unprecedented times and we must all continue to be flexible and nimble on almost a daily basis. Returning to remote learning eases some stressors for everyone, but can often add additional ones as well. We know how hard returning to remote learning can be. It is most critical during these times, that we maintain lines of communication as to the progress of all our students. Please remember that Infinite Campus and Messenger are powerful resources to understand all that is going on with your Student/s learning. Please make sure you are checking them as well your emails on a regular basis .We are 6 weeks away from the end of the semester. Celebrate your student for all of their efforts, but also reach out to teachers to advocate for help if needed. We must remind students that it is not too late for any kind of improvement, but that they cannot wait until the last minute. Remind them that they can and they will be able to succeed if they try their best. Please also take note of the Remote Learning Schedules found in this newsletter for Middle and High School. Those schedules will be very helpful in each student's success for the remainder this semester. Students are required to be in class at the times listed. Also, we are beginning our planning for next semester. We will continue to follow the State and County guidelines in the planning. We do not yet know how we will be able to provide our quality instruction, but we will be communicating our plans through email and Infinite Campus, so please make sure to read all that is sent out. We will do our best to communicate it all as soon as possible. Please know that our hope is that we can return to the classroom, as we know that that is what is best for all students. Please know that in these times, students may be silently suffering socially or emotionally. Please check in on them and feel free to reach out to our counselors if we can be of any help. We are all here to help you and your families in any way that we can during these unusual times. Please stay safe.
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LETTER FOR HIGH SCHOOL PARENTS JANICE ANDERSON JANDERSON@ECARVADA.ORG Dear Parents & Guardians: By now, you have been informed that we are remaining online for the remainder of the Fall Semester. We wanted to let you know what this will look like going forward, so your student(s) can plan their time accordingly. From Monday through Thursday we will have synchronous learning with no changes in schedule. Students will meet with teachers online in Google Meets or Zoom, following their teacher’s expectations. Students are expected to show up for their classes each day at normally scheduled times as we did in person. Individual instruction will vary according to the class and teacher. We will also be using a variety of tech resources and websites to help make online instruction more engaging for students. Students should check Google Classroom for day to day assignments. If your child has technical difficulties you can do the following: Check in with a friend in the same class Email your teacher when your technical difficulties are resolved Use your phone to Gchat or go to Google Classroom Update chromebook software by shutting down and restarting their computer Add the zoom link to your phone On Fridays, beginning Friday, November 6, 2020, we will move to asynchronous learning. This means students will not be meeting face to face with their teachers. Students should check in with their teacher through Google Classroom and complete the assigned task. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your student(s)’ teacher(s) if you or your student needs help navigating online learning. Their contact information is listed below for your convenience. Best, The ECA High School Staff
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Mary Coleman, Science mcoleman@ecarvada.org Please refer to google classroom for class requirements, expectations, schedules, and the meets link Denise Levesque, World History/Government dlevesque@ecarvada.org Please refer to google classroom for class requirements, expectations, and schedules I will also email students the night before class to give them the zoom link. Mr. Jacob Bader, Geography / US History jbader@ecarvada.org Students should check their emails for instructions and plan on attending the Google Meets meeting at the start of the block. Dr. Autumn Amici, Science aamici@ecarvad.org Please read our Google Classroom “Stream� each day for complete instructions for how to login to our Zoom call and for classwork expectations. This is the expectation for science and advisory. Ms. Tori Andrus, Math vandrus@ecarvada.org Please refer to google classroom for class requirements, expectations, and schedules Ms. Taylor Dawson, English tdawson@ecarvada.org Please see the Google Classroom page daily in regards to instructions, meeting times, and assignments for class. There you will find the daily check-in for attendance and specific details on what to do for class that day.
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Dr. Aaron Rudolph, English arudolph@ecarvada.org Hello. All class information is on our Google Classroom page (on the “stream” or in “Classwork”). We’ll be meeting through Zoom and Google Classroom. Class assignments will be posted on class days just before the start of class. On days that we don’t have Zoom class, there will be an attendance question on G.C. I’m available through email, Zoom, G chat, or Google Meets on weekdays. Mr. Dennis Olson, Spanish dolson@ecarvada.org Please check Google Classroom on the assigned days and times of the original class for instructions. You must check-in within 10 minutes of the class start time to not be counted as tardy, later than that will be a tardy and only half points will be awarded as participation points in your grade. Instruction is given in the first 30 minutes to 1 hour, Some days may just be an assignment and others, a ZOOM meeting. You are responsible for your own learning! Mrs. Missy Langtry, ELA, Literacy Foundations, and Math Foundations mlangtry@ecarvada.org Good afternoon! I will be posting all of our required work on Google Classroom and will be available to our students via Google Meet during our regular classroom time. In order to be counted present, I will be asking the kids to meet me on G.C. during our usual classroom time. I know this is a challenging time, but let’s work together to make sure our kids flourish!:0) Mrs. Gail Atkinson, Art gatkinson@ecarvada.org In general we will begin each class period with a google meet for attendance and further instructions. Students are required to attend the class meeting to check in and ask questions.
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LETTER FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENTS JANICE ANDERSON JANDERSON@ECARVADA.ORG Dear Parents & Guardians: By now, you have been informed that we are remaining online for the remainder of the Fall Semester. We wanted to let you know what this will look like going forward, so your student(s) can plan their time accordingly. From Monday through Thursday, there will be no changes in schedule. Students will meet with teachers online in a Google Meets call at the beginning of the regular class period. This is called synchronous learning. Classes run for 83 minutes. We will be using combinations of large group, small group and one-on-one instruction. We will also be using a variety of tech resources and websites to help make online instruction more engaging for students. On Fridays, beginning Friday, November 6, 2020, we will move to asynchronous learning. This means that all students will report to their first period class by 8:05 am. From there, students will do a combination of the following things: complete make-up work or missing assignments in all classes, complete 30 minutes of Exact Path in Math, and 30 minutes of Exact Path in Reading. We will provide a schedule for the day at the morning meeting. The schedule will also be posted in all four of our Google Classrooms, in case students arrive late. This also provides time for students to meet with teachers in small groups or one-on-one for extra instruction. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your student(s)’ teacher(s) if you or your student needs help navigating online learning. Their contact information is listed below for your convenience. Best, The ECA Middle School Staff Ms. Krista Borland, math/science Mrs. Nicole Hardiman, ELA/SS Mr. Krom, science/math Ms. Elizabeth Torres, science Mrs. Lynn Wilcox, ELA/SS
kborland@ecarvada.org nhardiman@ecarvada.org kkrom@ecarvada.org eramostorres@ecarvada.org lwilcox@ecarvada.org
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Counselor Corner BRIDGETTE FOSTER BFOSTER@ECARVADA.ORG
Dear Seniors, Now is the time to apply to FAFSA! https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-foraid/fafsa. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It is need based, meaning funds are awarded based on factors such as household income, number of claimed dependents ect. It is first come first serve, so apply ASAP. You will need your parents' 2019 tax return to complete the application. Remember to write down your username and password, as you must apply to FAFSA each year. No excuse not to apply, IT IS FREE MONEY towards your education! Please come see me if you would like help filling out FAFSA or send me an email.
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OPERATIONS MANAGER
HEALTH UPDATE JULIE RAMSEY 720-473-4409 What's Now? As many of you already know, on October 27th Governor Polis updated the Safer at Home Public Health Order bringing us to a Level 3 (beginning on page 8). We know this year has brought many challenges. As an ECA family, we intend to face those challenges together. Some things you can do: 1. Be Consistent - Make a schedule and stick to it. Continue to get up and "go to school" even though it is virtual. Show up for your classes. Turn on your video. Do your work. 2. Eat healthy, well-balanced meals. 3. Destress - Get some rest. Take some time to relax. Read a book, enjoy your hobby, explore something you've never tried before - painting, graphic arts, woodworking, etc. 4. Keep Calm and Carry On... Keep your anxiety in perspective. Limit the newsfeed including social media. 5. Stay positive. 6. Have fun with it. Set up a cool virtual background and let them guess what it is. Do some exercises while you're watching your video. Set up an online group study session. What's Next? We're working on immunization compliance. If your student is showing they are not compliant with one or more state required immunization, you will be contacted by one of our staff members requesting documentation to satisfy state requirements. What do we need? We need either updated immunization records, a waiver or proof your child is in the process of obtaining his/her required immunization(s). Our state report must be filed prior to winter break so your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Stay healthy and be well..
Rick Heroff Middle School Dean of Students/C.E & Career Coordinator (720) 473-4400 EXT 320
Concurrent Enrollment Contract: Every year ECA revises it’s Concurrent Enrollment contract due to changes with college policies and new partnerships. This year we have many changes with remote learning. Parents will receive a Google Form via email by October 2nd. We will have a question and answer session over Zoom on Thursday October 8th at 6pm Expect a link to be sent out for the Q&A with the form. Thank you. ECA Campus classes:Registration is complete for the semester. If your students are having difficulty with a class they need to communicate that with their instructor. Most of the colleges have passed their drop deadline. If a student needs to withdraw from a class they will get a W on their college transcript. For students completing their classes they will receive a grade on their High School and College transcripts. Front Range campus classes: All students taking traditional classes from the FRCC campus are being done remotely. This means that if you sign up for a class are mostly run by logging into a livestream of your class via remote learning instead of going to the campus. Each department has slightly different guidelines click HERE to see the latest details on how they are delivering classes. Please stay in contact with your professors and the college as COVID guidelines could change quickly. AIMS classes: One of our new partners this year has a vast online and remote learning offering for the 20’-21’ school year. We are utilizing AIMS for its remote offerings since their closest campus is a good distance from our community. Students taking courses here currently range from LIT 115, to HIST 121 among others. Early College of Arvada | 15
MIDDLE SCHOOL DEAN OF STUDENTS/C.E & CAREER COORDINATOR
College prep: This is a crazy time to be a senior! Our SAT was delayed due to a quarantine of the senior class. Stay tuned for the make up day. If you haven’t already narrowed down your college preferences it’s go time! It's generally recommended that you apply to about a half dozen colleges, but you should have a good idea of your top 3-5 preferences. Students not planning to attend colleges still have plenty of options post high school. Please see or email Mr. Heroff or Ms. Foster to get more details and questions about planning for after High School. Here are a couple resources to help you out with essay writing… https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/college-essay https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay College Visits: JUNIORS and undecided SENIORS! Go to this website where you can take a virtual tour of most of the colleges in our state and the nation. Just type in the name of the school and check it out! https://www.youvisit.com/collegesearch/ Also www.niche.com is a great resource to compare colleges. Middle School:Students have done a great job of keeping their masks on. Please continue to encourage them to wear fresh ones every day. Here at school we are doing our best to keep student cohorts as separate. Every room is cleaned daily, and bathrooms are cleaned regularly throughout the day. Academically we are getting into the meat of instruction for the fall. Students recently took the NWEA assessments and did fantastic! They showed minimal slippage which is great news! Students are continuing to show flexibility and resilience as they do a lot of hybrid styles of learning in the building everyday. As we settle into our routines please talk with your students about the changes this year and remind them of the reasons for all the rules and structure we have set up. It's not easy to be a middle school student, but during COVID its more challenging. Please be assured that teachers are doing everything they can to keep their day engaging, and rigorous to prepare them for college courses in High School.
Early College of Arvada | 16
SAT
Testing
Update Guadalupe Marquez
Highschool Dean of Students 720-473-4408 Hello Parents, It is very unfortunate we have had to go back to remote learning, but students, staff and parents' safety is always at the forefront for us. As we continue in this remote learning journey, I would like you to encourage your students to keep working on their classes and give it all they have as we approach the end of the semester so they can finish strong. It is imperative that students (Seniors) stay current with their school work in order to successfully graduate next spring. If you have any questions and or would like to be informed about your student's credits and or grades, do not hesitate to reach out to me at gmarquez@ecarvada.org. As you may know, SAT was cancelled due to our need to go remotely. I have spoken to sevel students and have advised them on what to do and or next steps. We do have several options; however, most colleges are not requiring an SAT score. Enjoy the fall break!
Early College of Arvada | 17
The development of a growth
WHAT IS A GROWTH MINDSET?
mindset can increase a student’s confidence, academic achievement, motivation, and self-esteem. For the
Alejandro Reynoso EARSS Advisor areynoso@ecarvada.org
purposes of this unit, the following definitions will be used: Growth Mindset: Those with a growth mindset believe that through
In the EARSS Program we teach
hard work, they will be able to
students to become advocates for
ultimately master what seems so difficult for them to learn at any
themselves and teach them life skills.
given point. They are willing to struggle with new ideas and concepts and are ready to let people see that
A growth mindset is the belief that
they may have to struggle to learn a
one’s intelligence, competencies, and
new concept or task.
abilities can be developed. Unlike individuals with a fixed mindset, or
Fixed Mindset: Those with a fixed
the belief that one’s limitations are
mindset do not see intellectual ability
not changeable, those who possess a
as a factor that can grow and change
growth mindset are more likely to
in relation to hard work. Instead, they
believe that they can always improve
believe that intelligence is static, and
and so they persevere in the face of
this belief can diminish their
obstacles, crave learningrather than
confidence as a learner and result in a
approval, perceive failures as
recursive pattern of low
opportunities to improve, and both
achievement, low motivation, and low
process and apply feedback to grow.
effort.
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Extra Curricular Highlights
TIMBER GRIFFIN Kelly Graham Kgraham@ecarvada.org
Our Arts at ECA programs are working hard to continue to bring quality arts education and enrichment to our community. Our Erocne Chorale is working to adapt to the changes Covid has presented this year by tackling some independent projects and using the arts as a tool for better mental health. Our Timbergriffen theater company is working with community actors, musicians, and technicians, to create a film to be released in March of 2021. Prodigy is the story of Emily, a cellist, who struggles to find herself and her talents. One of the major themes throughout the film is the importance of mental health, especially for artists. So this production will be partnered with a mental health campaign and what a better way to start than here! A great way to take care of yourself is journaling! One of our favorite ways is through a bullet journal, our favorite page suggestion for one of these journals is a mood tracker.Our Thespian troupe is also finding its footing during these uncertain times, most recently we're excited about the Virtual Thespian Conference coming this December for Middle and High School students! Be sure to follow our performing arts program on Facebook (Timbergriffentheaterco) and Instagram
SPORTS
(ilove_apiano)!
Betsy Mazza bmazza@ecarvada.org The Early College of Arvada has created a partnership with the Athletics Department at Arvada High School. On November 3 we hosted a virtual assembly for interested students. Please email me at bmazza@ecarvada.org if you are interested in learning more about this. Currently, under covid guidelines, some sports are continuing, while others have been pushed back to the spring. They have sports options for middle and high school age students!
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EARLY COLLEGE OF ARVADA
PTCO NEWS
MEETING SCHEDULE Meetings will be postponed until the
Lots of exciting activities here at ECA and we could use your help to make them a success! Hope to see you in the spring at the ECA PTO at 4PM! ptco@ecarvada.org
spring sememster
Muchas actividades emocionantes aquí en ECA Y podríamos usar su ayuda para hacerlos un ¡éxito!
Espero verte aquí la próxima primavera ptco@ecarvada.org
Early College of Arvada | 25
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