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
SEPTEMBER 6 NO SCHOOL FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS
SEPTEMBER 7 PD DAY NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
SEPTEMBER 8 PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION MEETING
SEPTEMBER 17 INFINITE CAMPUS AND ONLINE TUTORING NIGHTS FOR PARENTS
SEPTEMBER 22 ECA OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT
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September Events AUG 30
AUG 31
SEPT 1
SEPT 2
SEPT 3
SEPT 6
SEPT 7
SEPT 8
SEPT 9
SEPT 10
SEPT 16
SEPT 17
LABOR DAY
PD DAY
NO SCHOOL
NO SCHOOL
FOR STAFF
FOR
OR STUDENTS
STUDENTS
SEPT 13
SEPT 14
PTO MEETING @ 6 PM
SEPT 15
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKING LOT PERFORMANCE
SEPT 20 SPIRIT WEEK!
SEPT 21 SPIRIT WEEK!
SEPT 22 SPIRIT WEEK! ECA MOVIE
SEPT 23 SPIRIT WEEK!
SEPT 24 SPIRIT WEEK!
NIGHT
SEPT 27
SEPT 28
SEPT 29
SEPT 30
OCT 1
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 bmazza@ecarvada.org for assistance. We are here to help.
Food Christian Action Center in Golden Food Pantries in Arvada
Free Adams County Drive Through Farmer's Market
Shelter Arvada Shelter and Services
This website is specific to
Arvada Shelter List
Arvada and updated
Denver Shelters and Housing
regularly
services- Govt. affiliated
Food Pantries in Lakewood
Denver Shelter List
This website is specific to
Denver Shelters (womxn
Lakewood and is updated
specific)
regularly
Westminster shelters and
Food Pantries in Denver This website is specific to Denver and is updated regularly Food Pantries in Westminster This website is specific to Westminster and is updated regularly Document including Pay as you can grocery stores
transitional housing
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ADVISORIES JANICE ANDERSON JANDERSON@ECARVADA.ORG
I want to welcome back all of our students and their families for the 21-22 school year. We are off to an amazing start this year! Our students have all begun their classes and our seniors are already thinking about where they will be applying to colleges. Although this feels like a return to normalcy, I must ask for us all to continue precautions to avoid the spread of COVID. Tri-County Health continues to advise us through possible and confirmed cases, but we are learning that they are taking a different approach for schools this year. We appreciate all of your patience and understanding as we learn to navigate through the new guidelines. We are committed to our students and community's safety and pledge to communicate what we know in the best possible ways. For that reason, we are strongly encouraging all students and staff to mask up within the building regardless of vaccination. Although this is still a choice, it is a simple step that can help ensure that we all remain healthy We are working to restart the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) this year, as we know that incorporating our families into all that we do, not only strengthens our student's learning but helps to build a strong and powerful community to support our students in every way. We hope that you will consider joining the PTO.
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
As you may know, we started the year with an unusual need to shelter in place during the tornado warning on August 19th. Even though it had been a very long time since we had even had a drill, our students did an exceptional job sheltering and remaining calm, through what seemed like a very long time. We are so very proud of them and their efforts. Everyone's safety is of the utmost importance. Although we hope that we are never in the situation of a true emergency, we are still charged with taking all events seriously in order to protect all students and staff. As a reminder, terms that you should be aware of are Lock Down, Shelter in place and Secure. Lockdowns are used when there is a threat within the building and we must lock all doors, remain out of sight and no one is allowed in or out of the school until the authorities release us. Secure (formerly known as lockouts) is when there is a threat in the community and we must have all students inside and secured until the authorities release us. Shelter in place can occur for various reasons like a tornado, weather, etc. Whenever one of these occurs, we will communicate via text or emails as soon as it is safe. It is critical that you read the communication we send and know that a follow-up communication will be sent when we release students and it is safe. During the drills or events, we cannot come to the door, so students will not be released until it is safe. You should not come to the school during the events until notified as you may be putting yourself in harm's way. We appreciate your understanding and support as we work to maintain everyone's safety. Lastly, we recently received a grant that allows us to offer after-school enrichments, activities for students and families, and tutoring. Please stay tuned to your emails for further information on these great opportunities. I also hope to see you all next month at our 2nd Movie night. There are so many new and exciting opportunities for our school and community, so please keep your eyes out for emails with all the information. If you are not receiving the IC messages or emails please call the front desk to make corrections to your profiles. Thank you and welcome back to ECA for what will be a great school year
Counselor Corner BRIDGETTE FOSTER BFOSTER@ECARVADA.ORG College Application Season is approaching! ECA is here to help you through the process. In the coming weeks and months, Mr. Heroff and I will be meeting with each of you to discuss the College Process on an individual level, as well as outline post graduation options. In the meantime, here is what you should be doing right now to set yourself up for success:
1) Create a Common App account (DO NOT request letters of recommendation until you link the Common App with Naviance, or it will not work). Common App Website to Sign Up What is the Common App? How to link Common App and Naviance 2) Finalize a list of Colleges you plan on applying to in Naviance. Move them from "colleges I am thinking about" to "colleges I'm applying to". How to add Colleges to your Naviance account 3) Note the deadlines for each college you want to apply to. Are you applying Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision, or Rolling Admission? 4 Types of College deadlines explained 4) Does a College on your list require an essay? Does the College require multiple, supplemental essays? You can find this information through their website or by adding the College to your Naviance/Common App. Common App Essay Prompts Tips for writing a great Common App Essay Word Limit (over 250, under 650). I am happy to proofread a draft of your essay and provide feedback. Page 6
5) Complete a Brag Sheet and share it with me via google drive. A completed Brag Sheet will help me write a great counselor recommendation for you. You may also share your Brag Sheet with those writing a Letter of Recommendation for you. 6) Letters of Recommendation (LOR). How many LORs you need depends on each College's application requirements, much like the essays. Whom should I ask for a LOR? Request a LOR through Naviance (DO NOT do this until your accounts are linked). Overall, I understand that the College Process can be a daunting one. If you start early, it is much more manageable. Stay tuned for SEL visits from me and emails regarding building a college list, financial aid, scholarship, and more
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Q&A: BACK TO SCHOOL IN YEAR TWO OF THE COVID PANDEMIC JULIE RAMSAY JRAMSAY@ECARVADA.ORG
With the new, more contagious Delta variant driving COVID-19 cases in Colorado and nationwide, parents face some challenging questions as schools begin in 2021: How will the year play out, and what are the best ways to protect children at school during the COVID-19 pandemic? At Children’s Hospital Colorado, we want to help parents and caregivers make informed decisions based on facts and science. We also acknowledge that every family’s situation is different, and decisions about schooling are personal. To help your family navigate this school year’s ongoing challenges, we consulted our experts on frequently asked questions from real parents.
Rick Heroff Middle School Assistant Principal/C.E & Career Coordinator (720) 473-4400 EXT 320
Middle School: Thank you for your support as students adjust to being 100% in person again. Students tested with their Fall NWEA Math and Reading tests this week. We will use this information to target interventions for the coming months, If you have questions about your student's grades please contact your teachers or the Assistant Principal over Middle School, Mr. Heroff. Concurrent Enrollment Registration for fall college courses is complete. We have close to half of our ECA high school enrolling in college courses this semester! If your student is taking a class for college credit at ECA or off-campus please complete the ECA Concurrent Enrollment contract. Students that have issues, or questions with their college classes should contact Mr. Heroff. In October we will begin planning for Spring registration. For any questions about concurrent enrollment please contact Mr. Heroff at rheroff@ecarvada.org or 720-473-4400 ext 320
Early College of Arvada | 9
Welcome
Back Guadalupe Marquez
High School Assistant Principal 720-473-4408
High School, High School teachers and staff are thrilled to have all of our students back in person this year. Teachers are working hard to build those strong relationships with students to ensure their learning takes place. Please do not hesitate to ask your student what they are learning/doing in their classes during the day. I am so excited to go into classrooms and watch students engaged in their learning. Just a reminder that we start school promptly at 8:00 am We are emphasizing the no cell phone, attendance, and dress code policies as outline in the parent/student handbook (click here for this policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N WHlCu4koAntg6msu5zX0pkyt79nlr8X/ed it). We will be contacting parents if your student is in violation of any of these policies. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions at gmarquez@ecarvada.org and or 720-473-4408 Early College of Arvada | 10
WELCOME BACK Alejandro Reynoso EARSS Advisor Office: 720-473-4406 Cell: 720-980-1129 Hello EARSS Students and Families, I am happy to see the hallways and classrooms filled with students once again. This month has been productive as the EARSS program had a back to school Bootcamp. The Bootcamp was designed to help students get a head start on the 2021-2022 school year. The students experienced and participated in academic workshops and had the opportunity to get to know more about the EARSS program. In the EARSS Bootcamp, we had some fun activities such as sports tournaments, a field trip to a Rockies Game, and enjoyed some food. In August and September, the EARSS program is launching after-school torturing for EARSS students. Tutoring will be from 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM. Please contact me with any questions or more information at: areynoso@ecarvada.org.
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WHAT'S HAPPENING
AT ECA? AFTERSCHOOL COMMUNITY CENTER
We are so excited to be able to bring you good news! ECA was awarded a generous grant to fund a 21st Century Community Learning Center at our school. This means beginning after Labor Day, the ECA After Class Enrichment & Service (ACES) program will offer before school, after school and summer programs at no cost to the community. ACES operates the Breakfast Club Mondays-Thursdays, from 7:00 am - 7:55 am. We offer a cold breakfast and homework help staffed by teachers. This is open to all students in grades 6-12. In order to make sure we have enough food and supervision, we ask that families sign up in advance for this program. We have included a link to our registration form here: (https://forms.gle/WCTLTC2jkvXqNV25A). After school, ACES is sponsoring over 15 clubs and activities on Mondays-Thursdays, from 3:45 pm - 5:30 pm. Snacks are provided in our cafeteria. Students may register for clubs and/or activities in advance using our registration form or they may “drop in'' and try out something new. After school tutoring is available most days for all grade levels. Students who have a 4:30 club and no homework may hang out in the cafeteria where we will have board games available. Club schedules will be passed out to students today during class.
Wednesdays are PARENT NIGHTS! Beginning on Wednesday, September 15th, we will be offering adult computer classes at 4:30. Translation services will be available for our Spanish-speaking families. Please email lwilcox@ecarvada.org directly if you require a translator. Also on Wednesdays are the PTO meetings. If you are interested in making the ECA experience richer by volunteering, please plan to join the PTO on Wednesday at 5:00 pm. Other classes will be offered in the future. Keep your eyes peeled for a parent survey asking about what your needs are! We are also bringing in outside partners to provide services to our student body and our families. We are happy to introduce Lane Academy of Martial Arts, who is offering Karate instruction on MWF from 3:45-4:30. Students are welcome to try a class before registering for the program. Regular participation is strongly encouraged. This is a new chapter at ECA, and we couldn’t be more excited to be sharing it with you! We are looking forward to seeing your smiling faces after school next week. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Lynn Wilcox, ACES Program Director at 720473-4400 x329 or lwilcox@ecarvada.org.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
AT ECA? RISE UP THEATRE CO.
Hello friends! Welcome back! We are so excited to be rebuilding our Arts at ECA programs including a rebirth of our theater program, Rise Up Theater Co, formerly the Timbergriffen Theater Company. Our mission is to serve the community through theater. This year all auditions will be noncompetitive and open to our broader community of 6-12th grade students. This includes our students from our former partner school and homeschool students. Auditions for the fall play, The Importance of Being Earnest are August 26th and 27th, the show performs outside at ECA Oct 22-23rd. Tickets will be on sale soon at Ecarvada.booktix.com. Want to work behind the scenes? Promoting the show? Designing costumes? Creating sets and Props? Join our Production Team! First Meeting is Thursday 3:35 - 4:25 in Rm 122 with Ms. Graham. Our Erocne chorale finished up auditions last week and we're excited to restart this before school, 0 hour choir that performs in the community as ambassadors of music for ECA. Make art my friends, because it matters. Be sure to follow us on Facebook for updates, tickets, performance dates, and more opportunities for students! @TimbergriffenTheaterCo
WHAT'S HAPPENING
AT ECA? CONGRATULATIONS!
ECA would like to congratulate Elizabeth Wilcox for making the President's List at Front Range Community College. This is quite an achievement. To be named to the list, a student must earn a cumulative grade point average of 4.0 while taking at least 6 credit hours.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
AT ECA?
SPANISH CLUB
Spanish club will be selling snacks after school Monday-Thursday 3:304:15. Please check the common area or in front of the building for some after school treats
LOOKING TO DJ A SCHOOL DANCE?
ECA is looking for students or family members interested in honing their skills and providing musical entertainment at school dances. email bmazza@ecarvada.org if your're interested!
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