Food Assistance Program

Starting September 5th, Columbia has partnered with Food for Thought, a grass-roots group of neighbors who want to make sure every student has food to eat over the weekend. Students will be taking home power sacks every other Friday and will be distributed during 6th period!

Attendance Reminder

Parents, please be sure to contact the school when your children will be absent! You can call our attendance line at 303-326-1251 or send a text via the TalkingPoints app on the morning of your child's absence, as no changes can be made after 24 hours. Thank you!

Welcome to Our Team!

We are thrilled to welcome Darell Crawford as our new 6th Grade Counselor! This addition allows us to expand our counseling program and bring another dedicated mental health professional to support our students and families.

Your 7th grade counselor this year will be Katie Humphrey and your 8th grade counselor will be Dawn Ganaway. We all look forward to supporting all of our students this school year.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) – Character Strong

At Columbia, one of our core beliefs is: "It's all about relationships." The first two weeks of school are critical for building strong connections that help students feel they belong and are engaged in learning. Our Character Strong curriculum guides teachers in delivering meaningful SEL lessons.

We'll keep you updated throughout the year about the topics and activities we're exploring!

Minute Meetings

To kick off the school year, our counselors will meet with every student in short "minute meetings." These quick chats help us:

• Get to know each student
• Learn their interests and needs
• Ensure they know a trusted adult at school

SOS – Signs of Suicide Program

The adolescent years can be an emotional roller coaster for students, families, and educators. Depression, which is treatable, is one of the leading risk factors for suicide—and it can often be mistaken for "normal" teen challenges. Self-injury is also an increasing concern.

To address these issues proactively, Columbia Middle School offers depression awareness and suicide prevention training through the SOS Signs of Suicide Prevention Program.

6th grade families will receive detailed information before the program launches in September. Please see below for the attached passive consent permission form. This needs to be returned ONLY if you do NOT want your child to participate.

SOS Passive Permission Form

AIM – Adult Identity Mentoring

Starting in September, in our 7th grade Social Studies classrooms, BBBS will launch the AIM Program through Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS), which focuses on:

• Post-secondary success
• Career exploration
• Workforce readiness
• Academic goal setting

AIM empowers students to envision their futures and equips them with tools to reach their goals.

All Are Welcome Club (AAW Club)

AAW Club is a club that welcomes anyone and everyone. We will learn about our own identities and other communities and cultures in order to create a better understanding and welcoming environment to all!

Begins on Wednesday September 3rd after school.

Health Reminders

As we move into the school year, please help us keep our students healthy and ready to learn by keeping your child home when they are ill. According to public health guidance, there are four main reasons for children to stay home:

1. The child could infect others with a contagious illness, either because of symptoms, a diagnosis, or recent exposure to a contagious illness.
2. The child does not feel well enough to take part in usual activities. For example, a child is overly tired, fussy, or will not stop crying.
3. A child needs more care than teachers and staff can give while still caring for the other children.
4. The child has symptoms or an illness on the "How Sick is too Sick" list, and staying home is required.

Medication Policy

Please remember:

• Students are not allowed to carry any medicine on their person (unless it is an emergency medication and the proper paperwork is on file with the nurse).
• Students are allowed to carry cough drops in an appropriate amount for the day.
• Medications such as Tylenol or ibuprofen can only be given if consent was marked with online registration or if a standing order medication consent form has been received. For district guidelines and available forms please click this link: Medication Information

Immunizations

As we continue into this school year, it's important to make sure your child is up to date with their immunizations. If you received a notice that your child is missing any required vaccines, please schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider as soon as possible or submit an updated immunization to the nurse. For more information around immunization requirements, where you can go to receive immunizations, or how to obtain an exemption, please click this link: Immunization Information

Thank you for helping us keep our school community safe and healthy!

Amanda Kennedy BSN, RN, NCSN

Resources & Links

• Open House For Community Eligibility Form
• Aurora Public Schools Job Fair
• CU Pre Health Scholars Opportunity

Sports Schedule

*Physicals MUST be completed prior to the start of the season and submitted with registration completed. Each sport is $35 and can be paid through the registration form found HERE!

• Physical form English
• Physical form Spanish

Important Message from Aurora Public Schools

Dear Aurora Public Schools Parents and Guardians,

Over the past week, we have heard that families may be concerned about sending students to school in light of recent changes to immigration enforcement that were announced. Please know that our schools are safe places for all students and families. We welcome students and families from all over the world every day and our focus remains on providing the best learning environment for your children.

Even with the announced changes, at this time, we have no reason to believe that immigration officials will visit our school buildings. We have been reaching out to local officials and law enforcement partners who have confirmed this information. However, if they do, please be assured that we are prepared to handle any situation safely, calmly and appropriately.

If immigration officers come to our schools:

• School leaders will follow clear procedures to protect students and their information.
• We will contact our legal office and follow the proper legal steps before sharing any information.
• Immigration officers would only be allowed in a school building if they have a judicial warrant.
• Parents and guardians will be informed if any requests are made regarding their child.
• Please know that school staff do not know students' immigration status and we would never ask for their immigration status.

If you are looking for more information on how to prepare for potential changes to immigration enforcement, please carefully review the following information:

• Please have a family preparedness plan in place. You can access family preparedness plan in Spanish here.
• Access Know Your Rights information and a list of nonprofit organizations providing legal support.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact your school principal. Our priority is to keep our students safe and supported.

For more information, visit: APS Family Resources

Thank you for being part of our Aurora Public Schools community.

Caregiver Advisory Council

Looking for a way to be involved and give feedback? Join our Caregiver Advisory Council! We meet quarterly to provide updates to families and community members on the school's data and gather feedback. Here are our dates:

Meeting Dates:

• September 18th (6-6:45pm)
• November 20th (7-7:45pm)
• February 5 (6:30-7:30)

Caregiver Advisory Council Interest Form

Consejo Asesor de Cuidadores

¿Está buscando una manera de participar y dar su opinión? ¡Únase al Consejo Asesor de Cuidadores! Nos reunimos trimestralmente para proporcionar actualizaciones a las familias y miembros de la comunidad sobre los datos de la escuela y recopilar comentarios. Estas son nuestras fechas:

Fechas de reuniones:

• 18 de septiembre (6-6:45pm)
• 20 de noviembre (7-7:45pm)
• 5 de febrero (6:30-7:30)

Calendar

View the Aurora City Calendar

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