December 22

Dear Fireside Families,
It is such an honor to be part of this community- we are a family who truly cares about one another. The Food Drive, Giving Tree, Share a Gift and other class organized service projects, are just a few examples of how we pull together to lend a helping hand or support others in need. Thanks to all of you for making Fireside an exceptional place to learn, grow, discover and embrace the true joy of learning! I wish you all the happiest of holidays with loved ones.

Peace,

December 8

Greetings, Fireside Families,

What an inspiring week- from the Fire Choir concerts to coding, our kids were  engaged and entertained!  During this week's Hour of Code, students were exposed to computer science in a variety of ways. I observed second graders using measurement to navigate courses for Dash and Dot, 5th graders using Bloxel, a program for video gaming where they incorporate various literary elements, 4th graders explaining how they measured the distance, speed and angles in order to successfully route Spheros. Today, I learned from parent presenters. A week of critical thinking, collaboration, and excitement about computer science! We couldn't have done it without the support from Stacey Forsyth and her team, as well as our dedicated staff and parent experts who shared about their careers in the computer science industry. 
Other important information:

With our upcoming grade level handbell concerts, we'd like to remind parents to please avoid pulling siblings to attend the shows due to the disruption of learning and instructional time for classroom teachers. 

School Safety:

We continue to see parents parking on Dahlia Street prior to the start of the school day. This is designated as a "Hug and Go" lane and we need to keep traffic flow continous in order to minimize traffic jams and support school safety. 
Students Indoors before School Day:
When temperatures dip below 20 degrees, students will enter the school from 7:50 to 8:00 a.m. There will be signs posted on the front doors as well as a yellow flag on the marquee reminding students to head indoors. Supervising teachers will also be informed that students should enter the building. 

As always, thank you for your partnership in learning!

Dec. 1st

Dear Fireside Families,
This week we hosted Jeff and Paige Kagan for an interactive, sprited assembly including educational skits focused on science standards and promoting the outdoors. 

As most of you have heard by now, Hour of Code is next week! Students in grades K-5 will be participating in a variety of coding activities, everything from Ozobots to Dash and Dot. We are fortunate to be partnering with Stacey Forsyth, a Fireside parent who works with the CU Science and Discovery Center as she's supplying us with many of the tools. We will also have a week of Maker Space in the library as well as parents presenting about their careers in the computer science industry. Reach out to your child's teacher to learn about the week's schedule of activities as parents are invited to come visit and learn right alongside students. Also, parents are welcome to add to our coding wall in the front entryway by sharing something they've learned from visiting during Hour of Code week. 

Thankful

Dear Fireside Families,
It is with deep appreciation and thanks that I wish each of you a joyous Thanksgiving holiday. I am so honored to be part of this special community and grateful for our staff, the supportive relationships with families, and most of all for our children. Enjoy your time with loved ones, savor all the special moments, and take time to give thanks for the abundance in our lives. We are blessed as a school community. 
A friendly reminder, if interested in nominating someone in our Fireside community for an Impact on Education Award, submissions are due to me by November 29. Read here for more information. 

November 3

Dear Fireside Families,
It's been an exciting week, beginning with a visit from our Superintendent, Ms. Stevenson, on Monday. She spent just over an hour at our school visiting classrooms, connecting with teachers, and commenting on how engaged our kids were in learning. Halloween festivities followed on Tuesday with creative costumes and spirited parties. Staff strutted their "cozy-ware" adorned in a variety of themed jammies. 
News and Information:
School Accountability Meeting: Nov. 9, 5:30-7pm
Nov. 9, SAC agenda
Struggling Readers Symposium: Nov. 5

October 13

Kindergartners and Preschoolers learned about fire safety this week!

Dear Fireside Families,

We look forward to seeing parents over the next couple of weeks at conferences on October 17th, 19th and the 25th. Please be sure to sign up.  As always we strive for 100% participation and value your partnership. 

Last week's Walk to School and 5th graders Guitar concert

For parents who were unable to attend this week's Talented and Gifted Coffee and would like to learn more about TAG programming in BVSD, please view the following slideshow:

Talented and Gifted 101 Fireside Elementary or contact Janine Fitzgerald janine.fitzgerald@bvsd.org), our Educational TAG Advisor for more information. 

New This Year:

District-wide, report cards will not be sent home via Friday Folders, instead, parents will access them electronically beginning on Monday, Nov. 13th. The only exception will be Kindergarten, which will be sent home hard copy in envelopes. 

Interested in learning more about out the progress of our bond project?
Visit here 

As always, thank you for all the ways you serve and support our school community and for participating in your child's learning experience.  

Sept 15

Dear Fireside Families,
Does anyone else have an overflowing inbox that seems endless? Well, time to consider "stop cues" in our lives to create more space and quality time with others. This is something I shared with staff this week in an effort to support teacher's well-being (as well as my own). What stop cues do we set in our family life in order to ensure time with our children is free from tech distractions? I've definitely been guilty of this and my daughter, Aleah, is the first to remind me, "Mom, you're not being present!" If you'd like to learn more about "stop cues" consider watching Adam Alter's Ted Talk.
Adam Alter: Why our screens make us less happy | TED Talk | TED.com

School Safety:  A friendly reminder that safety is all of our responsibility. Please help by minding the speed limit on Dahlia Street, especially as it nears the ringing of the first bell. Unfortunately, we don't have enough volunteer crossing guards to supervise students crossing and some students assume that cars will stop without watching closely for cars. Please remind your children about safe crossing and be mindful of the school zones. We need crossing guards! If interested, please contact Lori Smith: lsmith8808@gmail.com . What a fun way to connect with kids and be part of our school community! 

Thanks for working together to ensure all students safely cross our streets.

Community Service at Fireside
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Christ the Servant Church and our Fireside garden volunteers, grounds were cleared of pine needles, pea gravel was added to the picnic table area, and our outdoor classroom looks so inviting! We value your time, service and contributions to Fireside.

As always, thank you for your support and partnership in learning. Hope to see you all tonight at the Jogathon celebration!

Christa Keppler

September 8th

Dear Fireside Families,


Two amazing community events in a week- the Labor Day Parade as well as our Jogathon. Today was a day of fun, fitness, and everyone coming together to show their "Fireside P.R.I.D.E." Thanks to Ms. Johnson, Nicole Duster, Samantha Macmillan, and the Jogathan committee, for their long hours of planning and for making this event such a HUGE success.

Have a great weekend!

August 25

Dear Fireside Falcons,
I was in awe seeing our school community come together as one on the field for the eclipse. We are a Fireside family who care about one another and give the best we have to our kids! 


Reading to classrooms this week, I've been so impressed by our thoughtful discussions about finding common ground and celebrating our "unique" and wonderous selves. There's no doubt we are nurturing respectful, responsible, and open-minded young minds here at Fireside-thanks for your invaluable role with this as parents. 

A few safety reminders...please practice safety by using the crosswalks, parking in the parking lot instead of Dahlia St., and keeping the traffic flow continuous with a quick "Hug and Go" during drop off. Let's all work together to keep our children safe.

I look forward to seeing you all at Parent Information Night this Wednesday, August 30th!
Your partner in learning-
Christa Keppler, Principal

August 18

Dear Fireside Falcons,
     What a strong start to our 2017-2018 school year. We kicked off the first day of school with a P.R.I.D.E. assembly, welcoming new and returning students and introducing our new staff. Students were reminded what it means to be a Fireside Falcon and "Show your Fireside Pride." 
     We invite all of our families to join us in learning our Fireside songs in preparation for the upcoming Labor Day Parade on September 4th down the Main Street of Louisville.
Older Fireside Pride Song lyrics
Older Fireside Pride Audio
Newer Fireside P.R.I.D.E. Song Lyrics and Sheet Music
Newer Fireside P.R.I.D.E. Audio

     Hopefully you've heard from this week's communication that Fireside will be viewing the eclipse on Monday, August 21st. As a school, we've established steps to ensure student safety and these procedures will be reviewed and practiced with students prior to the viewing on Monday. As parents, we also encourage you to review these safety precautions here with your children prior to Monday's viewing. Parents are also invited to join us on the field at approximately 11:46 for the solar eclipse viewing.

     Thanks to Samantha MacMillan and her crew for coordinating our PTO sponsored ice cream social. A wonderful way to come together as a community at the start of our school year.

     Thanks to Becky Slusarchyk for capturing some wonderful Fireside moments at the start of our school year!

As always, thank you for your partnership in learning.

August 11

Dear Fireside Falcons,
It has been a fun and learning-filled past few days with staff preparing for the first day of school on Wednesday, August 16th. We sure have a talented crew and our new staff have stepped right up and become a part of our Fireside Family. Here are a few pics of us having fun together! 
We also put together a Wordl of qualities we value collectively to support our inclusive, and welcoming community at Fireside. 

We look forward to seeing our new Kindergarten families at our Kinder Orientation on Monday, August 14 from 5-6pm. Don't forget to join us for our ice cream social on Tuesday!

Yours in education,
Christa

Welcome Back to the 2017-2018 School Year!

Dear Fireside Families,
     I hope you all had an eventful summer filled with adventure, rest, and most of all, quality time as a family. While my summer seemed short, we were fortunate to venture to Panama for two weeks and spent a week in Seattle visiting friends and family. 

My family and Sierra's Panamanian family

My sixteen year old daughter, Sierra, spent 6 weeks living with a host family in a remote region in the interior of Panama. Her cup was "full" so to speak, upon her return as she had stories to tell and a de-cluttered brain from six tech-free weeks. She's proven to my husband and I that she can manage independently when that day comes in the not so distant future and she's heading off to college. I'll be the one needing consoling.
  From our travels, I often pay attention to themes that surface and influence my work as an educator. One came from dear sweet, Maria, the host of a place we stayed at in Tavidal, Panama. "All we need is love" is what was written on the cup she kept close to her as she selflessly served all the guests at Villa Tavida. I was reminded that this is the core of who and what we are at Fireside. Truly, Fireside is love. Our ongoing mission is for this to be felt for every student, parent, or guest who walks through our front doors. With love, all is possible. It is the core building block of a family and is what nurtures a safe haven for kids to excel on their learning pathway.

  The other theme surfaced when visiting the Bill and Melinda Gates Visitor Center in Seattle, Washington (well worth the visit). It came from a quote by Bill Gates Sr., "Today, community isn't just your city, it is the world." Developing global partnerships among our students, as well as meaningful, personalized learning opportunities. is something we'll continue to explore in the year ahead. 
   Once more I'll kick off the year by reading to every classroom. This year's message comes from the book, We're All Wonders.  

New Fireside Staff:
We have hired dynamic, highly qualified new staff at Fireside- wow are they ever ready to greet students! Please join me in welcoming these exceptional individuals by reading their bios: New Fireside Staff 

Important Dates and Back to School Info:

• School supply lists are posted on the website
• Class lists will be made available for families on August 11th by accessing the portal account on Infinite Campus.
• Aug. 15: All school PTO Ice Cream Social, 2:30-3:30pm (meet your teacher, other students and drop off school supplies).
• Check homepage on school website for other important dates and information

Helpful reminders for Drop Off/Pick-up/Parking Lot:

• The circle bus lane is for buses only. This is not a parking area or “drive through” area.
• Please use the “Hug and Go” lane on Dahlia for drop off/pick up as well as the parking lot “Hug and Go” lane.  Cars should not be parked or left unattended on Dahlia Street.
• If you choose to walk your child to their classroom, please park your car in the parking lot.
• Use the two crosswalks in front of the school.  We want to set a good, safe example for our children.

Thanks for supporting Fireside in being a safe community for all. I look forward to welcoming our new and returning families. It is an honor to serve this special community.

Yours in education,

Christa Keppler

May 19

Dear Fireside Families,

It's hard to believe our year is coming to a close. So many exciting events have taken place the past couple of weeks including field day, our kindergarten music performance, 1st grade poetry reading, 4th grade mini society and much, much more! This next week we look forward to our 5th grade continuation ceremony as well as our whole school assembly on May 25th. I've always believed in the importance of recognizing endings to give closure to a great year! We'll plan to share our community slideshow with our families in our last Chat of the school year.                 

This week we recognized our retirees-Laura Webster, Jane Cousins, Elaine Rosquist and Frances Reda at our retirement reception for their years of service, love and dedication to our Fireside community.  They will be dearly missed, but their legacy will linger. 

As many of you are aware we've been busy hiring, and are fortunate to attract such highly qualified teachers at Fireside. We've even had four candidates fly in from out of state for positions. I spend a great deal of time ensuring we're attracting the best candidates and conduct a thorough process including a hiring committee, teaching demonstrations, and multiple reference checks. While none of the positions have been finalized yet through our Human Resources department, I hope to make announcements for new teaching assignments in next week's Chat communication. 

David Millard and Shannon Pischke were Impact on Education grant recipients. Take a peak at how they're embedding IPADS to support learning at Fireside. 

Showcase 2017.mov
I look forward to seeing many of you at our carnival tonight as well as our closing events this coming week. 
Thank you for your partnership in learning.

April 21

Dear Fireside Families-

We will be posting positions on the BVSD website. Look for a part-time Early Childhood Community Liaison position- seeking applicants with strong relational and Spanish-speaking skills. A Primary position has also been posted





Tech at Fireside:

So proud of our technology committee as we continue to support students and staff with mindfully integrating tech at Fireside. Here are highlights shared from the tech committee: Technology at Fireside

Offsite Evacuation: April 24th from 8:30-10:30

Fireside Safety Committee has partnered with the district and Louisville Police Department for our first ever offsite evacuation. As a school, we'll kick off with a safety assembly (explaining the steps to students), then proceed to the Louisville Recreation Center. I am proud of our staff, as they are prepared and ready for this important safety drill. Please help your child by ensuring they are on time, wear comfortable walking shoes, and dress appropriately for the weather. Parents will be unable to access the school from 8:40-10:15 during the drill.

Please support the safety of our walkers by not turning left when exiting the school parking lot. We've had a few close calls lately. 

PLEASE JOIN US:

Volunteer Reception: This is open to all parents! May 3, after school in the Fireside Garden

Retirement Reception: May 17, 2:45, Fireside Garden-Join us in honoring Ms. Webster, Mrs. Cousins, and Ms. Rosquist for their years of service

MUSIC PERFORMANCES:

Out of respect to teacher’s teaching and the impact on instructional time, we request that parents refrain from pulling siblings for music concerts during the day.

PARENT WORKSHOP:

PEN Sponsored Workshop: Anxiety and Stress Workshop, April 22, 8:30-1:30- Ascent Church

Preschool on a field trip to Chautauqua Park

April 13

Dear Fireside Families,
It was wonderful seeing so many of our families represented at this week's 1st grade music programs. Students sang songs from across the globe, joined in on cultural games, and poured their hearts into the performances! Thank you, Mr. Haley, for inspiring our Fireside musicians. 

Have you heard?  
In order to support our community’s access to technology, the district has started a technology access pilot program. Devices loaded with all necessary district programs and security measures will now be available to students and their families at the same bulk discount that schools receive.  
You must create your own login before placing an order. All orders will be shipped directly to your school. Unfortunately, there is no way to ship equipment directly to you. Please direct questions to Dede Pazour, dede.pazour@bvsd.org.
Generic login to take a peek at the offerings is:
Username: Visitor
Password: BVsd123!
Countertrade Link

Announcement from Impact on Education:
I realize this doesn't provide much notice, as I just learned that the 2017 Jared Polis Foundation Teacher Recognition Awards are due on Friday, April 14. Please consider nominating a teacher for the 2017 Jared Polis Foundation Teacher Recognition Awards.    Anyone can nominate a teacher!
Each honoree receives the following:
$1,000 discretionary award for the teacher honoree
$1,000 teacher-directed school grant
$500 technology grant for the teacher honoree
The Jared Polis Foundation "Crystal Apple" award
Recognition in a half-page announcement in the Denver Post
Notices to the teachers' school district, board, and school community
To read the guidelines please visit: http://www.jaredpolisfoundation.org/updates/2017-jared-polis-foundation-teacher-recognition-awards.  The submission deadline is April 14, 2017.  All teacher honorees will be announced the first week of May.

As many of our families are aware, we piloted a rotating block schedule this year in order to provide larger uninterrupted instructional blocks, balanced instructional minutes for Art, Music and PE, and common plan time for teachers. We are excited to share that all elementary schools in BVSD have adopted a similar rotating schedule to begin in the fall of 2017. We will be making some slight revisions to our current schedule and will share this with the community in August, 2017.

PLEASE JOIN US:
Volunteer Reception: This is open to all parents! May 3, after school in the Fireside Garden
Retirement Reception: May 17, 2:45, Fireside Garden-Join us in honoring Ms. Webster, Ms. Cousins, and Ms. Rosquist for their years of service


Offsite Evacuation: April 24th from 8:30-10:30
Fireside Safety Committee partnered with the district and Louisville Police Department in planning our first ever offsite evacuation. As a school, we'll kick off with a safety assembly (explaining the steps to students), then proceed to the Louisville Recreation Center. I am proud of our staff, as all are prepared and ready for this important safety drill.

As always, thank you for your partnership in learning!

April 7

Dear Fireside Families,

It's been a fun-filled week of learning, including our PARCC testing! So far it's going smoothly and we really appreciate parents efforts to arrange doctor's appointments and vacations around testing as make-up schedules are a bit tricky. 

Thanks to David Summers for visiting Kinder Enrichment and inspiring our youngsters about space exploration. He brought in a REAL tip of a rocket that students could touch, and shared a brief video of a rocket blasting off complete with a count-down. This was part of a unit in KE on exploring space-planets, stars, comets, and our solar system. We sure value our amazing Kinder Enrichment programming and all the hands-on learning opportunities provided by Ms. Contini and Marilyn. We also value our parents as partners in learning by sharing their background and expertise with students!

With the weather warming up, we encourage our families to bike or walk to school this month and be sure to mark your calendars for our Bike to School Day on April 19th. Please keep in mind, dogs should not be on school grounds, this includes the playground. 

School Accountability Committee will be meeting next week. Take a peek at our agenda: April SAC  One of the discussion topics will be Individualized Education Plans. All are welcome to attend!   

Community opportunity: Mondarch HS will be hosting a screening of Beyond Measure, the final film in the Innovation in Education Film Series on Thursday, April 20th at Monarch HS. Click here for more information and to RSVP to the film that starts at 6 PM.

As always, thank you for your partnership in learning!

March 10

Dear Fireside Families,
Last weekend's International Potluck was quite the hit. Watching families dance the limbo, share dishes from across the globe, and spend time together as a community was a joy to experience. Thanks to Ms. Rosquist for spearheading the event along with her amazing crew and chair, Stacy Payne -fun was had by all!

Our apologies about the Dreambox survey malfunction, please take a moment to complete the revised one. We're gathering input as a school about whether or not to continue using this adaptive math technology for next year. Dreambox Survey

A picture of the last time Mrs. Keppler wore her dress while
carrying a dowry in a Ugandan wedding. Fun to pull it back out again
for the potluck!

As always, thank you for your partnership in learning. Should you have a question, idea, concern or celebration my door is always open. "It takes a whole village to educate our children" is my continued motto as a leader. Thank you for everyone's part in making Fireside an exceptional place to learn.

March 3

Dear Fireside Families,
     It's been a week of celebrating literacy at Fireside! We are so glad parents could join us by attending the Literacy Week Parent Forum , visiting classrooms to see literacy in action, or participating alongside their child in a literacy rich learning activity. We are grateful for our classroom guest readers, whether that meant being a Spanish language reader in a class or listening to a community member read to our students. Each reader inspired a joy of reading for our children, while imparting the essential theme of "empathy" through this year's theme- Read a Mile in Someone Else's Shoes. Friday's Colorado Shakespeare Festival Performance of "The Comedy of Errors" exposed students to Shakespeare as well as lessons about tolerance. Thanks to the generosity of our local sponsors, $1,875 was raised to go towards the purchase of leveled books for our Fireside bookroom! 
     This week wouldn't have been possible without the support of our Literacy Committee (especially our chairs-Chrissie Burg and Rachel Setzke), the countless volunteers who read to students, and our dedicated staff. We were all reminded that reading is knowledge, knowledge provides a voice, and collectively, we paused to embrace the essential values of empathy and tolerance through rich texts. As a family, take a moment to consider a family read aloud, or how you incorporate reading, writing and listening into your family life!
Important bits: 

• Here is our SAC agenda for Thursday, March 9 from 5:30-7pm. Parents are welcome to join us.

Shout outs:
A special shout out to our volunteer photographers: Becky Slusarchyk, Lynda Hayley and Misty Wright for capturing Fireside moments for our school communications.

A shout out to Katie Doyle Myers and the Puentes Committee for all the great work they're doing to support our Latino families!

Feb. 17

Dear Families,
     Another exciting week here at Fireside Elementary. Thanks to our parents for attending the first round of conferences, they will continue into next week on February 21st and 23rd. Teachers sure appreciated the conference meals provided by our parents. 
     Be sure to check out: Fireside Elementary ranked #4 among top 25 schools in the Denver Metro area This is a tribute to our amazing staff, strong PTO board, and cohesive community. We truly provide an exceptional learning experience for all!
     Don't forget to join us on Monday, February 27th at 8:10am in the Amphitheater to kick-off our Literacy Week with a parent presentation co-presented by myself, our district literacy coach and in collaboration with Fireside teachers.  Learn about our Fireside reading beliefs, practices, and resources we're using to support readers and find out ways you can support your readers at home. We're excited about this year's Literacy Week theme emphasizing Empathy:  Read a Mile in Someone Else's Shoes. Please RSVP by signing up here
     Interested in learning more about tech in BVSD? Take a peak at: District Technology Advisory Committee Update (Feb 2017) Educational technology resources and the opportunities afforded through these tools are forever expanding and changing. As a district we have seen an increase in digital devices and resources to enhance teaching and learning. 


As always, thank you for your partnership in learning.