Detailed Back-to-School Information

PSD Welcomes Students Back-to-school August 17 – 19

School start dates:

·       New 6^th, 7^th, 9^th and 10^th graders will start school on August 17 – check with your child’s

school or website (all under www.psdschools.org) for specific times

·       All secondary students (grades 6-12) will start school on August 18

·       First day of school for elementary students is August 19 

New students register at each school

If your student is new to PSD or if you have moved from one school attendance area to another, please contact your neighborhood school and register as soon as possible. Registration for new students is scheduled for August 10-11 for elementary schools (grade kindergarten – 5), and August 3-13 for secondary schools (grades 6-12), excluding weekend days.  Contact your child's secondary school for exact registration dates and times. 

If you are unsure which schools serve your neighborhood, please call (970) 490-3232 or go to www.psdschools.org and look under Schools -> School Listing -> Which schools serve my neighborhood?

When registering your child, please bring your child’s birth certificate (original or certified copy), emergency contact information, immunization records or a signed exemption statement of religious or personal objection, and a copy of your student’s academic history or current report card. We encourage you to make an appointment with a school counselor when registering your child at a secondary school.

Bus schedule now online; schools have lists

The bus schedule is available now for the 2009-10 school year. 

School supply lists available at schools

Elementary school supply lists are available at each school, are listed in school newsletters, and may be available from local merchants.

Secondary students should bring a notebook, paper, pencil, and pen the first day of school. Classroom teachers will announce specific supplies required.

Register Now! Tuition-based preschool program accepting students

Register now, for the Poudre School District tuition-based preschool program, which will pilot at Cache LaPoudre Elementary, Rice Elementary, and Moore Elementary Schools, and the Fullana Learning Center for the 2009-2010 school year. 

Half-day sessions will be available in the morning and afternoon at participating schools. 

Preschool registration information and applications for the 2009-10 school year are available online.

The new preschool program will offer:

• Teachers licensed by Colorado Dept. of Education
• High quality, standards-based preschool environment 
• 16 students per session.  Adult to child ratio 1-8
• Tuition cost $3150/year or $315 monthly for 10 months
• To register, go to www.psdschools.org.; click on “School Registration;” then click on the upper left-hand link, “Preschool Registration” or call 490-3204 for more information

Food service provides many meal choices

Nutritious lunches and many meal choices are provided daily at all schools. Some schools provide breakfast. Meals are priced at:

Elementary – $2.00; Reduced – $0.40

Secondary – $2.25; Reduced – $0.40

Breakfast at participating schools is priced at:

Elementary – $1.00; Reduced – $0.30

Secondary – $1.00; Reduced – $0.30

Prices vary at secondary schools for a la carte items.

Lunch menus are posted under the Quick Links pull-down menu on the PSD web site at www.psdschools.org, in school newsletters, and printed weekly in the Fort Collins Coloradoan.

Lunch program available to qualifying families

Applications for the federal free and reduced-price school lunch program were mailed home to all heads of households in late July/early August. Students participating in the program during the previous school year may be automatically enrolled in the program for the first 30 days of school. Parents must submit a new family application each school year and are required to complete only one application per household. The application may be returned to a school or to the Food Service Office. Identity of students participating is kept strictly confidential.

Eligible families should complete and return the form even if they do not plan to participate in the lunch program. Students who qualify for the federal free and reduced-price school lunch program are also exempt from other fees and charges. A letter of eligibility for free and reduced-price meals will be sent to the parents/guardians of qualifying students. An information release form will be included with the eligibility letter. Complete the information release form and return it to your school office. Information: (970) 490-3557

Keep immunization records up to date

Students registering for the first time in PSD must present proof of immunizations or provide a signed exemption statement of religious or personal objection. 

Call your healthcare provider, the Larimer County Health Department at (970) 498-6700, or visit www.co.larimer.co.us/health/chs for information. A walk-in children’s immunization clinic is offered at the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment, 1525 Blue Spruce Drive. Call for specific times.

Update schools with student health information

If your child has special health concerns, diagnoses, medications, or dietary or toileting needs, please keep school health care staff informed so they can develop a school health care plan for your child. Complete physical exams by a family physician are recommended for students entering kindergarten and 4^th grade.

Update phone numbers and parent contact information

Parents are encouraged to keep phone numbers, addresses, and emergency contact information updated throughout the school year. Watch for a student information form to come home with your child the first week of school.  Provide your email for emergency notifications and communication via email, sign up at www.psdschools.org.

Sports physicals required for athletes grades 7–12

Students playing sports at PSD middle and high schools are required to have sports physicals before the first practice. Authorization for Athletic Participation forms are available at all secondary schools, online at www.psdschools.org, or at the PSD Johannsen Support Services Center, 2407 LaPorte Avenue. Information: (970) 490-3106

Practice for fall sports begins August 12

PSD offers 27 competitive sports for boys and girls throughout the school year. Practice for fall high school sports begins August 17. Contact individual high schools for practice times. Practice for 7^th- and 8^th-grade football begins August 12. Practice for 7^th- and 8^th-grade girl’s softball begins August 17.

Sports participation fees are $60/sport for athletes in grades 7–8 and $85/sport for athletes in grades 9–12, with a family maximum of $250 per year. Fees are higher for home-schooled, private school, and charter school students participating on PSD athletic teams. Information: (970) 490-3106

Register online to volunteer

PSD’s online volunteer registration is available on the PSD website at www.psdschools.org. The system is easy to use for parents who want to volunteer at their child’s school and for community members who want to be involved in education. Help shape the future – volunteer! Information: (970) 490-3208

Before- and after-school care available

All elementary schools offer before- and after-school care and/or enrichment programs. Call your student’s school starting August 10 for details. If your student is not in a before-school program, please drop off students only after morning playground supervision begins.

New Parent Portal on PSD Web site

PSD is excited to launch a new interactive "Parent Portal" on the PSD Web site at the beginning of the 2009-10 school year. The Parent Portal will allow parents and guardians to view a quick and highly individualized snapshot of their student’s specific information, including: schedule, grades, upcoming assignments, account balances and school information.

The Parent Portal’s new interactive features are part of PSD’s continuing work to improve communications with parents and guardians. Parents and guardians should watch for a letter for each PSD enrolled student before school starts. The letter will contain a unique activation code for their student and detailed instructions for accessing the Parent Portal.

Pinnacle Internet Viewer (PIV) helps families, schools communicate

Pinnacle Internet Viewer (PIV), a secure web page containing information from PSD’s electronic Gradebook, allows secondary students (grades 6–12) and parents to view grades and missing assignments in real time. Teachers have the critical role of inputting and maintaining their Gradebooks to keep each student’s grades current.

How to access PIV

1.   Use information from a letter you will receive this fall from your student’s secondary school. (Contact the school if you didn’t receive the information or have misplaced it.)

2.   Open your internet browser to access the PIV viewer at

www.psdschools.org/schools/piv.aspx

3.   Enter confidential student information from the letter: student ID, secure PIN code, and school name.

4.   Request reports such as Report Card, Class Grades, or Missing Grades.

5.   If you have questions, ask your student, student’s teacher(s), or school.

Online help/tutorial: www.psdschools.org -> Students -> Pinnacle Grade Viewer

Note: PIV is not available during the summer. You may access it again after the school notifies you of its availability.