Weekly Digest

February is Black History Month, a time to honor the history, contributions, and lived experiences of Black individuals and communities, and to reflect on how these stories continue to shape our shared future.

Throughout the month, students across Peak to Peak have had the opportunity to engage in classroom learning that fosters a deeper understanding of the experiences of Black people throughout U.S. history. In the library, our librarians and staff have curated displays that amplify Black voices across genres. These displays will feature a diverse selection of fiction and nonfiction works by Black authors, along with an interactive QR code exhibit showcasing selected pages from national institutions. We encourage students to explore stories that both affirm identity and broaden their perspectives. It is our hope that students make meaningful connections not only during Black History Month but also throughout the school year. 

The library is honored to partner with our Black Student Union to welcome special guest speaker, Fleurette "Flo" King, BVSD’s Director of Equity and Inclusive Teaching and Learning, on February 25th. King will join our BSU to explore equity issues in BVSD and share her own personal experiences.

As we celebrate Black History Month, we remain committed to ensuring that these conversations extend beyond February. Peak to Peak makes an effort to ensure diverse perspectives are embedded throughout our curriculum, and our team is committed to equity and excellence for all our students.

If you are interested in exploring Black History themes more deeply with your students, the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum have put together a few resources that pay tribute to the generations of African Americans who have overcome adversity in American society.

BVSD announced this week that they will be blocking ChatGPT on all BVSD devices and networks starting Monday, February 16th.

This decision was made in response to increased safety concerns around new features available in ChatGPT that could put student safety at risk. This does not mean students will stop learning about artificial intelligence; we know that AI is an important and evolving part of the world our students are growing up in, and developing responsible digital literacy is essential to preparing them for college and beyond. Teachers will continue to introduce students to AI concepts in age-appropriate ways, but these will be done intentionally, with student safety at the forefront. Specifically, BVSD is encouraging teachers to work with students using MagicSchool AI, an approved, data-protected, AI enterprise software that meets our educational and safety standards.

Read the full announcement from BVSD here.

Many of you received communication from BVSD about declining enrollment trends and potential consolidation or programmatic changes at some district elementary schools. We want to reassure our families that this planning process does not impact Peak to Peak. In general, east Boulder County schools are not being impacted as significantly as other areas in the district. Our enrollment remains strong, we continue to maintain a healthy waitlist, and we are not under consideration for consolidation or closure. In fact, we are still looking ahead with excitement toward future campus expansion as we plan for the long-term success of our school. We recognize that this is a challenging moment for many schools and families across the district, and we are mindful of the impact these conversations may have.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has completed an audit of our approved volunteers. As part of this process, some volunteers were asked to re-complete fingerprinting.

As volunteer opportunities arise, please email Zaira Corbett (zaira.nevarez-corbett@bvsd.org) to confirm your current volunteer status if you are unsure. You may be asked to complete updated volunteer paperwork and fingerprinting. Please allow up to two weeks for the volunteer approval process to be completed.

As part of the audit, we are issuing new volunteer badges. Please return your original blue badge to the office, and a new badge will be provided.

Additionally, during February, please stop by the south or north entrance to pick up a volunteer appreciation gift!

Thank you for working with us to support our students and help keep them safe.

Puma Pete Wants You... to Volunteer!

Below are the current volunteer opportunities from our staff. More information can be found on our Volunteer page. If you'd like to get involved, please reach out to the staff member listed or complete the linked form.

• New Volunteer Drivers for Peak Week (sign up here)

  All drivers must be cleared to volunteer and must complete the Parent Driver paperwork. 

  • Monday, March 9th: several stops in Lafayette, Boulder, and Erie with a total time commitment of about 2 hours (9:45-11:45)
  • Tuesday, March 10th to Ball Arena: Leaving Peak at 12:00 and returning to school by 2:30 pm
  • Thursday, March 12th to Empower Field & Coors Field: Leaving Peak at 9:30 am. Then driving their group to  Coors Field at 12:30 and back to Peak by 3:00 pm
  • Thursday, March 12th to State Capitol: Leave Peak @ 7:30am and return from the State Capitol @ 2 pm.

• New 9th Grade Peak Week Chaperones (sign up here)

The 9th Grade Peak Week course requires 3 parent volunteers per day. Parents can volunteer for one day or several, depending on what works for your schedule. See days and destinations below.

• Monday, March 9th: CU Boulder and the Boulder Rock Club
• Tuesday, March 10th: University of Denver, Denver Art Museum, Regis, Colorado History Museum, Boulder Rock Club, and Bowling (TBD)
• Wednesday, March 11th: CU Denver, Meow Wolf, Arvada Center, Colorado School of Mines, and the University of Denver
• Thursday, March 12th: Arvada Center, University of Denver, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, CU Denver, Coors Field, and the Boulder Rock Club
• Friday, March 13th: Denver Zoo

• New Show your love at our next Staff Appreciation Lunch (Sign up to volunteer or bring a food item.)

We are hosting an International theme Staff Lunch on Friday, February 20th.  

We are inviting anyone who is interested to volunteer or provide food donations to "Show Our Love Around The World" to our loving staff. 

You must have completed Peak to Peak's volunteer process to be on campus. You only have to do this once for the duration of your time at Peak to Peak. If you are not volunteering on campus or with students, this process is not required.

Class Picture Day is Wednesday, February 18th! Photos can be ordered online at MyLifetouch.com.

Picture Day ID: EVTGJC8K

Come to a coffee chat with the Elementary Counselors, Alexis Ball and Emily Tweten!

When: Friday, February 20th, from 8:00-9:00am

Where: Cafeteria

Why: Come visit with our Elementary Counselors to learn about the Bully Prevention program at Peak to Peak and how we promote pro-social behavior and self-advocacy. Also, learn more about our upcoming annual participation in The Great Kindness Challenge and how families can get involved.

6th and 7th grade students will complete course selection for the 2026-27 school year between February 24th-27th.

Families are encouraged to talk with their students about course choices. Because we build our master schedule in the spring, we need all course requests finalized by the end of February.

Course Selection Timeline:

• October-January: Teachers assess student progress to determine appropriate course placements for next year.
• February 17th: Students receive course selection information and graduation requirements during Flex time.
• February 17th-23rd: Families discuss course options at home.
• February 24th-25th: 6th graders enter course requests in infinite Campus during their History class.
• February 26th-27th: 7th graders enter course requests in infinite Campus during their History class.

Important Reminders:

• Students planning to take a music class must receive approval from the appropriate music teacher (an audition may be required).

• Parents should keep a copy of the course recommendation sheet for summer reading reference.

• Schedules will be available at August registration and viewable in Infinite Campus.

• Schedule change requests must be submitted via the Schedule Change Request Google Form during the one-week add/drop period at the start of the term.

Please reach out to your middle school counselor with any questions.

The Lafayette Library will host a free makerspace event at Peak to Peak's library during middle school lunch, typically on the last Tuesday of each month. This month's meetup will be on Tuesday, February 17th! Have your student sign up by the end of the day on Monday, February 16th, on the middle school announcement board, or send Ms. Flanhofer an email (carla.flanhofer@bvsd.org) to have her add your student to the list. We will send reminders to all participants on Tuesday morning of the event.

The Middle School Talent Show, Peaks Got Talent!, will be held on Tuesday, March 10th. There will be a (shortened) performance for the student body during flex-time and a full-length performance from 4:30-6:30 pm for students, families & friends.

Auditions will be held on Friday, February 20th, during lunch and after school. Sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/peaksgottalent

Email Scott.Franzblau@bvsd.org with questions.

BVSD and Peak to Peak administer the CommonLit assessments three times per year as their benchmark measure of literacy skills for 6th-12th grade students. CommonLit is a teacher-founded nonprofit that provides educators with high-quality instructional resources. The assessment series offered by CommonLit is statistically calibrated to measure a student's progress toward current grade level standards. Unlike iReady, which we have used in the past to determine a student's exact reading grade level, CommonLit will demonstrate growth over time each year it is given. Therefore, it is expected for beginning-of-year scores to show that a student has not yet mastered the grade level content. Additionally, labels such as "on grade level" are formally assigned only after the end-of-year assessment. 

The midyear scores for your student(s) are now live in Infinite Campus at your convenience. A full-page report is provided for you to download. To access the scores, please follow the directions provided in the "How to access mClass/CommonLit Results Using Infinite Campus" guide.

We have several Peak Week Field Trips in need of volunteer support! 

Parent Drivers are needed for the following dates and destinations. All drivers must be cleared to volunteer and must complete the Parent Driver paperwork. 

• Monday, March 9th: several stops in Lafayette, Boulder, and Erie with a total time commitment of about 2 hours (9:45-11:45)
• Tuesday, March 10th to Ball Arena: Leaving Peak at 12:00 and returning to school by 2:30 pm
• Thursday, March 12th to Empower Field & Coors Field: Leaving Peak at 9:30 am. Then driving their group to  Coors Field at 12:30 and back to Peak by 3:00 pm
• Thursday, March 12th to State Capitol: Leave Peak @ 7:30am and return from the State Capitol @2pm.

The 9th Grade Peak Week course needs 3 parent volunteers to support each day. This could be 15 different individuals, or 3 individuals with a 5-day commitment, or something in between! See days and destinations below.

• Monday: CU Boulder and the Boulder Rock Club
• Tuesday: University of Denver, Denver Art Museum, Regis, Colorado History Museum, Boulder Rock Club, and Bowling (TBD)
• Wednesday: CU Denver, Meow Wolf, Arvada Center, Colorado School of Mines, and the University of Denver
• Thursday: Arvada Center, University of Denver, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, CU Denver, Coors Field, and the Boulder Rock Club
• Friday: Denver Zoo

If you are able to help, please sign up here!

BVSD and Peak to Peak administer the CommonLit assessments three times per year as their benchmark measure of literacy skills for 6th-12th grade students. CommonLit is a teacher-founded nonprofit that provides educators with high-quality instructional resources. The assessment series offered by CommonLit is statistically calibrated to measure a student's progress toward current grade level standards. Unlike iReady, which we have used in the past to determine a student's exact reading grade level, CommonLit will demonstrate growth over time each year it is given. Therefore, it is expected for beginning-of-year scores to show that a student has not yet mastered the grade level content. Additionally, labels such as "on grade level" are formally assigned only after the end-of-year assessment. 

The midyear scores for your student(s) are now live in Infinite Campus at your convenience. A full-page report is provided for you to download. To access the scores, please follow the directions provided in the "How to access mClass/CommonLit Results Using Infinite Campus" guide. 

Alden Bradley, Rohit Movva, and Pierce Ross (all class of 2027) secured the Excellence Award at last weekend’s national-level robotics event, the highest achievement at a VEX Robotics competition. This award is reserved for the team that demonstrates the most comprehensive success across technical interviews, engineering documentation, and on-field robot performance. This victory secured them an early spot in the VEX World Championship this April.

We want to celebrate your students' achievements!

Do you have a student or staff celebration to share with us? Submit accomplishments and photos for the Puma Spotlight with this form!

We can't be there for every moment, but we know you are there with your cameras. By sharing your photos through this form, we can share the story of your Puma moment with our community.