Hello, Altura Prep Families and Community,
As we settle into the second half of the school year, we are proud to see the growth that so many of our students have made! We have a busy month of learning and celebration ahead, so please take a few minutes to read this newsletter in its entirety.
Mark Your Calendars! Important Dates for February and March:
Tuesday, February 14, 2023 - Kindness Day at Altura Prep
Monday, February 20, 2023- No School in Observance of Presidents' Day
Thursday, February 23, 2023 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Showcase (schoolwide)
Friday, March 10, 2023 - Parent Teacher Conferences (12 pm Dismissal)
Thursday, March 16, 2023 - Parent Teacher Conferences, NO SCHOOL for Students
Friday, March 17, 2023 - Parent Teacher Conferences, NO SCHOOL for Students
Monday, March 20 - Friday, March 24, 2023 - Spring Break, NO SCHOOL
February Value of the Month- Good Listener
For February, we are recognizing and celebrating the importance of being a good listener. Active listening means giving a speaker our full attention. Instead of just hearing what someone is saying and not really trying to understand or engage with it, active listening involves trying to fully understand the total message. Active listening also includes giving the speaker cues, both verbally and non-verbally, that we're engaging with their words. Being a good listener can look like this:
- Avoiding distractions.
- Nodding your head.
- Positive reinforcement.
- Remembering what they said.
- Responding with questions.
- Smiling.
When we listen actively, we encourage positive conservation. We can do so by acknowledging the speaker's point of view and being able to repeat what they've said using our own words.
So, why is it important for kids to learn how to listen actively? Active listening skills translate to better comprehension in the classroom. Children who are active listeners are also usually better at solving problems and better at communicating overall. In addition, active listening is a building block to leadership and demonstrates empathy. Some other benefits active listeners reap include:
- Being more resourceful.
- Having fewer misunderstandings.
- Improving productivity.
- Increasing self-reliance.
- Working faster.
Children learn by imitating how adults behave. If we act in a way that shows our children everyone is worthy of time and attention, they'll pick up on that. By modeling active listening, we give our children a positive basis for how people should communicate.
As parents, we can all support students in developing their listening skills by:
- Modeling active listening removes distractions when conversing with your child.
- Practicing eye contact.
- Asking and encouraging follow-up questions.
No matter what we are talking about with our children, taking the time to repeat back or reflect on what they've said helps them know that we are listening to them. A child experiencing an intense emotion may not be able to name what they're feeling, but your calm and reflective reactions can help them work through their thoughts — while showing them what a good listener looks like. Authentic listening requires patience, determination, and concentration. Practicing these techniques helps kids develop communication skills they'll use their whole lives.
February 14 is Kindness Day!
Each year, Altura Preparatory School celebrates World Kindness Day on February 14. Although we believe the spirit of Valentine's Day is sweet and well-meaning, the commercialism and fanfare that comes with it add unneeded stress to many families and is not inclusive to our students who do not celebrate the holiday. Therefore, in place of traditional Valentine's Day celebrations, our Prepsters participate in schoolwide activities that promote charity, cultivate empathy, and demonstrate compassion for others. By intentionally choosing to celebrate the art of being kind, we are teaching our students that even the smallest gestures of doing the right thing and giving of oneself are often the most meaningful ones.
We will need donations for one of our projects of travel-sized toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, soap, hand sanitizer, toothpaste, etc.) for a project to give to members of our community who are experiencing homelessness. If you have extras to donate, we would appreciate it if you would send them our way.
We will also be asking our families to donate items to one of three local area nonprofits:
Donations for Ronald McDonald House:
- Toiletries/hygiene items (shampoo, conditioner, soap, hand sanitizer, toothpaste, etc.)
- Pre-packaged snacks (goldfish, crackers, granola bars, ramen noodles, etc., that families can take for snacks to go to the hospital)
- Items for siblings (puzzle books, etc.)
Donations for Saranam:
- Disinfecting cleaning wipes (like Clorox wipes)
- Dish soap
- Multipurpose cleaner (like Fabuloso)
- Laundry detergent
- Fabric softener
- Bleach
- Tall kitchen trash bags (13-gallon)
Donations for Cherry Hills Public Library:
Students will be packaging and preparing these donations to deliver to the nonprofits.
Thank you in advance for helping our students to show kindness to those in need within our community. We will begin collecting these items from Friday, February 3, through next Friday, February 10, 2023.
Oratorical Festival
In honor of African American History Month and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we are thrilled to host the return of our annual Oratorical Fest on February 23. We are excited for Prepsters to hone their public speaking and presentation skills, build their confidence, and show you all a bit of what they've learned this year! Unfortunately, due to space constraints of the venue for the Showcase, we will hold two separate time slots - one for grades K-2 and one for grades 3-5.
When: Thursday, February 23
Times: K-2 - 11:30-12:30 pm
3-5 - 1:00-2:00 pm
Location: Hope in the Desert Church (southeast of Altura Preparatory School)
Parking: We will be able to offer 48 (and 2 handicapped) parking spots in the Altura Prep parking lot. Please plan to park on Alameda Blvd, as we cannot park in the spots reserved for the offices and businesses that operate the lot adjacent to the school/church. We must preserve a positive working relationship with the neighboring businesses. You will be asked to move your car if you park in the church or business parking lot.
Dismissal on Thursday, February 23: As usual, we will open the gates for dismissal at 2:30 pm. Families with students in grades 3-5 may sign their child out outside of the church after the Oratorical Showcase. We ask that everyone parked in the Altura Prep lot exit toward Alameda Blvd promptly after each Showcase presentation.
Parent Conferences- Friday, March 10, Thursday, March 16, and Friday, March 17, 2023
Please be on the lookout for your Spring Parent Conference Invitations. As with our Fall Conferences, times will be assigned to families, and we request that you send back your confirmation pages promptly so we can have an accurate idea of the schedules for your child/ren's teachers.
Please note that Friday, March 10, 2023, will be an early dismissal day (12 pm, regular Friday schedule). There will be NO SCHOOL for students on Thursday or Friday, March 16 and 17, 2023.
Dismissal Traffic
Several issues must be addressed for dismissal traffic safety. When you arrive to pick up your child/ren at dismissal time, parents/caregivers must follow the flow of traffic and directions of the individuals taking PikMyKid numbers. We cannot continue to accommodate cars who "do not want to wait" in Car Line 3 or 4. Plan your arrival accordingly. We must respectfully require that everyone follow the directions of the staff in the parking lot when their vehicle is directed to a Car Line. Many parents have become belligerent and disrespectful to our team at dismissal when led to car lines 3 and 4. Let's strive to model the rules and behaviors we would want our own children to follow.
Several cars have attempted to make the left turn from Signal Ave into the school parking lot. We ask families again to avoid making the left into the school from Signal Ave. We cannot block traffic heading both east and west on Signal. In addition, we must ask that families obey all traffic signage. There have been several near-accidents when a car has not stopped at the stop sign in our intersection.
If you must take Barstow to Signa Avel, you must bypass the school and turn around before attempting to enter the parking lot. Again, please share this information with anyone who is also picking up your child/ren.
