Building Our Community Together

We’re now a few weeks into the school year, and it’s been wonderful to see our students and teachers building strong connections with one another. A key part of success at an online school is taking the time to build community, and we’ve been seeing some amazing examples of this recently.

We’ve highlighted two great examples on our social media pages last week, and we encourage you to check them out. In one class, students collaborated on a fun live chat storytelling assignment, where students had to create a unique story while only communicating in chat. This activity led to some great conversations about how we can build community in Webex through all the tools available. In another class, students shared out things they could “teach” each other–the hobbies, interests, and activities that are a part of their lives. Then, together, they looked for connections to what everyone shared. These are just a couple of the many ways our students are actively building relationships and supporting each other in LaunchED.

We encourage you to ask your student about how they are building community in their own classes. Find out what they’re doing to connect with their peers and teachers, whether it’s through group projects, discussion boards, advisory or office hours. Taking part in these activities not only makes learning more enjoyable but also strengthens our entire LaunchED community.

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LaunchED Spirit Wear Store is Open!

Order your Spirit Wear for LaunchED! This year’s design celebrates the magic that is our school and the innovative spirit that all of our students show us every day as part of their learning and creativity. Please see the attached flyer and website information for ordering. Store is open from August 18th–Sept 8th.

Website: skazmacustomapparel.itemorder.com

Sale Code: LAUNCHED25

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Gifted and Talented Referrals 

Please click here for the Link for Gifted & Talented Referral Form

Each year, schools in St. Vrain Valley School District complete a process to identify students who demonstrate exceptional ability or performance in one or more academic and/or talent areas and may, therefore, qualify for Gifted/Talented educational services. These students usually perform at least two years above grade level in their strength area(s), and they require additional academic challenges in order to support their continued educational growth and progress.  In addition, they usually demonstrate characteristics of unique creativity and high motivation in their strength areas. 

Referrals are open through the month of September and will close on the last day of the month. Referrals after that date will be addressed on a case by case basis. Completing a referral guarantees a review of the student profile to determine if testing is recommended for the student. The process for identification requires a body of evidence and often takes place throughout the school year.

The process takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete.

Dr. Lori Houghton
Secondary Math Teacher
GT Site Coordinator – LaunchED
[email protected]

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Welcome New LaunchED Virtual Academy Staff!

Over the next few weeks we want to introduce you to the new LaunchED staff members for this year. First up is Megan Fruvellhoff, our new Academic Counselor for 8th-12th grades! See below for more information about Ms. Fru 🙂

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Attention! Please sign the Student Behavior Code of Conduct

Thank you for your partnership and supporting the academic growth, safety, and well-being of our students. Every year, St. Vrain Valley Schools prints an up-to-date version of the Code of Conduct for students and families to review. This important document guides students and school staff on what expectations for school conduct and the consequences for behaviors that fall outside of those expectations. It is important that families review this information every year and acknowledge their receipt and understanding of this document. 

To this end, please click here to access an electronic version of the Code of Conduct for the current school year. After you have reviewed this information, all families must sign an electronic acknowledgement that they have received, read, and understand the information contained, including the Annual Notification to Parents/Guardians; Behavioral Code of Conduct; Rights and Responsibilities of Students and Parents; and Board of Education Policies book. To sign your electronic acknowledgement, please follow the steps described here.

Again, thank you for your continued partnership and support. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at 303-702-8801.

Sincerely,

Dr. Ann Reed, Principal, LaunchED Virtual Academy

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School Pictures

Please see the flyer from Studio 5 for information about your student portraits. If you took a picture at Blast Off! there is still time to order your photos.

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iPad Insurance

It’s that time again! If you have not purchased iPad insurance you can do so now (and while it is not required, we recommend it!). If you have questions about signing up for insurance, please call our office at 303-702-8800 and we will help you out! You will pay insurance through Infinite Campus fees. Please see this information about our district iPad insurance: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rZygko4TXsYbv7SId2IW6U1n-3EgkMAM/view

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Attention Families!

We encourage all families to fill out the free and reduced lunch benefits application (this must be done each year). In addition to supporting the cost of meals, qualifying means access to district and school financial assistance programs for fees, such as course fees, iPad insurance, AP exams, and athletics. Families have to “opt in” to have their fees waived.

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Important iPad Updates for the 2025–2026 School Year

St. Vrain’s District Technology Services has made several updates to student iPads for the upcoming school year to support a focused and secure digital learning environment both at school and at home. One key update is the implementation of a new internet filter, Securly, which adds an extra layer of protection to iPads by blocking certain types of websites.

For more information about these updates – and what they mean for your child’s device — please click here.

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