Spring District and State Assessments

As we move into spring, our upcoming state assessments serve as a “snapshot” of student progress, allowing us to see how far our learners have come in mastering grade-level expectations. For our 3rd through 8th graders, the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) highlights their growth in math, language arts, and science (for 5th and 8th grades). Similarly, for our high schoolers, the PSAT and SAT provide valuable insights into their academic development and college readiness.

In LaunchED, and in our district, we see these assessments as an opportunity for our students to demonstrate their hard work, critical thinking, and the strong academic skills they have built throughout the year. We have focused all year on fostering curiosity and depth of understanding, and these assessments are simply the final step in showing off what students have mastered.

We know our students are resilient, innovative learners, and we look forward to celebrating their achievements as they showcase their growth. You can read more about these upcoming assessments below.

---

---

Student Art of the Week!

Both high school and middle school photography students have recently been exploring portrait photography. Ninth grade student McKinley used her sister Reagan (8th grade) as her model in this creative portrait, which also has great use of leading lines.

We are continually impressed by the talent and creativity of the students in LaunchED. In fact, many of our students will be featured at the upcoming district art show–see information below!

---

St. Vrain Valley Schools invites the community to its annual Art Show at the Boulder County Fairgrounds Exhibition Hall from April 14-19, featuring artwork from students of all grade levels across the district. The event is free and open to the public, with viewing hours Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There will also be a special Artists’ Night Open House on Thursday, April 16 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Join us in celebrating students’ creativity through ceramics, digital art, drawing, jewelry, metalwork, mixed media, painting, and printmaking.

Learn More

---

Spring Assessment Season in LaunchED

Please see important information below about upcoming assessments in LaunchED.

Students in 3rd-8th grades will take the CMAS exam in their regular classroom (3rd-5th grades) or in their Advisory class (6th-8th grades) beginning Monday, April 6th. You can see the full schedule here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lHNYbBvD0Lq1wg3DDrd0jyOW53eOxOjtbcGpfG6W57g/edit?usp=sharing

Students that are opted out of the CMAS exam will have asynchronous work assigned during the CMAS testing time (9:00-11:00 am for 3rd-5th; 10:30-12:00pm for 6th-8th).

Students in 9th-11th Grade will have PSAT and SAT testing on April 14th (11th grade SAT) and April 15th (9th and 10th grade PSAT) in person at our LaunchED campus. Parents–please check your email for more information.

---

Webex Updates

Thank you to our Digital Technology Services (DTS) for the recent work to fix the Webex issue in Schoology. And, we are pleased to share that the Webex link works inside the Schoology app once again!

Students, you can now access Webex through the Schoology app on your iPads like normal

Thank you again to our DTS team who worked tirelessly to make this happen!

---

ParentSquare: Our New District Communication Tool

St. Vrain Valley Schools will begin using ParentSquare, a new district communication tool that allows families to receive notifications based on their preferences. St. Vrain’s communications team will pilot ParentSquare for the remainder of the school year with the plan to expand access to schools at the start of the 2026-27 school year. We’re excited about the opportunities ParentSquare offers to streamline communication and will be working towards consolidating several of the tools families currently use into one convenient platform. 

After spring break, parents and guardians will receive an email invitation to activate their ParentSquare account. This will allow families to download the mobile app, set language preferences, and choose how and when they receive notifications.

Visit the district website to learn more about ParentSquare.

---

Building Your LaunchED Toolkit
March Focus: The Power of Reliability

Each month our 6th-12th grade advisory classes are focusing on skills of online learning that are valuable in school and beyond! This month, the focus is on the power of reliability. We wanted to share this focus with our community as a way to support students.

In an online environment, your reliability is how others know they can count on you. Showing up on time and meeting deadlines is how you tell your teachers and classmates, “I’m here, and I’m ready to contribute.” In a global world where people work across different time zones, being reliable is the foundation of every team. 

Showing Up for Your Community: When you log in on time and participate, you keep the momentum going for everyone. Your presence helps create a lively, active classroom where ideas can grow.

A Digital Promise: Think of every deadline as a promise you make to yourself and your team. For you, staying on track means less stress and more confidence in your own learning. For the group, your timely work allows everyone to move forward together.

---

Important Updates for Families in Colorado!

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) has asked us to share this information with our community: Due to the federal government shutdown, SNAP benefits for November may be delayed. If you need additional food before your SNAP benefits are available, there are local resources that can help:

Hunger Free Colorado Food Resource Hotline: 855-855-4626

Colorado 211: Call 2-1-1- or 866-760-6489 or visit www.211colorado.org (this resource also includes support for holiday needs as well)

Feeding Colorado: Visit www.feedingcolorado.org/find-food or email [email protected]

---

---