Posted February 7, 2025
Dear Asbury Community,
Happy Chinese New Year- the year of the snake! The Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is one of the most significant cultural celebrations in many East and Southeast Asian communities. Embedded in centuries-old traditions, the holiday marks the beginning of a new year based on the lunar calendar, which follows the cycles of the moon rather than the solar calendar used in most Western countries. Lunar New Year typically falls between late January and mid-February, with celebrations lasting up to 15 days.
The holiday is a time for renewal, reflection, and reconnection – a fresh start to honour ancestors, cherish loved ones, and express hopes for health, prosperity, and happiness. Homes are cleaned to sweep away bad luck, while red lanterns and paper cut-outs symbolising good fortune adorn walls and doors.
With this in mind, let’s all take time in this new year for renewal, reflection, and reconnection in our own community! We have so much to celebrate as we reflect, including continuing to support our students’ access to rich and rigorous education through PBL, inclusion and high quality learning opportunities!
We will continue to focus on offering a safe and welcoming learning environment with a sense of renewed responsibility in this new year!
In Partnership,
Jeanna Doung
Immigration Resources for Family and Staff:
A Family Resource Toolkit is available in English and Spanish, and contains information and resources about rights, current DPS policies, training, mental health support, DPS resources, community resources and more. To request the toolkit in another language, email office_communications@dpsk12.net.
DPS Release Day-2/14 (No School for Students)
No school for students next Friday, 2/14. We will have a DPS release day. This is a time where all staff come together and grow our practice through professional development, collaborate and take time to plan together. We take time to plan, we better support each and everyone of our students.
Celebrating Asbury Staff
We are excited to celebrate Asbury staff in February with gift baskets filled with their favorite things! Please check out our sign up genius here to donate time or treats for our staff members.
Drop off items in the front office with Ms. Baca by Friday Feb 7th.
Jillian Coplan-Staff Appreciation Committee
Jillianbuck@gmail.com
720-514-2739
Green Eagles Denver 7 News Story
Asbury News in the Air February Edition – from Ms. E’s newspaper group
HR Updates
Monday, 3/3 – Guest Author Coming to Kick off Read A Thon – Mina Javaherbin
2025-26 SchoolChoice Round 1 is Open!
SchoolChoice Round 1 for the 2025-26 school year is open and will close on Feb. 18, 2025.
Families can apply here. Families with existing Parent Portal accounts can log in using their username and password. Families who don’t have Parent Portal accounts will set up a new account.
Message from Mrs. Batesmith – Talent Show Committee Members Wanted!
Mrs Batesmith is looking for a few more people to be on the Talent Show Committee for this spring’s upcoming Talent Show! Members of this committee will serve as a think tank for logistics and processes on how to improve the Talent Show. Members of this committee may also have the opportunity to serve on the audition panel if that is a direction the panel chooses to go. The time commitment on this is low, culminating with the Talent Show performance, and will involve a handful of virtual meetings and information exchange via email.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please send an email to Mrs Batesmith (tillifinney_smith@dpsk12.net) by Thursday 1/16. Thanks for your consideration!
PBL Request for 5th Grade
Do any of you have any connections to shoes! We are looking to get new white sneakers (one pair for each student in their size ideally!) for a Geometry PBL that they will be working on coming soon. Please reach out to Amy_Ravel@dpsk12.net if you have any connections or ideas on how to make this dream a reality!
Prospective Parent Tours Extended
Prospective parent tours have been very successful. Prospective families have been signing up for times to tour Asbury. On these tours they talk to current students and parents while walking around the building. Then prospective parents talk to teachers and Ms. D about the school. We usually run tour weekly from October-January. They have been so popular this month, that we have decided to extend tours through March 7! If you are interested in volunteering to lead these tours, please reach out to Ms. D!
Bell Times At Asbury for 25/26 SY
Earlier this year, a survey was sent out gathering information about bell times. Asbury currently has a 7:40 start time and 2:40 end time. The survey included options for a later start time (9:00-9:30) or the option to keep the same bell times. With the Board push for later start times for middle and high school, Asbury does not have the opportunity for an 8:00-8:30 start time. Eighty percent of community and staff indicated through the survey that the current bell time schedule worked for them. Based on this, Asbury will maintain their current bell time schedule for this coming school year.
Safety Drills at Asbury
Each year, all schools participate in drills to ensure our building is safe given any circumstance. We have our Standard Response Protocol (SRP) Drills.
In the coming weeks, students will participate in their second Lockdown Drill of the 2024-25 school year. During a lockdown drill, all students and staff practice locking doors, turning off lights, and staying out of sight. These drills typically last less than ten minutes.
Throughout the drill, team members from the DPS Department of Climate and Safety will monitor the building. They ensure hallways are clear, doors are securely locked, and that students and staff understand the safety procedures. These drills are a vital part of our commitment to creating safe and prepared school environments.
Grandfriends Day
Your students cordially invite you to Asbury’s Third Annual Grandfriends Day!
February 13th, 2025
Kindergarten – Second Grade – 7:40 am-9:10 am
Third Grade – Fifth Grade- 9:10am-10:40am
Please fill out this form regarding your participation in Grandfriends Day by February 7th. If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Batesmith at tillifinney_smith@dpsk12.net.
What’s going on with PTSO?
Please visit the Asbury Website for more information and details about enrichments offered during this session: Asbury Enrichments Schedule (update in progress)
Enrichment Flyers
Community Flyers
Upcoming Dates