We are excited to begin another year of learning and fun. To our new students, parents, and staff: welcome! And to our returnees: welcome back!
This newsletter is a great resource to help you stay abreast of upcoming curriculum events and student achievements.
In addition to this newsletter, K–8 students receive an insert called Classroom News, which offers academic classroom information for parents.
Preschool parents receive the Fun Facts insert, which explains what children will be focusing on and suggests activities that you can do at home.
To stay updated and informed, be sure you have signed up for the Parent Portal on our website. Additionally, keep an eye on Facebook and Instagram, and watch for the occasional notice that we’ll send home!
*Parents are encouraged to attend †Full dress uniform required
Please make plans to attend our Evening for Parents the week of September 4. This special event is designed to promote a positive working relationship between you and your child’s teacher for the benefit of your child.
During the evening, you will visit your child’s classroom, where teachers will present important information about your child’s class and answer questions you may have. Look for an invitation with dates and times.
In the event of a campus evacuation, emergency, or unexpected closure, Challenger will use an automatic notification system to inform your contacts via email, text, and automated voice messages.
For example, should Challenger need to evacuate your child’s campus, an emergency notification would alert you to the evacuation and give instructions for where and how to pick up your child. By replying to the notification, you would let us know that you had received the message and had accepted responsibility for your child. As more information became available, additional notifications would go out.
The automatic notification system allows us to communicate far more quickly and consistently than we could with individual phone calls from staff. To ensure you receive important notifications, please visit the Parent Portal to make sure your contact information is current. We plan to perform a test of the system in early September.
All parents of eighth graders are invited to an informational meeting on Wednesday, September 12. You’ll be able to learn about the plans for this year’s trip to our nation’s capital. An invitation with additional details will be coming home with your son or daughter.
Patriot Day–September 11, Constitution Day–September 17
Challenger elementary students will commemorate these two special days with an assembly this month. As our students understand and respect man’s inalienable rights, they begin to develop values that will help them to think for themselves and cherish the liberties secured for them by the Founding Fathers.
Remember, full dress uniform is required for assembly days.
Students in fifth through eighth grade will vote to select the 2018–2019 student council for their campus. Those who wish to run for student council offices should request candidate applications from their teachers.
We enjoy the historic American culture of the Old West in this celebration during the month of September.
To get into a western mood, preschool students may come to school dressed as cowboys and cowgirls. Kindergartners may accessorize their uniforms with bandanas, belts, cowboy boots, and hats. (But leave the six-shooters back at the ranch, please.)
Our young cowpokes will sing campfire songs, “spin yarns,” and do other activities centered around America’s Old West heritage.
We reckon that students will have a rootin’-tootin’ good time!
Have you created your Parent Portal account on ChallengerSchool.com? Via the portal, you can view account balances, print statements, request changes to student information, and submit questions directly to your campus. Contact your campus if you need instructions for setting up your account.
Be sure to take advantage of the enrichment classes offered during Extended Classtime at your campus. There is no additional charge beyond Extended Classtime tuition for many of these classes; however, some programs offering specialized content may require additional fees. A drop–in fee applies for students who are not signed up for Extended Classtime.
Enrichment classes are available for students in kindergarten through eighth grade and vary by campus. In past years, offerings have ranged from sports to drama to foreign languages and beyond. First semester classes begin soon.
Several of our campuses have added new grades this year!
In Nevada, our Desert Hills campus now has a first grade; in Texas, the Avery Ranch campus has expanded to seventh grade; and in Utah, the Farmington campus has a brand new third grade for the 2018–19 school year.
We are excited to see our campuses growing!
Visit terrapinlogo.com/logo.html to browse options for home use of the Terrapin Logo program used in Challenger computer classes.
Contact your campus for a discount code you can use to save on your purchase at checkout.
Programming in Logo or Pascal is never required as homework, however.
Visit ScholarWear.com to see store locations and hours and to shop and place orders. California customers can call ScholarWear at (408) 973-1701; all other regions may call (801) 565-WEAR. Refer to the School Uniform Policy for details.
To ensure that your child’s uniform pieces remain crisp and new-looking throughout the duration of this school year, ScholarWear.com also offers information on caring for uniforms.