Happy Monday!

As we reflect on a meaningful week last week, we recognize the school communities affected by the district changes announced Tuesday. Our hearts are with those families, students, and educators. Lafayette is a welcoming community and we look forward to embracing any new families who join us.

Next, we want to highlight the amazing work we are doing as a school community. Last week SAC hosted an Adventure Camp Monday during the work day, Garden to Table had yet another amazing lesson at the garden with Doug Alexander’s 4th grade class, Emily Tate's 3rd grade class had a successful field trip to NCAR, we completed picture day and class picture week, Kindergarten had their first assessment day that went so smoothly and we had an AMAZING 2nd annual Cougar Cares Day of Service, on what better day, 9-25 (which will forever be coined Dolly day for me and many others)! 

We have the opportunity to be experiencing all of this for the first time and as we reflect at the end of each week we are continuously amazed at the student centered, heart driven, compassionate work our Lafayette staff and community puts forward each and every day. A HUGE thank you for everything you do for our students! Go Cougars!!

We look forward to a great week of learning!

In Cougar Spirit,

Alicia Champlin, Principal

Peter Zola, Dean of Students

Hi, my name is MJ Flores. When I was in the second grade, I decided I wanted to be a teacher. To this day, I have not found anything that gives me quite as much joy. I began volunteering and working with children at church when I was 15. I began my career as a teacher’s aide at FirStart Preschool, where I worked for 4 years. After exploring other career paths, I am overjoyed to begin teaching once again.

I was born and raised in Colorado. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, painting, and playing the guitar. I value a strong sense of curiosity, and aim to nurture that innate sense of wonder in all our students. I am very excited to start working at Lafayette Elementary and meet everyone.

My name is Malaki Zwicker, and I am a part-time custodian at Lafayette Elementary. I grew up in San Diego, California, where I spent the first 15 years of my life before moving to Colorado. I recently graduated from high school and am continuing my education with the goal of earning a degree in Criminal Justice.

Growing up, sports were a large part of my life. I have played soccer since I was two years old and have also participated in basketball, football, and baseball. I have always enjoyed being part of a team and learning from the people around me. During school, I also enjoyed volunteering at school events and helping wherever I was needed. Those experiences taught me that even small contributions can have a meaningful impact on the people around us.

Outside of work and school, I enjoy hiking, reading, and playing chess. My favorite author is Fyodor Dostoevsky, whose writing I enjoy for its exploration of human nature and the complexity of the human mind. I especially enjoy chess because it combines pattern recognition, memory, intelligence, and strategy. There are an estimated 10¹²⁰ possible games of chess, which is one of the things that makes the game so fascinating to me.

Lafayette Elementary is also my first job, and I have been fortunate to begin my working life in such a welcoming environment. The people here have been incredibly kind and supportive, and I especially appreciate how my supervisor, Pete, has worked with me and helped me learn. I enjoy having a structured, routine-based job where I know what needs to be done and can take pride in keeping things clean and organized. I am naturally a neat and organized person, so the structure of custodial work is something I genuinely enjoy.

In the future, I hope to build a career in criminal justice, with the long-term goal of becoming a homicide detective and pursuing opportunities to work with the FBI. For now, I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Lafayette Elementary community and to contribute in my own way to a place where students and staff can learn, work, and grow together.

A fun fact about me is that I have two younger siblings. Being an older brother has taught me a great deal about patience, responsibility, and looking out for the people around me.

Laps for Lafayette is this Friday (October 2nd)! We are 26% of the way to our fundraising goal and need many more parent volunteers to make the event a success.  Donate HERE today and sign up to volunteer at this link!   

FUNDRAISING:  Our goal this year is to raise $20,000 to support Lafayette Elementary! We’ve been asking parents, grandparents, family, friends, and neighbors to cheer on our Cougars by making a donation. All donations are due by Monday October 5th to be prize eligible.

PRIZES:  The prizes this year are from all new sponsors including The Spot, Junkyard Social, Denver Pops, and Rush Bowls!

SCHEDULE:  NEW this year -- snacks for kids will be provided from a gracious donation by Walmart!

8:40 - 9:30 am | 3rd Grade
9:35 - 10:25 am | 5th Grade
10:00 - 10:30 am | Pre-K AM (note overlap)
10:30 - 11:20 am | 4th Grade
12:00 - 12:50 pm | 1st Grade
12:30 - 1:00 pm | Pre-K PM (note overlap)
12:55 - 1:45 pm | Kindergarten
1:55 - 2:45 pm | 2nd Grade

All volunteers should check in at the office upon arrival. 

Families are encouraged to attend and can go straight to the back field without needing to check in at the office.

We are excited to also welcome Tom's Coffee Truck with items available for purchase during the event, which adds to our fundraising efforts!

Click here for the Laps for Lafayette website.  The rain date for this event will be Friday, October 9th.  See you there and THANK YOU for your support!

What: The Scholastic Fall Book Fair

Where: MPR (back of library)

When: In person shopping Oct. 6 & 8 from 2:50-7:00

Who: Everyone is invited

Why: To shop for great books and raise money for our school library

Fair Website:  https://www.scholastic.com/bf/lafayetteelementaryschool11

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED to help set up, run, and pack up the fair. Click here to sign up. Your help is appreciated!

If you can’t make it to the Fair in person, you can shop at our school’s Online Book Fair from Oct. 1-14. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book only orders over $35. 25% of every online purchase comes back to the library. 

If purchasing a book from the fair is a financial hardship, your child can select one free book. Please email Tyler Knapp at tyler.knapp@bvsd.org to request a scholarship book (include student’s name and classroom teacher’s name), or ask your child’s classroom teacher.

If you would like to purchase a book for a teacher, you can find their “Wish List” outside the fair with books they would love for their classroom (or you can donate to their classroom eWallet if they have one set up). 

Meet a group to walk or bike to school! All riders must wear helmets.

Groups plan to leave at 8:25am from the following locations:

The Lafayette Elementary school campus beautification project aka Trash Pandas, started when one Dad got fed up seeing inappropriate garbage around our school while walking his kids to Kindergarten. The original intent was to give parents the opportunity to set a good example for their kids by taking action and cleaning up their school. It also gave parents something to do with their kids on late drop off days.

This group is gaining traction! All are welcome and each week there is a featured class. Check the schedule for your classes' Trash Panda day! This is completely optional and voluntary. Every little bit makes a difference. Come be a part of the change!

NOTE:   All students must be supervised by their guardian during this program.  Please do not drop students and leave them.

Find more information about and the form to fill out for Media Opt-Out at the BVSD website.  For elementary school students you only need to fill out page 1 on the form. As a reminder, by default, students are "opted in", i.e., allow sharing of their information each year. Families must update their preferences annually during the Intent to Return window or complete the opt out form for each student and submit it to the student(s)' school outside of the Intent to Return window. 

Our students thrive when parents and families are involved in their education!

Parents who want to volunteer at Lafayette Elementary need to be approved through BVSD volunteer management system. Here is the link for volunteering with BVSD. 

There are two types of volunteers: 

We ask that each individual interested in volunteering and interacting with students on an ongoing basis within line of sight supervision by BVSD staff, complete the appropriate Raptor application; ENGLISH or SPANISH.  Please note, there is a $32.00 background fee due at the time of submission.

Volunteers and field trip chaperones who are not within line of sight supervision are required to complete a CBI Fingerprint Check through a third party vendor, paid by the volunteer/partner/school AND must sign a BVSD Volunteer Agreement (Spanish).  Volunteer fingerprints are valid for 5 years, at which time they will need to be renewed.

Office Help:  If you are able to help in our office, please sign up at this link.  We appreciate your support!

Crossing Guards: We are still trying to assemble a team of parents or other community members who can help with crosswalk duties every school day from 7:40-7:50am and 2:50-3:00pm.  Please spread the word to others you may know who may be interested and email laura.williams@bvsd.org

CT Mascot: We are still in need of anyone who can be “CT” during special events and for guest appearances. Reach out to Alicia Champlin if you have always wanted to be a school Mascot, now is your time to shine!

Ready to show off that school spirit?

Step up your style and show your Cougar Pride with our official CougarWear! From classic tees to cozy layers, we’ve got gear for the whole family (check the size options, we have adults and youth).

Every purchase directly funds vital PTO programs for our kids, including:

Look great and support our school—grab your gear today!

Full day Adventure Camps with BVSD School Age Care provide excursions to local destinations or on-site themed days at six BVSD schools on non-school days. Camp hours are 7:30am-4:00pm and families can register through SAC.

Upcoming Camps:

Adventure Camp pickup locations/on-sites include Coal Creek, Eldorado K-8, Flatirons, Heatherwood, Lafayette, and Mesa. For the full list of 2026-27 Adventure Camps, registration links and details, visit the SAC Adventure Camp website.

Apply to be in the BVSD Community Leadership Academy!

The BVSD Community Leadership Academy has extended its application deadline to Thursday, October 1st. This is an opportunity for parents, caregivers, and community members to deepen their understanding of our district and become more engaged in their children’s education and the broader BVSD community. We hope you’ll join us!

The Community Leadership Academy is designed to provide participants with the knowledge, The 2026–27 cohort will meet one Friday per month from October through April, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sessions will be held at the BVSD Education Center, 6500 Arapahoe Road, Boulder, CO.

A free lunch will be provided at each session, and Spanish interpretation will be available.

Apply today! 

Our school community is committed to providing a safe educational environment where all members of our community are treated with respect. As we continue to work on creating more inclusive spaces of belonging, we want to make sure our students and families know about and have access to BVSD's bullying, sexual violence  and discrimination reporting forms, including anti-Semitism and anti-Black racism. These forms can also be accessed under the "Make a Report" link located at the top banner on every BVSD webpage.

Lafayette Elementary School | 101 N. Bermont Ave. | Lafayette, CO 80026