Dear Ryan Elementary Community,

We are very excited to begin our first full week of school with all students, including our preschool and kindergarteners. As of today, our total enrollment stands at 431 students.  Please note that class sizes may vary by grade level, based on the total number of students in each cohort.  I am thrilled to have Meghan McCracken, our new Dean of Students, join our administration team. Please see her welcome letter below.

We encourage all families to review Ryan Family Handbook 2026-27 which contains important information for our routines and procedures at Ryan Elementary. 

Write Like a Rhino

If your child attended Ryan last year and chose to “Write Like a Rhino” this summer, please make sure their journals are turned into the office (with their name on it) by the end of this week.   

A Safe and Welcoming Environment for All

As we settle into the new school year, we want to reaffirm BVSD’s zero-tolerance policy for discrimination and sexual harassment, including sexual violence. These behaviors have no place in our school.

We are committed to creating equitable, inclusive learning spaces for all members of our community.

In the coming weeks, students will have the opportunity (if they choose) to sign our No Place for Hate pledge. After signing, they can write their name on a purple flag, which will be proudly displayed on our playground.  Click here to read the pledge: NPFH-pledge-FINAL.pdf

School Accountability Committee (SAC)

If you would like to learn more about our student achievement, school goals and instructional strategies, please consider joining our school accountability committee (SAC). If you are interested in participating in this important group, please email me at stephanie.jackman@bvsd.org.

Important Updates & Events This Week:

Late Start Wednesday

Our first late start is this Wednesday. School will begin at 8:50 AM. 

School Spirit 

We will hold our Welcome Back Assembly for K–5 students on Friday, August 21st. We will encourage staff and students to wear purple or a ryan shirt every Friday to show their school spirit.

Upcoming: Back to School Night

Wednesday, August 26th | 5:00 – 6:15 PM

5th grade parents have an additional meeting to learn about our outdoor education experience at Cal-Wood. 5th grade students attend September 30th through October 2nd.

We’re looking forward to an amazing year together!  

It’s a great day to be a rhino.  Go Rhinos!

Sincerely,

Stephanie Jackman

Principal

Meet Our Dean of Students, Meghan McCracken

¡Hola todos! I'm so excited to join the team at Ryan Elementary this year.

For the last 12 years, I've worked at the district level for Boulder Valley School District, supporting teachers and administrators through various departments. Along the way, I've had the chance to visit almost every school in BVSD — and I can honestly say the warmth and sense of community here at Ryan is what drew me to this role. I can't wait to be back around kids every day!

Before working at the district level, I spent 6 years teaching middle school right here in BVSD at Manhattan MS, 6 years teaching in Brighton 27J, and 2 years teaching in Guadalajara, Mexico. This will be my first time working in an elementary school, and I'm thrilled for the change.A bit about my background: I hold a Master's degree in Teaching the Linguistically Diverse from Regis University and a Principal's License from CU Denver. Over the years I've served as an instructional coach, Language Development Specialist, Family Partnerships Specialist, and Equity Coordinator.

On a personal note, I live in Lafayette with my husband Tim (a climate educator at NCAR) and my son Booker, who's heading into 8th grade at Angevine. Outside of work, you might find me at a live music show, in the pottery studio, baking sourdough, gardening, or out on a bike ride. I also serve on the board of Kick2Build, a local nonprofit focused on building inclusive communities and affirming diversity through cultural arts and soccer.I'm looking forward to getting to know your families this year. Please don't hesitate to say hello!

Warmly,

Meghan McCracken

The application for the Free & Reduced Price School Meal program for the 2026-2027 school year opened Tuesday, July 21. Breakfast and lunch at BVSD continue to be free in the coming school year thanks to the Healthy School Meals for All program. Every BVSD student is entitled to breakfast and a hot lunch entrée, which includes unlimited salad bar access each school day. Second entrees can be purchased when available with money from the student’s meal account. 

IMPORTANT: Even though meals are free, we strongly encourage every possible qualifying family to apply for the Free and Reduced Price School Meal program; doing so might qualify families for additional services and reduced fees, as well as impact funding for your school. Some families qualify for the program as a Direct Certification through the state because of their existing SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid benefits. Families who qualified through Direct Cert should have already received a notification letter via email.

Take advantage of After School Kids Classes at your child's school, with BVSD Lifelong Learning!*

See what's being offered by scrolling down here:  Classes   

This year you can sample the classes before registering, on Saturday August 8th, at our Event at Louisville Middle School. We'll have demonstrations, Chess, a Food truck, a DJ and more!

Click here SAMPLER for details.

Questions? Visit lll.bvsd.org or call 720 561 5968

BVSD is using Apptegy, an app-based messaging tool that all families can download to communicate with schools, their teachers, and the district. Before school begins, all guardians will receive a text message and email from BVSD with information on how to download and login. When you receive them, please follow these instructions to begin seeing updates from your schools and communicating directly with your teachers via the app.

The app features a live feed of news and updates, the ability to receive push notifications, and 2-way communication between teachers, coaches and parents.

Read more: Download the New BVSD App: All school updates in one place

Download the app for free on Google Play or Apple App Store.

Download for iPhone

Download for Android

Learn more about how to sign in on the BVSD.org/app webpage.

Daily Attendance

Please help your child develop good attendance habits. Research shows that missing just two days per month severely impacts reading and math growth. To make expected academic and social emotional gains, students should be at school at a rate of 95% or more. Habits developed in elementary school often carry over into middle school and high school.

If your child will be absent:

Please let us know online via your Parent Portal in Infinite Campus OR call Ryan’s attendance line at 720-561-7002 by 8:05 a.m. If your student is arriving late, please note that in the comments section online. Always notify the office of an absence or late arrival, not just the classroom teacher.

Attendance - Ryan Elementary School. Please include the following information in your voice message: your name, student’s name, grade & teacher, and the reason for the absence.

CDPHE’s How Sick is too Sick? guidelines (en español) on when students should stay home from school.

If your child needs medication at school, Ryan's Healthroom Para-Chrystal Terhune and Ryan's School Nurse Consultant-Rebecca Barajas, would be happy to receive medications and Doctor orders from a parent/guardian at the front office.

MEDICATIONS MAY NOT BE SENT TO SCHOOL WITH STUDENTS*

Questions? Email our healthroom para, Chrystal.Terhune@bvsd.org

Please be sure to send your child to school everyday with:

*Labeled Water Bottle

*Healthy Snack

*Extra Clothes in backpack, even for older children, sometimes accidents happen or we just get messy!

Our Lost and Found bin is looking beautiful and empty, but it will be be overflowing soon enough!

PLEASE remember to label your child's items, it helps us to get the items back to the owner and limits the amount of items we will be donating each month.

Please come and check the Lost and Found bin often, it is located in the vestibule outside of the office next to the Longmont Dairy milk cap collection bin.

Principal, Mrs. Jackman, and Dean, Mrs. McCracken, enjoying the first Morning Drop Off with Ryan Students!

Ryan's paraprofessional team are ready for a fantastic new school year with Ryan Students

Ryan's staff is excited for the 2026-27 school year with all of our amazing students

To read the full handbook click here: Ryan Family Handbook 2026-27

Volunteering is a fun, simple way to get involved within the Ryan community. We have all sorts of opportunities to get involved. Whether you volunteer regularly in your teacher’s classroom, bring breakfast and coffee to teachers for late start or volunteer for the book fair, the impact can be huge. Not only does it benefit the school but it benefits your kids and families in our community as well!

Click here to find out more about volunteering in the Boulder Valley School District

We ask that each individual interested in volunteering and interacting with students on a ongoing basis under 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. Raptor applications expire one year from approval date.

Volunteers and field trip chaperones who are not under 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.

Printable Calendars

2026-27 General Calendar PDF (English)

2026-27 General Calendar PDF (Spanish)

2026-27 Specials Color Rotation Schedule

2026-2027 Academic Calendar PDF (English)

2026-27 Academic Calendar PDF (Spanish)

2026-27 Preschool Parent- Teacher Calendar PDF (English Printable)

2026-27 Preschool Parent- Teacher Calendar PDF (Spanish Printable)

2026-2027 Preschool Academic Calendar PDF

Ryan Elementary School | 1405 Centaur Village Dr. | Lafayette, CO 80026 | 720-561-7000  | https://rye.bvsd.org/