PRESTON
MIDDLE SCHOOL
SEPTEMBER 2016
Preston Middle School
4901 Corbett Dr
Fort Collins, CO 80528
Office:
970.488.7300
Attendance Line:
970.490.3059
Fax:
970.488.7307
Principal
Amy Schmer
Assistant Principal
Bill Saint
Preston Administration Welcome Note
Hello, Preston Families,
I hope this Preston
newsletter finds you
and your family well.
Our school year is off
and running and the
students are doing a
wonderful job.
I would like to take this
time to introduce
myself and my assistant
principals.
I am very excited for my
new role this year. I am
From left to right: Bill Saint, Amy Schmer and
honored to lead this
Lindsey Matkin
wonderful building. The
staff and students are an
amazing group of people. Last year, I was the assistant principal and before
that I was a Science/English teacher at Preston Middle School. I have been in
PSD for 18 years and love working with students and families.
Assistant Principal
Lindsey Matkin
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Preston Middle School Newsletter
Preston Administration Welcome Note
continued
The Preston staff is very passionate about being creative and innovative
around meeting the needs of their students. When I enter classrooms, I am
amazed at the learning I see. There are days I wish I could go back and learn
from these teachers.
I hope that you will ask your student lots of questions about their school days
and what they are learning.
Preston Welcomes Two New Assistant Principals!
Preston Middle School would love to
welcome Bill Saint and Lindsey Matkin as our
new assistant principals. These two assistant
principals both have a strong passion about
creating very strong student relationships
and are very student-centered. Both,
Lindsey and Bill, will bring a new creative
energy to Preston. Please welcome these
new faces to Preston. Let’s show them our
wonderful Preston community that is full of
support and smiling faces.
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Preston Middle School Newsletter
Preston Welcomes New Assistant Principals
continued
Lindsey Matkin
My name is Lindsey Matkin and I am very excited to be a part of the Preston
community! I began my journey in education fifteen years ago as a Spanish
Teacher at Lincoln Middle School. Several years later I moved to Kinard Core
Knowledge Middle School. I taught Spanish and later transitioned into the
Academic Dean role before coming to Preston to serve as Assistant Principal.
Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. My
husband Todd and I have three beautiful and amazing children: Delaney (11),
Peyton (9) and Brodee (5). In our free time we can be found on a soccer field,
basketball court or at a baseball diamond. We love to travel and experience all
the world has to offer. It is clear that Preston is an incredible school with an
innovative, caring, and dedicated staff. I look forward to working with all of
our staff, students, parents, and greater community to continue To Make The
World a Better Place.
Bill Saint
I have been lucky enough to build my 20+ year career in education through
many diverse experiences. I spent the first 15 years as a high school social
studies teacher and athletic coach. Now in my 6th year as a middle school
administrator, I’m the assistant principal and athletic director here at Preston
MS. My undergraduate and graduate degrees were earned from UNM in
Albuquerque and I acquired my principal license through coursework at CSU. I
have a passion for the outdoors and I consider myself a lifelong sports person.
It’s not unusual to for me to spend my free time fly fishing, mtn. biking,
golfing, running, or doing CrossFit. Fort Collins is my choice city to raise my 2
daughters alongside my wife. My best day is when I’m able to influence
students and adults alike to achieve more than they ever thought they could.
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Preston Middle School Newsletter
School Resource Officer (SRO)
School Resource Officers (SROs) are
certified police officers based at
district middle and senior high schools.
The goals of the School Resource
Officer program are to: provide a safe
learning environment and help reduce
school violence; improve school law
enforcement collaboration; and
improve perceptions and relations
between students, staff and law
enforcement officials.
School Resource Officer,
Officer David M. Hart
970.490.3698
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Preston Middle School Newsletter
Library News
Woosh! Welcome back
Pumas. The first week
of school every student
came to the media
center to check out a
laptop. It was so nice to
reconnect with the 7th
and 8th graders and
meet all the new 6th
graders! The second
week of school all the
students came back to
the media center for
orientation. Students
checked out new books
and became acquainted with the newly designed North Classroom. Students
also explored the Makerspace. It was fun to watch them operate the virtual
reality station, explore building new circuits with the littleBits, create on the
3D printers, and learn how to weave on the loom.
Engineering Brightness kicks off Monday, September 12 at 2:45PM in the
media center. Please join us to engineer and 3D printed, hand held lanterns
that are distributed worldwide. For more information please visit www.e-b.io
or email Mrs. Winey at twiney@psdschools.
Stop by the media center anytime between 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM MondayThursday and 7:00 AM -3:00 PM on Friday. We’d love to see you!
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Preston Middle School Newsletter
Bus Passes
Preston Fundraising
As a reminder to
our Preston
families, if your
student is in need
of a bus pass, it is
essential that the
front office receive
the note/email by
1pm to allow time
to fill out the pass
and check with
transportation.
We really
appreciate your
support with this
process.
Office Depot - When making a purchase at
Office Depot, simply use Preston’s code
(70017833) at checkout and 5% of your
purchase price will be donated to Preston.
Box Tops for Education - Box Tops for
Education has helped America’s schools earn
over $400 million since 1996. You can earn
cash for Preston by clipping Box Tops coupons
from hundreds of participating products. Send
Box Tops to the Main office.
Target's Take Charge for Education Program Go Pumas!
Here’s how it works: When parents or other
school supporters use the REDcard, Target
donated up to 1% of their purchases to Preston. Visit their website @
www.Target.com/tcoe to enroll.
For additional information or fundraising ideas, please call Preston Middle
School at 488-7300
Important Links
Staff Directory:
https://pre.psdschools.org/directory
Bus and Traffic Information:
https://pre.psdschools.org/node/862
Calendars and Schedules:
https://pre.psdschools.org/calendar
Preston Activities:
https://pre.psdschools.org/activities-0
Athletics:
https://pre.psdschools.org/athletics
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Please don’t hesitate to call us with any questions or concerns you have.
970-488-7300
Preston Middle School Newsletter
Menus and Meal Payments
Details about PSD school menus,
meal prices and payment options are
available below. Check the daily
menu or make a payment to your
meal account with these quick links:
https://www.psdschools.org/school
-resources/menus-and-meal-info
Link to Preston’s breakfast menu:
http://psdschools.nutrislice.com/menu/preston/breakfast/
Link to Preston’s lunch menu:
http://psdschools.nutrislice.com/menu/preston/lunch/
Preston Teachers
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Preston Middle School Newsletter
Preston Parent Organization
There are plenty of volunteer needs! Preston
hosts many amazing events, academic
programs, and fundraisers including a
magazine fundraiser, student activity nights,
Lego Robotics tournaments, Scholastic Book
Fair, Preston Reads, the Color Run, Science
Olympiad tournament and 8th grade
continuation celebration. Additionally,
Preston has a teacher appreciation
coordinator with many volunteer needs that support the amazing staff at
Preston.
If you are already a PSD volunteer, you need to log in to your account and add
Preston Middle School to your list of schools.
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
First, you must sign up through the PSD volunteer connection website
(It takes a couple of minutes to complete.)

The link is https://www.psdschools.org/partnership-and-volunteercenter/share-it

Under Parent/Community Volunteers, click on the button that says:
Click to Register.

After registering with a username and password, you will be asked to
fill out your contact information. You will then reach a screen called
School and Opportunity Preferences.

Under Registered Schools, choose the primary school you would like to
be affiliated with. This can either be Preston or school that your other
children attend.

In the next section, you will be able to choose ALL schools where you
would like to volunteer. Just choose the schools from the Available
Schools column and add them to the Selected Schools column.

You can also choose from Preferred Opportunities Types and Skills and
School Activities.

To finish up, you will need to provide some background information
and you will be finished.
After you have signed up through the district, your name will be on the
Preston Volunteer List and you will receive information about the various
volunteer opportunities. These opportunities are usually organized through a
website called Sign-Up Genius. If you aren’t familiar with the website, go to
http://www.signupgenius.com/ to read about it and sign up.
If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]
Preston Middle School Newsletter
Puma Athletes and Parents
It’s FINALLY time for 2016 Fall Sports at Preston! I
would like to take this opportunity to welcome you
back to the Puma Nation and encourage you to get
involved!
Please take time to read through the following
information regarding athletic participation and
procedures. It would also be worth your time to read through the PSD
middle school sports page. PSD Middle School Sports.
Sports Participation

7/8 Grade may participate in ALL of the sports programs offered at
Preston.

Girls Volleyball, Football, Cross Country, Tennis, Basketball,
Wrestling, Girls Softball, Golf, Track & Field

Volleyball, Basketball, and Golf are cut sports

Sixth graders may participate in Cross Country, Golf, and Track &
Field.

Athletic fees $82 per athlete per sport, $330 family max.
Sports Physicals
Sports Physicals are required for ALL athletes who want to participate and
must be updated annually.
All athletes must have a current sports physical before you can participate in
any in-season practice or pre-season camps.
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The team raced CLP meet and Preston boys and girls team placed first!
Preston Middle School Newsletter
Puma Athletes
continued
Health and Wellness Center at Centennial High School
The Health and Wellness Center at Centennial High School will be open to any
Poudre School District Middle or High School student, including uninsured or
underinsured, who needs a Sports Physicals/Well Child exam.
Please visit the Centers Website to schedule an appointment and register.

Health and Wellness Center at Centennial High School

970.488.4950

No student is ever turned away for inability to pay and all students
who enroll in the Center can be seen AT NO COST TO the student/
family.
Fall Sports –August 22th First Practice

Volleyball


Football


7th Grade and 8th Grade
Cross Country (Boys and Girls)


7th Grade and 8th Grade
6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade
Tennis (Boys and Girls)

7th Grade and 8th Grade

Pre-Season Camps (current sports physical required)
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
Not all sports will have a preseason camp.

Preseason camps will be held on the week of 8/15-8/19

Please check the Preston School Website for information regarding
preseason camps. We will also send camp information out as it
becomes available.

Preseason camps are always voluntary Current sports physicals are
required.
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Preston Middle School Newsletter
Puma Athletes
continued
Game Schedules
Preston MS Sports Schedules
Forms
ALL athletic forms are available on the PSD middle
school sports page PSD Middle School Sports Forms
Volunteer Coaches

MUST be register with the PSD Partnership and Volunteer Center

New Volunteer Registration for PSD schools

MUST Be certified in CPR / 1st Aid

MUST Have completed the Concussion training

Concussion Class for Coaches
Athletic Fees

ALL sports carry a $82 fee per athlete; $330 max per family
For all of your questions please refer to the PSD middle school sports page.
PSD Middle School Sports
Please feel free to contact Preston Main office @ 488-7300 or myself with
any questions.
Bill Saint
Assistant Principal / Athletic Director
Preston Middle School
488-7300
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Preston Middle School Newsletter
The Preston Direct Dollars Donation
Dear Preston Families,
Preston Administration is partnering with the Preston
Parent Organization to unveil The Preston Direct
Dollar Donation for the 2016-17 school year. In the
past, we have asked out students to help us fundraise
by participating in sales. This year we are going to
shift our focus to a direct dollar donation. This type of
fundraiser allows for 100% of the monies donated to
directly benefit Preston students.
Our main goal is to help make your child’s educational experience at Preston
the best it can be. The Preston Parent Organization (PPO) works closely with
Preston staff to support all educational endeavors. The Preston Direct Dollar
Donations are intended to raise monies to support our students and school.
The fund provides families an opportunity to contribute to a variety of schoolwide needs.
The donated monies help us to support school-wide student activities such as:
Science Olympiad, Science Bowl, The Color Run, Preston Activity Nights,
Preston Teacher Mini-Grants, 6th Grade Preston T-shirts, G-Stem, Math
Counts, First Lego League, First Tech Challenge, Forensics and Debate, Family
Career and Community Leaders of America(FCCLA), Music Programs/
Performances, Athletics, and much more.
By contributing to The Preston Direct Dollars Donation, you are ensuring that
Preston will continue to achieve the high levels of academic success and
stellar community involvement that has been recognized for over twenty-two
years. Your generosity is what allows Preston to continue to Make The World
a Better Place!
Contributions are tax deductible, as allowed by federal law, for each year in
which payments are made. Contributors can be family, friends, corporations,
and interested members of the community. If your company participates in a
contribution matching program, please request the necessary forms. Please
complete the attached form and return it with your donation in an envelope
to the Preston main office by Thursday, October 13, 2016. All contributions
are confidential, tax deductible, and can be made in one lump sum payment
or periodic payments throughout the year.
Thank you,
Preston Administration
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Preston Direct Dollars Donation 2016.pdf
Preston Middle School Newsletter
First Day of School Fun!
Mr. Lowndes
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Preston Middle School Newsletter
Preston School Accountability Committee (SAC)
The Preston School Accountability Committee (SAC)
is a great opportunity for Preston parents/
guardians, community members, and staff to
collaborate, engage in rich discussions, advise, and
make recommendations to Preston’s building
leader, Amy Schmer. The SAC makes
recommendations to the principal on the school
priorities for spending school moneys, and
assessing and prioritizing needs. In addition, the
SAC discusses school progress and the school
unified improvement plan. The SAC meets quarterly
and one member of the Preston SAC serves as the
Preston representative for the District Advisory Board. This committee is in
need of several volunteers for the 2016-17 school year. If you are interested
please contact Amy Schmer at [email protected].
Save
The
Date!!
All meetings are from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm. The first meeting is on October 4,
2016. The following meeting dates are December 13, 2016, February 28, 2017,
and May 16, 2017.
Caps4Cash – Preston Fundraiser
In operation since 1894, Morning Fresh Dairy is an all-natural family dairy
locally located in Bellvue, northwest of Fort Collins. Not only do they deliver
delicious dairy products, but they also deliver a variety of other products
including orange juice, eggs and Noosa yogurt to name a few.
Caps 4 Cash is a Morning Fresh Dairy program through which Preston Middle
School can earn cash by collecting caps from Morning Fresh Dairy glass
bottles. So....
1. Save bottle caps from any Morning Fresh Dairy glass bottle
2. Collect caps from family and friends
3. Bring the caps to school and drop them in the collection box in the
front office
For every 1000 Morning Fresh Dairy glass bottle caps we collect, we will earn
$50.00. Thank you for your participation.
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Preston Middle School Newsletter
Picking Your Student Up During The School Day?
Just a reminder, if you are picking your student up
during the school day for an appointment or other
personal reasons, please send your student to Preston
in the morning with a note stating the time you would
like to pick him/her up. Your student will be given an
early dismissal pass. We have found this process
eliminates interrupting class and also allows your student to be waiting in the
office for you when you arrive.
Student Fees?
Just a reminder, you are able to check your student’s fees on ParentVue.
Sports fees are $82 per sport, with a family maximum of $330 per school year.
Each student at Preston has a $20 tech/supplies fees for the 2016-2017 school
year; many of these fees have been paid. If you have not paid your student’s
fees, please send cash or a check payable to Preston to the front office. Thank
you for your support!
Boston Trip
Greetings, 8th grade families!
Every year, 8th grade U.S.
History teachers take a group
of 8th graders to a city
important to our country's
history. This year, the group
will travel to Boston, MA from
April 27 - May 2. If you and
your student would like more
information on how to sign up
and the cost and details of the trip, please join us at an informational meeting
on Thursday, Sept 15th at 5:30 in the Preston Media Center. If you are
already signed up to travel, no need to come to this meeting.
The website with our group's travel info is also a good resource. Use tour
number 1781185SR (led by John Valdez)
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http://www.efexploreamerica.com
Mary Barela
Preston Middle School
Preston Middle School Newsletter
Balloon Towers in U.S. History!
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Preston Middle School Newsletter
7th Grade Preston Football vs CLP
September 7, 2016. PRE 19, CLP 0
Go Pumas!
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