Note From Principal Atkins

Families,

Happy Friday! Please make sure your calendars are marked with the above dates. Next Friday is an Early Release day followed by two days off!

There is some important information in today's newsletter, be sure to continue reading through for information on:
  • the mask mandate - it will stop being enforced in schools starting February 28th
  • an excellent opportunity to join a CSA that benefits others (and gets you great, fresh produce!)
  • Cupid Grams
  • Summer Connections ("Summer School")
  • & much more!

While the mask mandate is ending in Denver, we are strongly recommending that families continue to send their students in a mask. We know this has prevented the spread of many illnesses here at Stedman, and we also know that Covid is still a threat to some of our vulnerable family and friends. We are so proud of how well our young ones have done learning and playing with masks on these past few years. We always learn from them and their resilience and grit, don't we?

You also received communication from DPS that schools are no longer sending home Covid notifications for the school or classrooms. Notifications will now only be sent home if your child is required to quarantine.

Next week, our 3rd-5th Graders will be taking their Spring District Interims (assessments) in literacy and math. We look forward to improving on our already terrific growth. We're so proud of our students, stay tuned for our February data! Did you know that during the Fall Interims, our students:
  • beat the District average in 3rd Grade Math by 28.5%?
  • beat the District average in 3rd Grade Literacy by 9.8%?
  • beat the District average in 4th Grade Math by 20.2%?
  • beat the District average in 4th Grade Literacy by 22%?
  • beat the District average in 5th Grade Literacy by 6.2%?

Families of 5th Graders - PLEASE complete your application for middle school by Tuesday. This is extremely important so that your child has the best chance of attending a school you desire. Learn more about how to complete Choice and what your options are in our area here.

Next week is a great opportunity to support your Stedman PTA by dining at Illegal Pete's in Park Hill for this month's Restaurant Night. They will be donating 50% of their sales back to our school if you dine in or take out between 5-8pm on February 16th (online orders don't count). Spread the word to your local friends and family!

We continue to celebrate Black History Month here at Stedman and are excited for some activities planned next week! In lieu of our annual Black History Month performance, we'll be sharing a community video at the end of the month featuring many of our students. Stay tuned! If you haven't had a chance to check out the email I sent earlier, be sure to check it out here as it's filled with excellent Black History Month Resources.


Michael Atkins