** Tuesday, March 23, 4-9pm: Restaurant Night (Esters!)
** Friday, March 26: ECE Only: No School for ECE
** March 27-April 5: No School (Spring Break)
** Wednesday, April 7, 6pm: PTA Meeting
** Sunday, April 11, 10am: Garden Cleanup
(The Stedman Calendar can always be viewed HERE)
|
|
|
Families,
Our students and teachers have been working hard, and it's been a wonderful semester so far operating in what feels like closer to"normal" settings. We are always grateful for the smiles, laughter, and joy filling our halls and classrooms. As we get close to Spring Break, though, I know we could all use the chance to rest and reset.
We are excited to learn that DPS has revised guidelines around recess and cohort interaction outdoors. After Spring Break, we will implement new lunch/recess schedules that will allow more students to interact on the playgrounds and outdoors (while still masked), removing the need for separate "zones" and designated cohort areas at recess. This will be a great boost for social emotional development as students continue to build relationships.
Speaking of recess, I wanted to share our guidelines around the difficult decision to call for "indoor recess" when necessary. As you can imagine, teachers and kids alike would always prefer an outdoor recess. However, there may be days where conditions simply do not allow for it. In order to put the safety of our children first, I will make the decision for indoor recess based on weather and playground conditions as close to the time of recess as possible. If temperatures should fall below 28 degrees, if it is actively raining, or if there is excessive snow/ice on the playground/field, I will choose to keep our children indoors. In typical years, classrooms are able to utilize other facilities inside during these times, but due to COVID regulations and restrictions, we know that most/all classrooms will have to remain in their own room during an indoor recess. Again, I do not make this decision lightly and understand the need for our students to be outdoors exercising and getting fresh air as often as possible.
For our families in 3rd-5th Grades, CMAS testing will begin the week of April 12th. We are still awaiting word on what exactly this will look like. There is a chance some tests/testing areas may be excluded this year. All tests will take place in-person, so if your child is in remote learning and you do not want to send them into the school for testing, please email me soon at michael_atkins@dpsk12.org. See below for more information about the schedule.
SchoolChoice results are likely to be released next week prior to Spring Break. If you find your results for Kindergarten or ECE to be incorrect, please reach out to alison_larson@dpsk12.org so she can work with Choice to get things corrected. As some of you know, we were unsure about being able to offer an ECE3 classroom next year, but in working with DPS, we will once again be providing a full day ECE3 classroom (English). Because this was not advertised, we have held some seats in this classroom for siblings of our current students that may not have had the chance to apply. If you are interested in this class for next year, please be sure to complete a Choice application as soon as Round 2 opens on April 6th. Contact alison_larson@dpsk12.org with any questions.
The DPS School Board met last night and approved the new start date for the next school year. Please mark your calendars with August 23rd as the new start date. You can find updated school calendars here.
Thank you, as always, for being a part of our community.
Sincerely,
Michael Atkins
|
|
Nota del Sr. Atkins
Familias
Nuestros estudiantes y maestros han estado trabajando duro, y hasta ahora ha sido un semestre maravilloso operando en lo que se siente más cerca de los entornos "normales". Siempre estamos agradecidos por las sonrisas, las risas y la alegría que llenan nuestros pasillos y aulas. Sin embargo, a medida que nos acercamos a las vacaciones de primavera, sé que todos podemos aprovechar la oportunidad para descansar y reiniciar.
Estamos emocionados de saber que DPS ha revisado las pautas sobre el recreo y la interacción de cohortes al aire libre. Después de las vacaciones de primavera, implementaremos nuevos horarios de almuerzo / recreo que permitirán que más estudiantes interactúen en los patios de recreo y al aire libre (mientras todavía están enmascarados), eliminando la necesidad de "zonas" separadas y áreas designadas para grupos en el recreo. Esto será un gran impulso para el desarrollo socioemocional a medida que los estudiantes continúen construyendo relaciones.
Hablando de recreo, quería compartir nuestras pautas sobre la difícil decisión de pedir un "recreo interior". Como puede imaginar, los maestros y los niños siempre preferirían un recreo al aire libre. Sin embargo, puede haber días en los que las condiciones simplemente no lo permitan. Para poner la seguridad de nuestros niños en primer lugar, tomaré la decisión del recreo bajo techo basado en el clima y las condiciones del patio de recreo lo más cerca posible de la hora del recreo. Si las temperaturas caen por debajo de los 28 grados, si está lloviendo activamente o si hay demasiada nieve / hielo en el patio de recreo / campo, elegiré mantener a nuestros niños adentro. En años típicos, los salones de clase pueden utilizar otras instalaciones en el interior durante estos tiempos, pero debido a las regulaciones y restricciones de COVID, sabemos que la mayoría o todos los salones de clase tendrán que permanecer en su propio salón durante un recreo interior. Una vez más, no tomo esta decisión a la ligera y entiendo la necesidad de que nuestros estudiantes estén al aire libre haciendo ejercicio y tomando aire fresco con la mayor frecuencia posible.
Para nuestras familias en los grados 3º a 5º, las pruebas CMAS comenzarán la semana del 12 de abril. Todavía estamos esperando noticias sobre cómo será exactamente esto. Existe la posibilidad de que algunas pruebas / áreas de prueba se excluyan este año. Todas las pruebas se llevarán a cabo en persona, por lo que si su hijo está en aprendizaje remoto y no desea enviarlo a la escuela para la prueba, envíeme un correo electrónico pronto a michael_atkins@dpsk12.org. Consulte a continuación para obtener más información sobre el horario.
Es probable que los resultados de SchoolChoice se publiquen la próxima semana antes de las vacaciones de primavera. Si encuentra que sus resultados para Kindergarten o ECE son incorrectos, comuníquese con alison_larson@dpsk12.org para que pueda trabajar con Choice para corregir las cosas. Como algunos de ustedes saben, no estábamos seguros de poder ofrecer un salón de clases de ECE3 el próximo año, pero al trabajar con DPS, una vez más brindaremos un salón de clases de ECE3 de día completo (inglés). Debido a que esto no se anunció, hemos reservado algunos asientos en este salón de clases para los hermanos de nuestros estudiantes actuales que pueden no haber tenido la oportunidad de postularse. Si está interesado en esta clase para el próximo año, asegúrese de completar una solicitud de Elección tan pronto como se abra la Ronda 2 el 6 de abril. Póngase en contacto con alison_larson@dpsk12.org si tiene alguna pregunta.
La Junta Escolar de DPS se reunió anoche y aprobó la nueva fecha de inicio para el próximo año escolar. Marque sus calendarios con el 23 de agosto como la nueva fecha de inicio. Puede encontrar calendarios escolares actualizados aquí.
Gracias, como siempre, por ser parte de nuestra comunidad.
Atentamente,
Michael Atkins
|
|
CMAS TESTING
Families in 3rd-5th Grade:
Our Stedman 3rd-5th grade students will be taking the annual state assessment, CMAS, beginning on April 13th. Our students have shown strong academic growth this year despite the pandemic, and we are confident that they will perform well.
The Colorado Department of Education has applied for a waiver from the federal government to only test 3rd & 5th graders in Literacy and 4th graders in Math, which would significantly reduce the number of tests students need to take. The schedule below shows both the waiver and non-waiver scenarios. We will keep you updated as we learn whether or not the waiver is approved. Students learning remotely will need to come into the building from 9:30-11:00 each day to test. We cannot administer the test remotely. If you have questions, please contact Emily_Madison@dspk12.org or Adrienne_Lopez@dpsk12.org.
Schedule:
- April 13th, 14th, and 15th - 3rd, 4th and 5th grades test whether the state waiver is approved or not
- April 20th, 21st, 22nd - 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades test if waiver is not approved
- April 26, 27th, 28th - 5th grade only - Science test if waiver is not approved
If you are unable to bring your child in for all of his/her testing, we ask that you please email michael_atkins@dpsk12.org to make sure you are marked "Opt-Out" for this year's assessments. Please note that there may be occasions during testing sessions when students who have opted out may have asynchronous/remote learning due to staffing limitations.
***
Dear DPS Community,
As we have shared over the past few weeks, the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) requires all districts every year to administer Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) in English Language Arts (grades 3-8), Math (grades 3-8), and Science (grade 5, 8 and 11). The CDE expects us to administer CMAS to all students in person this year whether each student attends school in person or remotely. There will not be a remote testing option, so all students must come into the school to take the test. Our testing schedule will run from March 22 through April 30, 2021.
We believe there are multiple ways to monitor student progress, and this is one of them. We also understand that some families may not want their students to participate in CMAS. We requested that families who choose to opt their student out of testing complete the Assessment Opt-Out Form by Feb. 26. Although this deadline has passed, if a family still wants to opt their student out, families can do so by reaching out directly to their child’s school. Families have the opportunity to opt out up until the day of the testing. Please note that we set the Feb. 26 deadline so that school leaders could plan for how many students are testing, determine staffing needs and prepare testing schedules that follow all health and safety guidelines.
In some instances, a school leader may determine that students who are not testing on a particular day will need to learn remotely for that day while testing is taking place. Because of our current health and safety rules, there may be situations where schools may not have sufficient staff to support both testing and non-testing students at school on the same day. Additionally, our health and safety rules may impact the amount of students we can have in particular spaces. Each school will develop a plan that addresses their unique circumstances. Staff at your child’s school will share with you those details for students who are not testing and the schedule for CMAS testing. If you have additional questions, please reach out to your school or contact our Family and Community Helpline at 720-423-3054 or FACEHelpline@dpsk12.org.
Sincerely,
Tamara Acevedo
Deputy Superintendent of Academics
|
|
HEALTHY FOOD FOR DENVER KIDS |
|
Summer Academy
A free summer program for students who need extra practice reading and writing!
The DPS Summer Academy is designed for students whose reading assessment scores show they would benefit from extra practice. Students attend the Summer Academy for FREE. Breakfast and lunch are provided each day.
The DPS Summer Academy provides students with a great opportunity for individualized instruction and focused lessons to further develop their literacy skills
Students who are eligible to attend Summer Academy will receive invitation letters. If you receive an invitation, please complete the included registration form and return it to your school or complete the online registration to take advantage of this great summer learning opportunity. After the application period is complete, we will send you more details about your child's Summer Academy location, hours and transportation.
More information on Summer Academy can be found HERE. FAQs can be found HERE.
|
|
CELEBRATIONS
Students have been working hard this year under difficult and ever-changing circumstances. But through it all, our students have been thriving! This is why we weren't too surprised to get the great news from interim assessments that:
- 75% of our 3rd Graders are Proficient or Distinguished in Literacy, 78% are Proficient or Distinguished in Math!
- 4th Graders increased their proficiency in Literacy from 13% to 40% with 10% of them scoring Distinguished in Math!
- 5th Graders increased their proficiency in Literacy from 8% to 40% and their proficiency in Math from 31% to 44%!
We're so proud of these students and grateful to our staff for dedicating so much time and effort to supporting our students at home and in school!
|
|
While this year is unlike any other, there are still ways for us to continue supporting our students.
Please continue reading your emails from PTA and reach out to pta.stedman@gmail.com if you have any questions or want to jump in! We'll provide updates here in the newsletter as well.
|
|
 |
LONGMONT DAIRY CAPS
-
If you order from Longmont Dairy, save all your milk caps! Send them to our front office and we are able to turn them in for a donation.
|
AMAZON SMILE
Do you shop on Amazon? An EASY way to help support our kids and teachers at Stedman is to link your AmazonSmile account to our charity, The Stedman Knights PTA. Click on the above image to be directed to our organizations link. Every purchase you make through smile.amazon.com sends a small portion of the purchase to our school! The money raised goes to supporting our students and the important work being done at Stedman!
Remind your family and friends to link to our school as well!
¿Tienda en Amazon? Una manera fácil de ayudar a mantener a nuestros niños y maestros en Stedman es vincular su cuenta AmazonSmile de nuestra caridad, “Stedman Knights PTA.” Haga clic en la imagen de arriba para dirigirse a nuestras organizaciones enlace. Cada compra que hagas a través smile.amazon.com envía una pequeña porción de la compra a nuestra escuela! El dinero recaudado se destina a apoyar a nuestros estudiantes y la importante labor que se realiza en Stedman!
Recordar su familia y amigos para enlazar a nuestra escuela, también!
|
|
|
|
King Soopers
Did you know that you can link your King Soopers account to Stedman and help us raise money without spending any extra dollars? It's so easy!
How To Use the King Soopers/ City Market Community Rewards Program:
Step 2: Sign in to your account (or create a new account with your email and King Soopers card #)
Step 3: Search for Stedman Knights PTA (NPO # -- XK374)
Step 4: Select Enroll
Congrats, you have successfully enrolled in the Community Rewards program and 5% of your purchases will support Stedman Elementary!!
***
¿Sabía que puede vincular su cuenta de King Soopers a Stedman y ayudarnos a recaudar dinero sin gastar dólares adicionales? ¡Es tan fácil!
Cómo utilizar el programa de recompensas de la comunidad de King Soopers / City Market:
Paso 1: vaya al sitio web: https://www.kingsoopers.com/account/communityrewards/
Paso 2: inicie sesión en su cuenta (o cree una nueva cuenta con su correo electrónico y número de tarjeta King Soopers)
Paso 3: Busque la PTA de Stedman Knights (NPO # - XK374)
Paso 4: seleccione Inscribirse
¡Felicidades, se inscribió con éxito en el programa Community Rewards y el 5% de sus compras apoyarán a la escuela primaria Stedman!
|
|
|
|
PTA MEETING
Join us for our next virtual PTA meeting on Wednesday, April 7th at 6pm. We keep these limited to one hour and would love to see your face!
Wednesday, April 7 @ 6pm
|
|
FREE MEAL DELIVERY IN DENVER
Sign Up for Colorado Food Cluster Meal Deliveries:
Colorado Food Cluster (CFC) provides free meals to youth ages 6-18 in the Denver Metro Area (within 20 miles of downtown). Each student will receive a weekly delivery of 7 dinners and 14 snacks, including fruit and milk, until June 30, 2021.
Regístrese para las entregas de comidas del grupo de alimentos de Colorado:
Colorado Food Cluster (CFC) ofrece comidas gratuitas a jóvenes de 6 a 18 años en el área metropolitana de Denver (dentro de las 20 millas del centro de la ciudad). Cada alumno recibirá una entrega semanal de 7 cenas y 14 snacks, entre fruta y leche, hasta el 30 de junio de 2021.
|
|
|
|
Stedman Spirit Gear
Our new store for Stedman Spirit Gear is finally up! If you are interested in purchasing a new item, please visit this site. Orders will be handled individually and a portion of all sales will be donated back to the school by the vendor.
|
|
COVID-19 Testing Now Free for All Community Members |
Through the end of the year, COVIDCheck Colorado is now offering free testing to anyone in Colorado. This means that leaders, educators and staff can go with household members and invite other community members to test and help slow the spread of COVID.
|
|
Clothes To Kids of Denver (CTKD) provides FREE clothing to children and youth who are in need or in crisis. To shop, students must live in Metro Denver, be age 3 - 21 and be enrolled in school (remote or in-person) or working toward a GED.
Our wardrobe includes 5 outfits, 1 coat, 1 pair of shoes, 1 bra (optional) and 5 pairs each of new underwear and new socks. Students are invited to select clothing in a welcoming, store-like setting or can order a wardrobe for contactless curbside pick-up.
***
We are very excited to have in person shoppers in our store and are taking extra precautions to protect the health and safety of our visitors, volunteers and staff.
***
For families who would prefer a contactless option, we are continuing to offer wardrobes via Curbside Service. This option enables parents and caregivers to request a wardrobe for any student in need, and our staff will shop on their behalf.
Families wishing to shop in person or request a wardrobe for pick-up should call us at 720-379-4630 or email us at appointment@clothestokidsdenver.org for an appointment. Up-to-date phone hours are on the Shop With Us page of our website.
No Referral Required! No matter how families choose to shop, we have temporarily loosened our referral requirements and are providing wardrobes to anyone who says the young people in their households are in need of our services, no questions asked.
Hours of Operation:
Tuesdays - Fridays 9:00 - 4:00
Saturdays 9:00 - 3:00
Sundays & Mondays Closed
Donations Accepted:
Fridays & Saturdays 9:00 - 3:00
We are now accepting clothing and shoe donations on Fridays and Saturdays only between 9:00 and 3:00. We are in need of the basic wardrobe staples (shorts, pants, tops, shoes, etc.). We still cannot accept "extras" at this time.
Donating is Easy!
Gather your clean and ready-to-wear items. Check our updated Donation Guidelines for ideas. Please sort items by category (girls, boys, young women, young men and shoes) to save time at drop-off.
· When you arrive, pull into our loading zone and wait in your car until any staff members or other donors are at a safe distance.
· Empty your donations into one of our rolling bins located outside of our door.
· Please do not leave donations inside of plastic bags. Place your donations in our bins and take your bags with you to reuse.
|
|
Emergency Financial Assistance |
|
Knowing the COVID-19 pandemic continues to negatively impact the lives of Denver families, DHS is now offering emergency/disaster assistance payments up to $4,000 to qualifying residents.
These payments can be used for a variety of reasons – to cover rent or pay the mortgage, to pay for mental or medical care, to pay for home or auto repairs, to pay for food or school supplies, and more. To qualify, one must be:
- TANF Broad-Based Eligibility Criteria for Disaster Aid: Denver resident
- Household is determined to be ineligible for public assistance programs;
- Annual household income is under $75,000;
- Eligible child in the household (according to state rules and regulations);
- Lawfully present in the country; and
- Has a need for services directly relating COVID-19-related emergency
The program is open until funds are exhausted. To apply, go to Colorado.gov/PEAK and apply for Colorado Works/TANF. Please note that because this is a unique and temporary program, the “Am I eligible?” feature will not distinguish between this program and the regular Colorado Works/TANF programs. We encourage anyone with questions to call 720-944-4DHS (4347) to speak with a customer services representative.
|
|
Family Supports
If your family is in need of additional support, please be sure to reach out to our Family Liaison, Ali Larson, via text or email: alison_larson@dpsk12.org. We have access to some food and transportation resources that may be helpful during these stressful times.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
