Dates to Remember
1/15 - 2/16: DPS Round One choice window
2/9: CSC Meeting, 4:30PM
2/9: PTA Meeting, 6:00PM
2/10: SDO at Modern Market
2/15 & 2/16: NO SCHOOL
2/24 & 2/25: Picture day sessions
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From the Principal
Dear Steele families,
This week we hosted our first Stallion Stampede! A Stallion Stampede is when our entire school participates in the same Social/ Emotional Lesson. This month each class read I Am Love by Susan Verde and had class conversations about kindness. Here are the questions each class pondered:
Big Idea: We can show kindness and love to others, especially during hard times.
Focus Questions:
What does it mean to go through a “hard time”?
How can we show love to ourselves and others?
Each day in the morning meeting this month, students will share about random acts of kindness they have seen or experienced. We will record these acts of kindness on our Kindness Tree in the main lobby by placing heart stickers on the tree for each kind act. We can’t wait to share a picture of the tree at the end of the month!
Speaking of random acts of kindness, check out these two Steele families who were Caught in the Act by another Steele family:
Jon Nezda (Chloe, 1st) brought his own rake and helped clear leaves on the front sidewalk for the families to walk to the front door.
Also, I have seen the Hunter parents Tina and Brian (Adam, 4th and Quinn, K) pick up trash in front and in back of the school -trash bag, gloves and all.
Have a great weekend!
Marti
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School News and Announcements
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Volunteer at Steele
Steele needs in-person volunteers for both kiss & drop as well as lunch recess supervision. All in-person volunteers must obtain a free background check here.
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Kiss & Drop Volunteers:
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Steele is still looking for volunteers to help with Kiss & Drop from 8-8:15AM on Mondays and Fridays. Sign up on Membership Toolkit! This is an easy volunteer opportunity for parents who are already at drop off. It's only 15 minutes but will make the world of difference for keeping arrival safe and smooth. To sweeten the deal and make your life easier as a volunteer, Mrs. Rosenberg has secured 3 parking spots for Kiss & Drop volunteers for Mondays and Fridays (two spots are in the teacher parking lot, and one is in the side lot by the dumpsters. All spots are marked)!! Knowing how challenging mornings are for families too, hopefully this will make it easier for you to help with the Kiss & Drop process!
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If you are available to volunteer at Kiss & Drop on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, there are two marked volunteer spots reserved in the teacher parking lot for that morning's Kiss & Drop helpers. There is no Membership Toolkit sign up for Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. If you are available impromptu, just show up and lend a hand, or you can let us know which days you're available. Thank you!
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K/1, 2/3 and 4/5 Recess Volunteers: This is an unusual year with no opportunities to volunteer in the classroom or on field trips. The Steele staff could really use the support of additional adults during recess to help supervise. Here is a testimonial of a satisfied volunteer, "It's less than an hour. I get to be outside and see my child. It's an easy in and out, and helping out feels good!" You heard it here! Volunteering is fun! If your schedule allows, please consider signing up for the same day every week or multiple times a month. If you need more flexibility, sign up for when you can. Sign up on Membership Toolkit! Thank you!
Supply Drive for the Virginia Village LOVVE Project, TODAY
Please join the Steele/Ellis Community Partnership Team and S.C.A.T. (Steele Community Action Team) to collect items for the Virginia Village LOVVE Project (formerly the Ellis Food Bank). Please drop items off TODAY at the Woodrows' home at 898 South Vine St. or the Thackers' home at 634 S. Williams St. Please no food at this time. Let's come together and offer some much needed support!
- Toilet paper
- Paper towels
- Bars of soap and/or body wash
- Shampoo & conditioner
- Toothbrushes, toothpaste, & floss
- Mouthwash
- Razors
- Cleaning wipes
- General cleaning spray
- Laundry detergent
- Laundry softener
- Dish soap
- Sponges
SDO @ Blackbird to Support a Steele Family, 2/9
Unfortunately, a Steele Elementary family lost their home and beloved dog to a fire over the holidays. On February 9, Blackbird will be giving back 25% of all sales to help this family. This will be on dine-in as well as take-out orders. If anyone would like to donate more to the family beyond the SDO, please email info@tabletotavern.com.
SDO @ Mod Market, 2/10
Come out and support your school at this month's delicious Steele Dines Out on Wednesday, February 10 from 5-8PM at Mod Market (1000 S Colorado Blvd). Mod Market will be giving 30% of online and take away orders back to Steele. Make sure to mention Steele when you order or use the code, giveback002 when you order online. This SDO is ONLY for online and takeout orders.
Picture Day, 2/24 and 2/25
Picture Day is coming to Steele! Order your LifeTouch school pictures online here with the Steele Picture Day ID, EVTNQ8CRW. Virtual learners have two opportunities to get their pictures taken: either Wednesday, February 24 from 1-2PM or Thursday, February 25 from 9-10AM. Remote students will not be marked absent if they are coming to take pictures.
Important CMAS Information for 3rd-5th Grade Families:
The Colorado Measure for Academic Success (CMAS) assessment is still scheduled to happen this spring for all 3rd -5th-grade students. We will send out a testing calendar later this month.
Schools use CMAS data to determine how they have met students' academic needs and to make changes to best support students in the next academic year. CMAS data also helps a school determine its Unified Improvement Plan goals.
I have received many questions about CMAS from families who have concerns about CMAS administration during this pandemic year and are considering opting their student out of CMAS. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about CMAS for this year:
- Remote students must either come into the building to take the assessment or opt-out. If your remote student takes the assessment they will not do so with their class due to cohort restrictions.
- Students opting out of CMAS would potentially miss a data point towards identification in the Gifted and Talented program. A substitute such as the ITBS is an option; however, those are time/money consuming for the district. They are hesitant to allow testing for a student who opted out of CMAS.
- There are some changes to how CMAS will impact schools for the next academic year. There is no longer a DPS School Performance Framework (SPF), so schools will not be negatively impacted by CMAS participation rates on the SPF. It is still not known whether there will be other negative impacts to schools if many students opt out of CMAS.
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CMAS data is not returned to schools/teachers until late July. We do not use CMAS results to inform any of our grading or instruction for students for this school year. Data is used to inform planning and instruction for the upcoming school year, including for students in transition grades (i.e. 5th to 6th grade)
- Opting out of CMAS will not impact your child’s placement in our neighboring middle schools. I have reached out to the principals at Hill, Merrill, Morey, and Hamilton and they have confirmed that they will use other data points to place students in classes if they do not have CMAS data. If the school you are interested in for middle school is not listed here please contact them directly to determine how opting out of CMAS may impact your child’s placement.
- Students opting out of CMAS will work on engaging activities aligned to grade-level standards while the other students are testing. Families may also choose to keep their child at home until testing is completed for the day.
Families interested in opting their students out of CMAS may do so in Parent Portal until February 26th.
Click here for information on how to opt your student out of testing.
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