Arrowhead Update
August 22, 2022
Principal's Message
It has been wonderful having students back in the building and we have had a great start to the year! This week is Back to School Night, which is an opportunity for parents/guardians to get to meet your child's teacher and learn about what this new school year will bring. We hope you will be able to join us!
As I shared with you in our Back to School newsletter, Arrowhead will be choosing a new mascot this year, as the Thunderbird is an important figure to several Indigenous tribes and is banned under Senate Bill 21-116. We are beginning the process of identifying a new mascot and our timeline is as follows:
August 2022- Who are we as an Arrowhead community and where are we going? The community will be invited to share their thoughts at Back to School Night- please watch for posters in the Innovation Space/Library area.
September 2022- Students, staff, and community will be able to nominate ideas for the new Arrowhead mascot (more details will come in a couple of weeks).
October 2022- The Mascot Selection Committee will narrow down the nominations to 3-5 options. These options will be presented to the community for a vote!
*If you would like to be part of the Mascot Selection Committee, please email me at kjones100@cherrycreekschools.org. Meetings will be after school from 3:00-3:40 pm.
End of October 2022- The Mascot Selection Committee will work with a graphic designer to design a new logo with our mascot.
November 2022- Mascot and new logo will be revealed!
Since we retired our SOAR expectations along with our Thunderbird mascot, the staff worked together before school started to develop new expectations for Arrowhead students. We aligned our expectations with Cherry Creek's 5 core values (Growth Mindset, Equity, Engagement, Relationships, and Whole Wellbeing). Our new expectations can be found below. We appreciate your support in reinforcing them at home!
As we start the year, please feel free to reach out to your child's teachers or the office if you have any questions or concerns. We are here to partner with you!
Kind regards,
Kelsey Jones
Principal
Arrowhead Elementary
Announcements
Important Breakfast and Lunch Information
The federal government is no longer funding free breakfast and lunch for all students. If you would like your child to purchase breakfast and lunch at school, they will need to pay for it unless your family qualifies for the National School Lunch Program (free and reduced-price meals). Information about school meals can be found here: https://www.cherrycreekschools.org/Page/4035
To apply for free or reduced-price school meals, please complete this application as soon as possible. You can apply the following ways:
Online: https://family.titank12.com/application/new?identifier=7E9BB5. The application is available in English, Spanish, Burmese, Chinese, French, Korean, Russian, and Vietnamese.
Download a paper form and return to school: English Spanish
Pick-up a paper copy at school: We have paper copies available in the Main Office and we will have them available at Meet and Greet and Back to School Night.
Instructions for filling out the paper forms can be found here:
Further information about the National School Lunch Program can be found here: https://www.cherrycreekschools.org/Page/4041.
Back to School Night- Thursday, August 25
Back to School Night is scheduled for this Thursday, August 25. The schedule is below:
5:30 pm- Doors open, info fair open
5:45-6:15 pm- Teacher Presentations Session 1
6:15-6:30 pm- Transition, info fair open
6:30-7:00 pm- Teacher Presentations Session 2
Info fair= Before/After, Food and Nutrition Services, extracurricular organizations, PTCO, etc.
Title 1 Family Information Night
Please join us on Wednesday, August 31 from 5:30-6:30 pm to learn more about Arrowhead's new status as a Title 1 school, how funds will be used, and provide input on how to best serve our community with this funding. Pizza will be provided. Please RSVP here if you plan to attend so that we know how much pizza to order!
If families would like to join virtually, they may join via Zoom:
Meeting URL: https://cherrycreekschools-org.zoom.us/j/96220094322?pwd=dFNidnE3cVN3Q0o5L3FpbFhpalBsQT09&from=addon Meeting ID: 962 2009 4322 Passcode: 790101
Save the Date: Smoky Hill Feeder Football Game September 23
Join us on Friday, September 23 at 7:00 pm to cheer on the Smoky Hill Buffs as they take on Highlands Ranch High School at Stutler Bowl! We will join our fellow Smoky Hill feeder schools there and will have our own section just for Arrowhead! More details to come, but save the date now!
Nurse Notes
Please remember to turn in immunization forms and medication orders to Nurse Nicolette. Reach out at nkelley2@cherrycreekschools.org if you have questions or need forms.
Any student with a fever (100.4F or higher), must stay home. Return to school after 24 hours of being fever free without medication. They also must be free of vomiting/diarrhea for 24 hours and eating before returning to school.
We Are Hiring!
Severe Needs Para Educator (7 hours/day): Support students in our ILC program by providing accommodations, academic modifications, and supporting students in self-care as needed. Experience is preferred but not required, as new para educators will be provided with extensive training.
School Support Para Educator (7 hours/day): Work in the Main Office to provide clerical support and support with attendance and reception duties. Additionally, part of the day will be spent providing recess and lunch supervision in the cafeteria and/or on the playground.
We are also always looking for substitute para educators who are able to fill in when one of our para educators is out. Please contact our Assistant Principal, April Hrovat, at 720-886-2806 or ahrovat@cherrycreekschools.org if you are interested.
For information on working for Cherry Creek Schools, please visit the Cherry Creek Human Resources page: https://www.cherrycreekschools.org/domain/1417
PTCO Events- Save the Date!
Save the date for the following PTCO events:
Friday, September 9- Bingo Night! 6:00 pm in the Gym
Thursday, October 16- Skate City Night! 6:00 pm at Skate City
Upcoming Dates
August 29- Picture Day
August 31- Title 1 Family Information Night 5:30-6:30 pm
September 5- No School (Labor Day)
September 9- Bingo Night 6:00 pm
September 14- Hearing Screening (Preschool-1st grade)
September 15- Lockdown Drill 9:00 am
September 23- Smoky Hill Feeder Football Game 7:00 pm at Stutler Bowl
October 13- Skate City Night 6:00 pm
October 15-23- Fall Break
November 4- Report cards go home
Week of November 7-11- Conferences
November 11- No School (Conferences)
New Faces at Arrowhead!
Emma Hartz, Kindergarten Student Teacher
Hello! My name is Emma Hartz. I will be a student teacher in kindergarten at Arrowhead this August through October. I am so excited to be apart of the school community for the next few months. I grew up in LeClaire, Iowa and attend the University of Northern Iowa where I am obtaining a degree in Elementary Education and minors in Math and Literacy. When I’m not in school I enjoy spending time outdoors running, kayaking, hiking, reading books, watching movies, and playing with my dog, Ariel, and cat, Simba. I look forward to learning and growing from the wonderful teachers and growing connections with the students.
Lacy Hardaway, School Psychologist
Hello! My name is Lacy Hardaway and I am so excited to be joining Arrowhead this school year! I am a School Psychologist and I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado, Boulder and my Ed.S degree at the University of Denver. As someone who grew up in Colorado, this state is very close to my heart; I love to run, hike and ski. I have a three year old yellow Labrador named Lemon and she also loves to run and hike as well as play fetch and chase sticks.
Bryce Kassel, ILC Para
Hi my name is Bryce and I’m so happy to be working here at Arrowhead Elementary School. I was a student here once upon a time! I graduated from Cherry Creek Schools. Some hobbies of mine are YouTube, movies, and listening to music. My favorite sport is Motocross and some football.
Jadyn Michael, PlayWorks Coach
Hey I’m Jadyn Michael! I’m the new Playworks Coach here at Arrowhead. I love working with students and developing healthy relationships with them. I just previously came from the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver and am excited to step into this new role. I also went to DSST:GVR for high school and I played basketball at Colorado State and Colorado Christian University! Though I enjoyed my time on those teams, I’m looking forward to being a part of this team!
Michelle Tena, Office Manager
I’m excited to join the Arrowhead Community, this is my tenth year in the Cherry Creek School District and second as an Office Manager. I am a proud parent of 3 wonderful boys who are my pride and joy. My oldest son is a recent graduate of Smoky Hill High School and I currently have a junior and a freshman, both who attend Smoky Hill High School. I am a Colorado native, who loves to spend time with my family, going to the beach, and traveling. I also enjoy quilting, arts and crafts. I am looking forward to meeting and creating amazing relationships with the community.
Ongoing Reminders
School Hours
8:00 am-2:45 pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
8:00 am-1:45 pm Wednesday
The school day ends at 2:45 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. On Wednesdays, the school day ends at 1:45 pm. Students will exit from the same doors they entered.
If you are interested in our before and after school child care program, please contact Bobbie Smith at 720-886-2853. They open at 6:30 am to provide before school care and are open until 6:00 pm to provide after school care. They can only accept students who have been registered in advance. They accept Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) for families who qualify and give discounts for families who qualify for free or reduced price meals.
Attendance
Dogs on School Grounds
Please note that dogs are not allowed on school grounds. If you would like to bring your dog to drop-off or pick-up your child, please remain on the sidewalks around the perimeter of the school or in the field past the last goalpost.
Parking Lot Procedures
Please help us keep kids safe by following our parking lot procedures. Please refer to the map of our parking lot below for where you can safely drop-off/pick-up.
Drop-Off/Pick-Up (Teal): This is a space for you to quickly drop-off and pick-up at the beginning and end of the day. This is a fire lane, so you must remain with your car at all times. Students should enter and exit the car on the curb side (right side), as cars will be passing in the through lane on the left side of the car.
Red Curve: This is a no parking or waiting zone, as our buses need to be able to get around that corner safely.
Bus Parking (Yellow): Only buses may park here. Cars parked in this space will be asked to move to make room for buses. Once the buses have departed, this may be used as additional space for pick-up.
Through Lanes (Green): These lanes should continuously move. Please do not wait or park here and at no time should cars be double parked.
Parking: The only space where you may park is in a marked parking spot. If there is not a spot available, please park on the street and walk in.
Right Turn Only (2:45-3:00 pm): When exiting the parking lot during afternoon dismissal, all cars need to turn right out of the parking lot and loop through the neighborhood. For safety reasons, please do not make a u-turn in the areas around the school (signage indicates where u-turns cannot be made).