Cougar Community Connection
Principal, Shannon McPherson
2/9/24
Well it is February, the month of love and Valentine's Day is right around the corner. We coupled that with Parent/Teacher conferences and we are looking forward to our fun V-Day celebrations along with great conversations with you about the growth your child(ren) has made thus far in the school year. From Valentine Grams, to Muffins with Mentors the Power of One love is in full force right now. Thank you to all who came to our fun and festive morning of pastries, coffee and fruit at our Muffins with Mentors event. It was a great way to end our week with our entire CRUNFamily all together in our sweet school. A HUGE shout out to Nate Biggs for always organizing and hosting such a great event. We thank all of the volunteers for their help in making this year's Muffins with Mentors a great success!
By the way, have you reached out to the PTA to inquire about the open positions for next year? We need great people who are willing to dedicate some time to our FABULOUS PTA who are instrumental in helping our school be the success that it is. The perks are that you truly have the "inside scoop" to all that goes on at CRUN. You also get to be a true difference maker, working in collaboration with school staff to plan and orchestrate the awesome events that take place at our school. Cougar Run is truly the nucleus of this fantastic neighborhood and our PTA serves as the community voice in our school. Reach out with questions to the link in the PTA section of the newsletter. We would love to have you involved!
A Note From PTA
Important Note from the PTA
Our treasurer has sent out our official Receipts of Charitable Donation letters for those who have donated $250 or more. If you believe you should have received this email, or if there is a mistake with your document, then please let us know at crunpta@gmail.com. Thank you.
Upcoming Events
- Monday, February 12th: Parent-Teacher Conference Potluck --> Our teachers work so hard for our students. Let's make sure they have a yummy dinner to help boost morale. The PTA would like to provide a Taco Bar Potluck for the teachers. If you have time to cook or pick up sides, then please check out the sign-up HERE.
- Thursday, February 15th: Parent-Teacher Conference Catering --> Is cooking not your thing? Please consider donating towards a catered meal from Olive Garden with their Soup, Salad & Breadsticks. You can Venmo your donation to Cougar Run Elementary @crunpta in the charity section. Thank you for your generosity!
PTA Elections for Fall 2024 - Spring 2026
It is with a sad heart that I need to step down as PTA President for the upcoming term. I want to share with all of you why I loved being president. I joined the PTA to make sure my 2 students got the best experience possible, but I discovered that our fundraising and activities are in place to make sure that ALL students get the best school experience possible. ALL students deserve an enriching education with a family feel. It has been my honor to work for your children and to support the teachers and staff of Cougar Run. If this touches your heart too, then please consider joining our leadership board. - Megan Noraddin
Due to health issues, increased job demand, and fulfilling the 4-year maximum term, most of the PTA is turning over for the upcoming 2-year term that starts July 2024. The board would like to encourage new members to consider taking on a leadership role at our school. Nominations will start at our March meeting on Friday, March 8th. Discussion of the nominations and formation of a slate will occur at the April meeting on Friday, April 12th. We will vote on the slate during either the April or May meeting. We will schedule transitioning times that work for all parties.
- 2 Co-Presidents: We are looking for 2 people to share this role. You can divide up the responsibilities, so no one has too much workload. Presidents run the monthly meeting and manage the PTA email account. The current president is also in charge of communications, but this could be outsourced to another member. Presidents oversee all PTA events and are a resource to the event chairmans.
- Treasurer: Are you good with budgets and spreadsheets? The PTA has 2 treasurers. Tasha is staying on the board to enter money into QuickBooks, get money for sales events, and print checks. The role we need filled is our main treasurer. You will set the PTA budget, get grant requests from the school, and maintain the PTA finances. You will print and report out on the finances and grants at each PTA meeting.
- Secretary: The president will make an agenda for each PTA meeting, which you will convert into meeting minutes. This position requires the smallest time commitment of all of the listed positions. Requirements are good listening and typing skills.
If you have read this far, then thank you so much. If you are interested in a position, then please reach out to us at crunpta@gmail.com or text Megan at 303-519-6538. Have a great weekend.
Spotlight On~ Our 6th Grade Team
This trio of teachers are a force to be reckoned with. Lorie Aksamit leads our math and science programming and Wendy Weiss heads up literacy and social studies. Mary Sileo is the incredible interventionist who supports kids in need and together they make great things happen for kids. There is no better team for your child to end their elementary career with than this trio. Rest assured, your kids are more than prepared for their journey to middle school from these amazing teachers. We are so lucky to have them in our CRUNFamily.
Katie Busch~ Volunteer Coordinator
Thank you to all of our volunteers for Muffins with Moms & Mentors. Nate Biggs organized yet another very successful, well attended event bringing our community together. Nate, you are an amazing volunteer and have been for years. Thank you!!
If anyone is interested in taking the reins from Nate (he has Donuts with Grownups and Muffins with Mentors down to a science), please reach out to Katie Busch (Info Below)
Here are some upcoming volunteer opportunities:
Meals for Teachers
Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences are in a few weeks! The PTA is hoping to feed our teachers two nights that week. One night, we will offer a Taco Bar Potluck and the other night we will be catering Olive Garden’s Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks. If you would like to bring an item for the Potluck, please sign up HERE. If you would rather donate toward the catered meal, please leave cash donations at the front office. OR, please Venmo Cougar Run Elementary PTA @crunpta (under charity organizations).
Watch D.O.G.S
For those dads and father-like figures out there, please sign up for Watch D.O.G.S for the remainder of the school year. We can work with ANY schedule! Sign up for ANY amount of time to be a Watch D.O.G. (Dads of Great Students). Sign up HERE!
Teacher Appreciation
The PTA is looking for one more volunteer to help organize Teacher Appreciation week in May. Please contact Katie Busch (Info Below)
Glow Dance Party
The PTA is planning an amazing community event on March 14th. The PTA Committee would love more help in planning this fun event. Please reach out to Katie Busch if you are interested (Info Below).
End-of-the-Year Carnival
The PTA is throwing an end-of-the-year carnival celebration on May 23rd. If you would like to help with the party, please contact Katie (Info Below)
Katie Busch
Volunteer Coordinator
Cougar Run Elementary School
Updates from Office Team
Order your YEARBOOKS! It’s that time of year where we have to collect yearbook orders so that we know the correct quantity to order! The order deadline is February 29! HERE is the direct link to order online!
What Are Your Plans For Next Year?
It is that time of year where we start planning and budgeting for next school year. We need to know if your child will be with us for the 24-25 school year. Please fill out THIS form by February 23 sharing if you will be returning and your important feedback about your child in order to assist us in placing your child in the best classroom fit for them. MAKE SURE YOU GO ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF THE DOC AS THERE IS A SECOND PAGE TO THE SURVEY. Teachers and admin work together to build these classes in a balanced way and your feedback helps with that. Where we cannot honor teacher requests, we do consider parent feedback when balancing classrooms.
A Note From Char-Our Registrar at CRUN
Registration for the 24-25 school year is now open!
If you have an incoming kindergarten student or know of someone who has a NEW student to register for the 24-25 school year - NOW is the time to register! Spots are filling up quick for open enrollment so be sure to tell your friends that when that window opens again on January 22nd, they need to HURRY to get a spot!
Go to this link to register your NEW 24-25 student.
See our Registration Page for more information.
Counselor's Corner~ Mrs. Boisson
Enrichment topics/lessons this week (Silver Feb. 12th - 16th)
K: Career Exploration
1: Career Exploration
2: Career Exploration
3: Career Exploration
4: Career Exploration
5: Career Exploration
6: Career Exploration
We would love to host Girls On The Run again for the spring of 2024. If you are interested in volunteering as a coach and/or would like more information on the program, please reach out to me at tboisson@dcsdk12.org
Upcoming Dates to Remember
February 13- CRUN Restaurant Night
February 12-15- Parent/Teacher Conference Week (Sign Ups Coming Next Week)
February 14-Valentines Day Parties
February 16-No School for Students (Teacher Professional Development Day)
February 19-No School- Presidents Day
February 20-9:00 SAC Meeting
March 4-8- CRUN BUS CANCELED
March 8- 9:00 PTA Meeting (All parents welcome!)
March 14- 6:00 Family Glow Dance at Cougar Run
March 18-22- Spring Break
April 8-12- CMAS Testing Grades 3-6
April 15-19- CRUN BUS CANCELED
April 26-No School for Students-Teacher Professional Development Day
April 29-May 3-Spring Book Fair