Principal Weekly Update
August 23-27
Welcome to School Year 2021-22!
Dear Welchester Community,
We spent the first week focusing on our theme this year : “Learn Together, Teach Together, Succeed Together. #BetterTogether”! Students spent time team building, learning routines and getting reacquainted with school.
We do have a calendar change. We have moved our Open House- Pathway to Success #BetterTogether night to Thursday, September 2nd, starting at 4:30. The Save the Date went home today in Friday folders. The RSVP is here.
We have beginning of year assessment days this week on Friday, 8/27 and Monday, 8/30. Please connect with you child's teacher to sign up.
Please take a moment with your child to review the Student-Family Handbook for this school year.
Upcoming Dates:
8/27 & 8/30- Flex testing days by appointment
9/1- Picture Day
9/1 PTA Meeting, 5:30
9/2- Open House, 4:30-7
10/1 Field Day
In partnership,
Bethany Robinson
Mask Update
Breakfast & Lunch
Lunch is 20 minutes. The first week students often do not eat all their lunch as they are typically chatting with friends and catching up. Once the routine is established, student have plenty of time to eat. Students have the option of taking some unfinished items with them for snack.
Save the Date! September 2nd
Who: all and any families attending Welchester Elementary
What: an (re) introduction to Welchester, specifically your child (s) grade level, see a “Day in the Life of a ____ grader”. Dinner will be provided beforehand- you must RSVP for the event.
Where: Welchester Elementary, 13000 W. 10th Ave., Golden
Agenda:
4:30-5:25 Session 1
5:30-6:25 Session 2
6:30-7:00 Dinner and mingle. Must RSVP
Playworks
Why Play Matters in Schools
- Playtime helps kids discover joy of being active. Research shows that active kids are stronger learners.
- By playing together, children practice how to get along. Kindergarteners with stronger social and emotional skills have better life outcomes as adults.
- Research suggests that when we play, our brains develop creativity and flexibility.
Play is especially important in schools. The American Academy of Pediatrics notes,
“Recess serves as a necessary break from the rigors of concentrated, academic challenges in the classroom. But equally important is the fact that safe and well-supervised recess offers cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits that may not be fully appreciated when a decision is made to diminish it. Recess is unique from, and a complement to, physical education—not a substitute for it.”
At Welchester, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to play, every day.
Looking for Welchester Representation
We are also seeking a representative on the Golden Schools Foundation (GSF). GSF is a huge supporter of Welchester and Golden Area schools. The commitment is monthly.
Please email Bethany @ Bethany.Robinson@jeffco.k12.co.us if you would like more information.
Girls on the Run
Girls on the Run after school club will start the week of September 13th!
Girls on the Run inspires girls to a lifetime of self-respect and a healthy lifestyle through an innovative program that combines training for a 3.1-mile run/walk race with fun games and activities that help girls learn to define their lives on their own terms. We will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays after school from 3:00-4:30pm. Open to all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade girls. Registration is $40 for a 10-week program and is now open online at www.girlsontherunrockies.org.
Questions? Email Grace Diekman grace.diekman@jeffco.k12.co.us.
COVID Protocols
Most of you have seen the email sent out to families that all elementary students will be required to wear a mask at school this year. This also applies to all volunteers and visitors to the building regardless of vaccination status. As you are reading about the beginning of school events, keep in mind that anytime an event is indoors, masks will be required including entering the building to use the bathroom.
While the weather is nice, we will increase student opportunities to be outside for mask breaks and eating.
We are excited to get the year started with several events that bring us back together as a school and community.
Title 1 Notification
Welchester is dedicated to making sure all of our children succeed in school and in life. We’re proud of the programs we offer at Welchester that help students learn and ultimately be successful.
However, the way our school and student achievement is measured and reported will be different under the federal law known as Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), formerly known as, No Child Left Behind (NCLB). It’s important for you to understand how this law affects your child’s school and our students.
ESSA, signed into law by President Obama in December 2015, requires states to set challenging standards in math, reading or language arts, and science that are aligned with higher education and Career and Technical Education (CTE) expectations. ESSA requires alternate achievement standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities as well as standards for English-language proficiency.
Welchester receives funds from Title I, which is a federal program that provides resources to schools that have high free lunch numbers. ESSA focuses on schools, like ours, that receive Title I funding.
Under ESSA, every school receiving Title I money is required to notify parents of their rights:
- to know the qualifications of your child’s teacher and will be notified if the teacher does not meet applicable licensure requirements;
- to know when your child has a substitute teacher for more than four weeks as well as the qualifications of the substitute teacher;
- to know how the school is rated by Colorado Department of Education, based on state standardized test scores;
- to understand Common Core State Standards as measures by state assessments and your child’s test scores;
- to expect regular communication with your school in a language you can understand;
- to work with other families and teachers to develop a school-level family agreement between school and families;
- to help plan how money for family engagement should be spent;
- to work with other families, teachers, and the principal in developing a Unified Improvement Plan;
- to request a meeting with your child’s teacher or the principal;
- to volunteer at the school, within school and district policy;
- to join your school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and school Accountability Committee to learn more about your school;
We need your help to make sure all children are successful in school and in life. By working together as a community, we’ll overcome our challenges and build the bright future our children deserve. If you’d like to get involved, please call me at 303-982-7450.
About Us
Welchester is a high-achieving, professional learning community with about 300 students, located in Golden, Colorado. We have a strong commitment to students, staff development, collaboration and learning. Teachers at Welchester use progress monitoring methods to regularly assess student achievement, set goals and change instruction to best meet the needs of individual students.
Website: https://welchester.jeffcopublicschools.org/
Location: 13000 West 10th Avenue, Golden, CO, USA
Phone: 303-982-7450
Facebook: facebook.com/Welchester
Twitter: @PrincipalRobin2