Dunstan Newsletter
August 18th
Welcoming 6th Graders
August 18, 2023
Greetings Wonderful Parents and Guardians,
Thank you for all you did this week and last week to help us have a successful launch into this school year! As a staff we recognize everyone is adjusting to a new school year, but also to different start and end times! We have had a smooth start in school!
During the first few days, each staff member prioritized community-building activities to get to know each student. Our goal is to know each student by name, strength, and need. Next week our staff will begin to dive into academic content with the students. So please support your student at home by asking, “What is something amazing you learned today? What class do you really like and why? Are you making new friends and who are they? What do they like to do?”
During Back-To-School Night on August 29, 2023 we will have sessions about how to navigate Infinite Campus, Parent Portal, and Google Classroom. We advise parents to please sit next to your child once a week, have them log into each Google Classroom, and walk through each Google Classroom - ask your student questions such as, “What are you learning in this class? What is the focus of this? What do you think the teacher wants students to learn from this work/assignment?”
I want to apologize for two complicating factors that occurred at the beginning of this year, our lockers and the heat in the older part of the building. You have likely heard from your student that lockers continue to be a challenge. By early next week, we want a locker to work for each student. Students are expected to store their backpacks and cell phones in lockers during the school day. We store backpacks in lockers for safety reasons. The research regarding cell phones supports having them away during learning time. Research concludes even if students have phones in their pockets that each ding or vibration is distracting to them. During lunch students can access their phones and send you a quick message to say hello.
As we enter this year, please remind your students to please be respectful to everyone. We frequently say, you may not like every person, but being respectful is expected. Middle school is an excellent time to encourage your students to form new friendships and get to know people they may not have known before. The combination of schools increases the chances students will find like-minded peers with similar interests. I often hear from parents that their students made new friends at middle school and they appreciate the fact there are a greater variety of students with whom their students can connect.
This week is best described as joyful, energizing, and hopeful for this school year! Thank you for your patience, for supporting your student, and for being a listen ear. If you have concerns or general questions, please reach out sooner rather than later. If questions are related to social-emotional needs, please reach out to:
Leslie Walker, 6th Grade Counselor leslie.walker@jeffco.k12.co.us
Ryan Cole, 7th Grade Counselor ryan.cole@jeffco.k12.co.us
Jennifer Baker, 8th Grade Counselor jennifer.baker@jeffco.k12.co.us
Leslie Pruitt, Social Emotional Learning Specialist leslie.pruitt@jeffco.k12.co.us
If you have academic concerns or questions, please contact the specific teacher and/or grade level administrator:
Megan Devitt-Haggstrom, 6th Grade megan.devitt-haggstrom@jeffco.k12.co.us
Michael Kitch, 7th Grade michael.kitch@jeffco.k12.co.us
Jennifer Pennell, 8th Grade Administrator jennifer.pennell@jeffco.k12.co.us
Dylan Masterson, Dean dylan.masterson@jeffco.k12.co.us
With respect,
Jennifer J. Pennell
Friday, August 25th
- Picture Day for all students and staff
Tuesday, August 29th
- Back 2 School Night
- 5:00 - 7:00 PM: Back to School Open House with Teachers
- 7:00 - 7:30 PM: Dr. Pennell - Presentation
Monday, September 4th
- Labor Day (NO SCHOOL)
Tuesday, September 5th
- On/Off Track Letters handed out to students in Advise
Thursday, September 7th
- Shakespeare in the Parking Lot - Romeo & Juliet
Monday, September 18th
- On/Off Track Letters handed out to students in Advise
Wednesday, September 20th
- Parent Teacher Conferences - 4:30 - 7:30 PM
Thursday, September 21th
- Parent Teacher Conferences - 4:30 - 7:30 PM
Friday, September 22th
- NO SCHOOL for Students (PD Day for Teachers)
Important information
Picture Day for all students will be Friday, August 25th. The week of September 4th after Labor Day Holiday, your students will be receiving their ID cards. It is very important that they keep a hold of their ID’s. Starting the week of September 11th students will have to show their ID for lunch. Jeffco has this replacing the keypad where students enter their school ID number to receive lunch.
MAP Testing for Fall
As we welcome students back to school and begin the work of meeting each student where they are in their learning continuum, one of our most important data points is the MAP score that students begin the year with. This helps us assess what students already know and can do as well as what appropriate next steps are to continue to challenge them academically. MAP will be taken three times this year: Fall (now), Winter (December) and Spring (May). This is so that we can also celebrate their growth in learning as we see their progress throughout the year.
Students will be taking their first MAP tests during their regular math and language arts classes on the following dates:
Math - Wednesday, August 30
Language Arts - Tuesday, September 5 and Wednesday, September 6
We appreciate your help in making sure students are here on those days so that they do not have to miss instructional time to make up the tests later. If you have any questions or concerns about your child taking these assessments, please contact Megan Devitt-Haggstrom, Assistant Principal, at 303-982-9817 or mhaggstr@jeffco.k12.co.us.
Parent Drop-off
Dear parents and caregivers,
We thank you in advance for you patience and kindness to all during parent drop-off and pickup. Dunstan is a school with only one main street for drop-offs and pickups and with over 800 students, which presents us with a unique challenge. While this is not ideal, we usually get into a good flow as the year gets started. Some reminders below....
- We are going to continue providing crossing guards at the student crosswalk.
- Make sure handicap spots are properly used and not blocked.
- Remember we are all doing our best as parents, staff, and community members.
Helpful Info
Arrival:
- Grade-level entrance doors open at 8:45 AM (see map below for locations)
- Students should use this time to go to their lockers, put things away, and be prepared to start class at 8:55 AM
- Please do not have students arrive earlier than 8:35 AM if they are planning to eat breakfast or 8:45 AM for students who need extra time to get ready for the day. There will be no supervision for students until 8:35 AM.
Breakfast:
- 8:35-8:50 AM
- Any student who wants to eat breakfast needs to enter through the back cafeteria ONLY
Dismissal:
- 3:55 PM and all students need to be off campus by 4:05 PM
- Adult supervision will end at 4:05 PM
- Please be aware there is no parking on the west side of Wright Street due to student safety and driver visibility, and no parking in the bus loop
School Meals
Dear Jeffco Public Schools Staff and Families,
All students in Jeffco Public Schools will have access to free, healthy and nutritious school meals beginning in the 2023-24 school year thanks to the Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA) program approved by Colorado voters.
What Families Can Expect for the 2023-24 School Year
- We encourage all families to complete the HSMA Combination Form. This form will be available on Saturday, July 1. To access this form, you must log in to School Café or set up a new School Café account (you will need an account and may not complete a form as a guest).
- Completion of this form will help with additional education funding for schools and may allow for waivers of school-related fees.
- All household income information provided through the HSMA Combination Form is strictly confidential and protected by law. Please note: Only one form is required for all students in the household.
- Forms will be available July 1. While online forms are preferred, paper forms will be available at the Food & Nutrition Services office located at 809 Quail St., Building 1, Lakewood, Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and also at your student’s school.
- Additional meals or a la carte items may be purchased by a student using cash or their School Café account.
- Contact Katie Jeter, Director of Resources, Food & Nutrition Services at 303-982-6879 with questions about applications.
What Meal Service Will Look Like in the 2023-24 School Year
- Students will go through the line and eat in the cafeteria.
- Students will scan their District ID card; middle and high school students’ name badge will serve as their ID card. Elementary students will be provided ID cards at their school.
- Menus will be posted on School Café, as well as in the schools.
- On School Café, you may also place restrictions on your student's account regarding what and/or how frequently they may purchase a la carte items.
- Contact Erika Edwards, Director of Operations, Food and Nutrition Services at 303-982-6678 with questions about meal service.
Sincerely,
Jeffco Public Schools
Social Emotional Learning at Dunstan
Hello Parents and Guardians of Dunstan students,
We had a great first week back! We have loved welcoming students back into the building. Throughout the week, it has been so lovely to see teachers and staff focused on building meaningful relationships with our students. We are building relationships with students through community circles, positive greetings at the front door, and spending time in the hallways helping students navigate their schedule.
In the upcoming weeks, students will start receiving lessons in Advise from our Second Step curriculum. This is an evidence-based curriculum focused on helping students learn SEL skills that they can use in both class and in their community. Please be on the look out for "Table Topics" each week, that I will provide in the newsletter, to help you continue the conversation about SEL with your students at home.
As always, if you have any questions about Social Emotional Learning at Dunstan, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. My contact information is below.
Leslie Pruitt, Social Emotional Learning Specialist
leslie.pruitt@jeffco.k12.co.us
303-982-9439
Dunstan Middle School Cross Country
Hello and welcome to Dunstan Middle School Cross Country!
For those of you I have not met, my name is Robbie Jordano and I am the Middle School Sports supervisor for the City of Lakewood Recreation under Ray Hilger, the Sports Programmer (rhilger@lakewood.org | 303.987.5404).
Please see the attached document which includes more detailed information on practice, meet schedule, equipment, uniforms etc.
Practices:
The team's first practice is Monday, August 21st and the season will conclude on October 11th. Practices will be on Mondays/Wednesdays before school from 7:15am-8:45am. On days of meets, there will not be morning practice.
Meets:
Meets will also be on Monday/Wednesdays after school at various locations around Jefferson County. Once the league releases the meet schedule, I will send that out to the team. Meets will alternate having the boys or girls race first. That will be indicated on the schedule once it is released as well.
*With the new release times for Jeffco Public Schools, there may be meets that need early release of students. This decision will be up to the parents/guardians, who will need to call the school for their student to be released.
Parent/Coach/Student Contract: At practice, players will receive a code of conduct form to review, sign, and return to their coaches. Please be on the lookout for those during the first week or two of practice.
Thank you and please reach out with any questions. We are looking forward to a great season!
-Robbie Jordano
Lakewood Recreation
Program Specialist-Sports
Click the Picture to Access Past Editions of Dunstan's Patriot Post
The Patriot Post is Dunstan's online newspaper established in the 2022/23 school year. Mr. Orthun facilitates the creation of each edition through his Media Literacy elective. The Post is back again this year, and will be better than ever. Clicking the picture will take you to past editions and we encourage you to check them out. Thank you all so much and we hope you enjoy our future editions!
Watch D.O.G.S. M.O.M.S.
Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) welcomes M.O.M.S. (Moms of Marvelous Students)!!!
The Watch D.O.G.S. program was established nearly 25 years ago. Moms and mother figures have always been allowed, but the focus has been to purpose fathers and father-figures, not traditionally found on school campuses as much as the moms and female counterparts. The national program recently put out a statement wanting to continue to engage fathers and father figures. But also, to recognize the dedicated commitment of our M.O.M.S. So, going forward, the program wants to recognize and pay tribute to the many thousands of mothers and other guardians, educators, and support specialists who are vital to the success of our students. MOMS, DADS, any parents, guardian, family member - are all welcome and encouraged to sign up and participate. WELCOME M.O.M.S.!!!
As our school year at Dunstan is coming to a close, there are still many spots for Watch DOGS. We'll have next year's sign up genius sent out in the fall before the 2023-2024 school year. There's still time to volunteer this year!!!
Sign up to volunteer between 10:30 am - 12:30 pm to cover lunch and recess on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Lunch/recess is between 9:45 and 11:50 on Wednesdays.
My name is Steve Clayton. Please feel free to email if you have any questions about our program. WatchDOGS is a national program that has been in our local schools for over a decade. You can email Steve at:dunstanwatchdogs@gmail.com
Here's the sign up link:https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D44AAAA2AA6F85-dunstan2
If you want to help cover the crosswalk before or after school also, just add that in the comment section of the sign-up genius.
From the Dunstan PTA
Join the PTA
PTA is more important than ever in connecting parents, teachers, and administrators, and supporting critical school needs.
We want as many families to join PTA as possible because we can do more together! We welcome Grandparents and community members to join our PTA as well! Get the word out to as many parents, grandparents, and community members as possible to join and help support Dunstan PTA support your child, teachers, and staff.
By joining the PTA you will help:
Purchase much needed items for the classroom and school such as books, math applications, and computer monitors.
Fund health and safety needs for teachers and staff.
Host special student parties and staff appreciation events.
Joining the PTA will also:
Help to keep you informed with your child's education and provide you an opportunity to suggest changes and help make them happen.
Allow you to be an active part of the community that makes life a little brighter for Teachers, Staff and Students.
Receive access to great information on topics ranging from parenting skills, children’s academic success, suicide prevention and everything in between.
Enjoy discounts at retailers such as AARP, Code Wizards HQ, Gaiam Wholesale, Good Housekeeping, Hertz, Lenovo, MetLife, Office Depot/Office Max, Quicke Loans, Relay.
Meetings and volunteering are not required – though we would love it!
If you are interested in taking a more active role in the PTA, we have the position of Vice President open on the PTA board. If you are interested please email PTADunstan@gmail.com.
Here are the PTA board members for the year:
President - Christine Fielder
Vice President - Open Position
Secretary/Newsletter - Wendy Economou
Fundraising - Susan Adams, Leanna Marsh
Treasurer - Wendy Heywood
Staff Appreciation - Elisharae Waller
Reflections - Joanne Sarazin
Social Media - Susan Fleming
Health and Wellness - Brenda Holcomb
Below is the link on how to join the PTA by making a donation of $20.00:
Save the Date
The first PTA meeting will be held on September 13th from 5:30p-6:30p. Please join to find out what is in store for the upcoming school year. More details on how to attend will be sent out via email the week of the meeting.
Dunstan Community FaceBook Page
Support the School by Shopping at King Soopers
Sign up here - https://www.kingsoopers.com/i/community/community-rewards