A Message From Mr. Dorsey
It is hard to believe that spring is fast approaching. 4th Quarter is right around the corner. I know weighing heavily on most peoples' minds is the onset of the coronavirus. As a district, we are worried, and taking the appropriate cautions to keep students, staff, and community as safe as possible given the current conditions. Below is a link to the District 49 Alert page with reputable information on the virus, as well as precautionary measures all persons should take in light of the virus.
Community Message Update on the Corona Virus from D49
- This page also has resources and fact sheets on COVID-19
Message from CHSAA on suspending Athletics and Activities
Some Key Points:
- All athletics and activities have been cancelled through April 6th, where the district will then re-evaluate the situation. This includes concerts, banquets, activities, field trips, camps, and any kind of group gathering that was scheduled to occur in this time frame.
- D49 has suspended all activities in the district from March 16th through March 27th with school resuming on March 30th (pending additional cancellations). Only building custodial staff and administration should be on campus. The school will be cleaned and maintained during this time.
- Trips and group events after the two-week break may be subject to cancellation. We will communicate any of those cancellations with you as we learn more.
- We will continue to disinfect our schools during and beyond the two-week spring break to ensure thorough cleaning of surfaces and equipment throughout the district.
- All of our schools have developed plans to facilitate e-learning that will allow students to continue to access education if schools are directed to close or students self-separate from school settings. We already have many remote-learning systems in place, including Schoology, Google Classrooms, myON, Lexia, ST Math, and a wide range of class or school-specific tools.
- Our operational support teams are updating their plans for preventing exposure and for continuity of operations if the district experiences partial or full closure beyond the two-week spring break
We are here to ensure the safety of our students and are dedicated to their education, no matter what method, during this time.
- Sean Dorsey, Zone Leader
Student Spotlight: Emma Schlosser
Congratulations to Emma Schlosser, 6th grader at HMS. Emma put a video together to be voted on for Governor of JOI club. She was voted in this past weekend at the JOI Convention in Denver. She will be the youngest Governor for the Colorado-Wyoming district!
She will shadow Elise Clark (Former HMS Student) who is the current Governor as the Governor-Elect until she is in 8th grade. We are very proud of you, Emma!
RES' Camp Kindness Night
Remington Elementary celebrated the conclusion of All Remington Reads with Camp Kindness night. This night highlighted the importance of math and literacy for all grade levels, through the lenses of inclusiveness, kindness, and academics.
This event was well attended by students and families in our community. The activities included:
- Literacy and Math Games
- Glow in the Dark Scavenger Hunt
- Therapy Dogs
- S'Mores and Reading in the Library
- Minute-to-Win-It Competitions
- Conversation and Hot Dogs
- Parent Resources
- Quilt Making
"This night highlighted the importance of math and literacy for all grade levels" said Jen Palazzolo, Instructional Coach for RES. "Thank you to our staff, families, PTA, local sponsors, and 5th grade students who supported this event - it would not have been a success without you!"
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| Evans International students, staff, and families participated in a schoolwide event called, "Evans Reads" otherwise known as "One Book, One School". We have been reading the book "The Lemonade War." This has created some opportunity to connect reading at home and at school. | EIES hosted a Family Literacy Night on March 5 where families engaged in hands-on literacy activities that connected with the book. Each grade level hosted an activity that all students were able to participate in. The activities included a scavenger hunt that students had to do in order to receive the supplies to make their own lemonade, Lemon juice secret messages, creating lemonade stand signs, lemon painting, and writing their own lemonade recipes. | We hope through offering an event like this we were able to inspire families to participate in literacy activities at home, and also give families an opportunity to engage, advocate, and have a shared voice in our school. It has been statistically proven that when families are actively engaged in their student's school community, they will academically perform better. |
Undefeated Lady Panthers Take South Metro Title
Smith Qualifies for All State Choir
At the end of February, Drew Smith, senior at Sand Creek High School, was invited to perform with the All State Choir. He was chosen out of 1,700 students who auditioned!
Drew was able to perform at the Buell Theater and participate in the balcony sing on the second night of the event. Congratulations on such a huge accomplishment, Drew!
Winter Sports Success at SCHS
This year's wrestling team sent 3 students to the state championship. Congratulations to Joseph Steele, Charles Lyons, and Devin Le Doux for qualifying for state wrestling and competing at the end of February at the Pepsi Center!
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| Members of the UC Health trauma team visited SRES to talk to 5th graders about what they’ve learned about systems of the body. | Students were given real life trauma situations and were called to surgery to remove an object from skin and give stitches for their incisions. | This has become an annual experience for the 5th graders and is anticipated each year! Thank you to the SRES 5th grade team for bringing this innovative opportunity to our students! |
Coach Rogers Earns Arthur Ashe Award
“What makes it even more special is to have amazing Sand Creek coaches by my side. Our common bond is to share our love for the game with kids who deserve it the most.” - Pam Rogers
Congratulations Coach Rogers!
Salute to Excellence Business Education Educator of the Year
Linda Rogers, Business Teacher at HMS, was honored last weekend in Denver as being one of the recipients of the Salute to Excellence Business Education Educator of the Year. The EduCtr, a non-profit organization, recognizes teachers of color throughout the state. Mrs. Rogers was nominated by Dr. Theresa Newsom, a Black Educator's Network (B.E.N.) Facilitator.
Class of 2020 Donates Coats to Homeless
Thank You From a Vet
This past December, students from RES wrote letters to local veterans in the community, thanking them for their service. At the end of January, staff received this letter in response to their efforts.
We appreciate the time spent thanking those who serve us. We are honored to be a part of this community!
Battle of the Books at SRES
Movement Method Opportunity
New Trails International is excited to open our doors this coming 2020-2021 school year. Our alternative approach of outdoor movement education, combined with IB's student driven engagement will finally see fruition. This opportunity is reserved for upcoming 5th graders in the Sand Creek Zone!
There are only 4 spots left! If you are still interested please fill out the Survey.
Please see the slideshow for more information. Or, contact Cade Lang at clang@d49.org or 719-495-5299 ext 6134
RES Hosts Families for Math Night
Each Remington teacher nominated one Mighty Mustang Learner from each class to attend ST Math Night with their family. The staff at RES provided pizza, drinks and cookies for attendees to enjoy. Math Minds rep, Brandon Smith, provided a game box to each family that included books and multiple games to play, utilizing Math through story telling. 
“This is my first time being at an event like this and I just absolutely love watching the interaction between parents and their children having fun with math” said Sadie Russel, Community Liaison for RES. “I love it. Everyone is engaged with their kids and excited!”
EIES 5th Grade Exhibitions
5th graders from Evans hosted their project exhibitions in the cafeteria for student groups to visit and learn about different topics. Each group had to complete research, create a presentation board, and also include an interactive piece to their project. Topics ranged from keeping water clean, where students had to fish out plastic from a pool, to how community effects change where students recycled plastic bags and created jewelry.
The students were proud of their work and eager to share the topics with other grade levels from EIES. Presentations continued in the evening for families to view! Thank you to the 5th grade teachers for sparking curiosity, developing ideas, and pushing students to explore!
3/16-3/27: Spring Break
3/30: School Resumes
4/16: Art Expo
4/17: Falcon Education Foundation Dinner
4/28: Kindergarten Readiness Night at RES
4/29: Screenagers showing
4/30: Middle School Leadership Conference/RES Art Night
5/1: EIES Kindergarten Round Up
5/7: Senior Walk/Sand Creek Zone Partners Meeting
5/8: SCHS Prom
5/11: Military Signing
5/14: HMS Choir Concert
5/19: HMS Orchestra Concert
5/22: SRES Kindergarten/5th Grade Graduation
5/23: Graduation for the Class of 2020
Why Do We Give Surveys?
Below, you will find our top and bottom items from each survey administered. We are currently working with staff, student and parent groups to get feedback on how we can increase our scores on our lowest items while maintaining and growing our scores for our top items. We will fill in our current and future action steps soon and will update you when those plans have be finalized.
