Weekly Newsletter, 10/16/20

Posted October 16, 2020

Class of students posing with teacher

Dear SKCEE Families,

Happy Friday! On behalf of all faculty and staff I would like to say how much we enjoyed talking with families during parent teacher conferences this week. It has been a pleasure to share the growth and opportunities we’ve seen with our amazing learners. Be sure to review the general school updates below to see more exciting events coming this month.

Please remember there are no classes from October 16th to October 20th. We are excited to welcome students back Wednesday, October 21st. Teachers and staff will be participating in professional development courses.

I want to thank the PTA for providing a wonderful meal for the staff this week as we prepared our parent teacher conferences. We greatly appreciate the support and kindness. I would also like to thank all the parents who have shown a tremendous amount of patience and trust with SKCEE during this pandemic by allowing us the opportunity to serve students and the community. I am incredibly grateful for the support you have shown.

Sincerely,
Matt Johnson M.Ed.
Principal of Stephen Knight Center for Early Childhood Education

Meet Mrs. Whatmore!!

Each week we will feature a teacher along with their classroom! We understand that parents drop off at the door and there is not a lot of contact between you and the trusted adults in our building! Our hope is that this will bring comfort and give you a glimpse of what is going on inside our amazing school with our amazing teachers.

Mrs. Whatmore teaching students in PE class outside

Hi SKCEE families! I’m Sara Whatmore and I have been teaching physical education at SKCEE for 3 years. While your children are in PE class with me, we focus on locomotor skills (skipping, galloping, hopping, etc.), manipulative skills (throwing, kicking, catching, etc.), and balancing. We also spend lots of time practicing teamwork, cooperation, and problem solving. We are trying some new approaches this year including having more classes outside and remote classes. I’m looking forward to continuing working with your children and helping them grow this year!

Sara Whatmore, MAT PE

General School Updates

No School Today, October 16th, 19th and 20th

There will be NO SCHOOL for Stephen Knight students Friday, October 16th, 19th and 20th, 2020. This is our Fall Break. We hope you enjoy yourselves and we look forward to seeing students on Wednesday.

Halloween Celebrations

We will be celebrating halloween on Friday, October 30th. Students will be allowed to dress up in costume and halloween themes will be practiced throughout the day. There will be more information to come, as we finish finalizing events for that day.

CSC Members Wanted

The Collaborative School Committee brings together families, staff and community members to create
and implement a plan to promote high achievement within a school. This committee meets on a regular
basis throughout the school year and is an opportunity for key stakeholders to have a voice in their
school. Every school is required by state statute to have a School Accountability Committee (SAC), which
are known as CSCs in Denver. The CSC is responsible for:

  • Providing guidance, evaluation, recommendations to the Principal and/or the Instructional Superintendent about:
    • Spending priorities
    • Preparing a school’s Unified Improvement Plan (and school priority improvement and turnaround plan, if required)
    • Discussing whether school leadership, personnel, and infrastructure are advancing implementation of the public school’s improvement plan (or priority improvement or turnaround plan, whichever is applicable); discussing any other progress pertinent to the public school’s accreditation contract with the Board
    • Principal development plans and evaluations
    • Providing input for principal evaluations as it relates to the CSC
    • Increasing family engagement, especially ensuring that parents represent the diversity of the student body (including race, free/reduced lunch, limited English proficiency, and disability–as described by Colorado law (.pdf)). The committee’s activities to increase parent engagement must include, but need not be limited to:
      • Publicizing opportunities for parents to serve on the CSC, ensuring the diversity of parents on the CSC reflects the diversity of the school’s population.
      • Helping the school implement the DPS family engagement policy (such as that outlined by the Family Empowerment Team)
      • Helping school personnel increase parents’ engagement with teachers, including (not not limited to) parents’ engagement in creating students’ READ Plans, Individual Career and Academic Plans (ICAP), and habitual truancy prevention plans.

Please reach out Hannah Ward if you have any interest!!

Please Be on Time

A friendly reminder that classrooms begin instruction as soon as students are dropped off, please try to be on time to ensure your students’ success in the classroom!! Thank you!

Parent Office Hours

We have weekly office hours for parents 3 to 5 p.m., on Tuesdays. Please sign up online!

COVID Updates

Safe Access for Students

We are excited to announce that you can now check in your student before you leave your house, to ensure a quicker drop off!! If you download the Safe Access App you can fill it out on the go!!

PTA Updates

Save the Date: PTA Meeting on October 21

Join us for this month’s virtual PTA meeting on October 21 at 5:30pm. Here is the link to attend.

Don’t Miss the Virtual Book Fair!

Our Scholastic Book Fair is happening now through Friday, October 25! Teacher Wish Lists are available. Simply buy the requested
book
and check it off the Wish List. When it comes to
your house, send it to school with your child. If you are remote, please drop it off at school or email knightceepta@gmail.com and we can arrange a way to pick up the books. Don’t see your teacher? Ask him/her to submit a wishlist! Also, we are planning some fun evening read-alongs with SKCEE teachers and Mr. Johsnon beginning at 7 p.m., throughout next week, so stay tuned for more information!

Donate Snacks for Teachers & Staff

On Tuesday, October 27, the Hospitality Committee is collecting donations of non-perishable, individually-wrapped, nut-free snacks, like granola/cereal/protein bars, crackers and cookies, to help keep
our teachers and staff fueled for their long days at school. Donation boxes will be located outside each entrance on the morning of October 27, and there will be a box at the Kindergarten kiss-and-go drop-off. For inspiration, ask your teachers about their favorite snacks! Questions? Email Melissa Viola.

Mod Market Dine/Take Out on October 28

This month’s dine/take out fundraiser is being hosted by Mod Market (1000 S. Colorado Blvd.) on October 28. Order dinner for dine-in or take-out and be sure to tell them you are with Stephen Knight Center for
Early Education. Mod Market will donate a portion of the proceeds from our orders back to SKCEE!

Family Survey: Tie-Dye Options

Each year, Ms. Cookie, SKCEE’s art teacher, helps students tie-dye SKCEE t-shirts to show their school spirit. While we aren’t able to tie-dye them at school this year, the PTA is exploring other options for ensuring that all students have a SKCEE shirt. Please take this brief survey by Monday, October 12, to let us know which option you prefer!

Upcoming Read-A-Thon

As we are wrapping up our book fair, keep in mind that we will be having a read-a-thon event the first week of November. Your student will be able to count reading they did at school, as well as at home. At the end of the event, each student will also receive prizes for their read-a-thon work. So make sure to order books to read during the fundraiser!

Parking Spots Update

All four of the assigned parking spots have been claimed. Please be considerate and leave those parking spots open for the families they are assigned to.

SKCEE Marketplace

The SKCEE PTA will be having a virtual marketplace event through Facebook. If you or someone you know has a business that is interested in participating in the marketplace, please have them email
sandra.ellen.tucker@gmail.com. There is a $25 fee for each business who would like to participate. There is limited availability so make sure to sign up soon!