Posted June 12, 2024
Dear Families and Friends of SKCEE!
As I write this on the last day of the 23-24 school year, I want to start by thanking each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for giving us the gift of your children. They are truly a joy and make the work we do so meaningful. Thank you for partnering with us and supporting us throughout the year. SKCEE is a one of a kind place because of this community, and we are grateful.
So many of the unique experiences we can offer here happen because of our fabulous PTA. Their dedication and time have made things happen here like the Scamper, the Friendship Festival, the Book Fair, the Spring Fling, and so much more.
Today’s kindergarten continuation ceremony was another example of a wonderful event that could not have been possible without our PTA. Thank you, and join me in welcoming our new, and returning PTA board members. We hope to see many new families getting involved with our PTA. It is a great way to meet other families, all while supporting our school.
Another way you can get involved at SKCEE is to run for a Collaborative School Committee (CSC) seat. You can read more about the role in this link. If you are interested, please email Principal Shelley, and we will hold elections in August.
I want to thank our amazing SKCEE staff for another memorable year. We are a big and mighty team, and each and every team member brings unique talents to the work. This group of educators is dedicated to your children and they show up all-in every day. Thank you, families, for expressing your gratitude to them through the sweet words you shared, the generous gifts, the kid art, and so much more. We are the luckiest staff in DPS.
Our staff theme for the 23-24 school year was #grow&glow. This represented the work we launched around NAEYC accreditation and Reggio Emilia approach implementation. We celebrated the many things we are crushing, and identified some goals and next steps to continue getting better together in service of the community. We will continue the accreditation process next school year, as well as our Reggio work, and we hope to engage many of you in the process as we proceed.
To the students and families who are leaving SKCEE, please know you will missed. To the new students and families joining us in August, welcome! We can’t wait to meet you. To our returning families, have an amazing summer, and we will welcome you back with lots of love in August.
Have a happy and safe break everyone!
Principal Shelley Boberschmidt
24-25 School Year August In-Person Registration:
We will be holding mandatory in person registration days on August 8 and 9. Please see the times below:
* Thursday, August 8th: 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
* Friday, August 9th: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
We will send out a detailed email before we leave for the summer listing all the required documentation needed for in-person registration.
School Supplies Fee:
Instead of school supplies, we will have a $100 student fee that can be paid online or in person starting on August 5th. Cash and credit card only. We ask all families to pay this fee by the first day of school.
Online Registration:
Early Bird registration closes on Wednesday, June 5th. Online registration will reopen on Monday, July 29. All families must complete online registration every year before the first day of school.
First day of school:
The ECE centers work slightly differently due to licensing requirements. The DPS calendar says the first day of school is Monday, August 19th, but for early ed that is a licensing staff file / training day. First day of school for all students (ECE and Kinder) will be August 20th, and it will be a half day for all students. Students with last names that begin with A-L attend from 8:15-11:15, M-Z attend from 12:15-3:15.
Non-Student Contact Teacher Work Days:
In addition to the DPS calendar days, each school is given three non-student contact days for training and planning. On these days our staff will be working on the NAEYC accreditation process. Mark your calendars now and make plans for these approved SKCEE specific non-student contact days: December 2, 2024, April 1, 2025, May 2, 2025.
Staffing Updates:
Welcome Kelly Kurtz, who will be co-teaching with Ms. Laura and Ms. Cindy in Room 109:
Hello SKCEE community! My name is Kelly Kurtz, and I cannot be more excited to join the community as a teacher! For the last two years I have had the pleasure of being a parent here, but long before that I was able to experience Stephen Knight first as a practicum student. Since then, I have taught kindergarten in
Douglas County and preschool in Sheridan School District. It was in Sheridan that a career in
teaching flourished into a passion. I grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado, and then moved to Denver with
my husband shortly after graduating from Colorado State University where I received a Bachelor of
Science in Nutrition and Food Science. A few years later I enrolled at Metropolitan State University of
Denver and completed my licensure in Early Childhood Education. When I am not teaching, my
husband and I are raising our two boys, Declan (6) and Rory (4). I play tennis, and love being outside
gardening, going on adventures and to pools in the summer. I am very excited for the upcoming
school year and to have the opportunity to teach the wonderful students at SKCEE!
Departures:
We are beyond grateful for our beloved SKCEE staff who have served with care and joy, and we would like to wish our departing staff well as they leave our community to continue changing the world in new workplaces. Thank you to Leslie Kaplan, Gracie Cochran, Karri Hart, Shelley Keeling, Brandi MacBean, Ramila Mametova, Heather Katuzney, Kelly Han, Sue Contreras, Luz Toledo, and Kyle Billings
David and Patrick’s Summer Adventures:
Principal Shelley’s house gets a little dull in the summertime, and the piggies would love to spend some time at your homes! If you are interested in hosting them, Shelley will bring them to you with the supplies and the set up and directions. Please fill out this form if you’d like to host.
Thank you from the PTA!
The SKCEE PTA had such a great year thanks to all the support from the SKCEE community. Thank you again and have a great summer!
2024/2025 SKCEE PTA
For those of you returning to SKCEE next year please consider joining and/or volunteering with our PTA. More information will be sent at the start of the school year and we will have a table at the Meet and Greet reception in August. As always, email knightceepta@gmail.com with any questions!
SKCEE PTA Board:
Please join us in welcoming the new (and some returning) SKCEE PTA School Board for next year:
President – Rachel Roth
Vice President – Fiona Lemesany
Secretary – Kim Larson
Treasurer – Liz Plost
Social Media Chair – Marissa Girard
DPS Summer Food Services Meal Program:
Every summer, Denver Public Schools students and families have access to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) starting in June. The SFSP is a federally-funded, state-administered program offering breakfast and lunch to all kids 18 years and younger at no charge. Adults can eat breakfast for $3.00 and lunch for $4.00. There are no requirements to register or provide documentation to participate in the SFSP, and families can participate at numerous schools throughout the district. Start and end dates will vary per location, however, all locations will be closed will be closed on June 19 and July 4. For specific information regarding times and locations, visit the DPS Food Services Summer Meal website.
August 5th: SKCEE main office open
August 8th: 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm In-person registration at SKCEE
August 9th: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm In-person registration at SKCEE
August 15th: Meet and Greet – Time and details TBD
August 20th: First Day of School – Half day for all. Students with last names that begin with A-L attend from 8:15-11:15, M-Z attend from 12:15-3:15.