Weekly Newsletter, 9/18/20

Posted September 18, 2020

Student posing in class

Kindergarten will return 9/29!

Dear SKCEE Families,

Last week, DPS announced we will welcome back our kindergarten students to in-person learning. Our school has been collaborating with the district and working hard to develop health procedures and protocols to welcome our students back into their classrooms safely. The first day of school for kindergarten students who wish to return in-person is September 29, 2020.

More information about specific arrival and dismissal times will be shared with families as they’re available. As a reminder, any K-12 student who has opted to receive virtual instruction will continue learning from home through at least December 2020 and will be taught by a teacher from a similar, nearby program.

We know you have questions about what the classroom will look like. Here are a few updates:

  1. Students choosing to return to in person learning will remain with their current teacher.
  2. Students who choose to continue remote learning will be assigned a new teacher. More information about student assignments will be coming soon and will be available on the SKCEE Website.
  3. Kindergarten students will also have staggered arrival and dismissal times. More information will be coming soon, and will be available on the SKCEE Website.
  4. Currently our average class size is 27 students.
  5. If you have any questions concerning safety measures please feel free to use the following resources.
    1. DPS Website: Frequently Asked Questions
    2. Secretary, Staci Becker: Staci_becker@dpsk12.org, 720-424-6514
    3. Family Liaison, Hannah Ward: Hannah_ward@dpsk12.org, 720-424-6503
    4. Homeroom Teacher
    5. SKCEE Website: Kindergarten Q & A From Town Hall Meeting

Our school will be hosting a virtual community meeting to share more information with our families and answer other questions you may have. Please join us Friday, September 25th, via googlemeets.

If you haven’t already, please be sure to complete the Annual Family Update, including selecting your preferred learning option for your child, whether that’s a virtual program or as much in-person learning as health conditions permit. Please visit myportal.dpsk12.org to complete the Annual Family Update, or call our school. If you already completed Annual Family Update last spring, please let us know your plans to return in-person for the school year by completing the “Learning Option Change Form” found on the
homepage of the Parent Portal. Families will need to commit to their preferred learning option by the end of the day on Friday, Sept. 18. If you have any questions about Annual Family Update, please reach out
to Enrollment Services at 720-423-3493 or schoolchoice@dpsk12.org.

Thank you for your flexibility and understanding during these unusual times. Please reach out if you have additional questions or if there’s anything we can do to support. We are looking forward to welcoming
our students back to school soon!

Sincerely,
Matt Johnson

General School Updates

Parent Office Hours

We have weekly office hours for parents 3 to 5 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday. Please sign up!

SKCEE Book Drive

Book Drive Donations for our SKCEE Library will be accepted on Fridays – starting Friday, September 25th. If you would like to donate back last year’s library book(s) or a new/gently used book, clearly marked donation boxes will be placed at all school entrances at drop-off and pick-up.

Meet Mr. Derek

Mr. Derek, our school psychologist has posted a letter welcoming families to our website. There are also links for at home lessons to do with your child if you are interested! He is a valuable resource and is available to help our little learners adjust to being back in the classroom, with our new norms.
derek_wehrenberg@dpsk12.net
720-424-6549

For Your Reference

This is the daily checklist that we will be using to monitor symptoms. Please review at home. Thank you for your cooperation!!

ECE-Specific Updates

ECE Paperwork

Please make sure your Annual Family Update is completed and all immunization records are up to date and turned in! If you are unsure what, if anything you are missing please check in with the front office!

Kindergarten Specific Updates

Our Kindergarten will return September 29!

We are so excited about this news!! We are working on finalizing a schedule to go out! We will also be holding another Town Hall on Friday, 25th, at 4 p.m., to help answer any questions you have. Thank you for your patience as we work on the schedule. More information to come!

PTA Updates

September PTA Meeting Recap

We had a great turnout for our first PTA meeting of the year! During the meeting, we approved the annual budget, elected Laurel Kelly as the new PTA board secretary, discussed our fundraising plan, and talked about ways to best support our teachers. If you were unable to join, meeting minutes are available upon request by emailing knightCEEPTA@gmail.com. Our next PTA meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, we hope to see you there!

Join a Volunteer Committee

Though this coming school year may look different, the PTA hopes that you’ll consider joining a volunteer committee! Throughout the year, our volunteer committees help with school fundraisers, work to support our teachers, and host creative events and activities for our students and families. Please consider volunteering! Learn more about volunteer opportunities and committee descriptions.

Donate to the SKCEE Window Screen Fund

The PTA recently learned that many of SKCEE’s classrooms are without window screens, which means our teachers are not able to open their windows to let fresh air inside. A few families have generously offered to contribute to buying screens for our classroom windows. We plan to equip 14 classrooms with two screens each.

Save the Date: Dine/Take Out for SKCEE at Chipotle on 9/29

We are excited to host this year’s first “dine/take out” fundraiser at Chipotle (820 S. Monaco Pkwy, Denver) on September 29, from 4 to 8 p.m. Order dinner for dine-in or take-out and be sure to tell them you are with Stephen Knight Center for Early Education. Chipotle will donate a portion of the proceeds from our orders back to SKCEE!

KONA Ice Update

Thank you to everyone who attended the KONA Ice fundraiser! The money we raised will be put towards our teacher wishlists. We appreciate everyone’s support!