Posted September 4, 2026
Dear SKCEE Families and Friends,
Happy September! We are all settling into the new school year, having fun, and being super messy! Make sure you send your children with a labeled change of clothes and shoes, because we encourage messy play like paint and mud at SKCEE!
We have many fun community activities coming up. Our staff is excited to celebrate with you at the PTA Fall Family Picnic. Your teachers will be here, and we hope you will join us outside after dismissal on Thursday, September 17th. See today’s PTA newsletter for more details.
Speaking of PTA, we had a record turnout at our first meeting last night! Thank you to those of you who came! Thank you to all who already stepped up for various volunteer positions such as room parents and helping at the Fall Picnic. We are better together, and are grateful for your support!
Tie Dye Fridays are in full force, and we will be holding our annual tie dye days on September 23rd, 24th and 25th. Ms. Cookie will be sending details and a sign up your way soon. Make sure you get your child’s white tee before then!
A friendly reminder to all to be safe in the parking lots at arrival and dismissal. Please only park in designated parking spots, and never park in loading zones or the kiss and go circle. (Here is the Kindergarten Kiss and Go video again for reference and rules, I know we can do it well! 
) Please remember dismissal time is 3:00-3:15.
We are enjoying the comfort of the new HVAC at SKCEE, so thank you Denver voters! We are excited to open our newly constructed naturescape playground before the end of the month, and will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony, so stay tuned for details! We also have workers installing more security cameras throughout the halls and exterior for better visibility of the entire school building. And, speaking of safety, thank you for showing us your Raptor Safety QR codes at the doors at dismissal. Please stop at the office if you need support installing the app.
Moving forward, you will receive a monthly family newsletter from me. As always, if you ever have any questions or feedback, please feel free to catch me at the front door or send an email my way.
Have a wonderful weekend.
In partnership,
Principal Shelley Boberschmidt
ECE Update:
Our ECE classrooms are off to a wonderful start! These first few weeks have been all about settling in, learning our routines, making new friends, and beginning to grow together as a little school community. Over the next several weeks, we’ll keep building that sense of belonging as we learn more about ourselves, each other, and our school. We’ll explore our emotions and how we can care for ourselves and our friends. We’ll also venture beyond our classrooms to learn about the people who work in our building and all the different ways they help make our school such a special place. Along the way, we’ll be listening closely to the children and their questions, ideas and interests and letting those moments help guide our learning. We can’t wait to see where their curiosity takes us!
Kindergarten Update:
Hello Families!
It has been such a great start to kindergarten! We have been working on classroom and school routines/procedures and students have done such an amazing job getting into the swing of things. This week we began our academic content.
We will be using the Core Knowledge Language Arts program with our kindergarten students. The program consists of two strands of instruction. The first strand, the Skills Strand, will teach students the mechanics of reading and writing. As part of this strand, students will learn how to hear sounds in words and write “pictures of sounds,” also known as letters. For the first few weeks students will be learning to make simple writing strokes—lines, circles, humps, cups, etc.—while also learning to hear words in sentences. Next, students will learn to hear sounds in words. When that skill is in place, they will begin to learn the letters used to represent sounds.
The second strand, Knowledge, strives to build students’ vocabulary and background knowledge through oral language experiences. As part of this strand, students will listen to stories and nonfiction selections read aloud, participate in discussions, and complete vocabulary work. Our current unit is nursery rhymes and fables. Through these stories we will be focusing on identifying the main characters and events.
We have also introduced Alphabet Academy which focuses on introducing one letter a day. We focus on the letter name, sound, and a keyword such as Mm, /m/, monkey. By the end of September students will have been introduced to all letters in the alphabet!
In math we are using Illustrative Math. Throughout our first unit we will be exploring math tools and connecting math to the world around us. This month we will be focusing on sharing mathematical ideas, how to use various math tools, number recognition and determining the number of objects in a group.
Upcoming Dates
September 15-17: DIBELS testing – your classroom teacher will reach out with more information!
Physical Education Update:
Physical Education has kicked off with so much energy and joy! During our first few sessions together, we have been focusing on how to respect our personal space and share general space safely. We practiced these important skills while having a blast playing “Airplane Pilots,” “Rainbow Hoops,” and “Space Stations.” Students also had the chance to let their curiosity lead during Choice Time as they explored moving with hula hoops and colorful scarves. Later this month, we will introduce healthy hand-washing habits through a fun game of “Germ Tag.” I am so excited to support our students as they grow, reach for new goals, and try brave new things in the gym this year!
Performing Arts Update:
We have had a great introduction to the performing arts!!! Our first unit has been about bringing books to life! Students danced, sang, and moved along to different Pete the Cat stories together (did you know singing a book out loud is a great way to begin early literacy?); we learned the word “Prop: something you hold while dancing” and danced with pom poms and scarves. I am excited to keep singing, dancing, and playing with all of our little thespians!! -Mr. Jadin
Art Update:
Greetings Families! I am so thrilled to welcome everyone to our incredible school community. My name is Ms. Cookie, and I lead our visual arts program. The art studio is designed as a child-centered environment where every choice is an artistic one! We embrace being super messy, we practice our cleaning skills, and most importantly, we create and have a blast. Stay tuned for a message from me next week with all the specifics regarding our annual tie dye days scheduled for later this September. I would truly love the chance to meet you, so please feel free to stop by room 111 whenever you have a moment. Warmly, Ms. Cookie
Tuition and Billing:
Preschool in Denver Public Schools is a tuition-based program.
Click here for additional information.
Attendance Office Update:
Please communicate with us every time your child will be late or absent. Please use one of the listed ways below to report the absence.
Late Drop Off and Early Releases:
We have an exciting update regarding student ID cards from our recent picture day! Beginning on Tuesday, September 8th, you can use these cards to quickly scan your child in if they arrive late or out when leaving early.
Gifted & Talented (GT) in Early Education:
What is Giftedness in ECE? Click here for information in English and here for other languages.
GT Department Family Series 26/27 Calendar
Note our GT Department family event details here for the whole year. The first session is this Tuesday, September 8th! Register with the link above.
Cognitive Testing
Notice connections between the characteristics linked above and your student? You can reach out to our GT Itinerant, Chelsea Chappell-Cox, chelsea_chappell-cox@dpsk12.net, for more information and/or opt into cognitive testing. For testing information click here (nomination window closes October 2nd).
Early Access
In alignment with Colorado’s Exceptional Children’s Education Act (ECEA), DPS offers early access to kindergarten and first grade. Read all about that process here. The fall Early Access interest form closes on October 15th.
Listening In
Neurodivergent Capacity: Why Can They Do It Sometimes But Not Every Time? – The Neurodiversity Podcast with Emily Kircher-Morris. When supporting neurodivergent kids, adults often struggle to balance when to gently challenge a child and when to pull back to prevent nervous system overload. Pushing too hard risks chronic distress and shutdown, but overprotecting can unintentionally create learned helplessness and limit opportunities for growth. Emily welcomes Dr. Emily King, a child psychologist, former school psychologist, and author of The Neurodivergent Learner, to talk about how parents and educators can work together to read a child’s true capacity and build authentic engagement in school and at home. Questions? Connect with our GT Itinerant, Chelsea Chappell-Cox at chelsea_chappell-cox@dpsk12.net.
Collaborative School Committee:
The Collaborative School Committee (CSC) is an advisory committee that brings together families, staff and community members to create and implement a plan to promote high achievement within a school. This committee meets at least quarterly throughout the school year and is an opportunity for key stakeholders to have a voice in their school. Colorado law requires all schools to have a CSC to increase the amount of accountability and family involvement in our schools. If you are interested in serving on our CSC, please complete this linked form for the ballot and community vote. There are copies in the lobby as well. The CSC meets monthly before the PTA meeting. See Principal Shelley with any questions.
Patrick, Pancake and Muffin:
Use this link to sign up to take the SKCEE guinea pigs home for a weekend (or longer break). Principal Shelley will provide training and supplies.
| September 17: Fall Picnic 3:30-5:00 September 23-25: Tie Dye Days! September 28: DPS Professional Learning Day, no school for students October 12: Family Conferences, no school for students October 13: Picture Retakes October 29: SKCEE Scamper, more info to come! October 30: DPS Professional Learning Day, no school for students |