PCK Weekly News
February 10, 2022

From Our Principal

These are tumultuous times in Douglas County. Political divisions in our community are evident and often emotional, and these divisions can now be witnessed, full force, in the Douglas County School District (DCSD) Board of Education. The political struggle in the DCSD Board of Education led to the dismissal of Superintendent Corey Wise this past Friday, and caused teacher and student walkouts in the district neighborhood schools.  


On January 25th, the DCSD Board of Education approved a resolution recommending changes to Policy ADB - Educational Equity - which was approved by the previous Board back in March of 2021. This proposed revision has also caused protests from teachers and students. 


The two events summarized above have caused community voices to be raised in support of DCSD teachers, but they have only a glancing impact on our PCK teachers and our community. 


The members of the PCK Board of Directors, regardless of their personal and privately held political positions, are a united front behind the mission and vision of our school. They are elected by our parents and represent our PCK community of voices. This exemplary group of parents are, and have always been, the sustaining force behind our school's progress and growth in academics, finances, and facilities. The PCK Board of Directors has always supported and protected the school’s teachers, staff, and administration. It is no different today. 


DCSD is the authorizer of our charter, which allows PCK to function as an accredited school in the State of Colorado. At the end of January 2022, the DCSD Board of Education voted to renew our charter for five more years through 2027. As part of our renewal and contract negotiation with DCSD, PCK can request waivers from several district policies if we present a replacement one. During our recent renewal process (which took the entire first half of the school year), we were not allowed to request new waivers to district policies. Now that we have been renewed, and during our contract negotiation, PCK will request a waiver from the Educational Equity Policy ADB (and others as appropriate). We have always been a school that  keeps its own counsel. We will present a replacement policy that represents the values of the PCK community and protects all of our students. 


We thank our wonderful parent community for supporting our teachers and school every day of the year. Our PTA provides our teachers with gift cards for classroom supplies and the staff with meals and treats during inservice days. We’ve had PTA coffee carts, cookie extravaganzas, and even an amazing build-your-own-bouquet flower market. Next week, the PTA will provide a Qdoba taco bar during conferences, and we all look forward to teacher appreciation week later this spring. Our Foundation works incessantly to, amongst many other projects, raise funds to support our teacher grant program. The teacher grant program gives the teachers the opportunity to acquire classroom materials and equipment we wouldn’t otherwise have. Just ask Mrs. Jenkins about her beautiful elementary science lab! Our parents are thoughtful and generous. Honestly, your emails and cards are often the most cherished acknowledgements. Above all, you treat our teachers with kindness and respect. What does teacher support look like? You just need to look inside our school any day. 


Finally, I would like to encourage you to consider running for the PCK Board of Directors. This important group of parents is tasked with policy development and enforcement, and the general oversight of our finances and strategic plans of our school. Information about this vital group of parents can be found on our website at https://www.ckcs.net/about/organizations/board-of-directors.


PCK will remain steadfast in the accomplishment of its objective to be the premier P-8 school in Douglas County. We will be open every school day and our teachers will continue to provide the best academic program for every single one of our children. We are PCKproud and always better together.

Parent/Teacher Conferences Next Week

Students will be dismissed early next Wednesday, February 16, and Thursday, February 17, for parent/teacher conferences. If you have not already signed up for a time to meet with your child's teacher, please click here for K-6 and here for middle school and specials. These links are also on the home page of our website.


Afternoon carpool will run three hours early on these days. If you normally pick your student up at 3:10, please come at 12:10. The 3:20 carpool window will open at 12:20, and the 3:30 window opens at 12:30. If your student will be picked up by a grandparent, neighbor, or someone else who does not typically use our carpool process, please be sure to explain the details to that driver. Afternoon carpool often runs slower on conference days because we have many drivers who are new to our loops. You can refer to the Carpool page on our website for help explaining our process. 


Core Care Club will be available for those who need child care on these days. The cost is $35 dollars per day. Register through the C3 Jackrabbit portal under the events section by this Friday (tomorrow) at 6:00pm. Spots are limited, so secure yours today. Please contact Vinny Ortega with questions or for more information.

Spirit Wear Available At Conferences

If your student would like some new spirit wear, the Foundation is selling short sleeve tees, long sleeve tees, and hoodies. A table will be set up in the front lobby of the school during parent/teacher conferences so you can see what is available. You can also get information about shopping online here. All proceeds go towards our new playground.

You Won't Want To Miss This

Among the many talents of our students is an impressive artistic flair! You can see it for yourself at our Art Show. When you come to the school for parent/teacher conferences, allow some extra time to walk the halls and take in the wonderful student creations. You will be just as amazed as we all are!

Get Ready For A Long Weekend

PCK is closed on Friday, February 18, and Monday, February 21, for the Presidents Day weekend. Enjoy the time with your family!

We Want Your Feedback On Homework

One of the themes being explored by our School Accountability Committee (SAC) this year is PCK's homework policy. Please complete this survey to share information about your family's experience with homework. We look forward to receiving your feedback and using it to shape our school. The survey will be open for two weeks (until February 17). If you have multiple students, feel free to submit a separate survey for each student. 

Your Homework Questions Are Answered

If you have ever wondered why students are assigned homework, how much time your child should spend on homework, what resources are available, and how you can help, you won't want to miss our February Parent Education Series session. Johanna Harth and Trustin Thompson will shed light on this popular topic on Thursday, February 24 at 6:30pm at PCK (there will not be a remote option). Please RSVP here. Parent Education Series sessions are for adults only and childcare is not provided.

Need A List For Addressing Valentines?

Valentines's Day parties are next Monday, February 14 (this will not be a dress down day). If you need a class roster to help you address Valentines, be sure to download the Directory Spot app or get the desktop site here. Your user name is the email address you have listed in Infinite Campus. If you have never logged in before, you will need to click "Reset password" and create a new password to get started. Please contact Becca Haines if you have questions about Directory Spot.

The PCK Gala Is Back

Donations and Volunteers Needed
The Foundation at PCK is gearing up to host our annual Gala at the Colorado Golf Cub on April 23 at 6:00pm. This year's theme is Casino Royale. Tickets go on sale March 1st. One way we raise money at the Gala is with a live and silent auction. We are looking for donations from PCK families to make this happen. All donations go towards volunteer hours. Please contact Laura Erhuy with questions or to arrange for a pick up of your donation.


Win a Kona Ice Party for Your Child's Grade
We are looking for volunteers to help coordinate each grade level's basket for the Gala. Each grade has their own theme and collects donations from the class, then the volunteer puts together a basket that will be auctioned off at the Gala. The basket that gets the highest bid wins a Kona Ice Party for the whole grade! If you are interested in helping with baskets please contract Brittany Morgan.


Sponsor Spotlight

This week's Sponsor Spotlight is on the Buswell Family with Back 40 Mowing and Seeding. Thank you @back40llc for your continued dedication and support of our PCK community, and for your generosity with your $1,000 drink ticket sponsorship! 


The Buswell's have two kids at PCK, one in 4th grade and one in 8th grade, and Rion Buswell is a member of the PCK Board. 


Back 40 Mowing and Seeding is a family-owned small business based here in Parker.  Rion is always happy to provide advice or quotes for no charge to PCK Families. 


Thank you again for your generous support and sponsorship! 

News From The PTA

Help Needed With The Teacher Dinner
The PTA is providing a Qdoba meal for teachers with conferences on Wednesday, February 16. Parents are invited to donate drinks and treats to support the event. Get the details and sign up here.

PTA Board Elections for the 2022-23 school year

It is almost time to elect a new board for PTA! Please reach out if you are interested in a board position for the next term. Details regarding timing will be discussed at upcoming PTA meetings over the next couple of months.

The positions of president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary will be open. ​Joining the PCK PTA is a great way to get more involved at school and give back to our amazing PCK community. The PTA meets the second Wednesday of every month--check out a meeting! Please reach out to pckpta@ckcs.net if you have any questions or would like more information.​

 

Volunteer Opportunity: Storage of Uniform Bins

An amazing PCK family has been housing bins of donated clothing between the PTA used uniform sales. Their student will be graduating this year and we are looking for a new family to step in. This is a great way to fulfill your PCK volunteer hours! It will involve having a space (the current family has a barn) where the large bins are stored, as well as being open to a small group of PCK parents meeting every so often to sort and organize the uniforms that will be sold. The family that is hosting can pick a group of friends, or make new friends through this opportunity! If you are interested, please reach out to the PTA for more details at pckpta@ckcs.net.

A Good Planet Is Hard To Find

Come help us celebrate Earth Day! We are looking for a group of volunteers to serve on the Earth Day planning committee. This group will decide how our students recognize the day, and plan activities for Friday, April 22. The time commitment is only about 4 - 6 hours. If you are interested in serving on the committee, please contact Mrs. Harth.

Girls Soccer Tryouts 

Girls soccer tryouts are from 3:05 - 4:30pm on Tuesday, February 22 in the Sports Gym, and Thursday, February 24 outside on the field (weather permitting). 

Students Are Victorious

Last Friday, we had an epic showdown on the basketball court when six of our student athletes challenged our staff to a game. Mr. Thompson coached the student team, facing Ms. Brownell, Mr. Minshall, Mr. Huebner, Mr. Ortega, Ms. Mathias, Mrs. Schanuth, Mrs. Harper, and Ms. Lasiter. Coach Warr officiated the game. Although our staff put up a good fight in a very exciting game, the students triumphed with a 45-43 victory. Thank you to everyone who played. Way to go, Cougs!

Help Us "Hire" Young Leaders

Our 5th and 6th graders are preparing to head to Young Ameritowne and International Towne. While there, students hold different jobs such as mayor, news reporter, shop clerk, and more. We are holding "job interviews" on Thursday, March 3rd from 12:45-2:45pm and need parent volunteers to help. If you would like to volunteer, or if you have any questions about the interviews, please contact Mrs. Guire or Ms. Mathias.

Good News From The COVID Tracker

Our number of positive COVID cases for the past week is holding strong at two. Thanks for your help by keeping students home while waiting for test results or when they have any symptoms!

Connecting With Character

This week we rolled out our character trait for the month of February: discretion - recognizing and avoiding words, actions, and attitudes that could have undesirable consequences. 


When using discretion, I will...


Watch for your table tent with discussion questions for your family coming home in Thursday folders.

It Is CMAS Snack Time

CMAS testing is coming up right after spring break. In order to make sure our students are fueled throughout the day, we're asking parents to bring in testing snacks. Please sign up using the link below.


4-8th grade sign-up:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508044AADAF23A1F85-cmas3

Stand Up For Safety

Our new Safety Dad sign up sheet is here! The new page reflects two shifts per day, making it easier for more dads to help. If you would like to stay for the full day, you may sign up for both the morning and afternoon shifts. If you had already signed up for a shift on the old page, please reselect the day you want on the new sign up sheet. 

Thank you to Jose Estrella for being a Safety Dad in the past week. Our students love seeing their dads at school, especially at lunch and recess. Many dads sign up for multiple shifts because they enjoying getting a first-hand look at the great things happening at PCK. Sign up today and join in the fun!

Thank You

Thank you to the Berry family for bringing our staff coffee and donuts. They made a tasty treat we all appreciated!

Thanks also to Kelly Anderson for bringing one of her famous cakes for our staff. It was delicious, as always!