Parent/teacher conferences are next Wednesday, October 6, and Thursday, October 7. You can sign up for a time to meet with your child's teacher here, and may choose to meet in-person or remotely. You may sign up to meet with specials teachers if you like, but this is not required. If you have a middle school student, you only need to sign up if you have a concern to discuss with a particular subject-matter teacher; you do not need to meet with all of your student's teachers individually.

Classes end at noon on both conference days, and lunch will not be served. Please follow our normal carpool procedure to pick your student(s) up three hours early. If you typically pickup in the 3:10 - 3:20 afternoon carpool window, please arrive between 12:10 - 12:20 on these conference days. If you normally pick up at 3:20, please arrive at 12:20. The 3:30 carpool window will open at 12:30. If someone is picking up your student who does not normally use our carpool process, please make sure that person understands what to do. We typically have lots of grandparents and neighbors pick up students on early release days, and it makes carpool smoother for everyone if you give those drivers detailed information about our process. We look forward to seeing you next week!

The Classroom Coordinators are organizing a catered meal from Chick-fil-A for teachers on the first evening of conferences, Wednesday, October 6.  CFA will be the main course, and we are looking for donations of drinks and sweets to make the meal even more special. Please see this SignUp Genius to volunteer to bring an item for the dinner. Donations need to be dropped off at the front office no later than 11:00am on Wednesday, October 6. Thank you!

If you've ever wondered what a day at PCK is really like, become a substitute teacher and find out! Substitutes are paid $125 per day, and right now it is easy to get a sub license. Watch this short news clip about getting a sub license, and get your questions about a one-year license answered here. You can set up an account to apply for a license online from the Colorado Department of Education Licensing here. We'd love to have you apply for our sub team, and you can submit your application to PCK while you're waiting for your sub license so both processes can move forward at the same time. Apply at ckcs.net/careers. 

We are excited to kick off our 2021-22 Parent Education Series with an introduction to Parenting With Love and Logic! The principles of Love and Logic are used school-wide at PCK, and many of our teachers have had the Love and Logic For Educators training. The Love and Logic approach to parenting is built around the science of caring and respectful relationships. There is a six-week course for parents that provides practical tools and techniques to help you form a foundation of good behavior and healthy decision making. You will gain knowledge and strategies to make parenting more fun, increase the odds of raising responsible kids, and prepare them for the future. The Love and Logic approach uses humor, hope, and empathy to help you create calm and loving solutions.

Join us for a free introductory class on Monday, October 4 at 6:30pm so you can learn more about the Parenting With Love and Logic program and how it could work in your family. This class is led by Kim McNulty, a certified Love and Logic instructor. We highly encourage all parents to come learn more about this valuable tool. Let us know you will be joining us by submitting this RSVP form. Please note, Parent Education Series sessions are for adults only and childcare is not provided.

We look forward to seeing you on Monday!

We love our partnership with parents that ensures students learn and practice character at home and at school. In order to be useful, good character can't be contained to the classroom - students take it with them everywhere they go! You can use these Home Links to find out what your student is learning in Character Coaching class and reinforce the concepts at home.

Kindergarten - for the next two weeks, our kindergarteners are learning about this month's featured trait of compassion. Use the table tent that will come home in Thursday folders next week to talk about this important trait at home.
First grade - Being assertive
Second grade - Ask your student how to be assertive when asking for help. No Home Link this week.
Third grade - Talk with your student about similarities and differences amongst friends. No Home Link this week.
Fourth grade - Understanding complex feelings

All students are invited to enter their drawings for the Yearbook Cover Contest! The theme this year is "Level Up" to a Great Year at PCK! Get the details here. Entries are due after fall break on Monday, October 25.

A new craze has students over the moon - Moon Balls! Unfortunately, these seemingly harmless rubber balls are quite hard, and they fly very fast and high. Due to injuries sustained at recess from these balls, we can't allow students to bring them to school. If your student owns a Moon Ball, please make sure it stays at home. Students are welcome to bring balls to school as long as they are soft and are labeled with the student's name. Thanks for your help in keeping everyone safe at recess.

All students in grades K, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 will participate in standard hearing and vision screenings at school on Tuesday, Oct. 12. Students in grades 4, 6, and 8 will also be screened if they are being evaluated for or are on an Individualized Education Program, or if they have no record of a hearing and vision screening at school.

It is important to note that this is a screening, not a complete exam. If your child wears prescription glasses or contacts, it is necessary that he/she wear them during the screening.

You will receive a letter if your child does not pass the screening. Students who do not pass should be evaluated by a health care professional. Please take the letter to your appointment and have the provider complete the form and return it to the school’s health office.

The school has contracted with Tender Care Consulting, LLC to conduct the screenings. Parents may opt their children out of the screening by providing a written request to our school nurse at jwirth@ckcs.net .

We are excited to announce a new app, DirectorySpot, for our school directory. The directory will contain student names, grade levels, and teachers, as well as parent names, home phone, home address, and parent email addresses. The app is very secure and only parents and staff of PCK will be granted access. Each user will log on with their authorized email address and will set their password. If you would like more information on the security features, please visit https://www.directoryspot.net/security.php.

If you would like to “opt out” of the directory and NOT have your family information included, please email bhaines@ckcs.net by October 1. The data and users in the app can be updated at any time throughout the year, so you can always opt out or opt back in later.

The new directory is accessible on both iPhone and Android devices, and you will be able to call, text, or email other parents or teachers with one click, right from the app. Once we have all of the data loaded, you will get an email with instructions on how to download DirectorySpot and set your password. 

 We hope you will love this new directory.  If you have any questions, please contact Becca Haines at bhaines@ckcs.net.

A new update to Infinite Campus recently launched that fixes problems parents may have experienced. Please go to your Play Store/App Store and download the new version of the IC app. Updates are available for both the student and parent versions of the app.

The PCK Athletic Department is in search of two volunteer girls basketball coaches for the upcoming  season. Coaches need to know the skills, fundamentals, and game of basketball. Team try-outs will be in November, with a couple of pre-season games in December. Regular season games are in January and February. There will be JV and varsity teams. 

If you are interested, please email Heather Brownell at hbrownell@ckcs.net for more information and a possible interview. 

PCK is hosting our fall Scholastic Book Fair! Let's come together, find wonderful new books, and create lasting memories for students. Please visit our scholastic homepage for detailed information about shopping hours, volunteer opportunities, student eWallets, and the virtual book fair. Click here to get more information about the Book Fair from Mrs. Harth.

We still need a few volunteers. Please consider signing up to support your student and PCK. 

https://volunteer.scholastic.com/#/signup/B9jrpeqny

Happy reading! 

A big thank you to the Anderson family for bringing our staff a full supply of treats, including crackers, candy, Slim Jims, Rice Krispies Treats, and more. We appreciate the way you take such good care of us!