Posted March 3, 2023
Cory Families,
Though it may feel far away for elementary age students, at Cory we strive to prepare our students for college and career. In elementary school, this looks like rigorous academics, character education, problem solving strategies and goal setting. To that end, teachers at Cory provide personalized learning for students in order to ensure that our diverse student body is highly engaged and academically challenged. Some instructional strategies we use to support our students in becoming life-long learners are:
We believe that providing these opportunities to students will build a love of learning and prepare students for their future. Please partner with us by talking to your children about what they are learning at school and encouraging them to pursue their passions and interests.
Looking for a way to stay in shape while having some fun? The north gym at Merrill has been reserved on Thursday nights between 7 and 8pm for parents and staff of Cory, C3, and Merrill to play pickup basketball. Please reach out to Tyson Sollenberger if you have any questions at Tysollenberger@gmail.com
The Cory Elementary Equity Committee is excited to present the Cory Elementary Parent Equity Education Series!
Thank you to all who attended the first Parent Equity Ed night! It was wonderful to engage with you in this learning!
This series will include 3 more learning opportunities for parents in the Cory community to gather together and engage in learning around different topics that impact equity in education.
Session 2 (Building a Shared Why) – Monday, March 6, from 5:30 – 6:45 pm, in the Cory Cafeteria
Session 3 (Color Blind vs. Color Brave) – Thursday, April 13, from 5:30 – 6:45 pm, in the Cory Cafeteria
Session 4 (Summer opportunities and Equity BINGO) will be after school on Monday, May 1, from 3:20 – 3:40 pm, on the Cory blacktop
Please RSVP for session 2 by Friday, March!
You may RSVP by emailing Amber Bourgeois, at amber_bourgeois@dpsk12.net.
* Pizza will be provided for sessions 2 & 3! Please indicate if you are a vegetarian when you RSVP.
** If you need child care, it will be provided in a different room at Cory Elementary. Please indicate if you need child care and the age of the child when you RSVP.
*** Please let us know if you will need an interpreter and for what language when you RSVP.
A couple reminders: 1. Cell phones and smart watches are not allowed in school. They may be kept in back packs. If you need to get in touch with your child, then please contact the front office
2. School begins at 8:15. With the tardy bell ringing at 8:20
3. If a student is late they must come into the front office and get signed in taking a tardy slip with them to class.
4. We go outside every day we can. Please make sure you children have the correct clothing coats, hats and boots if needed on cold weather days.
5. Students have a snack during the day with their class. Please try and remember to pack a daily snack.
6. If you are picking up your student early you must come into the building to the office and sign them out. This is for their safety along with ours to insure we know where all students are all day. We prefer you are here before 3:00 to check out your students. We understand there are times when this is not possible as emergency’s happen. When you arrive to pick up your student we will call the classroom to have your child come to the front to meet you, we do not want students sitting in the office waiting for parents.
7. School is over at 3:20. If you have not picked up your students by 3:30 they will be waiting in the front office for you.
8. Sometimes the lunch menu changes in the cafeteria due to food not being delivered on time to the warehouse. We try to keep the menu consistent with what they say. Please understand Food Services is doing everything they can to provide the best meals to our students. Please feel free to call Food Services with questions or concerns. 720-423-5600.
9. Please do not sent your student to school sick. Please see the below guidelines from The Department of Public Health.
IMPORTANT DATES
Joan Wieser
Principal
jwieser@dpsk12.net
Amber Bourgeois
STL
amber_bourgeois@dpsk12.net
Dear parents/guardians of students in Colorado kindergarten – 12th grade schools for the 2022-23 school year:
We know you’re thinking of all the things you need to do to make sure your student is ready for school. Getting vaccinated is an important part of their school readiness and keeps children from catching and spreading diseases that can make them sick and potentially disrupt in-person learning. We wish you and your student a healthy school year!
Required and recommended vaccines
● Colorado law requires students who attend a public, private, or parochial kindergarten – 12th grade school to be vaccinated against many of the diseases that vaccines can prevent, unless a Certificate of Exemption is filed. For more information, visit cdphe.colorado.gov/schoolrequiredvaccines. Your student must be vaccinated against:
o Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP, DTP, Tdap).
o Hepatitis B (Hep B).
o Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR).
o Polio (IPV).
o Varicella (chickenpox).
● Colorado follows recommendations set by CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Students must receive their final doses of DTaP, IPV, MMR, and varicella prior to kindergarten entry. Students entering sixth grade must receive one dose of Tdap vaccine prior to entry, even if they are younger than 11-years-old. You can view recommended vaccine schedules at
cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/parents-adults/resources-parents.html.
● Vaccines are recommended for hepatitis A, influenza, meningococcal disease, and human papillomavirus, but are not required for school entry.
Exclusion from school
● Your student may be excluded from school if your school does not have an up-to-date Certificate of Immunization, Certificate of Exemption, or in-process plan on file for your student.
● If someone gets sick with a vaccine-preventable disease or there is an outbreak at your student’s school and your student has not received the vaccine for that disease, they may be excluded from school activities. That could mean lost learning time for them and lost work and wages for you. For example, if your student has not received a MMR vaccine, they may be excluded from school for 21 days after someone gets sick with measles.
Have questions?
Talk with a healthcare provider licensed to give vaccines or your local public health agency (LPHA) about which vaccines your student needs or if you have questions. You can read about the safety and importance of vaccines at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/FAQs.html, https://childvaccineco.org/, ImmunizeForGood.com, and cdphe.colorado.gov/immunization-education.
Paying for vaccinations
If you need help finding free or low-cost vaccines and providers who give them, go to COVax4Kids.org, contact your LPHA, or call the Mile High Family Health Line at 303-692-2229 or 1-800-688-7777 to ask about Medicaid contact information. You can find your LPHA at cdphe.colorado.gov/find-your-local-public-health-agency.
Vaccination records
● Please take your student’s updated Certificate of Immunization to school every time they receive a vaccine. ● Need to find your student’s vaccine record? It may be available from the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS). Visit COVaxRecords.org for more information, including directions for how to use the CIIS Public Portal to view and print your student’s vaccine record.
Exemptions
● If your student cannot get vaccines because of medical reasons, you must submit a Certificate of Medical Exemption to your school, signed by a health care provider licensed to give vaccines. You only need to submit this certificate once, unless your student’s information or school changes. You can get the form at cdphe.colorado.gov/vaccine-exemptions.
● If you choose not to have your student vaccinated according to the current recommended schedule, you must submit a Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption to your school. Nonmedical exemptions must be submitted annually at every new school year (July 1st through June 30th of the following year). There are two ways to file a nonmedical exemption.
○ File the Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption WITH a signature from an immunizing provider, OR ○ File the Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption received upon the completion of our online education module.
○ Downloadable certificates and our online education module are available at
cdphe.colorado.gov/vaccine-exemptions.
How’s your school doing on vaccinations?
Some parents, especially those with students who have weakened immune systems, may want to know which schools have the highest percent of vaccinated students. Schools must report immunization and exemption numbers (but not student names or birth dates) to the state health department annually. Schools do not control their specific immunization and exemption rates or establish the Vaccinated Children Standard described in §25-4-911, CRS. Schools must include their MMR immunization and exemption rates from the most recently completed school year in this letter. Schools may choose to also include immunization and exemption rates for other school-required vaccines. Additional immunization and exemption rates can be found at COVaxRates.org.
| School Name | 2020-2021 MMR Immunization Rate REQUIRED IN LETTER | 2020-2021 MMR Exemption Rate REQUIRED IN LETTER |
| DPS MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) Immunization Compliance.xlsx |
How Sick is Too Sick?
When Children and Staff Should Stay Home from School or Child Care
Evaluation of a sick child must consider which diseases are currently circulating among students, staff, and the community. Known exposure to cases or an outbreak of a contagious disease (including but not limited to those listed here), even without a confirmed diagnosis, may necessitate more stringent return to school requirements. During Colorado’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, children and staff who have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should receive testing, and follow the COVID-19 isolation guidance until testing is completed or if they test positive. If the individual tests negative for COVID-19, the individual should then follow the recommendations for their disease or symptoms using the below guidance. There are four main reasons to keep children and adults at home:
1. The child or staff is at risk of infecting others with COVID-19 or another contagious illness, either because of symptoms or recent close contact.
2. The child or staff member does not feel well enough to take part in usual
activities. For example, a child is overly tired, fussy or will not stop crying.
3. A child needs more care than teachers and staff can give while still caring for the other children.
4. The child or staff member has symptoms or an illness is on this list, and staying home is required.
Stock the Cellar Party, 3/9
Join the Cory Auction Committee at our Stock the Cellar Party on Thursday, March 9 from 6-8 p.m. at the Campus Lounge! Mingle with other Cory families and enjoy your first drink on us (draft beer or house wine)! Please bring a bottle of wine (or two!) valued at $30 or more to be placed in our Stock the Cellar auction package. RSVP here.
The Cory PTA is partnered with Bonnie Brae Liquors to help Stock the Cellar! From March 2-March 9, Bonnie Brae Liquors is offering 15% off your wine purchase if you mention Cory Elementary. Buy a bottle for Stock the Cellar, and buy a bottle for your home!
Dine Out at Max’s Gill & Grill, 3/16
Our next Dine Out event is on Thursday, March 16 from 3 p.m. to close at Max’s Gill & Grill (1052 S. Gaylord)! Max’s will donate 20% of all Cory sales back to our school. Reservations are now being accepted, so grab yours today, or consider ordering takeout for dinner!
Volunteers Needed: One Campus Celebration
The PTA is seeking volunteers to help coordinate with Merrill Middle School on planning the One Campus Celebration, a campus-wide event that brings together Cory and Merrill students. If you are interested in learning more, contact Stephanie Campbell.
Amazon Smile & King Soopers Community Rewards Program
Recently, Amazon announced that it is winding down its AmazonSmile program by February 20. All purchases made before that date will still accrue donations for our school.
Although AmazonSmile is ending, there is still an opportunity to raise money for Cory through the King Soopers Community Rewards Program, which is linked to the loyalty program (SooperCard/AltID) number that you typically use at check out! Be sure to link your loyalty number to Cory so our school can earn rewards. Learn more, and here is more information on registering on your laptop or mobile device.
School Yearbook
DON’T FORGET TO SUBMIT YOUR YEARBOOK PHOTOS BY MARCH 15TH!!
There are several ways to upload pictures. You may upload to the Cory community google share site here. Please indicate the name(s) and grade(s) of students if possible. You may also upload directly into our yearbook software here (Upload into Yearbook Upload folder or make your own folder and upload there). Please add a caption describing the photos with names and grade. Or, if you only have a couple of photos to send, you can also email them to one of our team members:
swindellkristen@gmail.com
monique.maddox@gmail.com
riley371@icloud.com
Lost and Found is getting full again. Please stop by and check for your students items. We have coats, hats, gloves, Water bottles and other items.
CORY ELEMENTARY
Enrichments Spring Session
April 4th,2023- May 26th,2022
Registration Information
Registration starts Wednesday February 22nd at 6:00am and ends Tuesday March 7th at 10:00pm
. Below are the steps to follow on February 22nd.
PAYMENT IS DUE AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION!
QUESTIONS?
Please e-mail enrichment_extendedlearning@dpsk12.org
Merrill Middle School Spring Musical tickets are on sale NOW! Please come and support our wonderful and talented thespians! Runtime is approximately
60 minutes with no intermission. Friday’s show will be streamed!
BUY TICKETS HERE or tickets may be purchased at the door.
See you at the show!
SAVE THE DATE: Incoming 6th grade Merrill students are invited to the Spring Fling on May 11th from 5 – 7pm to meet teachers and learn about their options for electives for the 2023-2024 school year.
