Happy 100th Day of School! Love, the 100 year olds of room 116
The kids are having an amazing time celebrating the hundredth day of school! Many of us dressed up like we were 100, many made hundredth day shirts, and we even have several collections of 100 items!
We learned about Mardi Gras from a Louisiana holiday expert, Remy! He shared about the history and traditions of Mardi Gras, and then we enjoyed a delicious king cake! Lucky Joan found the baby inside! 🙂
Book Exchange for 4th Grade on Valentine’s Day
Working in class with lots of colors.
Book Exchange during Valentines Day
The kids are creating observational drawings of an eagle. Ask your child what an eagles feet are called and ask them how to describe them.
Dear Cory Community,
As you know, safety is my first priority at Cory – for students, staff and the community. It is with this in mind that it has become necessary for me to share expectations regarding transportation and community behavior on Cory’s grounds. Please read the following carefully so you understand the expectations. If another caregiver is doing drop-off or pick-up, please share the expectations.
Cory is a public school so it is absolutely imperative that all staff and community members follow traffic laws in the parking lot and around the school. If these expectations are not followed, my next course of action will be to close the parking lot for everyone except school staff.
Parking Lot Expectations:
If you are dropping off students, caregivers are expected to use the kiss and go lane on Iowa Street, NOT the parking lot.
The parking lot is only to be used if you are going to park and walk your student to school, NOT for drop off. THE PARKING LOT IS NOT A LOADING ZONE as this creates a safety issue when it is used as such.
If you are parking, then you must be in a parking space. If you are not in a parking space you cannot park your vehicle in the parking lot. You may only use handicap parking spaces if you have a handicap designation. There is ample parking on the street where you can park and walk onto school grounds.
Be mindful when backing up to watch for children and adults.
Do not drive around cars in the parking lot that are waiting to park.
Be mindful of speed and aggressive driving.
Caregivers are welcome to park in the neighborhood and walk your child to school, please be respectful of all of our neighbors.
For everyone’s safety it is recommended that you do not walk through the middle of the parking lot, exit your vehicle and walk along the fenceline or sidewalk.
Do not park in the two auction spots as this was a fundraiser for the PTA to fund Cory programs. Two families reserved those spaces for this year.
Please watch for the signs in the parking lot and do not park here unless you have a permit to park in these spots. We want to make sure we have accessibility for our students and families that need these spots.
Kiss and Go Expectations:
Arrive at 8:05 for arrival
Arrive at 3:15 for dismissal – please be mindful that C3 families are lining up for Kiss and Go before the stop sign (Cook Street). Cory’s Kiss and Go starts after you go past the stop sign on Iowa.
Remain in your car and continue to move forward so there are no gaps in the kiss and go line.
Use the crosswalk when crossing Iowa.
Do not have students run in between cars to meet you on the other side of the kiss and go.
How to address concerns on school campus?
If caregivers have concerns, these should be addressed by communicating with the school principal, Joan Wieser jwieser@dpsk12.net or calling the police. It is not acceptable to confront a community member on Cory’s campus. You can get the license plate information if the situation needs to be addressed by DPD.
Partnering with the community is necessary and important to me. Please feel free to contact me with suggestions and feedback. Additionally, please see additional resources below regarding DPS transportation and Schoolpool which may be helpful to many families.
DPS Transportation:
Tired of the traffic congestion and lines at Kiss and Go? We have a great solution which is the Cory bus route.
Call DPS Transportation at 720-423-4600 for additional information or for the exception process.
Benefits:
Community: More children on the bus means fewer cars on the road. This means less traffic, lower emissions, safer roads around the schools at drop-off and pick up.
Safety: School buses are the safest vehicle on the road! Due to a combination of factors, your kids are about 50x more likely to arrive at school safely when riding on the school bus rather than a vehicle.
Environment: It’s greener. By taking the bus, your contribution to air pollution is reduced. Buses emit fewer pollutants per mile traveled than cars on a per passenger basis, so by taking the bus, you are helping us all breathe cleaner air.
Schoolpool sign-up:
Cory Elementary School has teamed up with Way to Go to offer Schoolpool, a safe carpool matching service. Schoolpool connects neighboring families who may be a good fit for driving, walking or biking to school together. For more information contact Jody Davison at jodyvick@gmail.com. Join Cory Elementary School’s Schoolpool program to connect with other families to drive, walk or bike to school together. Signing up is simple!
Go to https://mywaytogo.org/s/schoolpool-cory-eledec22 and create an account and enter your address or intersection. (For security reasons, this link is the only way for Cory families to register.)
Pro-tip: Use a computer. While it works on a smartphone and tablet, there is more functionality on a computer.
Add comments to indicate interest, such as “can provide morning rides in exchange for afternoon rides,” “student is in after-school activities,” or “looking for a walk buddy in the mornings.”
The more families that register, the more likely you are to find good matches. Even if your family doesn’t need a ride, consider signing up to drive other students. Your participation builds a stronger school community.
CMAS SCHEDULE Cory will begin CMAS testing on April 3rd, 2024. CMAS measures student proficiency on the Colorado Academic Standards. These standards provide clear and consistent guidelines on what students should know and be able to do at the end of the year, across grade levels and subject areas. Grades 3-5 will take English language arts and math assessments, with the addition of science in grade 5. Our team worked diligently to create an equitable testing schedule. Testing will begin promptly at 9:00am. Please ensure your Cougar is here on testing days.
ATTENDANCE
In order to help our students maximize their full academic potential, it is imperative that students show up to school frequently and on time. Please note that our Cory school calendar is slightly different from the regular DPS School Calendar.
Colorado School Attendance Law and Denver Public Schools’ “Denver Plan.”
These guidelines allow for roughly 10 absences during the course of a school year. Every month the school attendance team will review student attendance and send letters to parents for those students whose absences are excessive. Classroom teachers will call home prior to sending the certified letter.
If absences are chronic, excessive, unexcused, or otherwise of concern a child and their family may be referred to truancy court. Excessive tardies and early withdrawals are also subject to truancy law, and can add up to excessive absences.
If you need to call a student out for sickness or personal reasons please call the main office to excuse the student. Additionally, if your family needs additional support to assist with attendance, please contact the main office and Ms. Debbie will connect you with our school-based attendance team!
We will be reinforcing the importance of attendance here at school with our students as we enter the second half of our school year through a variety of attendance incentives for the most improved attendance, weekly perfect attendance, etc. Ask your child if they received a visit from our new ~Attendance Fairy!~
Updates for Upcoming communications. Please make sure to let the office know if you have a new phone number, email address or have moved. We want to make sure you will get all correspondence as we move into the last part of the year and for any information coming out for next years registration.
IMPORTANT DATES:
February 16th – No Contact Day – No School for Students
February 19th – NO SCHOOL – Presidents’ Day
February 20th – Equity Team Meeting @ 4:00 in Library
February 27th – PTA Dine out – Cherry Cricket
February 29th – CSC Meeting at 4:00
March 1st- PTA Meeting @ 8:30
March 1st – 5th grade Class Picture
March 1st – Show your School Spirit – Wear your Cory Gear
March 7th – Stock the Cellar Party @The Jhawer Home 5:00 – 7:30
March 10th – Daylight Savings
March 19th – PTA Dine out @ Max’s Gill & Grill
March 20th – Spring Pictures
March 25th – April 1st – Spring break
April 3rd – 5th – CMAS TESTING begins
April 15th – 18th – CMAS Testing
April 22nd – 25th – CMAS Testing
April 26th – Cory Auction: DU’s Cable Center
Summer Connections 2024 is set to return as a free, five-week program starting June 17 through July 19. DPS students at eligible schools entering first through fifth grade are invited to participate in this full-day program. Designed for student readiness, the program introduces students to next year’s curriculum with a special focus on STEM subjects.
Students will also enjoy a variety of activities including Inventor’s Week, the Lego Challenge, career exploration and computer science. Plus, there’s an exciting field trip in store!
Registration for families begins mid-February. Please refer families to the Summer Connections website for more information and updates. Staff who are interested in applying may submit their interest through this form.
Hi Cory students, families, staff, and community,
We are seeing increasing numbers of illness in our school community including COVID
Please make sure you are following how sick is too sick guidelines attached link below.
PURCHASE 2023-2024 YEARBOOKS: Purchase a 2023-2024 Cory yearbook today to commemorate another great school year! The first yearbook you purchase is $25. Additional yearbooks are $20. When ordering, enter $25 into the price line if ordering one yearbook; enter $45 if purchasing two yearbooks; enter $65 if purchasing three yearbooks; etc. Please remember to put your students’ names and their teachers’ names in the lines below!
SHARE YEARBOOK PHOTOS: Do you have photos from Cory events from the first half of the year? Please upload them here so they can be included in the 2023-2024 yearbook! There are separate folders for each grade, and please try to include students’ names when applicable.
SEEKING AUCTION DONATIONS: The success of the Cory auction depends on our community’s generous donations to the night’s live and silent auction. This year, we must raise at least $200,000 to fund salaries for full-time art, music, gym and library/STEAM teachers. We are seeking getaways to your family’s mountain condo, timeshare or vacation home; stays at local and out-of-stay hotels, airline miles, and hotel points; tickets to sporting events and access to game suites; sports experiences like golf and fly-fishing; and tickets to special events, concerts and entertainment experiences. Donate auction items here, or email the Cory Auction Team with questions or donation suggestions.
STOCK THE CELLAR PARTY: Save the date for the Stock the Cellar party on Thursday, March 7 from 5-7:30pm at the Jhawer home (1420 S. Fillmore Street). Stop by for sips & snacks as we stock the cellar for the 2024 Cory Auction. Come for 15 minutes or stay the duration….regardless, bring a bottle of wine ($25+ value) to donate.
THE CLOTHING DROP SPOT Drop off your gently used clothes, shoes and household textiles knowing that they will be reused. Just bag the items and bring them to one of the Clothing Drop Spots near you. Items we accept Clothes (T-shirts, blouses, skirts, dresses, pants, sweaters, coats, underwear, etc.) Footwear (Gym shoes, boots, sandals, leather shoes, socks, etc.) Children’s clothing (Pajamas, jeans, dresses, baby, clothes, etc.) Accessories (Handbags, hats, gloves, belts, scarves, backpacks, shawls, etc.) Linens (Household textiles, sheets, comforter, blankets, towels, drapes, etc.) https://www.usagain.com/Schools
Join us in supporting the DCPA this winter from Friday, January 26 to Sunday, March 10 as they show Cebollas at Singleton Theatre! Receive a 15% discount on tickets in Premium seating, Price Level 2 and Price Level 3 seating for all performances. $5 from each ticket purchased will be donated back to Denver Public Schools Foundation!
You can also visit https://dpsfoundation.org/offers/ for more information on these discounts and other special offers. Any help you can provide in distributing these opportunities would be greatly appreciated.
Kids Heart Challenge at Cory Elementary School is nearing its end, but there’s still time to reach our goal! We’ve raised $15,001.84 donations towards our $30,000 goal, and we hope all students will join the team! So far, 104 students have already joined, and 28 students have completed Finn’s Mission, entering them into the NFL Sweepstakes for Super Bowl 2025 tickets! Have you reached your Kids Heart challenge goal? One last week to sign up, donate, or get a donation and complete Finn’s Mission. It’s a great time to send one final reminder to friends and family who will want to support you. Download the app for iPhone orAndroid, or register online:http://www2.heart.org/goto/CoryElementarySchoolCO. Any student who raises $50 will qualify to purchase discounted tickets and get a special ON COURT experience with the Denver Nuggets! The class with the highest percentage of students register gets an EXTRA PE CLASS! And, any student who completes Finn’s Mission will get to come to the KHC Glow PARTY! Also, every student who raises $200 will get to turn Mr. C into a Human Disco Ball with GLITTER SLIME! To celebrate the American Heart Association’s 100th birthday and to help us reach our goals during Kids Heart Challenge, the American Heart Association is offering a CUPCAKE BIRTHDAY PARTY to the top fundraising classroom during the final week of our event, February 12th-16th! Dr. Weaver’s 3rd grade class is in the lead for this week so far! One more way to be a lifesaver: Stroke is a major cause of death and disability. Acting quickly is critical. Protect your family by learning to spot a stroke as part of Finn’s Mission. Log into your Kids Heart Challenge page and click on the Stroke Quiz then click “share” to send the video. Don’t forget: You can double your gift by checking to see if your employer will match your donation. Follow the steps and forward the confirmation to matchinggifts@heart.org to have this added to the student’s fundraising page. (https://www2.heart.org/site/SPageNavigator/aha_matchpro_landing.html)
Please watch for the signs in the parking lot and do not park here unless you have a permit to park in these spots. We want to make sure we have accessibility for our students and families that need these spots.
