Posted September 5, 2025
Cory Caregivers,
We had a wonderful time at our first First Friday celebration, where we recognized our amazing students and introduced our Value of the Month: Caring. Our Cory Cougars are learning meaningful ways to be kind and show caring for our community every day.
I have been truly impressed with how engaged our students are—setting goals and charting their own paths to success. Thank you for entrusting us with your children each day. We deeply value the time we have with them and understand how important these moments are.
Thank you for being part of our Cory community!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR STUDENTS OF THE WEEK for the week of September 1st! Thank you for showing our Cory Kindness Values. Go CORY COUGARS!
Mental Health Corner:
What is TSEAL? Transformative Social Emotional Academic Learning
“Transformative SEAL” is a process whereby young people and adults build strong, respectful, and lasting, relationships that facilitate co-learning to critically examine root causes of inequity, and to develop collaborative solutions that lead to personal, community, and societal well-being.
This form of TSEAL is aimed at redistributing power to promote social justice through increased engagement in school and civic life. It emphasizes the development of identity, agency, belonging, curiosity, and collaborative problem solving
It’s critically important that school wide TSEAL implementation intentionally nurtures an environment in which educators gain social and emotional competence by learning, collaborating, and modeling their social and emotional skills. Along with these social and emotional skills, schools must also fold in conversations about race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, language and ability so that the conversation about TSEAL takes into account the student’s fullest identities. It is recommended that schools do a deep dive into understanding how educators, students, and community can navigate conversations about race, sex, gender, ableism and other social identities in order to establish systems and supports that strengthen both adult and student Social Emotional Academic Learning.
Come along on our Cory TSEAL journey!
What is the BESS? The Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS)
The BESS Social Emotional FALL 2025 screener is OPEN! Parents and guardians, please complete this for your student, we conduct this screener 3x per school year. NEW! 1st-2nd grader parents are REQUIRED to complete the BESS parent screener for their child.
3rd-5th grade parents are highly encouraged but not required to complete the BESS parent screener. Thank you for your participation in supporting our students’ social and emotional well-being!
Link here: https://review360connect.com/Prod/DenverPublicSchools/Parent/
Do you hear that? Band is BACK at Cory! Stop quietly listening to music and start MAKING YOUR OWN! In our twice weekly Band class, you will learn everything you need to start making your own music. After Band you’ll… know how to read the secret language of music; you’ll learn to play flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet or trombone; you’ll have performed on stage with your best friends; you’ll
have the skill to make music yours.
Band is open for all 4th and 5th graders; if you’re back for your second year of band, sign up for
Intermediate Band. Band Class is before school in the Cory Auditorium, from 7:15-8:10am. Band starts 9/8 for Beginners and 9/16 for Intermediates. Email or message Jason at jasonolneymusic@gmail.com // 208-339-4090
GT Corner: A Quick Overview of Advanced Learning Plans (ALPs) 101
What are ALP Goals?
ALP goals are personalized learning goals created for students who have been identified as gifted. They help support and challenge students based on their strengths, talents, and interests.
Main ALP Goal Areas:
Why ALP Goals Matter:
They make sure gifted students are supported, challenged, and engaged in school—not just more work, but the right work for their level.
Do Goals Stay the Same Year to Year?
It depends. Students may need more time to work on goals, or may want to continue a goal with to apply their skills with new context and content. However, if a goal no longer applies or aligns with the strengths and interests of the students, we will change these goals. During the first few meetings together, students will share their interests, begin reflecting on their beginning of the year data, identify what students would like to work on for the current year, and begin drafting goals together in conjunction with their classroom teacher.
Will I get input in my students’ goals?
Yes! After your student creates a strength-based academic goal and one affective needs goal, I will send home a family input survey that asks you to look over your students proposed goals and provide feedback at that time.
How Families Can Help Start the Conversations:
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at any time! summer_de-herrera1@dpsk12.net
Event for Families of Gifted Students:
September 9th, 2025: Supporting the Social-Emotional Needs of Gifted Students
Join DPS in our family series for the 2025-26 school year! Next Tuesday from 5-6:15 pm, learn more about supporting gifted kids’ emotions: strategies for balance,
confidence, and growth. Save this flyer so you have access to all the whole series for the year!
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/GiftedFamilySeries2
Zoom In Here:tinyurl.com/GTFamilySeries2025