Cory Caregivers,
Happy Friday! We're wrapping up our second week together, and we have to tell you - it's been wonderful! Our students are settling into routines and expectations beautifully, and the energy and excitement in our classrooms is everything we hoped for. Thank you for the partnership and support you've already shown as it truly makes all the difference. This week students finished the math and literacy diagnostic tests, and we will share that information with all families next Friday.
This morning at our First Friday assembly, we celebrated our summer reading winners, Golden Ticket winners, and students who exemplify our Cory Values. We also introduced our value of the month: Caring. Students shared thoughtful ideas about what caring looks like at Cory—from helping a friend to showing kindness in the hallways. It was wonderful to hear their voices and see our community coming together to celebrate one another.
You may have heard about Colorado's School Performance Framework (SPF) - a statewide report that measures how schools are performing in key areas like academic achievement and growth.
We are thrilled to share that Cory earned a "Performance" plan type, which is the highest category a school can receive! Our students showed strong achievement and exceptional growth, and we're so proud of the work our staff, students, and families do together every day. We increased by 19 points from the previous year! This is a reflection of your partnership and the incredible learning happening in every classroom. Thank you for being part of our Cory community!
Save the Date: Back to School Night
We can't wait to see you at Back to School Night next week! This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the classroom, and learn about what's ahead this year. Your classroom teacher will have more details.
📅 Date: September 10th 📍 Location: Cory Elementary
Schedule:
5:00–5:15 PM — Admin Welcome on the Blacktop
5:20–5:45 PM — Session 1: Classrooms/Special Education (in classroom) & Gifted/Talented (auditorium)
5:50–6:15 PM — Session 2: Classrooms/Special Education (in classroom) & Gifted/Talented (auditorium)
Throughout the evening — All Special Service Providers and Specials Teachers in the Gym
Each session is 20 minutes, so you'll have time to visit multiple classrooms if needed. We'll have more details coming soon! There is no child care provided for this evening.
We're so grateful to be starting this year alongside you. Our students are thriving because of the strong partnership between home and school, and we look forward to continuing to work together to ensure every child has the best opportunities to learn, grow, and shine.
Thank you for partnering with us as we begin the year. We are looking forward to all that is ahead!
Warmly,
Joan and Anna
Parking at Cory:
We ask for all caregivers to read the expectations for drop off and pick up. It is important that adults follow these expectations so we can keep students safe! Kiss & Go Arrival - Iowa Street
• Please arrive at Kiss and Go on Iowa to drop students off at 8:05
****Vehicles will not be allowed to park in the Kiss N Go Lane on Iowa.
• Vehicles will pull up to the Kiss and Go zone on Iowa Street.
• Once the front vehicle reaches the cones, students can exit the car.
• When the student is unloaded the vehicle will drive forward.
• Vehicles will not be permitted to make U-Turns upon leaving the Kiss and Go lane.
Kiss & Go Dismissal
• Kiss and Go dismissal will begin at 3:15 PM. Please do not arrive before 3:15 so we do not interfere with C3. It takes students at least 3-5 minutes to walk to the Kiss and Go.
• All Vehicles will pull up into the Kiss and Go zone on Iowa Street.
• Drivers will remain in their vehicles and wait for their students to be dismissed.
• Cory staff will dismiss students in the order of vehicles in the lineup.
• When the student is safely loaded the vehicle will drive forward.
Walkers/Bike Riders Dismissal
Parking Lot
• Families who need to park and enter the school will be allowed to park in the lot. Please do not drop students off in the parking lot without parking. Please do not park in the assigned parking spaces. The parking lot is not a Kiss and Go. PLEASE DO NOT DROP OFF STUDENTS IN THIS AREA.
IMPORTANT DATES:.
September 7 - No School Labor Day
September 10 - Back to School Night - 5:00 – 6:30 PM: This evening is designed for parents and guardians to learn more about classroom routines, school expectations, curriculum, and important information for the upcoming school year.
September 11 - First PTA Meeting @ 8:30
September 15 & 16 - Student Individual and class pictures
September 16 - Student Individual and class pictures
September 24 - October Count Begins!
September 28 - No School for Students - Teacher Work day
October 1 - Official Count Day
October 2 - Field Day
October 2 - PTA Meeting @ 8:30
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR STUDENTS OF THE WEEK for the week of August 31st!
Thank you for showing our Cory Kindness Value of CARING. Go CORY COUGARS!
1st Grade | 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade |
Khai T David B Virginia J | Ali HM Inder M Raya E Lennie S | Emerson K Briar P Ava F | Maddox M Sydney M Arthur B | Haven H Brody T |
Safety and Security For Parent Volunteers - Raptor Sign in
ID Requirement: When visiting the school, it is required that all families bring a government-issued ID. This is to help us verify identity and maintain a secure environment for our students. You will be required to enter your information into the DPS system in the main office when you are visiting the building. This process takes a few minutes so give yourself plenty of time.
The Raptor system has an App and Passport that you can download to make the process more streamlined once your ID is verified. Here are the instructions on how to set up the Raptor application and the passport: .
Attendance
Did you know you can save time by letting us know that your student will be arriving late, leaving early, or absent? You can use your DPS Parent Portal account to use this new feature. Visit myportal.dpsk12.org to sign up, or to check that your account is active and ready.
Access the 2026-27 school year calendar to plan appointments and vacations, ensuring your child does not miss valuable learning time.
The return to school also means the return of germs. Visit the Attendance website and one-pagers in multiple languages for guidance on when to keep your child home and when to send them to school.
Band is BACK
at Cory! Stop quietly listening to music and start MAKING YOUR OWN! You will learn everything you need to start making your own music. The band is available for all 4th and 5th graders. You’ll learn how to read the secret language of music, how to play flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet or trombone, as well as perform on stage with your best friends and have the skills to make music yours! Register today
Registration opens Friday, 8/28 and closes Sunday, 9/6. 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
// 208-339-4090
Social-Emotional Success at Cory:
The Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS) Social Emotional FALL 2026 screener is now OPEN! Parents and guardians, please complete this for your student, we conduct this screener 3x per school year and these results inform decisions regarding behavioral and social emotional supports for students at school. *** 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.
Questions about the BESS? Click here: https://ess.dpsk12.org/o/studentequity/page/dpsscreening
Link here to complete your child's screener: https://review360connect.com/Prod/DenverPublicSchools/Parent/
Thank you for your participation in supporting our students’ social and emotional well-being!
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!
Unit 1: Positive School Culture and Classroom Community - Value of the month is Caring