Parent Post 12/2/2022

Posted December 2, 2022

Dear Cory Community,

I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing fall break! With the weather being as cold as it is please send students to school dressed appropriately. Many students have been showing up in sweatshirt in the below freezing temperatures. Please ensure students are wearing coats, as we still go outside for recess. If you are in need of a coat for your child please reach out to the front office and we will discreetly provide resources to help. On that note, please make sure to check lost and found on a regular basis as we seem to collect many lost items from students. 

STEAM Night was a huge success! Here is a link to check out the student’s Peace Pledges. 

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 or Brie Stahnke at brieanneo@yahoo.com. Join Cory Elementary School’s Schoolpool program to connect with other families to drive, walk or bike to school together.

Looking for help getting your student to and from school or want to find them a buddy to commute to school with? We are pleased to partner with Schoolpool, a free program to make it easier to get to school. 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.

UPDATES: 

• Focus Group Opportunity for Parents: Assessments in DPS: DPS is seeking feedback from parents. DPS would like to invite families to join us at any of the four upcoming virtual opportunities to discuss assessments at DPS. All focus groups will be held at 5 p.m. on Dec. 6, Dec. 15, Jan. 10 and Jan. 12. Parents can scan the QR code or click here to share feedback and sign up for a focus group.
• Need energy bill assistance or access to other supportive resources such as holiday gifts, rent assistance, job search support, etc. See this Denver Community Resource Directory and reach out to the school psychologist, Caraline Vaughn (caraline_vaughn@dpsk12.net) if a school referral is needed for anything you would like access to: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-EXAdM0anAvbA2N0_lOxjL_jW-Bs8IaQ/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117819804226493722199&rtpof=true&sd=true
• Families of Multilingual Learners are Invited to the MLE DAC Meeting on Dec. 14: Families of multilingual learners are invited to attend the Multilingual Education (MLE) Districtwide Advisory Committee (DAC) meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 14 from 5-7 p.m. at Abraham Lincoln High School. At this in-person meeting, families and staff will learn more about the resources to advocate for their students on the topics of School Choice & Enrollment, ACCESS testing and where to view results. Registration is open here. For more information, visit the MLE DAC webpage or call 720-423-2661.   

IMPORTANT DATES

• December 6th – Cory/C3 Band Recital 
• December 6th – PTA Dine out @ Campus Lounge
• December 7th –  5th Grade Musical at Merrill @6:00
• December 19th – January 2nd – Holiday break
• January 3rd – Non Contact Day – Staff Only
• January 4th – Students back in School
• January 5th – CSC Meeting at 4 PM
• January 13th – PTA Meeting @8:30
• January 16th – No School Martin Luther King Day 
• January 25th – 4th Grade Musical 6:00 @ Merrill 
• February  1st – 3rd – Vision & Hearing screening
• February 16th  – Early Literacy Night

Thank you,

Joan Wieser 
Principal
jwieser@dpsk12.net 

Amber  Bourgeois 
STL 
amber_bourgeois@dpsk12.net

Upcoming Cory Musical

All Cory Families are welcome to the 5th Grade Presentation of “The Science of Stuff”.  This fun musical will be enjoyable for all Cory students as the 5th Graders show off their singing, dancing, and acting skills while exploring the properties of matter.  Doors to Merrill open at 5:30, show begins at 6:00.  See you there!

Hello Cory
 
Our Winter Enrichment Session is just around the corner and we are happy to share the 2023 Winter Brochure with all of you! Registration will be from November 21st at 6am until December 8th at 10pm. Please ensure you are updating your student’s profile with all important information, phone numbers and grade level. We will be declining any registrations that do not include a parent email and phone number. Additionally, you may not “hold” as spots, we will be rejecting those as well. 

If you have any questions, please email  enrichment_extendedlearning@dpsk12.org. When you email, please provide your school, student’s name, and all relevant information. 

Thank you all

COVID Reporting Update:
Anyone can report Covid positive students or staff members. Please be sure to report all cases. Please use this COVID Report Form. 

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.

Contribute to the Staff Holiday Gift Fund

This holiday season, the PTA would like to show its appreciation for Cory’s wonderful school staff by offering the opportunity for families to contribute to a holiday gift fund!

The funds raised will be distributed between Cory’s 30 office staff, specials teachers, paraprofessionals, custodial and lunchroom staff, and other support staff. 

**Please note that contributions are for staff only––they will not be distributed to homeroom teachers because they receive many class and student gifts during the holidays.

To contribute electronically, please Venmo @CoryElementary, or there is an envelope in the main office to drop off cash or check donations (please make checks out the Cory PTA). Please make contributions by Thursday, December 9.

Dine Out at Campus Lounge on Wednesday, 12/6

The next Cory Dine Out is at neighborhood favorite Campus Lounge (701 S. University Blvd.) on Tuesday, December 6 from 4-10pm! Campus Lounge is donating 25% of ALL sales back to Cory, including alcohol and takeout (excluding third-party delivery apps like UberEats & GrubHub). We hope to see you there!

School Yearbook
The yearbook team is collecting student life pictures for the 2022-2023 Cory yearbook. If you have photos of the recent fall events, please share them with us! We would love to include photos of the Cory movie night, First Day of School, Dance,  Fun Run, Fall Carnival, Field trips, theme days, and other school related events.
Photos can be uploaded to the community google share site here. Please include names/grades of students. 
If you have any questions, contact Kristen at  swindellkristen@gmail.com. 

Did you know that Merrill Middle School has a food pantry and provides free groceries once a month to Merrill families in need?! If you would like to help stock our pantry, please drop off items at the front office.  Please click the link to see items provided to our families.

 Merrill Meals Order Form

At Cory we love learning and laughter.
We grow by trying new things and learning from our mistakes.
We embrace challenges with the courage to do our best.
We persevere.
We show respect for our community through caring, responsible actions.  
We celebrate each others’ differences and accomplishments.
At Cory we love learning and laughter.