Parent Post 9/29/2023

Posted September 29, 2023

“ Mr. Doyle‘s class learning about voluntary and involuntary movements.”
Our Student Council for the 2023-2024 School Year. 
Enjoying a wonderful day! 
Students finding multiple methods. 
Students were so excited with the return of the buddy bench! 
4th grade learning how to play guitars.  

Dear Cory Community,

While it’s not possible to protect children from the ups and downs of life, we can provide them with opportunities to build resiliency and successfully navigate through childhood and adolescence. Research tells us that it’s not self-reliance, determination, or inner strength that leads kids through adversity, let’s take a look at 5 ways that families can help kids develop resilience: 

  • Teach them how to “reframe” a disappointing moment or experience. The goal is to acknowledge the disappointing thing and then turn it into something positive.
  • Allow children to express all emotions so that they feel comfortable asking for help in difficult times. The easiest way to do this is modeling expressing emotions in appropriate ways in day to day life. 
  • Embed choices into your child’s day-to-day activities. This allows children to have a feeling of control and develops self-efficacy
  • Encourage a growth mindset. There is power in the word “yet”. 
  • Praise effort over perfection and progress over mastery. 

Please engage in these discussions at home as it supports grounding in our school values and goals. 

A huge shout out to the Cory teachers! I am so thankful for the intentional planning to increase critical thinking opportunities! It is wonderful to hear students determine the misconceptions and potential solutions to support student understanding.  Students are engaging in error analysis and challenging conversations to determine with precision the correct language and vocabulary to explain thinking.  Another wonderful skill is that teachers are providing students with the opportunity to engage in goal setting using data to support ownership and agency.   I am so proud of our cougars for using grit and perseverance to engage in these critical thinking opportunities. 

A couple of reminders:

  • Please fill out your meal Benefit form if you haven’t already. All parents need to fill this out. 
  • Please remember NO dogs on school grounds. We love our pets but they can’t be on campus
  • The weather is changing and we go outside every day. Add a sweatshirt or jacket in your student’s backpack. 
  • Keep an eye on the Lost and Found area. It is starting to fill up with items. 


Updates: 

  • Pickup basketball is starting again! Please join Cory adults for a fun pickup basketball game at Merrill.  This opportunity for adults happens on Thursday nights from 6-7:30 in the Merrill gym. Please reach out to Tyson Sollenberger at tysollenberger@gmail.com. 

Greetings from the art studio—an open space where we value artistic autonomy. This fall we’ll be participating in the Original Works program to fundraise for new art materials. Students are currently working on their W.O.W. (Wonderful Original Work of Art) projects which will later be scanned and available online to order in many forms. You can choose between products like magnets, mugs, or a framed print of your child’s art. A portion of all proceeds will go to the Cory art studio. We’ll send ordering information to you later in October!

In a few weeks we’ll begin a collage unit where students will learn about composition and have the option to make activist art. We need your help! Please send any magazines you have at home to school. Magazines with pictures are the best. We love sharing culture, and hope you might have magazines that represent your interests and communities.

Thank you, Ms. Murphy

IMPORTANT DATES:

  • October 1st – PTA Cory Fall Carnival, 11:00 am-2pm
  • October 2nd: 2023 Official Count Date
  • October 4th – Walk to School Day
  • October 6th – PTA Meeting @ 8:30
  • October 10th – Parent/Teacher Conferences
  • October 11th – Parent/Teacher Conferences
  • October 12th – NON-STUDENT CONTACT DAY – TEACHER P.D.
  • October 13th – No School 
  • October 16th – No Contact Day  – No school for Students
  • October 16th – 20th – Cory Gear Drive
  • October 25th – Picture Retake Day 
  • October 26th – Spooky Story Night 
  • November 13 – 17 – Scholastic Book Fair

Important District Updates:

Healthy School Meals for All: Complete the You Benefit! Form at Registration

All students in DPS will have access to free healthy, nutritious school meals beginning in the 2023-24 school year thanks to the Healthy School Meals for All program approved by Colorado voters! While meals will be provided for free to all DPS students through Healthy School Meals for All, families will still need to complete a form to ensure DPS gets full access to available federal funding.

What this means for families:Please continue to fill out the You Benefit! form (formerly referred to as the Meals Application). We ask all DPS families to please complete the You Benefit! form during registration for the 2023-24 school year. By completing the form, you will help us access all available funds to cover the cost of meals, and other nutritional programs for students.Families who fill out the You Benefit! form may qualify to receive discounted school fees, class materials, bus passes, utilities support and more!All household income information provided through this form is strictly confidential and protected by law. Only one form is required for all children in the household. Immigration, migrant, citizenship or refugee status is not required when completing the form. Learn more about the Healthy School Meals for All program in a short video in English and Spanish, this flier (Spanish is on page 2), or by visiting the Healthy School Meals for All website.

If you have questions about completing the You Benefit! form, please contact the DPS Food & Nutrition Services department by calling 720-423-5600 or emailing the foodservices@dpsk12.org inbox.

PTA Updates

  • CORY FALL CARNIVAL: The Cory Carnival is on Sunday from from 11am-2pm on the blacktop! There will be games, prizes, inflatables, face painting, hair sparkles, the always-popular musical cakes, In-N-Out, Sweet Cow, and more! Carnival wristbands are $15 and include access to games, prizes, inflatables, face painting, musical cakes, and more! In-N-Out meal tickets are sold out. Please note that the In-N-Out truck will only be on campus from 11am-1pm, so please plan accordingly if you purchased meal tickets. Wristbands and meal tickets can be picked up at the Carnival entrance. Buy wristbands here. 
  • FRIDAY FARMERS MARKET: Stop by the Farmer’s Market today after school! There will be produce, fresh eggs from the Cory coop, and flower bouquets, along with a hot dog special that includes chips and lemonade for $5. Also, Farmer’s Market volunteers are needed––sign up here.
  • JOIN THE PTA: PTA membership is a great way to get involved in the Cory community, and members have a vote on many issues raised at monthly PTA meetings. Membership is $15 for an individual and $30 for a couple. Submit payment here, or checks made out to “Cory Elementary PTA” can be dropped off in the front office.

Walk to School Day: National Walk & Roll to School Day is on Wednesday, October 4! We encourage all families who can join us to walk or bike to school that morning. If you don’t live within walking or biking distance, just park in the neighborhood and join in on the event! To help us celebrate, a DJ and the Denver South Cheer team will be on campus in the morning to welcome students. In addition, the classroom with the highest walking/biking participation rate will win the coveted Cory Walk to School Trophy and students in that class will receive bike spoke beads to decorate their bikes and help keep them safe!

Volunteer Services coordinates parent and community resources through volunteer onboarding, training, consulting, and matching of in-kind donations to schools, all of which support students, staff, and families of DPS.
Volunteer Background Check Process
Individuals interested in volunteering in-person or virtually are required to complete the DPS Volunteer Background Check .  The Volunteer Background Check link is located on the DPS Volunteer Services website – https://equity.dpsk12.org/get-involved/volunteer-services/ 

DPS Discount Days are back!
We wanted to share more discount offers with your families, students and staff. Please see the information below for an upcoming Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) production:

Join us in supporting the DCPA from Friday, September 1 to Sunday, October 8 as they show A Little Night Music production at Wolf 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!

Buy your tickets today and be sure to use discount code DPSFUND at check out: Tickets & Events – Denver Center for the Performing Arts

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.

Thank you!