Posted May 10, 2024
 | COUGAR PRIDE Carson Elementary Principal Newsletter |  |
We are Carson!
Climate and Culture~ We provide a safe, collaborative, and inclusive community that fosters a sense of belonging and joy. We empower students to develop growth mindsets and to advocate for their social-emotional and academic needs in order to build resilience.
Professional Learning Culture~ We build and maintain trusting, collaborative relationships in order to intentionally foster the growth and well-being of students and staff.
Family & Community Engagement~We partner with our families and community to embrace diversity, nurture trust, and provide a variety of opportunities to engage with Carson in meaningful ways.
Learning and Instruction~We maintain high expectations of students while providing rigorous, engaging, authentic instruction through culturally responsive and data-driven practices to ensure student success.
May 10, 2024
Principal Message
Hello Carson Community,
I want to tell you about some exciting news. Carson’s School Leadership Team and our Instructional Leadership Team have been working this semester on determining the best school structure for our students for the 2024-25 school year. We’ve been analyzing data, implementing potential models, and getting feedback from our teachers and specialists in order to re-envision education at Carson. We have decided to move forward with a new instructional model to ensure we are meeting the specific needs of each of our students.
Here is some information for you to know. Kindergarten and first grade will continue to be taught by one teacher, but we will embed an ‘intervention/acceleration’ block into our youngest learners’ school day to provide them with individualized, differentiated instruction at their level. For second through fifth grades, our platooning models are going to be adjusted by embedding a new block of time specifically for intervention and acceleration. Students will continue to have three classes and three teachers. Instead of having a literacy teacher, a math teacher and a science/social studies teacher, students will have a literacy teacher, a math/science/social studies teacher, and then an ‘intervention/acceleration’ and social emotional learning teacher. We will call this class “WIN Time,” (What I Need).
This model will allow us to focus on literacy and math for greater periods of time, providing intervention and acceleration opportunities for all students while also focusing on students’ whole experience with their social emotional learning (SEL). Teachers will be able to be experts at their specific content, standards and curriculum for their grade level. Carson will utilize the Colorado Department of Education approved curriculum for all content areas, including our intervention and SEL. The intervention/acceleration teacher is teaching both math and literacy so they will have intentional opportunities to collaborate with their teammates teaching the same content and the same students. We will strategically pair specialists and paras with grade levels to support our intervention and acceleration. Our gifted and talented specialist will work directly with our acceleration teacher at each grade level. This model further prioritizes small group instruction where one teacher is the expert for intervention/acceleration and all teachers are able to collaborate on student progress.
We are excited to jump in with this new model to ensure we are keeping our students and their specific needs in the forefront of our work each day. We will assess student progress throughout our Data Driven Instruction Cycles throughout the 24-25 school year to ensure our model is best serving students’ needs.
With gratitude,
Early Bird Registration
Once a student is enrolled — or accepted — into a DPS school, registration needs to take place for the next school year. This is the annual online process of providing and updating student and family information on file, including emergency contacts, health information and more. We encourage you to participate in this process this spring so we know how many students to expect in the fall. We also recommend registering online because it’s convenient and saves time. Families can register online for the 2024-25 school year during the “Early Bird” window, May 6th-June 5th.
To register online, sign in to your Parent Portal at https://myportal.dpsk12.org/, click on “See All Apps,” then click on “Online Registration” to verify or update your student’s information. Online registration can only be completed by the parent/guardian listed in the primary household of the student record. If you need support with registering, join us for our registration event today- May 10th or May 24th. Drop in to Carson anytime between 12:45 to 3:00 to get help with registration.
Fifth Grade Lion King Musical
A huge kudos goes to Ms. B and our fifth graders for their hard work on creating a remarkable program and experience!
Important Information Regarding Chromebooks
As you may have read in last week’s Cougar Pride, all students will be required to turn in their Chromebooks and chargers at the end of this school year. Students in all grade levels will return their Chromebooks on Monday, June 3rd. Since students will likely not be receiving the same computer for the 2024-2025 school year, please have students remove any stickers that are on their Chromebook. Students will need to return both, Chromebook and charger, on June 3rd to keep from incurring a lost Chromebook fee. If a charger is not returned, a $20 charge will be added to MySchool Bucks to purchase a new charger for your student. This is the only fee that would come directly from Carson. Any additional fees (ex. Lost device, broken keyboard, cracked screen) come from the DPS Department of Technology.
Carson Talent Show Audition Information
Multilingual Education District Advisory Committee Meeting (MLE DAC)
This month’s Multilingual Education District Advisory Committee Meeting will be an end of the year celebration. The event will be held on Wednesday, May 15th at the Children’s Museum of Denver from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. Interpretation and family dinner are provided! The flier is attached here. Please reach out to Olga Olivas with any questions as oolivas@dpsk12.net.
Carson Community BBQ
Join us on Field Day, May 23rd for our Carson Community Barbecue that will take place in between our primary and intermediate field days from 10:30-12:00! We will be serving cheeseburgers, hamburgers, hotdogs, black bean burgers or grilled cheese sandwiches along with a side, dessert and drink. RSVP for a meal before May 15th! $5 Cash or Check can be made out to Carson and will be collected at the barbecue. Carson students meals are free and they will eat at the following times:
Sign up to volunteer! Thanks for your support in making this event a success!
From the Health Office~ Medication Pick Up by June 5th, 2024
Reminder: All medications must be picked up from the Health Office by the last day of school, June 5th, 2024. Medications are not stored in the Health Office over the summer. All medications will be disposed of. Please contact AnnMarie Conte with any questions or concerns at annmarie_conte@dpsk12.net
Community Letter from Ms. Walker
Dear Carson Community,
It saddens me to say that I have decided to pivot away from classroom teaching entirely, and will not be returning next school year. However, I remain hopeful that I can continue to support the important work of public education and educators in a remote capacity when the time is right. I’m incredibly appreciative of the Carson team and my classroom family volunteers who have stepped in to support my students during this challenging time. I will always remember the connections made and support received from this amazing community through the past five years. Your kids have completely enriched my life, and I look forward to following their journey. Please keep posted…my door is always open for visitors! Best wishes for health and happiness ahead! ~Suzanne
Resources
Reminders
Upcoming Events
5/15: Kindergarten Field Trip Arvada Center 8-12
5/16: PTA Meeting 6-7pm
5/17: Kindergarten Day at Robinson Park 10-11:30
5/21: Virtual CSC Meeting 5:30-6:30
5/23: Field Day- 8-10:30 Primary & 12-2:30 Intermediate Volunteers
5/23: Carson Community BBQ 10:30 no-12:00 lunch RSVP
5/24: 4th Grade Colorado History Museum Field Trip 9-12
5/27: Memorial Day ~ No School
5/30: 5th Grade Young Ameritowne Field Trip 9-2
5/30: 3rd Grade Park Day at Crestmoor 9-1
5/30: Field Day Rain Date
5/31: Talent Show
6/3: 2nd Grade Day at Crestmoor Park 9-1
6/4: 1st Grade Day at Crestmoor Park 9-11:30
6/4: 5th Grade Continuation 1-2
6/5: Last Day of School- 11:40 Early Release
6/5: Fun Run 8-8:45
6/5: End of Year Character Ed Assembly 8:45-9:15
6/5: Students vs. Teachers Kickball Game 9:30
6/5: Report Cards Available via Parent Portal
Check out the Carson website for updates on future events.
Email Emily_Livingston@dpsk12.net at least one week in advance if you need an interpreter for any Carson events.
PTA News
Thank you!
A huge thank you to Nicole Thrasher, Michelle Virta, Elizabeth Clark, Melissa Thomas, and Melissa Alzubaidi for organizing an awesome week of treats and activities to show our appreciation to Carson teachers and staff. Thank you to everyone in our community who participated to help make it happen
Upcoming Events
Colorado Rapids Fundraising Nights | 5/11 7:30 pm
Buy discounted tickets to cheer on the Colorado Rapids at either (or both!) of our upcoming Carson/Rapids fundraising nights! Ticket pricing starts at just $20, and a portion of every ticket sale will be donated back to the Carson PTA. The Rapids play San Jose on May 11 at 7:30pm.
PTA Meeting: May 16, 6:00-7:00 PM
Please join us for the last PTA meeting of the school year. This is an important meeting where we will vote on additional funding for next year, so please plan to attend. The meeting will take place at Carson or you can join virtually.Meeting ID: 824 7576 9733 Passcode: 442613
Field Day and Carson Community Barbecue: May 23
Come cheer on the students during Field Day, and join them for lunch on the playground! This is a day of fun for the kids, but it can’t happen without parent/guardian participation, so please sign up here to help with Field Day events:
More info on the Family Picnic to come!
Thank you to our Field Day Coordinators, Sylvia Brady and Hannah Sloven, and Family Picnic Coordinators, Melissa Thomas and Patricia Zymeri!
End of Year Fun Run: June 5, 8:00 AM
Come cheer on your student(s) on the last day of school at our annual End of Year Fun Run. Students will run a loop through the neighborhood — it’s lots of fun. As always, we rely on our community to help make this event happen, so keep an eye out for a call for volunteers and sign up if you can.
Thank you to our End of School Fun Run Coordinators, Grace Goodman and Ellen Stern for making this event happen!
Follow Carson PTA on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on Carson events!
PTA Board ~ Open PTA Board Positions
Want to get more involved? We are looking to fill three positions on the PTA Board for the upcoming 24/25 school year. It is a two-year commitment and a great opportunity to be more involved at Carson, make a difference at our school, and create new friendships. The open positions are Treasurer, Fundraising, and President-Elect. If interested, please contact the PTA for more information. ptacarson@gmail.com.
February PTA meeting minutes
PTA Meeting Minutes 2.23.24 (Staff Funding)
Volunteer Opportunities
Thank you to everyone who has volunteered in any capacity so far this year!
We have a few more end-of-year events and need your help to make them a success. Please see the sign-ups below and thank you!
May 23rd Events:
Carson Community Barbecue ~ Volunteer Spots & BBQ Lunch RSVP
Fun Run– last day of school – June 5th
Tuesday Treats for Teachers and Staff
Help fuel Carson’s amazing teachers and staff with Tuesday Teacher Treats!
Help with hard to open lunches, cleaning up, and ensuring lunch time at Carson runs smoothly!
Don’t forget to complete your free volunteer background check!
PTA Board
Open PTA Board Positions
Want to get more involved? We are looking to fill three positions on the PTA Board for the upcoming 24/25 school year. It is a two year commitment and a great opportunity to be more involved at Carson, make a difference at our school, and create new friendships. The open positions are Treasurer, Fundraising, and President-Elect. If interested, please contact the PTA for more information. ptacarson@gmail.com.
Carson Elementary Directory
Please find the Updated 2023-2024 Carson Elementary Directory here.
Community Involvement
Clothes to Kids of Denver!
The Carson community is a proud supporter of local non-profit, Clothes To Kids of Denver (CTKD). CTKD’s mission is simple – to provide free school clothes to students in need or in crisis. Students get to shop in a warm and welcoming boutique where they can select the wardrobe pieces that meet their needs. Each wardrobe is a week’s worth of school clothes – 21 pieces – and it is all FREE! CKTD’s goal is always to reach as many students as possible. They cannot do this work without strong community support, so thank you for helping make this happen!
Want to Help?
CTKD serves students in preschool – 12th grade, so they gladly accept clean and ready to wear, gently used or new clothing size 4T up through all adult sizes as well as shoes from size 8T up to adult sizes. Bring your donations to school any time and place them in the grey and blue CTKD bin located in the front lobby.
Want to Shop?
To shop at CTKD, students must be age 3-21, live in the 11-county Denver Metro Area, and be enrolled in preschool-12th grade, or working toward a GED. No referral or proof of automatic qualification is required to shop. Click this LINK for more information. Appointments can be made to shop in CTKD’s store or to pick up clothing through CTKD’s curbside program. Make an appointment by calling 720-379-4630 or emailing appointment@clothestokidsdenver.org.
Questions? Contact Carson’s Bin Champion Lauren Stoffel at LCStoffel@gmail.com.
For more information about CTKD, visit their website http://www.clothestokidsdenver.org.
Shop at King Soopers and Give Back to Carson!
By linking your King Soopers loyalty card to the Carson Elementary PTA, you can give back to the School every time you shop at King Soopers and their family of brands (City Market, Kroger, etc.)! If you haven’t already, sign up for a loyalty card and create a digital account. Then visit our King Soopers Community Rewards instructions for steps to link your card to the Carson Elementary PTA. A percentage of all purchases linked to your cards is donated back to the School. Carson has already received over $1,700 this year, thanks to those who already support this program! (Note that this sign-up process is best completed on a computer/tablet, NOT on your phone.)
Longmont Dairy Farm will donate 5 cents for every bottle cap from Longmont Dairy-produced products. Thank you to the people who’ve been hoarding their milk caps through the summer and fall – you can finally begin dropping them off again! The drop off container is in the lobby of Carson near Norma’s desk!
Carson families can enjoy 20% off stationary and custom gifts from Minted. Use code FUNDRAISEPTACARSON and Minted will also give back 15% to the Carson PTA!
Annual School Supplies Fees
If you haven’t done so yet, please pay your annual school supply fee today. Mark something off your list!
The annual fee per student pays for school supplies, online technology, and subscriptions used in your student’s classroom. You will not need to buy school supplies. You also have the option to add in a scholarship if you would like!
Crossing Guards Needed!
Want to supplement your income for just a few hours a week? Become a school crossing guard at Carson today! This position offers ten hours per week at $19.00 per hour. Help keep our kids safe! If you’d like more information, please reach out to Norma at norma_barron@dpsk12.net. Job Posting Description More Information Here Spanish
Substitute Teachers
Become a substitute for Carson! Enjoy a flexible schedule! Join a great team! Make a difference for our school! Becoming a sub for DPS is fast and easy. The first step is to obtain your license from the Colorado Department of Education. Here’s how! Talk to Norma if you have any questions!
Carson Community Bulletin Board
Check out all of these amazing resources in our community that are updated weekly! Carson Community Bulletin Board. If you have anything for the community board please email it to jessica_compaore@dpsk12.net
This is Carson!
April
Total Enrollment: 415
Attendance: 96%
Teachers: 32
Support Staff: 22
Demographics
American Indian or Alaskan Native: 2.1%
Asian: 9%
Black: 4%
Hispanic: 7%
Multiple Races: 8%
White: 70%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: 0%
Free/Reduced Lunch: 14.4%
Highly/Gifted and Talented: 88 (21.2%)
Deaf/Hard of Hearing: 14 (3.4%)
Multilingual Learners: 22 (5.3%)
Special Education:41 (10.2%)
Students of Color: 29%
Parents and Guardians- please be careful and cautious at pick up and drop off. We’ve seen a few close calls with students in the crosswalk and cars turning illegally. Please DO NOT drop students off in the middle of the street or crosswalk. This is a huge safety violation. We are very lucky to have Mr. Dan and Ms. Kristen, our school crossing guards, please say thank you and hello to them next time you see them!
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