Posted May 3, 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 6, 2024
Principal Message
Hello Carson Community,
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.
With gratitude,
Temple Emanuel Parking Lot
The Temple parking lot across the street will not be accessible on Monday, May 6th or Tuesday, May 7th due to an event at the synagogue. Please do not park in the lot either of those days. Thank you for being a considerate neighbor!
Garden Club Needs Your Help
The Carson Garden Club needs your help moving dirt into our newly built garden beds on our playground. Volunteer this Weekend beginning at 1pm on Friday through Sunday at 5pm! If you have any spare time, even an hour, would you please come and help move the soil from the staff parking lot into the beds? We have two wheelbarrows and two shovels at school. If you have a shovel and wheelbarrow at home please bring them with you. Please let Jennifer Holdeman know if you have any questions at jennifer_holdeman@dpsk12.net. Thank you very much for your help!
Thank you for all your support with our Fun Run Fundraiser!
Carson’s Got Talent!
Attention talented Carson Cougars! It’s time for our annual talent show! Starting next week, talent show audition forms will be available in the front office and in Ms. B’s room. If your child is interested in auditioning for the 2024 Carson’s Got TALENT show, they need to return their signed audition form to Ms. Burger’s mailbox no later than Friday, May 10th, so that we can post students’ audition times on Monday, May 13th. Auditions will be on May 15th and 16th after school. The big show will be during the school day on May 31st!
We will also be looking for family volunteers to help us during our talent show dress rehearsal (May 22nd) and on the day of the talent show (May 31st). Please be on the lookout for an email from PTA, and the sign ups will also be sent out in next week’s cougar pride.
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!
Student Chromebooks
Unfortunately students will not have the opportunity to keep their Chromebooks over the summer, this year. Every student will need to turn in their Chromebook and their charger the week of Memorial Day. More information about the exact day(s) that devices will be checked in will be provided soon, but May 31st or June 3rd are the projected dates for Chromebooks to be turned in.
Each student will fill out a self-check in form, to be turned in with their Chromebook, in order to separate those that need to be repaired over the summer versus those that do not. Please have your student remove all stickers from their Chromebook before turning it in.
Any DPS students who are attending summer programming will access devices in the host schools (Summer Connections provides their own devices for primary students). More details will be available in the next week or two.
Thank you!
3rd Grade Music Project Based Learning (PBL)
We are so excited to update you on our third grade project based learning unit in music! Students have been learning all about different instrument families: percussion, wind and string. With that knowledge, they began working collaboratively in small groups to design and present their own instruments that could potentially be placed in our Music Garden. Please check out what our PBL is all about and for opportunities to donate materials to our garden! Thank you, Sara Brunnschweiler & Denielle Nadeau
Resources
Reminders
Upcoming Events
5/6-5/10: Teacher Appreciation Week!
5/6: 5th Grade Musical Daytime Cast Dress Rehearsal – 8:00 am – 8:45 am
5/7: 5th Grade Musical Nighttime Cast Dress Rehearsal – 8:00 am – 8:45 am
5/8: 5th Grade Musical Daytime Cast Performance – 1:30 pm – 2:15 pm
5/9: 5th Grade Musical Nighttime Cast Performance – 6:00 pm
5/10: Talent Show Audition Forms Due
5/13: Talent Show Audition Times Posted
5/15: Kindergarten Field Trip Arvada Center 8-12
5/15-5/16: Talent Show Auditions after School.
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
5/22: Talent Show Dress Rehearsal
5/23: Field Day- 8-10:30 Primary & 12-2:30 Intermediate Volunteers
5/23: Carson Community BBQ 10:30-12:00 lunch RSVP ~ volunteer spots!
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
Upcoming Events
Carson Barre3 Class Opportunity! | Sunday, 5/5, 11-12 am
Details are below.
Staff Appreciation Week: May 6 – May 10
Teacher and Staff Appreciation week is coming! May 6-10!! To show our appreciation, we have a fun week of activities for the students and parents to participate in and also a week of treats for the teachers. Here is the sign up for the week of treats for the teachers and staff. Please choose as much or as little as you want.
Thank you to our Staff Appreciation Week Coordinators — Nicole Thrasher, Elizabeth Clark, Melissa Thomas, and Melissa Alzubaidi!
Dine for Dollars with Smashburger | Smashburger, 200 Quebec St | May 7th, 11 am – 9 pm
Eat To Support Carson Elementary PTA! On Tuesday, May 7th from 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Smashburger at 200 Quebec St is donating back 20% of sales from Dine-In, Takeout & Pick up orders to Carson Elementary PTA! RSVP & check out the details. We hope you can join us in eating out for a good cause! P.S. Please feel free to invite — and share this event with — your friends and family.
Relive the memories of this spectacular year at Carson with a Carson Yearbook. Follow this link to purchase yours today! PURCHASE CODE: 1014879460631485
Congratulate a graduating fifth grader, recognize a hard-working student or honor an incredible teacher with a yearbook tribute. Follow this link to place your tribute, and make this year’s book even more special!
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, there will also be an option to join virtually.
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!
Carson Disco
A huge thank you to Angela Murphy and Kristy Catsouphes for organizing the Carson Disco! Thanks as well to all our volunteers who helped keep the hallways safe, hand out food, and cleanup. We can’t do it without you!
Carson/Booster Fun Run
Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s Carson Fun Run a huge success! It was truly a community-wide effort, and the PTA couldn’t have done it without your support.
Tuesday Treats
Thank you to everyone who has provided Tuesday Treats for Carson staff over the past few months: Nicole Thrasher, Cindy Ferrara, Jennifer Shloss, Kara Rivera, Melissa Alzubaidi, Kristine Fisher, Elizabeth Crespi, Stephanie Leen, Melissa Thomas, Kelly Woodman, Libby Draper, Reese Jansen, Allison Jackson, Krista Picco, and Colin Strub.
Lunchroom Volunteers
Thank you to all of the lunchroom volunteers — we appreciate you! Chuck Caulson, Lindsey Quinn, Lacy Brandauer, Stacy Moss, Caroline Hardin, Mary Kop, Mallory Bernstein, Lindsay Naughton, Mahsa Lingruen, Meghan Brown, Sarah Furness, Brita Strub, Jadie Cook, Vivian Tran, Angela Murphy, Georgina Albert, Grace Goodman, Michelle Virta, Kyle Gasaway, Malia Karr, and Sean Fellows.
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 Barre3 Class Opportunity!
Please join us at a private Barre3 class on Sunday 5/5 from 11-12 am, just for Carson Families.
There are only 15 spots still available, so sign up soon to get your spot. The class is $30 for a 60 minute class at Barre3 Cherry Creek on 6th Ave. All money raised will go to Carson PTA.
Reserve your spot now! Questions? Contact Michelle Virta: michelle.virta@gmail.com
From Barre3
Our efficient + effective workout combines strength, cardio, and mindfulness. When you work out with us, you’ll move through low-impact isometric moves, large-range cardio bursts, and mind-centering breath work. Barre3 instructors will challenge you to find your edge while creating space for you to define what success looks like for you in every workout. No experience required – our workout is designed for every fitness level, from beginner to expert. Bring a water bottle to keep you hydrated. We’ll provide mats and any necessary props. You can go barefoot or wear sticky socks. We hope to see many of you there!
Volunteer Opportunities
Thank you to everyone who has volunteered in any capacity so far this year! Special, enormous thanks to our Character Ed Chairs, Reese Jansen and Kristin Wessell, who ran the program this year.
We will have more opportunities to get involved in some fun end-of-year events, such as Teacher Appreciation Week, Field Day, and the End-of-School Fun Run, so stay tuned for sign-ups for those events. Please see the sign-up below and thank you!
May 23rd Events:
Community Barbecue ~ Volunteer Spots & BBQ Lunch RSVP
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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