Week of September 21, 2020

 Thursday Flyers:

None this week

PikMyKid:

If you need to pick your child up in an alternative mode (ie. they normally walk but you want to pick up in the car line, etc), please make sure that you change their mode before 3:00pm. If you do not do so, your child will be sent out according to their normal mode. When you do not do this, it creates stress for both our students and staff, as we use this to account for all students in the building, 

Also, if you need to pick your child up early, you must do so before 3:00pm. After this time, your child will be released according to our bell schedule. 

Express Check In:

If you have not completed express check in and paid your student's fees, please do so as soon as possible. This step is crucial to ensure that we have the correct contact information for parents/guardians and emergency contacts. 

Return to 5 Full Days:

The district is finalizing information and an update will be sent out soon regarding new procedures for our parking lot dismissals, cafeteria, classrooms, etc. Thank you for your patience! 

Picture Re-Takes:

Picture re-takes will occur in November. Dates are currently being finalized and will be communicated as soon as we get them from the photographer. 

Spirit Week:

Next week, we are joining the Legend Titan community for spirit week. The themes for each day are listed above. Legend is also having a Bingo event for all of our kids. Please see below for more information. 

Halloween Parties:

Due to COVID-19 protocols, we will be doing Halloween parties a little differently this year. We would like to have one parent from each classroom collect donations of funds from the class to purchase individually wrapped treats and drinks. Please connect with your child's teacher if you are interested in helping. Students are encouraged to wear Halloween colors or themed shirts - we are not allowing costumes this year due to the need to change. Please do not send your child in a costume to school. All parties will take place in the afternoon within each classroom. As per district guidelines, parents/guardians are not allowed in the building for these parties. 

Upcoming Events:

Oct 10-18: Fall Break - NO SCHOOL

Oct 21: PTO Meeting 3:45-4:45pm - Virtual

Oct 27: SAC Meeting 3:45-4:45pm - Virtual

Oct 30: Halloween Parties - NO COSTUMES 

Nov 2-6: Fall Conferences - Virtual or Phone

Nov 3: NO SCHOOL

 

Week of September 14, 2020

 Thursday Flyers:

Election Art Contest

More than a Meal - Free and Reduced Lunch

Stone Canyon Fall Break Camp 

Returning to 5 Full Days:

As you may be aware, the DCSD school board made the unanimous decision to return students to school 5 days per week with a target date of October 19th. 

We are currently working with the district on the actual date, as well as the procedures and processes for our school surrounding returning students, health procedures, etc. As you may be aware, this requires much behind the scenes work and some changes in how we do things in order to accommodate the additional families and students who will come to school each day. 

While we know that you are anxious to return, we ask that you be patient as we seek direction from the school district. When we receive more direction from the district, and have determined our revised processes, we will share that information with you. Thank you for your support! 

IHE SAC:

We will be holding our annual SAC elections on Tuesday, September 22nd virtually via Google Meets. The SAC committee is comprised of parents of children in the school, a teacher representative, a community representative, and administration. The responsibilities of the SAC are to support the principal with the development of the Unified Improvement Plan (UIP), provide budget recommendations, provide information regarding the needs of the community, help the principal to foster partnerships and increase engagement with parents, and work to recruit people to serve on the SAC. If you are interested in running for a SAC board position, please send an email with the following information to kirsten.bloomfield@dcsdk12.org: name, child's name, a little bit about yourself, and why you are running. We are currently seeking a District Accountability Committee liaison. Thank you!

Iron Horse PTO Meeting:

Please join us for our first PTO meeting virtually via Google Meets! We will be meeting on Wednesday, September 23rd. We are currently seeking a PTO president to help our organization. If you are interested, please reach out to Sherri Carlson at srcarlson@dcsdk12.org. 

Legend Feeder Spirit Week:

We are so excited to join Legend High School with their spirit week from Sept. 28-October 2nd! Here are the themes:

Sept 28 - Pack Up Day (travel, camping, etc)

Sept 29 - Wake Up Day (pjs)

Sept 30 - Sports Day

Oct 1 - Legend Titan Day (wear Legend or Iron Horse colors)

Oct 2 -  Superhero Day

Mental Well-Being During COVID-19: Managing Stress & Building Resilience

You are invited to a Live Town Hall on Monday, Sept. 21 at 5:30 p.m. presented by the Board of Douglas County Commissioners and the Douglas County Mental Health Initiative. Join in this community conversation with Amber Berenz, licensed professional counselor and program manager for AllHealth Network’s Colorado Spirit Program, as she answers your questions and shares skills, tips and resources to help you tap into your inner resilience and navigate the stress that life during the pandemic brings. Call in to 833-380-0668 or visit douglas.co.us/townhall to participate.

Conquering Homework and Remote Learning Struggles:

 

We get it. Homework can be a major stressor for everyone in the family. Then, you add in remote learning and things can get exponentially harder.

It’s difficult to be mom or dad and teacher all at the same time. How do you balance the needs of multiple children and what about managing your own career?

There are additional challenges if you have a child with learning difficulties, or even a child who just doesn’t thrive with independent work or virtual learning!

 

The Nectar Group is made up a of a team of highly skills professional who are educational experts. Join Executive Director and Educational Consultant, Andrea Pitman and Center Director and Reading Specialist, Danni Gugel, M.Ed. for a parent workshop where you will:

•  Explore the most common causes for homework and remote learning struggles and how to treat the root issues
• Learn some of the best ways to set your student up for success through effective study skills and executive function strategies
• Understand how to set up an effective homework and remote learning system for your family
• Know what resources are available for help

 

Come join us and let us help you take some of the stress out of back-to-school this year! To register please follow this link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SqDfBQAiSOCV08kKQ4oIaA

Upcoming Events:

Sept 22: SAC Meeting 3:45-4:45pm (Zoom link is on the school website)

Sept 23: PTO Meeting 3:45-4:45pm (Zoom link is on the school website)

Sept 28 - Oct 1: Legend Spirit Week

Oct 6: DCSD Board Meeting 5:00pm

Oct 10 - Oct 18: Fall Break - NO SCHOOL

Week of September 7, 2020

 Thursday Flyers:

No flyers this week

Attendance Information:

Thank you for being part of the Iron Horse Elementary community. As you know your student is currently attending our school via a hybrid attendance model with two days of in-person learning and three days of remote/virtual learning. Properly recording student attendance is more important than ever during hybrid learning to help ensure we are serving each of our students, and keeping them safe. Below is information about how attendance is being recorded at our school and how you can help ensure your student’s attendance or absence is properly noted. 

Recording Attendance 

Your child’s teacher will take attendance each day for both in-person and online/remote learning. No action is needed by the parent/guardian or student. 

Reporting Student Absences

Please be sure to report student absences on in-person and online/remote learning days as you would normally by:

• Calling the school’s attendance line: 303-387-8527

• Following the attendance line instructions.

The school has the final determination on all attendance records. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions regarding attendance recording. Thank you for your partnership and cooperation.

En Español:

Gracias por ser parte de la Iron Horse Elementary comunidad. Como sabe, su estudiante asiste actualmente a nuestra escuela a través de un modelo de asistencia híbrido con dos días de aprendizaje en persona y tres días de aprendizaje remoto/virtual. Registrar correctamente la asistencia de los estudiantes es más importante que nunca durante el aprendizaje híbrido para ayudar a garantizar que estemos atendiendo a cada uno de nuestros estudiantes y manteniéndolos seguros. A continuación se muestra información sobre cómo se registra la asistencia en nuestra escuela y cómo puede ayudar a asegurar que la asistencia o ausencia de su estudiante se registre correctamente. 

Registro de la Asistencia 

El maestro de su hijo tomará la asistencia todos los días para el aprendizaje en persona y en línea/remoto. El Padre/Tutor o el estudiante no necesitan ninguna acción. 

Informar las Ausencias de los Estudiantes

Por favor, asegúrese de informar las ausencias de los estudiantes en los días de aprendizaje en persona y en línea/remoto como lo haría normalmente:

• Llame a la línea de asistencia de la escuela: 303-387-8527

• Siguiendo las instrucciones de la línea de asistencia.

La escuela tiene la determinación final sobre todos los registros de asistencia. No dude en ponerse en contacto con nosotros si tiene alguna pregunta sobre el registro de asistencia. Gracias por su colaboración y cooperación.

Student Masks:

Please make sure that your child comes to school with a mask each day, as well as a water bottle with a sipper lid. Many students are arriving without these necessary items. 

Parking Lot and Building Areas:

As a reminder, there is no park and pick up this year. If you do not wish to wait in the drive line, you are welcome to park at the Clubhouse across the street and have your student walk to meet you. We do provide a crossing guard at the Tallman and Clubhouse intersection. These new policies are in place to limit the congregation of people around the building and to distance our students. 

If you are waiting for your student walker, please ensure that you are wearing a mask. We ask that all adults wear a mask while on school property. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation! 

Breakfast Program:

We are excited to announce that our cafeteria will be providing breakfast for those students that need it beginning on September 21st. Students will enter through their assigned door, grab a breakfast bag and head to their classroom. Students will have until 8:45am to eat and finish their breakfast. There is no cost to families. 

Week of August 31, 2020

 Thursday Flyers:

Gentle Yoga

STEM School Coffee Hour

STEM School Moving Forward

STEM School Next Steps

Healthy Teen Relationships

Reading Buddies for 1st-3rd Graders

Stone Canyon Camps for Kids

Lunch Update:

As many of you have read in the news, the USDA made the surprise announcement on Monday 8/31 to reverse a prior decision and make ALL meals free to any child 18 years of age and under until December 31, 2020 or when funding runs out (the USDA is asking for funding from congress through the end of the 2020-21 SY).

Effective immediately, students at all schools serviced by Nutrition Services that operate the National School Lunch Program or the Special Milk Program will have access to healthy and FREE meals everyday. This benefit will be in place for eLearners as well as in person learners and their siblings. Ala carte items will continue to be sold at all levels.

Drop Off/Pick Up Reminder:

Please DO NOT exit your vehicle during AM drop-off or PM pick up. We completely understand the need to buckle your student when you pick them up in the afternoon. If you need to do so, please have your child enter the car, pull forward and temporarily park parallel to the sheds to allow other cars to continue to drive by. 

Before students exit your vehicle in the morning, please make sure they have all of their necessary items and say a quick goodbye. Please DO NOT leave your car. This will help to keep our traffic flowing and allow all of our students to arrive at school on time. 

Finally, we DO NOT allow drop off in the bus lane - this area is for buses and school staff only. Thank you for your cooperation!

September 18, 2020:

While the district calendar indicates that September 18th in a PLC day (no school for students), due to COVID-19, students WILL have school on this day. This will function like a typical Friday with synchronous lessons. Attendance will be taken. 

September Counselor's Chronicle:

September Issue Counselor Chronicle