Cougar Community Connection

Dear CRUNFamily,

This first quarter of the school year flew by and it is so hard to believe we are already to fall break. We feel so lucky to have a community that is so supportive and loves our school so much that they bend over backwards to help our school be able to thrive. This shows in so many ways from our Watch Dog Dads stepping up to the plate to provide an extra layer of security, to our community helping us raise 71,000 dollars to allow us to do special things we wouldn't be able to do without your help. We have countless volunteers in our building every Our teachers are so grateful for all of the things that our PTA provides to us to be able to create programming and special things in our classrooms that we wouldn't normally be able to have with school funding alone. Our teachers have been neck deep in professional development to continuously sharpen our instructional best practices this first quarter in the areas of writing and depth and complexity. It's been a great first quarter and we are headed into break with full hearts and wish you all a safe and restful break with your kiddos.

Hello #CRUNfamily!

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for making this year’s Fun Run Fundraiser a huge success!! You all helped raise $71,000 for our school, meeting our goal amount! This week your students will be enjoying their hard earned prizes so be sure to ask them about it!

Our PTA meeting was this morning in the learning commons. We were happy to see new faces in our PTA meeting and appreciate all of your participation! Our next meeting will be November 8th.

Mark your calendars for Friday, October 25th for Donuts With Grownups! We would love to see you all to celebrate how much you do as a Cougar Run Parent

Thanks to all who went to Tuesdays restaurant night at Pei Wei! We had a fantastic turnout!

Don’t forget to check out the PTA website for all things PTA, reserve the Rock, and keep up to date on School happenings!

- Have a Wonderful Fall Break!

The "Unicorns" as we so fondly refer to these magical humans, are at the core of all things Cougar Run each and every day, being a safe place to land for our students as well as programming for their needs. These ladies ensure that our students are learning and growing in social emotional development as well as being available when students are in crisis, being a trusted adult and supporting students and teaching them how to cope, be resilient and overcome adversity. We are so grateful for all that this fabulous team does to provide complete wrap around support to our babies on a daily basis here at CRUN. Tracey Bowman, School Psychologist, Christina Wu, School Psychologist, Julie Frederick, School Counselor, Mary Becker, Behavior Technician, Alana Motten, Behavior Technician

The high-flying Harlem Wizards (think Harlem Globetrotters!) trick basketball team is coming to

Highlands Ranch High School on Sunday, November 3 rd ! The Wizards are playing Highlands Ranch

elementary school teachers for an event filled with tricks, hoops, and alley-oops! Part basketball game,

part hilarious antics with audience participation, and all fun for the whole family!

Check out a sneak peek of what’s in store for this unforgettable evening!

Enhanced Experiences are also available:

 Courtside Seating that includes a pre-game meet & greet with 2 Harlem Wizards and souvenirs!

 Warm Up with the Wizards by purchasing a replica jersey to become a “Wiz Kid” and step onto

the court with the Wizards before the game!

Game starts at 3pm and the doors open at 2pm. Tickets start at $15 and go on sale October 1 st .

Children ages 3 and under are FREE!

Our school earns $2 per ticket, so this is a great way to support our school!

We also have volunteer opportunities available for this event. Volunteers receive FREE admission to the

game AND receive a 20% discount on Wizards merchandise! Sign up here to volunteer at the game!

ORDER HARLEM WIZARDS TICKETS

NOTE: Link for video above is: https://vimeo.com/343307058

NOTE: Link for ticket sales above is: www.harlemwizards.com/tickets/highlandsranch

As of today you will find the 2024-2025 Apple Award Nomination link LIVE on your school's page on the FoundationDCS.org website. The 2024-2025 Apple Award Nomination window will be open from Monday October 1, 2024 through Sunday November 11, 2024. We invite our DCSD students, teachers, staff and community to join us in nominating their favorite teacher(s), principal, classified employee and department employee. After the Nomination window closes on November 11th we will return the list of nominees to each school for your own selection of this year's school representatives. Each school may submit one educator and one classified representative to be considered for the 2023 Apple Award!

Put these dates on your calendar!

October 1, 2024 - November 11, 2024

NOMINATION WINDOW OPEN!!

It's that time of year again to plan for our Halloween festivities at Cougar Run. Our Halloween costume parade will begin at 9:00 around the perimeter sidewalk of our school. It will start on the bus loop side of the building and continue all the way up to the pavilion at Cougar Run Park, down the hill and back into the building through the front doors. The parade begins with 6th grade and ends with Pre-K bringing up the caboose of the train. Spread out all along the parade route and check out the creative costumes that our kids come up with. Costumes can have masks and face paint, but no blood or gore knowing we have 4 year olds in our building participating in the parade. We also cannot have any facsimile of weapons of any kind. Halloween parties are all throughout the day based on grade level preference. Classroom teachers will communicate details about their parties with you in their individual newsletters.

This event is a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable insights, resources, and strategies to support your child's mental health and well-being.

To ensure we can accommodate everyone, please make sure to register in advance. Registration helps us plan for the workshops and provide enough materials for all attendees.

You can register using the link below:

Register Here

Don't miss out on engaging workshops covering topics like strengthening parent-teen relationships, balancing digital use, managing stress, and much more. You'll also have a chance to explore our wellness fair, featuring community resources and giveaways!

Date: October 24th
Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Location: Cresthill Middle School

Think you might want to be a Watch DOG? Please sign up for a full day or partial day here.

We will be hosting a free community event Donuts with Grown-ups. A SignUp for volunteers to help setup and serve will be released after you enjoy your Fall Break.

October 30, 2024 5:30-8:00pm Find all the details HERE!

Diwali

The DCSD Diwali celebration on October 28 is at RCHS on Monday, October 28 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm.!

RSVP by October 7!

Here is the invitation for students and families.

Hispanic Heritage Month

Conexion is hard at work to celebrate the Hispanic culture.

When: Tuesday, October 22, 6:00-7:30 pm

Where: Legacy Campus, Liniger Hall

Please print the JPEG image above or here is the flier as a PDF format or PNG file.

**We hope you are able to share these respective invitations with families and staff.

People must RSVP on the link below - space is limited:

(https://forms.gle/D55veSiqx9Mcsfxg9)

CogAT Universal Testing and Referral Information

DCSD is committed to implementing equitable practices to increase access to advanced/gifted learning opportunities. Based on state and national recommendations and requirements, we implement Universal Screening for students in 2nd grade (February) and 5th or 6th grade--a student's final year of elementary school (November).

6th Grade Universal Screen

As part of this process, ALL students in Cougar Run not identified for gifted programming will take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) on November 5 & 6. This assessment indicates the level and pattern of cognitive development of a student in comparison to grade and age mates. These general reasoning abilities, which start developing at birth and continue through early adulthood, are influenced by experiences gained both in and out of school.

If your child is already identified for gifted programming, they will not participate in this universal screen testing. Your Gifted Education Facilitator will contact you directly with information about this process.

Gifted Identification Referral Testing

• If your child is in grades 3, 4, 5, and you believe they need evaluation for Gifted Identification and Services, you may refer your child for testing by initiating the Gifted Identification Process.

• NOTE: Requesting this assessment automatically initiates the process to evaluate for Gifted Identification.

• Please request CogAT testing for your child by completing the Referral for Gifted Identification linked HERE

• Upon receipt of this form the Gifted Education Facilitator will connect with you to discuss next steps in the gifted identification process.

Parents,

We are excited to create a memorable keepsake for students this year, but we cannot be everywhere to photograph every event nor every classroom. We have to depend on YOU to submit photos in order to create this keepsake. Please submit your information and photos to this form. You can fill out the form as many times as you would like! Thank you for being the eyes and the photographers to make this successful!

HERE is the Yearbook Submission Form.

Dear Cougar Run Elementary Community,

On August 27, the Douglas County School District Board of Education unanimously voted 7-0 to place a $490 million Bond on the November 2024 ballot.

If passed by voters, this new funding would be used at our school to:

• Enhance safety and security

• Refresh student and staff technology

• Replace main electrical service equipment

• Replace flooring

• Install new intercom system

• Replace sink countertops

• Replace theater and stage equipment

• Upgrade sound system

If passed by voters, a $490 million Bond would be used to upgrade aging schools and facilities; build additional career and technical education pathways; upgrade school safety and security; and construct and expand neighborhood schools. The Bond would provide for two new elementary schools in growing areas of our county, as well as the expansion of one existing middle school.

A $490 million Bond WOULD NOT increase current property taxes.

You can read more about DCSD’s funding challenges on our website. Thank you for being an engaged and informed member of our school community!

Sincerely,

Shannon McPherson

Principal

Cougar Run Elementary School

October 14-18-NO SCHOOL-Fall Break

October 21-25- NO CRUN BUS THIS WEEK

October 25-Donuts with Grownups

November 8th- PTA Meeting 8:45 in the Learning Commons

November 12- CRUN Restaurant Night

November 18-22- CRUN Book Fair

November 25-29- NO SCHOOL THANKSGIVING BREAK

December 2-6- NO CRUN BUS THIS WEEK

December 9-13- CRUN Holiday Shoppe (Hosted by PTA)

December 12- ROCKS Assemblies 9:00 PK-2nd Grade, 2:15-3rd-6th

December 20-January 6- NO SCHOOL WINTER BREAK-School Resumes January 7th