Cougar Community Connection

Dear CRUNFamily,

What an unexpected end to our week skipping fall and going right into winter this week in Colorado. It's been a long time since we have had two snow days in a row with a snow storm that just kept on giving. We hope you and yours stayed warm and maybe even enjoyed some extra snuggly time together these last few snow filled days.

We want to extend a HUGE thank you to our Cougar Run Community for helping us to pass our 5A Bond Measure here in Douglas County. Our school building will benefit from monies that will be spent to fix so many things that have either been broken or in need of updates to work properly. There will also be new neighborhood schools built in the areas of Douglas County that are growing allowing kids to have opportunities to attend schools in the neighborhoods in which they live. We look forward to a fully functioning building with even some upgrades, as well as improved security measures with these bond monies and can't thank you enough for supporting our school district in the 5A Bond.

Hello #CRUNfamily

Hope you all are staying warm! Today we had our PTA via zoom - thank you to all who attended! please feel free to join our next PTA meeting December 13th in person or join on Zoom. We always love seeing new and returning faces! Join the Zoom: HERE

We have some upcoming events to put on your radar in Dencember:

December 5th from 5-7 is Art & Cultural Night! Join us as we do crafts and learn about the cultures represented in our school! If you are interested in hosting a table, keep your eyes open for the sign up coming next week - we welcome ALL cultures!

December 10-12 will be the Holiday Market! Soon we will be displaying the array of gifts your kiddos will be able to purchase. As a reminder, proceeds go to giving families in our community gift cards that may need a little extra help purchasing gifts for the holidays!

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

As always, THANK YOU to our business sponsors this year!!! We are so grateful for the community support you provide:

• Wanderlust with Laura
• AGG Law Firm
• Math Tutoring
• Dr. Holt Orthodontics
• Sunny Party Rentals
• Spenga
• School of Rock
• Bad Boy Boards
• Children's Wellness Center of Colorado
• Andy's Frozen Custard
• McMannis Wealth
• Aaron Lebovic, Realtor
• Playwell Group
• Strive Learning
• Master Je Taekwondo

-Enjoy the snowy weekend!

The CRUN PTA

At Cougar Run we have an outstanding team of teachers who provide programming in the arts and physical education for our kids. They offer creativity that enhances the Colorado Standards making their programs above and beyond what typical elementary schools offer their kids. In elementary school, musical instrument education is not a part of the academic standards outside of recorders in our upper grades for music class. Christine Baird comes to us with proficiency in 6 different instruments and has built a comprehensive music program seeking help from our fabulous PTA to purchase class sets of keyboards, guitars and drums. Our kids have a blast when she implements those units as they truly become rockstars when they are in her class. Emily Joines has implemented an art program that has engaged our kids in multi-modalities of art mediums. From paints to sketching, clay to chalks our kids are immersed in all types of creative styles of artistic projects that allow them to tap into the right side of their brains each time they are with her. Emily has taught our students the mindset that everyone is an artist, you just have to find your jam! Coach Kish gets our kids moving the second they walk in the door of the gym. She has a depth of understanding of the gross motor and fine motor skill development that our kids need to master in their elementary years. She balances sport skill development with the notion of what it means to be a team player a good sport and how to win and lose with class and grace. These physical and character development skills are essential to our kids becoming the very best version of themselves during their educational journey here at Cougar Run. We are grateful to have a team of specialists who tap into our students' brains in a completely different way than what happens in their general education classroom, ensuring that at Cougar Run our kids are getting it all when it comes to elementary school programming.

The Open Enrollment window for the 25-26 school year is opening on November 1 - December 2nd. This is only for families who live outside of Cougar Run boundaries and have a NEW student for next school year. IF you have a NEW student who you would like to attend Cougar Run for the upcoming 25-26 school year AND your address is out of the Cougar Run boundaries, then you will need to apply for Open Enrollment for your NEW student. You can go to this link to apply for Open Enrollment.

All current students will be automatically enrolled into the next grade level. No need to enroll your current Cougar Run student for next year.

CRUN Families,

Monday November 11 is our Veterans Day celebration. We are going to have a small celebration in the morning. We also invite any active duty and veteran service members to join us that morning!

If you are active duty or a veteran (or any family members or friends that you would like to recognize)the recognition forms are attached and also available at the front desk.

Thank you and your family members for your service! Please send them in or fill them up this coming week!

Our event November 11 begins at 7:45. There will be a gathering near the flag pole out front (weather permitting). Our students who are in Boy Scout Pack 696 will ceremoniously raise the flag. Our choir will be performing. Afterwards we will host bagel slices and coffee for our Active Duty and Veteran parents and community members that attend.

Here are the Veteran or Active Duty Recognition Forms for you to print, fill out and return to the office.

Any questions, please contact Andrea McNamara

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!!

Dear Families,

We will be having a cultural celebration on December 5th from 5:00-7:00. We would love to have your family participate. In the gym, we will provide a table for you to display your family’s culture. You will present information from your country through dress, food, a drink, a craft, and/or flags. For the food, it would be a bite-size finger food of an item. Please let me know if you are interested or if you have any questions about this event. I will send more details once I hear back from you. Please email me at aakendall@dcsdk12.org.

Thank you,

Allena Kendall

Bellisimo Blu Salon and Academy presents Junior Beauty Night for kids aged 8-13 November 22. See the flyer HERE!

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.

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 5- 5:00PM Art and Culture Night at CRUN

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

December 10-CRUN Restaurant Night

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

December 13- 8:45am PTA Meeting in the LC (All Are Welcome)

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

January 10-8:45 PTA Meeting in the LC

January 14-CRUN Restaurant Night

January 17-No School for Students Professional Development Day for Teachers

January 20-No School DCSD Closed Martin Luther King Jr Day Holiday

January 21-24 NO CRUN BUS THIS WEEK

January 31-7:30 Muffins with Mentors