Insights

DCSD is incredibly thankful to the voters of Douglas County for understanding our need to care for our buildings, and provide our students and staff with comfortable learning environments.

Thank you to our employees - the school and district leaders, and teachers and staff members - for the countless hours spent volunteering to spread the word about 5A. We have especially loved seeing the thank you videos being submitted by our principals. Watch the Thank You videos here.

Funding from the bond will:

• Update and equip aging schools and facilities.

• Create additional Career and Technical Education pathways, including for our students with special education needs.

• Construct two new elementary schools in rapidly growing neighborhoods (one in RidgeGate and one in Sterling Ranch).

• Build an expansion at Sierra Middle School.

• Begin Phase 2 of the Legacy Campus.

• Provide safety and security updates at all schools.

Click here to see how each school will benefit.

Please take a couple of minutes to watch this brief thank you video from Superintendent Erin Kane and DCSD Board President Christy Williams.

Monday was Veterans Day. Again this year, our schools found incredibly creative and moving ways to honor those in our community who served (or currently serve) our country. Some schools hosted celebratory events, while others created a special photo wall in their lobby.

The students and staff at Buffalo Ridge Elementary invited local veterans to their school for a special breakfast, which was followed by a patriotic celebration to recognize the sacrifices these heroes have made for our country. Check out this video spotlighting Buffalo Ridge's event.

DCSD has a districtwide Smore for Teams account that is available to our employees. Smore is a user-friendly newsletter builder that includes features such as accessibility tools, translations for multiple languages and more. We encourage our teachers and staff to take full advantage of this district-provided account. If you do not currently have access to the DCSD Smore account, please ask your school leader for access and click on the button to request an account.

When logging into Smore, be sure to use your short form email address, for example: jldoe@dcsdk12.org not jane.doe@dcsdk12.org.

Dance was always a passion for Abbey, especially in college. While studying at CU Boulder for her undergrad in advertising and master’s degree in elementary education, she was also a member of the dance team. Quickly she excelled to team captain and following graduation she was named assistant dance coach. It was the offer of the head coaching position that led to a pivot in her career path.

During this time, she noticed dance teams transitioning from traditional auditioning to recruitment-based systems. Because Abbey’s team wasn’t NCAA sanctioned, there was no central platform for dancers and coaches to connect. This observation sparked an idea for Abbey. She collaborated with computer science and engineering students through their senior capstone project to develop a website for her business. After two and a half years of development, Studio 2 Stadium was launched and she hired two of the capstone students to join the team. Studio 2 Stadium exists to seamlessly unite dancers and coaches across the nation. Read more about Abbey on our website.

Congratulations to DCSD Human Resources staff member Jack Kronser for being chosen for the Emeritus Membership Award by the American Association for Employment in Education (AAEE)! Jack received his award this October at the 2024 Annual Conference & Education Career Fair.

Thank you to Castle Rock Police Department’s Buttercup, Rocket and Ru for representing the irreplaceable therapy dogs belonging to our local law enforcement. Rocket is a Husky mix trained to assist Officer Luke Godfrey in his duties as the SRO at Mesa Middle School and Buttercup is Golden/Sheltie mix specially trained to assist Officer Scott Gillespie in his duties as the SRO at CVHS. Ru is also one of CRPD's therapy dogs. He and SRO David Knight work together to provide support to the students and staff at Castle Rock Middle School. Ru has become so popular that he is now the main character in a book! Readers discover they may have more in common with this furry officer than they think. Watch "Ru's First Day" video below!

Tuesday, November 19

5:00 p.m.

District Administration Building

620 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock

Watch live on YouTube or on Comcast Channel 54

Read past Board Meeting summaries here

Wednesday, November 20

5:30 p.m.

Webinar registration here

Join us for our last Parent University of 2024! Presented by Dr. Kelli Smith, DCSD's Director of Health, Wellness and Prevention.This free webinar will address Bullying Awareness and Prevention for DCSD students. From the developing adolescent brain, the effect external influences can have, and the role DCSD schools play, you'll leave with a better understanding and awareness of the term bullying and how we can all work to prevent it.

In case you missed it, watch the recording of October's Parent University Webinar: Career and Technical Education Pathways. Learn how post-secondary and industry partnerships provide relevant learning opportunities for DCSD high school students, ensuring a competitive advantage and workforce readiness. All webinar recordings available via the DCSD Parent University page.

Thursday, November 21

6:00-7:30 p.m.

Highlands Ranch Library

RSVP here

Friday, November 22

8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

DCSD Legacy Campus

The Foundation for Douglas County Schools is proud to present the 14th annual 8th Grade Career Expo. Students will have the opportunity to visit with over 40+ employers and explore possible career pathways. Learn more about the Expo here.

Interested in volunteering to help with the event? Click here to sign up.

6:00 p.m.

DCSD Legacy Campus

Current and Prospective Parents and Students: See the amazing things students have been learning this year at the DCSD Legacy Campus! Check out our spaces and equipment, see demonstrations, talk to students and staff, and learn how to apply to Legacy for next year!

8:00-10:00 a.m.

DCSD Legacy Campus-Aviation Classroom

RSVP to ewilliams@dcsdk12.org

Please join us for Legacy's 2025-2026 registration information session. We are encouraging your counseling department chair and/or CE/CIE counselor to attend and bring next year's registration information back to vour teams and students.

• Colleen Bobbin, Registrar, Ben Franklin Academy
• Sarah Mitzel, Fourth-Grade Teacher, Iron Horse Elementary
• Brandy Milam, Operations Coordinator, East Transportation
• Megan Bruce, PLS, Gifted Facilitator & Induction Mentor, Bear Canyon Elementary
• Joy Gottschall, Administrative Assistant, Fox Creek Elementary
• Lillian Escobedo, Application Support Specialist II, Information Technology, West Support Center
• Randika De Mel, Learning Lab (SSN) Educational Assistant IV, Timber Trail Elementary
• Sonya Rodefer, Learning Lab (SSN) Educational Assistant IV, Timber Trail Elementary
• Robert "Bob" Hoery, Senior Work Program, eDCSD