PCK Weekly Newsletter

Dear PCK Families,

I wanted to share some important updates regarding our communication procedures, developed in response to the constructive feedback we have received from our PCK community.

At PCK, we believe that positive and proactive communication is essential in fostering a collaborative environment that supports our students' success. To that end, we are implementing a procedure aimed at encouraging respectful and constructive communication between parents and staff. This initiative will not only benefit our staff but will also create an atmosphere where parents feel empowered to engage effectively.

We ask that all parents adhere to the following steps when addressing concerns related to classroom practices, academic programs, or any other issues involving their students:

1. Direct Communication: Begin by discussing your concern directly with the relevant teacher or staff member. If you're unsure who to contact, please start with your child’s homeroom teacher. It is important that this initial conversation takes place before escalating the issue further.

2. Administrator Involvement: Should the concern remain unresolved after this discussion, please bring the issue to the attention of the appropriate school administrator. They can facilitate further communication and help mediate the situation.

3. Executive Review: If the matter still cannot be resolved, parents are encouraged to reach out to the School Director for additional mediation or clarification.

4. Board Review: If a resolution cannot be reached during the executive review stage, we encourage parents to bring their issue before our Board of Directors and participate in public comment.

We believe that adhering to these steps will help create a more productive and supportive environment for our students, enabling us to work together more effectively. Thank you for your continued partnership in ensuring the best possible experience for our students.

Sincerely,

Dr. Weyman

We are excited to share the results of our testing data from the 2023-2024 school year, and we're proud to say that PCK students continue to shine academically.

The reason we celebrate CMAS results is as a testament to our commitment to provide the best possible academic program to your children. CMAS is a norm-referenced metric that determines if we have adequately taught state level standards.

Key Takeaways:

• PCK students achieved an impressive mean score of 775 on the Math section of CMAS, compared to the state’s score of 730 and DCSD's score of 750.
• In English Language Arts (ELA), PCK students excelled with a mean score of 780, outperforming the state’s score of 745 and DCSD’s score of 755.
• PCK has the overall highest score in ELA and Math in the Douglas County School District. We are the premier charter school in Douglas County School District.

While these results are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students and staff, we are not content to rest on our laurels. Our team remains committed to continuous improvement and has set clear academic goals for the 2024-2025 school year.

Goals for 2024-2025:

• Mathematics: Strengthen students' ability to model and reason through complex mathematical problems, developing critical thinking skills necessary for real-world applications.
• Literature: We aim to increase student engagement with literature, emphasizing not only reading comprehension but also deepening their ability to analyze and write effectively about what they read.

We hope these strong results give you confidence that your decision to entrust your child’s education to PCK was the right one. As we look ahead, we remain committed to providing the highest quality education for every student and striving for academic excellence across all subjects.

Thank you to our outstanding volunteers for their efforts to make our Trunk-or-Treat event a success!

PCK congratulates our middle school summer reading winners, (7th) Eily Hennessy and (8th) Demetri Kallergis! Their dedication to reading not only showcases their commitment to learning but also sets a positive example for their peers.

Reading is an essential skill that enriches students’ education, fostering critical thinking and creativity. It is particularly important to cultivate good reading habits as students transition to high school, where these skills will be crucial for their academic success. We believe it is vital for our students to develop and perfect these habits, both within PCK and beyond.

We celebrate Eily and Demetri for their accomplishments and encourage all our students to continue embracing the joy of reading.

Our Athletic Department will be hosting basketball tryouts for both girls and boys teams, taking place from November 11-14. Tryouts will take place immediately after the school day from 3:05-4:35 p.m., and are solely for grade 6-8 students.

If your student plans on attending, please remind them to bring a reusable water bottle, basketball shoes, and a change of clothes for the tryouts.

Ticket sales for our Theatre Department's production of Disney's Aladdin Jr. are now open to the public! After a pre-sale for cast and crew, we are thrilled to invite all PCK families to join us for this enchanting performance.

The show will take place on November 23, with two showings: one at 11:30 a.m. and another at 2:30 p.m. We truly encourage you to come out and support our talented students who have worked tirelessly to bring this magical story to life.

Your attendance not only shows support for our Theatre Department but also helps foster a love for the arts in our community.

As we approach Veterans Day, we want to remind you that our RSVP is still open for our special breakfast honoring our veterans. This day of remembrance is a vital opportunity for us to express our gratitude and appreciation for the sacrifices made by those who have served our country. It’s a time to come together as a community and show our support for these brave individuals who have dedicated themselves to protecting our freedoms.

Our breakfast event is made possible by the incredible efforts of our volunteers, and we are truly grateful for their commitment. However, we still need more help to ensure we can provide a warm and welcoming meal for our veterans. If you’re able to contribute breakfast food or volunteer your time, we would love your support.

You can RSVP for the breakfast, and sign-up to donate breakfast food below.

With temperatures beginning to drop, we want to remind you to send your students to school with appropriate clothing for the weather. Recess will be held when the temperature (including wind chill) is 22 degrees or higher, so it’s important for students to be prepared.

With snowy weather on the horizon, please make sure your child has a warm jacket, hat, gloves, and other outerwear to stay comfortable. If your child wears snow boots, hiking boots, or rain boots to school, kindly send a pair of appropriate shoes for them to change into during the school day. Students can change back into their boots for recess as needed.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our students warm and safe this winter!

Our Health Room is in need of donations for children's tops and bottoms, with a particular emphasis on bottoms. We are currently seeking sizes 4-10 for both.

Your generous contributions will significantly assist students who require a temporary change of clothes during the school day. If you plan to make a donation, please feel free to drop it off at the Front Office and designate it as a donation for the Health Room.

Families of K-6 students can now view their artwork through Square 1 Art online. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and preserve their artistic achievements.

Viewing the artwork is simple. Just access the Square 1 Art Search using the button below, and enter your student's state, school, and name to find their creations.

In addition to viewing the art, families can choose to have their students' masterpieces displayed on keepsakes such as mugs, blankets, pillows, and other household items—perfect for creating lasting memories.

If you have any questions about this program, please feel free to reach out to our Visual Arts Teacher, Kate Dulaney, at kdulaney@ckcs.net.

First round of open enrollment for the 2025-26 school year opens tomorrow on Friday, November 1 at 8:00 a.m. and will close on December 2 at 4:00 p.m.

Please note that any students who wish to attend their neighborhood middle school must file an intent to return form by Friday, January 10.

If your 8th grader will attend a public high school other than your neighborhood school, you must submit an open enrollment application.

Nominations for the 2025 Douglas County School District Apple Awards will be open until November 15, and we encourage our parents and students to make a nomination. These prestigious awards honor the educators and staff who inspire a love of learning in our students and champion extraordinary innovation within our schools. Nominations for a staff member can be made either through a short video or a brief essay explaining why they deserve this honor.

Categories for nominations include -

Department Employee of the Year

Classified Employee of the Year

Elementary Educator of the Year

Secondary Educator of the Year

Administrator of the Year

We encourage you or your student to take this opportunity to celebrate our amazing staff members who go above and beyond to create a positive learning environment at PCK.

The next SAC meeting is set for Wednesday, November 13 at 8:15 a.m. We welcome your participation and input as we strive to enhance our school community.

If you have any questions about participating in SAC, or if you would like to contribute topics or questions to SAC but are unable to attend, please feel free to reach out to us at our new email, SAC@ckcs.net.