Dear Carver Elementary Families!

What a great first week of school with students! We enjoyed seeing our returning students and welcoming our new students. Thank you for bringing your students to school on time!

We will continue each day with breakfast in the cafeteria with one small change. Parents are asked to drop their students off at the gym doors and are no longer allowed in the gym. It is very crowded in the gym and we want to maximize the time for students to eat breakfast by 7:50 AM. The gym doors will open each day at 7:30 AM for a FREE, hot breakfast in the cafeteria from 7:30-7:45 AM. ALL students will enter and wait in the gym until the bell rings, every day this school year. Carver staff will provide supervision in the gym and students will be escorted to classrooms when the bell rings at 7:50 AM. Breakfast will then switch to a cold breakfast from 7:45-8:10 AM, that may be eaten in the classroom. The gym doors will close at 7:55 AM and students will need to be signed in at the front office where they will receive a cold breakfast.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES have been provided for ALL students, please check with your student's teacher if you would like to donate any supplies.

BREAKFAST AND LUNCH is FREE for ALL students that attend Carver Elementary!

Kindergarten students had a great first day on Wednesday! Thank you for supporting our Jump Start on Monday and our first day of school Wednesday! Mrs. Mello's kindergarten class was selected to have a First Day of Kindergarten video-please check it out!

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?mibextid=WC7FNe&v=1010635854186418&rdid=KQW4nzjw0Iv5NyMJ

Dismissal is in the front of Carver Elementary at 2:50 PM each day. Students are escorted to the front of the building, walkers and parent pick up are dismissed, and car riders wait with their grade level. Please be patient as we are dismissing students to the appropriate cars.

*During inclement weather, students are dismissed from the gym.

Carver Elementary had a lot of construction completed over the summer and we look forward to meeting all families at our Open House on Tuesday, August 20th from 4:30-6:00. We will begin in the gym with Technology and all non classroom teachers and then transition to 20 minute rotations in the classrooms. Students are excited to show parents their classrooms and we can't wait to see the positive changes at Carver Elementary!

Please know that school is a partnership to help your child grow. As we have overcome many obstacles in the past, we are excited to tackle the challenges ahead. This can be accomplished by being actively involved with your student's education.

We also look forward to many opportunities to collaborate this year and create new memories with the Carver community. We want Carver Elementary School to be a place where everyone feels valued.

Cross Country permission slips were sent home in green, THURSDAY folders. Cross Country is being offered to all students, K-5 and our Coaches this year are: Coach Cutler and Ms. Sherman from First Grade! Please return the permission slips on Monday, because practices begin Tuesday and Thursday afternoons this week! Carver Elementary is hosting the first Cross Country meet on Tuesday, September 4th!

Again, welcome to Carver Elementary! If you are a returning family or if this your first year at Carver, we are excited to work with you to achieve great results. Please know that our doors are always open for communication, and we look forward to partnering with you in your child's education. Please look for opportunities to participate in the Parent Teacher Association, the SAC, and other volunteer opportunities.

Thank you for your support!

Mrs. Bizzell

Proud Principal

As a quality neighborhood school in D11, the Carver community is supportive and safe as staff, parents, and students are valued and involved in creating engaging, intentional learning experiences that are responsive to student needs and results in a place where everyone wants to be.

Thank you for voting for our new logo and Carver Elementary is proud to be the Heart of Our Community!! Our staff recently attended the Capturing Kids' Heart training and we are excited to build relationships, challenge ourselves and our students, and truly become the Heart of Our Community! We will continue to partner with local businesses, resources, and community members to enhance our identity statement and challenge our students to be the BEST they can be, every day at school. We are providing intentional learning experiences that involve and engage all of our students and our staff. We look forward to this school year and partnering with YOU!!

August 19-21 BOY STAR Testing for ELA and Math Grades 2-5

August 20th Open House/Curriculum Night/Title I 4:30-6:00 PM

September 2nd NO SCHOOL Labor Day

September 4th Cross Country Meet at Carver Elementary

September 5th First SAC/PTA meeting 3:15-4:15 Library

September 16th No Students Professional Development Day

September 17th Picture Day!

October 1st Count Day!

District Initiatives: Attendance, Behavior, and Cell Phones

This year, we will be working hard to improve our attendance, behavior, and cell phone usage. We need your support to make these initiatives successful!

Attendance:

Good attendance is crucial for student success. We will be focusing on improving attendance and need your help to ensure your child is present and on time every day. We will call you each day if your child is absent and we do not know why. We want your student at school each day!

• Chronically Absent Students: These are students who miss 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused. This amounts to about 18 days in a school year.
• Habitually Truant Students: These are students who have four or more unexcused absences in a month or ten or more unexcused absences in a school year.

We will be following the district guidelines and the Colorado Compulsory Attendance Law to address attendance issues. Regular attendance is essential for your child's academic progress and social development.

Behavior:

We believe in fostering a positive and respectful learning environment. Our behavior expectations are based on our core values of respect, responsibility, and safety. We will be working together to ensure that all students understand and adhere to these expectations, creating a supportive and productive school community.

Cell Phones and Smartwatches:

To minimize distractions and enhance the learning environment, we will be implementing stricter guidelines on cell phone usage during school hours. Students are expected to keep their cell phones/smart watches turned off and stored in their backpacks during class time. If a student needs to contact their family during the school day, they can do so through the main office.

Breakfast in the cafeteria 7:30-7:45 AM (cold breakfast 7:45-8:10 AM)

Office Hours: 7:30 AM-3:45 PM

Carver School Hours: 7:50 AM-2:50 PM

Tardy bell rings at 7:50

Students will have a 15 minute recess, prior to lunch.

10:50-11:10 Kindergarten and First Grade

11:10-11:30 Second and Third Grade

11:30-11:50 Fourth and Fifth Grade

K/1 12:10-1:00

2/4 1:05-1:55

3/5 2:00-2:50

Essentials: Art, Music, PE, Technology

Band for grades 4th and 5th (Mondays and Wednesdays)

Orchestra for grades 4th and 5th (Tuesdays and Wednesdays)

We LOVE having family members in the building! Please complete the link below if you have some time to volunteer to help at school. Some activities include: cutting, tearing out workbook pages, reading to students, testing sight words, and sometimes just helping in class.
Please join us!

Hello everyone!

This week we will be talking about the importance of attendance. Did you know ? …Studies show that chronic absenteeism is a red alert students are headed for academic trouble and eventually for dropping out of high school. Partner with us on increasing attendance and bring your child one step closer to realizing their UNLIMITED potential!

The Social and Emotional Benefit of On-Time Regular Attendance

At the period of life when young children are moving from the home environment into the broader community of school, there are significant benefits from consistent, on-time school attendance.

• Sleeping and eating patterns are stabilized with good effects on health.
• A predictable schedule builds the child’s confidence at home and school.
• Children know what to expect in the classroom because they were there the previous day.
• Children recognize they are part of a community; their peers and teacher expect and include them and miss them when they are gone.
• Ongoing, extended conversations and learning are able to be built upon.
• Children learn to increasingly control their emotions simply by being in a consistent environment and on schedule every day.
• Teachers spend less time “catching them up” and more time building on what they learned the day before.
• Parents and families feel more a part of the school community and are able to support and engage with each other.

Here are some helpful tips you can use to help your child come to school on time every day.

1. Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.
2. Lay out clothes and pack backpack the night before.
3. Don’t let your child stay home unless they are truly sick.
4. If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to us, or other parents for advice on how to make him/her feel comfortable.
5. Develop some backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor or another parent.
6. Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session.

Parents, please check out this helpful website article that provides links offering support on how to increase student’s success. The Key to your child’s success : https://www.rootsofaction.com/key-to-success-children/ From the article: “every parent wants to know the key to success that will help a son or daughter thrive in life, that “secret sauce” for raising a healthy child. Does such a sauce exist? The answer depends on your mindset as a parent and how you turn your mindset into practice with your children”

*Here is a book to explore : “I can’t do this YET" Growth Mindset by Esther Pia. Cordova https://video.link/w/Eu30d

Mrs. Gio (Giovanny) Franco-Diaz, MA, LPCC

School Counselor - 504 coordinator , Student Council Advisor

Phone # 719-328-2171

What is happening in Random Acts of Kindness?

RAK is delivered throughout the week in each classroom. We will focus on respect for the month of August.

We are a PBIS (Positive Behavior and Support School) and we will continue to practice our School Wide PAW expectations.

P- I am Prepared

A-I have a great Attitude

W-I Work hard

S-I am Safe

Student Council is coming back!

Carver student council did many great things last year at Carver and it will continue to do so this year. Student Council gives students an opportunity to develop leadership skills by organizing and carrying out school activities and service projects, student council is also the voice of the student body. Representatives from 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades are selected each fall and serve for the entire school year. Please check out the site https://www.d11.org/domain/6650

Safety is our top priority at Carver Elementary School, and we are committed to ensuring the well-being of all students, staff, and visitors. We now have a secured entrance to monitor ALL visitors and a fence that surrounds the back of the school. To this end, we follow the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) to prepare for and respond to various emergency situations. We conduct monthly and quarterly drills to practice these protocols, ensuring that everyone in our school community knows what to do in case of an emergency. Here is an overview of the SRP we follow:

• Hold - In Your Classroom or Area

• Directive: "In Your Room or Area"
• Purpose: This protocol is used when hallways need to be kept clear of occupants. Students and staff remain in their rooms or areas until further notice.

Secure - Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors

• Directive: "Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors"
• Purpose: This protocol is used to safeguard people within the building by securing all exterior doors. Normal activities continue inside the building.

Lockdown - Locks, Lights, Out of Sight

• Directive: "Locks, Lights, Out of Sight"
• Purpose: This protocol is used to secure individual rooms and keep occupants quiet and in place. Doors are locked, lights are turned off, and everyone stays out of sight.

Evacuate - To a Stated Location

• Directive: "Evacuate to [Location]"
• Purpose: This protocol is used to move people from one location to a different location, either within or outside the building. The specific location will be communicated during the drill or emergency.

Shelter - State the Hazard and the Safety Strategy

• Directive: "Shelter [Hazard] and [Safety Strategy]"
• Purpose: This protocol is used for group and self-protection based on the specific hazard (e.g., tornado, hazmat). The safety strategy will be clearly communicated.

Monthly Drills:

To ensure we are prepared, we conduct monthly/quarterly drills for each of these protocols. These drills help students and staff practice the appropriate responses and become familiar with the procedures. Your support in reinforcing the importance of these drills at home is greatly appreciated.

Communication:

In the event of an actual emergency, we will communicate with families promptly. Please ensure that your contact information is up to date in our records so that you can receive timely notifications.

Thank you for your cooperation and support in keeping our school safe. If you have any questions or concerns about our safety protocols, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Together, we can ensure a safe and secure learning environment for all our students.

Carver Elementary is a Title I school.

The purpose of Title I is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.

If you have any questions, please reach out:

https://www.d11.org/TitleI

Email: lisa.bizzell@d11.org
Website: https://www.d11.org/Page/69
Location: 4740 Artistic Circle, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Phone: 719-328-7100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carver.d11.org/