Cougar Community Connection
Principal, Shannon McPherson
4/25/24
Dear CRUNFamily,
As we head into the home stretch of the school year, there is still a lot to accomplish. Next week we will be knocking out our End of the Year diagnostic assessments in reading and math. We are so excited to see the growth our kids have made this school year. We are a very data focused school and will be using these data points to help us balance classes next year for instructional grouping. Part of education is not only learning in the classroom each day through our academic resources, it is also learning how to take standardized assessments well, too. The kids will have these types of assessments all they way through college, should they choose to continue their education past high school. These skills are essential to have a strong command of, so helping to teach students to value their data and do their best on these types of tests are part of what we do in the classroom. We could use your help at home. Please have these important conversations with your kiddos, ensure they get a good night's sleep and some extra protein to keep their brains alert and focused on the stamina it requires to attend and engage for longer periods of time on tests. When we talk about the skill of "creating grit", students develop stamina muscles, aka "grit", when they tackle hard things and have to practice sustained attention for longer periods of time. When they know the data is important to not only their own instructional pathways, but that Mom and Dad or Grandma and Grandpa think it is important , too can help instill the importance of this data. Classroom teachers will be sending home their newsletters that will share the exact days that their students will be doing their diagnostics. This will help you plan ahead so be on the look out for this information.
We had a great turn out for Kindy Orientation tonight. Class of 2037 will officially be in the CRUNFamily soon and it was great to get to welcome them tonight. A HUGE shout out to our kindy team for their amazing planning to make these families feel welcomed and special. Stephanie Leeper, Kerri Lazzaro, Melissa Ellerson, Mari Diaz and Alissa Schuessler made this night so special. Thank you to Andrea McNamara and Char Lube for doing the "extra" to get things organized and to Katie Busch, our volunteer coordinator, for your fun "spin the wheel" incentive to get our new families on board to volunteer and get involved at our school. What a fantastic night!
Katie Busch having the kids spin to win while getting new kindy parents involved at CRUN.
Woody Teaching Kids How to CITE Digital Sources in Enrichment!!
3rd Graders going to PACE Center to see Miss. Nelson
A Note From PTA
Upcoming Events:
- Wednesday, May 1st: Our May Restaurant Night will be at Cold Stone Creamery and OUR TEACHERS WILL BE SCOOPING the ice cream! How fun! Join us at 9338 Dorchester St, Highlands Ranch from 3:45-7:45pm. CRUN will get 30% of all sales and up to 100% of all tips!!! We raised over $900 the last time we hosted this event, so come ready to tip the CRUN staff generously! :)
- May 6-10 is Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week! The PTA would love for students to write cards, create posters, or bring in small treats. Our theme this year is Hawaiian Holiday. Please deliver cards/posters/treats any time during May 6-10. Thank you!
- Friday, May 10th: Our LAST PTA Meeting of the school year at 8:45am in the Learning Commons or Zoom. Come help us say thank you to our out-going officers: Nate Biggs, Katie Busch, and Craig Livorsi. Your hard work and dedication has been invaluable!
- Thursday, May 23rd: Last Day of School FREE CARNIVAL from 3:30-5pm at Cougar Run Park!
DCSD Family/School Relationship Survey
April 26, 2024
Dear Cougar RunFamilies,
Thank you for your ongoing partnership.
To provide our students and families with the best possible educational experiences, the Douglas County School District wants to hear from you – the parents and guardians at each of our schools. This will help our school and the school district better understand the needs and experiences in our communities.
Please set aside a few minutes to provide your feedback by completing the survey. The survey will remain open through Sunday, May 5.
Thank you for your participation!
Sincerely,
Shannon McPherson
Principal
Cougar Run Elementary
Survey Links
Link to Survey (English)
HRHS Summer Football Camps for grades 3-8
We love partnering with HRHS and our community-especially when they host events that OUR students, FUTURE FALCONS, can participate in! Below are the 2 links for parents to sign up their child for the FREE football camps.
HRHS Future Falcon FREE Footbal Camp (not padded) or
Spring Portraits and Class Group Photos
Spring portraits and class group photos are now available for viewing and purchase! DR-PHOTO has uploaded the galleries for families to access, view, and order their portraits. Families can access their photos by visiting the link below and entering their private password which is your child's Student ID#. Simply click on the direct link provided here: https://shop.imagequix.com/g1001106055. Get ready to relive those memorable moments captured during the spring season!
Lost and Found
We wanted to bring to your attention the overflowing lost and found items currently in our school. There are mountains of coats, jackets, lunch boxes, water bottles, and various other belongings that have been left unclaimed.
We kindly ask that you take a few moments to check the lost and found area to see if any of the items belong to your child. It is important to label your child's belongings with their name and contact information to prevent them from being misplaced in the future.
No Dogs on School Grounds
This one pulls on our heartstrings as we are dog people here at Cougar Run. However, the district has a strict policy about dogs not being on school grounds. The rationale is certainly rooted in safety as dogs, even on leashes, from time to time can become agitated etc and unfortunately could potentially cause harm. Allergies etc are the other safety risk so we appreciate you understanding this and helping us not have to have the awkward conversation we have to have when ask folks to take their pets off campus. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Volunteer Coordinator~ Katie Busch
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
FIELD DAY - Mrs. Hinkle is still looking for parent volunteers for Field Day on Friday, May 3rd, from parents in the following classrooms: Lazzaro (K); Barr (1st); Giuffria (2nd); Dunham (3rd); Benge (4th); Dell & Gentry (5th); and Aksamit & Weiss (6th).
Please see the times below and sign up by clicking the link.
9am-10:30am - Kindergarten, 1st Grade, & 2nd Grade
10:40am-12:10pm - 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Grades
CARNIVAL - On the last day of school - Thursday, May 23rd, the PTA is hosting a free Carnival event. If you are interested in helping right after school hours, please sign up using the link below.
If you are interested in any volunteer opportunities next year, please feel free to fill this Volunteer Interest Survey and email it to Katie Busch at kbusch1@dcsdk12.org.
A Note From Char-Our Registrar at CRUN
Registration for the 24-25 school year is now open!
If you have an incoming kindergarten student or know of someone who has a NEW student to register for the 24-25 school year - NOW is the time to register! Spots are filling up quick for open enrollment so be sure to tell your friends that when that window opens again on January 22nd, they need to HURRY to get a spot!
Go to this link to register your NEW 24-25 student.
See our Registration Page for more information.
Upcoming Dates to Remember
April 26-No School for Students-Teacher Professional Development Day
May 1-CRUN Restaurant Night- Cold Stone- Teacher Scoop Night
May 3- Field Day!!!!!!
May 6-10 Staff Appreciation Week
May 10-PTA Meeting (All parents welcome!)
May 16- ROCKS Assemblies (Invitations will come soon.) 9:00 LC, K, 1, 2, 3/ 2:15 4th-6th
May 17- 9:30 Kindy Graduation
May 17- 6th Grade DCSD Hexathalon Competition
May 20-24 CRUN BUS CANCELED
May 23- 9am 6th Grade Continuation
May 23- Last Day of School for Students
May 23- 3:30 End of Year Carnival Sponsored by PTA