Cougar Community Connection

Dear CRUNFamily,

It was wonderful to see our CRUNFamily together as one last night at Back to School Night! Thank you all for coming as we know FOR SURE that none of us can raise our kids alone. It takes a village and last night, there was so much love in the room when our entire village was together in our gym and in our classrooms. The beginning of the year is all about building relationships with each other in order to establish a strong partnership for the success of our kids. Your participation is vital and we can't thank you enough for your love, your dedication to our school and your endless support!

It was our first full week as a learning community and where we are all pretty tired from having to rebuild the stamina it takes to go to school 5 days a week, we are also leaving the week with full hearts knowing that our classroom families are thriving and becoming well oiled machines! Routines are in place, expectations have been set and now it is time to learn and grow together. We thank you all for everything you are doing and have done thus far to help this year start out with the positivity, the love and the energy that we all are going to need to achieve success together. Cougar Run is a special place and it takes all of us to wrap our arms around each other and our babies so that we can have the best year ever!

One reminder about pick up at the end of the day. Teachers are busy up until the very end of the day, helping kids make sure they are packed up, cleaned up and ready to go. If you need to pick up your child early, we kindly request that you do so before 3:15.

Hello, Cougar Run Family!

The PTA is so excited for the upcoming school year. We will be having meetings the second Friday of each month (with the exception of this month), Our first being this coming Friday the 16th at 8:45am. If you would like to get the inside scoop on our school and to get involved, then we would love to have you there! You can reach out to the PTA officers at crunpta@gmail.comto get on our mailing list. We have many community events throughout the year, so watch for our emails requesting volunteers.

This coming Tuesday August 20th will be our FIRST Restaurant night! Enjoy dinner at Shake Shack in Highlands Ranch & 25% of the proceeds will come directly to the school! Be sure to mention Cougar Run when you order or dine in.

As a reminder - we have switched from several small fundraisers to ONE big fundraiser, our 2nd Annual (In-House) Fun Run. Rather than working with companies that take 40% of your donations, we will handle everything in-house! This will include a CRUN t-shirt, donation-level prizes, set-up, and running of the event. The Fun Run will be on Friday, October 4th, so expect to see fundraising information heading your way.

We are looking for CRUN business sponsors for the Fun Run and this school year. If you are interested, then please go to https://www.givebacks.com/causes/crunpta/campaigns/c863e86efacebd to see our sponsorship levels and make your donation. We do not have student donation pages ready yet, but check back in late-August or early-September.

Don't forget to check out our revamped web page for all things PTA!

Schedule your Rock reservation, get details of events, and of course donation information: https://sites.google.com/dcsdk12.org/cougarrunparent/?usp=sharing

The PTA is here to help the whole CRUN community. We are always available at crunpta@gmail.com.

Sincerely, CRUN PTA

This gal is not a new face to Cougar Run. However, now having an OFFICIAL Assistant Principal, Jess's role has shifted a bit. She still has her principal license and is a part of the Leadership Team, but will be focusing more on teacher professional development, identification and programming for our most advanced learners and coaching and supporting our new teachers. Jess has a wealth of knowledge and experience and is actually one of our district leads when it comes to all things Gifted and Talented and Advanced learning. She has been in Douglas County for 26 years and at Cougar Run for 8 and has been a huge force in helping our school stay on the course of continuous improvement. We love having her on the team and look forward to another great year with her leading our Teacher Professional Development, Induction of new teachers and all things advanced learning.

Brittany Pennell and our fabulous EA 4s are incredible educators who support our Center Based special needs program here at Cougar Run. We truly feel like our program is one of the core reasons that we develop and nurture kindness and compassion on such high levels. Our students in this amazing program are a part of our general education setting throughout the day and their mere presence with our gen ed students allows them to develop, nurture and grow skills of empathy, kindness, compassion and most of all love for our neurodivergent kiddos. Cougar Run is a special place where love and kindness and acceptance are just who we are. We believe to the core that our Center Based Program is one of the catalysts of the love we have in our beautiful school!

Our students and staff arriving at school safely is our number one priority. We have had some close calls in our crosswalk in the passed that we need your help to avoid. Our SRO, (School Resource Officer) has helped us with communication about the law with regard to school zones and cross walks to help create awareness of just how important it is to understand the safety laws.

Our kids, staff and families are actively walking on the perimeters of our school from 8:25-8:40 and 3:30-3:40. There are laws in place to try to keep our community safe, but we need your help to ensure that we are able to arrive and depart from school safely each day. Below are some tid bits of information that you may or may not be aware of, but by knowing these laws and following them, we can stop saying, "YIKES!!!" and start saying "Thank You!" because you will be helping us keep our babies, families and staff all safe at CRUN!

• It is against the law to text in a school zone and is punishable by a 307.00 fine and 4 point ticket. (CRS 42-4-239 5.5a)
• It is against the law to flip a U Turn ANYWHERE in a school zone. That sign is posted, but most folks don't know that that fine is 161.00 and a 3 point ticket. 42-4-902 (3)
• There are posted signs that the speed limit while the school zone lights are flashing is 15 MPH. Depending on how fast, the fine can be up to 485.00 and up to 12 points and mandatory court appearance. 42-4-1101
• Failure to yield right of way to pedestrian in the crosswalk is a 73.00 fine and 4 point ticket. The crossing guard is considered a pedestrian so cars should not enter the intersection while the crossing guard is there no matter where she is in the crosswalk. CRS 42-4-802

We have had some VERY close calls while our crossing guards are out there risking their lives to keep our kids safe. Please pay attention, abide by the laws and help us keep each other safe on our way to and from school.

We spend the first part of the year communicating about safety and laws to ensure we are following safety protocols for our students and staff. Our fire lane in the front drop off loop is a great way to do "kiss and go", dropping off kids and then moving right along. Please make sure kids are exiting your car on the passenger side only for their safety of oncoming traffic on the driver side. Please do not leave cars unattended between the times of 8:20-8:45 and 3:20-3:45. Those are HEAVY traffic times and when cars are left unattended, our EMS crews can't get in to help us in an emergency. If you need to bring your child into the building, or stand somewhere to wait for them, please utilize the parking lots and side curbs around the school.

Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself on the upcoming Bond measure that will be on the November election. This will positively impact our school with much needed repairs and replacements of things like our windows that are leaking, carpet that needs replacement desperately and many other behind the scenes operational items that are barely hanging on. THE KEY PIECE TO THIS MEASURE IS THERE IS NO, I REPEAT, NO TAX INCREASE TO YOU AT ALL!!!!!!

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The Foundation for Douglas County Schools has completed our annual Lend A Hand School Supply Drive and this year we have already distributed over 1,500 backpacks filled with school supplies to our DCSD students. We do have some remaining backpacks available in our office for ANY DCSD student. Please come to the Foundation office on the first floor if you would like any student backpacks.

Thank you!

Tricia Strahler, Events Manager

Our District Vision and Hearing Crew will be here August 16 & 19. Please see the letter from district regarding testing. Thank you!

Hello CRUN Parents,

We are in need of volunteers next week for Vision & Hearing Screening. No prior experience is needed. There is a morning session and afternoon session, so we are hoping we can get at least eight volunteers. Please click the sign up link below:

Vision & Hearing Screening Volunteer SignUp

Greetings to all Fathers and Father-Like Figures!

Please consider volunteering a day for WatchDOGS, a National Organization, at Cougar Run. Fathers and father-like figures are providing additional support for their own children, all students of CRUN, and the CRUN Faculty. You are encouraged to sign up and show up at least one day a year to be in the classroom, lunch room and halls of Cougar Run. It's an action packed, fulfilling day loaded with fun activities. Each Volunteer is given a free t-shirt to wear during your day at school.

***Please be sure to sign up AT LEAST 48 hours in advance, so that teachers and staff can create your schedule for the day.

Watch DOG SignUp HERE

If you intend to volunteer in any capacity this year and haven’t already, please fill out this Parent Volunteer Agreement.

Please be on the lookout for more information regarding Volunteer Orientation.

One of the things that goes along with our school growing is our parking lot being more full. Please be aware of cars parked next to you as you enter and exit your vehicle, as well as helping your kiddos get in and out of the care. We are having a significant increase in folks reporting dings and scratches on their cars from car doors hitting vehicles upon entry and exit of cars. We know accidents happen, but the more aware we can be, hopefully the less damage folks are seeing on their cars.

Are you interested in after school activities at Cougar Run? Please see our website page and our Extra Curricular Activity calendar, also on our website. The description has the contact information and how to register.

8:25-8:40 Soft Start/ 3:30 PM DismissalThe entry doors open at 8:25 for students to be welcomed into school. Adult supervision outside begins at that time, so please drop your kiddos no earlier than 8:25 to ensure they are supervised and safe.

8:25-8:40

Front Door Entrance (west side of school)-Grades Kindy and 1st

Lower Playground Doors-2nd Grade

Venneford Ranch Rd Entrance (North Side of school) 3rd Grade

Garden Facing Mobile-(Next to lower playground) 4th Grade

Bus Loop Doors (East Side of school) 5th and 6th

3:30 Dismissal

Most kids exit out the doors they entered. We escort K and 1 to busses and to after school care. 1st and 2nd grade teachers walk their kids out to the lower playground at dismissal, so plan to pick your child up there as they release when they see your face. Please plan your pickup and drop off based on the doors that your student will enter/exit in all other cases, based on what grade they are in. Staff are at those doors welcoming and saying goodbye to our kids daily.

Express Check-In is now open. Please click on THIS Express Check-In and complete the check in process for each of your students before August 7th.

Log in using your Parent Portal username and password.

The Express Check-In process confirms that your student will be attending Cougar Run this school year. It also allows you to verify and update any contact information, pay school fees, view volunteer opportunities, apply for free and reduced lunches if needed, buy a bus pass and more.

Thank you in advance for taking care of this before school starts. Go to the Cougar Run website for more information.

If you are having problems getting into your Parent Portal account or using the Express Check in tool, please contact our IT department on 303-387-0001 and choose option #1 twice.

August 19-Vision and Hearing Screening

August 30th- Volunteer Orientation with Katie Busch our Volunteer Coordinator

September 2nd- No School Labor Day Holiday

September 9-13- No CRUN Bus Service This Week

September 10- Cougar Run Restaurant Night

September 13- 8:45am PTA Meeting in the LC

September 16-19- Parent Teacher Conference Week (Teacher Sign Ups Will Come Soon)

September 20th- No School For Students, Teacher Professional Development Day

September 23rd- Highlands Ranch High School Homecoming Spririt Day, WEAR BLUE AND BLACK

September 25-27- 6th Grade Outdoor Ed Trip

October 4th- Annual Cougar Run Fun Run

October 8- Cougar Run Restaurant Night

October 11- 8:45am PTA Meeting

October 14-18- Fall Break