CCIC Update

Dear CCIC families,

As we enter into our winter break, I want to wish you and your family the best of the holidays and restful time away from school. While there is much to share in this overall newsletter, I’ll start here with a reiteration of our Superintendent’s message to families from earlier this week (posted below). The perils of social media and conflict that seem pervasive in our national community are appearing in our schools more and more. While the CCIC has not been a part of the examples referred to in the local press recently, we are certainly not perfect and continually renew our commitment to always be a welcoming and safe place for all members of our community to pursue their education. One way the CCIC Team has engaged in this work is by training on “The CCIC Way” to actively address the use of harmful language and behaviors. Just as the superintendent states below, it takes a concerted effort to from all community members to ensure our classrooms are safe and inclusive environments. Thank you for your continued support in this work.

Stay healthy over the winter break and we will see you next year!

As a school district grounded in our Core Values, I want to address a societal crisis that is impacting our schools. In recent weeks, we have observed instances of students using hurtful and offensive language, including racial slurs. This is not unique to the Cherry Creek School District. It takes a concerted effort from all community members to combat racism. The Cherry Creek School District has spent decades grounding ourselves in the work of equity to support the lived experiences of our students, and we will continue this work.

Words matter, and derogatory or hateful language can often bring significant trauma. You can play an important role in reinforcing our values and creating school communities that are inclusive and welcoming. I encourage you to talk to your children about not using racist language – at school, on social media, or anywhere.

I want to be clear – the use of hateful language, including the “N word,” is unacceptable. Recently, we have had instances of racist videos that were created off-campus and caused disruption of the learning environment. Students engaging in this type of behavior have and will face consequences. These can range from restorative practices up to suspension and/or expulsion from school.

As a school district, we cannot solve societal problems alone, but we will continue to take steps to ensure our schools are safe places for all. Thank you for your partnership in staying true to our values so that students may be free to learn and grow.

Sincerely,

Superintendent Christopher Smith

Finals Schedule - CCIC will not have classes Tuesday, December 19 - Friday, December 22 so that students can attend finals at their home high schools. The last day for CCIC classes is Friday, December 15 for A Day students and Monday, December 18 for B Day students.

Uniform Recycling - Please consider donating any unwanted CCIC uniforms to the uniform recycling program. Uniforms will be washed and stored for future CCIC students. The collection bin is in the main lobby.

Second Semester Fees - Any fees owed for second semester classes (if applicable) can be paid via RevTrak or in person during the first week of second semester.

First Day of CCIC Classes - The first day of CCIC Classes is Tuesday, January 9 for A day students and Wednesday, January 10 for B day students. Don't forget that afternoon classes begin at 12:30 PM on Wednesdays to accommodate Advisory at home high schools. Helpful Links: CCIC Calendar & Bus Schedules.

The CCIC application for 2023-2024 opens Tuesday, January 22nd. Current CCIC students have the opportunity to access the application early, beginning January 16.

Check out next year's course offerings in the CCIC Course Guide.

The Regional Qualifier Competition for State SkillsUSA will be on Saturday, February 10, 2024 from 7am - 4pm. This is an opportunity for CCIC students in Construction, Auto Maintenance, Aviation Maintenance, Drone Pilot & Aerospace Manufacturing classes to compete in various skill areas. Students can advance to State Competition in Pueblo (April 9-11) and National Competition in Atlanta (June 24-28). Last year CCIC took four students to SkillsUSA Nationals and brought home a silver and gold medal!

More Information

Interested students can sign up here.

Nominate an exceptional educator at CCIC who represents CCSD's mission and vision. The Cherry Creek School District’s Educator of the Year Honor recognizes outstanding educators who strive every day to meet and exceed our District’s mission – “To help students be inspired to think, to learn, to achieve and to care,” and embody our District’s core values of Growth Mindset, Equity, Whole Wellbeing, Engagement, and Relationships.

All teachers, special service providers (i.e. counselors, psychologists, social workers, nurses, therapists, etc.) and non-teaching licensed personnel (i.e. deans, instructional coaches, etc.) are eligible to be nominated. The nomination form includes a requirement to upload a 150-500 word written nomination as part of the process.

Deadline - Jan 24, 2024

Click here to submit your nomination for a 2023-2024 Educator of the Year.

Each year Retired Employees of Cherry Creek Schools (RECCS) awards scholarships to graduating Cherry Creek School DIstrict Seniors who are pursuing higher education or post high school training. Scholarships are offered in 3 categories:

1. Merit - Students who have demonstrated academic achievement and contribution to school and community.
2. Adversity - Students who have faced and dealt with physical, mental, emotional, family or financial adversity.
3. Career & Technical - Students who wish to pursue a career, trade or technical education at a community college or a certificate program.

Applications open December 18th and are due by Wednesday, February 24th.

More Info

Ms. Betty's Harvest Madsgiving: CCIC Hospitality & Tourism students worked with other volunteers to prepare 13,036 meals for the community before Thanksgiving.

Chef Tajahi Cooke sent this out to the volunteers after the event:

"Madsgiving is not just a project; it’s a testament to the incredible impact we can create when we join hands and hearts in the spirit of community. Together, we have shown the world the true meaning of compassion, kindness, and unity." Learn More

Miracle Week benefitting EEqual: CCIC Business Students hosted Miracle Week in early December to raise funds for EEqual, a 501(c)3 intergenerational nonprofit working to overcome student homelessness by raising awareness and increasing access to higher education. EEqual gives out scholarships to students who have experienced homelessness.

Miracle Week was an incredible success, gathering substantial funds ($1250) through Miracle Minutes, Donations and sale of Miracle Week Shirts. The overwhelming support for EEqual through merchandise purchases and participation in spirited theme days was truly heartening. A special thank you goes out to HOSA (Health & Wellness) for their efforts in assembling gift baskets to be auctioned. Thank you to all who participated!

Applications are now open! Students who earn college credit through Concurrent or Dual Enrollment classes in high school, and/or AP test scores, may be eligible for ASCENT and TREP. These are programs that help Cherry Creek students move into post-secondary education with significant financial support. Many CCIC courses offer Concurrent and/or Dual Enrollment.

• ASCENT - CCSD pays for one-year of tuition, required fees and books at one of our partner schools: Metropolitan State/Denver, Arapahoe Community College, Community College of Aurora, Community College of Denver, Red Rocks Community College, as well as Emily Griffith and Pickens Technical Colleges. There are unlimited spots for the ASCENT program. CCSD is currently working on an agreement with University of Northern Colorado.

• TREP is a two-year program for students interested in pursuing a career in education; we pay your tuition, required fees and books for two years at our partner schools (see above; does not include the technical colleges.) The State of Colorado caps the number of TREP spots; decisions are made in April or May. CCSD is currently working on an agreement with University of Northern Colorado.

Schedule an appointment with your CCIC Counselor if you want to learn more about your eligibility for ASCENT and TREP.

As a CCIC parent/guardian, please complete this short survey to help CCIC determine which information and resources we can provide to better support your understanding of concurrent and dual enrollment credits.

Thank you for your help! FILL OUT SURVEY

CCIC offers Concurrent Enrollment credits through Arapahoe Community College (ACC), Community College of Denver (CCD) and Pueblo Community College (PCC). Dual enrollment is offered through Metro State University (MSU). Even if your student does not attend one of these institutions after high school, the credits earned could still transfer to another college or university. The links below provide directions on how to request official transcripts from our concurrent and dual enrollment partners.

Requesting Transcripts from ACC

Requesting Transcripts from CCD

Requesting Transcripts from PCC

Requesting Transcripts from MSU

Email: sday3@cherrycreekschools.org
Location: 8000 S. Chambers Road
Phone: 720.554.2600