IMPORTANT DATES
** Dec. 21 - Jan. 4: No School (Winter Break)

**Dec 22 & 29: DPS Winter Break Meal Pickup (see below)

** Jan 5-8: Remote Learning Continues for All Students

** Wednesday, Jan 6, 6pm: PTA Meeting

** Monday, January 11: In-Person Learning Resumes

** Wednesday, January 13, 12pm: Live Chat Virtual Open House for Prospective Parents (SchoolChoice)

(The Stedman Calendar can always be viewed HERE)
Note From Mr. Atkins
Dear Families,

We made it to Winter Break, and I am extremely proud of our community and the perseverance they have shown in this challenging year. Our teachers and students have given it their all, and despite challenges, we continue to grow. In fact,
join us in celebrating that our Stedman 3rd Graders scored 27% higher and 21% higher in literacy and math (respectively) than the District average during recent Fall interim assessments! Our 4th and 5th Graders also scored above District average, and we are incredibly proud.

We know this break and holiday season won't look anything like usual, but we also know that once we can celebrate together it will be even sweeter. Hold on to the memories and look forward to those yet created!

Please remember that we received word last week from DPS that they intend to resume in-person learning for Elementary students on Monday, January 11th. If you would like to update your learning selection, please let us know as soon as possible. You can update your selection in your Parent Portal or call our office and leave your name, your child's name, and your selection in a voicemail.

I want to give another thanks to the community of Montview Presbyterian who helped us brighten the holidays of MANY of our Stedman families. Their generosity is inspiring and we are incredibly grateful. In addition, PTA has continued to support families and staff in our community and I am grateful to those that pitch in to make sure our community feels loved and supported. You all are amazing.

I wish you a safe, healthy, and joyful winter break. We look forward to "seeing" you on January 5th as we resume remote learning until in-person begins.

***
Estimadas familias,

Llegamos a las vacaciones de invierno, y estoy muy orgulloso de nuestra comunidad y la perseverancia que han demostrado en este año desafiante. Nuestros profesores y alumnos lo han dado todo y, a pesar de los desafíos, seguimos creciendo. De hecho, únase a nosotros para celebrar que nuestros estudiantes de 3er grado de Stedman obtuvieron un 27% más y un 21% más en alfabetización y matemáticas (respectivamente) que el promedio del distrito durante las recientes evaluaciones provisionales de otoño. Nuestros 4º y 5º grado también anotaron por encima del promedio del distrito, y estamos muy orgullosos.

Sabemos que esta temporada de vacaciones y vacaciones no se parecerá en nada a lo habitual, pero también sabemos que una vez que podamos celebrar juntos será aún más dulce. Aferrarse a los recuerdos y esperamos que los que aún creado!

Por favor recuerde que recibimos noticias la semana pasada de DPS que tienen la intención de reanudar el aprendizaje en persona para los estudiantes de primaria el lunes 11 de enero. Si desea actualizar su selección de aprendizaje, háganoslo saber lo antes posible. Puede actualizar su selección en su Portal para padres o llamar a nuestra oficina y dejar su nombre, el nombre de su hijo y su selección en un mensaje de voz.

Quiero dar otro agradecimiento a la comunidad de Montview Presbyterian que nos ayudó a alegrar las fiestas de MUCHAS de nuestras familias Stedman. Su generosidad es inspiradora y estamos increíblemente agradecidos. Además, la PTA ha continuado apoyando a las familias en nuestra comunidad y estoy agradecido con aquellos que colaboran para asegurarse de que nuestra comunidad se sienta amada y apoyada.

Les deseo unas vacaciones de invierno seguras, saludables y felices. Esperamos "verte" el 5 de enero mientras reanudamos el aprendizaje remoto hasta que comience en persona.
LEADING EDGE UPDATES
Leading Edge is our before/after care provider and will be operating as normal as school resumes in-person learning on January 11th. If you are interested in registering, please check out the flyers below or email dhill@leadsschools.com. CCAP IS ACCEPTED.

Leading Edge Remote Learning Support will continue until then.

Leading Edge es nuestro proveedor de cuidado antes y después y estará abierto nuevamente cuando la escuela reanude el aprendizaje en persona el 11 de enero. Si está interesado en inscribirse, por favor echa un vistazo a los volantes por debajo o por correo electrónico dhill@leadsschools.com. SE ACEPTA CCAP.

El soporte de aprendizaje remoto de Leading Edge continuará hasta entonces.
SCHOOLCHOICE STARTS JANUARY 15TH
Despite this being an atypical year, SchoolChoice is going on like normal! This means that Round 1 of SchoolChoice will open on Friday, January 15th at 8am and close on Tuesday, February 16th at 4pm. We recently sent THIS email to prospective families in the area with more information.

Basic information for your knowledge:
  • All families entering ECE, Kinder, Middle School, or High School MUST participate in SchoolChoice
  • All applications for SchoolChoice must be made online (schoolchoice.dpsk12.org)
  • If you do not participate by February 16th at 4pm, your chances of attending a school of your choice dramatically decreases
  • Updated Enrollment Guides from DPS are now available use this site to preview information about schools
  • Students in our ECE4 Immersion classrooms are guaranteed a seat in our Kinder Immersion classrooms unless they Choice elsewhere in Round 1.
  • Our Choice website with information specific to Stedman will be live next week.

Stedman will be offering two Virtual Open Houses ahead of this Choice window. These will be conducted over Zoom. RSVP at this Facebook Event to add to your calendar!

Please remind neighbors and friends/family in the area about SchoolChoice and direct them to one of our Virtual Open Houses if they are interested in Stedman. If anyone has questions about this process, please reach out to our Choice Coordinator, Ali Larson, at alison_larson@dpsk12.org.

Here is a recording of our recent Open House that you may enjoy or want to share:
RESOURCES
REMINDERS: Helpful Information for Parents Navigating Online
We had a terrific Family Education Night the other week where our staff went through tips and tools for navigating our remote learning spaces. We highly recommend you watch one of our sessions from last night (above) to get a better idea of how to support your child in a remote learning setting. Feedback from parents was that it provided extremely helpful information. Topics covered include:

  • Finding your classroom's weekly objectives/lessons
  • teachers post here weekly so you can see what they are working on - click on your teacher's name/picture
  • Navigating SeeSaw
  • Find your classroom's personal invite link here if you still need to create a parent account!
  • Access child's schedule in SeeSaw in the "Schedules" folder for remote learners (click the Folder icon to find the list of folders)
  • Learning more about usefulness and navigation of IStation/Dreambox/Lexia/RazKids/Rockalingua
  • Creating a parent Dreambox account
  • Parent portal for IStation (view progress reports here)
  • Scope & Sequence for Lexia

You can view the powerpoint HERE for more information and links.
COVID-19 Testing Now Free for All Community Members
Through the end of the year, COVIDCheck Colorado is now offering free testing to anyone in Colorado. This means that leaders, educators and staff can go with household members and invite other community members to test and help slow the spread of COVID.

Sign up here for FREE testing (anyone in the community!): www.covidcheckcolorado.org.
 
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, CDC has many recommendations for staying healthy. In preparation for potential gatherings, COVIDCheck Colorado recommends scheduling a test before Thanksgiving as well as several days after to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
 
Lastly, reducing the burden of influenza this year will be critical to support the already overburdened hospital systems and healthcare providers. COVID-19 and the flu are both contagious respiratory illnesses with similar symptoms. There is a vaccine to help prevent the flu, please see a vaccine finder tool to find a location near you. Please encourage staff to get a flu vaccine to keep themselves and the community safe.
**PTA Corner**



While this year is unlike any other, there are still ways for us to continue supporting our students.

Please continue reading your emails from PTA and reach out to pta.stedman@gmail.com if you have any questions or want to jump in! We'll provide updates here in the newsletter as well.
LONGMONT DAIRY CAPS

  • If you order from Longmont Dairy, save all your milk caps! Send them to our front office and we are able to turn them in for a donation.
King Soopers

Did you know that you can link your King Soopers account to Stedman and help us raise money without spending any extra dollars? It's so easy!

How To Use the King Soopers/ City Market Community Rewards Program:


Step 2: Sign in to your account (or create a new account with your email and King Soopers card #)

Step 3: Search for Stedman Knights PTA (NPO # -- XK374)

Step 4: Select Enroll

Congrats, you have successfully enrolled in the Community Rewards program and 5% of your purchases will support Stedman Elementary!!
PTA MEETING

Join us for our next virtual PTA meeting on Wednesday, January 6th at 6pm. We keep these limited to one hour and would love to see your face!

Wednesday, Jan. 6 @ 6pm





Stedman Spirit Gear

Our new store for Stedman Spirit Gear is finally up! If you are interested in purchasing a new item, please visit this site. Orders will be handled individually and a portion of all sales will be donated back to the school by the vendor.

Emergency Financial Assistance
Knowing the COVID-19 pandemic continues to negatively impact the lives of Denver families, DHS is now offering emergency/disaster assistance payments up to $4,000 to qualifying residents.
 
These payments can be used for a variety of reasons – to cover rent or pay the mortgage, to pay for mental or medical care, to pay for home or auto repairs, to pay for food or school supplies, and more. To qualify, one must be:
  • TANF Broad-Based Eligibility Criteria for Disaster Aid: Denver resident
  • Household is determined to be ineligible for public assistance programs;
  • Annual household income is under $75,000;
  • Eligible child in the household (according to state rules and regulations);
  • Lawfully present in the country; and
  • Has a need for services directly relating COVID-19-related emergency
 
The program is open until funds are exhausted. To apply, go to Colorado.gov/PEAK and apply for Colorado Works/TANF. Please note that because this is a unique and temporary program, the “Am I eligible?” feature will not distinguish between this program and the regular Colorado Works/TANF programs. We encourage anyone with questions to call 720-944-4DHS (4347) to speak with a customer services representative.
Family Supports

If your family is in need of additional support, please be sure to reach out to our Family Liaison, Ali Larson, via text or email: alison_larson@dpsk12.org. We have access to some food and transportation resources that may be helpful during these stressful times.