Updates & Resources for Our Community
In this issue:

  • COVID-19 Update
  • Would You Make a Good Board of Education Member?
  • Mental Health Matters
  • Good News Stories
COVID-19 Update
Families are encouraged to continue symptom screening of students every day. Please do not send students to school that are having any COVID symptoms. Call the school first to find out the protocol for your student’s specific symptoms. Students who have had a known exposure to COVID or whose household members are having COVID symptoms should also stay home from school. Thank you for doing your part to keep our students and staff safe, healthy and learning in-person.

COVIDCheck Colorado has free drive-up testing sites families can utilize if they are having symptoms or have been exposed.

Current Schools/Cohorts on Rolling Remote:
  • Clayton 6th grade/Ms. Therkildsen, returning May 3
  • EMS cohort 8A, returning May 3
  • ECE Ms. Kim's class, returning May 3
  • EMS cohort 8D, returning May 3
  • Cherrelyn 4th grade Bruen, returning May 3
  • Cherrelyn 1st and 2nd grade Bensman, returning May 3
  • Some students at ELA, returning May 4
  • Some students at EMS, returning May 7
Would you make a good
Board of Education Member?
The Englewood Schools Board of Education will have four of five seats up for election in November 2021 -- three 4-year terms and one 2-year term. Our next Board member could be you!

The Board will host a no-obligation information session for prospective Board candidates on May 18, 2021 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. via zoom. This is an opportunity for community members to learn more about the time commitment and role of being on the Board as well as the process and timeline for becoming a candidate.

If you or an Englewood community member that you know has these characteristics:

  • desire to serve children and the community, and a strong belief in the value of the public schools
  • ability to work as a member of a team, including an open mind and ability to engage in give-and-take
  • willingness to spend the time required to become informed and to do the homework needed to take part in effective school board governance
  • respect for the needs and feelings of other people, a well-developed sense of fair play and the ability to listen and communicate well
  • recognition that the school district may be the largest business in town and that the board is responsible for ensuring that business is well managed

Please attend or encourage others to attend!
Mental Health Matters
During these challenging times, we know that parents and caregivers may need some extra mental health support. In this section, we will provide resources that families can access in order to support their mental wellbeing. May is Mental Health Month! Starting now, and during the month of May, we will be sharing resources from Mental Health America.

Getting Out of Thinking Traps
It’s easy to fall into negative thinking patterns and spend time bullying yourself, dwelling on the past, or worrying about the future. It’s part of how we’re wired – the human brain reacts more intensely to negative events than to positive ones and is more likely to remember insults than praise. During tough times, negative thoughts are especially likely to spiral out of control. When these thoughts make something out to be worse in your head than it is in reality, they are called cognitive distortions.

Tips for Challenging Negative Thoughts:

Reframe. Think of a different way to view the situation. If your negative thought
is “I can’t do anything right,” a kinder way to reframe it is, “I messed up, but
nobody’s perfect,” or a more constructive thought is “I messed up, but now I
know to prepare more for next time.” It can be hard to do this when you’re
feeling down on yourself, so ask yourself what you’d tell your best friend if they
were saying those things about themselves.

Prove yourself wrong. The things you do impact how you feel – what actions
can you take to combat your negative thoughts? For instance, if you’re telling
yourself you aren’t smart because you don’t understand how the stock market
works, learn more about a subject you understand and enjoy, like history. If you
feel like no one cares about you, call a friend. Give yourself evidence that these
thoughts aren’t entirely true.

Counter negative thoughts with positive ones. When you catch your inner
dialogue being mean to you, make yourself say something nice to balance it out.
This may feel cheesy at first and self-love can be hard, so don’t give up if it feels
awkward in the beginning. Name things you love, like, or even just don’t hate
about yourself – we all have to start somewhere!

Remember: thoughts aren’t facts. Your thoughts and feelings are valid, but
they aren’t always reality. You might feel ugly, but that doesn’t mean you are.
Often times we can be our own worst enemies – other people are seeing us in a
much nicer light than how we see ourselves.
If speaking to someone would help, please reach out. AllHealth Network provides several supports.

  • To speak with someone in the Colorado Spirit Program about stress related to the pandemic, please call 720-707-6789 or visit the webpage at www.allhealthnetwork.org/Colorado-Spirit
  • If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and are in need of immediate assistance, please call the Colorado Crisis Hotline at 1-844-493-8255 (TALK) or text TALK to 38255.
Good News Stories
Colorado School Nutrition Association Director of the Year

Huge congratulations to Katie Cossette, Englewood Schools' Director of Nutrition Services, for winning the Colorado School Nutrition Association's Director of the Year award!

According to CSNA, "It is abundantly clear that Katie embraces extreme knowledge related to child nutrition programs. This has been evidenced by successful control of her food service budget and increase in meal participation--despite the year of constant unforeseen circumstances and changes. Her efforts to offer new and bold foods that kids love upheld her accomplishments in these areas."

We are very proud of Ms. Cossette and this well-deserved honor!
Middle School Students Find Their Voices

Students at EMS and ELA have been engaging in the Colorado Symphony's Lift Every Voice curriculum, which supports students in finding their voices and using them in positive ways. Students started with the question "What does it mean to be bold?", and explored the definition of boldness as well as what inspires people to be bold. This work will culminate in a community event on May 19th in which we celebrate our middle school community -- both current and incoming -- and showcase the voices of our students. Below is a video created by a student explaining his ideas and inspirations on boldness. 
Yellow Ribbons on the Preschool Fence

The fence around the Englewood Early Childhood Education Center is decorated with yellow ribbons. Why?

Steve Leflar is a prior parent and active volunteer in our preschool program. He is the spouse of one of our teachers, Ms. Misty, and a member of the Englewood school board. In addition to all of these roles, he is also a Sergeant First Class in the Colorado Army National Guard who has been deployed to Iraq for the next year.

The yellow ribbons will remain on the preschool fence while Steve is deployed as a reminder to our ECE staff of the sacrifices that our troops and their families make for us.

If students ask about them, ECE staff will tell them that our friend, Mr. Steve, is flying a Blackhawk helicopter to get hurt soldiers the medical help that they need. The ribbons are there to keep all of the troops in our minds.
High Expectations ~ Accountability ~ Integrity ~ Respect ~ Community
4101 S. Bannock St.
Englewood, CO 80110
303-761-7050