Congratulations parents and students for completing week 1 of remote learning! Below please find the links to this week’s PTO information:
RESTAURANT NIGHT at Chick-fil-A – Thurs, 4/9!
PTO 2019 Allocations
As a community, we raised over $200,000 to support our children and school. With the funds we raised, we were able to fund 7 Teacher Assistants, classroom subscriptions, in school and out of school learning experiences and much more! Click here to see how our additional funds were allocated.
Company Match-Double your impact!
PTO Update
On Friday, we completed Week 1 of remote learning. There were many accomplishments to celebrate, both from the teachers and students. In a week’s time, our collective community mastered Zoom, learned how to navigate Google Classroom & Schoology and conducted many, many virtual play dates. As parents, we stumbled through juggling many hats (in our pajamas). We became the ultimate multitaskers – working, teaching, cleaning, cooking, negotiating, mediating, bargaining, and, of course, texting all at once. We experienced the healing power of a walk, we felt the boundaries in our homes blur, and we realized the kitchen table is for far more than just a family meal.
And, at the same time, the idea of finishing the school year in our remote learning environment became a reality. Even though many of us had a feeling this would happen, it still has been hard to swallow. One of our kids said, “Mom, I wish I knew that was going to be my last day. I would have given my teacher a bigger hug.”
There is loss and grief for all of us. The decision made us aware that the Cougar traditions we love are more than just a predictable cadence each year, but they build character and identity for our kids. It made us aware that our teachers also wear many hats, and they are an integral part of shaping our children. And, it made us aware that the building on Orchard is more than just 4 walls, but the foundation for our community and our second home.
We are also noticing that this community is holding each other up. We are filling in the lack of in person connection with love and support in other ways. We are each other’s source of laughter when the tears fall. Just this week, many neighbors lit candles and put signs in front yards for our healthcare workers and first responders. We got on virtual happy hours, delivered groceries to friends, sent texts of encouragement, decorated lawns for birthdays and shared creative ideas on how to keep the kids busy.
For the next 7 weeks, we will continue to be challenged, learn and grow in ways we never expected. We will connect in ways we never knew possible, and we will continue to create memories together. We will expand our second home outside of those 4 walls, and create the same loving culture in our new, temporary “virtual” environment.
Stay strong, stay connected and stay healthy.
*Watch for new dates for our PTO Meetings and our Online Auction. For those of you that purchased tickets and do not want to donate the purchase price to the PTO, please complete this Refund Request Form by April 21st.
April Restaurant Nights – 4/9 and 4/19
Our restaurant nights are a wonderful way to show support for our local community during these times. Please participate in our April restaurant nights to help these local businesses. They are so grateful for your business!
- April 9th: Chick-fil-A on 9331 E. Arapahoe Rd. Show this flyer.
- April 19th: Nonna’s Italian Bistro on 11877 E. Arapahoe Road
We Still Need to Finish the Yearbook!
UPLOAD YOUR PICTURES BY 4/10!
Need a way to fill your time? Upload pictures to the yearbook today! You can also create a custom page for your child!
- What: To ensure our yearbook captures all our amazing students, upload YOUR pictures and other pictures today! Also, don’t forget to create your customer pages!
- How: Our new flyer attached HERE will help you upload pictures and customer your pages.
- When: We need all photos uploaded and custom pages complete by 4/10!
- Purchase: Click HERE to order your yearbook today!
Online Community Resources and Links
During this time, our community has been sharing some wonderful resources. Although these are not endorsed by the school district, we thought you may find them helpful. Here are a few of interest.
Thank You!
We never imagined our year as PTO Presidents would have unfolded this way. The entire Executive Board and all of the Committee Chairs have worked countless hours to create a year of programs and events to raise money and cultivate a sense of belonging in our community. Although the end of this year will look and feel different than what we had originally planned, we are still committed to you, to our teachers and to our school.
THANK YOU – From the bottom of our hearts we are so grateful for your continued support.
Important Dates!
Mark your calendars for these important dates:
4/9: Restaurant Night: Chick-Fil-A
4/10: Yearbook Uploads and Custom Pages Due
4/19: Restaurant Night: Nonna’s Italian Bistro
5/5: Virtual Teacher Appreciation Day
5/12: Restaurant Night: Burnt End BBQ
*PTO Meetings & Online Auction – Postponed (Dates TBD)
Join the PTO!
To learn more:
- Attend our PTO Information Meeting on 2/14: We will dedicate time in this meeting to tell you about the PTO, our openings and how to get involved.
- Read about our Executive Board Roles: This document contains role descriptions for each Executive Board Role.
- Fill out our Executive Board and Committee Chair Interest Form: This form will be available through April as we determine where we have openings and reach out to those interested in taking on a chair role next year. We will be reaching out to those people that express interest in the coming months.
- Nominate Yourself or Someone Else for Executive Board: Ready to jump in? Submit a nomination form through 3/2/2020. It also contains a link to all the Executive Board Roles.
- Talk to Someone on the Executive Board about their experience. This link will provide contact information.
We hope you take the opportunity to get involved in our community and school!
Thank You, Volunteers!
