Cherokee Trail

• PSP NEWS
• SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM
• FROM THE LMC
• FROM TECH
• DCSD VIRTUAL ART SHOW WINNERS
• EPIC'R INFORMATION - SUBMIT STUDENT VIDEOS!
• MAY COUNSELOR'S CORNER
• CALENDAR
• FROM THE PRINCIPAL
• NEW FLYERS 

EPIC'R INFORMATION (even more info)

This month's EPIC'R trait: ALL OF THEM! show ENTHUSIASM * commit to PERSEVERE * demonstrate INTEGRITY * be COURAGEOUS * exemplify RESPECT

In the March and April EPIC’R lessons, we have seen how some CTE teachers have been EPIC’R at home and school. Now we want to hear from YOU, the students! Submit a short video (from student's Google account) showing how you are EPIC’R outside of school. Here are the guidelines for the video:

  * Shows you being EPIC’R at home or in the community

  * Includes you demonstrating more than one EPIC’R trait

  * Everything in the video is school appropriate

Video will be posted on CTE’s YouTube channel and possibly other social media avenues. 

Summer Parent Resources:

Free Lunch Bags available for pick up this summer from Nutrition Services

Summer Social Groups now forming! Denver Behavior Consultants is now forming groups in Parker, Castle Rock, and Lone Tree.  Social Skills Groups are a fun way for children to learn about social dynamics using instruction, team activities, group discussion, games, role-play, and other fun activities.

DCSD hosted a highly anticipated virtual event with Nick Thompson “Helping Your Student Cope with Change”.  You can watch the recorded event here.  I guarantee you will find it very informative and engaging!  Many practical topics were covered from how to help your child with anxiety to having difficult conversations. 

Check out the upcoming events and supports offered by the STEM Center for Strength.  There is a new featured podcast series on physical and mental recovery & resiliency- check it out! 

Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention

Douglas County Resources Employment, shelter, food resources

Parents are you ready for the summer?  Here are 5 tips for transitioning kids from school to summer vacation

1. Make a summer vacation wish list. Get your family together and have everyone come up with a list of activities they want to do during vacation. If you are able to schedule everything everyone wants to do, great. If not, you can have family members vote or do a random drawing to select what activities make the itinerary. Make your planning session fun. Maybe have family members act out what they want to do while others try and guess the activity. Adding an element of fun to the planning process will spur your child’s excitement.

2. Maintain a routine. Summer vacation doesn’t need to be as structured as the school year. After all, vacation is a time for fun. With that being said, maintaining a lite version of your child’s school routine can help make the transition from school to summer vacation easier. It’s a routine they are already familiar with and they won’t have to adapt to a whole new way of doing things. Keeping a version of your school routine will also make it easier for your child to snap back into school mode once vacation is over.

3. Create a daily schedule. Make a daily schedule and hang it in an area where it can be easily seen. Having a schedule in place will help your child know what to expect, which will ease their anxiety. Try and make your schedule as simple as possible. My family’s summer vacation schedule typically includes meal times, the activity for the day, and bed time.

4. Balance activities with down time. Even though going places and doing different activities are fun, some kids dread summer vacation because they are overwhelmed with all they have to do. Work to find a balance between having your child participate in activities and them having time to unwind. You don’t want your child to be bored, but you also don’t want them to feel fatigued from being over-scheduled.

5. Keep children connected with classmates. Kids don’t always live in the same neighborhoods as their classmates and the end of the school year can mean a loss of contact with their close friends. You can remedy this by getting your child’s friends’ contact information so you can plan a play date over the summer. You could even coordinate with some parents from your child’s class to go on an outing together. This will help your child maintain their relationships with friends into the upcoming school year.

Transitions definitely aren’t easy. However, if you take the time to plan ahead, it can go a whole lot smoother than when you don’t. 

*Information from Kiddiematters.com

Additional parent articles on summer transitions:

https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/tips-for-shifting-from-school-year-to-summer-break/

https://childmind.org/article/strategies-for-a-successful-summer-break/

The Principal Chronicles continue ... We are down to the last few days of school and I can't believe we made it this far. This has been the longest/shortest year of my 21-year educational career. As I think back over the course of the year it is amazing the amount of change our staff and students have had to deal with. We have had three separate first days of school, we have had three different types of learning environments, no parents in the building, cleaning and mask-wearing, quarantines, and somewhere in all of that we actually had some teaching take place. I guess the thing that comes to my mind is how lucky I am to be here in my position. This year has been really hard on everyone but we have had nothing but positive support from our community, nothing but hard work and flexibility from our students, and nothing but dedication and perseverance from our staff. I told our staff at the beginning of the year that this could be our best year ever, and although it has been so hard I truly believe it has been our best year. Our staff, students, and community showed me what they are really made of. Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it - and this year proved that more than any other. I will be very happy when this school year ends, and as I walk out of this building for the summer, I will be filled with pride and excitement. I already am excited about next year and I can't wait to put this year behind us and move forward. Thank you to whoever reads this. I am thankful for each and every one of you. I love this school, I love this community, and most of all I love our students. 

Stay tuned for next week's edition, it will be the last one of the year and I hope the last one I'll ever have to write wearing a mask. See you next week when the Principal Chronicles continue ....

NONDISCRIMINATION NOTICE: The Douglas County School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, age, marital status, genetic information, or physical characteristics, disability or need for special education services in admissions, access to, treatment of, or employment in educational programs or activities. The School District’s Compliance Officer is Ted Knight, Assistant Superintendent, 620 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, [email protected], 303-387-0067. Complaint procedures have been established for students, parents, employees, and members of the public.