Cherokee Trail

• PSP NEWS
• MEET OUR NEW STAFF (part 1)
• FROM NUTRITION SERVICES
• KEEP SICK KIDS HOME
• SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL WELLNESS
• AUGUST COUNSELOR'S CORNER
• CALENDAR
• FROM THE PRINCIPAL
• NEW FLYERS 

We are so excited to host all of our fun community events and fundraisers this year! 

Our next meeting will be Aug. 24th at 2:15pm. All are welcome to join!

Mark your calendar for our first restaurant night: Aug 24th - Papa John's will donate a portion of sales to CTE!
Please visit our website for more information about activities we sponsor, upcoming events, and ways you can help!

How can I contact PSP? [email protected]

My name is Angela Masson. I am the 3rd and 4th grade learning specialist. I am a Colorado Native, and don't ever really plan on leaving, unless I can live on the beach. I enjoy hiking, camping, ice skating, and skiing. I also love to lay at home with a nice book and cuddle my dog on the couch. I love teaching, and was said I was going to be a teacher when I grow up! I look forward to the year to come at CTE! 

Leigh Conner 2nd grade

I lived in Minnesota for 15 years and just recently moved to Colorado with my husband and 3 kids. I love to spend time with my family taking walks, going to the park, and being outdoors. I am really looking forward to experiencing a Colorado winter and saying good-bye to the -25 winters of Minnesota.

I am Leslie Schlag, 3rd grade teacher, and prior to this year taught Preschool here at Cherokee Trail for 4 years and with DCSD for 16 years. I am married, have 4 grown children, and 1 crazy dog! I enjoy reading, hiking, and playing games with my family. I absolutely love the community here at CTE! 

My name is Megan Sobeck. I am so excited to be teaching Kindergarten this year! I am married to Jeff and we have 3 children, Evelyn (8), Clara (5) and Josie (2). We live in Elizabeth and love to spend time with our families. This is my 13th year in education and 1st year teaching at Cherokee Trail.

Universal Free Meals School Year 2021-2022

For all schools where DCSD Nutrition Services operates, the USDA has extended Meals at No Cost through June 30, 2022. This means that one breakfast (where offered) and one lunch per day per student will continue to be provided at no cost to all students. Students are required to take a fruit or vegetable to make a reimbursable/no cost meal at breakfast and lunch. Ala Carte food items are available for purchase. Meals will be served in the school cafeterias to students.

Dear Parents,

Please see this letter which has suggestions that will aid in helping to maintain a healthy school environment, keep children well, and stop the spread of illness.

Hello CTE!  I’m Ms. Dunker, the Social Emotional Wellness Teacher here at CTE.  This year is my fourth year at CTE, but my 26th year of teaching.  I’ll be spending 40 minutes a week with your child(ren) during our second Specials time. The Colorado Academic Social Emotional Wellness Standards will be used to drive our instruction. 

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people (and adults) acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.(CASEL)

I look forward to teaming with you to support your child’s social-emotional growth and wellness.

Lesson Focus for the Week of Aug. 16:

We will spend this first week introducing the topic of Social Emotional Wellness and developing the flow of the class.  Please ask your child to share their initial thoughts on social emotional wellness after attending their first SEL Wellness class.  

Welcome Back! My name is Jane Steiner and I am the School Counselor at Cherokee Trail Elementary. I am excited and honored to start my 4th year with my amazing CTE family and my 16th year as a school counselor! I am committed to encouraging, supporting, and empowering our students to become their best selves. My primary task is to help ALL students become better learners by providing a comprehensive and developmental counseling program that meets their academic, personal/social, and career development needs.

While following district and state protocols, I will be meeting with students individually and in small groups, conducting classroom lessons while incorporating pieces from various Social-Emotional Learning curricula, and collaborating with parents and staff. 

Support provided can be therapeutic, but the role of a school counselor is not to diagnose or provide therapy. I am able to provide temporary/short-term support to help students overcome acute issues having an impact on their school performance. I am a resource similar to the school nurse in that she can provide help, but refers out for more serious problems. Licensed mental health counselors are the appropriate resource to provide ongoing therapy sometimes needed by families and children. 

As the counselor, I have the privilege of providing support to every student at CTE. Confidentiality is respected, unless they plan on hurting themselves, hurting someone else, or someone is hurting them. Although I do not require parental consent, if you would like to request I meet with your child for a specific concern, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

I look forward to a great school year and supporting all our wonderful students at CTE!  Feel free to email me @ [email protected].

Family Resources:

Weekly snack/food bags provided by Parker Task Force – If your family is interested in having a bag of snacks/food sent home in their student’s backpack weekly, please fill out this brief form.

Families with housing instability

Universal Free Meal Benefits

Parent Articles:

Transitioning to Kindergarten

Your Five Year Old

Winning Ways to Talk with Young Children

How to Help Your Kids with Homework (without doing it for them)

Communicating with Your Child’s Teacher

Tweens, Teens, Tech, and Mental Health: Coming of Age in an Increasingly Digital, Uncertain, and Unequal World 2020

The Principal Chronicles are back.......

I can't even tell you how nice it is to be back in the building and have our students and parents back as well. Since our building was under construction the entire summer, it was strange and a bit of a mad rush to get everyone back inside and set up before the start of school. During back to school night, I didn't even recognize many of our students and families because I hadn't ever seen them before without a mask on. I know our teachers are glad to be back and are ready to dive into teaching. 

On the personal side, I basically spent my summer break vacationing. I ended up taking five vacations this summer with a sixth coming up during fall break. With all of the cancellations last year I had a ton of travel vouchers to get rid of. I spent time in Chicago, Myrtle Beach, Vail, Ouray, and camping in the mountains. It was time well spent after all of the fun and excitement of a COVID school year. I don't think I have ever slept more than I did during the end of May into early June. 

Well that's it for this week, stay tuned next week when I start to share all of what is happening at school as well as at home. Here is to another great year and I'll see you next time 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.