Northridge Elementary Weekly Blast

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Meeting ID: 882 7468 1219

Passcode: 0FhYce

November 19, 2025

Dear DCSD Elementary and Middle School Families,

The Douglas County School District (DCSD) is continually pursuing academic excellence for each and every one of our students. As part of this, we are considering providing dedicated collaboration time (Professional Learning Communities) for our elementary and middle school teachers.

While all of our schools implement Professional Learning Communities, currently only our high schools have dedicated PLC time each week. We are exploring providing similar dedicated PLC time at our elementary and middle schools as well. Learn more about PLCs and their benefits below.

To do this, our school district would need to implement a 45-minute late start once a week at its elementary and middle schools (this is something that is already occurring in our high schools). Currently, DCSD is the only large school district in the Denver/metro area that has not yet built PLC time into its elementary and middle school schedules.

Last spring, in our strategic plan survey, we asked our community about their level of support for DCSD providing our elementary and middle schools with dedicated PLC time for teachers. 52% of respondents Agreed or Strongly Agreed that adding PLC time to our elementary and middle schools should be prioritized, while 21% were neutral to the idea. In addition, all of our elementary and middle school principals support having dedicated PLC time.

As we continue to explore the implementation of PLC time for our elementary and middle schools, we want to hear from you. Please complete the brief survey below to share with us how a shift to your school schedule would potentially impact your family. The survey will close on Friday, December 12 at 5:00 p.m.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

Douglas County School District

SURVEY LINK

What are Professional Learning Communities?

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are where educators collaborate and use data to support and advance the academic growth of all students. PLCs offer numerous benefits: for teachers, they provide opportunities for shared learning, professional growth, and improved instructional practices; for students, this leads to more targeted and effective instruction, ultimately enhancing academic achievement; and for schools, PLCs foster a collaborative culture, leading to greater consistency in curriculum and assessment.

PTO In Action

Veterans Day Celebration Breakfast - Thank you!

Our Veteran’s Day Breakfast was wonderful. Thank you to everyone who attended and brought special guests! Thank you to Mrs. Bush and the 3rd Grade Class for their performance. Thank you to Mrs. Robertson and the many NRE students who created art work to decorate the room. Thank you to Scout Troops #620 and #870 for their flag presentation. Thank you to all the NRE students who brought in “Bricks” to decorate our “Wall of Honor”. Thank you to the volunteers who made it all happen. And most importantly, thank you to all the US Military Veterans who have served our country - we could never fully express all of our gratitude!

Lost & Found

Please check the Lost & Found next time you are in the building! There is a LOT there! On December 19, any items remaining in the Lost & Found will be donated to a non-profit in Douglas County that provides resources for those in need in our county. See the pics below for a quick glance at what’s there!

Upcoming Events

Holiday Shop: Friday, December 5th

The PTO Holiday Shop is a fun event for kids during the school day where they get to shop for small gifts for their family/friends. Common items for sale will be keychains, jewelry, candles, soaps, etc. Most items available for purchase will cost between $1-5, some will cost between $5-10, and a handful of options will be over $10. The shop will also be open after school from 3:30-4:30 to give parents time to shop as well.

We will need volunteers to make this event happen! Help us setup the day before, volunteer during the day at the gift wrapping or craft station, help us with clean up from 4:30-5:30pm that afternoon. If you’re interested in helping, please sign up here!

PTO Community Appreciation Event: Breakfast with Buddies

Save the date!! All NRE students are invited to bring parents, guardians, grandparents, or any special guests to Breakfast with Buddies on Tuesday, Dec 16, from 7:45–8:30 AM in the NRE Gym.This free event is our way of saying thank you for the amazing support you have given the NRE PTO this year! RSVP is required - please RSVP here.

Restaurant Nights

Local restaurants host “spirit nights” where a designated portion of the proceeds from your order will be generously donated back to NRE PTO. All you have to do is mention NRE when ordering. It’s a win-win-win: you get a night off from making dinner (or treats), local restaurants get our business, and PTO receives a donation! Stay tuned for more dates - we are adding more to the calendar all the time!

12/2/25: Jets Pizza

12/11/25: Fujiyama

12/12/25: Desert Donuts

1/7/26: Chick-Fil-A

Volunteer Opportunities

Spring Event Committees - PTO is forming committees for our spring events. If you would like to help plan the Family Bingo Night or the Silent Auction please reach out so we can get you plugged in! PTOpresidentNRE@gmail.com

Holiday Shop - Volunteer needs will be on 12/4 after school from 3:30-4:30, various volunteer needs during the day on 12/5, and the event cleanup on 12/5 from 4:30-5:30. Even if you can only stay for part of the time your help will be greatly appreciated!

Setup & Clean up for Breakfast with Buddies - Signup here. Volunteer needs will be on 12/15 after school from 3:30-4:30 and 12/16 from 8:30-9:00. Even if you can only stay for part of the time your help will be greatly appreciated!

Ongoing Fundraisers

Paint the Rock - Reserve the Rock to celebrate a special occasion. First sign up for your date here, then make your $20 donation to PTO through MySchoolBucks.

Additionally, PTO has volunteers who are willing to paint the rock for you if you’d like! Follow the steps above, then email PTOpresidentNRE@gmail.com to inquire about volunteer availability. When we find a volunteer who can paint for you, then you can make an additional $50 donation to PTO.

King Soopers - Did you know!?

King Soopers donates back to the community through their Community Rewards Program. Through September 30th, there were 45 families enrolled in the program to direct their King Soopers Community Rewards to NRE PTO. Between January 1 and September 30, the rewards generated by those 45 families totaled over $2200!! That is FREE and EASY money for NRE! There is no cost to families to participate and it takes 1 minute to link your King Soopers account to NRE PTO! Let’s double the number of families enrolled by January 1 and really take advantage of this great community partnership! See the very easy steps in the flier below - new again with the most recent app upgrade!

Dear Northridge Families,

As we head into the Thanksgiving break, the entire administration team wants to express our deepest gratitude. We are incredibly thankful for this amazing community—our dedicated parents, our enthusiastic students, and our truly extraordinary staff. Your collaborative spirit, resilience, and commitment make Northridge such a special place to learn and grow every single day. We wish you all a relaxing and safe holiday week!

I am excited to share that our next School Accountability Committee (SAC) meeting is scheduled for December 3rd at 8:45am in the library and over zoom. We are excited to announce that this month's meeting will feature a special guest: Alison Shanor, Principal of Mountain Ridge Middle School (MRMS). Alison will be discussing the transition process for our 5th and 6th-grade students as they prepare for middle school. All parents and guardians are encouraged to attend and participate!

Our wonderful Second Grade classes have been channeling the spirit of the season with their special "Spoons of Gratitude" project! As part of our Sources of Strength lessons, students created and decorated a unique spoon to bring home. This spoon is designed to be a talking piece, similar to what we use in class. We encourage families to use it at your table this week: pass the spoon around, and whoever holds it can share something they are truly thankful for. Our hope is that this simple, handmade item will become a cherished, yearly tradition for your family, fostering gratitude for years to come!

Our Sixth Graders had an inspiring and unforgettable day this week during their field trip to Mountain Vista High School (MVHS)! The day was specifically focused on the Fine Arts, providing our students with a fantastic preview of the extensive arts programs available in high school, including choir, band, and theater. The schedule included engaging performances by current MVHS students and interactive workshops designed for our 6th graders. This experience was a wonderful way to inspire their creative passions and demonstrate the exciting pathways awaiting them in our district!

On a personal note, my own Thanksgiving holiday starts with a trip to Texas—first to Houston, where I'll be busy babysitting my nephews, ages 8 down to twin 3-year-olds! Then we'll head to San Angelo to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with Cory's side of the family. Our family tradition involves lots of delicious food, passed-down recipes, spirited card games, plenty of football, and, of course, lots of pie! Wishing you all equally wonderful celebrations and memories!

Have a wonderful holiday and we look forward to seeing you on December 1st!

Smiles,

Erin Lehnert

Principal, Northridge Elementary

Mental Health Resources

Below is a list of resources, should you have a concern that a loved one (or yourself) may be experiencing behavioral changes, mood swings, depression, or suicidal thoughts over the break.

Call 911 if there is an immediate threat to the child or others

• 988 - Suicide and Crisis Hotline

• Call or text “988” any time, 24/7 for free, confidential support.

• Colorado Crisis Services: 1-844-493-TALK (8255)

• Trained Crisis Counselor Hotline: (844) 493-8255 or text “TALK” to 38255

• Chat online (open from 4pm-12am daily): Click Here

• Walk-in Locations (open 24/7): Location List

• Information About Types of Services and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Colorado Crisis Services

• DCSD Mental Health Intervention website

• Mobile apps for wellness and recovery

• Let’s Talk Colorado

• iMatter (free virtual counseling sessions)

Douglas County has an anonymous reporting system available at all times. Anyone with a concern for someone’s well-being or safety can use Safe 2 Tell (1-877-542-7233) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.