PCK Weekly Newsletter

Dear PCK Families,

As we move into winter, we want to highlight one of the most meaningful ways to support your child’s growth: reading together at home.

Childhood moves quickly, and the simple moments you share today become the foundation of your child’s confidence, curiosity, and sense of security. Sitting beside your child with a book, answering their questions, and exploring stories together gives them something lasting and irreplaceable.

Research affirms what many parents already feel: shared reading strengthens bonds, reduces stress, builds character, and supports emotional growth. Children who hear stories daily encounter hundreds of thousands of extra words, boosting comprehension and long-term academic success. Because listening comprehension outpaces reading comprehension through middle school, children benefit from hearing rich, complex text well into adolescence.

Most importantly, reading together tells your child you matter enough for me to pause and be present. They may not remember every book, but they will remember how it felt to share that time with you and to learn life's lessons with the support of a comfortable and safe adult.

As winter break approaches, we encourage you to make reading part of your daily rhythm: read an extra chapter, revisit an old favorite, and let your child ask big, curious questions. These small moments build connection, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning.

To support you, our leadership team has included a few winter break book recommendations we’re enjoying with our own families:

We hope these stories spark conversations, bring laughter, and create moments your child will carry with them long after the break is over.

Wishing you warmth, rest, and many good books this season,

Dr. Leanne Weyman

Breanna Warburton

Stephanie Harper

This week, our 2nd and 3rd grade students delighted family and friends with joyful holiday concert performances. These concerts are a tradition for students in these grade levels, offering families a chance to see firsthand how music brings students together and helps them grow in confidence, creativity, and teamwork.

A heartfelt thank you goes to Mrs. Myers and Mrs. Waltz for their tremendous effort in bringing this program to life. Music is an essential part of our integrated learning curriculum, and its benefits reach far beyond the stage.

Early exposure to music is impactful to the phonological process of brain development, our basic and complex language development, and the growth of memory capacity, all building blocks to support sophisticated academic tasks later in life. In addition, students learn performance-based skills that are unique to music education, including pitch matching, rhythmic awareness, and polyphony.

“Not guilty.”

That was the final verdict delivered by the jury in our middle school mock trial. Over the course of the semester, a dedicated group of students spent their elective period immersed in the world of law, learning the inner workings of the legal system and ultimately putting their knowledge to the test in a full mock trial.

Throughout the class, students explored the procedural structure of court proceedings, mastered key legal terminology, learned how to build an argument or cast reasonable doubt, and practiced questioning witnesses, along with many other skills essential to the legal field. With this foundation in place, they then prepared and presented their case before their peers, treating the experience as a true courtroom proceeding.

We extend a heartfelt thank-you to Rachel Larson for serving as the presiding judge. Your guidance throughout the trial was invaluable and helped students navigate the complexities of presenting their cases with confidence.

Don't forget that next week is our Holiday Spirit Week from Monday, December 15 through Friday, December 19. As part of this celebration, students are invited to dress down following the holiday theme on the given day. The schedule of themes for the week, along with a brief description of what theme entails is below.

Winter Wonderland Day, December 15 - Students can wear whites, sparkles, or cozy winter-themed clothing.

Candy Cane Day, December 16 - Students are encouraged to dress in red and white.

Hot Cocoa Day, December 17 - Students can come in warm, comfy clothes perfect for a cozy day.

Holiday Character Day, December 18 - Students may dress as their favorite festive character.

Holiday Glam, December 19 - Students can dress in their festive best with sparkles, shine, and holiday flair.

Parents, please note that a common mistake made during this festive week is that students will dress down in pajama pants, which are expressly prohibited with the PCK Dress Code. Please ensure that your student’s outfit is compliant with our dress code.

One of PCK’s primary uniform providers, Tommy Hilfiger, will be offering 20% off all uniform items beginning tomorrow, Friday, December 12. This promotion may be especially helpful for families who’ve noticed that students have outgrown last year’s cold-weather gear or who simply need to refresh their uniform essentials.

The sale will run from Friday, December 12 through Monday, December 15. To receive the discount, families should enter the promo code 20PCTDECEM at checkout.

Please note that this code will only be active during the dates listed above. You can access the Tommy Hilfiger school uniform ordering platform by clicking the button below.

As winter settles in and temperatures continue to drop, please make sure your child comes to school dressed appropriately for the cold weather. Outdoor recess will be held each day unless there is heavy snow in the recess area and as long as the “real feel” temperature is 20 degrees or above.

Students should bring a coat, gloves, and a hat for outdoor recess. They are also welcome to wear boots to school and while outside; however, once they return to the building, they must change back into shoes that are dress code compliant. This same rule applies to hats and coats once students are inside the PCK building.

Thank you for helping us keep students safe and warm during these colder months.

Our lost and found has become quite full, and we are encouraging students to take a moment to check for any missing belongings. As we approach winter break, please ensure your student looks through the lost and found, as any unclaimed items will be donated when break begins.

If your student has misplaced something at any point this semester, we kindly ask that you remind them to verify that none of their belongings are there.

Our art department is continuing to collect rocks for a collaborative project created by both community members and staff. From now through the end of December, we are looking for rocks approximately four to six inches in diameter. Donations can be placed in the bin located in front of the health room. The finished project will be unveiled at the end of the school year.

We realize this may seem like an unusual request, but we truly appreciate your support. Projects like this not only help beautify our school, they also give students a meaningful way to connect with their school and community. Donations can be dropped off in the designated bin in front of the health room.

For full details about the project and how to donate, please click the button below.

We are still happily accepting your holiday cards in our front office! Cards can be left at the front desk and will be displayed in the front vestibule.

Your submissions will help us create a community display showcasing the holiday cheer of all our families. We are so proud of our community and the wonderful ways you celebrate the season. We can't wait to see your unique designs and celebrate together.

The PCK Spirit Rock is still available for all PCK families to rent! All proceeds directly support our 8th grade graduation, helping us create a memorable celebration for our students.

Located on the east side of the main parking lot, the Spirit Rock is open for families to decorate with personalized messages. Celebrate a student’s birthday, highlight special milestones, share words of encouragement, or simply spread positivity throughout our community. It’s a fun and meaningful way to get involved and show your school pride.

Click the button below to reserve the Spirit Rock on any available week.

Be on the lookout for new clubs in next week's newsletter!

At the moment our only club open for registration is our Homework Club, which meets from 3:20 to 4:15 p.m. You can find more information about the club and registration below.

Meeting Dates: Monday-Thursdays

Meeting Location: Room 115

Grades: 3-6

Homework Club is different from our other clubs, as it will take place all school year. At this club students will have the opportunity to work on their homework while a teacher is there to guide them through their work.

Below are the donations awarded by the Foundation through the month of December. Both grants directly support all PCK students.

These grants are made possible through the generosity of our community. Events such as the annual Fund Run, Gala, and Annual Giving Campaign help raise the funds that benefit our school. Although Colorado Gives Day has passed, we are still accepting contributions to our Annual Giving Campaign. Your donations directly support PCK staff and students, helping to continue providing a premier education for all PCK students.

If you’d like to contribute to the Annual Giving Campaign, please click the button below.

We’re extending the deadline for our staff Holiday Mystery Book Swap and are still hoping to collect about 40 donated books from our wonderful parents! Each staff member will choose a wrapped book with a clue on the outside to help them decide if it’s a topic they’d enjoy.

You do not need to wrap the books yourself, simply drop them off at the front office with a short quote and a hint about the title or author. We’ve extended the donation deadline to Monday, December 15.

If you’d like to help us show appreciation for our PCK staff, please click the button below to complete the SignUp.

During this week’s SAC meeting, members had the opportunity to preview the first video PCK created for Parent University. The video provides a brief overview of volunteering at PCK, highlighting the history of volunteerism, current opportunities, and ways for parents to get involved. PCK plans to produce additional videos on a wide range of topics, all of which will be available to parents on the school’s website in the future.

The video also sparked a discussion about how the SAC can support the school’s efforts to increase volunteerism and strengthen community engagement.

The next SAC meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 11, at 8:15 a.m. in the school’s conference room.

For this week’s Volunteer Spotlight, we are pleased to recognize Nathan Gandolph for his outstanding service as a Safety Dad. Our Safety Dads take on many unique and important responsibilities during their time at PCK, and Nathan was no exception.

In addition to fulfilling his regular duties, he went above and beyond by assisting with the procurement of the holiday concert programs for our 2nd and 3rd grade performances. Thanks to his support, our staff was able to ensure that every concertgoer received a program.

Volunteers play a vital role in the success of our school, and their contributions make a meaningful difference in how PCK operates each day. Without dedicated Safety Dads like Nathan, PCK would simply not be the same. Thank you, Nathan, for generously giving your time and stepping in wherever help was needed. Your efforts are truly appreciated.