WEEKLY HAWK

Last week brought lots of fun as the first snow came through! While some students were first a little disappointed with the news of no delay or snow day, they were quickly excited about the opportunity to get bundled in snow gear and head outside to play at recess!

I had lots of photos shared with me this week:

-Making the most out of the Winter Wonderland, PreK friends were immersed in a snow and ice unit of study. Check out their pictures - "ice skating" through the halls with wax paper and building snowmen in class with real snow! This group of little Hawks could not be any cuter.

-Our 5th graders engaged with the district STEM team to construct lego cars and time their creations on a racetrack.

-Our PE unit brought about the happiest and sweatiest kids of the year! Balance beams, rock walls, railyards, and more. Students were having a blast all week in PE and I'm sure the enthusiasm will continue for this unit over the next rotations!

All of this doesn't even include all of the amazing things I saw inside of classrooms - 5th graders doing experiments and pushing their scientific reasoning, 4th graders extending essay writing to the next level, 2nd grade breaking down foundational phonics skills - these were just a few of the lessons I had the opportunity to observe.

It's really a remarkable balance of academics, fun, and new experiences here at Homestead. Thank you for sharing your children with us and thank you to our teachers for providing such rich experiences!

Take care,

Katie

This week's Hawks Highlights were:

Sela: For being a kind friend

Noa: I cleaned up trash around the playground

Anna: I helped my friend find what he lost

George: Helping Ms. Piskunova put paper up

Lincoln, Oscar, Ollie: Made Ms. Piskunova smile

Ms. Brownell is needing help with setup and breakdown of equipment during her next unit. If you can help out, use this SignUp genius to volunteer.

This is the last week to order from our current school spirit wear store. Take a look and see what might be a good addition to your wardrobe!

Asthma & Winter Weather

Winter can be hard for kids with asthma. Cold air, indoor allergens, and respiratory illnesses can make breathing more difficult. Here are some simple tips to help:

Common Winter Triggers

· Cold air can make airways tighten and cause breathing problems.

· Indoor allergens like dust and pet dander build up when windows stay closed. This can irritate airways and cause coughing.

· Colds and flu can make asthma worse by adding mucus and swelling in the airways.

Tips to Help Your Child Stay Healthy

· Reduce allergens: Change air filters, clean often, and use an air purifier or humidifier (keep humidity between 30–50%).

· Avoid irritants: Limit candles, strong scents, and sprays that can bother sensitive lungs.

· Prevent illness: Get a flu shot, wash hands often, and keep away from people who are sick.

When to Call a Healthcare Provider

· Your child is coughing or wheezing more than usual.

· They need their rescue inhaler more often than normal.

· Breathing looks hard or fast, or you see skin pulling in between their ribs when they breathe.

· Symptoms don’t get better after using rescue medicine.

· Anytime you are worried about their breathing or overall health.

With these easy steps, you can help your child with asthma breathe easier and stay healthy all winter long!

5th graders participated in a hands-on math experience. They constructed and raced Lego cars for data collection and practice with decimals. They considered the weight and how it effects the speed.

Author Anden Wilder will be visiting K-2nd grade students at Homestead on Tuesday, Dec. 9. While this author visit is only for the younger students at our school, please note that anyone can purchase a signed book. If you would like to purchase a book, see the attached flyer for all of the details.

2:45-4:00 in the 3rd Grade Cafe

October 9, 30

November 13, 20

December 11

January 15

February 5, 19

March 12

April 9, April 30

Our school has started using Talking Points, a secure app that makes it easy to communicate with teachers and the front office via text. It's a great way to stay connected! If you need help or have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the front office at 720-554-3700.
Download Talking Points and get more information here!

Please see attached picture for the IA schedule for the year.

Promises Made, Promises Kept! The 2024 bond projects are well underway with improvements being made at every school across the district. I encourage you to learn more about the bond projects at our school here (link to school page on interactive map). To see the progress on the entire 2024 bond package, check out the districtwide bond dashboard here.

Tuesday, Dec. 9 is Colorado Gives Day. The CCSF (Cherry Creek Schools Foundation) is raising funds that support every school in the district, including ours, plus all 31 School Pantries & Family Resource Centers. Even after Dec. 9, we raise money year-round to help support needs that come directly from schools. Read more about this effort below:

What is Colorado Gives Day for CCSF?

Colorado Gives Day is a statewide movement to support nonprofits doing vital work in communities across Colorado. On December 9, Cherry Creek Schools Foundation invites educators, families, alumni, donors, corporate partners, and students to come together for 24 hours of collective generosity to support the programs that make our district exceptional.

This year’s theme—Elevate What’s Possible—captures our commitment to investing in what works: innovative classrooms, whole-child supports, career pathways, mental health resources, purposeful play, and opportunities that transform student lives.

Every gift, no matter the size, helps ensure that every Cherry Creek student has the support, enrichment, and opportunities necessary to learn, grow, and thrive.

Why Should I give to CCSF on December 9:

Because public education thrives when we invest in what works. CCSF funds programs that ensure students have what they need to access their education, including:

• Food & resource pantries & school-based health clinics
• Educator Initiative Grants that spark classroom innovation
• Career & workforce pathways at the CCIC
• Mental & behavioral health supports; including the groundbreaking Traverse Academy
• Purposeful play & early learning
• Scholarships for postsecondary opportunities

Your gift elevates academic, emotional, social, and career readiness for nearly 55,000 students across Cherry Creek Schools.

How Can I Make an Impact?

CONNECT Share CCSF’s mission and your own “why” with your network between December 1–9.

GIVE Make a meaningful gift on the Colorado Gives Day platform on December 9. Choose a school, program, or the area of greatest need.

SHARE Tell others why you support CCSF. A simple post, text, or email encourages more people to join you and multiply the impact.

Please click on this link to access the flyers in different languages.

Sungate Kids, in partnership with Cherry Creek Schools, presents an ‘Opportunity to Prepare for Safe Family Experiences for the Holidays’

For more information and if you would like to attend this training, please click the link below.

Sungate Kids Participation Form

All meals (breakfast and lunch) remain free for all students due to the Free Meals For All legislation that passed in November of 2022. We encourage families to complete a meal application to take advantage of other benefits offered to them and to support Title I funding in CCSD.

Meal Application: www.myschoolapps.com

Online Payments for Meal Accounts: www.MySchoolBucks.com (there is no fee for this service).

For questions or assistance with making payments please call 1-855-832-5226.

To view Menus: www.MealViewer.com

Colorado legislation has prompted greater need to screen and document volunteers in our schools. As of January 2022, we began asking every volunteer to complete a brief application to support activities in CCSD schools.

If you are currently volunteering or plan to volunteer in the future, please complete the CCSD online volunteer form. To access the form, click on the following link: https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/NzU0OmVuLVVT or scan the QR code. It should only take a few minutes to complete and you will only need to complete this form once a year to meet the requirements to volunteer in all CCSD buildings.

Please note: if you completed this application more than one year ago, it is time to do it again!

The safety and security of our students and staff remains our top priority. Every person entering our buildings must have a badge printed from our Raptor system or a District ID.

We want to thank you in advance for your support of our schools and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Homestead main office at 720.554.3700.

We have several after school clubs and summer activities offered at Homestead through outside organizations such as Chess Club, Coding Club and Tennis and Pickleball Club. Stop by the front lobby of our school to see what is offered and pick up a flyer for more information. Or, click on this link to access the flyers electronically.

Download Today! Search in your app store for Homestead Elementary. Or use these links:

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/app/id1115937231

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sia.homestead

What's on the app?

Attendance form

Contact info for staff

Parent calendar

School Supply Lists

Weekly Hawk Newsletters

Other resources

English:

Please contact (name of liaison) at (email) for support with this resource in your language.

Amharic:

እነዝህን መረጃዎችን በተመለከተ በቋንቋዎ ዕገዛን ለማግኘት ከፈለጉ እባክዎን ተሊሌን በዝህ እሜይል ያግኙዋት thirpa@cherrycreekschools.org

Arabic:

يرجى الاتصال ب )جميعة صباحي أو جاودة العلمي( على ) jsebbahi@cherrycreekschools.org أو

jdajanialami@cherrycreekschools.org للحصول على الدعم مع هذا المورد باللغة العربية .

Chinese:

如有需要，请经由ctaylor9@cherrycreekschools.org 与凯瑟琳•泰勒联系，以您的语言获得此资源的支持。

Dari:

لطفا برای کمک در مورد اين منابع به زبان خودتان با قزافی مهرزاد با اييمل qmehrzad@cherrycreekschools.org تماس بگيريد .

Hindi:

अपनी भाषा में इस संसाधन के समर्थन के लिए कृपया जेम्स रसाइथिी को jrasaily@cherrycreekschools.org पर संपकथ करें।

Korean:

귀하의 언어로 이 자원에 대한 지원을 원하시면 (리아 리) 에게 (llee6@cherrycreekschools.org) 로 문의하십시오.

Nepali:

कृपया जेम्स रसाइथिीिाइथ jrasaily@cherrycreekschools.org मा तपाइथको भाषामा यो संसाधनको सहयोगको िागी सम्पकथ गननथहोिा।

Russian:

Пожалуйста, обращайтесь к Ларисе Бака по адресу: lbaca3@cherrycreekschools.org для получения поддержки с помощью этого ресурса на своём языке.

Somali:

Fadlan la xiriir Omar Nur cinwaanka emaylka onur2@cherrycreekschools.org si aad u hesho macluumaad ku qoran luqadaada.

Spanish:

Si necesita ayuda con este recurso en su idioma, póngase en contacto con Ilse Chavez Maldonado en ichavezmaldonado@cherrycreekschools.org, Rosa Han en rhan4@cherrycreekschools.org, Carmen Vargas-Ball en cvargasball@cherrycreekschools.org o Monica Pantoja en mpantoja@cherrycreekschools.org.

Ukrainian:

Будь ласка, зв'яжіться з Зоряною Герман по електронній пошті zherman@cherrycreekschools.org, щоб отримати підтримку з цього ресурсу на українській мові.

Vietnamese:

Vui lòng liên hệ với Thuý Ngọc tại Lchung2@cherrycreekschools.org để được hỗ trợ về tài nguyên này bằng tiếng Việt.

You can keep up to date with the Homestead PTCO by visiting www.homesteadptco.org and our Facebook page.

Location: 7451 South Homestead Parkway, Centennial, CO, USA
Phone: (720) 554-3700