SCE Principal/Weekly Blast
August 21, 2026
August 21, 2026
Dear SCE Families,
We are settling into our school routines, and it has been wonderful to see our Eagles learning, connecting, and getting back into the rhythm of school! As we head into another week, I wanted to share a few important reminders to help your family plan ahead.
School Hours & Friday Late Start
Please remember that our school schedule looks a little different this year, particularly on Fridays.
Mon-Thurs Bell Schedule:
Doors Open: 8:20 AM
Tardy Bell: 8:35 AM
Dismissal: 3:30 PM
Friday Late Start Bell Schedule:
Doors Open: 9:05 AM
Tardy Bell: 9:20 AM
Dismissal: 3:30 PM
Today marked our first Friday Late Start, and we truly appreciate our families' flexibility as we adjust to this new districtwide schedule.
So, what is happening while students have that extra time on Friday mornings?
Our teachers are working together in Professional Learning Teams to look closely at what students are learning, analyze student work and assessment data, and plan how we can best respond to the needs of every learner. These conversations allow teachers to identify which students may need additional support, which students are ready for greater challenges, and what adjustments we can make to strengthen instruction for everyone.
This dedicated collaboration time is incredibly valuable because our students are ALL of our students. When our teachers have protected time to learn from one another, study student progress, and make instructional decisions together, we become stronger as a school and better equipped to help every Eagle succeed.
Bus Transportation Reminders
We encourage families who utilize district transportation to regularly review your child's bus schedule and pay close attention to dates when your route may not be running.
Knowing these dates in advance will give families time to make alternate transportation arrangements and help ensure students arrive at school on time and ready to learn. We appreciate everyone's continued flexibility as transportation routes and schedules settle into the new school year.
SCE 40TH BIRTHDAY BASH - Come Join in the FUN!
Don't forget! Sand Creek is turning 40, and it's time to celebrate!
Join us Thursday, August 27, from 5:00–7:30 PM for our 40th Birthday Bash! We're bringing together current and former students, families, staff, and friends for an evening celebrating 40 Years of Excellence at Sand Creek.
Come enjoy music, carnival games, a dunk tank, an inflatable obstacle course, food trucks, birthday cake, and lots of opportunities to connect and celebrate our amazing school community. Be sure to get there in time for our cake cutting ceremony and special welcome which will start promptly at 5:30 PM.
And why wait to show your Eagle pride? Our special 40 Years of Excellence spirit gear is available now through Amazon, and orders have been arriving quickly! Grab yours so your family can wear it to the Birthday Bash and throughout our anniversary year.
Shop Sand Creek 40th Anniversary Spirit Gear
We are looking forward to another great week at Sand Creek and can't wait to celebrate this incredible milestone with our community next Thursday!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Proud to be an Eagle!
Pamela Pekarek
Principal, Sand Creek Elementary
Celebration Volunteers Needed
We’re excited to celebrate Sand Creek Elementary’s 40th Anniversary with our families, staff, alumni, and community!
We would love your help making this special evening a success. Volunteers are needed before, during, and after the celebration to help with activities, welcome families, support stations, set up, clean up, and more. Whether you can give 30 minutes or a few hours, every bit of help makes a difference.
Thank you for helping us make this a memorable celebration of 40 years of Sand Creek!
Aug 24th: All SCE Clubs Start
Aug 27th: SCE 40th Birthday Bash! from 5:00-7:30pm
Sept 2nd: Student Picture Day
Sept 4th: Fun Run Kick-Off Assembly
Sept 7th: Labor Day (No School)
Sept 8th: Vision and Hearing Screenings (see Nurse's Corner below)
Sept 8th: PTO Meeting (everyone welcome)
Sept 9th: Sand Creek Spirit Night at Skate City
Sept 18th: SCE Fun Run
Sept 21st: Staff PD Day (No School)
Sept 21st-23rd: 5th Grade Outdoor Education
Sept 22nd: SCE at Colorado Rockies
Tuesday,Sept. 8th: Vision and Hearing Screening for grades PK–3 and Grade 5. Additionally, students in Grade 4 who are either NEW to the district or currently have an IEP will be screened as well. Please CLICK HERE for more information.
The Vision and Hearing Team is seeking volunteers to help ensure a successful screening on Tuesday, September 8th. Morning and afternoon shifts are available. Please review the available time slots below and click the button to sign up. Thank you for your support! SCE Vision and Hearing Volunteer Sign Up
Get Ready for Fun Run on September 18th!
Calling all Sand Creek Parents! We are gearing up for an incredible Fun Run on September 18th, and we need your help to make sure every child gets a t-shirt that fits just right.
We would love to get these orders placed as soon as possible, so please click here to submit your child's shirt size today.
Thank you for your support in making this event a success!
- Each month, our Specials Team will share highlights from Art, Music, PE, and STEM
- Please click here below to view the AUGUST edition of our Specials Newsletter.
GARDEN CLUB
We are excited to announce the Sand Creek Garden Club kicks off August 17th and meets 3:30-4:30pm twice a month! This club aims to foster a love for gardening among our students and provide hands-on learning opportunities about plants, sustainability, and the environment.
Please sign up your student in MySchoolBucks.
We are also seeking enthusiastic parent volunteers to help supervise and assist during our bi-monthly garden club meetings. Whether you have a green thumb or no gardening skills, your involvement can make a significant difference in our students' experience. If you are interested in joining us, please click here to sign up based on your availability.
If you would like more information, please reach out to Ms. Rudolf at 720-460-0560 or mrudolf@dcsdk12.org.
Let’s grow together!
The SCE B.A.S.E. Program is a child-care program available to all students who attend Sand Creek Elementary School grades Kindergarten through Sixth. We offer our program before school and after school, as well as a full-day option during breaks.
Click here for more details about and how to register.
PLC Late Start & New Bell Schedule (2026–27)
Beginning next school year, DCSD will implement Professional Learning Communities (PLC) time in elementary and middle schools—great news for our students and staff!
What this means:
Fridays: 45-minute late start
Tardy bell moves from 8:35 AM → 9:20 AM (Fridays only)
PLCs support stronger instruction, teacher collaboration, and consistent learning across classrooms.
More details (including BASE and transportation) will be shared soon.
New Daily Schedule (Mon–Thu):
Doors Open / Soft Start: 8:20 AM
First Bell: 8:30 AM
Tardy Bell: 8:35 AM
Dismissal: 3:30 PM
This schedule aligns with surrounding schools and supports families with students across grade levels. Thank you for your partnership!
Are @dcsdk12.org Emails Landing in your Spam Folder?
To ensure you receive important updates regarding school safety, grades, and events, we recommend checking your Spam or Junk folder periodically.
If you find an email from @dcsdk12.org in your spam folder, please mark it as "Not Spam" or "Move to Inbox." This simple action helps "train" your email provider to recognize our communications as safe, ensuring our future messages reach you directly.
Thank you for helping us stay connected!
Access Your Student’s CMAS Score Reports through Pearson’s Family Portal.
Click Here for Directions to view your student's scores.
Click here for 26-27 District Assessment Dates
The Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS): Colorado's standards-based state summative assessment system is designed to provide a picture of student performance to schools, districts, educators, parents and the community.
The purpose of the assessments is to indicate the degree to which students have mastered the Colorado Academic Standards (CAS) in mathematics, English language arts/literacy, science and social studies at the end of the tested grade level or content area. CMAS results provide one measure of a student's academic progress relative to the CAS.
For more information on CMAS, visit the Colorado Department of Education. For answers to frequently asked questions, visit the State Testing FAQ's page.
- DCSD Board Policy IK: State Mandated Assessments
- SCE HB15-1323 (Updated September 2025)
- 26-27 District Assessment Dates
- State Assessment Excusal Form Walkthrough Parent/Guardian
Students who qualify for the paper-based assessment must have:
- an active IEP/504 plan
- a documented disability that directly impacts their access to computerized technology and therefore prevents their access to the digital assessment (e.g., epilepsy, other seizure disorder, neurological disorder that prevents access computerized technology, etc.) HB 25-1278