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13-17OCT | FALL BREAK

21OCT | PSP MEETING @ 5:30pm

24OCT | FALL FESTIVAL @ 5:30-7:30pm

28OCT | CHAPARRAL SWEET STREET @ 5:30-7:00pm (see flyer below)

7NOV | DONUTS WITH GROWNUPS @ 7:30am

7-14NOV | BOOK FAIR

18NOV | PSP MEETING @ 5:30pm

18NOV | SAC MEETING @ 6:30pm

24-28NOV | THANKSGIVING BREAK

3DEC | PSP RESTAURANT NIGHT - CHIPOTLE @ 4-8pm

6DEC | CLARKE FARMS WINTER SOCIAL @ 4-8pm

19DEC | NO SCHOOL - TEACHER WORK DAY

22DEC25-5JAN26 | WINTER BREAK

6JAN | 1ST DAY BACK FOR STUDENTS

FALL FESTIVAL CANDY WARS

Candy Wars have returned! Please bring in bags of candy starting Monday, October 6th and feed our candy monsters! Please label your candy by grade, there will be a party for the grade who wins the candy wars!
Are you available to help at Fall Festival?? Please SIGN UP HERE!

APPLE AWARDS

Each year, Douglas County School District invites families to nominate teachers/staff that have made a positive impact! Nominations are being accepted through October 20th, please consider nominating a CTE teacher/staff member! We all know that CTE has wonderful and amazing teachers/staff that truly make a positive impact on our students!

ASHLEY JAKUBOWSKI

Dear Parents/Guardians,

DCSD is committed to implementing equitable practices to increase access to advanced/gifted learning opportunities. Based on state and national recommendations and requirements, we implement Universal Screening for students in 2nd grade (February) and 5th or 6th grade--a student's final year of elementary school (November).

Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, we will be testing only 5th graders in Douglas County in November. In preparation for this, we will be testing all 5th & 6th graders this November so as to not miss any students in the transition process.

5th & 6th Grade Universal Screen

As part of this process, ALL students in 5th & 6th grade not identified for gifted programming will take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) the week of November 3rd. This assessment indicates the level and pattern of cognitive development of a student in comparison to grade and age mates. These general reasoning abilities, which start developing at birth and continue through early adulthood, are influenced by experiences gained both in and out of school.

In alignment with DCSD’s Strategic Plan, starting in the 2026-2027 school year, we will be testing only 5th graders in Douglas County in November. In preparation for this, we will be testing all 5th & 6th graders this November so as to not miss any students in the transition process.

Gifted Identification Referral Testing

• If your child is in grades 3 and 4, and you believe they need evaluation for Gifted Identification and Services, you may refer your child for testing by initiating the Gifted Identification Process.

• NOTE: Requesting this assessment automatically initiates the process to evaluate for Gifted Identification.

• Please request CogAT testing for your child by completing the Referral for Gifted Identification linked HERE

• Upon receipt of this form the Gifted Education Facilitator will connect with you to discuss next steps in the gifted identification process.

At Cherokee Trail we focus on six traits, teaching and fostering them in our classrooms and school-wide in order to create learners who are strong academically and socially.
They are:

ENTHUSIASM * PERSEVERANCE * INTEGRITY * COURAGE * EMPATHY * RESPECT

Read more on the EPICER page!

In September we will be focusing on ENTHUSIASM. Here are the student indicators:

* I show a positive attitude at all times

* I am eager to learn

* I show active engagement throughout my day

AT HOME: Discuss with your student " 'Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.' – Julie Andrews"

5TH GRADE

6TH GRADE

SPECIALS

GIFTED & TALENTED

ACCESS FLYERS IN PEACHJAR

DEBORAH ORMSBY

Learning by drinking from the fire hose: Over the summer, our boys started a new adventure in jiu-jitsu. While we had some background (our 16-year-old is a black belt in Taekwondo), this was a completely foreign experience for our 12 and 7-year-old. We watched them step into a world where others already had experiences and success, while they grappled with concepts that were new to them. The first month was challenging. Our 7-year-old, who is still trying to remember which hand is his right hand, had to replicate moves that required unique moves for each hand. The second month was easier - at least for the 12-year-old. He started to figure things out and even found success in matches against higher belts. Our youngest... continued to think girls have cooties and struggled when paired with a girl, but was all in when he was partnered with a boy. We are now in month four and they have both made some buddies and each class brings new learnings and risks they jump into.

Throughout this, we watched the instructors guide the boys - sometimes there was praise for well practiced or mastered concepts and sometimes it was coaching when they didn't quite get it yet. In school, like jiu-jitsu, some concepts are big and take more time, but patience, perseverance, and support make a difference in mastry. As you attend conferences this week, it is our intent that we are like the jiu-jitsu instructors: praising mastery and hard work, while supporting when students need more time and practice.

In the midst of this our boys never gave up and demonstrated resilience, risk-taking, and perseverance - things we want to develop in students throughout their time at CTE - even at times when school might be hard!

As I write this, it is conference week, and over the next few days, we will have the majority of our families come in to chat with our teachers about how things have been going so far this year. It is a great chance for our community to connect with teachers. Our teachers have been very busy these last few weeks organizing and preparing for the conferences. They have a lot of data to share, as well as any other observations they have been seeing during the school year.

Outside of that, I think everyone is ready for Fall break. I know our staff and students deserve a nice, long break so we can reset and prep ourselves for the holiday season. As soon as we come back from break, we go into this strange schedule of a few weeks on, then Thanksgiving, then a few weeks on, then Winter Break. It goes by really fast, and next thing you know, it'll be 2026 and the second half of the year will be here.

On the home front, I don't have much to report other than I have only heard from my daughter once since I told her she couldn't come home. She told me she was going to the doctor because she had been getting hives when the weather suddenly shifted, and that her sorority bills were due. That was really the extent of our communication, but I will be going up for Parents Weekend the last weekend of Fall Break, so it'll be good to catch up on all of the things. Maybe then I'll have some good stories to share.

That is it for this week's episode, stay tuned for 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, complianceofficer@dcsdk12.org, 303-387-0067. Complaint procedures have been established for students, parents, employees, and members of the public.

Email: anna.hylton@dcsdk12.org
Website: cte.dcsdk12.org
Location: 17302 Clarke Farms Drive, Parker, CO, USA
Phone: 3033878125
Facebook: facebook.com/ctestallions