Cub Column

Next Week - None!

• May 29 - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!
• Kindergarten Continuation Ceremonies
• 10am - Lynch and Hamilton
• 12pm - McCullough and Holliday

We'll see you in August!

• August 12 - 1st and 2nd Grade First Day of School
• August 17 - Kindergarten First Day of School

Dear DCSD Families,

With summer break quickly approaching, we wanted to provide a quick reminder about changes to school schedules coming next school year.

As we announced earlier this year, beginning in August 2026, DCSD is implementing dedicated Professional Learning Communities (PLC) time for our teachers. This means that DCSD elementary and middle schools will have a 45-minute delayed start every Friday. This is already occurring in DCSD’s high schools.

Teachers working better together for students

We recognize that having a delayed start time on Fridays will require some adjustments for families, however we are certain the trade-off will be worth it. In addition to what we have seen at our high schools, research from across the country shows how much of a difference PLCs can make in the academic outcomes for all students.

DCSD is the highest-scoring school district in the Denver metro area, and until now, the only one without dedicated PLC time. Think of what we’ll be able to achieve when our educators are using their dedicated Friday morning PLC time to full effect!

Your child(ren)’s teachers will gain focused time to work together, analyze data to make student-level adjustments in their teaching, and align their use of our curriculum to ensure learning goals are met.

What about … ?

You may have questions about how this change affects other aspects of the school day, and we have answers for those, too:

• Transportation: All school buses, including special education buses, will start 45 minutes later on Fridays. Bus routes will run exactly 45 minutes later.

• Child Care: Elementary students will still have access to Before and After School Education (BASE) on Friday mornings.

• School Breakfast: Breakfast will still be offered to students.

• Preschool: There will be no impact on preschool schedules. Currently, preschool staff already use Friday mornings for planning and PLCs.

• Charter schools: If your child attends a DCSD charter school, please check that school's website for information on calendars, late starts or early releases. The common Friday late start for neighborhood schools is not an expectation for DCSD charter schools.

• These, plus additional information about special education, inclement-weather delays, instructional time and more can be found on the DCSD PLC webpage.

In case a visual reminder helps you, we also made a downloadable 2026-2027 school-year calendar with the late-start Fridays identified so you can post it on your refrigerator.

Please note: The first delayed-start Friday will be Aug. 21.

We appreciate your support as we get ready to make this change. We hope you enjoy your summer as we prepare for the next level of constant improvement for all DCSD students!

Sincerely,

Douglas County School District

We still have a few PTO spots to fill for next school year and would love your help! There are so many ways to get involved based on your interests and availability.

✨Love planning? Community Events Chair could be a great fit.

📚Love reading? Help with Read-a-Thon or Scholastic Book Fair.

⏰Short on time? Join as a General Volunteer and help when you can.

Every little bit makes a big difference for our students, staff, and school community.

Sign up here and help make next year amazing:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E44ADAA2CA5FCC52-63818819-20262027#/

• NE- https://1stdayschoolsupplies.com/gs/19177

• MVE- https://1stdayschoolsupplies.com/gs/19131

Are you interested in helping behind the scenes to support this effort?

Use the registration link below. All logistical details regarding pick-up times and locations are included within the form for the families:

• Register for a Backpack Here

Summer School Poster - English

Summer School Poster - Spanish