CRMS Principal's Communication

Every August, there seems to be a moment when the building comes back to life. Throughout the summer, the halls are quiet and classrooms sit waiting. Then suddenly, backpacks begin to appear, teachers return with fresh ideas, and the excitement of a new school year fills every corner of the building.

Next week we have the privilege of welcoming our newest Blue Knights during New Beginnings. This program has become one of my favorite traditions because it gives our new students an opportunity to become familiar with the building, meet teachers, connect with classmates, and begin the year with confidence. Starting middle school is a big milestone, and our staff is committed to making sure every student feels welcomed, supported, and excited for what lies ahead.

While our students prepare for Monday, our teachers and staff will also be returning next week. Although many people think schools simply "open" in August, there is an incredible amount of planning, collaboration, and preparation that happens before students ever walk through the doors. Our teachers have spent the summer learning at conferences, collaborating with each other, reflecting, and recharging, and they are eager to welcome students back into classrooms where relationships, curiosity, and learning will thrive.

Before we know it another school year will officially begin. A new school year brings fresh opportunities for every student. Whether that means trying a new activity, making a new friend, setting a personal goal, or simply continuing to grow as a learner, each student has the chance to write a new chapter in their story. Our hope is that every Blue Knight feels challenged, supported, and inspired to become the very best version of themselves.

On behalf of our entire staff, welcome back to another exciting year at CRMS. We can't wait to see our students, reconnect with returning families, and welcome those who are joining our community for the first time. Here's to a fantastic start to what promises to be an outstanding school year!

John Veit

Principal

Castle Rock Middle School

Registration for New Beginnings is open in MySchoolBucks. This is for all new students to CRMS for this year regardless of what grade your student is entering. Students have the opportunity to meet teachers, meet other students and get to know the school. It’s a great way to be introduced to our school and get ready for the start of the year. New Beginnings takes place August 3-5, 2026. Please visit our New Beginnings Website for more information and the registration link. If you have any questions, you may contact Kendra Kaufman or Shantel Poole at kendra.kaufman@dcsdk12.org or smpoole@dcsdk12.org.

Registration is now open for 8th Grade Girls Volleyball and Cross Country. Please note that all students must have a current physical on file to participate. Physical forms are on our Athletics Webpage as well as in the registration website. Practices begin on Thursday, August 13, 2026 after school.

Register on myschoolbucks.com.

The DCSD Board of Education has updated the district policy regarding personal communication devices for the new school year and moving forward. With this change, all middle schools have a 'bell to bell' ban on communication devices. This includes phones, watches, airpods, etc. Students must have their devices away and in their backpacks through the entirety of the school day.

More information to come, however we want our families to be aware of this now to begin conversations with their students. Most teenagers are spending a great deal of time this summer with their phones and will have a big change come August 12.

Express Check-In opened July 27th, for our families. This is required for all families to complete before the first day of school (August 12th). Your personal email is NOT your email to login. It will be your Parent Portal username turned into an email address: username@p.dcsdk12.org

Parent Portal Reset Information District Website :

Parent Username Retrieval - You don't know your username

Parent Password Reset - You know your username but not your password

This year all bikes and scooters will park on the east side of the school near the athletic doors. We will not park any of these inside the school. Although the area is on camera, we recommend you send your student with a lock to secure their ride.

Please, please, please talk with your students about safety while riding to school.

Refer to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office webpage and the Town of Castle Rock webpage regarding what options are legal for students to ride to school.

Students and parents will be able to view students' schedules on Friday, August 7, in Infinite Campus after 4:00pm.

Once again, breakfast and lunch are provided fro all CRMS students. Students must select a complete meal for it to be free. There are other a la carte options available for purchase as well. You can put money in your student's account at myschoolbucks.com.

DCSD Nutrition Services Website

Lunch Menu

The 2026-2027 school year calendar is linked here. This is for your reference when planning for breaks and vacations.

Just a reminder that the first bell rings at 7:35am and classes begin at 7:40am. We have included the link for this school year: Bell Schedule.

At CRMS, our Parent Involvement Program (PIPs) is our parent teacher organization run by parents to support our teachers and the school. Parents interested in finding out more information regarding PIPs and ways they can support our school, please reach out to crmspips@gmail.com for more information.

Mark your calendars for Back to School Night on Monday, August 10, from 6:15pm - 7:30pm. This is a wonderful time to see the school, meet your student’s teachers, see where they’ll be and get some questions answered before the year starts up.

Starting with the 21-22 school year, our school implemented a Bring Your Own Device initiative. In order to accomplish this, we have changed our school supply list to the items below:

• Chromebook
• 2 College Ruled Spiral Notebooks
• Good Working Pen and Pencil each day

The rest of the necessary school supplies will be provided by the school. We have further information about why we have chosen Chromebooks for our school on our BYOD initiative webpage. This information includes recommended specifications for devices.

We know there is a financial burden to providing a Chromebook or comparable device, but we hope the elimination of so many other items will help save some costs for our families.

Student pictures will be taken on August 14, 2026. You will receive an email from DR Photo with instructions on how to access your gallery and order pictures.

New Beginnings - August 3, 4, & 5, 2026

Back to School Night - August 10, 2026

First Day of School for Students - August 12, 2026

Student Pictures - August 14, 2026

Labor Day (No School) - September 7, 2026

Virtual Parent-Teacher Conferences - September 15 & 17, 2026

Professional Development Day (No Student Attendance) - September 21, 2026